{"id":71304,"date":"2026-09-10T17:07:53","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T16:07:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/?p=71304"},"modified":"2026-09-10T17:23:02","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T16:23:02","slug":"devon-council-seeks-clarification-government-taking-decision-issue-proceedings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/devon-council-seeks-clarification-government-taking-decision-issue-proceedings\/","title":{"rendered":"Devon council seeks further clarification from government before taking a decision to issue proceedings"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Devon County Council will defer a decision to issue judicial review proceedings in order to seek further clarification from government.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Secretary of State announced on Monday that the government will review plans for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) and pause proposals while that review takes place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Councillors this week discussed what the announcement means to the council\u2019s plans to legally challenge the government\u2019s LGR plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Councillors have agreed to seek clarification as to what the pause means and to protect the legal challenge if required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"block_acf-block-6aa2d5d9ce97d\" class=\"councillor-quote align-right dcc grid-x\">\r\n\t<blockquote class=\"councillor-quote-blockquote medium-auto small-12 cell\">\r\n                    <div class=\"councillor-quote-title\"><p>Councillor Julian Brazil, Leader of Devon County Council, said:<\/p><\/div>\r\n        \t\t<div class=\"councillor-quote-text\"><p>\u201cWe haven\u2019t suspended our judicial review, because we need to get clarification from government.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe need to understand what they mean by pause, what they mean by review.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe remain firmly committed to doing what is best for Devon\u2019s residents and communities.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe welcome the Government\u2019s decision to pause and review the current proposals and are now seeking urgent clarification on what that pause and review will mean in practice.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is not about rushing to court. It is about making sure Devon\u2019s voice is properly heard, that decisions are made lawfully and fairly, and that any future proposals are subject to proper consideration.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;In the meantime, we are carefully considering our legal position and will take all necessary steps to protect our position, including preserving our ability to issue judicial review proceedings if required.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m absolutely delighted that the government has listened to the concerns raised and decided to pause its plans and review the proposals. It gives us the opportunity to make our vision of how we see local government in Devon.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s good news and I\u2019ve got to thank the government. Credit where credit\u2019s due; new Prime Minister, new Government, and they\u2019ve come back to us and said we\u2019re listening to you, now we want to hear what you\u2019ve got to say.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n\t<\/blockquote>\r\n        <div class=\"councillor-quote-aside medium-auto small-12 cell\">\r\n\t<figure class=\"councillor-quote-image grid-x\">\r\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"small-6 cell medium-12\" src=\"https:\/\/democracy.devon.gov.uk\/UserData\/7\/1\/1\/Info00000117\/bigpic.jpg\" alt=\"Councillor Julian Brazil\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\r\n        <figcaption class=\"councillor-quote-description small-6 cell medium-12\" >\r\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/democracy.devon.gov.uk\/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=117\" rel=\"noopener\">Councillor Julian Brazil, Leader of the Council<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n            <\/figure>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    \r\n    <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":71305,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-71304","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-democracy"],"acf":[],"featured_image":{"ID":71305,"title":"Resizing pics for News Centre (90)","alt":"Councillor Julian Brazil, Leader of Devon County Council, being interviewed outside County Hall, 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