Have your say on local government
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.