Latest news with #Torridge
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Council warning after life buoys used as dog toys
Repeated vandalism of life-saving equipment is putting people in danger, councillors have warned. Torridge District Council said there had been multiple occasions where equipment used to rescue people had been vandalised at leisure spots, including Kenwith Valley Reservoir, which is popular with dog walkers. The council, which has more than 40 life-saving items across the district, said it had seen "lifebuoys used as dog toys, throw lines in trees and boxes thrown into water or gone missing". Phillip Hackett, the council's safety lead, said: "Lives are priceless - you wouldn't tamper with a parachute, you wouldn't tamper with a safety belt in the car." More news stories for Devon Listen to the latest news for Devon The council said the cost of replacing damaged items was adding up, but its main concern was people's safety. "The monetary side isn't the main driver here," Hackett said. The council said adding padlocks to boxes which hold equipment could waste vital seconds in an emergency. Chris Willson, a coastal engineer for Torridge District Council, said: "Unfortunately people seem to like to vandalise certain items. "It is quite a concern, especially if someone were to be in danger." The council said anyone who witnessed vandalism should report it to the police and damaged equipment should be reported to the council. Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ CCTV upgrade after play park paint attack Plumber fixes vandalised toilet as Christmas gift Play park vandalised for second time this year Torridge District Council
BBC News
3 days ago
- BBC News
Devon council warning after life buoys used as dog toys
Repeated vandalism of life-saving equipment is putting people in danger, councillors have District Council said there had been multiple occasions where equipment used to rescue people had been vandalised at leisure spots, including Kenwith Valley Reservoir, which is popular with dog council, which has more than 40 life-saving items across the district, said it had seen "lifebuoys used as dog toys, throw lines in trees and boxes thrown into water or gone missing".Phillip Hackett, the council's safety lead, said: "Lives are priceless - you wouldn't tamper with a parachute, you wouldn't tamper with a safety belt in the car." The council said the cost of replacing damaged items was adding up, but its main concern was people's safety."The monetary side isn't the main driver here," Hackett council said adding padlocks to boxes which hold equipment could waste vital seconds in an Willson, a coastal engineer for Torridge District Council, said: "Unfortunately people seem to like to vandalise certain items."It is quite a concern, especially if someone were to be in danger."The council said anyone who witnessed vandalism should report it to the police and damaged equipment should be reported to the council.
BBC News
25-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Bideford fountain out of action for decade to be repaired
A tidal water fountain which was out of action for more than a decade is set to be repaired. Torridge District Council gave the go ahead for £60,000 to be spent on the fountain in Bideford, which was installed to mark the late Queen's Golden Jubilee in money would come from nearly £300,000 the government provided for projects in the district, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) heard the Bideford Harbour Board had pushed to get the fountain repaired as it had proved popular with the public. Economic development officer for the council Chris Fuller said: "Because it was so highly over-complicated it was not able to be fixed at the time because it would have required specialist parts to be made."Modern technology... has allowed it to move forward with a far more straightforward solution."Councillor Annie Brenton said: "We have two tides a day but we could put in a mechanism to have it operating more often so it's working for festivals and events."In response to concerns about people and property getting wet, she said all the water went into the river, not on the quay, or near people or vehicles. Ms Brenton the fountain was "absolutely spectacular, everyone used to come down and see it. "It was really something worth having, magnificent."Funding from the government's Rural England Prosperity Fund will also go on delivering 'playzone' to encourage participation in sports in Bideford, Great Torrington and will also be play area upgrades in Bideford, Hartland and Winkleigh and improvements to local the projects were due to be completed within the next 12 months.
BBC News
16-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Hotel and motorhome campsite approved in Holsworthy
A hotel with 30 beds and a camping site for motorhomes is set to be built close to a retirement village in Holsworthy.A planning application to build on land adjacent to Rydon Village off the A3072 has been approved by Torridge District Council's planning 35 jobs are expected to be created once the hotel is built and 40 others during the construction, the application Sylvia Argyrou, a nearby resident, said the retirement village would be overlooked by the site which would "strip us of our privacy and peace". Some people at the village, which has 83 residents, are also concerned about air, noise and light pollution. Councillor Kit Hepple, an independent for Milton and Tamarside, said it was "the wrong development in the wrong place".He said there were safety issues regarding the shared access and the farm track to the new development and a proposed footpath alongside the A3072 to link with the town centre. 'Open for business' Council leader Ken James said there was very little accommodation in the area with the nearest hotel of this type in Bideford, the local democracy reporting service said. He told the committee the scheme aligned with Torridge's plans to bring the district out of of the Great South West Investment Board and member of the South West Business Council Tim Jones said: "I think this application shows that Holsworthy is open for business and committed to economic development. "I have known this area for 30 years, I cannot remember a time when the prospects for Holsworthy have been as good as they are now."However Philip Pennington, who is a non-aligned councillor for Monkleigh and Putford, said hospitality was traditionally low paid and this sort of employment would not help Torridge lower the number of working residents on Universal committee agreed the plans by five votes to three.
BBC News
16-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Devon council changes design plans for historic Bideford wharf
A Devon council has amended plans for the regeneration of a derelict riverside site in District Council's planning committee agreed the apartment balconies in the plans for Brunswick Wharf should be recessed and the design match a Red Earth said it planned to start work on building 101 homes, retail units, restaurant, quayside walkway, public square and car park on the East-the-Water site in developer said the project would cost more than £30m and take three years, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Director of Red Earth Simon Friend said the changes gave the project more of a "wharf-style aesthetic" which was encouraged by the council's conservation officer and Historic England said it had no objection but remained concerned about the scale of the three main accommodation organisation also had concern about the impact on the Grade I listed Long Bridge and Royal Hotel, and a number of Grade II structures on both sides of the river. The changes will mean pedestrians losing 3ft (0.9m) of river walkway in certain points but Mr Friend said that access for machinery would Chris Leather said the recessed balconies were better than the previous "porcupine" effect and he did not think a slight reduction in the walkway was Friend said it was a "massively important regeneration project for Bideford" which had "huge local support".He said the development would pay tribute to the site's history through the preservation of the I Baker & Son plaque and a storytelling approach throughout the scheme. This would be achieved in collaboration with local organisations such as the Way of the Wharves and Bideford Bridge Trust, he added.
