► WE broke the sad news that jobs will go and the popular Visitor Centre look set to be axed as the Dartmoor National Park Authority faces a £500,000 deficit.

‘The proposals,’ said chief executive Kevin Bishop, ‘are borne of necessity, proposed with a heavy heart and in the knowledge that they will have a profound impact on staff – our number one asset and mechanism to deliver National Park purposes.’

Consultations are ongoing with final decisions being made in the new year.

► WE were delighted to report that Teignmouth-born rock band Muse triumphed at the MTV Europe awards. The band took home the best rock act title and dedicated their latest album ‘The Will of the People’ to people in Ukraine and Iran at the awards event in Dusseldorf.

Matt Bellamy, Chris Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard celebrated by playing a track off their album.

► DAWLISH Councillor Alison Foden has taken Stagecoach to task over ‘unreliable’ bus services. Although an inquiry into this has been conducted by the Traffic Commissioner, Cllr Foden says it has failed to address issues in rural parts of South Devon.

Cllr Foden asked: ‘Is this the beginning of the end of public service bus provision outside of cities.’

► AMAZING teamwork achieved by the No Limits café, kitchen and hub was highlighted in November. The service offers young people who are facing more of life’s challenges than most of us the opportunity to realise they can work in a proper, productive job with a meaningful role.

The café hub was the idea of director Sarah Thorp who, alongside fellow director Amanda Pugh, oversees the day-to-day running of the operation.

Next time you’re in town pop in for a coffee and cake or snack as they’re delicious too!

► FOUR years of community work came to fruition when the Abbotskerswell Village Hall was officially opened by Newton Abbot MP Anne Marie Morris.

► AN elderly woman who suffered a serious fall while taking a popular shortcut from Coombe Close to town in Bovey Tracey has slammed the county council as being ‘arrogant and disrespectful’.

Several years of complaints and requests for repairs had been made said 94-year-old Grace Dray.

Fortunately Grace is recovering and since the paper contacted the council it has put a small ramp, fillet, between the footpath and bridleway, but the bridleway remains unchanged.

► UPDATED plans to regenerate Newton Abbot will see the Alexandra Cinema building dropped from the Future High Streets Funding proposals.

While Teignbridge Councillors agreed to an extra £600,000 towards the multi-million pound plans, opposition to them persists.

The revised Future High Street Funding proposals for Newton Abbot.
The revised Future High Street Funding proposals for Newton Abbot. (-)

► A ‘People’s Victory’ is the best way to describe the residents’ show of resistance which led to the abandonment of the Bradley Lane Bus Link proposals.

Almost 80 per cent of the respondents did not support Teignbridge Council’s proposals to build a ‘bus gate’ between Hunterswell Road and Bradley Lane in Newton Abbot.

Resident and campaigner Rick King said he was grateful to the council for listening to the voice of the people adding it was ‘A great result for us, the residents’.

► NEW parking rules at Newton Abbot’s Asda store were not the just the ticket for shoppers.

We received letters and people calling on to the offices to complain when the parking system was changed. Asda insist the system is what shoppers wanted to prevent people from misusing the parking spaces.