6 November 2023

Changes are coming to the recycling and food waste collection service in the South Hams from 20 November – with residents set to start receiving letters from today (6 November) explaining the coming changes.

We currently deliver three different types of recycling collections to you, our residents. We’re aligning this and making sure every resident can present the same materials, including glass and food waste. This is also important to us, as it means we can help to combat climate change, reduce waste and pollution.

The upcoming changes will mean that everyone is on the same service, using kerbside boxes, a white reusable sack and food waste caddy to present their recycling each week.

Every single property in the South Hams will be affected. You might have a change to your recycling and black bin collection day, or the way you put out your waste and recycling on the kerbside. You can check changes to your collection day online on waste.southhams.gov.uk from 18 November.

Cllr Jacqi Hodgson, Executive Member for Waste, said: “Our waste team have been working tirelessly for months to get ready for these changes.

“Many of our residents have been asking us when they can recycle food waste. Now they can. Your food waste will go off for anaerobic digestion, which creates natural gas and organic fertiliser. It helps make the most of our food waste, which can only be a good thing.

“These are big changes and brand-new rounds for all our crews. They’ll be working incredibly hard over the coming weeks to pick up your recycling and waste. Inevitably, there may be some slight disruption – please be kind to our crews, who will be doing everything they can to make sure you get a smooth collection service during this transition.”

Cllr Julian Brazil, Leader of South Hams District Council, said: “The changes mean that from 20 November, we will at last be able to roll out the kerbside collection service, known as the Devon Aligned Service, so that everyone will be getting the same materials collected, and will all be on the same system, which is great news.

“At the moment, we have one of the worst recycling rates in Devon. We want to be the best, and this is the opportunity for us to do that.”

We really appreciate your support during these changes to your recycling and food waste collection service. Your co-operation will make these changes as smooth and seamless as possible.

You can find out more on the changes on our website: www.southhams.gov.uk/waste-service-changes

25 October 2023

South Hams District Council is doing everything it can to offer support those in the area who are leaving care, to make sure they can thrive.

In September, we agreed to give a Council Tax discount to young people who have left the care system up to the age of 25. The move is designed to help care leavers make the transition to adulthood, offering a form of financial assistance that other young people may get through help from their parents.

But the tax discount is just one of the steps that we’re taking to support care leavers living in the District.

We’re putting in place a programme to help support care leavers into employment. This includes offering a two to four-week paid work experience placement, reserving some apprenticeship opportunities for care leavers and offering guaranteed interviews for those meeting minimum requirements, with support available from workplace mentors.

The Council is also supporting physical health and wellbeing by offering children in care (plus a carer), and care leavers up to the age of 25 a leisure pass that offers free access to the district’s four council-owned leisure centres at Totnes, Kingsbridge, Ivybridge and Dartmouth. These passes are being offered in partnership with Fusion Lifestyle.

We’re also putting into place a new collaborative approach to housing. For most young people leaving care, the pathway is straightforward, well planned and supported.

For a small proportion of individuals who present with complex additional needs, sustaining housing and engagement with support services can be very challenging.

South Hams is proud to be working in close partnership with Devon County Council and colleagues in other districts on developing a more robust and effective response to the needs of care leavers across the county.

Together we have supported a small cohort of care leavers to retain accommodation and enabled access to services to meet their support needs. This has involved a strong commitment to multi agency work, delivering housing services in a trauma informed way and demonstrating a higher level of flexibility and tolerance to meet individual need.

Our commitment to remaining engaged with these young people long term has enabled these young people to develop relationships and build trust with officers.

We are evaluating a variety of accommodation and support models, with a view to rolling out pilot projects across Devon.

Finally, we will be reviewing the support we offer to those of our employees who offer to foster or adopt children in care, in order to maximise the assistance, we offer them in what can be an emotionally challenging and time-consuming process.

Cllr Julian Brazil, Leader of the Council, said: “If you look at the statistics around homelessness and the criminal justice system, care leavers are a group of vulnerable people that very much need our support – as much as we can give. There is a moral imperative to help however we can.

“This work is a good example of the Council working in partnership with Devon County Council to do whatever we can to support residents of the South Hams.

“It is also an example of an issue that has united the Council across the political spectrum. The support we’re offering should help young people transition to adulthood and go on to lead successful, prosperous lives.”

Issued: 23 October 2023

Usually, the popular Dartmouth Lower Ferry reduces to one float after a busy summer period for the entire winter. However, this year changes are afoot.

A new trial is set to take place with two ferries working over the busiest times during the winter period in response to community demand.

This means the ferry will only drop to the usual single running to allow for the Maritime Coastguard Agency safety inspections to take place. These essential inspections on each of the tugs and floats make sure they are first and foremost safe and fit for all passengers, but also that the annual passenger certificate continues.

The new single and double winter ferry timetable will be as follows, so please make a note:

• Single ferry running for winter refit.
• Monday 30 October – Sunday 10 December

• Double ferry running
• Monday 11 December – Sunday 4 February

• Single ferry running for winter refit.
• Monday 5 February – Sunday 17 March

The usual service will restart again on Monday 18 March.

There are two floats in total, two named Tom I and II and three named Hauley IV, V and VI and they all need to be kept in tip-top condition to help keep the District’s traffic moving from side to side.

The first float, Hauley VI is currently being refitted for six weeks, followed by Hauley V in November. Hauley IV will start its refit later in the year.

South Hams District Council’s Executive Member for Community Services; Operations and Leisure, Cllr Victor Abbott said: “This is a new trial and is in direct response to what our community wants. Everyone wants to be able to travel seamlessly for shopping and work get togethers in the run up to Christmas, to visit friends and family too. This way our team will continue to run double ferries over the busiest seasonal period and will still do all the necessary safety checks that need to be carried out annually.

“There’s no doubt the safety of our passengers and staff is a massive concern so annual refits are an essential part of the smooth running of the service. It is a trial period, so we will evaluate it and see how it has worked and then make a decision based on the evidence.”

For more information on the ferry, please visit:

www.southhams.gov.uk/ferry-and-harbour/dartmouth-lower-ferry23