Photo: Derek Harper · CC BY-SA 2.0The Liberal Democrats hold a majority on North Devon Council
South Molton is run by North Devon Council and Devon County Council, with South Molton parish council for local matters. The Liberal Democrats have a majority on North Devon Council. No party holds a majority on Devon County Council. Its MP is Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat), member for North Devon.
£2,619
Band D, a year, the middle band every council sets its tax from.
Where it goes →How South Molton’s politics has changed since 2021
A majority on North Devon Council
The Liberal Democrats hold a majority on North Devon Council: 23 of its 41 seats as elected. Independents hold 9, the Conservatives 6 and the Greens 3. 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 South Molton is £2,619 for 2026–27; North Devon Council keeps 9% 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.
Who holds the seats on South Molton’s councils
Seats by party as elected. A party needs 21 of North Devon’s 41 or 31 of Devon’s 60 seats to run the council alone.
- Liberal Democrat23
- Independent9
- Conservative6
- Green3
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
South Molton 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.
100% of South Molton’s residents · Band D precept £92
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 South Molton, from the most recent elections.
- 1Town or parishParish tierSouth Molton parish council
- 2North Devon Council1 ward · 3 councillorsDavid John WordenPeter John BishopMatt Bushell
- 3Devon County Council1 division · 1 councillorRichard Leonard Alan Hopley
- 4Police and crime commissionerDevon & Cornwall Police · elected May 2024Alison Hernandez
- 5House of CommonsNorth Devon
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.
3 councillors for 1 ward
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.
- David John WordenLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Peter John BishopLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Matt BushellIndependent · May 2023
Show as a table, with Devon County Council’s 1 division (1 councillor)
| Ward | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Moltonall in South Molton · 6,226 residents3 seats · May 2023 | 3 | David John WordenPeter John BishopMatt Bushell | May 2023 |
Devon County Council: county divisions
| Division | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Molton ED35% in South Molton · 6,226 residents1 seat · May 2025 | 1 | Richard Leonard Alan Hopley | May 2025 |
Councillors can resign, change party or sit as independents between elections; a by-election winner replaces someone not named here. North Devon 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).
North Devon council election, May 2023
Results in the wards that make up South Molton, as declared. Percentages are of votes cast for candidates in each ward; where a ward elects several councillors, each voter has that many votes.
1 ward voted. Every seat in the town’s wards was up.
No election is scheduled yet for South Molton’s wards in Democracy Club’s list. Councils publish a notice of election about five weeks before polling day.
Who can I vote for? ↗3,936 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.
South Molton is in North Devon constituency
The constituency’s MP and the 4 July 2024 general election, the whole constituency’s result (it reaches beyond South Molton).
51,417 votes for candidates · majority 6,744
Liberal Democrat, MP since 4 July 2024.
turnout in July 2024: 51,417 votes from 79,079 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 6,744 of 51,417 votes (13.1%): the 255th-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.
South Molton’s Band D council tax is £2,619 a year
Where a Band D bill goes, what it has cost over the years, and what the councils plan to spend per resident.
North Devon Council keeps £223.16 of a Band D bill (9%); the rest goes to the South Molton parish council, Devon County Council, the Devon & Cornwall police and crime commissioner and the Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Authority.
Band D since 1993
North Devon’s Band D bill has risen 57% in ten years, from £1,680.41 in 2016–17, in line with England’s average (56%). It was £536.63 in 1993–94.
Your bill by band
A Band D home in South Molton, 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
| North Devon + Devon | South Molton’s councils | Devon | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult social care | £503 | £505 | £487 |
| Children’s social care | £274 | £309 | £290 |
| Roads and transport | £63 | £55 | £41 |
| Housing (not council homes’ rents) | £37 | £37 | £61 |
| Bins, street cleaning, environment | £158 | £128 | £119 |
| Libraries, leisure, culture | £27 | £47 | £44 |
| Planning and development | £44 | £31 | £26 |
| Public health | £46 | £59 | £78 |
| Running the council | £63 | £67 | £59 |
| Other | £0 | £2 | £19 |
| Total, schools apart | £1,214 | £1,238 | £1,234 |
Net budgeted service spending, MHCLG Revenue Account budget 2026–27, per resident (ONS mid-2025 estimates). Both tiers added: North Devon 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 South Molton 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.
northdevon.gov.uk ↗Anyone can comment while an application is open for consultation.
northdevon.gov.uk ↗The rules, nomination papers and guidance for council candidates.
Electoral Commission ↗Questions about how South Molton is run
Which council runs South Molton?
South Molton is run by North Devon Council and Devon County Council. The county council runs schools, social care and roads; the district runs bins, planning and housing.
Does South Molton have a town council?
Yes: South Molton has its own parish-tier council (South Molton parish council; town councils are parish councils by another name), which adds £92 to a Band D bill in 2026–27.
Who is the MP for South Molton?
Ian Roome (Liberal Democrat) is the MP for North Devon, which covers South Molton.
How many councillors does South Molton have?
3 ward councillors represent South Molton’s 1 ward, and 1 county councillors its county divisions.
When are the next elections in South Molton?
No election is scheduled yet in Democracy Club’s list for South Molton’s wards. The next UK general election must be held by August 2029.
How much is council tax in South Molton?
Band D council tax in South Molton is £2,619 for 2026–27. Your bill depends on your home’s band, from A (6/9 of Band D) to H (18/9).
Who controls North Devon Council?
The Liberal Democrats have a majority: 23 of 41 seats as elected. The council’s website lists who leads it now.
Who controls Devon County Council?
No party has a majority. 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 South Molton?
In South Molton’s wards on 4 May 2023, Liberal Democrat 2 · Independent 1 of the 3 seats up. The Liberal Democrats had the largest share of votes, 38.5%.
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.