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Current Issues

Commons Allotment Charity Grants and Precept Grants – Budget 2025/2026

Commons Allotment Charity Grants and Precept Grants

As administrator for the Commons Allotments Charity, Great Torrington Town Council has allocated a total of £4,369.99 Grant Funding to local community groups for the 2025 – 2026 financial year. Members also allocated grant funding totalling £29,900.00 from the precept (due to an increase in the number of grant applicants, £4,400 of this total will be transferred from GTTC reserves) for 2025/26. A full list of grant recipients can be viewed on the Town Council’s website.

As per last year, Members decided to keep a pot of reserve grant funding to be made available during the period 1st April 2025 – 31st March 2026 for adhoc or urgent requests for funding throughout the year.

Great Torrington Town Council – 2025/2026 Budget

At the January Town Council meeting Members agreed the budget for the 2025/26 financial year. The requested precept reflects an increase of 4.58% on the Town Council element of council tax bills for the period 1st April 2025 – 31st March 2026.

The increase of 4.58% equates to an increase of £4.11 per year for a Band A property, £4.80 per year for a Band B, £5.48 per year for Band C, and £6.17 per year for a Band D property compared to last year. These figures relate to the Great Torrington Town Council element of your overall council tax bill only. Full details of increases for all Bands will be available on the Council’s website in due course.

Community Speedwatch Initiative

Are you concerned about speeding in your neighbourhood? Did you know you can work with Devon & Cornwall Police to set up a Community Speedwatch? Volunteers from the community use detection devices to monitor local vehicle speeds. They receive training, equipment and support from the local neighbourhood policing team.

To get started you need to have a team of 4 people, one of which will need to be the Group Co-ordinator. If you are concerned about driving speeds in a particular area in Torrington and you have a small group of volunteers, then please sign up using the following link to the appropriate website.

https://www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/wsi/watch-schemes-initiatives/speedwatch/community-speedwatch/

Memorial Tree unveiling

Yesterday, the Mayor, Cllr Phil Cloke, officially unveiled a Scots pine tree planted on Millenium Path on the Commons in memory of His Late Royal Highness, Prince Philip. We’d like to thank the Commons Conservators for allowing the Town Council to plant this memorial tree on the Commons and to Al Mitchell, their Head Ranger for planting and watering it (which isn’t an easy job!) while it establishes.

                   

Notice of Great Torrington Mayoral Introduction Ceremony

For Information:

The introduction ceremony for the Mayor of Great Torrington Town Council will be held on Wednesday 22nd May 2024 at 7pm at Great Torrington Town & Community Hall.

Members of the public are very welcome to attend but we do need to know numbers for refreshments, so if you are planning to come along, please let the Town Council know by 5pm Tuesday 15th May 2024. Contact us on 01805 626135 or e-mail [email protected]

D Day 80 – June 6th 2024

The commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the D Day landings is on Thursday June 6th. There is a national programme of events and Great Torrington will be joining in with these where possible. The Town Crier will begin the day with a proclamation at 8am in the Town Square. The bells of St Michael & All Angels will be heard as part of the national Ringing Out for Peace initiative at 6:30pm.

We are working with the Cavaliers to organise the lighting of a beacon on the evening of 6th June and would like to encourage all members of the community to come along to this. We would especially like to invite veterans of all conflicts who are based in Torrington to attend this event so if you or anyone you know is a veteran, please do make contact on 01805 626135 or [email protected] to discuss attending. Torrington Silver Band will be playing before the beacon is lit between 8-9pm to mark the anniversary of this important date in our history.

Please see posters and social media nearer the time for further details.

Co-Option of Town Councillor

The Town Council has vacancies for 2 Co-Opted Councillors to join us. 

Becoming a Town Councillor will give you the opportunity to get involved with various projects and interests within the community of Great Torrington.  If you are passionate about the town, prepared to get involved, and meet at least one of the criteria below, we invite you to contact us to discuss the application process. A written form is available on our website and encourages you to demonstrate why you are interested in volunteering to become a Town Councillor and what you believe you can bring to the role. If you are interested but a written application or form filling is a barrier to applying, please get in touch (01805 626135). 

If the answer to at least one of the below statements is “yes”, you are eligible to apply to be a Town Councillor: 

  1. I am registered as a local government elector for the parish; or 
  1. I have, during the whole of the twelve months preceding the date of my co-option, occupied as owner or tenant, land or other premises in the parish; or 
  1. My principal or only place of work during those twelve months has been in the parish; or 
  1. I have during the whole of the twelve months preceding the date of my co-option resided in the parish or within 3 miles of it. 

Application forms can be obtained from the Town Council office or downloaded here.

Cllr Dave Parish says, “I am proud to be a Town Councillor I immensely enjoy the experience and I’ve learnt so much in the process. 

It is a pleasure to work with a truly dedicated team of Councillors who volunteer their time to contribute to making Great Torrington a ‘Great’ place to live. 

There is so much more we can do. Be part of the future, ‘Come and join us.”

For an informal chat with one of the team, please call the office on 01805 626135. 

Applications can be posted to or dropped in to our offices: Great Torrington Town Council, Castle Hill, Great Torrington, EX38 8AA or sent by email to [email protected]. 

Jennie Smithson, Town Clerk