Rebecca Smith MP: Why Devon's Local Government reform must be reconsidered
In this opinion piece, Rebecca Smith MP explains why every community across Devon should have confidence that its voice will shape the county's future
When I speak to people across the South Hams and West Devon, I hear the same message. People are not afraid of change. They simply want to know that the future of their communities matters just as much as the future of Plymouth.
That is why I have been so disappointed by the Government's decision on Local Government Reorganisation.
This debate has become far too focused on one place, when it should have been about the future of Devon as a whole.
Plymouth matters enormously to our region, and I want to see the city thrive. It is a vital economic driver for Devon, and its success benefits communities well beyond its boundaries. But Plymouth must also be a good neighbour to the towns, villages and rural communities around it. Any reorganisation should strengthen our county as a whole, not create the impression that one area's ambitions have come at the expense of another.
That is why more than 3500 people have now signed my petition calling on Andy Burnham to think again. They are not rejecting change for the sake of it. They are asking whether this particular plan is the right one for Devon.
The concerns I hear differ depending on where people live. In the South Hams, residents are worried about local identity, representation and the practical consequences of becoming part of a new authority centred on Plymouth. Many have also raised concerns that communities brought into the new authority will continue paying parish precepts on top of their council tax, whilst most existing Plymouth residents will not.
In West Devon, the questions are different, but just as important. Communities are being placed into a vast rural authority stretching from Barnstaple in the north to Axminster in the east. Residents are rightly asking how local voices will be heard across such a large area, how accessible decision-makers will be, and whether resources for everything from road maintenance and SEND provision to adult social care and housing will be spread too thinly across such a huge local authority.
Those are reasonable questions, and they deserve proper answers.
The Prime Minister has spoken about delivering growth in every postcode. I agree with that ambition. But growth cannot simply be concentrated in one part of Devon. We should be asking how every community will benefit, whether that is through better infrastructure, stronger local services, new jobs or greater opportunities for young people to stay and build their lives here.
Plymouth's success and the success of the rest of Devon should go hand in hand. We should be ambitious for every part of our county. Plymouth matters enormously, but so do communities like Ivybridge, Wembury, Holbeton, Yealmpton, Ugborough, Yelverton and Crapstone, alongside countless others across the South Hams and West Devon. A successful Devon depends on all of those communities thriving, not just one part of the county.
That is why I continue to believe Andy Burnham should think again as I believe the decisions made today will shape Devon for decades to come, and they should leave every community confident that it has been listened to and that its future matters.