Money to fight the climate emergency in the South Hams could be almost doubled if the District Council agrees to a recommendation from opposition councillors to add another £324,000 to the Climate Change and Ecological Emergency budget.

Yesterday's Overview and Scrutiny Committee at South Hams District Council voted to recommend the additional spending.

Devon Liberal Democrats have called for teachers to be vaccinated against coronavirus after the government admitted schools were the epicentre of high community transmission.

Devon Lib Dems are calling for teachers to be vaccinated as part of category seven. This would make them a top priority after everyone working in the NHS and social care and those most at risk by virtue of their age, being clinically vulnerable or having an underlying health condition.

Liberal Democrats across Devon have called on the county's Conservative MPs to back British farming this week and vote to protect our high environmental and animal welfare standards.

In a letter to the ten Tory MPs representing Devon, their Lib Dem opponents from 2019 warned them not to "risk farmers' livelihoods to win a favourable trade deal from Donald Trump".

Devon County Hall could give Mr Bumble, the workhouse beadle from Oliver Twist, a run for his money after trying to pretend it had made a U-turn to tackle holiday hunger across Devon.

County Hall announced on Monday that there really was cash, after all, for meals during the holiday for those children receiving free school meals. But checking the detail, it becomes clear it is 'old money' being re-packaged, says Cllr Alan Connett, Liberal Democrat opposition leader at Devon County.

Devon County Council should reverse its 'mean minded' refusal to provide free school meals during the holidays, say Devon's Liberal Democrats.

"The impact of the lockdown and Covid19 on many families across the County is not of their making and money is increasingly tight, especially for those affected by reduced hours, lost jobs, or furlough arrangements," said Liberal Democrat opposition leader Cllr Alan Connett.

The government's White Paper on planning reforms is a missed opportunity to resolve the country's housing crisis and does nothing to address the issues we face in the South Hams, agreed councillors and public at a meeting held on Tuesday October 20^th online.

While the Government claims there has not been enough house building to meet demand, Totnes Councillor John Birch reminded the meeting that planning permission has already been granted for 6,950 dwellings that have not yet been implemented.

The average house price is more than 11 times the average income in the South Hams. If we want young working families to remain here something has to change, writes Julian Brazil, Chair of the Development Management Committee at South Hams District Council.

Our local infrastructure already struggles to cope with the extra pressure of new development. And housing numbers are imposed on us from central government. The latest white paper on planning was an opportunity for change. What a missed opportunity! Far from solving the issues we face; it just amplifies the problems.