Councillors have clashed over the future of five parcels of land in Brixham.

The town council had asked to buy the five for £1 each from Torbay Council, saying it was the best way of keeping them safe and in good condition for the town.

Torbay agreed to hand over three of them, all overlooking the harbour, but decided to hang on to the other two.

The decision to hold on to them then sparked a row at a meeting of Torbay Council’s cabinet over why the larger authority doesn’t want to part with them.

Cllr Swithin Long (Lib Dem, Barton with Watcombe) questioned why Torbay was hanging on to a piece of land at Monksbridge, close to the site where developers want to build 175 new homes. It is currently a skate park.

“I’m assuming the Conservative administration is facilitating house-building at Monksbridge?” he said, prompting a swift response from Cllr Adam Billings (Con, Churston with Galmpton), who said he wanted to reassure Brixham residents.

“I could not be further from the position that we are seeking to develop any of the areas of land that we have talked about,” he said. “It would be a very brave council that took a children’s skate park and decided to develop it – and certainly not a council that I would want to be a part of.”

He said skate parks were expensive and difficult to look after, meaning it made more sense for the larger council to keep the land.

The council’s deputy leader, Chris Lewis (Con, Preston), went on: “The reason we are keeping the Monksbridge site is so that we can have control of it, and stop development on that greenfield site.

“To say that we kept it for ourselves so we could enable development, especially when we have taken that Monksbridge site out of the local plan for it, is completely wrong.

“The skate park is not there for development.”

The three pieces of land which are being transferred to Brixham Town Council for a total price of £3 are Jubilee Gardens, Churchill Gardens and the War Memorial Gardens, all of which are off Berry Head Road overlooking Breakwater Beach.

Cllr Lewis said the deal was ‘a strong and positive step forward’. He went on: “Torbay Council is demonstrating confidence in Brixham Town Council’s ability to enhance and manage these assets.

“It is not simply a transfer of land – it’s a transfer of opportunity.”

And council leader David Thomas (Con, Preston) added, “These are important community spaces with heritage value, civic pride and significance for local residents.”