Council leader slams Devon reorganisation plans as ‘ineffective’

Plans to overhaul local government in Devon have drawn sharp criticism, with rival council leaders warning the proposals are unworkable and too remote from residents.

Under the scheme, announced by Devon County Council recently, all district councils and the county council would be abolished and replaced with unitary authorities in what is being billed as the biggest shake-up of local government in 50 years.

The county council wants to create a new authority, New Devon, covering the same area as the existing county boundary and serving around 830,000 people. Plymouth and Torbay would continue as separate unitary authorities.

But Exeter City Council leader Phil Bialyk dismissed the plan as "ineffective" and "too remote," adding that cooperation between councils in Devon had "broken down". He warned that the new authority would be "too distant and remote to be able to reflect the needs and priorities of many residents and communities" and would "just deliver more of what our residents already receive".

Bialyk also claimed the plan "would reduce accountability, create a democratic deficit and reduce the ability to respond to the diverse needs of local areas in an effective way". Instead, he argued, the reforms should be seen as an "opportunity" to design new local authorities.

His proposal includes creating a unitary authority for an expanded Exeter, extending to Exmouth, Dawlish and Crediton, with a population of about 255,000. This would sit alongside an enlarged Plymouth, which has ambitions to grow its population from 265,000 to around 300,000, and a separate rural and coastal unitary authority covering around 675,000 people.

Torbay Council is considering three options: to remain unchanged, expand into South Hams and Teignbridge, or take over all of South Hams, West Devon and Teignbridge.

At present, North Yorkshire is the largest unitary authority in England, with about 615,000 residents.

The government has instructed councils in each area to work together to produce a single plan by the end of November. However, Bialyk accused county leaders of failing to engage. "Devon County Council has not engaged me at all - collaboration has broken down," he said.

Defending the county’s plan, Liberal Democrat council leader Julian Brazil described it as the "least worst option." His deputy, Paul Arnott, said the council had been "handed a lemon" by ministers and was trying to "make democratic lemonade."

Arnott added that sticking with the existing county boundary would "provide stronger local accountability" and "smarter use of public money."

The competing proposals will now be debated as councils race to submit their final plans ahead of the government’s November deadline.