prsd http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com Most recent posts at prsd posterous.com Fri, 25 May 2012 10:45:22 -0700 Nas Design Partnership award for RAMM http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/nas-design-partnership-award-for-ramm http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/nas-design-partnership-award-for-ramm Museum specialists The Benbow Group in partnership with designers Ralph Appelbaum Associates (RAA) and Exeter City Council have won the prestigious 2012 National Association of Shopfitters (NAS) Design Partnership award for the stunning displays at Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM).

The award recognises excellence in interior design and shopfitting contracting with emphasis on the special partnership between designer/architect and contractor that high quality contracts such as these demand. The museum partnership won the Non-retail category.

Newton Abbot based shopfitters The Benbow Group won the museum contract in the face of stiff international competition. Their first involvement with RAMM was during the 1999 redevelopment of its World Cultures galleries. Since then they have won major contracts including the Tower of London, Victoria and Albert Museum, the Islamic Arts Museum in Doha, Qatar, and are currently working on the Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth. Bespoke museum fit-out work now makes up 20% of their business. This is their first award in this category.

Over 175,000 people have visited the RAMM since it reopened in December, a huge number for a city of 120,000. It has been shortlisted for the Art Fund’s Museum of the Year Award, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) 2012 awards and the Museums & Heritage 2012 awards. Ghostwriter, RAMM’s new digital art by award-winning Blast Theory, has received an honourable mention from the judges of the prestigious American Association of Museums Muse Awards.

The NAS Design Partnership winners were announced at an Award Ceremony at the London Film Museum in London on Thursday 17 May 2012. The judges said “The refurbishment of this beautiful Victorian museum in order to make its collections more accessible, understandable and enjoyable is a great success and a joy to experience. This project could have only been built with the client, design and fit-out team working on a level plain with full understanding of each other’s goals and practices. The metal and glass cabinetry is exacting, the interpretation creative and the visitor experience dynamic – a feature often missing in this type of project. The priceless geological, ethnographic and natural history collections are only enhanced by the protective cabinets that surround them which appear almost unnoticeable yet somehow elevate the status of the exhibits on show. The younger visitors are the acid test in these types of museums, and I didn’t see one that wasn’t entirely captivated by the experience they were having in the space.”

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Fri, 25 May 2012 10:44:12 -0700 Bumper litter pick nets 21 bags of rubbish – and a bumper! http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/bumper-litter-pick-nets-21-bags-of-rubbish-an http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/bumper-litter-pick-nets-21-bags-of-rubbish-an
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26 volunteers have come together in Ipplepen to collect 21 bags of rubbish and a complete car bumper.

 

The Ipplepen Community Litter Pick event on Saturday 19 May was supported by Teignbridge District Council, which provided free equipment and rubbish disposal.  Staff members Shane Tozer and Mandy Life joined Teignbridge Councillor Alistair Dewhirst for the event, along with 22 other local volunteers ranging from 7-year-old Christian Pepper to 78-year-old Pat Coombs.

 

With overcast skies giving way to a sunny day, the community worked together to litter-pick all the lanes in Ipplepen, and even the nearby hamlets of Dainton, Wrigwell and Combefishacre.   Seven bags of recyclables were collected and sent to the local recycling centre, along with 14 bags of landfill rubbish and a complete car bumper.

 

Cllr Alistair Dewhirst, Teignbridge Ward Member for Ipplepen organised the event.  He said:

 

“I was really pleased that so many local people came along to do their bit and help us give Ipplepen a thorough spring clean.  It’s always nice to see some community spirit in action, and even nicer to know the village is tidy and looking its best.

 

“I’d like to thank everyone who took part, especially the Teignbridge staff who not only donated the equipment but also gave up some of their weekend to help.”

 

Cllr Kevin Lake, Teignbridge Executive Spokesperson for Environmental Services didn’t make it to Ipplepen as he was pulling on his wellies and taking part in the Exe Estuary Spring Clean, where over a trailerload of rubbish was collected.  He added:

 

“It was obviously a great weekend for tidying Teignbridge and its neighbouring areas, and alongside some fantastic volunteers we’ve managed to give the area a really good clean.

 

“We’re always pleased to support local litter-picks with free equipment and advice, not to mention a few pairs of hands to help things along.  If there are any other communities out there who’d like to give their place a spring-clean, please get in touch.”

 

Anyone who’d like to arrange their own local litter pick can email anna.lang@teignbridge.gov.uk or call 01626 215839 for advice and equipment.

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Fri, 25 May 2012 10:42:07 -0700 Parents celebrate children's art at RAMM http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/parents-celebrate-childrens-art-at-ramm http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/parents-celebrate-childrens-art-at-ramm Visitors to the café at Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum can now enjoy a vibrant display of children’s artwork while enjoying their drinks, snacks and meals.

The new exhibition of colourful artwork from RAMM’s family activity days and three local schools will run until September.
Greg Sheldon, Lead Councillor for Environment and Leisure said: “This exhibition is a wonderful display of individual creativity and teamwork. It is a credit to the young artists, their parents and teachers and will add zest to a museum visit.”

All the artworks were inspired by the museum’s collections and displays. They include a stripy metallic painting and a massive cloth mosaic produced at RAMM’s family activity days and completed by St David’s Primary School; portraits of Gerald, RAMM’s iconic giraffe, from St Sidwell’s Primary; dancing giraffes from St Leonard’s Primary and pots inspired by RAMM’s honey coloured sgraffito pottery in the Making History Gallery made by pre-school children at Westexe Children’s Centre.

Supported by Dartmoor Kitchens, the Museums Libraries and Archives Renaissance programme and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

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Fri, 25 May 2012 10:39:57 -0700 Exeter City Council warns 'don't drop litter' http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/exeter-city-council-warns-dont-drop-litter http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/exeter-city-council-warns-dont-drop-litter People who drop litter in Exeter could be fined and if necessary prosecuted, the City Council has warned.

The warning comes hard on the heels of the latest batch of prosecutions by the local authority. Those caught in the act are having to fork out, on average, £355 per person, taking into account the fine and court costs.

Cllr Greg Sheldon, Lead Councillor for Environment and Leisure, said: "The message is clear - please take responsibility for your own litter but if you don't we will fine you! Most people in Exeter care about the appearance of their city and wouldn't dream of dropping litter but there is a small minority who don't believe it is their responsibility and couldn't care less.

"Everyone likes to see Exeter's streets and parks clean and tidy, and no one likes to picnic on litter-strewn grass. It takes very little effort to dispose of your litter responsibly, but if you are a litter-bug it will cause you a great deal of time and expense if we have to take you to court!"

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Thu, 24 May 2012 03:26:55 -0700 PCS conference: union pledges 'outright opposition' to local pay plans http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/pcs-conference-union-pledges-outright-opposit http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/pcs-conference-union-pledges-outright-opposit The Public and Commercial Services union has pledged "outright opposition" to the government's plans for regional or local pay at its annual conference in Brighton.

Speaking in a debate about pay, delegates from across the UK expressed anger at proposals that could see some in the civil service put into local pay bands as early as this year.

The move would institutionalise low pay in already depressed local economies that are desperately in need of investment, delegates said, merely impoverishing these communities further.

Reports at the weekend that the Cabinet Office has drawn up a map that shows all of Wales and most of England - including the south west, the south coast, and most of the midlands and the north - in the lowest pay zone added fuel to the debate.

Delegates voted to launch a campaign of "outright opposition to any government local pay policy", and pledged to help build a "strong alliances with other public sector unions, local communities, academics and other civic groups".

The vote also restated the union's opposition to the current public sector pay freeze and cap - which has been exacerbated by the imposed increase in pensions contributions - and reaffirmed PCS's policy to campaign for the restoration of a national civil service pay system.

Earlier in the day, delegates voted to hold a further joint-union national strike at the end of June against cuts to pensions, pay and jobs.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "Our local economies that are already suffering from the government's cuts are crying out for investment, not more cuts.

"On top of the pay freeze, this would mean pay permafrost for hundreds of thousands of public servants across the UK. We will resist this crude, but calculated plan to drive down wages when all the evidence is showing that austerity isn't working and what communities most need is investment."

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Wed, 23 May 2012 03:56:41 -0700 PCS conference: vote for more joint action against cuts http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/pcs-conference-vote-for-more-joint-action-aga http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/pcs-conference-vote-for-more-joint-action-aga Delegates at the Public and Commercial Services union's annual conference voted in favour of further joint-union national strike action at the end of June against cuts to pensions, pay and jobs.

The move follows the walkout on 10 May by members of PCS, Unite, Nipsa, the Rail, Maritime and Transport Union, University and College Union, and the Prison Officers' Association.

While the focus in the last year has been on pensions, delegates agreed to step up opposition to job cuts and the public sector pay freeze.

As well as organising joint national strikes, the union will hold co-ordinated targeted industrial action in employer groups and sectors, and other protests and political campaigns.

The conference noted that unions representing the majority of staff in the civil service, health and education have now refused the government's latest 'final offer' on pensions and agreed to:

 

- press the Trades Union Congress for closer co-ordination of unions on campaigning and industrial action, and to demand that the government negotiates on the core pensions issues of paying more and working longer for less in retirement.

- to continue to build a new joint union campaign, called '68 is too late', in opposition to increases in the state pension age.

- to fully support the TUC demonstration against austerity planned for the autumn.

- to fully support community campaigns, protests and peaceful civil disobedience against the cuts by groups such as UK Uncut, Occupy, welfare campaigners and those campaigning against the inequality of cuts.

 

In a national consultation ballot of PCS members which ended on 16 March, 90.5% of respondents rejected the proposals for a new pension scheme and, in the largest vote for action in any national ballot the union has held, 72.1% said they supported further industrial action alongside other unions.

Speaking after the vote PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "We continue to oppose the government's plans to force public servants to pay more and work longer for a worse pension, and will work with other unions on a rolling programme of co-ordinated industrial action.

"Despite ministers' wild claims late last year, unions representing the majority of workers in the civil service, health and education have now rejected the government's crude and unnecessary attempt to make them pay off debts racked up by the greed and recklessness of wealthy bankers.

"We have again called on the government to return to the talks with a genuine will to negotiate on the core pensions issues, but we will continue to build the widest possible alliance against these cuts if it refuses to do so."

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Wed, 23 May 2012 03:24:01 -0700 New signs improve Newton Abbot Sensory Garden http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/new-signs-improve-newton-abbot-sensory-garden http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/new-signs-improve-newton-abbot-sensory-garden
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Courtenay Park in Newton Abbot is now even more visitor friendly thanks to new signs in its popular sensory garden.

 

The sensory garden was created in 1993 and refurbished in 2010.  Originally the idea of partially-sighted former service-man Cpt. Richard Bingley, who helped raise fund for it in the early 1990s, it was developed as a place of tranquillity for blind and disabled people. 

 

The garden features different beds of plants designed to stimulate the senses.  It includes the smells of Sweet Box (Sarcococca humilis), the sounds of Heavenly Bamboo (Nandina domestica), the texture of New Zealand Flax (Phormium Jester) and even the taste of Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis).  Often used by schools for visits and by local disability groups, the sensory garden is a popular part of the Green Flag Award winning park.

 

Its flowers, shrubs and other plants have all been selected for their aroma, texture and the sound that they make in the wind.  The beds have also been raised to make them accessible to people in wheelchairs.

 

Now six new touch-friendly monolith signs and an A2 sized map of the garden have gone up, displaying which sense each bed of plants is designed to stimulate.  This makes the area more accessible to blind visitors, and the project has been completed in partnership with the Newton Abbot Disability Parliament, Town Council and Newton in Bloom.  The £1000 project was funded and managed by Teignbridge District Council, which runs the park.

 

Cllr George Gribble, Teignbridge Executive Spokesperson for Communities, Recreation and Leisure said:

 

“We’re understandably proud of Courtenay Park, which is one of Teignbridge’s most popular local parks.  These new improvements help even more people enjoy what the park has to offer, encouraging more visitors and helping people make the most of the sensory garden.”

 

Richard Daniels, Chair of the Newton Abbot Disability Parliament said:

 

"It has been great working with Teignbridge’s Green Spaces team to help develop the new sensory garden signs.  I hope that more people will be aware of the sensory garden and everybody will be able to understand which senses the different beds represent."

 

Cllr Daphne Watts, Newton Abbot Town Councillor and Chair of Newton in Bloom said:

 

“We are delighted to be representing Newton in Bloom, who along with the Town Council are pleased with the improvements made by the Green Spaces Department at Teignbridge District Council to Newton Abbot’s premier park.  Newton in Bloom may go back into the Britain in Bloom competition next year and we hope that the work carried out here will form part of the entry.”




Pictured is Jane Sharp, Teignbridge Projects Officer (right), showing Richard Daniels, Chair of the local Disability Parliament, around the improved garden.

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Wed, 23 May 2012 03:23:55 -0700 Exeter doing its bit to minimise waste http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/exeter-doing-its-bit-to-minimise-waste http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/exeter-doing-its-bit-to-minimise-waste Exeter continues to reduce the amount of household waste sent to landfill, new figures have revealed.

The latest figures for 2011/12 show the amount of household waste collected dropped by 2.39% to 301kg per person.

Cllr Greg Sheldon, Lead Councillor for Environment and Leisure, said: "This is good news for Exeter – people in the city are doing a terrific job in cutting down the amount of household waste going to landfill.

"Waste minimisation is so important. There are environmental benefits and cost savings to be had from reducing the total amount of waste produced, whether it is recycled or sent to landfill. The best option is always not to produce the waste in the first place!"

One of the aspects of waste minimisation that has been highlighted recently is the issue of food waste. The rising cost of food, along with the nationwide ‘Love Food Hate Waste’ campaign, which promotes only buying food that is needed and the use of leftovers may well have had an impact on the reduction of waste in Exeter.

Cllr Sheldon added: "Another way that householders can reduce their waste is to home compost garden and kitchen waste. Home composting is the best environmental option for organic waste such as vegetable peelings - it is easy to do and saves buying compost for the garden."

People in Exeter need to look out for the new recycling banks that are coming soon to the city. These are for small electrical items such as: hairdriers, kettles, toasters, electric toothbrushes and cameras .

Recycling these items will help reduce the amount that is sent to landfill and make the plastic and valuable metals found in many electrical goods available for reprocessing.

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Wed, 23 May 2012 03:13:39 -0700 Mark Serwotka to call for unity to defeat government cuts http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/mark-serwotka-to-call-for-unity-to-defeat-gov http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/mark-serwotka-to-call-for-unity-to-defeat-gov In his opening address to the Public and Commercial Services union's annual conference on Wednesday (23), the union's general secretary Mark Serwotka will say if trade unions and communities stand together we can defeat the government's cuts.

In his keynote speech Mark will pay tribute to those on strike on 10 May in the civil service, health and education sectors, and report that after the strike he wrote again to Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude to ask for negotiations, but that the minister rejected the request.

In a direct appeal to Mr Maude, he will confirm the union's willingness to negotiate, adding. "But until you do, we will be walking out of our offices more. And we will not be alone. Because our members will not accept you robbing their future."

Referring to the increasing number of unions now rejecting the government's pensions cuts, he will say:

"There is a clear lesson here: when the government attacks public sector workers, then public sector workers must fight back. The government wants every public sector worker to work longer, pay more and get less. If we stand together, we can win.

"So our message to Mr Maude, Mr Osborne and Mr Cameron is this: Until you get around the negotiating table and talk to us about the key issues - working longer, paying more, getting less - it's not over.

"It's not over for a very simple reason: millions of workers will not accept that their pensions, their pay and even their jobs should be robbed to pay for a crisis they had nothing to do with causing."

Linking the public sector pensions dispute to the increases in the state pension age, Mark will say:

"The pensions fight is key. It matters to every member whether in the public and private sector, and not just to those involved, but to their families and their communities - because this isn’t just about cutting pensions, it's about privatisation. That’s not a conspiracy, but government policy. Treasury minister Danny Alexander told parliament the deal they're seeking to impose would make pensions 'substantially more affordable to alternative providers'.

"It’s also about getting fair pensions for all. That’s why we launched our ‘Fair pensions for all’ pamphlet with Unite, NUT, UCU and the National Pensioners Convention, arguing for decent state, public sector and private sector pensions."

Mark will point out that the state pension age is already rising to 67 and is scheduled to rise to 68. And that in the budget, chancellor George Osborne announced plans to link the state pension age to life expectancy, meaning someone born today would have to work until they were 75.

"Look at the contrast," he will say. "In France their pension age is 62, yet a president has just been elected pledging to reduce that back down to 60 for some workers.

"So in the run-up to 10 May we widened the argument again to say '68 is too late'. We will be fighting the rise in the pension age for everyone that will give Britain the highest pension age in Europe, combined with the lowest pension - except for Cyprus, Latvia and Estonia."

In a direct attack on the Tories in government, Mark will say:

"It's not until you get up close to this government that you realise the sense of entitlement that belies a real arrogance - an arrogance that leads to incompetence."

He will criticise the "comfortable relationships between big business, the Murdoch media and the Tory elite who share an interest in printing lies about us - and in trying to keep us divided: pitting those born here against those who have moved here, creating a false distinction between those in the public sector and those in the private sector, and between those in work and those - through no fault of their own - who are out of work."

He will close by saying: "We face a massive battle this year and for the foreseeable future. The scale of the attacks on us are like nothing any of us have faced before. But I'm confident that there is no union better equipped to meet that challenge than PCS."

Mark is due to speak from 9.40am; followed at 10am until 11.30am by the main debate about the union's ongoing campaign against cuts to pensions, pay and jobs, including plans for joint union national strike in June; and from 11.30am to 12.30pm delegates will discuss pay policy, including opposition to government plans for regional/local pay in the public sector. Other highlights on Wednesday include:

At a lunchtime fringe meeting on Wednesday, the union will launch 'Austerity isn't working' - the follow-up to PCS's widely-circulated 2010 pamphlet, 'There is an alternative: the case against cuts in public spending' - with speakers Mark Serwotka, author and columnist Owen Jones and economist Ann Pettifor.

The booklet maps the failures of the Tory-led government's programme of austerity and argues for investment; an end to tax cuts for the wealthy and the "redistribution to the 1%"; a banking system that works for people not profit; and a genuine effort to tackle tax evasion and avoidance.

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Mon, 21 May 2012 03:33:11 -0700 Zoo kids turn film-makers http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/zoo-kids-turn-film-makers http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/zoo-kids-turn-film-makers

Teenagers at Paignton Zoo have made their own wildlife documentary film.

 

The 18 budding programme makers are all members of the Gorilla Guerrillas, a club for 12 to 17 year olds.

 

The group made the 13 minute film, entitled Behind the Scenes at Paignton Zoo, with the help of MED Theatre, a local charitable community theatre organisation.

 

Paignton Zoo Education Officer Michelle Bales said: “They are learning all about working in conservation - MED brought broadcast-quality camera and sound equipment so the youngsters could have a go with professional kit. They also got them to write the script, edit the piece, add the voice overs and choose the music.”

 

This was a first taste of film making for 14 year old Finn Fallon-Clarke, who travels to Paignton Zoo from Halwill Junction in Mid Devon. “I loved it. I enjoyed being the director, lining up the shots and saying "cut" and really concentrating on one animal. I did the red panda which I love. I would like to work with animals, and I really enjoy finding out more about the Zoo animals - I could spend days in the Zoo.”

 

Colm Craig, aged 14 and from Totnes, has made videos for YouTube and a year ago took part in filming for the BBC News Day at school. “The experience was great fun and I learned a lot, like how to set up an artistic shot, and I had fun with friends. I enjoyed interviewing the elephant keeper, I found out I was good at this!”

 

Does he have ambitions to be a wildlife film maker? “It would be an amazing experience to get closer to the animals, and find out what it is really like in their habitats.”

 

Rhiannon Wilde, 13 and from Paignton, said: “It was really interesting. I enjoyed using the camera to get really steady films of the pandas.” 13 year old Yoran Sheppard from Totnes is very sure of the career he wants to follow: “I enjoyed doing the interviewing and presenting the most - I'd like to be a presenter, like Steve Backshall with Deadly 60.”

 

Bexley Gazzard, who is 15 and from Brixham, added: “This was my first taste in film making but I'm hoping it won't be my last. I never thought I would get the chance to do this! I’ve always wanted to work with animals ever since I can remember - my life-long dream has always been to be the next David Attenborough!”

 

Michelle: “They all had a go at everything, then some chose to do voice overs, some did editing, some picked the music and the others worked on the credits. They were guided by MED, and the experts did the last few bits of editing, but it’s all their own work. I have had such good feedback from the group that I will be doing it again next year!”

 

The film can be seen on You Tube at

 

Paignton Zoo Environmental Park is a registered charity. For more information go to www.paigntonzoo.org.uk or ring 0844 474 2222.

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Fri, 18 May 2012 03:42:19 -0700 Teignbridge wins new awards for top quality resorts and beaches http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/teignbridge-wins-new-awards-for-top-quality-r http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/teignbridge-wins-new-awards-for-top-quality-r ---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Tim Borrett ‪<tim.borrett@teignbridge.gov.uk>‬
Date: 18 May 2012 10:32
Subject: Press Release - Teignbridge Celebrates New Awards For Top Quality Resorts And Beaches
To:


Dear all
 
Please see the following press release regarding awards success for local resorts and beaches.  Accompanying pictures are attached.
 


 
Teignbridge Celebrates New Awards For Top Quality Resorts And Beaches
 
Four of Teignbridge’s resorts and beaches have been recognised by international award schemes this month, with Dawlish Warren achieving the prestigious Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) Blue Flag award for its 14th year.
 
The news comes as the tourist season gets firmly underway, with events like the Olympic Flame Relay and Golden Jubilee likely to see even more visitors to local resorts.  The awards reassure residents and visitors that they can look forward to top-quality, family friendly beaches throughout Teignbridge.
 
Joining Dawlish Warren in Teignbridge’s quartet of quality are Teignmouth Town Beach, Coryton Cove at Dawlish and Ness Cove at Shaldon, which have all won high-profile Quality Coast Awards.  The independently assessed seal of approval is awarded to beaches which have achieved very high quality standards in a cross section of strict criteria, including excellent cleanliness, safe access and appropriate signage.
 
Cllr Sylvia Russell, Teignbridge Executive Spokesperson for Tourism said: “This is excellent news for some of our most popular tourist areas.  We’re looking forward to a busy summer season which will only be helped by events like the Olympic Flame visit and the Golden Jubilee.  These awards are a welcome boost for the area and underline the hard work and commitment of council staff, local traders and residents all year round.
 
“These awards are not given lightly and mean that people can expect top quality beaches, facilities and water when they visit many of Teignbridge’s beaches.
 
“The Blue Flag is a particularly strict scheme, and to see Dawlish Warren flying the flag for the 14th year running is really remarkable.  Likewise Coryton Cove, Ness Cove and Teignmouth Town Beach have all won Quality Coast Awards every year since the scheme launched in 2008, which is no small feat.
 
“I go swimming almost every day at Teignmouth Town Beach, so it’s from first-hand experience that I say it’s a deserving winner.”
 
Continuing to fly the Blue Flag as a mark of excellence, Dawlish Warren is signposted as one of the top resorts in the UK, attracting visitors from across the globe. The resort includes an internationally significant National Nature Reserve, beach, green space, amusements, shops, pubs and cafes, and during the tourist season is watched over by an RNLI lifeguarding service.
 
The internationally renowned Blue Flag is presented to those beaches that pass the very strictest of criteria for environmental management, visitor facilities, cleanliness and clean bathing waters, meaning that residents and visitors to the resort can expect a top quality experience.
 
The FEE Blue Flag has become the definitive international measure of beaches since it began in 1987.  A highly effective monitoring system, it measures everything from accessibility for disabled visitors through to the amount of bins provided and litter left on the beach. Water must be clean enough to have achieved the highest standard defined by international law.
 
Blue Flag winners are allowed to fly a Blue Flag during the bathing season and must display their water quality and the facilities they provide on 'easy to read' signs at the beach. Award winners are monitored regularly and if standards slip, the flag is taken down.
 
Elsewhere, Coryton Cove at Dawlish, Ness Cove at Shaldon and Teignmouth beach all won Quality Coast Awards. It is hoped the accolades will continue to help attract visitors, as well as providing local traders, the community and hardworking Teignbridge staff with an extra positive focus for the summer season.

Pictured left to right:
Dawlish Warren: Julie Owen (Resorts Officer), Cllr Chris Clarance (Chairman of Teignbridge District Council), Cllr Sylvia Russell (Executive Portfolio Holder for Tourism), Cllr Ted Hockin (district councillor), Cllr John Petherick (district councillor) and Helen Scott (Dawlish Warren Traders’ Association)
 
Coryton Cove: Cllr John Petherick (district councillor), Julie Owen (Resorts Officer), Cllr Rosalind Prowse (district councillor), Cllr Sylvia Russell (Executive Portfolio Holder for Tourism), Cllr Chris Clarance (Chairman of Teignbridge District Council)
 
Teignmouth Town Beach: Cllr Vince Fusco (district councillor), Cllr Sylvia Russell (Executive Portfolio Holder for Tourism), Cllr Chris Clarance (Chairman of Teignbridge District Council), Julie Owen (Resorts Officer), Trevor Simpson (Resorts Team Member)
 
Ness Cove: Julie Owen (Resorts Officer), Cllr Chris Clarance (Chairman of Teignbridge District Council), Cllr Sylvia Russell (Executive Portfolio Holder for Tourism)
 

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Fri, 18 May 2012 03:05:37 -0700 Views to be invited as ideas for town and village centres are unveiled http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/views-to-be-invited-as-ideas-for-town-and-vil http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/views-to-be-invited-as-ideas-for-town-and-vil

Fresh new looks for four local towns and villages are set to be unveiled later this month as Teignbridge District Council presents new designs based on local views.

 

Residents of Bovey Tracey, Chudleigh, and Kingsteignton have already taken part in local workshops to help inform plans for their town or village centres, and now the results are going public so more people can have their say.  Meanwhile Kingskerswell residents are being invited to further explore options for their village centre so that new designs can be created.

 

Design proposals for Bovey Tracey, Chudleigh, and Kingsteignton will be shown at a range of public exhibitions on Saturday 26 May 2012.  People can expect to see ideas for many different improvements and enhancements based on local views, and the ideas will stay on display until Friday 8 June.  An event on the same day in Kingskerswell will give residents a chance to talk with planners about their village centre, including plans for the future once the South Devon Link Road is completed in 2015.

 

Teignbridge has employed consultants LHC Architecture and Urbanism to prepare the draft design proposals for Bovey Tracey, Chudleigh, and Kingsteignton.  They follow workshops involving representatives of all the local communities, which took place during April. 

 

These gathered information on a range of issues and explored people’s ideas for enhancements, traffic management and other improvements.  The comments and ideas received at the workshops have now been included in the draft design proposals which can be seen at the upcoming public exhibitions:

 

Bovey Tracey – 2pm-5pm - Bovey Tracey Methodist Church Hall, Le Molay Littry Way

 

Chudleigh – 2pm – 5pm - Chudleigh Town Hall, Market Way

 

Kingsteignton – 9.30am-12.30pm - Kingsteignton URC, Church Street

 

Kingskerswell – 9.30am-12.30pm - Kingskerswell Community and Leisure Centre, Dobbin Arch (No draft proposals, opportunity to discuss and influence future proposals.)

 

Teignbridge is inviting local people to have their say on the proposals from 26 May to 8 June 2012.  For further information and to have your say, go to www.teignbridge.gov.uk/enhancements, email forwardplanning@teignbridge.gov.uk or phone 01626 215741.

 

Cllr Philip Vogel, Teignbridge Executive Spokesperson for Housing and Planning said:

 

“So much of our recent plan making has been about working very closely with local people, listening to their views and working together on a brighter future for towns and villages.  There have been some great ideas contributed by members of the public, and we’re really looking forward to sharing with people the proposals for their area.

 

“This is a chance for everyone to have their say on how their town or village should look in the future, and I’d encourage as many of you as possible to come along and get involved.

 

“Together we’ve come all the way from local wish lists, to firm, realistic proposals for our town and village centres.  This is about making a real difference to everyday life in Teignbridge, whether it’s reducing traffic bottlenecks, providing community facilities or helping make our communities more attractive to residents and visitors.  Now is the time to make sure your voice is heard, because there’s still time for us to listen and take notice.”

 

Among the ideas going on show at the events are:

 

Bovey Tracey: Proposals to enhance the area around Station Road car park and Conduit Square.

 

Chudleigh: Proposals include a shared surface space in the town centre which would give greater priority for pedestrians, while still providing for traffic movements through the town.

 

Kingsteignton: The area around the fountain has been identified as somewhere with the potential for enhancements to create a better defined centre for Kingsteignton.

 

Kingskerswell: The area around the shops on Fore Street has been identified as one with the potential for enhancements.  There is also an opportunity to begin to think about what could happen to the A380 once the bypass is open.

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Thu, 17 May 2012 08:20:25 -0700 Testing underway in the South West as the bathing water season starts http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/testing-underway-in-the-south-west-as-the-bat http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/testing-underway-in-the-south-west-as-the-bat The Environment Agency bathing water sampling teams will again be out and about in the South West taking samples every week between now and September.  
 
The samples will used to assess the water quality at the beaches and these results will be shared so that people can make choices about where and when to bathe.
 
It will also help pinpoint any sources of pollution, so the Environment Agency can work with others to improve bathing water quality.
 
Between May and September, the Agency in the South West is monitoring bathing water quality at 193 bathing waters off the coasts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset.
 
 Bathing water quality in England and Wales has improved significantly over the past two decades. Last year, in the South West 189 of 191 bathing waters (99 per cent) passed water quality standards compared to 20 years ago when just 80 per cent were clean enough to pass the test. However, the Environment Agency says there is still more that needs to be done.
England and Wales will have more stringent  water quality targets to achieve under the revised Bathing Water Directive in 2015 and the Environment Agency is concentrating on tackling pollution before the targets come into force.
 
‘Bathing water quality is at an all time high but there is more work to do to drive further improvements. We are working hard with water companies, local authorities and farmers to identify and tackle sources of pollution at all bathing sites,’ said Jonathan Ponting for the Environment Agency.
 
‘The official bathing water season starts today and every sample counts. We are concentrating on tackling pollution before more stringent water quality targets come into force in 2015.’
 
The revised Bathing Water Directive, introduced in 2006, significantly changes the way bathing waters are managed. Bathing water quality standards are getting tighter.
 
The Directive introduces a new classification scheme where beaches will be rated as excellent, good, sufficient or poor.
 
The Agency will sample on a four year rolling programme beginning this year and report against these new classifications for the first time in 2015. All bathing waters need to achieve a classification of at least ‘sufficient’.
 
Last year, the Environment Agency published detailed online profiles for every bathing site as part of its ongoing commitment to provide even more information on bathing water to the public.
 
The profiles can be found at the Environment Agency website at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/bathingwaters, and include maps, photos and links to the latest water quality results.

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Thu, 17 May 2012 08:19:24 -0700 Work programme failing to tackle long-term unemployment http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/work-programme-failing-to-tackle-long-term-un http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/work-programme-failing-to-tackle-long-term-un The government's privatised back to work schemes are failing to tackle long-term unemployment as figures show those out of work for more than a year is at its highest since the Tories were last in office, the Public and Commercial Services union says.

There are now 887,000 people who have been unemployed for more than one year, up 27,000 in the last three months and the highest since September 1996. The number of people unemployed for more than two years stands at 428,000, up 5,000.

Back to work schemes contracted out under the work programme to companies such as A4e - which, despite being stripped of one yesterday, holds government welfare contracts worth tens of millions of pounds - are supposed to help people who have been out of work for long periods.

The union has consistently argued that this work should be done by public servants in Jobcentre Plus and that the pursuit of profit has no place in our welfare system.

The official unemployment statistics also reveal that there are almost six unemployed people for every job vacancy in our economy. The number of vacancies fell by 7,000 to 457,000 in the three months to April - also down 12,000 on a year earlier.

While employment in general increased, the number in full-time employment fell by 13,000 to 21 million. The number who work part time but want full-time work was up 44,000 in the last three months to 1.3 million - a 149,000 increase since last year. There are also 590,000 people doing temporary who want a permanent job, up 10,000 in the last quarter.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "These figures show clearly that this government is not only failing to tackle long-term unemployment, it is failing to create the kind of jobs we need to help get our economy back on its feet.

"Ministers should be creating jobs, not cutting them, and investing in our communities. But instead they are taking us back to a previous Tory era of long-term unemployment while handing tax cuts to the rich."

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Thu, 17 May 2012 08:16:10 -0700 NUT comment on Teachers' Pay http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/nut-comment-on-teachers-pay http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/nut-comment-on-teachers-pay

Commenting on Michael Gove’s proposals on changes to the national pay arrangements for teachers, Andy Woolley, South West Regional Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers' union, said:

 

“Michael Gove’s latest proposals on pay fly in the face of evidence. This week's OECD report showed that performance pay in schools does not raise standards.  Last week's Sutton Trust survey showed exactly the opposite of what both the Sutton Trust and the Education Secretary claim.

 

“What the survey actually showed was the majority of teachers support the current pay arrangements whereby teachers on the main pay scale get a pay increase unless their performance is deemed unsatisfactory. If this is the standard of evidence that Michael Gove is basing his arguments on then it is woeful to say the least. 

 

“National pay scales for teachers give a transparency and ensure much greater fairness and non-discrimination than pay levels determined at school level, and should remain. 

 

“Education is a nationally-delivered service so local pay for a teacher is completely inappropriate.  It would reduce teacher mobility, create shortages in areas of lower pay, hit recruitment and retention, and create needless extra expense and bureaucracy for schools.  The most disadvantaged parts of the country would be hit by a double whammy of Government cuts and lower pay. 

 

“Teachers are already suffering from pay freezes, job losses and increases in pension contributions – they now face pay cuts due to a policy based on ideology not evidence. Like so many of Michael Gove's ideas, these proposals will demotivate teachers, damage team working in schools and worsen recruitment and retention problems – the very opposite of what is needed.”

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Wed, 16 May 2012 03:31:35 -0700 Exeter seeks summer and Christmas market traders http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/exeter-seeks-summer-and-christmas-market-trad http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/exeter-seeks-summer-and-christmas-market-trad Craft, gift and food traders are being sought for a number of market days being organised by Exeter City Council both summer and in the run up to Christmas.

The summer markets are being held at the junction of Fore Street and South Street, the location for the weekly Farmers’ Market on every Saturday from 21 July until the end of August.  Market stalls are provided and applications are being invited from traders selling their own crafts or those offering good quality gifts and food items for sale.

The Christmas Markets being held at the same location are to be staged on Fridays and Saturdays from 30 November until 22 December and again good quality, attractively displayed, products are sought.

Anyone interested in joining the market can get further details by emailing markets@exeter.gov.uk or telephoning 01392 665480.

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Wed, 16 May 2012 03:29:43 -0700 Ministers ignoring opposition to equality cuts http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/ministers-ignoring-opposition-to-equality-cut http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/ministers-ignoring-opposition-to-equality-cut

The Public and Commercial Services union has accused the government of disregarding its own consultation and ignoring opposition to its plans to cut funding and powers from the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Confirming today that it plans to scrap specific parts of the Equality Act 2006, the government claims the decision is in line with responses to a consultation last year. Following freedom of information requests, parliamentary questions and a letter to the Home Secretary from the general secretary of the TUC, ministers have finally published the results today. The responses clearly show overwhelming opposition to the repeal of specific sections of the Equality Act 2006, which the government now plans to do as soon as possible using the ‘earliest suitable legislative vehicle’.

The government also claims it values the EHRC's 'A-rated' status as a United Nations national human rights institution. But cutting the body's independence, funding and control puts this at risk. Ministers have also decided that the Civil Aviation Authority should assumed responsibility for the disabled air passengers' complaints handling service despite respondents to the consultation strongly disagreeing with this.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "Rather than helping to make our society more equal, these cuts risk setting us back decades and abandoning people who need help.

"Investing in equality is not 'red tape', it's absolutely necessary in recognition of the fact that, after years of fighting, sections of our communities still face discrimination and hatred."

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Tue, 15 May 2012 15:36:57 -0700 A4e decision welcome but welfare schemes should be in-house http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/a4e-decision-welcome-but-welfare-schemes-shou http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/a4e-decision-welcome-but-welfare-schemes-shou Commenting on news that A4e has been stripped of one of its government contracts, Public and Commercial Services union general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "The decision to strip A4e of this contract is welcome, but people will rightly wonder how this company is managing to hold on to other government work, raking in tens of millions of pounds of public money.


"The pursuit of private profit should never be prioritised over public service, but until these contracts are ended, and the vital support given to people who are out work is brought back into the Department for Work and Pensions, we will not rid our welfare system of these scandals."

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Fri, 11 May 2012 08:46:58 -0700 Updated ‘Plan Teignbridge’ Evidence Received By Council http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/updated-plan-teignbridge-evidence-received-by http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/updated-plan-teignbridge-evidence-received-by
Teignbridge SHMA Update.pdf Download this file

A final version of a recently updated independent report on the likely need for new homes in Teignbridge over the next 20 years has been received by Teignbridge District Council.

 

It follows the receipt of a draft report in March, when independent consultants Opinion Research Services (ORS) presented their initial updated findings to councillors.  Now ORS have finalised their report, known technically as a Strategic Housing Market Assessment (SHMA).  It provides technical evidence about demographics, migration and the likely housing need for the future. This evidence will be used to inform Plan Teignbridge, a draft 20 year plan for new homes, jobs, community facilities, environmental protection and more.

 

The most recent draft of Plan Teignbridge was open to public consultation between January and March this year, receiving over 7,000 responses.  It determined a need for 14,800 new homes over 20 years from 2013-2033. This was based on the updated SHMA produced in 2010.  The final version of the 2012 update from ORS shows a need for 2,400 fewer homes over the 20 year period based on the latest available evidence, a figure which has not changed since the draft it presented in March.

 

Since that time the Office for National Statistics has released updated population projections for Teignbridge.  However this has not affected the ORS recommendation for housing need, with the consultants explaining their reasons in their report*.  The Office for National Statistics itself advises care in using its projections for long term plans which are not forecasts.  This is because they are likely to change every couple of years and use information collected in a way which is not a reliable prediction of population change, particularly beyond the short term**.

 

Various groups will now consider the final ORS report, with the council’s Housing Numbers Review Group providing its views to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 22 May.  On 18 July this Committee will be the first to consider Teignbridge’s final draft of Plan Teignbridge, which is currently being updated by planners to take in to account local views and the updated ORS report. 

 

The Overview and Scrutiny Committee will then give its views to the council’s Executive, which will discuss the final draft of Plan Teignbridge before sending it to a Full Council meeting.  At this meeting all councillors will vote on whether they want to proceed with the plan.  If approved it will be sent to public comment, and people will be able to formally register their support or objections before the council submits Plan Teignbridge to the government for approval.  This will involve an independent inspection of the plan, held in public and it is for the planning inspector to consider the comments received.  This is anticipated by February 2013.

 

Simon Thornley, Teignbridge Service Manager for Spatial Planning and Delivery said:

 

“This final report provides an analysis of the evidence about housing need. 

 

“We will consider the updated evidence very carefully as we prepare the final draft of Plan Teignbridge for our councillors to consider, bearing in mind the government requirement that councils meet their housing and other development needs.”

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Thu, 10 May 2012 08:56:12 -0700 Ravilious' unique record of Devon's rural lives and traditions http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/ravilious-unique-record-of-devons-rural-lives http://prsd-vefpf.posterous.com/ravilious-unique-record-of-devons-rural-lives Visitors to Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM) will be treated to an extraordinary view of late 20th century rural Devon in a new exhibition of the photographs of James Ravilious.

His captivating photographs of North Devon record daily life in a largely unspoilt but vulnerable area where traditions that had been handed down for hundreds, if not thousands, of years were still part of everyday existence. Entitled James Ravilious: Reflecting the Rural, the exhibition starts on Saturday 19 May and runs until Sunday 29 July.

The images are selected from the Beaford Archive which has over 70,000 images taken by Ravilious during the 1970s and 1980s and is one of the most intensive records of any rural area in England. His pictures are composed with the eye of an artist, warmed by his affection and admiration for the people whose lives he recorded. His pictures reveal real life as it was being lived in late 20th century rural England.
Familiar photographs share space with others rarely seen before and present day responses to his images are put in new social and cultural context by photographer Liz Nicol and agriculturalist Martyn Warren, both from the University of Plymouth. They explore contemporary issues around the aesthetic and documentary nature of Ravilious’s work in a new fast moving digital age, and reflect back 21st-century responses to the images to today’s more environmentally aware visitors.

The exhibition is accompanied by a free talk on Wednesday 30 May, a debate on Tuesday 12 June and guided walks at Dolton on Saturday 14 July. Booking details can be found on the website: www.exeter.gov.uk/RAMM.
Beaford’s online archive makes a wonderful complement to the exhibition: www.beafordarchive.org.uk.

The exhibition is supported by Focal Point Imaging and Plymouth University, Peninsula Arts, and the Seale-Hayne Educational Trust.
RAMM 2012: A year of photography

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