Which Authority Does What?
Many parts of England, including much of Devon, have two tiers of local government:
| • county councils • district, borough or city councils |
In some parts of the country, there’s just 1 (unitary) tier of local government providing all the local services
(for example, Torbay Council, Plymouth Council).
County councils
These are responsible for services across the whole of a county, like:
| • education • transport • waste disposal • highways (including pot hole repairs) • public safety • social care (adults and children) • libraries • trading standards • on-street parking |
District, borough and city councils
These cover a smaller area than county councils. They’re usually
responsible for services like:
| • waste and recycling collections • council tax collections • housing • planning applications • off-street parking • licensing • building control • administering local elections |
Parish, community and town councils
These operate at a level below district and borough councils and, in some
cases, unitary authorities. They’re elected and can help on a number of
local issues, like:
| • allotments • bus shelters • community centres • public toilets (some overlap with districts) • play areas and play equipment (some overlap with districts) • grants to help local organisations • consultation on neighbourhood planning • Christmas lights • Civic occasions |
Crediton Town Council, Cullompton Town Council, Tiverton Town Council
Town and Parish Council contact details
Central Government (Home Office)
| • Devon and Cornwall Police • Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Authority |