Frequently asked questions
Potholes and other road problems
Devon County Council are pretty much wholly responsible for the road network: telephone 0845 155 1004. There are a few areas, such as car parks which are the responsibility of the North Devon District Council.
Dog waste nuisance
The dog warden will prosecute anyone found allowing their dog to foul public areas. Cleaning up will be tasked to Greensweep operatives or our own hygeine operative, depending on who is most quickly available. Ultimately, dog waste is the responsibility of North Devon District Council.
The town council hygeine operative will be able to deal with the problem quite quickly once we are informed. Help us to keep the town clean. If you know the dog owner, or saw the incident, if you wish, you can pass that information on. You would be helping us eliminate the problem.
You should report incidents to The Ilfracombe Centre (01271 855300) who will deal with the incident appropriately.
Planning matters
Ilfracombe Town Council's planning meeting will often be the first port of call for planning applications. Our meetings are published on our calendar. These meetings are held in public, and there is an opportunity for you to attend, and with the member's permission, for you to speak. This permission is normally granted easily, unless you are rude and abusive. Our committee provides advice to the NDDC planning department. We are, to use a technical term, statutory consultees. As are Devon County council on a range of issues including highway and education needs, and the Enviroment Agency on water and drainage issues. In certain applications, bodies such as the AONB and English Heritage can also become involved.
All these consultee responses are looked at by NDDC who are the statutory planning body (in other words, they decide!) Most applications are decided by the planning officer, but some large or contentious plans are heard in front of the full NDDC planning committee. If you want to object or support an application, and the published officer advice conflicts with your view, your main option is to ask your local district councillor to call the application, which means it is brought before the whole committe to hear in public. There is an opportunity for you to attend and speak at the meeting when the application is heard.
Overflowing drains
If the drain in question is a roadside gulley (the big cast iron covers), the responsibility is almost certainly Devon County Council. They can be contacted at their new call centre on 0845 155 1015. If you prefer to fill in a form, then follow this link. Drain Complaint
If the drain looks like a manhole or possible sewer problem, then the problem might be very urgent for health reasons. South West Water own the sewerage network, but NDDC maintain much of the day to day management. Call 01271 855300 and report as soon as possible.
As with all problems, you can contact your local councillor.
Overflowing bins
First of all, The Ilfracombe Centre (01271 855300) at 44 High Street should be able to process your complaint. If the office is shut, or inconvenient for you to reach, the Enviromental Health unit is available bt contacting 01271 388870, or by using this form.
If the problem persists or becomes repetitive, you should inform or complain to you local councillor. See the 'Councillors' pages.
Planning breaches of the law
Your best course of action is to call the planning office on 01271 388288 and explain your concerns. They are always busy, so make sure you have good address details and specific notes about your concerns. They will explain the law, and help you with your enquiry.
Ilfracombe Town Council meetings
The meeting calendar is on our own website. When the meeting draws near, the agenda will become viewable. The community news column of the North Devon Journal will also carry meeting dates.
As a guide, Full Council meetings, and F&GP meetings are held once per month, with planning meetings every three weeks.
What information does ITC publish under the Freedom of Information scheme?
To see the information available to the public under the Freedom of Information scheme please see this document (PDF).
North Devon District Council
The District Council meeting calendar can be found HERE. The meetings which mainly affect us are Ilfracombe and Northern Rural, Planning, Full Council and Executive.
Community Alliance
The Alliance doesn't have a web calendar. However, if you contact the Alliance team on 01271 879018, they will be delighted to help you with your enquiry. The transform office opposite the Jet garage will also be able to help.
Devon County Council
The County Council is a huge concern, and as such, many meetings are broken down into sub groups and regional meetings. The calendar page is here, but you may find it easier to contact the switchboard on 01392 382000 and explain your particular interest.
