Review of the structure of local government in Devon

What is the review?

The Boundary Committee for England has been asked by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to put forward proposals for revisions to the structure of local government in Devon.

The review was triggered by the Secretary of State’s decision in December 2007 to reject Exeter City Council’s bid for unitary status.

The Boundary Committee has until the end of December 2008 to put forward its recommendations which will then be considered by the Secretary of State in early 2009.

The Committee’s proposals

The Boundary Committee published draft proposals in July 2008, for a period of consultation ending on 26 September 2008. Its preferred proposal is for a single unitary council for the entire area of Devon, with Plymouth and Torbay councils remaining on their current boundaries.

The Committee also sought views on an alternative two council proposal, with new unitary councils for Exeter and Exmouth and rural Devon.

The Committee has not specifically rejected changes to the boundaries of Plymouth and Torbay, but considers this to be outside of the remit of this current process of structural review. The Committee has, however, identified the possibility of a separate boundary review for these areas.

Plymouth City Council’ response

The City Council has submitted a formal response to the proposals after taking a report to a meeting of the Council (see documents table below).

The report argues the proposals are not likely to satisfy the Secretary of State’s five criteria for the structural review, particularly in relation to strategic leadership and neighbourhood empowerment.

Both proposals are considered to be detrimental to the city’s economic growth agenda and to the delivery of high quality accessible services within South West Devon as a whole.

The Council is to formally request that the Boundary Committee accepts that changes to the boundaries of Plymouth and Torbay do need to be considered as part of this structural review, and that it now consider the concept for unitary government in Devon approved by the City Council’s Cabinet on 8 July 2008.

The Council is also to make a formal request for a boundary review run in tandem with the structural review.

More information

You can find further information about the review on The Boundary Committee for England website. Further updates will also be published on this website.

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