New plans to carve up Devon’s local government map into four huge new unitary authorities have been blasted by an angry local council leader.

“The government does not understand or appreciate the needs of the county’s rural towns and villages or our coastal communities,” said South Hams Council leader Dan Thomas (Lib Dem, Newton and Yealmpton).

Cllr Thomas, who also represents South Brent and Yealmpton on Devon County Council, said the plans were ‘flawed’.

South Hams Council will be abolished along with the county’s other district councils and the county council itself to make way for the new unitaries. Parts of the current South Hams will be swallowed up by an expanding Plymouth, while others will become part of a growing ‘Super Torbay’.

Those parishes in the middle of the South Hams will become part of the massive Devon Coast and Countryside authority, which stretches from Prawle Point in the south to Ilfracombe in the north, and from the border with Cornwall to the ‘county line’ with Dorset.

“The notion that Dartmouth should be aligned to Ilfracombe while Kingswear residents become part of Torbay can only be a nonsense,” said Cllr Thomas.

Local government minister Steve Reed yesterday announced the reorganisation, which in Devon follows the model put forward by Plymouth and Exeter’s Labour-run councils.

Cllr Thomas went on: “The decision to go ahead with the expansion of Plymouth, Exeter and Torbay is very much at the expense of the remaining parts of the county, and entirely at odds with the government’s stated aim of ensuring local government reorganisation meets the needs of all of Devon.

“It has failed to implement its plans for the devolution of powers and decision-making to local areas, while ploughing ahead with the reorganisation of local government, which has the potential to undermine the foundations of local democracy and service delivery for years to come.

“It demonstrates a lack of understanding for what matters for our residents and businesses, and what will actually support growth and prosperity for our area.”

Cllr Thomas said he was ‘extremely disappointed’ by the announcement, saying the South Hams had a distinctly rural and coastal character, and the interests and priorities of its communities must not be lost in the transition but protected for future generations.

But he pledged that the priority now would be a smooth, well-managed transition that protects essential services.

“We will work closely with Devon’s other councils and the Government to secure the best possible outcomes for our communities, ensuring that local identity, local priorities, and local voices remain at the heart of local government here in Devon,” he said. “We will keep residents fully informed as the transition progresses and will continue to deliver high‑quality services throughout the reorganisation period.”