The current council coat of arms bears the motto of Sir Francis Drake

The plans, which could cost up to �6,000, come at a time when Devon County Council is proposing cuts in jobs and services.

Critics have branded the exercise a waste of money.

The council said the simpler design, featuring a pair of leaves to replace the current coat of arms, would save more than �3,000 a year.

Drake motto

The coat of arms features the Latin motto of seafarer Sir Francis Drake: auxilio divino, which means "by divine aid".

But the council said the new logo would reflect its new greener image and also save council tax-payers' money.

Peter Doyle, of the council, said: "Currently, the council's full-colour crest costs us quite a lot of money to reproduce.

"By using this new simple logo we can save �3,200 a year."

But the decision to replace the crest has been branded a money-wasting exercise, especially as the council said in February it was raising council tax by 4.9% because it was facing a �15m shortfall in its budget.

Albert Venison of the Devon Pensioners' Action Forum said: "It's absolutely incredible that we have these sorts of people who are supposed to be looking after the cares and worries of older people, talking about having a new logo.

"I can tell you the sort of logo I'd like: one with a picture of two hands being held up in horror, saying: '"What are they going to do next?'."