Budget Feedback

To: The Rural Aid Revue panel

At the north end of Kenn Valley, I represent a string of small parishes Whitestone, Holcombe Burnell, Ide, Dunchideock and Shillingford St George. These smaller parishes all have much lower precepts than larger ones like Exminster and Kenn, many times smaller in fact.
The rural aid grant is a way for these smaller parishes to action larger projects such as the recent play area resurfacing in Holcombe Burnell, which would be very difficult to save for or otherwise fund on such a small annual income. Projects like these can much much more easily be absorbed in the budgets of parishes with more properties AND more precept per property.
I would support the retention of the Rural aid grant in a more limited form, accessible to smaller parishes, in preference to scrapping completely. Would it be possible to gain most of the savings, but still allow smaller parishes to aspire to larger projects?
These smaller parishes are also hit hardest by the reduction in the councilors community fund. This £1500 budget may allow only token contributions to a large parish, but when the annual budget of the entire parish is only a few thousand pounds the community fund can make a real difference.
Thank you
Councillor Andrew Swain Teignbridge District Council Kenn Valley ward

Budget Proposals

The Teignbridge budget is being prepared. Initial proposals are out for consultation and the final version will be adopted in February.
Teignbridge keeps less than 10 pence in the pound on Council Tax collected with the rest going to Devon County Council, Emergency Services and parish councils.

There have been relentless reductions in central government funding,
e.g. Revenue support grant which used to provide £4.5 million funding for public services is now nil. The recent GE sees that set to continue.
TDC Chief Finance Officer predicts it will no longer be possible to balance the books in 3 years time, unless action is taken now and sustained.

The proposed budget for this year includes a council tax increase of £5 a year for the average Band D household. That’s about 3% or 10p / week.
Staffing restructures and a recent senior management restructure will create budget savings in future years.
TDC is forced to adopt a more commercial approach to the services it provides aimed at generating more income.
The proposal includes Removal of the Rural Aid Grant and a reduction in the councilor’s community fund.

The new Budget will fulfill the manifesto pledge to fund a Climate Change Officer. It will Assign much needed extra resources to planning enforcement. It ensures additional resources for refuse and recycling as demands increase.
We expect no increase in the green waste subscription charge.

The full proposals are on the council website https://www.teignbridge.gov.uk/news/archive-news/december-2018/give-your-view-on-draft-budget-proposals/

Ide community walk to school

There was a great turn out for the first accompanied walk from Ide to West Exe school. A big Thank you to Chloe Fox and other Staff, students, parents and All others who supported it.The purpose is

  • To raise awareness that this road is no motor vehicles except for access at all times.
  • Teach the students to ride and walk defensively, and encourage them to walk and not be driven.
  • Record any drivers who are rude, aggressive or antisocial.

It was great to be able to use this road safely this morning, and to promote this beautiful route which is being used each year by more and more illegal traffic trying to bypass congestion on the main roads. If we lose these lanes as safe cycle and pedestrian routes, Ide will become cut off as an island community accessible only by car. That is not the future we want for our village or our expanding city and it is not the way to respond to climate emergency declarations.

ITV News 19/11/19

Ide Parish Council signs Devon Climate Declaration

At the last meeting it was agreed that Ide Parish Council would sign the Devon Climate Declaration, This is much in line with what they are doing already in the village, but they want to be working together with County, District and other Parishes as much as possible. There is a full link to the declaration here https://www.devonclimateemergency.org.uk/devon-climate-declaration/

As District Councillor it is really nice to see cooperation like this between County and Parishes, and to help with cooperation between the Parishes. In Ide, At the latest meeting of the Climate Emergency Working Group we had visitors from Dunchideock and Hittisleigh, and are in touch with Kenn Parish Council, all interested in doing more locally.

If we are serious about this crisis, we need radical change at every level, from Parishes to a much needed change of national government.

The Devon Carbon Plan

You can now submit your ideas for the #DevonCarbonPlan

DCC have opened up an invitation for ideas for the Devon Carbon Plan

The Task Force has issued a call for evidence and will be conducting a series of hearings, to help gather views, evidence and data which will be used as a foundation from which to develop recommendations for the Devon Carbon Plan.

The Devon Carbon Plan Recommendations developed by the task force will be put to a Citizens’ Assembly. The assembly will comprise a representative sample of Devon’s citizens from different social backgrounds, including young people. They will have the opportunity to develop informed opinions and collectively discuss and review policy recommendations on decarbonising Devon.

Defibrillator training in Longdown

Almost all the villages in the ward have now had defibrillators for a few years which means there is a need for training for people who have moved in, or want a refresher, but also a danger that training is not well attended since most people have already been trained.
I am very grateful to Longdown for giving us the opportunity to open this up to the entire ward, and help fund it, thereby solving this problem for all the villages.
I hope we can make this a regular joint event spread around the villages.

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