Traffic Notice- Challons Combe to Bowls Cross
NB The roadworks will be outside Dulce Domun
Traffic Notice- Challons Combe to Bowls Cross
NB The roadworks will be outside Dulce Domun
Investing in Kingsbridge
18/12/18
79 Bedroom Hotel to be Built on Council land in Kingsbridge.
Last week South Hams moved a step closer to building a new hotel in Kingsbridge, that could add an extra £3.9m to the local economy per year.
Cllr John Tucker, Leader of South Hams District Council explains: “The plot of land where the hotel would be built is in Rope Walk, behind the leisure centre in Kingsbridge. It is derelict at the moment, but it is the ideal spot for a hotel which is in easy walking distance of the town. We are delighted to have interest in this site in Kingsbridge from a major UK hotel operator, it demonstrates confidence in the Town and will be a boost the whole of the area.”
Executive Councillors at South Hams approved a multi-million pound investment into the project. The project will be subject to planning approval and confirmation of funding at Full Council and it would take approximately two years to be built.
The project hits the key deliverables set out in the Council’s Commercial Property Strategy of supporting regeneration and economic activity. It is an excellent example of the Council investing financially in its area, to the benefit of the District.
END
18/12/18
South Hams District and West Devon Borough Councils will be working in partnership with FCC Environment to provide waste collection, recycling and street and toilet cleaning services from the 1st April 2019.
Following a competitive tendering process, South Hams and West Devon Councils have awarded the contract for your Waste Recycling and Cleaning services to FCC Environment which will save over £5 million in the next 8 years. As well as continuing to deliver the key services for each council, the new contract will offer extra services which will help to improve the local environment.
Cllr John Tucker, Leader of South Hams District Council said: “I am delighted to bring this news to our residents. It not only offers better value for money for the tax payer, but also huge environmental benefits. Big improvements are coming to the recycling service over the next two years. I am looking forward to working with FCC Environment who are bringing their industry knowledge and expertise into our services.
“We have been listening to residents and we know that you want to be able to recycle more at the kerbside, particularly glass and mixed plastics. It will take a little while to put everything in place but the good news is that you will be able to recycle more from the kerbside by the end of 2020.”
Cllr Philip Sanders, Leader of West Devon Borough Council said: “I am absolutely delighted that we have been able to make such substantial savings at a time when we are facing a huge budget gap. The bonus is that will be able to improve vital services and increase our recycling rate even more over the coming years.”
Steve Longdon, Regional Director for FCC Environment said: “We are one of the UK’s most trusted resource and waste management businesses. We hold over 100 contracts with some 60 local authorities up and down the country recycling more than 1.6 million tonnes of waste each year and so we consider ourselves to be a safe pair of hands . Ever since Blue Planet 2, residents have been more interested than ever before in re-using, reducing and recycling so it’s a great time to be rolling out new and enhanced services that will allow residents in South Hams and West Devon to do just that.”
Residents should not see any immediate changes to services and the Councils will be working closely with FCC Environment over the coming months to plan the changes to the recycling collection services. Will be provided more details on the improvements over the coming months.
This Christmas South Hams District Council is asking residents to help them handle a problem which is affecting many councils up and down the country.
This year many of the companies who process paper and card for local councils are saying that they can no longer take any wrapping paper at all. This means that wrapping paper cannot be put into your blue recycling sacks, it needs to go into your grey bin instead.
Cllr Rufus Gilbert, Executive Member for Commercial Services explains: “We know this is a bit of an issue for residents, many of whom have already bought their wrapping paper. But our hands are tied; if the processors will not take the wrapping paper there is nothing we can do.
“Unfortunately this is the same for the County Council’s recycling centres too, whose processors are also saying no wrapping paper this year.”
It is the materials that go into making some wrapping paper that cause the problem. Wrapping paper is often dyed, laminated and/or contains non-paper additives such as gold and silver coloured shapes, glitter, plastics etc. which is why it cannot be recycled.
Some wrapping paper is also very thin and contains few good quality fibres for recycling and because so many people leave sticky tape attached to wrapping paper it makes it very difficult to recycle.
These are some of the reasons why the companies who process our waste have decided not to accept wrapping paper this year.
Cllr Gilbert continued: “Residents can really help us this year by recycling as much of the recyclable materials as they can, to make room in their grey bin for the non-recyclable materials. Food waste is one of the biggest recyclables that often ends up in the grey bin. Please make an extra effort this year to recycle your food waste or freeze your left overs. Clean aluminium foil can go into your clear sacks, along with all plastic bottles, drinks and food cans, empty aerosol cans. Cardboard, ordinary paper, brown paper, envelopes, and drinks cartons can go into the blue sack. Don’t forget plastic yoghurt pots, tubs and trays can be taken to your nearest recycling centre.”
This year South Hams also wanted to remind residents that real Christmas trees shorter than 6ft, can be put it out for collection alongside their brown bin.
For more information about recycling and for great tips, advice and recipes for leftovers, please visit:
https://www.recycledevon.org/
This month has seen the relaunch of the 50:100 Club.
Spaces on this are £10 each for ten months’ entry.
Half the money goes in prizes and the other half towards the upkeep of the Hall.
So the more tickets that are sold, the bigger the prizes.
Last year, thanks to the efforts of Rita and Mike Baker and Dane, we managed to sell all 100 spaces.
The first draw will take place in January although. of course, you can buy spaces throughout the year at a pro rata rate.
Spaces can be bought at Holywell Stores or through Rita and Mike (tel. 01548 810792).
10/12/2018
Councils agree to support the creation of a local bank to support the local economy
Both South Hams District and West Devon Borough Councillors have pledged their support for the creation of a local financial institution, a local bank for local people.
The new venture, which is yet to be named, would be the first ever high street bank dedicated to Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset (Subject to regulatory approvals).
The bank, known for now as South West Mutual, would be owned by its members and would pursue only what is in the customers’ best interests. Unlike national financial institutions, the Mutual would not engage in financial speculation, or pay huge bonuses to staff for selling financial products.
Cllr John Tucker, Leader of South Hams District Council, explains why the Council is supporting this initiative: “I am really interested by this proposal and the benefits it could offer our communities. We all know that the local branches are being lost at an astonishing rate, making it more difficult for older and more vulnerable people and trading businesses to access their finance or seek support. The South Hams has lost 13 bank branches since 2015, leaving major towns such as Dartmouth without any banks at all. We understand that banks have to move with the times and more business is done online, but who will support our high streets and market towns in the future?”
“We also know that our SME businesses can find it difficult to get funding. This proposal would see a new kind of banking institution, one that is not tied to the costly overheads of the National banks, who can use the latest technology because it is starting from scratch. We welcome the commitment of South West Mutual to be a permanent presence in the region and to serve our residents and businesses by building a branch network.”
Cllr Philip Sanders, Leader of West Devon Borough Council said: “Councils do not want to get into the business of banking but it is our business to support a thriving economy in West Devon.
We recognise that South West Mutual’s mission to serve our residents and smaller businesses and its commitment to financial inclusion are closely aligned with West Devon Borough Council’s own objectives and strategy and so we are delighted to be able to support them in the early stages of their application for a banking licence.”
Both Councils agree that this is one way that they can use some of the money generated from the Business Rates pilot to support the local economy without using money that has come from Council Tax Payers.
Each council will invest £50,000 to help support the formation of the new entity. The proposal is not without risk, but without the funding, the proposed benefits to the local economy may never be realised.
South Hams and West Devon are the two first local authorities in the area to pledge their support, leading the way for others who have also expressed an interest in this venture. More information can be found at: https://southwestmutual.co.uk/
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