While everyone has been getting ready for Christmas, the government has published its plans for reorganising local government, something which has the potential to become a truly hot topic in 2025.  The proposals would see Torridge and North Devon District Councils being abolished and their responsibilities absorbed into a larger unitary authority, most likely controlled from Exeter. Whatever you think of your local council, it is hard to get your head round the idea that this is something being done in the name of giving more power to the people so, in the interests of thinking about our heritage, here is a bit of a history lesson. 

The first prototype local government areas were poor law districts set up to administer support for the needy and vulnerable. The boundaries of these areas were used to create ‘sanitary districts’ in 1872, which had responsibility for sewerage, street cleaning and the cleanliness of drinking water. These soon became rural districts of which there were six in the area we now know as Torridge, including Lundy.

It was in 1974 that these districts were merged to create Torridge District Council, with responsibility for areas like local planning, housing, and waste collection. This was part of a two-tier system, with Devon County Council responsible for roads, schools, adult social care and children’s services. Devon is the largest local authority in the South West and was created in 1889. Plymouth was always a separate borough and Torbay left in 1968. Plymouth and Torbay are now unitary authorities, combining both district and county responsibilities. 

Between 2007 and 2010, there were proposals to reorganise the whole of Devon along unitary authority lines. This would have mean splitting Devon into the Exeter area and ‘the rest’. These were controversial and were abandoned by the coalition government.  Now with its Local Government White Paper, the Labour government has revived the idea. It wants the whole of England to devolve into unitary authorities of around half a million people and to create elected mayors in larger ‘strategic areas’ sitting on top. The stated benefit is to give these new areas greater powers to attract investment and develop their economies. 

Torridge has been working very successfully already with North Devon, for example there is a joint local plan and a joint economic strategy. It would be possible to see how the two districts could merge, but if all power and responsibility were taken away from both we are looking at some serious conversations in the new year.

While everyone has been getting ready for Christmas, the government has published its plans for reorganising local government, something which has the potential to become a truly hot topic in 2025.  The proposals would see Torridge and North Devon District Councils being abolished and their responsibilities absorbed into a larger unitary authority, most likely controlled from Exeter. Whatever you think of your local council, it is hard to get your head round the idea that this is something being done in the name of giving more power to the people so, in the interests of thinking about our heritage, here is a bit of a history lesson. 

The first prototype local government areas were poor law districts set up to administer support for the needy and vulnerable. The boundaries of these areas were used to create ‘sanitary districts’ in 1872, which had responsibility for sewerage, street cleaning and the cleanliness of drinking water. These soon became rural districts of which there were six in the area we now know as Torridge, including Lundy.

It was in 1974 that these districts were merged to create Torridge District Council, with responsibility for areas like local planning, housing, and waste collection. This was part of a two-tier system, with Devon County Council responsible for roads, schools, adult social care and children’s services. Devon is the largest local authority in the South West and was created in 1889. Plymouth was always a separate borough and Torbay left in 1968. Plymouth and Torbay are now unitary authorities, combining both district and county responsibilities. 

Between 2007 and 2010, there were proposals to reorganise the whole of Devon along unitary authority lines. This would have mean splitting Devon into the Exeter area and ‘the rest’. These were controversial and were abandoned by the coalition government.  Now with its Local Government White Paper, the Labour government has revived the idea. It wants the whole of England to devolve into unitary authorities of around half a million people and to create elected mayors in larger ‘strategic areas’ sitting on top. The stated benefit is to give these new areas greater powers to attract investment and develop their economies. 

Torridge has been working very successfully already with North Devon, for example there is a joint local plan and a joint economic strategy. It would be possible to see how the two districts could merge, but if all power and responsibility were taken away from both we are looking at some serious conversations in the new year.