News Around the Constituency
Consultation on Future of National Park Members Welcomed
Potential for Direct Election of Members
Tuesday 12 August 2008
A Government consultation on the make-up of National Parks
members has been welcomed by West Devon and Torridge PPC Adam Symons. more on this . . .
PPC Cuts Above the Rest
Sees the Difficulties for Upland Farmers
Sunday 3 August 2008
Adam Symons, Local Lib Dem PPC for West Devon & Torridge,
showed that he is a cut above the rest, by shearing a lamb at Greenwell Farm, as
part of National Parks Week. more on this . . .
Drake’s Safe Passage to Plymouth Assured
Crowndale Bridge Opened
Saturday 2 August 2008
A new Tavistock Landmark, dedicated to Crowndale’s most
famous son, has been unveiled by the County Council this week.
more on this . . .
£3.8 Million ‘Massive Funding Boost’
Fantastic News for Torridge and North Devon
Wednesday 30 July 2008
“This is a massive boost for Torridge and North Devon”, said
Adam Symons, Lib Dems Parliamentary Spokesperson for Torridge and West Devon, on
news that the Regional Selection Panel has approved an indicative allocation of
£3.8million for the Leader 4 Torridge & North Devon Programme. more on this . . .
Dark Cloud to Dartmoor Celebrations
Taylor report sends a stark message
Tuesday 29 July 2008
The celebration of National Parks Week on Dartmoor this week
has been overshadowed by the release of the Taylor report, which has called on
trialling the restriction of use of full-time homes as second homes or holiday
lets in National Parks. more on this . . .
Affordable Housing Gap is Critical
Bad in West Devon but Worse in Torridge
Friday 25 July 2008
“Affordable housing is one of the most important issues
affecting our area”, said Adam Symons, Lib Dems Parliamentary Spokesperson for
West Devon and Torridge, following publication by the Secretary of State for
Housing of the expected house-building levels for Torridge and for West Devon
over the next 20 years. more on this . . .
Village Anger as Post Office Decision Revealed
Offers of Help to Keep the Post Office Open
Tuesday 22 July 2008
Villagers in Buckland Brewer expressed their anger today as
the Post Office revealed that it was going to shut its post office. Villagers
arrived at the Post Office in the morning to express their support for the
community shop and post office. They were in defiant mood, shaking their fists
at the Post Office sign, and they vowed to fight on.
more on this . . .
Government Gambles With Our Primary Schools
Poor Funding for Devon Schools
Monday 21 July 2008
‘Gambling with our childrens’ future’, is how Lib Dem
Parliamentary Spokesperson for West Devon and Torridge, Adam Symons, called the
Government’s continuing funding squeeze of primary education in West Devon.
more on this . . .
Visitors Could Stop Visiting North Devon
Turned Away by Overgrown and Blocked Footpaths
Friday 18 July2008
“Visitors might stop coming to North Devon” was the stark
message of one councillor at the start of this year’s school summer holidays.
more on this . . .
One in Five Rural Households Dip Below Poverty Line
‘Government Must Help Rural Areas’
Thursday 17 July 2008
Adam Symons, Lib Dem Prospective MP for Torridge and West
Devon called on the Government today to help residents in sparsely populated
rural areas, as a report today showed that one in five rural households are
below the poverty line. more on this . . .
Local Farmers Still Likely to Lose Out
Single Farm Payments Scheme Leaves Thousands Underpaid
Wednesday 16 July 2008
Today saw the publication of the Public Accounts Committee’s
report on the administration of the Single Payment Scheme for farmers in
England. more on this . . .
Wasted Food Targeted at Wood Fair
Good Food Going to Waste
Monday 14 July 2008
Waste food was being targeted at this weekend’s Wood Fair at
Roadford Lake, as Torridge District Council teamed up with Devon County Council
to stop a third of all the food bought being thrown away.
more on this . . .
Parish Upset at Loss of Phone Box Without Consultation
Yet More Phone Boxes to go From North Devon
Friday 11 July 2008
More phone boxes are due to be lost from North Devon, but
these will disappear without anyone knowing, which has upset a local Parish.
more on this . . .
Reorganisation Is One Thing – But Give Councils More Local
Input
Give Local Communities More Power Over Decision Making
Saturday 5 July 2008
This Monday sees the Boundary Commission submit their draft
proposals for the future of local authorities in Devon. A leading local Lib Dem
has called on local authorities not to let this detract from the real issues of
empowering communities and local accountability.
more on this . . .
Fight for Hartland to Go Slow
Need for Lower Speed Limit
Friday 4 July 2008
A local councillor is spearheading a campaign to bring the
speed limit down on a notorious stretch of road which school children walk and
cycle to school on. more on this . . .
Local Businesses Could Die Due to Post
Office Closures
Unintended Consequences of ‘Efficiency
Culture’
Monday 16 June 2008
With the threatened closure of Buckland Brewer post office,
it's not just buying stamps and getting a TV licence that could be lost from the
village. A local resident has warned that the shutting of the post office would
be 'disastrous' for their business.
more on this . . .
Sutcombe Suffers From Closure
Residents adamant that Post Office must not close
Monday 9 June 2008
Sutcombe village hall plays host to the Post Office Network
Change programme this week, as residents get to grill Postwatch and Post Office
Ltd as to why Sutcombe Post Office is closing. more on this . . .
Chance To Address Rural Poverty Welcomed
Unfulfilled potential of Rural Businesses
Friday 6 June 2008
The unfulfilled potential from businesses in rural areas
might be as much as £347 billion per year, according to a report released
yesterday by the Chair of the Commission for Rural Communities.
more on this . . .
Buckland Brewer Rally Around Post Office
Meeting against the closure of village Post Office
Tuesday 3 June 2008
The first of many community meetings is taking place today,
Tuesday, as Buckland Brewer village hall plays host to a meeting to rally
against the closure of the village Post Office. more on this . . .
Morwellham dedicated as World Heritage Mining Site
“Morwellham Could Be Next Eden”
- Adam Symons
Monday 2 June 2008
Saturday saw two events at Morwellham Quay, as
Morwellham was dedicated as a World Heritage Mining Site, together with the
reopening of the restored Great Dock.
more on this . . .
Sutcombe Rally Around Post Office
Anger and Bewilderment at Post Office Closure
Tuesday 27 May 2008
Sutcombe villagers turned out in force to rally around their
beleaguered post office, which the Post Office Network has allocated for
closure.
more on
this . . .
Bus Pass Black Hole
Unknown Costs for Councils
Tuesday 20 May 2008
Leading Lib Dems in Torridge and West Devon have called upon
the Government to ensure that council tax payers do not pay the burden for the
concessionary bus pass ‘black hole.’
more on
this . . .
More Pain to Come for Post Offices
But There is Still Hope
Friday 16 May 2008
A message of hope was trumpeted by
local Lib Dems today, on leaked news of proposals to shut post offices
throughout Torridge and West Devon. more on
this . . .
Adapt to the Impacts of Climate
Change
Local Farmers Urged to Take Action
Thursday 15 May 2008
More than half of farmers in the
South West interviewed by Farming Futures, report that they are already affected
by climate change. A leading Lib Dem has called for local farmers to take
action. more on
this . . .
Over-Development Wrecking Tavistock
Sainsbury's Plan for New
Supermarket
Monday 12 May 2008
Described as ‘the straw that broke the camel’s back’, the proposed new
Sainsbury’s in Tavistock is causing alarm amongst residents who believe that
Tavistock is ‘being wrecked’ by over-development.
more on
this . . .
Remembering Torrington 50 Years Ago
Stunning Victory by Mark
Bonham-Carter
Sunday 11 May 2008
Torrington Liberal Democrats remembered this weekend the stunning victory 50
years ago that the party had in Torrington, when Mark Bonham-Carter won the
parliamentary by-election. more on
this . .
Waste Champ Cleans Up
Beach cleared of litter
Saturday 10 May 2008
Tens of thousands of items of litter were picked up today, Saturday, as a
team of volunteers scoured Northam Burrows in a bid to clean up the Pebble Ridge
and surrounding area. more on
this . . .
Investment Secured
For Holsworthy
Major extension to the Dobles Lane
Industrial Estate
Tuesday 6 May 2008
A major extension to the Dobles
Lane Industrial Estate in Holsworthy, which should bring 40 new jobs to the
town, has been welcomed by local Lib Dem PPC Adam Symons.
more on
this . . .
Elderly Worry for North Devon
Some carers offer very poor
quality support
Tuesday 29 April 2008
A survey by Age Concern has
identified that most people are worried about how they are going to be treated
as they get older. This is especially important for Northern Devon, where the
number of people over 65 is growing quickly. more on
this . . .
Westden Rises from Ashes
Saved at the last minute by a new
group of trustees
Friday 25 April 2008
West Devon Environmental Network, a
well known local environmental charity, which was threatened with closure due to
lack of funds, has been saved at the last minute by a new group of trustees.
more on
this . . .
Councillors pledge ‘Every Action
Counts in Torridge’
Reducing energy consumption
Monday 21 April 2008
One of the responsibilities of
councillors is to lead from the front, and that is certainly what one councillor
is doing on climate change. Advised by another councillor, who works as an
environmental scientist, Torridge District Councillor Hugo Barton has installed
a solar water heating system on his house. more on
this . . .
Bluetongue Vaccine Set For Summer
‘We
are at the top of the list’
Wednesday 16 April 2008
‘We are
at the top of the list’ was the message from the
local NFU, as local farmers were told that Bluetongue vaccines would be here for
the summer. more on
this . . .
BT Looks to Axe Local Payphones
The majority of villages in
Torridge could lose their payphones
Tuesday 15 April 2008
Under recent plans announced by BT,
the majority of villages in Torridge could lose their payphones. Nearly every
village and town will be affected, as BT seeks to shut down the 50 least
profitable phones. more on
this . . .
Thousands of residents in Torridge
suffer tax grab
Starting rate of income tax
doubled from 10p to 20p
Thursday 10th April 2008
Adam Symons, Parliamentary
Spokesperson for Torridge and West Devon, has launched a stinging attack on the
Government for bringing in tax changes that have increased income tax bills for
thousands of residents of Torridge. more on
this . . .
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