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The latest news in your community

Improving facilities for disabled people

Re-using existing buildings and almost £200,000 government grant from the Changing Places fund means we've been able to provide new toilets suitable for disabled people at Decoy Park Newton Abbot, Dawlish Warren and Dawlish Lawn. The proposed Changing Places toilets are larger, accessible for all disabled people and include equipment such as hoists, privacy screens, adult-sized changing benches, peninsular toilets (which are at least a metre from the wall and has wheelchair space either side) and space for carers. The government set up the Changing Places Fund to provide more disabled facilities, with the goal of bringing older buildings into line with new ones where this provision is mandatory. All three of our schemes will be implemented by refurbishing existing toilet blocks or using empty council buildings: the vacant Rangers Office at Decoy Country Park; the empty first aid room at Dawlish Warren and the reconfiguration of the current toilet block and disabled toilet area at The Lawn in Dawlish. The work, which is being carried out by Mercury Construction South West, will start at The Lawn and Decoy on 11 March and Dawlish Warren from 22 April.

Council news

Budget approved

Councillors this week approved the budget for the next financial financial year which will see our share of council tax increase by 2.99 per cent to help fund essential services in Teignbridge.

As part of the budget, councillors agreed that when work starts on reshaping Queen Street and the number of parking spaces there is reduced, car parking charges in the multi storey carpark in Newton Abbot will be cut..

Motorists will be able to park for two hours on the top two floors of the multi storey for £1 with this reduced rate being reviewed as part of the 2025/26 budget preparation in line with other fees and charges.

Want to help shape your council’s future? 

Do you live, work or study in Teignbridge and would like to help shape future decisions of your district council?  If your answer is yes, there’s a great opportunity to have your say on how we can improve things for your local community and the services we provide.  Why not sign up to take part in an April ‘One Teignbridge’ resident workshop and help shape our future plans on how we deliver services and community support in the coming years.  We're looking for residents from different backgrounds to join us at one of our two-hour workshops across the district. You'll be able to have your say on what it’s like to live, work or study in Teignbridge and on how it can be made better.  And as a thank you for taking part we’ll send you a £25 Love2Shop gift voucher.  So, grab this opportunity to influence the future of Teignbridge by completing this availability survey by next Friday (8 March) and let us know which workshop(s) you're able / would like to attend.    The results of these workshops, along with feedback from business owners and community leaders, will help us create a long-term plan to deliver the services our residents and communities want and need, and tackle some of the issues our district faces.

What should we call our new recycling baler?

Primary school age children in Teignbridge are being given the opportunity to demonstrate their creative skills by naming a new council plastic and metal recycling baler and to come up with a design that will be displayed on it. 

The new baler is due to be delivered to the council’s waste transfer station in Newton Abbot at the end of March and so children have until Friday 22 March to submit their ideas for a name and an accompanying design. 

And the winners will be invited to the waste transfer station to see their design and name emblazoned on the new equipment as well as receiving a number of recycling related prizes. 

The baler separates plastics from metals down a conveyor belt so they can be baled together and sent off for onward recycling. 

In recent years, children on organised visits to the waste transfer station have shown most interest in the current baler so the waste and recycling team decided to give children the opportunity to name the new equipment via a competition which also highlights the importance of recycling. 

Schools, parents and carers should email entries to recycling@teignbridge.gov.uk or post them to Teignbridge District Council, Forde Road, Newton Abbot TQ12 4AD by the 22 March deadline. 

The winning entry will be shared via the residents and the rezine newsletters. 

Attempt to save Teignmouth hospital from closure

This week’s Full Council meeting overwhelmingly backed a motion proposed by chair Cllr Chris Clarance to make a final effort to save Teignmouth Hospital.

They agreed that “the council should ask the Secretary of State to examine the case for the retention of Teignmouth Hospital, stopping the eventual closure and get it back to a fully functioning Hospital with recuperation beds put back in it to help out a hard pressed NHS.”

The move follows a change in the law which now allows district councils to refer such issues to the Secretary of State for her consideration.

The decision to make this last-ditch attempt to retain the hospital is in line with a motion passed 12 months ago by the council opposing the closure and follows the 24 February refusal by Devon County Council’s Adult Services Committee to refer the matter to the Secretary of State.

Cost of living event provided answers

Some 50 water saving devices were given out at this week’s cost of living event in Dawlish which attracted 75 people seeking advice from the 20 organisations which were represented. Many of those who attended wanted to talk to specific organisations which attended and feedback showed that many of these visitors received the information they were seeking, would be able to take action as a result and that others now know where to go for support.  Numeorus follow up appointments were made.

We're hiring - come and join us

Council vacancies

Council Tax Team Leader, Digital & Graphic Designer, Estates Manager, Finance Systems Manager. Finance Systems Analyst/Administrator, Legal Administrative Assistant, Project Support Officer, Revenue and Benefits Assistant/Officer, 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

COVID-19: Day of Reflection 2024

Marie Curie is holding the fourth National Day of Reflection on n Sunday (3 March) encouraging people to come together to remember those who died during the COVID-19 outbreak.  A moment of silence will be held at noon on Sunday.

Celebrating LGBTQ+ fosters and carers

LGBTQ+ Adoption and Fostering Week starts on Monday, celebrating those who are already fostering, adopting or thinking about doing so.

Throughout the year Fostering Devon celebrates all adopters and foster carers but this coming week the focus is on encouraging people in the LGBTQ+ community to think about giving a nurturing, safe home to a child and foster with Fostering Devon.

Across Devon, there are 383 Foster Carers, of which 44 currently live in the Teignbridge area but many more are needed from all backgrounds regardless of their sexuality, gender, relationship status, race, ethnicity or religion.

The core requirement is that you are able to provide a loving, safe and stable foster home for a child or young person for as long as they may need

Challenging a council tax banding?

Anyone who is thinking about asking for a change in council tax banding should watch this video which has been produced by the Valuation Office Agency to explain the evidence taxpayers need to provide when challenging an existing banding.

Feeling lonely – let’s talk about it

We are all affected by loneliness at times in our lives. The Better Health - Every Mind Matters Loneliness campaign aims to normalise feelings of loneliness to reduce the stigma so people feel able to seek help and support. 

It is aimed at 16 - 24 year olds, one of the most at risk audience groups and offers tips on what  young people should do if feeling lonely including:

• Going for a walk with someone
• Inviting someone out for a coffee and a chat
• Finding out about affordable events nearby
• Going along to a gym class or playing in a sports team
• Joining a society or local community group to meet like-minded people
• Reaching out to those around you so you can both feel the benefits of in-person social connection.

Find more support and advice on the Better Health - Every Mind Matters Loneliness

Retirees encouraged to check their entitlement

Pensioners have until Tuesday (5 March) to apply for Pension Credit which could result in an extra £299  cost-of-living payment as well as opening the doors to help with housing costs, council tax, and heating bills

Pension Credit is designed to help with daily living costs for people over State Pension age and on a low income, though people do not need to be in receipt of State Pension to receive it.

The Department of Work and Pensions has an online Pension Credit calculator, which state pensioners can use to check how much they may be eligible to claim.

Know someone who makes a difference in their community?

Time is running out for nominations for the annual BBC Radio Devon Make a Difference Awards. Nominations for the awards, which recognise individuals, communities and groups who really do make a difference locally, closes on Sunday 10 March 2024 at 11pm. There are eight award categories including volunteering, fundraising, and caring, as well as awards which recognise people supporting the environment and animal welfare. You can nominate someone by selecting a category and completing the online form.

New vaccination campaign launches on Monday

With around 1 in 10 children in the South West not fully up to date with all vaccines, including MMR, The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is launching a new campaign to remind parents and carers of the risk of their children missing out on protection against serious diseases that are re-emerging in the country. Parents are being urged to catch up on missed vaccinations, advising that if children are not vaccinated, they are not protected. Uptake levels of childhood vaccines offered through the routine NHS vaccination programme in England have been falling over the past decade across all vaccines, including whooping cough, measles, mumps and rubella, polio, meningitis and diphtheria - with England no longer having the levels of population immunity recommended by the World Health Organization that is needed to prevent outbreaks.

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