On this page you will find a variety of news & information if you click on the headline in the table below it will take you directly to that news item. Please note that any personal opinions are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Council. If you have anything you would like added please contact the Clerk.
| Drewsteignton Village News | DCC News & Gully Cleaning information |
| Information on Community Speed Watch Groups. | News from WDBC Council tax grant. |
| Police General Updates/Info | Grant available for Young People |
| Broadband Booster Scheme Available |
Drewsteignton Village News
Can you help please?
Fiona Rynn would like to resign her position as defibrillator account administrator and needs someone else to pick up the reins. Currently, the safety checks on the box (located outside the Drewsteignton Post Office) are being carried out by someone else and she simply follows up any queries by the Community Heartbeat Trust who are responsible for the hardware. If anyone is interested in taking on this vital village role, please contact Fiona on 281617 or fiviva@yahoo.com
DCC News
Here is a Devon County Council newsletter which includes information on the following:
- Free support for local businesses struggling with rising cost of living
- Money off your electricity bill this winter
Gully Cleaning
Members of the public can now check when a gully was last “inspected” which is usually when it was last cleaned.
There are some conditions to it though:
- last inspected does not mean last cleaned, for example, they might not have been able to clean it because the cover was stuck.
- It will usually not show you if a drain has been jet cleaned since it was last inspected.
www.devon.gov.uk/roadsandtransport/maintaining-roa…
Click “our interactive map” zoom in to a location, wait for the blue dots to load which seems to take a while, click on the blue dot and it will give you some info on when it was last inspected and its frequency of clean.
Information on Community Speed Watch Groups.
Speeding has reached epidemic proportions and calls for a paradigm shift in the way we tackle it. That shift must include a change in the perception and management of community volunteers’ involvement with road safety.
News From WDBC:
Council Tax Grant.
Over the past six weeks, West Devon Borough Council have paid 13,000 households the £150 Council Tax Rebate Scheme totalling nearly £2 million. At the Hub meeting held today, Tuesday 7 June, they met to approve a further scheme to distribute a Discretionary Council Tax Rebate.
Following the Government’s announcement for additional support for households in Council Tax Bands A to D, West Devon Borough Council were awarded £2,875,350. The Council were also awarded an additional £ 110,550 to support vulnerable households not eligible for the main £150 Council Tax Rebate scheme.
The Council has started to process over 900 applications that it has received from those households who have already applied online. However there are still nearly 4,000 households that have not claimed, or do not know that they are eligible, including those who already receive reductions in their Council Tax.
The Council has been working on a voucher scheme that eligible households can cash their £150 directly at any Post Office. Households will receive a letter from the Council explaining more about how they will receive this money in the next few weeks.
While this scheme is being set up, the fastest way to get payment still continues to be by filling in a claim form on our website here: www.westdevon.gov.uk/energy-rebate
The discretionary scheme agreed today will mean that the Council will be able to give payments to residents who are not eligible for the main £150 Council Tax Rebate scheme.
The discretionary scheme will aim to support residents who meet the following criteria:
- Those that live in a Council Tax property band E-H and are currently being paid a Council Tax Reduction Scheme payment
- Those that live in a property where the owner or landlord is responsible for Council Tax, but the household or tenants are directly liable for the energy bills. This could include people living in a house of multiple occupation or someone under the age of 18.
- Those that live in a Council Tax property band E-H and not currently being paid a Council Tax Reduction Scheme payment, but have savings of no more than £6,000 and a weekly net income less than the following:
- £250 for a single person
- £320 for a couple
- £400 for a family (lone parent or couple) with one dependent child
- £500 for a family (lone parent or couple) with more than one dependent child
If the Council has any funding remaining, the Hub will discuss a further set of criteria in July.
Police General Updates/Info:
What to do if your dog goes missing
It’s important to establish if your dog has been stolen or has got lost. If your dog has gone missing from your garden, it usually won’t wander far. Check with your neighbours and ask them to check their gardens and garages. If you still cannot find your dog, check with the local dog warden, tell the microchip company your dog is missing and call local vets and rescue centres.
If your dog is being stolen and someone has physically taken your dog from you, shout that your dog is being stolen and attract attention. If you can take photos or videos and report it to the police by calling 999. If there are any witnesses nearby, ask for their contact details and report your missing dog to the microchip company. There is more information on our website that will give you more information and places to go for help: dc.police.uk/dogsafety
Which is the best way to contact the Police?
Well that depends on the situation…
Here is a guide provided the the Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner to help the public decide on the best way to contact the police depending on the situation, of course if it is an emergency then you should dial 999.
Cyber Security update from the Office of the Police & Crime Commissioner.
This is a video interview involving one of Devon and Cornwall Police’s Cyber Protect Team. Amongst other things it touches on Romance, Covid and Delivery Frauds perpetrated on-line and provides guidance for reporting these sorts of matters. It is well worth 20 mins of your time…
Grant Available for Young People:
The Providence School Charity (established from the sale of Providence School, Throwleigh in 2016) are able to give small grants to young people (under the age of 25) from the parishes of Chagford, Drewsteignton, Gidleigh and Throwleigh to support individuals for educational, sporting and cultural activities.
In light of the disruption to their studies and exams we are particularly keen to receive applications from students in years 10, 11, 12 & 13, especially those who are going to university, college or starting training.
To apply please contact the Clerk to the Charity, gayhill@btinternet.com or 01647 432424 or your local Trustee
Chagford: Gay Hill, Robert Sampson
Drewsteignton: Roger Burridge, Jennifer Mullins
Gidleigh: Alan Roberton
Throwleigh: Jacky Crawford, Ann Warwick Oliver
Applications are ongoing – Please pass on these details to anyone you think may be interested.
Broadband Booster Scheme Available.
Mobile Booster Voucher Scheme:
Do you live in a rural community? Do you have poor indoor mobile coverage? If so, then this voucher scheme may be of interest to you. Connecting Devon and Somerset have a scheme, funded through the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership’s (HotSWLEP) Growth Deal, which allows businesses and households to apply for an £800 voucher which can be used to buy a mobile signal booster from a registered scheme supplier. The booster will in turn help to improve indoor mobile coverage for the premises in question by improving 4G coverage.
It is up to the applicant to research which of the suppliers can install in their area and which one is best to go with for their specific needs. Getting in touch with the supplier directly to redeem the voucher and have the equipment installed at the premises. To find out more from the Connecting Devon and Somerset website and to apply using their application form, please click here.