The government has overhauled its national planning policy document - last updated in 2012 - and has put out a heavy 70-page document for public consultation.

I have not been able to pick up on all the elements in the document that could give cause for concern, but I have concentrated on the fact that it does little to respond to the huge problem we have in south Devon of a lack of affordable housing and the continual development aimed at wealthy second home owners.

Residents in Bigbury-on-Sea are fighting hard to prevent demolition of the oldest house in the village and the former Bay View Café.

Developers Galion are seeking to demolish it to replace with 4 new houses.

Local Lib Dem Councillor Beth Huntley campaigned with villagers against demolition in December, but since then the developer has resubmitted plans to try and win the planners over with drawings that include a cafe underneath one of the four houses.

The local Lib Dems have selected Totnes resident Caroline Voaden to be their prospective parliamentary candidate for the Totnes constituency at the next General Election.

Following her se lection Caroline said "I'm really thrilled to have been selected and pledge to start work straight away to win the Totnes seat for the Lib Dems. With the current government in chaos over Brexit and Labour trying to hold themselves together while they fail to provide any real opposition, I believe there's never been a better time to be fighting for the Lib Dems here. The campaign to win this seat starts now."

Conservative councillors have voted to increase Council Tax and car parking charges while closing public toilets. They refused to debate the option of increasing council tax on second homes when they dismissed budget amendments put forward by the Liberal Democrats at Follaton House on February 22nd.

More money for young people's mental health, children with special needs and Devon's schools is at the core of the alternative budget launched by the county's Liberal Democrats - but all amendments put before Devon County Council were voted down by the Conservatives when they passed their new budget on Thursday.

South Hams Lib Dems are dismayed at shocking new figures that show more than a third of children are now growing up in poverty in some areas of the South Hams.

The new figures, released by the End Child Poverty coalition, show that 39% of children in Totnes Bridgetown are now living in poverty and across the whole Totnes parliamentary constituency the figure is 29.3% of children - or nearly three in ten.

A planning application has bee n submitted for a 68 bed Care Home on the vacant plot of land near to the Rowing Club. The application reference number is 4165/17/FUL and full details are available on the SHDC website.

If you have any comments then they need to be in by 26 January 2018.

The application states that it is to be a 3/4 storey building and will provide employment for 68 full-time employees.

SHDC says that from Wednesday January 10th all three public toilets in Totnes are to be reopened. They will be open from 8.00am to 5.00pm on Monday to Friday.

SHDC also says the toilets will be "open for markets at weekends and special events". As there is a market every Saturday they haven't made it clear if all three toilets will be open or just the one at the Civic Square.