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 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]
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]
Premises
Riverbank House, Chanters Road, Bideford: Council's main offices
Council meetings are usually held at Bideford Town Hall, which had been built in 1851 for the old Bideford Corporation.[24] The council's main offices are at Riverbank House in Bideford, which had been built c. 1982 as the headquarters of the Western Counties Building Society, before being bought by Torridge District Council in 1988.[25][26]
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.[27]
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".[28]
Torridge CVS
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.[29]
^"Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 26 November 2024. (Put "Torridge" in search box to see specific results.)
^"Contact us". Torridge District Council. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
^"Planning application 1/0088/2018/LA". Torridge District Council. p. 2, Supporting Statement. Retrieved 2 August 2023. Riverbank House was built circa 1982 as the former Western Counties Building Society head office. In 1988 Torridge District Council took over the premises as a main administration building for the Council.
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