EAST DEVON COULD FACE MAJOR SPLIT IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT SHAKE-UP - 🗺️ 🖊️
Report by Duncan Williams for Pulman's Weekly News
East Devon may be merged into a new unitary authority under a proposal that has ignited significant debate among councillors and local residents.
Approved by East Devon District Council, the plan outlines a potential merger with Mid Devon, North Devon, Teignbridge, and Exeter to form a single authority. Meanwhile, a second unitary council would include Plymouth and potentially encompass Torbay, South Hams, West Devon, and Torridge.
The proposal, part of discussions sparked by the government’s devolution white paper, aims to streamline the current two-tier governance system in Devon, which divides responsibilities between the county council and district councils. Instead, unitary authorities would take charge of all services within their areas.
Cllr Paul Arnott (Liberal Democrat, Coly Valley) spoke about the intense discussions that have occurred since Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner announced plans for the biggest reform of local government in 50 years. Describing the process as a “blizzard of meetings”, he emphasised that East Devon’s proposal was an important and worthwhile contribution to the ongoing debate.
“We feel it was worth at least one of the councils who could be involved in the proposed unitary council that we would be in, putting the idea out there as a recommendation, as something to aim for,” Cllr Arnott said.
Questions were raised by Cllr Jess Bailey (Independent, Otter Valley) about whether the councils involved in the proposed merger had supported the idea. Cllr Arnott acknowledged that they had not formally endorsed the plan but noted that council leaders did have some preliminary “chats about it being possible”. He argued that East Devon, as the largest district involved, had a responsibility “to try and show that extra bit of leadership”.
Concerns have emerged regarding the potential creation of a larger unitary authority covering half of Devon. Critics have warned that such a body could be more distanced from local communities, potentially reducing the accessibility and responsiveness of services.
Questions have also been raised about whether the expected efficiencies, both financial and operational, could be achieved.
Cllr Brian Bailey (Conservative, Exmouth Littleham) expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s approach, stating that councils were being “dictated to”. While he acknowledged that the government was “elected fairly and squarely”, he criticised the white paper for its lack of focus on residents’ needs.
“In this white paper,” he explained, “there is no mention of residents or the lack of services. We need to get in the door and then alter the thinking of the creation process,” he said.
Further uncertainty to the debate was added to by comments from Jim McMahon, the minister for local government and devolution, who suggested that Exeter might be able to remain a standalone authority. Such a move could undermine East Devon’s proposal, which relies on Exeter’s inclusion to ensure viability.
( Image: Wikipedia 📸 )