Dave Thomas: Putting residents at the heart of Torbay’s future

When I became Leader of Torbay Council, I made a promise to put residents at the heart of everything we do.

That commitment remains as strong today as it was on day one. Good local government isn’t about politicians sitting in offices making decisions in isolation; it’s about listening, learning, and working together with our communities to shape the Bay’s future.

That’s why, back in the summer of 2023, we carried out our first Residents’ Satisfaction Survey. More than a thousand residents took the time to share their views on what mattered most, what they felt was working well, and what needed improvement. Your feedback was not simply filed away—it was the foundation for our 10-year Community and Corporate Plan, which continues to guide every major decision we take.

Three clear priorities came out of that conversation with you:

• Regenerating our Bay and ensuring our town centres are safe and welcoming for all.
• Improving the delivery, affordability, and quality of housing for residents in Torbay.
• Raising skills levels and developing a year-round economy.

These aren’t just words on paper. They are ambitions we are turning into real, tangible actions. Since then, we have been working hard with partners across the Bay including businesses, schools, housing providers, voluntary groups, and many more, to deliver on these priorities.

Now, two years later, it’s time to check back in with you. (We committed to run our satisfaction survey every two years, whereby this was something that the Council hadn’t engaged with for many years). Are we delivering on the things that matter most? Have you noticed improvements in your communities? Where do we still need to go further?

To answer those questions, this week we are launching a new Residents’ Satisfaction Survey. It uses the same questions as last time so we can track what has changed, where progress is being made, and where we need to redouble our efforts.

The survey is available online right now via the Consultations page on the Torbay Council website. For those who prefer pen and paper, printed copies can be picked up at your local library. We’re also making sure young people have a voice in shaping the Bay’s future by running a separate version for children aged 12 to 15. Their views are every bit as important as those of adults, because the decisions we take today will affect them most in years to come.

We also know not everyone wants to fill out a survey online or on paper. Some of you would rather stop for a chat, ask a question directly, or raise a concern face-to-face. That’s why we launched our pop-up on-street consultations. These have proved very popular and will continue over the next six weeks. You will find councillors and officers out and about across Torbay for you to pop along and have a chat!

The first is this Saturday at Paignton Library, running from 10am to 3.30pm. If you’re in town, please drop by, say hello, and tell us what you think. Whether it’s praise, criticism, or ideas for the future—we want to hear it.

We’ll then be out at supermarkets, high streets, and community venues right across Paignton, Torquay, and Brixham. Here’s where you can find us:

• Saturday 20 September, 10am–3.30pm – Paignton Library
• Tuesday 23 September, 10am–4pm – Sainsbury’s, Paignton
• Thursday 25 September, 10am–4pm – Victoria Street, Paignton
• Saturday 27 September, 10am–4pm – Scala Hall, Brixham
• Thursday 2 October, 10am–4pm – Outside Primark, Torquay town centre
• Tuesday 7 October, 10am–4pm – Sainsbury’s, The Willows, Torquay
• Thursday 9 October, 10am–4pm – The Strand, Torquay
• Tuesday 14 October, 10.30am–4.30pm – Fore Street, Brixham
• Tuesday 21 October, 10am–4pm – Fore Street, St Marychurch
• Thursday 23 October, 10am–4pm – Victoria Street, Paignton

These events are informal and open to all, where you can speak directly to those making decisions on your behalf. Before heading along, I’d recommend checking our social media channels in case of last-minute changes, especially if the weather forces us to adjust plans.

Why does all this matter? Because Torbay’s challenges and opportunities are too big for any one organisation to tackle alone. Whether it’s regenerating our town centres, unlocking more affordable housing, or ensuring our young people have the skills to thrive in a modern economy—progress only happens when residents, businesses, community groups, and the Council pull in the same direction.

We’ve made a start. But we’re the first to admit there’s more to do. The cost-of-living crisis, rising demand for housing, and the pressures facing public services are real and felt by many families across the Bay. That’s why your feedback is so important. It keeps us accountable, it ensures we focus on what matters most to you, and it helps us build the kind of Torbay we can all be proud of.

So please, take a few minutes to complete the survey, either online or in person, and let us know your views. Together, we can make sure Torbay’s future is shaped by the people who know it best—its residents.