Cllr Paul Arnott re-elected as leader of EDDC

Councillor Paul Arnott has been re-elected as East Devon District Council Leader for seventh consecutive term.

The Leader spoke out about the challenge of delivering an ambitious programme of transformation against the backdrop of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in Devon and reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to providing the best possible services to the people of East Devon.

East Devon, along with all councils in Devon and alongside nineteen other counties nationally, is currently going through the process of LGR which will see new unitary authorities created in place of the current two-tier system. The UK Government consulted on a number of options earlier this year and the outcome is expected to be announced in July with new authorities taking over in April 2028.

Following his appointment, Councillor Arnott thanked councillors for electing him as Leader for the seventh consecutive term, then outlined the main ambitions and challenges for the council in the coming year. It is crucial, he said, to continue with the ambitious projects including transforming the council’s Recycling & Waste Service, procuring a new leisure contract, and placemaking ambitions from Exmouth, and the new community Marlcombe.

He praised the district and county councils for rising to the LGR challenge but cautioned that Devon had to determine its own future in unity against a backdrop of changing ministerial responsibilities in central government and difficult timelines. He also referred to the change in government’s approach to mayoral authorities, which had been a part of the wider devolution plan to give more decision-making power to local authorities.

Councillor Arnott also advised councillors that an increasing amount of officer time would be taken up by LGR and that achieving business as usual could become challenging. He noted that the ambitious programme of transformation of the last six years will now become a time of transition, ensuring key projects are achieved, but accepting that LGR will create a different focus for the authority.