21 September 2023

South Hams District Council is to boost its stock of homes to address the district’s immediate and future housing needs, a top priority for the new administration. 

Issued: 21 September 2023

Littering, dog fouling and fly tip enforcement are to get a renewed focus from South Hams District Council as we work to provide better services for residents.

Enforcement of individual offences relating to littering, dog fouling and fly tip enforcement have proven to be notoriously difficult. We know that is frustrating for residents, but the Council has pledged to use Community Protection Notices more widely for persistent offences. This is an additional tool for the Council in the fight against littering and dog fouling.

The changes are just part of several changes being made by the Council to improve its community services across the district, to make sure that our communities ‘look and feel’ the absolute best they can.

At the same time the team will look to work with community and voluntary groups and parish and town councils to keep the South Hams looking and feeling as tidy as possible.

Cllr Victor Abbott, Lead Member for Community Services, said: “I’m pleased to see that we’re reviewing how we serve our communities, and making changes to ensure that we can be more efficient and effective.

“We know that issues like littering and dog fouling have an impact on people’s day to day lives. We want to do more to make the South Hams look its very best. I believe our staff and these changes will make this happen.

“It’ll lead us to using our resources more efficiently, serving the people of the South Hams more effectively, and within our current budgets.”

Issued: 21 September 2023

At their meeting on Thursday 21 September, South Hams District Council’s Executive committee set out their draft aims and ambitions for the next four years in their proposed Corporate Strategy for 2024-2028.

The draft corporate strategy has been developed in response to known challenges, such as the lack of truly affordable housing for local people and the climate and biodiversity crisis.

The strategy being considered is by no means all that the Council will do to support South Hams’ communities. It is aimed as a broad framework, with a number of focus areas which also include supporting the economy and delivering frontline services. Services like street cleansing, planning and enforcement that will improve the District for residents.

The ’Let’s Talk’ consultations will involve a series of engagements, which are proposed to run from Monday 25 September until Friday 20 October, and will include:

•   An online survey on the full strategy

•   A series of ‘short polls’ on social media channels on individual aims

•   Conversations with key partners, including town and parish councils

•   Public consultation sessions at various locations across the District

•   Paper survey (on request) for anyone not online digitally

First viewpoints taken from residents during election campaigns and from local town and parish councils have already been included within the draft strategy. Further conversations with communities, key partners and a wider audience will follow during consultations over the coming months.

Publishing the draft strategy is intended to create a talking point for further conversations with residents.

Leader of the District Council, Cllr Julian Brazil, is encouraging residents to take a look at the draft aims and ambitions and have their say.

Cllr Brazil, said: “South Hams is a very special place, but it also has its challenges. The lack of local affordable housing is an ongoing issue that is a top priority for the Council to address. Together with the environment and biodiversity issues it will all take time to find solutions. But in everything we do, we have South Hams’ communities at the heart.”

“We’ve been listening to our communities and really believe that the strategy being considered reflects those things that matter to our residents. Residents need to know that they’ll have a safe and secure place to call home, they expect us to take steps to ensure we protect the environment and we need to ensure that there is opportunity to have a well-paid job in the South Hams.

“But this isn’t our strategy, it’s a strategy that we all need to get behind. From the end of September, you will get your chance either in person, or online to give your views. You can also contact us for a paper copy if that makes it easier for you.”

The consultation will be open for four weeks to give you a chance to give us your thoughts. Then we’ll look at each and every one of your comments and see if we need to adjust our proposals.

From Monday 25 September you can have your say by visiting ourcorporatestrategy.commonplace.is or emailing your thoughts to: strategy@swdevon.gov.uk

To read the full report, go to: www.southhams.gov.uk/Executive

You can also watch the meeting online at: www.youtube.com/user/southhamscouncil

Issued: 21 September 2023

South Hams District Council has agreed today, Thursday 21 September, that it will consult on its Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2024/25.

The scheme is reviewed each year to provide support for residents on a low income with paying their council tax.  With the ongoing cost of living crisis the District Council is firm in its aims to offer an extra helping hand to those residents who need it across the District.

The targeted consultation asks residents and partner authorities to have their say on the proposed changes to the Council Tax Reduction Scheme for 2024/25.

The proposals will provide additional support to self-employed residents and those who have a disability or health condition which affects how much they can work.

This will make sure that over 600 residents, or families, will have the extra financial support they need. The Council have costed the total amount for the proposed changes as £236,409 with their share of the cost (8%) being £18,913. The rest being paid by each of the other bodies who combine together to create the combined total of the Council Tax, such as Devon County Council, the Police and Fire and Rescue.

South Hams District Council’s Leader, Cllr Julian Brazil, said: “It’s a really hard time for many of our residents. As a council, we need to support those who are struggling most.

“This annual consultation gives us the chance to talk to our partners to agree a way forward. We can then get to the crux of the matter, helping the most vulnerable in our communities.”

The targeted consultation will run from Monday 2 October 2023 to Sunday 12 November 2023.

To read the full report, go to: www.southhams.gov.uk/Executive

To watch the meeting live, go to: www.youtube.com/user/southhamscouncil

21 September 2023

It’s nearly time for Totnes residents to have their say on whether they want to approve a neighbourhood plan for their town.

Today, Thursday 21 September, South Hams District Council’s Executive Committee has agreed that the Totnes Neighbourhood Plan should proceed to a referendum. This follows scrutiny of the plan by an independent examiner.

If approved by local residents, the plan will be used to help determine planning applications within Totnes parish.

The plan sets out a range of planning objectives and policies reflecting the hopes and aspirations of the community. The process of preparing the plan was led by a working group on behalf of the Town Council and included a variety of public topics groups and engagement events.

The date of the public referendum is to be confirmed and details will be published on the South Hams District Council website.

Cllr Dan Thomas, Deputy Leader and Lead Member for Planning, at South Hams District Council, said: “An awful lot of hard work led by local community groups has gone into the development of the neighbourhood plan. It is so important that every voice across the Totnes community is heard, so please have your say when we go to the polls.

“This is one of many neighbourhood plans being developed across the District, where we are working with communities to help shape the future of their areas across the South Hams.”

 To read the full report, go to: www.southhams.gov.uk/Executive

 You can also watch the meeting at: www.youtube.com/user/southhamscouncil

Issued: 21 September 2023

At their Executive meeting on Thursday 21 September, councillors heard how the Council has published its draft accounts for 2022/23 which show there was a small surplus of just £57,000 (0.5%) against a net budget of £10.464m for 2022/23.

This puts the Council in a good position moving forwards. The Executive also heard how the Council is within 27% of Councils nationally who have also had their previous year’s accounts for 2021/22 signed off by the external auditor. The accounts are essential to show how public funds are used to deliver Council services.

In 2022/23 the Council faced additional costs and a shortfall of income of £1.9m. Many of these costs were a result of the current economic climate with high inflation and the cost of living crisis. The extra costs came from inflation pressures, utility, IT and extra insurance, the local government pay award and a shortfall in planning income.

These extra costs and shortfall in income were balanced by the Council generating additional investment income. This income of over £1m, taking advantage of high interest rates, came from the careful planning and management of the Council’s cash funds. The Council also received more income of £0.9m from its car parks and the Dartmouth Lower Ferry, along with income from our business units.

There were also exceptional one-off costs of £1.5m from the Council bringing the Waste and Recycling Service back in-house in October last year. This had support from across the political parties and the one-off amount was funded by Reserves. A further £0.5m was spent on one-off project costs for the Waste and Recycling Service and the Council received funding towards these costs.

There has been a huge improvement in performance for the Waste and Recycling Service. In February 2023, for the first time in over three years, the Service achieved the national target of no more than 80 missed bins per 100,000 collections.

Over the past year, the cost of living has been difficult for residents, with high inflation and ever-increasing household bills, particularly in relation to energy. The Council has supported communities, residents and businesses during these difficult economic times.

The Council agreed a Cost of Living Action Plan, working alongside partners to publish weekly newspaper articles signposting residents on where to go for support.

A scheme was also launched providing electric blankets and slow cookers to residents in need.  £4.2million of Council Tax Energy Support payments were processed quickly to get £150 payments into the pockets of 28,175 households within the District.

Support programmes for those who have fled the war in Ukraine were developed to help 220 guests from Ukraine who have arrived in the District as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

The last financial year also saw the opening of the Dartmouth Health Hub, where the Council worked in partnership with the NHS Trust, to deliver a modern GP facility for residents.  The Hub opened on Tuesday 9 May and is providing access to a broad range of Health and Wellbeing Services under one roof, including community nurses, therapists, Dartmouth Caring and Wellbeing Pharmacy.

Cllr Julian Brazil, Leader of South Hams District Council, said: “Our vision for the South Hams is a place where people can thrive, resilient in the face of an increasingly uncertain future.

“The housing crisis continues to be a cause of frustration for us and a significant concern for many local people. The provision of affordable and social housing will be a top priority for the Council moving forward. The Council is building eight affordable homes at St Ann’s Chapel near Bigbury which will be completed this year.

We will also provide leadership on tackling environmental concerns and take direct action to tackle climate change and biodiversity loss. At the heart of this is the need to work in partnership with communities and to involve them in all aspects of the work of the Council and the journey ahead.

“Last year we saw the Council take the Recycling and Waste Service back in house in October and performance has really improved and I would like to thank the whole team for all their hard work in making this happen.

“We have finished the fiscal year in a good financial position and the future is looking positive for us.”

To read the full report, go to: www.southhams.gov.uk/Executive

You can also watch the meeting live at: www.youtube.com/user/southhamscouncil

Issued: Tuesday 12 September 2023

The difficult decision on which of the two Totnes Borough Park sites the skatepark will be placed at will be decided once residents have had a final say in a conclusive consultation.

South Hams District Council have been working with local partners, residents and the skating community for several years to move past a stalemate on the whereabouts of the exciting, proposed development.

The Council understand the clear need and demand for a modern,

fit-for-purpose facility for the skating community in Totnes and want to reach a decision on the proposed location so that they can work with the community to find the remaining funding required to deliver the new skatepark.

Two Borough Park sites remain the proposed locations for a skatepark within this key and central recreational site for the town. There are currently no other identified practical locations for a skatepark within Totnes. Even within Borough Park, the Council are working within many restrictions such as noise, trees, and competing and conflicting objectives for the same space.

South Hams District Council’s, Executive Member for Open Spaces, Cllr Victor Abbott, said: “We encourage residents, users of Borough Park and of course skatepark users to have their say in this consultation to inform our final decision. We can then move forward with the skating community with the exciting plans for the design and continued fundraising for the new skatepark.

“So, if you do have an opinion about why one of the two proposed locations is better than the other, please do respond.”

The consultation is now open until Thursday 12 October. Find it at totnes-skatepark.commonplace.is or via the Council’s social media.

The creation of Kingsbridge’s brand new skatepark will start on Monday 18 September.

South Hams District Council, Kingsbridge Skatepark Community Group and Kingsbridge Town Council are delighted to confirm the good news.

Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of Kingsbridge residents earlier this year, a Crowdfunder scheme raising money for the new park raised more than £38,000 in just a couple of months.

Sport England offered funding of £100,000 after the massive level of local support caught their attention.

This funding boost from Sport England has been a huge boost for the project, meaning the build can begin – and it is likely to be completed before the end of this year. This puts the project well ahead of the first target of spring next year, which was already an ambitious date.

Further funding has been provided by Kingsbridge Town Council (£50,000) South Hams District Council (£30,000) along with Section 106 Developer’s Funding (£25,000), The Gibbons Trust (£5,000) and The Norman Family Trust (£5,000).

Philip Cole, Chairman of Kingsbridge Town Council said: “A new skatepark for the town has been our primary objective, with the support of large swathes of the local community.

“We reflected this with our contribution of £50,000 towards this project. Kingsbridge has a chequered history of skateboarding in the town, and we are delighted that finally the young people of Kingsbridge will get the skatepark they have long deserved.”

Cllr Victor Abbott, South Hams Executive Member for Community Services and Leisure, said: “We have been impressed with the level of support shown by the local community, and in particular Adam Sherring of the Kingsbridge Skatepark Community Group, who has done his town proud.

“The need for this facility is clear and has been shown in the fantastic support and generosity of the community. The contribution from Sport England has been the icing on the cake and we are thrilled that this has meant we can deliver the new skatepark in good time.”

Adam Sherring, of the Kingsbridge Skatepark Community Group, said: “The success of this project is down to the amazing support it’s had from our residents, businesses and local councils.

“It’s no mean feat raising that level of money, especially so during a cost of living crisis, but it goes to show how much we all value the physical and mental health of our community. Kingsbridge will now have a wheeled sports facility they can be proud of!”

Some residents have raised concerns about the suggested loss of nine trees above the skatepark site in the first landscaping scheme, which was intended to reduce branches, leaves and debris falling from the trees overhanging the skatepark area.

Following a review prompted by the Leader of the Council, officers, partners and District Councillors have reached a compromise; of the nine trees first suggested for removal, four will be kept (three elm trees and an oak). A method of pruning called ‘pollarding’ will now be used as a means of caring for the elms in a sustainable way.

The District Council has promised the five trees being removed will be replaced with at least 22 large trees. They will all be planted in locations near the skatepark this winter. This includes on the bank above the skatepark, which will adding to the quayside Kingsbridge Tree Trail and the green spaces, south of the leisure centre.

Cllr Abbott added: “While we appreciate that the loss of any trees will still be of concern to some, we hope that it shows that we have listened and reduced tree loss as far as possible. At the same time, we are delivering a facility that will have a huge positive impact on young people in Kingsbridge and beyond.”

The community has also made suggestions on how to make proposed additional planting under the new trees appear more natural on the nearby bank. These recommendations will guide District Council staff on what planting takes place.

Kingsbridge Skatepark Community Group have also been developing ideas for additional planting with Tash and Barney Green of Heron Valley, and with Gary Jolliffe at Force4Nature, more details about further planting schemes will be made available once they are agreed.

The skatepark scheme was also redesigned to make sure it would not impact on the public right of way behind the skatepark site.

The construction of the project will be carried out by Wheelscape, an experienced skatepark construction design and build company. They have been working with the skating community over the past year to design a skatepark that the local community really wants.Wheelscape are working closely with the District Council to keep disruption to a minimum on the Quayside car park and slipway access.

Elliot Hamilton, project manager at Wheelscape said: “We are beyond excited to be delivering this skatepark for Kingsbridge.

“Through continued collaboration and numerous design revisions, we have helped the community realise their vision for a welcoming facility; one that will attract beginners but also challenge experienced skaters and riders.

“The new skatepark is a vital resource for the young people of Kingsbridge as they look to build a shared commitment to healthy activity. It’s also a unique attraction for visitors to the town.

“The efforts of everyone involved have been tireless and show what can be achieved by pulling together. We’re proud to be a part of this and hope it serves as a blueprint for future projects in the area.”