“Council leaders from across south Devon are understood to be discussing plans for a “super-mayor” at a meeting today.
Leaders from Plymouth, Exeter and Torbay councils are meeting in Cullompton to discuss a bid for devolution.
It is thought that a central part of the proposal is to create a single authority stretching from Exeter to Plymouth, and including Torbay.
The authority would be run by an elected mayor.
At the South West Growth Summit in Exeter in October Sajid Javid, the Communities Secretary, told local politicians that they could forget any meaningful devolution unless they embraced the idea of an elected mayor for the whole region.
In private tweets yesterday Peter Doyle, head of external affairs for Devon County Council, wrote: “The very odd Southern Devon unitary plan will make tomorrow’s Heart of SW devolution meeting interesting to say the least.
“Hard to see any sense in breaking Devon into two unitary councils. Huge reorganisation costs, duplicates county council services, zero savings.”
TWO unitary authorities? What’s left apart from North Devon? Does “Exeter” include East Devon or not? And where does the LEP fit in, if at all?
Of course, we, the council tax payers, will be the last to know!
And bet your bottom dollar the “same old” (vested interest) politicians and (vested interest) business people, same troughs, same snouts.
East Devon Watch 