Every fortnight Kevin writes a "Kev's Column" for the Herald Express and you can read the latest edition (Published on Wednesday 7th August 2019) below:
Police Recruitment
Now is the time to consider applying to become a Police Officer as our local force is recruiting and the Prime Minister has confirmed plans to recruit another 20,000 will start next month.
Over the last four years I have seen first-hand the dedication, bravery and hard work of our local Police Officers. Yet with increasing demands from a range of sources, including a growth in on-line fraud, the scourge of county lines and changing patterns of crime, the need for further resources is clear, especially in our Town Centres.
It is yet to be confirmed the exact number coming to our area from the 20,000 pledged, but an expansion of officer numbers to 3,100 in Devon and Cornwall had already been planned by our Police & Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez.
Palace Hotel
An application to demolish the Palace Hotel in Torquay and replace it with a £50m luxury spa hotel has been submitted to Torbay planners.
If given the go ahead this would be the largest single private sector investment in our bay for decades and become the most significant hotel west of Bristol. Crucially the green space leading from the hotel towards Anstey’s Cove will be preserved and enhanced.
Whilst I have many fond memories of time spent there, including Hazel and I’s wedding reception and my Mother’s final stay there just before her death in 2014, the current derelict building is not the grand hotel of old.
Turning this application down will not allow money to be spent on something else or see the old building brought back to life, it would just see our bay miss an opportunity for serious investment and hundreds of jobs going elsewhere.
BT Fibre Boost
Openreach has announced Torquay will be one of the new locations to benefit from Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband technology.
Openreach operates what most of us would know as the BT or even GPO network. Currently internet services provided via it in our bay operate based on “fibre to the cabinet”, hence broadband speeds vary dramatically depending on how far you are from the nearest cabinet.
Providing fibre to the property eliminates this problem providing much faster and more reliable internet connections. I am advised Openreach will start work in the next year. Virginmedia’s network already operates based on FTTP.
When elected part of my plan for our bay was to create a “Silicon Bay” by spurring the development of hi-tech businesses and services.
A key part of this plan was securing the expansion of superfast broadband speeds across our bay. This latest investment means virtually all homes and businesses in our bay will not only have the fastest internet speeds available, but a competitive choice of providers delivering them, helping drive down prices.
Surgery Times
My next surgeries will be on Saturday 10th August from 11am till 1pm at Torquay Library, Lymington Road, TQ1 3DT and Saturday 17th August from 11am till 1pm at Preston Baptist Church, 62 Old Torquay Rd, Paignton TQ3 2RB.
Just call 01803 214 989 or e-mail me at [email protected] to book a slot. You can drop in, but appointments are recommended to avoid a long wait or disappointment. My team also run drop in surgery sessions Mon to Friday 10am -1pm at 5-7 East St, Torquay, TQ2 5SD.
