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Posts tagged environment
Waste and Recycling Service – impending change
A future partnership – Environmental benefits and better value for money
A new multi million pound contact has been approved by South Hams District Council for recycling, waste and cleansing services enabling the Council to save over £3 million pounds over the life of the contract and improving our environmental impact. The new services will be delivered to a high standard from 1st April 2019 as part of a new partnership agreement with a private company.
This is a brave new step for the South Hams who have provided these services through the Council’s own workforce for many years. The decision was made following a very intensive and thorough tendering process lasting almost two years. This included robust market testing giving full consideration to every single element of the current services to ensure best value and best quality for residents.
The staff who currently collect the waste and recycling and clean the district will transfer to the new partner company, whose name will be announced on the 18th December following the formal 10 day legal “standstill” period. South Hams District Council have ensured that their valued workforce will continue to provide services with protected terms and conditions and without the need for redundancies.
The future service will offer householders the opportunity to recycle even more of our household waste from the kerbside from September 2020.
Cllr Rufus Gilbert, Executive Member for Commercial Services said: “We have been listening to what residents wanted – more items being recycled and a continued focus on keeping our beautiful district clean and this will be delivered through the new arrangement at a better price. This new contract will enable us to continue improving recycling and street services throughout the term of the contract.”
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South Hams Beaches Rated Excellent or Good
DEFRA has announced this year’s bathing water quality results and all twelve South Hams District Council owned beaches have achieved Excellent or Good.
South Hams bathing waters have consistently achieved high ratings in the annual water quality tests, and all beaches have also met stringent bathing water quality standards.
The most significant improvement in this year’s results was the improvement at Wembury. Last year this beach received a “sufficient” rating but this has now improved to “Good.”
Cllr Nicky Hopwood, Executive Member for Environmental Health at South Hams District Council, said: “This is an excellent set of results and really reflects the effort South Hams puts into looking after our stunning coastline. With the good weather this year bringing more and more visitors to the South Hams, it’s great to know that they were enjoying bathing water that was safe and clean for them.”
“Hopefully these ratings will continue to encourage residents and tourists alike to visit the wonderful coastline we’re lucky enough to have here.”
Despite the damage from Storm Emma and the significant disruption of the road works, Slapton Sands at both Torcross and Monument beaches maintained their “excellent” rating. Millbay, Salcombe, Thurlestone South, Challaborough and Bovisand were also rated excellent.
Hope Cove, Thurlestone North, Bantham, Bigbury, Mothecombe and Wembury were all rated “Good.”
Check the water quality standards for local beaches on the Bathing Water Explorer website at http://environment.data.gov.uk/bwq/profiles/
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MUD, MUD – GLORIOUS MUD!
Have you ever been up to your neck in that black, gluey and smelly mud which abounds in the upper reaches of the Avon Estuary and around the salt marsh areas – thinking you might never escape its clutches and, somehow, might have to call the Coastguard for rescue if only you could get your hands free of the stuff? If so, you might want to withdraw your curses and instead sing its praises, rather like the old Flanders and Swan song – “Mud, Mud, Glorious Mud” – because, with the recent renewed level of interest in global warming, that black goo has now been reinvented as ‘Blue Carbon’.
Click on this link for a mud bath! YOU CAN SKIP THE ADVERTS! – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QW85kfakJc
For an aerial view of some of the estuary mud, click here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ekZu202ZZo#action=share
According to the website at BlueCarbonPortal.org., ‘Blue carbon’ is the carbon stored and sequestered in coastal ecosystems such as mangrove forests, sea grass meadows or inter-tidal salt marshes. These valuable ecosystems hold vast carbon reservoirs; they sequester atmospheric CO2 through primary production, and then deposit it in their sediments. In fact, most blue carbon is found in the soils or sediments beneath the vegetation.
The rates of carbon sequestration and storage are comparable to (and often higher than) the sequestration rates in carbon-rich terrestrial ecosystems such as tropical rainforests or peatlands. Unlike most terrestrial systems, which reach soil carbon equilibrium within decades, deposition of carbon dioxide in coastal ecosystem sediment can continue over millennia. However, when these coastal ecosystems are degraded or destroyed they can become carbon dioxide sources due to the oxidization of biomass and organic soil.
Because coastal ecosystems do contain substantial amounts of carbon, and because this carbon is in danger of being released, they are important in mitigating climate change. Unfortunately, however, the rate of loss of mangroves, seagrasses and saltmarshes (driven mostly by human activities) is estimated to be among the highest of any ecosystem on the planet, prompting international interest in managing them more effectively for their carbon benefits.
Although the Avon Estuary’s contribution to carbon sequestration may be small on a planetary scale, that contribution to conservation strengthens the argument for its designation by Natural England as one of the new Marine Conservation Zones and for the inclusion of the embryonic salt marsh at South Efford within its boundary.
Those anaerobic bugs thriving in the mud, locking up carbon, could be the saviours of our planet. Disturb them at your peril!!! GLORIOUS MUD indeed!
AVON ESTUARY WATER QUALITY & BIOSECURITY – A REVIEW
Click on the link for a review of water quality in the Avon Estuary
WASTE SKIPS – Bigbury-on-Sea: October 6th 2018
Three, eight yard skips will be placed at the Warren, Bigbury-on-Sea on Saturday October 6th between the hours of 09:00am and 3:00pm
Skip one – Wood
Skip two – Metal
Skip three – General
Tipping will be supervised
NO hard core will be accepted
Tougher Penalties for Irresponsible Dog Owners
South Hams District Council is cracking down on dog owners who have their dogs off the lead in public areas, or who don’t clean up after their dogs.
Public Space Protection Orders have been introduced across the South Hams, clarifying where it will be mandatory to keep dogs on a lead. In some areas, such as children’s play areas, dogs are banned entirely.
In addition, the new laws give authorised council officers the power to request that an owner place their dog on a lead in any open public area where the dog is causing a nuisance or likely to do so.
During the summer months, dogs are not permitted on a number of beaches in the South Hams, and officers will be able to issue on the spot fines for those ignoring this regulation.
Failure to comply with the PSPO or a request from a council officer is punishable by an on-the-spot fine of £100.
Uniformed Officers will be patrolling regularly from early July.
Cllr Rufus Gilbert, Executive Portfolio Holder for Commercial Services at South Hams District Council, said: “The majority of South Hams dog owners are law abiding and considerate of others, but there are a minority that spoil it for everyone, and it is these owners that the new regulations will target. It’s important that everyone is familiar with the areas where dogs must be kept on a lead, or where they are forbidden, so that responsible dog owners are not caught out.”
Failure to clean up after your dog is also covered by the PSPOs and is punishable by an on-the-spot fine of £100.
Cllr Gilbert continued: “Dog mess is unsightly, unpleasant and dangerous and we will no longer tolerate irresponsible owners who fail to clean up after their animals. If you know of an area that is regularly fouled, please let us know using the ‘report it’ function on our website, and our officers will add it to their patrols. If you are walking your dog, make sure you remain observant as to where it fouls, always carry bags and place the bags in a litter bin or take them home. Please don’t hang the bags in trees and bushes; they’re not baubles and this could constitute a littering offence.”
For a full list of the areas where dogs must be kept on a lead, and where dogs are not permitted, please see https://www.southhams.gov.uk/article/4114/Dogs-on-Leads, https://www.southhams.gov.uk/article/4109/Dog-Exclusion-Areas-Beaches and https://www.southhams.gov.uk/article/4541/Dog-Exclusion-Areas-Except-Beaches-
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SOUTH HAMS’ AIR QUALITY
Tell your Council what you think
19/04/18
The quality of the air in South Hams and West Devon is generally very good. However, there are three locations in South Hams where the air quality fails to meet the national and international levels for Nitrogen Dioxide. These areas are categorised as Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs).
Both Councils have a legal responsibility to produce an air quality action plan and because of this both South Hams District Council and West Devon Borough Council are exploring ways that we can protect and improve air quality with a focus on the Air Quality Management Areas.
To enable them to do this they have produced a Clean Air Strategy, which brings together all of the councils proposed actions for managing air quality.
The strategy was scrutinised by ‘Executive’ at South Hams and the ‘Hub’ Committee in West Devon, with an agreement to carry out a public consultation before any decisions are taken about what course of action might be the best way forward.
Now the Councils are about to embark on an initial 8 week consultation on the Clean Air Strategy, looking at the proposals and considering what we can do about it together.
Leader of South Ham District Council, Cllr John Tucker said: “We have been working with Devon County and Highways England as well as our own officers to produce this document. If is a really important piece of work that recognise the role that Planning Authorities can have in off-setting the impact of developments.”
Leader of West Devon Borough Council Cllr Philip Sanders added: “This is an opportunity for you to not only tell us what you think of the strategy but also to tell us of any ideas you may have for potential solutions to poor air quality. So please do give us your thoughts and ideas and we will discuss them with our partner agencies after the consultation closes.”
The Councils’ recognise that national policy is promoting ultralow emission vehicles and in light of this the strategy also seeks to support the infrastructure that is required to make this possible, such as electric charging points for cars.
It also recognises the benefits that cycling and walking can have both on air quality and on the health of residents and as a result the councils will also be exploring ways to improve cycling and pedestrian networks between villages, towns and communities.
The consultation starts on the 20 April and runs to the 20 June. All of the comments and ideas will be explored and discussed before a final Air Quality Strategy is presented to both Councils later in the year.
The air quality team are happy to discuss the options available, and hope to attend Town and Parish Councils in the air quality management areas.
To provide feedback please email: air.quality@swdevon.
For more information visit:
https://www.southhams.gov.uk/
https://www.westdevon.gov.uk/
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