A NEW contender has emerged in the race to decide the shape of Devon’s new councils.

All of Devon’s district councils will be axed as part of the government’s planned reorganisation of local authorities, along with the county council.

In their place will be larger unitary authorities, which the government says will save costs and remove unnecessary bureaucracy. The new authorities could take over by May 2028.

Local councils have been given until the end of next month to submit their proposals for the shake-up, with the government announcing its decisions next summer.

There are already two small unitary authorities in Devon – Torbay and Plymouth – along with the county council and eight district councils, giving rise to a number of different possible ‘formations’ for the revamped political map of Devon.

Members of Teignbridge Council’s executive committee heard that while almost all of the district councils favoured a ‘1-4-5’ line-up, there was growing support for a ‘1-4-5-plus’ variant.

Under the 1-4-5 proposal, Plymouth would be the one unitary, with the rest of Devon divided up into a four-strong unitary comprising Torbay, South Hams, Teignbridge and West Devon along with a five-strong council of Exeter, East Devon, Mid Devon, North Devon and Torridge.

The committee heard that ‘1-4-5-plus’ would allow Plymouth to spread its boundaries to include five of its neighbouring South Hams parishes. The new town of Sherford would be among them.

Teignbridge chief executive Phil Shears told members that 1-4-5-plus was the ‘most balanced’ option.

Council leader Richard Keeling (Lib Dem, Chudleigh) added: “What is for sure is that Teignbridge and Devon County Council will no longer exist.

“I haven’t heard of any names for the new councils being bandied around as yet.”

Teignbridge has so far put its name to the 1-4-5 proposal, as have West Devon, South Hams, East Devon, Mid Devon, North Devon and Torridge.

North Devon, however, is seeking a strategy which does more to protect the interests of the north of the county.

Devon County Council favours having Plymouth and Torbay as stand-alone unitaries, with the whole of the rest of the county – including Exeter – making up a third unitary authority.

Leader Julian Brazil (Lib Dem, Kingsbridge) described this as the ‘least worst’ option.

Plymouth City Council wants to remain a unitary, and strengthen its position by absorbing 13 of the parishes around it, areas which are currently in the South Hams.

Exeter City Council is pushing to become a unitary authority in its own right, and may expand into Teignbridge, East Devon and Mid Devon to do so.

Torbay Council wants to stay as it is, but may also opt to expand its boundaries to mirror the local health trust area, which would include Dawlish, Teignmouth, Newton Abbot, Totnes, Buckfastleigh and Dartmouth.

Some councillors remain concerned that the re-shuffle is already a ‘done deal’, and the government has already made up its mind about the future shape of Devon’s local authorities, whatever options the county’s own town halls come up with.