Businesses could face a huge upheaval if plans to abolish Gloucestershire's six district councils go ahead.

The government is due to publish a white paper today (Dec16) setting out its plans for a major redesign of local government.

It could see the smaller Gloucester, Cheltenham, Stroud, Tewkesbury, Cotswolds and Forest Of Dean councils merged with Gloucestershire County Council.

Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner said the plan will allow communities to "begin to take back control over the things that matter to them".

Her speech is expected to add: "Devolution will no longer be agreed at the whim of a Minister in Whitehall, but embedded in the fabric of the country, becoming the default position of government."

But there is a "nervousness"around the plan according to Cllr Stephen Davies, Tory leader of Gloucestershire County Council.

A meeting of the Economic Growth Board, which replaced GFirst LEP, has been postponed until March to give time for the white paper to be assessed.

Tewkesbury Borough Council also announced last week it was delaying its name change to North Gloucestershire Borough Council for the same reason.

"We need to be a little careful because previous governments have gone down this route, and then faced with public opposition, have decided to spend their political capital elsewhere and abandoned them," said Cllr Davies.

"There is a nervousness here and we need to see the government's strength of commitment.

Labour leaders in Whitehall have said the plan would help streamline services and include new elected metro mayors with stronger powers over planning- speeding up the delivery of new housing and infrastructure.

But with an estimated population of 659, 276 Gloucestershire falls short of the one million mark needed to have a new mayor and could miss out on money.

"We need to work out what our best fit is," said Cllr Davies, "facing towards Bristol or some conglomeration of counties around us.

"It is also very clear that if we do not have a Metro Mayor there is a danger funding will not flow.

"My instinct is that unitary is not a bad thing. I have some issues with it about local planning. I think strategic planning is the prize here and this is why we may want to play the game.

The strategy will end up at the Mayor level with the big decisions but delivery and the actual "doing" will still be a council responsibility-probably a unitary council."

He believes if the government "holds its nerve" the local district councils will not get a choice over whether they are merged. "I think it will be done to them," he added.

The plans have been opposed by the District Councils' Network which says there is "little evidence" from past reorganisations that taxpayers' money will be saved.

In October, Cllr Mark Hawthorne (C, Quedegeley), former county council leader of 14 years, said he feared devolution will be "designed from the centre", reports the Local Government Chronicle.

He said this would leave ownership of areas not with local people but with "mandarins that sit in Whitehall".

"One of the most frustrating things for a county like Gloucestershire is that whatever colour the party in power, the obsession with Westminster and from the Treasury is around metro cities and devolution to metro mayors," he added.

Cllr Louise Gittins, chair of the Local Government Association, said genuine devolution of powers and resources can play a huge role in promoting inclusive economic growth, creating jobs, and improving public services.

"Reforms in this white paper will have a significant impact on every council and community," she added. "While our members are - and always have been - open to change, we remain clear that local government reorganisation should be a matter for councils and local areas to decide."

She said that devolution cannot distract from the severe funding pressures that are pushing local services to the brink and it was vital the government provides councils with a significant and sustained increase in overall funding that reflects current and future demand for services.

Mark Owen, editor and owner of Punchline-Gloucester.com, said: "If this goes ahead the ramifications for businesses would be huge.

"We are going to have to team up with another council to get the population we need. Would that be Swindon, Worcester, Bristol?

"There is a danger Gloucestershire could be left on the sidelines."