The leader of Devon County Council is calling on the Government to scrap its restructuring of councils across England, arguing the money set aside to implement the changes would be better directed toward tackling youth unemployment and improving essential services.

Analysis by Devon County Council suggests the cost of implementing the government’s Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) policy across 21 areas in England could exceed £1.5 billion.

The final figure is potentially higher if ministers adopt more expensive structural models than those proposed locally — an option currently under consideration in East and West Sussex and in Brighton & Hove.

Councillor Julian Brazil, Leader of Devon County Council, said the scale of the cost represents a significant and avoidable burden on taxpayers at a time when public services are under acute pressure, framing the issue as a clear choice for government.

“This £1.5m billion-plus bill for Local Government Reorganisation is nothing more than a tax on local people,” he said. “At a time when families are struggling and councils are stretched financially, we should be investing every pound in frontline support.”

Using the government’s £3,000-per-head youth guarantee benchmark, the council calculates that scrapping LGR could instead fund more than 480,000 jobs for young people across England, half of young people unemployed according to official government figures.

In Devon alone, where LGR is expected to cost at least £50 million, the same funding could create 16,000 jobs.

Councillor Brazil said. “We could transform lives, strengthen our economy and give hope to a generation, rather than spend it on bureaucracy that hits local services and people in the pocket.”

The warning comes amid growing concern about young people not in education, employment or training, highlighted in the recent Alan Milburn report, which called for urgent action to prevent long-term disengagement from the labour market. Councillor Brazil argued that LGR risks diverting attention and resources away from this challenge at a critical moment.

Councillor Brazil has previously warned that breaking up existing structures could fragment children’s services, echoing concerns from the county’s Children’s Commissioner that continuity and integration are vital for safeguarding outcomes.

Alongside its criticism of LGR, Devon is positioning itself behind an alternative vision aligned with calls for stronger regional devolution.

Last week, Andy Burnham — who is widely expected to become Prime Minister later this month — set out plans for a strengthened model of English devolution.

Burnham’s vision emphasises economic growth, skills and local accountability. Councillor Brazil said Devon strongly supports that approach.

“We back Andy’s push for true regional devolution — one that empowers communities and drives growth, not one that hits local services and local people in the pocket,” he said.

Devon has already indicated it is ready to become the first new Mayoral Combined Authority under Burnham’s premiership by next May.

“We are ready to move forward with a model that will bring investment, jobs and opportunities to our communities,” Brazil added. “That’s the future we should be focusing on.

“I ask Andy to scrap the current plans for Local Government Reorganisation and allow councils to invest that £1 billion-plus where it matters — in the futures of our young people.”