Newton Abbot councillor speaks out over ‘undemocratic’ Devon local government shake-up

A town councillor in Newton Abbot has raised concerns about the way proposals for major changes to local government in Devon have been handled.

Cllr Mike Joyce, who represents Bushell Ward on Newton Abbot Town Council, says town and parish councils were not given the chance to give their views before plans were submitted to government.

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Five proposals have been sent to the Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government as part of the Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). 

The plans could replace the current system of district and county councils with larger unitary authorities.

Proposals were drawn up by district and county councils, along with representatives from Plymouth and Torbay, which already operate as unitary authorities.

A decision is expected in the spring, and, if approved, changes could come into full effect by April 2028.

Cllr Joyce said the process should have involved town and parish councils from the start.

“It’s our parish and town councils that know their residents and communities best, yet we weren’t invited to speak on their behalf,” he said.

He said decisions of this scale should not be made without input from councils closest to local communities, adding: “This happens all too often when deciding on matters that are really important at a local level.”

While acknowledging that the deadline for submitting proposals has passed and they are now being considered by the Minister, Cllr Joyce said he hopes there is still time for further discussion.

“I accept that suggestions from senior authorities are currently being scrutinised, but I’m hoping another window for talks could still be opened,” he said.

He believes the Minister should indicate a preferred option and then carry out another round of consultation, this time including town and parish councils across Devon.

“If that fails to happen then this process will have been undemocratic and the people of Devon will have changes imposed on them without proper representation,” he said. “That would be a very sad state of affairs indeed.”

The Government has not yet announced which proposal, if any, it will support. 

A decision is expected in the spring, and if changes go ahead they are likely to be fully implemented by April 2028.