Bishopsteignton Parent and Toddler Group

It was lovely to meet with Bishopsteignton Parent and Toddler Group, a great group of mums (and I'm please to say the odd dad) and their children, who meet in the Methodist Hall; they made me very welcome with a cup of tea and a biscuit. I was able to present them with a cheque for £200 towards toys and equipment. It’s these small groups of volunteers who make a big difference to our lives. We are so lucky in this part of Devon we have so many people willing to devote time to a wide variety of good causes, many of which provide real help and care for people in need. Without them many of our much valued activities would cease overnight. So it’s one of the great parts of being a councillors to say thank you and give something towards their work.

£165,000 Investment for Orangery

INVESTMENT PLANNED TO RENOVATE TEIGNMOUTH’S FAMOUS ORANGERY

Teignmouth’s famous Orangery is in line for a £165,000 ‘makeover’ to restore it to its former glory, if plans are approved on Monday (October 6) byTeignbridge councillors.

Teignmouth councillors David Cox and Alex Cross represent the ward which includes the Orangery, have welcomed the plan to renovated the listed structure and said it would add to the overall regeneration of the town and was also an opportunity to boost visitor numbers.

Cllr Cox said:” This is great news for the Orangery, it is a shame grants have not been forthcoming from the Heritage Lottery Fund, but Teignbridge has legal duty it can't dodge and will renovate this historic building.”

Cllr Cross added “ I very pleased, along with David Cox, I’ve been working on finding funding for the Orangery, so I’m really pleased Teignbridge will be restoring the Orangery to it’s former glory.”

The Orangery is a grade 2 listed structure and needs major refurbishment. It is next to Bitton House, now used by Teignmouth Town Council and was once the home of Admiral Pellew. He succeeded Nelson as Commander in Chief of the Mediterranean and was created Viscount Exmouth.

The Orangery is in use and the local Friends of the Orangery maintain the plants and open the facility for visitors several times a week.

The last partial refurbishment was undertaken in 1985. However, since then, the building’s condition has deteriorated and it has also fallen victim to vandal attacks, says the report to be considered by councillors at Teignbridge, which owns the Orangery.

Councillors will hear that around £130,000 is needed for renovation work while a further £35,000 is essential in order to repair the structure of the Orangery, which has recently had a full inspection by the authority’s own engineers.

Once renovated, if councillors agree, the Orangery will be offered to Teignmouth Town Council or another suitable conservation or heritage group. As a last resort, says the report, it could be sold.

Councillor's Net Cash

TEIGNMOUTH’s two County Councillors, Chris Bray and David Cox have netted a massive £450 000 cash boost for plans to regenerate the Teign’s fishing and mariculture industries, including a new Fish Quay, Fishrmen’s stores and ice plant. The scheme is a partnership between the County Councillors, Teignbridge District Council and Teign Fishermen and Watermen’s Association (TFWA).The money has been secured through a Devon County Council fund set up to distribute the proceeds of the sale of Exeter Airport, and looks set to benefit the whole Teignmouth and Shaldon area and its fishing industry. David Cox and Chris Bray had to give a presentation and face tough questioning to ensure the scheme met the criteria and to convince the funding committee the scheme was viable.Devon County Council leader Cllr Brian Greenslade said “This was a large amount of money to ask for, with a very ambitious scheme, so the committee looked very carefully at all the aspects; however Chris and David put a very well argued case, showing they had a strong partnership to deliver the project.”The estimated project cost is £1.8 million and Devon County Council has committed the £450 000 on the proviso that a 50% contribution can be secured from EU Fisheries funds with the remainder coming from local match funding and other grant opportunities.David Wilson, captain of Teignmouth trawler Propitious and member of the Teign Fishermen and Watermen’s Association, said: “It is good to see a little bit of light in such dark days for the fishing industry.”Teign Fishermen’s vice-chairman, Barry Wilson and County Councillors Chris Bray and David Cox have been working with TeignbridgeDistrict Councils Economic Development team to bring the project forward. The South West Regional Development Agency has ploughed £10,000 towards a Feasibility study into the scheme, with some additional DCC funding from Councillors Bray and Cox and in-kind support from Teignbridge. The report is due out in the autumn.Cllr Cox said: “We are really pleased we have been able to secure this funding. It will now allow us to draw down match funding from the EU to build a new fish quay, leading to the regeneration of the fishing industry. There will also be have positive knock-on effects for the leisure and catering industry in the town. It’s also a good example of how the County Council is using money to empower councillors to make a real difference to the communities they represent.” Cllr Bray added: “This will provide half of the match funding we need to make a strong bid to get a grant from the EU Fisheries Fund. Other agencies will see that we are serious about improving the facilities for fishermen in Teignmouth.”