RYDA Newsletter            06/2026

Anaesthetic and Blood Transfusions

Operations in the early 19th Century were a thing of horror – surgeons believed that the only way to reduce the pain felt by the patient was to operate as fast as possible!

One Scottish surgeon, Robert Liston, was proud of the fact that he was able to amputate a leg in two and a half minutes!

The scientist Humphrey Davy, (known for inventing the Davy Lamp), discovered in 1800 that laughing gas (nitrous oxide) could be used as an anaesthetic however, whilst this reduced the amount of pain the patient felt, it did not completely remove it.

Davy promoted his discovery with public demonstrations however these demonstrations did not always have the impact he intended – despite the danger of inhaling too much nitrous oxide causing unconsciousness or even death, laughing gas parties became a popular event as a result of the effect of the gas on individuals.

Within days, Simpson was using chloroform to help women in childbirth and other operations. When the results of his findings were published, other surgeons began to use it in their own operations.

Chloroform could knock people out for longer operations and so gave surgeons more time when operating.

Surprisingly, there were objections to the use of chloroform:

• Some surgeons preferred their patients awake so that they could fight for their lives.
• Some religious people felt that pain (particularly in childbirth) had been sent by God and should therefore not be tampered with.
• It was difficult to get the dose right. A 15-year-old called Hannah Greener died while having her toenail removed.

The method of delivery of chloroform to the patient before a procedure was refined in 1848 by Dr John Snow. Snow created an inhaler to regulate the dose administered, reducing the danger of killing the patient by using too much.

The use of chloroform, whilst reducing the pain felt by the patient and allowing the surgeon to take their time, did not make surgery any safer as infections from dirty equipment still occurred.

Chloroform gained a wider acceptance amongst the medical profession after Queen Victoria used it in the delivery of her son, Prince Leopold, in 1853.

• 1665 – Richard Lower successfully kept a dog alive by transfusing blood from other dogs.
• 1667 – both Lower and Jean-Baptiste Denis successfully transfused sheep blood into human patients.
• 1668 – blood transfusions from animals to humans were banned in Britain and France. One reason for this was the high death rate.

Before abandoning his research, Lower designed equipment to control the flow of blood. These had many similarities to modern syringes and catheters.

In 1818, the British obstetrician James Blundell performed the first successful human to human blood transfusion.

The recipient was a woman who had suffered blood loss after giving birth. Blundell took blood from the patient's husband and used a syringe to transfuse it into the patient's arm.

Through the 1820s, Blundell performed ten transfusions, five of which were shown to help the patients.

Blundell Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

However, transfusion remained a risky procedure and many patients died. At the time there was no understanding of blood groups. No-one knew that if the donor and patient had 

Community Road Safety Campaign

Newton Ferrers school, its PTFA and Parish Council are all working together to highlight the need for improved road safety awareness outside of the school, and we very much welcome the wider community’s support.

Although incidents aren’t a new issue around the junction outside the school, recent near-misses have highlighted that although we live in a relatively small and quiet part of the world, it only takes a moment of distraction or carelessness, for an accident, or worse, to happen.

Taking time to assess the contributory factors, we’ve noted that 3 key issues are the leading causes of the road safety issues:

1. 𝗟𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 - making it hard for non-local drivers to identify exactly where children maybe crossing
2. 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 - causing challenges for parents and other road users during peak times
3. 𝗜𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗷𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 - no clear crossing point causes pedestrians to cross at multiple and poorly visible points

The Parish Council has been working hard lobbying Devon County Council for a School Crossing/Lollipop Warden, and this along with a number of other medium and long-term measures which are under consultation. We have created an Incident Report Log form to help us build evidence for the Devon County Council of the need for action.

As such the school, PTFA and Parish Council have looked at a range of measures that we can influence directly to help try and make our roads safer for children, parents, drivers and the community as a whole:
𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁-𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗺:

• 20 is Plenty signs at key points near school junction
• Road Safety talks with pupils
• Incident Reporting Log
• Residents’ Speed Watch Team

𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘂𝗺-𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗺 (𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻):

• Lollipop Warden
• Implementation of a 20mph limit along Parsonage Road
• Road surface ‘School’ signs

We have already been able to instigate a number of these solutions, and more will follow in due course. We do encourage you to engage with us positively on any of the points above, so that we can work together on keeping our village a safe place to live and enjoy for all generations.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) made the announcement ahead of the summer season as more swimmers, surfers, paddleboarders and tourists look to take a dip at UK rivers and beaches in warmer weather. (Item from Devon Live)

An exciting Rivers and Moorland Festival promising big ideas, lively conversations and enriching workshops takes place in Ivybridge on Friday 5 and Saturday 6 June.  

Sustainable South Hams will be co-curating Moor Understanding as part of their Rally for Nature project, which is supported by South Hams District Council.

Planning

Two interesting planning items this month. As usual please let us know your thoughts about them.

Collaton Park – Proposed Increase in Homes

Pillar Land Securities, the developer of the new Collaton development, is proposing to increase the number of homes on the site. This follows a need identified by the Newton and Noss Community Land Trust for more smaller homes for affordable rent and termination of their arrangement with Teign Housing.

The original planning application, approved on 14 September 2023 (ref. 3335/21/FUL), allowed for 125 homes, comprising 57 affordable homes and 68 open market homes. It also included 12 commercial business units, landscaped parkland, community boat storage and parking, allotments, a permissive pathway, and a public footway.

Original approved scheme

• Open market: 68 homes – 31 two-bedroom, 14 three-bedroom, and 23 four-bedroom homes.
• Affordable: 39 homes – 8 one-bedroom single-storey homes, 2 one-bedroom two-storey homes, and 4 two-bedroom one-and-a-half-storey homes.
• CLT: 18 homes – 6 one-bedroom homes (including 4 flats), 8 two-bedroom two-storey homes, and 3 three-bedroom two-storey homes.
• Additional open market provision – 18 two-bedroom homes and 25 three-bedroom homes, including 9 self/custom-build homes.

Revised proposal

In December 2025, Pillar Land obtained approval to proceed without an Environmental Impact Assessment ahead of a planned increase in homes. The revised proposal is now for 158 homes in total, made up of 87 open market homes, 39 affordable homes, and 32 Community Land Trust homes. This means 45% of the homes would be affordable.

The affordable housing offer would include homes under the “Rent First” rent-to-buy scheme, alongside Community Land Trust homes for affordable rent.

Proposed housing mix

• Open market: 87 homes - including 31 two-bedroom houses, 23 three-bedroom houses, 10 three-bedroom bungalows and 23 four-bedroom houses.
• Affordable: 39 homes – delivered through the Rent First rent-to-buy model, including 15 two-bedroom houses, 7 three-bedroom homes, 9 custom-build (self-build) homes, and 8 one and two-bedroom shared-ownership bungalows for people aged over 55.
• CLT: 32 homes – including 20 one-bedroom flats, 9 two-bedroom houses, and 3 three-bedroom houses.

Affordability and eligibility

Rents for the affordable rented homes would be set by the South Hams housing team and would not exceed the Local Housing Allowance rate used to calculate Housing Benefit. For example, the current Local Housing Allowance for a two-bedroom home is £673.14.

The CLT homes would be available on a rent-only basis for people with a strong local connection who are registered with Devon Home Choice. The homes would be owned by Newton and Noss Community Land Trust and managed by Plymouth Community Homes.

Why the scheme has changed

At the end of 2024, the CLT’s original delivery partner, Teign Housing, withdrew from Community Land Trust work following a change in leadership. This left Newton and Noss CLT without a delivery partner and put their affordable housing element at risk. At the same time, the CLT identified a growing need for one-bedroom homes.

Although the current scheme is advancing at pace, to keep the scheme moving, Pillar Land adjusted the programme, brought forward infrastructure works, and focused more on smaller homes for people with a local connection, particularly first-time buyers and those wishing to move within the village. The CLT has since secured a new partner, Plymouth Community Homes, which has agreed to support the scheme provided it is delivered as one complete phase under a single contract and funding package. South Hams District Council also advised that seeking approval only for the increase could risk legal challenge, so a new application is needed for the full development.

Key features of the revised scheme

• Earlier delivery of the CLT homes, increasing the total from 18 to 32.
• Improved prospects of securing Homes England funding, supported by Plymouth Community Homes.
• A revised CLT mix with more one-bedroom flats to meet identified local need, including demand shown by the Devon Home Choice housing register.
• A dedicated enclosed space for regatta boat storage and maintenance, together with a training room for the Gig Club.
• A pump track within the parkland.
• Relocation of the allotments, café, and play park to improve connectivity and create more space for the barn owl and wildlife tower.
• To improve safety, the proposed 40 mph traffic order will be extended from the Parsonage Road 30 mph signs past the new Collaton Park junction to Collaton Cross junction.
• The Local Lettings Policy remains a key part of the new planning application and is intended to ensure that people with a strong local connection are given priority for the affordable homes.

We would like to thank Pillar Land Securities and the Newton and Noss CLT who have been very helpful in explaining their proposals. The revised planning application is expected in late May or early June 2026, which we will review in detail.

101 Yealm Road (the Old Paint Laboratory) Planning Application 1152/26/FUL 

A previous proposal to replace the Old Paint Laboratory with two four-bedroom homes was refused planning permission, and a subsequent appeal was dismissed in 2024. The current proposal is for three three-bedroom homes: two semi-detached and one detached.

Site constraints and layout

Given its highly prominent location, the design must be sensitive and should not dominate the setting. The current buildings are in very poor condition and seriously degrade the visual appeal of the area. Because of the high flood risk, the quay-level ground floors cannot be used for living accommodation. Habitable rooms are therefore arranged across two storeys, with separate entrances from the higher road level. This higher level entrance section is set back from the main accommodation, so it remains secondary to the riverside-facing elevations.

It should be noted that a parcel of land adjoining to the east of the site is in the same ownership but not part of this application, it is unclear what the proposal for this land is.

Parking and access

Although the parking provision is adequate for the number of bedrooms, there is insufficient

space for vehicles to turn within the site, meaning that vehicles will need to reverse onto the parking areas.

Cinder Path update

Devon County Council, in consultation with engineers, has reopened the section of the Cinder Path from Doctor’s Steps to Kiln Quay. The path is being closely monitored by DCC and, if necessary, may have to be closed once more if further debris is seen to fall from the cliff to the foreshore below.

The Parish Council is awaiting further updates from DCC regarding the main section of the Cinder Path from Doctor's Steps towards the Harbour.

Ferryman's Cottage footpath

The path that passes behind Ferryman’s Cottage remains formally closed due to a landslip. Funds have been sought and DCC is currently working with engineers to assess and undertake repairs to this section. In the meantime walkers are reminded to follow the diversion via the road and not use the path.

Whats On?

2nd June First Tuesday Lunch club WIC hall new members welcome.. 12.00 prompt please £6pp 2 courses plus coffee. Allergies can be catered for. Please contact Jeanne (872442); Jane (872627) or Tracie (872612).

5th June Digital Drop In - "Accessibility Options" 10.30 - 11.45 WI Community Hall

Do you have a local issue you'd like to raise? Would you like to share feedback with the Parish Council? Or just like to meet your Parish Clerk?
Do pop in to our Parish Council Surgery - every second Wednesday of the month in the Post Office in Newton Ferrers.

The next one is Wednesday 10th June between  10.00 & 12.00 am

12th June Digital Drop In - "open session" 10.30 - 11.45 WI Community Hall

16th June 2.00 - 15.30  WI Hall Ladies line dancing with Barbara £2

16^th June 7pm WI monthly meeting  our speaker is from Children’s Hospice South West. New members welcome.

18^th June 2-4pm Shore Search Survey with Devon Wildlife Trust Join the Shore Search team and help monitor our fragile sea life & Better understand the effects of pollution, climate change and invasive alien species. All training provided. More details and booking essential, see wemburymarinecentre.org/events No dogs please. Meet at Wembury Marine Centre PL9 0HP

22^nd June 10.00-11.00 Community Beach Clean Wembury with the National Trust Help keep Wembury clean, safe and tidy. Hot drink after to say thank you. Free event No Dogs please  PL9 0HP

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/devon/wembury/events.

23^rd June WI craft group Willow Weaving 2pm £5 we will be making Swifts 15 spaces please bring secateurs.

tel 873403   FULL

28^th June Thursday Lunch Club 12.15 £6 pp. Newton & Noss village Hall. 2 courses plus coffee. Please contact mrandmrsbarnett@gmail.com Allergies and vegetarians can be catered for, also vegetarian option available. New members welcome.

Save the Date

4^th July 13.00-15.30 Snorkel Safari join the fully trained BSAC instructors for a snorkel safari around Wembury Bay. Suitable for beginners or more advanced snorkelers. Full kit provided. Children must be 8+ to take part. Booking essential www.wemburymarinecentre.org/events £30 per person meet at Wembury Marine Centre PL9 0HP

4^th July Life on the edge @ Wembury Fayre. Meadow inspired games, crafts and maybe some bug hunts Wembury school PL9 0EB

7th June First Tuesday Lunch club WIC hall new members welcome.. 12.00 prompt please £6pp 2 courses plus coffee. Allergies can be catered for. Please contact Jeanne (872442); Jane (872627) or Tracie (872612).

16^th July 10.30-13.00 Cyanotype workshop www.wemburymarinecentre.org/events £12.50 Make something beautiful and unique at Wembury Marine Centre using materials from the beach, whilst learning about local marine life.  Cyanotypes use the intricate shapes of seaweed and a little bit of chemistry to make beautiful pieces of artwork.

21st July WI monthly meeting 7pm the speaker is from the Samaritans. New members always welcome.

23rd July Thursday Lunch Club 12.15 £6 pp. Newton & Noss village Hall. 2 courses plus coffee. Please contact mrandmrsbarnett@gmail.comAllergies and vegetarians can be catered for, also vegetarian option available. New members welcome.

28th July WI Craft Group 2.00- 4.00 New members always welcome

29th July Yealmpton Show