Skip to content Skip to left sidebar Skip to footer

Current Issues

Using Public Footpaths – Some General Guidance

In and around Great Torrington we are very fortunate to have some wonderful areas of countryside for us all to enjoy. To ensure these areas can be appreciated by everyone, we have been asked by Devon County Council to remind folk of the following points.

  • Landowners should not crop public footpaths
  • Dog owners should pick up after their animals and keep them under control at all times
  • Households with hedges alongside public footpaths need to be aware of vegetation growth reducing the width of paths, especially at this time when we are being encouraged to socially distance ourselves
  • If you believe there to be a problem with a public right of way please report the issue to your Town or Parish Council
  • Devon Funding News is a useful source of information for communities looking for funding. Find out more here:  https://www.devon.gov.uk/fundingnews/
  • Please ensure care is taken when walking or running through a field of cattle, good advice on how to behave can be found online and on platforms such as YouTube.

One Small Step to a happier you

Looking to make a change and get healthy?

We know it can be difficult to know where to start. Perhaps you are a smoker who would like to cut back or even give up for good? Or you might want to aim for a healthier weight but can’t find the time or motivation. Do you need support to get more active? And are you worried about your drinking? Whatever your goal, OneSmallStep can help.
OneSmallStep is the service set up and funded by Devon County Council to guide and support you through small steps to change. By looking at the process in small steps, we believe it can be much more achievable!
OneSmallStep offers support when and how you need it with information, advice and guidance available online, by telephone and through face to face coaching so you can start making small changes to feel healthier today.

Would you like help and support to;

Quit smoking?

Reduce your Alcohol intake?

Achieve a Healthy Weight?

Become more active?

If the answer is yes, get in touch with OneSmallStep. 

Our support is FREE and available to Devon residents in ways that suit you, either; online, on the phone, video call or face-face*.

You can take your first step to a healthier lifestyle by:

Logging on to the OneSmallStep website www.onesmallstep.org.uk

Emailing us at: [email protected]

Texting the word QUIT to the number 60777 (charged at standard text rate)

or calling 01392 908 139 to speak to one of our friendly team

Please follow OneSmallStep on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/1stephealthy

And Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onesmallstep_18/

for helpful tips, motivation and support.

*Face to face provision is subject to government guidelines in relation to Covid-19.

Fiware4Water – smart meters

Fiware4Water is a project which aims to implement innovative approaches that empower customers towards water efficiency, through the use of smart meters.  In the UK, the University of Exeter is partnering with South West Water (SWW) and the UN World Water Quality Alliance (UNWWQA).

Great Torrington has been chosen to pilot new smart meter technology as part of this project. Customers in this region will be given access to a smart phone application displaying their water consumption. They will be able to see how much they are paying for water, compare their consumption against others, set consumption targets and receive leak alarm notifications. SWW will use the data from these smart meters to locate and respond faster to household leaks in the area and derive relationships between consumption and the weather (e.g. rainfall) via an internally accessed web application. Research has shown that metered customers use significantly less water than customers who are not metered. The project team expects that increased visibility of water use behaviour will drive an even larger reduction in a customer’s water consumption. The benefits of which will be realised by SWW with a lower overall demand on resources and treatment requirements, and by the customer with a lower annual water bill.

The Project Team will be announcing details soon of a launch event at which SWW customers in Great Torrington will be invited to take part.  For more information, please follow this link to the Fiware4Water website: https://www.fiware4water.eu/

South West Water options

Following a visit from a representative of SWW the following information might be helpful:-

a.Priority Services Registration: This is for people with medical conditions or physical limitations. Once registered the individual will be notified of any interruptions in water supply and will have water delivered to them if there is no supply. The individual will receive a telephone call to advise them of any disruption.  An application for this can be obtained from SWW or from their Website.

b.Debt Helpline: If customers are struggling to pay their water bill South West Water has a debt helpline on 0800 083 0283 and they will talk through different options available. The individual can also contact the Water Care Team via the email [email protected], or Emma Phillips directly via [email protected], and we can arrange a home visit to talk them through the different debt relief options available as well as helping to get them on the most appropriate tariff.

c.The Watercare Tariff: This is for metered customers who are on very low income. To qualify, an individual within the household must receive a qualifying benefit, such as income support or housing benefit.  The tariffs offer a discount of between 15-50% off a water bill. An income assessment is carried out to determine eligibility. An application can be obtained from SWW, or a home visit can be arranged with the Water Care Team/ or Emma Phillips.

d.Switch to a meter: Water meters can save people a considerable amount of money. SWW has advisors who help people establish if a meter could save them money and help with initial applications.  It is free to switch and if, after 24 months a customer considers it isn’t right for them, they can go back to unmeasured charges. In the Great Torrington area only, we are currently offering customers to go onto a ‘Dual Billing Trial’ whereby they can opt to get a water meter installed without changing to metered charges. SWW will then send letters to the customer every quarter to notify them how much water the household has used and the customer will be able to see which charge will be cheaper for them, i.e. the metered charge or their current unmeasured charge. To get involved with this trial, customers can call our Dual Billing team on 01392 442882. 

e.The WaterSure Tariff: This may help a customer reduce their bill if they have a water meter, receive certain benefits and if someone in the home has a medical condition that means extra water is used, or if they have 3 or more children living with them. It works by capping a bill the average annual domestic water and sewerage charges, currently £488.45.