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Town Hall & politics · Mid Devon District Council

The Liberal Democrats hold a majority on Mid Devon District Council

Willand is run by Mid Devon District Council and Devon County Council, with Willand parish council for local matters. The Liberal Democrats have a majority on Mid Devon District Council. No party holds a majority on Devon County Council. Its MP is Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat), member for Tiverton and Minehead.

Council tax 2026–27

£2,615

Band D, a year, the middle band every council sets its tax from.

Where it goes →
Band D council tax
£2,615
2026–27, a year
Ward councillors
3
1 ward · Mid Devon
MP
Rachel Gilmour
Liberal Democrat · Tiverton and Minehead
Turnout, July 2024
66%
Tiverton and Minehead · England 60%
What stands out · In brief

How Willand’s politics has changed since 2021

A majority on Mid Devon District Council

The Liberal Democrats hold a majority on Mid Devon District Council: 34 of its 42 seats as elected. The Conservatives hold 4, the Greens 3 and independents 1. 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 Willand is £2,615 for 2026–27; Mid Devon District 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’s in charge

Who holds the seats on Willand’s councils

Seats by party as elected. A party needs 22 of Mid Devon’s 42 or 31 of Devon’s 60 seats to run the council alone.

District council · 42 councillorsMid Devon District CouncilLiberal Democrat majority
GreenGreenGreenLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratIndependentConservativeConservativeConservativeConservative42seats
  • Liberal Democrat34
  • Conservative4
  • Green3
  • Independent1

Latest election: May 2023.

County council · 60 councillors · Willand elects 1Devon County CouncilNo overall control
GreenGreenGreenGreenGreenGreenLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratIndependentIndependentConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeReform UKReform UKReform UKReform UKReform UKReform UKReform UKReform UKReform UKReform UKReform UKReform UKReform UKReform UKReform UKReform UKReform UKReform UK60seats
  • Liberal Democrat27+18
  • Reform UK18+18
  • Conservative7−32
  • Green6+4
  • Independent2−1
  • Labour0−7

Change against the council before the 1 May 2025 election.

GreenLiberal DemocratIndependentConservativeReform UK

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.

Who runs Willand

Two tiers of council, and a parish tier

Willand has two tiers of council: the county runs the big services, the district the local ones.

Town or parish councilWilland parish council

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 Willand’s residents · Band D precept £64

District councilMid Devon District Council

Bins and recycling, planning, housing, environmental health, leisure, and collecting council tax.

Website ↗
County councilDevon County Council

Schools, social care, roads and transport, libraries and waste disposal.

Website ↗
Combined authorityDevon and Torbay

Transport, skills and regeneration across several council areas.

Who to ask

Bins and recyclingMid Devon District Council
Planning applicationsMid Devon District Council
Council housing and homelessnessMid Devon District Council
Council tax billsMid Devon District Council
Parks and leisure centresMid Devon District Council
Allotments, play areas, benchesWilland parish council
Potholes, roads and streetlightsDevon County Council
Schools and school placesDevon County Council
Adult and children’s social careDevon County Council
LibrariesDevon County Council
Tips and recycling centresDevon County Council
Bus and transport plansDevon and Torbay combined authority
Police priorities and budgetDevon & Cornwall Police police and crime commissioner
Fire safety visitsDevon & Somerset Fire and Rescue

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.

Who represents Willand

From the parish to Westminster

Every elected tier that speaks for Willand, from the most recent elections.

  1. 1
    Town or parishParish tier
    Willand parish council
  2. 2
    Mid Devon District Council1 ward · 3 councillors
    Andrea GloverCathy ConnorJohn Lloyd Poynton
  3. 3
    Devon County Council1 division · 1 councillor
    Simon John Clist
  4. 4
    Police and crime commissionerDevon & Cornwall Police · elected May 2024
    Alison Hernandez
  5. 5
    House of CommonsTiverton and Minehead
ConservativeLiberal Democrat

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.

Councillors

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.

Lower Culm
3,477 residents · 50% in Willand
  • Andrea GloverLiberal Democrat · May 2023
  • Cathy ConnorLiberal Democrat · May 2023
  • John Lloyd PoyntonLiberal Democrat · May 2023
Liberal Democrat
Show as a table, with Devon County Council’s 1 division (1 councillor)
WardSeatsElectedWhen
Lower Culmmostly in Willand · 3,477 residents3 seats · May 20233
Andrea GloverCathy ConnorJohn Lloyd Poynton
May 2023

Devon County Council: county divisions

DivisionSeatsElectedWhen
Willand & Uffculme ED20% in Willand · 3,477 residents1 seat · May 20251
Simon John Clist
May 2025

Councillors can resign, change party or sit as independents between elections; a by-election winner replaces someone not named here. Mid Devon 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).

Local elections

Mid Devon council election, May 2023

Results in the wards that make up Willand, as declared. Percentages are of votes cast for candidates in each ward; where a ward elects several councillors, each voter has that many votes.

Seats won in Willand’s wards3 seats · 4 May 2023
Liberal Democrat3

1 ward voted. Every seat in the town’s wards was up.

Next elections

No election is scheduled yet for Willand’s wards in Democracy Club’s list. Councils publish a notice of election about five weeks before polling day.

Who can I vote for? ↗
Lower Culm4 May 2023
Andrea Glover ElectedLiberal Democrat16.9%
Cathy Connor ElectedLiberal Democrat15.0%
John Lloyd Poynton ElectedLiberal Democrat14.0%
Richard James ChestertonConservative13.5%
Brian Kenneth Lane-SmithConservative9.6%
Bob EvansIndependent9.0%
Lewis Alexander WorrowConservative8.7%
Barry Gordon John WarrenIndependent8.4%
John Edward BellLabour4.9%

4,811 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each

LabourConservativeLiberal DemocratIndependent

Candidates and results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), from councils’ declared results; polling dates from Democracy Club’s EveryElection.

Parliament

Willand is in Tiverton and Minehead constituency

The constituency’s MP and the 4 July 2024 general election, the whole constituency’s result (it reaches beyond Willand).

Tiverton and Minehead · general election4 July 2024
Rachel Gilmour ElectedLiberal Democrat38.6%
Ian Liddell-GraingerConservative31.2%
Fred KeenReform UK16.4%
Jonathan BarterLabour9.1%
Laura BuchananGreen4.7%

47,491 votes for candidates · majority 3,507

MP for Tiverton and Minehead

Rachel Gilmour

Liberal Democrat, MP since 4 July 2024.

66%

turnout in July 2024: 47,491 votes from 72,087 registered voters. England: 60%.

Majority 3,507 of 47,491 votes (7.4%): the 138th-narrowest of 543 in England.

LabourConservativeLiberal DemocratReform UKGreen

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.

Council money

Willand’s Band D council tax is £2,615 a year

Where a Band D bill goes, what it has cost over the years, and what the councils plan to spend per resident.

COUNCIL TAXBand D · 2026–27 · a Band D home in Willand
Willand parish councilparish precept£64.31
Mid Devon District Councildistrict council£246.29
Devon County Councilcounty council£1,891.17
Devon & Cornwall police and crime commissionerpolice and crime£303.20
Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Authorityfire and rescue£109.68
A year£2,614.65
Bills by band run from 6/9 of Band D (Band A) to 18/9 (Band H). Discounts and support reduce many bills.

Mid Devon District Council keeps £246.29 of a Band D bill (9%); the rest goes to the Willand parish council, Devon County Council, the Devon & Cornwall police and crime commissioner and the Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Authority.

Band D since 1993

£0£500£1K£1.5K£2K£2.5K£3K1995200020052010201520202025England, 1993–94: £567.95England, 1994–95: £580.11England, 1995–96: £609.00England, 1996–97: £646.00England, 1997–98: £688.00England, 1998–99: £747.00England, 1999–00: £798.00England, 2000–01: £847.00England, 2001–02: £901.33England, 2002–03: £975.56England, 2003–04: £1,101.75England, 2004–05: £1,166.56England, 2005–06: £1,213.81England, 2006–07: £1,267.91England, 2007–08: £1,321.32England, 2008–09: £1,373.08England, 2009–10: £1,413.84England, 2010–11: £1,439.22England, 2011–12: £1,439.33England, 2012–13: £1,444.13England, 2013–14: £1,455.60England, 2014–15: £1,467.98England, 2015–16: £1,483.58England, 2016–17: £1,529.56England, 2017–18: £1,590.55England, 2018–19: £1,671.46England, 2019–20: £1,749.88England, 2020–21: £1,817.67England, 2021–22: £1,898.48England, 2022–23: £1,965.71England, 2023–24: £2,065.05England, 2024–25: £2,170.99England, 2025–26: £2,280.21England, 2026–27: £2,391.52Mid Devon, 1993–94: £543.38Mid Devon, 1994–95: £585.00Mid Devon, 1995–96: £579.38Mid Devon, 1996–97: £585.37Mid Devon, 1997–98: £640.28Mid Devon, 1998–99: £733.90Mid Devon, 1999–00: £794.16Mid Devon, 2000–01: £840.17Mid Devon, 2001–02: £898.27Mid Devon, 2002–03: £990.75Mid Devon, 2003–04: £1,174.45Mid Devon, 2004–05: £1,240.01Mid Devon, 2005–06: £1,287.80Mid Devon, 2006–07: £1,349.09Mid Devon, 2007–08: £1,413.03Mid Devon, 2008–09: £1,475.50Mid Devon, 2009–10: £1,522.31Mid Devon, 2010–11: £1,558.55Mid Devon, 2011–12: £1,559.73Mid Devon, 2012–13: £1,565.76Mid Devon, 2013–14: £1,573.08Mid Devon, 2014–15: £1,601.62Mid Devon, 2015–16: £1,632.97Mid Devon, 2016–17: £1,694.96Mid Devon, 2017–18: £1,768.41Mid Devon, 2018–19: £1,855.77Mid Devon, 2019–20: £1,946.90Mid Devon, 2020–21: £2,021.45Mid Devon, 2021–22: £2,121.06Mid Devon, 2022–23: £2,185.59Mid Devon, 2023–24: £2,295.32Mid Devon, 2024–25: £2,404.17Mid Devon, 2025–26: £2,521.17Mid Devon, 2026–27: £2,656.41Mid Devon £2,656England £2,392

Mid Devon’s Band D bill has risen 57% in ten years, from £1,694.96 in 2016–17, in line with England’s average (56%). It was £543.38 in 1993–94.

Your bill by band

Band A 6/9£1,743
Band B 7/9£2,034
Band C 8/9£2,324
Band D 9/9£2,615
Band E 11/9£3,196
Band F 13/9£3,777
Band G 15/9£4,358
Band H 18/9£5,229

A Band D home in Willand, 2026–27, before discounts. The Valuation Office Agency’s band search gives any home’s band.

Devon’s councils

Plymouth£2,442
Torbay£2,470
Exeter£2,495
East Devon£2,595
Torridge£2,601
South Hams£2,615
North Devon£2,642
Teignbridge£2,643
Mid Devon£2,656
West Devon£2,705

Average Band D in each council area, 2026–27, parish precepts included. Bars start at £2,300.

Council budgets per resident, 2026–27

ServiceMid Devon + Devonvs England
Adult social care£503+£16
Children’s social care£274−£16
Roads and transport£80+£39
Housing (not council homes’ rents)£26−£35
Bins, street cleaning, environment£108−£11
Libraries, leisure, culture£38−£6
Planning and development£48+£22
Public health£46−£32
Running the council£66+£7
Other£0−£19
Willand’s councils, per residentEngland, all councils
Show as a table, with Devon
Mid Devon + DevonWilland’s councilsDevonEngland
Adult social care£503£505£487
Children’s social care£274£309£290
Roads and transport£80£55£41
Housing (not council homes’ rents)£26£37£61
Bins, street cleaning, environment£108£128£119
Libraries, leisure, culture£38£47£44
Planning and development£48£31£26
Public health£46£59£78
Running the council£66£67£59
Other£0£2£19
Total, schools apart£1,188£1,238£1,234

Net budgeted service spending, MHCLG Revenue Account budget 2026–27, per resident (ONS mid-2025 estimates). Both tiers added: Mid 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.

Get involved

Having a say in how Willand is run

Register to vote

It takes about five minutes online; the deadline is 12 working days before a poll.

gov.uk ↗
Contact your councillors or MP

Type a postcode to write to each of its councillors and its MP.

WriteToThem ↗
Report a pothole or a broken streetlight

GOV.UK sends the report to the council that looks after the road.

gov.uk ↗
Watch or speak at a council meeting

Council and committee meetings are open to the public, with agendas and minutes online.

middevon.gov.uk ↗
Comment on a planning application

Anyone can comment while an application is open for consultation.

middevon.gov.uk ↗
Stand for election

The rules, nomination papers and guidance for council candidates.

Electoral Commission ↗

Questions about how Willand is run

Which council runs Willand?

Willand is run by Mid Devon District Council and Devon County Council. The county council runs schools, social care and roads; the district runs bins, planning and housing.

Does Willand have a town council?

Yes: Willand has its own parish-tier council (Willand parish council; town councils are parish councils by another name), which adds £64 to a Band D bill in 2026–27.

Who is the MP for Willand?

Rachel Gilmour (Liberal Democrat) is the MP for Tiverton and Minehead, which covers Willand.

How many councillors does Willand have?

3 ward councillors represent Willand’s 1 ward, and 1 county councillors its county divisions.

When are the next elections in Willand?

No election is scheduled yet in Democracy Club’s list for Willand’s wards. The next UK general election must be held by August 2029.

How much is council tax in Willand?

Band D council tax in Willand is £2,615 for 2026–27. Your bill depends on your home’s band, from A (6/9 of Band D) to H (18/9).

Who controls Mid Devon District Council?

The Liberal Democrats have a majority: 34 of 42 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 Willand?

In Willand’s wards on 4 May 2023, Liberal Democrat 3 of the 3 seats up. The Liberal Democrats had the largest share of votes, 45.9%.

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.