Time to win over devolution sceptics

Sceptical district councils who are yet to be won over by plans for devolution across Devon are set to get the hard sell.

“We’ve got to woo the districts,” said Torbay councillor Nick Bye (Con, Wellswood). “What they want is what we all want – better jobs and higher-paid jobs for local people.”
Torbay Council’s cabinet heard that some of Devon’s districts had misgivings about the proposed devolution deal which will see Torbay and Devon working as partners in a Combined County Authority (CCA).
The aim is to unlock millions of pounds in government funding and give the county a greater say in how it spends resources on transport, education and other functions.
But some district councils fear being overlooked, and there have been claims that the new arrangement will mean ‘the Torbay tail wagging the Devon dog’ as the bay’s council will be on an equal footing with the far larger area of the rest of Devon.
But Cllr Bye said that would not be the case. “I’m just pleased to see the tail stuck back on the dog, and working with the dog!” he said.
Cabinet members saw a detailed report on the recent consultations on devolution, which included responses from East Devon, North Devon, West Devon, Mid Devon, Exeter, Teignbridge, South Hams and Torridge councils.
While they generally looked forward to working together, there were also concerns over how the new arrangement would work, and how much say the smaller councils would have.
Writing on behalf of South Hams, Cllr John Birch (Lib Dem, Totnes), said: “While we support the principle of devolution and welcome the additional funding for this region, we consider that the proposal risks making local government more complex by adding a layer of bureaucracy.”
Speaking in the Torbay meeting, Cllr Alan Tyerman (Con, Churston with Galmpton) said: “It’s a very mixed bag in terms of positive and negative views. There is still a lot of work to be done to bring more people on board so that they are feeling comfortable with the proposition.
“There are clearly elements of misunderstanding in the responses from some of the districts. That’s not surprising or worrying, but it’s a flag to us about how much work needs to be done.”
Cllr Bye said it was vital that Torbay and Devon worked together to regenerate the county.
“We have a history of working with Devon and I want to see more of that,” he said.
“Forty per cent of young people leave Devon, and we have got to do more to retain our younger population – to boost their skills, to provide them with housing and better employment opportunities.
“Working together is the way forward.”