Agenda item

The Acting Chair Cllr Loudoun, Deputy Leader, introduced the report reminding members of the process that had been undertaken to get to this submission and future work necessary to get the new arrangements in place for 1 April 2028. He stated the report set out the milestones and decisions that the council had made during the year, with officers having worked alongside their colleagues in six other District Councils and Torbay. They at all contributed to the development of the council’s preferred 4-5-1 LGR model, otherwise known as Reimagining Devon.

The Director of Place reported that Cabinet and Council had received a series of reports over the course of the year on the topic of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) and Devolution. These followed the publication of the English Devolution White paper in December 2024, which committed to ending the current two-tier system of District and County Councils, and the subsequent invitation from the Secretary of State to submit proposals for a single tier of government.

This report represented the culmination of the process that has been undertaken, in collaboration with the other District and Borough Councils across Devon, over the course of this year to respond to this invitation. Support was sought to submit the full proposal for the 4-5-1 model of local government reorganisation in conjunction with a proposed modification (4-5-1+) to extend the current boundary of Plymouth City Council.

The deadline for submission was the 28^th November and delegation was sought to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Deputy Leader to meet this timeline and to progress work for the implementation of LGR.

The Chief Executive stated this work had been undertaken within a very short timeline but was confident in the robust, balanced and transparent submission presented. She reminded members that 8 local authorities had worked together in producing this proposal which included analysis from 8 chief executives, 8 S151 officers and 8 monitoring officers. She wished to thank Andy Wood, Director of Place for his invaluable effort and lead on behalf of the 8 authorities in getting the submission to this presentation stage.

RESOLVED that Cabinet;

1.     Subject to Full Council endorsement, approves the submission to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government of the full proposal for the 4-5-1 model of local government reorganisation as set out in ‘Reimagining Devon: Believe in Better’ as the Council’s response to the Secretary of State’s invitation.

2.     Approve proposing the 4-5-1 + option to the Secretary of State through a modification to extend the current boundary of Plymouth City Council to incorporate parts of four adjacent parishes in South Hams.

3.     Invites Full Council to endorse the above proposals to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

4.     Delegates authority to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Deputy Leader to submit the proposals to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government by the deadline of 28th November 2025.

5.     Delegates authority to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Deputy Leader to progress work for the implementation of local government reorganisation, in collaboration with other Devon Councils in advance of a formal decision made as to the preferred option and to support associated consultation.

REASON:

To ensure that the Council responded to the invitation to submit proposals for a single tier of local government and continued to influence future local government reorganisation in Devon.