Steve Darling: fighting to protect Torbay’s care, community and local businesses

I first want to wish everyone in Torbay a very happy new year. 

The year has started with the great news that Torquay’s police custody suite has been saved from the threat of closure. I want to thank everyone who spoke out to help prevent this, especially those involved in local policing. 

However, the future of Torbay’s Integrated Care Organisation (ICO) is far less certain. This arrangement between Torbay Hospital Trust and Torbay Council’s Adult Social Care has been recognised internationally as best practice and has been a real trail blazer for the last two decades, yet the Trust are considering leaving the arrangement. 

From the start, Torbay Hospital benefited from 67 fewer hospital beds needed, saving the Trust £147 million. Yet through the overmedicalisation of care plans, the arrangement has become overpriced, under the management of the Trust. 

The Integrated Care Organisation by many measures gives the best results for Torbay, and is one of our unique assets. This is why I have been arranging meetings with ministers to champion this.

Torbay Council is carrying out a full update of the Local Plan, which will guide development in Torbay for the next 20 years. I have been disappointed to see the Conservative-run Council cynically run the consultation over the Christmas period, which has resulted in low engagement, as Council officers have informed me. 

However, there is still time to have your say, before the consultation ends on January 26. You can view more details and give feedback at www.torbay.gov.uk/consultations under ‘Regulation 18 Local Plan consultation’. 

An area of significant concern within the draft plan are proposals to build new houses at Meadfoot Beach. We desperately need new housing in Torbay, yet these must be built in the right places, not at the expense of our beautiful natural spaces. 

Meanwhile, I am continuing to campaign to support our community with the cost of living crisis. This weekend I visited Torquay’s Central Church to discuss the issue of coastal poverty with local community builders and Methodist church leaders. This included representatives from Yum Bus, who run a social supermarket to help those who are struggling to access services in a fixed location, Turning Heads, and the Leonard Stock Homelessness Hostel in Torquay. 

All these Torbay institutions are doing an excellent job in helping to combat local poverty; however, I’m concerned to see that our government is doing little to alleviate this cost of living crisis. 

The cost of living crisis is also hitting local businesses. The Liberal Democrats proposed an emergency cut in VAT for pubs, restaurants, entertainment and accommodation venues, but the Government has woefully neglected this vital sector. 

I have been visiting local businesses such as Rock Garden and Otto to hear from business leaders about how they are coping with recent Budgets and other issues. 

Our independent businesses are so important in Torbay as they frequently use local suppliers, even friends they play football with! These businesses are threatened not only by the hike in business rates but also by the spiralling cost of utilities. 

On Thursday evening (January 15th), I have invited local businesses to further discuss the problems they are facing, so that I can continue to campaign for more support from the Government. If you read this article in time, are involved in local businesses and are interested in attending, please reach out to steve.darling.mp@parliament.uk for more information. 

As always, if you need assistance or would like to share your thoughts, please get in touch. You can reach me at steve.darling.mp@parliament.uk or on 07908 349347. For regular updates, sign up to my weekly e-newsletter at www.torbaylibdems.org.uk/newsletter