THOUSANDS of jobs, employment support, college campuses or even 1,000 full-time youth mentors could be funded if Devon’s biggest council overhaul in 50 years is scrapped, it has been claimed.

The county is facing a government-mandated process that could completely change the way Devon’s vital public services are overseen, but now calls are growing louder to direct the mooted £50 million cost into causes deemed more worthwhile.

Predictions from County Hall in Exeter suggest the cost of local government reorganisation (LGR) nationally could be around £1.5 billion – equivalent to around 480,000 jobs for young people, it claimed.

Devon County Council has claimed that for the prospective price of ripping up the administrative map just in the county alone, that cash could instead be used to create 16,000 jobs.

Alternatively, it claims it could fund targeted local measures, such as free transport for all 17-year-olds, tailored employment support for unemployed 18-24-year-olds, and even new satellite college campuses in so-called NEET (meaning not in education, employment or training) hotspots such as Ilfracombe, Tavistock and Honiton.

Or even be used to recruit 1,000 full-time youth mentors, who could provide “intensive, personalised support” given the claim there could be one adviser for every two unemployed young people in the county.

“This £1.5 billion-plus bill for local government reorganisation is nothing more than a tax on local people,” said Councillor Julian Brazil (Liberal Democrat, Kingsbridge), the leader of Devon County Council.

“At a time when families are struggling and councils are stretched financially, we should be investing every pound in frontline support — especially for our young people — not pouring it into an expensive structural shake-up that risks damaging services.”

Cllr Brazil added that helping a young person into real work is “surely a far better use of taxpayers’ money”.

“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,” he added.

Cllr Brazil’s comments come in the wake of the UK’s presumptive prime minister, Andy Burnham, stating he would focus on economic growth, skills and local accountability as part of his pro-devolution agenda.

Cllr Brazil has already said he would write to Mr Burnham to try and become the first in line to be granted a mayor under Mr Burnham’s expected premiership, suggesting elections could even be held in May next year.

“We are ready to move forward with a model that will bring investment, jobs and opportunities to our communities,” Cllr 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.”

The process of LGR in Devon would involve the effective scrapping or reformulation of Devon’s 11 existing councils.

Each council has submitted an idea for how it believed Devon could be reorganised.