Tag Archives: devon

A Lib Dem council hands over the keys to the district’s first council houses in 30 years

By Alan Connett | Tue 10th August 2021 - 4:54 pm

The keys to the first new Council Houses from the Liberal Democrat team at Teignbridge in South Devon have been handed over to the delighted tenants.

Built on the site of ‘pre-fab’ block garages, the two houses show what ‘modern council houses’ can be and are the first ‘council houses’ for nearly 30 years in the district.

Highly energy efficient, with heat source air pumps and good-sized rooms, the two new houses in Newton Abbot are the first of an ambitious programme to build over 100 council houses.

Soon to be finished are five flats, also on council-owned land in Newton Abbot.

Building council houses again was a key commitment from the Lib Dem team which won back control of Teignbridge Council in 2019, under the leadership then of Cllr Gordon Hook.

Former Conservative Councillor joins Liberal Democrats

By NewsHound | Fri 4th May 2018 - 10:25 am

Former Torbay Conservative Councillor Mark King has joined the Liberal Democrats. He left the Conservative group on the Council 6 months ago and has now joined us. From Devon Live:

He said: “It is about the failures of the Conservatives to understand the impact of their policies on the bay and the fresh start the Liberal Democrats promise in Torbay and across the UK. I want to see them take control of the bay in 2019.

“I am very concerned about the increasing economic decline of the resort, the increased poverty and deprivation and the growing housing crisis I have tried hard to counter in an Executive role.

“The Liberal Democrats understand the need to generate business and build economic success from the grassroots while ensuring council services meet community needs with the protection of the vulnerable being paramount.

“Anyone who agrees that Torbay needs to see change will know that only the Liberal Democrats can beat the Conservatives under our electoral system. Votes for anyone else just help the Conservatives win.”

Posted in News | Also tagged Local government, mark king and torbay | 1 Comment

St Ives referendum – Is this the way forward to stop seaside idylls being ghost towns?

By Paul Walter | Wed 13th April 2016 - 10:50 am

Embed from Getty Images

The idyllic, but seagull-dive-bombed, seaside town of St Ives is holding a referendum, as the BBC reports:

On 5 May, the council will ask residents to vote on a new town plan, which includes a promise to restrict second home ownership.
If the vote is passed, new housing projects will get planning permission only on condition that the homes are reserved for people to live in full-time. Developers will not be allowed to sell the buildings to anyone who has a residence elsewhere.

Posted in Op-eds | Also tagged cornwall | 7 Comments

A messy situation for Lib Dems over Devon and Cornwall police commissioner contest

By Stephen Tall | Sun 5th August 2012 - 11:15 am

It looks like the police commissioner contest in Devon and Cornwall could be about to get a bit messy for the Lib Dems, with the news that the Lib Dem leader of North Devon Council Brian Greenslade plans to run as an independent — even though the party plans to choose an official Lib Dem candidate.

Here’s how This is Cornwall reported it earlier this week:

Lib-Dem turns independent in battle for top police post

Councillor Brian Greenslade, once Devon County Council leader, will be an independent candidate at November’s election for a US-style police and crime commissioner for Devon and

…

Posted in News | Also tagged adrain sanders, brian greenslade, cornwall and elected police commissioners | 9 Comments

Boundary Committee recommends new unitary authorities

By Mark Pack | Tue 8th December 2009 - 8:50 am

The Boundary Committee for England has just published its report into local government arrangements in Devon (including the Lib Dem minority control council of Exeter), Norfolk and Suffolk.

It says:

In Devon, the Committee has put forward a single unitary council for the current Devon county area.

In Norfolk, the Committee has put forward a single unitary council for the whole of Norfolk.

In Suffolk, the Committee has made two proposals: a unitary county of Suffolk (the Committee’s preferred alternative proposal for Suffolk); and a two-unitary pattern comprising an Ipswich & Felixstowe authority and a Rural Suffolk authority.

Posted in Election law and Local government | Also tagged local government boundary commission, norfolk and suffolk | 5 Comments