Devon’s political leaders are uniting to call on the Government for fairer funding for the county’s elderly and vulnerable.
They have come together to write to MPs to demand fairer funding for children’s services and adult social care.
They say the number of child protection investigations has doubled in the past 10 years while demand for social care for vulnerable adults is rising relentlessly – particularly in Devon with its large elderly population.
But, say the leaders, there has been no complementary increase in funding.
Community minded businesses, such as cafes and shops, are being encouraged to join a growing movement to help the environment.
The concept is simple. Reduce the number of plastic bottles being thrown away by inviting people to re-fill their water bottles with tap water for free. It’s a win-win; good for the environment; good for people’s health, to hydrate with water rather than sugary drinks; and good PR for the businesses and charities that open their doors to thirsty passers-by. What began as a local campaign in Bude, Refill now has attracted national appeal with a diverse range...
A new pedestrian and cycle bridge is due to be installed over the M5 motorway at Exeter, just north of Junction 29, next week. The structure, which will be next to the existing overbridge at Tithebarn Lane, is expected to be lifted in overnight on Saturday 18 November. To enable the lift to take place, the M5 will need to be closed between Junction 28 and 29, from 8pm to 8am. Councillor Andrea Davis, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Infrastructure, Development and Waste, said: “It’s important that infrastructure for sustainable travel is in place ahead of new homes being developed...
A £1 million programme to help social enterprises has been launched in the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership (HotSW LEP) area. Devon County Council, which is leading on the “Enhance Social Enterprise” project, has received over £1,050,000 of funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in order to increase the number of social enterprise start-ups and to support the growth of existing ones. Existing social enterprises will be supported to develop and launch new products and services as well as entering new markets. There will also be support for voluntary...
Clyst Honiton Tunnel will be closed for two weeks from Monday 11 to Sunday 24 September for a lighting upgrade.
Currently the tunnel uses 238, mostly 400watt, lights – they will be replaced with 94 263watt LED lights.
The new lights will enable Devon County Council to make large energy savings.
It is estimated that in just four years the cost of installation will be offset by the saving in energy costs.
The new lights will also improve the quality of light in the tunnel and reduce the need for future closures which can be caused by bulk lamp changes and...
Work has been launched to connect the first 21 communities in Devon and Somerset to a new *ultrafast fibre broadband network that will deliver some of the fastest speeds in the UK. It’s a key milestone for the local government-led Connecting Devon and Somerset (CDS) broadband programme which has already provided the infrastructure to enable 282,000 homes and businesses to access superfast broadband, and overall more than 327,000 can now access improved broadband. New partner, Gigaclear, an award-winning supplier of full fibre broadband to rural locations, has launched pre-construction...
The North Devon Link Road is to undergo a major £5 million upgrade of its road surface and drainage, Transport Minister Jesse Norman has announced.
Sections of the A361 will be improved, following Devon County Council’s successful bid for Challenge Funding. Devon is one of nineteen areas across the country to receive a share of £75 million of government investment for essential road maintenance. The Minister confirmed that Devon will receive £4.25 million from the Department for Transport to improve the road surface on parts of the North Devon Link Road. The remainder of the scheme...
Devon County Council’s (DCC) country parks have both been named as two of the best in Britain for the ninth time in succession.
The two DCC-managed parks, The Grand Western Canal Country Park, Mid Devon and Stover County Park, Teignbridge, have once again scooped the prestigious Green Flag Award 2017 from the charity, Keep Britain Tidy. They are listed among a record-breaking 1,797 UK parks and green spaces that will receive the prestigious award, the mark of a quality park. The Grand Western Canal Country Park and Local Nature Reserve is jointly funded by DCC and Mid Devon...
A new business support programme has been launched, offering a range of business support services to small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) in Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay.
More than 4,000 businesses will be supported with a three-hour business diagnostic check through the Heart of the South West Growth Support Programme. The three-year scheme provides free access to one-to-one business support, as well as a series of events and workshops. Businesses just need to register online at http://www.heartofswgrowthhub.co.uk/gsp-apply/ to trigger an initial face to face meeting...
Traffic management has been reduced on part of the Bridge Road improvement scheme.
The approach to Matford roundabout, from the Devon Hotel direction, is now operating with two lanes open inbound.
It follows the completion of surfacing and lining work on this section of the scheme during overnight closures this week.
Cones are being left on the verges for the time being, because the dedicated left-turn lane into Bridge Road needs to be closed off during future night-time closures – the next of which will be over three evenings next week.
