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Torbay Council to get new logos

Wednesday, 5 February 2020 13:40

By Ed Oldfield, Local Democracy Reporting Service

But one councillor described the design as ‘Stalinist’.

The new theme has the word Torbay in blue capital letters underlined in yellow.

There is a version for signs, uniforms and documents, and another for online use with the council’s website address.

The change was discussed at a meeting of the authority’s Cabinet, which heard a mixture of views about the new design.

Cabinet member Christine Carter said the current logo did not fit with the digital age.

The Liberal Democrat said: “We need to refresh it, just brighten it up to make it more flexible and fit for the future.”

But some members of the Conservative opposition group were not impressed.

Former elected mayor Nick Bye said: “The existing logo does give an impression of what Torbay is all about.”

He described the new design as ‘Stalinist’ and ‘poor’ and added: “I don’t think it will excite and inspire.”

The ‘Stalinist’ reference relates to Joseph Stalin, the Communist dictator who led the former Soviet Union as a totalitarian state from the 1920s to the 1950s.   

Conservative Jackie Thomas described the new logos as ‘bland’ and ‘utilitarian’.

Conservative group leader Dave Thomas said the previous logo represented sea and sand, but the new design did not give the impression of a seaside location.

“To me, this doesn’t really sell Torbay’s best assets,” he added.

Head of corporate services Anne-Marie Bond told councillors the design had been kept simple to meet online accessibility standards.

Councillors heard the new logos were created in-house without using outside consultants to keep cost to a minimum.

The council logo has already been used on a budget consultation document and the new designs will be brought in gradually when current stocks with the old logo run out and equipment is replaced.

The council’s deputy leader Darren Cowell, an Independent, said: “Personally I think it is absolutely right that we update our logo for the 21st Century.”

The Cabinet voted in favour of introducing the new designs.

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