“The leading option emerges”: a single unitary authority to replace the existing eight district councils and Devon County Council – plus the existing Plymouth and Torbay unitary authorities.
But Exeter City Council wants to expand into the surrounding areas and take control of parts of East Devon, Teignbridge and Mid Devon.
Meanwhile, “if towns and parishes want something, now is the time to do it, not six months before LGR as it will be too late.” Cllr Kennedy (Mid Devon District Council)
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Late last month, Devon County Council discussed yet again the options for local government reorganisation (also known as LGR) – with the resulting press release declaring: A stronger future shaped by communities: Devon unveils ‘leading’ option for local government change:
Councillor Paul Arnott [Deputy Leader of Devon County Council and LGR lead] says that after extensive work by officers, and wide-ranging community engagement, it has become clear that a single unitary authority to replace the existing eight district councils and Devon County Council is the most logical option. The new council would work alongside the existing Plymouth and Torbay unitary authorities.
With decisions shaped by local communities through Neighbourhood Area Committee structures, the new council would be simpler, and be able to deliver change in partnership with local residents. Crucially, evidence shows it would have the scale and resilience required to deliver for those who most need local government support.
The council’s leader, Councillor Julian Brazil, has described the model as the ‘least worst’ option as the council faces real terms funding cuts from central government.
More than 6,000 Devon residents have completed a New Devon survey on LGR, with roadshow events taking place around the county, and expert financial and legal advice has been assessed before this leading option emerged. Key stakeholders’ views will be sought on the option before the council makes a final decision in November.
As this plan was revealed for the future of local government in Devon, there are issues with this option, however:
Prof Joanie Willett is an expert in local government from the University of Exeter who has studied the transition of Cornwall into a unitary authority in 2009. “Turning a county and district councils into a unitary authority – from the experience of Cornwall – is not an easy process. There are so many different things to work out and different relationships to work out and of course, we talk about it on an organisational scale but this is also about people’s lives and people who work within that organisation.”
She said there were benefits and drawbacks to the process. “It can speak much more precisely and much more clearly for our region but it can also mean that government becomes a little bit more detached from local people.”
And there are other proposals, as BBC Devon has neatly summarised:
The Devon County Council plans are very different to the plans put forward by Phil Bialyk, Labour leader of Exeter City Council. He wants to expand into surrounding areas and take control of parts of East Devon, Teignbridge and Mid Devon – thereby expanding the population size from about 135,000 to about 255,000.
In June the government said its position was that a “population size of 500,000 or more is a guiding principle, not a strict target”.
Plymouth City Council, led by Labour’s Tudor Evans, also wants to expand into the South Hams – hoping to increase its population from about 265,000 to 300,000.
Torbay Council, with Conservative Dave Thomas at the helm, is considering three options – to remain as it is, to expand into parts of South Hams and Teignbridge, or to cover all of South Hams, West Devon and Teignbridge.
Each area as a whole will have to submit one plan by the end of November – which might contain different proposals put forward by individual councils.
The government hopes to be in a position whereby elections for the new unitary authorities in Devon are held in May 2027 with the new authority “going live” on 1 April 2028.
Indeed, the county town responded almost immediately to the county council’s proposals, as the Devon reorganisation plans were criticised by the Exeter council leader. Here’s their map:
An argument for the county council’s proposals is its backing a report against splitting councils, as reported in the Herald over the weekend:
The report, released by the County Councils Network (CCN), warns that splitting county councils into smaller unitary authorities could harm the delivery of vital care services. It argues that larger councils are better equipped to deliver high-quality adult social care, children’s services and support for people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Councillor Paul Arnott, portfolio holder for local government reorganisation at Devon County Council, said: “This report indicates that maintaining a unified council structure at scale is vital to protect the services on which our most vulnerable residents rely.”
Looking at what the chair of the CCN has to say, it’s ‘make or break’ for social care as councils warn of a ‘triple whammy’ of risks from government reorganisation plans:
“With several areas now submitting competing proposals, the study clearly shows the stark choice facing the government. It provides clear evidence that there are very real risks to care services if county councils are split into multiple small unitary councils. Those that depend on care could face worse services, be met with significant upheaval, and have too few staff to adequately deliver their support. At the same time, councils and local taxpayers could be loaded with substantive extra costs.”
Or, as the East Devon Watch reports, as Devon Councils tear themselves apart on reorganisation – here is a stark warning.
Finally, in the meantime, there is some sensible discussion going on about the need for towns and parishes urged to act now:
There are some concerns about how those bigger entities might interact with town and parish councils because of the extra workload upon councillors and officers in those new mega councils. As such, some are suggesting if towns and parishes want more control over things in their communities, now could be the time to ask.
“If towns and parishes want something, now is the time to do it, not six months before LGR as it will be too late,” Councillor Lance Kennedy (Liberal Democrat, Tiverton Cranmore) said at a Mid Devon District Council meeting.
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