The latest news and information across the district

Teignbridge District Council sent this bulletin at 03-11-2023 04:31 PM GMT

Residents' update

Teignbridge staff take on the storm

Not all superheroes wear capes.... but some of them do wear waterproofs!

Despite Met Office warnings of flooding and high winds from Storm Ciaran, our crews were out battling the elements to collect our residents' waste and recycling yesterday.

After finishing their rounds, the teams were out again helping clear up some of the debris left by the storms, and handing out sandbags to properties where they were at risk of flooding.

A co-ordinated approach of front line and support staff worked until late in the evening on Wednesday and from first light yesterday to try to protect our district's most at risk areas, residents and communities from the worst effects of Storm Ciaran.

Our homeless severe weather emergency protocol was in place overnight and we accommodated six people through this.

The resorts team were out throughout the day checking for damage and ensuring people were safe. There was extensive damage to The Point in Teignmouth where waves combined with the high tide have swept away large amounts of the beach.

At Dawlish Warren our rangers monitored the impact of huge waves battering the dunes, and made sure that ponies grazing nearby were taken to safety before the storm hit. They're now assessing the area and working with the Environment Agency to clear up the area and repair some of the damage.

There's still lots of debris on and in the beach, along with steep unstable dunes so please follow the signs and be extra careful if you do visit the area, as there is an increased risk of being cut off from the tide due to very few access areas.

Inland parks and open spaces were not too badly affected by the storm, but coastal areas did not fare so well, with trees down, significant structural damage to the flower beds on the sea front at Teignmouth and localised flooding.

Teams have been out today checking the full extent of the damage.

Leisure Centres are back open today and customers have been refunded for any fees from yesterday's closure.

There was also a loss of power to around 20 properties across the district, and some were affected overnight, and our housing teams liaised with people affected to ensure they had alternative accommodation.

We won't know the full extent of the damage for some days and weeks to come, but our teams will continue to investigate and repair damage, and a big thank you to all the community groups and residents who have already started the clean up.

Sixth chance to comment on Local Plan

local plan front page image shows map of the Teignbridge district

From Wednesday (8 November) local people will have a final chance to comment on improvements made to Teignbridge’s Local Plan following feedback from more than 1,000 people in a consultation held earlier this year.

The changes have been incorporated into a ‘Local Plan Addendum’ and residents will have until Friday 22 December to comment on them before the final Plan and all comments received are sent to the Planning Inspectorate for an examination in public next year.

First Super Draw winner for Teignbridge

The lucky winner of the "Win a Luxury Theatre Trip or £1500 cash" national super draw prize was from Teignbridge Lottery for Communities, supporting The Alice Cross Centre.

It's the first Teignbridge win on the super draw, which is for supporters of all the local lotteries run by our Lottery partner Gatherwell and is additional to the normal weekly prizes.

And next week we'll be announcing the good causes who have been awarded money from the Small Grants Fund - the pot of money put aside for good causes in addition to the direct contributions made by the ticketholders.

Council vacancies

Management support officer; Emergency planning and business continuity officer; Customer support officer; Accounting technician; Estates surveyor; Senior estates and development surveyor; Estates manager; Senior planning officer; Volunteer trainee countryside ranger; Loader (Waste and Recycling team)

Full details of all vacancies and closing dates for applying are on our jobs portal

Cost of Living Payment – HMRC SMS to tax credits claimants

Today (November 3) HMRC is sending a SMS text message to tax credits recipients reminding them that the £300 autumn Cost of Living Payment will be paid to eligible customers between 10 and 19 November 2023.

The message reads:

HMRC: £300 Cost of Living Payment to be paid automatically between 10-19 November to eligible tax credits customers. Search ‘Cost of Living Payments’ on GOV UK

If you are eligible and receive tax credits, and no other qualifying benefits, you will receive your payment from HMRC, to help with everyday costs.

You do not need to do anything to receive a payment. If you are eligible, payment will be made automatically into the bank account where you receive your tax credits. You do not need to contact HMRC or apply for the payment.

Receiving the SMS, or a previous Cost of Living Payment, doesn’t guarantee a customer will be eligible for this or future payments. They must meet the separate eligibility criteria for each payment, as published on GOV.UK.

The HMRC payment will appear on bank statements as ‘HMRC COLS’, referencing Cost of Living Support. If you have not received the Cost of Living Payment from HMRC, but believe you are eligible, you should wait until after 20 November to contact HMRC. This is to allow time for your bank, building society or credit union to process the payment.

If you receive tax credits and haven’t received the text message, you should check your mobile number is up to date so you can receive future communications from HMRC. You can do this online by searching for ‘HMRC services’ on GOV.UK.

HMRC says: "The HMRC text message sent on 3 November is for information only. We do not ask our customers to reply to it, and it won’t include any links. We do not ask for any personal or financial details in the message."

Visit GOV.UK for more information on how to report a scam or suspicious activity. Check on GOV.UK that the contact is genuinely from HMRC.

Take part in Teignbridge community services survey

Teignbridge CVS is asking residents to let them know what support they think they'll need from the voluntary sector this year. The survey is designed to help CVS understand the challenges being faced by residents, whose responses will help the voluntary sector provide the right support over the winter. And everyone who completes the survey is in with the chance of winning a heated blanket or air fryer.