PROPOSALS to abolish district councils and create a single unitary authority for the Devon County area would lead to deteriorating services.
That was the response of the leader of West Devon Borough Council following an announcement this week by the Boundary Committee for England.
The committee is recommending that the current two-tier system of local government be scrapped in favour of one large council for rural Devon. The committee believes it will provide more affordable services and clearer leadership.
But West Devon Council Leader James McInnes says the proposal would result in excessive costs and the deterioration of services.
Cllr McInnes said: 'The Boundary Committee and the Government need to face up to the realities of life.
'Our council is rising to the challenges of one of the worst recessions on record, helping our residents and businesses get through this terrible period. Yet all they want to do is throw this good work into the melting pot, which will result in the quality of services deteriorating at the very time when they are needed most.'
Cllr McInnes pointed to Cornwall Council, where he said the original cost of implementing the unitary status had trebled to more than £60-million.
'The turmoil that is being caused by such a massive reorganisation is unfortunately resulting in poor performance across a number of services.'
Max Caller, chair of the Boundary Committee for England, said: 'Our role in this process has been to provide independent advice to the Government — not to decide what will happen.
'We are setting out those patterns of unitary local government that, in our view and based on the extensive evidence we've seen and heard, have the capacity to best meet the criteria that the Secretary of State has set.'
Mr Caller said the committee had heard evidence from local people with strong views on both sides but said it was clear there was no decisive consensus either way.
He said: 'In deciding our advice we were ultimately persuaded by the broad cross-section of people and groups who told us that there were patterns of unitary local government that are able to deliver more affordable services with clear strategic leadership and can empower local towns and villages to get more out of the services they use.'
Exeter City Council has expressed dismay at the proposal for a single Devon Council. Culture Secretary and Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw said: 'It's extraordinary that the Boundary Committee has ignored the strong desire in Exeter to run our own affairs. I hope the Secretary of State will listen to the public and grant our city unitary status.'
Now that the Boundary Committee has provided its advice, it is up to the Secretary of State to decide whether to implement the proposal or not.
Anyone wishing to make representations on the unitary proposal can do so by January 19 2010 by emailing [email protected]">[email protected]