Shoppers will be able to stop-off in East Devon car parks all day for £2 in a bid to boost the district’s high streets.

East Devon Reporter eastdevonnews.co.uk

The winter deal, which began on Wednesday, November 1 and runs until the end of march 2024, wants to encourage people to buy locally and support businesses.

Tickets purchased will be valid until midnight.

East Devon District Council (EDDC) says that, with Christmas around the corner, residents and visitors can enjoy a full day out without having to rush back to their cars.

It is hoped that reduced will help to boost trade throughout the festive season and especially in the quieter months of January and February.

Councillor Paul Hayward, portfolio holder for finance and assets, said: “We recognise that our local high streets are always keen to see shoppers stay that little bit longer to keep their tills ringing, and so I am delighted to bring back our winter parking offer – £2 all day, in any car park across the district.”

A list of EDDC car parks can be found here.

Sideshore Car Park in Exmouth, Otter Estuary Nature Reserve in Budleigh Salterton, and Lyme Street in Axminster, are not included in the offer as they are managed by EDDC but are privately-owned.

Motorists can use the RingGo app to pay when they park and enter the dedicated ‘winter offer’ location code ‘42973’.

Alternatively, drivers can buy a paper ticket from one of EDDC’s machines using cash or card.

The council says that, although printed tickets may not display an expiry time of midnight, they will still be valid for the whole day.

Seaton top of TV news as Scrutiny backs us

Jack Rowland and I addressed a crowded Devon Health Scrutiny Committee meeting yesterday and were very well received. The Committee asked for a full report at their January meeting, and agreed to request the ICB and NHSPS to pause disposal and to negotiate seriously with us in the meanwhile. We got really great TV coverage, with Seaton leading the regional news on both channels for the first time I can remember!

Leafleting, Petition and Day of Action. 10,000 leaflets will be available from Seaton Print this Monday or Tuesday – please contact us to help deliver in your area, if you have not already done so. We will be leafleting and petitioning on Saturday 18th as planned, meeting outside the Tramway in Seaton and the Mariners in Beer.

Petition. Please sign and share online (https://www.change.org/p/save-seaton-hospital) but we also need to collect physical signatures wherever possible people, including where leafleting. The first sheets are already being returned.

• Please help get the petition forms into local shops, etc.
• Please note that completed forms should now be delivered to the League of Friends shops in Fore Street in envelopes addressed to Kirstine House.

OTHER NEWS. 

The Steering Committee will meet at the Hospital on Thursday 16th. 

Sarah Wollaston. Supporters have received emails saying that their letters will be ‘sent to the appropriate department’ – please insist that they are sent to her personally and copied to other members of the Board. 

Emails to some addresses have bounced back. Please check with friends who were at the meeting to see if they’re getting these emails, and if not ask them to contact me to make sure their correct addresses are on the list.

Report reveals growing crisis for renters in Devon and Cornwall 

A major new report by the University of Plymouth and local Citizens Advice services has shone a spotlight on the damaging effects of the government’s three-year freeze on Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates for local private sector renters.

The report, Sometimes I Sit on the Sofa and Cry, tells the stories of local people struggling to keep up with soaring rents and eviction notices.

It also contains suggestions to help ease the crisis, including an increase in LHA, an emergency cap on rents and provision of more affordable homes.

The research (which focused on the South Hams, Plymouth and SE Cornwall) found that average rents in the area have been outstripping the level of LHA support since 2015 but the gap has now grown to 12%.

The increase in people facing eviction has also led to big increases in bills for temporary accommodation for local authorities.

In Cornwall, the figure has risen from £9.5 million in 2020/21 to £18.4million in 2022/23 while for South Hams District Council, the figure has risen from £115k to £476k in the same period.

The report is the result of a collaboration between local Citizens Advice charities in the South Hams, Plymouth and Cornwall and the Plymouth Business School.

It was funded following a successful bid to the University’s Get Involved Awards 2023 programme.