TEIGNBRIDGE Council, described by one of its own members as ‘toxic’, has been told it must behave or face the consequences.

External advisors confronted members of Teignbridge Council with a catalogue of incidents including swearing in the council chamber, shouting, muting one another’s microphones and walking out of meetings.

Beth Bower, a director of independent advisors Grant Thornton, told a meeting of the full council their behaviour was unlike any they had seen before in their extensive experience in local government.

Now the council will appoint an independent expert to help it get over the problems which have earned it a sharp rap over the knuckles.

Independent councillor Richard Daws (Ambrook) told the meeting: ‘I’ve never experienced anything as toxic as this council.’

The Grant Thornton report said all political groups in the chamber had been involved to some extent, and the council had now been warned three times to get its house in order.

One meeting of the full council had to be suspended last summer after one member swore at the chairman and in 2021 another meeting was disrupted after a physical confrontation between two councillors.

The council’s own standards committee has not met for more than 18 months, partly because of behaviour issues on that committee itself.

Ms Bower said the council’s situation is ‘totally unacceptable’, eroding public trust and risking bringing the council into disrepute. If things don’t improve quickly, further action could follow.

‘Now is the time for reflection and, most importantly, change,’ she said.

The Grant Thornton report makes six recommendations.

Among them, it said the council should appoint an expert to investigate behaviour which impacts Teignbridge’s reputation and working culture, and then develop an action plan to deal with it.

It said swearing, abusive behaviour and lack of respect should not be tolerated, and only councillors with a track record of ‘excellent’ behaviour should be allowed to sit on the standards committee.

Council leader Richard Keeling (Lib Dem, Chudleigh) said bad behaviour is unacceptable and he was 100 per cent behind the recommendations.

‘The public don’t want to see councillors arguing,’ he said.

‘They want to see them getting on with the job.’

But Cllr Daws, who said Teignbridge is unlike any other council, argued that the advisors’ recommendations were one-sided and did not address what he described as a ‘toxic culture’ between councillors and officers.

Cllr Liam Mullone (Ind, College), who was involved in the incident which caused the meeting last summer to be suspended, claimed there was a ‘catastrophic schism’ between councillors and officers.

He went on: ‘These recommendations aren’t going to do anything in practical terms except waste taxpayers’ money. This organisation’s dysfunction is coming from the top and not the bottom.’

And Cllr Jane Taylor (Ind, Kerswell-with-Coombe) added: 'I don’t view it as bad behaviour. I view it as freedom of speech, and doing what I was elected to do in this chamber.’

The meeting to discuss the bad behaviour was in itself heated and bad-tempered at times, leading the council’s monitoring officer Paul Woodhead to tell councillors: ‘What we have heard today reinforces the concerns of the auditor.’

Grant Thornton’s recommendations were eventually passed, with 28 councillors in favour, six against, two abstaining and two disputing the legality of the process and deciding not to vote at all.