People in rural Devon could end up with fewer councillors representing larger areas under proposed arrangements for the county’s new councils, Devon County Council has warned.
At a specially convened Cabinet meeting on Friday 14 August, members discussed the council’s response to Government proposals for the electoral arrangements that will be used when the new local authorities are established.
The Government has already selected a four-council model for Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, subject to parliamentary approval. The new authorities are expected to replace Devon County Council, the eight district councils, Plymouth City Council and Torbay Council.
The proposed number of councillors for each new authority is:
* 86 councillors for Exeter Council
* 68 councillors for Greater Plymouth Council
* 64 councillors for Torbay and South Devon Council
* 103 councillors for Devon Council
The current proposals relate to temporary warding arrangements needed for the first elections to the new councils in May 2027.
Devon County Council said its response raises concerns about fair representation, particularly in rural areas, where councillors could potentially represent larger populations and much wider geographical areas.
The warding work has been carried out collaboratively by council officers from across the local authorities affected by the reorganisation.
Devon County Council Leader Councillor Julian Brazil said the process had been moving at a very fast pace.
He said: “Because this has been forced on Devon at pace the democratic deficit is shocking. In one area, a councillor could represent around 1,400 residents, while in another it could be more than 4,000. That difference in representation is unacceptable and an affront to local democracy.
“We will be the ones who must pick up the pieces if these arrangements create confusion or weaken local accountability. I am not opposed to local government reorganisation, but the process must deliver real benefits for our communities. If councils were given the time and flexibility to move at a sensible pace, we would have a much better chance of achieving those benefits.”
Councillors also highlighted the importance of protecting community identity and ensuring that council boundaries reflect how people live, work and access services.
The arrangements currently being discussed are temporary and are intended to allow the first elections to take place. A full independent review of electoral boundaries would follow once the new councils have been established.
Councillor Jacqi Hodgson, Leader of the Green and Independent Group, said:
“Changes to the management and delivery of public services should build better systems, not destroy. These proposals will destroy the systems we have in place.
“The outcome of the public consultation has been essentially ignored, which is a disgrace.
“The failure to take account of the public’s clear views and then carve out the economic areas, the cities, leaving a misshapen rural area that has been stripped of its coherence, will undermine the future of all of Devon.”
Conservative Ashburton and Buckfastleigh Councillor Stuart Rogers said:
“I am reassured that Devon County Council is challenging the Government on the transparency of decision-making and the pace of this process.
“Local government reorganisation risks fragmenting services that support some of our most vulnerable residents. The process is moving too quickly and threatens to undermine some of the careful work that has been undertaken to improve services and outcomes in recent years.
“I am committed to supporting my town and parish councils throughout this process to represent their concerns and get answers for rural communities who feel left behind.”
The Government is expected to use responses from councils across Devon, Plymouth and Torbay to help shape the legislation required to establish the new authorities, ahead of their planned launch in April 2028.
The first elections to the new councils are planned for May 2027.
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