Torbay Council Reviews 

I want to say a massive ‘thank you’ to Swisco and particularly the two gentlemen who came out early this morning (Monday 30th October) to collect a number of fly tipped items outside my house on Brunswick Terrace.
Unfortunately, this is a regular occurrence and the pavement outside my home is a ‘hotspot’ for flytippers.
I went out to personally thank them for their efforts and they were absolutely lovely! I was very impressed that I’d only reported it the evening before on the Swisco app.
Very well done!

Disgusting Service provided by their Children's Service Department.

Not fit for purpose and certainly not fit to be working with children.

Avoid at all costs!

Updated 2025

I have later found out that Torbay Council councillor Nick Bye supports child abuse as his department pays social workers to destroy evidence of child abuse, helps to cover up fraud, pay social workers to lie and create fraudulent reports. David Thomas has also been suppressing my complaint and the council even tried to hide my complaint from the LGSCO in order to cover up their failings and the fact they are facilitating child abuse.

To this day, David Thomas and Nick Bye are still trying to cover it up.

As visitors from Ireland my wife and I recently visited Cockington Village. I made a genuine mistake thinking parking was free and didn't see the pay and display signs until heading back to the car 20 minutes later. My wife tried to explain the situation in the visitor centre but they were totally unhelpful and of no course no parking warden was to be found. I subsequently appealed the penalty but my appeal was rejected. I have been told this is par for the course for Torbay. Torbay council seem more interested in making money off tourists through parking fines than genuinely making them feel welcome. It's a shame as otherwise the area is beautiful and the people friendly. It would make me think twice about visiting the area again.

I parked on Torquay Seafront, paid 4 hours parking on the council Ringo App and received a ticket due to accidently putting the incorrect location number in. I challenged the PCN Ticket and they refused point blank. As a tourist and holiday maker bringing revenue in to this area I am astounded the Council take such a negative approach to a genuine mistake. My advice to anyone visiting this area is to think twice. Shameful when you think of how much they are charging the general public for parking.

I asked if the council could either take down or trim a large tree that encroaches upon my entrance or put in yellow lines near my drive to stop people from parking opposite my drive. The reason I gave was, as I owned a motor home with high sides, it made it near impossible to drive out onto the road without damaging the vehicle. They said that they would look into it. That was 4 plus years ago and I’m still waiting. Suffice to say I had to sell my van due to the situation.
The council are a big joke and will never change.
Please see my other review.

i am writing on the torbay trustpilot because,i could not get in to there site,writing a rewiew devon home choice and there cowboy outfit they are running in plymouth,it is so bad i had the police come around and see me,it is like getting blood out of a stone,and sending a boy to do a mans job,the police man took a statment from me,he was shocked when he saw me when he came around i thought he was going to cry aswell so then i watched his back,and shown him repect,and talked from my heart to him even when i had chest pain,,because i am not happy about choice

Truly, truly amazed by the high rating for Torbay council. The council is broken and has been for many years, departments are run by individuals who would not last in commercial world. Some have been in that world and been found out.

Would concur with all the low reviews; the failure rate is far in excess of anything good that goes on.
The type of individuals working for Torbay council, mostly, are not blessed with adequate intelligence. Mostly those employed are there because they make those higher up look good. Those who have been in the commercial world can see the wastage and stupidity of others. Record any conversations , film any interaction.
They will lie right up to the point of going into court and those that support others will also do the same until the last moment.

Council will rely on individuals becoming fed up with process of complaints and ombudsman. Compliance is an office where they rely on continued excuses knowing that it will take 4 months before ICO (independent complaints office) even look at your complaint. Best way is to take them to court, they normally settle out of court.

They don't know what they are doing! Very poorly managed. Why can't they find competent management that can sort things out in all areas. It's so poor that it makes me wonder if they have designed it this way!?
I won't go into my dealings with them but needless to say I concur with the numerous negative ratings on here.

Been here 20 years, and seen other local councils thrice as this lots let us plummet to the floor

Their Housing department is utter shameful they treat people like children they treat people like criminals their obligations and rules are that strict you are lucky to be breathing and allowed flatulence.

In the past 10 years I have lived in about 12 different place's. The only help from Torbay council has been moved from one place to another due to them constantly closing down HMO's. They tell me to register with Devon Home Choice who are equally as bad as Torbay Council housing and in the past 10 years I haven't even had a call from them. I'm in my 50's with a chronic illness and am getting to the point where I will need to move to a different county to get any help.

This council is so up their own rectums it is unbelievable. you are ignored and treated like a third rate citizen.
You really need to question everything this council say - everytime!

I am yet to witness any good from Torbay Council. Opportunities are scarce. Investments are wasted. Roads are shocking. Parking services are like vultures. Traffic wardens hide around the corner near coop St. Marychurch waiting to pounce. Town is disgusting and full of empty shops and junkies. criminal damage is rife. Police are underfunded and non existent. Streets are dirty and neglected. Bins are usually over-flowing. Would hate to have paid to visit and would love to be able to move. WORST COUNCIL IN THE COUNTRY!

Torbay Council is based on greed and always have been and they love to waste the local people money. They don't provide or help the young people who live in torbay and work in torbay any help on getting into rented accommodation or help with buying a place of there own. They do anything they can for hoilday markers with new hotels being built all over torbay with no decent shops for people to shop in... Torquay has the most smash shop windows in the bay and to live here is a degrace... The property prices may have gone up making it much difficult for first time buyers to buy a home and a lot more easier for 2nd time home owners I.e hoilday homes. This council don't care about local people they'd rather the local being on the street and the foreigners put in house and homes. The government is just as bad as the council... All you all need to do is take a dingy over to France rip up your passport and papers and come to England on a dingy and claim as a foreigners and you'll get money a house to live in...

Over past 6 years we have informed them that the next door derelict property is a fire hazard, causes anti social behaviour and this year due to water ingress an elderly Lady has had to move out of an adjacent property. The council has done nothing because they dont live next door to this property. Even thou they refuse to adhere to an F.O.I. request to help us prove their incompetence, we are going to have a go at taking them to court in 2022 for their failings.

On 13/8/21 I visited Torquay Harbour area absolutely fascinated by expensive craft moored there, saw Jimmy Tarbuck taking break outside but all was spoiled when I needed toilet I was charged 30p to use the most disgusting toilet I’ve ever come across firstly poorly signed, eventually directed to Harbour Masters building, glad I was Male as toilets were both male and female as I could stand real shame local council is not proud of what it has

To the ladies and gentlemen of Torbay Council and hoteliers. I am from Paignton but moved away to London over 40 years ago and now live in Hertfordshire.
My elderly father still lives there I like to visit as often as possible, but with covid I haven't seen him for many months. On the 1st of August I visited him, on arrival I always stop at Preston to use the public convenience as I have for many years. Sadly to find it closed. So thought we would take in the view's only to find that we had to pay for the privilege, not only during the day but at night and 24/7. Going further on to Paignton sea front which used to be closed to traffic during the summer months but now open and charged to park by meter. And have to spend 30 pence to spend a penny which were filthy.
So I had to pay for parking so I could spend a (Penny) 30 pence. Then driving around everywhere is overgrown and in need of a tidy up. What on earth do holiday makers who have never been there before think of the area. The few I spoke with said they would recommend people not to visit torbay.
So I suggest you councillors and hoteliers to act fast and stop dithering about the issues and act fast.
Torbay is going backwards.
Please think about the small local businesses who rely on the holiday trade and the youth of tomorrow.
Before torbay dies a sad death before it's too late.

Parked using a 'One Day Visitor Parking Permit' in the prescribed Zone A, a Civil Enforcement Officer (CEO) was loitering nearby so I showed him my permit & asked him if it was valid where I was parked & he assured me it was. Returned 2 hours later to find that lovely yellow plastic bag proudly boasting 'THIS BAG IS BIODEGRADABLE' gift wrapping a £50 penalty charge. My online appeal was rejected because I was alledgedly parked just beyond Zone A in Zone 1 & of course no CEO recollected interacted with me, so I paid the most generous 50% discounted £25. A week later I needed to replace my dashcam sim card and out of idle curiosity plugged it into my laptop to find amongst much mind-numbing detritus the whole exchange with the CEO nodding & smiling as I put the parking permit inside my windscreen. Of course the process to be refunded will be longer than the half life of plutonium but refunded I shall be - shame on you Torbay Council.

well well well i see i am not the only person to have a ticket for parking altho i paid as well i think some one is ling there pockets this is happening alot around torbay council parking lots so check your tickets quite closely before wandering off i paid for 24 hours and 7 hours later i got a ticket not happy and as for the pcn routine on there web site is a waste of time they take there time in answering your challenge and still say you have to pay but now it has gone on longer that 14 days so it is 50 quid what a rip off and they know what i think as i have told them so, they also kow i am about to put this review up as well

I would strongly advise against visiting Torbay.
It must be the rip off seaside area of the U.K.
They have parking machines down most streets that are anywhere need the so called attractions.
They will charge you 30p to spend a penny and the toilets are absolutely filthy.Many of the toilets do not open after you have put your money in.
The whole area (particularly Brixham and Paignton) has a run down feeling.
There is dog mess everywhere.The dogs are even allowed on the beach where young children play.
You have been warned
Avoid the area at all costs.