East Devon

East Devon is a local government district in Devon, England. Its council has been based in Honiton since February 2019, and the largest town is Exmouth (with a population of 34,432 at the time of the 2011 census).

This article is about the district. For the constituency, see East Devon (UK Parliament constituency).

East Devon District
Non-metropolitan district
East Devon shown within Devon
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionSouth West England
Non-metropolitan countyDevon
StatusNon-metropolitan district
Admin HQHoniton
Incorporated1 April 1974
Government
 • TypeNon-metropolitan district council
 • BodyEast Devon District Council
 • LeadershipLeader & Cabinet
 • MPsNeil Parish
Simon Jupp
Mel Stride
Area
 • Total314.4 sq mi (814.4 km2)
Area rank46th (of 317)
Population
 (mid-2019 est.)
 • Total146,284
 • Rank146th (of 317)
 • Density470/sq mi (180/km2)
 • Ethnicity
99.3% White
Time zoneUTC0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
ONS code18UB (ONS)
E07000040 (GSS)
OS grid referenceSY1247187389
Websiteeastdevon.gov.uk

The district was formed on 1 April 1974 by the merger of the borough of Honiton with the urban districts of Budleigh Salterton, Exmouth, Ottery St. Mary, Seaton, Sidmouth along with Axminster Rural District, Honiton Rural District and part of St Thomas Rural District.

East Devon is covered by three Parliamentary constituencies, East Devon, Tiverton and Honiton and Central Devon. Both were retained in the 2019 general election by the Conservative Party, and are represented by Simon Jupp, Neil Parish and Mel Stride respectively.

In the 2001 census it was found that a third of East Devon's population were over 60. The average for England was 24%. East Devon also had a higher number of people living in "Medical and Care Establishments" at 1.6% compared to the England average of 0.9%.

The council area covers the area of Devon furthest to east, stretching all the way from Exeter to the county border with Dorset and Somerset.

A large amount of East Devon is made up of two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), East Devon AONB and the Blackdown Hills. AONBs have the same level of protection as National parks of England and Wales which restricts new developments, which protects the natural beauty of this district.

The entire East Devon coastline from Exmouth to the border with Dorset is part of the designated World Heritage Site called the Jurassic Coast; the designated area itself continues up to Old Harry Rocks near Swanage.

Politics
See also: East Devon District Council elections

From May 2019, East Devon District Council contains 60 Councillors representing 30 wards.[1] Since the 2019 election, the majority (31/60) of the councillors do not belong to a national political party. Most of these Independents became part of either the East Devon Alliance or the Independent Group.

In March 2020, councillors from the East Devon Alliance, Liberal Democrats, Green Party, and one Independent, formed a group called the Democratic Alliance.[2] Comprising 24 councillors, they became the largest group in the council.

In May 2020, eight councillors left the ruling Independent Group. One joined the East Devon Alliance, and seven formed their own group called the Independent Progressive Group. This new group formed a coalition partnership with the Democratic Alliance, and this coalition is expected to form a new majority administration with 31/60 seats.[3]

Elected Councillors
Date Conservative East Devon Alliance Liberal Democrat Green Independent Control
2015[4] 36 10 6 0 6 Conservative
2019[5] 19 11 8 2 20 No overall control

Current Groupings
Democratic Alliance Conservative Independent Group Independent Progressive Group
24 19 10 7

Transport

Exeter International Airport is located in East Devon. A small stretch of the M5 passes through the district.

See also

References
  1. "Council political composition". East Devon District Council. Retrieved 4 May 2019.
  2. Clark, Daniel. "New East Devon Democratic Alliance formed". Exmouth Journal. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  3. Reporter, Daniel Clark-Local Democracy. "Councillors quit group running East Devon District Council and plan to form new administration". honiton.nub.news. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  4. "Declaration of Result of Poll 2015" (PDF). East Devon Council. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  5. Clark, Daniel (3 May 2019). "Full results as Conservatives lose control of East Devon District Council". Devon Live.
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