Berry Pomeroy boundary row returns as Devon council shake-up faces rethink
Berry Pomeroy’s future could be back under discussion as the Government rethinks its plans for Devon’s councils
The ‘Berry Pomeroy question’ could be answered following the Government’s withdrawal of radical plans to shake up Devon’s councils.
Local Government Minister Jim McMahon made the announcement in the House of Commons.
Torbay Council leader David Thomas, who heard the proposals during a briefing with the minister yesterday (October 29), said he believed plans to divide the county into four new unitary authorities would survive the rethink, although there could be room for ‘minor tweaks’.
One of these could concern the impact of the boundary changes on Berry Pomeroy, between Totnes and Paignton.
The original blueprint for the Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) programme placed the village within an expanded Torbay unitary authority, rather than allowing it to remain with nearby Totnes in the proposed Devon Coast and Countryside authority.
The latter would cover parts of Devon not absorbed into expanded Torbay, Exeter and Plymouth authorities.
The proposal prompted an outcry, with the boundary splitting a street in the Bridgetown area of Totnes. Residents and politicians argued that it made no sense to separate Berry Pomeroy from Totnes.
Cllr Thomas (Con, Preston) said: “The Government says it is still committed to LGR, and what we have heard today suggests that it is still firmly on the table.
“I think the Government’s starting position will be just where it left off last time, with the four unitaries for Devon, but with a conversation to be had about modest tweaks, which may include the Berry Pomeroy question.
“From a Torbay perspective, the Government’s four unitaries are not what we put on the table, and we know our residents want Torbay to stay within its current boundaries. It is the Government’s view that we will be expanding.
“From a Torbay perspective, that is still a much better option than having a single Devon council.”