News in Dawlish

An extremely rare astronomical phenomenon is about to take place, as Jupiter and Saturn appear side by side in the sky in the closest alignment seen for nearly 400 years.

The 'great conjunction' between the two planets occurs every 20 years, but it often happens during daylight and is impossible to see with the naked eye. In other cases the planets do not come very close together.

Concerns are being raised about the use of a synthetic rubber, best known for its use as wetsuit fabric, in the construction of Dawlish's new sea wall.

Closed-cell neoprene has been used as a kind of grouting between the joints in the wall panels – but pieces of it have been washed out by the sea.

Dawlish Community Hospital will start giving the Covid-19 vaccination on Monday (December 21).

Patients from Channel View Medical Practice, Teign Estuary Medical Group and the Dawlish Medical Group (known as Barton Surgery) will be invited to the hospital for their jabs.

Devon is to remain under Tier 2 Covid restrictions, following the health secretary's announcement this morning (Thursday, December 17).

It means the restrictions imposed on December 2 will remain in place.

Part of Dawlish Warren's dune path has been closed after storm damage and erosion made it unsafe.

Teignbridge District Council says sections of the path providing access to the bird hide will be closed 'for the foreseeable future'.

Christmas hampers are to be given out to five Dawlish residents who have made an 'outstanding' contribution to the community during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last month the Mayor of Dawlish, Alison Foden, invited nominations for people who deserved a festive treat in recognition of everything they'd done for others.

Roots Community Enhancement have been busy putting together 150 Christmas activity packs for children and adults across Dawlish and Teignmouth.

Thanks to a donation from ROC and a grant from Teignbridge CVS, Roots are able to assemble packs for anyone needing a boost during the pandemic struggles. Once completed, the total amount of packs that have been made by Roots since March will surpass 730.

"Most people think I'm a little bit mad," admits Robin Buchanan, who, at the age of 72, has set himself a challenge to swim in the sea at least once a week until the end of April.

Robin is chair of the trustees of Assist Teignbridge, the Dawlish-based community support charity, and he's braving the chilly water off Coryton Cove to raise money for its work.

Posters have been going up in Dawlish this week offering support and advice for anyone suffering from mental health problems.

The town council's Mental Health and Suicide Prevention working group have been placing the 'Do you need help?' posters on the doors of public toilets, where people can read them in privacy and take down details of helplines.

Further details about the two mass vaccination sites that have been identified to deliver the Covid-19 vaccine in Devon have been unveiled – with one to be in Plymouth and one in Exeter.

Darryn Allcorn, Chief Nurse at the Devon Clinical Commissioning Group, told Thursday's Team Devon Local Outbreak Engagement Board meeting that two sites have been secured in the county to deliver vaccines en masse to the population early in 2021.