Devon Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

Decision Notice

16 July 2026

The Government has announced that local government in Devon will be reorganised into four unitary authorities, replacing the present system of district and county councils.

Under the selected proposal, expanded unitary authorities will be created for Exeter, Plymouth and Torbay, alongside a Devon Coast and Countryside authority covering the remainder of the county.

The Council will now review the Government’s decision documents and financial assessment before considering the implications.

It will also continue to work with town and parish councils, employees, public-sector partners and neighbouring authorities as further information becomes available.

Residents can use the postcode checker and map to check which new council their property will be in. The new councils are due to come into effect in April 2028. 

​On 16 December 2024, the Government announced significant reforms for local government and published an English devolution white paper.

This includes two main initiatives:

• Devolution: Transferring powers and funding from Whitehall to local areas by creating regional strategic authorities with an elected Mayor, covering populations of over 1.5 million in all areas of England that don't already have them.
• Local Government Reorganisation: Ending the two-tier county and district council system by forming new unitary local authorities serving larger populations.

In the county of Devon, there are currently two unitary authorities (Torbay Council and Plymouth City Council), one county council (Devon) and eight district and borough councils, including Mid Devon.

All councils in Devon are committed to delivering high-quality services for residents, businesses, and visitors. The goal of reorganisation is to transition services to the new councils smoothly, with minimal disruption.

From a day-to-day perspective, you should not notice any immediate changes. Services such as bin collections, schools, social care, leisure centres, and libraries will continue as normal.

You’ll still be able to use the same council offices, community spaces and online services. Everything will stay open and work just as it does now.

As the new councils are created from April 2028, they’ll gradually start to join up how they work and the systems they use. This will happen over months and years, not overnight, so any changes you notice will be introduced thoughtfully and carefully.