Teignbridge

Teignbridge 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: The new district was named Teignbridge after the medieval hundred of that name which had covered some of the area. 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.
 * 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

Governance
Teignbridge District Council provides district-level services. County-level services are provided by Devon County Council. The whole district is also covered by civil parishes, which form a third tier of local government.

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.

Political control
The council has been under Liberal Democrat majority control since the 2023 election.

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:

Leadership
The leaders of the council since 2003 have been:

Composition
Following the 2023 election and a by-election in May 2024, the composition of the council was:

One of the independent councillors sits in a group with the South Devon Alliance, the other two do not form part of a group. The next election is due in 2027.

Elections
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.

Premises
The council is based at Forde House on Brunel Road in Newton Abbot.

The council bought the Forde House estate in 1978 for £60,000. 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. 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".

Settlements in the district include: • Abbotskerswell

• Ashburton

• Ashcombe

• Ashton

• Bickington

• Bishopsteignton

• Bovey Tracey

• Bridford

• Brimley

• Broadhempston

• Buckfastleigh

• Buckland in the Moor

• Christow

• Chudleigh

• Chudleigh Knighton

• Cockwood

• Coffinswell

• Combe Fishacre

• Combeinteignhead

• Dainton

• Dawlish

• Dawlish Warren

• Denbury

• Doddiscombsleigh

• Dunchideock

• Dunsford

• Exminster

• Forder Green

• Gabwell

• Gappah

• Haytor vale

• Heathfield

• Hennock

• Holcombe

• Humber

• Ide

• Ideford

• Ilsington

• Ipplepen

• Kenn

• Kennford

• Kenton

• Kingskerswell

• Kingsteignton

• Liverton

• Lustleigh

• Luton

• Mamhead

• Manaton

• Moretonhampstead

• Nadderwater

• Netherton

• Newton Abbot

• North Bovey

• North Whilborough

• Ogwell

• Pathfinder Village

• Ponsworthy

• Poundsgate

• Powderham

• Ringmore

• Shaldon

• Shillingford Abbot

• Shillingford St George

• Sigford

• South Knighton

• Starcross

• Stokeinteignhead

• Tedburn St Mary

• Teign Village

• Teigngrace

• Teignmouth

• Torbryan

• Trusham

• Water

• Whitestone

• Widecombe-in-the-Moor

• Woodland