In this issue...

• East Devon's new draft Local Plan revealed, with potential locations for hundreds of new homes.
• Facemasks again mandatory amid spread of Omicron variant
• Exmouth Tidal Defence test declared a great success
• Sidmouth lifeguards - wash up from year one
• Honiton swimming pool refurbishments have begun
• Special Christmas light display opens in Sidmouth gardens

News and updates: 

East Devon's new draft Local Plan revealed, with potential locations for hundreds of new homes

A draft new Local Plan reveals potential locations for where new homes could be built, including an option for a new town, as well as East Devon’s ambitious plans to become carbon neutral by 2040.

This is the first time in the council’s history that it has revealed a ‘work in progress’ draft for a Local Plan, normally waiting until work is further progressed before showing it to the public.

In the spirit of being open and transparent the draft document, which may change as a result of further consideration and public consultation, will be debated for the first time in public on Tuesday, 14 December by EDDC’s Strategic Planning Committee.

The document, which will help shape East Devon until 2040, builds on the authority’s recently adopted Council Plan and looks at how the district can protect the environment, build employment space and ensure only high quality developments are built.

Read more

dw = dwellings

Facemasks again mandatory amid spread of Omicron variant

As of Tuesday 30th, you must wear a face covering in shops and on all public transport. This includes: Hairdressers, tattoo studios and nail bars Post offices and banks Estate agents Vet surgeries Takeaways Pharmacies Auction houses Taxis Driving lessons and tests Government guidance: Let fresh air in if you meet indoors. Meeting outdoors is safer. Get tested and self-isolate if required. If you haven’t already, get vaccinated.

Exmouth Tidal Defence test declared a great success

Exmouth's tidal defence scheme reached an important milestone last week.

The Environment Agency were joined by East Devon District Council and local volunteers to test the procedure for closing the flood gates.

The £12 million scheme includes 27 new flood gates.  These specially made gates will spend most of their lives open, but will need to be closed when flooding is predicted to reduce the risk to local homes and businesses.

The floodgates can be closed in minutes and create a barrier to protect the town from floodwater.

The Environment Agency said in a press release: "Last Friday's successful trial demonstrates that Exmouth Tidal Defence scheme is now functional with only landscaping work to carry out before it is truly complete.

"The Environment Agency worked in partnership with East Devon District Council to deliver the scheme, which will reduce the risk of tidal flooding to over 1,400 residential and 400 commercial properties."

Read more 

Sidmouth lifeguards - wash up from year one

The end of season wash up with Sidmouth Lifeguards took place 18 November for their first season of operation.

The idea blossomed this Summer, with lifeguards operating from 19^th July until 5th September from 10am until 6pm every day. It has been well received by the town and visitors - on many occasions the guards received a round of applause from beach goers when closing for the night and the lifeboat has seen an increase in donations from people keen to support the service.

In total through the summer holiday they dealt with 22 incidents which break down into: 2 missing persons – both found alive and well 1 jelly fish sting 4 Weaver fish stings 2 trips and falls 9 minor injuries requiring first aid 1 inflatable plus user drifting out to sea 1 inexperienced surfer in trouble 1 request to assist HMMG with policing rockfalls on East beach 1 major incident where a family were injured on the rock groynes – ambulance attended and took casualty to RD&E. For next year they have identified a list of minor improvements. The major one being that they want to look at extending the season to start with the summer half term then weekend cover up to one week before the end of term then moving to full cover as per till the end of the summer holiday. They are also looking at increasing the number of guards on the beach for folk week and for the air display.

1 in 2 unpaid carers suffer from depression

There are more unpaid carers across Devon than ever before, as many as 130,000. An unpaid carer is someone who gives their time to support a family member, friend, or neighbour. This may be due to an illness, condition, frailty, disability, Covid-19, or post hospital care and could be on a regular basis or occasionally. Estimates suggest that over 50,000 unpaid carers in Devon are at risk of breakdown at any one time, 96,200 feel exhausted and over 45,000 say they feel unable to manage their caring role. There’s no question that unpaid carers play a vital role, the value of their work in Devon has been estimated at £1.6 billion per year, that's over £20,000 per carer. Early identification and support for unpaid carers not only improves the lives and situations of the carer as well as the person they look after, but it can also help avoid unsustainable pressure on public services and finances. This new campaign aims to increase the number of unpaid carers that are supported by Devon Carers, whether someone needs a listening ear or advice on finances and emergency planning. We’ve identified four groups of carers who do not access support at the same rate as others, these include carers from ethnic minority communities, male carers, LGBT+ and working age carers. The campaign will run from now until the end of next March, each month focussing on a different group. To find out more and to get involved, visit Devon Carers.

Honiton Swimming Pool refurbishment of changing rooms have begun

Refurbishment works to the swimming pool changing rooms at Honiton Leisure Centre started in November.

LED Community Leisure and East Devon District Council are pleased to announce the new changing rooms are due to re-open to the public in February 2022.

Peter Gilpin, CEO for LED Community Leisure said: “LED Community Leisure would like to assure its customers that our teams have been working tirelessly to bring these improvements to fruition. Our management team have worked hard to find a way to not only keep open the pool but ensure it can remain open and operate within COVID-19 Secure guidelines. We would like to thank our customers for their patience and understanding.”

Updates on the project can be found on the LED Honiton Leisure Centre Facebook page. 

Arriving next week: A stunning Christmas light display at Sidmouth's Connaught Gardens

If you’re looking for a truly magical experience this Christmas, visit Connaught Gardens in the coastal town of Sidmouth. This creative illuminated trail through the gardens high on the clifftops is filled with joy, wonder and a few surprises too. Suitable for the whole family to enjoy from babes in arms to grandparents, there really is something for everyone.

You can also visit the free undercover Christmas Food & Craft Village where you’ll be tempted by delicious food, mouth-watering drinks and an array of crafty Christmas gift ideas from high quality local makers.

Tickets for the illuminations are strictly limited, so book early to make sure you don’t miss out on the top Christmas experience of 2021. The Food & Craft Village is non-ticketed so anyone can visit and appreciate the festive atmosphere.

It’s the perfect start to your Christmas celebrations this year.

7-12th December 2021

Handy helpers move wood chippings

St Martin's School, Cranbrook

The Year 1 children at St Martins School in Cranbrook were the first to help with the wood chippings that arrived just before half term. They have become quite knowledgeable now about how the chippings help to keep the forest in good condition and protect the roots from becoming compacted. In addition, they know that the chippings help with soaking up the rain and stopping the forest from getting too muddy. The children received praise for their excellent work from the Tree Surveyor.

The school is expecting four more loads of wood chippings before Christmas. After Christmas, the trees planted by the pupils last year will finally be making their way into the forest as well. With a variety of oak, beech, spindle and fir, the children have been great at making sure that they are not surrounded in weeds and that as they grow we put stakes in to support the stems. This is always a special time as not only are the children thrilled about their trees being in the forest, it also creates an amazing smell!

Over 50s urged to have free flu vaccine this winter

Over-50s in Devon are being urged to take up their FREE NHS flu vaccine as experts warn of a significant flu outbreak this winter. Flu is not just a heavy cold. It is a highly infectious disease, causing fever, chills, headache, aches and pains in the joints and muscles, and extreme tiredness. It can’t be treated by antibiotics because it is a virus. Healthy individuals usually recover within two to seven days but, for some, it can increase the risk of developing more serious illnesses such as bronchitis and pneumonia, or can make existing conditions worse. The virus can lead to hospitalisation, permanent disability or even death. The Covid-19 jab does not protect against flu so it is vital to have both the flu and Covid-19 vaccinations to reduce your chances of becoming unwell and needing hospital treatment. Getting vaccinated helps you and the NHS, which is already facing extreme pressures in the run up to the very busy winter season. Who can have a free NHS flu vaccine? •      all children aged 2 to 15 (but not 16 years or older) on 31 August 2021 •      people aged six months to under 50 years with certain health conditions such as diabetes, liver disease or COPD •      all pregnant women (including those who become pregnant during flu season) •      people aged 50 years and over •      people living in long-stay residential care homes or other long-stay care facilities •      carers •      household contacts of immunocompromised individuals •      all frontline health and social care workers To find a pharmacy that offers the free flu vaccine near you, visit NHS Pharmacy Service.

Busy times on and off the job with our contractor Ian Williams

Close relationships between our contractors, EDDC and our residents, are so important and it’s great to see how much the Ian Williams’ teams have done over and above their contracted works in recent months. Residents will no doubt have seen their vans around, but if you don’t know, property services specialists, Ian Williams are about to start their third year of a ten year contract to look after all aspects of the maintenance and improvements of EDDC properties. Always among the first to join in our community events, Ian Williams donated £500 towards our recent garden competition which is hugely appreciated. And for anyone who wants to brush up on their DIY skills, they have also agreed a residents’ discount with Bradford Building Supplies. All you need to do is show your rental card for a 10% discount.

But it’s not all play and no work and the Ian Williams’ teams have been busy delivering across the county. Notably, following a sad arson attack on some of our homes in Greenhaven, Ian Williams came to rescue by reinstating the properties with internal FRA works and external fire resistant Cedral boards and paint which we hope will make everyone feel safer. Works are also progressing well with some fantastic resident feedback coming through, most recently for the new window replacement programme in Uplyme, where they have had fantastic resident comments like ‘excellent team’ and ‘we couldn’t praise them enough!’

Business update 

Shop Local Christmas campaign: #EastDevonly

East Devon District Council has been awarded funding through the European Regional Development Fund’s Welcome Back Fund to enable the East Devon economy to recover from Covid-19 pandemic. We have procured marketing and communications support to deliver creative, innovative and engaging visitor campaigns for Christmas 2021 and spring 2022.  The focus of the Spring campaign is to promote opportunities for day and overnight visits to East Devon to support the recovery of the visitor economy from Covid-19. The Christmas campaign will encourage residents to ‘shop local’ on their local towns and villages.

The current campaign focusses around shopping locally and sustainably this Christmas in and around East Devon’s High Streets, and there will also be another phase of the campaign launching in the New Year, promoting East Devon as a destination to attract tourism to this diverse and beautiful part of Devon.

Read more 

If you want to stay up to date with the latest news about grants for East Devon businesses, or other news about business opportunities, funding and training, you must subscribe to East Devon Business news

Latest news and newsletters

East Devon District Council also produce regular newsletters and news on different topics, in the last week we have issued the following which may be of interest:

East Devon District Council pull out all the stops to Keep Santa Jolly this Christmas.

Latest news from Arts and Culture East Devon.

Business and economy bulletin.

Council meetings dates

Over the next week the following East Devon District Council meetings are taking place.  Any public meetings will be streamed live to the Council’s YouTube channel, and in the event of difficulties these will be streamed on our Facebook page instead. 

Wednesday, 8 December

• 6pm Consultative, Council

Agendas

Recycling news 

Seasonal bin hanger

Households will receive our special seasonal bin hangers very soon, which will list the Christmas and New Year collection dates, together with lots more information on how to recycle as much as possible and advice on using the correct containers.   For more information about the Christmas date changes, please visit our website by clicking on the following link: Christmas holiday collection dates and tree recycling The Recycling Team #EDDCrecycling

Have you downloaded our free East Devon App yet? Join over 30,000 people using our smartphone app and get simple personalised collection reminders, the latest collection updates and tell us about a missed collection.

Thelma Hulbert Gallery

Present Makers 2021

13 November - 24 December 2021

If you are looking for something special this Christmas, Present Makers 2021 features creative innovation across craft and design. You'll be buying handcrafted, one-off pieces from local designers and makers including textiles, prints, ceramics, homewares and jewellery, as well as unique Christmas cards and decorations. This popular annual exhibition at Thelma Hulbert Gallery (THG) showcases new collections from key makers from across the South West. Visit the website to find out more.

Wild East Devon 

To keep in touch with the Wild East Devon Team follow them on Facebook and Twitter

Next edition

We plan to send out our next bulletin on Friday, 10 December 2021.

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