Jim Parker: Devolution is inevitable—time to move forward

Devolution, I can sense the eye-lids beginning to feel heavy already. But perhaps they may just widen if I mention the words 'Mayor' and 'town councils' because that is what Torbay (or whatever we end up being called) are going to get in this massive government shake-up of councils who run our everyday lives.

The powers-that-be want to see bigger unitary authorities created across the country with 'super Mayors' at the helm. That could mean the end of Devon as a county council and Teignbridge and South Hams as districts. One possibility could see the county split into three unitary bodies with a Devon Mayor sitting on high.

There has been a suggestion of a super Mayor for Devon and Cornwall but the residents of the Tamar Bridge aren't too keen. They, like all councils, are currently jostling for power.

One thing is for sure - there is no going back. Torbay Council leader Dave Thomas, who has been locked in talks with Devon, Plymouth, near neighbours and Uncle Tom Cobley and all since the review was announced, says: "The die is cast. The government has said what is going to happen. There is no choice at all. Torbay is not going to stay as it is." 

Torbay and directly-elected Mayors have had mixed fortunes in the past. The first with Nick Bye did have some success with his successor, Gordon Oliver, having, let's say, challenges making the role work and in the end the electorate decided to revert back to a council/cabinet way of running Torbay Council. As for town councils. It means Brixham would keep its council and Torquay and Paignton would their own which would go down well with the locals in each of the three towns and give them a say in, and ownership of, their futures.

Ironically, the idea of councils for Torquay and Paignton were poo-pooed by some including Dave Thomas!

But he says: "We have no choice with a directly-elected mayor. If we want money and new powers the only way forward is with a mayor. The powers of a new Mayor are much more strategic. The only similarity between the Mayor of Torbay and the super-Mayor of Devon and Cornwall is the word 'mayor'."

He adds: "One thing is certain - by the end of this there will be no districts or county council. There will be unitaries. Town and parish councils will survive. .

"I will be told that Dave Thomas campaigned against town councils in 2019. Yes, I did because I did not believe that would be right  for Torbay as it was then. But in an area of 500,000 people, as might be the case going forward now, how do you ensure the voice of local people is heard? That I believe is through town councils."

All sides in the Devon Devolution debate are meeting.

Cllr Thomas says: "We are having a meeting on Monday of the upper authorities, Torbay, Plymouth and Devon, and the districts in the same room together. It will be the first time we have met together in the same room."

It is believed Torbay was instrumental in organising the round-table talks and bringing everybody together.

Cllr Thomas says: "We have all recognised that the best way of solving this is for everybody to work together. There have been lots of meetings with districts, continued dialogue with our near neighbours and Devon on their own and there have been amenable conversations. The whole of Devon has to come together as a big jigsaw puzzle.

"There cannot be any devolution 'orphans'. There will be natural partners. Once these natural partners are found there will be odd bits left. They cannot be left behind. It is a case of how do we fit them into the jigsaw."

He said it would be much better if a decision and agreement was made locally - otherwise the government would come in and draw their own lines and boundaries in the sand.

"We can either come up with a solution or, if we do not provide that solution, the government will come down with their own and say  that's it, " said Cllr Thomas.

Devon wants to create one big unitary authority, but Dave Thomas sees the future with an expanded Plymouth unitary, expanded Torbay unitary and something similar for Exeter. Plymouth may also include some areas of its current neighbours, Torbay's natural fit would be with South Hams and Teignbridge as a Torbay and South Devon or just South Devon unitary and Exeter may incorporate East Devon. That would then leave North Devon and Torridge to be fitted somewhere in the Devon jigsaw. 

Above that new set up would be with the Super Mayor at the helm of the strategic authority with far-reaching powers covering finances, tax setting, regeneration, housing and planning.

Cllr Thomas said Torbay's  proposals would be evidence-based 'rather than just putting lines on maps'.

The government has said that new unitaries have to cover a population of 500,000. Torbay, with 145,000, South Hams with 90,000 and Teignbridge with 100,000 would fall short but other revised targets have set the ceiling at between 300,000 and 600,000 which means a new South Devon unitary would fit the bill.

The government will only accept a proposal if everybody is in agreement. Proposals by March with final proposals submitted in September.

Torbay has everything to play for and is literally in a good 'place'.

Cllr Thomas says: "We are a small unitary but we are performing well. We have an integrated care organisation for health which is a joined up service. Our children's service numbers are down and we have a balanced budget and we are seeing £100m worth investment in the Bay in government funding. We are in a really good place. "

He added: "When I first got elected 18 years ago it was 'cut, cut, cut'. We have been through all that pain and come out the other side. We don't want to go back to those days."

The government says that any services 'must be relatable to place'.  Torbay's future plans and strategy are already based on Torbay as a 'Place' with its own Torbay Story to tell. It is well ahead of the game.

"Place is massive. Everything this administration is doing is related to place," says Cllr Thomas.

Time is of the essence and a solution has to be found before the Whitehall mandarins do it for us.

Here's wishing Cllr Thomas the best of luck for the all-important meeting with other Devon Devo players. Will common sense prevail and common ground be found? Oh to be a fly on the wall...