I am deeply disappointed that the Labour Government has chosen to back Plymouth City Council’s 'Greater Plymouth' plans.
The decision to allow Plymouth to expand into 13 parishes in the South Hams is a slap in the face for the thousands of residents, parish councils and community groups across the South Hams and West Devon who spoke up to defend the identity of their communities. Time and again, local people made their views clear. Time and again, the Labour Government ignored them.
Instead of listening to residents, Ministers have chosen to prop up Tudor Evans and deliver the expansion he has campaigned for. It is also perhaps no surprise that Labour MPs will be welcoming this decision. After all, it is not their constituents who will see their communities absorbed into a ‘Greater Plymouth’ authority or face the consequences of this reorganisation. The people paying the price are those in the South Hams and West Devon, whose voices have been ignored throughout this process.
Communities such as Wembury, Brixton, Ivybridge, Newton and Noss, Holbeton, Yealmpton and the other affected villages are proud communities with their own history, identity and local character. They are not simply green fields to build homes for the city of Plymouth. Throughout this process, residents have made it clear that they value that identity and wanted it respected. Today's decision ignores those concerns.
To add insult to injury, residents in the South Hams parishes are likely to continue paying both Plymouth City Council tax and their parish precept, unlike the existing city of Plymouth area. They may be joining Plymouth, but they will still be treated differently.
That means from day one there will be a postcode lottery within the new authority. Rural communities will be paying for an additional layer of local government that many Plymouth residents do not. If these towns and villages are supposedly becoming part of the same council area, residents deserve to know why they are being treated differently.
I am equally concerned for communities in West Devon, who now face the prospect of being in the same local authority as regions as far away as Barnstaple and Axminster. This was sold as bringing decision-making closer to local people. Instead, Labour has chosen larger councils, more distant decision-makers and less local accountability.
This decision also raises a host of unanswered questions. Where will the new authority be based? Where will key services be delivered from? How will decisions be made across such a vast geographical area?
The Government's own announcement also makes its intentions abundantly clear. It explicitly identifies Plymouth as a priority for housing growth, reinforcing what many residents have believed from the very beginning: that this has always been a land grab. For months, Labour dismissed those concerns. Today's announcement will leave many wondering whether they were right all along.
Throughout this process, I have fought alongside residents, parish councils and local campaigners because I believe local government should reflect communities, not erase them.
I will now be writing to both Tudor Evans and the Secretary of State to seek answers on a number of important issues, including:
- Why are residents in the transferred parishes being treated differently and expected to pay more?
- How will town and village identity be protected?
- How will rural communities have their voices heard?
- How will rural areas receive fair funding and representation?
Labour may have made its decision, but I will continue to stand up for residents across the South Hams and West Devon, hold the new authority to account, and fight to protect the identity and interests of all the communities I was elected to serve.
