Caroline Voaden: Devon’s councils in limbo as unitary future hangs in the balance

Knowing which council delivers what services can be confusing. In some cases, there are overlaps. One council may handle waste collection, for instance, while another deals with waste disposal. 

Most people don’t give any of this a moment’s thought – at the end of the day they just want their local services to be efficient, both in delivery and cost. 

But sadly we’re seeing more and more often that councils are failing to deliver – the scourge of potholes being the most obvious sign. The increasing cost of council tax has not, in the eyes of many, translated into better services. 

We’re now seeing politicians start to take advantage of this. Last May, Reform led their local election campaign with the claim that councils were wasting millions on frivolous expenses. 

But since coming into office, and experiencing the reality of service delivery with limited budgets, they’ve changed their tune. At the time of writing, four out of five Reform-controlled councils have proposed council tax rises close to the maximum amount. 

It appears these councillors have learnt that vacuous rhetoric will only take you so far. The hard reality is this: governing at a local level is incredibly hard, budgets have been squeezed for the last 15 years and service delivery costs have spiralled.

Labour’s ambition to streamline local government will supposedly improve the situation, though cost savings are not inevitable and they are offering no money to help pay for the complicated transition.

Already local councils do not get enough money from Westminster to provide the services they are legally obliged to run. This means the ‘nice to have’ extras, like swimming pools and youth clubs, get cut when money is tight. 

And aside from money I am concerned that the reorganisation of local government will take the wind out of councils over the next two years as they operate in an unpredictable environment, unsure whether they will even exist after 2028 – a potential outcome for Torbay.  

The Government wants to scrap the two-tier system we have in Devon and create a single council that does everything, like the Torbay unitary does. 

It also wants to manage the size of these new councils, so one council for the whole county would probably be considered too big, while Torbay may well be seen as too small.  

Several proposals are on the table for the future of local government in Devon. Each council has been tasked with submitting an idea. Sadly, Devon County Council, Plymouth City Council, Torbay Council, the Devon Districts, and Exeter could not agree on a model that suited everyone, so they have all submitted different plans, creating a real headache for whoever has to make the final call.  

Depending on what option is chosen, big changes could be coming for those living in Torbay. And likewise, there could also be no change at all if the Government decides Torbay should continue as a unitary council.

If not, then Torbay could be grouped together with neighbouring areas – such as South Hams and Teignbridge – and services will be provided across a larger footprint. Judging from what I hear on the doorsteps in Brixham, this might not be such an unwelcome idea, despite what they say in Torquay Town Hall.  

The Government will soon respond to these submissions and give an idea of which proposal it supports. It would be great if their decision was accompanied by additional funding to help transition to the new model, and enable the new council (whatever it looks like) to thrive, rather than simply survive. 

If you wish to contact me about this or another issue you are facing, please do so at: caroline.voaden.mp@parliament.uk  

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