Devon elections go ahead as fast track bid fails

Elections for all seats on Devon County Council will now go ahead later this year, after an application to have them delayed was rejected.

The county council asked the government to postpone elections due across the county as part of its move towards merging with district councils under national devolution proposals.

Under national plans for local government reorganisation Devon will merge district and county councils into new unitary authorities which in turn are likely to be combined into larger strategic authorities with directly-elected mayors.

The county council had hoped to delay the May 2025 elections to deal with that reorganisation.

The government said the Devolution Priority Programme was only available to areas "where they are ready to achieve mayoral devolution at pace".

Devon County Council and Devon's two unitary councils in Plymouth and Torbay have all said they want to create a larger strategic authority with Cornwall but councillors in Cornwall have voted against talks with their neighbouring county.

Earlier in January Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner told a select committee it would be "ludicrous" for councils to hold elections if they were planning to reorganise their structures.

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