The number of local community groups supporting people through the coronavirus pandemic has increased and we would like to thank everyone who is contributing to this effort.
Traditional groups have been joined by community groups formed to help share local information, support people who are self isolating and provide food deliveries. Town and parish councils are also providing a range of support.
These are listed on our website and we have added an interactive map which enables you to find groups operating near you.
Searching can be by place, postcode or by selecting a point on the Teignbridge map.
We continue to deliver food to 'shielding' residents in need and responding to calls for help to our Coronavirus Hotline 01626 215512 email coronavirus.support@teignbridge.gov.uk Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm. (excluding Bank Holidays)
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 Plans to build two landmark hotels in Teignmouth and Newton Abbot have been submitted, which aim to create jobs and boost the local economy.
Teignmouth’s tourism industry will benefit from a 68 bed Premier Inn and Beefeater restaurant in Brunswick Street while a new 72 bed Travelodge Hotel with restaurant in Halcyon Road, Newton Abbot, will boost regeneration in the area and benefit the local business sector.
Each town’s traditional building characteristics are retained in the contemporary designs being submitted for each hotel, which also incorporate numerous energy reduction measures.
The Teignmouth hotel plans were supported locally in the Local Development Order agreed in 2016 as part of the regeneration goals for the area. The planning application is available now for comment for a 6 week period..
Plans for the Newton Abbot project will be available for comment on our website for eight weeks from next week.
The value of key services close to home has been re-enforced by lockdown restrictions. Early evidence suggests that reduced travel has benefitted the environment and people want services within walking distance. For many, working from home has sparked a rethink about the quality of their work/life balance.
Before Coronavirus became part of our day-to-day conversations, our planning team had identified the need in the draft local plan for our living and working environments to contribute to this goal.
The Local Plan's fourth section, Design and Wellbeing, looks at the issues underpinning a better living environment. How do we maintain the character of our communities, villages and towns? How do we ensure open spaces for leisure, exercise and community activities? How do we prevent pavements and cycle routes being lost to cars and lorries?
The Design and Wellbeing focus of the plan is about creating better, more beautiful, healthier places where people can live and work. It advocates stopping modern housing needs being planned around cars, instead giving priority to the needs of people on foot, for those with disabilities, cyclists and public transport.
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 And ensuring well designed places with greater visual variety to streets and neighbourhoods not only improves quality of life but makes new developments more acceptable to those living nearby.
Please take part in the consultation and give us your views on making sure that:
- Streets, buildings and public spaces are accessible and memorable, with neighbourhood centres an integral part of developments and trees and hedges protected
- Local people have the room to be socially and physically active with long-term management of open spaces, play and wildlife areas
- Parking, waste and recycling provision meet people’s needs and are properly planned
- Existing services and facilities (eg shops, pubs, village halls, playing fields etc) are protected by making it harder to get planning permission for alternative uses.
Any businesses that have not yet applied for a grant still have time to find out whether they qualify for support of £10,000 or £25,000 to help them deal with the impact of coronavirus.
So far we have made 2,329 payments totalling £26.860 million, having received 2,721 claims to date.
Letters, text messages and social media messages, telephone calls and newsletter have all targeted eligible businesses to encourage them to claim, but we want to hear from the 300+ who have not been in touch and who can apply via our website.
Offsetting the impact of coronavirus is really important for the future of our local economy and if eligible the businesses do not need to pay back the grants.
If you want to see what other support there take a look at the Government’s online tool for businesses.
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Our street cleaning team said goodbye this week to Mick Webb, who has retired.
Mick has been driving one of our mechanical sweeper drivers for some five years. In recent times he has been a regular on the Dawlish Town sweep and is a face many “Early Risers” in Dawlish will know.
We wish him a long, healthy and happy retirement.
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When lockdown was introduced we suspended most of our building and construction projects, but we're supporting local businesses to enable them to resume work as quickly as possible within the government's social distancing guidelines.
In the middle of April we enabled work to restart in Teignmouth on the Brunswick Street Demolition work. Earlier this week work restarted in Newton Abbot on the Devon Football Association's Coach Road 3G (artificial pitch) project which includes creating a new Council car park.
We have agreed that the following projects can recommence over the coming weeks, providing strict social distancing rules are observed.
- 4 May: Bakers Park – tennis courts refurbishment. Completion anticipated beginning of June
- 11 May: Bovey Tracey churchyard wall. Completion anticipated 15 May
- 11 May Brunswick Street Ground Investigation survey, Teignmouth. Completion anticipated 15 May
- 18 May: Dawlish Warren Boardwalk. Completion anticipated 26 June
Please email the Economy team with any enquiries.
Through remote working, Devon Building Control's Surveyors and Technical Support teams are able provide advice and answer enquiries, as well as take new applications and payments over the phone. Our surveyors can assist with any queries on applications and are busy vetting plans in the usual way.
Please call the team on 01626 215793.
Site visits are not taking place until the current lockdown restrictions have been lifted but photographs can be supplied of most stages where works are continuing on site.
Our surveyors will discuss any work that would normally be subject to an inspection so please contact us at each stage as usual. We are working on a new on-line application system which will enable you to submit your applications quickly and easily via our website. More information will follow.
Residents are being asked to think of others by not lighting bonfires during the current lockdown. With everyone staying at home, the effects of bonfires are likely to have a bigger impact on people’s health, not least because it is harder to escape unpleasant fumes.
We understand residents may have challenges in storing and disposing of additional waste materials accumulated during lockdown, and this is why we are making every effort to continue to keep collections as normal as possible. Please think of others, compost your garden waste where possible, and stack or bag up rubbish for disposal when the current emergency is over, rather than burning it.
Our web pages have been updated with the latest guidance and we ask everyone to be considerate to one another.
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The government has launched The Skills Toolkit, which allows adults to access free, high quality online courses whilst at home, to build new skills. The Toolkit consists of digital and numeracy courses, ranging from basic to more advanced levels.
Select an image below for more information on each
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