"YOU devolve and we’ll deliver" - That's the message from Devon County Council this week as it makes its latest attempt to get more devolved powers.

Leaders from Devon and Somerset County Councils have submitted a Statement of Intent to the Government, which calls for more devolved powers.

The two county councils have teamed up with Plymouth City Council, Torbay Council and the 13 district councils.

Their statement is in response to the government’s offer to devolve power and budgets from Westminster to local authorities which work together.

Devon County Council leader John Hart said: "It is really important that we present a united front to the government and we have achieved a high level of agreement on the key issues affecting the South West.

"I have always said that we can do things more effectively and more efficiently locally than being told what to do by London. We are saying to Government: ‘You devolve and we’ll deliver’."

The main areas covered in the statement are: economic growth, health, social care and wellbeing, and infrastructure and local resilience.

The document follows meetings held by council leaders in August.

It comes before planned discussions with government about what powers could be devolved and will be followed up with more detailed proposals.

Cllr John Hart added: "These are very early stages but we are ambitious and we believe that devolution would help us create jobs, build the right infrastructure and make progress on key issues like health and social care integration.

"We have shared goals with our partners and will be working very closely with them in the coming weeks and months to move things forward."

Somerset County Council leader John Osman added: "A lot of authorities have done a lot of work in a very short time to prepare this document - that’s another example of what can be achieved when authorities in the region pull together where we have common ground."

In total 20 local partners are involved in the submission, reflecting the Heart of the South West LEP boundaries.

LEP chair Steve Hindley said: "The Heart of the South West LEP is delighted to be a partner alongside the local authorities in their proposed deal for devolution.

"We will be actively supporting and continuing to work with business to bring about step-change in investment to leverage transformational growth, generate more prosperity and unleashing the area’s economic potential."

The partners involved in the devolution bid are:

• Devon County Council

• Devon’s city, district and borough councils: Exeter, East Devon, Mid Devon, North Devon, South Hams, Teignbridge, Torridge and West Devon

• Plymouth City Council

• Torbay Council

• Exmoor National Park

• Dartmoor National Park

• Somerset County Council

• Somerset’s district and borough councils: Mendip, Sedgemoor, South Somerset, Taunton Deane and West Somerset

• Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership

For more information, or to read the Statement of Intent, visit www.devon.gov.uk.