PEOPLE in West Devon are being urged to oppose an 'expensive, unnecessary and turbulent' re- organisation of local government. The call comes in the wake of Plymouth City Council's move to govern Tavistock in an extended unitary authority. Prominent local figures warn the proposal, if implemented, could have severe consequences for the town and its surrounding rural communities. People are being urged to join in the campaign to keep Tavistock rural when new concepts for boundary changes in Devon go out to public consultation in July. The city council shares a view held by many that local government should be based on travel-to- work areas. There are proposals to absorb rural areas in Devon into four unitary authorities in Plymouth, Barnstaple, Exeter and Torbay. West Devon MP Geoffrey Cox said this week it was 'extremely undesirable' for Tavistock to be swallowed up by Plymouth as it would lead to it becoming a dormitory town. West Devon Borough Council is fighting the move by proposing a rural authority covering South Devon and Dartmoor. The borough's chief executive David Incoll said it was important people had a choice. 'People may go into Plymouth for work or leisure but life in rural areas is completely different — putting rural towns and moorland villages in with a city like Plymouth just would not work,' he said. 'Plymouth needs to concentrate on urban areas and urban problems and its nature of employment is different. 'The city depends on very large employers like the dockyard and American and Japanese companies, but West Devon has the highest number of small businesses in the country for its size. 'Our shopping is different and everything is different — what we are saying is that rural people need to make the decisions in rural areas and urban people in urban areas.' Mr Incoll said under a dedicated rural unitary council West Devon and South Hams councillors would work with Teignbridge District Council, Devon County Council and Dartmoor National Park Authority, covering a population of 260,000. 'Our proposal provides for the continuation of town and parish councils who can choose to run rural services,' he added. 'Plymouth's Unitary Authority has no rural towns and has no experience of the important roles that rural towns and parish councils play.' MP Geoffrey Cox said Tavistock would be 'the prize' for Plymouth if its boundaries were extended. He said: 'It is completely the wrong thing for the town because services would no longer be delivered from here, we would lose local representation and local accountability. Tavistock would become a dormitory town for Plymouth.' The Government's setting up of the Boundary Commission to look into alternative local government arrangements in Devon was driven by Exeter's desire to become a unitary authority, said Mr Cox. 'I think the whole thing is totally unnecessary. 'What we should be doing is concentrating on delivering better services for everybody. 'The county and district councils have started working together and that process has not been given a chance to develop before we are entering into an expensive, unnecessary and turbulent re- organisation. 'Each part of Devon is being pitted against each other — everyone is trying to get the best deal and it's not in the interests of Devon and its people to carve up the county like this.' Mr Cox said West Devon Borough Council had come up with a good solution given the circumstances, but he still believed people should be fighting against any change. Tavistock mayor Anne Johnson said the status quo was not an option and it was a case of getting the best deal. 'I am not in favour of Tavistock being part of Plymouth because the areas have different needs and I would wonder how much power and strength we would have as part of Plymouth City Council,' she said. West Devon Borough Council leader James McInnes said: 'We very much welcome people's views on the South Devon and Dartmoor Unitary concept. Copies of the document are available from West Devon Borough Council's offices at Kilworthy Park, Tavistock and St James Street, Okehampton and is also available online at http://www.westdevon.gov.uk/">www.westdevon.gov.uk/ ruralsouthdevonanddartmoor' l See Letters, page 4
