38-523: North Devon is a local government district in Devon , England. Its council is based just outside Barnstaple , the district's largest town. The district also includes the towns of Ilfracombe , Lynton and Lynmouth and South Molton along with numerous villages, seaside resorts and surrounding rural areas. The east of the district includes part of the Exmoor National Park , and the district's coast
76-434: A borough or district council. In these cases local government functions are divided between county and district councils, to the level where they can be practised most efficiently: Many districts have borough status , which means the local council is called a borough council instead of district council and gives them the right to appoint a mayor . Borough status is granted by royal charter and, in many cases, continues
114-525: A commercial retail area with new shops, restaurants and leisure facilities. The largest employer in the region is local and central Government. The two main government employers in the area are the Royal Marines Base Chivenor , 3 miles (4.8 km) west of the town, and North Devon District Hospital , 1 mile (1.6 km) to the north. Barnstaple is on the River Taw estuary, and functions as
152-425: A district will consist of a market town and its more rural hinterland. However districts are diverse with some being mostly urban such as Dartford, and others more polycentric such as Thurrock. Non-metropolitan districts are subdivisions of English non-metropolitan counties which have a two-tier structure of local government. Two-tier non-metropolitan counties have a county council and several districts, each with
190-587: A plateau above the Glen Lyn Gorge, and Lynmouth which lies at the foot of the gorge where the West Lyn River and East Lyn River converge and then meet the sea. The two are connected by the Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway , a water-powered funicular railway . The area is also sometimes poetically termed Little Switzerland , on account of the scenic landscape which was considered by early tourists to resemble
228-457: A style enjoyed by a predecessor authority, which can date back centuries. Some districts such as Oxford or Exeter have city status , granted by letters patent , but this does not give the local council any extra powers other than the right to call itself a city council . By 1899, England had been divided at district level into rural districts , urban districts , municipal boroughs , county boroughs and metropolitan boroughs . This system
266-486: A type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties (colloquially shire counties ) in a two-tier arrangement. Non-metropolitan districts with borough status are known as boroughs , able to appoint a mayor and refer to itself as a borough council. Some shire counties now have no sub divisions so are a single Non-metropolitan district such as Cornwall. Typically
304-459: A unitary authority or those that transferred from one county to another, including those that changed name. Nor does it include unitary authorities that have been abolished ( Bournemouth and Poole ). Lynton and Lynmouth Lynton and Lynmouth is a civil parish in the North Devon district of Devon , England. The parish is named after its two main settlements of Lynton , which stands on
342-564: Is also covered by civil parishes , which form a third tier of local government. In the parts of the district within the Exmoor National Park, town planning is the responsibility of the Exmoor National Park Authority . The district council appoints two of its councillors to serve on the 22-person National Park Authority. The council has been under Liberal Democrat majority control since 2019. The first election to
380-570: Is also recognised for its natural beauty, forming part of the North Devon Coast , an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty . The district borders Torridge to the south-west, Mid Devon to the south-east, and the neighbouring county of Somerset to the east. The term "North Devon" can also be used to describe a wider geographic area than the local government district, often including neighbouring Torridge District, based in Bideford . The district
418-523: Is located at Lynton House, Commercial Road, Barnstaple, and it also maintains area offices in Ilfracombe and South Molton. Since the last boundary changes in 2019, the council has comprised 42 councillors representing 25 wards , with each ward returning between one and three councillors. Some wards are coterminous with civil parishes , though most consist of multiple parishes or parts of parishes. Elections are held every four years. The following table lists
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#1732845274726456-757: Is now often referred to as the 'Walking Capital of Exmoor': "No wonder then, that the area is known as 'the walking capital of Exmoor!'" The South West Coast Path and Tarka Trail pass through, while the Two Moors Way , Samaritans Way South West and the Coleridge Way all finish there. The twin villages are also the centre for the 21 Mile Drive figure of eight scenic route around Little Switzerland . There are three tiers of local government covering Lynton and Lynmouth, at parish , district and county level: Lynton and Lynmouth Town Council, North Devon District Council and Devon County Council . Prior to 1976
494-642: Is served by three A roads. The primary link is the A361 (known locally as the Link Road ) which was constructed between 1986 and 1989. It heads north-west from the M5 motorway , past South Molton , to Barnstaple. From here the A361 classification continues northwards along older roads to Ilfracombe , and the modern Link Road continues westwards from Barnstaple as the A39 where it is designated
532-627: Is the main road between Barnstaple and the county town of Devon , Exeter . Due to significant peak time traffic delays in Barnstaple, and severe congestion at both peak and non-peak times in the summer when tourist traffic is at its busiest, the Barnstaple Western Bypass was opened in 2007. North Devon is some distance from the UK's traditional areas of industrial activity and population yet boasts some major manufacturing sites that export around
570-654: The Atlantic Highway , and runs via Bideford into Cornwall . The eastern section of the A39 links Barnstaple to Lynton , then crosses the northern coastal hills of Exmoor into Somerset . The other two A roads in North Devon are the A399 , a minor local route between Ilfracombe and South Molton (used as a de facto Barnstaple-bypass to Ilfracombe and Woolacombe ), and the A377 , which
608-584: The District Councils' Network , special interest group which sits within the Local Government Association . The network's purpose is to "act as an informed and representative advocate for districts to government and other national bodies, based on their unique position to deliver for local people." This is a list of two-tier non-metropolitan counties and their districts. All unitary authorities are also non-metropolitan districts, which, with
646-442: The landscapes of Switzerland . The parish lies within Exmoor National Park . In 1952 it was the scene of the devastating Lynmouth flood when in one night 35 people were killed and a further 420 were made homeless. Over 100 buildings and 28 bridges were destroyed. The parish council has designated the parish to be a town, and so calls itself Lynton and Lynmouth Town Council. The parish was just called Lynton prior to 1976. In 2021
684-481: The 20% of the population who were aged 65 and over when the 2001 census was taken. For comparison, the same age distributions across England were 19%, 64% and 17% respectively. Life expectancy for men, at 77.7, is close to the English average. Female life expectancy is good at 83.1, around 1 year above the English average. There is a gap of six years in the life expectancy of men in the least deprived fifth of wards and
722-537: The Brynsworthy Environment Centre near Barnstaple (the building is in the parish of Fremington ). The council moved there in 2015, having previously been based at the Civic Centre on North Walk in Barnstaple, which had been built in 1969 as joint offices for two of North Devon's predecessor councils, Barnstaple Town Council and Barnstaple Rural District Council. The council's main customer service centre
760-587: The North Devon Link Road. Barnstaple is the main shopping area for North Devon. There are many chain stores in the town centre and in the Roundswell Business Park, on the western fringe of the town. The multimillion-pound redevelopment of the former Leaderflush Shapland works at Anchorwood Bank, and the surrounding area, is creating a conservation area near the River Taw, hundreds of new homes,
798-532: The administration of council tax and local benefits, the provision of car parking services, the collection of refuse and the recycling of waste, planning and building control, housing services, the provision of sport and leisure facilities, environmental services, business-related services and contingency planning. The council also runs and maintains the North Devon Crematorium . County-level services are provided by Devon County Council . The whole district
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#1732845274726836-528: The area to Switzerland sparked off a fashion for building in a Swiss style. Lynton and Lynmouth became popular with tourists in the early 1800s when the Napoleonic Wars closed mainland Europe to British travellers; unable to make their Grand Tour due to the conflict, visitors to Lynton and Lynmouth found the area evocative of their earlier sojourns in the Alps en route to Italy. The Lynton and Lynmouth area
874-449: The areas for Wales and England had been enacted separately and there were no Welsh metropolitan areas, the term 'non-metropolitan district' does not apply to Wales. A similar system existed in Scotland , which in 1975 was divided into regions and districts, this was also abolished in 1996 and replaced with a fully unitary system . In England most of the district councils are represented by
912-563: The average for the United Kingdom as a whole. The 1989 opening of the new Link Road connection to the motorway network helped to promote trade, but it had a temporary detrimental effect on a number of distribution businesses. The latter had previously viewed the town as a base for local distribution networks, a need that was removed with an approximate halving of travelling time to the M5 motorway. The region adapted: in 2005 unemployment in North Devon
950-448: The beautiful little village, which, I am assured by one who is familiar with Switzerland, resembles a Swiss village". Southey had travelled to Lynton in 1799, journeying along the Exmoor coast via Porlock , and staying at one of Lynton's Inns. The poet's praise of Lynton and Lynmouth was used in publicity as the "English Switzerland" for the developing tourism industry, while his likening of
988-471: The council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows: The leaders of the council since 1991 have been: Following the 2023 election , the composition of the council was: The independent councillors and Greens sit together as the "North Devon Independent Group". The next elections are due in 2027. The council's main offices are at
1026-514: The electoral wards of North Devon and the associated civil parishes. The whole district is covered by civil parishes . The parish councils for Barnstaple, Ilfracombe, Lynton and Lynmouth , and South Molton are styled "town councils". Some of the smaller parishes have a parish meeting rather than a parish council. North Devon is popular with retired people. The 2011 census showed that 18% of residents were aged 15 years and under, 60% were aged 16–64 and 23% were aged 65 and over. This compares to
1064-487: The exception of those of Berkshire , are coterminous with non-metropolitan counties. For a full list of districts of all types including unitary authorities, metropolitan districts and London boroughs , see Districts of England . This is a list of former two-tier districts in England which have been abolished, by local government reorganisations such as the 2009 structural changes to local government in England . It does not include districts that still exist after becoming
1102-642: The main service centre for North Devon. The parish of Barnstaple had a population of 97,214 at the 2011 census. The wider Barnstaple Built-Up Area was estimated to have a population of 32,411 in 2018, whilst the Barnstaple Town Area, which contains satellite settlements such as Bishop's Tawton, Fremington and Landkey, has a population of 46,619 (as of 2020). 51°04′52″N 4°03′29″W / 51.081°N 4.058°W / 51.081; -4.058 Non-metropolitan district Non-metropolitan districts , or colloquially " shire districts ", are
1140-476: The mid-sixties left the branch line to Exeter as the area's only railway service. Despite being served by only one railway line, the district is served by 5 railway stations, which is a large number, comparable with more urbanised boroughs such as Plymouth and Mid Devon . However sizeable settlements of Braunton and Ilfracombe as well as Bideford are cut off from the Network Rail system. The district
1178-455: The most deprived fifth. The region has one of the most ethnically homogenous populations in England, with 97.9% reporting their ethnicity as 'white' in the 2011 census of the population. However, this is a decrease on the 99.0% of the population who declared themselves to be white on the 2001 census . Along with its neighbours to the east, West Somerset , and west, Torridge , North Devon has fairly sparse transport links. The Beeching cuts in
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1216-603: The parish had a population of 1,405. The Little Switzerland term refers to the coast and countryside around Lynton and Lynmouth, including the Valley of Rocks , Watersmeet and Heddon Valley . The resemblance was popularised by the Romantic Movement poets Wordsworth , Coleridge , Shelley and Southey : From the Summerhouse Hill between the two is a prospect most magnificent - on either hand, combes and river; before,
1254-456: The parish was just called Lynton. The parish of Lynton was designated a local government district in 1866, governed by an elected local board. Local boards were reconstituted as urban district councils in 1894. The Urban District Council built itself Lynton Town Hall on Lee Road in Lynton in 1900 to serve as its headquarters. Lynton Urban District Council was abolished in 1974 to become part of
1292-526: The two-tier structure, but reforms in the 1990s and 2009 reduced their number to 192. A further 55 non-metropolitan districts are now unitary authorities, which combine the functions of county and borough/district councils. In Wales , an almost identical two-tier system of local government existed between 1974 and 1996 (see Districts of Wales ). In 1996, this was abolished and replaced with an entirely unitary system of local government, with one level of local government responsible for all local services. Since
1330-514: The world, among them TDK Lambda and Pall Europe in Ilfracombe, Eaton Aerospace and Norbord in South Molton, Perrigo in Braunton and multiple businesses in Barnstaple. Due to the historically agricultural nature of the economy alongside a strong tourism industry employment can be seasonal. As a result, some areas of North Devon are considered deprived. The overall average income for the district is 80% of
1368-441: Was 1.8–2.4% but in 2018 unemployment in North Devon had come down significantly since its 2010 high to 1.1%. Median weekly full-time pay is £440 per week, the average house price is £230,000 and the number of businesses registered has increased to 4895, up 370 from 2010. 2018 has seen significant Government investment in the area through Coastal Community grants and Housing Infrastructure funds, as well as £83 million to further upgrade
1406-673: Was abolished by the London Government Act 1963 and the Local Government Act 1972 . Non-metropolitan districts were created by this act in 1974 when England outside Greater London was divided into metropolitan counties and non-metropolitan counties. Metropolitan counties were sub-divided into metropolitan districts and the non-metropolitan counties were sub-divided into non-metropolitan districts. The metropolitan districts had more powers than their non-metropolitan counterparts. Initially, there were 296 non-metropolitan districts in
1444-458: Was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 . The new district covered the area of five former districts, which were all abolished at the same time: The new district was named North Devon, reflecting its position within the wider county. Since 2009 the council has styled itself "North Devon Council" rather than its full formal name of "North Devon District Council". North Devon Council provides district-level services, including
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