Vote of No Confidence in Torbay Council

Torbay is being sold off by our Council, piece by piece, to the highest bidder.

The Pavilion has been allowed to fall into disrepair by our self-serving Council, in an apparent bid to force the public into consenting to the sale of the site (including the community green space Cary Green) for the princely sum of £1, to be destroyed by developers.

Oldway Mansion, has also been left closed to the public and rotting, after being sold to developers 3 years ago. Another public facility stolen from the hands of the public.

The old Hollicombe gas works has been sold off for redevelopment, at great risk to the health of surrounding residents. The Council is refusing to answer Freedom of Information requests for residents to be adequately informed about the levels of toxic dust measured around the site (presumably because it knows that these are far higher than it assured us all they would be). The pursuit of profits and kowtowing to big business appears to be more important to this Council than the health and wellbeing of residents of the Bay.

For 2 consecutive years, the Mayor has shown contempt for the people of Brixham, refusing to pass on a £67,000 central government grant meant for Brixham (against the recommendations of the former Minister for Local Government, Kris Hopkins).

This year, council tax will be rising by 2% while the Bay faces sweeping budget cuts, including £920,000 from children's services, £331,000 from highways and maintenance, £292,000 from Community Services, and the complete removal of funding for the Crisis Fund. Up to 50 council jobs will be lost as a result of these cuts (no doubt affecting low-paid frontline staff, rather than directors and heads of departments). In short, we will all be paying more, but getting a lot less for our money.

Money is no object to the Coucil when it comes to beach huts, however - it managed to overspend by £600,000 on the Meadfoot and Oddicombe beach huts scheme. In a few months, when we are dodging potholes on roads that resemble a lunar landscape, please remember that the council incompetently blew nearly twice the £330,000 in cuts to Highways on a few seaside sheds for the wealthy minority who can afford them.

Torbay businesses are being told that services once seen as fundamental will no longer be included in the extortionate business rates they pay to the Council. On top of these, the Council wanted businesses to pay a compulsory further levy to a private company who failed spectacularly in their previous attempt to provide these once basic services. The Council wanted this so much that it wasted £100,000 of taxpayers' money in a failed attempt to advertise the BID campaign, and undemocratically attempted to swing the 'Yes' vote by giving its 46 public car parks and toilets a vote!

Are these the actions of a Council acting in the interests of the people who elected it? It is time this Council is reminded that it works for us, the taxpayers, not vice versa. It has a duty to all of us - those who voted for it, and those who didn't - and it is time that it was held accountable for its failure to uphold that duty. Please sign if you agree and want action.