JUST a third of Devon’s existing councillors could survive the biggest overhaul of local government in 50 years, creating mega-wards for those left that some feel only retired people could manage.

Various Devon councils are finalising proposals to submit to central government about how the county’s administrative boundaries should be redrawn.

This has been prompted by Westminster’s desire to eradicate the so-called two-tier system of local government and replace it with unitary systems.

While both Plymouth and Torbay operate as unitary councils – meaning they are responsible for all the services within their boundaries – the rest of Devon is governed by district councils and a county council.

Districts are responsible for certain services – such as planning and refuse collection – while the county oversees the likes of adults and children’s social care, education and highways.

Combined, there are 385 councillors named on the eight district councils and the county council at present.

But at a presentation by the county council this week where it unveiled its ‘New Devon’ proposal, deputy leader Councillor Paul Arnott (Liberal Democrat, Coly Valley) estimated a unitary Devon council might need just 100-120 councillors.

That would mean about 66 per cent of the current councillor positions being scrapped.

The New Devon idea would see nine of Devon’s councils – the eight districts and Devon County Council – merged to create a new unitary council. It is proposing that Plymouth and Torbay both remain as individual unitary councils.

This is just a proposal, and will be submitted to the government which will make the ultimate decision.

Some of Devon’s other councils – such as Plymouth City Council and Exeter City Council – are also submitting their ideas to the government.

Any route has the potential to reduce the amount of elected councillors.

Councillor Dan Wilson (Independent, Exmouth Halsdon), sits on East Devon District Council, and feared the potential impact.

“I get a lot of casework and queries just from my Halsdon ward and that’s on top of a full time job and a family,” he said.

“Unitary councillors with enormous wards will need to do it full time to handle the workload, but they won’t be paid a wage to do it as a job.

“So realistically, we’ll end up with a situation where unitary councillors are almost entirely retired people.

“It isn’t healthy for all our councillors to be from one demographic, but people with full time jobs, thinking of standing in elections, will be put off by the enormous workload of vast unitary wards.

“Less councillors, for me, means fewer ideas, less debate and less democracy. I don’t think it is healthy or beneficial for our area but sadly these things are always driven by cost and not by what is best for the people we represent.”

Councillor Mike Goodman (Conservative, Sidmouth Sidford) agreed there would be a “significant reduction” in the number of councillors in a unitary Devon.

“Just look at Cornwall and Somerset when they went unitary,” he said.

“They lost significant numbers of councillors, but it will be down to the government to decide what happens but the key issue for me – and hopefully Westminster – is how it will affect residents.”

He added that he expected town and parish councils would have to play a “more significant role” in the unitary world.

“I’m also a town councillor in Sidmouth and I take that role very seriously, as does the whole council, and I think under unitary some more responsibility will go to them so I would not want to see a reduction in councillors looking after town and parishes.”

Westminster’s local government reorganisation plans focus on removing the two-tier system of district and county councils, but do now outline what might happen to towns and parishes yet.

“Anyone standing for a seat in a unitary council would need to accept it will be a bigger job”, Cllr Goodman added.

Whichever plan for the future of Devon’s councils emerges as the successor, it is unlikely to be fully implemented until 2028.