My Council

It feels very strange to say that I have been a town councillor for 10 years, it almost doesn’t seem possible, but I have thoroughly enjoyed every second. I appreciate the opportunity to reintroduce myself and talk about my passions as a Town Councillor.

Being Great Torrington born and bred, I love our town and as soon as I was old enough, I knew I wanted to do my bit to get involved and keep our town great, so the election year after my 18th birthday, I stood for a seat on the Town Council. I quickly joined the environment committee and that is where a lot of my interests still lie. I introduced the Town Tidy initiative to get our town ready for Mayfair each year and, after a year off having my daughter Edie, I’m looking forward to getting back into the swing of council work, and particularly our Town Tidy events.

Working locally, I like that people feel they can approach me and I will strive to help where I can, whether that be dealing with the issue myself or contacting the correct authority that can. I am very proud to serve our town and to have served two terms as Mayor, even if most of my term was during Covid. At that time, our town pulled together in the most amazing way and, despite not having a ‘normal’ year, seeing how we all came together and supported one another was one of the highlights of my term in office! I do hope to take up the role again at some point… just maybe when Edie is a little bit older!

In short, we have such a special town, and I look forward to continuing to work with the rest of our council team to keep it great!

Great Torrington Town Council and the Torrington Branch of the Royal British Legion would like to extend a big thank you to all community groups and everyone who attended the Remembrance parade and service held on Sunday November 9th 2025, just over £335 was raised from the collection buckets on the day.

We would also like to thank everyone who supported the Council in the initiative to recycle the poppy wreaths for a second-year running; by cleaning and re-using a total of 53 wreaths over the course of the last two years, we have saved 8.63kg of plastic from going to landfill.  This year, the initiative raised just under £620 for the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal which was a fantastic sum.

Unfortunately, now that the wreaths have been used for 3 years in a row, they are not suitable for re-use next year.  We are, however, keen to hear from any local community groups who might be interested in using the wreaths for an art project to be displayed next year at Remembrance.  If you think this is something you might be interested in, please contact the Town Council on 01805 626135 or [email protected].

Great Torrington Town Council will continue to liaise with the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal to highlight the issue of single use plastic.

Thank you also to everyone who attended the short service at the War Memorial at 11am on Armistice Day, 11th November 2025.

We get several calls at Great Torrington Town Council office on a regular basis asking about the management of hedges, particularly those that border pavements and or public footpaths or lanes.

It is a common misconception that these hedgerows will be managed by one of the local authorities, however it is in fact the homeowner’s responsibility to maintain these hedges, and if they become overgrown resulting in obstruction, the homeowner may receive a letter from Devon County Council in accordance with The Highways Act 1980.

For further information on this issue please visit this link on the Devon County Council website: https://www.devon.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/maintaining-roads/trees-and-vegetation-2/overgrown-vegetation/

If you would like to know more and are unable to access the website, do pop into our offices, upstairs at Castle Hill and we will access the information for you. Or give us a call on 01805 626135.

I was elected to Great Torrington Town Council in 1997 and quickly got involved in local issues, the most controversial being the awful smell from the local rendering factory. I was chair of the Residents Association on Dartington Fields at that time, and with their backing and the late Peter Copp we persuaded the District Council to employ a lawyer to take the problem to the High Court. We won fresh air for Torrington, which we all now enjoy in our Town.
I have a keen interest in planning issues, and I still view all the local applications to date keeping an eye on how they affect our Town.

In 1999 I became a District Councillor and was Chair of TDC for 4 years and enjoyed sitting on the Planning Committee. I served a total of 25 years with TDC.

Housing and local needs is another area of interest, and I was involved in the transfer
of Torridge Housing to Westward Housing Association, bringing properties up to standard, whilst also recognising the need for affordable homes.

My greatest honour was being awarded Freewoman of Great Torrington by our Council in
March 2023, the award is now framed and has pride of place on my wall along with some special photos of my times as Mayor.
Torrington Town Council is certainly a forward-looking Council, exploring how to improve services and the well-being of all our residents for the future.
I have so far completed 28 years as a town councillor, which has gone by in-a-flash, but I’ve enjoyed every minute.

In August 2024 a small group of Councillors from Great Torrington Town Council plus local representatives from Devon & Cornwall Police and Devon & Somerset Fire Service met to discuss Emergency Planning for the town. As part of this discussion, it was suggested that it would be useful to produce information each season to address common concerns that effect local people.

There are many useful online resources offering advice about getting ready for the colder months ahead. However, we understand that not everyone can access online resources confidently, so if you need help accessing further information do get in touch (01805 626135) we can provide printed copies of information where needed. It is also possible to obtain information and IT support from your local library. If you have specific concerns relating to your health during the cold weather speak with your GP and other healthcare providers.

Examples of useful online resources:

• Winter advice for the elderly – Age UK
• Winter vaccinations – NHS.gov.uk
• Things to do now to prepare for winter – Met Office.
• Financial advice – for those experiencing financial difficulty in later life – independentage.org

The Met Office recommends these ten steps:

(Metoffice.gov.uk)

1. Be prepared for power cuts and internet outage due to stormy weather. Have a battery pack or separate batteries, keep a list of important contact numbers somewhere easy to find (near the phone) e.g. family members, GP practice, the power cut helpline number – 105, plumber, electrician etc.
2. Check your heating – Cold weather can be a risk to your health, particularly if you are over 65 or have health conditions. Ideally your home (and those of elderly relatives and neighbours) should be heated to at least 18°C. Keeping your home warm this winter – Met Office
3. Weatherproof your home & garden – pack away items that may be vulnerable to high winds, consider checking for loose branches, fence panels or slates. Anything that may become dangerous in high winds.
4. Check your plumbing – Do you know where your stop tap is?
5. Make plans – think ahead, consider how you will get to work, can you work from home, how will childcare be managed if the schools are closed?
6. Have basic supplies to hand – make up a handy supply of essential items.
7. Check your car is winter ready – Prepare a winter kit for your car – Met Office

Keep a warm blanket, torch, high visibility jacket, and some food in your car for emergencies. For the full winter car kit visit the Met Office website.

1. Think about vulnerable neighbours – if you know you have a family member or neighbour who may find it difficult to access the information or resources they need, could you offer to help?
2. Keep up to date with recommended seasonal vaccinations. (www.nhs.uk)
3. Find out how the community can prepare for seasonal changes and emergencies, have a look at the below webpages for further information on being prepared and resilient as a community :

• campaign.gov.uk
• gov.uk – community resilience

One of the most common issues people contact Great Torrington Town Council about during winter, particularly if we experience snow and ice, is the location of salt bins. So please do get in touch if you need information about your nearest salt bin. Guidance on how the salt should be used can be found online – grit/salt should be used sparingly and is provided primarily for use on the roads.

The Bickford in South Street is a great place to pop in for a cup of tea and some company, plus you can access useful information.

Look out for other local services offering a warm space throughout the winter.