Payments will be made as soon as possible and if you pay by direct debit you should receive your £150 by the end of April/early May, after we have collected your first council tax instalment. If you haven't signed up to direct debit, we aim to have the final payments made by 30 September.
If you don't pay your council tax by direct debit you'll need to apply and provide your bank account details and pre-payment checks.
Householders in property bands A-D will automatically be entitled to £150 and anyone in Bands E-H who is struggling to pay their bill can apply to a discretionary scheme for a rebate of up to £150. We will provide details on who is eligible for this discretionary scheme once we have them.
The payment only relates to individuals. Businesses, housing associations and other organisations are not eligible. Owners of empty properties, second homes and those not in occupation on 1 April 2022 are also not eligible for payment.
You can find out more on our website
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Crowdfunding success
Eight community projects which will benefit local people have been delivered - thanks to Teignbridge Crowdfunding support.
Over the course of the crowdfunding project we have contributed £11,900 to projects supporting the arts, people with disabilities, disadvantaged young people and the environment while also helping a village raise funds for its playing field, a rugby team to refurbish its clubhouse and an arts group to refurbish its building.
By contributing £11,900 of Crowdfunding, some £96,200 was raised to support:
- The Ide Organic Arts Project, awarded £1,500 to deliver an education space to “expand our creative activities, which will increase the number of participants.”
- Cafe Therapy in Ipplepen was awarded £1,500 to support a monthly group offering people with disabilities a place for support, socialising, information and fun exercise.
- Open Doors - Wheeled sports in Newton Abbot received £1,100 to help young people facing disadvantage across South Devon be active and have fun.
- Ocean Plastics, which produces children’s books with an environmental change theme was awarded £200.
- Funding of £2,100 enabled the village playing field project at Kenton to reach its fund raising target
- Funding of £2,500 helped Teignmouth Arts Action Group TAAG refurbish its building to turn it into “an amazing place to showcase local talent and encourage learning new skills in others”
- Teignmouth RFC was given £2,500 to support the club’s refurbishment.
- Love food CIC at Ide was awarded £500 for a community food project which “aims to bring local people together through food, reduce food waste, increase access to healthy food and promote vegan cooking”.
We now plan to switch from crowdfunding support to raising funds for good causes through our new Teignbridge lottery which will launch later this year.
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Carbon consultation closes next week
Next Thursday is the deadline for residents in Teignbridge and across Devon to comment on the county’s top climate issues before Devon Climate Emergency releases its final Devon Carbon Plan.
A month long consultation has focused on buildings and transport, which account for 70 per cent of Devon’s carbon emissions, and onshore wind. The consultation, which closes on Thursday 14 April, is the last opportunity for local people to say whether the recommendations of last summer’s Devon Climate Assembly have been properly followed up and where appropriate, reflected in the Devon Carbon Plan.
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Viewing planning applications online
If you are trying to find a planning application via our website, you may find that the related documents are not always showing up.
We are striving to get all material online as quickly as possible but because of the current high demand for our services, we are experiencing backlog, so there may be times when an application is showing online but not the documents.
If this is the case, the publicity period expiry date remains blank until all documents are online. No site notices will be put up or letters sent to neighbours until everything is online so the period of publicity for applications is not affected by any delays.
Create magical moments this school holiday
Spend time this Easter as a family enjoying being active and the happiness it can bring to you all. Enjoy our swimming pools, indoor racket sports, Aqua Inflatable Run and create memories. Fun for all the family. Open every day through the holiday, book your visit with us or turn up. Find out more
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Treasure Trail at Dawlish Warren
Next Thursday (14 April), we are running an Easter-themed trail around the nature reserve. Drop in between 11am and 3pm and collect your chocolate reward. The cost is £1 per person. Dogs must be kept on leads.
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Orienteering at Dawlish Countryside Park
For a cost of only £1 per child, there's an opportunity to have fun at Dawlish Countryside Park on Good Friday (15 April).
Between 10am – 3pm you can pick up your clues, complete the trail and collect your Easter treat! No need to book - just drop in to enjoy the fun.
Keep an eye on our Leisure Facebook page for more activities.
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Support for Ukrainian refugees gathering pace locally
Considerable progress is being made by councils across Devon working together to support Ukrainian refugees settling locally and make sure we can respond rapidly to their needs.
A small number of Ukrainian individuals and families have already arrived in Devon, or are expected to arrive in the next few days, as their Visas are granted by the Government.
More than 300 people in Devon have so far put themselves forward as sponsors. Once sponsors are matched with a Ukraine citizen or family, and the government is processing their Visa application, the Home Office passes sponsors' details to Devon County Council.
District councils are not told by the government when people arrive, so we're asking sponsors to let us know when they are expecting their guests to arrive, so that we can offer you additional support.
DBS and accommodation checks are being undertaken across the county and Devon’s councils are working together to ensure early payments can be made to sponsors and guests; as well as developing clear processes regarding school admissions, health registration and access to Universal Credit and other benefit entitlements.
Regular updates are available on the Devon HomesForUkraine website which provides Devon-wide information on the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
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Guidance on living with COVID
With the move into a new phase of living with Covid, the plan is to manage the virus like other respiratory illnesses.
Devon County Council has produced a ConnectMe newsletter which provides a range of useful guidance, including setting out the symptoms we should be looking out for, how to reduce the risk of spreading them, what to do if you or your child has symptoms and what to do if you have tested positive or are a close contact of someone who has tested positive.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has also published a blog on what to do if you have symptoms of a respiratory infection including COVID-19, or a positive COVID-19 test.
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Vaccinations for 5-11 year olds now available
All children aged five and over are now eligible to have the COVID-19 vaccination.
Bookings can be made online or by calling 119. The vaccination is not being given to this age group in school. Walk-in and pop-up clinics are advertised on NHS England’s site finder webpage, but please check that the clinic is offering vaccinations to this age group.
Having the COVID-19 vaccine reduces the likelihood of further disruption to your child's education, developing Long Covid and passing the infection onto vulnerable family members and friends.
In line with recommendations from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) children will be offered the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. Each vaccine is a third of the dose of the vaccine that is given to older children and adults. Most children will be offered two doses of vaccine 12 weeks apart.
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Getting the help you need over Easter weekend
With Easter fast approaching, Devon’s NHS leaders are calling on people to be prepared ahead of the bank holidays and the two-week school holiday period.
Most GP practices will be closed for Easter for four days from Friday 15 April to Monday 18 April, with normal opening hours resuming on Tuesday. Over this period people needing urgent advice are advised to ‘Think 111 First’ and contact NHS 111 by phone or online so they can be directed to the most appropriate local service for their needs.
Don't forget to check you have enough prescription medication to see you through the long weekend and if not, order them from your GP practice as soon as possible.
Have you considered becoming an exams invigilator?
Some schools and colleges are having difficulties recruiting exam invigilators for the 2022 Summer GCSE and A-Level exams.
The national Exams Office has developed a Vacancy Map that shows where there are invigilator vacancies so if you think you could fulfil the role, take a look.
These short term roles are an opportunity to gather key skills and experience in an educational setting, whilst earning additional income and contributing to the successful delivery of exams. They could be ideal for job seekers, part time working parents or young people looking for short-term, flexible work.
Anyone interested should check the vacancy map and contact the school or college directly. This blog explains the role of an invigilator
Exams start from 16 May so schools and colleges will need invigilators in post by that date.
New campaign launched to encourage men to speak about their mental health
In a bid to get more men talking about their mental health, TALKWORKS, an NHS talking therapy service, has released a powerful new video featuring three men speaking about their real-life experiences on camera.
The campaign has been launched to raise awareness of common mental health difficulties and to encourage anyone who is struggling with their mental health, to access the support that is available. Common symptoms to look out for include (but are not limited to):
- Persistent low mood, tiredness and lack of energy
- Anxiety or feeling overwhelmed/stressed
- Difficulty sleeping and restlessness
- Irritability or increased frustration
- Reduced ability to concentrate
- Withdrawal from friends, family and hobbies
TALKWORKS is free to access for anyone over the age of 18 struggling with a common mental health problem and living in Devon (with the exception of Plymouth, which has its own service called Plymouth Options). The service is part of Devon Partnership NHS Trust, and all treatment and support is accessible free of charge. You do not need to see a doctor or healthcare professional to access TALKWORKS’ services. You can self-refer to the service online or by calling 0300 555 3344.
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