The Parish Council has considered the options set out in the Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) proposals and has submitted a detailed response to the consultation. The following summary is provided to help residents understand the proposals and the Council’s position.

Purpose of the Engagement

Devon’s Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) engagement exercise is asking residents and stakeholders for their views on proposals to change the structure of local government in the county. The consultation explores five different options for creating new unitary councils, replacing the current two‑tier system of county and district councils.
A unitary council is responsible for all local government services in its area, including education, highways, planning, waste, housing, social care and more.

Summary of the Five Proposal Options

Below is a simple overview of the five structural options being consulted on.

Option 1 – Devon Unitary Council (DCC Proposal)
A single large unitary council covering: East Devon, Exeter, Mid Devon, North Devon, South Hams, Teignbridge, Torridge and West Devon.
Plymouth and Torbay remain unchanged.

Option 2 – Exeter & Northern Devon + Southern Devon
(Proposed by South Hams, Teignbridge and West Devon)
Exeter & Northern Devon Unitary: East Devon, Exeter, Mid Devon, North Devon, Torridge
Torbay & Southern Devon Unitary: South Hams, Teignbridge, Torbay, West Devon
Plymouth remains unchanged.

Option 3 – Exeter & Northern Devon, Expanded Plymouth, Southern Devon
(Proposed by East Devon, Mid Devon and North Devon)
Exeter & Northern Devon: East Devon, Exeter, Mid Devon, North Devon, Torridge
Plymouth Expanded: Plymouth plus parts of neighbouring parishes
Torbay & Southern Devon: Remaining parts of South Hams, Teignbridge, Torbay, West Devon

Option 4 – Four Unitary Councils
(Proposed by Exeter and Plymouth City Councils)
Devon Coast & Countryside: Most of Devon excluding major urban centres
Exeter: Exeter plus surrounding parishes from Teignbridge, East Devon and Mid Devon
Plymouth: Plymouth plus some South Hams parishes
Torbay: Torbay plus additional parishes from Teignbridge and South Hams

Option 5 – Four Unitary Councils
(Proposed by Torbay Council)
Exeter Council: Exeter plus surrounding parishes
Plymouth Council: Plymouth plus nearby South Hams parishes
Rural Devon Coast & Countryside Council: The remainder of Devon
Torbay: Remains unchanged

Parish Council Response

Dartmoor National Park and the Need for a Single Unitary Authority
Our primary concern is that areas within Dartmoor National Park should sit within a single unitary authority. The current division across three district councils creates confusion and inconsistent approaches to issues such as affordable housing and car‑parking charges.
We welcome that most options place the majority of Dartmoor within one unitary. However:
• Option 3 places Shaugh Prior within Plymouth.
• Options 4 and 5 place parts of four parishes and two settlements within Plymouth.
Maintaining Dartmoor as a coherent administrative area is essential.

Representation and Neighbourhood Area Committees
All proposals acknowledge that large unitary authorities will need some form of Neighbourhood Area Committee (NAC) or similar structure. Only Option 1 provides any detail, suggesting 16 NACs with populations of around 50,000.
The lack of clarity about NAC boundaries is a major concern. There is a risk that Dartmoor could be divided between larger towns rather than treated as a single community.

Risks for Rural Communities
The Parish Council is concerned about:
• reduced representation for rural Dartmoor communities
• increased administrative burden on small parish councils
• more complex processes for accessing services
• the potential loss of local voice within much larger authorities
Many parishes operate with minimal staffing and limited resources. Any additional bureaucracy would place further strain on them.

Economic Geography and the Role of the Cities
Plymouth, Exeter and Torbay are the main centres of economic growth. Their travel‑to‑work and retail catchment areas extend well beyond current boundaries. Existing district boundaries and the ineffective Duty to Cooperate make it difficult for these cities to meet their development needs.
This challenge is more significant than simply creating “urban” and “rural” unitaries.

Comments on Specific Options

Option 1 – Unitary Devon
• Clear identity
• Very large → weaker representation
• Includes parts of Plymouth and Torbay’s economic areas
• Size may offer financial resilience, but bigger does not necessarily mean more efficient
Option 2 – Exeter & Northern Devon + Southern Devon
• Avoids the very large size of Option 1
• Creates a logical Torbay‑centred authority
• Does not reflect Plymouth’s role as the natural economic centre for the west
Option 3 – Expanded Plymouth
• Better reflects Plymouth’s geography
• Separates Shaugh Prior from the rest of Dartmoor
Option 4 – Three Cities + Coast & Countryside
• Reflects social and economic ties to Exeter, Plymouth and Torbay
• Leaves a large “Devon Coast and Countryside” unitary with no clear identity
Option 5 – Four Unitaries (Torbay Proposal)
• Retains Torbay as a small standalone unitary → likely inefficient and financially vulnerable
• Creates another large “Coast and Countryside” unitary lacking coherence

Conclusion

The Parish Council recognises the complexity of local government reorganisation and the need for structures that support effective service delivery, economic growth and strong local representation. However, we remain concerned about the potential impact on Dartmoor communities, particularly regarding representation, administrative burden and the risk of fragmenting the National Park across multiple authorities.
We will continue to monitor developments and keep residents informed as the process progresses.

Residents can respond to the government’s consultation at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/devon-plymouth-and-torbay-local-government-reorganisation