Torridge Torridge District |
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Non-metropolitan district | |
Torridge shown within Devon |
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Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Constituent country | England |
Region | South West England |
Non-metropolitan county | Devon |
Status | Non-metropolitan district |
Admin HQ | Bideford |
Incorporated | 1 April 1974 |
Government | |
• Type | Non-metropolitan district council |
• Body | Torridge District Council |
• Leadership | Alternative - Sec.31 (Conservative) |
• MPs | Geoffrey Cox |
Area | |
• Total | 380.4 sq mi (985.3 km2) |
Area rank | 26th (of 326) |
Population (mid-2015 est.) | |
• Total | 66,300 |
• Rank | 307th (of 326) |
• Density | 170/sq mi (67/km2) |
• Ethnicity | 99.0% White |
Time zone | GMT (UTC0) |
• Summer (DST) | BST (UTC+1) |
ONS code | 18UK (ONS) E07000046 (GSS) |
OS grid reference | SS4072412895 |
Website | www |
Coordinates: 50°53′35″N 4°15′54″W / 50.893°N 4.265°W
Torridge is a local government district in North Devon, England. Its council is based in Bideford. Other towns and villages in the district include Holsworthy, Great Torrington, Hartland and Westward Ho!. The island of Lundy is administratively part of the district. To the south of the district bordering Cornwall, near Welcombe, the rugged coastline has a wild untouched beauty, due to its inaccessibility, but the South West Coast Path is well defined. The district is named after the River Torridge.
The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, by the merger of the boroughs of Bideford and Great Torrington, the Northam urban district, Bideford Rural District, Holsworthy Rural District and Torrington Rural District.
Torridge District Council is elected every four years, with currently 36 councillors being elected at each election. In 2007, Torridge registered the high number of opposed candidates in the country, with seven. Independents have had a strong presence on the council for much of its history, with no political party having won a majority until 2015. However at the 2015 election the Conservative party won a small majority of 2 with 19 of the seats on the council