Your council
Torbay: what’s happening where you live
What the council itself has published on the five things it most shapes for a household: homes, getting about, the bill, the local environment and schools. Each line is quoted from the council’s own document, with the link. This page says what was decided or proposed; it never says whether it was right.
Torbay Council: Unitary authority (unitary), England, South West. GOV.UK lists it as a unitary council.
Do it online
- Household waste collection: Providing information
- Household waste collection: Reporting
- Bulky household waste collections: Applications for service
- Household garden waste: Providing information
- Recycling bags and containers: Providing information
- Flytipping: Reporting
- Road maintenance: Reporting
- Street lighting: Reporting
- Noise pollution: Reporting
- Council tax annual notification: Providing information
- Council tax annual notification: Collecting revenue
- Council tax discount: Applications for service
- Council tax benefit new claim: Applications for service
- Housing benefit new claim: Providing information
- Electoral register: Providing information
- Electoral register: Applications for service
- Primary school places: Applications for service
- Secondary school places: Applications for service
- Library facilities: Providing information
- Parking permits: Providing information
- Planning decision notices: Providing information
- Councillors directory: Providing information
- Complaints procedure: Providing information
Housing
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Transport
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Council tax
Band D set by Torbay for 2026–27: £2,044.11 of a £2,470.25 total bill in the area.
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Environment
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
Education
We haven't read this council's own publications yet. The council’s website
What the council plans to spend, 2026–27
| Service | Budget |
|---|---|
| Education services | £90.9 million |
| Highways and transport services | £8.5 million |
| Children's social care | £56.9 million |
| Adult social care | £76.0 million |
| Public health | £13.0 million |
| Housing services (general fund only) | £7.5 million |
| Cultural and related services | £4.9 million |
| Environmental and regulatory services | £17.3 million |
| Planning and development services | £9.4 million |
| Police services | none budgeted |
| Fire and rescue services | none budgeted |
| Central services | £19.3 million |
| Other services | £2.2 million |
| Total service expenditure | £305.9 million |
Life in Torbay: the official facts
- People living here
- 139,486 people
- Typical age
- 49 years
- Money to live on, per person, per year
- £23,771
- Typical weekly pay, before tax
- £557
- Children growing up in poverty
- 31.6%
- People claiming unemployment-related benefits
- 3.3%
- Average price of a home
- £221,469
- How many years of pay a home costs
- 7.5 times yearly pay
- Years in good health: women
- 61.9 years
- Years in good health: men
- 61.5 years
- Greenhouse gases, per person
- 2.8 tonnes per person
- Homes and businesses that can get the fastest broadband
- 87.8%
- Public chargers for electric cars
- 97.1 per 100,000 people
- Businesses trading here
- 4,375 businesses
Who runs the council
This council’s area is covered by Devon and Torbay combined authority.
36 seats in 2026. Run by: Conservatives, as a minority administration.
Councillors by party: Conservative and Unionist 17, Liberal Democrats 15, Independent / Other 4.
Next scheduled council election: 6 May 2027.
All 36 councillors, by ward
- Mike Fox (Liberal Democrats) — Barton with Watcombe
- Steve Darling (Liberal Democrats) — Barton with Watcombe
- Swithin Long (Liberal Democrats) — Barton with Watcombe
- Adam Billings (Conservative and Unionist) — Churston with Galmpton
- Alan Tyerman (Conservative and Unionist) — Churston with Galmpton
- Cat Johns (Liberal Democrats) — Clifton with Maidenway
- Margaret Douglas-Dunbar (Liberal Democrats) — Clifton with Maidenway
- Mark Spacagna (Conservative and Unionist) — Cockington with Chelston
- Nicole Amil (Independent / Other) — Cockington with Chelston
- Martin Brook (Conservative and Unionist) — Collaton St Mary
- Jermaine Atiya-Alla (Liberal Democrats) — Ellacombe
- Yannis Nicolaou (Liberal Democrats) — Ellacombe
- Andrew Strang (Conservative and Unionist) — Furzeham with Summercombe
- Hannah Stevens (Conservative and Unionist) — Furzeham with Summercombe
- Jason Hutchings (Independent / Other) — Furzeham with Summercombe
- Hayley Tranter (Conservative and Unionist) — Goodrington with Roselands
- John Fellows (Conservative and Unionist) — Goodrington with Roselands
- Jacqueline Thomas (Conservative and Unionist) — King's Ash
- Yvonne Twelves (Conservative and Unionist) — King's Ash
- Barbara Lewis (Conservative and Unionist) — Preston
- Chris Lewis (Conservative and Unionist) — Preston
- David Thomas (Conservative and Unionist) — Preston
- Christine Carter (Liberal Democrats) — Roundham with Hyde
- Nigel Penny (Liberal Democrats) — Roundham with Hyde
- Darren Cowell (Independent / Other) — Shiphay
- Katya Maddison (Independent / Other) — Shiphay
- George Darling (Liberal Democrats) — St Marychurch
- Kelly Harvey (Liberal Democrats) — St Marychurch
- Ras Virdee (Liberal Democrats) — St Marychurch
- Anna Tolchard (Conservative and Unionist) — St Peter's with St Mary's
- Steve Bryant (Conservative and Unionist) — St Peter's with St Mary's
- Cordelia Law (Liberal Democrats) — Tormohun
- Mandy Darling (Liberal Democrats) — Tormohun
- Nick Pentney (Liberal Democrats) — Tormohun
- Hazel Foster (Conservative and Unionist) — Wellswood
- Nick Bye (Conservative and Unionist) — Wellswood