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Posts tagged South Hams
Garden waste collection subscription service will go ahead in South Hams
South Hams District Council has agreed that residents wanting to have garden waste collections should be charged for the service from spring 2023, with the current service to end on 31 October 2022.
Against the backdrop of rising costs, the Full Council came to the decision today (22 September) to cease the existing service and launch a paid subscription service next spring. The vote was 22 in favour, seven against.
The Council has been looking at every option to ensure that the core waste and recycling collection service can remain as smooth as possible when it comes back in-house on 3 October.
The Council will inherit increased operating costs and must contend with inflation in the price of fuel and wages, as well the need for additional resources. Introducing a charge for the garden waste collections – a discretionary service, not a statutory one – will ease the overall cost pressures on the Council.
As well as easing financial pressures, ceasing the service from 31 October will also ease pressure on the core waste and recycling collections, helping to keep those as stable as possible in the early months of the transition. The Council will ensure that all households will get their brown bins emptied on or around their last scheduled collection day before the service is ceased.
For many years the Council had been able to provide the garden waste service without charging a subscription fee but doing so from spring 2023 will bring them in line with most other districts in Devon, who already charge for garden waste collections. Plymouth City Council recently took the decision to end their garden waste collections early this year to ease their own budget pressures.
Cllr Keith Baldry, South Hams Executive Member for the Environment, said: “Since the proposal about halting the current garden waste service and replacing it with a subscription service in the spring first came to the table, it has been one carefully considered, deliberated, and debated. We know that nobody will want to pay a subscription fee for the service, but the inescapable truth is that rising costs have forced our hand.
“Ultimately, we must protect our core statutory services. Ceasing the collections over the winter will help us do that as we transition to an in-house waste collection service.
“Compared to what private companies charge for collections, that fee represents good value for money. The subscription fees will purely cover the cost of the service and there will be no profit made. We will provide residents with information in due course on how they can sign up and subscribe for the service.”
Residents can also expect to receive a letter explaining the changes in the coming days.
During the debate, residents were encouraged to compost their garden waste. People can find out more on home composting possibilities here: https://www.recycledevon.org/in-the-garden/how-to-compost
For those who decide to not sign up for the service, they can take their garden waste to all three recycling centres in the South Hams. Full details, including opening hours, are available online here: https://www.devon.gov.uk/wasteandrecycling/centre/
Keep up to date on the latest here: https://southhams.gov.uk/recyclingwaste
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SHDC NEWS – COST OF LIVING PAYMENTS, JULY 2022
See link for details:-
https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKSWDEVON/bulletins/323a3e4
WASTE & RECYCLING: SHDC UPDATE
See link for details:- https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKSWDEVON/bulletins/31f0915
First new council houses in a generation for SHDC – in Bigbury!
Read about the background to this development:-
Affordable housing scheme
Planning for a Simpler Application! (A CHECKLIST)
04/03/2022
The Planning Service’s Improvement Plan Update Report met with approval at South Hams District Council yesterday. The Executive approved the adoption of a Local Validation Checklist and a Planning Charter that shows how the Council will improve performance and responsiveness for applicants involved within the Planning process.
The Council’s recent Planning Improvement Plan, part of the Corporate Strategy, ‘Better Lives for All’ aims to improve the service and applicants’ expectations.
To kick-start the plans following a helpful six-week public consultation in September 2021, a Local Validation List has been updated which will make the service much easier for applicants.
Now those applying for planning applications, will follow a simple checklist to find out which application forms, and supporting documents, they need to submit for the work they want to carry out and when they need to submit them. Easy!
Not only will this take some of the frustration out of the planning process and make sure that applications are accepted first time, it will also make the service much faster and reduce delays when additional information has to be requested.
The Planning Team are also very keen to promote the use of their pre-application advice service, which can provide applicants with certainty over which information they need to provide in advance of applications being submitted.
The checklist will also help the Planning team to gain information from applicants about how they are reducing their carbon footprint, achieving a 10% biodiversity net gain, better provision of open spaces, sport and recreation and protecting the countryside and heritage assets. It will also go towards meeting the Council’s goal for Climate Change and Biodiversity.
Along with the Local Validation List, the newly approved Planning Charter sets out how the Planning Service will work with developers and the community on applications.
The Charter makes clear what those using the service can expect to receive from their service. What their vision is with respect to customer service and realistic expectations for timescales, but also what is at the heart of the service the Planning Team provide.
In return, they also ask for some commitments of their own. They ask for consideration of their staff, for developed quality and sustainable designs and that applicants follow policies and guidance.
The full charter will be available for public viewing from Friday 1 April.
Cllr Judy Pearce, Leader of South Hams District Council, said: “This is a positive step forward in making the planning process a simpler process for everyone. The improved performance will mean better clarity, accuracy and responsiveness from householders asking for a one-time application, small business applicants, right up to large-scale house builders and developers.
“We know there is much we have to do to ensure we get it right and we are working hard on our improvements to do just that. However, the Charter is a joint agreement between both sides so everyone can do the best they can for each other. For that to happen, we need applicants to play their part too, to make sure that the process runs smoothly.”
To read the Executive report, go to: www.southhams.gov.uk/Executive
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Second home owners to pay their fair share for local services – SHDC
14 January 2022
South Hams District Council has fought a long and arduous campaign, to urge the Government to close a tax loophole which allows second home owners to avoid paying any business rates or council tax on their properties. Today, 14 January 2022, the Government announced changes that close this loophole whilst protecting genuine holiday lets and benefitting popular holiday destinations such as the South Hams.
Currently, people who own second homes in England can avoid paying council tax and access small business rates relief by declaring an intention to let the property out to holidaymakers. The change, which will come into effect from April 2023, will see second homeowners forced to pay council tax if they cannot show they are genuinely renting out their properties on a commercial basis.
The Council is thrilled that the Government has listened to its concerns. In 2020, the Leader of the Council, Cllr Judy Pearce, gave evidence to the Treasury Select Committee on this issue. The Council’s local MP, Anthony Mangnall MP, strongly supported the Council’s campaign and raised the issue direct with the Government.
The announcement today from the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Rt Hon Michael Gove, comes on the back of South Hams District Council declaring a housing crisis in September 2021. This was backed by a 12 point action plan, with closing the business rates loophole being one of those areas to address. As well as ensuring that second home owners pay fairly for services, it is hoped that the new change may also see more short-term holiday let properties switch to long-term rental. This would help to ease the chronic shortage of long-term rental accommodation at an affordable rate, making it easier for local families to remain in the communities they love.
Cllr Judy Pearce, Leader of South Hams District Council said: “This is excellent news as a result of a sustained campaign by South Hams District Council, Anthony Mangnall MP, and myself to get this loophole in the business rates system closed. This is important for community cohesion.
“Second home owners should be paying into the local community unless they are genuinely running a letting business. Services such as highways, the fire service and the police, which can equally well be used or needed by holiday makers, will benefit, as will the general income of the District and County Councils. We welcome all visitors, but hard-pressed local residents should not have to subsidise services for them.”
Under the new rules, holiday lets must be rented out for a minimum of 70 days a year to qualify for business rates. Holiday let owners will have to provide evidence such as the website or brochure used to advertise the property, letting details and receipts. Properties will also have to be available to be rented out for 140 days a year to qualify for this relief.
The Council currently has just under 1,800 business rated properties that are self-catering holiday lets.
At a time when there are severe funding problems with all tiers of Local Government (particularly adult social care) and our emergency services are under increasing pressures, South Hams District Council spearheaded a campaign to make the point that the current system is fundamentally unfair. Small business rate relief was implemented to support our small business, village halls and local shops. The rules have been taken advantage of, to allow people to not pay for the local services they are using.
Anthony Mangnall MP added: “After two years of campaigning with Cllr Judy Pearce, Leader of South Hams District Council, it is welcome news that the Government has taken this step. South Devon has one of the highest concentration of second homes in the country. This announced change will help to stop people utilising an unforeseen loophole while also ensuring that they pay their fair share. Both the Chancellor and Michael Gove have listened carefully to our needs and I hope this will be the first step of many to help improve accommodation issues in the South West and beyond.”
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