{"id":67792,"date":"2025-11-14T16:55:29","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T16:55:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/?p=67792"},"modified":"2025-11-14T16:55:33","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T16:55:33","slug":"councillors-consider-proposals-for-future-of-local-government-in-devon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/councillors-consider-proposals-for-future-of-local-government-in-devon\/","title":{"rendered":"Councillors consider proposals for future of local government in Devon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Councillors have been running the rule over Devon\u2019s proposals for the reorganisation of local government in the county.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At a special meeting of the authority\u2019s Full Council today (Friday 14 November), councillors had the opportunity to comment on Devon\u2019s draft business case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Devon County Council is proposing that the County Council and the existing eight district councils are replaced with a single unitary authority serving around 840,000 residents, while retaining the existing authorities of Plymouth City Council and Torbay Council.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The business case for Devon\u2019s proposals, subject to approval, needs to be submitted to government by Friday 28 November.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Feedback from councillors will be considered at a special Cabinet meeting next Tuesday (18 November) when it makes its final decision on the proposals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While no vote was taken at the Full Council meeting, there was a shared frustration from councillors over what\u2019s being asked of local councils.<\/p>\n\n\n

\r\n\t
\r\n

Councillor Julian Brazil, Leader of Devon County Council, said:<\/p><\/div>\r\n \t\t

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a sense of frustration that councillors are not making the decision. I share that frustration, and our Cabinet isn\u2019t making the decision either.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a general consensus about how we\u2019re being pushed and pulled, and forced to do this by government. Government has foisted this upon us. They talk about devolution and moving decision making to a lower level, but then decide they will choose how to do that. The irony isn\u2019t lost on me.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always been in favour of unitary councils but the way we\u2019re being forced to do it is the problem. It\u2019s not news to anyone that I\u2019m not a great fan of this process, but we have to do what we\u2019ve been asked to do by government and try and get the best solution for people in Devon.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n\t<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\n\t
\r\n\t\t\"Councillor\r\n
\r\n Councillor Julian Brazil, Leader of the Council<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n <\/figure>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n <\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n

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\r\n

Councillor Jacqi Hodgson, Leader of the Green and Independent group, said:<\/p><\/div>\r\n \t\t

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been really good to have had such considered points made on this. I\u2019m furious with the government for what they\u2019re doing to us. We\u2019ve been so messed around as local authorities delivering public services. We will oblige and we will send forward our proposals and hope we get a decent response from government. There\u2019s work to be done, to say the least, but what we\u2019ve heard today is useful.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n\t<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\n\t
\r\n\t\t\"Councillor\r\n
\r\n Councillor Jacqi Hodgson, Leader of the Green and Independent Group and Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Bio-diversity<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n <\/figure>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n <\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A statement from Councillor Michael Fife Cook, Leader of the Reform UK group, was read out by his deputy Councillor Neil Stevens QVRM, on behalf of all of the party\u2019s county councillors.<\/p>\n\n\n

\r\n\t
\r\n

Councillor Michael Fife Cook, Leader of the Reform UK group<\/p><\/div>\r\n \t\t

 <\/p>\n

\u201cLGR, in my view, has already achieved what the government set out and wanted it to achieve, that is to simply distract us all from the real problems so many of our residents face; it\u2019s smoke and mirrors again. We are mandated to deliver services that we can no longer afford; our government refuses to finance what it demands that we do. LGR has possibly brought the worst out in us all, to divide us and our communities along the lines of selfishness and self-preservation. Of course, like most of the rest of you, I have no vote here, so in reality, now the dust has settled and we have to decide on something, my something would have to be new Devon; or \u2018no\u2019 to everything, which I much prefer, but in reality we all know, that\u2019s just not an option.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n\t<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\n\t
\r\n\t\t\"Councillor\r\n
\r\n Councillor Michael Fife Cook, Leader of the Reform Group<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n <\/figure>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n <\/div>\n\n
\r\n\t
\r\n

Councillor Andrew Leadbetter, Leader of the Conservative group, said: <\/p><\/div>\r\n \t\t

 <\/p>\n

\u201cAll of these different plans have their merits, and the government has got to make a decision, but the government may have already made a decision on what\u2019s going to happen. At the end of the day, none of this addresses the issue we\u2019re all encountering, that we\u2019re not getting enough money in local government. We\u2019ve been lobbying for many years but they haven\u2019t been listening to us. We\u2019re the forgotten south west. Whatever we do, it doesn\u2019t address the fact there is a lack of money coming into local government.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n\t<\/blockquote>\r\n

\r\n\t
\r\n\t\t\"Councillor\r\n
\r\n Councillor Andrew Leadbetter, Leader of the Conservative Group<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n <\/figure>\r\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n <\/div>\n\n\n

Councillors heard that the proposals for a new unitary council for Devon would provide continuity in critical services such as children\u2019s safeguarding and adult social care, avoiding the disruption and risks that would be caused by breaking them up under separate unitary authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The proposed new authority would have 16 Neighbourhood Area Committees, providing the opportunity to bring together councillors, parish representatives, the voluntary and community sector, businesses and public service partners. This will ensure communities have a strong voice. Establishing these Neighbourhood Area Committees would not remove any assets or powers\u202ffrom local town and parish councils.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Government will examine all of the proposals it receives from authorities in Devon and decide which proposal(s) will go to statutory stakeholders for consultation during the first half of 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A final decision is expected by government next summer, with shadow elections due to be held in May 2027. The chosen new authority\/authorities will take on their new powers and responsibilities on 1 April 2028.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":67795,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[24,2226],"tags":[674,645,2247,2263,2261],"class_list":["post-67792","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dcc-homepage","category-devolution","tag-cllr-andrew-laedbetter","tag-cllr-jacqi-hodgson","tag-cllr-julian-brazil","tag-cllr-michael-fife-cook","tag-local-government-reorganisation"],"acf":[],"featured_image":{"ID":67795,"title":"Copy of hero image for news website - 2025-11-14T161127.804","alt":"Councillors at the Full Council 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