Anybody with an interest in the Avon Estuary is invited to the forthcoming Forum. See link below for details:-
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Setting a Balanced Budget – a warning from SHDC about fewer services & higher bills
Tel: 01803 861368 | Email: communications@swdevon.gov.uk |
10/10/2017
Recently councillors from South Hams District Council have been analysing how much money they have to spend in the next financial year and setting their priorities for how they would like to spend it. But with their revenue support grant cut to zero from next year, this is not proving to be an easy task.
Over the last few years, South Hams District Council has seen a large reduction in the amount of money that it gets from central government. The District Council has known since last year that, from 2018, it will no longer receive a revenue support grant. In 2009/10 the Council received £5.5 million in Core Government funding (Revenue Support Grant plus funding from Business Rates) and by 2019/20 this has been reduced to £1.5 million – a reduction of £4 million. In addition to this, there are many other factors working against the council, such as inflation and possible public sector pay increases.
This means that from next year, South Hams District Council will need to find additional money to continue delivering the same services that it does now. With or without the predicted £0.5 million that could be saved by creating a new council, councillors are being asked to make some tough decisions that could lead to service cuts or increases in charges.
Councillors have been looking at this shortfall and deciding how they are going to cover it for next year. In 2018/2019 the budget gap for the year will be just under £0.6 million and by 2020/2021, it predicts that the yearly budget gap will have increased to £0.8m.
Cllr Simon Wright, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Support Services said: “As we have been saying for some years, we simply do not have enough money to continue delivering the services at the same level as we do now. Our revenue support grant is stopping completely next year, inflation is going up and the public sector pay freeze may be relaxed. This means that we are having to look very closely at the other income we get and work out how we can cover the shortfall.”
District councils receive money to pay for services from three different sources – grants from central government, 6% from business rates, and charges for services such as carparks.
Cllr Wright continued: “Even if we do submit a proposal to the Secretary of State to create one new council and increase council tax, the benefits would not come into effect until 2020.
“In the meantime, the books need to be balanced for next year. The reality is that we have to look closer at our spending now and we may have to increase some of the charges on some of the services we provide such as carparks and public toilets, or stop doing things that that law does not requires us to do.
“An average band D home owner pays us, South Hams District Council, £155 a year, or £3 a week for the services that we provide. Without grants from central government to bolster this figure, it really is no wonder that we will be struggling to provide the basic services when our grant stops.”
At a series of budget setting workshops, councillors from South Hams have been looking at the services that the District Council provides and beginning to ask themselves some tough questions.
Cllr Wright continued: “We may be tinkering around the edges of this in order to balance the books next year. If we do not take some tough decisions, like the One Council proposal, or come up with other ways to generate an income, there may be some tougher decisions to come.”
Please be aware that telephone calls to and from the Council may be recorded for training and monitoring purposes. |
New Amenity Group Representative Appointed To South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership Committee
SOUTH HAMS SOCIETY
PRESS RELEASE
9 October 2017
The South Devon AONB committee held its latest meeting at Blackpool Sands last week. In a move coordinated by the South Hams Society, a number of local amenity Groups combined together to nominate Geoffrey Osborn to act as their Representative on the Committee.
Previously the Local amenity Groups were represented on the Committee by Bob Harvey who stepped down from the role earlier in the year after many years of loyal service battling to protect the AONB.
Geoffrey is ideally suited to the role and as a retired chartered surveyor, has many years of experience in land management, rural affairs, planning, development in protected landscapes as well as an interest in conservation and wildlife.
A MESSAGE FROM OUR NEW PARISH FOOTPATH WARDENS
After years of excellent work the services of one volunteer, John Simes, have been taken over by two new volunteers Trish Bagley (01548810053 or email trishbagley@icloud.com) and Norman Botton (01548810385 or normanbotton@ hotmail.co.uk ).Please contact either of us if you find any problem with the footpaths that cannot be resolved there and then.
We are interested in hearing about any obstructions, overgrowths, fencing and gate/ style issues, poor surfaces, unclear signposting, and anything else you think needs to be addressed.
It would be helpful if you could pinpoint the problem and give its location either by stating the grid reference or give the footpath number: Failing that a description of its location will do. We can then liaise with the relevant landowner and attempt to resolve the issue.
With our thanks
Trish and Norman.
LIGHT POLLUTION IN OUR AONB – BE AWARE!
We’re all familiar with the rubbish left on beaches and in our lanes but do you ever consider the effects of light pollution in our beautiful environment?
See link for details:-
http://www.southdevonaonb.org.uk/uploads/files/past_projects/Web_Light_Pollution_Overview.pdf
Burglaries in Aveton Gifford & Ivybridge
Police are appealing for witnesses and anyone with information to come forward after receiving reports of burglary and theft in Aveton Gifford and Ivybridge.
The incidents occurred overnight on Wednesday 4 – Thursday 5 October 2017.
Unknown offenders gained access to a storage container at a farm in Aveton Gifford and stole power tools totalling over £2000.
The Diggerstreet Wear warehouse in Lee Mill Industrial Estate, Ivybridge, was also broken into by unknown offenders who removed stock.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police via 101@dc.police.uk or by calling 101 quoting crime reference number CR/085931/17 (Aveton Gifford) or CR/085944/17 (Ivybridge).
Information can also be passed anonymously to independent charity Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555 111 or reporting online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.
Portugese-man-o’war found on Bigbury beach during beach clean!
Many of you will be aware of the recent reports of Portugese-man-o’war specimens being found on beaches of the South West. Well, Bigbury-on-Sea is not immune! One dead specimen of the potentially dangerous jelly fish was found washed up on the beach during our very successful beach clean on Saturday . Although the specimen was dead, the tentacles could still deliver a very painful, potentially dangerous sting, of course, so extreme care was used in getting rid of it.
Meanwhile, thanks go out to all the volunteers who gave an hour to help clean our beach and to Amanda Keetley from lessplastic.co.uk and Surfers against sewage, who organised the event.
You can find out more about the Portugese-man-o’war via the following links:- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_man_o%27_war
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