Exeter backs an elected mayor for Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, but wants an equal seat on the authority. The consultation is open; Plymouth decides in November.

Exeter City Council has backed plans for an elected mayor covering Devon, Plymouth and Torbay, on one condition: Exeter must get an equal seat. The council set out its position on Monday in its response to a public consultation on Plymouth joining the Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority. (Exeter City Council, 5 October 2026)

The consultation is open to anyone, and Exeter residents are being urged to take part. It asks two separate questions:

  • should Plymouth become a full member of the authority?
  • should the authority be led by a directly elected mayor?

(Devolution in Devon consultation)

Why Exeter is asking for a seat

The authority’s members are Devon County Council and Torbay Council. It was set up under regulations made in 2025, after a devolution deal announced in January 2024. It already handles adult skills funding for Devon and Torbay, and works on transport, housing, investment and economic growth.

The outline proposal says that if Plymouth joins, Plymouth, Devon and Torbay would each appoint representatives, with equal representation for each council. Exeter City Council is not one of the three. The city is represented through Devon County Council, which is also the council that fought Exeter’s bid to become a unitary authority. (Devolution in Devon, plain English guide)

That bid is why the city feels it has a claim. The leader, Cllr Phil Bialyk, pointed out that the government had approved unitary status for Exeter and the surrounding area before it paused local government reorganisation in September. Our report on the pause covers what was agreed and what is now on hold.

What Exeter’s response says

The council summarised its response in five points:

  • Back Plymouth’s membership. Exeter “strongly supports” Plymouth joining as a full and equal member.
  • Be ambitious. A mayoral authority could bring more powers, funding and influence over transport, housing, skills and growth.
  • Give Exeter an equal voice. Any permanent model must give the city “an equal seat and equal decision-making power”.
  • Keep it flexible. The arrangements must not pre-empt the paused review of local government in Devon.
  • Represent every community. Urban, rural and coastal areas all need a voice, with transparent voting, scrutiny and accountability.

Cllr Bialyk said: “Exeter is Devon’s capital and one of its strongest economic engines. The city must have an equal seat and an equal voice alongside Plymouth, Torbay and Devon’s rural and coastal communities.”

The council said the strongest case for working across the wider area is on transport and major infrastructure, skills and adult education, strategic housing growth, and economic development. It wants other powers to move up only “where there is clear evidence of added value”.

What a Devon mayor would do

The mayor proposed here is not a ceremonial post like Exeter’s Lord Mayor, and would not run any council. According to the consultation’s own guide, the mayor would lead the authority’s work across Devon, Plymouth and Torbay on:

  • transport
  • skills and adult education
  • housing and strategic planning
  • economic development

The guide lists other areas too, including the environment, health and wellbeing, public safety and culture.

Two points matter for anyone paying council tax in Exeter:

  • A mayor could add a precept to your bill. The guide says mayors of strategic authorities “can add an amount to council tax”, and that whether to charge one, and how much, would be for the mayor and the authority to decide. It also says no decision has been made to add a charge as part of this proposal.
  • There is no election date yet. Everyone on the electoral register in Devon, Plymouth and Torbay would get a vote. The government would set the date if the plan goes ahead.

Local services would not move. The guide says councils keep waste and recycling, social care, housing services, planning decisions, libraries, and parks and open spaces.

What happens next

The consultation opened on 16 September. There are three steps after it:

  1. Plymouth’s councillors decide at a Full Council meeting, expected in November 2026.
  2. The authority takes its own decision.
  3. The government decides whether to make the legal changes.

The organisers say every response will be read, and a summary will go to councillors and to the government.

What it means for you

If you want a say on whether Devon gets an elected mayor, this consultation is the moment to give it. The two questions can be answered separately, so you can support Plymouth joining without supporting a mayor, or the other way round.

  • Respond online at devolutionindevon.commonplace.is. Only the first part of your postcode is asked for, and you do not have to give your name.
  • Respond before November. The site does not print a closing date, so we cannot give you one. Plymouth’s decision is expected in November, and responses have to be summarised before then.
  • Other formats, including large print, easy read, braille and other languages, are available from lgr@plymouth.gov.uk or 01752 305 635.