Campaigners against proposed cuts to Devon County Council’s youth service have said they are considering legal action as they believe the authority may have violated international law.
The dispute came to a head last Thursday when 17-year-old campaigner Alfie Weaver was denied a chance to address the council at a meeting to set the council’s budget for 2014/15.
The budget included a reduction of nearly £1m to the council’s youth service which could potentially see the closure of the council’s youth centres after the completion of a consultation process.
A campaign group has raised concerns over the planned closure of the Exeter Refuge, which provides shelter for victims of domestic abuse, scheduled next month. The closure is as a result of a decision by Devon County Council’s new Wiltshire based supplier, Splitz, not to provide refuge provision in the future which could see the refuge close in March. A campaign group has been launched in the wake of the announced closure and is calling on local people to lobby their MPs and local councillors to save the Refuge. In a statement on the group’s Facebook page they write: “We are at a loss to...
Devon County Council is urging people to take care on the county’s roads as storm force conditions are set to continue throughout the rest of today and into tomorrow.
Traffic is likely to be busy with the start of the half term holiday, and although the heavy downpours will gradually turn to showers later, the county will be hit by strong winds and gales reaching up to 80mph on the South coast and up to 70mph inland.
Showers are forecast to gradually peter out over the weekend and gusts will become lighter during the course of Saturday.
Devon County Council leader, John Hart, has today offered praise for the “swift” response to the unprecedented rail problems affecting the South West.
The disruptions are mainly the result of the recent severe weather destroying around 80m of coastal track near Dawlish limiting the region’s transport links.
Extra pressure came over the weekend when a landslip on track near Yeovil cut off Devon’s rail link to the rest of the country.
Although initial expectations thought the repair work would take a week the line was re-opened just a day later.
Concerns have been raised that the £31.1m promised by the Government last year to secure the South West’s railways against severe weather was not delivered, despite widespread support from local authorities. The money was promised by the Government for a programme of rail improvements, after winter flooding cut off rail transport to the South West peninsula for several weeks in 2012/13 with an estimated cost to the South West economy of over £140m. Last week, before the most recent storms saw the destruction of 80m railway line near Dawlish, five Local Transport Authorities including Devon...
A pioneering federation which educates nearly 1,600 students in West Devon has achieved a clean sweep of highly positive judgements from school inspectors.
The Dartmoor Federation was formed three years ago and has one governing body running Okehampton College and Lydford, Bridestowe, Boasley Cross and Exbourne primary schools.
The schools all share their educational expertise and the federation provides some coordinated back office support.
All five schools were inspected separately by Ofsted last month and have all passed with flying colours.
Devon County Council leader John Hart has demanded that the Government provides more support for the South West following the latest wave of storm force weather.
In his message Mr Hart calls for the Government to ensure that the South West is not “left to pick up a massive bill” in road repairs.
In recent years many local authorities, including Devon, have seen the amount of money available for travel maintenance fall below the cost of repairs.
Last year Devon’s roads received only £3million pounds in Bellwin funding despite a bill of more than £18 million in road...
Andy Hannan, Devon County Councillor for Priory & St Leonard’s in Exeter, is taking Labour’s campaign to save the council’s children’s homes to the meeting of Cabinet on Wednesday 12th February.
He has tabled three questions for Cllr Will Mumford that focus in particular on the Blossom Corner children’s home, which has an excellent record in terms of Ofsted inspections.
First, he wants clarification of the figures used to justify the financial argument for closure, especially as these have been recently challenged by the staff of Blossom Corner. Secondly, he presents a...
The Devon Winter Ability Games took place at the Plymouth Life Centre on the 24th January and has been hailed as a great success.
Over 400 young people with disabilities from 30 schools across Devon attended the event taking part in a range of events including football, table cricket and tennis. There were also taster sessions in Archery, Boccia and Tri Golf.
The Devon Winter Ability Games is part of a programme of five Countywide Sainsbury’s School Games festivals in Devon and is delivered by Active Devon on behalf of the Devon School Games local organising committee. On...
Criticisms have been raised by county councillors from Exeter on provisional plans to close the three children’s homes operated by Devon county Council.
Funding for the council’s three homes, Rifford Road, Blossom Hill and Birchen lane has been included in the proposed cuts despite consultation on the issue yet to be carried out; leading some councillors to feel the decision to close the homes has already been made.
Criticisms were also raised over the fate of the youth services and children’s centres which provide a number of services to parents of young children after a...
