The government has announced further household support funding until the end of March 2025 to help households with the cost-of-living pressures.

Next week we will be opening the fund once again for Teignbridge residents.

Through previous rounds of funding, we’ve been able to support 1,636 households across the district providing short-term financial support to those who are struggling to afford food, energy and water bills, and other related essentials. 

When the fund is open, all information, eligibility criteria, and details of how to apply will be on our website. Support will be provided to successful applicants in the form of goods and vouchers.

Applications to the Household Support Fund are confidential so if you have never needed help in the past there is no shame in doing it now if your circumstances have changed and you are struggling financially due to the cost of living.

Cllr Rosie Dawson, Chair of the Council has been trying out Westbank's inclusive community gym equipment.

The programme called GymClusive offers a variety of ways for people with long-term health conditions, reduced mobility, or disabilities to be able to exercise.

The gym has recently undergone a refurbishment and now includes brand new adaptive equipment.

“It was a privilege to attend” Cllr Dawson said. “It was wonderful to see the opportunities provided by such inclusive facilities.”

Westbank Community Health and Care are one of the 95 good causes who benefit from our weekly Teignbridge Lottery for Communities.

Tickets are £1 and 60p from each ticket sold goes to good causes in Teignbridge.

The work to enhance Queen Street in Newton Abbot and make it safer for shoppers and residents has continued into the autumn.

Phase three (Albany Street to Courtenay Street) is on course to be substantially completed soon, and work to widen the footway outside Bearnes Voluntary Primary School was completed ahead of schedule to enhance safety around the school entrance.

Works have just started on phase four, which includes enhancement works on Queen Street between Albany Street and Devon Square, and pedestrian priority raised tables at Fairfield Terrace, Prospect Terrace and Devon Square where they meet with Queen Street. These pedestrian-friendly crossings will be level with the footway giving pedestrians priority over vehicles.

Coming up…

From the end of October 2024, Queen Street (between Albany Street and Courtenay Street) will become a Pedestrian and Cycle Zone with restricted access for vehicles. Through traffic will be encouraged to remain on The Avenue, while all other visiting vehicles will be routed north on Albany Street when leaving Queen Street.

With fewer vehicles along Queen Street, everyone can enjoy the new, wider footways and a greener environment.

The project team is constantly reviewing the phasing of work and making adaptations to suit changing construction resource availability. For more information on the works programme, please visit Devon County Council’s website.

Our automated payment telephone number used to pay for services like Council Tax, business rates and green waste subscriptions is changing.

The new number will be 01626 216200. This is a 24-hour automated service for residents to pay for services using a debit or credit card.

The number has changed as we have implemented a new income management system.

On Tuesday 22 October whilst work is being undertaken to switch to the new payment system, there will be time on this day where customers will not be able to make a payments through, Internet payments, the automated payment line, online forms and direct phone payments.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Our One Teignbridge draft strategy is the culmination of hundreds of conversations with residents, community groups, voluntary organisations, businesses, and analysis of data about the district.

We now want to hear from more of our residents to make sure what we’re putting forward as our future plan is best for our communities.

If you’ve already shared your thoughts on our strategy - thank you. If not, please spare five minutes to help us make sure what’s important to you is important to us.

Please also encourage friends and family who live or work in Teignbridge to share their views.

Pension Credit tops up pension income and can help with day-to-day living costs.

If you are over State Pension age, you may be eligible to claim Pension Credit, even if you own your home or have savings.

People who claim Pension Credit may also be able to get:

• The Winter Fuel Payment and other help with heating costs
• Help with rent and Council Tax
• A free TV Licence for those aged 75 or over
• Help with the cost of NHS services, such as NHS dental treatment, glasses and transport costs for hospital appointments

You could be eligible for Pension Credit if your weekly income is below £218.15 or, if you have a partner who lives with you, £332.95. Qualifying income level may be higher in some circumstances.

Check your eligibility on the Government website or by calling 0800 99 1234.

Recycle Now research shows nine out of ten people regularly recycle, but nearly eight out of ten of us (79%) put one or more items into the bin that could have been recycled.

This Recycling Week (14 - 20 October) take steps to make sure you’re recycling all your unwanted household items.

Our website is full of information to get you recycling, so why not check if you are throwing away items that could be recycled?

Recycle Devon are also giving away free kitchen caddies and recipe books to encourage people to recycle their food waste. Visit the Recycle Devon website to claim yours today. (One caddy per household for Devon residents only, while stocks last).

Taking steps to make less waste (and save money) will also help reduce the district's carbon footprint. Go to our Teignbridge Climate Hub website for lots of other simple low or zero cost ideas to help make a difference.

The Environment Agency is urging the public to ensure they are prepared for a flood as the nation marks the annual ‘Flood Action Week’, which this year runs from 14 - 20 October. 

As climate change brings more extreme weather, there has already been flooding this autumn. Only last month, heavy rainfall led to the first major incident of the season with almost a thousand properties flooded. It followed the wettest 18 months on record in England up to February 2024.  

The best way to protect yourself from flooding is early preparation and knowing what to do in advance. Some of the actions people can take to reduce the dangers are:   

• Check your long-term flood risk. You can use this free service to find out the long-term flood risk for an area in England, the possible causes of flooding, and how to manage flood risk. 
• Sign up for flood warnings by phone, text or email.  
• Taking steps to protect yourself from future flooding – including storing important documents in a secure, waterproof location, taking rugs and small furniture upstairs, checking how to turn off your electricity and water, and preparing a flood kit.