News in Dawlish

Car parking charges and an increase in the cost of the green waste subscription service are among the initial proposals put forward in Teignbridge to address the ongoing impact of Covid-19 on its budget.

A £5 rise in council tax is also proposed, as is the need to make ongoing efficiencies using 'invest to save' where possible, as Teignbridge District Council tries to address its budget deficit.

The new Oxford AstraZeneca Covid vaccine has arrived in Devon and is being given to the first patients in the county today (Friday, January 8).

It was delivered to some of the GP-led vaccination centres yesterday, with others due to receive it in the next few days.

The Government U-turn on a major increase in housebuilding across Teignbridge has been welcomed by Dawlish town councillors.

At the town council meeting yesterday evening (Wednesday, January 6), the deputy mayor Val Mawhood drew attention to the change in policy, announced by the communities minister Robert Jenrick before Christmas.

Dawlish and Teignmouth's GP practices have released more details of their Covid vaccination programme.

The next group of priority patients from the Coastal Network, comprising Barton Surgery in Dawlish, the Channel View Medical Group and the Teign Estuary Medical Group, will be invited for their jabs at Dawlish Community Hospital on Thursday and Friday of this week (January 7 and 8).

Another two days of Covid-19 vaccinations are to take place this week at Dawlish Community Hospital.

Patients from the Coastal Network of GP practices – Barton Surgery in Dawlish, the Channel View Medical Group and the Teign Estuary Medical Group - will be invited to go along for their initial jabs on Thursday, January 7 and Friday 8.

Is this now - finally - Brexit - and a trade deal? Just to be clear, we left the EU at the beginning of 2020, but subject to a transition arrangement under the Withdrawal Agreement which expired on 31 December 2020. This agreement finally delivered our sovereignty, our ability to control our own destiny, pass our own legislation and freely trade with the world on our terms.

But we wanted to negotiate a trade deal with the EU, as much as we want to agree trade deals with the USA, Australia and other countries. The concern was that the price the EU might exact for that free trade deal would be a voluntary repatriation of control to the EU. The good news – we got a free trade deal - and did not give back our sovereignty.

December 2020 was a very unsettled month as low pressure dominated the weather patterns. Low pressure was often centred over the country, rather than the more typical pattern of low pressure centres moving quickly across the British Isles.

Donation pledges and messages of support have flooded into Dawlish Swimming Club in the six weeks since it launched a crowdfunding appeal to raise the £20,000 that will secure its future.

But with just a few days to go, the club is still slightly short of its fundraising target, and chairman Dom Kennedy-Bruyneels is asking anyone who can spare a bit of cash to help make up the shortfall.

Devon will move into the Tier 3 level of coronavirus restrictions from midnight tonight (Wednesday, December 30) as part of national measures to control the spread of coronavirus.

One of the main changes from the current lower level, Tier 2, is that bars, pubs and restaurants must close, offering only takeaway, drive-through or delivery services.

A Covid-secure community celebration of the New Year is being planned in Dawlish.

Local resident Janet Leiper has arranged for the community radio station Exmouth Air, which can be picked up in Dawlish, to play two specially chosen songs at 5.30pm on Friday, January 1: Happy New Year by Abba and Lean On Me by Bill Withers.