Latest news with #Torbay
BBC News
12 hours ago
- Health
- BBC News
NHS Devon scraps changes to cardiac care after objections
Planned trial changes to overnight heart attack services in south Devon have been Devon said it would not be going ahead with the proposals to drive out-of-hours heart attack patients to hospital in Exeter rather than Torbay to help cut costs and divert resources to cut treatment backlogs, said the Local Democracy Reporting signed a petition against the plan and two MPs said in the Commons the move could have endangered people. The service withdrew the plans in May to consider feedback and it now said it would develop a broader cardiology strategy for the region to be revealed next month. It said the strategy would be guided by clinical data and public feedback."Rather than only focusing on Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, the scope will be expanded to include prevention such as cardiovascular disease, urgent and emergency care and elective care," it said."The priority remains the commissioning of safe, reliable and sustainable cardiology services that meet the needs of Devon's population now and in the future." Steve Darling, Liberal Democrat MP for Torbay, said the U-turn was "very good news" and showed people "won't stand by when vital services are at risk"."It's not a definitive victory but it feels like a step in the right direction, now it all depends on where this journey ends," he said."By campaigning we have achieved the outcomes that many people wanted, and we can have higher levels of confidence that we know where we are heading."
BBC News
17 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Old Paignton shopping centre could become social housing
An old shopping centre site in Paignton could become social housing to provide extra care apartments. New plans by Torbay Council said 91 apartments at the old Crossways shopping centre and a new Day Centre to replace an ageing facility at Hollicombe could be built. Sarah Wallis, a partner in the AR & E Wallis Electrical store across from the site, said she thought the plans would "not help the town". A spokesperson for Torbay Council said if the proposals went ahead they would increase footfall in the area and more people would shop locally. The former shopping centre was demolished in 2023, and its last shop shut in Wallis said: "We would like to have more shops, not just cafés but a variation of shops to bring more into the town."They're going to take away car parking off the street for the access for the site. We just think it is not helping the town." Conservative councillor Chris Lewis, the deputy leader of Torbay Council, said: "91 extra apartments, as opposed to a car park or a derelict shopping complex, which it was, means that those 91 people can go and actually shop in the town centre."What we need is footfall in Paignton, people supporting the local shops and buying things, and by having a scheme like this that's exactly what they will be able to do."If plans are approved, building work could start in April 2026.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ice rink on council's £350k shopping list
A Christmas ice rink is among the items on a shopping list from councillors after a local authority ended the financial year with a surplus of £350,000. Torbay Council's cabinet has drawn up a number of items which the authority could pay for after being told various departments had contributed to an underspend in the fourth quarter of the last financial year. Items highlighted by the cabinet included an ice rink for the Bay of Lights event run in Torquay, Paignton and Brixham at Christmas, surveying community centres, tackling weeds and investing in adult social care. The list of projects is set to be reviewed in July by the full council before a decision on what to spend the money on is made. More news stories for Devon Listen to the latest news for Devon Other schemes highlighted by councillors to receive funding were a community-focused "blitz" to tidy and improve Torquay's Castle Circus area and money to encourage new start-up shops and businesses, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said. Councillor Alan Tyerman said while the money was a "tiny proportion" of the overall budget, it showed very good financial control from the authority. "For several years things have looked comfortable in Torbay's accounts, and long may it continue," the Conservative councillor for Churston with Galmpton added. Councillor Jackie Thomas, Conservative, Kings Ash, said an ice rink for the Bay of Lights project would be a "very exciting addition" to the event, which already featured a seafront illuminations trail and light show at Torre Abbey. She said "an ice rink would very considerably increase our winter wonderland experience and encourage more footfall". Councillor Darren Cowell welcomed the ideas and Torbay's "sound financial footing". However, the Independent member for Shiphay urged colleagues to look beyond town centres and seafronts to spend some of the money in other local communities. Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ Torbay harbourside opens in time for light trail South West Christmas lights switch-ons have begun Pier to shine with Christmas lights for first time Torbay Council
BBC News
6 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Ice rink on Torbay Council's £350k shopping list
A Christmas ice rink is among the items on a shopping list from councillors after a local authority ended the financial year with a surplus of £350, Council's cabinet has drawn up a number of items which the authority could pay for after being told various departments had contributed to an underspend in the fourth quarter of the last financial highlighted by the cabinet included an ice rink for the Bay of Lights event run in Torquay, Paignton and Brixham at Christmas, surveying community centres, tackling weeds and investing in adult social list of projects is set to be reviewed in July by the full council before a decision on what to spend the money on is made. Other schemes highlighted by councillors to receive funding were a community-focused "blitz" to tidy and improve Torquay's Castle Circus area and money to encourage new start-up shops and businesses, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said. 'Very exciting addition' Councillor Alan Tyerman said while the money was a "tiny proportion" of the overall budget, it showed very good financial control from the authority."For several years things have looked comfortable in Torbay's accounts, and long may it continue," the Conservative councillor for Churston with Galmpton Jackie Thomas, Conservative, Kings Ash, said an ice rink for the Bay of Lights project would be a "very exciting addition" to the event, which already featured a seafront illuminations trail and light show at Torre said "an ice rink would very considerably increase our winter wonderland experience and encourage more footfall".Councillor Darren Cowell welcomed the ideas and Torbay's "sound financial footing".However, the Independent member for Shiphay urged colleagues to look beyond town centres and seafronts to spend some of the money in other local communities.
CTV News
13-06-2025
- Health
- CTV News
‘It's scary': Residents say their groundwater is contaminated by firefighting foam from St. John's Airport
A group near St. John's Airport is worried about the quality of their drinking water. CTV's Garrett Barry reports. Torbay, N.L. -- A group of homeowners near the St. John's International Airport say runoff from foam used in decades of firefighting training has contaminated their drinking water and left them fearful of long-term health effects. Residents in Torbay, N.L., are attempting to bring a class-action lawsuit against Transport Canada, claiming the federal department didn't do enough to remediate and contain PFAS chemicals from contaminating their drinking wells. PFAS, short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are often called 'forever chemicals' in reference to their resistance to breakdown and extremely long life. They've been linked to cancers and other serious health risks. A statement of claim, filed last month at the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador, alleges the department knew the PFAS were present in the environment surrounding the airport, but didn't notify nearby residents until Health Canada began to lower exposure guidelines in 2023. Torbay resident Dean Pike would be included in the class-action lawsuit should it be certified at Newfoundland and Labrador's Supreme Court. He and his family, including all pets, are not drinking the well water, relying instead on 5-gallon bottles. He says a Transport Canada representative tested his well water in December and found that the PFAS concentration was below Health Canada's 30 nanogram per litre guidelines. But Pike says he and his family are refusing to drink the water at any PFAS concentration. 'In my opinion, my water is contaminated regardless if it's 0.1 or five hundred [nanograms per litre],' Pike said. 'We should not be consuming PFAS in our system.' Pike says he's been left to wonder whether his diagnosis of prostate cancer was influenced by potentially drinking contaminated water through his well. 'We do not have a family history of it,' he said. 'So, it makes you wonder, was it because I was drinking water here for the last 20 years that was contaminated by what happened at the airport?' Pike said. Forever chemicals news FILE - A water researcher pours a water sample into a smaller glass container for experimentation as part of drinking water and PFAS research at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Center For Environmental Solutions and Emergency Response. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel, File) (Joshua A. Bickel/AP) In a statement to CTV News, Transport Canada said it would respond to the claims included in the class-action lawsuit in a courtroom. The department hasn't yet had to file a statement of defence in the lawsuit. 'Transport Canada takes its responsibilities seriously,' a spokesperson wrote. 'The department will continue to work with local health authorities and support potentially impacted residents and communities.' A statement of claim filed in May alleges that Transport Canada received test results indicating an elevated level of PFAS in the groundwater at the firefighter training site and in nearby surface water in 2011. Those results came in higher than the previous Health Canada objective of 700 nanograms per litre, and significantly higher than the current objective of 30 nanograms per litre. The statement of claim further alleges that Transport Canada 'knew that PFAS is characteristically capable of travelling long distances in groundwater.' Lawyer Alex Templeton said Transport Canada didn't inform homeowners they knew PFAS was in the area when they began a testing project in the nearby subdivisions in 2024. 'They didn't say that 'we've been sitting on monitoring data that shows for the past decade, annually, PFAS has been in the deep water aquifer, supplying this groundwater system,' he said. 'They didn't disclose that to any of these residents.' According to health surveys, nearly every Canadian has some PFAS concentration in their bloodstream. Health Canada wrote in its document laying out it's 30 nanogram per litre objective that exposure to PFAS does not 'necessarily mean that health problems will occur,' and exposure length, intensity and frequency are important considerations. Forever chemicals concerns in Newfoundland Eddie Sheerr has been drinking bottled water at home. Eddie Sheerr, the lead plaintiff for the proposed class-action, has also been living off bottled water. But his bottles are being delivered by Transport Canada, after tests in their water well in 2024 showed PFAS concentrations at about 100 nanograms per litre, well higher than Health Canada objectives. 'It's definitely scary because we've lived in the house since 2017,' he said. 'My kids are in the house. We've been bathing in the water, we drink the water, we cook with the water and so it gets you questioning a whole bunch of things.'
