Devon County Council

Last updated

Devon County Council
Arms of Devon County Council.svg
Devon county council logo small.svg
Type
Type
Leadership
John Hart,
Conservative
since 23 May 2024 [1]
James McInnes,
Conservative
since 23 May 2024 [2]
Donna Manson
since 17 February 2023
Structure
Seats60 councillors
Political groups
Administration (38)
  Conservative (38)
Other parties (22)
  Liberal Democrats (9)
  Labour (6)
  Independent (5)
  Green (2)
Length of term
4 years
Elections
First-past-the-post
Last election
 6 May 2021
Next election
1 May 2025
Meeting place
Clock tower, County Hall, Exeter.jpg
County Hall, Topsham Road, Exeter, EX2 4QD
Website
www.devon.gov.uk

Devon County Council is the county council administering the non-metropolitan county of Devon, England. The non-metropolitan county is smaller than the ceremonial county; the latter additionally includes Plymouth and Torbay. The population of the non-metropolitan county was estimated at 795,286 in 2018, [3] making it the largest local authority in South West England. The council has been under Conservative majority control since 2009. It is based at County Hall in Exeter.

Contents

Devon is an area with "two-tier" local government, meaning that the county is divided into non-metropolitan districts carrying out less strategic functions, such as taking most planning decisions. In Devon there are eight such districts, each with its own district, borough, or city council. Devon County Council does not provide services to Torbay or Plymouth; whilst both are deemed to form part of the wider ceremonial county of Devon, they are unitary authorities, independent from the county council.

History

Administration

Devon County Council was created in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888, which created elected county councils to take over the administrative functions previously performed by the quarter sessions, run by unelected magistrates. The first county council elections were held on 16 January 1889 and the new council formally came into being on 1 April 1889. The council's budget in its first year was £50,000. In 1907, women became eligible for election and the first female councillor was elected in 1931. [4]

From the beginning in 1889, the boroughs of Exeter, Devonport and Plymouth were considered large enough to provide their own county-level services and so they were made county boroughs, outside the jurisdiction of the county council. Devonport was subsequently absorbed into Plymouth in 1914. Torbay received county borough status and left the area of Devon County Council in 1968.

In 1971, Devon County Council signed a twinning charter with the Conseil General of Calvados to develop links with the French department of Calvados. [5]

The council was significantly reformed in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. Exeter, Torbay and Plymouth were brought within the area controlled by the county council, and the lower-tier districts in the county were completely reorganised. Torbay and Plymouth subsequently regained their independence from the county council in 1998 when both were made unitary authorities. [6]

Data protection

In 2012 the council was fined £90,000 by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) after it sent confidential and sensitive information about twenty-two people, including criminal allegations and information about their mental health, to the wrong recipient. Commenting on Devon and other authorities who had made similar data protection breaches, the ICO said "It would be far too easy to consider these breaches as simple human error. The reality is that they are caused by councils treating sensitive personal data in the same routine way they would deal with more general correspondence. Far too often in these cases, the councils do not appear to have acknowledged that the data they are handling is about real people, and often the more vulnerable members of society." [7]

Political control

The council has been under Conservative majority control since 2009.

Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms has been as follows: [8]

Party in controlYears
Conservative 1974–1985
No overall control 1985–1989
Conservative 1989–1993
Liberal Democrats 1993–2001
No overall control 2001–2005
Liberal Democrats 2005–2009
Conservative 2009–present

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 1974 have been: [9] [10]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
George Creber [11] Conservative 19741981
Arnold Sayers [12] Conservative 19811985
David Morrish Liberal 1985Jul 1987
(no leader)Jul 1987May 1989
Frederick (Ted) Pinney Conservative May 1989
Brian Greenslade Liberal Democrats 19932002
Christine Channon [13] Conservative 20022003
Brian Greenslade Liberal Democrats 20032004
Christine Channon Conservative 200426 May 2005
Brian Greenslade [14] [15] Liberal Democrats 26 May 200525 Jun 2009
John Hart Conservative 25 Jun 200923 May 2024
James McInnes [16] Conservative 23 May 2024

Composition

Following the 2021 election and subsequent changes of allegiance up to November 2024, the composition of the council was: [17] [18] [19]

PartyCouncillors
Conservative 38
Liberal Democrats 9
Labour 6
Independent 5
Green 2
Total60

The Greens and three of the independent councillors sit together as the "Independent and Green Group". The other two independents councillor do not belong to a group. [20] The next election is due in 2025. [19]

Premises

The county council is based at Devon County Hall on Topsham Road in Exeter, which was completed in 1964 to the designs of Donald McMorran. [21]

The old courthouse and county council offices within Rougemont Castle: County Council's headquarters until 1964. Law Courts in Exeter Castle - geograph.org.uk - 275346.jpg
The old courthouse and county council offices within Rougemont Castle: County Council's headquarters until 1964.

Prior to 1964 the council was based at Rougemont Castle (also known as Exeter Castle) in Exeter, where the quarter sessions for the county had been held for many years prior to the creation of the county council. An office building for the county council was built in 1895 adjoining the existing courthouse which had been built in 1773 within the castle. [22]

Elections

Map of the results of the 2021 Devon council election. Devon UK local election 2021 gradient map.svg
Map of the results of the 2021 Devon council election.

Since the last boundary changes in 2017 the council has comprised 60 councillors, representing 58 electoral divisions. Most divisions elect one councillor, but two divisions (Broadclyst and Exmouth) elect two councillors. Elections are held every four years. [23]

Responsibilities for services

Map of Devon's eight shire districts and two unitary authorities. 1-8 are administered by Devon County Council, but 9 and 10 are the unitary authority areas of Plymouth and Torbay, they do not form part of the non-metropolitan county of Devon (the area governed by the county council), but do form part of the ceremonial county of Devon Devon Ceremonial Numbered.png
Map of Devon's eight shire districts and two unitary authorities. 1-8 are administered by Devon County Council, but 9 and 10 are the unitary authority areas of Plymouth and Torbay, they do not form part of the non-metropolitan county of Devon (the area governed by the county council), but do form part of the ceremonial county of Devon

Devon County Council's responsibilities include schools, social care for the elderly and vulnerable, road maintenance, libraries and trading standards. [24] It is the largest employer in Devon, employing over 20,000 people, [24] and has the largest minor road length (7,373 miles (11,866 km) — 2014) of any UK local authority; major roads are managed by National Highways. [25] Devon County Council appoints eleven members to the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Authority. [26] The Office for National Statistics estimated that the mid-2014 population of the non-metropolitan area of Devon was 765,302, which is the largest in the South West England region. [27]

The county council's area is also administered by eight smaller authorities that have their own district, borough or city councils. The responsibilities of these councils include local planning, council housing, refuse collection, sports and leisure facilities, and street cleaning. The district areas are further divided into civil parishes, which have "parish councils" or "town councils"; the latter of which often use a town hall. Typical activities undertaken by a parish council include maintaining allotments, footpaths, playing fields and the local community or village hall. On some matters, the county council share responsibilities with the district and parish councils. These include economic development and regeneration, emergency planning, tourism promotion and coastal protection. [24]

No.DistrictType of councilPopulation
(mid-2014 est.) [27] 		Area
(hectares) [28]
1 Exeter City council 124,3284,789
2 East Devon District council136,37482,372
3 Mid Devon District council79,19891,290
4 North Devon District council94,059110,504
5 Torridge District council65,61899,566
6 West Devon Borough council54,260116,472
7 South Hams District council84,10890,525
8 Teignbridge District council127,35768,101

Graphic symbols

The Flag of Devon; first raised in 2006 Flag of Devon.svg
The Flag of Devon; first raised in 2006

There was no established coat of arms for the county until 1926: the arms of the City of Exeter were often used to represent Devon, for instance in the badge of the Devonshire Regiment. During the formation of a county council by the Local Government Act 1888, adoption of a common seal was required. The seal contained three shields depicting the arms of Exeter along with those of the first chairman and vice-chairman of the council (Lord Clinton and the Earl of Morley). [29]

On 11 October 1926, the county council received a grant of arms from the College of Arms. The main part of the shield displays a red crowned lion on a silver field, the arms of Richard Plantagenet, Earl of Cornwall. The chief or upper portion of the shield depicts an ancient ship on waves, for Devon's seafaring traditions. The Latin motto adopted was Auxilio Divino ("by divine aid"), that of Sir Francis Drake. The 1926 grant was of arms alone. On 6 March 1962 a further grant of crest and supporters was obtained. The crest is the head of a Dartmoor Pony rising from a "Naval Crown". This distinctive form of crown is formed from the sails and sterns of ships, and is associated with the Royal Navy. The supporters are a Devon bull and a sea lion. [30] [31]

The County Council adopted a 'ship silhouette' logo after the 1974 reorganisation, adapted from the ship emblem on the coat of arms, but following the loss in 1998 of Plymouth and Torbay re-adopted the coat of arms. In April 2006 the council unveiled a new logo which was to be used in most everyday applications, though the coat of arms will continue to be used for "various civic purposes". [32] [33]

In 2002, the BBC Devon website held a poll in response to a discussion for a flag of Devon. Ryan Sealey's winning design of green, white, and black was raised outside County Hall in 2006 to celebrate Local Democracy Week and is endorsed by Devon County Council. [34]

Proposed structural changes

From 2007 to 2010 there was a strong possibility that Devon's two-tier council structure might be reorganised. In December 2007, a bid by Exeter City Council to become a unitary council was referred by the Department for Communities and Local Government to the Boundary Committee for England, as they felt the application did not meet all their strict criteria. Had the bid succeeded, Devon County Council, headquartered in Exeter, would have had no local governmental control of the City of Exeter.

The Boundary Committee was asked to look at the feasibility of a unitary Exeter in the context of examining options for unitary arrangements in the wider Devon county area, and reported back in July 2008 recommending a 'unitary Devon' (excluding Plymouth and Torbay), with a second option of a 'unitary Exeter & Exmouth' (combined) and a unitary 'rest of Devon'. This would have abolished lower-tier district councils which work together with Devon County Council. These proposals were put out to consultation until September 2008 and the Committee was expected to make final recommendations to the Secretary of State by the end of the year. As a result of a number of legal challenges to the process and also dissatisfaction on the part of the Secretary of State with the manner in which the Boundary Committee assessed proposals, a recommendation was unlikely until March or April 2009. [35]

The Boundary Committee was delayed again following legal challenge by a group of councils in the county of Suffolk. [36] The Court of Appeal rejected the legal challenge in December 2009 and the Boundary Committee was expected to return to making recommendations on the proposals, to be published at an unknown date. [37]

On 10 February 2010, local government ministers gave the go-ahead for Exeter's unitary authority status and ruled out the chance of Devon's unitary authority status, leaving it as a rural county. [38] However, following the 2010 general election the new government announced in May 2010 that the reorganisation would be stopped. [39] [40]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devon</span> County of England

Devon is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel to the north, Somerset and Dorset to the east, the English Channel to the south, and Cornwall to the west. The city of Plymouth is the largest settlement, and the city of Exeter is the county town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torbay</span> Borough in Devon, England

Torbay is a unitary authority with a borough status in the ceremonial county of Devon, England. It is governed by Torbay Council, based in the town of Torquay, and also includes the towns of Paignton and Brixham. The borough consists of 24.27 sq mi (62.9 km2) of land around the east-facing Tor Bay, part of Lyme Bay on the English Channel. A popular tourist destination, Torbay's sandy beaches, mild climate and recreational and leisure attractions have given rise to its nickname of the English Riviera. The neighbouring districts are South Hams and Teignbridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paignton</span> Seaside town in Devon, England

Paignton is a seaside town on the coast of Tor Bay in Devon, England. Together with Torquay and Brixham it forms the borough of Torbay which was created in 1968. The Torbay area is a holiday destination known as the English Riviera. Paignton has origins as a Celtic settlement and was first mentioned in 1086. It grew as a small fishing village and a new harbour was built in 1847. A railway line was opened to passengers in 1859 creating links to Torquay and London. As its population increased, it merged with the villages of Goodrington and Preston. Paignton is around 25 miles (40 km) north east of Plymouth and 20 miles (32 km) south of Exeter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Hams</span> Local government district in Devon, England

South Hams is a local government district on the south coast of Devon, England. Its council is based in the town of Totnes, although the largest town is Ivybridge. The district also contains the towns of Dartmouth, Kingsbridge and Salcombe and numerous villages and surrounding rural areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Devon</span> Non-metropolitan district and borough in England

West Devon is a local government district with borough status in Devon, England. Its council is based in Tavistock, the borough's largest town. The borough also includes the towns of Hatherleigh, North Tawton and Okehampton, along with numerous villages and surrounding rural areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bedford Borough Council</span> Local authority in Bedfordshire, England

Bedford Borough Council is the local authority of the Borough of Bedford, a local government district in the ceremonial county of Bedfordshire, England. The town of Bedford was a borough from at least the 12th century until 1974, when the modern district was created. It covers a largely rural surrounding area as well as the town itself. The modern council was initially called Bedford District Council from 1974 to 1975, then North Bedfordshire Borough Council from 1975 until 1992, when the current name was adopted. Until 2009 it was a lower-tier district council, with county-level services provided by Bedfordshire County Council. The county council was abolished in 2009, since when Bedford Borough Council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council.

Torbay Council is the local authority for the unitary authority of Torbay in Devon, England. Until 1 April 1998 it was a non-metropolitan district. From 2005 to 2019 it had a directly elected mayor. The council is elected every four years.

Devon County Council elections are held every four years in order to elect the members of Devon County Council. Since the last boundary changes in 2017 the council has comprised 60 councillors, representing 58 electoral divisions. Since 1998, Plymouth and Torbay have been unitary authorities, making them independent of Devon County Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somerset Council</span> Unitary authority in England

Somerset Council, known until 2023 as Somerset County Council, is the local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England. Since 2023 it has been a unitary authority, being a county council which also performs the functions of a district council. The non-metropolitan county of Somerset is smaller than the ceremonial county, which additionally includes Bath and North East Somerset and North Somerset.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unitary authorities of England</span> Local government in some parts of England

The unitary authorities of England are a type of local authority responsible for all local government services in an area. They combine the functions of a non-metropolitan county council and a non-metropolitan district council, which elsewhere in England provide two tiers of local government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Local Government Commission for England (1992)</span> United Kingdom legislation

The Local Government Commission for England was the body responsible for reviewing the structure of local government in England from 1992 to 2002. It was established under the Local Government Act 1992, replacing the Local Government Boundary Commission for England. The Commission could be ordered by the Secretary of State to undertake "structural reviews" in specified areas and recommend the creation of unitary authorities in the two-tier shire counties of England. The Commission, chaired by John Banham, conducted a review of all the non-metropolitan counties of England from 1993 to 1994, making various recommendations on their future.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exeter City Council</span> UK non-metropolitan district council

Exeter City Council is the local authority for the city of Exeter in Devon, England. Exeter has had a city council since medieval times, which has been reformed on numerous occasions. Since 1974 it has been a non-metropolitan district council. The council has been under Labour majority control since 2010. It meets at Exeter Guildhall and has its main offices at the Civic Centre on Paris Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2009 structural changes to local government in England</span> 2009 changes to the structure of state administration on a local level in England

On 1 April 2009 structural changes to local government in England took place which reformed the local government of seven non-metropolitan counties: Bedfordshire, Cheshire, Cornwall, County Durham, Shropshire, Northumberland, and Wiltshire. In each case the government of the county was changed from a two-tier to a unitary system, with Bedfordshire and Cheshire being divided into two new unitary authorities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Yorkshire Council</span> Unitary authority in England

North Yorkshire Council, known between 1974 and 2023 as North Yorkshire County Council, is the local authority for the non-metropolitan county of North Yorkshire, England. Since 2023 the council has been a unitary authority, being a county council which also performs the functions of a district council. The council is based at County Hall, Northallerton, and consists of 90 councillors. It is a member of the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ipswich Borough Council</span> English local authority

Ipswich Borough Council is the local authority for Ipswich, a non-metropolitan district with borough status in Suffolk, England. It is the second tier of a two-tier system, fulfilling functions such as refuse collection, housing and planning, with Suffolk County Council providing county council services such as transport, education and social services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Combined authorities and combined county authorities</span> Type of local government institution in England

A combined authority (CA) is a type of local government institution introduced in England outside Greater London by the Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Act 2009. CAs are created voluntarily and allow a group of local authorities to pool appropriate responsibility and receive certain devolved functions from central government in order to deliver transport and economic policy more effectively over a wider area. In areas where local government is two-tier, both must participate in the combined authority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plymouth City Council</span> Unitary local authority for Plymouth, Devon

Plymouth City Council is the local authority for the city of Plymouth, in the ceremonial county of Devon, England. Plymouth has had a council since 1439, which has been reformed on numerous occasions. Since 1998 the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council; it is independent from Devon County Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torbay Council</span>

Torbay Council is the local authority for Torbay, a local government district in the ceremonial county of Devon, England. Since 1998 the council has been a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council; it is independent from Devon County Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority</span>

The Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority (DTCCA) is a proposed non-mayoral combined county authority covering the majority of the ceremonial county of Devon.

References

  1. ↑ "John Hart is the Council's new Chair". Devon County Council. 23 May 2024. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  2. ↑ "Devon's new leader and deputy confirmed". Devon County Council. 23 May 2024. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  3. ↑ "Population - Devonomics" . Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  4. ↑ "A brief history of Devon County Council". Devon County Council. Archived from the original on 3 February 2011. Retrieved 30 October 2009.
  5. ↑ "Twinning". Devon County Council. Archived from the original on 19 October 2009. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
  6. ↑ "The Devon (City of Plymouth and Borough of Torbay)(Structural Change) Order 1996", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 1996/1865, retrieved 29 July 2023
  7. ↑ "ICO hits the road to crack 'underlying problem' at data-leak councils". The Register. 19 December 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2013.
  8. ↑ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  9. ↑ "Council minutes". Devon County Council. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  10. ↑ Temple, Michael (1992). Coalitions in English local government: Party political strategies in hung councils (PDF). University of Plymouth. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  11. ↑ "Golden day for George". Western Evening Herald. Plymouth. 8 December 1986. p. 5.
  12. ↑ "Lives in brief". The Times. London. 4 February 2010. ...he was leader from 1981 to 1985...
  13. ↑ "Devon County Council announces new chairman". Exeter Daily. 14 May 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2022. Christine was... Leader of the Council between 2002–03 and 2004–05...
  14. ↑ "Former Devon County Council leader Brian Greenslade says grope allegations are 'absolute nonsense'". Okehampton Times. 20 May 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  15. ↑ "Devon ex-council leader Brian Greenslade jailed for sex assaults". BBC News. 24 May 2021. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  16. ↑ Davis, Miles (7 May 2024). "New Devon County Council leader named". BBC News. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  17. ↑ Clarke, Lewis (9 March 2023). "Councillor quits Tories over 'shocking state' of Devon roads". Devon Live. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  18. ↑ Merritt, Anita (12 January 2024). "Former Exeter lord mayor blames 'gaslighting, harassment and bullying' for shock exit". Devon Live. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  19. 1 2 "Devon". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  20. ↑ "Your councillors by political grouping". Devon County Council. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  21. ↑ "History of County Hall". Devon County Council. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
  22. ↑ Mellor, Hugh (1989). Exeter Architecture. Chichester: Phillimore. p. 77. ISBN   0-85033-693-7.
  23. ↑ "The Devon (Electoral Changes) Order 2016", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2016/657, retrieved 29 July 2023
  24. 1 2 3 "Democratic Structure". Devon County Council. Archived from the original on 25 May 2009. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
  25. ↑ "Road lengths in Great Britain: 2014". Office for National Statistics. 21 May 2015. Retrieved 4 November 2015.
  26. ↑ "Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Authority".
  27. 1 2 "Components of population change for local authorities in the UK, mid-2014" (ZIP). Office for National Statistics. 25 June 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
  28. ↑ "Standard Area Measurements (extent of the realm)". Office for National Statistics. 31 December 2007. Archived from the original (ZIP) on 10 January 2011. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
  29. ↑ Fox-Davies, Arthur (1915). The Book of Public (PDF) (2nd ed.). London: TC & EC Jack.
  30. ↑ Scott-Giles, Charles Wilfrid (1953). Civic heraldry of England and Wales (2nd ed.). London: B. Blom.
  31. ↑ "A brief history of Devon's coat of arms". Devon County Council. Archived from the original on 11 May 2011. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
  32. ↑ "Council's designs cause logo row". BBC News . 27 March 2006. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
  33. ↑ "Policy and Resources Overview Scrutiny Committee Minutes". Devon County Council. 3 April 2006. Archived from the original on 11 May 2011. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
  34. ↑ "Devon Flag". Devon County Council. Archived from the original on 24 November 2009. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
  35. ↑ "Boundary Committee publishes draft proposal for Devon". The Boundary Committee for England. 7 July 2008. Retrieved 30 July 2008.
  36. ↑ "Unitary proposals delayed again". BBC News . 14 July 2009. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
  37. ↑ "Council change challenge rejected". BBC News . 2 December 2009. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
  38. ↑ "'Super councils' in Exeter and Norwich get go ahead". BBC News . 10 February 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2010.
  39. ↑ "The Coalition: our programme for government" (PDF). HM Government, United Kingdom. 20 May 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
  40. ↑ Hennessy, Patrick (22 May 2010). "The Queen's Speech: Bill by Bill". The Daily Telegraph . Archived from the original on 25 May 2010. Retrieved 24 May 2010.

50°42′53″N3°31′3″W / 50.71472°N 3.51750°W / 50.71472; -3.51750 (County Hall)

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.