Devon County Council leader John Hart has today expressed his

disappointment at the Prime Minister’s refusal to discuss the

Government’s imminent decision on local government reorganisation in

Devon today.

“Mr Brown said he wanted to listen to local

concerns but I was not given the opportunity to raise one of the key

issues likely to affect local council tax payers over the next few

years,” he says.

“As Leader of the largest local authority in

the South West I expected that the Prime Minister may have been

interested in what I had to say. Unfortunately, this was not the case.”

Councillor Hart met the Prime Minister and other Cabinet

Ministers only briefly at a special lunchtime meeting at Exeter Race

Course, Haldon ahead of a showpiece Cabinet meeting in Exeter.

“The

word on the grapevine is that the decision on local government

reorganisation has already been made – and that it will be the wrong

one.

“The government’s backing for an Exeter Unitary has been

one of the worst kept secrets since John Terry’s love life and we

believe this decision was actually taken via e-mail as early as last

week.

“My concern is that the government will now force through

this controversial plan in spite of the huge cost to local people and

widespread local opposition.

“Any such decision made in the current financial climate and just weeks ahead of a General Election would be plain crazy.

“I

had wanted to present the Prime Minister and his colleagues with a few

home truths such as that an Exeter Unitary will cost every Exeter

resident an extra £203 a year on their council tax bill.

“I will

now be writing to Mr Brown to make these points loud and clear and will

send him a personal invoice for the extra £25 million it is likely to

cost Devon taxpayers over the next few years.

“Even at the

eleventh hour I can only hope that the Prime Minister is prepared to

listen to reason and will recognise that things have changed

dramatically since this process began three years ago.

“Very

few people now support an Exeter Unitary and most now recognise that

tearing Devon apart at this time can only bring dire consequences for

local people and damage economic recovery in the county.”