An open letter to Local Leaders and MPs from Devon Green Councillors

Government has made it very clear that the local government reorganisation in Devon is inevitable, and we intend to engage with this in a positive way to ensure the needs of our communities and environment come first.

We are deeply concerned that conflicting plans are being developed behind numerous closed doors, each rushing to meet the Government’s March deadline for initial proposals. The breakdown of previous cooperation between the current Local Authorities in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay and the proposals for ‘mega councils’ is a recipe for disaster and risks spending too much of our Councils’ precious funds on consultants, while our communities are facing rising council tax bills and being kept in the dark about the future of Council services.

The Government has set a minimum figure of 500,000 people for each new local authority. We are concerned this number is not justified by evidence nor does it recognise the challenges of delivering good and financially viable services over large geographical areas such as Devon. With over a decade of austerity and significant debts our Councils are already on the back foot – something which, with the best will in the world, reorganisation won’t be able to fix.

We believe we should keep services local and reorganisation simple, rather than spending huge amounts of money on complicated reorganisation arrangements. We ask you to ensure that the ‘local’ remains in Local Authorities. We want to ensure our communities, voluntary and community organisations and businesses can be connected to local democracy and decisions taken by local Councillors who understand their communities and local environment. Decisions should be taken at the lowest level of decision-making possible – a mega Council for Devon or vast Unitary Authorities will be detached from reality and the residents they represent.

This means a real recognition of the vital role of Parish and Town Councils, involving them now in these negotiations. All proposals should include clear commitments for their development (including establishing them where there are none, e.g. Exeter) and ongoing support and relationship with the new authorities. Parish, Town and Community councils can work closely alongside our residents, and voluntary and business sectors to ensure effective delivery of services and support for local initiatives.

We ask Leaders that you put differences aside to go back again to learn from current cooperation and use this as a model for future operations across authorities. For example South Hams, West Devon have already been successfully delivering shared services; Strata, joint  company is owned by and delivers IT services for Exeter, East Devon & Teignbridge; and Torridge and North Devon have a joint Local Plan and joint Building Control Service. Smaller unitary authorities across Devon, Plymouth and Torbay will still have the opportunity to work in this way. Models can be developed to set standards for services across authorities and enable local councils to deliver effectively.

We call on you to develop proposals which truthfully set out to Government the funding required to deliver for our communities and environment – recognising the ‘rural premium’, the urgent need for more investment in adult social care and childrens’ services and the current debts our Councils hold. We recognise that the digital delivery of services will create considerable savings and these can work well at scale; however there are still important services from adult social care to waste & recycling collections that need proper investment in people on the ground. Those funds cannot come from our communities, some of which are on low incomes, others experiencing rural or urban deprivation and more and more living precariously as a result of cost of living pressures.

Last but not least – we ask that you be open with our communities about what’s happening with these changes, the impact they might have and engage them in a meaningful way in the plans for our future. We need to build confidence, so that on the first day of operation of the unitaries, our communities relate to the place and value the people who look to serve in these new authorities on our behalf.

Reorganisation needs to promote an economic model across Devon which is built on resilience – strengthening local economies by investing in our market and coastal towns. Continuing to rely on a perception of Exeter and Plymouth as the only ‘engines of growth’ will continue to suck the economic life out of our rural and coastal areas and not tackle areas of urban deprivation.

The leaked ‘1-5-4 model’ (Plymouth plus some of the South Hams; Torbay plus West Devon, Teignbridge, the rest of South Hams; Exeter and East Devon, Mid Devon, North Devon and Torridge) has only 3 unitary authorities – too few to create meaningful authorities connected to our local people. A model of fewer than six unitary authorities across Devon, Torbay and Plymouth would fail to provide the much needed democratic accountability to local areas.

Please pull together so that we are not divided up by Whitehall.

Signed

Cllr Diana Moore, Exeter City Council

Cllr Jane Elliott, West Devon District Council

Cllr Anna Presswell, South Hams District Council,

Cllr Georgina Allen, South Hams District Council,

Cllr Sara Wilson, North Devon District Council

Cllr Ricky Knight North Devon District Council

Cllr Mark Haworth-Booth, North Devon Council

Cllr Gill Westcott, Mid Devon District Council

Cllr Carol Bennett, Exeter City Council

Cllr Tess Read, Exeter City Council

Cllr James Banyard, Exeter City Council

Cllr Catherine Rees, Exeter City Council

Cllr Lynn Wetenhall, Exeter City Council

Cllr Paula Fernley, East Devon District Council

Cllr Huw Thomas, Torridge District Council

Cllr Peter Hames, Torridge District Council

Cllr Henry Gent, Devon County Council

Cllr Lauren McLay, Plymouth City Council

Cllr Ian Poyser, Plymouth City Council

Cllr Jacqi Hodgson, Devon County Council

Cllr Andy Ketchin Exeter City Council

CC: Devon Association of Local Councils 

The post Greens across Devon call for Authority Leaders to pull together or see Devon divided up by Whitehall appeared first on South Devon Green Party.

Certainly, the two tier council model has not served Devon well. We have seen a decade of local failure of childrens’ services, ineffective special educational needs support and disjointed transport planning. At the same time multiple national crises are all taking their toll on Devon: struggling care and NHS services, lack of affordable and social housing plus the escalating environmental and climate crises. The results are growing inequality and shocking levels of child poverty in parts of Devon. 

Genuine devolution, where decisions are made at the most local level possible, is a good thing. This would also involve referring up those matters that can’t be dealt with on a small scale. The Government’s vision of Strategic Authorities with strategic powers over transport, housing, economic development, and the environment could work well for the common good, fixing market failures and prioritising local needs.

However, Labour’s local government reorganisation risks sucking powers up; away from communities into the hands of a single Mayor with immense control and few checks and balances. There’s a real danger that a Mayor could ride roughshod over the best interests of communities and the environment. 

The Green Party and elected Green councillors across Devon, Exeter, Torbay and Plymouth will press hard to keep the ‘local’ in local Government: being there to meet local needs. Local Government must maintain strong links and accountability between councillors and the communities they represent. New boundaries must respect our places and consider natural boundaries, such as river catchment areas, to enable better care of our natural environment. 

Devolution must also be used to strengthen local democracy by introducing a fair and proportional voting system for local government elections so every vote counts.

We also need an increased recognition of Town and Parish Councils, already unsung heroes, as they increasingly take on responsibilities passed down or neglected by upper tiers, such as looking after parks, bins and gully clearance. Sadly the White Paper ignores this role, and certainly avoids allocating additional resources to meet local needs as towns, neighbourhoods and villages expand. 

Unless Government makes serious investment in local services, no amount of reorganisation or devolution will undo the years of austerity and devaluing of Councils which has degraded services, people’s trust and our local environment. 

Over the past year Devon County, Torbay Council and the Districts have haggled over a new Combined Authority, set to come into place this year with £16m of Government funding. Now the four councils of Devon, Torbay, Plymouth, and Cornwall are wanting to ask Government to trade-in this Combined Authority, for a Mayoral Strategic Authority in May 2026.

No one has asked residents how they would like our local government to govern. As these seemingly inevitable proposals for supersized councils progress, they will be pushed through by Councillors who’s terms will have expired in May this year. May’s 2025 County Council should not be cancelled. They must provide an opportunity for residents to give a mandate to Councillors prepared to stand up for democracy, their communities and environment.

Signed, 

Cllr James Banyard, St David’s Ward, Exeter City Council

Cllr Carol Bennett , Heavitree Ward , Exeter City Council.

Cllr Malcolm Calder, Okehampton South, West Devon Borough Council

Cllr Lynn Daniel, South Tawton Ward, West Devon Borough Council

Cllr Olly Davey, Exmouth Town Ward, East Devon District Council/Exmouth Town Council 

Cllr Paula Fernley, Broadclyst Ward. East Devon District Council & EDDC Assistant Portfolio Holder for Coast Country and Environment.   

Cllr Henry Gent,  Broadclyst Division, Devon County Council

Cllr Mark Haworth-Booth, Landkey ward, North Devon Council

Cllr Jacqi Hodgson, Devon County Councillor for Totnes and South Hams District Councillor for Dartington & Staverton, Executive Member for Waste & Community Compositing. 

Cllr Andy Ketchin, Newtown & St Leonards Ward, Exeter City Council

Cllr Ricky Knight, Heanton Punchardon ward, North Devon Council

Cllr Lauren McLay, Plympton Chaddlewood ward, Plymouth City Council

Cllr Diana Moore, St David’s Ward. Exeter City Council

Cllr Ian Poyser, Plympton Chaddlewood ward, Plymouth City Council

Cllr Anna Presswell, Totnes ward, South Hams District Council

Cllr Tess Read,St David’s ward, Exeter City Council

Cllr Catherine Rees, Heavitree Ward, Exeter City Council

Cllr Gill Westcott, Canonsleigh ward, Mid Devon District Council

Cllr Lynn Wetenhall, Newtown & St Leonards Ward, Exeter City Council

Cllr Sara Wilson, Ilfracombe West Ward,  North Devon District Council 

And,  Judy Maciejowska, Coordinator West Devon Green Party

The post An open letter from Green Party councillors to residents of Devon: Keep the local in local government  appeared first on South Devon Green Party.