Annual Parish Meeting
Please note that the Annual Parish Meeting has now been cancelled. The Mayor’s and Town Clerk’s reports for 19/20 can be found below:-
My Council
Role of the Mayor
The Role of Mayor can be divided into two distinct areas: Chairman of the Council, and representative of the Town.
CHAIRMAN OF THE COUNCIL
- The Mayor is appointed as the first item of business at the Annual Meeting, and remains in office until his/her successor is elected or he/she resigns or is otherwise barred from holding office.
- The Town Mayor must be a Member of the Council.
- The Town Mayor has precedence within his/her Town before all others except the Sovereign or his/her representatives and the Chairman of the District Council.
- If present at a Council Meeting the Mayor must preside and has control of its procedure for enforcing the law and good order.
- The Mayor must prevent decisions being taken on matters which are not on the agenda of the Council Meeting.
- When presiding at a Meeting the Mayor has the casting vote unless presiding over the election of a new Mayor as his/her last act before ceasing to be a Member of the Council. In such a case he/she only has a casting vote.
- Where there is a tie in the election of a Mayor, the presiding Mayor (Chairman) MUST BY LAW give the CASTING VOTE.
- The Mayor may on three days notice convene a Council Meeting at any time.
- The Mayor must call an extraordinary meeting within seven days if he/she receives a requisition for that purpose signed by two Members of the Council.
- The Mayor signs the minutes presented to and approved by the Council Meeting.
- In order to discharge the function of Chairman presiding at Council Meetings the Mayor should understand thoroughly the Standing Orders of the Council.
- The ruling of the Mayor (Chairman) on a point of order or on the admissibility of a personal explanation SHALL NOT BE DISCUSSED by the Council Meeting.
- The Mayor accepts the resignations by Members.
- The Mayor is paid an allowance to meet the expenses of his/her office. Records must be kept to confirm expenditure on Council business.
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PARISH
The Mayor:
- Is the proper person to represent the Parish on ceremonial occasions.
- Designate is responsible for informing the Town Clerk whom he/she wishes to invite to the Annual Meeting.
- Designate is responsible for organising and paying for the celebration function following his/her inauguration at the Annual Meeting.
- Recommends whom he/she wishes to be the Council Chaplain for his/her term of office.
- Informs the Town Clerk of his/her invitations to the Civic Service and recommends to Council when that service shall be.
- Becomes Chairman of the Mayfair Committee at the first meeting of the Mayfair Committee following inauguration as Mayor.
- Visits the local Hospital, Castle House Nursing Home and Woodland Vale on Christmas Day.
- In consultation with the Town Clerk selects the speakers for the May Fair Proclamation.
- Attends with the Council the May Fair proclamation and parade on the first Thursday in May.
- Provides and pays for gifts to the May Queen and attendants, Heralds and Crowner at the Mayfair celebrations in the Square.
- Attends with the Council the Remembrance Day Service and Parade in November.
- Establishes those residents within the Parish celebrating their 100th birthday, Golden and Diamond weddings, visits and offers a card and small gift.
- Accepts invitations on behalf of the Parish and attends events as the Representative of the Parish. In such capacity must maintain the dignity of the Parish at all times. Invitations in the region of 75 might be expected. The majority of invitations are within the Parish.
- Furthers the policies of the Council with outside bodies.
- By custom and practice nominate two Charities for whom he/she will raise money during the year. At the following Annual Meeting, the money raised is then presented to the Charities.
- Is responsible for obtaining the licence from the District Council for the Mayor’s Appeal.
- Is the only Member of Council (along with the Town Clerk) authorised to speak to the Media on behalf of the Council.
- Is responsible for the safekeeping of the Chains of Office which must be protected at all Times.
NOTE: The Mayor is expected to be accompanied by a Mayoress or Consort as appropriate. This is usually the wife or husband of the Mayor but need not be.
There are duties for the Mayoress/Consort:
a)Choose the theme for the May Fair children’s outfits.
b)Select the dressmaker to make the outfits.
c)Meet with the dressmaker and children to measure up for costumes.
d)Dressmaker also makes the cushion for the May Queen’s crown.
e)Attends with the Mayor the dress rehearsal on the Wednesday of May Fair week.
The Beadle is available (by prior arrangement) to drive the Mayor and Mayoress/Consort to official functions and return them.
This “job description” is not meant to be exhaustive but to give as much of a flavour of the role of Mayor as is reasonable so that the duties and responsibilities do not come as a surprise.
South West Water options
Following a visit from a representative of SWW the following information might be helpful:-
a.Priority Services Registration: This is for people with medical conditions or physical limitations. Once registered the individual will be notified of any interruptions in water supply and will have water delivered to them if there is no supply. The individual will receive a telephone call to advise them of any disruption. An application for this can be obtained from SWW or from their Website.
b.Debt Helpline: If customers are struggling to pay their water bill South West Water has a debt helpline on 0800 083 0283 and they will talk through different options available. The individual can also contact the Water Care Team via the email [email protected], or Emma Phillips directly via [email protected], and we can arrange a home visit to talk them through the different debt relief options available as well as helping to get them on the most appropriate tariff.
c.The Watercare Tariff: This is for metered customers who are on very low income. To qualify, an individual within the household must receive a qualifying benefit, such as income support or housing benefit. The tariffs offer a discount of between 15-50% off a water bill. An income assessment is carried out to determine eligibility. An application can be obtained from SWW, or a home visit can be arranged with the Water Care Team/ or Emma Phillips.
d.Switch to a meter: Water meters can save people a considerable amount of money. SWW has advisors who help people establish if a meter could save them money and help with initial applications. It is free to switch and if, after 24 months a customer considers it isn’t right for them, they can go back to unmeasured charges. In the Great Torrington area only, we are currently offering customers to go onto a ‘Dual Billing Trial’ whereby they can opt to get a water meter installed without changing to metered charges. SWW will then send letters to the customer every quarter to notify them how much water the household has used and the customer will be able to see which charge will be cheaper for them, i.e. the metered charge or their current unmeasured charge. To get involved with this trial, customers can call our Dual Billing team on 01392 442882.
e.The WaterSure Tariff: This may help a customer reduce their bill if they have a water meter, receive certain benefits and if someone in the home has a medical condition that means extra water is used, or if they have 3 or more children living with them. It works by capping a bill the average annual domestic water and sewerage charges, currently £488.45.
Environmental Motion – agreed by Council on 4th April 2019
This Council believes:
That we in Great Torrington acknowledge the Climate Change Emergency and aim to support efforts and work with relevant bodies to make Torridge District zero net carbon by 2030.
All governments (national, regional and local) have a duty to limit the negative impacts of Climate Breakdown, and local governments that recognise this should not wait for their national governments to change their policies. It is important for the residents of Great Torrington, Torridge District and the UK that council areas commit to carbon neutrality as quickly as possible. We would be joining an increasing group of councils across the UK (Bideford Town Council and Bristol City Council to name two).
By passing this motion, we will not only heighten awareness of the severity of this situation but with future financial commitments and decisions generally aim to help further reduce carbon emissions.
Report a Problem
Do you have a problem with Blocked Drains or Flooding, wish to report a Pothole or Overgrown Vegetation, having problems with a Faulty Street Light or Broken Manhole Cover? items such as these and many others can be reported direct to the relevant department by clicking the following link and then choosing the option you require:-
https://new.devon.gov.uk/roadsandtransport/report-a-problem/
Committee Members 2026/2027
| PLANNING | ENVIRONMENT | POLICY/FINANCE | HR | |
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| Cllr K Allin |
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| Cllr C Bright |
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| Cllr L Bright |
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√ (Chair) |
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| Cllr M Brown | √ |
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| Cllr B Ashley-Martin (DEP MAYOR) |
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√ (Chair) |
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| Cllr P Cloke |
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| Cllr J Insull |
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| Cllr J Isaac |
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| Cllr L Kite |
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| Cllr D Maisey |
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| Cllr S Mills |
√ (Chair) |
√ (Deputy Chair) |
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| Cllr D Parish (MAYOR) | √ | √ | √ (Chair) |
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| Cllr J Rosslee |
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| Cllr C Sanders | √ |
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| Cllr D Smith |
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| Cllr S Watson-Davies |
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Town Crier – Al Mitchell
The Town Crier has an important role in Great Torrington. He is there to bring order to various celebrations and events. He announces the Mayor and the Town Clerk and his loud voice is essential when there is a noisy crowd to silence, particularly during the Proclamation of the Mayfair.
Al Mitchell has held the position for many years. He worked at Dartington Crystal and now since he has retired helps maintain the Commons which is another important job. Al is also well known as a musician and has been in a number of bands over the years. He is an excellent instrumentalist on guitar and sings a range of types of music.
As well as being the current Town Crier and Flag Raiser, Al has also agreed to take on the role of Town Marshall for the Town Council. The Town Marshall assists the Town Council at civic events where a parade takes place. It is the Town Marshall’s role to ensure the correct order for the parade and that it departs on time.
Neighbourhood Plan
Approved Neighbourhood Plan
A Quick Guide to the Neighbourhood Plan
Neighbourhood planning is about making sure a community gets the development it needs for the future – through the building of homes, job opportunities, community and leisure facilities such as schools, health services and shops.
Who was responsible for Drawing It Up?
A group called the Neighbourhood Forum, made up of residents and town councillors from Great Torrington worked on the Plan. They were required by law to consult widely with residents and special interest groups. Several consultations took place during the preparation time.
What Does The Plan hope To Achieve?
To improve the economic and social well-being of Great Torrington, with a strong focus on its important and unique market town role, community spirit and tourism, whilst fully respecting and sensitively managing its historic character and ecologically important setting.
The Plan focuses its objectives on five groups of key issues:
ENVIRONMENT – To ensure the distinctive rural landscape, settlement patterns, historical assets, natural environment and biodiversity of the town are protected and enhanced. To provide improved green open spaces and mitigate the impact of development on climate change through the design of new buildings.
HOUSING – To support high quality affordable housing with a mix of size, type and tenure to meet local and future needs, including family homes, affordable housing and assisted living.
INFRASTRUCTURE – To address the traffic passing through the town, including the additional flow of traffic that will be generated by new housing, manage the parking problems in the town centre and improve the safety needs of other road users including cyclists and pedestrians.
COMMUNITY FACILITIES – To improve recreational facilities for teenagers and younger children whilst ensuring that community assets such as meeting places and health care facilities are of a high quality and easily accessible to the local community.
EMPLOYMENT – To positively encourage employment opportunities that exist in the area, including making links with major employers whilst providing opportunities for smaller businesses to develop and thrive in the area, and to offer good employment and training opportunities for local people.
What area does the Great Torrington Neighbourhood Plan cover?
The boundary includes the entire area in the administrative jurisdiction of Great Torrington Parish Area, which serves the Community of Great Torrington. The boundary follows the River Torridge from north to south, and encompasses the outskirts of the Town such as Rosemoor, Torrington Wood, Week Bottom, Daracott Moor, Woodhouse Wood and Van’s Wood.
What is the relationship between the Neighbourhood Plan and the Local Plan?
A neighbourhood plan should support the strategic development needs set out in the Local Plan and plan positively to support local development.
A neighbourhood plan must address the development and use of land. This is because the Neighbourhood Plan, once adopted becomes part of the statutory development plan (i.e. brought into legal force) brought in by the planning authority. Applications for planning permission must be determined in accordance with the development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise.
Torridge & North Devon Local Plan: https://www.torridge.gov.uk/localplan
Archive documents:-