Thank you to Jane
Cllr Jane Harrison resigned as a Parish Councillor at the recent AGM, for personal reasons. Jane has been a councillor the past nine years and her support to the Chair as well as her dedication to climate change issues will be greatly missed. As a token of our gratitude she was presented with a bouquet of flowers and a gift token.
Planning bus journeys just became easier
Planning your next bus journey? Try the new upgraded interactive bus map. It now includes nine additional town plans, with Paignton, Torbay and Brixham available for the first time.
If you’d prefer a printed copy, all timetables and maps are available as print-ready PDFs to download and take with you.
Kingsbridge Repair Cafes
The Repair Cafe is back in Kingsbridge. Details of what is on offer at these will be shared nearer the time, so keep your eyes peeled and your broken household items out of landfill.
Volunteers always needed, so if you have a skill to share and would like to join the team of volunteers, drop a line to: kbclimateaction@gmail.com.
Repair Cafes will be held at the Care Hub on:
Sunday 31 May
Sunday 26 July
Sunday 27 Sept
Sunday 29 November
Thank you to Angela
Sadly, at the Annual Parish Meeting, Cllr Angela Smaridge resigned as a Parish Councillor for business and personal reasons. Her local knowledge and farming expertise has been invaluable and she will leave a large gap in the Parish Council. As a token of our gratitude she was presented with a bouquet of flowers.
Kingsbridge asked to help shape its economic future
Kingsbridge’s residents, workers and local businesses are being encouraged to share their views on the town’s economic direction as a new consultation gets underway.
Supporting economic growth and helping to support more job opportunities is a key priority for us. To help deliver this, we are creating Community Economic Plans (CEPs) for towns across the district.
Kingsbridge is the fourth community to join the programme, with work on CEPs already in progress in Ivybridge, Salcombe and Totnes.
Find out more information here.
Three-cornered leeks (Allium triquetrum)
Three-cornered leek is listed on Schedule 9 of the UK Wildlife & Countryside Act as an invasive non-native species. Although not banned from sale, it is an offence to plant or cause these to grow in the wild in England, Wales and the Republic of Ireland. Gardeners possessing them should undertake measures to control them.
The plant is scattered around Goveton and on the road into Kingsbridge , particularly along Belle View opposite the school. It is also in the green banks and road verges near Tesco. A patch on the bank overlooking Quay car park. Ledstone area so far clear. In the wider local area we have seen large colonies at Coleton Fishacre and the Slapton Ley.
The concern is the speed at which it can spread and colonise an area and is then almost impossible to remove. To get rid of them:
Dig them out (best method); Cut and weaken (if digging isn’t possible); Stop seed spread; Herbicide (last resort); Keep checking the area.
Disposal: Do not put in your compost bin. Put them in general waste or follow local green waste rules.
Annual Parish Meeting: Cyber Crime Awareness
Tuesday 28 April, 18.00, St Peter’s Church
Mick Harrison, Cyber Protect Officer, Devon & Cornwall Police, will give an information and enlightening talk on cyber crime awareness. Not to be missed and time for all your questions and answers.
All welcome
Kingsbridge Culvert Investigations Update 12/02/26 :
Kingsbridge Culvert Investigations Update:
Torcross Road Closure
Sunday 25 January
The A379 main road from Torcross to Strete Gate is currently closed following storm damage. Do not attempt to drive along this road.
Emergency Culvert Investigations
Mon 19 January 2026 to Fri 6 February, Fore Street, Kingsbridge
The highway requires maintenance, and these essential excavations and investigations will check the culvert which is beneath the road at the bottom of Fore Street and undertake repairs if the situation if required.
There will be two diversion routes in place. For light vehicles the diversion will be via, Plymouth Road, the A379 Cookworthy Road, Lower Union Road and Mill Street. The one way system in Mill Street will be reversed during the works to allow smaller vehicles to access Fore Street.
For HGV’s, the diversion will be via Plymouth Road, Duncombe Road, Church Street, the A39 Ilbert Road and Cookworthy Road. There will be a temporary loading area created close to the museum for business use.
Any changes to the start date or duration will be shown on advisory signs on site. We will do our best to complete the work quickly and minimise disruption. Your co-operation and understanding are greatly appreciated.
For queries contact us and we will do our best to try to help. Should you have access queries, please speak to our contractor or an operative on site who will be glad to assist.
Highways Liaison Officer
E: highway.highwaysliaison-mailbox@devon.gov.uk
W: Roads and transport (devon.gov.uk)
Stay Warm and Cut Bills
Want to stay warm and save on energy bills this winter?
South Hams District Council, In partnership with South Dartmoor Energy Community, are offering free thermal imaging camera hire to Town & Parish Councils and community groups. Use the camera to spot heat loss in homes and identify ways to improve insulation and comfort. Watch the video here.
If we have enough interest from householders in the parish the Parish Council can apply to borrow the camera.
If you are interested please email: BTS Clerk
Cyber Alert Help
Whether you run a shop, a café, a hotel, or an Airbnb. Or maybe you are a sole trader, a charitable trust, a not-for-profit organisation, or a PLC. The South-West Cyber Resilience Centre (SWCRC) is here to help you with your organisational cyber security.
The basics:
Don’t make Passwords easy to guess. Use 3 random words or 12+ characters
Turn on 2-Step Verification (2SV)/ Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) where possible
Keep your IT systems and software updated
Don't run operating systems that are no longer supported
Regularly back up your important information
The South-West Cyber Resilience Centre is supported by the National Cyber Resilience Centre Group Ltd, a collaboration between policing, academia, and the private sector. Funding is provided by the Police and the Home Office and virtually everything on offer is free and unbiased.
SWCRC provides the basic cyber information that you were never taught at school. You gain access to a free bite-sized cyber security programme. Implementing each step takes a few minutes per week. It can support you if you get stuck, and provide a monthly update on all the latest threats, so that you know what to update, avoid and delete. They offer you free webinars, to demystify things you’d like to know more about – like how to make your website safer, or how criminals target you online.
For info and to sign up: Home | Cyber Resilience Centre for the South West
Dog fouling
Bulky Waste Collection
It’s now easier than ever to book a bulky waste collection. Residents can book a bulky waste collection through the Council’s website. Large household items like a broken fridge or an old sofa, can be collected from your home, for £25 per item.
When using the service, you can rest easy knowing your household items are being disposed of responsibly and safely.
Available to residential households only. Collections take place every Wednesday, and bookings can be made up to 12 weeks in advance. Items must be placed outside the property by 7 am. on the day of collection. The service does not cover business or commercial waste, or building and renovation materials.
To see what can be collected and to make a booking, visit the bulky waste collection page.
Emergency Parish Planning
Emergencies do happen, for example, extensive flooding, storm damage, deep snow, power outage, fire.
We know communities pull together in an emergency. However, we can make our response more organised and effective, by preparing a Community Emergency Plan. Emergency responders say that it helps when they know who to talk to in the community and have planned what to do in advance.
BTS Parish Council is in the planning stages of drawing up an emergency plan to assist in the event of a major incident. However, this is a community plan and in the coming months we will be drawing on all of you to assist and support this plan. Your individual expertise will be essential.
As part of this every household might like to fill out their own household emergency plan. A template from Devon Communities to help with this can be found at:
Emergency Home Plan.
More information on the community plan will be published in the coming months.
Beware of Parking Fine Text Scam
Some South Hams residents are receiving scam text messages about supposed outstanding parking fines.
These messages may look official, but they are not from the council. The web addresses in the texts are fake. Payment amounts are often incorrect or suspicious.
Do not click on any links or provide any personal or payment details.
If you're unsure whether a message is genuine, please contac - https://www.southhams.gov.uk/parking
Making a difference
The Parish Council is looking for people across the parish who would like to make a difference in the community by joining the Parish Council. Just a small amount of your time each month can make a huge difference. For further info or an informal chat contact Helen, our new parish clerk, or one of the councillors.
Beware of Rogue Traders
The Parish Council has been made aware of incidents in Devon of rogue traders knocking on doors and suggesting work needs carrying out on the owners roof. These people are giving the false impression of being a local reputable company making it difficult to instantly recognise as a rogue trader. Advice from the Local Authority, Devon and Cornwall Police and Trading Standards is not to employ anyone knocking on your door touting for business.