In this issue...

• New Council Cabinet is elected

• £150 Council Tax (energy) rebate update

• Heat Network Projects awarded funding to reduce waste and create energy

• Have your say on business development proposals on land near Exeter Airport

• Sidmouth Sea Fest is back

News and updates: 

New Council Cabinet is elected

Council Chair, Ian Thomas, re-elected for new year

"Last year I was honoured to be elected the first non-aligned Independent Chair.  

To be unanimously re-elected at Annual Council, with support from Conservative, Labour, Lib Dem, Green and Independent colleagues is a humbling experience I will never take for granted.  

I recognise this unique trust brings with it additional responsibilities and will continue to perform all my duties to the best of my ability, with an even hand and open mind."

Council Leader, Paul Arnott, re-elected for new term

Councillor Paul Arnott was re-elected at the Annual Council meeting yesterday (Thursday, 19 May) for his third consecutive year. In his acceptance speech Councillor Arnott highlighted some of the achievements of his administration which included securing the finances to enable the completion of Cranbrook’s Town Centre, the great collaboration work that has taken place in the Enterprise Zone, and the analytical work that has been carried out in Tourism, Cultural and Leisure by the council to help create growth in these important sectors.

In the coming year fresh impetus would be given to address the shortage in the supply of homes, deliver an improved service for housing tenants and encourage new projects to build attainable homes. There will also be an increased focus on climate change with joined up policy making and engagement on this important topic.

New Council Cabinet

Cabinet 2022/23:

Notice of Election

An election is to be held for a Member of Parliament for Tiverton and Honiton Constituency (please note this election is only in part of the East Devon district)

Forms of nomination for the Parliamentary Election may be obtained at Phoenix House, Phoenix Lane, Tiverton, Devon, EX16 6PP from the Acting Returning Officer who will, at the request of an elector for any electoral area prepare a nomination paper for signature.

Nomination papers must be delivered to the Acting Returning Officer, Phoenix House, Phoenix Lane, Tiverton, Devon, EX16 6PP on any day after the date of this notice between the hours of 10am and 4pm but no later than 4pm on Wednesday 25 May 2022.

The poll will take place on Thursday 23 June 2022.

Applications to register to vote must reach the Electoral Registration Officer by 12 midnight on Tuesday 7 June 2022. Applications can be made online: www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

£150 Council Tax (energy) rebate update

Letters have now been sent to all eligible households in East Devon, where we were unable to pay directly to their bank accounts, inviting them to apply for their £150 Council Tax (Energy) rebate.

Residents will be able to apply online once they have received their letter containing their unique access code.

If you are eligible and you don’t receive your letter by 25 May, please let us know by completing our contact us form and we will re-send it.

Residents will also need their Council Tax Account number in order to apply, so if you don’t have it to hand please let us know and we will send a bill out to you.

We’re asking our residents, where they’re able, to complete the form online so we can keep our phone lines free for our vulnerable residents who do not have access online to complete it themselves.

Heat Network Projects awarded funding to reduce waste and create energy

District heating network pipes. (c) GRW Photography

Heat networks that will use Energy from Waste are to be developed in East Devon and London with support of funding awarded through the Government’s Heat Networks Investment Project (HNIP).

Over £250 million of funding has been awarded to heat network schemes under the Heat Networks Investment Project (HNIP) since it opened its doors to applicants in 2018. The total Capex of schemes offered HNIP funding exceeds £826 million highlighting the scale of the opportunity for investment in the sector.

Read more

Have your say on business development proposals on land near Exeter Airport

Power Park, Exeter and East Devon Enterprise Zone. (c) Still Imaging

A consultation is now underway by East Devon District Council on a planning document known as a Local Development Order (LDO) for a site off Long Lane, opposite the Future Skills Centre near Exeter Airport.

The LDO makes the planning process simpler and therefore quicker, easier and cheaper for developers to bring forward high quality schemes and buildings that will provide new employment opportunities.  The site will be known as Power Park, part of the Exeter and East Devon Enterprise Zone. It will provide a range of premises suitable for many types of business, encouraging investment and creating up to 500 new jobs in the area.

The LDO will set out the type and quantity of development which can take place on the site. Developers would need to demonstrate their proposals comply with the LDO before starting the development.

People can view the documents online and share their views until Tuesday, 7 June 2022, when the consultation closes, at eastdevon.gov.uk/power-park-LDO 

Read more

After a tough two years, Sidmouth Sea Fest is back

Sidmouth Sea Fest is an annual event that celebrates the sea and our coast and the vibrant community of this very special place.

With a host of art, environmental and community activities, music, food and author talks, why not come along for a day of fun by the sea!

Saturday, 21 May 10am to 11.30pm at The Ham, Sidmouth.

A FREE event for all ages, outdoors and weather proofed in marquees.

*ALSO* join Thelma Hulbert Gallery for some fun seaweed pressing! Drop by anytime between 10am - 4pm at the end of the esplanade. 

More info

Salterton Road grass verge trial project

The sowing of wildflower as part of a pilot project has recently been completed along the extent of grass verge in Salterton Road, Exmouth.

The wildflower will cover a vast area over 5000m2 and will act as a crucial corridor and stepping stone for wildlife within the urban environment. Over 97% of wildflower meadows have been lost since the 1930s, and when meadows disappear, so do pollinators. This has a drastic effect on our environment, especially when 35% of the our food supply relies on these pollinators. By bringing wildflowers back into our urban spaces, it has direct and indirect benefits on us.

By transitioning to wildflower from mown amenity grass we are able to cut carbon emissions by over 50% through reduced mowing regimes. Not only this, but the wildflower itself is able to trap and hold large quantities of carbon.

Wildflower verges should also be beautiful and dramatic. Bright and colourful flowering species have been selected, which will create waves of colour from spring right through until autumn, different every time you walk, cycle or drive by. If this trial proves successful, there is scope to implement similar schemes across the district.

2022 perennial spring planting

The 2022 spring planting in a number of green spaces is nearing completion and the first flowers are starting to emerge. The teams have worked extremely hard to plant thousands of new perennial plants this spring. Over time, as the plants mature you should start to see less soil and more colour. The planting is designed to provide year-round interest, with colours and forms that change constantly through the year. In winter the structural shapes of dramatic stems, sculptural seed heads and evergreen leaves are left behind.

Crucially, the planting is layered to create a living, functioning ecosystem which will reduce the need for watering and other resources and therefore decrease carbon emissions. This spring, planting has been focused around: Connaught Gardens, Sidmouth; Manor Gardens, Exmouth; and Seafield Gardens, Seaton. We are looking forward to developing more planting schemes this autumn and next spring.

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:

Have your say on proposals for a Clyst Valley Trail

Blue Flag Award 2022 winners revealed: Exmouth, Seaton and Sidmouth boast some of Britain’s nicest beaches

Arts and Culture East Devon Network Meeting: 20.06.22

Thelma Hulbert Gallery: Exhibition opening - Fresh! Devon Artist Network

Clyst Valley Regional Park news + events

Housing Matters Spring 2022

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. 

There are no meetings taking place next week. The next meetings are:

Wednesday, 1 June

• 9.30am - Licensing and Enforcement Sub Committee

Agendas

Recycling news 

Garden recycling

Please remember to take your great recycling habits into your garden.

The packaging used in lots of garden products is made up of valuable resources and can be recycled at the kerb-side with your other household plastics and cardboard.

Please note we are unable to collect rigid plastic items such as plant pots and watering cans at the kerb-side. Please take these to your household recycling centre to be recycled.

Thank you.

A-Z of recycling

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

*NEW* Exhibition

FRESH! (28 May – 23 July)

Selling exhibition of new work by leading artists and creatives of Devon Artist Network (DAN). Featuring painting, sculpture, pottery, glass work, textile and mark making.

Exhibition opening: Saturday 28 May, 10 - 5. Enjoy live demos through the day from DAN artists.

Find out more

Wild East Devon 

AV&DCS Family Explorers at Colyton Community Woodland

Join the Axe Vale and District Conservation Society and Wild East Devon’s Education Ranger this half term to explore, spot wildlife and get creative.

Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Monday, 30 May, 2-4pm
£5 per family group

More info

Crafts and creatures at Honiton bottom

Come and join us at Honiton Bottom Nature reserve for a morning of nature based arts and crafts and wildlife discovery.

We will go bug hunting in the meadow and get creative with natural and recycled materials.

£5 per child (accompanying children under 3 free).

More info

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

Missed the first online event for parents? Not to worry, here's another chance to join the highly successful online event for parents

Parents of teenage children will now have a second chance to attend a trailblazing series of webinars piloted earlier this year.

The ‘Let’s Talk Teenagers’ webinars were set up to help parents and carers understand and support their teenagers to navigate the challenges of today’s world.

The first sessions were sold out and with demand so high a second series has now been planned to run next month (Wednesdays June 15, 22 and 29).

The ‘Let’s Talk Teenagers’ webinars were designed by the South Devon and Dartmoor Community Safety Partnership and rolled out across Devon in partnership with other local organisations that work together to keep children and young people safe, support parents and reduce crime and antisocial behaviour.

Places for the courses were initially limited to 200, but a staggering 749 parents and carers attended one or more of the sessions in total, and the feedback received was highly positive.

Find out more or sign up for the webinar

UK-wide plans for public to celebrate Platinum Jubilee

On 14 May, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) announced that big screens will be set up outdoors in London, Edinburgh and Cardiff so thousands of people can come together to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June.

From street parties and ‘Big Jubilee Lunches’ happening across the UK, to London’s Trooping the Colour, Service of Thanksgiving, concert and pageant, the nation and commonwealth will come together over four days to mark The Queen’s 70-year reign.

An activity pack for children has also been launched to help them learn about The Queen’s reign, including articles about how the country has changed in the last seven decades, opportunities to colour in a corgi or crown and bunting to decorate for street parties.

A Platinum Jubilee celebration toolkit was added to the Platinum Jubilee website last week to support communities with their celebrations. The toolkit includes lots of useful items that will support any event. Examples include; download and print bunting, recipes from well-known celebrities and a Spotify playlist.

Watch this space for a list of Jubilee events taking place all over East Devon - releasing soon!

More info

Toolkit

Events Map

Return of Pride sees NHS in Devon engaging with LGBTQIA+ community to make services more inclusive

NHS Devon welcomed the return of Pride in Exeter last Saturday, 14 May.

A Devon County Council survey found that LGBTQIA+ people in Devon were more likely to feel isolated and to have poorer health and wellbeing and to report that they didn’t feel listened to or understood by public services. Meanwhile research by LGBTQIA+ campaign and support charity Stonewall found that one in seven LGBT people (14 per cent) avoid seeking healthcare for fear of discrimination from staff.

Whether you attended Exeter Pride or not, you are encouraged to fill out an online form to give your thoughts on improving services. The NHS in Devon is also keen to hear from LGBTQIA+ health and care staff. Findings from the survey will be used to shape the new Integrated Care System for Devon; a partnership of health and social care organisations working together with local communities across Devon, Plymouth and Torbay to improve people’s health, wellbeing and care.

Fill in the form here

Next edition

We plan to send out our next bulletin on Friday, 27 May 2022. This will be a Queen's Jubilee special edition.

Please forward this email to anyone you think would find it useful and encourage them to sign up.

You can also can share this update on social media and in any online groups you're part of by using the view it as a web page link at the top of the page.