ONLY one of Devon’s councils is holding elections this year, and it’s one that will almost certainly cease to exist soon, writes Guy Henderson.

But dozens of people will still be putting their names forward for places on Devon County Council, even if their time in the spotlight doesn’t last very long.

The county is in the midst of the biggest local government reorganisation for decades, and many people wonder if there is any point holding expensive elections for a council that won’t be around in its current form in the next couple of years.

The Government is streamlining local government, which means ending the current structure in which seven district councils – and Exeter City Council – sit under one county council.

In its place will come a smaller number of larger “unitary” councils such as those currently in place in Plymouth and Torbay.

To add an extra level of complication, both Plymouth and Torbay in their current forms are too small to meet the Government’s desired population sizes for new unitaries, and so will have to move some way towards joining their neighbours.

Conservative-led Devon County Council had asked to postpone May’s elections, but the Government said Devon didn’t meet the criteria to delay the polls.

Sixty seats are available on the county council, all of which will be up for grabs on May 1.

Conservatives hold 38 of the seats at present. There are nine Liberal Democrats, six Labour councillors, three independents, two Greens and two non-aligned members.

The official statement listing all the candidates will be published on Thursday, April 3.

The last date for voters to register is Friday, April 11, while postal vote applications must be in by 5pm on April 14. Proxy vote applications must be made by 5pm the following Monday.