NEWTON Abbot’s mayor has said he is ‘very disappointed’ at comments made by a district councillor about the town council.

A recent meeting of Teignbridge District Council (TDC) saw Cllr David Palethorpe describe Newton Abbot Town Council (NATC) as being led by the South Devon Alliance (SDA).

The comment was made in relation to Queen Street - more specifically that businesses would have been able to access a grant to the tune of £25,000 from UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) had the SDA-led town council ‘engaged’ with the government’s cash offer.

‘I am very disappointed to hear Cllr Palethorpe’s comment as decisions at Newton Abbot Town Council are made democratically by all members of the council (committee or sub-committee) unlike at principal councils where they are made in accordance with the political group that has the most seats’ Cllr Alex Hall, mayor of Newton Abbot, said.

‘Once I, as mayor, cross the chamber threshold and wear the chain any allegiances no longer exist, and I become totally independent and work only for the people of Newton Abbot’ Cllr Hall added.

It is noteworthy that there are seven Liberal Democrat councillors, five independents, four SDA and two conservatives on the town council.

‘This is just another way of the district council picking on the town council, trying to score points against us, rather than work with us’ one councillor told the Mid-Devon Advertiser.

There has been much reference to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in recent dialogue about Queen Street - especially the figure of £25,000.

Crucially, NATC was not offered £25,000 - it was offered the opportunity to bid for £25,000, which is different.

Newton Abbot’s town development manager, Sally Henley, said: ‘I watched the recording of the TDC Executive meeting and was concerned to hear Cllr Palethorpe give such a misleading account of what happens at NATC meetings.

‘I do not know where he obtained his information, but his comments were unfortunately, most ill-informed.

‘Far from “not engaging” with TDC on the potential funding opportunity of £25,000, there have been extensive communications on UKSPF, with his own officers, over several months!

‘There have also been two recent NATC meetings, which I attended, where town councillors have tried to obtain an understanding of what TDC was offering, where it came from, how it might be accessed and what projects it might fund.

‘Whilst clarity was sought by town councillors, it was never provided.’

Councillors voted not to pursue any bid at a meeting on June 19, as they felt that that which the money could be spent on, as stipulated by the UKSPF, would not best serve the businesses in Queen Street.

Also, had NATC decided to pursue a funding bid, the money would not even be accessible until the beginning of 2025, long after the work to Queen Street is scheduled to end.

The money would not be immediately accessible to help those struggling Queen Street businesses, despite the impression given at the TDC executive meeting being one to the contrary.