Residents in North Devon and Torridge are being encouraged to take part in a landmark public survey that will help decide how council services are delivered across the county from 2028.

The structure of local government across England is set to change in a process called local government reorganisation. This means Devon’s current ‘two-tier’ system with a county council and eight district councils along with Torbay Council and Plymouth City Council will end.

Last year, councils across the county developed proposals for new unitary authorities. North Devon Council and Torridge District Council were part of a group of seven district councils in Devon to jointly submit the proposal Reimagining Devon, which would result in three unitary authorities:

• Exeter and Northern Devon – a unitary authority with East Devon, Exeter, Mid Devon, North Devon and Torridge
• Torbay and Southern Devon – a unitary authority with South Hams, Teignbridge, Torbay and West Devon
• Plymouth City Council remaining a standalone unitary authority.

The proposal, also known as the 4-5-1 model, is one of five proposals submitted by councils across Devon. A modified version of the proposal from the districts, known as 4-5-1+, has also been submitted and includes a modest expansion of Plymouth into four parishes within South Hams.

A public consultation is now open and runs until 11.59pm on Thursday 26 March. Responses to the consultation will help inform the UK Government's final decision on which proposal will be carried forward.

Details of all five proposals and links to the UK Government's consultation can be found at www.devonlgr.co.uk or by heading directly to the consultation page on gov.uk.

Paper copies of the proposals and the consultation can be found at North Devon Council's Town Centre Hub in Green Lanes Shopping Centre, at Torridge District Council, Riverbank House, Bideford, EX39 2QG, and in Devon's libraries.

A decision on which proposal will be taken forward is expected from the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government this summer. Elections for the new authority would take place in May 2027 before it commences in 2028.

Devon County Council has produced a leaflet for those who are recovering from flooding, attached.

Exmoor local housing need questionnaire

The survey is a collaboration between Somerset and North Devon Councils, as local housing authorities, and Exmoor National Park Authority. Somerset Council will be analysing the responses and, later next year, they will prepare a summary report with information on housing need for each Exmoor parish.

A letter with information about an online housing need questionnaire, has been sent to households in Exmoor National Park and Brushford parish. The letter includes a link and QR code to the survey which is designed to be simple and easy to complete. The information provided through the survey will be dealt with in strict confidence. It will be vital to those considering housing need and provision and will help inform the future Exmoor Local Plan review. The survey is aimed at those who might be finding accommodation in the local area unaffordable, whose home no longer meets their needs, or who wish to own their own home through a self/custom build project.

The letter to Exmoor residents also asks that the survey be shared with people who have moved away and want to return, local workers who live away and travel into the National Park to work or who live on Exmoor with family or others because of the cost of local housing. Anybody wishing to set up their own home, e.g. young people approaching adulthood, is encouraged to complete their own survey separately.

Parish surveys have been the starting point for almost 120 homes with a local need occupancy tie, achieved in Exmoor’s communities through conversions and new build and as self-build.

Additionally, local libraries (Dulverton, Lynton, Porlock and South Molton) have access to a computer and will have paper copies for those who are unable to complete an online survey. If requested, we can provide paper copies to parish /town councils for their parishioners who cannot complete an online survey or visit a local library.

Please be advised that there is an additional Parish Council meeting on Tuesday 27th January at 7:30pm in the Parish Hall to enable discussion of a planning application that came through too late to cover at our regularly scheduled January meeting. As usual, the agenda will be published on the website 3 clear days before the meeting (ie by end of play on Thursday 22nd).

In aid of the Hall and Molland Church, teams of 4 to 6 people.

£10 per head to include cheese and wine. Prizes for the winning team.

Raffle and small bar available. Payment by card or cash.

To book a table contact Linda 01769 550643 or linda.mallen84@gmail.com or Molland Parish on FB Messenger.

Numbers limited so please book to avoid disappointment!

Flyer attached

North Devon Council has issued a statement in relation to the clarification of its trade waste service decision:

There has been a lot of discussion about our Trade Waste and Recycling Service. We want to clearly set out the facts and explain how and why this decision was made. Following a detailed review, councillors took the decision to withdraw our trade waste service, including refuse and recycling collections, from 31 March 2026. This decision to stop this service was made after a thorough assessment and was considered by councillors at two separate committee meetings, where options were reviewed before a vote was taken.

The review was carried out because our trade waste and recycling service was costing more to run than it generated in income, and this position was expected to worsen. Trade waste collection is not a service that councils are legally required to provide. Any losses from operating it must be covered by local taxpayers. Councillors were advised that continuing to operate the service would require significant additional investment.

This included

• Replacing specialist collection vehicles at a cost of around £260,000, with new vehicles not available until 2027.
• Hiring vehicles in the meantime would at a cost of more than £100,000 per year.
• Recruiting additional staff.
• Increasing charges to businesses by around 25% to cover costs.
• Central Government requirement to collect food waste separately for trade customers. We have neither the capacity at our depot or the appropriate fleet vehicles to comply with this requirement.
• As a result of the above, many of our customers have a separate contractor for food waste and we are losing customers to these contractors for refuse and recycling.

Some businesses have asked why they pay business rates if we are no longer providing a trade waste service. We would like to clarify this. Business rates are not a payment for specific services.

• We collect business rates on behalf of central government. A significant proportion is passed to central government, with the remainder retained locally to help fund a wide range of statutory council services.
• This year, we estimate to collect £33million in business rates, of which £6million is retained for the North Devon Council budget to be used on statutory services such as refuse collection, street cleaning, housing and provision of temporary accommodation.
• Trade waste collections are a separate, non-statutory service that is paid for directly by businesses and is not funded through business rates.

Taking all of this into account, councillors took the difficult decision to stop all council-run trade waste services, including refuse and recycling collections, from 31 March 2026, in line with the requirement to give at least two months’ notice. We recognise that this decision affects local businesses and was not taken lightly. We are working to support affected customers through the transition. Officers have already spoken to several private waste companies operating locally, and these companies have confirmed they are able to take on new customers. Their details are being shared directly within the letters that have been sent to all existing customers.

Affected businesses have been contacted and this is being followed up with a letter, which should be received in the coming days, with further information and support to help them move to an alternative provider and ensure there is no break in service.

Contact Information

North Devon Council Communications Team communications@northdevon.gov.uk

You will no doubt be aware that the bridge at the Black Cock Inn is now closed, blocked with legio bricks to ensure barriers are not removed.

Obviously the Parish Council knows how much disruption this will cause and the level of anger/upset in the community. The bridge had to be closed because it was no longer safe, which is understandable.  However, we are lobbying to have the work completed far sooner than stated (October 2026) and asking Highways to provide a second alternative route for very large vehicles so that the narrow bridge at Bottreaux Mill does not get blocked.

As residents, please can you help by making sure that any suppliers, hauliers etc know firstly that Touts Bridge is closed, and secondly that the railway bridge at Bottreaux is narrow and has a height restriction of 11'6".

Please also be aware that the defibrillator at the Black Cock Inn is on the other side of the bridge from Molland. There are defibrillators at both the Parish Hall in Molland and the Village Hall at Twitchen. 

If you have any further queries, please contact me (Ian Fisher, Parish Clerk, clerk@mollandparish.gov.uk) or one of your Councillors (on the website www.mollandparish.co.uk under Parish Council menu). 

Molland Parish Hall Committee is delighted to announce a Community Christmas Meal Bring and Share, to be held on Sunday 14th of December from 4pm at the Parish Hall.

Please book your place by Wednesday 10th December and let the Committee know what you would like to bring. Booking is essential to help make sure that there is enough food and seating for everyone.

There will be a bar and a raffle.

For further information or to book, contact Debby on 07813 047844 or mollandmare@icloud.com

We look forwards to seeing you there!

Please be advised that the bridge across the river to the north of the Black Cock Inn, which lies in Molland Parish, is going to be closed from Tuesday 2nd December 2025 for major repairs.  The anticipated finish date is October 2026, but may be up to 18 months from the start of work. 

Please see the attached Traffic Notice for further information and alternative routes.

TEMPORARY PROHIBITION OF THROUGH TRAFFIC

DEVON COUNTY COUNCIL hereby give NOTICE that:

From THURSDAY 23 OCTOBER 2025 for a maximum of 21 days Until THURSDAY 30 OCTOBER 2025 (both dates inclusive) no person shall cause or permit any vehicle to proceed on the sections of Affected Roads.

Roads affected - ROAD FROM COMBSLAND CROSS TO BRIDGE END, MOLLAND

The alternative, signed, route for vehicles will be via – WADE HILL–ABBOTS CROSS-SEVEN ACRE-MIDDLE LEE-BOTTREAUX MILL- WADHAM CROSS-B3227 COMBSLAND NEW CROSS-STATION HOUSE

This temporary restriction is considered necessary to enable - REPAIR IMPACT DAMAGE For additional information contact: DEVON COUNTY COUNCIL Telephone: 0345 155 1004 Dated: THURSDAY 23 OCTOBER 2025 Meg Booth Director of Climate Change, Environment and Transport Devon Highways Devon County Council County Hall Exeter EX2 4QD Ref: TTRO2566346