In this issue...
- Time is running out to have your say on future developments in East Devon Local Plan consultation
- Are you struggling to pay for bills and essentials? Extra support is being offered to low-income families by EDDC
- Council Tax could double for owners of second home or unoccupied buildings
- Housing repairs receive thanks from residents across East Devon
- Spread out your cardboard collections and help you recycling and waste team
News and updates:
TIME IS RUNNING OUT to have your say on future developments in East Devon Local Plan consultation
Maps of East Devon development proposals and photos of the developments that are already underway
The deadline to have your say on how much building takes place in East Devon from now until 2040 is fast approaching – EDDC’s Local Plan consultation ends on Sunday, 15 January!
Thousands of people have already commented on proposals in the new draft Local Plan which sets out various aims, such as:
• How many new homes need to be built and where;
• How the district would address the climate change emergency;
• How and where new jobs should be created how we should support our town centres;
• How East Devon protects its built heritage and natural environment;
• How EDDC intends to deliver housing to meet the needs of local residents and ensure new homes are net zero carbon ensuring they are more efficient and cheaper to run.
Read previous news headlines about the new draft Local Plan:
Watch our videos on the new Local Plan:
Support for low earners and charges for second homes agreed by EDDC’s Cabinet
Photos from the East Devon communities of Exmouth, Beer, Axminster and Honiton
Low-income residents struggling with the cost of living are set to receive extra help, through East Devon District Council’s (EDDC) hardship fund and reductions to their council tax bill.
EDDC’s Cabinet agreed to a package of support to help those in need across the district at its latest meeting on Wednesday, 4 January.
Grants up to £650 to help with essential and bills
More than £257,000 will be used to help residents struggling to afford essentials and bills, thanks to left over monies from the council’s Covid-19 Hardship Fund Policy.
Grants up to £650 can be awarded eligible households, through EDDC’s financial resilience team using the Cost of Living Hardship Fund.
Plans to reduce Council Tax for low income families
Plans to give East Devon’s lowest income families a 100 per cent council tax discount, helping to protect them against the cost-of-living crisis, are one step closer.
Cabinet agreed to the following draft scheme for working age households, those in Band 1 will receive 100 per cent reduction, Band 2 – 80 per cent, Band 3 – 55 per cent and Band 4 – 25 per cent.
A final decision will be made by full council with the aim of introducing the scheme from April 2023.
Council Tax could double for owners of second home or unoccupied buildings
A move to double Council Tax for the owners of second homes or unoccupied buildings was agreed by EDDC’s Cabinet this week.
The final decision on the changes will be made at EDDC’s next full council meeting. These changes are subject to Government signing off relevant legislation.
It is hoped the move will encourage empty buildings to be brought back into use for the local community. This change could also make up for the reductions in Council Tax for lower income households.
Housing repairs receive thanks from residents across East Devon
The council’s repairs team, and its contractor Ian Williams, worked hard over the festive season (throughout December) responding to 1,862 calls and had 812 emails.
Among the many complements received, one resident got in contact to say how ‘lovely and well-mannered’ the two engineers, who fitted a heater for her, were.
One handyman also received a nice thank you after helping a vulnerable resident build his flat pack wardrobe – more affectionately known as ‘divorce in a box’ by some. The gentleman said he was ‘over the moon’ and that he was ‘treated with nothing but compassion and excellent experience’.
The repairs team was also called out to fix a damaged drain in Exmouth, which was causing a slip hazard due to the cold weather – the team was praised by the resident for their ‘swift response’ and ‘a very good job very well done,’ with ‘splendid first-class service with ten out of ten golden stars.’
Another pleased resident got in touch to thank the teams who carried out work in his home and ‘went the extra mile and he was polite and professional’.
EDDC would like to thank all its residents for their patience over the busy festive period, along with all its amazing workers who went above and beyond.
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Have you filed your tax return? Almost 5.7million customers still have not
Time is running out with less than a month to go for around 5.7million self-assessment customers to file their tax return or they may face a penalty.
To file your tax return before the 31 January.
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:
Council meetings dates
Over the next week the following East Devon District Council meetings are taking place in our council chamber at Blackdown House in Honiton.
Following the decision of councillors to resume in-person meetings, we hope to be able to stream public meetings to the council’s YouTube channel.
Wednesday, 11 January
Thursday, 12 January
 
Spread out your cardboard collections and help you recycling and waste team
If you have large quantities of cardboard, collected and stored from your internet Christmas shopping, please spread the load by putting it out for collection over a number of weeks.
There are times when we may have to leave behind some cardboard for another collection if our vehicles are filling quickly.
If you do have large quantities of material, which you would rather not keep until the next collection, then there will be the option for you to visit your local recycling centre.
Also, please remember to take out any polystyrene, bubble wrap or polythene bags from your cardboard packaging before putting it out for collection.
Thank you for helping our crews at a peak time and for recycling as much as possible.
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.
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Thelma Hulbert Gallery
New exhibition captures beauty of natural world, shining light on climate change
Léonie Hampton: A Language of Seeds
Dates: Friday, 13 January – Saturday, 4 March
Time: 10am - 5pm (Tuesday to Saturday)
Léonie Hampton is from the artist collective Still/Moving. Her lens captures both the beauty of the natural world while attending to the urgency of the climate crisis. Léonie’s photographs provide a rich context to consider our place in this fragile world.
Private viewing and special talk – Friday 13 January
Join THG’s team for a special private view of the exhibition from 5pm until 7pm: View the invitation here.
A special talk will be held by Léonie Hampton and Lara Goodband between 6pm and 7pm.
Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Dowell Street, Honiton EX14 1LX
Next edition
We plan to send out our next bulletin on Friday, 13 January 2023.
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