We have seen big wins for South West Devon in the past month The Government have finally honoured their manifesto commitment to build Derriford’s new Emergency Care Unit after a hard-fought campaign Representations to Plymouth City Council have helped secure a new bus service to Plympton and Plymstock And whilst Lloyds have dealt a blow to the Broadway in Plymstock with the closure of their branch it may unblock the option for a new banking hub/post office something I’ve been fighting for for years I will be working hard in the weeks and months ahead to see each of these key projects delivered I strongly believe that delivering casework wins for constituents is the most important work of an MP On Friday March 14 I’m hosting a Plymstock surgery providing you with the opportunity to discuss any important personal issues you have face-to-face I can only do this all this with the support of my dedicated team on the ground in the constituency turning around more than 1,000 pieces of casework already If you’d like to book a surgery or just share your concerns over email please do get in touch at rebecca.smith.mp@parliament.uk Read on to hear about my work for our area in a bit more detail I have been pushing hard for a bus link between Plympton and Plymstock meeting with local bus company chiefs and senior council leaders about improving connectivity between these two key communities and linking to the new crematorium Therefore I am so pleased that the council have listened to my representations and announced that a new bus link, which will also serve the new crematorium Many people living in Plympton and Plymstock shop visit family and access key services across both towns Driving transport investment in our region is a key priority I will continue to lobby the Government locally and nationally for our fair share In January I raised the closure of Plymstock’s Post Office with a Department for Business and Trade Minister asking what he is doing to ensure that sustainable joint Post Office and banking services can replace closing branches removes the last cashpoint in the centre of Plymstock and makes the absence of its Post Office even more concerning Iam grateful for the Minister’s constructive response offering to challenge the Post Office on its closure in Plymstock I followed this up by speaking in a debate about Post Offices I will be launching a local campaign to push for the provision of essential in-person cash and banking services in Plymstock Last month I met with Hannah and Alan from Chaddlewood Farm Community Centre as well as Lin and Carol-Ann from Rediscover Church Plympton hearing about all the amazing work being done in our community There is so much going on at the Community Centre including Tiny Stars Rediscover Church Plympton on Tuesdays Veterans Thursdays and a parenting support group Congratulations are in order for Hannah and the team who have recently secured £18,000 of funding from the Community Lottery to help with expanding the work of the centre I recently visited Plympton Academy and was met by four friendly members of Year 7 – Eloise The visit started with a chance for them to tell me what it’s like being a new pupil at the school and to ask me some questions – the highlight being whether or not I had met the King They also shared some of the very exciting things they are all involved with including the upcoming production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory which I was delighted to be able to attend proudly showed me round the school and shared the work he has been doing since he started to place a real focus on community in and around the school teachers and support staff and see their excellent facilities myself but it felt really positive today and I’m looking forward to working with Mr Willis his students and his team to support them over the coming years you can book a surgery appointment or get in touch via email: rebecca.smith.mp@parliament.uk or call the office on 01752 335666 Visit my website or Facebook for more information: www.rebecca-smith.org.uk and fb.com/SWDevonRebecca The latest news as it happens in Dartmoor covering Okehampton important updates and local opinions from across Okehampton Cycling and more local Dartmoor Sports News property sales & property of the week including Okehampton house prices and opinions on Dartmoor's property market including Okehampton Local area spotlights & features across Dartmoor Dartmoor national park is 368 miles of beautiful English countryside find out what green issues are affecting Dartmoor here at The Moorlander Get local news & council updates for across Dartmoor including Okehampton Showcasing and celebrating the incredible independent businesses of Dartmoor Ashburton & Surrounding areas from the local community & our reporters Get your local Dartmoor traffic & travel reports Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter Support our mission and join our community now you can subscribe for as little as €0.50 per week which will also give you access to all of our premium content and archived articles Thank you for supporting Ireland's best local journalism A new bus service will soon link the growing town of Sherford with Plympton and Plymstock providing better transportation options for workers and residents which has been eagerly anticipated following public campaigning and a petition while a separate service will soon provide direct connections to The Park crematorium The extended number 4 bus service will now run from Plymstock Broadway through to Plympton Ridgeway passing through Sherford and Sandy Road.  This extension aims to improve connectivity for those working at Langage and students commuting to schools in the area The service will operate hourly Monday to Friday and will also be available on Saturdays (7am to 9pm) and Sundays and bank holidays (9am to 7pm).  The route will be closed only on Christmas Day The full route will include the following stops: Royal Parade passengers from Plymstock and Plympton will benefit from an expanded service connecting them to The Park previously running between the city centre and Merafield will be reinstated and extended to serve Plymstock Broadway and Plympton Ridgeway.  the service will run roughly every 75 minutes from 9.30am to just after 5pm every day (except Christmas Day The number 19 service will travel via Royal Parade It will also serve the existing bus stops along the route This new service is part of a wider initiative to improve non-commercial bus routes in the city supported financially by the council following a recent retendering of the city's routes commuters and residents will enjoy improved travel connections helping to support the continued growth of the local community " + $(".testo_articolo").html().replace(//g please subscribe and support local journalism Subscribing will allow you access to all of our premium content and archived articles To continue reading this article for FREE,please kindly register and/or log in Registration is absolutely 100% FREE and will help us personalise your experience on our sites You can also sign up to our carefully curated newsletter(s) to keep up to date with your latest local news captured at the Bath Festival by Steven Haywood is set to perform at the Exeter Comedy Festival after winning the US Eddie-Folio award for best comedy A winning design by 12-year-old Juniper Holliday featured in the 2025 Dartmoor Youth Art Competition Reach out for help: How drug and alcohol recovery services could work for you or a loved one Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm The Lloyds Bank branch in Plymstock has been included as one of the banking group’s 136 high street branches which are set to close between May this year and March 2026. The branch in Plymstock is to shut on November 4 and will accompany the closure of 61 other branches of Lloyds as well as 61 of the Halifax and 14 branches of the Bank of Scotland. Lloyds has reportedly blamed the decision on customers moving away from in-person banking to using mobile app services, adding that transactions across the affected branches plummeted by and average of 48 per cent over the past five years. Workers at the affected branches will be offered jobs elsewhere in the company, the company said. Comments Tel: 01548 853101[email protected]Follow us Further Links Owned or licensed to Tindle Newspapers Ltd | Independent Family-Owned Newspapers | Copyright & Trade Mark Notice & 2013 - 2025 Plymstock Councillors have been busy supporting community initiatives and promoting positive changes in Plymstock neighborhoods From improving school travel options and tackling fly-tipping challenges to enhancing green spaces and fostering community spirit these updates highlight the dedication and efforts of your local representatives Whether it’s advocating for safer school routes assisting local sports clubs with eco-friendly upgrades or supporting volunteer groups making public spaces more accessible your councillors are here to help improve the quality of life in Plymouth Read on for insights into their recent activities and ongoing initiatives • Over 70% of primary school age pupils live within one mile of their school and almost 90% per cent live within two miles • 28% of secondary age pupils live within one mile of their school and about 60% live within two miles • 1.3 miles is the average distance to primary school and  three miles is the average distance to secondary school most pupils and students live close enough to walk or cycle to school Using the car or a bus is the only option for some including those with mobility difficulties or who are dropped off when a parent heads on to work 39% of car journeys to schools are less than 1.2 miles with many being even less and 70% of all car journeys to schools are less than 2 miles has continued to support projects to increase levels of active travel to over sixty Plymouth schools These include all forms of non-motorised travel and working with families to raise their ambition and embed a culture of active travel within the school community Evaluations have revealed significant changes in people’s travel behaviours and sustained increases in walking cycling and scootering and fewer journeys to schools taken by car This has had a huge benefit on levels of children’s physical activity and general well-being their feeling of safety and road safety awareness when travelling actively reduced carbon emissions and also economic benefits for their parents I know from my discussions with local and city-wide schools as part of my Walking and Cycling Champion role for Plymouth City Council active travel is something they strongly encourage This is not just for their pupils’ physical fitness but also to create safer school neighbourhoods As a keen advocate for the Safer School Streets project I will endeavour to bring such a scheme to a school in the Plymstock area where a compelling need has been identified Several parents and carers in the Elburton and Goosewell Schools localities have told me that walking to school with their children or training them to walk safely with others on some or all days has been quicker and less stressful than driving being stuck in traffic and trying to find a parking space Some have parked further away from the school and walked their children to school or let them go independently before they head off to work They also said there have been more opportunities for their children to talk with them and other children as they walk you and your child could change a travel to school habit now to help you and your community reap the benefits listed above With Christmas and the New Year holiday having passed our council continues to work full steam ahead with councillors resuming to discuss scrutinise and decide upon many issues for our city and its people delivered on many fronts with many planned projects completed and new ones at different stages of delivery Our local councillor community grants are helping local sporting groups and organisations in Plymstock Dunstone They are providing fantastic service to members of our community we had an update from Plymstock Bowling Club about the installation of solar panels on their premises that will greatly improve their aim for 0% CO emissions John Stephens and I have been delighted to have helped to make this happen why not give a visit to Plymstock Bowling Club as it is a fantastic facility that caters for all age groups Our aim for this calendar year is to continue to serve our local community groups and individuals as we have done so far An issue I have been tackling recently is the persistent fly tipping around the clothes donation bins and glass recycling banks at the Broadway and Morrisons car park The glass recycling banks were removed at these locations because they were at the end of their useful life and were also found to be encouraging fly tipping What really grinds my gears is most of the items dumped around the clothes bins are not even clothes So more regular emptying of the bins is not the answer it is never ok to dump clothes around the bins when they are full no matter how often they are emptied it is a special kind of ignorance to fly tip glass bottles given we have been able to recycle them in our green recycling bins for years These people who are actively going out of their way to waste their own time and disrespect the rest of the community with their fly tipping antics I find the behaviour of this minority of residents completely unacceptable and extremely selfish And who is left with the bill to clean up all the mess I have had to ask Street Services to come out four times in the past month I see no alternative than for the clothes donation bins also to be removed I want to express my sincere thanks to the NHS staff and many others who worked over the Christmas and New Year period to keep us safe and healthy I personally called on them for help to treat a very bad ear infection I was extremely impressed that each time I needed help I was seen in a matter of hours I know many people continue to face unacceptably long waits but to me it was a demonstration of the NHS at its best My sincerest wish is to see our NHS back on its feet in 2025 and beyond A New Year offers the opportunity for new beginnings and new challenges Little did I know that at the start of 2024 I would have the opportunity to become a councillor for Dunstone Ward I have loved all the challenges the role has brought to date and I am already looking forward now to what this year will bring The local Labour team have already tentatively made plans with regards to what can be achieved to enhance and support the community this coming year John and I had the absolute pleasure of spending some time with the ‘Friends of Downhorn Park’ who are a committed group of volunteers that endeavour to keep this welcoming space user friendly for the residents of Plymstock Anyone can pick the fruit and vegetables that have been grown by the group and enjoy the parkland The group are keen to make the area more accessible for those with mobility issues and are looking to raise funds to construct a path We will of course be donating some funds from our community grant to kick start the project and help with ideas that the group have put forward We are happy to be approached by groups in the area who would like support with projects and activities that would benefit from contributions from our community grants Please submit any requests to us and we can look at helping We look forward to meeting you at our community surgeries and dates will be advertised soon The last remaining bank in The Broadway Shopping Centre is set to close later this year due to a decline in customer visits over the years Lloyds Bank has announced it will close on November 4 a Lloyds spokesperson said: “As many customers now choose to bank through their app or online visits to our Plymstock branch have fallen over recent years customers can continue to manage their money online in person at Lloyds Royal Parade Plymouth branch As well as at any other Lloyds or Halifax branch or the local Post Office on Woodside Avenue.” Lloyds also stated that 79 per cent of personal customers already use alternative banking methods The bank emphasised that mobile banking provides 24/7 access allowing customers to view and manage their money Lloyds also highlighted its use of the latest technology to keep customers' money secure The bank also stated that customers will still have the option to visit any Halifax branch for in-person banking They reminded customers that the nearby Post Office at 8 Woodside Avenue will continue to offer personal and business banking services The closest free-to-use ATM is 0.26 miles away with five others within a one-mile radius of the closing branch Lloyds stated that it is contacting customers to inform them of alternative local banking services they have been a valuable community asset and essential for access to cash rely on this in-person service for their banking needs and cash.” Ms Smith added that she would raise the issue in Parliament today (January 30) while discussing the future of local post offices Concerns over high management charges in Sherford persist with councillors pushing for transparency and updates on road adoption particularly vandalism in Knapps Close and Blackstone with efforts ongoing to improve enforcement discussions are underway about the future of Turnchapel’s iconic red phone box with calls for community adoption rather than removal councillors back Plymouth’s Local Government Reorganisation plan arguing it would better serve Plymstock and surrounding areas currently under South Hams District Council Reads Previous Plymstock Post Articles daniel.steel@plymouth.gov.uk on 07483 300703 Maria.Lawson@plymouth.gov.uk 07483 301 286 Stefan.Krizanac@plymouth.gov.uk 07813 395 873 John.Stephens@plymouth.gov.uk 07952 414069 As a Plymouth City Councillor for Plymstock Dunstone joy and challenge of helping to respond to and support the needs of its nearly 11,000 residents as well as responsibilities for city-wide roles on Plymouth City Council The eastern part of the ward includes the developing new town of Sherford which adjoins the rest of Sherford; this ‘rest’ is served by Brixton Parish Council South Hams District Council and Devon County Council as well as having the Sherford Consortium overseeing the development of the whole town residents in the Plymouth and Devon administered parts of Sherford have formed many thriving community links which will welcome Tammy and John Oliver as their new ministers over Easter time the Sherford Community Trust which organises many community groups and events and the thriving Sherford Vale Primary School a highly recommended coffee shop and a small shop the community is fortunate to have excellent play and outdoor leisure facilities for skating supported by Plymouth Argyle Community Trust; these are also open to residents in Elburton and the wider Plymstock area I share residents’ growing frustration about the lack of shops and medical and dental provision for its 1,300 occupied homes Many people tell me they moved to Sherford with a developers’ promise that such services The continued delay of the Sherford Road Traffic Calming scheme and off-road cycle and walking pathways The latest news is it will start on May 12 the day after the Plymouth Half Marathon as Sherford Road is used as a diversion – residents please beware of this Stefan and I will continue to represent the frustrations of local people to The Sherford Consortium and associated councils as the delays not only affects Sherford residents but adds pressure on existing Plymstock area medical and retail services and higher levels of local traffic needed to buy a takeaway we have one thing to celebrate; at the end of March Stefan and I were pleased to take a bus ride not only from Plymstock to Plympton but also from Plymstock Broadway through Sherford and onto Plympton Ridgeway This link will help join up communities including secondary pupils living in Sherford but educated in Plympton; thank you Cllr I spoke in support of the Local Government Reorganisation plan for Plymouth to include thirteen neighbouring parishes to the north and east of the city The plan gained whole council cross-party support as these parishes already benefit from Plymouth’s economic as does Plymouth from visits to the local countryside and beaches Several South Hams residents have shared with me their support for such a council change because of their current limitations in day to day life Residents in Wembury and Carrolsland near Staddiscombe have vented their frustration that they have to drive more than 12 miles to recycle their waste in Ivybridge or change their library books in Ivybridge when they could do so in Plymstock a few miles away Local Government Reorganisation would remedy this farce as an enlarged Plymouth would continue to benefit residents within the existing city boundary and those in all thirteen South Hams parishes who not only will preserve their valued distinctiveness but will have only one tier of local government to provide all its services In my previous article I promised to update you about the concerns regarding management charges at Sherford new town I visited the onsite showrooms of three building contractors and gathered relevant online information from the town’s management companies; First Port These companies are responsible for the upkeep of the shared spaces within the residential allocated parcels I was informed by the sales staff at the showrooms that at the point of sales all home purchasers receive detailed information from the relevant management company about the costs they will pay for the maintenance of the area when I contacted customer services of the management companies they were unwilling to give me any information about the cost of various services; it felt like squeezing water out of a stone No answers were given due to data protection even though I stated I was a local councillor Some of the residents in Sherford seem to be paying over the odds for the services provided by management companies The situation is compounded by the fact that neither Plymouth or South Hams District Council have not yet adopted the constructed site and roads I wrote to the Leader of Plymouth City Council to share with him the residents’ frustrations about service charges and infrastructure maintenance He explained that there had been repeated delays and inactivity by the Sherford Consortium in completing some legal agreements there has been an acceptance of the need to speed up processes meaning within the next couple of years it is anticipated that the roads in Sherford will be adopted in phases by Plymouth City Council or South Hams as appropriate all routine maintenance including street sweeping control of parking etc remains the legal responsibility of The Consortium I will continue to make sure the residents of Sherford within Plymouth City Council’s current boundary have transparent answers to questions they ask about management fee issues It also links to why the Labour Government will be bringing in changes in planning laws and a ban on ground rent leases for homeowners I was recently contacted by BT who are reviewing the possible removal of several payphones across the city One of them is the iconic red phone box we have in Turnchapel BT can only consider removing a payphone where there is low usage and it is not in an area with a high frequency of incidents The phone box in Turnchapel ticks all these boxes This is why they were asking for comments from myself and residents communities still have the option of ‘adopting’ the phone box for £1 to breath fresh life into them with an alternative use Germans that had been converted into a mini library but thousands of phone boxes across the country have been re-invented as cafés I have had significant interest from residents about the possible removal of the payphone I received lots of ideas for how the phone box could be used if it was adopted But there were also concerns about proximity to the seafront and possible use for emergencies I love our quintessentially British red phone boxes They are rightly a proud part of our cultural heritage and brighten up our streets I would like to see it adopted and put to an alternative and vibrant use rather than being used only sporadically throughout the year Irrespective of whether the payphone is removed what is a non-negotiable is the red phone box must remain It is hard to believe how quickly this year appears to be flying by with the lighter evenings fast approaching It is good to see people out and about enjoying the local area Whilst it is only natural for teenagers to meet up to socialise with their friends difficulties arise when socialising turns into anti-social behaviour by some which inevitably has a negative impact on residents there has been a recent incident where youths were reported to be cutting trees with hand saws and axes in the wooded area of Knapps Close and Blackstone on 13 March Police were called to deal with the incident I always questioned ‘Do I know exactly where my children are and what they are up to?’ Axes and hand saws would have to be brought from home and not easily smuggled in and out although I am fully aware that teenagers can be quite canny when up to no good Not only is this a worry about damaging trees and the natural beauty of the area but there is also the major concern of injury from the axes and saws themselves and the risks from falling branches from trees This also puts the wider community at risk particularly when branches are weakened and damaged One would also ask for what do they need the wood We are all aware of the potential danger from fire during the warmer months when wooded areas are dry and flammable Anti-social parking continues to be a problem in Elburton Village Stefan and I will continue to work with the Council’s Parking Enforcement Team and the Elburton and District Residents Association (EDRA) We all want the village to be a safe place for residents and for the children walking to and from school You will have noticed signs appearing in the village and in the local businesses encouraging safer driving and parking We all have a responsibility to ensure that safety is paramount We would like to give special thanks to Darren Stoneman I would like to end this month’s article on a positive note; after a lot of campaigning from your Plymstock Councillors it is so good to have the bus now running between Royal Parade Plympton and of course The Park Crematorium and Saltram House once the infrastructure there is in place in the Spring At the most recent Full Council – a meeting of Plymouth City Councillors to discuss the important issues facing our city – I proposed my first Motion on Notice on community cohesion A Motion on Notice is a debate topic and sets council policy Given the disorder we saw around the country and in our city over the summer it was important to call on the whole council to stand together to make clear that violence I am pleased to report the motion passed with unanimous support It was also about celebrating the work of our unsung heroes in the police and other partners who help keep us safe and our city running smoothly I was extremely moved by the maiden speech of my fellow Plymstock Councillor who received a well-deserved standing ovation Lawson summarises her speech later in this article In my speech one topic I spoke about was the inspiring actions of a group of residents from Plymstock who organised a carpool for care workers many of whom would have usually clocked off and caught buses to Royal Parade to get home One of these residents told me: ‘I could have wept at the relief the carers showed at having offers of lifts.’ This is the true Janner spirit 40 Plymouth Care workers celebrated at Excellence In Care Awards Alongside preparations for the Full Council meeting attending community and civic events and supporting residents with casework we have continued our regular rhythm of Councillor surgeries at Plymstock Library alongside Devon & Cornwall Police’s Plymstock Neighbourhood Team This remains a vital channel for residents to share their thoughts and concerns Police in Plymouth carry out ‘Door to Door’ introductions During my maiden speech at the Full Council meeting in response to Cllr Steel’s motion on community cohesion it was important to recognise the positive contribution that our diverse community has made to our city I have worked as a nurse in Plymouth for over 41 years The workforce at Derriford of over 11,000 people is made up of committed and caring staff from 92 countries The skills and expertise of our diverse workforce enables the delivery of care to residents of Plymouth and the surrounding area My beautiful diverse and blended family have always contributed positively to society My mother-in-law and father-in-law answered the call from the mother country and left their home in Jamaica to help in the NHS My mother-in-law worked in nursing until she was 67 and my father-in-law becoming the first black public health inspector in Salford They arrived in this country before Jamaica gained independence as British citizens International nurses at Derriford reunited after two years apart served 22 years in the Royal Navy and I believe was the second black police officer in Plymouth In my speech, I reflected on the racism and discrimination my son has experienced throughout his life and how this had led him to question his own identity and sense of belonging. I also expressed how members of the global community who work at Derriford have expressed feeling unsafe and uncomfortable travelling to and from work My fear is that misinformation and disinformation may lead to a rise in hate crime It is all our responsibility to continue to stand up to hate and call it out when we see it As Maya Angelou said: ‘Hate has caused a lot of problems in this world but has not solved one yet.” In the debate recalling the shameful violence in our city over the summer Cllr Tess Blight spoke about the value of high-class teaching of Religious Education in our city’s schools She named Goosewell Primary Academy to highlight its excellent teaching of RE to challenge and enable children to take their place in a diverse multi-faith and multi-secular city such as Plymouth Over 75 languages are spoken in our city’s schools by children who look upon each other as classmates friends and members of the same school who share and contribute to their community people will gather around the War Memorial on Burrow Hill to honour the lives of men and women who served our country and usually alongside those of other nationalities and faiths is not just for veterans but also for their families and the public and children and young people from some Plymstock schools pray and hope that the world we live in will see an end to the horrors and heartache caused by those whose motive it to dominate and perpetuate cruel acts of hatred and division let us all remember those who suffer today please contact your Plymstock Labour councillors via email or by mobile Cllr Maria Lawson and I visited Plymstock Bowling Club on their Family Open Day I was under the impression that only senior citizens played bowls there but was pleasantly surprised to see all age groups enjoying themselves playing and socialising is refurbishing the bar area in the next few months and have ambitious plans to install solar panels to reduce energy and carbon costs The latter is something we are looking forward to helping the club with through our community grant During our September ward walk around Staddiscombe Dunstone councillors saw at first hand the difference a football club experienced using newly purchased equipment we had purchased with our community grants we had the opportunity to see a memorial stone and plaque tucked away in the shrubbery along the perimeter of Staddiscombe playing fields It was a reminder of a radar station stationed there during the Second World War and those who manned it to protect our communities during some of the darkest days in our history I will reflect upon this during Remembrance Day John.Stephens@plymouth.gov.uk 07977 7630 601 is the council’s new Building Bridges to Opportunity champion and is supporting Cllr Chris Penberthy Cooperative Development and Communities in work that builds on partnership work to address poverty across the city How Plymstock’s Councillors Are Taking on Health, Transport, and Community Issues Councillor Lawson will help champion the Building Bridges to Opportunity programme which aims to embed work to tackle poverty and the causes of poverty in city plans and strategies to ensure Plymouth is a city where people: which builds on the work by partners in Plymouth to support residents during the cost of living crisis has a wider focus and acknowledges that poverty impacts residents of all ages “I am delighted to have Councillor Lawson’s experience and drive on board to support and champion this vital work “We came together with organisations across the city to respond to cost of living crisis but we now need to take a longer-term approach to tackling the root causes of poverty and ensuring that people in Plymouth are empowered to lift themselves out of poverty “There’s a huge amount to do but I am confident that with Cllr Lawson supporting and the strong partnership network across the city we can make a real difference in ensuring all residents in Plymouth have the opportunity to thrive.” “This is an issue I am truly passionate about and I’m looking forward to working alongside Cllr Penberthy to champion work to address poverty and build opportunities for all residents in Plymouth “I know that there’s some excellent work already taking place but we are keen to listen to those most impacted and to identify any gaps in services or potential problems that need to be addressed.” Councillor Lawson has also been appointed as the Vice-Chair of the cross-party Cabinet Advisory Committee on Child Poverty which has also agreed to act as a reference group for the development of the Building Bridges to Opportunity activity Councillor Lawson joins a number of Cabinet champions who have been appointed to support Cabinet members in delivering critical priorities for the city. There are already champions in place supporting work to address Violence Against Women and Girls The Plympton & Plymstock edition of the newspaper is delivered to the East areas of Plymouth sharing Plymouth news totally free to reader to the East of Plymouth See the full list of delivery areas by checking our map link HERE Our top stories this week from the Plympton & Plymstock edition of the Plymouth Chronicle Newspaper are listed below. You can always keep up with our digital editions on our LATEST EDITION page for Plymouth News We source our news stories from the local community, do you have a news story that you think our readers will like? Head over to our contact page Plymouth NHS nurse Paula Tobin has been presented with a Humanitarian Medal by King Charles for her her life-saving work at a Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) funded emergency field hospitals in war torn Gaza Brave Paula was awarded the honour in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace in February The 57-year-old medic spent four months in Gaza volunteering for frontline medical charity UK-Med One of Plympton’s best loved and most easily recognisable members of the local community has died Russell Burt passed away at Elburton Heights Care Home in January aged 88 Born in Cornwall he later moved to Yealmpton and subsequently to Plympton but it was owls that caused him to become such a well-known figure in the community Plympton Cricket Club has launched a crowd-funding appeal to finance the installation of CCTV following repeated incidents of vandalism on its pitch and in the vicinity of the club house A spokesperson for the club said: Unfortunately this (past) year we have suffered from several acts of gross vandalism littering and dreadful damage to the cricket square caused by e-bikes has been chosen to officially open this year’s annual Spring Show of the Plympton Gardeners Association at Harewood House on March 15 It will be one of the teenager’s last duties in the role before a new Youth Ambassador takes over towards the end of April The controversial redevelopment of a piece of ancient woodland in Colebrook which has generated the ire of those living around it came back before Plymouth City Council’s planning committee on February 27 after local councillors asked for it to be called in for greater scrutiny The land which has stirred up feelings among those in the Colebrook community is on the junction of Newnham Road with Clifton Avenue Police are offering advice to residents after a spate of actual and attempted home and vehicle break ins and thefts in Plympton Officers were called following reports of a property being broken into in Elford Crescent in the early hours of Thursday February 20 Entry to the property was forced and car keys taken before the suspect(s) made off in the occupant’s vehicle Anybody with any relevant information of dash-cam or CCTV footage is asked to contact police on 101 or via their website quoting 50250044081 Plympton Royal British Legion Branch in association with Plymouth Active have established regular free swimming sessions solely for veterans on Monday afternoons at Plympton Swimming Pool The new sessions started on March 3 and will take place each Monday from 2.30pm to 3.30pm To book e-mail plympton.info@plymouthactive.co.uk or call 01752 348459 It has cooked over 150,000 meals and made 20,000 deliveries made to satisfied customers across Devon and beyond and has also successfully launched its full delivery service to all postcodes in Plymouth Personal trainers Gabrielle Paice and Stephen Lynch have launched fit20 Plymouth at Westfield in Plympton The pair noticed that while Plymouth had plenty of gyms not everyone felt comfortable in them – or had the time to go one-on-one strength training in just 20 minutes a week The first of 169 new trees destined for Armada Way have been planted in the ground as the regeneration continues to progress at pace Three silver limes have already been anchored and six cockspur hawthorns and 10 double crimson hawthorns will be arriving in the next few weeks to be planted between existing single rows of trees on both sides of Zone 1a – near the Copthorne Hotel In a major move towards greater local autonomy and Torbay Council are working together to explore the creation of a Mayoral Strategic Authority A part of the Government’s new devolution plans this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to take power out of Whitehall bring decision-making closer to the people of Devon Plymouth and Torbay and unlock unprecedented opportunities for growth and innovation A Plympton greengrocers has been shortlisted for a prestigious award which is located on the Ridgeway has been named as a finalist in one of the categories in the Farm Shop and Deli Awards 2025 It is one of seven shops listed in the Other Specialist Shops category of the Farm Shop and Deli Awards which is championed by Fieldfare and run in partnership with The Grocer magazine has planted a tree to commemorate her year in office It is an established tradition that each Stannator plants a tree of their choice somewhere in Plympton at the end of their year in office Fiona’s tree planting was delayed firstly by the Covid pandemic and then pending agreement on a location for the planting “It’s been another busy month serving you as your local MP – meeting with South West Water I continue to go to bat for you in Westminster on the issues which matter to you and your family – cleaner water and a property management company that is held accountable to the residents it serves This month I have surgeries planned in Plympton and Plymstock.” Plymouth Lions Club boosted their membership when they badged up new member Lucy Peters at their January business meeting held at the Crownhill Royal British Legion Club a 28-year-old podiatrist was introduced to the club by her grandfather Lion George Poad a former club president and long-serving Lion Plans for a new crossing over Cot Hill in Plympton have been given the go-ahead following public consultation will help people – including those with disabilities – to walk and cycle across this busy road It will create a safer pedestrian and cycle route between Saltram Park and Underwood Recreation Ground further enhancing the National Cycle Network Residents who currently use the bus to and from the Cot Hill stops are to be left without a service using this steep hill after changes to local bus services were announced Currently the 59 bus serves Merafield via Cott Hill four times a day Plymouth City Council explained: “This service is currently operated by Plymouth Citybus as part of Devon’s tendered bus services network Devon County Council have advised that Plymouth Citybus will cease to operate the route from April 21 Plymouth city centre is undergoing a multi-million pound development which is one of the biggest city centre projects in the country the majority of people who contacted me asked for help regarding planning matters but common sense and probing questions were especially useful in delivering answers to their enquiries Plymstock Radford is a great part of the city But like every community we are impacted by issues of anti-social behaviour (ASB) I have built a close working relationship with our fantastic Plymstock neighbourhood policing team This is key to tackling ASB across the ward Speeding issues and inconsiderate parking are having a detrimental impact on Plymstock residents I have received several reports about speeding noise nuisance at night from cars and motor bikes and more recently Members of Plymstock Bowling Club have raised an impressive £7,000 for the Mustard Tree Cancer Support Centre at Derriford Hospital The cause was chosen by Club Captain Sue Ellis as her charity of the year for the 2023/24 season representing the Mustard Seed at the club’s Burns Supper in January Plymouth is set to become a hub of AI innovation with the launch of ‘LifeIn AI’ kicking off with a groundbreaking one-day event dedicated to showcasing the region’s AI capabilities LifeIn AI is a free-to-attend public event designed to educate and inspire the city about the advancements and possibilities of Artificial Intelligence An annual budget that injects more than £30 million of additional funding to meet ongoing cost and demand pressures in essential social care and homelessness services has been agreed by Plymouth City Council The additional funds have been included in the £253.4 million revenue budget for 2025/26 approved at the Full Council meeting on February 24 A rise in Council Tax of just under five per cent was also agreed Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW) is appealing for runners to take part in the Plymouth Half Marathon on Sunday May 11 in support of its three children’s hospices in the region Keen runners can sign up now via RaceNation and purchase the CHSW Charity Entry for £44 which includes a support pack and running vest I don’t think it’s any exaggeration to say that the last two months supporting Plymouth Argyle are amongst the most eventful in the club’s history I wrote previously about the chaos of January and the late appointment of Miron Muslic resulting in a major change of our transfer strategy Miron Muslic cited ‘proof of life’ in the battling draw at Sunderland Argyle went into the home game against West Brom 15 games winless and confidence still very much at a low The game started much like that against Sunderland – Argyle did not look much like scoring but not a lot like conceding either the game at Sunderland was looking increasingly like a false dawn The Mount Edgcumbe slipway has officially reopened following extensive repairs ensuring safe and reliable access for Cremyll Ferry passengers The UK’s fourth largest motor retailer has has brought the Volvo brand back to Plymouth for the first time in 17 years and has also relocated its Volvo Yeovil dealership to a new site This strategic move follows Vertu’s acquisition of Rowes Garage Ltd and a number of Helston Garages Group dealerships in the region and reinforces the commitment to provide exceptional automotive services and sustainable practices in the South West The new Volvo Plymouth dealership is located at Oreston Road Plymstock and features Volvo’s signature lounge area complete with luxurious Scandinavian furniture Customers have the option to relax while their car is serviced or work while they wait thanks to the complimentary Wi-Fi and private work space The showroom displays the latest Volvo models including the fully electric Volvo range with EX30 EX40 and EC40 alongside EX90 – the new fully electric premium seven-seater SUV from Volvo customers can view a large selection of Volvo Selekt Approved used cars at both locations Aligning with Volvo’s long term aim to become a fully electric car company and ahead of Volvo’s ambition for 90-100 per cent of its global sales to consist of electrified cars by 2030 both sites feature electric charging points for both plug-in hybrid and fully electric models The site also features interior viewing that allows customers to see all the activity in the new workshops which feature the latest Volvo Personal Service workbays A significant investment in Volvo technology and equipment together with large Parts Departments ensures the two new Vertu Volvo sites are well placed to provide outstanding Volvo Aftersales support to customers “We are very excited to expand our Volvo representation to six sites across the South West as we open the doors to these fantastic new dealerships We are thrilled to bring the Volvo brand back to Plymouth and provide our customers in Yeovil with the very best experience at our new state-of-the-art facility “This is a significant investment and underlines the confidence and relationship we have with Volvo UK and also the market opportunity in the South West We’ve put a lot of work into creating contemporary spaces where customers can feel relaxed and comfortable We have also incorporated the latest eco-friendly technology to ensure we are being consciously sustainable in all areas.” For more information visit https://www.vertumotors.com/find-a-dealer/volvo-plymouth/ Major redevelopment works are under way at the Mount Batten Centre transforming the iconic gateway to Plymouth Sound National Marine Park The project promises to bring a number of important changes to enhance accessibility and visitor experience The redevelopment includes opening up the reception area to provide a warm and inviting welcome creating a new ground floor café with direct access to outdoor seating and spectacular waterfront views and designing new changing facilities to meet Sport England and Changing Places standards Vertu Motors has opened a new Volvo dealership in Plymstock as part of a £3.6 million expansion of its footprint in the South West A car washing day held at Plympton Fire Station has raised £952 for the Fire Fighters Charity Fire service personnel from Plympton were joined by colleagues from Green Watch at Greenbank and the On-Call team at Crownhill to clean vehicles brought in by members of the public who in turn made donations to the charity Plympton Fire station’s next charity car wash will be sometime in September 2025 so keep an eye out for the date.Information about the work of the Fire Fighters Charity can be found at www Tricky weather conditions so far this year impacted on the number of exhibits on the benches of the Plympton Gardeners Association spring show at Harewood House in March but what was lacking in quantity was made up for in quality with one exhibitor taking a show certificate at her first attempt Sue Howing Nicholls took a novice certificate award for winning class 14 with her colourful one bloom double daffodil Show secretary Paul Hutchings said he had contemplated cancelling this year’s spring event but was encouraged to go ahead with it by a promise from two PGA members that they would put in enough entries to make a worthwhile show True to their word Lydia Ross and Lorna Rogers mustered over 100 exhibits between them to supplement the entries of other exhibitors A woman who has spearheaded a band of clean up volunteers and worked tirelessly to keep Plympton free of litter over the past few years is to become the new Stannator of Plympton The role of Stannator is similar to that of a town mayor and is chosen annually from among nominees carrying out voluntary work which benefits the Plympton community was elected to be the next Stannator in a contested secret ballot held at the Plympton Community Council annual meeting on March 28 She will be invested into office and take over from current Stannator Dave Partridge in a ceremony to be held at Harewood House towards the end of April The Plympton community has reacted with shock after learning of the sudden and unexpected death of former Stannator Sally Luscombe She was discovered deceased on March 15 having passed away peacefully in her sleep Earlier in the day concerns had been expressed for the welfare of the popular octogenarian when she didn’t turn up to display her planned exhibits at the Plympton Gardeners spring show Sally was a much loved and respected member of the Plympton St Maurice community She became known across the wider Plympton area during her year as Stannator in 2014/15 She greatly enjoyed the role and one of her highlights was to be among a party to meet Queen Elizabeth II at Plymouth Railway Station The Sherford community is demonstrating that even new towns can have rich heritage connections thanks to a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant that is helping residents learn traditional rural skills Having recently developed and rolled out a Heritage Skills Training Programme Sherford residents are now preparing to showcase their newly acquired skills to the wider community Plympton’s Green Councillors have written to Plymouth City Council highlighting the community’s concern and dissatisfaction over the lack of any obvious action to improve the security of Chaddlewood playing fields following a council site meeting held there in August 2024 to consider what steps could be taken At last August’s meeting various measures were suggested • Strengthening the locking system of the bollards to better prevent unauthorised vehicle access • Installing planters at key access points to restrict entry to towing vehicles while still allowing appropriate access • Implementing tree planting and perimeter screening to provide a natural barrier that enhances security while improving the environmental value of the space More than six months later there has been no sign of any security improvements having been made Ambitious plans to create a huge new country park on the Saltram Estate have been approved by planners at Plymouth City Council Saltram attracted over 930,000 visits in 2023 and the plans submitted by the National Trust are designed to provide greater access to nature An area of 79 acres at Wixenford – equivalent to 60 football pitches – currently used as farmland will become ‘Saltram East’ and is currently within the countryside park boundary ‘Lack of leadership has hampered city’s growth’ & ‘No to a City Mayor’- voices from across Plymouth Residents in Plymouth will decide if the city should have an elected mayor when a Referendum campaign group now called ‘Mayor for Plymouth’ which was spearheaded by Angus Forbes former the city and in this special Chronicle feature the views of those in favour of and those against but it is likely to take place in July or August this year Plymstock councillors continue to tackle key local issues including frustrations over delayed infrastructure and amenities in Sherford They are pressing The Sherford Consortium for action while celebrating new bus routes linking Sherford to Plympton Rebecca Smith MP for South West Devon and Ward Councillor for Plymstock Radford with updates on supporting constituents March has been yet another packed month getting down to work for South West Devon – fighting for local fishermen speaking up for coastal communities in Parliament raising concerns about the closure of Santander’s Plympton branch receiving clarity on Mount Batten works and launching my pub competition Supporting South West Devon’s local economy has been a priority ahead of Labour’s disastrous Emergency Budget Our 3,000 small businesses are reeling from the Labour Chancellor’s tax-hiking anti-growth policies – I will continue to fight their corner in Westminster please do get in touch at rebecca.smith.mp@parliament.uk Eighteen 87 – formerly the Morley Arms – is to be the venue for a major health festival in August Highlights of the festival-themed day include live entertainment with a variety of performances from local musicians Visitors can also treat themselves to festival-themed hair and makeup sessions The event is being organised by University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust Primrose Centre Breast Screening nurse Kayleigh Davenport Three airline pilots are taking on one of the world’s most extreme endurance challenges – rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean in the World’s Toughest Row 2026 a testicular cancer survivor whose journey of resilience has inspired the team’s mission to raise £150,000 for cancer support charities will row non-stop from the Canary Islands to Antigua and relentless physical demands – all to support Young Lives vs Cancer and Move Against Cancer Construction of a key link to a major site within the Plymouth and South Devon (PASD) Freeport is getting underway Partners from the Freeport came together to mark the start of work on the spine road which will connect to the Freeport’s largest tax site at Langage and unlock almost eight hectares of employment land The Devon County Council scheme is a 360-metre single carriageway road which will extend the existing Kingsway Road/Holland Road close to Langage Power Station It will also provide a footway on the western side of the road with a bi-directional cycle path on the opposite side It will be constructed by Cormac and is due for completion by December 2025 An incredible 2,500 men took to the streets of Plymouth on March 22 striding out to honour their much-missed loved ones and show their support for the independent charity that provides specialist end of life care for local families Sunny skies made an unexpected appearance as the biggest gathering yet of big-hearted chaps of all ages turned out for St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth’s Men’s Day Out setting off from Plymouth Albion rugby ground at Devonport to walk 12km along the waterfront and through the city – a reversal of the route to ring the changes for regular participants The iconic sold-out event – the biggest men’s charity walk of its kind in the South West and beyond – has gained huge momentum over the years it has raised more than £1 million through sponsorship and donations to fund the clinical practical and emotional support St Luke’s provides for people in their last months Plympton’s four independent councillors have held a meeting with Plymouth City Council Leader Tudor Evans and Transport portfolio holder Cllr Mark Coker to discuss growing concerns over the safety of the Deep Lane End junction on the A38 Speaking on behalf the group Cllr Patrick Nicholson said: “Plympton Councillors are pleased to have met with Cllr Evans Cllr Coker and the city’s Senior Highway Officer to outline Plympton’s concerns and to seek Plymouth City Council’s support in raising this with Devon County Council National Highways and the Freeport Board.” Devon County Council are responsible for the junction and promised investment at the junction when the Sherford new town was approved but the Plympton councillors claim insufficient progress has been made to accommodate the significant increase in traffic to Sherford and Langage The Plymouth Chronicle is excited to announce a collaboration with Argyle Life to provide regular Plymouth Argyle content from the perspective of the fans We’ll be publishing regular pieces from Argyle Life contributors in print and via our website at www.plymouthchronicle.co.uk written before the Argyle Women’s game against Exeter in the Devon FA Women’s Challenge Cup Final at Newton Abbot is from lifelong Argyle fan and one of the founders of Argyle Life A new hub of adapted e-cycles has opened at Coypool Park and Ride The cycles have been made to make cycling easier for the rider This project will be one of the first networks to offer adapted electric assist cycles and is an inclusive service for people of all ages and abilities and promotes increased participation in active travel The fleet includes 10 recumbent adapted electric assist trikes A taster event was held recently where members of the public were able to go on free led rides The new hub at Coypool supplements the existing hub of adapted cycles at Foulston Park (formerly Brickfields) where high-quality cycling experiences have been provided in a safe and welcoming environment Your feedback and involvement are invaluable and we encourage residents to continue sharing concerns and ideas with their local councillors There is a worrying increase in the number of young people in Plymouth vaping and addicted to nicotine The Tobacco and Vapes Bill currently going through Parliament is a world leading piece of legislation Given we know around one in ten young people in Plymouth use vapes I welcome the government’s ambitious plans to bring about a smoke-free generation by banning the sale of tobacco to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 and to introduce new restrictions to reduce the appeal of vaping to young people Some will argue there is nothing that can be done That young people will always get their hands on vapes even though under-18’s can’t legally buy them I strongly disagree with this hand wringing and defeatism We should all rightly be proud of Plymouth’s innovative work with local schools and other citywide partners to tackle harmful vaping at schools That is why I introduced a Motion on Notice at Full Council in February to call on Ministers to introduce the new tobacco and vape rules as soon as possible But my message at Full Council could not be clearer I am calling on local businesses to act now to voluntarily end the sale of vapes on shop floors This would mean vapes would be behind the counter just like cigarettes have been for many years By keeping vape products out of sight and out of the hands of young people we can help stop them getting hooked on nicotine I am pleased to report my motion received unanimous support from all Councillors This sends an unmistakable message; Plymouth will continue to be at the forefront of the fight to protect young people’s health There has been lots of good news concerning moving about in the Plymstock Dunstone and Radford wards recently topped by the announcement that new bus services will soon run between Plymstock Broadway Plymstock’s Labour councillors have made ongoing representations to Plymouth City Council over the past two years and when meeting weekly with Cllr the Cabinet member responsible for bus services I have been able to share our message loud and clear on behalf of local people I am pleased Rebecca Smith MP has also raised this issue These new services have been possible because of the new Labour government’s record funding of £4.5 million to help improve bus services in Plymouth The new services will link Plymstock and Plympton including stopping at The Park Crematorium everyone to get around the city and contribute to fewer cars on the road Route details and timetables will be made public as soon as all necessary processes including installing bus stop infrastructure at The Park Crematorium As a result of an increase in bus passenger numbers and welcome financial support from Plymouth City Council the evening bus services to and from Saltash / Mountbatten will also be retained after March Other good news is that the final stage of the Sherford Road traffic-calming project will start mid-February to the middle of April This will improve the junction lay-out with Gemini Road create an off-road cycle and walkway at the un-pavemented section to link Elburton and Sherford add a direction priority section at a narrow section of the road a dropped-kerb crossing point and a mini roundabout I am glad this will bring about safer active travel and a reminder to all drivers to drive considerably along this road Work will start this year to continue the Laira Bridge to Sherford off-road cycle link under Colesdown Hill bridge onto the Elburton Road cycle lanes The creation of a pedestrian and cycle controlled crossing on Elburton Road near the motorcycle showroom will benefit residents’ and cyclists’ safety Discussions continue about plans to make a better off-road cycle and walking route between Elburton and Brixton Residents in Staddiscombe may have noticed the preliminary stage of works to add a dropped kerb crossing from one side of Staddiscombe Road into The Staddy car park and also onto the nearby bus stop where a hard standing will be installed to bring an end to muddy feet for bus passengers using this stop This is a measure originally raised by residents and will be paid from Dunstone Councillors’ Living Streets grant it has been good to relay residents’ appreciation that PCC’s Street Services Team has increased the regularity of sweeping paths pavements and roadsides of autumn and winter debris there are still areas that could do with a sweep too are grateful to residents who report concerns and appreciation to Plymouth City Council and to ourselves I feel passionately that as elected councillors we should strive to make a difference in the ward in which we serve and to the city of Plymouth We have been fortunate recently that some of our aspirations and hopes have come to fruition Sometimes the small changes we make can have a big impact As the deputy chair of the Child Poverty Committee I was shocked to hear that there are approximately 1,600 households in Plymouth who are entitled to free school meals and are not claiming them This effects approximately in the region of 2600 children these families will also be missing out on additional support available throughout the school holidays Schools are also missing out on Pupil Premium grants associated with free school meals There is a simple fix to this; to move to an automatic enrolment when families meet the criteria To make this change I submitted a motion on notice at the council meeting on the 27 January calling for Plymouth City Council to write to Bridget Phillipson MP Secretary of State for Education and Liz Kendall MP ​• ​Auto-enrolment for free school meals be added to the anticipated Children’s Wellbeing Bill ​• ​Local education authorities are given the powers necessary to obtain and exchange the information necessary to identify and register all children eligible for free school meals ​• ​For Plymouth City Council to review the schemes put in place by some other local authorities and consider adopting an opt-out system for 2025/26 in the event that a national scheme has not been delivered The motion was carried unanimously demonstrating that Plymouth City Council is committed to reducing child poverty and this change will inevitably have a positive impact on the 16.3% of Plymouth children living in poverty I am being kept very busy as usual with the day-to-day work of councillors – potholes planning and many other issues are just a sample of things we deal with on our residents’ behalf on a regular basis I really enjoy this role and it was brought home to me just how much last year when I had a health scare I was rushed to the Emergency Department at Derriford Hospital I had to wait for some time to be admitted onto a hospital ward which I know will have been the experience of many of you and your families The media locally and nationally were reporting on the A&E crisis in the NHS and Derriford was one of the hospitals frequently in the spotlight delivered on their promise to get the investment we need to rebuild our Emergency Department I am so proud of these two hard-working men securing millions of pounds of investment needed Fred Thomas had invited Health Secretary Wes Streeting to visit Derriford to see first hand the challenges doctors nurses and paramedics were facing while caring for people across Plymouth I’m grateful that I got the care I needed which means I get to carry on being your councillor and am fit for the future Now it’s time for our Emergency Department to get the same Plympton-based Sir Joshua Reynolds Women’s Institute has raised over £500 for BASICS Devon the volunteer immediate care medics charity Through a series of events such as quizzes the members of the Women’s Institute raised £543.49 for the charity The fundraising efforts will significantly contribute to the crucial work of the local emergency response team by raising both vital funds and awareness A navigation channel within Cattewater Harbour is to be dredged as part of improvements designed to attract more cargo and bigger A botanist involved in the Devon Living Churchyards Project has described St Mary Churchyard in Plympton as  ‘one of the best surveyed so far.’  The comment was made after 118 different plant species were recorded during a survey there in July A successful Plympton based women-led crafting business is celebrating two years of success To the milestone EM-MAgination recently held a party at the Rees Centre in Plympton on featuring a family crafting session where party hats party bags and badges were made to celebrate After this those supporters of EM-MAgination including other local small businesses came together to share cake and a glass of fizz END OF AN ERA AT ST MARY’S AND OLD PRIORY The end of the school term has marked the end of an era at St Mary’s Infants School and Old Priory Junior Academy in Plympton with the departure of the popular and much respected headteacher Suzie Ottewell EX-SCHOOL TEACHER SETS UP NEW ART WORKSHOPS BUSINESS Kayleigh Swann has taken a leap of faith from 14 years experience as an art teacher in local secondary schools to set up her own company providing art workshops Rescue dogs sizzling in the heat need your help Gables Dogs and Cats Home have been working very hard to keep their residents cool during the hot weather and have decided the time has come to install permanent air conditioning Plympton Civic Society has announced the staging of another Heritage Open Day following on from the success of past such events The next one will be on Saturday September 21 from 11am to 3pm in the main hall at Harewood House and is free to attend An award-winning local entrepreneur sharing her skills with young people in a community project. Talented local artist Ellie Johnson, better known as Mrs Murals has hosted workshops for 11 to 16-year-olds where they can gain art and design skills and use them to enhance their local community NEW CLASSES FOR GARDENERS’ DIAMOND SUMMER SHOW Plympton Gardeners Association will be celebrating their 75th Annual Summer Show at Harewood House on Saturday  August 17 The doors will open to the public at 1.30pm and there will be an official opening by Stannator Dave Partridge and Youth Ambassador Christopher Turner at 1.40pm Plymstock Community Centre is celebrating its 50th Anniversary on Sunday September 22 and organisers are inviting everyone to join in with the festivities at the event REMEMBRANCE PARADE WILL GO AHEAD VOWS RBL Plympton’s annual Remembrance Day Parade will still go ahead this year after the Plympton St Maurice Civic Association stepped in to save the day Visitors to this year’s Yealmpton Show in the grounds of the Kitley Estate at the end of July enjoyed a scorching day with plenty to do and see In direct contrast to last year’s wet weather this year’s show – the 135th in its history – needed umbrellas only as sunshades as visitors enjoyed near heatwave conditions which provided a boost to ice cream sellers and other vendors offering cool refreshments South West’s boldest charity cycling challenge returns for 2024 the South West’s most popular charity cycling challenge returns to the wilds of Dartmoor this autumn with fun and adventure for the whole family Plympton Wonderers’ weekly stroll recently took them on a surprise visit to Plympton Priory where they were greeted by local historian John Boulden and his colleagues who look after this part of Plympton’s heritage The Wonderers were able to learn about the history of the site and look at some of the artefacts kept on display in the small museum there The Plympton & Plymstock edition of the newspaper is delivered to the east areas of Plymouth including: See the full list of delivery areas by checking our map link HERE Plymouth Chronicle Newspaper – Latest Edition Free Dartmoor Zoo tickets for local fostering families in city Fostering families in Plymouth will receive free family tickets to enjoy a walk on the wild side at Dartmoor Zoo Dartmoor Zoo has pledged to provide each of the 109 fostering families at Foster for Plymouth Plymouth City Council’s own fostering service Plymouth care assistant Nadyne wins top award A care assistant at a Plymouth care home has won a top award Plymstock triumphed at the South West regional final of the Great British Care Awards 2024 Race is on to find homes for unwanted greyhounds at Plymouth sanctuary A Plymouth animal sanctuary is appealing for help from dog lovers who would be prepared to give a home to a greyhound Woodside Animal Welfare Sanctuary is currently caring for six greyhounds at its shelter on the edge of Plympton with some waiting nearly two years for their forever homes Planners reject proposal to turn Underwood Chapel into a nursery A plan to turn the former Underwood Chapel in Plympton into a nursery has been refused The proposal drew a large response from the public with people polarised between favouring the nursery because of current underprovision and opposed to it because of the likely effect on traffic Mount Batten Peninsula gets a £4 million improvement boost Celebrating Mount Batten investment (from left) Sam Waites chief executive Mount Batten Centre; Councillor Tudor Evans Plymouth Sound National Marine Park and Richard Lerigo Mount Batten Centre.Mount Batten Peninsula is set to benefit from over £4million of investment in a series of improvement works that will ensure the Mount Batten Centre and its surrounding area become an accessible gateway to Plymouth Sound National Marine Park As one of the key gateways to Plymouth Sound National Marine Park will undergo a series of enhancements to improve inclusive access to the Park Residents call for urgent improvements to new bus shelters Local residents in Plympton are voicing strong concerns over newly installed bus shelters on Glen Road near Edwards Drive and Bellingham Crescent which they claim provide inadequate protection from the elements Campaign for directly elected mayor gathering momentum Campaigners who want to see a directly elected mayor in Plymouth are working hard to collect the signatures of around 10,000 electors in the city so that a referendum is triggered which is not affiliated to any political party The couple have lived in Plymouth for more than two years and Darcey is currently the Chair of the Board of Theatre Royal Plymouth Senior Citizens Forum given insight into work of Plymouth Ukraine Medical Aid The Plymouth Senior Citizens Forum welcomed two guests to its recent quarterly meeting held in the Council Chamber the City Council’s Cabinet lead for Health and Adult Social Care led a discussion about the city council’s Ageing Well programme She shared how people can often think ageing is a problem to be solved Council votes to keep current election cycle – despite public views against Plymouth City Council has voted to keep the current local election cycle of electing councillors by thirds every year with a fallow election year every fourth year Prior to the vote a public consultation had taken place seeking views from the public on whether to go to all out elections every four years or stick with the current annual elections of a third of the council each year Plymouth City Council has been awarded just over £4.5 million from a £1 billion government funding boost for bus services across England is in addition to the £1.6 million previously awarded to the council from the Department for Transport’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) Phase 2 fund and the £10.3m we have been awarded to deliver zero emission buses in the city See the full list of delivery areas by checking our map link HERE Cat crisis at Woodside as unwanted litters soar post Covid pandemic Around 80 cats and kittens have been added to a waiting list at a Plymouth animal shelter as it struggles to cope with the number of pets needing its help Woodside Animal Welfare Sanctuary is seeing a worrying upward trend in the number of abandoned St Luke’s popular coffee shop celebrates its first birthday It’s just over a year since St Luke’s b.kinda coffee shop opened its doors in the heart of Plympton and it’s certainly made a strong impression on the local community in those first 12 months BIKE NIGHTS STEP UP A GEAR IN SUPPORT OF WOODSIDE More than £1,300 has been raised for a Plymouth animal sanctuary by motorcyclists who gathered at a series of bike nights earlier this year Hundreds of motorcycle enthusiasts turned out for six Plympton Bike Nights organised by Triumph Plymouth in conjunction with Plymouth Harley Davidson Anchorpoint Home Care: A new beacon of hope in Plymouth Combining their skills and expertise honed in careers dedicated to helping others Sian Kunene and Antony Pugh have embarked on a new journey to provide quality care to the Plymouth and South Hams community A Plymouth teenager with autism wants to show that The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE) is for everyone after being selected as a UK Youth Ambassador for the charity joins a cohort of just 35 DofE Award holders aged between 16 and 24 from all over the UK who will advocate for young people by sharing their expertise on key issues impacting them Beryl bikes clock up huge 267,000 miles in Plymouth Plymouth’s e-bike share scheme has clocked up more mileage than ten trips around the world during its first year and a half of operation Operated by Beryl as part of Plymouth City Council’s Connect Plymouth scheme the bikes have just surpassed 267,000 miles since launching in March 2023 more than the distance between Earth and the Moon City College launches Caerus – new careers guidance platform An innovative new skills planning platform designed to transform the way individuals approach careers guidance has been launched by City College Plymouth The new platform called Caerus was unveiled at an exclusive event at Market Hall Devonport having been developed in collaboration with leading employers Join The Box on its ‘Journey to a Million’ Visitor numbers to The Box recently passed 900,000 – and that can only mean one thing: the city’s award-winning venue is now on a journey to reach one million art gallery and archive opened in late September 2020 and has gone from strength to strength ever since with a range of galleries that highlight the permanent collections plus a hugely ambitious programme of changing exhibitions The latest news as it happens across Torquay Find out what is happening & the latest breaking news in Torbay important updates and local opinions from Torquay Paignton & Brixham at the Torbay Weekly News Torquay United FC match reports & opinions and other Local sports news days out for the kids and amazing holiday ideas in Torquay Your source of news from beyond the bay covering Devon News and UK News The Torbay Weekly Business awards celebrates the accomplishments of Torbay based Businesses and brings together the Torbay Business community Paignton & Brixham from the local community & our Torbay based reporters property sales & property of the week in Torquay Get your local Torbay traffic & travel reports and airport departures in and around Torquay Father and Son Richard and Ryan representing Paignton RFC Paignton RFC travel to Plymstock Albion Oaks on Saturday for a title clash that has all the ingredients needed for a mammoth game of rugby While Plymstock are third in the Counties 1 Tribute Western West Division the Cherries hold top spot following a ruthless 94-12 demolition of struggling Tavistock Henry Hoare and Harry Davies both scored hat-tricks for Paignton with further tries coming from Dewald Stoop (2) The Plymstock trip is the first of three games on the road for the Cherries before Christmas as they travel to mid-table Redruth 2nds on December 14 and then Bude Nathan Jordan made his senior debut for Paignton 2nds helping his side to a comfortable 0-29 victory at Ivybridge 3rds Lewis Swarr and Toby Hodgetts were the try-scorers for the Cherries The fairytale run in the Papa Johns Community Cup came to an end for Paignton Ladies who put up an excellent fight before going down 26-5 at Winscombe Ladies who are undefeated in the league above the Cherries Brixham were made to work very hard before finally recording a 15-20 success at struggling Sidmouth Harry Rodwell notched the opening try for the Fishermen on a heavy pitch in East Devon but Sidmouth soon levelled the scores and dotted down again to eventually lead a stodgy first period 12-10 Brixham were hampered by losing players to the sin bin but eventually found some rhythm to score through Joel Ashworth A penalty extended the lead to 12-20 and the Fishermen held on to win Brixham welcome Royal Wootton Bassett on Saturday and then a huge game for their title ambitions on December 14 who are currently one place above the Fishermen in second Exmouth continue to lead the way at the top After recording so many huge victories in the Counties 2 Tribute Devon Division it was quite refreshing to see Torquay Athletic pushed all the way before sealing a 14-29 victory at second-placed Devonport Services 2nds Callum Crocker and Morgan Alcock scored the tries for Tics Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez Image: Al Macphee / Miracle PR and Event Photography Consultation meetings consider new homes plan one at Hemerdon and the other at Chaddlewood have taken place to enable the public to see in greater detail and comment upon proposals for new housing on land next to Stoggy Lane in Plympton Plympton’s new Hillcrest Centre meeting the many needs of the local community Hillcrest Community Centre in Plympton has officially opened its doors to the community Lauren and Gavin Bolger and a team of volunteers whose aims are to meet the needs of the community The Hillcrest Centre is a registered not for profit Community Interest Company PLYMPTON LOSES ONE OF ITS THREE POST OFFICES One of the three Post Offices in Plympton has closed and there are no plans to replace it The branch situated in a convenience store in Plymbridge Road opposite the rear entrance to Hele’s School closed on 25 September much to the disappointment of those living in the vicinity of it Proposed new day nursery is dividing opinion in Plympton disused chapel into a day nursery have divided the community living around it A planning application has been submitted by Adam Jensen for a change of use of the old Underwood Chapel where the current planning consent is for a place of worship New pitches and partnership: Sherford teams up with Argyle Community Trust to open outdoor sports facility Extensive new outdoor sports facilities have opened at Sherford and they will be managed by Argyle Community Trust The exciting new partnership will provide community access to Sherford Sports Hub which has an all-weather sand-dressed astro turf pitch From awarding young winners in her Christmas card competition to advocating for vital healthcare improvements, MP Rebecca Smith shares how she’s championing local concerns while setting ambitious goals for the year ahead from securing a new A&E facility for Derriford Hospital and strengthening regional transport links to defending Plymouth’s naval assets and standing up for victims of violence Rebecca also celebrates one local resident’s viral Christmas display spreading festive cheer while raising funds for a good cause Read on to see how your MP is working to make a difference for Plympton I closed 2024 with a sack full of Christmas visits in South West Devon. I announced the winners of my first Christmas card competition, Grace, Jude and Jessica, met with Royal Mail sorters and posties ahead of the Christmas rush at the Mail Centre in Plymstock, held kittens at Gables Farm and pulled crackers with my team at the Royal Oak in Meavy Many of us set personal goals at New Years The start of a new year also offers a chance to reflect on where our communities and the wider country stand Read on for a glimpse of my aims and early work for South West Devon in the year ahead I will be keeping an eagle eye on the hospital decision pressing on for progress on transport in our region asking a question in Parliament on defence and speaking at the debate on Violence Against Women and Girls I have been campaigning relentlessly for the Government to honour its manifesto commitment to Derriford’s new A&E CQC calls for urgent changes at Derriford Hospital’s ED The new facility is absolutely vital to unblock queues of ambulances outside A&E and improve health outcomes in Plymouth and the surrounding areas I presented a petition to Parliament with almost one thousand local signatures The Government have considered my petition and a decision is expected to be made this month I will press on with my work to improve transport links in South West Devon As a member of the influential Transport Committee I will use my platform to argue for the need to complete the remedial works at Dawlish have Crosscountry trains call at Ivybridge and deliver the Plymouth Metro I was deeply concerned by the Government’s decision to scrap HMS Bulwark and Albion last November I asked when the six planned amphibious warships will be built to replace Bulwark and Albion and support Royal Marine operations Given the cross-party support for keeping the Royal Marines in Plymouth the Government’s timescale is of significant interest to Plymouth and the surrounding communities I will be sharing the Government’s response in due course Also, as I write this, I am hoping to speak at the Westminster debate on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Having served as the chair of Plymouth City Council’s VAWG Commission it is an issue close to my heart and one that I have carried with me into Parliament I couldn‘t sign off without one of my personal highlights from Christmas – visiting Brian’s amazing Christmas display on Reddicliff Road in Plymstock Countless families have passed by to get a glimpse of Brian’s famous polystyrene cartoon characters and my post sharing this picture has reached an incredible 363,000 views rebecca.smith.mp@ parliament.uk or call the office on 01752 335666 Visit my website or Facebook for more information: www.rebecca-smith.org.uk and fb.com/SWDevonRebecca In our December edition we published a photo of Rebecca Smith MP and Coun Kathy Watkin at the Radford Park pumpkin judging Unfortunately the caption referred to her as Coun Kathy White I have quickly learnt that it is not possible to resolve all the issues that arise but that does not stop John we also have responsibilities on scrutiny panels and committees I enjoy being a member of the Adult Health and Social Care Scrutiny Panel which enables me to use the analytical skills gained from my nursing background to review and question local provision I am member of the Child Poverty Committee and have had the honour of becoming the Building Bridges to Opportunity Champion I feel it is important to ensure that women are fully involved and have a strong voice in local politics I have recently taken over the role of the women’s officer for the South-West Devon Constituency Labour Party and was delighted to be part of the relaunch recently of the Plymouth Labour Women’s Network at The Box We had a great discussion about influential women and what we can do to keep improving the city I have had the privilege of meeting so many people and groups in the area who strive to make our part of Plymouth a better place I had a lovely time at a charity coffee morning organised by the Plymstock Bowling Club when a total of £368.10 was raised to support The Mustard Tree Cancer Support Centre Well done to the organisers and to all who attended the Plymstock community spirit is even more evident We are looking forward to seeing the lights switched on in Elburton Village and attending the Village Craft Fair I stayed in for a few days of tests and rest and received excellent care from doctors and nurses I was happy to learn I was ok but at the same time pondered about my personal vulnerabilities I received an overwhelming number of good wishes This experience brought back memories about my loved ones who have passed on Some of them served in the armed forces protecting our country and our people from oppression and the horrors of conflict we will have the opportunity to pay our respects at the Plymstock war memorial on Burrow Hill to fallen members of our armed forces who paid the ultimate price giving their lives that we may have our peace and freedom we are reminded of the birth of Jesus and his amazingly simple message: “Love thy neighbour as yourselves.” May we all remember how much good we can all do for each other and continue to do our best May we lift the burdens of those that are alone in their homes stretch out our arms and let them know we care I started my year as a diplomat and have ended it as a politician I have fought three campaigns and was humbled to be elected as your ward councillor in May Anyone that knows me will tell you I love a good chat That’s why I’ve enjoyed speaking to residents so much I’ve supported residents with issues ranging from hedge and grass cutting I feel very privileged to see the great work of local organisations like PEM Disability Football Club that make our community an even better and more inclusive place At the Council I sit on the Corporate Parenting Group and Children I’ve constantly been inspired by the hard work and passion of all those involved in supporting Plymouth’s over 500 looked after children a celebration of the effort and achievements of our care experienced children and young people My New Year’s resolution is to continue working hard for residents of Plymstock Radford in 2025 and beyond I want to wish you all a very happy Christmas and New Year I recently completed a Climate Awareness course which is accredited with the Carbon Literacy Trust. Though climate change issues are dominant on news programmes, and Plymouth City Council has an excellent Net Zero Action Plan which can be found at www.plymouth.gov.uk/net-zero-action-plan I confess I was shocked how little I knew about the causes and impact of climate change My eyes were opened wide when learning about the scientific facts myths and examples of what simple changes can be achieved for the benefit of our community A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases (including carbon dioxide and methane) that are generated by our actions Following recent conversations with residents and groups across the ward I plan to pull together anyone who may be interested in getting together to learn more about climate change and how to reduce their own and our collective carbon (usage) footprints reduce car travel where possible and re-engage the community catching a bus or car share their journeys Keep an eye out for updates on my councillor and local community Facebook pages in this newspaper and on information streams of local relevant organisations to find out how people of all ages in Plymstock can help develop a green active and socially engaged local community before we set out minds to this new year initiative I hope you all have a good Christmas and a New Year that will be peaceful and a blessing for you KINGBRIDGE stunned the much-fancied Plymstock Oaks 41-31 in the first round of the Papa Johns Cup, that they had so gloriously won the year before. This success was helped by having together a very strong squad for the first time in a while with Toby Baldry the only one missing. The first half started with a bang for Kings as their initial pressure paid off, George Banfield getting back to his best after such a long injury, raced through to score. Things got even better as scrum-half Max Ferguson broke from the scrum to score under the posts. Newman converting. A shocked Oaks responded through a drop goal. They then began to peg Kings back and in full flow, crossed for a pair of tries of their own. Kings hit back with Tom Winzer scoring off the end of a clever lineout, Newman converting again. Kings started the second half as they did the first, Dan Jarvis carrying well and getting them on the scoreboard again. Newman added the extras. Then came the try of the match as the Winzer brothers combined to score a fabulous try. The returning Jack broke clear and passed on to Tom with the pair exchanging the ball again. Kings will be glad to have Jack back, they have missed his all-round power game. Oaks tried desperately to get back into the game but were pushed back time and time again. As defence turned into attack, Jarvis added another. Kings coughed up a couple of penalties and were further undone as Oaks scored another converted try. Back came Kings in attack and were looking likely to score but the final pass was intercepted by Oaks who ran almost the length of the field to score, leaving the score 38-31and Kings needlessly having a nervous last 5 minutes. However, those fears were put to rest as Newman converted a penalty, leaving Oaks needing to score twice. Final score 41-31. Tel: 01548 853101[email protected]Follow us Multi-million pound clean up for key city centre buildings Plymouth is celebrating a scheme designed to make people look again at the city centre’s stunning post-war architecture Armada Way construction costs are significantly reduced Plymouth City Council has announced that construction costs to regenerate Armada Way have been significantly reduced and will be largely funded by substantial grants and external resources reducing the direct cost of the scheme to local taxpayers Safe Bus providing support for hundreds of late-night revellers which is set up to provide support to people during the late night and early hours of the morning has helped nearly 230 people so far this year Business support project for women smashes its targets A Plymouth project designed to provide business advice and support to women has smashed all its targets. The Supporting Her Enterprise (SHE) Plymouth Project delivered by local social enterprise Iridescent Ideas CIC aimed to support 60 women in its first year but now has 200 members after just 14 months Sadness as famous Plympton ‘church cat’ dies One of Plympton’s most well-known and recognised cats has passed away Known by a variety of names the famous tortoiseshell was frequently seen in St Mary’s churchyard in Plympton where sightings of her gave comfort to so many Concerns over impact of new development of 500 homes Concerns have been expressed after news that Plymouth City Council is spearheading the construction of a huge new housing development on land off Stoggy Lane in Plympton This land which is geographically in the South Hams is owned by Plymouth City Council and would see 500 modern GET READY FOR AN EVENING OF RAILWAY NOSTALGIA Plym Valley Railway is staging an evening of railway nostalgia in October with a presentation by Bernard Mills called ‘Rails Around Plymouth Part 1.’ The event will focus on the west side of the city with many pictures from the past In common with their counterparts across the country Plympton students have been discovering the results of their A Level and GCSE studies This Halloween Half Term, Plymstock’s ancient Radford Park – a site steeped in history and ghostly legend – will come alive with bats, pumpkins, and spooky fun as it hosts a family-friendly Bat Walk and Pumpkin Lantern Trail on Saturday 26 October The free event which will run from 4-6pm will feature a bat-spotting walk and Halloween costume and carved pumpkin contests judged by local MP Rebecca Smith and Councillor Kathy Watkin Ghoulishly attired attendees will be led through the park to Radford Castle, perched on the edge of Hooe Lake’s spectral ship graveyard spotting resident bats along the route before returning for Halloween-themed activities and refreshments at the Beckly Centre in Radford Dip The route will be marked by spooky waymarkers styled by award-winning local artist Debby Mason adding a touch of eerie magic to the trail Free Halloween treats will be available to attendees, with street food and drinks available to purchase from Spriggy’s Street Food who will also be operating a pop-up bar from his van at the Beckly Centre Organised by the Radford Park Community Project (RPCP) and Friends of Radford Woods, the bat walk will be guided by wildlife experts from Plymouth Natural Grid (PNG) PNG is a partnership project between Plymouth City Council which has been working to conserve and protect the environment and wildlife in Radford Woods Local Nature Reserve “We’re thrilled to welcome families to Radford Park for a night of spooky fun and to celebrate the wildlife and history of this iconic local space.” “This event is a fantastic opportunity for locals to reconnect with Radford Park which is both a beautiful green space and a vital habitat By engaging the community through fun and informative events we hope to ensure its preservation for future generations.” Join us for a spook-tacular evening at Radford Park this 26 October Don’t forget to bring your best home-styled Halloween costume More information on the event can be found at hooelake.org Plymstock School opened its doors bright and early to welcome Year 13 students to collect their results. A spokesperson for the school said, “This day marks a significant and exciting point in the transition to adulthood as students now confirm their plans for September whether that be further study at a further education college or higher education university, training, an apprenticeship or employment or another route. “We wish all of our students and indeed all students locally and nationally the very best and that their results fairly reflect their work during their time studying. We are over the moon that a combination of the hard work of students and the dedication of staff has secured outcomes that enable choice and a range of positive next steps. We are pleased to see students rewarded for their hard work and take a huge amount of pleasure as school staff seeing them receive good news and knowing that they can then pursue their chosen path next year and beyond.” Head of Sixth Form, Beckie Littler added, “The 2024 Year 13 cohort are a fantastic group of young people who have, over their time with us at Plymstock School, developed into exceptional young adults. Their successes are not just reflected in their exam results but also in who they have become and the impact they have on the world around them. Our Year 13s have shown that they are kind, compassionate, hardworking young adults who have given back to our school and local community through their sport, coaching, charity work, mentoring, advocacy for people’s rights, environmental matters, tutoring and volunteering. Now that they have achieved their A levels they can move forward in whatever direction they chose. The compassion, resilience and tenacity they have shown during their A levels will help them in their future endeavours, and I am unbelievable proud of each and every one of them. I wish them the best of luck in the future and look forward to hearing of their successes over years to come.’ Tel: 01548 853101[email protected]Follow us WIVELISCOMBE failed to end their lead spell when they went down 43-13 away to Plymstock Oaks in Counties One Western West. Sixth placed Wiveliscombe travelled to Plymouth knowing they were in for a difficult afternoon against fourth place Plymstock who are a particularly tough team to beat on their own ground. The home team were in a strong position at half time, scoring twenty four points with Wiveliscombe kicking a solitary penalty through fullback Will Thorne. Wiveys scrummaging put the home team under pressure throughout the game but Plymstock’s support play through their loose forwards found holes in Wiveliscombe’s defence which led to most of the home team’s tries. Losing 24-3 at the interval Wiveliscombe, to their credit, created several promising moves in the second half, resulting in two tries scored by winger Dan Rottenbury and prop Matt Ellis. Plymstock increased their lead with three more tries and two conversions to complete the bonus point victory. Meanwhile, Wiveliscombe 2nd XV remain on course to win Counties Four Somerset South after gaining a 42-5 away victory over Weston super Mare’s third team, gaining a convincing victory - their 12th in 13 matches. Wivey are now nine points behind Martock, who are in top position, and have two games in hand and are eighteen points above third place Burnham on Sea. This latest win keeps their promotion chances very much alive. Wiveliscombe also have a far superior points difference than any other side in the division. Wiveliscombe play Martock at home on the 22nd March in a game which could decide top team in the league. Fixtures for this coming weekend, February 22: Wiveliscombe 2nd XV v Tor 2nds (home) League. March 1st Wiveliscombe 1st XV v Bideford 1st XV (home) League. Wiveliscombe 2nd XV v Yeovil 2nd XV ( home) League. Tel: 01984 632731[email protected]Follow us Further Links We use some essential cookies to make this website work We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK remember your settings and improve government services We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports South West Water Ltd has today been before Plymouth Magistrates’ Court where the company pleaded guilty to five offences related to illegal water discharge activities and a breach of an environmental permit The company has admitted two charges relating to the Hooe Lake Sewage Pumping Station at Plymstock between August and September 2020 of causing a sewage discharge and breaching an environmental permit one of causing a discharge into Polperro harbour in August 2019 and two relating to discharges at Bodmin Road The case was adjourned for sentencing at a later date between 27 August 2020 and 2 September 2020 at Hooe Lake Sewage Pumping Station breached condition 2.3.2a of Environmental Permit 032894/V001 in that a discharge of raw sewage occurred when the flow passed forward was not equal to or greater than the overflow setting indicated due to rainfall and/or snowmelt between 24 August 2019 and 27 August 2019 at Polperro otherwise in accordance with an environmental permit between 27 August 2020 and 29 August 2020 at Budshead Creek Plymouth did cause a water discharge activity namely the discharge into inland freshwaters of poisonous noxious or polluting matter except under or to the extent authorised by and environmental permit  noxious or polluting matter except under or to the extent authorised by and environmental permit Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details Exeter Chiefs opportunity for Finley Hammond was given a weekend battering by Storm Darragh but Paignton Rugby Club was a rare survivor of the conditions Travelling to Plymstock Oaks for a top-of-the-table clash in the Counties 1 Tribute Western West Division the Cherries produced an outstanding display to emerge from the wind with a superb 17-36 victory The tries for Paignton came from Harry Law The Cherries round off for the Christmas break with trips to Redruth 2nds and Bude over the next two weekends Lewis Swarr and Sam Bostock crossed the line for Paignton 2nds in a 5-14 triumph at New Cross in a friendly fixture Congratulations to Paignton RFC youngster Finley Hammond who has been a star of the U15 squad for the Cherries and has now qualified to play for the Exeter Chiefs Academy following a recent player development session Brixham’s home tie with Royal Wootton Bassett was postponed on Saturday morning with the visiting team unable to travel due to multiple road closures in their area The Fishermen have a tough trip to title rivals Barnstaple this weekend there was a magical family moment at Astley Park sporting the club’s 150-year heritage shirt alongside his great-great nephew Ronnie Brixham’s youngest player at just seven years-old It was a game on for Torquay Extras at Salcombe and the Bay club battled bravely before going down to a 37-17 defeat Next on the menu for the Extras is a Torbay derby at home to Paignton 2nds on Saturday Torquay Athletic travel to bottom club South Molton For best viewing experience of this website Please enter a place name in the search bar After provisionally the warmest May Day on record in the UK higher than average temperatures will subside over the weekend Environment Agency Updated: 05:16 (UTC+1) on Tue 6 May 2025 Fine and settled under the influence of high pressure A chilly start but with plenty of clear skies bringing long spells of sunshine Cloud thickening from the west later in the afternoon but remaining dry for all with light winds Evening cloud gradually clears away leaving a dry night with clear spells Wednesday brings a mixture of sunny spells and cloudy skies A few spots of rain may be felt in the far southwest Widely dry and settled with high pressure dominating this week Dry across the vast majority of the UK with clear or sunny spells but also some patchy cloud Cloud will likely thicken across the far north and northwest during the weekend with some outbreaks of rain for a time There is also a small risk of some heavy showers in the far south or southwest high pressure will be dominant across the UK This will bring predominantly fine and dry weather for the majority of places Temperatures are likely to be slightly above normal for the time of year although there is a chance of some cold nights Fairly typical weather for the time of year is most likely through this period fine and dry weather is more likely to dominate although this will be interspersed with occasional spells of rain and showers with a risk of heavy rain and thunderstorms in places temperatures will most likely be near to or slightly above average Coach John Stevens and Head Coach Murray Westren have been mightily pleased with their charges this season After opening 2025 with two pleasing Counties 1 Tribute Western West league wins away against Kingsbridge and home to league leaders Paignton the Pirates Amateurs maintained their good form with this excellent bonus point win on Saturday away to previously third placed Plymstock Albion Oaks There were four changes in the Pirates XV from the one that started against Paignton A fresh wing pairing was formed by Joey Norway and Dan-Rhys Evans the latter having returned to the Pirates following a brief spell at near rivals St whilst in the pack Tom Hutton was named in the ‘6’ shirt in place of Toby Osborne who moved up to his more familiar spot in the second row Weather-wise conditions at the home team’s Wembury Road ground in Plymouth were pleasingly good on an afternoon when the Pirates scored five tries in the match Evans scooped two on his return and there was one apiece for hooker Eli Williams Full-back Ben Wragg also kicked a penalty and two conversions The Pirates were actually losing 28-18 with just five minutes to go but with perseverance and determination they conjured up their last two important tries through Carroll and Semmens In the process it delivered a superb victory Just four points now separate the Pirates and league leaders Paignton but with the Pirates having a game in hand Another pleasing factor is that 16 members of the squad who featured on Saturday are products of Penzance & Newlyn RFC’s mini-junior section “Playing Plymstock Albion Oaks away is always a difficult fixture It’s never an easy place to get a result so it was of great credit to the lads for again performing so well to have the desire to win the game with two converted tries in the last five minutes showed a resolve and hunger that was truly impressive Pirates Amateurs:   15 Ben Wragg 14 Joey Norway 13 Josh Semmens 12 Harris Eddy 11 Daniel-Rhys Evans 10 Oscar Marr 9 Sam Carter; 1 Dylan Arthur 2 Eli Williams 3 Joe Best 4 Toby Osborne 5 Ben Martin 6 Tom Hutton 7 Sam Carroll 8 Stan Somers (captain) Replacements:   16 Dave Penrose 17 Nick Nowell 18 Jake Hole and website in this browser for the next time I comment Follow CornishStuff on Facebook - Like our Facebook page to 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Seven-year-old Alfie Tollett was killed in Plymstock in 2023 A coroner has recommended that Jaguar Land Rover add an "intermediary step" to put an electric vehicle in reverse or drive following the death of a seven-year-old boy in Devon Alfie Tollett was crushed between two vehicles on Wembury Road in Plymstock on 27 February 2023 Coroner Deborah Archer acknowledged a "number of errors" had been made by the driver of a Jaguar I-Pace but she also stated that a design change by the car maker could prevent similar incidents A spokesperson for JLR told the BBC: "We have received correspondence from the coroner and shall be responding in due course." Alfie and his family had been to Plymstock Albion Rugby Football club to watch his older brother play in a rugby match The coroner's report said Alfie was at the back of his father's car the driver of the Jaguar had been attempting to park on the road beside a VW van which was parked next to Alfie's father's car the driver attempted to select reverse and did not look down to check his selection The car began moving forwards and collided with the van after the driver failed to hear the reversing warning alarm The coroner's report stated that the driver continued to accelerate "pushing the white VW van forwards trapping Alfie between the VW van and his father’s Kia" Alfie's father moved his vehicle forwards to release his son but the seven-year-old died shortly afterwards due to "blunt force traumatic chest injuries" as concluded by the coroner during the inquest The coroner explained: "These errors occurred as a result of there being no intermediary step within the Jaguar I-Pace being necessary to put the car into drive/reverse other than pressing a button "In the police officer’s opinion if there had also been a lever or something similar present in the vehicle that needed to be engaged before a button was pressed this may have alerted [the driver] to the fact that he had pushed the incorrect button." the coroner said: "In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe you have the power to take such action." The Prevention of Future Deaths Report also revealed that there had been no prosecution of the driver as "he died of natural causes shortly after this incident" A spokesperson for JLR said: "Our thoughts and sympathies are with the family of Alfie Tollett Family of boy who died in crash feel 'numb' Boy From other local news sitesTributes offered to former Argyle player who has passed away The Spirit of Adventure meets Plymouth, the Spirit of Discovery Child taken to hospital after being pulled from water at Exeter Ship Canal Updates as Exeter Ship Canal incident sees emergency services called Hele Cornmill celebrates 500th anniversary as part of Ilfracombe Art Trail Picture special: Ilfracombe’s May celebrations release the Spirit of Summer Information about BBC links to other news sitesTop storiesUkraine drone attack shuts Moscow airports, says Russia Met Gala 2025: Stars don their tailored best in suits, feathers and ties VE Day 80: Poignant thank you to a heroic generation Americans used to be steadfast in their support for Israel. Those days are gone Attenborough at 99 delivers 'greatest message he's ever told' 'A day to remember' and 'PM prepares' for Russia attack What impact might Trump's Hollywood tariffs plan have? What Canada's Mark Carney can expect when he meets Trump India worried about Chinese 'dumping' as trade tensions with Trump escalate VE Day moments so far - and what's still to come Politics Essential: Get the latest news and analysis delivered to your inbox every weekday The final series of Man Like Mobeen has arrived Louis Theroux visits the West Bank to meet Israeli settlers Tel: 01548 853101[email protected]Follow us Pirates Amateurs 50 – Plymstock Albion Oaks 3 This was an incredible result for the Pirates Amateurs against a team who arrived at the Mennaye Field not just unbeaten but also with five bonus point wins out of five in Counties 1 Tribute Western West this season On a day perfect for playing good open rugby and scored seven tries in the match through Ted Hocking who also kicked six conversions and a penalty to amass a personal 25 points haul Played on an afternoon following a well-attended past players and sponsors lunch and scrum half Sam Carter named man of the match their lone three points came from a penalty goal kicked by former Cornwall and Devon player Lewis Paterson Speaking after the game Pirates Amateurs’ head coach Murray Westren commented: and in front of a crowd that included our loyal sponsors and former players “Our opponents are a very difficult side to beat “All in our team and indeed everyone in the playing squad as such an outcome starts with the work everyone puts in on the training field.” Pirates Amateurs:   15 Ben Wragg 14 John Tyler 13 Morgan Holman 12 Josh Semmens 11 Cal Gardner 10 Oscar Marr 9 Sam Carter; 1 Dylan Arthur 2 Ted Hocking 3 Joe Best 4 Ben Martin 5 Toby Osborne 6 Stan Somers (captain) 7 Archie Pilcher 8 Eddy Hall Replacements:   16 Dave Penrose 17 Sam Carroll 18 Rhodri McAtee © 2024 - 2025 Website Designed in Cornwall by Springer Marketing • All Rights Reserved The petition has been opened on Plymouth City Council’s formal petition site which requires the council to take certain actions depending on the volume of support the petition receives If a petition reaches 5,000 or more signatures from people living the subject matter will be debated at a full meeting of Plymouth City Council READ PREVIOUS REPORTING ON NEW PLYMOUTH CREMATORIUM Plymouth crematorium just months away from opening A petition attracting 2,500 or more qualifying signatures will be addressed by the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee Plymstock and Sherford currently has no bus route or safe provision for pedestrians or cyclists and a growing population in the new town of Sherford a viable alternative for non-drivers is particularly important Please do something before there’s an accident!” “There is currently no safe route to arrive other than by car – this fantastic new facility should be accessible to all to pay our respects The lack of a bus route or safe pedestrian access is a serious barrier to access This situation seems particularly ironic as Plymouth City Council declared a Climate Emergency the month before approving the new location yet there is no safe option other than arriving by car.” The new town of Sherford is described on the developers website as ‘ambitious’ ‘walkable’ and ‘with a decent public transport link’ However there have been recent reports of school children taking their lives in their hands as they walk along the narrow grass verge to get to secondary schools in neighbouring Plympton “The roads are extremely congested at this time of day with parents driving miles to do the school run because there is no viable alternative At present the only bus route involves a diversion via Heles Terrace and a change of buses run by two different bus companies.” Ms Ayrton concludes her petition by calling on Plymouth City Council to provide a bus route to connect Plymstock Plympton and the new crematorium and that safe walking and cycle routes be prioritised Under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 the local authority can require a developer to make a financial contribution towards infrastructure improvements as a condition of granting planning permission the purpose of the S106 Town and Country Planning Act 1990 is to regulate how the land is used and to mitigate the impact of development in a specific area Typical obligations under Section 106 agreements could include new roads or contributions towards improved transport links When Plymouth City Council granted itself permission to build The Park Crematorium at Saltram it did not impose any requirement upon itself to provide public transport links to the site or improve pedestrian facilities for reaching it The petition runs until January 19 and needs to collect the requisite number of signatures by then to be discussed in committee or at full council. If you wish to support the petition you can do so HERE (Story courtesy of the Plympton Podcast) Rebecca’s Review By Rebecca Smith MP for South West Devon and Ward Councillor for Plymstock Radford As our postal service approaches the busiest period in the calendar it is even more important that the Royal Mail finds ways to modernise and improve efficiency I was pleased to join the Royal Mail at their Plymouth Mail Centre in Plymstock for the opening of their new Parcel Sortation Machine I enjoyed meeting their friendly team and having a go on their new machine This cutting-edge piece of kit will increase processing capabilities by 9,000 parcels per hour and help provide a more secure service in the long-term I’ve picked up the baton of supporting the community in Plympton St Maurice regarding traffic issues from Sir Gary Streeter Working alongside the Plympton St Maurice Civic Society local councillors and officers from Plymouth and South Hams Councils we’ve been looking at how to safeguard the historic streets running through the village if you and your family use the playpark at Summerlands Close in Chaddlewood I’ve been working with Plymouth City Council to explore options for renovating it If you want to let me know your thoughts on this please email me on rebecca.smith.mp@parliament.uk If you’ve been following me for a while now you’ll know that I’m committed to seeing a bus link between Plympton and Plymstock I’m also keen to ensure the new crematorium and Saltram are accessible by bus too Having written recently to the chief executive of Plymouth City Council I am pleased to share that Plymouth City Council are now actively considering a potential bus link between Plympton and Plymstock and that it has gone out to tender the council’s Bereavement Service are continuing to review access to the new crematorium by all modes of transport As part of the Sherford development a future cycle/pedestrian link has been proposed to Saltram House and parkland which would be located approximately 250 metres to the south of the park All of these options are essential to ensure our community is fully connected and I’ll keep fighting for this Congratulations to the team at Radford Park for organising a hugely successful Bat Walk to kick of half term crafts and a walk in the woods to spot local bats I had the pleasure of judging both the costume competition and pumpkin carving with my colleague brother and sister Lola and Otis won with their excellent spider and web costumes and Niamh came second with her mummy outfit Baby Erith’s dad won the pumpkin carving contest too October saw Hospice Week and it was the perfect opportunity to visit our very own hospice While it serves the whole of Plymouth and the surrounding area I’m proud that its home is in South West Devon where patients get to look out over Plymouth Sound from Turnchapel in Plymstock George Lillie for his time and for updating me on life at St Luke’s It was great to finish one of my constituency Fridays at Summerskills Brewery in Plymstock Their brewing equipment was bought from Terry Jones of Monty Python I thoroughly enjoyed one of their ‘real ales’ over the weekend and have put their beer mats on proud display in my Westminster office You can find Summerskills beers at a number of local pubs in South West Devon Royal Oak Inn in Meavy and Eighteen87 in Plymstock 9am to 5pm or you can by online by visiting www.summerskillsbreweryshop.co.uk I’ll report back on my petition to Parliament to save the funding we need for Derriford’s Urgent and Emergency Care Unit This is vital if we want to see an end to the 19 hour wait at A&E that a constituent recently shared with me The previous government was committed to this work and it’s essential that the new Labour Government enable this shovel-ready project to crack on you can book a surgery appointment or get in touch via email: rebecca.smith.mp@ parliament.uk or call the office on 01752 335666 The ad-free version is ready for purchase on iOS mobile app today we couldn't find that page";var n=e.querySelector("h2");return n&&n.remove(),{staticContent:e,title:t}},d=function(e){var t=document.createElement("button");return t.innerText=e,t.classList.add("error-page-button"),t},f=function(e){var t=document.createElement("div");t.id="recirculation-404",t.classList.add("brand-hint-bg");var n="\n \n \n Tick here if you would like us to send you the author’s response We will keep you updated with the latest in our live blog below Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service are at the scene Flames have been seen taking hold of the interior while smoke billows out of the windows as spectators look on The cause of the fire this morning is as yet unclear. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service have been contacted for further information about the incident Devon school bus bursts into flames as pupils flee fire Tributes after sudden death of Devon teen just two days after last GCSE exam Saltram Meadow is a new housing site in Plymstock Homes at the site range from £160,000 to £305,000 Scroll down for updates and we will bring you fresh information as and when we get it Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said: "We attended a house fire at a terraced property in Coscombe Circus "The fire was on the second floor of the property and all occupants were out of the building at the time but we remain at the property dampening down hotspots.The cause of the incident is currently unknown." The section of former railway line from Colesdown Hill back onto Elburton Road is to be made into a route that is accessible to walkers, cyclists mobility scooters and parents with pushchairs This stage of the project follows the completion of an 800-metre stretch along the old railway line from Saltram Meadow roundabout to Colesdown Hill last year More cycling improvements planned for Plymstock This is part of a route following the alignment of an old railway line which has been completed in phases starting with the opening of Laira Rail Bridge to walkers and cyclists in 2015 Cabinet member for Strategic Transport and Infrastructure “This route has proved very popular with walkers and cyclists and bit by bit we are extending it further east into Plymstock towards Sherford “More people are getting on their bikes and making sure there are safe and pleasant alternatives to cycling on busy roads – where we can – is the right thing to do With 30 per cent of our carbon emissions coming from transport we need to do our bit to encourage walking and cycling for all abilities.” The design for this latest extension is being worked on ahead of a planning application which is due to be submitted in January. The whole scheme is estimated to cost £2,800,000 with funding awarded by Active Travel and other external funders Therefore the scheme would not add any extra burden on the council’s resources and once complete would encourage more people to travel more sustainably from Plymstock using the Plymstock cycle path The design for the latest stretch is being worked on before a planning application is submitted £945,000 funding boost for walking and cycling in city Working with staff from Plymouth City Council, the planting forms part of the Plymouth and South Devon Community Forest project Week of action sees Community Forest planting get underway “This is a big step forward in our mission to protect and enhance this lovely green space in the heart of Plymstock “Urban trees have huge benefits for the environment and biodiversity as well as boosting our physical and mental health.” The trees will be managed to establish a woodland canopy which will mature in the coming years to enhance walks in the park and provide shady spots to relax Societree Plans to plant ‘microforests’ across Plymouth Radford Ward Councillor Bill Wakeham commented: “This is a wonderful creation and will greatly assist in meeting our city’s environmental targets “It really is a park of the future and will transform a very ordinary piece of grassland into a pleasurable and welcoming area.” From the Friends of Downhorn Park website: The two fields were designated as public open space in 1967 although there have been some recent losses due to disease and storm damage The community orchard (originally 30 apple trees but sadly now down to 11 due to damage) was planted in the upper field in 1997 by the children of Downham School The school occupied the site in Horn Lane adjacent to the field from 1963-2012 when it was sold for development of the Sackville Close estate direct access to the field from Horn Lane was lost when PCC allowed this footpath to be acquired by the estate developer and access is now through a gate from Sackville Close ABBOTSKERSWELL lost by 102 runs to Plymstock in the basement battle of the Tolchards DCL A Division. Plymstock were rock bottom going into the game and without a win in four previous rounds. Abbots were three points ahead of them. Prince Masvaure had a credible claim for man of the match as he top-scored with 49 in Plymstock’s 50-over total of 181 for eight and finished the match on a high note with a hat-trick. Masvaure and Matt Whalley (29) put on 67 for the third wicket, which precipitated a worrying collapse from 91 for two to 94 for six as Inder Singh (3-13) mowed down the middle order in consecutive overs. Abbots could not shift Masvaure at that stage and he rebuilt the innings with help from skipper James Nicholls (23 off 75 balls). Bits and pieces all add up in low-scoring games, which made contributions from Hadleigh Scott-Kirk (15no) and Rob Cunningham (12no) useful in the grand scheme of things. A running total of 37-5 proved indicative of Abbot’s top order this season. James Tyler (29) valued his wicket far more than most and his 69-ball stay was as good as it got for Abbots. His wicket was the final straw, as 77-6 quickly became 79 all out. Scott-Kirk (3-13) did the initial damage. Masvaure (5-16) took care of the rest. Nick Watkin, the Abbotskerswell captain, said another batting failure was at the root of this defeat. “Plymstock were the better side and failing to score 100 between us is not good enough,” said Watkin. “Not even getting to three figures shows where we are as a batting unit, a unit with a gaping hole in it.” Meanwhile, Ipplepen remain fifth in the B Division table thanks to a five-wicket win at Clyst St George. No one made more than skipper Dan Kendall (29) in Clyst’s modest total of 174 all out. There were plenty of chip-ins – Freddie Creer (28), Andy Donovan (22) and Ewen Cragg (20) – but nothing more substantial to construct a sizeable partnership around. Pens’ bowlers George Tapley, Paul Thomas and Ross Kennard all operated below four runs an over, which ramped up the pressure. Andy Bligh (4-39) and Nathan Forde (2-31) took care of the wicket-taking tasks. Ipplepen cruised to victory with more than seven overs to go on the back of an unbroken stand of 56 between Callum Stanley and Sam Wakeham. Opener Marcus Gadie’s run-a-ball 57 gave Pens a solid start. Stanley (42no) and Wakeham (33no) finished the job. Matt Beasant, the Ipplepen captain, said that Gadie batted “exceptionally” as well as the following. “We bowled absolutely brilliantly. Ross and Andy continued their excellent form and Nathan was brilliant.” Tel: 01626 336600[email protected]Follow us Further Links The death of the man is not believed to be suspicious One witness said they unexpectedly saw three police cars and a South Western Ambulance Service ambulance pull up outside of a bungalow in Stanborough Road in Plymstock this morning [April 30] A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police confirmed they were alerted to an incident at that location They added that a man was pronounced dead at the scene The spokesperson said: ""Police were notified at around 8am to reports of a deceased man at an address on Stanborough Road Emergency services attended and the man was pronounced deceased at the scene "The death is not believed to be suspicious and a file will be prepared for the coroner." An inquest will be opened into the death in due course, with the hearing taking place at Exeter's County Hall following the merger of Plymouth and Devon's coroner's services. Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right World Earth Day is an annual celebration on April 22 that aims to raise awareness of the need to protect the earth’s natural resources for future generations The first Earth Day was in 1970 with the aim of educating participants on the importance of environmental conservation with over a billion people coming together to protect the planet from things like deforestation and pollution Mrs Murals has created designs that celebrate the beauty of nature but are also thought provoking The eye-catching paintings of butterflies and bees include an interactive mural of butterfly wings for people to stand in front of for photos The butterfly Mrs Murals has used for these wings is the ‘Large Blue’ butterfly – an endangered UK species on the red list for extinction but which has promisingly moved recently from ‘critically endangered’ to ‘endangered’ due to conservation efforts The far end of this wall includes a large sunflower head with bees surrounding it The second wall is inspired by World Earth Day aims to protect the planet and its environment “I chose to paint a Turtle Dove to symbolise love and peace but also to raise awareness because they’re on the RSPB red list for endangered UK birds.” The artwork will brighten the shopping area and hopefully help people to consider nature and the beauty of the environment all around them Sara Smith, centre manager of The Broadway said: ”We are proud to have commissioned Mrs Murals to create a new piece of public art for Plymstock and we are thrilled to see it come to life in pride of place at our main entrance “In addition to a constantly evolving lineup of new independent retailers creative projects like this are part of a whole host of initiatives we have planned here at The Broadway in the coming year to significantly improve the visitor experience and engage with the community we serve in new and exciting ways.” The new fire station was built on the same Dean Hill site as the former station with the crews responding from a different location during the construction works The two-bay fire station will help to protect the growing community at Sherford and Saltram Meadow as new homes leisure facilities and workplaces continue to be built in the local area The modern building will be energy efficient with a solar photovoltaic (PV) array on the roof and is almost entirely naturally ventilated The design also complements the local architecture The new station has a glazed front that opens up the building to the street “We are delighted that our crew are now responding from a much improved “We’re really pleased with the facilities now available at Plymstock and I believe we now have one of the best fire stations in the Service.”  Plymstock Station Commander Neil Willmott said: “The old one-bay station had become very worn out and had always been a challenge being spread out over three different buildings “The new two appliance bay structure will future-proof the station with the continued expansion of the local community “The improvement in facilities for our on-call crew will enable us to complete more training at the site without having to train at other locations.”  The Plymstock crew have operated the Service’s fireboat Vigiles and its predecessors from the river Plym since the 1960s