News courtesy of Kevin Foster
(MP for Torbay)
Any views expressed in this news post are those of Kevin Foster, unless stated otherwise.
Paignton Hospital Update
In last week’s post we reported on the latest news in relation to Paignton Hospital and this week our local NHS Trust sent out a press release confirming the position.
Many people support the campaigns to keep services at Paignton and continue to have concerns about the future, in particular what pressures may be put on Torbay Hospital now patients cannot be discharged into Paignton whilst waiting for a care package.
You can read the statement issued below and whilst it refers to the MIU closing in “due course” no date has been given for this:
Midvale Clinic based on Midvale Road, Paignton will receive patients for the last time on Wednesday 31 May 2017, and the building will then close. All services provided at Midvale Clinic are then moving to the Paignton Health and Wellbeing Centre (Paignton Hospital site) from Monday 5 June 2017.
Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, which run the services has informed Midvale Clinic patients, their carers and GPs of this relocation.
Posters are also being displayed in community locations such as GP surgeries, pharmacies, libraries and schools as well as in Paignton Hospital’s Minor Injuries Unit (MIU) and outpatient areas of Torbay Hospital.
There are no longer any inpatient beds at Paignton Hospital, and the MIU remains open for the time being but is scheduled to close in due course. As a result of these changes the hospital is being re-named as Paignton Health and Wellbeing Centre. There will be new signage to reflect this change of name.”
Surface Dressing Works
Essential highway maintenance work will be taking place across Torbay, starting on Monday 22 May through to Friday 26 May.
The maintenance taking place is called surface dressing and is used to prolong the life of the road structure. This work forms part of Torbay Council’s Annual Maintenance Programme. The cost of this work will be £170k.
The maintenance will be taking place on the following streets:
• Higher Warborough Road
• Kings Ash Road (Whitebeam to Luscombe Road)
• Higher Warberry Road (Windsor Road to Sutherland Road)
• Barton Road (Hele Road to Cricketfield Road)
• Newton Road (Torre Station to Shiphay Lane)
• Brownsbridge Road
• Beechfield Road
• Barton Hill Way
Residents on these roads will be sent letters informing them of the works. Signs giving warning of the works will be placed on lamp columns and in the affected street.
Smoking Laws Set to Change
New laws affecting cigarettes and other tobacco product will be brought into effect this weekend.
The most visible will be the requirement for cigarettes to be sold in standardised packaging, although many manufacturers and retailers have been supplying packs that comply with the new laws for some time. You can read all the details on the Devon Live website by clicking here.
For clarity the law around smoking in public places is not being amended as part of these changes.
£1.25m Secured For Local Pensioners By Age UK
In the midst of a lot of debate during the election campaign about pensioners, there has been some very good news to report locally.
Staff and volunteers at Age UK Torbay are celebrating after helping draw down £1.25m in extra funds for elderly Torbay residents over the past year, simply by helping them claim the allowances and benefits they are entitled to.
As well as offering a drop-in advice centre and phone line, the charity’s team of trained volunteers make home visits to support and complete the relevant paperwork. You can read more on the Devon Live website by clicking here.
Good Morning Britain Heads to the Bay
If you are an early riser who enjoys a good debate over the Breakfast Table then an election program being filmed in the bay is for you.
Below is an appeal that has been sent out by Good Morning Britain for audience members for a show on
I’m a producer at Good Morning Britain – the breakfast show at ITV. We will be broadcasting LIVE from Torbay (exact location to be confirmed) on Thursday 1st June and we’re looking for local residents to come along and take part. In the run up to the General Election, we want to talk to Torbay constituents about who they are voting for (if they’ve decided) and the issues that concern them. We don’t expect people to be political experts, we just want to speak to ordinary people. We need as many people as possible to come along from 6am until 8.15am and have some breakfast with us. Children welcome as it’s half term. If you or someone you know would like to come along please email me ASAP – heather.bishop@itv.com
Torbay End Street Homelessness Campaign Update
Yesterday the Torbay End Street Homelessness Campaign posted an update about its work which is copied below.
Whatever your views this campaign is a great initiative to do what it says, end, not manage Street Homelessness. You can follow the campaign and find out how to be part of it by visiting their Facebook page which you can find by clicking here.
Their update:
Many of you will know that Westward Housing Group, Shekinah and Torbay Council were successful in their bid to central government for funding to reduce rough sleeping in Torbay. The £400,000 will be used over 2 years to assist the End Street Homelessness Campaign in Torbay. Here’s how:
We have employed 3 full time and one part time outreach/case workers to go out and make contact with people on the streets, make a plan for the support and housing they need and support them through this.
We have created a short stay Safe Space with 6 beds where the most vulnerable people can be brought in off the streets straight away
We have funding for a volunteer programme to support people as they move into their own home. We are currently speaking to people who are Street homeless to check what they want from volunteers. We have volunteers waiting to start and hope to have the programme starting in June.
What is Strange Ship?
Those thinking a James Bond Super Villain has moved his seaborn HQ into the bay when they saw a strange vessel arrive will be sorely disappointed by the rather mundane truth.
The strange shape on the horizon is actually a jack-up barge, used as a platform for cranes and heavy machinery on projects where access from the water is needed. When in position, the barge’s giant ‘legs’ are put in position on the sea bed and the platform is adjusted to the required height
You can read more on the Devon Live website by clicking here.
Love Your High St
Love your High Street week is taking place from 12th-18th June and now is the time to nominate your High Street Hero!
All you have to do is nominate a business (or person in a business) and tell the Love Your High St team why they deserve to be the High Street Hero. Maybe they always provide service with a smile, or keep going the extra mile!
You need to make your nomination before the 29 May and it is easy to do by clicking here.
Cockington Horses
A horse drawn carriage making its way through Cockington is a popular attraction for many tourists.
Sadly the family business has been hit financially as one of the horses was stung by a wasp causing them to hit Hannah into a stone wall, breaking a bone in her face. Due to this incident the carriage is not able to run as she is the only carriage driver licensed to operate in Cockington.
An appeal has been set up to help pay vets bills and other costs as the carriage business cannot run whilst she is not able to work. You can find details by clicking here.
The Old & Bold.
Many of us will have heard the saying that there are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old & bold pilots.
Yet this week one man showed he is both old and bold A D-Day veteran as Bryson William Verdun Hayes, known as Verdun, took to the skies with 10 members of his family, at Honiton in Devon.
Aged a youthful 101 years and 38 days, Verdun became the oldest man in the world to complete a skydive. You can watch a report of his exploits on the BBC website by clicking here. The only question left for this sprightly D-Day veteran is whether he will be back next year to set the record at 102.
Events
Tea Dance
Saturday 20th May – Central Church, Torquay
Time – 2:30pm till 5pm
Cost – £4
Live Music from Tracey of Stardust
Male Voices in Concert
Saturday 20th May – St Matthias Church, Babbacombe Road, Torquay
Time 7:30pm (It is worth arriving a few minutes earlier to be seated before the concert starts)
Cost: £7.50
Porthcawl and Tamar Valley Male Voice Choirs will be performing
Torbay Photographic Society – Annual Exhibition of local photographer’s work
Saturday 27 May 2017– St Martins Church Hall, Barton Hill Road, Torquay, TQ2 8HU
Time: 11am-4pm
Cost: Free entry/parking!
Click here for more information
