Local government in England is changing.
A term you are likely to hear regularly is local government reorganisation (also known as LGR). But what is it?
LGR is the process of changing how local councils are organised and what they are responsible for. The Government plans to replace the current system of district and county councils, replacing them with more unitary councils.
A unitary authority is a single council that handles all local services in an area. It can cover a whole county, part of a county, or a large town or city.
Government decision for LGR in the Devon area
Government has announced its decision on the future structure of local government in Devon. They have selected a proposal put forward by Exeter City Council and Plymouth City Council that will see four new authorities created in the Devon area.
This means that Torbay will be served by a new council which will cover the three towns of Brixham, Paignton and Torquay along with 21 parishes from the current Teignbridge and South Hams District Councils that surround the current Torbay boundaries.
Across the rest of Devon there will now be four unitary authorities with the other three covering:
- The city of Plymouth and the surrounding areas.
- The city of Exeter and its natural catchment.
- The rest of Devon, with a focus on rural and coastal areas.
The decision follows the submission of proposals by councils across Devon in 2025 and a subsequent public consultation undertaken by Government earlier this year.
The decision forms part of a wider programme to replace the current two-tier system of county and district councils across all of England with unitary authorities.
The new council will not take on legal powers until April 2028 and elections to a shadow authority will take place in May 2027. The Shadow Authority will oversee the detailed planning for the new arrangements.
There are no immediate changes to the delivery of council services. Services will continue to operate as normal while further work is undertaken to plan and implement the new structures.
