Exeter leader Phil Bialyk has spoken of his disappointment at the Government’s pause to create super-councils, saying the city remains ‘fully confident’ in its plans to expand its control. Exeter remains determined to press on with its bid to become an expanded city ‘super-council’ despite the government’s decision to pause its nationwide local authority overhaul, writes local democracy reporter Guy Henderson. Secretary of State Angela Rayner announced this week that the Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) programme was being put on ice after she had taken legal advice on it. The proposals to sweep away an entire tier of local government…

Leaders in Devon have reacted to the Government’s announcement to pause plans for its local authority shake-up, revealing councils have been left with ‘an enormous bill’ in the set-up. Devon councils have already spent millions of pounds preparing for a local government shake-up which has just been put on ice, writes local democracy reporter Guy Henderson. Local authority leaders have given mixed reactions to news announced yesterday that the massive nationwide Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) has been stopped in its tracks. Paul Arnott (Coly Valley), the Liberal Democrat deputy leader of Devon County Council and leader of East Devon District…