Neighbourhood Alert – OFGEM Scam emails

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Devon and Cornwall Alerts have warned us:

Action Fraud have received 752 reports, in four days, relating to fake emails purporting to be from OFGEM. The emails state that the recipient is eligible for a rebate as a result of a newly announced government scheme. The links in the emails lead to genuine-looking websites that are designed to steal your personal and financial information.

Please view the tweet below to see a screenshot of the fake emails reported to Action Fraud:

CyberProtectUK Twitter OFGEM fake

  • Remember that your bank, or any other official organisation, won’t ask you to share personal information over email or text. If you need to check that it’s a genuine message, contact the company using details from their official website or app.
  • Spotted a suspicious email? Forward it to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS) report@phishing.gov.uk

Annual Parish Meeting and Annual Parish Council Meeting

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The Annual Parish Meeting and Annual Parish Council Meeting will be held in
the Village Hall on Tuesday 10 May, beginning at 7pm.

Drinks will be served from 6.30pm.

Do come along to hear about the work of your Parish Council in the past year and to raise any issues you feel the Council needs to know about.

For further information, please contact: clerk@eastportlemouth.org.uk

SHDC issue two statements about waste collection

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South Hams District Council issued two statements about waste collection on 26 April 2022.

Council responses to Local Democracy article https://www.radioexe.co.uk/news-and-features/local-politics/nonagenarian-councillor-walks-out/ are as follows:

The first was from Cllr Keith Baldry in response to an incorrect statement about garden waste being suspended again:

South Hams District Council’s Cllr Keith Baldry, Executive Member for Environment, said: “To be clear, the garden waste is not being postponed as suggested in recent newspaper articles. Our contractors FCC Environment are working to mobilise as many rounds as possible on a daily basis and to collect all waste collections as they can with the resources available. Where rounds aren’t able to be sent out, priority will be given to household collections of refuse and recycling collections.

“Before the garden waste service was restarted South Hams asked FCC for an assurance that they had a strong plan to deal with garden waste collections. We were given that assurance.

“Locally our officers continue to challenge FCC daily. Our Leadership Team are meeting with FCC at their highest level to press on them the urgent improvements needed to deliver the quality waste service our residents deserve.”

The second was from Cllr John Birch in response to O & S Committee:

South Hams District Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee Chairman, Cllr John Birch, said: “Cllr Pennington, at last Thursday’s O&S meeting, sought to raise the issue of the Council’s problems in respect of the waste collection service provided by its contractor, FCC. This item was not on the agenda for discussion and furthermore Cllr Pennington had not made any request to have it dealt with as an urgent item.

“Following the conclusion of the committee’s discussion on the standards of behaviour and conduct expected of councillors Cllr Pennington sought to introduce the issue of waste collection. The Council’s constitution does not allow for such unannounced matters to be introduced or discussed and I was left with no alternative but to ask Cllr Pennington not to continue. Unfortunately, he persisted and I was left with no alternative but to warn him he would be asked to leave the meeting. At that stage he left the meeting.

“To be effective in one’s representation there is a time and place to make one’s voice heard. The meeting on Thursday was not the proper time and place.”

Road Closure in West Alvington

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From Kingsbridge Town Council

The A381 will be closed in West Allington on Saturday the 30th April 2022 and Sunday 1st May 2022 to complete some essential network upgrades on behalf of Openreach.

This Road closure, from the junction of Lower Street to the entrance of Kingsbridge Cricket club – see below, is planned to be in place between 08:00 and 17:00 on both Saturday 30th April and Sunday 1st May. The alternate route is via Churchstow.

May be an image of map

 

Easter Holiday Waste and Recycling Collections

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Due to the Easter Holidays, the dates for the collection of waste and recycling across the South Hams will change. East Portlemouth moves from Thursday 21st April to Friday 22nd April. See the SHDC table below:

Easter Recycling Table

A381 Night-time Closure

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From Devon County Council:

A381 Night-time Road Closure

From this Monday 4th April, the A381 will be closed from Totnes to Churchstow on weekday evenings (Monday to Friday) between 7pm and 7am for Devon Highways to undertake road stud maintenance. The works are expected to finished by Friday 20th May.

The official diversion is being given as A379, A3121, A38, A385 and vice versa. Meaning Churchstow – Aveton Gifford – Modbury – Ermington – Ugborough – A38 – Shinner’s Bridge – Totnes.

More information may be found at the Devon County Live Roadworks page

Millbay Car Park CLOSED on Wednesday 30th March

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The National Trust have informed the Parish Council that the National Trust Mill Bay car park will be closed from 8am to 6pm on Wednesday 30th March to enable their contractor to carry out work to the access track and car park area.

There will be signage on site and on Mill Bay lane warning visitors of the closure and there is an emergency note on the NT website.

South Hams Executive to consider case for Freeport

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On 18th March 2022, South Hams District Council issued a news release stating that the executive (along with Plymouth and Devon Councils) would be considering the full business case of Freeport Status for the area ahead of a submission to HM Government in April.

Leader of Plymouth City Council, Councillor Nick Kelly said: “We are only one of eight areas to get Freeport status and we see this as a brilliant catalyst to build back better and drive economic growth.

“It’s also a chance to showcase our strengths in the marine and defence sectors to the rest of the country, the world, and to support the growing space sector. We have the commitment of some of our largest local employers, including Babcock and Princess Yachts, as key partners in the Freeport.

“Additionally, the Freeport is also about the long term prospects for up-skilling our future workers, making sure there are great job prospects for tomorrow’s workforce.”

The Freeport is expected to see

  • 3,584 direct jobs created with an average wage of at least £13.92 per hour
  • 10 per cent of jobs created to be filled by inactive claimants and registered unemployed
  • 3,000 m2 of skills infrastructure
  • 2,400 m2 of new innovation space
  • 137.9 hectares of land developed
  • 5 new businesses each year
  • 2 to 3 new foreign direct investment each year
  • 40 business/higher education collaborations a year from 2022
  • £4m a year in private investment in research and development
  • 10 new products developed for market

The full press release may be viewed here.

 

New Priest-in-Charge for the Start Bay Benefice

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The following announcement was made in the churches of the Start Bay Benefice on Sunday 13th March 2022

ANNOUNCEMENT – For services on Sunday 13th March 2022

It is announced today that the next Priest-in-Charge of the Start Bay Mission Community is to be the Reverend Mark Neave, presently Assistant Curate in the Whiddon Team Ministry. The Start Bay benefice, in the South Hams at the southernmost point of Devon, includes the parishes of Buckland Tout Saints, Charleton, Chivelstone, East Portlemouth, Slapton, South Pool, and Stokenham with Sherford and Beesands.

A native of rural Norfolk, Mark studied civil engineering at Manchester, Surrey, and Loughborough Universities, later receiving a theology degree from the University of Durham. He has been a member of the Institute of CivilEngineers since 1982 and his professional career has involved him in the design and building of bridges in diverse areas of England, Wales and Australia. Immediately prior to ordination he was Group Director of Bridge Engineering for a large firm in the South West, responsible for strategic business planning and the management of structuraldesignteams. He prepared for ordination here in Devon on the South West Ministry Training Course.

Mark was admitted as a Reader in the Church of England in 2016 and ordained in 2019; since then he has ministered in the rural multi-parish benefice of the Whiddon Team on the northern fringe of Dartmoor. He looks forward to joining the people of the Start Bay parishes and to working alongside the Reverend Michael Berrett, who will continue to serve as Interim Priest-in-Charge of the parish of Stokenham, Sherford and Beesands following Mark’s arrival.

Mark and his wife Rose will move to Charleton Rectory in early June and subject to the completion of all legal formalities, Mark will be licensed to his new ministry by the Bishop of Plymouth on Wednesday, June 8th at 7pm at a service in St Mary’s, Charleton at which all will be welcome.

Your prayers are asked for Mark and Rose as they prepare to move to a new home in the Start Bay parishes; for Mark in this next stage of his ministry as a priest; and for all the churches of the Start Bay and the Whiddon Team in their continuing worship, witness and service in their communities.

South Hams Garden Waste Service is to restart

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On 3rd March 2020, SHDC issued a bulletin stating that the Garden Waste Service would be restarting in the Spring.

In summary:

  • in August 2021, SHDC suspended their garden waste collection service;
  • from 28th March 2022, the service will restart;
  • the garden waste “brown bins” will be emptied on the alternate week to the domestic waste “grey bin”;
  • there is a list of what will be collected using the brown bins and other FAQs available at: garden waste restart

The full text of the bulletin may be read here: South Hams Garden Waste is Restarting This Spring