A TEIGNBRIDGE political party, founded to combat housing development, has announced its intention to effectively disband.
The South Devon Alliance says its councillors will now sit as independents on Teignbridge District Council.
The official statement made on its social media said: ‘The South Devon Alliance councillors have today concluded that our party should no longer sit as a single group within Teignbridge District Council.
‘Following our concerted efforts to represent public opinion and objections to NA3 and Queen Street, it is now clear the only way forward to effect meaningful change is for a wider group of independent councillors to form a broader alliance at Teignbridge District Council.
‘This must be one that stretches outside of Newton Abbot, can form a district wide opposition and attract a new raft of councillors to help shift the balance towards a better functioning and truly democratic council at the next elections, in 2027.
‘The planning for this must start now.’
The SDA began in 2018 when a small group of residents joined forces as Newton Says No to campaign against large housing development on the outskirts of Newton Abbot.
In May 2019, three of the group’s members were elected on to Teignbridge Council.
By May 2023, this group had become the South Devon Alliance to tackle wider issues and became the largest opposition party on Teignbridge Council.
Group leader Cllr Richard Daws, announcing the decision, said: ‘We have fought tirelessly for the town and continued to reach out across the district.
‘We went on to witness bad decision making and were subject to institutional intimidation recognised by the Local Government Ombudsman who, after a three-year investigation, demanded TDC apologise for failing to operate within the law.
‘The only way this will ever change is for a larger number of independent councillors to provide a functioning democracy for our district.
'Going forward, all the SDA councillors will continue to be active in the chamber and do their best for Teignbridge.’