We are pleased to announce that the winners of the “12 Days of Christmas” Window Spotting competition were Poppy and Tilly Coates!  They were presented with their prize by Assistant Town Clerk Charlotte Kirby just before Christmas.

A huge “Thank you” to the Knit and Natter group for all of the hard work which went into knitting all 78 festive creations.  We are sure you agree, they all looked beautiful as they adorned the various shop windows.

Potholes

We are currently dealing with a very high number of pothole reports due to the cold and wet weather. Approximately a third of the reports we are receiving are duplicates and are already waiting to be assessed or repaired.

On our Report a Problem page you can:

• report potholes for assessment
• provide an email address to receive automatic updates
• see where potholes have already been reported 
• see where we have asked our contractor to carry out repairs

Where a report already exists you do not need to create a new report to receive updates. Select the report (as shown in the example on the right) and click ‘Add me to this pothole’.
Your help in reducing the number of duplicate reports we receive will enable our inspection team to work as efficiently as possible during these challenging conditions.

If you report a pothole and we don’t repair it straight away this could be because:

• the pothole was inspected and is not deemed to be a safety defect
• there is a problem with the surface of the road which needs to be investigated as a repair will not solve the underlying problem
• traffic management is needed to carry out repairs safely

Flooding and drainage

If it’s an emergency and there is danger to life as a result of flooding call 999. The number one cause of death during flooding is driving through flood water so please prioritise your safety.   If a river is flooding contact the Environment Agency on 0345 988 1188. The Environment Agency also has a range of information about flood warnings and precautions. Internal property flooding can be reported on our webpage.

Standing water or running water

On our Report a Problem page you can report standing water, flooding and blocked drains.

Standing/running water will not be investigated during prolonged heavy rain. Please ensure that you have checked that an issue is still present 24 hours after the rain has stopped before reporting it.

Where water is still present 24 hours after the rain has stopped we will attempt to clear it if:

• the road is impassable
• the water is forcing vehicles, cyclists or pedestrians away from the nearside of the road by more than one metre
• vehicles have to cross the centreline marking
• there is a risk of aquaplaning where the speed limit of the road is 40mph or above, and vehicles could reasonably be expected to travel at that speed

If we are unable to clear the water, we will use a flood sign or guard the area or close the road to make the location safe and then investigate a permanent solution. 

Useful links

Our Report a Problem page can also be used to report storm damage such as hazardous or fallen trees and debris. 

The MetOffice provides excellent guidance to people travelling in poor weather which you may like to share with your communities. 

Great Torrington Town Council is delighted to announce that it has been awarded First Place in the Devon Wildlife Community of the Year Awards, Town & Parish Council category, for the work its volunteers have undertaken to manage Jubilee Wood and Meadow. 

Cllr Gill Clayton, Chair of the Town Council’s Environment Committee, and Alan Williams, volunteer coordinator for Jubilee Wood and Meadow, attended the awards ceremony on Tuesday 6^th December in Exeter and were presented with a certificate and a selection of guidebooks as the prize.  The judges were very impressed with the breadth of the activities undertaken in Jubilee Wood to support and protect Devon’s wildlife. 

The Town Council would like to thank Alan Williams, his team of volunteers and everyone in the community who has helped shape Jubilee Wood over the last few years for all the hard work put into this beautiful oasis on the edge of town 🌳🦋

Wellbeing and resilience are at the heart of Devon’s ability to survive, recover and thrive. If we look after ourselves and our teams we can all reap the personal and professional benefits.  Wellbeing Works is an exciting opportunity for Devon based businesses, employees and individuals to benefit from the tools, techniques and inspiration we need to prioritise and develop our wellbeing and resilience during the pandemic recovery period. We can offer Devon free workshops and 1-2-1 wellbeing check-ins. 

We have a number of FREE workshops coming up that you may be interested in. The workshops are for Baby & toddler group leaders and volunteers, childminders, foster carers, nursery staff, peer supporters and anyone whose role brings them into contact with children aged 0-3 years and their carers and community members/ volunteers who link in with families with children aged 0-3.

BAG –- This fun, FREE, Brain Architecture Game session will help to increase your knowledge/ confidence of baby brain development, bonding and resilience and to be more confident in passing this information on to parents/ carers and communities. This is a 2-hour Workshop

South Molton at the Methodist Church 10am-12noon on Friday 20th Jan 2023 – The link to book is:

Brain Architecture Game (FREE event) Tickets, Fri 20 Jan 2023 at 10:00 | Eventbrite

Barnstaple at Early Nourishment – Thursday 26th Jan 2023 10.30am-12.30pm – The Link to book is: Brain Architecture Game (FREE event) Tickets, Thu 26 Jan 2023 at 10:30 | Eventbrite

Speech and Language Workshops

Find out how you can help parents and toddlers you are working with. An informal, safe, information session for community members who support 0-3 year olds and their parents and carers, including peer supporters, volunteers, foster carers, library staff and anyone whose role brings them into contact with 0-3 year olds. Support knowledge of where to signpost carers for support.

Bideford – Bideford Baptist Church on Wednesday 25th Jan at 12 noon to 1.30pm

The link to secure your FREE tickets for you, staff members or volunteers is https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/472499658197

Ilfracombe – Pip and Jims Church 23rd Feb 2023 at 12.15pm

FREE Speech, Language and Communication Workshop Tickets, Thu 23 Feb 2023 at 12:15 | Eventbrite

We look forward to seeing you at these events – Please feel free to forward onto your colleagues and volunteers

Please see downloadable application form below:-

A Service of Remembrance was held at the war memorial in Great Torrington cemetery on Sunday 13th November 2022. Representatives from many local organisations laid poppy wreaths in memory of the fallen and the service was also well attended by members of the public.

We will remember them

The full service is now available to watch here.

Short videos of the Remembrance Parade arriving at the Cemetery, marching down the entrance drive and arriving at the War Memorial can be viewed here:-

Parade

Entering the Cemetery

Arriving at the War Memorial