TWO Devon councils who have saved council tax payers more than £1.5 million by sharing services are among the top 20 local authorities in the country with an excellent reputation, a new report has revealed.

West Devon Borough and South Hams District Councils have scored highly in the Local Government Associations (LGA) Reputation Index which measures how well a local authoritys standing is within its community. The index ranked West Devon Borough at 14th and South Hams District 19th out of more than 350 district, city and unitary councils in England and Wales.

Three years ago the councils began sharing services by appointing a shared chief executive to cut costs. Currently, services shared include environmental health, revenue and benefits, housing and strategic planning.

By December this year, almost all the councils services will be well on the way to being shared.