The committee's proposals are for a single unitary authority comprising the existing county of Devon with no changes to Plymouth and Torbay; and a two-unitary pattern featuring one authority for Exeter and Exmouth and the surrounding area, and one for the rest of the current Devon County Council area, with no changes to Plymouth and Torbay.
Leader of Devon County Council Brian Greenslade responded to the Boundary Committee's proposals: "The news that the Boundary Committee, which has come under enormous pressure from the Government, is consulting on a proposal which its own financial analysts say is high risk will be greeted with horror by tax-payers and businesses across Devon.
"Today's report from the committee is a manifesto for failing public services, soaring Council Tax and the break up of a proud historic county. The last thing we need in these tough economic times is the distraction of any more long and drawn out wrangling over the future of local government."
Leader of Torridge District Council James Morrish said: "This is typical of the way that the Boundary Committee has been since early February 2008 when this whole debate started. At the only meeting that the committee have had in the last 12 months, with district and county councils in one room, they admitted that indeed no authority had proposed a separate unitary for Exeter and Exmouth and it was the idea of the Boundary Committee themselves, which quite frankly is evidence that they are simply not listening to local people who live and work in our communities and have descended on Devon with an objective to drive their own agendas forward!
"Well, I have got news for the Boundary Committee, residents of Torridge will be heard and as a council we will not be treated like doormats and be walked all over.
"Whilst members of the Boundary Committee enjoy travelling all over the Country in hired cars and staying in nice hotels, paid for by the tax payer, attitudes similar to Max Caller's (CBE) who is the Chairman of the Boundary Committee, simply come over as — you can say or do what you like but I'm not really interested. This is something I find irritating and disappointing."
John van de Laarschot, Chief Executive of Torridge District Council, said: "Clearly the Boundary Committee have looked to provide a 'belt and braces' approach to prevent further legal challenges to their work but one has to ask if this truly represents good use of public expenditure especially in these difficult economic times.
"Hopefully all of this effort will ultimately result in a decision one way or another when the final recommendations are eventually shared with the Secretary of State on July 15 2009, otherwise it begs the question what was it all for!"
Cllr James McInnes, Leader of West Devon Borough Council, said: "I am extremely angry. This new consultation process has been instigated by the Boundary Committee because they got it wrong last year. I'm astonished by how flawed this entire process has been. Today's announcement comes when we are still waiting for a judgement on the Boundary Committee from the Court of Appeal.
"I would urge everyone who responded during the summer consultation last year to make their views known again."