November draft minutes published
Draft minutes of November’s Full Council Meeting are now published and available on the website.
Dartmouth Ferry Refit Timetable
With Christmas just around the corner, Dartmouth’s Lower Ferry is gearing up to keep the festive spirit, and the town, moving! To keep passengers safe and to follow legal guidelines, the ferries’ annual refits and Marine and Coastguard Agency (MCA) inspections will be taking place between November and February.
The team are working hard to make sure your journeys across the Dart are as smooth as possible this winter. They’ll have extra staff on board during single ferry periods, working hard to keep everything running safely and efficiently. Please be patient and kind to the team – they’re here to help you get where you need to go.
Winter Service Schedule:
Starting with Tom Avis and Hauley VI getting their refits, the services will run as follows:
- Single ferry service
- Will run until Monday 8 December 2025.
- Double ferry service over the busy Christmas period.
- Will run from Monday 8 December 2025 to Sunday 4 January 2026.
It’s then the turn of Tom Casey and Hauley V to have their annual safety updates and checks, but the team will wait until after the New Year to restart.
- Single ferry service
- Will run between Monday 5 January to Monday 9 February 2026.
- Double ferry service
- Will run from on its usual schedule from Monday 9 February 2026.
The full service returns for the rest of winter and into spring with all dates being subject to change depending on MCA availability and inspection findings.
Your parish needs you!
Are you passionate about your local community?
Would you like to get involved in activities to benefit your village and locality?
Do you want to help shape the future of the place you love?
Then please consider becoming a Parish Councillor!
Call the parish clerk on 01548 581185, or email clerk@stokenham-pc.gov.uk for more details and an application form.
October Full Council minutes published
Approved minutes of October’s Full Council meeting are now published and available on the website.
The On-Off Saga of Major Roadworks in Chillington
The chaotic scenes in Chillington earlier this week, with queues of traffic stretching on occasion as far back as Carehouse Cross in one direction and Coombe Meadows in the other, seem to have been caused by poorly positioned and badly timed traffic lights controlling the roadworks – roadworks that popped up overnight without any of the usual notifications, the haste justified on the grounds that they constituted “emergency repairs” to the electricity supply.
Parish Councillors might have seen this as a foretaste of things to come. For just last week we were treated to a presentation from National Grid, designed to break the bad news to the community that a seven-week closure of the A379 through Chillington was planned for the new year, starting mid-January.
While the proposed works – involving the installation of an upgraded 3-phase electricity supply through the length of the village that would future-proof residents against the demands of heat pumps and EV chargers – seemed entirely sensible and prudent, the disruption involved would be extensive and burdensome. It was clear that the entire operation, including arrangements for access to properties, alternative parking and bus-route liaison, would need to be planned with military precision to avoid exactly the sorts of snarl-ups and gridlock that were witnessed in the village in the past few days. To give them due credit, the folks from National Grid promised that they would liaise closely with Parish Council and neighbourhood groups, both to share information and keep disruption to a minimum.
Still, it was with some relief that we learned midweek that the proposed works will NOT now be going ahead next year after all, Devon County Council having put the kibosh on the plan due to the length of closure. The work still needs doing, however, and at the time of writing it is envisaged that it will occur in January 2027. This sounds like a highly dubious claim, so watch this space for further developments.
October Full Council minutes published
Draft minutes of Stokenham Parish Council’s October meeting are now published and available on the website.
September Full Council minutes published
Approved minutes of September’s Full Council meeting are now published and on the website.
Devon Local Nature Recovery Strategy – have your say!
There’s still time for Devon residents to help shape a new strategy aimed at reversing the decline in wildlife and restoring the county’s natural environment.
The draft Devon Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) sets out a collaborative plan to protect and enhance nature across Devon, Plymouth and Torbay. Developed by Devon County Council in partnership with the Devon Local Nature Partnership, district councils, other local authorities and community and voluntary groups, the strategy is open for public consultation until 5 November 2025.
England is split into 48 LNRS areas and the responsible authority for Devon is Devon County Council who is tasked with preparing and publishing the strategy. The LNRS identifies key priorities and actions to support nature’s recovery — from restoring habitats and species to improving urban green spaces and building resilience to climate change. It also highlights opportunities for collaboration, funding and decision-making across sectors.
The strategy is designed to reflect the needs and values of Devon’s diverse communities. Whether you’re a farmer, landowner, developer, business owner, wildlife enthusiast or resident, your views will help shape how nature is protected and restored in the years ahead.
To take part, visit www.naturerecoverydevon.org.uk to explore the draft strategy, find out about consultation events, and share your feedback.
New local government proposals announced
Devon’s district councils have collaboratively joined forces to respond to government proposals to reorganise local government in the county.
In December 2024, the UK Government announced plans to simplify the structure of local government across England. Areas such as Devon, which currently has a ‘two-tier’ system comprising a county council and district councils, are being asked to develop new unitary authorities.
East Devon, West Devon, South Hams, Teignbridge, Mid Devon, North Devon and Torridge district councils, in consultation with Torbay Council, have been working together to shape a proposal. Torbay continues to work on its own submission.
The Districts’ proposal, known as the 4-5-1 model, includes:
- A unitary authority for West Devon, Teignbridge, South Hams and Torbay
- A unitary authority for North Devon, Torridge, Mid Devon, East Devon and Exeter
- Plymouth remaining a standalone unitary authority
The proposal reflects Devon’s natural communities, travel-to-work areas, and economic geographies, and is designed to deliver more coherent planning, stronger service delivery, and a unified voice for the county for now and for the future.
To maintain strong local connections, community hubs will be introduced, supporting access to essential services. Additionally, stronger and better co-ordinated links and relationships with Town and Parishes will be possible, making community involvement easier and more influential.
The councils have undertaken a comprehensive, evidence-led process to evaluate options for reorganisation. This has included collaborative analysis and options appraisal, stakeholder engagement, and independent financial modelling to ensure a credible submission to government.
The councils have consulted widely with residents, partners, businesses, and other key stakeholders to ensure the proposals reflect the needs and ambitions of Devon’s communities. There were 5,948 responses to the councils’ various public engagement surveys, with strong participation across the county.
For more information, contact communications@swdevon.gov.uk