Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority

The Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority (DTCCA) is a proposed non-mayoral combined county authority covering the majority of the ceremonial county of Devon.

History
Since the Local Government Act 1972, the entirety of Devon had been governed by Devon County Council. This changed when in 1998, Plymouth and Torbay were separated from the county council to become unitary authorities.

In early 2022, Devon, Plymouth and Torbay were selected as one of nine pilot areas in England by the UK government in the Levelling Up White Paper for "County Deal" negotiations. However, Plymouth City Council decided to withdraw from the deal in November 2023.

Devon and Torbay proceeded without Plymouth with a joint proposal for a Level 2 Devolution Deal, a Combined Authority without a directly elected mayor. The deal was approved by both Devon County Council and Torbay Council and submitted to the Secretary of State for approval in early May 2024. The DTCCA is scheduled to be created in the Autumn of 2024 following parliamentary approval.

Membership
There will be 12 members: 6 constituent members with full voting rights, 4 non-constituent members who do not have voting powers unless extended to them by the constituent members, and 2 associate members who cannot vote under any circumstance.

The six constituent members will be elected by Devon County Council and Torbay Council, who will each choose half. Two of the non-constituent members will be selected collectively by the various district councils of Devon to represent their interests and one is reserved for the Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner. The remaining non-constituent member and the two associate members are elected by the constituent members of the DTCCA.

There are provisions to expand the membership should Plymouth City Council join the DTCCA in the future.