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The latest news in your community

Key decisions for Tuesday's full council meeting

Councillors are expected on Tuesday to approve a 2.99 per cent council tax increase to help fund essential services in Teignbridge.

Full Council will make its final budget decisions for the coming financial year, after seeing the budget survey feedback from residents and businesses.  

There are also other important decisions to be made at the meeting which will be livestreamed on our webcast service including:

Council tax premium to be introduced

Councillors will be asked on Tuesday to back a decision made 12 months ago to try and boost housing availability by doubling council tax on empty homes. 

Full Council will consider a recommendation to apply a 100% premium on all homes which have been unoccupied and unfurnished for more than a year, from this April; and on unoccupied furnished homes from next April. This proposal will use new legislation giving councils  powers to introduce these premiums and which require councils to give 12 months’ notice for furnished unoccupied  houses. By charging a premium, we aim to encourage owners of empty homes to bring their properties back into use to help combat homelessness and to reduce the number of people living in temporary accommodation.  Currently some 1450 people are registered on our social housing register (Devon Home Choice). Around 60 households per month currently come to us with statutory homeless applications. Watch the debate live on our webcasting service.

Views on devolution deal to be discussed

Councillors will discuss their response to the devolution consultation launched by Devon County and Torbay councils last week, including offering support for devolved decision-making but raising concerns at some aspects of the plans.

A report to Full Council suggests that the needs of Teignbridge communities would be better tackled if more decisions were made in Devon as opposed to Whitehall.

But under the consultation plans for a proposed Combined County Authority covering Devon and Torbay, councillors are being encouraged to agree a response which would highlight that:

• Shared Prosperity Funding or its successors should remain under district control
• Districts need to retain their existing housing functions and links with Homes England
• A voice on key issues which impact on their communities should be given to districts
• The development of a transport strategy should involve district councils to ensure it aligns with housing plans
• Town and Parish Councils should have a voice in the implementation of the new Combined Authority and how it operates.

The report is available online and you can watch the discussion live on our webcasting service

Do you have a view on the devolution deal?

You can take part in the consultation, which closes at 11:59pm on 24 March, by giving your feedback on the Devon Torbay Deal website, by emailing devontorbaydeal@torbay.gov.uk or by post to: FREEPOST D & T Devolution.

Council news

Recruitment opportunities at sports centres and The Lido

Teignbridge Leisure is looking for enthusiastic candidates to join the team in the following contracted and casual positions: Exercise Class Instructors Sports Coach Levels 1 and/or Level 2 Swimming Teachers Lido Lifeguard Lido Supervisor Duty Manager We're looking for positive, passionate and driven individuals who are customer focused and thrive on excellent customer service to join our Leisure team - a big organisation looking for big personalities We're looking for people with or without the necessary qualifications to work for us as we can offer training and qualification packages to give you the tools to work there. Whatever your career ambitions, Teignbridge Leisure wants to hear from you!  For more information and to apply, please visit Teignbridge Leisure’s Careers page.

Storm damage repairs starting

The next four weeks will see contractors working on the Promenade in Teignmouth repairing the damage caused by last November’s Storm Ciaran.  Work to repair damaged walls, flower beds and paving slabs will start on Monday (26 February) and subject to the weather is scheduled to be completed before the Easter holidays.  Businesses along the seafront have been notified and the contractors will do everything possible to minimise disruption.

Changing election rules

From 2 May, new rules introduced by the Government about the handling of postal votes will come into force. The changes mean:

• Parties and campaigners will no longer be allowed to handle certain completed postal votes and postal vote envelopes
• Voters will not be allowed to hand in more than five postal ballot packs (in addition to their own)

Anyone hand delivering a postal vote, whether to the polling station or to council offices, will have to complete a form otherwise the postal pack will be rejected.

We're hiring - come and join us

Council vacancies

Council Tax Team Leader, Estates Manager, Finance Systems Manager. Finance Systems Analyst/Administrator, Legal Administrative Assistant, Project Support Officer, Programme Manager, Senior Estates and Development Surveyor, Solicitor – planning, Technical Support and Administration team leader.

Teignbridge Leisure vacancies

Duty Manager (Broadmeadow) , Outdoor Pool Supervisor, Outdoor Pool Lifeguard, Casual leisure opportunities in Newton Abbot for a Group Exercise Instructor, Swim Teachers (Level 1 and 2), Sport Coach Level 2.

Waste and Recyling

Class C LGV Driver/Loader, Cleansing Operative, 3.5T Van Driver/Labourer

Full details of all vacancies and closing dates for applying are on our jobs portal or follow us on LinkedIn.

Other news

Budget approved by Devon County Council

Devon County Council has agreed a 4.99 percent increase in council tax for the coming financial year, comprising a 2.99 percent for general services with an extra two percent for adult care.

It means an extra £1.56 a week for the average Band D householder.

The council also agreed a 10.4 percent increase in spending on children’s services, six percent on adult services and 4.7 percent on climate change, environment and transport.

Changing customer service centre hours

With effect from Friday 1 March, Devon County Council’s Customer Service Centre opening hours will change to Monday to Friday 8.30am - 5pm.

Signalling upgrade in Devon and Cornwall

Passengers are being asked by Network Rail to check before they travel ahead of its final phase of work to modernise signals in Devon and Cornwall and improve the resilience of the railway in the South West. The Cornish Main Line will be temporarily closed in phases between Tuesday 27 February and Sunday 10 March with buses replacing trains on various routes in the county. For more information visit the website. The line between Totnes and Plymouth will be closed from Saturday 16 March to Friday 22 March. This will extend to Exeter St David's over the weekend of 17/18 March as well as after 9.40pm on most weeknights. Rail replacement road transport will operate between affected stations. Non-stop buses will run between Tiverton Parkway and Plymouth throughout the week. For more information please visit www.gwr.com/upgrade.  The Night Riviera sleeper service will continue to be affected during both sets of work – more information is available on Network Rail’s dedicated webpage.

Customer and Community Improvement Fund opens on Monday

GWR is inviting bids to its Customer and Community Improvement Fund which opens on Monday and runs until 23:59 on Monday 25 March. The Fund is designed to support small and medium rail-related projects that can be completed over the course of the 2024/25 financial year and which will: Benefit customers Increase rail travel Encourage carbon reduction Connect communities, people, and places Support economic growth Promote inclusion and diversity Educational programmes that support careers in rail or increase awareness and experience of public transport and rail safety. More information and details of how to apply are available on GWR’s website and in GWR’s fund guidance document.

B&Q Foundation grants to improve homes and community spaces

Grants of up to £10,000 are available to UK registered charities from the B&Q Foundation for projects that improve homes and community spaces for people who are experiencing financial hardship, health challenges, disability, homelessness or other forms of disadvantage.  Further information, guidance, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and details about how to apply is available on the Foundation’s website

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