TDC Leader’s column – Sept 11 2023

At last Tuesday’s meeting of the Teignbridge Executive we were faced with some of the financial issues facing councils across the country.

Teignbridge District Council over the past few years has had around £5M per year removed from its budget by Central Government.  Each year savings have been made, but yet more of that central funding is under threat of being removed.  This is no different to most councils, and we have seen where it can lead. So with reluctance we have accepted a proposal for a modest increase in some parking charges.

However we have taken the opportunity to help those most in need.  Going forward to full council at the end of the month is a proposal to bring back the Blue Badge permits for Teignbridge car parks.  This will once more allow blue badge holders to park in Teignbridge car parks without needing to use the payment machine every time.  We have had many residents ask me about this, and we have – as promised back in May, put it forward at the first opportunity.

We have also retained the Sunday parking fees at £1, and renewed the promise that car parks in Teignbridge will remain free after 6pm.  It has been pointed out that permits weren’t available in some of the smaller village car parks, and so we have introduced permits for Kingskerswell Car park and Starcross New Road car park.

And we had more good news from the Teignbridge Council house building program, the Teignbridge 100.  The latest news on the progress of building 23 new homes in an underused private car park in Newton Abbot.   There is plenty of space locally for the office workers to park nearby, and the Town Council and local residents are fully aware and their comments have helped to refine the designs.  We are looking froward to the planning application submission at the end of the month.

Once these new homes are built, it will mean that in the last two years Teignbridge has moved from no council housing to having 101 new homes for local people that need them.  That is a good start, but we do need more as we have a local housing need of well over 1,000 households in need of a better home.

Teignbridge officers are very good at finding government funding to support this programme of new homes and making the most of it.  In the last 6 months we have used funding to build, buy and adapt local houses to become council homes across the district, and we are looking to work with local parish councils to find places to build five new council homes in every village that needs and wants them.  This will enable younger people to stay close to their families and remain in the places that they have grown up, and for others that need them.

As well as building and buying homes for locals Teignbridge has used funds for supporting our Ukrainian guests.  The Government scheme has yet to be extended, and some local hosting agreement have ben unable to continue.  In these cases, Teignbridge must help with homelessness, and so some homes have been bought to help these refugee families.  When this awful situation in their home county is over, these homes will stay with Teignbridge and add to the total of homes for the district.

Local Government now lives in a time of starvation of funds to run services.  Government grants are quoted at us from Westminster, but they all have strings attached, and must be used for specific purposes.  In effect Westminster is trying to micro manage local democracy.

I am delighted that despite the difficult economic environment Teignbridge has managed to make the most of some of the grants available to make a real difference for our residents now and in the future.