Against the backdrop of the past week’s soaring temperatures, councillors will be asked to adopt the first part of an action plan that sets out how Teignbridge will reduce its carbon footprint in a bid to tackle climate change.  The publication of the 80-page Carbon Action Plan comes three years after the Council declared a climate emergency and committed to doing everything it could to become carbon neutral. 

A number of motions will also be considered including one calling for the exploration of options for a transport for Devon organisation to improve public transport and ticketing and reduce costs; another relating to an Ocean and Coastal Recovery Declaration; and a third calling for a review of the affordability of the agreed Future High Street Fund projects, a review of both the Market Hall proposals and the options for the Alexandra Cinema/Theatre building.

The Den re-opens

The six-week major makeover of the award-winning children's play area at the Den in Teignmouth has been completed on schedule and has re-opened today (Friday).

Children will be able to enjoy a range of new equipment which has been installed as part of the refurbishment.

The equipment includes a range of sensory and inclusive equipment for age groups from two years up to 12 years that encourage play and social activity, investigation and problem solving, communication, balance and movement skills, from a 6m high ocean multi-play structure to a sensory totem pole and an inclusive basket swing.

Re-opening of the water feature has been delayed as we are awaiting two new features but it will reopen as soon as these arrive, are installed and water tested.

Lido to remain closed but grants for outdoor swimming activities

Unforeseen issues and construction delays on the £800,000 decarbonisation scheme at Teignmouth Lido means that it will not open this summer. 

Although we expect most of the work to be completed in the coming weeks, the systems will need to be tested and commissioned before final cleaning and maintenance work undertaken to allow the pool to be filled, treated and heated.  

This would leave just a few days of the school holidays where the pool could be opened, and the cost of this, allied to difficulties in recruiting leisure and pool staff, means it will not be financially or operationally viable for the Lido to open until next year. 

Rather than spending money on reopening The Lido for just a few days, we’re going to provide Teignbridge community lidos with a one-off contribution towards their additional running costs to help them continue to support outdoor swimming opportunities.

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Green Spaces E-Newsletter

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Do you need help with your finances?

With inflation rising, cost of living pressures increasing and foodbanks highlighting increased demand, many people are struggling to cover their costs and buy essential items or pay their bills.

If you're someone who is struggling to cope financially,  our Household Support Fund could help you.  It can provide money for a range of needs including for example food, clothes and household bills.

If you can't meet your own or your dependents' immediate financial needs, you can apply for help, providing you are aged over 16 and are a permanent Teignbridge resident.

Just apply using the easy to use online form and we will respond to your application as swiftly as possible.

We've also added a new cost of living page to our website which provides links to a number of sources of support for housing and homelessness, grants and financial support, food, energy and general advice.

Annual canvass starts next week

From 29 July, our electoral services team will be contacting all registered electors in Teignbridge to check that their details are up to date. 

This check – called the annual canvass - is to ensure that everyone entitled to vote in local and national elections can do so and that people don’t lose the ability to vote because they have for example changed address within the district or moved into the area from another location. 

Depending on the household information we hold, you may receive contact via an enquiry form sent through the post, a communication sent by email, or a message sent by text, all asking if your household’s details on the electoral register is correct. 

The process will carry on until late August so please look out for this communication and respond as soon as you can using one of the digital methods set out in the letter, email or text. 

Some 29,000 emails will be sent to registered electors on 29 July and then in the first week of August forms will be posted to some 12,000 households.  If you don’t respond to an email or text communication from us by 19 August a form will be posted to you, incurring additional costs to the council.  

If you don’t hear from us, it could mean that you are not on the electoral register but you can ensure you don’t lose your right to vote by going online and registering 

Information on registering to vote is available on the Electoral Commission website.  

Residents with questions about their registration status can contact our electoral services team.

£150 energy rebate reminder 

More than 40,000 households in Teignbridge have received the Government’s £150 energy council tax rebate via the council over the past couple of months.

But the council estimates that a further 5,000 local households are eligible for the rebate but have either not applied or not responded to requests for information and so have not received it.

Next month the council will write to remind all those who it has been unable to pay but in the meantime is encouraging those who are eligible not to delay but either apply now or respond to the council’s request for more information.

In the coming weeks we will be launching a discretionary scheme aimed at residents in council tax bands E-H who receive Council Tax Reduction and certain residents who do not pay council tax but who are directly responsible for payment of energy bills.  

Rock fall at Ness Beach

There has been a significant rock fall at the southern end of Ness Beach, Shaldon.

The beach is backed by natural red breccia sandstone slopes and cliffs. This is a relatively soft rock which is prone to erosion and landslips at any time of year.

The beach remains open but we're asking visitors to read the sighs in the tunnel entrance to the beach and not to sit directly under the cliffs.

Strong views voiced at drop-in

About 60 people attended last week's  drop in consultation event at Newton Abbot Leisure Centre which gave residents the chance to find out more about the proposals to create a bus and cycle gate between Hunterswell Road and Bradley Lane. 

Council staff had some really good conversations with residents who welcomed the opportunity to discuss the issues and said to us that they felt they had been listened to. 

The main issues raised were concerns over the loss of parking, tree removal, the bus gate being used as a rat run and the re-routing of bus services not solving the congestion problem.  Some attendees argued that the consultation proposals would not benefit those on Bradley Lane, Hunterswell Road and Barton Drive, creating more pollution and making the roads more dangerous.  Some recognised that there could be overall benefits to the environment and bus users across the wider area, even if changes would be felt by people living in the immediate vicinity.  

A similar presentation to that given at the drop-in was made yesterday to Town Councillors and was followed by a positive and constructive discussion around the different issues .

The consultation continues until 1 August and more information is on our website.  An online feedback questionnaire is available and residents are encouraged to use it to give us their views on the proposals. 

Residents can also respond to the consultation by emailing or by writing to Bradley Lane Bus Link, Spatial Planning Team, Forde House.  

Marsh Barton railway station taking shape 

Devon’s newest railway station at Marsh Barton, in Exeter, is taking shape as work continues at pace this summer.

The station, which is due to open this winter,  is being developed by GRAHAM and is located on the eastern edge of Marsh Barton, near the Energy from Waste plant.

Partners involved in the development of the new station at Marsh Barton (including GWR, Network Rail, Teignbridge District Council, Exeter City Council and Devon County Council) were recently invited to visit the site to see how work is progressing.

Since the new pedestrian and cycle overbridge at the site was lifted into place in February, two approach ramps have been installed to either side, with the final sections shortly to be added. The bridge, which will provide a traffic free route for pedestrians and cyclists alongside Clapperbrook Lane, is due to open in the autumn.

The station will be equipped with two platforms and progress has been made on fitting them out with edging slabs, lighting columns and fencing as well as emergency access ramps on each side.

Local leaders have welcomed the benefit that it would bring to the wider area as well as Exeter’s largest trading estate.

Shake Up Your Summer!

This summer, Better Health has again teamed up with Disney to help get kids active throughout the holidays by playing 10 Minute Shake Up games.

This year the games are inspired by some of their favourite characters Disney’s Encanto and Frozen, and Disney and Pixar’s Lightyear, and Marvel’s The Avengers!

The 10 Minute Shake Up campaign aims to inspire children to build confidence in being active, develop new and longer-term physical skills and, most

One week to go to the tax credits deadline

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is urging tax credits customers to renew their claims before the 31 July deadline.

Customers are being warned not to leave their renewal until the last minute and risk their payments being stopped. They can do it any time - day or night - through HMRC’s online services, including the HMRC App.

Tax credits help working families with targeted financial support and more than 363,000 customers have already renewed ahead of the deadline.

Customers can manage their tax credits quickly and easily online. Once tax credits customers have completed their renewal, they can use their online account to check its progress and find out when they will hear back from HMRC.

 New fund to support vulnerable households

A fund is now available for financially vulnerable households who live off the gas grid and rely on bulk fuel deliveries in order and to keep warm this winter

The The Heat Fund helps prevent self-disconnection where a household cannot afford to pay for their fuel and ensures that people are not left without energy for basics like heating and hot water.

To be eligible for this fund the household must rely on coal, wood, heating oil or LPG as the primary source of heat; is off the gas grid and doesn’t use electricity as the primary source of heating; and is located in England, Wales or Scotland.

They must either be living without heat because they are unable to afford to purchase fuel to top up their bunker, store, tank or bottles or are imminently in risk of living without heat because they are unable to afford to purchase bulk fuel.

Reprieve for Ley Lane Post Office

The Post Office has announced that the Kingsteignton’s Post Office, which was under threat of temporary closure, will continue to operate and  provide services  from  its  current premises.