The LGR process

All 11 councils in Devon carried out engagement activities with residents, businesses and community organisations as part of the LGR process. This gave people the opportunity to learn about the proposals, ask questions and share their views on how local government should be organised in the future. The public consultation has now closed, and the feedback received helped inform the development of local authority proposals.

The official Government consultation on LGR in Devon started on Thursday, February 5, 2026 and ended on Thursday, March 26, 2026

The Government has determined that four new unitary councils will be established in Devon.

A draft Structural Changes Order will be laid before Parliament. This legal order sets out how the existing councils will be dissolved and how the new councils will be established. It also defines the arrangements needed to support the transition, including the creation of the Joint Committees and the Implementation Team.

First meetings of the joint committees. These committees bring together councillors from the existing councils to begin planning the transition.

Residents in Devon will vote for the councillors who will represent each of the new councils. These councillors now form the ‘shadow authorities’ and will work alongside existing councils for one year, overseeing preparations for the new councils coming into effect in April 2028.

During the one-year transition period, services and responsibilities will gradually transfer from the existing councils to the new councils. This will help ensure that services continue to operate smoothly while systems, staff, budgets and assets are brought together under the new council structures.

The new unitary councils will take over responsibility for all local government services in Devon. Instead of services being provided by different types of councils, each new council will deliver all local government services for its area through a single organisation.