1.    that governance arrangements for the Torquay Place Leadership Board, as set out at Appendix 1 to this report and as submitted to the Ministry for Housing, Communities, Local Government (MHCLG), be ratified by Torbay Council;

2.    that the Director of Finance be given delegated authority, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Place Development and Economic Growth, to ratify the Torquay Place Leadership Board’s decisions on approved grant allocation business cases and to approve the draw down of the Grant Funding from the MHCLG Grant Pot for those grant allocations; and

3.    that the Council’s thanks be placed on record to the members of the Torbay Place Leadership Board in improving outcomes for residents in Torbay and its continued work alongside the newly established Torquay Place Leadership Board.

Ratification of the partnership will support the Torquay Place Leadership’s Board. The Board will act as the accountable body for £19,537,000 of interventions to Torquay over the next 10 years.

The options were:

Ratify the role and strategic vision of the Torquay Place Leadership Board.  This option presented a unified approach to Torbay Council’s partnership with the Board which would be fed back to MHCLG.  This was the preferred option.

Not to ratify the role of the Torquay Place Leadership Board.  This decision would be fed back to MHCLG and would undermine the partnership, releasing of funds and delivery timetable.  This option was therefore discounted.

This decision will come into force and may be implemented on 23 May 2025 unless the call-in procedure is triggered (as set out in the Standing Orders in relation to Overview and Scrutiny).

During October 2023, the previous Government launched the Long-Term Plan for Towns (LTPFT) initiative.  Some fifty-five towns were selected, including Torquay.  The new Government had since confirmed that Torquay had been allocated £19,537,000 of funding (75% capital, 25% revenue) over 10 years as part of seventy-five areas.  Alongside the reconfirmation of funding came new guidelines, deadlines, requirements, and opportunities.

In Spring 2024 The Torbay Place Leadership Board agreed to fulfil the role of the ‘Neighbourhood Board’ (was town board) under the name The Torquay Place Leadership Board.

New guidance stated that a Neighbourhood Board should bring together those with a deep connection to Torquay such as local businesses, grassroots campaigners, workplace representatives, faith and community leaders and any other relevant organisations.  Furthermore, the guidance set out that all members of the Board had an equal right to vote on Board issues and that the Board would work as partners with Torbay Council to develop a plan for their local area and distribute funding to the projects to deliver on this vision.

Government guidance stated the new Neighbourhood Board needed to have convened by 22 April 2025to confirm membership, elect an independent Chairperson and discuss any proposals to alter the Torquay boundary suggested by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.  The Torquay Place Leadership Board met on 9 April 2025 in order to comply with this requirement.

By ‘Winter 2025’ the Torquay Place Leadership Board is required to have developed a Regeneration Plan, setting out a vision for the next decade.  It would also need to set out an Investment Plan for the first four years of the programme.  Torbay Council would support the Board to develop and deliver the Plan. Money for those interventions would be released yearly from April 2026.

At the meeting Councillor David Thomas proposed and Councillor Chris Lewis seconded a motion that was agreed unanimously by the Cabinet, as set out above.

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