A single "super-council" would administer all services

More than half of the leaflets Cornwall County Council sent out had not been delivered by the end of last week.

After the consultation deadline ran out on Tuesday, council leader David Whalley said that he was giving local people until 20 June to respond.

The county council says a single council will be more efficient.

But five district councils threatened with extinction under the move say local people they have polled, are against a super-council.

We are very disappointed at the delays David Whalley

Mr Whalley said: "Our aim was to send our information leaflet to every household to set out the facts of our proposal and enable the people of Cornwall to have their say on this vitally important issue.

"We are very disappointed at the delays in distributing the leaflet.

"I would reassure members of the public that we want to hear their views and have extended the consultation deadline."

A poll by Caradon, Carrick, Kerrier, and Penwith district councils has suggested that 81% of people are against the idea of a super-council for Cornwall.

Nearly 72,000 people voted in the poll to gauge opinion on scrapping the district councils for a unitary authority.

And in a separate vote in North Cornwall 82% of people polled said they were against the idea.

This must call into question the competence of the county council Graham Facks-Martin

Graham Facks-Martin, chairman of North Cornwall District Council, said: "No-one I have spoken to in North and East Cornwall has had a leaflet, except for county councillors themselves who had theirs sent by first-class post.

"This must call into question the competence of the county council.