Devon County Council
Devon County Council | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
Donna Manson since 17 February 2023 | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 60 councillors |
Political groups |
|
Length of term | 4 years |
| Elections | |
| First-past-the-post | |
Last election | 6 May 2021 |
Next election | 1 May 2025 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| County Hall,Topsham Road,Exeter,EX24QD | |
| Website | |
| www | |
Devon County Councilis thecounty counciladministering thenon-metropolitan countyofDevon,England. The non-metropolitan county is smaller than theceremonial county;the latter additionally includesPlymouthandTorbay.The population of the non-metropolitan county was estimated at 795,286 in 2018,[3]making it the largestlocal authorityinSouth West England.The council has been underConservativemajority control since 2009. It is based atCounty HallinExeter.
Devon is an area with "two-tier" local government, meaning that the county is divided intonon-metropolitan districtscarrying out less strategic functions, such as taking mostplanning decisions.In Devon there are eight such districts, each with its own district, borough, or city council. Devon County Council does not provide services toTorbayorPlymouth;whilst both are deemed to form part of the widerceremonial countyof Devon, they areunitary authorities,independent from the county council.
History[edit]
Administration[edit]
Devon County Council was created in 1889 under theLocal Government Act 1888,which created elected county councils to take over the administrative functions previously performed by thequarter sessions,run by unelectedmagistrates.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,Devonportand Plymouth were considered large enough to provide their own county-level services and so they were madecounty 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 atwinning charterwith the Conseil General of Calvados to develop links with the French department ofCalvados.[5]
The council was significantly reformed in 1974 under theLocal 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[edit]
In 2012 the council was fined £90,000 by theInformation Commissioner's Office(ICO) after it sent confidential and sensitive information about twenty-two people, including criminal allegations and information about theirmental 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 simplehuman 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[edit]
The council has been underConservativemajority control since 2009.
Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms has been as follows:[8]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| 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[edit]
Theleaders of the councilsince 1974 have been:[9][10]
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Creber[11] | Conservative | 1974 | 1981 | |
| Arnold Sayers[12] | Conservative | 1981 | 1985 | |
| David Morrish | Liberal | 1985 | Jul 1987 | |
| (no leader) | Jul 1987 | May 1989 | ||
| Frederick (Ted) Pinney | Conservative | May 1989 | ||
| Brian Greenslade | Liberal Democrats | 1993 | 2002 | |
| Christine Channon[13] | Conservative | 2002 | 2003 | |
| Brian Greenslade | Liberal Democrats | 2003 | 2004 | |
| Christine Channon | Conservative | 2004 | 26 May 2005 | |
| Brian Greenslade[14][15] | Liberal Democrats | 26 May 2005 | 25 Jun 2009 | |
| John Hart | Conservative | 25 Jun 2009 | 23 May 2024 | |
| James McInnes[16] | Conservative | 23 May 2024 | ||
Composition[edit]
Following the2021 electionand subsequent changes of allegiance up to June 2024, the composition of the council was:[17][18][19]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 38 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 10 | |
| Labour | 6 | |
| Independent | 3 | |
| Green | 2 | |
| South Devon Alliance | 1 | |
| Total | 60 | |
The Greens, South Devon Alliance and two of the independent councillors sit together as the "Independent and Green Group". The other independent councillor does not belong to a group.[20]The next election is due in 2025.
Premises[edit]
The county council is based atDevon County Hallon Topsham Road in Exeter, which was completed in 1964 to the designs ofDonald McMorran.[21]
Prior to 1964 the council was based atRougemont 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[edit]
Since the last boundary changes in 2017 the council has comprised 60councillors,representing 58electoral 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[edit]
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 inDevon,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 byNational Highways.[25]Devon County Council appoints eleven members to theDevon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Authority.[26]TheOffice for National Statisticsestimated that the mid-2014 population of the non-metropolitan area of Devon was 765,302, which is the largest in theSouth West Englandregion.[27]
The county council's area is also administered by eight smaller authorities that have their owndistrict,boroughorcitycouncils. 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 intocivil parishes,which have "parish councils"or"town councils";the latter of which often use atown 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. | District | Type of council | Population (mid-2014 est.)[27] |
Area (hectares)[28] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exeter | City council | 124,328 | 4,789 |
| 2 | East Devon | District council | 136,374 | 82,372 |
| 3 | Mid Devon | District council | 79,198 | 91,290 |
| 4 | North Devon | District council | 94,059 | 110,504 |
| 5 | Torridge | District council | 65,618 | 99,566 |
| 6 | West Devon | Borough council | 54,260 | 116,472 |
| 7 | South Hams | District council | 84,108 | 90,525 |
| 8 | Teignbridge | District council | 127,357 | 68,101 |
Graphic symbols[edit]
There was no establishedcoat of armsfor the county until 1926: the arms of the City ofExeterwere often used to represent Devon, for instance in the badge of theDevonshire Regiment.During the formation of a county council by theLocal Government Act 1888,adoption of acommon sealwas 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 Clintonand theEarl of Morley).[29]
On 11 October 1926, the county council received a grant of arms from theCollege of Arms.The main part of the shield displays a red crowned lion on a silver field, the arms ofRichard Plantagenet, Earl of Cornwall.Thechiefor upper portion of the shield depicts an ancient ship on waves, for Devon's seafaring traditions. TheLatinmotto adopted wasAuxilio Divino( "by divine aid" ), that of SirFrancis 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 aDartmoor Ponyrising from a "Naval Crown". This distinctive form of crown is formed from the sails and sterns of ships, and is associated with theRoyal Navy.The supporters are aDevon bulland asea 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 anew logowhich 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, theBBCDevon website held a poll in response to a discussion for aflag 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[edit]
From 2007 to 2010 there was a strong possibility that Devon's two-tier council structure might be reorganised. In December 2007, a bid byExeter City Councilto become a unitary council was referred by theDepartment for Communities and Local Governmentto theBoundary Committee for England,as they felt the application did not meet all their strict criteria. Had the bid succeeded, Devon County Council, headquartered inExeter,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' (excludingPlymouthandTorbay), 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 ofSuffolk.[36]TheCourt of Appealrejected 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 the2010 general electionthe new government announced in May 2010 that the reorganisation would be stopped.[39][40]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^"John Hart is the Council's new Chair".Devon County Council.23 May 2024.Retrieved3 June2024.
- ^"Devon's new leader and deputy confirmed".Devon County Council.23 May 2024.Retrieved3 June2024.
- ^"Population - Devonomics".Retrieved10 June2020.
- ^"A brief history of Devon County Council".Devon County Council. Archived fromthe originalon 3 February 2011.Retrieved30 October2009.
- ^"Twinning".Devon County Council. Archived fromthe originalon 19 October 2009.Retrieved8 December2009.
- ^"The Devon (City of Plymouth and Borough of Torbay)(Structural Change) Order 1996",legislation.gov.uk,The National Archives,SI 1996/1865,retrieved29 July2023
- ^"ICO hits the road to crack 'underlying problem' at data-leak councils".The Register.19 December 2012.Retrieved28 June2013.
- ^"Compositions calculator".The Elections Centre.4 March 2016.Retrieved10 August2022.
- ^"Council minutes".Devon County Council.Retrieved26 July2022.
- ^Temple, Michael (1992).Coalitions in English local government: Party political strategies in hung councils(PDF).University of Plymouth.Retrieved27 July2022.
- ^"Golden day for George".Western Evening Herald.Plymouth. 8 December 1986. p. 5.
- ^"Lives in brief".The Times.London. 4 February 2010.
...he was leader from 1981 to 1985...
- ^"Devon County Council announces new chairman".Exeter Daily.14 May 2015.Retrieved27 July2022.
Christine was... Leader of the Council between 2002–03 and 2004–05...
- ^"Former Devon County Council leader Brian Greenslade says grope allegations are 'absolute nonsense'".Okehampton Times.20 May 2021.Retrieved27 July2022.
- ^"Devon ex-council leader Brian Greenslade jailed for sex assaults".BBC News.24 May 2021.Retrieved27 July2022.
- ^Davis, Miles (7 May 2024)."New Devon County Council leader named".BBC News.Retrieved3 June2024.
- ^Clarke, Lewis (9 March 2023)."Councillor quits Tories over 'shocking state' of Devon roads".Devon Live.Retrieved29 July2023.
- ^Merritt, Anita (12 January 2024)."Former Exeter lord mayor blames 'gaslighting, harassment and bullying' for shock exit".Devon Live.Retrieved9 May2024.
- ^"Devon".Local Councils.Thorncliffe.Retrieved1 July2024.
- ^"Your councillors by political grouping".Devon County Council.Retrieved9 May2024.
- ^"History of County Hall".Devon County Council. Archived fromthe originalon 20 March 2012.Retrieved31 October2009.
- ^Mellor, Hugh (1989).Exeter Architecture.Chichester: Phillimore. p. 77.ISBN0-85033-693-7.
- ^"The Devon (Electoral Changes) Order 2016",legislation.gov.uk,The National Archives,SI 2016/657,retrieved29 July2023
- ^abc"Democratic Structure".Devon County Council. Archived fromthe originalon 25 May 2009.Retrieved9 December2009.
- ^"Road lengths in Great Britain: 2014".Office for National Statistics.21 May 2015.Retrieved4 November2015.
- ^"Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Authority".
- ^ab"Components of population change for local authorities in the UK, mid-2014"(ZIP).Office for National Statistics.25 June 2015.Retrieved28 October2015.
- ^"Standard Area Measurements (extent of the realm)".Office for National Statistics.31 December 2007. Archived fromthe original(ZIP)on 10 January 2011.Retrieved9 December2009.
- ^Fox-Davies, Arthur (1915).The Book of Public(PDF)(2nd ed.).London:TC & EC Jack.
- ^Scott-Giles, Charles Wilfrid (1953).Civic heraldry of England and Wales(2nd ed.).London:B. Blom.
- ^"A brief history of Devon's coat of arms".Devon County Council. Archived fromthe originalon 11 May 2011.Retrieved9 December2009.
- ^"Council's designs cause logo row".BBC News.27 March 2006.Retrieved9 December2009.
- ^"Policy and Resources Overview Scrutiny Committee Minutes".Devon County Council. 3 April 2006. Archived fromthe originalon 11 May 2011.Retrieved9 December2009.
- ^"Devon Flag".Devon County Council. Archived fromthe originalon 24 November 2009.Retrieved31 October2009.
- ^"Boundary Committee publishes draft proposal for Devon".The Boundary Committee for England. 7 July 2008.Retrieved30 July2008.
- ^"Unitary proposals delayed again".BBC News.14 July 2009.Retrieved9 December2009.
- ^"Council change challenge rejected".BBC News.2 December 2009.Retrieved9 December2009.
- ^"'Super councils' in Exeter and Norwich get go ahead ".BBC News.10 February 2010.Retrieved22 February2010.
- ^"The Coalition: our programme for government"(PDF).HM Government, United Kingdom. 20 May 2010. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 12 June 2011.Retrieved24 May2010.
- ^Hennessy, Patrick (22 May 2010)."The Queen's Speech: Bill by Bill".The Daily Telegraph.Archived fromthe originalon 25 May 2010.Retrieved24 May2010.
50°42′53″N3°31′3″W/ 50.71472°N 3.51750°W
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