Local News

A Coastal Garden Festival is being launched next May (21st / 22nd). Ilfracombe Compass Rotary are organising the event to promote the physical and mental benefits of gardening and involvement with our wonderful local environment. It also aims to explore how we can become greener and more sustainable, provide a ‘shop window’ for local businesses and organisations involved in these areas and promote local food and drink. The event will also boast a wide range of family friendly activities. The two-day festival will be

held on the five-acre site at Mullacott Riding Centre which includes a large indoor arena, lots of room for exhibitors and ample free parking. Compass want to ensure there is a wide range of exhibitors and vendors at the festival, including nursery growers, garden designers, gardening products, arts/crafts/ gifts, food & drink producers, organisations involved with any aspect of our environment including mental health, wellbeing, conservation & recycling. Email coastalgardenfestival@ gmail.com or visit www. coastalgardenfestival.org. council aims to tackle local housing crisis

A new group that aims to tackle the housing crisis in North Devon has been set up by North Devon Council. Made up of officers from North Devon Council’s Housing, Planning and Regeneration teams, as well as key councillors, the North Devon Housing Panel was established to gain a true picture of the housing crisis - and to set about addressing it. The group first met in October when they invited a number of national and North Devon agencies, employers, contractors and landlords to discuss the crisis as part of the council’s rapid housing needs assessment. The Panel presented a series of recommendations on the issues identified as contributing to a lack of housing in the district. They include bringing more empty homes into use, providing more housing for people who are working in North Devon or want to move to the area for work and developing a “place-based” approach for providing more housing options for people in Ilfracombe. North Devon Council leader David Worden said: “We are acutely aware of how the local housing market is making it extremely difficult for local people, and people who wish to move to the area to work, to find suitable accommodation. Our council has always been - and will continue to be - active and passionate in its efforts to keep people housed. Real change will require a joined up approach from local and national government and, where there are opportunities for change that are outside of our control, we will be lobbying on behalf of our residents.” For more details visit www.northdevon. gov.uk.