Photo: Roger A Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0No party holds a majority on Torridge District Council
Bideford is run by Torridge District Council and Devon County Council, with Bideford parish council for local matters. No party holds a majority on either Torridge District Council or Devon County Council. Its MP is Sir Geoffrey Cox (Conservative), member for Torridge and Tavistock.
£2,650
Band D, a year, the middle band every council sets its tax from.
Where it goes →How Bideford’s politics has changed since 2021
No majority on Torridge District Council
No party holds a majority on Torridge District Council. Independents, the largest group, hold 14 of its 36 seats as elected, 5 short of the 19 needed. The Liberal Democrats hold 12, the Conservatives 5, the Greens 3 and Labour 2. Who’s in charge ↓
Devon changed hands in 2025
Devon County Council, which runs schools, social care and roads, went from a Conservative majority (39 of 60 seats in 2021) to no overall control at the May 2025 election: the Liberal Democrats won 27 of 60 seats. Devon ↓
Council tax
A Band D bill in Bideford is £2,652 for 2026–27; Torridge District Council keeps 8% of it. The council area’s Band D has risen 57% in ten years, in line with England’s 56%. Council money ↓
Written from the data on this page: Democracy Club results since May 2021, the UK Parliament Members API and MHCLG council tax.
No party has a majority on either council
Seats by party as elected. A party needs 19 of Torridge’s 36 or 31 of Devon’s 60 seats to run the council alone.
- Independent14
- Liberal Democrat12
- Conservative5
- Green3
- Labour2
Latest election: May 2023.
- Liberal Democrat27+18
- Reform UK18+18
- Conservative7−32
- Green6+4
- Independent2−1
- Labour0−7
Change against the council before the 1 May 2025 election.
Seats are counted from election results: each ward’s most recent winners until its seats are filled. Councillors who have since changed party or resigned aren’t reflected, and which parties lead the council, and who is leader, comes from the council itself.
Results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), elections since May 2021; seats per ward from its EveryElection.
Two tiers of council, and a parish tier
Bideford has two tiers of council: the county runs the big services, the district the local ones.
Local matters: allotments, play areas, halls, footpaths and benches; it is consulted on planning and adds a precept to the council tax bill. A town council is a parish council by another name.
92% of Bideford’s residents · Band D precept £147
The parish council for the part of Bideford inside Northam parish.
Who runs Bideford: same source as Who runs Bideford, above.
Bins and recycling, planning, housing, environmental health, leisure, and collecting council tax.
Website ↗Schools, social care, roads and transport, libraries and waste disposal.
Website ↗Transport, skills and regeneration across several council areas.
Who to ask
From GOV.UK’s “Understand how your council works”: in two-tier areas the district or borough runs local services and the county the big ones.
Councils from ONS lookups (wards and councils May 2026, parishes 2025), names and websites from GOV.UK’s local council finder; parish councils from MHCLG’s 2026–27 list of precepting parishes.
From the parish to Westminster
Every elected tier that speaks for Bideford, from the most recent elections.
- 1Town or parish2 parish councilsBideford parish councilNortham parish council
- 2Torridge District Council5 wards · 13 councillorsIndependent 6 · Green 3 · Labour 2 · Liberal Democrat 2 · Conservative 1 · all 14
- 3Devon County Council3 divisions · 3 councillorsRobin JulianMark Andrew BarryDermot McGeough
- 4Police and crime commissionerDevon & Cornwall Police · elected May 2024Alison Hernandez
- 5House of CommonsTorridge and Tavistock
Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. Tap an MP’s name for their contact page on parliament.uk.
13 councillors for 5 wards
Wards with at least 2% of the town’s residents, or half their own inside it. Each shows who won its most recent elections, newest first, until its seats are filled.
- Teresa Anne TinsleyLiberal Democrat · May 2024 · by-election
- Peter Stuart ChristieGreen · May 2023
- Trevor JohnsLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Doug BushbyIndependent · May 2023
- Jude GubbIndependent · May 2023
- James Andrew CraigieIndependent · May 2023
- Huw ThomasGreen · May 2023
- David George BrentonLabour · May 2023
- Simon George InchIndependent · May 2023
- Carl Jason HawkinsIndependent · May 2023
- Anne BrentonLabour · May 2023
- Chris LeatherIndependent · May 2023
- Jane WhittakerConservative · May 2023
- Wendy Lo-VelGreen · May 2023
Show as a table, with Devon County Council’s 3 divisions (3 councillors)
| Ward | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bideford Northall in Bideford · 5,740 residents3 seats · May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Teresa Anne Tinsleyby-electionPeter Stuart ChristieTrevor JohnsDoug Bushby | May 2024, May 2023 |
| Bideford Eastall in Bideford · 5,736 residents3 seats · May 2023 | 3 | Jude GubbJames Andrew CraigieHuw Thomas | May 2023 |
| Bideford Southmostly in Bideford · 3,553 residents2 seats · May 2023 | 2 | David George BrentonSimon George Inch | May 2023 |
| Bideford Westall in Bideford · 2,942 residents2 seats · May 2023 | 2 | Carl Jason HawkinsAnne Brenton | May 2023 |
| Northam31% in Bideford · 1,522 residents3 seats · May 2023 | 3 | Chris LeatherJane WhittakerWendy Lo-Vel | May 2023 |
Devon County Council: county divisions
| Division | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bideford West & Hartland EDall in Bideford · 12,235 residents1 seat · May 2025 | 1 | Robin Julian | May 2025 |
| Bideford East EDall in Bideford · 5,736 residents1 seat · May 2025 | 1 | Mark Andrew Barry | May 2025 |
| Northam ED12% in Bideford · 1,522 residents1 seat · May 2025 | 1 | Dermot McGeough | May 2025 |
Councillors can resign, change party or sit as independents between elections; a by-election winner replaces someone not named here. Torridge District Council’s website lists who sits now.
Results from Democracy Club’s candidates database (CC BY 4.0; elections since May 2021) and ward seats from its EveryElection, matched to ONS wards (May 2026) and county divisions (May 2025).
Torridge council election, May 2023
Results in the wards that make up Bideford, as declared. Percentages are of votes cast for candidates in each ward; where a ward elects several councillors, each voter has that many votes.
5 wards voted. Every seat in the town’s wards was up.
No election is scheduled yet for Bideford’s wards in Democracy Club’s list. Councils publish a notice of election about five weeks before polling day.
Who can I vote for? ↗2,853 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
2,617 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
1,178 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
Every ward’s result (2 more)
948 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
3,585 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
Candidates and results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), from councils’ declared results; polling dates from Democracy Club’s EveryElection.
Bideford is in Torridge and Tavistock constituency
The constituency’s MP and the 4 July 2024 general election, the whole constituency’s result (it reaches beyond Bideford).
50,820 votes for candidates · majority 3,950
Conservative, MP since 5 May 2005.
turnout in July 2024: 50,820 votes from 74,727 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 3,950 of 50,820 votes (7.8%): the 148th-narrowest of 543 in England.
MPs and results: UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0); constituencies from ONS (2024 boundaries). Percentages are of valid votes; turnout is votes cast over the electorate.
Bideford’s Band D council tax is £2,652 a year
Where a Band D bill goes, what it has cost over the years, and what the councils plan to spend per resident.
Torridge District Council keeps £201.01 of a Band D bill (8%); the rest goes to the Bideford parish council, Devon County Council, the Devon & Cornwall police and crime commissioner and the Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Authority.
Across the whole town the average Band D is £2,650 (parishes differ; weighted by residents).
Band D since 1993
Torridge’s Band D bill has risen 57% in ten years, from £1,659.77 in 2016–17, in line with England’s average (56%). It was £524.25 in 1993–94.
Your bill by band
A Band D home in Bideford, 2026–27, before discounts. The Valuation Office Agency’s band search gives any home’s band.
Devon’s councils
Average Band D in each council area, 2026–27, parish precepts included. Bars start at £2,300.
Council budgets per resident, 2026–27
Show as a table, with Devon
| Torridge + Devon | Bideford’s councils | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult social care | £503 | £505 | £487 |
| Children’s social care | £274 | £309 | £290 |
| Roads and transport | £72 | £55 | £41 |
| Housing (not council homes’ rents) | £20 | £37 | £61 |
| Bins, street cleaning, environment | £154 | £128 | £119 |
| Libraries, leisure, culture | £29 | £47 | £44 |
| Planning and development | £57 | £31 | £26 |
| Public health | £46 | £59 | £78 |
| Running the council | £61 | £67 | £59 |
| Other | £0 | £2 | £19 |
| Total, schools apart | £1,216 | £1,238 | £1,234 |
Net budgeted service spending, MHCLG Revenue Account budget 2026–27, per resident (ONS mid-2025 estimates). Both tiers added: Torridge per its residents plus Devon per the county’s. Schools are left out: academies are paid for directly by government, so council school budgets depend on how many schools have converted. Devon and England: all their councils together. Police, fire and transport authorities aren’t included.
Band D: MHCLG Band D council tax 2026–27 (each authority’s own figure, excluding parish precepts) and Council Tax statistics for town and parish councils 2026–27; since 1993–94, MHCLG’s area averages including parishes.
Having a say in how Bideford is run
It takes about five minutes online; the deadline is 12 working days before a poll.
gov.uk ↗Type a postcode to write to each of its councillors and its MP.
WriteToThem ↗GOV.UK sends the report to the council that looks after the road.
gov.uk ↗Council and committee meetings are open to the public, with agendas and minutes online.
torridge.gov.uk ↗Anyone can comment while an application is open for consultation.
torridge.gov.uk ↗The rules, nomination papers and guidance for council candidates.
Electoral Commission ↗Questions about how Bideford is run
Which council runs Bideford?
Bideford is run by Torridge District Council and Devon County Council. The county council runs schools, social care and roads; the district runs bins, planning and housing.
Does Bideford have a town council?
Yes: Bideford has its own parish-tier council (Bideford parish council; town councils are parish councils by another name), which adds £147 to a Band D bill in 2026–27.
Who is the MP for Bideford?
Sir Geoffrey Cox (Conservative) is the MP for Torridge and Tavistock, which covers Bideford.
How many councillors does Bideford have?
13 ward councillors represent Bideford’s 5 wards, and 3 county councillors its county divisions.
When are the next elections in Bideford?
No election is scheduled yet in Democracy Club’s list for Bideford’s wards. The next UK general election must be held by August 2029.
How much is council tax in Bideford?
Band D council tax in Bideford is £2,650 for 2026–27. Your bill depends on your home’s band, from A (6/9 of Band D) to H (18/9).
Who controls Torridge District Council?
No party has a majority. As elected, Independent 14 · Liberal Democrat 12 · Conservative 5 · Green 3 · Labour 2 of 36 seats; a majority needs 19. The council’s website lists who leads it now.
Who controls Devon County Council?
As elected, Liberal Democrat 27 · Reform UK 18 · Conservative 7 · Green 6 · Independent 2 of 60 seats; a majority needs 31.
Who won the 2023 council election in Bideford?
In Bideford’s wards on 4 May 2023, Independent 6 · Green 3 · Labour 2 · Liberal Democrat 1 · Conservative 1 of the 13 seats up. Independents had the largest share of votes, 38.4%.
Sources: ONS ward, county division, parish, constituency lookups (Census 2021 output areas; Open Government Licence v3.0) · GOV.UK local council finder · Democracy Club candidates (CC BY 4.0) and EveryElection · UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0) · MHCLG Band D council tax, parish precepts and Revenue Account budgets 2026–27 (OGL v3.0) · ONS mid-2025 population estimates. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.