Districts’ devolution talks ahead of schedule

Devon’s district councils are working together to come up with a solution to the county’s devolution riddle.

The government plans to reorganise local government, with district councils being swept aside in favour of creating larger unitary councils covering greater areas.
District councils around Devon came up with differing ideas when the plans were announced, but all were adamant that they don’t want to be swallowed up by a single Devon authority which they claim would simply be a more dominant version of the current county council.
Now Teignbridge Council leader Richard Keeling (Lib Dem, Chudleigh) has revealed that the leaders of the seven councils are making good progress with a combined response to the devolution proposals.
He told a meeting of his council’s executive committee: “We have been asked to come forward with a plan by 21 March, but we are well in advance of that.”
Cllr Keeling did not give any details of the talks that had been spread out over ‘many meetings’.
But, he said: “I can assure you that we will be using what is best for Teignbridge and best for Devon.
“The process is ongoing, and quite in depth.”
The seven district councils involved in the discussions are Teignbridge, South Hams, West Devon, Mid Devon, Torridge, North Devon and East Devon. Plymouth City Council and Torbay Council are already unitaries, while Exeter City Council says it wants to become one.