News, Sport and Weather Bulletin for Riviera FM - 24/09/2010

£50 million pounds will be spent at Torbay Hospital over the next decade.

The investment plans were revealed in the NHS Trust’s annual report which was considered at it’s annual meeting on Wednesday.

The improvements and repairs are being carried out at the hospital to combat a ‘significant backlog’ of maintenance and ensure the hospital remains fit for purpose in the future.

The strategy is due to be considered by the South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation trust’s board next week.

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Plans have been resubmitted to build a 60 bed hotel and restauraunt at Newton Abbot racecourse.

Newton Abbot Races and Whitbread’s £5.5 million pounds project is planned for the 2.2 acres of land that is currently used as a carpark.

If given the go-ahead, Whitbread would be the first major hotel presence in Newton Abbot – and it could lead to 65 new jobs in the area.

The decision to resubmit plans comes after planning permission was originally refused in June by Teignbridge Council.

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A dispersal order has been granted by Torbay Council for Castle Gardens in a bid to reduce anti-social behaviour.

The order allows police and community support officers the power to disperse groups of two people or more from the park -- if they feel their behaviour has resulted in a member of the public feeling harassed or intimidated.

The order will run from six months until the 1^st of March.

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Torbay mayor Nick Bye has admitted they tried to make ‘the best of a bad job’ in regards to the midyear cuts.

Councillors across the Bay have pleaded to ‘shield society’s most vulnerable people’ from the proposed budget cuts.

Members have already agreed to save £1.3 million off services the council had planned to provide this year following government grant cuts.

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Teignmouth rockers Muse will be feeling ‘invincible’ this morning after their rendition of ‘Feeling Good’ was voted the ‘greatest cover version of all time’.

The band’s cover of the track which was originally made famous by Nina Simone topped a poll for car maker Seat. More than 15,000 fans took part in the poll.

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And the final wishes of war heroine Eileen Nearne have been fulfilled after her ashes were committed to her favourite spot in Torbay.

The 89 year olds ashes were scattered at sea just off Thatcher’s Rock, according to her last wishes.

Earlier this week hundreds of mourners gathered in Torbay to pay their final respects to the British spy.

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Onto sport now, and Manager Paul Buckle will leave it until the very last minute before making a decision on injured centre-back Mark Ellis for tomorrow’s clash against Macclesfield Town at Plainmoor.

Defenders Kieran Charnock and Danny Senda are waiting in the wings to replace the 21 year old.

Kick off is at 3pm.

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Onto weather now, and it should be a fairly cloudy morning with the chance of a shower or two, but with a few brighter spells in the afternoon. It will feel colder in the fresh northerly wind. Temperatures will rise to 15 degrees celcius.

News, Sport and Weather Bulletin for Riviera FM - 23/09/2010

A yearlong cold calling scam has resulted in an 88 year old pensioner losing almost £350,000 of his life savings and investments.

Reginald Daniel was persuaded to invest money in businesses and companies that didn’t exist.

And when the conmen realised Mr Daniel had no more cash to invest – they cut him off.

Police have admitted that it is unlikely Mr Daniel will get the money back from what is known as ‘a boiler room scam’, as the conmen could be based anywhere in the world.

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Police have confirmed a 26 year old woman has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

The incident occured on Tuesday evening in Alexandra Road, Ellacombe, when a 32 year old man suffered a collapsed lung after being stabbed in the back.

He was given first aid in the street by both local residents and ambulance crews.

Police have confirmed the woman is believed to be known to the victim, and has been arrested as an investigation is launched.

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Services for the most vulnerable children in Torbay are being scrutinised by Ofsted inspectors.

The inspection of Torbay Council’s safeguarding and looked-after children’s services takes place every three years.

Findings will be presented to Torbay Council on October 4^th.

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The local economy has been given a boost thanks in no small part Dame Agatha Christie’s holiday home.

Visitors to Agatha’s ‘Greenway’ house and garden have pumped over nine million pounds into the local economy.

Around 170,000 people have visited the home since it opened its doors to the public last year, with 63% of visitors coming from outside the local area.

The findings were released as the Agatha Christie Festival celebrating the Dame’s 120^th birthday came to an end last week.

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A Newton Abbot teenager should be so lucky after working with Kylie Minougue’s producer.

17 year old ‘music mill’ student Alice Jemina spent two days in the recording studio with Grammy-nominated Nerina Pallot.

The big break came after she won Exeter’s heat of teenage Rampage.

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Torbay bowls stars Sam Tolchard and Natalie Melmore are due to fly out to Delhi today for the Commonwealth Games.

Devon based cyclist Jeremy Thomas is also due to ride – he recently competed in the ‘Tour of Britain’ event in Teignmouth.

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Weather now, and showers are likely during the morning, becoming frequent and heavy during the afternoon, with a slight risk of thunder. However, there will be some sunny intervals as well, and it should be a little cooler than Wednesday too. Temperatures will rise to a maximum of 17 degrees celsius.

News, Sport and Weather Bulletin for Riviera FM - 21/09/2010

Complaints from local residents have led to the closure of a popular bar on Torquay seafront.

Rude bar on Victoria Parade has been closed after a number of noise complaints from occupants of flats above the premises.

This led to Torbay Council issuing a ‘noise abatement notice’ in an effort to control the volume of noise.

However, businessman Matthew Ambrose who owns the premises has said the bar is now ‘closed’, and he ‘doesn’t intend to re-open it.’

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Campaigners from the ‘Residents Against Golf Club Group’ – otherwise known as RAGS – claim that new proposals to redevelop Churston Golf Club remain to be ‘totally inappropriate for the area’.

Forty homes have been axed from the £20million pounds development at Churston Golf Club by Developer Bloor Homes in a bid to appease protesters – but to no avail.

A planning application will be submitted to Torbay Council later in the autumn.

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A man has been banned from an estate in Teignmouth after he left residents ‘frightened and intimidated’.

Colin Sherlock has been banned from going into Kingsway after social housing landlord Teign housing successfully obtained an injunction against him.

Teignmouth PC Phil Colley welcomed the injunction, and said it was ‘not the behaviour they were willing to put up with.’

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Torbay’s Labour Party have announced their candidate to stand in next May’s local election.

Patrick Canavan, aged 57, will stand for Labour – he was their candidate in the Newton Abbot constituency at the General Election.

Current Mayor Nick Bye is yet to decide whether he will choose to stand in the election next year. He expects to make his mind up by October.

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And the funeral of war heroine Eileen Nearne is set to draw mourners nationwide.

Eileen, who worked during the war as a radio operator under the codename ‘Rose’ – escaped from the Germans three times in a year before being caught and tortured.

She was 89 when she died of a heart-attack at her Lisburne Cresent home in Torquay.

The funeral is set to take place today at St Denis Roman Catholic Church in Priory Road Torquay at 3pm.

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Onto sport, and Devon based spin bowler Chris Metters is set to sign a six month deal with County Championship side Warwickshire.

Metters, who was the leading bowler in all Minor Counties Cricket for Devon in 2009 – is set to travel to Australia to play grade cricket in Melbourne before travelling back in late February to begin pre-season training with Warwickshire.

And in football Torquay United defender Mark Ellis and Elliot Benyon could take part in today’s reserve friendly against Swindon Town. Both players have been given the all-clear after their recent injury troubles.

Kick off for that game is at 2pm at Plainmoor.

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Finally here’s your weather, and any fog should clear away, with cloud gradually breaking during the morning to leave long spells of warm sunshine for the afternoon. Temperatures are set to reach 18 degrees celcius.

News, Sport and Weather Bulletin for Riviera FM - 20/09/2010

Traders in Brixham are set for a £45,000 DIY boost for their town centre – that’s if the town’s BID plan goes ahead.

Businnesses are being told to back the town’s bid to develop a business improvement district in the town.

The scheme has already been implemented in Torquay where it has been up and running for 12 months.

If the plan goes ahead the scheme will see businesses within the district pay more rates – but have a say where their money is spent.

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A Teignbridge councillor has claimed that Devon County council have unfairly divided a £3.6 million pounds grant for highway repairs – and called it “an appalling abuse of power.”

Gordon Hook believes that most of the grant went to Conservative wards instead of Labour and Lib dem wards in Teignbridge and Newton Abbot.

Devon County Council defended the decisions, claiming ‘the areas with the most need were granted money for road repairs.’

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An American themed cafe-bar is set to grace Torquay town centre.

Coyote’s Torbay limited have taken over the Hog’s Head in Union Street Torquay.

And a company spokesman confirmed the business plans included expansion on the upper floors, with plans for a ten-pin bowling alley and up to 25 employees.

Coyote’s Cafe Bar is set to reopen by the end of September following weeks of work.

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Proposed plans to improve Tweenaway Cross junction at the heart of Torbay’s road network are set to get underway today.

The scheme proposes improvements to increase capacity to both approach and exit lanes, remove central junction obstacles, improve pedestrian/cycle crossings and improve turning lane segregation.

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Official files have revealed that Torbay based war heroine Eileen Nearne had her pension cut off by the government.

The 89 year old died of a heart-attack in her Torquay home last month.

She was originally set to have a basic council funeral until it was revealed she worked as a member of the UK’s special operations executive under the codename ‘Rose’.

Well-wishers have now come forward to ensure she has a fitting ceremony.

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An 87 year old woman was plucked to safety at the weekend after hanging above a 40 foot quarry for nearly an hour.

Gwen Harwill was saved from plunging into the quarry by the thorny brambles at the end of her Kingsbridge garden.

She was taken to Kingsbridge hospital where she was shaken but otherwise unharmed after her escape.

A police spokesman described the escape as “very lucky.”

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Onto sport, and Torquay United earned themselves another valuable point on Saturday after drawing 0-0 with Stevenage at the Lamex Stadium.

Chris Robertson, Danny Stevens and Kevin Nicholson all hit the woodwork as United pressed for a winner, but in the end, they had to settle for a point.

The 0-0 draw saw United register their fifth clean sheet in seven games as they dropped to 4^th in the table.

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Finally, here’s the weather, and it should be a fine day, with good sunny spells developing after a fairly cloudy start. Temperatures are set to reach 18 degrees.

News, Sport and Weather Bulletin for Riviera FM - 17/09/2010

Your top story this hour,

A Torquay man who was alleged to have ‘been a nuisance for years’ and ‘caused so much trouble to so many people’ has been given a three year antisocial behaviour order.

The ruling comes after police had logged 86 incidents since last year relating to the problems Ben Fone had caused in Lichfield Road, Torquay.

The 21 year old accepted the ASBO, which means he must move out of the road after September 21st.

PC Phil Owen claimed the ruling will result in ‘peace and normality for the residents, and safety in their homes and street.’

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Mental health units in Torbay and Newton Abbot have been told to improve staff supervision or face legal action.

Almost all staff working in older people’s mental health services reported that they had not received supervision or an appraisal in the past 12 months.

The commission told the Devon Partnership NHS Trust which runs the units that they must improve or face formal legal enforcement actions, which can include fines or closing down certain units.

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Plans to redevelop Paignton’s white rock are set to go on show to the public next week.

Developers Abacus Deeley Freed will be presenting their latest plans, which include 400 new homes, a 60 bed hotel and employment development.

Public consultation for the project takes place from Thursday to Saturday at Goodrington Methodist Church, and director at Deeley Freed Mark Tyrell is ‘encouraging local people to attend so that they have an early opportunity to give us their feedback’.

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Plans to launch a new Tesco supermarket in Brixham are set to hit a major milestone next month.

The superstore reconfirmed their interest in the development, and the proposals for the site include a 45,000 square foot supermarket consisting of a 27,000 square foot sales area.

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Torquay residents will have the chance to have their say over the Torquay bins fiasco today.

Nick Bye, officers and councillors will be attending a consultation event which is being held at Union Street between 10:30am and 3:30pm.

Topics being discussed today include Tor2’s Waste Doctors, plus connections and spending cuts.

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Torbay has indeed got talent.

A finalist from last year’s Torquay’s Got Talent competition has made it through to the ‘boot camp’ stage of this year’s X Factor competition.

18 year old Lauren Francis impressed the judges with her rendition of Marvin Gaye’s ‘Heard it through the Grapevine’ and got the audience on their feet - and got four yeses.

Torbay’s Got Talent starts tonight at the Babbacombe theatre – with Riviera FM’s own JP Hedge set to star as one of the judges. For tickets call 01803 322233.

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Onto sport now, and Torquay United will leave it until the very last minute before making a decision on Elliot Benyon for tomorrow’s match against Stevenage.

Benyon missed last Saturday’s 0-0 draw against Accrington Stanley with a knee problem.

Gulls boss Paul Buckle also confirmed the club have agreed a deal to sign ex Millwall and Wycombe full-back Danny Senda.

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Finally here’s your weather, and it should be mostly brighter than Thursday with some spells of sunshine, though there may be the odd shower. Temperatures will rise to a maximum of 16 degrees celsius.

News, Sport and Weather Bulletin for Riviera FM - 16/09/2010

I'm Shaun Murphy, your top story this hour/it's _ o'clock.

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Torbay Council’s annual parking report has been released.

The council made a profit of more than £2.1 million pounds over the past year and takes into account car parks, street meters, and penalties issued by traffic wardens.

Drivers put over £800,000 into street meters, and those who chose to try and dodge tickets were fined for more than £696,000 pounds.

The full report is now available to the public at council offices.

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The Marine Accident Investigation Branch have confirmed that the death of a Teignmouth fisherman was covered up.

The MIAB’s highly critical report has said that the Singapore based vessel the Alam Pintar twice struck the crabber Etoile des Ondes -- and ignored distress calls in an effort to try and mask the collision which claimed the life of 21 year old Chris Wadsworth.

It remains to be seen whether anyone will face criminal proceedings over the tragedy.

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Liberal Democrat leader Steve Darling is looking for some ‘straight answers rather than buck passing’ at tonight’s Torbay Council meeting.

He plans on asking a number of questions in regards to those who are frustrated by Tor2’s rubbish fiasco.

Torbay residents have continued to complain about the service, with some waste and boxes remaining uncollected.
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Performance figures show that average hand over times from Paramedics to A&E staff have dropped to 9 minutes in the past month.

The turnaround times are the lowest in the South West.

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And tributes are being paid to Beatrice Sinclair after she passed away on Monday.

The woman behind the character of Cybil Fawlty in the popular Torbay based TV show 'Fawlty Towers' died peacefully on Monday in Georgian House in Torquay. She was 95 years old.

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Onto sport, and plans to extend Torquay United’s grandstand are continuing.

The club are approaching the football foundation for funding and are talking to building contractors as they wait for their planning application to come through.

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Onto the weather now, and most places should start out fine before a few showers develop across the Bay, though there should still be lengthy sunny spells between them. It may also be breezy at times with easterly winds spreading. Temperatures could reach up to 17 degrees this afternoon.