Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority

The Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority (DTCCA) is a proposed non-mayoral combined county authority covering the majority of the ceremonial county of Devon.[1][2][3]

Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority
The combined county authority area within England
Type
Type
Leadership
Chair
TBD
Vice-chair
TBD
Structure
Seats12 members
CommitteesGovernance and Audit
Overview and Scrutiny
Joint committees
Team Devon Joint Committee
Elections
Indirect election
Last election
Authority established
Website
www.devontorbaydeal.org.uk

History

edit

Since the Local Government Act 1972, the entirety of Devon had been governed by Devon County Council. This changed when in 1998, Plymouth and Torbay were separated from the county council to become unitary authorities.[4]

In early 2022, Devon, Plymouth and Torbay were selected as one of nine pilot areas in England by the UK government in the Levelling Up White Paper for "County Deal" negotiations. However, Plymouth City Council decided to withdraw from the deal in November 2023.[5]

Devon and Torbay proceeded without Plymouth with a joint proposal for a Level 2 Devolution Deal, a Combined Authority without a directly elected mayor. The deal was approved by both Devon County Council and Torbay Council[6] and submitted to the Secretary of State for approval in early May 2024.[7] The DTCCA is scheduled to be created in Autumn of 2024 or Spring 2025 following parliamentary approval.[8] Proposals for a non-mayoral combined county authority was approved by the new Labour government on 19 September 2024.[9][10] As of October 2024, it is not known whether the chair of the combined authority will be able to participate in the Mayoral Council for England and the Council of the Nations and Regions.

Membership

edit

There will be 12 members: 6 constituent members with full voting rights, 4 non-constituent members who do not have voting powers unless extended to them by the constituent members, and 2 associate members who cannot vote under any circumstance.[11]

The six constituent members will be elected by Devon County Council and Torbay Council, who will each choose half. Two of the non-constituent members will be selected collectively by the various district councils of Devon to represent their interests and one is reserved for the Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner. The remaining non-constituent member and the two associate members are elected by the constituent members of the DTCCA.[11]

There are provisions to expand the membership should Plymouth City Council join the DTCCA in the future.[11]

Name Membership Nominating authority
TBD Constituent Devon County Council
TBD Constituent Devon County Council
TBD Constituent Devon County Council
TBD Constituent Torbay Council
TBD Constituent Torbay Council
TBD Constituent Torbay Council
TBD Non-constituent District Councils of Devon
TBD Non-constituent District Councils of Devon
Alison Hernandez Non-constituent Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner
TBD Non-constituent Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority
TBD Associate Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority
TBD Associate Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority

References

edit
  1. ^ "Four devolution agreements signed off and others progressing". GOV.UK. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  2. ^ "Devolution deals on the cards for Devon and Cornwall". www.bbc.com.
  3. ^ Observer, Exeter (September 27, 2024). "Government approves new Devon local government layer but says it still wants elected mayor". Exeter Observer.
  4. ^ "The Devon (City of Plymouth and Borough of Torbay)(Structural Change) Order 1996", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1996/1865, retrieved 29 July 2023
  5. ^ "Background - Devon and Torbay Devolution Deal". 2023-05-23. Retrieved 2024-05-04.
  6. ^ "Torbay approves Devon devolution deal". BBC News. 2024-05-01. Retrieved 2024-05-04.
  7. ^ "Council Leaders submit their proposal for Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority to the Secretary of State - News". 2024-05-03. Retrieved 2024-05-04.
  8. ^ "Timetable - Devon and Torbay Devolution Deal". 2023-05-23. Retrieved 2024-05-04.
  9. ^ Harratt, Stuart (19 September 2024). "Devolution deals approved by the government". BBC News. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  10. ^ "Devon and Torbay Combined Authority gets go-ahead". Radio Exe.
  11. ^ a b c "Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority – Final Proposal" (PDF). Torbay Council. 3 May 2024. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
edit