Teignbridge District Council is advising residents that Public Open Space legal notices relating to several green spaces and areas of land across the district will be published shortly.
The notices are a legal requirement that must be completed before the Council can transfer public open spaces to town and parish councils.
The proposed transfers would keep the sites in public ownership while enabling them to be managed locally by town and parish councils. The sites are not being transferred to private organisations or developers, and there are no plans for development on any of the land.
Residents may notice the term "disposal" within the public notices. While this is often associated with the sale of land, it is a legal term that covers a range of transactions, including transfers between public bodies, leases and the granting of certain legal rights over land. In this case, the notices relate to the proposed transfer of land from Teignbridge District Council to town and parish councils.
Over recent years, the Council has been reviewing its land and buildings as part of its long-term asset management programme. The aim is to make the best use of council assets, reduce ongoing costs and help safeguard important community spaces for future generations.
As part of this work, the Council has been working with town and parish councils to explore opportunities for the local management of land, buildings and public spaces. The proposals would transfer ownership and responsibility for a number of sites to local councils, which are often best placed to oversee facilities that serve their communities.
Many of the sites are already leased to town and parish councils. Transferring ownership would allow decisions about these spaces to be made closer to the communities they serve, helping to secure their long-term future and ensure they continue to meet local needs.
The sites included in the public notices are:
- Junction of Plymouth Road and Strode Road, Buckfastleigh
- Furlong Close, Buckfastleigh
- Layne Fields, Christow
- Church Street, Dawlish
- Crokers Way, Ipplepen
- Town Quay, Forde Road, Newton Abbot
- Cleave Close, Tedburn St Mary
- Rattle Street, Trusham
Several of the sites include children's play areas. In some cases, the land is owned by Teignbridge District Council, while the play equipment is owned and maintained by the relevant town or parish council. The play areas will remain open and available for public use. The proposed transfers would simply allow town and parish councils to continue managing these facilities locally.
Furlong Close in Buckfastleigh includes play equipment that may benefit from improvements through the Council's Play Parks Improvement Programme. Should responsibility for the site transfer to Buckfastleigh Town Council, funding identified for future improvements would remain available to support the enhancement of the play area.
The Town Quay site in Newton Abbot has been managed by Newton Abbot Town Council under a lease agreement for more than 30 years. The proposed transfer would formalise this long-standing arrangement by transferring ownership to the Town Council, with day-to-day management of the site remaining unchanged.
Any transfer agreement would include legal protections to help ensure the sites remain available for public use and continue to benefit local communities.
More information about each site, including maps and details of the proposed transfers, and how to respond is available on the Council's website.
Residents can also view plans of the affected areas during normal office hours at Forde House, Newton Abbot.
The notices are being published under Section 123(2A) of the Local Government Act 1972, which requires councils to advertise proposed transfers or disposals of public open space for two consecutive weeks.
The publication of the notices is a normal part of the legal process and provides residents with an opportunity to review the proposals and submit comments before any decisions are made.
The proposed transfers are intended to support local management of community spaces while ensuring they remain publicly accessible and protected for future generations.
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