Devon & Torbay Combined County Authority has privately produced a Local Growth Plan that is intended to guide regional development for the next decade before holding a brief public consultation on its contents with the minimum-possible publicity. It says the plan has been “shaped by extensive engagement with stakeholders across the region” but when asked...
George Thorpe BBC News, Devon PA Media A report said too many children or young people with SEND are waiting too long to be assessed Significant concerns have been raised by inspectors over special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services in part of Devon. A report published on Wednesday by regulator Ofsted and the Care...
A Christmas ice rink is among the items on a shopping list from councillors after a local authority ended the financial year with a surplus of £350,000. Torbay Council’s cabinet has drawn up a number of items which the authority could pay for after being told various departments had contributed to an underspend in the...
George Thorpe BBC News, Devon BBC Organisers of Torbay Pride are expecting thousands to attend The organisers of a Pride event in south Devon hope the gathering is “heart-warming and soul restoring” for marginalised groups. Torbay Pride is taking place later, marking the third event since it returned to Torquay’s streets in 2023 following a...
A councillor has quit the ruling Conservative party at a council with a precarious political balance. Torbay Council member Jason Hutchings left the Conservatives, saying he wanted to be free to voice his own opinions. The Conservatives remain in charge at Torbay Council but now have 17 seats compared to 15 Liberal Democrats and four...
Business leaders believe this year’s English Riviera Airshow has brought in millions of pounds of trade to the area. The third and final day of the event took place on Sunday, with aircraft including the Red Arrows and RAF Typhoon Display Team taking to the skies above Paignton Green. Thousands of people have attended the...
Police in Devon have told the public to expect heavy traffic and some road closures this weekend as a popular airshow returns to Paignton. Devon and Cornwall Police said it officers would carry out extra patrols during the English Riviera Airshow, which takes place between 30 May and 1 June. The force said people should...
Businesses in Torbay are being offered an app to help tackle retail crime. The UK Partners Against Crime (UKPAC) app and website allows firms to report shoplifting, anti-social behaviour and violence, which is shared with police so they are able to target problem areas and track repeat offenders. A free year-long pilot is being funded...
An 82-year-old man has died after he was hit by a vehicle in a hospital car park. The man was walking in the car park at Torbay Hospital when he was hit by a car, driven by a 72-year-old woman, at about 14:15 BST on 14 May, said Devon and Cornwall Police. “Sadly, the male...
The NHS has started a programme aimed at screening about 45,000 people in south Devon for lung cancer. Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust will offer lung cancer screening to people aged between 55 and 74 who have ever smoked and are registered with a participating GP in the area. Himali O’Regan, clinical lead...
A new fleet of all-electric buses will be deployed in Torquay this winter, thanks to a funding boost from the Department for Transport (DfT), Torbay Council has said. A cash injection of £361,000 from the DfT means more than £7.4m is available to purchase a fleet of 55 new all electric, zero-emission vehicles, the council...
HEADLINES Devon & Torbay CCA sets sail for regional democratic deficit with £500,000 crew Combined county authority throws public accountability overboard as future regional strategic governance body ratifies constitution at inaugural meeting but fails to explain why so many staff needed to deliver so little at such colossal cost. Read more. Sidwell Street Post Office...
When the legislation establishing Devon & Torbay Combined County Authority came into force in February, county council leader James McInnes described the event as a “monumental day” heralding a change in the relationship between Devon and Torbay and central government. No such fanfare accompanied the first formal meeting of the new authority, which is to...
Residents in Torbay are being encouraged to learn how to administer a life-saving anti-overdose drug and carry it with them. Naloxone is an antidote which can reverse the effects of overdoses of opioids, such as heroin. The Torbay Naloxone Tribe are training people how to inject the drug while also providing them with a free...
Jake Wallace BBC News, South West BBC Torbay Council want people to plan their events for the Monday before VE Day Torbay residents wanting to hold street parties to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day have been urged to start planning commemorations and submit them to the council. VE Day on...