You've got until Sunday to comment if you want to take part in the public consultation we're running on the Devon and Torbay devolution deal.

You may remember that the Levelling Up Minister, Jacob Young, was here earlier in the year to sign the ground-breaking deal.

My Cabinet and Torbay's Cabinet then backed the proposals and we've been running a public consultation to ask what you think. That comes to an end on March 24 at midnight.

We've also been consulting business leaders, local government colleagues and our universities and colleges and I have delivered a number of joint presentations with Torbay’s leader, David Thomas.

There has been good support for the proposals from the business community and our education sector. Some of our district councils have expressed reservations about whether their powers over housing will be diminished and all of these representations will be collected together before the county council and Torbay Council take a final decision.

I’ve been asked numerous times if we need this to stave off effective bankruptcy, like so many other councils. The answer is emphatically no. Our budget monitoring to the end of January predicts we will effectively break even in the 2023/24 financial year.

Our deal with the Government proposes to transfer powers and funding from Westminster and Whitehall to Devon and Torbay.

We've worked closely with our colleagues in Devon's eight district councils, our towns and parishes, the National Parks and Torbay on these proposals over a number of years.

And I firmly believe this will be one of the most ground-breaking developments in decades for the one million people we represent in Devon and Torbay.

Under our proposals we will have stronger links with Homes England to develop more affordable housing - a vital necessity for thousands of local people who currently don't have anywhere safe and warm to call home.

That will also feed in to an improving economy because many businesses are currently hamstrung by the lack of homes. Even if they can recruit a suitably qualified person, they often can't find anywhere to live.

We will also work more closely with employers and our schools, colleges and universities to ensure we have the skilled workforce our economy needs and we will take direct control of adult education to enable us to create thousands of new training opportunities.

The initial agreement with the Government will also see us receiving £16 million to invest in new green jobs, homes, skills and business growth and accelerate our transition to a net-zero economy.

Devon and Torbay would work in a more integrated way to improve public transport and introduce a single ticketing system for travellers.

And there would be a significant boost to high growth business sectors such as advanced marine engineering, defence and digital

None of this will require new layers of bureaucracy. We have resisted a directly elected Mayor. That can work well in urban areas but not somewhere like Devon with its spread out population and scores of communities with their own individual identities. Instead councillors who you have already elected to represent you on our county, district and unitary councils would come together with leading figures from business and education to make decisions.

It means Devon and Torbay will have a new and very different relationship with the Government - one where we will have a stronger voice in Whitehall and an ability to influence policy for the benefit of our residents, communities and businesses.

It’s just the beginning of the new opportunities on which we can build. If you wish to have your say, please go to www.devontorbaydeal.org.uk