The Boundary Committee for England has been asked by the Government to look at the way the County and eight District Councils of Devon currently work, to see if they could be replaced by a ‘unitary’ system of local government.

This would replace the existing County and District Councils-the so-called "two-tier" system-with either a single Unitary or a number of Unitary Councils responsible for all local government services across the whole of Devon or segregated parts of the county. These services include schools, roads and public transport, caring for the elderly and disabled, housing and emptying the bins.

The Government has asked the Boundary Committee to advise Ministers on its recommendations by December 31 this year.

We have included some Questions and Answers to keep you informed about what is happening, and how a change to the current two-tier system of local government would affect you. We also invite you to ask your own question and will endeavour to publish these with the answers on our web pages.

You can use the button below to follow what the Boundary Committee say about the benefits of a single council for Devon.

The Boundary Committee has invited submissions to their proposal and plan to update those that they have received each fortnight on their website, www.electoralcommission.org.uk

The Boundary Committee is also encouraging councils to raise public awareness about the proposal and the opportunity for people to have their say. So we have have produced a leaflet entitled 'A stronger voice for Devon (630KB - pdf help) that explains how the Boundary Committee's proposal affects Exeter, Exmouth and surrounding Parishes.