Torbay and South Devon or Torbay is expected to be a unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of Devon, England. It was planned to be formed on 1 April 2028, with shadow elections planned to take place in May 2027. The largest settlement will be Torquay. Plans to create it were halted in September 2026 and the 2027 election was cancelled.
Formation It will be formed from the existing unitary authority area of Torbay, 16 parishes from Teignbridge and five parishes from South Hams two-tier districts. The area has a population of approximately 232,000. Plans to create it were halted in September 2026 and the 2027 election was cancelled.
The district is being formed as part of ongoing local government changes throughout England, in which all areas of the country that have separate county councils and district councils will see those replaced with single-tier, or unitary, local governance. The rest of Devon will form the Greater Plymouth, Exeter and Devon council areas. The alternative proposal for four unitaries and three proposals for three unitaries were not accepted.
In September 2026, the Devon proposals were halted by the government and placed under review.
Governance It will be run by Torbay and South Devon Council, which will comprise 64 councillors. Parishes Torbay apart from Brixham is currently unparished, the rest of the area is parished. The parishes coming from the two-tier districts will be: Abbotskerswell, Berry Pomeroy, Bishopsteignton, Broadhempston, Coffinswell, Denbury and Torbryan, Haccombe with Combe, Ideford, Ipplepen, Kingskerswell, Kingsteignton, Kingswear, Littlehempston, Marldon, Newton Abbot, Ogwell, Shaldon, Stoke Gabriel, Stokeinteignhead, Teigngrace and Teignmouth.
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