Latest news with #MidDevonDistrictCouncil
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Tesco sells land vital for town bypass
Tesco has sold a piece of land which is vital to the delivery of a multi-million pound relief road for a town in Devon District Council said the news marked "the overcoming of another major hurdle to finally deliver the road" in council got £34m from central government in August to press ahead with the long-awaited bosses said this was "a crucial time" for Cullompton as it also tried to push forward with plans for a new railway station and major improvements to the nearby M5 junction, as well as the creation of a 5,000-home development. The council has always said the first stages of the 5,000-home Culm Garden Village - first proposed in 2017 - would not be built until the relief road was Keable, cabinet member for planning and economic regeneration at Mid Devon District Council, said he wanted the government to "build on this excellent progress" and make funding available to upgrade junction 28 of the said this would "unlock Culm Garden Village in earnest and address historic transport issues within the town".A new railway station is also a possibility for the town, which lost its station to the Beeching cuts in 1964, which saw more than 2,000 stations July 2024, the Labour government said it was scrapping the national Restore Your Railway plans but said it would "attempt to consider the Wellington and Cullompton stations' project".Stuart Hodges, property asset manager at Tesco, said the firm was "committed to supporting the communities we serve" and recognised "the significant benefits this relief road will bring to the town".The bypass, which secured planning permission in January 2021, will run from Station Road in the north to Duke Street in the work on the relief road is due to begin in 2026 with the road due to be completed in 2028.
BBC News
09-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Devon tributes paid following death of councillor Frank Letch
Tributes are being paid to the chairman of a district council who died on Letch was chairman of Mid Devon District Council, the Devon County Council member for Crediton, and was appointed an MBE for his charity and community a father of five, was born without arms and went on to a successful career as a teacher while also exhibiting dogs at Crufts and campaigning for several charities while serving as a at Mid Devon said throughout his career he would advocate "for fairness and representation for everyone". 'Close to his heart' Luke Taylor, Liberal Democrat leader of Mid Devon District Council, said: "Frank poured his heart and soul into local politics and would always represent his communities to the highest of standards, as he would expect from us all."He never shied away from stepping forward to represent others, be that through his role as a local councillor or through supporting charities and organisations close to his heart."Letch was mayor of Crediton for 13 years and served on Mid Devon District Council from 2015 and on Devon County Council from said: "This council will be a poorer place without Frank's dedication and enthusiasm to local politics and he will be missed by elected members from across all parties." Letch was born in June 1944 in London. He studied French and Italian at Birmingham University and lived in Wales and Scotland before moving to Devon in the council said his response when asked about his disability was: "Most people know that I was born without arms. "Nobody knows why and it doesn't really matter if they do because it won't change anything, will it?"Letch had roles with several charities, including Reach, Devon in Sight, the Jubilee Sailing Trust and a local preschool and was awarded the MBE in the New Year's honours list in 2015 for his work in the local had five children with his wife Helen, who died in 1990. His second wife Natalia is a member of Mid Devon District County Council will hold elections on 1 May and a full list of all of the candidates is available here.
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Tributes to disabled man who 'excelled in everything'
Tributes have been paid to a man who was able to live with his disability "happily" despite being born without arms. Frank Letch, a former French teacher at Ysgol y Berwyn in Bala, Gwynedd, and a Devon county councillor for Crediton, died recently aged 80. Raised in Peckham, London, he spent most of his life in Llanuwchllyn with his late wife, Helen, and their five children, before moving to Devon with his partner, Natalia. Eleri Llwyd, who worked with Mr Letch at Ysgol y Berwyn, said he was an "extremely popular teacher". He gained recognition in Wales for his positivity about living with a disability, with several television shows made about him. In the 2021 S4C programme DRYCH: Byw Heb Freichiau, Mr Letch said: "I hope it (the show) will help people remember what I was and encourage interest in those with what everyone calls a 'disability'." In the programme, he reflected on his "happy years" in Llanuwchllyn, where he raised his five children with his wife, Helen, and taught for 20 years. "I loved the area – and so did Helen," he said. As a French teacher, languages came easily to Mr Letch, and he quickly became fluent in Welsh. He added: "I have to say, I think I'm happier because of learning Welsh. "Especially where we lived – the capital of Wales is Llanuwchllyn, not Cardiff." Mr Letch was often seen using his feet to drink pints of beer and throw darts at his local pub. After losing his wife at 41, he moved from the Bala area to Scotland and then lived in Crediton, Devon, for many years with his partner, Natalia. In 2015, Mr Letch was awarded an MBE by the Queen for his contributions to local government, having served as chairman of Mid Devon District Council. On Tuesday, Elfyn Llwyd, the former MP for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, said he was very sad to hear about Mr Letch's passing. His wife, Eleri Llwyd, who worked with Mr Letch at Ysgol y Berwyn, told Cymru Fyw that he was an "extremely popular teacher." "At school the children loved him - he had a good sense of humour," she said. "He wouldn't take any nonsense." According to Ms Llwyd, Mr Letch had a specially adapted bike, which allowed him to travel quickly to and from his home, which was situated outside the village. However, over time, the journey took much longer, as "everyone wanted to stop and chat with Frank". "Frank lived happily with his disability, and he truly excelled in everything he did," she said.
BBC News
08-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Disabled man Frank Letch who 'excelled in everything' dies, aged 80
Tributes have been paid to a man who was able to live with his disability "happily" despite being born without arms. Frank Letch, a former French teacher at Ysgol y Berwyn in Bala, Gwynedd, and a Devon county councillor for Crediton, died recently aged in Peckham, London, he spent most of his life in Llanuwchllyn with his late wife, Helen, and their five children, before moving to Devon with his partner, Llwyd, who worked with Mr Letch at Ysgol y Berwyn, said he was an "extremely popular teacher". He gained recognition in Wales for his positivity about living with a disability, with several television shows made about him. In the 2021 S4C programme DRYCH: Byw Heb Freichiau, Mr Letch said: "I hope it (the show) will help people remember what I was and encourage interest in those with what everyone calls a 'disability'."In the programme, he reflected on his "happy years" in Llanuwchllyn, where he raised his five children with his wife, Helen, and taught for 20 years. "I loved the area – and so did Helen," he a French teacher, languages came easily to Mr Letch, and he quickly became fluent in Welsh. He added: "I have to say, I think I'm happier because of learning Welsh."Especially where we lived – the capital of Wales is Llanuwchllyn, not Cardiff."Mr Letch was often seen using his feet to drink pints of beer and throw darts at his local pub. After losing his wife at 41, he moved from the Bala area to Scotland and then lived in Crediton, Devon, for many years with his partner, 2015, Mr Letch was awarded an MBE by the Queen for his contributions to local government, having served as chairman of Mid Devon District Council. On Tuesday, Elfyn Llwyd, the former MP for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, said he was very sad to hear about Mr Letch's wife, Eleri Llwyd, who worked with Mr Letch at Ysgol y Berwyn, told Cymru Fyw that he was an "extremely popular teacher.""At school the children loved him - he had a good sense of humour," she said. "He wouldn't take any nonsense."According to Ms Llwyd, Mr Letch had a specially adapted bike, which allowed him to travel quickly to and from his home, which was situated outside the village. However, over time, the journey took much longer, as "everyone wanted to stop and chat with Frank"."Frank lived happily with his disability, and he truly excelled in everything he did," she said.
BBC News
27-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Mid Devon council to review 70 rent overcharge evictions
About 70 council tenant evictions could be reviewed in Mid Devon as council officials grapple with social housing rent errors dating back to are cases where rent arrears were the sole factor, or a contributory one, leading to the eviction of tenants after they were overcharged, according to the Local Democracy Reporting cases are to be reviewed once Mid Devon District Council has dealt with the major issue of refunding about 1,200 tenants it had been overcharging for other cases beyond the 70 highlighted, where rent arrears were one of several factors, the council said anti-social behaviour, crime, unauthorised uses and tenancy fraud were the predominant reasons for eviction. 'Mitigation factors' The council estimates it needs £1.8 million to repay roughly 1,200 tenants who have been paying more rent than they should advice suggests the council only needs to repay six years of overpaid rent, according to individual amounts have been calculated tenants will be told whether they will also receive terms of the 70 eviction cases, the council said various "mitigation factors" could protect it from any required action. These include rent levels being set in good faith and agreed with the tenant, overcharging still leading to rents within expected social-rent levels and people on low incomes could have received up to 100% support for their wider social rent error of over and under charging tenants goes back to 2002, but was only identified towards the end of last year by the council's new auditor, Bishop was caused by the council applying a rent formula to its whole stock in one go, rather than segmenting it by property size and applying the formula on each segment also led to about 1,600 tenants being soon as the error was identified, the council said it referred itself to the Regulator for Social Housing.
