“We do not support postponing the county council elections scheduled for May 2025.” [Leaders of Devon’s district councils]
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In recent days there has been a lot of reporting and speculation on shaking up local government in Devon – with the county and district councils all providing rather mixed reaction. They only have until Friday 10th January to put forward proposals for any reorganisation plans to central government.
The first complication is that, when looking at how Devon might be reorganised, Devon County Council and Torbay Council had their bid to become a combined county authority (CCA) approved by the last Conservative government at the beginning of the year, but the two authorities purposely pursued a non-mayoral set-up. The Labour government’s new proposals make it clear that it does not see a future role for district councils – but it is not clear what will happen in Devon, CAA or not.
In parallel, the city of Exeter sees unitary status “a huge opportunity”, with a council meeting on 9th January expected to formally recommend becoming a devolved Mayoral Strategic Authority for Cornwall and Devon to central government – the only problem being that this does not fit the government’s parameters for new unitary councils (Plymouth and Torbay already being as such).
A second issue is that the county council has been considering requesting to postpone May’s local elections “in order to focus on reorganisation”. This has led to some politicking, with the Devon Conservatives accused of a ‘blatant’ move to retain power, after the Lib Dem leader of Mid Devon District Council claimed the Tories, who run Devon County Council, want to postpone county council elections scheduled for May.
So far then, the county council (plus Torbay unitary council) and Exeter city council have made their intentions clear – with Plymouth city. already being a unitary council, not pushing for too much change.
Joint statement: Devon District Councils – update on devolution and local government reform
“The Devon districts are fully supportive of genuine devolution of powers from Whitehall to local government.
“However, following the publication of the Devolution White Paper, and subsequent statements by the leader of Devon County Council, we would like to make it clear that we do not support the creation of one unitary council for Devon.
“Our county, including Torbay, is diverse and made up of nearly 1 million residents across urban, coastal, and rural areas. Any reform of local government in Devon should follow a period of proper consultation with residents, businesses, elected representatives, and stakeholders. Looking at the evidence, we should decide collectively what is best for our area. A single unitary council for the county risks diminishing local representation, with decision-making that is remote from the communities we serve.
“We do not support postponing the county council elections scheduled for May 2025. The government has indicated that this will only happen in priority areas who have clear and agreed plans. This is not the case in Devon, so we cannot be in the first phase of these reforms.
“We recognise that the government’s white paper sets a clear direction of travel. As Devon’s city, district, and borough council leaders, we want to work collaboratively with others in particular with our neighbouring unitary councils to agree how we respond to this. Any changes must be carefully considered, transparent, and inclusive, ensuring that residents and businesses are fully engaged in shaping the future governance of Devon.
“Our objective must be to get this right for our residents and businesses. That cannot be achieved if we make rushed decisions that have not been given the serious consideration that they deserve.”
