Citizen Enquiry Bureau: What Does Totnes Town Council Do?
This is a question that has been asked many times over the years, and often comes to the fore at this time of year when Council Tax demands come through the letterbox.
A Big Jump..
Residents of Totnes may have noticed that Totnes Town Council is raising £656,022 through the Council Tax. This represents a 6.6% increase on last year and means that a typical property in Council Tax band D will pay £218.65 a year to the Town Council. Some people wonder what the Town Council does with this income.
The Town Council has limited powers. It is responsible for the maintenance of some historic buildings, sites and heritage activities in the town, and it manages – but does not own – the Civic Hall. It is a statutory consultee on planning matters and provides grant aid to local organisations. In the past it has provided the Totnes Information Centre, but this will no longer operate. More recently it has focused on promoting and developing the wellbeing of the town.
Spending the Council Tax
In March the Town Council published a new Strategic Plan covering the next five years which goes a long way to explaining what the Town Council hopes to do. The current group of town councilors were elected in May 2023 and have been determined to understand the needs of residents, businesses and visitors to the town and develop plans which will determine priorities for action and expenditure. The new council has been keen to develop an agreed vision of what people in Totnes want and how the council can work together with other organisations to achieve this.
We know that many local people are struggling
The plan covers three key areas – 
Our local environment:
- Protect and improve access to civic spaces, open spaces, green spaces and blue spaces
- Ensure that future development is suitable, sustainable and addresses local needs
- Secure and celebrate heritage assets in our town
- Ensure Totnes is a clean, safe and attractive place for current generations to live, work and visit
- Support a sustainable approach to traffic management throughout Totnes including links to surrounding towns and parishes
- Ensure that Section 106 funding is used to greatest effect
Our local community:
- Support a lively, connected community and improve health and wellbeing outcomes for all residents
- Encourage active lifestyles for all
- Support the health and wellbeing of young people
- Protect and enhance access to open, green and blue spaces (also under ‘Our local environment’)
- Support access to art and music in Totnes
- Ensure access to information about local events, activities, opportunities and other community information
- Protect and improve the unique heritage and history of Totnes
- Work with the community and other stakeholders on place shaping and community development
Our local economy
- Support the local economy to maintain and create new high-quality and inclusive job opportunities. Particularly in better paid industries and the environmental- and highly-skilled sectors
- Ensure the town centre remains vibrant and offers a mix of goods and services as well as a focal point of the community in terms of culture, heritage and the arts
- Ensure all businesses in Totnes have an opportunity to be heard and contribute to future planning
- Explore opportunities to develop a circular economy in Totnes. Building on the history of Totnes and making the most of its proximity to Schumacher College
- Promote and support local food producing businesses and networks in and around Totnes and promote Totnes as a healthy and sustainable food destination
The full plan which can be seen at https://www.totnestowncouncil.gov.uk/totnes-town-councillors-set-out-strategic-plan-to-support-residents-wellbeing/ sets priorities and details some actions to achieve these objectives.
Challenging
This is a comprehensive and challenging plan. No doubt some people will say that it is unrealistic and unachievable given the limited resources of the council. Others will claim that the Town Council is taking on work that should be performed by the district or county councils.
Emily Price the mayor of Totnes and councillor Darren Peters who has taken a lead on developing the strategic plan are both aware of these potential criticisms. The plan has been informed by the community conversation that the council has conducted since being elected last year and reflects the wishes of the community.
Tough decision
Emily and Darren acknowledge that some of these issues in the past would have been tackled by higher tier councils. Mayor Price stated: “Increasing our element of the Council Tax even by this modest amount has been a really tough decision. We know that many local people are struggling and that any increase in Council Tax will hit them hard. But we also know that residents value what we do and that it’s likely the Town Council may have to do even more in the future to counteract less support coming from Devon County Council.”
The reality is that after fourteen years of austerity other councils do not have the capacity, and the needs of the community are unmet. The Town Council is also acutely aware of their limited resources and are determined to work with other individuals and organisations to achieve the changes. The focus will be on working with and supporting other groups in the town.
Keep in Touch
Emily and Darren hope that any group or individual with a passion to change things will engage with the Town Council. In return the Town Council will do all they can to support and encourage activities in line with the strategic plan.
The answer to the question “What does the Town Council do?” will become apparent over the next few years.
The strategic plan is very ambitious. If real progress is made over the next few years, it will be a great achievement and the councillors will deserve the thanks of everyone in Totnes.