Fears devolution will leave North Devon ‘with crumbs’

Fears that Devon districts will be left the crumbs of a devolution deal between Devon and Torbay have been expressed by councillors in the north of the county.

North Devon Council claims rural communities will play second fiddle to larger populations in the proposed deal which will only have two district representatives on a governing board of 12 members.

The combined county authority (CCA), described by county leaders as ‘ground-breaking’ is expected to have more power on issues such as adult education, transport, local housing and net zero ambitions with a direct line to government.

The devolution deal will come with a £16 million funding pot, but future investment is unknown.

Three elected members each from Devon Council Council and Torbay Council will be in the driving seat along with others from the business and education sectors and the two district councillors.

Only Plymouth has decided not to get involved in the CCA, taking the view that it will retain more power by staying independent.

But district councils are sceptical of the plans, fearing it is another layer of bureaucracy and all the money will go to Torbay and Exeter. The deal is currently out for consultation and North Devon Council’s strategy and resources committee will consider it in the coming weeks.

Cllr Matthew Bushell (Ind, South Molton) said the deal scared him and that it was ‘a covert step towards a unitary authority’.

“I can’t see how we are going to get any money for Ilfracombe, we lost the levelling up bid because it wasn’t big enough to give money to. As districts we do not have enough input in this, they might give us some crumbs but that will be it.”

Cllr Malcolm Prowse (Ind, Bratton Fleming) said he also thought it was ‘the slippery road to unitary’.

“We need some meat on the bones of this deal because it is currently light on the needs of North Devon,” he said.

“I want some reassurance that this deal will protect North Devon. We know that Torbay needs the money as it is struggling and has been ever since it became a unitary authority [in 1998], but what will we get?”

Cllr Frank Beiderman (Ind, Fremington Rural) said: “Let’s be honest, it’s a gimmick; it’s the government regurgitating money. £150 million has been shipped out of Devon in the last 13 years.”

He said the government needed to give the current authorities the money to do the job. “This 16 million will get swallowed up by governance, meanwhile we are seeing roads opening and our mobile libraries being closed,” he told fellow councillors and that of the £6 million for repairing potholes in Devon last year, a tiny amount came to North Devon.

He added: “If you take a trip to South Devon, you will see all its shiny roads.”

Cllr Graham Bell (Lib Dem, Braunton East) said North Devon Council as the housing authority had a ‘brilliant relationship’ with Homes England and was punching above its weight in dealing with homelessness and purchasing homes for temporary accommodation. It also had the “best community land trusts in the county.

“The CCA is a level of bureaucracy we don’t need at the moment,” he said, “We are doing a great job.”

The council’s chief executive Ken Miles said all the powers that districts currently have would not be taken away by the CCA. He denied the claim that it was a done deal and said the council had a unique chance to shape how it worked, if it was approved.

Head of enterprise and skills at Devon County Council Keri Denton said the £16 million would be ‘capital funds’ not used in setting up the CCA. She said the district councils would be fully engaged through the Team Devon partnership and on housing they would have greater influence and could get ‘more bang for their buck’ with the new arrangement.