Agenda and draft minutes

To receive apologies for absence from the meeting.

The Director of Legal & Governance (Monitioring Officer) opened the meeting and advised member that a Chair would need to voted in because the Chair of Committee (Cllr Thomas) had given his apologies.

It was proposed by Councillor Bach, seconded by Councillor Harding and

Resolved:

That Councillor Hodson  Chair the Committee in the Chair’s absence.

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Thomas, Councillor Brenton and Independent Person David Walden.

Councillor Lo-Vell was present as a substitute for Councillor Thomas and Councillor Craigie was present as substitute for Councillor Brenton.

Confirmation of the Minutes of the meetings held on Wednesday 15 October 2025, Wednesday 26 November 2025 and Wednesday 7 January 2025.

Minutes of the 15 October 2025

It was proposed by Councillor Hodson, seconded by Councillor Smith and –

Resolved:

That the minutes of the meeting held on 15 October 2025 be agreed and signed as a correct record.

(Vote: 6 For, 3 Abstentions )

Minutes of 26 November 2025 – Joint Committee, Community Safety Partnership Update

It was proposed by Councillor Harding, seconded by Councillor Smith and –

Resolved:

That the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 26 November be agreed and signed as a correct record.

(Vote: For 7, Abstentions 2)

Minutes of 07 January 2026

It was proposed by Councillor Harding, seconded by Councillor Wheatley and –

Resolved:

That the minutes of the meeting held on Wednesday 07 January be agreed and signed as a correct record.

(Vote: 4 For, 5 Abstentions)

15 minute period for public contributions. The deadline for registering to speak is by 2pm on Monday 23 February 2026.

None received.

Members with interests should refer to the agenda item and describe the nature of their interest when the item is considered.

Members were reminded that declarations of interest should be made as and when the specific agenda item to which they related was under discussion.

There was no Part II.

None received.

An opportunity to hear from the Co-Chair of One Northern Devon on their work taking place in the District.

Katherine Allen (One Northern Devon Co-Chair) joined the meeting remotely and provided members with a detailed presentation, which outlined the vision and strategy of One Northern Devon (OND), a partnership working towards all residents having the opportunity to live healthy, sustainable, and fulfilling lives.

It was explained that the partnership involves various organisations collaborating, sharing resources, and aiming for a vibrant, sustainable northern Devon that attracts investment and unlocks long term prosperity - recognising that economic growth and health are intrinsically linked.

Members were provided with an overview of the work of OND and their links with the Northern Devon Futures Board, along with the 6 action groups that lead on their delivery of work. The action groups were highlighted, along with their own agreed aims and objectives and performance measures.

The Co-Chair noted how Local Government and NHS vision were adapting and a key focus was organising services around "neighbourhoods" (populations of 30,000-50,000 people). It was explained this model aimed to help people live well locally, reduce hospital attendance, and provide convenient care. The model was being supported by a shift to digital health services (back-end administration, data sharing), population health management (identifying at-risk individuals for early intervention, e.g., virtual wards), and prioritising prevention (nutrition, activity, avoiding ill health).

Whilst highlighting the 10 year plan for OND data from Devon County Council was used to demonstrate the significant increase in healthcare presentations for individuals aged 75 and further details were provided on the issues affecting the local population and the role of OND and Northern Devon Futures in supporting the delivery of local projects and outcomes through partnership working. 

The OND workplan was then highlighted and detail was provided on local projects including:

• Bideford diagnostics facility and health and wellbeing hub - joint NHS and Torridge Regeneration Board funding.
• High-intensity user support - wrap around support in partnership with voluntary sector for those attending A&E mostly due to social emergencies).
• Community Connectors - partnership work with the voluntary sector to reduce isolation, avoiding hospital admissions.
• Ilfracombe complex needs project - Poverty Truth Commission work taking place in Ilfracombe) and Coastal Navigators (national programme addressing rural coastal deprivation).
• "Closing the Gap” – improving services for the most deprived 20%, using the learning from Poverty Truth.
• Torridge Red Cross projects - GP practise-organised support for those experiencing social barriers to health.

Finally, some of the National policy that all the work is being undertaken within was highlighted for members and Councillors were invited to attend One Northern Devon and Northern Devon Future meetings. The Co-Chair emphasising the value of elected representatives within community engagement.

Members were asked for their questions.

Following a question related to mental health provision locally the Co-Chair of OND acknowledged the importance of early intervention and the known benefits of this, but it was advised that her counterpart in the Devon Partnership Trust was best suited to respond to questions on these issues.

Members raised disparities in GP appointment waiting times within the towns compared to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

To review the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

Sean Kearney (Director of Community & Place for Torridge District Council and Board Member/Director of Active Torridge) introduced Judith Gentry (Non-Executive Director), and Chris Keeble (Chief Operating Officer). The Non-Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer went on to deliver a detailed presentation for members on Active Torridge and KPI outcomes.

A summary of the journey since Active Torridge was established in 2022 was provided and the links to the previous agenda item was noted, in terms of community health and  wellbeing and plans for the old Bideford Library site. The process of agreeing the business plan and the agreement of the contract extension were highlighted, and the agreed performance indicators that came and were agreed by External Overview & Scrutiny Committee in 2025. An update was provided in terms of data collation and the impact of the liquidation of  Active Nation, who was the back-office service provider in charge of collating this information.

The Non-Executive Director reminded members of the strategic aims of Active Torridge and their relevance in terms of the KPI framework:

1.    Make a positive difference to people's lives, health, and well-being.

2.    Enhance enjoyment and participation in services.

3.    Build a trusted, value-for-money, community-focused brand.

4.    Invest in, review, and grow leisure services sustainably.

The five KPIs approved by the board:

1.    Financial

2.    Visitors

3.    Customer Satisfaction

4.    Community Impact

5.    Operational Compliance

The Non Executive Director provided Members with the rationale for these 5 KPIs and how they linked to the strategic aims, what was being measured and where the information was sourced from, and how it could be used and measured. It was explained the KPIs were a mix of "hard" (numbers-driven, externally verifiable) and "soft" (mood-dependent, internal) measures, all linked to the strategic aims.

The Chief Operating Officer then went on to review the KPI data, providing further detail and context on the findings. Members asked questions during the presentation and the review findings and subsequent discussion is summarised below.

1. Financial KPI:

o    Objective: Reduce management fee and core costs to TDC, provide accessible/affordable leisure and sport facilities, manage non-profit budget whilst maximising resources.

o    Performance: It was confirmed the management fee to TDC had reduced 2022/23 to 2025/26. This reduction had been achieved by budget management benchmark against other providers, further reductions were forecast via plans to maximise resources and extend provision and reach further people in the District.  branching out /becoming more accessible to the community. The role of Bideford Library site in relation to this was noted for members.

o    Discussion: It was suggested that clearer differentiation between historical outcomes and future projections on presentation graph would be useful.

2. Visitors KPI:

To review the action list.

At the request of the Chair, Councillor Craigie provided an update:

·         An appeal regarding the Link Centres is scheduled for 3 March.

·         The Bideford Link Centre building is not currently being used by Devon Mental Health Alliance, with services moved elsewhere due to boiler and electrical issues.

·         Both Bideford and Ilfracombe Link Centres appeared on Devon County Council's list of assets for disposal in January. Ilfracombe Town Council is pursuing asset transfer for their site, but Devon County Council is holding out for a specific asset value.

It was agreed the item remain on the action list as "ongoing". Councillor Hodson arranged to raise at the next DCC Health & Adult Care Scrutiny Committee. 

To review the forward plan.

There is one remaining meeting for the 2025-26 Meeting Cycle. It was confirmed this was an opportunity to hear from RailFuture.