Exeter is expected to be a unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of Devon, England. It was planned to be formed on 1 April 2028, with shadow elections planned to take place in May 2027. The largest settlement will be Exeter, but it will also cover Exmouth and the small towns of Dawlish, Crediton, Chudleigh and Budleigh Salterton as well as numerous small villages. It will be formed from the existing Exeter district, 15 parishes from Teignbridge, 28 from East Devon and six parishes from Mid Devon. The area has a population of approximately 260,000. The local authority for the district will be Exeter Council, which will have 86 councillors.
The district is being formed as part of ongoing local government changes throughout England, in which all areas of the country that have separate county councils and district councils will see those replaced with single-tier, or unitary, local governance. The rest of Devon will form the Greater Plymouth, Torbay and South Devon and Devon council areas. The alternative proposal for four unitaries and three proposals for three unitaries were not accepted.
In September 2026, the Devon proposals were halted by the government and placed under review. The 2027 election was cancelled.
Parishes Exeter is currently unparished, the rest of the area is parished. The parishes in the area will be: Ashcombe, Aylesbeare Bicton, Brampford Speke, Broadclyst, Budleigh Salterton Cheriton Bishop, Chudleigh, Clyst Honiton, Clyst Hydon, Clyst St. Lawrence, Clyst St. George, Clyst St. Mary, Colaton Raleigh, Colebrooke, Cranbrook, Crediton, Crediton Hamlets Dawlish, Dunchideock East Budleigh, Exminster, Exmouth Farringdon Hittisleigh, Holcombe Burnell, Huxham Ide Kenn, Kenton Lympstone Mamhead Netherexe, Newton St. Cyres Otterton, Poltimore, Powderham Rewe, Rockbeare Shillingford St. George, Sowton, Starcross, Stoke Canon Tedburn St. Mary Upton Pyne West Hill, Whimple, Whitestone and Woodbury
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