Exeter City Council is set to make an independent bid for unitary status under the Government’s reorganisation plans.
An extraordinary council meeting on 9 January will ask members to approve a recommendation to inform the Government of Exeter’s desire for unitary status.
The full case for a unitary Exeter would then be submitted for ministers to consider later in the year.
Council Leader Phil Bialyk said: ‘This week the county council publicly expressed its desire to create a unitary Devon, so it is right that I make Exeter’s intentions clear now.
‘I believe that we now have a huge opportunity to make the most of devolution. Exeter is rapidly growing and has one of the biggest travel-to-work areas in the whole country. We are a place where people want to live and work, and we have big plans for future growth.
‘Exeter is the economic powerhouse of the county and drives the economy of the rest Devon, so it is important that decisions for Exeter are made in Exeter.’
