South Hams District Council's planned merger with West Devon Borough Council has been thrown into doubt, after debates in Totnes and Tavistock.

South Hams councillors voted in favour of the ’One Council’ proposal which would see the two authorities merge, but councillors in West Devon, who met simultaneously, opposed the plan.

The vote in the South Hams was 19 in favour of the merger; eight against; three abstained and one councillor was absent from the debate.

In West Devon, the vote was 18 against, 13 in favour.

Council tax payers in the South Hams would have faced an average increase of £63 per year over a period of up to 10 year under the plan.

More on this story tomorrow.