Following last week’s article in on the proposal to merge South Hams District Council with West Devon Borough Council, I have read the referenced website but find that it is just a statement of generalities. I have the following questions?

By how much is the SHDC council tax expected to rise year-by-year over the next 10 years, if staying separate and or if merging, including repayments on any loan.

The loan of £25m to be taken out by WDBC poses a big problem and eventually the sum will need to be repaid with interest. How will this burden be shared? I note that the population of SHDC is 83,000 and WDBC 53,000?

What skills does WDBC have in buying property for rent and how will it be protected if there is a crash in property prices, as some predict, so that it becomes subject to negative equity? I cannot believe that if there is real money to be made here the private sector will not have already mopped up the best opportunities.

Michael Stevens

Lower Contour Road

Kingswear