England's network of local authorities is to undergo its largest shake-up on a single day since the 1970s, as 44 district and county councils are replaced by just nine serving 3.2 million residents.
Government ministers said the changes will save money, cut waste and boost services while providing stronger local leadership and making it easier for residents to access council services.
Cornwall, Wiltshire, Shropshire, Northumberland and Durham will each have a single unitary council.
Cheshire will be divided into one unitary council for Cheshire West and Chester and another for Cheshire East, while Bedfordshire will have two unitary council areas - Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire.
The move brings large parts of England in line with the framework in place in Scotland and Wales, which already have single-tier council systems. The proportion of England's population served by unitary councils rises from 52% to 60%.
The Government's Department for Communities and Local Government said the nine new unitary councils are expected to achieve savings of more than £100 million a year after one-off transitional costs.
Local Government Minister John Healey said: "This is not a cosmetic make-over or just a new logo on a council tax bill. Nor is it just a cost-cutting exercise. It's about the nine areas making the clear case that they can serve their residents better by top-to-bottom reform, and stripping out a layer of local government.
"The acid test now will be whether these councils deliver their promises, including better services, leadership and achieving more for less, as I - and more importantly their residents - expect.
"Staff have put a lot of hard work into ensuring a smooth handover and day one implementation. I'm confident that this reform will set a new standard for local government in the future."
