To receive a verbal update regarding Local Government Reorganisation.
Minutes:
The Chief Executive of Mid Devon District Council (MDDC) gave a verbal update on Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) and highlighted the following:-
· In December 2024 the Government published a White Paper on Devolution and wrote to all Council’s to draw attention to it and to consider how they could reorganise themselves to meet the objectives of that White Paper.
· The White Paper set out the Government’s vision for how it saw Local Governance across the whole country moving towards Strategic Authorities headed by a Mayor. Beneath that would be a simpler structure of Local Government by removing the two-tier system that operated in the remaining 21 shire areas of the country.
· Since that time all of the 11 Councils in Devon (2 Unitary Councils, 8 District Council and 1 County) had all given time and consideration to how they believed the Council could be reconfigured.
· Initial submissions were submitted to the Government in March 2025 and since then work had continued by all of the 11 Councils.
· Each Council was allowed to submit 1 proposal. It was likely that 4 or 5 different proposals would be submitted by the deadline of 28 November 2025.
· It was expected that around Easter 2026 the Government would consult on all the proposals that they believed were viable using 6 criteria to assess them against.
· Assuming that the options were all credible the Government would then run a public consultation where everyone including Councils, individuals, stakeholders etc would be able to give their views and say which option was preferred.
· The Government would receive all of those comments to consider, and an announcement was likely to be made in summer 2026 on the specific proposal to be implemented.
· All Councils would then be tasked to ensure they were gearing up towards the implementation of the proposal.
· A Shadow Authority would be elected in March 2027 for the new authority which would go live on 1 April 2028.
· All of the 11 Council’s proposals would be going through their own democratic process before being submitted to the Government. These would be in the public domain.
Discussion took place regarding:-
· Whether the Shadow Authority would take the place of MDDC elections? It was confirmed that yes that would likely be the case as Councillors would be elected to that incoming Authority.
· What was the meaning of a “Shadow” Authority? It was explained those Councillors would be elected to an Authority that did not exist at the moment in time but they would become the Council on vesting day, 1 April 2028.
· Concerns regarding the role of Town and Parish Councils. It was explained that there would be opportunities and challenges that would arise from the change. All proposals would set out how they maintained the relationship with Town and Parish Councils.
· Cllr G DuChesne further explained that there would be an opportunity for Town and Parish Councils to take on assets should they be inclined to do so and that information would be circulated to Town and Parish Councils explaining how to do that.
· Whether housing tenants should be concerned. It was confirmed that there would be no concerns for tenants as responsibilities of the authority would not cease to be in place.
· The ownership of the Grand Western Canal and whether it would be safeguarded. It was explained that the assets of today’s Council would automatically become the assets of the new Authority. It would then be for the elected Councillors of the new Authority to decide from there.