‘They will have to pay’ – Torridge refuses to fund council shake up

Frustrated Torridge councillors have rejected putting £400,000 aside for local government shake-up costs because they don’t like the decision made by ministers to create a massive Devon council.

In a narrow vote 15-14 on Monday (July 27) they decided that the money, part of the district council’s surplus from 2025/26, should be spent on residents before the district council is dissolved in 2028 instead.

PLEASE NOTE: The quote below was from Councillor Thomas Elliott and not Cllr Nigel Kenneally as originally published. We apologise to Cllr Kenneally for this error. It should also be noted Cllr Kenneally voted to keep the money for the restructure process.

The government recently decided that four unitary councils responsible for all local services would replace the existing 11 councils of different types and differing responsibilities in Devon in the biggest shake-up nationally in 50 years.

Plymouth, Exeter and Torbay will expand into neighbouring areas with a huge coast and countryside authority covering the rest of the county from Ilfracombe in the north to Salcombe in the south and over to Sidmouth in the east.

This proposal put forward by Devon’s Labour-led city councils received just 20 per cent of public support.

Critics claim the decision is “political” and will benefit the cities with the “rural rump” of Devon left with a sparse population and no economic centre stretching 110 miles north to south.

Torridge District Council (TDC) along with other district and borough councils in Devon, except Exeter, supported the 4-5-1 three unitary authority model, with Plymouth as a standalone authority, a northern/central authority including Exeter, North Devon, Torridge, Mid Devon and East Devon and a southern authority covering Torbay, Teignbridge, South Hams and West Devon.

They said it better met the government’s own criteria on size and kept existing boundaries in the main intact.

At a TDC full council meeting on Monday, Councillor Thomas Elliott said: “I was under the impression the government was going to pay the costs. Surely it would be better if we spent that money on local residents rather than something that is being forced upon us from higher up.”

Cllr Chris Bright proposed they remove the £400,000 from the list of recommendations by officers on what to spend the surplus money on.

It was to pay for professional support and transition costs before the transfer of the council’s functions to the new Devon unitary authority on April 1, 2028

He said: “We all know it is going to be damaging to our area, if they (the government) want to do it they will have to pay for it.”

His proposal was supported by 15 votes to 14.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Kenneally said: “The government are imposing LGR on us in Devon (I'm not sure they even know where we are, let alone what issues we face).

“That being said. the decision has been made, so I believe we have to get our heads down and make the best of it for the people we represent. I voted to put £400,000 aside for LGR as it estimated that LGR is going to cost between £33 and £100m to implement in Devon and there isn't a chance that the government is going to fully fund it.

“So I believe we have to do our bit to give us the best chance of making a good go of this abysmal decision.”

Chief executive of TDC Steve Hearse said the £400,000 was an indicative figure and it was likely to cost more.

The government says each area undergoing local government reorganisation will receive more than £1million per new unitary created.

But in Devon the costs have been estimated by local leaders at between £50m and £70m.

Devon County Council is considering a legal challenge against the government’s decision on how Devon should be carved up.

Torridge councillors agreed to put the council’s surplus cash towards supporting leisure and projects within the community regeneration partnership, planned maintenance, stabilising the budget and reducing future borrowing.