Torridge is a local government district in north-west Devon, England. Its council is based in the town of Bideford. The district also includes the towns of Great Torrington, Holsworthy and Northam, along with numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. The island of Lundy forms part of the district. The district is named after the River Torridge.
The district's coast is recognised for its natural beauty, forming part of the North Devon Coast, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The South West Coast Path runs through the area.
The neighbouring districts are North Devon, Mid Devon, West Devon and Cornwall.
The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972. The new district covered the area of six former districts, which were all abolished at the same time, plus Lundy Island:[1]
The new district was named after the River Torridge which flows through the area.[2]
| Torridge District Council | |
| Logo Pic: | Torridge District Council logo.png |
| Foundation: | 1 April 1974 |
| House Type: | Non-metropolitan district |
| Leader1 Type: | Chair |
| Leader1: | Doug Bushby |
| Party1: | Independent |
| Election1: | 26 April 2021[3] [4] |
| Leader2 Type: | Leader |
| Leader2: | Ken James |
| Party2: | Independent |
| Election2: | 9 December 2019 |
| Leader3 Type: | Chief Executive |
| Leader3: | Steve Hearse |
| Election3: | April 2020[5] |
| Members: | 36 councillors |
| Structure1: | Torridge District Council Composition 2023.png |
| Structure1 Res: | 250px |
| Political Groups1: | Conservative (6) Green Party (3) Labour (2) |
| Voting System1: | First past the post |
| Last Election1: | 4 May 2023 |
| Next Election1: | 6 May 2027 |
| Session Room: | Town Hall and Public Library, Bideford (geograph 3036403).jpg |
| Session Res: | 250px |
| Meeting Place: | Town Hall, Bridge Street, Bideford, EX392HS |
Torridge District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Devon County Council.[6] Most of the district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.[7]
The council has been under no overall control since the 2023 election.[8]
The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements took effect on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:[9] [10]
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| 1974–1995 | ||
| 1995–1999 | ||
| 1999–2007 | ||
| 2007–2015 | ||
| 2015–2017 | ||
| 2017–2022 | ||
| 2022–2023 | ||
| 2023–present | ||
The leaders of the council since 2004 have been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pat Ferguson | pre-2004 | May 2007 | ||
| James Morrish[11] | 21 May 2007 | May 2011 | ||
| Barry Parsons[12] [13] | 23 May 2011 | 20 May 2013 | ||
| Philip Collins[14] | 20 May 2013 | May 2015 | ||
| Jane Whittaker[15] [16] | 18 May 2015 | May 2019 | ||
| Anna Dart[17] [18] | 13 May 2019 | Dec 2019 | ||
| Ken James[19] | 9 Dec 2019 | |||
Following the 2023 election and a by-election in May 2024, the composition of the council was:[20] [21]
| Party | Councillors | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | |||
| 9 | |||
| 6 | |||
| 3 | |||
| 2 | |||
| Total | 36 | ||
Of the sixteen independent councillors, thirteen form the "Independent Group" and the other three are non-aligned. The next election is due in 2027.[22] [23]
Council meetings are usually held at Bideford Town Hall, which had been built in 1851 for the old Bideford Corporation. The council's main offices are at Riverbank House in Bideford, which had been built as the headquarters of the Western Counties Building Society, before being bought by Torridge District Council in 1988.[24] [25]
See also: Torridge District Council elections. Since the last boundary changes in 2019, the council has comprised 36 councillors representing 16 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[26]
Most of Torridge is covered by civil parishes. The exception is Lundy, which is an unparished area. Some of the smaller parishes have a parish meeting rather than a parish council. The parish councils for Bideford, Great Torrington, Holsworthy and Northam take the style "town council".[27]
Torridge CVS is a charitable organisation providing vulnerable people across the Torridge district with day-to-day living assistance. It provides advice, befriending schemes, support for carers, help to older people and help with charitable fund-raising, liaising with voluntary and community groups where necessary. It offers placements for individuals who want to get more involved in their local communities and relies on local volunteers, with over 2000 volunteers registered. It has been in operation since 1988 and is a member of NAVCA, the National Association for Voluntary and Community Action, being largely funded by Devon County Council and Torridge District Council.[28]