When Ben Page, the chief executive of polling company Ipsos Mori, described the classic ‘problem’ of local government as people seeing politicians they don’t quite trust, doing things they don’t quite understand, and getting a direct bill for it, he could have been eloquently articulating the reaction of many to the proposed merger of South Hams District and West Devon Borough Councils.

Covering almost 791 square miles of the Devon countryside, and stretching some 60 miles from Meeth in the north to Prawle Point in the south, a distance greater than that from London to Brighton, the new authority would rule over an area larger than that of many English counties.

Given there have been times in the past when South Hams district councillors have been accused of ignoring the wishes and views of their residents and parish councillors, it is hard to see how the merger will do anything to further empower local communities.

It stands to reason that a councillor living to the north of Dartmoor is unlikely to have any great knowledge of the needs and aspirations of communities a two-hour drive away.

The primary argument being put forward to justify the merger appears to be the possibility that it could create savings of up to £0.5m a year, or 50p a month for every resident of the South Hams. Significantly, there is no guarantee that any such savings will be achieved.

However, what is certain is that South Hams residents will be paying more in council tax, in excess of £5 per month for each Band D property for example.

We will also be taking on responsibility for any debts incurred by West Devon, whose balance sheet currently shows a net deficit of almost £3m, and whose councillors have recently voted to speculate a further £25m in the retail property market.

By comparison, the South Hams balance sheet can currently boast net assets of around £42m.

Because both South Hams and West Devon currently share their workforce, so making each financially dependent upon the other, were one to be unable to balance their budget, the other would have to bail it out.

More to the point, should the merger go ahead, our local government will be anything but local. Even smaller counties such as Oxfordshire, Hert­fordshire and Berkshire still retain district and borough councils.

If economics dictate we can no longer afford a genuinely local council, knowledgeable about and responsive to local needs, and rather than act as a guarantor for West Devon, perhaps residents would be better off were both councils to be abolished, with responsibility for local services being devolved to Devon County Council.

Not only should there be a cost saving, but that saving might be sufficiently significant to actually improve services.

Richard Howell

North Huish, South Brent