Another Devon council is planning to challenge the government in the courts over its plans for a complete transformation of the way the county is run.
The government has announced a radical local government reorganisation (LGR) programme which will sweep away district councils altogether.
In their place will come larger unitary authorities which the government says will mean more efficient and economical local democracy. There will also be elected mayors to administer the ‘devolved’ power from Westminster.
But opponents say the new councils will be too large and unwieldy, with large parts of rural counties such as Devon being ‘left behind’ by urban centres.
Across Devon there will be four of the new unitary councils, with Exeter, Plymouth and Torbay all expanding their current boundaries to take in dozens of neighbouring towns and parishes.
The remainder of the county will become a new ‘Devon Coast and Countryside’ unitary authority with boundaries stretching 100 miles from Ilfracombe to Prawle Point, and from the border with Cornwall to the Dorset and Somerset county boundaries.
Some local politicians have said they fear that this will create a ‘rump’ of communities being left behind, and Teignbridge is the latest district council to underline its opposition to the plans and come out in favour of making a legal challenge.
Fifteen Teignbridge parishes including parts of the Teign Valley and the Tedburn St Mary area will become part of the expanding Exeter unitary council. Fourteen parishes in Teignbridge, including the towns of Newton Abbot and Teignmouth, will join Torbay.
The rest of Teignbridge, including many of its rural and moorland parishes, will become part of the new Devon Coast and Countryside unitary.
Members of the Teignbridge executive committee will meet next week (September 8) to discuss a motion put forward by leader Richard Keeling (Lib Dem, Chudleigh) which says: “The LGR model selected by the government demonstrates its failure to understand or appreciate the needs of the county’s rural towns and villages as well as our coastal communities and effective delivery of services.”
It says the decision to go ahead with the expansion of Plymouth, Exeter and Torbay is at the expense of the remaining parts of the county.
“It disadvantages those towns and parishes moving into the expanded areas, and is entirely at odds with its stated aim of ensuring local government meets the needs of all of Devon,” says the motion.
It goes on to point out that the proposed set-up for Devon is ‘entirely at odds’ with the results of the government’s own public consultation.
Members of the executive will vote on whether to support an application for a judicial review, with the aim of getting the proposed Devon restructure withdrawn or revised.
They could also call on Angela Rayner MP, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, to reconsider the ‘untenable’ proposals.
Devon County Council is spearheading the campaign for a judicial review.
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