Teignbridge

Teignbridge (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell) is a local government district in Devon, England. Its council is based in the town of Newton Abbot. The district also includes the towns of Ashburton, Buckfastleigh, Dawlish, Kingsteignton and Teignmouth, along with numerous villages and surrounding rural areas. Teignbridge contains part of the south Devon coastline, including the Dawlish Warren National Nature Reserve. Some of the inland western parts of the district lie within the Dartmoor National Park. It is named after the old Teignbridge hundred.

The neighbouring districts are Torbay, South Hams, West Devon, Mid Devon, East Devon and Exeter.

History

The district was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, covering the whole area of six former districts and part of a seventh, which were all abolished at the same time:<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref>

• Ashburton Urban District
• Buckfastleigh Urban District
• Dawlish Urban District
• Newton Abbot Rural District
• Newton Abbot Urban District
• St Thomas Rural District (parts south-west of Exeter, rest went to East Devon)
• Teignmouth Urban District

The new district was named Teignbridge after the medieval hundred of that name which had covered some of the area.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref> The hundred in turn had been named after the bridge over the River Teign on Exeter Road west of Kingsteignton, where there had been a number of bridges since Roman times.<ref>Template:NHLE</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Governance

Teignbridge District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Devon County Council.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref> The whole district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In the parts of the district within the Dartmoor National Park, town planning is the responsibility of the Dartmoor National Park Authority. The district council appoints two of its councillors to serve on the 19-person National Park Authority.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Political control

The council has been under Liberal Democrat majority control since the 2023 election.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The first election to the council was held in 1973, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities before coming into its powers on 1 April 1974. Political control of the council since 1974 has been as follows:<ref name=hold>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=electionscentre>Template:Cite web (Put "Teignbridge" in search box to see specific results.)</ref>

Party in control		Years
Template:Party name with colour	1974–1983
Template:Party name with colour	1983–2011
Template:Party name with colour	2011–2019
Template:Party name with colour	2019–2021
Template:Party name with colour<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	2021–2023
Template:Party name with colour	2023–present

Leadership

The leaders of the council since 2003 have been:

Councillor	Party		From	To
Alan Connett<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	Template:Party name with colour	2003	2011
Jeremy Christophers<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	Template:Party name with colour	2011	May 2019
Gordon Hook<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	Template:Party name with colour	20 May 2019	3 Sep 2020
Alan Connett<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	Template:Party name with colour	3 Sep 2020	May 2023
Martin Wrigley<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Party name with colour	23 May 2023	30 July 2024
Richard Keeling<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Party name with colour	30 July 2024

Composition

Following the 2023 election and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to May 2025, the composition of the council was:<ref name=Thorncliffe>Template:Cite web</ref>

Party		Councillors
Template:Party name with colour	25
Template:Party name with colour	10
Template:Party name with colour	1
Template:Party name with colour	11
Total		47

Ten of the independent councillors form the "Independent Group", the other is not aligned to a group.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The next election is due in 2027.<ref name=Thorncliffe/>

Elections

Template:Also Since the last boundary changes in 2019 the council has comprised 47 councillors representing 24 wards, with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.<ref>Template:Cite legislation UK</ref>

Premises

Old Forde House

The council is based at Forde House on Brunel Road in Newton Abbot.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The council bought the Forde House estate in 1978 for £60,000.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The estate comprised a Tudor mansion and its grounds. A modern office building was built in the grounds to serve as the council's headquarters, being formally opened on 27 April 1987.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The new office building now takes the name Forde House, with the old mansion now called Old Forde House.

Parishes and settlements

The district is entirely divided into civil parishes. Some of the smaller parishes have a parish meeting rather than a parish council. The parish councils for Ashburton, Buckfastleigh, Dawlish, Kingsteignton, Newton Abbot and Teignmouth take the style "town council".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Settlements in the district include: Template:Columns-list