Devon County Council’s Leader John Hart says the Council wants to engage better with people and give communities more choice and control over the way local services are shaped and delivered.
It has a new draft strategy, setting out how the Council will go about its business of engagement, and is inviting people to tell them what they think about it and how it might be improved upon.
Engagement, with the public and communities, businesses, other public and statutory authorities, voluntary sector organisations and a whole host more, is at the heart of the Council’s decision...
An urgent report into the economic effects of last year’s severe storms on Devon’s transport network has been ordered by county council leader John Hart.
After another weekend of flooding in the county, the worst affected communities are being encouraged to come together with key agencies to look at what happened and see if there are any lessons that can be learnt. Councillor Stuart Hughes, Chairman of the Devon Flood Risk Management Partnership and Devon County Councillor for Highways and Transportation, said: "This has been a tough weekend bringing misery to hundreds of residents ahead of Christmas and my heart goes out to those families whose homes have flooded. "Whilst the mop up operation will clearly take some time and more rain is...
Twenty people have been evacuated by emergency services in Stoke Canon near Exeter, after the River Exe burst its banks.
Devon County Council has opened a rest centre at County Hall which is being managed by Exeter City Council Housing officers with City Council volunteers and the St John Ambulance.
Stagecoach South West today announced the purchase of eight new double decker buses for the 52 route, representing a total investment of £1.5 million and demonstrating its continued commitment to Devon’s public transport services. The new buses all meet latest Euro 5 low emissions standards. The 52 route runs between Exeter, Sidmouth, Seaton and Honiton and is popular with both local and tourists alike.
A launch event for the buses will be held on 8th January on The Esplanade in Sidmouth. The event will feature a special guest: Olympic equestrian (and Sidmouth resident) Mary King...
The number of people claiming Job Seekers Allowance has increased by just two claimants between October and November from 9,205 to 9,207, at a time of year when the rate usually climbs.
The proportion of working age population claiming this out of work benefit remains at 2% – well below the national average of 3.8%.
The number of people claiming JSA across Devon is 6.3% lower than the same time last year (622 claimants).
The number of unemployed young people under the age of 25 has also fallen this month from 2,730 in October to 2,700 in November – a decrease of 1.1...
Devon County Council has announced that it will be bidding for a share of a £5 million fund announced by Defra to improve flood prevention.
The two-year pilot scheme, Flood Resilience Community Pathfinder, will provide up to 20 communities with grants for flood risk management to improve resilience to flooding in communities across the country.
It coincides with the publication of Devon County Council’s Flood Investigation Report into the summer floods in July, which may be used to help form the basis of its funding bid to the Government.
With colder weather around the corner, Devon residents are saving thousands of pounds on their heating oil bills, thanks to a scheme delivered by the Community Council of Devon.
Using collective buying power, the Devon County Council -supported initiative is ensuring that the scheme’s members are getting the best prices for their fuel.
Its 272 members have bought approximately 264,000 litres of oil this year, paying typically 3 to 6 pence less per litre than the average price, saving them on average £45 per every 1,000 litres of oil. Collectively, they’ve saved over £11,500...
£120 million in new funding will speed up the delivery of flood defences that could protect up to 60,000 homes and deliver up to £1 billion of economic benefits, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury announced on Friday (30th November). In response, Councillor John Hart , Leader of Devon County Council said: “I welcome this positive announcement and hope that some of the funding will come to Devon. It does show that the Government is listening and has responded fast. It is vital that Exeter flood defences are improved, not only for the protection of thousands of homes but also for the local...
Devon County Council has today published an extended impact assessment into its decision on care home fees for 2012/13, in response to a High Court ruling that it hadn't given sufficient consideration to equalities.
The gold-plated assessment required by the Court has resulted in no change to the current fee structure or levels that gave an average 8.6 per cent increase to home owners.
However, the Council has also lodged an Appeal against the High Court ruling, in order to draw a line in the sand over future legal challenges and put a stop to “excessive, costly and...
