What’s Changing?
In December 2024 the national government announced plans to reform local government in England. This includes two big changes:
1. Devolution
Powers and funding will be transferred from central government (Whitehall) to local areas. New regional Strategic Authorities will be created, each led by an elected Mayor. These authorities will cover areas with populations over 1.5 million in regions of England that do not already have them.
Now council leaders across Devon have joined forces to call for the creation of a South West Peninsula Mayoral Strategic Authority.
You can read more about the Devon-wide proposal in our recent joint press release.
2. Local Government Reorganisation
This involves replacing the current two-tier system of county and district councils with new unitary authorities that serve larger populations.
Have Your Say
We’re holding public engagement events across the South Hams in September and October to give you the opportunity to help shape our proposals for Devon.
Come along and hear about our proposal, discuss what's important to you and have your say on the future of your council services.
Events include:
- 09 September 2025 – Shaugh Prior Village Hall, Shaugh Priory.
- 16 September 2025 – Sparkwell Parish Hall, Sparkwell.
- 17 September 2025 – The Watermark, Ivybridge.
- 19 September 2025 – Yealmpton Community Centre, The Great Hall, Yealmpton
- 23 September 2025 –Newton and Noss Village Hall, Noss Mayo.
- 24 September 2025 – The Crooked Spire, Ermington.
- 25 September 2025 – The Woolwell Centre, Woolwell.
- 30 September 2025 - Rose & Crown, Yealmpton.(For Brixton residents)
- 01 October 2025 – War Memorial Village Hall, Wembury.
- 02 October 2025 – Kingsbridge Community College, Kingsbridge
- 07 October 2025 – Cliff House, Salcombe.
- 08 October 2025 – Flavel Centre, Dartmouth.
- 09 October 2025 – Follaton House, Totnes.
- 22 September 2025 – The Village Shop, South Brent.
- 22 September 2025 – Modbury Memorial Hall, Modbury.
Find out more and book your place.
You can also take part in our survey
We will be showing off our new Catbikes in Totnes' Borough Park on Sunday 3 August, as part of the Totnes 10K, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Come and chat to our staff and find out how to use the AppBike app to hire yourself a Catbike, and how to sign up.
The new e-bikes have been introduced as part of South Hams District Council’s commitment to promote cycling, contributing to its ambitions of tackling climate change and supporting our communities. The bikes provide people visiting and living in Totnes the chance to travel around the town and surrounding areas in a greener, more sustainable way.
Find out more here.
We've been made aware that some residents are receiving scam text messages about supposed outstanding parking fines.
- These messages may look official, but they are not from the council
- The web addresses in the texts are fake
- The payment amounts are often incorrect or suspicious
- Do not click on any links or provide any personal or payment details.
If you're unsure whether a message is genuine, please contact us.
Please share this to help protect others.
Police are warning residents about a phone scam where fraudsters pretend to be police officers. One local victim has lost £14,000.
There have been 12 reports across Devon in recent weeks. Scammers claim to need your help with a fake investigation, and ask you to withdraw money or hand over your bank card to a courier.
What to watch for:
Fraudsters may ask you to:
-
Withdraw or transfer money
-
Hand over cash or cards to a courier
-
Share your PIN or full card details
These are never genuine requests.
If you get a suspicious call:
-
Hang up and wait 5–10 minutes
-
Speak to a trusted friend or family member
-
Call 101 to check if a caller is genuine
-
If you’ve shared details, call your bank or dial 159
Report it:
Stay alert and protect yourself and others from fraud.
Are you looking for a flexible role in a supportive and open culture? Join the Council! We have a number of exciting roles available for the right person.
Click the button below to see our current vacancies.
|
