1. There has been much talk of "Community Boards". We already have an excellent organisation known as the Devon Association of Parish Councils - Axminster Area Committee. Regular meetings hosted in rotation by all the towns and parishes in the area are attended by  County, District and Parish Councillors, police, fire brigade and health officers and representatives of the voluntary sector. These meetings achieve virtually all the objectives of the proposed Community Boards and another forum is totally unnecessary and, would incur added expense in administration.
2. A)        There will be a reduction in neighbourhood empowerment and local democracy with the advent of a Unitary Authority. The present District Councillors (approx. 400) will be replaced with about 100 Unitary Councillors.

B)        Further, unless hard-pressed Parish & Town Councils can find additional volunteer representation, above existing work levels, then they will have no representation on Community Boards - further reducing local democracy.

1. There does not appear to be popular support for a change from two- to single-tier administration. Most Devon District and Devon County Councils have publicly declared that they did not seek a review and were/are happy to continue to seek ways of improving the present structure. The Unitary system was only sought by Exeter City Council (and found unacceptable by Government). The Unitary system is now being addressed as a second choice by all Councils other than Exeter.
2. The idea of creating a Unitary Authority consisting of Exeter, Exmouth and surrounding parishes, leaving a  "rump" of small rural towns and parishes to form a further Unitary is, in our opinion, totally unacceptable. East Devon would be left out on a limb, detached from the rest of the County.
3.  A further obstacle to a Unitary Devon is Dartmoor, a physical barrier which would render easy communication and administration extremely difficult.

In summary, to address the Boundary Committee's 5 criteria specifically:

Criterion 1 - Must Be Affordable.

Until the details of the proposal are finalised (for example the composition and structure of Community Boards) it is impossible to establish accurate costings. It seems unlikely that the cost of re-organisation would be recovered within the 5 years.

Criterion 2 - Value for money and fair access.

Value for money is addressed in Criterion 1 above.

Because of the geographical nature of the county access to services would be significantly more difficult and therefore less efficient for the user.

Criterion 3 - provide strategic leadership.

           Strategic leadership for East Devon (and the other districts) is best delivered by an Authority dedicated to that region. The present County Council should continue to provide overall co-ordinating strategic leadership (eg in addressing EU).

Criterion 4 - provide neighbourhood empowerment.

           This would be reduced under a Unitary system through the reduction in the number of district councillors and the removal of the local point of contact at the District offices.