Lots of different bids for the future shape of local government emerge
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There has been a lot of debate around shaking up local government – and the possible gains this might bring. However, there is also a fair amount of anxiety about how this might unfold, with the deadline for proposals to central government passing yesterday, Friday 10th.
And so, according to one councillor, the government’s plans for devolution could turn South West into ‘the wild west’, as local authorities seek to make “power bids” for various parts of Devon.
What are those bids which are now coming out? Here’s a summary from the last couple of days:
- Firstly, putting the cat among the pigeons, Devon County Council has voted in favour of postponing May’s elections – because, “the government is allowing local authorities to apply to postpone local elections if they can either submit plans by May, or pledge to join a Devolution Priority Programme which give them until the autumn”.
- Then there is the idea that Devon and Cornwall should combine under a mayor, says Exeter’s MP – because, “Exeter’s status as one of the south west’s economic powerhouses must be protected as part of the impending local government shake-up” and the MP would also like Exeter to go ahead with its plans to become a unitary council.
- This idea has in turn sparked debate over whether Cornwall is the key to Torbay’s role in Devon devolution – and yet whilst Torbay has voted to explore an ambitious plan which could see it joining up with Devon, Plymouth and Cornwall, “Cornwall’s six MPs have already declared themselves against the county ‘getting into bed’ with any councils across the Tamar.”
- The other current unitary city council, Plymouth, also supports a South West Peninsula authority – with Councillors also behind expanding Plymouth’s boundaries “so it can remain a unitary authority sitting under a larger peninsula body”.
And what about the view from East Devon? Again, there has been a lot of coverage of the debates and proposals:
- Firstly, concerns have been raised in East Devon over the government’s ‘super councils’. And so, a press statement came out early last week stating that, unanimously, all the District Councils ‘do not support the creation of one unitary council for Devon’ and “do not support postponing the county council elections scheduled for May 2025” – because “any changes must be carefully considered, transparent, and inclusive, ensuring that residents and businesses are fully engaged in shaping the future governance of Devon” and “that cannot be achieved if we make rushed decisions that have not been given the serious consideration that they deserve”.
- An alternative proposal coming out of the district council is that the county should be split into two major councils – meaning that East Devon could be merged into an Exeter unitary authority, whereby East Devon, Mid Devon, North Devon and Teignbridge district councils would create a unitary council with Exeter – largely because they wanted East Devon, as the largest district, “to try and show that extra bit of leadership”.
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