These questions have been put together based on the questions asked at our engagement event in March 2025. If you cannot find an answer to your question below then email us at engagement@torbay.gov.uk
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Torbay currently has the lowest levels of Council Tax in Devon so joining a new unitary would likely mean Council Tax increases but this would be managed in an incremental way over a maximum of 7 years.
If we became part of a new unitary, our operating model will need to carefully consider what services are funded where, and why. The councillors in the new authority would be legally responsible for the budget, balancing the different needs across the entirety of the larger area.
If we remain as we are there will be no costs of implementation.
However if LGR does take place then the cost is expected to be funded from existing council budgets.
Final proposals need to show how those costs will be recouped from making savings by creating a new authority.
If we remain as we are there will be no changes to our assets. However if we became part of a new unitary all of our assets would be pooled.
If we remain as we are there will be no changes to our liabilities. However if we became part of a new unitary all of the liabilities would be pooled and become the responsibility of the new unitary authority.
In developing our proposal for Government, we have been asked to identify how much could be saved if a new council was formed.
There is one perspective that savings could come from having fewer staff, fewer councillors, fewer buildings, simpler systems, and combined services. However, there are other perspectives which could indicate increased costs, for example by complexity of structures and commissioning arrangements.
These differing perspectives are set out in the examples below.
The House of Commons Library states:
“It is not clear from available evidence whether unitary councils save money compared with a two-tier system. International experience suggests that, when councils are merged, sometimes the merged council saves money and sometimes it does not.
“In England, estimates published by the consultancies EY (formerly Ernst and Young) (2016) and PriceWaterhouseCoopers (2020) suggest that unitary councils could save roughly £20 million to £25 million a year compared with their predecessors. These estimates take into account the costs of the restructure itself, which are large in the short-term.”
Government have said the costs associated with reform will need to be met by any new council.
We don’t know the exact amount of money reorganisation in Torbay will cost or save. That work is ongoing and will be available before any submission is made to the Government.
We are continuing to deliver services as usual. Until any new councils are established the services you use will not change.
In developing our proposals we need to assess the likely impact for residents.
If a new council is created, then it is likely there will be changes to the way services are delivered or who provides them.
Government believe that larger authorities lead to less duplication, higher accountability and better value for money for the public. Our Cabinet has concerns related to a loss of identity, services not relating to place and a loss of focus on the needs of Torbay. Also Cabinet is concerned that there are examples where scale has not resulted in benefits in practice.
Should Torbay remain as we are then there will be Council offices in the Bay. However, if we were to become part of a larger unitary council it is not known where any base(s) of any new council would be at this stage.
The housing targets for any new council will be set by Government.
Where future homes will be built would be a key part of the remit for Torbay or any new authority representing a wider geography. This is a significant issue for local government.
Planning across school places, transport, and support services would be the responsibility of any new authority – with the needs across the whole area being taken into account.
If a new authority is created it is likely there would be new boundaries with councillors serving a wider geographic area than currently exists. What that could look like is being modelled as part of our final proposal.
The expected numbers of councillors in any new council will need to be considered in the final proposal. What can be seen from recent re-organisations though is that typically the number of councillors will be reduced, meaning that councillors will have a larger number of residents to support.
Parish and town councils are not directly affected by the Government's proposed reorganisation of local government – they will continue to exist. They are being consulted across Devon as plans emerge.
Paignton, Torquay, Exeter and Plymouth are the only areas in Devon that do not have town councils.
Town councils can raise their own funding for things important to their communities, independently of unitary councils. New unitary councils could choose to ask town and parish councils to deliver services.
Where areas don’t have a town or parish council, Government have recently suggested creating new ones isn’t an option at this time.
If a new council is formed, there would be elections to choose councillors for the new council.
Some councils have elections ‘by thirds’ every three years, followed by a year off, and some have all out elections where the entire Council is elected. That pattern would need to be harmonised across any new authority.
There would be no impact on General Election voting.
Our approach is led by its elected Members. Officers are working to help elected Members make informed decisions by way of financial analysis, modelling services, and options appraisals. Feedback from residents will also be sought and presented back to Members.
We can make a proposal to keep things the same as part of a proposal that covers the whole of Devon. Government will make the final decision.
Torbay is a strong and stable unitary already well on the way to meeting the Government’s criteria for new unitaries. Torbay’s population is significantly short of 500,000 but swelled by tourist and predicted growth numbers.
We will only exist if the Secretary of State allows us to remain the same.
If the Secretary of State decides to create a new larger unitary council, then we would no longer exist and our services would be delivered by the new council.
Different councils have different views on what will best meet the needs of their residents.
Councils do not have to have a single agreed position on LGR and can include plans that contain areas currently run by another authority. Each of the councils in Devon may respond by making its own proposal or making a joint proposal with other councils.
The Secretary of State will make the final decision on which proposal to accept.
Devolution means giving local government more power and funding from the national government. LGR is about deciding how that power and funding is shared between councils.
The impact to the CCA and possible opportunities are being explored as part of the preparation of the final proposal.