Editing Bideford (section)

==Governance==
[[File:Bideford Town Hall - geograph.org.uk - 1357042.jpg|thumb|[[Bideford Town Hall]] (built 1850, extended 1906).]]
Bideford Town Council, which is based at [[Bideford Town Hall]],<ref name="bideford-tc">{{cite web |url=http://www.bideford-tc.gov.uk/ |title=Bideford Town Council – Online Digital Resources – Home |publisher=bideford-tc.gov.uk |access-date=31 March 2015 |archive-date=14 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414053309/http://bideford-tc.gov.uk/ |url-status=live }}</ref> has 16 seats representing four unequal wards, North, South, East and South Outer. At the May 2011 local elections, seven Conservatives, three independents, two Liberal Democrats, two Labour and one Green were elected (there was one vacant seat).<ref>[http://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/news/barnstaple_and_bideford_town_council_election_results_1_889018 Barnstaple and Bideford Town Council election results] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513003633/http://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/news/barnstaple_and_bideford_town_council_election_results_1_889018 |date=13 May 2011 }}, North Devon Gazette, 10 May 2011</ref> There is a mayor and Town Clerk. The town council received widespread attention in February 2012 when the [[High Court of Justice|High Court]] ruled that prayers as part of meetings were not lawful by the [[Local Government Act 1972]].<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-16980025 Bideford Town Council prayers ruled unlawful] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180919073859/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-16980025 |date=19 September 2018 }}, BBC, 10 February 2012</ref>

Torridge District Council<ref name="torridge5">{{cite web |url=http://www.torridge.gov.uk |title=Torridge District Council : Torridge District Council Home Page |publisher=torridge.gov.uk |access-date=31 March 2015 |archive-date=11 April 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150411112444/http://www.torridge.gov.uk/ |url-status=live }}</ref> is the next level of local government and most decisions are made by Devon County Council.<ref name="devon3">{{cite web |url=http://www.devon.gov.uk |title=Devon County Council |publisher=devon.gov.uk |access-date=31 March 2015 |archive-date=17 December 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201217105933/https://www.devon.gov.uk/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Torridge District Council is responsible for maintaining [[Bideford Higher Cemetery]].

The local MP is the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] [[Geoffrey Cox (British politician)|Geoffrey Cox]]. The two [[Devon County Council]] councillors who represent the town are Anthony Inch and Linda Hellyer, they are both members of the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]].<ref name="northdevongazette">{{cite web|url=http://www.torridge.gov.uk/article/16481/Devon-County-Council-Elections-2017|title=Devon County Council Election Results 2017|access-date=17 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171017202458/http://www.torridge.gov.uk/article/16481/Devon-County-Council-Elections-2017|archive-date=17 October 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>