Devon County Council

Devon Day Ticket is a passport to the county

A new scheme is being launched in April offering unlimited day travel on most buses throughout Devon on just one bus ticket.

Devon County Council has teamed up with a number of bus operators to introduce the Devon Day ticket.

The ticket entitles the holder to one day's travel on local bus services of all participating local bus companies within the Devon Day Bus area, which includes Plymouth and Torbay.

Councillor Stuart Hughes, Devon County Council Cabinet Member for Highway Management, said: “The Devon Day ticket gives passengers the freedom and flexibility to use...

Streetlight upgrade continues across Devon

Work to upgrade more than 24,000 streetlights to LED lighting will continue across Devon next month (April).

The £10.2 million scheme, using Challenge Funding which Devon County Council received following a successful bid to the Department for Transport, will convert streetlights to lower wattage LED lighting, and around 5,000 columns will also be replaced as part of the project.

The replacement of streetlights, on mostly main (A and B) roads, got underway earlier this year in Barnstaple, where around 5,200 lights and 1,100 columns are being replaced, and Kingskerswell,...

Honour for Devon & Cornwall Trading Standards officer

A Devon and Somerset Trading Standards officer has been honoured at a national awards ceremony for his work in boosting business by forging closer ties between traders and regulatory bodies.

Former businessman Tim Milsom, owner of Exminster Garage for 27 years, has clinched the Government’s inaugural Better Business for All (BBfA) ‘Individual Ambassador’ Award at a ceremony in London.

The Devon and Somerset BBfA Partnership is an alliance of 19 local authorities across Devon and Somerset plus the Fire and Rescue Service working with the Heart of the South West (HotSW) LEP,...

Campaign aims to encourage people to report suspicions of child abuse

A third of people who suspect child abuse do nothing to report it, according to the Department for Education.

Many don't report their suspicions because they're worried about being wrong or that they're overreacting, the Government says. But in a new national campaign, being promoted locally by Devon County Council, the message is that you don't have to be absolutely certain about your suspicions before reporting them.

The campaign, 'Together we can tackle child abuse', aims to highlight the fact that everyone has a role to play in protecting children and young people from...

Latest round of Community Impact Support Scheme funding opens

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Sun, 02/28/2016 - 2:24pm

Applications are being welcomed for the latest round of business support funding for local communities.

Community organisations, social enterprise and voluntary sector groups are being invited to apply for Community Impact Support Scheme (CISS) funding. Online expressions of interest can be made until Sunday 6 March at https://new.devon.gov.uk/communities/ciss .

Funding ranging from £10,000 to £50,000 is available through the scheme which is run by Devon County Council in partnership with district councils and with support from key stakeholders, including Dartington School...

Tour of Britain returns to Devon

Authored by Mary Youlden
Posted: Fri, 02/26/2016 - 10:29am

Devon County Council will host Stage Six of The Tour of Britain, on Friday 9 September.

The world’s top cycling teams and riders will race from Sidmouth on the East Devon coast to the summit of Haytor on Dartmoor. British Cycling’s premier road cycling event will take in Sidmouth, Ottery St Mary, Honiton, Willand, Tiverton, Crediton, Moretonhampstead, Haldon Forest, and Chudleigh before climbing from Bovey Tracey to the only summit finish of The Tour.

At 152.7km long and with 3,101metres of climbs, the route is almost a repeat of the thrilling 2013 stage. That year almost...

Technology helping people to live independently

Technology is playing an increasingly important role in helping growing numbers of people to live longer in their own homes, says Devon County Council. Many people though are simply unaware of the vast range of technologies available on the market, which could greatly enhance their quality of life. And many care providers - care home owners, personal care providers, day centre providers - may also not be aware how new technologies could be helping their business, as well as the people they support, the Council says. The Council has organised an event in Cullompton on Tuesday 1 March, to...

Funding boost for Devon services

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Sat, 02/20/2016 - 7:37am

More than £8 million extra will be spent on services in Devon next year.

County councillors have won an extra £8.4 million in rural support and other grants from Local Government Secretary Greg Clarke.

It made Devon County Council the fourth highest beneficiary in the country after robust lobbying from council leader John Hart and the county’s MPs.

At the authority’s annual budget meeting it was confirmed how the extra money will be allocated.

An extra £5 million will go into strengthening resilience in social care for elderly and vulnerable people as Devon’...

Devon county councillors' allowances frozen

Authored by News Desk
Posted: Fri, 02/19/2016 - 10:41am

Allowances for county councillors in Devon are to be frozen for the seventh year running.

The Conservative administration froze basic allowances when they took control of County Hall in 2009.

And council leader John Hart and his deputy, John Clatworthy, reverted to the rate that the leader and deputy leader were being paid in 2005.

The council has continued the freeze since then.

And the county council’s Budget meeting today (Thursday) confirmed a further freeze on allowances for 2016/17.

Mr Hart said: “This has been a period of unparalleled...

County Council applauded for work with fostered children

Devon County Council has been cited as an authority of good practice by the Fostering Network for its positive work with children in its care.

The Fostering Network this week launched a new report highlighting the importance of maintaining relationships between fostered children and their former foster parents.

Their report, Keep Connected: Maintaining Relationships When Moving On, follows national research among children in care and care leavers that showed that nearly a quarter of those surveyed had no contact with their former foster carers; and that nearly 30 per cent...

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