The Government was today urged to repay the money spent by Ipswich Borough Council on its unitary campaign.
The Council's bid was delayed by Ministers, who have called in the Boundary Committee to look at Ipswich's Borough boundaries and at proposals for local government reform throughout Suffolk.
Councillor John Carnall, Deputy Leader, said: "The decision by the Government was really a U-turn and we are now writing to the Department for Communities & Local Government for a financial refund.
"While I am happy to stress that we spent very wisely we still had to find nearly £240,000 for our unitary bid. When you add on extra work undertaken by our staff that bill nearly doubles. It is not fair that we should meet the cost when we had been told time and again that we had passed all the necessary hurdles. We had even been sent, in late November, draft orders for the creation of a unitary Ipswich council. Then at the 11th hour it was all taken away. That is why we are demanding recompense."