SCHOOL Governors across West Devon are being advised to oppose plans for Exeter City Council to go it alone and split from Devon County Council. The executive of the Devon Association of Governors has been researching the implications of unitary status for Exeter and has now written to schools recommending they oppose the plan. In the letter, DAG's executive officer, David Tall, said: 'The executive concluded that, were Exeter to achieve unitary authority status, there would be a disproportionate and deleterious impact on education across the county, including Exeter schools. 'It is hard to find more than a passing reference in the Exeter bid concerning education and the provision of associated services and thus DAG recommends most strongly that all governing bodies reject Exeter's bid.' Mr Tall says the DAG executive believes every school, member of staff and pupil in Devon will be affected by a decision to grant unitary status. 'This is not just an Exeter issue so it is vital to have your say,' Mr Tall tells fellow governors. He says Exeter has costed the transition to a unitary authority at £6.5 million. But Ipswich, which is a similar sized authority, has set aside £13 million for its transition. 'It is understood that Torbay's costs, ten years ago, amounted to £17 million and an independent consultant has placed a conservative cost of £20 million in relation to the Exeter bid. 'This inconsistency and discrepancy gives us little confidence in the Exeter figure," says Mr Tall. 'Any additional costs will impact across the provision of council services, including education. Authorities are not allowed to increase council taxes to offset additional costs. Such costs must be recovered from savings in other services.' Mr Tall says Exeter's submission states it is seeking to reduce duplication of services and resources. 'This intention is undermined considerably by the statutory requirement to provide separate and individual Children and Young People's Services," he says. 'The argument is further undermined by Exeter's stated intention that some of its education services will be provided "innovatively", including partnership and joint provision. Presumably that means purchasing such services from (the county council's) Devon Curriculum Services and Devon Governor Services. 'These services already exist and are provided to a very high standard, though no negotiations have been entered into with DCS or DGS. 'It is difficult to understand how else they can be provided for with any degree of cost effectiveness,' says Mr Tall. Considerable weight had been given to the virtue of economies of scale in the Exeter bid, he added. 'However Exeter will actually deprive itself of these very economies of scale in relation to provision of education related resources. 'At present they are part of the 367 schools and seven Pupil Referral Units in the county council, which generates genuine economy of scale,' says Mr Tall. 'Were Exeter to become unitary, they will take with them two nursery schools, 25 primaries, five secondary schools and three Special Schools, together with 12,000 pupils. 'It is hard to reconcile how a reduction to some 10% of the current provision will provide any economy of scale for a unitary.'