News and reports about events and community in and around Totnes in Devon
Government proposals to relax planning laws could have a permanent & profound effect on our area. Opinion- 12th September 2020 Updated 18th September 2020 The ‘white paper’ from August 2020 is a consultation which “covers a package of proposals for reform of the planning system in England” Radical reform unlike anything we have seen since…
Global Music Match unites 14 Music Export Programs for a world first! Harbottle & Jonas are one of 96 artists from 14 countries are taking part in what could be the largest online match-making of musicians ever undertaken. Created in a world first collaboration between founding partners Sounds Australia, ShowcaseScotland Expo and Canada’s East Coast…
The results are in and “Shared Space” is the winner… Few things light up the town more than the incendary question of what to do with the beating heart of Totnes lifeblood; our High Street. The Corona virus pandemic has forced changes with the Town Council arranging to enforce a Saturday Morning pedestrianisation to enable…
Helping address the impact of Covid-19 on heritage The Sharpham Trust has received £50,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to help the charity weather the current Covid-19 crisis. Since the pandemic and lockdown began, The Trust has lost almost 50% of this year’s income after having to close for four months due to the…
Following a difficult period for many, Active Devon, Travel Devon and Devon County Council are launching a new, digitally enabled community movement challenge. Beginning the 6th of July and running over the summer, Let’s Move will offer Devon’s communities a chance to move more, celebrate our local communities and to win great prizes. In overcoming these…
1st June 2020 On Thursday 25th June, over 60 people walked up Totnes High Street and each solemnly placed a pair of children’s shoes in the Civic Square. The action, ‘COVID today > Climate Change tomorrow > UK Government Act Now’ was co-ordinated by Totnes and District Extinction Rebellion. In sweltering temperatures, demonstrators marched in…
The following communique was issued on Friday, May 1, 2020 by the South Hams District Council Opposition Group made up of Independent, Green Party and Liberal Democrat Councillors. “It was just one week ago that the Tory-led South Hams District Council adopted a series of resolutions that effectively halted the democratic process by cancelling meetings,…
28 April 2020 The decision made at an online meeting of the Full Council on 23 April 2020 to disallow questions and motions at Council meetings and to suspend meetings of Overview and Scrutiny on the pretext that the Executive is not meeting, effectively snuffed out democracy. I voted against these proposals as I believe…
25th April 2020 Call for re-instatement of democracy after South Hams District Council closes down scrutiny and active involvement of Councillors Tucked away in the depths of Local Government papers, protocols and meetings, South Hams District Council held an extraordinary meeting on Thursday (23.4.20) where a protocol, ostensibly following new Government regulations to enable remote…
24th April 2020 Local councillors are furious with new measures with claims that democracy is being undermined and usual rights that we take for granted are being removed under the cover of the current corona crisis. An extraordinary vote at the ‘full council meeting’ of South Hams District Council yesterday afternoon (the 23rd April), has…