Cutting the Council's Carbon Footprint

Teignbridge was amongst the first councils to develop a Carbon Management Programme in association with the Carbon Trust in 2007. The Council has reduced its energy demand by an impresive15.7% equating to a saving to council taxpayers, of £86,816 annually.

By investing in a new refuse fleet equipped with the highest specification of energy efficient engines, the Council has been at the forefront in terms of a refuse collection. This has also been significantly enhanced by the use of tracker devices to maximise collection sounds efficiencies. The recycling rates achieved are amongst the best nationally making Teignbridge exemplar to others.

The most significant achievements to date have been in the Leisure Centres, which are our highest energy users with a reduction in excess of 174 tonnes of CO2 per annum.

The work done to date by the Council’s Energy Efficiency Officer will save the Council £570k worth of energy costs over the course of the next 5 years, which is equivalent to our total energy budget for one year.

Planning Applications for West Teignmouth

09/01354/MAJ (Officer: Nick Davies)
Outline- redevelopment of site to provide 60 bedroom hotel (C1), 2275sq m. B1/B2 use, together with associated parking, 23 apartments with associated parking and 10 affordable apartments with access from Broadmeadow Industrial Estate (Approval sought for means of access) at Former Dairycrest & Unit 2 Broadmeadow Industrial Estate for R & J Enterprises.
09/03519/FUL (Officer: Nicola White)
New window in rear gable at 83 Moor View Drive for Mrs. M. Wos.
09/035471/COU (Officer: David Curley)
Retention of conversion of use of one dwelling as two flats at 94 Bitton Park Road for Mr. S. Rzezniczak.
You can see planning applications on-line, by logging on to www.teignbridge.gov.uk, follow the Planning links to Public Access. You can also see the applications in person, from 8.30 am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday at reception at Teignbridge District Council, Forde House, Newton Abbot.

Planning Higher Coombe Drive

The planning application for eight flats in the garden of 51 Higher Coombe Drive
has been withdrawn. A new application (09/03623/FUL)for six new two bed flats has been received by the planning department. I still have concerns about parking and access issues, so I will be putting this on 'Category B' which means the application will be determined by elected councillors on the Development Control Committee.

You can see the planning application on-line, by logging on to www.teignbridge.gov.uk, follow the Planning links to Public Access.You can also see this application in person,from 8.30 am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday at the council offices (reception at Teignbridge District Council, Forde House, Newton Abbot).

This is a new application - so comments about the previous application won't count, if you wish to have your say, you will need to write again. Letters should be sent to the Service Lead – Planning, Forde House, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ12 4XX, e-mails to planning@teignbridge.gov.uk.

Benefit Help

The independent Credit Crunch Commission, set up by Teignbridge Council, recommended a £10,000 grant to Teignbridge Outreach Benefits Service.

In the period between April and October this year, the service dealt with 174 requests for help and advice. Benefits of £8,095.00 a week have been identified and claimed for local people and the outcomes of around 70 further claims are awaited.

Many enquiries deal with or result in an entitlement to one or more benefit being identified. It is also known that where income to vulnerable households is maximised, economic hardship is reduced. This increases the amount of money available to be spent in the local area, which in turn supports the local community.

People have said that they feel ‘a huge weight has been lifted’ and they are better able to cope and feel more supported. Where it is relevant, people are also directed to other services that may also be able to help.

Teign Transition

We had a well attended meeting on Monay, where Anthony Turner of ClimateSence explained climate change and peak oil, we had a lively debate. We will formally launch Teign Transition at our next meeting. The Transistion Handbook is now available at Quayside Bookshop 43 Northumberland Place (01626 775436 quaysidebookshop@gmail.com). If you plan to buy a copy, please support your local independent bookshop.

The Transition approach can be sumed up in two words 'resilience and relocalisation'

Resilience (a term used extensively in civil defence/emergency planning)– the ability of communities, maintain their ability to function in the face of change and shocks from the outside. Rob Hopkins insists that as we move to cut carbon emissions, we must give equal importance to rebuilding the resilience of our communities. The degree of oil dependency of economic globalisation – irrespective of the injustice and environmental destruction it has caused – means that we have little option but to move towards more localised, energy-efficient and productive living arrangements. There are of course many senior citizens in Teignmouth who can remember when such a state existed - local food sold in local shops.

Council Backs Reheat Briatin

I'm very pleased to say that Teignbridge council today gave its unanimous support to the Reheat Britain campaign. Our Liberal Democrat MP Richard Younger Ross has gather the backing of a respectable 54 MPs for the Reheat Britain EDM. Sian Berry (Green Party's London Mayor candidate) continues to do sterling work running the campaign. Let's hope the government listens, surly the boiler scrappage scheme must be an obvious way of distributing the 'quantitative easing' cash into the economy.
Please back the campaign http://reheatbritain.org.uk/

A very welcome 'Thank You'

I was very pleasantly surprised to read a thank you to me on page 5 of the Teignmouth Post on Friday. I helped Vicky who runs a Teignmouth pet shop - Animal Allsorts, get her business rates reduced from £5,200 to £3,900 (which means Vicky can apply for Small Business Rate Relief and save more). Helping people with problems is one of the most rewarding parts of being a councillor. I don’t restrict myself to council issues; for many people dealing with bureaucracy is beguiling at the best of times. It is really the most important work I do as a councillor, and yet it goes (for obvious reasons) largely unseen. So a bit of public recognision is welcome, most people's perseption of a councillor's work is dry meetings in dusty council chambers.

Skatepark

Teignmouth residents and visitors have the opportunity to see plans for the new skatepark at a special exhibition next week.

On Saturday (7th November) between 10am-2pm, plans for the new skatepark facility on the site of the former seafront paddling pool will go on show at Tomorrow’s Teignmouth Information Centre (4-5 Northumberland Place, Teignmouth). Local community organisation Teignskate, which has been working on the plans with support from Teignbridge Council, is keen for local people and visitors to stop by and provide feedback on the designs.

I hope that the new area will provide an added attraction on our popular seafront. Local skaters have been hoping for a proper skate facility for some time, and the paddling pool site was identified as part of a public consultation during the development of the golf facility.

The new area is planned to provide a safe area for local skaters to enjoy, away from the steps and ledges on the public footpath. The project has also won the backing of local BMX hero Kye Forte, a former BMX dirt jumping world champion who was instrumental in the provision of the highly successful extreme sports facility at Decoy Country Park in Newton Abbot.