Devon County Council

devon.gov.uk

From Mike Bomford, Exeter 382173, September 25, 2008

Devon County Council has today made its final submission to the Boundary Committee for England which strongly backs the case for a single unitary council for Devon and rejects splitting the county in two.

The report sets out more details of how a new single council for Devon would work and how it will save £28 million over the next five years. In particular, it gives more details on how decision making powers and influence over public services could be devolved to communities via local community boards.

The report rejects strongly the notion of a greater Exeter Unitary Council which it says would fail to meet the Government's criteria, particularly the crucial test of affordability.

The County Council is just one many authorities supporting the Boundary Committee's proposal for a single Unitary Council.

Police and Fire authorities, Devon Primary Care Trust and Devon Partnership NHS Trust are among other large and influential public sector authorities backing the proposal.

Education groups, including Devon's Associations of Primary and Secondary Headteachers, Association of School and College Leaders, the Learning and Skills Council, and Connexions, also support the single Unitary concept, as do the NUT and NASUWT Unions.

South West Highways Ltd, Viridor Waste Management, Midas and ROK are among supporters from the business community.

The Devon Association of Parish Councils, the Community Council of Devon, and Villages in Action have also given their backing.

And many Parish and Town Councils from North to South, East to West, have also submitted in favour of a single Unitary Council for Devon.

Supporters have said:

"The Trust sees considerable advantages from the proposal to create a single unitary authority for Devon for local people. Combining the functions of the County Council, Exeter City Council and District Councils will create sufficient critical mass to attract, recruit and retain a high calibre of staff as well as providing economies of scale which a number of smaller authorities may not be able to achieve." (Devon Partnership NHS Trust)

"There exists a capacity within larger councils to efficiently procure services and projects from the private sector and develop standards and practices that encourage continuous improvement and innovation. We would very much welcome the formation of a Devon unitary authority comprising the existing county of Devon with no changes to Plymouth and Torbay." (MIDAS)

Some authorities have responded by drawing upon their operational experience to highlight the benefits of working with a single authority rather than duplicating or fragmenting their services.

"From a practical point of view, we give 24-hour emergency cover, 365 days a year. It would be nonsense to duplicate the weather radar, ice detection, CCTV and traffic signals from separate control centres. From a public perspective highways and emergencies do not stop at political boundaries." (SWH Ltd, formerly South West Highways)

"The opportunities to deliver the step change from an historic reliance on landfill are greatly enhanced when waste collection and waste disposal authorities work as close as possible. The replacement of the existing two-tier system in Devon with the Committee's draft proposal for a single unitary authority will provide the platform for driving value from that economy of scale, making the connection of collection and treatment complementary." (Viridor Waste Management Ltd)

The Boundary Committee's proposal includes devolvement of powers and budgets to local communities through Community and City Boards, which have found favour with groups already imbedded within local communities.

"The community board concept is a logical way to bring scrutiny, influence and information to a more local area. Many councils see that bringing together town and parish councils, along with unitary councillors and other bodies could be beneficial." (Devon Association of Parish Councils)

"The Community Council of Devon (CCD) is strongly in support of the trend to favour action and accountability at a community level, whilst achieving better co-ordination at a strategic level. CCD therefore favours the Devon wide solution over the two unitaries pattern." (Community Council of Devon)

"This council broadly supports the concept of community boards consisting of Town and Parish Councils, the unitary authority and representatives of community interest groups to help reinforce decision making at the local level." (Dawlish Town Council)

A new single Unitary Council would be responsible for all the services currently provided by the Devon's nine City, District and County Councils, covering the same geographic area as the existing County Council.

Within four years it would have repaid initial transition costs, generating savings of £28 million by its fifth year, with £19 million year on year savings thereafter.

The savings would enable significant annual investment to be made directly into local communities to improve public services, and County Councillors would expect to see Council Tax equalised and reduced across Devon to the level of the lowest.

Opposers, backing a greater Exeter Unitary Council that would swallow Exmouth and surrounding Parishes, say their concept would protect the City's traditions and generate millions of pounds in savings.

But the City Council's own figures show that initial transition costs and other deficits would leave a greater Exeter Council with savings of just £100,000 at year five, and it would have a £5.9million shortfall requiring the council to cut its budgets or raise Council Tax.

The Leader of Devon County Council, Cllr Brian Greenslade, told fellow Councillors this week that the proposed single unitary Council concept passes the financial test with flying colours and that he is optimistic that savings could be even higher than the County Council has predicted.

He said:

"We have held over 70 listening events throughout this process and this has given us the chance to dispel some of the myths that have arisen. I am very pleased with the response and the steady flow of active support for a single Devon unitary with local community boards.

"On the other hand, it is clear that a Greater Exeter unitary would not be fit for purpose and would struggle to deliver vital services like education and social care.

"The City Council's own figures show a £6million black hole in their finances - the equivalent of a 10% increase in Council tax or a massive cut in frontline services.

"If this proposal were to go ahead it would not only be bad for the people of Exeter but the whole of Devon would be losers too."

Shadow Leader, Cllr John Hart, said:

"Local Government will be facing increasing financial pressures over the next few years, so if ever there is a time for this kind of change, then it is now.

"If things must change then I am convinced that we will be far stronger working together as one single unit, and the people of Devon will get much better value for money."

NOTE TO NEWS EDITORS

The full submission can be viewed on Devon County Council's website, www.devon.gov.uk

• Leader of the Council - Cllr Brian Greenslade
• Chief Executive -- Phil Norrey

• Budget £800 million
• Key investments include:
• Schools £349 million
• Adult and Community Services £164 million
• Environment, Economy and Culture £106 million
• Children and Young People £101 million

• Other important County Council support includes:
• Building programme: £185 million for new schools, roads, care services, libraries and recycling centres

• Political make-up:
• County Council seats: 62
• 33 Liberal Democrat
• 23 Conservative
• 4 Labour
• 2 Independent
• Next County Council elections: May 7, 2009

• Key stats:
• Population: 741,000
• Schools: 365
• Pupils: 96,200
• Children looked after: 584
• Adults helped to live at home: 17,622
• Residential and nursing care: 4,212 adults
• Libraries and Mobile Libraries: 61
• Roads: 12,831 kms (7,973 miles)
• Bridges: 3,500
• Public Rights of Way: 4,960 kms (3,200 miles)
• Streetlights: 71,000
• Illuminated road signs: 10,917
• Recycling Centres: 20
• Recycling rate: 49.21%

Figures may be subject to change

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