Plymouth MP's Linda Gilroy and Alison Seabeck have welcomed the publication today’s of the Boundary Committee's draft proposal for unitary local government arrangements in Devon.

The proposal outlines the Committee’s view that people in Devon would be best served by a unitary authority covering the whole of the county. Significantly however, under the proposal, Plymouth’s and Torbay’s boundaries would be left unchanged.

Linda Gilroy said “This recommendation is the right solution. A unitary authority for Devon alongside the continuation of the existing authorities in Plymouth and Torbay will respect the very different challenges and priorities of the urban centres of population from the rural areas of the county. Some of the biggest challenges which the Council and elected members have to face such as climate change and providing more affordable homes as well as improving care for older people and tackling child poverty have very different solutions in urban areas than in sparsely populated areas and market towns.”

Alison Seabeck commented “Plymouth has particularly ambitious plans for development and growth (including population growth of up to 50,000 in the next 20-30 years) . For these to be realised the City must ensure it focuses on delivering the very clear and well advanced plans which it has been working on for some time now.  Any change to boundaries taking in hamlets, villages etc would be a distraction that would not help.  Having Unitary authorities to pattern with would improve the capacity to develop multi area agreements which are the means of ensuring that where we do have things in common with communities with more rural characteristics we can do so in a cost effective way while standing up for Plymouth's distinct urban agenda."

Both MPs consider that Exeter having urban characteristics may understandably continue to make strong representations to enable it to govern as a unitary authority.

7 July 2008