Fresh bid launched by Devon leaders to persuade Plymouth to join combined authority

Devon and Torbay are set to launch a fresh bid to woo Plymouth into joining them in a powerful new authority, with the promise of access to millions of pounds in government funding.

The new Combined County Authority (CCA) was created under the previous Conservative government as a vehicle to help devolve spending power to English regions.

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However, Plymouth City Council pulled out before the deal was signed, citing concerns over the creation of a local transport authority covering all three areas.

Now, members of Devon County Council and Torbay Council have decided the time is right to knock on Plymouth’s door again.

East Devon District Council’s Liberal Democrat leader, Paul Arnott (Coly Valley), said there were “compelling” reasons why Plymouth should be part of the CCA, with transport among them.

He said it was time to make a formal approach to Plymouth City Council.

“There is a future out there which would allow us to multiply the future benefits,” he said.

But county council leader Julian Brazil (Lib Dem, Kingsbridge) questioned the current value of the CCA, of which he is vice-chair.

He said: “We were told this was great news because we’d leverage more funding, but there isn’t any extra funding.

“The authority is in danger of confirming what lots of people feared, that it is just another layer of bureaucracy, and it is not delivering the ‘jam tomorrow’ that we were promised.”

Until Plymouth joined, he said, the CCA would be a “lame duck”.

“I don’t think we have made any progress. We are just parroting the normal central government tosh about devolution, money and closer links with Westminster, but I don’t see any of that happening.

“It is absolutely crucial that we formally ask Plymouth what its position is, and when it might join us,” he said. “And it is no good just discussing this in smoke-filled rooms, we need to go down a formal track of getting Plymouth on board.”

CCA chair and leader of Torbay Council, David Thomas (Con, Preston), agreed to write to Plymouth City Council’s Labour leader, Tudor Evans (Ham), to open the dialogue.

But Cllr Thomas said: “The government has put its faith in Devon and Torbay, and it is our duty to do the very best we can with what we have got at the moment.

“The government is looking to see what we achieve, and if we were to go and say we can’t make this work with Devon and Torbay, that would be a very negative story.

“We need to give this our very best shot.”