THE Boundary Committee's draft recommendation for the abolition of district councils, to be replaced by a single all-powerful Devon unitary council, is pretty much a takeover by the county council which will be the only winner. The council tax payer will see no benefit and the loss of rural influence will be catastrophic. West Devon, which currently returns 31 members to West Devon Borough Council, will have no more than three or four seats in the 'Super-County Council' of 100 members. Furthermore, of those 100 members, only 12 or so will be 'executive' members; the remainder will have almost no influence on the council's policy. Those of your readers who have ever tried to influence the present Devon County Council will recall how much use it was. Remember Bedford Square and the Grenofen Gateway to mention but two? The district councils have been the only check on the county's power and, if they are swept away, I predict that, by the end of 2010, car parking charges will double, there will be pay parking on all the main streets of Okehampton, Tavistock, Hatherleigh and North Tawton and local planning decisions will be made by councillors with little knowledge of West Devon. I urge your readers to write to the Boundary Committee and make their feelings known. I have detected no appetite for unitary councils in West Devon, except perhaps from existing or aspiring county councillors who can expect a hefty increase in their salaries. West Devon councillors are good value at around £3,600 a year. I am not so sure about Devon unitary councillors, who will probably start at around £25,000, with executive salaries around £100k. Although I concede that that is only my cynical guess, that has been the kind of pattern arising out of local government reorganisations in the past. The address to write to is: The Review Officer, Devon Review, The Boundary Committee for England, Trevelyan House, Great Peter Street, London SW1P 1HW. The closing date for representations is September 26. You can also express your views at http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/boundary-reviews">www.electoralcommission.org.uk/boundary-reviews I intend to try to instigate a parish poll to enable people in Tavistock to express a view of this appalling prospect. I urge others to do so in other parishes and shall try to provide some assistance via my website. Google will find me. Parish polls right across Devon would hit headlines and just might make this shaky government think twice about further undermining rurally accountable local government. Roger W Mathew Down Road Tavistock