All the latest news from Devon County Council
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*Friday 14 June 2024*
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Women at Devon Work Hub [
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Devon Work Hubs to mark National Women’s Enterprise Week and National Freelancers Day
Coworking spaces in the Devon Work Hubs network will be marking National Women’s Enterprise Week and National Freelancers Day [
] next week (Monday 17-Friday 21 June).
Stacey Sheppard, founder of The Tribe in Totnes, Devon’s first female coworking space, will be hosting a Coworking and Community Building [
] event in Newton Abbot Library’s Work:Space from 9am until 3pm on Thursday 20 June. The session also forms part of the Women in Business course [
], running for seven weeks through June and July at Newton Abbot Library Work:Space, a member of the Devon Work Hubs network.
The free course is delivered predominantly by Devon-based businesswomen who want to empower others to realise their full potential and pursue their dream careers. It offers a mixture of core business skills in marketing, sales, leadership, web design, tax and accounting as well as mindset and coaching skills. Incorporating coworking days into the Women in Business course enables women taking the course to work on their businesses together, implement their new skills and network with other local female entrepreneurs.
Find out about other Work Hubs hosting events next week by reading the full story on the news page of our website. [
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Mother and son talking [
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Drop-in sessions organised for Children’s Centre consultation
We are currently consulting parents and carers on proposals for how we would like to use our former Children’s Centre buildings in a new network of Family Hubs across Devon.
We are running a series of in-person, drop-in sessions throughout June, with Action for Children, to give parents, carers, and young people the opportunity to find out more about the proposals, ask questions, and tell us what they think.
The sessions will take place:
* Tuesday 18 June from 2:30pm to 3:30pm, Exmouth Hub, EX8 3QW
* Tuesday 25 June from 9am to 11am, Teignbridge Hub, TQ12 1TX
* Tuesday 25 June from 2pm to 3:30pm, South Hams Hub, TQ9 5TX
* Friday 28 June 10am to 11:30am, Holsworthy Hub, EX22 6EX
The consultation is running until midnight on Wednesday 3 July. To find out more information and to take part in the consultation please visit our Have Your Say website and fill in the online survey. [
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New Learn Devon courses [
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Learn Devon's new adult education courses have arrived!
If you want to develop your skills, gain a qualification, meet new people or learn something new, have a look at what Learn Devon is offering.
Learn Devon has a range of courses and qualifications starting available in September 2024. Alongside qualifications such as GCSEs and Functional Skills, Learn Devon is now offering courses for those interested in working in schools, nurseries and in the health care sector. Don't miss out - visit the Learn Devon website for the full programme. [
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If you would like to find out more, join one of our enrolment events and have an informal chat with a member of our team. Our enrolment events are held online and in-person through June, July and August.
Find out more and book now on the Learn Devon website. [
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A train pulled in at the station at Okehampton [
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Okehampton Interchange station gains backing
Proposals to construct a new £14.95 million railway station at Okehampton Business Park have been approved by our Cabinet. Backing from councillors now enables the site to the east of the town to be developed for a new Okehampton Interchange railway station with a car park and connecting bridge.
The meeting heard that, “Devon is leading the way in building new stations and the Okehampton Interchange builds on the success of Okehampton Town Station which has exceeded all the projections for passenger numbers since it opened in 2021.” More than 250,000 passengers travelled on the Dartmoor Line in its first 12 months and the new station is expected to attract around 164,000 passengers in its opening year.
The Okehampton Interchange scheme includes improved walking and cycling links, sheltered cycle parking, bus stop infrastructure and a car park with around 200 spaces. The car park will feature EV charging points and disabled parking bays. The new station will potentially attract new business to the area and will increase the travel choices for education, leisure and work opportunities for residents in Okehampton and the wider area.
Read the full story on the news page of our website. [
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Road [
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Motorists urged to slow down on Brixton Road Station Bridge
A call has been issued to road users [
] to adhere to the new speed limit which has been introduced on Brixton Road Station Bridge near Elburton. As part of temporary safety measures the road layout has been narrowed and the speed limit has been reduced from 40mph to 30mph.
These new restrictions are successfully preventing HGVs from crossing the bridge at the same time and reducing weight on the structure. However, motorists are being reminded to keep their speed down to avoid the introduction of additional measures such as traffic lights.
The recent changes are only temporary and will remain in place at least until next spring. Work is currently underway to design a permanent strengthening or replacement scheme. As part of temporary safety measures the road layout has been narrowed and the speed limit has been reduced from 40mph to 30mph.
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Culvert [
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Culvert replacement completed in Sidmouth
Residents in Sidmouth have been thanked for their patience and cooperation [
] following the completion of work on the culvert under Woolbrook Road. The top of the culvert had to be replaced after a routine inspection identified concerns with its condition that had led to cracking on the road surface.
Work started in March with a temporary road closure to remove the concrete slab on top of the culvert. Construction work then continued under traffic lights to reconstruct the slab.
The 12-week scheme also involved improving the capacity of the culvert to cope with heavy rain following the removal of steel pipes that were causing a partial blockage to the culvert. The road has been resurfaced during road closures outside of peak times.
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Vote [
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Easy-to-read help for voting in the general election
There's a general election on Thursday 4 July, and we want everyone to use their vote. But for some people voting can be a difficult process to follow.
Very few people with learning disabilities vote, and many do not even know they have the right to vote. It’s very important for people with a learning disability to have easy-read materials available to support them to be able to vote in elections.
The My Vote My Voice campaign [
] was set up to tackle this and we have worked with the Electoral Commission over the past year to help improve accessible voting. Mencap, the charity for people with learning disabilities, [
] has worked with the Electoral Commission to produce accessible guides to support people in being able to vote.
If you or someone you know has a learning disability and can vote, or would like to know more so you could vote for the first time, please visit the Learning Disability Devon website [
] for easy-to-read help for voting in the general election.
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Doctor [
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Junior Doctor national industrial action
The British Medical Association (BMA) is taking strike action involving junior doctors at a number of NHS trusts, including Devon, from 7am on Thursday 27 June to 7am on Tuesday 2 July. The industrial action is a national dispute between the Government and Trade Unions about terms and conditions.
NHS Devon is working to ensure robust plans are in place for the safety and welfare of patients and colleagues during the upcoming strike action. If you have an appointment, please attend unless you hear otherwise. Please don’t call to check if your appointment is going ahead. NHS Devon will be in touch with you directly if your appointment needs to be rearranged.
If you have a life-threatening emergency, Emergency Departments remain open 24 hours a day. If you have an urgent medical problem that isn’t an emergency and aren’t sure what to do, contact 111 first by phone or online – they will provide medical advice and direct you to the best care for your needs. If you have a medical problem that is not critical or life threatening please visit your local pharmacy or GP for advice.
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Printer [
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No printer at home?
Did you know that you can print from your laptop or device and collect at your local library? A WiFi printing service is available in 54 libraries across Devon and Torbay!
You can take your laptop or device to your local library and print your documents using their new WiFi printing service. You can even print from home or on the go by logging in, sending to print and collecting from the library the same or next day. Regular printing charges apply on this service.
Download the Wireless Cloud Printer Guide [
] and the Wireless Printing from Anywhere Guide [
] for more information. Visit the Devon Docprint website [
] to print documents at your local library. Visit your local library to access this service or log on to the WiFi printing service. Ask a member of staff if you need any assistance.
Visit the Devon Libraires website to find out more. [
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Drowning prevention week
Drowning Prevention Week
No child should drown, and with the right water safety education – such as knowledge of the Water Safety Code – accidental drownings are preventable. The Royal Life Saving Society UK's (RLSS UK) Drowning Prevention Week starts tomorrow (Saturday 15 June), and is deliberately timed ahead of the school summer holidays when children spend more time outdoors and when vital water safety skills can help keep children safe.
Whether heading abroad this summer or opting for a staycation, RLSS UK fears that families will head to beaches and inland water locations or non-lifeguarded swimming pools this summer, without considering the potential dangers, putting themselves and others at risk.
With figures indicating that around 25 per cent of primary school pupils leave school unable to swim, there is a real fear that as a result of the pandemic many more children will lack the ability or confidence to swim or self-rescue, should they find themselves in difficulty in the water.
For more information, and to find out how you can make sure your family enjoys water safely this summer, please visit the RLSS UK website. [
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Read more at devon.gov.uk/news [
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