WARRING Torbay councillors have been told again to behave themselves or risk undermining all their good work.

Last year the Local Government Association (LGA) said a very small number of the bay’s 36 councillors were behaving so badly that they needed to ask themselves what they wanted their legacy to be.

Now the LGA has revisited the council to see how it is getting on.

And while a detailed report highlights a number of successes for the town hall, it says behaviour is still a problem.

In 2024 the LGA told feuding bay councillors to get their house in order, saying some members from both the Conservative administration and the Lib Dem/Independent opposition needed to spend more time serving the public and less time arguing.

In response, the council drew up a 15-point action plan to address the issues.

The council is currently under no overall political control, with 17 Conservatives, 15 Liberal Democrats and four Independents, three of whom operate as a group.

The other Independent is more aligned to the Conservatives.

The casting vote on any important full-council decisions rests with the Conservative mayor.

The LGA’s update review was carried out in April, but is only now coming to a meeting of the overview and scrutiny committee, scheduled for October 8.

It says significant progress has been made on issues such as a cross-party business plan.

The council’s directors are more visible and engaged and the authority continues to be financially stable.

Torbay’s leader and chief executive are playing prominent roles in the new Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority and more than £100million in regeneration funding is being delivered.

A housing delivery plan and homelessness action plan have been adopted and a new cross-party agreement between group leaders has improved governance.

But, says the report, challenges remain.

It says: “We spoke a year ago of a very small number of councillors impacting negatively on the morale and reputation of the organisation. Unfortunately, elements of this behaviour continue.

“This has been seen in the stance a very small number of councillors have adopted towards fellow elected members and officers in public forums or through social media. What is being seen and experienced is inappropriate and risks undermining relationships between councillors and between officers and elected members.

“What is occurring is acting as a major distraction, absorbing capacity and damaging morale internally. Partner organisations are cognisant of what is happening and no doubt the general public are also forming a view.”