Over 1,000 of you have now supported our petition opposing Labour’s plans to divide Devon.
We have written to Steve Reed, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, asking the Government to reconsider its proposals and listen to residents across rural Devon.
Thank you to everyone who has signed so far. Please continue to sign and share the petition so we can demonstrate the full strength of opposition across Devon: https://www.honitonandsidmouthconservatives.org.uk/campaigns/stop-labou…
Read our letter below:
The Rt Hon Steve Reed OBE MP
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
2 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DF
18/07/26
Dear Secretary of State,
Devon local government reorganisation: more than 1,000 people call on the Government to reconsider
We are writing on behalf of Honiton and Sidmouth Conservatives, and the more than 1,000 people who have already signed our petition opposing the Government’s proposed reorganisation of local government in Devon.
The speed and scale of the response demonstrate the depth of public concern across Devon, particularly in Honiton, Sidmouth and the surrounding towns and communities. Thousands of residents across the county oppose a model that divides established communities, weakens natural economic links and risks creating a prosperous urban Devon alongside a financially disadvantaged rural Devon.
We recognise the case for reforming local government and support the principle of councils being given greater powers and clearer responsibility for local services. However, reorganisation must be based on coherent communities, sustainable local economies and the way residents actually live, work and travel. We do not believe the Government’s preferred model meets those tests.
Under the proposal, Honiton, Sidmouth, Seaton, Axminster and Cullompton would be placed within a vast rural and coastal authority stretching across most of Devon. These communities would share a council with places including Barnstaple, Bideford and Totnes, despite being geographically distant and connected to different transport networks, employment markets and public services.
At the same time, nearby communities with which our area has strong and established links, including Exmouth, West Hill, Aylesbeare and Exeter, would be placed within a separate Exeter-based authority.
Residents across East and Mid Devon depend upon Exeter for employment, healthcare, education, transport, shopping and other essential services. Separating communities that share these daily connections, while joining together places situated on opposite sides of the county, does not reflect Devon’s functional geography.
We are also deeply concerned about the financial sustainability of the proposed rural authority. Rural Devon faces significant structural pressures, including:
an older and more dispersed population;
higher costs of providing social care and other public services;
extensive road networks and ageing infrastructure;
limited public transport provision;
difficulties attracting investment and retaining younger residents; and
the additional cost of delivering services across hundreds of square miles.
The Government’s proposal risks concentrating many of Devon’s strongest economic and investment opportunities within authorities centred on Labour-led Exeter and Plymouth, while placing the areas with the highest service-delivery costs into a single rural council without a comparable economic centre.
This could create two profoundly unequal Devons: prosperous authorities built around the county’s principal cities, and one enormous rural authority expected to meet greater needs with a weaker economic and fiscal base.
That outcome would neither strengthen local government nor promote balanced economic growth. It would entrench existing inequalities between urban and rural communities and could leave residents in East and Mid Devon paying more for services that become increasingly remote.
The scale of public opposition should not be dismissed as resistance to change. Residents are raising legitimate concerns about community identity, financial sustainability, democratic representation and access to essential services.
We therefore ask that you:
reconsider the proposed Devon reorganisation;
publish the Government’s full financial, demographic and service-delivery assessment of the proposed rural authority;
explain how the proposed boundaries reflect established economic and community links;
set out how rural Devon would be protected from an unfair financial settlement and disproportionately high service-delivery costs;
provide assurances that towns such as Honiton, Sidmouth, Seaton and Axminster would retain meaningful democratic representation; and
meet a delegation of local representatives and petitioners before any final arrangements are implemented.
Local government reorganisation will shape Devon for generations. Once existing councils and boundaries have been abolished, the consequences will be extremely difficult to reverse. It is therefore essential that the Government listens to the communities affected and demonstrates that its proposed structure is financially sustainable, geographically coherent and capable of delivering a fair settlement for rural residents.
More than 1,000 people have already signed our petition, while thousands more across Devon have expressed opposition to these plans. They are asking the Government to listen, reconsider and produce a settlement that reflects Devon’s communities, economy and geography.
We respectfully request a substantive response to the concerns set out in this letter and would welcome the opportunity to meet you or the responsible minister to discuss them further.
Yours sincerely,
Honiton and Sidmouth Conservatives
On behalf of more than 1,000 petition signatories and thousands of residents across Devon opposed to the proposed reorganisation
