Fare Car F7 service which operates from the Bigbury and Challaborough areas to Modbury and Ivybridge on Fridays will additionally run on Tuesdays from 14 November 2023 and will be extended to Lee Mill as a replacement for bus service 875.
Oakleys Coaches have been operating this bus service for the past few months but have given notice on the contract. One of our team recently did a passenger survey on this service and found there were only a small number of passengers using the service from the unique section. We tendered for a replacement bus service and received a price which was significantly greater than the cost of providing a Fare Car, given the expected demand for the service.
Additionally from 14 November, passengers who have an English National Concessionary Bus Pass will be able to travel for free on the Fare Car on both days of operation if they show their pass to the driver.
The Friday service which was introduced in April has proved popular with passengers and it is hoped the additional day will be popular too.
South Hams taking big strides to support young people leaving care
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.”
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.”
South Hams District Council wants to hear your views on how we plan to help people most in need pay their council tax as the cost-of-living crisis continues.
The Council Tax Reduction Scheme is reviewed every year and you now have six weeks to let us know what you think about two proposed changes for 2024-2025.
The first change will mean more support for self-employed residents who are trying to grow their own business. The second aims to help ease the financial pressures for residents with a disability or health condition which affects how much they can work. The changes will see over 600 residents or families get much needed extra financial support.
The proposals will cost a total of £236,409. The Council’s share of the cost will be 8% - that’s £18,913. The rest will be paid for by the other organisations who charge part of the Council Tax bill, such as Devon County Council, the Police, and Fire and Rescue.
The Council now wants to hear from residents and partner authorities on if they agree with the planned changes.
South Hams District Council’s Leader, Cllr Julian Brazil, said: “The yearly review of our council tax reduction scheme helps us find new and innovative ways to support those who need it most. The two changes we are proposing aim to do just that.
“Now is the chance for you, our residents and partners, to have your say. Please be part of the conversation on what is best for our communities.”
South Hams District Council want your views in a public consultation about Public Space Protection Orders for dog control in the District.
A Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) deals with potential anti-social behaviour in an area which could have a harmful effect on the quality of life for those in the local community. It can ban certain things, or need specific things to be done, in this case the control of dogs in public areas.
The Council know that most dog owners properly control their dogs and abide by the rules. However, they want to encourage every dog owner throughout the South Hams to be responsible and these PSPOs help with that.
PSPOs last for three years before they need to be reviewed and the current orders run out in March next year. The District Council now need to consult on the next set for the following three year period.
The current review affects all existing PSPOs within the District, such as when it is currently necessary for owners to keep dogs on leads in certain areas. In some places dogs are excluded, for instance in children’s play areas, bowling greens or tennis courts. They may have limited access such as on beaches out of season or at certain times of the day.
The Council is also consulting on a new proposal in the following area for changes to the current order. The proposal suggests recategorising the path between Swallowfields and Vire Island in Totnes to an area where dogs must be kept on a lead and they would like your thoughts.
The consultation runs until 14 November 2023. Officers can issue fixed penalty notices up to £100.00 for those who don’t follow the Orders.
Cllr Denise O'Callaghan, South Hams District Council’s Executive Member Housing; Environmental Health; and Licensing, said: “It’s important that as many people as possible give us their views on dog control in their area. There are many dog owners in the District and most are very responsible when walking their dogs.
“We would like to know residents’ thoughts on what we currently do to control dogs. Do you agree or disagree with what we currently do? Are there other conditions or areas you would like to see added? If so, let us know in the survey and add any problem areas to our online map too to help us see where the issues are. That way we can direct our resources to those areas.
“There is one new proposal suggested for dogs on leads so please let us know your thoughts for that too. We all need to live together so these Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs) can help us to do that in harmony with everyone whether a dog lover or not.
“Please tell us what you think before the consultation ends on Tuesday 14 November.”
South Hams District Council today pays tribute to long-standing former Ward Member for Marldon and Littlehempston, Trevor Pennington, who sadly passed away over the weekend aged 92.
The longest serving councillor in the District Council’s history, Trevor was elected to the District Council in 1976 before standing down in the recent May elections this year.
During that time, he was Chairman of the Council and held a cabinet post on the Executive until 2003. He held many posts across most Council committees, including the post of Chair of Audit, held from 2009 until 2016. A post he was well qualified for with his background as an Economics Lecturer both locally at South Devon College of Art & Technology and for the Open University, among other institutes.
He also served for many years as a Marldon Parish councillor and as their Chairman.
Outside of council life, he had an interest in dog breeding and exhibited flat coated retrievers and has previously judged in the UK, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Finland and the Netherlands.
In other sad news, it was also heard over the weekend that former Leader of the Council, Owen Masters had also passed away.
Owen was a councillor between 1987 and 2003 and was twice Council Leader during his term of office.
Aged 86, Owen served on many Council committees during his time as a councillor.
In his home life, he was a sub postmaster and a member of the Royal British Legion.
Cllr Julian Brazil, Leader of South Hams District Council, said: “It’s a sad day for the South Hams. Both Trevor and Owen were honourable men who served their communities. I had the pleasure of knowing and working with them both. Committed and passionate in their beliefs, we will miss them.”
The thoughts of all staff and councillors at the Council go to both families at this very sad time.
Government support for Tavistock to Plymouth rail reinstatement earns warm welcome
Good quality transport links are a driver for the local economy and support our commitment to tackle the climate emergency. So it's very welcome news that the Government’s decision to scrap the extension of HS2 from the West Midlands to Manchester means that investment will be re-directed across the country – including rail infrastructure improvements in Devon.
Although full details of funding and timescales are yet to be unveiled, it's been confirmed that our project to reinstate five miles of track and deliver a new single platform station at Tavistock, which would serve communities in Tavistock, Horrabridge, Lamerton, and Mary Tavy, will be included.
We submitted a Strategic Outline Business Case to the Government’s Restoring Your Railway programme last year, and Minister of State for Rail, Huw Merriman MP, has said that “the project will be funded to delivery, subject to future updates to the project business case”.
‘Compassionate’ service which supports Deafblind children highly rated by inspectors
Our Multi-Sensory Impairment Enabling (MSIE) service, which specialises in supporting children and young people who are registered Deafblind, has been rated as ‘good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
They said the service was ‘safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led’ and called it ‘kind, caring and compassionate’.
In addition to being registered Deafblind, many of the children and young people the service supports have additional needs including complex health conditions.
Inspectors said that they found that every child and young person is "supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives" and that staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and put them ‘at the heart of the service’.
We’ve been talking a lot about children in our care and care leavers, and about the support and guidance given to help young people. We’ve also talked about the vital role that our foster carers have in providing safe and loving homes for children and young people in our care.
But we’ve not yet talked about the pivotal role that foster carers’ own children have in helping to make foster families work well.
October is ‘Children of Foster Carers’ month, an annual campaign by The Fostering Network to acknowledge and celebrate the vital contribution that children of foster carers make to their families.
Michelle, a foster carer for our Fostering Devon service, said:
“Both our children have been brought up surrounded by fostering.
“My daughter is amazing and will act as she has seen me act. My youngest child is very similar, but loves to just be a sibling and play with them, however, he notices when they are sad and can respond in a way many children couldn’t.
“When asked, both children said that the children we look after are part of our family, and we love them like we do each other. They admitted some days were hard, however none of us would change it for the world.”
Help provide some Christmas cheer for our care experienced young people
Christmas is fast approaching and while many people look forward to spending the festive season with family, the young adults, who have left our care and are now living independently, can find it a lonely and difficult time.
We’re working with NHS Children and Family Health Devon, Exeter Food Bank and colleagues in Torbay to create gift hampers to ensure that all our care experienced young people aged 21 to 25-years-old receive a gift at Christmas. (Care leavers aged up to 21-years-old receive a gift from their Personal Adviser as part of our Local Offer).
If you would like to make a donation, please visit our Just Giving page before Wednesday 15 November. The money will be spent equally across the hampers to include items such as soft blankets, large towels, toiletries and other appropriate gifts.
We're working with Teignbridge District Council to make Queen Street in Newton Abbot a safer, more attractive, healthier and greener place for visitors and businesses. With work on the enhancement scheme due to start next summer, we’re looking ahead to what changes you can expect in this part of the town.
Widened footways, improved crossings, enhanced planting of trees and greenery with additional public seating will enhance the area for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users, providing additional space and better access to shops and services.
The street will remain accessible for all traffic wanting to get to the businesses there, with the small section beyond the junction with Albany Street restricted to buses, pedestrians, cycles and loading. Taxis and vehicles displaying a blue badge will be able to access this area to pick up or drop off.
There will also be a new zebra crossing, as well as raised-table pedestrian-priority crossings at the side-road junctions to support pedestrian movement, in particular for less mobile visitors.
The locality will be well served with parking spaces; with 26 on-street parking spaces retained on Queen Street as well as five new blue badge holder spaces. There's also Teignbridge District Council’s expansive car park at Cricketfield Road (over 300 spaces), and the short-stay Halcyon Road car park (115 spaces).
It's World Mental Health Day next week, on Tuesday 10 October, and the focus for this year is all about doing the little things that can make a big difference to your mental wellbeing.
Making time for mental wellbeing and self-care is important - and embedding small things as part of your routine can help you feel better and more resilient.
These small actions can include:
taking time to do mindful breathing by breathing in and out slowly
planning an hour of screen-free time before bed
reviewing your to-do list and breaking down your biggest tasks into smaller, easier-to-manage chunks
taking a walk
seeing or getting in contact with a friend or loved one
Search Every Mind Matters for free, NHS-approved advice and simple tips to help you look after your mental wellbeing.
Visit our website to find out more about the Five Ways to Wellbeing, organisations that offer advice and support, and training courses to help encourage conversations about mental health.
Road drainage upgrade due to start in Little Torrington
The A386 at Mile Hill in Little Torrington will be completely closed to traffic from Monday 9 October to Friday 27 October to allow drainage improvement works to take place.
Thousands of people across Devon can now book their flu and COVID-19 vaccines online, as the NHS booking system opens ahead of what could be a challenging winter for the health service.
With winter on the horizon, it's time to start thinking about how to keep your home cosy and warm.
One of the most effective ways to do this is by improving its energy efficiency.
Energy Saving Devon can help you get ready for winter and help make your home more energy efficient, reduce your energy consumption and lower your utility bills.
