Councillor Jane Taylor has taken over as leader of the Independent group on Teignbridge District Council, pledging to bring fresh energy to the group ahead of next May’s local elections.

Cllr Taylor, who represents Kerswell-with-Coombe, assumed the leadership by agreement following the departure of former leader.

The group currently has eight members, compared with nine Conservative councillors.

Cllr Taylor said she wanted to bring the Independents together and encourage more people to stand for election to represent their local communities.

‘Independent councillors have got a lot to bring’, she said.

‘They can vote independently. There’s no whip, and they can take the concerns of their residents into the council chamber’, she added.

She emphasised that local elections should focus on issues affecting residents’ everyday lives, rather than national political debates.

Cllr Taylor, who spent 30 years in public service with the police, said becoming a councillor had been an unexpected development after she became involved in politics while supporting a neighbour with local concerns.

She described taking on the leadership role as a natural progression and said she was enjoying the opportunity to bring motions to the council on behalf of the group.

Among the issues she intends to pursue is the lack of occupation at Newton Abbot’s Market Hall.

Cllr Taylor has submitted a motion for debate at an upcoming council meeting, questioning why the building remains unused and calling for efforts to attract traders.

She is also continuing to scrutinise policies surrounding single-sex facilities at Dawlish Leisure Centre.

With next May’s elections approaching, Cllr Taylor said recruiting more independent councillors and ensuring local concerns are heard would be central to her leadership.