Torbay Council

The council was created on 1 April 1968 to govern the county borough of Torbay, which replaced the abolished municipal borough of Torquay, urban districts of Brixham and Paignton and civil parish of Churston Ferrers. The council's formal title on creation in 1968 was the "mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the borough of Torbay", informally known as the corporation or borough council. As a county borough, the council provided all local government services for the area.{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=R. J. D. |title=Torbay Borough starts with a history: Story of the foundation of the new borough |url=https://www.findmypast.co.uk/search-newspapers |access-date=3 August 2023 |work=Herald Express |date=1 April 1968 |location=Torquay |page=1968}}

Six years later local government was reorganised again, under the Local Government Act 1972. Torbay kept the same boundaries, but on 1 April 1974 it became a non-metropolitan district, with Devon County Council once more providing county-level services to the area.{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972|year=1972|number=2039|access-date=31 May 2023}} Torbay retained borough status, allowing the council to take the name "Torbay Borough Council" and letting the chair of the council take the title of mayor, continuing Torbay's series of mayors which had started in 1968.{{cite web |title=District Councils and Boroughs |url=https://api.parliament.uk/historic-hansard/written-answers/1974/mar/28/district-councils-and-boroughs#S5CV0871P0_19740328_CWA_145 |website=Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) |access-date=4 December 2021 |date=28 March 1974}}{{cite web |url=http://torbay.gov.uk/index/yourcouncil/structure/councilhistory.htm |title=Council History - Torbay Council |website=torbay.gov.uk |access-date=15 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121226081823/http://torbay.gov.uk/index/yourcouncil/structure/councilhistory.htm |archive-date=26 December 2012 |url-status=dead}}

Torbay regained its independence from the county council on 1 April 1998. The way this change was implemented was to create a new non-metropolitan county of Torbay matching the borough, but with no separate county council. Instead, the existing borough council took on county council functions, making it a unitary authority. Since 1998 the council has styled itself "Torbay Council".{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Devon (City of Plymouth and Borough of Torbay) Structural Change) Order 1996|year=1996|number=1865|article=6|access-date=23 July 2024}} Torbay remains part of the ceremonial county of Devon for the purposes of lieutenancy.{{cite legislation UK|type=act|act=Lieutenancies Act 1997|year=1997|chapter=23|access-date=11 August 2023}}

Between 2005 and 2019 the council had a directly elected mayor. Since 2019 political leadership has instead been provided by a leader of the council.{{cite news |title=Torbay mayor and cabinet system scrapped in referendum |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2016-36241115 |access-date=15 August 2023 |work=BBC News |date=8 May 2016}}

As a unitary authority, Torbay Council has the responsibilities of both a district council and county council combined. In its capacity as a district council it is a billing authority collecting Council Tax and business rates, and its responsibilities include town planning, housing, waste collection and environmental health. In its capacity as a county council it is a local education authority, and responsible for social services, libraries and waste disposal.

Torbay Council appoints two members to the Devon and Somerset Combined Fire Authority{{cite web | url=http://www.plymouth.gov.uk/modgov?modgovlink=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.plymouth.gov.uk%2FmgInternet%2FmgOutsideBodyDetails.aspx%3FID%3D790 |title=Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Authority }} and appoints one member to the Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Panel.{{cite web|url=http://www.torbay.gov.uk/DemocraticServices/mgOutsideBodyDetails.aspx?ID=520|title=Outside bodies – Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Panel|first=Torbay|last=Council|date=17 June 2019|publisher=Government of the United Kingdom}}

The Torbay Health and Wellbeing Board is made up of representatives from Torbay Council and other local healthcare organisations.{{cite web |url=http://www.torquayheraldexpress.co.uk/Torbay-Health-Wellbeing-Board-created/story-19015468-detail/story.html |title=Torbay Health and Wellbeing Board created | Torquay Herald Express |website=www.torquayheraldexpress.co.uk |access-date=15 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213232457/http://www.torquayheraldexpress.co.uk/Torbay-Health-Wellbeing-Board-created/story-19015468-detail/story.html |archive-date=13 December 2013 |url-status=dead}}

The council has been under no overall control since 2023. Following the May 2023 elections the Conservatives had a majority of the seats, but they lost their majority in October that year when two Conservative members left the party to form a new group, Prosper Torbay.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg30wr3d8pro.amp|title=Councillors quit Tory party and form new group|website=BBC News|date=26 October 2023|access-date=27 October 2023}}{{cite news |last1=Boothroyd |first1=David |title=The home of lost causes and forsaken beliefs |url=https://www.localcouncils.co.uk/2023/10/the-home-of-lost-causes-and-forsaken-beliefs/ |access-date=29 October 2023 |work=Local Councils |publisher=Thorncliffe |date=29 October 2023}} The Conservatives won a by-election in June 2024, giving them exactly half the seats on the council, so one seat short of an overall majority.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c6pp57x0e9no|title=Conservatives win key Torbay Council by-election|first1=Miles|last1=Davis|access-date=13 June 2024|publisher=BBC News|date=15 April 2024}} The Conservatives were therefore able to govern by relying on the Conservative mayor's casting vote.{{Cite web|url=https://www.radioexe.co.uk/news-and-features/local-news/tories-back-in-control-of-torbay-council/|title=Tories back in control of Torbay Council

|first1=Guy|last1=Henderson|date= 7 June 2024|access-date=13 June 2024|publisher=Radio Exe Devon}} When it came to appoint a new mayor in May 2024 there was a two-month delay to the appointment as the Conservatives tried to block the appointment of a Liberal Democrat as mayor, eventually succeeding in July 2024 with a Conservative being given the role instead.{{cite news |last1=Henderson |first1=Guy |title=Torbay selects a new mayor - at last |url=https://www.devonairradio.com/news/torbay-news/torbay-selects-a-new-mayor-at-last/ |access-date=23 July 2024 |work=Devon Air Radio |date=22 July 2024}}

Political control of the council since the 1974 reforms has been as follows:{{cite web |title=Compositions Calculator |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/composition_calc.html |access-date=26 November 2024 |website=The Elections Centre |publisher=University of Exeter}} (Put "Torbay" in search box to see specific results.){{cite news| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/vote2007/councils/html/hh.stm | title = Torbay | access-date = 11 September 2009 | work = BBC News Online}}

Lower-tier non-metropolitan district

Unitary authority

Prior to 2005, political leadership was provided by the leader of the council. The leaders from 1997 to 2005 were:

Between 2005 and 2019 the council had a directly elected mayor as its political leader. The directly elected mayors were:

In 2019 the council reverted to having a leader instead of a directly elected mayor. The leaders since 2019 have been:

Following the 2023 election,{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2023/may/04/elections-2023-results-live-local-council-england#le-full-results|title=Local elections 2023: live council results for England|work=The Guardian|date=9 May 2023 |last1=Voce |first1=Antonio |last2=Leach |first2=Anna |last3=Hoog |first3=Niels de |last4=Torpey |first4=Paul |last5=Clarke |first5=Seán }} two subsequent changes of allegiance in October 2023, and a by-election in June 2024, and a further defection in May 2025 the composition of the council was:

Three of the independent councillors sit together as the "Independent Group."{{cite web |title=Your councillors |url=https://www.torbay.gov.uk/DemocraticServices/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=PARTY&VW=LIST&PIC=0 |website=Torbay Council |access-date=15 August 2023}} The next election is due in 2027 where all seats will be contested.{{cite web |title=Torbay |url=https://www.localcouncils.co.uk/councils/?council=torbay |website=Local Councils |publisher=Thorncliffe |access-date=23 July 2024}}

On May 23rd 2025, Cllr Jason Hutchings, Conservative member for Furzeham and Summercombe, resigned from the group to sit as an Independent, resulting in the Conservatives becoming a minority administration.{{cite news |title=Tory defection changes balance at Torbay Council |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2e9xpz3d8o |access-date=4 June 2025 |work=BBC News |date=4 June 2025}}

The council is based at Torquay Town Hall on Castle Circus, which had been completed in 1911 for the former Torquay Town Council.{{NHLE|desc= The Town Hall |num=1208247|access-date=11 December 2020}}{{cite web |title=Contact us |url=https://www.torbay.gov.uk/council/get-in-touch/contact/ |website=Torbay Council |access-date=15 August 2023}}

On its creation in 1968 the council also inherited the former Paignton Urban District Council's headquarters at Oldway Mansion and the former Brixham Urban District Council's headquarters at Brixham Town Hall. Oldway Mansion was used as additional office space for the council until 2013.{{cite news |last1=Oldfield |first1=Edward |title=Rescue plan drawn up to secure future of Oldway Mansion |url=https://www.devonlive.com/rescue-plan-drawn-up-secure-2478775 |access-date=15 August 2023 |work=Devon Live |date=28 January 2019}} Brixham Town Hall was transferred to Brixham Town Council in 2011.{{cite web |title=Transfer of Brixham Town Hall to Brixham Town Council |url=https://www.torbay.gov.uk/DemocraticServices/mgIssueHistoryHome.aspx?IId=5097&PlanId=138&RPID=0 |website=Torbay Council | date=November 2011 |access-date=14 August 2023}}

{{see also|Torbay Council elections}}

File:Torbay Council wards.svg

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.{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Torbay (Electoral Changes) Order 2018|year=2018|number=740|access-date=15 August 2023}}

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{{Unitary authorities of England}}

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Category:Unitary authority councils of England

Category:Local education authorities in England

Category:Local authorities in Devon

Category:Local authorities in England with elected mayor

Category:Billing authorities in England

Category:1974 establishments in England

Category:Torbay