Coronavirus updates
The Corona Virus epidemic and restrictions are making changes to all of our lives, and following the current advice isn't always easy - but it is important to do so as much as we can.
There are many local organisations gathering to offer help, if you are self-isolating and need help, or simply need to speak to a friendly voice.
We will be publishing details of local organisations as we hear of them:
Teignbridge Council website is a good place to start if you have any questions
and Devon County Council have information about schools and more.
The latest medical advice from the NHS is here.
We have a list of contacts for economic help for Teignbridge residents here.
Local councillors are working with the organisations locally to help, so please contact your local councillor if you need help.
How you can help others
If you would like to help your neighbours, our community and those vulnerable, we recommend the following in the first instance:
- Let your nearest neighbours, maybe the nearest 5 - 10 know your contact details so that they can call you if they need help. You will be someone known to them, a familiar face rather than a stranger. (Sadly we must still be aware of safeguarding concerns even at this time).
- Set up or join street level or Resident's Association level WhatsApp groups, Google Groups, Private Facebook Groups or email chains to help connect those offering help with those needing help at a micro level. Some have already done this (particularly Residents' Associations), and they are the optimum way of turning offers into action.
- Some of the existing facebook groups we know of in Newton Abbot Town are Our Fairways, Hele Park Community, Jetty Marsh Residents Group, Orleigh Cross Residents Group, Buckland Estate and Proud of It, and Newton AbbotCovid-19 Mutual Aid - Other towns and villages have set up similar groups
- Do not buy too much produce or goods. Those that are most vulnerable are left even more vulnerable if our stores are bare of the essentials. Several supermarkets have over 70's only shopping hours, check their websites.
- Donate to foodbanks. Panic buying has led to a reduction in the number of donations to local foodbanks when they need them more than ever, so please do donate what you can. Many people on lower incomes or zero hour contracts are likely to struggle more now than ever. If you are self-isolating and wish to help you can donate online to both foodbanks.
- HITS Foodbank https://hitsfoodbank.org/contact-us/ info@hitsfoodbank.org Tel 01626 906371 (Hits Food Bank are looking for more volunteers especially evening drivers)
- THAT Foodbank https://www.thatfoodbank.com/ mailto:thatfoodbank@gmail.com Tel 01626 437310 (THAT need more volunteers and donations)
Helping us to help you
As councillors we want to assist in facilitating resources where we can, by putting together a resource list, but we need your help to do so.
Please send us details of the local street/community communication group or mailing list you have setup, as well as a primary contact for this group so that we can direct people that contact us or known vulnerable residents to it if they are in your area.
Contact us if:
- you are a community or volunteer group and would like our support in any way;
- you are a local business or trader that is helping as part of your business, such as with local deliveries.
- Please let us have any information about the community response to the coronavirus, that you would like us to share in our next email newsletter. Please shae this email with others.
We cannot cover everything in this post, so will try to answer any questions on things we have missed as we can, however, please appreciate that some of our councillors are already, or are likely to be self isolating themselves as well.
Please do always take the NHS and Government's advice as the primary source of information and recommendation for how to act in the coming weeks:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response
Other help can be found at,
CAB citizensadviceteignbridge.org.uk Tel 0344 411 1444
Federation of Small Businesses https://www.fsb.org.uk/ Tel 0808 20 20 888
We will provide you updates on this as regularly as we can.
Thank you,
News...
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Article: Oct 23, 2020
Devon County Council should reverse its 'mean minded' refusal to provide free school meals during the holidays, say Devon's Liberal Democrats.
"The impact of the lockdown and Covid19 on many families across the County is not of their making and money is increasingly tight, especially for those affected by reduced hours, lost jobs, or furlough arrangements," said Liberal Democrat opposition leader Cllr Alan Connett.
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Article: Oct 23, 2020
Devon County Council should reverse its 'mean minded' refusal to provide free school meals during the holidays, say Devon's Liberal Democrats.
The impact of the lockdown and Covid19 on many families across the County is not of their making and money is increasingly tight, especially for those affected by reduced hours, lost jobs, or furlough arrangements, said Liberal Democrat opposition leader Cllr Alan Connett.
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Article: Oct 23, 2020
If ever there was a time for us to act in support of Hong Kongers, it is now.
Many Hong Kongers have suffered grave persecution at the hands of the Chinese Regime.
With repeated reports of police brutality, the UK has a moral and legal duty to stand with Hong Kongers and ensure no one is left behind to suffer under the Chinese Communist Party.
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Article: Oct 22, 2020
Despite the massive effort people have made to fight coronavirus it's clear that the road to recovery is going to be rockier than we first feared.
With millions of workers worried about their livelihoods, the British people deserve a Government that listens to their concerns and does everything in its power to protect them. Sadly, this isn't the case.
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Article: Oct 21, 2020
Only one of Devon's Conservative MPs voted on Wednesday to extend free school meals over half term and the Christmas holiday.
Anne-Marie Morris, MP for Newton Abbot, was the only Conservative who supported an Opposition Day motion from Labour to extend free school meals to children from lower-income families until Easter.
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Article: Oct 21, 2020
Improving our candidate process
Following the issues with our Mayor of London selection and in response to a request from the London Lib Dems, I asked Alison Suttie - a Liberal Democrat peer and the new chair of the Joint Candidate Subcommittee (JCSC) - to do an investigation to learn the lessons, not only for London but for our selections more generally.
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Article: Oct 21, 2020
The government's White Paper on planning reforms is a missed opportunity to resolve the country's housing crisis and does nothing to address the issues we face in the South Hams, agreed councillors and public at a meeting held on Tuesday October 20th online.
While the Government claims there has not been enough house building to meet demand, Totnes Councillor John Birch reminded the meeting that planning permission has already been granted for 6,950 dwellings that have not yet been implemented.
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Article: Oct 21, 2020
I have a bill going through the House of Lords right now, the Domestic Premises (Energy Performance) Bill.
It requires the Government to ensure (with certain reasonable exceptions) that all fuel poor households are properly insulated and heated to achieve Energy Performance Certificate band C by 2030, and all other households by 2035.
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Article: Oct 21, 2020
By Julian Brazil
The average house price is more than 11 times the average income in the South Hams. If we want young working families to remain here something has to change, writes Julian Brazil, Chair of the Development Management Committee at South Hams District Council.
Our local infrastructure already struggles to cope with the extra pressure of new development. And housing numbers are imposed on us from central government. The latest white paper on planning was an opportunity for change. What a missed opportunity! Far from solving the issues we face; it just amplifies the problems.
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Article: Oct 20, 2020
The Liberal Democrats have warned that Devon's Conservative MPs are risking a "new Windrush-style scandal", after every one of them voted to refuse to offer EU citizens physical proof of their right to stay in the UK.
On Monday 19th October Tory MPs from across Devon, Torbay and Plymouth overturned a Liberal Democrat amendment to the Immigration Bill, which passed in the House of Lords just weeks ago. The amendment would require the Home Office to give EU Citizens physical proof of Settled and Pre-Settled Status, rather than the digital-only system the Home Office is currently pursuing.
"Changing Britain's Future: no one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity"
Liberal Democrat Constitution
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