Updates and information from Teignbridge District Council 27.7.20

24 July 2020

Phased reopening of leisure centres

From tomorrow our leisure centres will be reopening, starting with Newton Abbot (tomorrow) and followed by Broadmeadow on Monday and Dawlish on Saturday 1 August. The phased reopening is to make sure the measures we have introduced to keep everyone safe are working well.Our leisure services team has also produced a video for returning customers with lots of information on what the new service will look like, and telling them everything they need to know about how we’re making it as safe as possible for people to return to our leisure centres.More information is available on our Teignbridge Leisure website Unfortunately we have not been able to open the Teignmouth Lido for the remainder of the season.as it would involve significant costs and time to ensure it is safe to use, so our staff will be focused on the reopening of the leisure centres and prioritising the management of a safe return there.

Measures you can take to support our reopening

Customers should make sure their contact details are up to date by logging into your online account. This is important so that we can support the government’s track and trace initiative. To keep people safe and to stop the spread of the virus, everyone should self-screen before entering one of our leisure centres. Please do not not enter if:

You have signs of a fever or a high temperature (Above 38c).
You have a persistent cough or respiratory problems
You have had contact with and possible source of the virus.

If symptom free please:

Follow all social distancing guidelines, staff instruction and floor markings.
Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly with soap and water or alcohol based hand sanitisers which is provided at sanitising stations within the facility.
Avoid touching your face.
If you need to cough or sneeze use a tissue and bin straight after use.
Do not shake hands.

If attending an activity, please pre-book and bring your membership card with you to check- in. Walk-ins will not be permitted.

Compulsory face coverings extended

From today face coverings must be worn in takeaways, banks, building societies and post offices as well as shops, supermarkets and travel hubs.

Please follow this requirement to help control the spread of coronavirus by protecting yourself and those you come into contact with when in confined spaces where social distancing cannot be maintained.

Wearing face coverings is not compulsory in hairdressers, gyms, dine-in restaurants and pubs or cinemas, concert halls or theatres.

Banks and post offices will be able to ask people to remove face coverings for identification purposes.

People wearing face coverings are still strongly advised by the Government to:

wash their hands or use hand sanitiser before putting one on or taking it off
avoid taking it off and putting it back on again a lot in quick succession
store it in a plastic bag in between washes or wearing
avoid touching their eyes, nose, or mouth while wearing on

Face coverings are not mandatory for:

anyone under the age of 11
those with disabilities or certain health conditions, such as respiratory or cognitive impairments that make it difficult for them to wear a face covering

More info

Make sure you are on the register to vote

Residents will be contacted in the coming weeks to check that our register of those entitled to vote in local or national elections is accurate. Traditionally this has been undertaken annually by post but the Government this year is allowing electronic communication such as email or text messaging to be used.When contacted, you will be given the choice of different automated response options to enable you to confirm that the information we hold is correct or to advise us of any changes. At the same time you will be able to request a postal or proxy vote application. The telephone and SMS response options can only be used to confirm the accuracy of the information and not to make changes.

Once the canvass is completed, a revised Electoral Register will be published on 1 December.

If you have any questions about this process you can find further information on our website.

Renew your garden waste service

If you currently subscribe to our garden waste collection service, now is the time to renew your subscription. Make sure that you complete the renewal by 24 August so that your new permit arrives before the start of the new collection cycle on 1 September!Find out more and join or renew online

All part of the service…

Our waste and recycling teams have been singled out for praise recently from residents, and have been working particularly hard over the pandemic to clear people’s rubbish and recycling. And some of our younger residents look forward to their weekly rounds and the chance to have a quick chat to our crews. Teignbridge resident Kate said: “My six-year old son Floyd (pictured with his Dad) really enjoys seeing Stuart and Dave each week, and they always make an effort with him.“Plus they work so hard! These guys are awesome and we are so thankful to them for being someone our son enjoys seeing.”

More funding for small businesses affected by COVID

Almost £300,000 has been paid out in the third and final phase of a grant scheme designed to help organisations adversely affected by coronavirus. More than 500 organisations have received sums totalling £1,642,500 from the three stages of Discretionary Business Grants ranging from £1 to £25,000.There is still around £350k left in the pot, so we will keep the scheme open and continue to issue grants on a first come first served basis until it has all been allocated.

More information

Full Council meeting

The next Full Council meeting will take place virtually on Tuesday, 28 July starting at 2.15pm. The live stream of the meeting will be available to watch on our YouTube channel and the direct link will be posted on our social media account just before the meeting goes live.

Marshals take to the streets

Tomorrow will see the arrival of street marshals to Teignmouth town centre –
thanks to a successful bid to the Police Crime Commissioner as part of a Devonwide effort to improve safety.

Funding was made available earlier this month to tackle antisocial behaviour in 20
key summer locations across the two counties.. Newton Abbot and
Teignmouth were both identified by Devon and Cornwall Constabulary as areas that
could benefit from this funding and the additional safety measures, which included
street marshals, CCTV, assisting volunteer schemes like Street Pastors and the
provision of temporary toilets.

As a result, two street marshals will be patrolling Teignmouth town centre this
weekend, and from next week will be out and about from Wednesday to Sunday in
the afternoons and evenings. Their role is to help police in deterring crime and antisocial behaviour, helping vulnerable people, and providing reassurance and assistance to local residents and holiday makers.

They will be distinguishable by their tabards which will be branded with the Police
Crime Commissioner logo. Street marshals will begin patrols in Newton Abbot later next week.

Fancy an August challenge?

Entries are now open for Planet Earth Games – a month of virtual and sustainable challenges taking place throughout August. The games are designed to help people of all ages get active while helping the planet and competing for daily prizes. Individual, family and business entries are among the options.Daily events start on 1 August and if you complete 10 challenges, you will be eligible for a Planet Earth Games medal made from sustainable wood and recycled ribbon!

Find out more

The latest government advice on staying alert and safe