Monthly Archives: September 2019

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Misc

“Housing minister Esther McVey mocked for saying ‘3D architects’ are now building homes ‘on computers’ “

“Housing minister Esther McVey has faced widespread ridicule on social media after she praised “new” methods of home building at the Conservative Party conference.

Addressing crowds at an event in Manchester titled ‘Are We Solving the Housing Crisis?’, Ms McVey spoke excitedly about innovative technologies.

The Minister for Housing and Planning praised a “new way” of doing things, with the potential to draw more young people into construction,

“We’ve got to get more people into construction full stop,” she said.

“But if we have this new way of doing it – 3D architects, 3D visionaries – doing it with it on a computer… there’s a whole new raft of jobs.”

However, as Twitter users were quick to point out, her suggested methods were not, in fact, new.

Architects have been using computers for planning since the 1980s, and a house cannot be built without full dimensions.

In the hours following the self-styled “problem solver’s” suggestions, social media was flooded with mocking or confused comments.

“Esther McVey is telling Tory conference about ‘3D architects’ who are ‘doing it on a computer’. I don’t know much about the process of designing buildings but I thought that was quite normal, especially the 3D element,” wrote one Twitter ‘

Esther McVey just solved the housing crisis. Just make the houses 2D and you can do it all at a fraction of the price! #ConservativeConference2019,” tweeted another.

“Thank goodness I’ll soon be able to leave my 2d house…#EstherMcVey #planegeometry,” commented another.

“Thank god Esther McVey is here to transform house building to make it fit for the 21st century,” tweeted another alongside a movie set scattered with one-sided buildings.

“EXCLUSIVE: Leaked pictures of the architectural designs for Esther McVey’s new home,” added another, with an child-like drawing of a house, done on an Etch a sketch.”

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/housing-minister-esther-mcvey-mocked-for-saying-3d-architects-are-now-building-homes-on-computers-a4250356.html

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30 Sep 2019

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Accountability, Austerity cuts, Cranbrook, EDDC, Local Government Finance, Mark Williams CEO EDDC, Sustainability

“District bosses accused of neglecting Cranbrook – but they say authority faces its own finanical pressures”

“The district council has been accused of neglecting its duties to support Cranbrook compared to other towns across East Devon.

In two letters sent to East Devon District Council’s (EDDC) deputy CEO, Richard Cohen, Cranbrook Town Council chairman Les Bayliss urged the authority to integrate Cranbrook and provide it with the same level of support it gives other towns. Cllr Bayliss said: “If Cranbrook is to continue to flourish, the community needs the district council’s investment.”

The town council has asked EDDC to help cover sizeable ground maintenance costs for Cranbrook’s country park.

Cllr Bayliss said a ‘substantial’ amount of council tax in Cranbrook – which is the fifth-highest tax in England out of more than 10,000 parishes – goes towards maintaining the green space. Cllr Bayliss said the maintenance costs are in the region of £200,000 per annum, adding: “It is clearly unfair that the cost burden is carried by Cranbrook taxpayers alone.”

The town council has also demanded the district council provides 500m² of commercial space in Cranbrook’s eagerly-awaited town centre. Cllr Bayliss said: “The development of [the] town centre in Cranbrook has not commenced to date, despite discussion among various partner organisations for many years.”

However, in a letter in response to the concerns, EDDC CEO Mark Williams blamed the district council’s own financial difficulties it faces in the short to medium-term future for its perceived lack of support.

He said: “It will increasingly be the case that communities will have to expect to fund their own assets as principal councils are fundamentally compelled by the Government to focus on statutory services.”

Mr Williams also dismissed the town council’s request for help funding the country park maintenance cost.

He said: “Representatives of our countryside service held extensive discussions with Cranbrook Town Council on a management plan that we initially submitted to [Cranbrook] Consortium with our proposals and costs associated with managing and adopting the country park… I assume that in seeking transfer of the land to the town council, you will have assessed the cost of managing and maintaining the land and reflected this in the precept amount you are charging your residents.”

https://www.midweekherald.co.uk/news/cranbrook-funding-request-to-eddc-1-6298803

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Accountability, Austerity cuts, Tories

Promises about south-west economy? Let’s check some very recent onest first to see if they happen!

Four years ago, the current government made the following promises about what they would do for the south-west.

Check for yourself whether any of them have come to pass!

“The Prime Minister and Chancellor today (Monday 26 January 2015) set out their six point long term economic plan for the south-west showing what has been delivered, what is underway and what more can be done to support the regional economy in the long term.

At a speech at the National Aquarium in Plymouth the Chancellor set out the detailed plan as part of a day-long tour of the south-west, on which he was joined by the Prime Minister.

The plan includes six points:

1) increase the size of the regional economy by £6.4bn in real terms by 2030 – equivalent to over £1,000 per person – by increasing the long term growth rate of the south-west to at least the long term growth rate of the whole UK

2) create over 150,000 new jobs in the south-west by supporting private businesses, advanced manufacturing and skills to ensure we maintain the current high rate of job creation

3) deliver at least £7.2 billion of investment in transport in the south-west and deliver a step change in digital connectivity, supporting the complete dualling of key roads including the A303, and the full electrification of Brunel’s Great Western Main Line including brand new electric trains, together with exploring the feasibility of a dedicated rail franchise for the south-west and delivering 95% superfast connectivity by 2017 through the government’s superfast broadband programme

4) support the tourism sector to draw more people to the south-west’s beautiful countryside and coastlines, with the aim of increasing the number of annual overseas visits to the south-west to 3 million by 2020, creating around 7,000 more jobs

5) ensure the world class defence assets and cyber security industry of the south-west provide the maximum benefit to the local economy; this includes new plans to expand the economic benefits of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines in Devon, the Army at Salisbury Plain, and the defence industries near Bristol, so we sustain 59,000 defence industry, 36,500 military and 17,000 civilian defence jobs in the region.

6) build on the south-west’s existing reputation in life and agricultural sciences and boost science more broadly, supporting tech clusters, green energy, promoting skills development and an innovative rural economy

There are no quick fixes to achieving these important goals, so the Prime Minister and Chancellor are also setting out a specific timetable to deliver the key concepts of this plan over the five years of the next parliament, and the following decade.

As important next steps in the plan for the south-west, the pair announced a number of new measures to improve transport links, boost tourism, and invest in defence:

developing a comprehensive rail strategy for the south-west by setting up a south-west Peninsula Rail Task Force – this strategy will increase resilience, reduce journey times, and increase capacity, responding to the 3-point plan of the south-west Connectivity Study. It will also address the question of the potential re-opening the inland rail route between Exeter and Plymouth

Coastal Communities Fund (CCF): the Chancellor today announced the successful bids for the CCF, a £10m package which will support coastal communities and is estimated to bring over 75,000 visitors to the region. This investment will create over 860 new jobs (direct and indirect) and support over 225 businesses, generating over £12m in increased visitor spending

Chancellor announced a new £2m challenge fund as part of the GREAT Britain campaign to promote regions and cities including in the south-west, to international tourists, students and businesses. He also said that he wants to see government support for a Mayflower exhibition in Plymouth in the run up to the 400th anniversary in 2020

south-west will be a centre of operations for the Army, Navy, Royal Marines and cyber security. The Chancellor therefore today announced a £900m investment in the Salisbury Plain area to create new service and technical accommodation for the army. GCHQ will also continue to play a major role in supporting the cyber security industry in the region, including by recruiting over 400 cyber specialists, the majority of whom will work in the region

working with leading experts to support the south-west’s technology and skills base: Mark Walport and Sally Davies bring together leading figures from industry, the NHS and academia to explore the potential for new proposals for investment in life sciences in the south-west, with a particular focus on medical technologies

As both the Prime Minister and Chancellor have set out clearly, the only way for the UK’s recovery to be truly sustainable is for it to be truly national. While the challenge is significant, so is the prize ahead. By pursuing this plan, the Prime Minister and Chancellor, aim to achieve real outcomes for the people of the south-west who have already seen the fastest employment growth in the UK.

The Prime Minister and Chancellor will be visiting a variety of businesses and institutions across the south-west to hear how the government’s long term economic plan is delivering for them and what more can be done to support the region.

The Chancellor will started the day by visiting a local fishing business in Cornwall, before delivering a key note speech at one of the south-west’s best known tourist attractions.

He will go on to visit one of the south-west’s largest defence employers before being joined by the Prime Minister to visit a local college and successful small business that has benefitted from the region’s recovery under the government’s long term economic plan.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne said in his speech:

The south-west contains some of Britain’s greatest economic strengths. It should be as central to our nation’s future prosperity as any other part of these islands. And the Prime Minister and I are determined that it will be.

That’s why I am here today, to set out our long term economic plan for the south-west – and why the Prime Minister will be joining me later today to seek local support for it. The plan I set out is based on this insight. Over the last thirty or forty years our economy has become more imbalanced, with the gap growing between London and the rest of the country. Our ambition is to reverse that – and it can be achieved.

He added:

What we need is a coherent plan that identifies those strengths, makes them stronger still – and connects them to each other so that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. If you look at the south-west, stretching from Wiltshire and Bristol, to Somerset and Dorset, down to Cornwall and Devon, of course, you see the differences – they all have a unique identity. But you also see the strengths they have in common.

What are they? There’s the beautiful countryside and coastline that makes this one of the most attractive parts of the UK, and one of the most visited. There’s the industries that thrive in this landscape – the agriculture, the fishing and the tourism – that are more important here than many places. But there’s also the great universities, the incredible science happening here, skills and high tech manufacturing associated with the strong relationship with our armed forces. Bring these ingredients together with better transport links and you have a very attractive place to invest, to grow a business and to build a life.

Speaking in Plymouth, he concluded:

So we have a long term economic plan for the south-west. It aims to create over a hundred and fifty thousand jobs. It seeks to add over £6 billion to the local economy – equivalent to over £1,000 per person. It will support the future of our defence forces and capitalise on their economic benefit. It will deliver the next step for national cyber intelligence, and other world leading scientific innovation. It will make the most of the countryside and coastal towns.

Our long term plan for the south-west is about recognising the value of both its natural beauty and the economic strengths nurtured by the people who live here. It says that we can only have a truly national recovery if we get behind the private sector, put in the transport, support the tourism, the science and the industries of the future. And it says that if we do that: the future is bright in the west. It is a commitment to you – and to your future. And with your help, we will help deliver it.

The Prime Minister, David Cameron said:

Our long-term economic plan for the south-west is about making life better for hardworking local people. It involves backing business to create more jobs, improving transport links and building on the region’s strengths to secure a brighter future.

For too long, people living in this part of the country have suffered from Britain’s unbalanced economy – from the growing gap between London and the rest. That is what this plan sets out to change – to ensure that Britain’s recovery really is a recovery for all

Further information: timetable for action and implementation in the south-west 2015-2030

2015

Connectivity
Road Investment Strategy announced at Autumn Statement 2014 will see £9.4bn committed to new schemes nationwide. £2bn of that will be spent in the south-west, including upgrading of the M5, M49, A303, A30, A358 and A417 to reduce bottlenecks and provide motorway quality journeys

establishment of a south-west Peninsula Rail task force to develop a comprehensive rail strategy for the south-west, which will address the question of potentially re-opening the inland rail link from Exeter to Plymouth via Okehampton and Tavistock that could improve local connectivity

Network Rail develops plans for western rail access to Heathrow, based on a link from the Great Western Main line, which could potentially deliver a 30 minute reduction in journey times between Heathrow, the Thames Valley and all points west for 12 million residents, benefitting the whole UK economy

government will explore the case for establishing a new dedicated Devon and Cornwall franchise for the south-west of England, bringing together parts of the current Great Western and south-west Trains franchises into a coherent whole to support better timetabling and provision of rail services to and within the south-west, not simply focused on journeys to London. Alongside this, government would like to encourage local government in the region to come together to form Rail south-west, with the long term aim of devolving the franchise to local decision makers (subject to the development of satisfactory capability to let and manage such contracts)
negotiations with First Group over the Great Western Main Line franchise will be completed, with the aim being to secure significant improvements to trains and journey times to the south-west

work under the Filton Four Tracks Programme will get underway to double the track between Bristol’s two main stations, reducing journey times and increasing passenger and freight services

contracts are being signed to take superfast broadband coverage to 95% by 2017. . Technology pilots, including one in Exmoor National Park, will test innovative ways to bring coverage to the final 5% of premises

Technology and innovation

Agri-Tech Catalyst programme will spend £70m (which will be matched by private sector funding) nationwide up to 2018/19, with funds already allocated to a number of projects amounting to almost £1m for firms and universities in the south-west and a further round of bids currently ongoing
ensuring that knowledge gained by research activity is transferred and applied in farm businesses to improve efficiency and competitiveness has been identified as a priority for £1.5m of funding from the Rural Development Programme (RDP) by the Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly LEP
completion of the conversion of Bristol Planetarium in a 3d Data Visualisation Dome by April 2015. This forms part of the Bristol R&D Testbed, a key component of the “Bristol is Open” initiative. The Testbed, which has received £4.3m of government funding, is a joint venture between the City and the University of Bristol and will create the world’s first Open Progammable city testbed, linking data from across the city so that companies can test equipment, applications and software in a real world environment

both the 3D Visualisation Dome and the R&D Testbed are already generating interest from researchers, companies and universities around the world

government is contributing £4m towards the £16.5m cost of the West of England University Enterprise Zone in Bristol, which will focus on robotics and health technologies. Construction will begin in March

first phase of the Met Office’s High Performance Computer in Exeter will be operational by September, helping to cement the UK’s position as a world leader in weather and climate prediction and potentially delivering £2bn of socio-economic benefits to the UK

business cases for ‘wind engineering’ project benefiting Bath and Exeter will be developed

Heart of the South West LEP has identified as a priority projects to provide advisory services and knowledge transfer around Agri Sciences; promote SME competitiveness through giving business skills support; bring superfast broadband to areas not covered by the Superfast Extension Roll-out; help rural businesses to understand how superfast broadband can support them and offer bespoke support to those businesses that will benefit the most; and encourage rural businesses to reach new markets, seeking £15.5m through the rural development programme

UKTI south-west will launch their Global Entrepreneur Programme, which will attract entrepreneur-led, innovation-rich businesses from all over the world

Tourism and housing

investment of £4.4m to refund up to 50,000 Chinese tourist visas in the financial year 2015/16 to encourage more Chinese tourists to visit the UK and visit regions outside of London
this parliament, £532m has already been allocated to Local Authorities to deliver 25,580 affordable homes and 7,783 households in the south-west have completed mortgages with the support of Help to Buy

Get Britain Building scheme has committed to an investment of £54.1m which has already seen 456 homes out of a total of 700 delivered in the south-west. The remaining homes will be completed by 2017

Large Sites Fund has committed £52m to sites in the South West with 914 homes (out of a total of 6500 for the site) already completed at Cranbrook and building of homes at Sherford expected to begin in May

decisions on proposals for eight Housing Zones in the south-west are expected by Budget. These zones have requested £29m in funding and, if supported, could provide over 11,500 homes
further building projects are being assessed in the south-west under the following schemes and, assuming they are approved, work will begin in 2015. The Builders Finance Fund is considering a shortlist of 19 projects with a potential total investment of £66.8m, which could deliver 1,299 units.

The Large Sites Infrastructure fund is considering a shortlist of ten projects with a potential total investment of £149m. The infrastructure being considered under this scheme has the potential to unlock 22,795 homes. Local Growth (housing infrastructure) fund is considering a shortlist of five projects with a potential total investment of £35.2m. The infrastructure being considered under this scheme has the potential to unlock 2,919 homes

Rural Economy

south-west will benefit from its share of the £3.5bn for investment up to 2020 under the Rural Development Programme (RDP) to boost farming, food, the rural economy and protect the natural environment; including £68m already allocated to be spent on local growth schemes in the region. Some of the projects that LEPs have prioritised for funding include £9.4m to support agriculture through diverse projects covering livestock and horticultural support through to farmer specific renewable technologies such as fuel generated from biogas plants, and £1.4m to roll out farm scale Anaerobic Digestion plants which could serve as heat distribution networks or energy storage in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly

homes across the south-west will be better protected from floods thanks to an unprecedented six-year £2.3 billion flood defence programme, announced at Autumn Statement, providing better protection for at least 300,000 households by 2021. £149m of this will be invested in the South West with £19m being spent in financial year 2015/16. The programme will also support economic recovery and growth, working alongside partners including private companies, local planning authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs). Overall, the national programme will help avoid over £30bn in long-term economic damages. Some of the projects that are likely to see work started over the next 6 years are:
the £30.9m flood defence scheme in Exeter to protect 4149 properties in the area.

the £8.8m Dawlish Warren and Exmouth beach management scheme which will help protect almost 3000 homes and businesses.
the £4.4m Exmouth tidal defence scheme, protecting 1099 properties in the area.

the £3.4m Congresbury Yeo tidal banks project to protect 4,101 homes and businesses.

the £3.3m Parret Estuary at Cannington Bends to protect 1257 properties.

government will invest £535.4m through PFI credits in essential waste management infrastructure in the south-west over the next six years. This will amount to £74.1m in financial year 2015 to 2016.

Defence

£3.2bn is already being spent on the maintenance and repair of ships and yards, including HMNB Devonport, where it sustains 4000 jobs

second offshore patrol vessel built at Appledore shipyard is expected to be handed over to the Irish Navy

A400M is a multi-national tactical and strategic lift aircraft with over 170 ordered so far by partner countries. All the wings will be made in Filton, securing 8,000 jobs. 24 pairs of wings will be delivered to the MoD and customers in other partner nations in 2015

£15m contract to militarise the new Royal Fleet Auxiliary tankers awarded to A&P Engineering, based in Falmouth
investment in Salisbury Plain to create the new Army Basing Area for units returning from Germany – £900m to create service personnel accommodation and infrastructure, with the work being competed down the supply chain. In addition 1000 Service Families Homes to be built in this area by 2020
£1.4M of LIBOR fines will be used to improve childcare provision for service personnel in the South West. This will be spent on upgrading or opening new facilities across Tidworth, Warminster, Perham Down, Blandford, Bovington, Taunton, Collingwood and Bulford

£1M in LIBOR fines will be used for a Gurkha Homes project in Wiltshire which will build small clusters of homes for older Gurkha veterans and their partners

2016
Connectivity

electrification of rail lines from London to Bristol, Newbury and Oxford will be completed as part of an investment in 235miles of new electric lines, making journeys smoother and more comfortable for passengers and quieter for people living near railways

Bristol area rail improvements begin, including converting Filton Abbeywood station to four platforms, an extra platform at Bristol Parkway and two new platforms and major investment at Bristol Temple Meads plus a new junction will be created at Bristol East

Technology and Innovation

work completed on the West of England University Enterprise Zone, the first clients expected by July

Tourism and housing

Large Sites Infrastructure fund will issue contracts for further schemes by March

Rural economy

ongoing work on key flood defence works will see investment of £33.5m in financial year 2016 to 2017

ongoing investment in essential waste management infrastructure through PFI credits in the south-west will amount to £85.7m in financial year 2016 to 2017
Defence

28 pairs of wings for the A400M tactical and strategic lift aircraft will be delivered to UK and partner nations, safeguarding 8000 jobs building their wings in Filton
third maritime patrol vessel built at Appledore shipyard is expected to be handed over to the Irish Navy

2017

Connectivity

electrification of rail lines from London to Cardiff complete
first IEP super express trains will be introduced by Great Western, improving reliability and reducing environmental impacts

Superfast broadband coverage reaches 95%

Tourism and Housing

700 new homes will have been built in the south-west supported by £55m of investment through the Get Britain Building scheme

Rural economy

by the end of 2017, through the Priority School Building Programme, 16 schools will have been rebuilt or refurbished, with capacity for nearly 6,000 children

ongoing work on key flood defence works will see investment of £26.3m in financial year 2017 to 2018

ongoing investment in essential waste management infrastructure through PFI credits in the south-west will amount to £89.5m in financial year 2017 to 2018

Technology and Innovation

Met Office’s new High Performance Computer will be fully operational

‘Wind Engineering’ projects will commence.

government rollout of superfast broadband will reach 95% of premises nationwide.

Defence

26 pairs of wings for the A400m tactical and strategic lift aircraft will be delivered to partner nations

2018

Rural economy

ongoing work on key flood defence works will see investment of £20.7m in financial year 2018 to 2018
ongoing investment in essential waste management infrastructure through PFI credits in the south-west will amount to £91.8m in financial year 2018 to 2019.

Defence

first aircraft carrier with parts made in Devon begins initial trials and operations

28 pairs of wings for the A400m tactical and strategic lift aircraft will be delivered to partner nations. This includes the pair for the final UK aircraft

2019

Connectivity

if the business case is approved, work on the western rail access to Heathrow could begin as early as 2019
Rural economy

ongoing work on key flood defence works will see investment of £15.3m in financial year 2019 to 20

ongoing investment in essential waste management infrastructure through PFI credits in the south-west will amount to £94m in financial year 2019 to 20

Defence

28 pairs of wings for the A400m tactical and strategic lift aircraft will be delivered to partner nations

1000 Service Personnel homes and 3000 single living accommodation will be completed in the Salisbury Plain Area.

An extra 4600 service personnel will live and work around Salisbury Plain

2020

Connectivity

construction will begin on the Stonehenge tunnel

Rural economy

ongoing work on key flood defence works will see investment of £22m in financial year 2020 to 2021 with work completed to: protect 4149 properties through the flood defence scheme in Exeter; protect almost 3000 homes and businesses through the Dawlish Warren and Exmouth beach management scheme; protect 1099 properties through the Exmouth tidal defence scheme;

protect 4,101 homes and businesses through the Congresbury and Yeo tidal banks project;

protect 1257 properties through work on the Parret Estuary at Cannington Bends

ongoing investment in essential waste management

infrastructure in the south-west will amount to £100.4m in financial year 2020 to 2021

Defence

28 pairs of wings for the A400m tactical and strategic lift aircraft will be delivered to partner nations

first Scout vehicles will enter service with the British Army. The Scout was announced at the NATO summit in Cardiff last year and has received 589 orders. Part of it will be designed by Thales in Bristol

all British troops will have left Germany and be based at new locations around Salisbury Plain

2021-2025

Connectivity

if the business case is approved, work on the western rail access to Heathrow could be completed as early as 2023
work to upgrade the M5, M49, A303, A30, A358 and A417 under the road investment strategy complete by 2021″

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/long-term-economic-plan-for-the-south-west-unveiled

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30 Sep 2019

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Accountability, Hinkley C, Local Enterprise Partnership

“Hinkley Point builder (EDF) accused by France of ‘unacceptable’ failings”

“President Macron’s economy minister has accused the French state-owned company building Britain’s new nuclear plant of “unacceptable” failings as he threatened sweeping change at the group.

Bruno Le Maire said yesterday that the French nuclear sector was like “a state within a state” and he denounced cost overruns and delays in the construction of the Hinkley Point C nuclear reactor in Somerset and similar projects in Flamanville in Normandy and Olkiluoto in Finland. “We will not accept this drift month after month, year after year,” Mr Le Maire said.

His words appeared to weaken the position of Jean-Bernard Lévy, 64, who was given a second four-year term as chief executive of EDF by Mr Macron in February.

Mr Le Maire said that he had ordered an independent audit into the French nuclear industry, which provides about 75 per cent of nation’s electricity, and into the decision to build a new generation of the increasingly questioned European pressurised reactors in Britain, France, Finland and China. The conclusions will be delivered on October 31, he said.

The audit will interest Whitehall, given that the EPRs being built in Somerset are supposed to supply 7 per cent of Britain’s electricity. EDF said last week that Hinkley Point C would cost £3 billion more than expected and may not meet its latest launch date of 2025, which is already eight years late.

The glitches at Hinkley Point C come after setbacks at Flamanville, which initially was due to come on stream in 2012 at a cost of €3.3 billion, but which will not now be linked to the grid until 2022 at the earliest at a cost of at least $10.9 billion. The Finnish plant was scheduled to be operational in 2009, but is still not complete.

Noting the lastest delays at Flamanville, Mr Le Maire said: “Now we learn that the costs of the nuclear reactor in Britain have drifted. All this drifting is unacceptable.”

The French state owns 83.7 per cent of EDF. Mr Macron wants to split the group in two, placing its nuclear activities in a wholly state-owned unit and floating the rest.”

Source: Times (pay wall)

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Developers/ Development, Transport (local)

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Devon “new town” runs out of parking spaces

“Sherford bosses have sought to calm a brewing storm over parking arrangements in the town amid claims there’s not enough spaces available for everyone.

Neighbours say it’s a daily ‘nightmare’ trying to find somewhere legitimate to leave their car overnight in the new-build South Hams town.

Some are even being forced to break a town covenant which bars anyone from leaving their cars on the High Street at night because there’s too many cars per household lining the streets, it’s claimed. …”

https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/sherford-drivers-say-town-run-3377885

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30 Sep 2019

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Accountability, EDDC, Environment (local), PegasusLife, Public Open Space

“Revealed: The thousands of public spaces lost to the council funding crisis”

Using the postcode finder (and note this does not include 2018 when AT LEAST EDDC sold off son]me of Knowle park and Beach Light Housing at Seaton);

“Between 2014 and 2017, East Devon Council sold
15
spaces for more than
£233,853”

https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2019-03-04/sold-from-under-you?

Details of the properties can be found using the pistcode finder on the website.

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“Families [and developers and speculators] may be able to add two storeys to their home WITHOUT planning permission, under new government reforms”

Oh dear – Daily Fail says “families” will be able to add 2-storey extensions to properties, but what they really mean is “DEVELOPERS, SPECULATORS and BUY TO LET LANDLORDS – oh and families … ”

“Families will be able to add two storeys to their homes without planning permission under reforms to be unveiled today.

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick will announce the move in a package of measures tearing up ‘outdated and bureaucratic’ planning laws.

The proposal, affecting owners of detached properties, was first floated by Mr Jenrick’s predecessor Sajid Javid 18 months ago.

It was originally aimed principally at town centres and would have still [have] required light-touch planning approval.

But under the new plans, families will be able to build up to two storeys using permitted development rights – the same system used for small extensions and loft conversions.

The right will be afforded first to purpose-built blocks of flats, but will eventually be rolled out to all detached properties. …”

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7518545/Families-able-add-two-storeys-home-WITHOUT-planning-permission-new-plans.html?

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Accountability, Asset sweating, EDDC, Seaton/ Colyford / Colyton

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Want to park in Seaton when car park charges are hiked 50%? Buy a coach (free parking)!

Car parking charges are going up in ALL East Devon car parks by 50% and there will no longer be any free parking anywhere – except for coaches in Seaton it seems.

EDDC says it is to boost tourist numbers at the EDDC-owned but Devon Wildlife Trust-run Seaton Jurassic Centre. Can it do this? Favour free parking for council-owned facilities only?

“Seaton’s busiest car park is facing a 50 per cent price hike – while charges at another site could be scrapped to make it a ‘coach-friendly town’.

East Devon District Council (EDDC) is considering both moves among sweeping changes to its tariffs.

A year-long trial of free parking for coaches at Seaton Jurassic is being proposed in a bid to boost tourism.

The authority is also planning to increase the hourly rate at the Orchard car park from £1 to £1.50.

An evening and overnight levy would also be introduced as the facility. …

““During June and July, our coach parking revenue here was less than £100 so the risks associated with responding favourably to this request are minimal. …” ”

Bid to make Seaton a ‘coach-friendly town’ – as busy car park faces 50% price hike

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Accountability, Developers/ Development, EDDC, Fords of Sidmouth, Mark Williams CEO EDDC, Sidford Business Park

Sidford Fields Business Park – Campaign update

“Forgive our silence over recent weeks but please don’t take this to mean that we haven’t been doing anything!
Having received the disappointing news that the Planning Inspector has upheld the appeal for the proposed Business Park a solicitor was engaged and a barrister instructed to obtain a legal opinion on the likelihood of a successful legal challenge to the Inspector’s decision.

We have only very recently received the barrister’s written opinion. Regretfully, the barrister’s opinion whilst incredibly sympathetic to the circumstances that local residents will find themselves in when the Business Park is up and running, concludes his opinion by stating “ … while I can see much to disagree with in the Inspector’s assessment, I do not consider there to be an arguable ground of challenge raising an error of law, and therefore the prospects of success in a section 288 claim – in my view – are low.”

This means that we have no legal avenue to challenge the Inspector’s decision. That said at least one Sidford resident has written to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government asking that the decision be “called in”. In other words, they have asked the Secretary of State to review the decision.

If anyone else would like to do the same then you can email the Secretary of State, Robert Jenner, at Robert.Jenrick.MP@parliament.uk.

There remain concerns of evidence that arose out the Inquiry and the outcome of the inquiry itself. We have been asked what residents can do should they wish to raise their concerns. Should you wish to do so your concerns can be addressed to –

(i) Concerns regarding the Planning Inquiry, its process and/or its outcome are best addressed to the Secretary of State Robert Jenner;

(ii) Concerns regarding the way in which the District Council, its Members and/or its Officers have dealt with the planning applications thus far can be addressed to the Leader of the Council, Councillor Ben Ingham, at BIngham@eastdevon.gov.uk. And/or residents are able to make comments at the start of Full Council meetings, with the next one being held in the evening of 23 October.

District Councillor John Loudoun has raised the matters associated with the meeting held between the Chief Executive and the applicants back in 2016 after the Council had refused the 2016 planning application. He has updated his blog which sets out the issues associated with the meeting based upon information provided by the Council. His blog is at http://johnloudoun4sidmouthruralhome.wordpress.com/.

The applicants, having now obtained outline planning approval as a result of the Inspector’s decision, will need to start to obtain detailed planning approval from the District Council.

This obviously will lead to scrutiny by the Town Council and the district Council and will afford residents opportunities to comment on the details within those applications. As of yet, no applications have been submitted.

It has been suggested that it might be appropriate for residents who are annoyed at the Inspector’s decision to lobby the District Council. We cannot see what this would achieve as it has no ability to alter the Inspector’s decision. Rather, we think that any further lobbies would probably be best considered when future planning applications are under discussion at Town and/or District Council meeetings.

We recognise that many of you are concerned to appreciate all that has happened over recent months and what can/should be done as things move forward. We are therefore trying to organise a public meeting for the evening of either 14 or 15 October. Once we have been able to book a venue, we will let you know the details of the meeting.
Best wishes

Campaign Team”

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29 Sep 2019

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Accountability, Police (local)

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“Police recruitment delays as Home Office silent over funding”

“The government promise to recruit thousands of police officers within months is being jeopardised by delays in the Home Office telling forces how much extra money will be allocated to fund the scheme.

In early September the Conservatives reversed years of cuts and announced 20,000 new officers at a cost of £750m over three years.

But the 43 forces in England and Wales who are supposed to recruit 6,000 officers by the end of March still do not know how much money they will receive and how many officers they can afford to recruit.

Government sources expect it may take until December for each police force to learn how much money they will receive. Those trying to recruit fear it will delay providing enough officers to tackle the rising level of serious crime. …”

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/sep/29/police-recruitment-delays-as-home-office-silent-over-funding?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

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29 Sep 2019

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Accountability, Axminster, DCC, Environment (local), Seaton/ Colyford / Colyton

The Seaton cycle path – a DCC officer responds

Owl has received information from an interested organisation that:

“Devon County Council is proceeding with compulsory purchase of land for the Seaton to Axminster cycle project.”

Ok – but there is still no National Cycle Path AND discussing compulsory purchase of the land between Seaton and Axminster has been going on (at length) since AT LEAST 2011:

Click to access pdf-PTE-11-20.pdf

with, so far, no progress whatsoever.

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29 Sep 2019

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Accountability, Democracy, Voting

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Is East Devon Watch anti-Tory? Yes … and No

Given the current hot-headed political debates and the likelihood of a General Election, it is not surprising that the question is being asked. So, for the record:

EDW is pro electing an independent in East Devon (Claire Wright) and almost anyone else in Neil Parish’s Tiverton and Honiton constituency – EVEN another Tory. Incumbent MPs who have been too long in their jobs and not working hard enough for their constituents, or who much prefer jobs outside their constituency or climbing greasy poles, become lazy towards those constituents and should be replaced. Time for change.

EDW is anti-Brexit but tries not to let this influence the blog too much – except for the changes that will need to happen in East Devon because of it, which are becoming quite scary, so the subject features more and is definitely worrying.

EDW has a predisposition to sticking up for underdogs so, in these modern times, that implies a left-leaning bias. But not ultra-left and Owl is more likely to feel empathy with a moderate Tory or Labour politician than an ultra left or right politician of any party.

EDW is impressed by the work Independents and Greens are doing at Devon County Council and in other parts of Devon, particularly in respect of health matters, climate change and the environment.

Sadly, Owl remembers too well the times that Liberal Democrats have let us down locally and nationally (the support for the Health and Social Care Act particularly rankles) and the views of that party’s leader still do not chime with Owl’s.

HOWEVER:

EDW heavily criticised the last EDDC EDDC Tory-led council and continues to criticise the current Independent council to the same level. Very disappointed to see “same old” policies and even “same old” behaviour.

Whatever the reader’s prediliction is, EDW urges EVERYONE IN ANY PARTY OR NONE to vote – it is OUR sovereignty.

There is no denying that all the major problems we face in East Devon – health, education, environment, etc – have taken place under a Tory government, with only a Tory government to blame – so EDW will not duck blaming them.

REST ASSURED THAT SHOULD THERE BE CHANGES IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN EAST DEVON, DEVON OR NATIONALLY, EDW WILL GIVE THE SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE OR PARTIES EXACTLY THE SAME SCRUTINY IT HAS GIVEN TO PAST AND PRESENT INCUMBENTS, WITHOUT FEAR OR FAVOUR!

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29 Sep 2019

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Climate crisis, Environment (local), Tories

“Best places for a car-free commute in Britain: from Bristol to Liverpool, Newcastle and Nottingham”

Can you ride your bike SAFELY from Exmouth or Cranbrook to Exeter? And whatever happened to that National Cycle Route From Seaton to … somewhere that can’t even take you to Axminster!

And whatever happened (we know what happened) to the dedicated cycle officer at Devon County Council?

Warm words butter no parsnips, as they say!

“Congested roads and environmental concerns are leading many of us to get on our bikes — or the buses. Tim Palmer reveals the best spots in Britain for a car-free commute

Today is World Car-Free Day, that annual reminder of how much we would gain if we all spent a bit less time in those metal boxes on wheels.

We’d have more time — drivers in London spend 227 hours a year stuck in traffic jams, according to a survey by the data analyst Inrix — and money. A report by Kwik Fit found that the average motorist spends nearly £400 a month on their car.

We might be happier and healthier, too, according to Xavier Brice, chief executive of the charity Sustrans, which runs the National Cycle Network: “It sounds silly, but some of the biggest crises facing the country — climate change, air quality, obesity, mental health, loneliness — could be eased if we were less dependent on our cars.”

Nagging people isn’t the answer, he adds. Instead, the key is to make it easier for people to do the right thing and harder to do the wrong thing. The reason Cambridge is the most popular place in the UK for cyclists — more than half of adults there get on their bike every week — is that its narrow one-way streets are simpler to negotiate on two wheels than on four.

Yet ditching the car is easier said than done. Try going to the supermarket without one, taking the kids to football practice or, if you live in the country, going anywhere at all.

The long-term solution, Brice says, is to stop building cul-de-sacs miles from anywhere. Instead, we need to create “20-minute neighbourhoods”, where everything you need is within walking distance. For now, though, the simplest answer is to get on your bike. In some places that means taking your life in your hands, especially in London (despite that, 15% of commuters in Hackney still cycle to work), but if you look carefully, you should be able to find somewhere to live where getting around is easy.

For drivers, Bristol can be a pain — it’s the fifth most congested city in the UK — but it is Britain’s first official “cycling city”. Four National Cycle Routes converge here, at providing easy access to suburbs and satellite towns such as Easton and Portishead. The star attraction is the traffic-free Bristol & Bath Railway Path, which celebrates its 40th birthday this year. A 13-mile route used by more than 2.5m people every year, it’s a big draw for househunters.

Sara Ladkani-Knowles and her husband, Leif, spent a long time looking for the perfect base when they left London two years ago. They picked the suburb of Staple Hill because of its proximity to the path. “Leif uses it every day,” Sara says. “He can get from home to work at the university, in the city centre, in 30 minutes. On the bus, it would take him an hour. He loves it and it puts him in a good mood when he gets there — although it probably helps that it’s mostly downhill.”

They still have a car for longer trips, but Sara, 36, an environmental tutor, doesn’t drive. She uses the cycle path nearly every day, usually with their 16-month-old daughter, Noula, in tow. “It’s an amazing place to take her, because it’s away from busy roads and she’s not breathing in polluted air. There are three supermarkets on the route, so it’s really handy when I need to buy food. I don’t even have to see a car.”

Other places well served by traffic-free cycle paths include the up-and-coming Manchester suburb of Levenshulme, which has easy links to the rest of the city via the Fallowfield Loop bike path, good buses, a six-minute train service to Piccadilly station and affordable houses: three-bedroom terraces start at £150,000.

Glasgow has 36 miles of traffic-free cycle path to go with its excellent public transport — buses, local trains and the “Clockwork Orange” underground — as well as 400 public bikes for hire through its Nextbike scheme.

About 196,000 cyclists a year use the Nidderdale Greenway, in Harrogate, to get to work, the shops and the beautiful Yorkshire Dales countryside. In Wales, the Aberystwyth-Llanilar route provides an easy two-wheeled route between the lively seaside town and the surrounding villages. There’s a public bicycle repair station near the university in case of any mishaps.

Staying in Wales, Cardiff is setting an example to the UK’s other capital cities. The number of people commuting to work by bike more than doubled between 2005 and 2015, to 9.2%. It has a Nextbike hire scheme and a good network of cycle paths, including a route to Castell Coch that follows the River Taff and links neatly with Cardiff Central, Cardiff Bay and Radyr stations.

The trainee accountant Christopher Freestone, 24, pedals along the riverbank every day to get to work from his home in the city centre. “Cycling is the quickest, cheapest, easiest and most environmentally friendly way to get around,” he says. “And you don’t need all the gear — I never wear Lycra and my bike is worth about £80.”

Not everyone can get on a bike, though, which means relying on public transport. According to the Campaign for Better Transport, the best cities for this are Liverpool, thanks to the Tube-style Merseyrail network; Newcastle, which has the Metro system and good bus services; and, leading the pack, Nottingham.

Forty per cent of journeys here are by public transport, the highest figure outside London. The East Midlands city has a 20-mile tram network and fast and reliable buses, both of which have good links to rail services at the revamped station, paid for by the UK’s first workplace parking charge, levied on companies that provide parking spaces for their staff. It has raised £61m since 2012.

“Transport here is getting slicker and slicker,” says Emily Haslam-Jones, a yoga teacher who lives in Carrington, a suburb north of the city centre, with her husband, David, and their two young children. “There’s no need to look at a timetable — buses and trams are so frequent, you don’t have to plan anything.

David cycles to work, and she uses the buses and trams to get out and about. “It’s not a big city, and you can get around it easily. The children love travelling by bus and tram, and it means you get to meet other people who live locally, which you wouldn’t if you were travelling by car.”

Electric car hotspots

Sunderland, Orkney, Newcastle and Milton Keynes are all well stocked with charging points for electric cars, but if you don’t want to risk running out of juice, consider moving to Dundee. We picked the vibrant, creative city as our Best Place to Live in Scotland this year, and it has just invested £3m in pop-up electric chargers — vital if you don’t have a driveway — and a network of petrol station-style “charging hubs”.

Dundee is also pioneering a 350-strong sharing scheme for electric bikes to encourage people to cycle in an area where the topography is unforgiving.”

Source: Sunday Times (pay wall)

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28 Sep 2019

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Accountability, Developers/ Development, Planning System, Rural communities, Scrutiny, Sleaze, South Hams, Transparency

The curious case of the missing houses

Many council officers are honourable, many are not. Owl had hoped to to write “most officers are honourable, a few are not” but that hasn’t been Owl’s experience, sadly.

Now, all eyes are on a planning application in Salcombe, for two houses in an exceptionally good location were deleted from plans shown to a “planning workshop” for councillors.

Why? That old chestnut “commercial confidentiallity”.

“A council has been forced to reveal plans for two luxury homes on a beauty spot which were withheld from councillors during a meeting.

Above: original plan and plan shown to councillors and plans shown to councillors

South Hams District Council in Devon cited “commercial confidentiality” in keeping the Salcombe plans under wraps, but a watchdog rejected that excuse.

Environment group South Hams Society urged “more transparency in planning matters” by the council.

The authority said it “did not want the meeting to be sidetracked”.

Drawings of the homes had formed part of draft plans for the hill-top development off Shadycombe Road in the seaside town.

But a council officer told architects in an email on 11 October last year that “at this point” the scale of the four-bed detached houses should be left out of the plans.

He said the scale “concerns me” and added: “It would be a mistake to present this detail.”

In an email response, the architect sent back revised plans with circles instead of drawings of the houses “without being too prescriptive on their size and design”.

The email:

The revised plans were then put before a planning workshop of councillors and local businesses on 17 October.

The council initially refused South Hams Society’s request to reveal the original plans.

However, it appealed and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) ordered the authority to divulge the omitted details.

In a statement, the council said it had “sought legal advice” and “we were of the view that we were entitled to withhold them”.

“It was clear to us that the plans as they were, would not be recommended for approval by the council.

“We felt that the size of the properties on the plan were inappropriate.”

The workshop had been arranged to talk to key stakeholders about a masterplan for the whole area and we did not want the meeting to be side-tracked by a proposal which we were sure would never come forward in its current state.”

It added it now “fully respects” the demand to release the full plans.”

Above: plans presented to workshop

Didi Alayli, chair of the society, said she hoped the ICO ruling “will lead to real change” in how council planners deal with draft plans.

“The huge profits to be made by landowners and developers in our beautiful area make it all the more important that our planning system is fit for purpose and we are not there yet,” she said.

It is understood landowner Jason Smith, who has not yet responded to a BBC request for comment, has not taken the proposals forward.”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-49812449