The pressure is on for Cornwall to be swallowed up in a super council with an elected mayor that covers Devon too. Plymouth City Council is recommending that a South West Peninsula Mayoral Strategic Authority is set up for an area with a population of 1.82-million people.

The “Devonwall” area would include Cornwall, Devon, Plymouth and Torbay. If the strategic authority is given the go ahead, it is proposed that the first election for a mayor will be in May 2026, with the new authority “going live” in the spring of 2027.

All 57 city councillors have been called to an urgent meeting to discuss the proposal at 2pm (Thursday, January 9) before it is submitted to the government as part of Labour’s English Devolution White Paper, which is set to create a seismic shake-up to local government and could lead to more directly-elected mayors covering large areas.

Cornwall Council has previously stated that due to the Duchy’s national minority status and geographical position (surrounded on three side by sea), among other economic, social and cultural reasons, that it should continue as a unitary authority. The county’s four Labour MPs have gone against their government’s stance for combined mayoral authorities and agree that Cornwall should be treated individually.

We have been told by council insiders that Cornwall Council’s ruling Conservative group had a meeting this week to discuss a “Devonwall” agreement with the introduction of a mayor. It is understood that a vote to approve supporting the move was lost by a ratio of two to one. We have contacted council leader Linda Taylor for comment but she has yet to respond.

A previous bid by Cornwall Council to introduce a mayor was thrown out two years ago when it proved unpopular with Cornish residents.

The Government has invited councils to submit their expression of interest, outlining which authorities they would like to work with to form a strategic authority by tomorrow (January 10) to be considered for the Devolution Priority Programme.

Plymouth City Council will today recommend that the South West Peninsula Mayoral Strategic Authority is set up. A document sent to councillors said: “The government has clearly stated that large strategic authorities led by directly elected mayors represent their preferred path for devolution, viewing this model as the most effective way to transfer power and resources from Westminster to local regions.

“In response to this clear policy direction, Plymouth City Council strongly advocates for the establishment of a South West Peninsula Mayoral Strategic Authority. This proposed authority would encompass the combined geography of Cornwall, Devon, Plymouth, and Torbay.”

It said that the long-standing collaboration between Plymouth, Devon, and Torbay authorities in driving economic growth provides a “strong foundation” for enhanced regional partnership. It said: “Building on this proven track record of cooperation, a devolution deal presents a compelling opportunity to secure substantial additional investment, for the benefit of local communities.

“The formation of a South West Peninsula Mayoral Strategic Authority is the optimal solution for our region, taking into account our distinct geographic characteristics, appropriate operational scale, established economic connections, alignment with existing public service boundaries, and our shared local identity.”

It said creating the strategic authority was necessary to expand the council’s administrative boundaries to achieve the scale required “for future sustainability”. However, it stressed that this must be carefully balanced with preserving both Plymouth’s distinctive identity and the identities of neighbouring communities.

The city council said work to develop appropriate options and a business case will now start. The document said: “The government has said that unitary authorities need to be of a viable size. Councils need to be sustainable and have the scope to grow and thrive. Therefore, we are looking at reviewing our boundaries, to ensure that we are of sufficient size, without losing the essence of our identity. It is important that the options for this are fully considered by council, before a submission is made.”

The council has rejected other possibilities such as remaining unchanged, joining with just Devon and Torbay, or with them and Wiltshire, Somerset and Dorset.