Author: Parish Clerk

Please note the new email address for the Clerk at Bridford Parish Council: [email protected]

Precept

At the January meeting the budget was discussed and the Precept – the funding which the Parish Council requests from Teignbridge District Council each year – was agreed. There was much discussion about the cost-of-living crisis, in conjunction with the rising cost of providing services against the need to meet the necessary expenditure of the council. With all these things in mind, a modest increase to the Precept was agreed, taking the total amount requested to £13442 for 2025; an increase of 10% on last year.

Facebook

Bridford Parish Council has a new Facebook page where we will share news from the Parish Council and updates about road closures etc. The link is: https://www.facebook.com/share/14dwub14eC/?mibextid=wwXIfr We will also share relevant items to the Teign Valley Facebook group.

Gritting team

Many thanks to the team of volunteers, including new members, who are continuing to work hard to ensure Pound Lane is gritted in the icy weather. Please take extra care when driving in icy conditions.

Potholes and drains

Many thanks to parishioners who continue to support the Parish Council by reporting issues online and volunteering to clear out blocked drains etc, your help is much appreciated.

If you come across a problem, such as a pothole or blocked drain, please report it to Devon County Council online at:

Report a problem https://www.devon.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/report-a-problem/

If you are reporting an emergency that requires immediate attention, please call them on 0345 155 1004. An emergency on the highway is defined as something that is very likely to present an imminent threat to life or serious injury or serious damage to property.

Wishing all our parishioners a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Best wishes,

Bridford Parish Council

Weather Ready and Parish Emergency Plan

Please see the link below for advice from the Met Office to help households prepare for the winter weather. The advice covers helping people take care of health and wellbeing, preparing their homes and gardens for weather changes and how to get out and about safely:

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice/weatherready

Bridford Parish Council are also in the process of putting together a Parish Emergency Plan which will help to ensure that everyone knows what to do, who to contact and how best to help in the event of any type of emergency, including weather related.

Acorn Community Support funding

Bridford Parish Council recently put in an application to Devon County Council locality fund to support Acorn Community Support to widen their offer to parishioners in Bridford and the wider Teign Valley who are carers and were delighted to receive £1100 for Acorn to use to set up regular carer peer support groups. Many thanks to County Councillors Jerry Brook and Frank Letch who supported our application.

The October Parish Council meeting was held on Monday 7^th October 2024 and these were the key points of discussion:

Snow team for Bridford – plea for additional volunteers

We have a very good snow team in place but need a few more volunteers to help run the gritter when needed as some members have moved away from the area, and it is always useful to have additional members to call upon should help be needed. As Bridford is not on the main gritting route, we rely on the volunteers to keep the roads to Bridford open in the cold weather. Please contact Tamsin Mowat, Clerk to Bridford Parish Council on [email protected] if you are able to help.

Reporting Highways issues

As the weather is changing, just a reminder to please report any issues you notice on the roads, such as potholes, drainage, overgrown vegetation, etc. directly to Devon County Council Highways department on: https://www.devon.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/report-a-problem If you are reporting an emergency that requires immediate attention, please call 0345 155 1004. An emergency on the highway is defined as something that is very likely to present an imminent threat to life or serious injury or serious damage to property.

You can also find out the latest information about planned road works and road closures here: https://one.network/

Clothing bank and recycling/disposing of large items

Many thanks to all those who have contributed items to the clothing bank at Bridford. Just a reminder to please double bag items before donating them in order to keep them dry and in good condition in the wet weather.

Larger items that are not suitable to be donated can be taken to Devon County Council recycling centres at Newton Abbot https://www.devon.gov.uk/wasteandrecycling/centre/brunel-road-recycling-centre and Exeter https://www.devon.gov.uk/wasteandrecycling/centre/exton-road-recycling-centre or collection of large items, such as beds, mattresses and white goods, can be arranged from your home for a fee; see Bulky waste collections by Teignbridge District Council here: https://www.teignbridge.gov.uk/recycling-and-waste/special-collections/bulky-waste-collections