The local government reorganisation shambles - a ‘car crash waiting to happen’

Many people find Devon’s overlapping local councils confusing and in 2024 the government announced plans to simplify them into a single level of local government.

The idea of a single local authority covering everything from roads to recycling and housing to children’s services, isn’t a bad one – but the plan announced for Devon last week is a car crash waiting to happen.

All of Devon’s councils were asked to come forward with their proposals for how to reorganise our county. For example, seven of Devon’s district councils – including North Devon - proposed splitting Devon into three: ‘North’, ‘South’ and ‘Plymouth’.

However, last week ministers confirmed they will move ahead with a rival proposal submitted by the Labour-run Exeter City and Plymouth City councils.

Under that plan, Devon’s cities take territory from their immediate surroundings to become larger, while North Devon is dumped into a giant 'rest of Devon' council covering a vast geographical area nearly 70 miles across.

This will stretch from as far as Ilfracombe to Kingsbridge, Holsworthy to Axminster; an area so large that it will be one of the biggest unitary councils in the country.

Anyone who knows Devon knows just how little sense that makes.

Much of the ‘rest of Devon’ has an older than average population, lengthy ambulance response times, one of England's most remote district hospitals, patchy public transport and even patchier rural roads.

Delivering adult social care, children's services, highways and waste collection across an area like this is already difficult.

Spreading decision-making even further away from local residents risks making those challenges worse, not better.

The final proposal puts urban interests first and gives Labour-run Exeter and Plymouth councils exactly what they wanted, rather than a compromise that would benefit people across all of Devon’s communities.

It is a decision based entirely on growing Plymouth and Exeter and reinforces once again that Labour so often fails to understand rural areas.

The timing of the announcement also leaves a sour taste. The government snuck it out in the final few hours before Parliament paused over the summer, when many MPs were already headed back to their constituencies.

The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, having avoided real scrutiny for the decision on the day, has now been sacked and replaced by the incoming prime minister.

Local government should be genuinely local to the people it serves and this final map is a shambles.

At best it looks wildly impractical, at worst, politically-motivated.

Devon County Council is now planning a series of freedom of information requests as a preliminary step to determine whether to pursue a judicial review of the government's decision.

Meanwhile, I know councillors and officers at North Devon Council will continue to work for the best interest of local residents.

For now, nothing changes in the day-to-day services we all receive. But I'll be meeting with local council leaders over the coming weeks to discuss the next steps.