A £2.55million budget has been agreed to revamp an ‘inadequate’ road past Exeter Airport – so a major new business park boasting 1,000 jobs can be built.

East Devon District Council’s (EDDC) cabinet agreed the move on Wednesday – just hours before the collapse of Flybe was announced.

Oops! A spectacular piece of mis-timing by Ingham’s regime (a few hours is a long time in politics). Never mind, the Council Tax payers are always the funders of last resort.

About Author Daniel Clark  eastdevonnews.co.uk 

A £2.55million budget has been agreed to revamp an ‘inadequate’ road past Exeter Airport – so a major new business park boasting 1,000 jobs can be built. 

East Devon District Council’s (EDDC) cabinet agreed the move on Wednesday – just hours before the collapse of Flybe was announced.

The scheme will see ‘unfit-for-purpose’ Long Lane – which links the airport and the Hampton by Hilton hotel – widened and improved.

This will enable plans for a new ‘Airpark’, one of the four planned ‘Enterprise Zones’, to progress.

Questions were raised over the uncertainty surrounding Flybe during the cabinet meeting, but members signed-off the budget. The airline went into administration early on Thursday.

EDDC deputy chief executive Richard Cohen said the Long Lane project was not an investment in Flybe or Exeter Airport.

He added that the scheme would put infrastructure in place to allow the Airpark to be developed – creating new jobs and helping the economy.

Work on the East Devon and Exeter employment hub could begin early next year.

Long Lane’s improvements includes a T-junction at the airport’s Car Park One. The carriageway between this site and the Hampton by Hilton hotel will be widened to 6.5m, allowing for a footway.

While this work takes place, a new road connecting Silverdown Office Park and the Flybe Academy site access road – known as the ‘Silverdown Link’ – will be created.

This will become a permanent bus- and cycle-only link when the Long Lane improvements are finished.

Public cash from the Enterprise Zone programme will fund the scheme.

The Long Lane initiative had initially been approved by EDDC last summer, but the authority had to revisit the budget as tenders for the work revealed another £950,000 was needed.

Project director Andy Wood told councillors: “This road scheme will unlock the delivery of new jobs in the district and the Silverdown Link will be retained as a bus and cycleway, so will facilitate the expansion of the bus service that serves the airport terminal.”

But Mr Wood said that the threat of Flybe’s collapse ‘reinforced the need to press ahead’ with the project, adding: “The Airpark site cannot come forward until the road is improved and that will bring 1,000 jobs and new businesses that are not related to Flybe or the airport at all.

“A lot of the current trade for the hotel relies on Flybe, so having better access will help them recover if the worst happens. No development can happen at the site until the road is widened.”

Councillor Paul Hayward had questioned whether a decision should be deferred in light of Flybe’s problems.

He added: “To consider a £2.5million budget with all the uncertainty is ludicrous.

“It should be deferred so we know what will happen and if Flybe can survive.

“How can you consider the £2.5m investment in a road that may be a road to nowhere?”

Cllr Geoff Jung said: “This is investing in the new road to open up an industrial area for 1,000 jobs, so maybe now is the time to invest in the area to provide further jobs or replacement jobs.

“We should send out a message that the area and the airport has our full backing.”

Cllr Kevin Blakey, portfolio holder for the economy, said ‘Flybe is not the Airport’, adding: “If there is a chance to allow the airport to evolve its operations, then now is when we should be investing and getting the groundworks done so development can take place.

“We should press on and get the roads built as soon as possible.

“The airport will evolve and we have to be ready for it.”

A report to cabinet members said: “The works will help to create a public transport loop and cycleway which will serve a major employment area.

It added of Long Lane’s current state: “When travelling in an easterly direction, the lane quickly narrows to below the standard (6.5m) needed to accommodate the two-way flow of HGV traffic.

“This includes substantial stretches of single carriageway. The inadequate nature of the current highway is a major barrier to bringing forward the Airpark Enterprise Zone site.

“The enhancement of Long Lane is an important project which, in addition to unlocking the Airpark Enterprise Zone site, will also bring a series of wider benefits including improved public transport provision.

“The works are now in a position where they can progress imminently and be complete early in 2021.”

Failed rail firm Northern upped its bosses’ pay by nearly HALF as passengers faced misery ­during the timetabling crisis.

Accounts published just two days after the franchise was taken back into Government control last Sunday show bosses received an eyewatering increase of nearly £200,000.

Alan Selby  www.mirror.co.uk

That took total pay to £596,000 – including £248,000 for managing director David Brown.

Northern’s fatcats were rewarded while they presided over one of history’s worst-ever timetable fiascos in 2018.

Thousands of services were cancelled – with 165 a day cut to areas including Manchester, Liverpool, Blackpool and the Lake District – as passengers endured crammed trains in the week and chaotic Sundays.

Manchester’s Mayor Andy Burnham was among those calling for the firm to be stripped of its franchise and said the pay figures showed renationalisation was “not a moment too soon”.

Mr Burnham said Northern had been “a licence to print money that simply rewarded failure”.

Northern rail, which has now been taken under control by the Government (Image: Evening Gazette)

Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald said passengers would be “incandescent” to hear about the pay rises, adding: “They should give every single penny back. It’s outrageous.”

Northern’s parent company Arriva blamed its failure on track operators Network Rail and other “challenges outside its control”.

Also from The Times www.thetimes.co.uk :

Rail fares have increased at double the rate of wage growth over the past decade….

…..Matthew Gregory, 49, the chief executive of First Group, was given a £876,000 pay package when he was promoted to head of the multinational transport company last year. First Group runs four train networks including South Western, which was the focus of the longest strike in the history of the railway last month. First also runs Transpennine Express. Almost 60 per cent of Transpennine trains were late in the year to the end of September, and many were cancelled…..

….Martin Griffiths, the chief executive of Stagecoach, received an £848,000 bonus on top of his £652,000 salary. His total remuneration almost doubled to £1.8 million, up from £987,000 the year before. Stagecoach and Virgin shared ownership of the west coast rail franchise until the start of last month, when it was taken over by a consortium led by First Group. Stagecoach now does not run any rail franchises in Britain…..

Coronvirus test results are awaited on an East Devon District Council employee but its offices will reopen tomorrow (Monday, March 9).

Tony Gussin  www.exmouthjournal.co.uk 

The council closed the Blackdown House offices on Friday after a possible case of the virus was identified in a member of staff who had returned from Italy.

A statement said test results were awaited on the employee, who would remain in isolation.

An EDDC spokesman said previously: “They are displaying potential symptoms and although the risk is very low, we are taking the correct measures.

“All members of staff have been sent home and the majority will be able to continue working remotely.

“The offices will be thoroughly cleansed, according to recommended guidelines, over the weekend and we anticipate reopening early next week.”

The news for re­gional jobs in Bri­tain was not good last week. The col­lapse of Flybe will have se­vere con­se­quences for eco­nomic pros­per­ity in smaller com­mu­ni­ties, with about 2,000 jobs at risk at the re­gional air­line. Bar­clays an­nounced last week it would close a ma­jor of­fice in Leeds, with the out­right loss of more than 200 jobs. Both of these de­vel­op­ments over the past week are in­struc­tive of a wider trend in Bri­tain, the most unequal coun­try for re­gional pros­per­ity among large wealthy na­tions.

Maybe the Great South West shouldn’t just be pitching to government – Owl

 Business analysis The Observer 8 Mar 2020

While Boris John­son has pledged to “level up” poorer re­gions to bring them closer into line with the rest of the coun­try, it is equally im­por­tant that the coun­try’s big­gest com­pa­nies play their part.

Lloyds Banking Group has a slo­gan that risks sound­ing as empty as John­son’s: “Help­ing Bri­tain Pros­per”. Yet the UK’s big­gest mort­gage lender has an­nounced plans over re­cent weeks to axe about 780 jobs and close 56 branches across the coun­try. The news adds to a dis­ap­point­ing trend since the fi­nan­cial cri­sis, as the bank has ef­fec­tively halved the size of its work­force to about 70,000. Thou­sands of re­gional roles have van­ished.

Lloyds Banking Group has a slo­gan that risks sound­ing as empty as John­son’s: “Help­ing Bri­tain Pros­per”. Yet the UK’s big­gest mort­gage lender has an­nounced plans over re­cent weeks to axe about 780 jobs and close 56 branches across the coun­try. The news adds to a dis­ap­point­ing trend since the fi­nan­cial cri­sis, as the bank has ef­fec­tively halved the size of its work­force to about 70,000. Thou­sands of re­gional roles have van­ished.

Banks and other big firms have off­shored re­gional Bri­tish jobs to eastern Europe, In­dia and else­where, un­der pres­sure from share­hold­ers to boost their prof­its at the ex­pense of lo­cal com­mu­ni­ties. Vir­gin Money – which has merged with the soon-to-be re­branded Cly­des­dale and York­shire Bank – is in the process of sac­ri­fic­ing 500 roles and 52 branches on the al­tar of share­holder value. Di­rect Line will cut 800 jobs from its 11,000-strong work­force as part of a £60m cost­sav­ing drive. All these il­lus­trate the in­creas­ingly lop­sided na­ture of the UK econ­omy, ex­ac­er­bat­ing di­vi­sions be­tween small towns and big cities.

Banks and other big firms have off­shored re­gional Bri­tish jobs to eastern Europe, In­dia and else­where, un­der pres­sure from share­hold­ers to boost their prof­its at the ex­pense of lo­cal com­mu­ni­ties. Vir­gin Money – which has merged with the soon-to-be re­branded Cly­des­dale and York­shire Bank – is in the process of sac­ri­fic­ing 500 roles and 52 branches on the al­tar of share­holder value. Di­rect Line will cut 800 jobs from its 11,000-strong work­force as part of a £60m cost­sav­ing drive. All these il­lus­trate the in­creas­ingly lop­sided na­ture of the UK econ­omy, ex­ac­er­bat­ing di­vi­sions be­tween small towns and big cities.

For too long, jobs have been lost in re­gional com­mu­ni­ties as big busi­ness pulls back to metropoli­tan cen­tres. Lev­el­ling up should be about more than just the pub­lic sec­tor – pri­vate en­ter­prise must play its part.

Owl heard a radio interview yesterday in which it was explained that the burden of any Public Health response to the Coronavirus emergency falls on local authorities. Owl understands they don’t know whether or how much emergency funding they might get. We all know local authorities ate strapped for cash. This article gives an idea of the scale of the problem. Think care homes.

Polly Toynbee  www.theguardian.com 

Blame Boris Johnson for almost everything, but not for the arrival of the coronavirus. He puts on his serious face, slightly unrumples his hair and tells people to wash their hands. As no one voted for him for public health advice he would do well to let untrusted politicians opine as little as possible, leaving public announcements to the respected chief scientific officer and chief medical officer.

But there is no way of keeping politics out of this. If this epidemic is only half as bad as the official worst-case scenario, the pressure on every aspect of public services will be tested to breaking point. The full effect of a decade of austerity is about to be brutally exposed.

Until now, the Tories have won and won again, despite the deepest austerity – confident that most people, most of the time, know nothing of cuts in public services they aren’t using now or can’t see. Though the A&E crisis is never off our TV screens, the remainder stays below most voters’ radar. But this virus may expose the true state of the country for all to see.

Tim Cook, an ICU doctor, writing in the Guardian, gave a graphic picture of the lack of intensive care and critical care beds – Britain ranking 23rd out of 31 countries for provision, and almost bottom for the number of hospital beds overall. But what of every other service?

Local authorities have the lead role in public health emergencies: they do disaster rehearsals for imaginary terror or biohazard attacks, coordinating with the army for emergency tents and temporary morgues, says Tony Travers, professor of government at the LSE. But coronavirus would probably be a crisis in every council simultaneously, with each being unable to call on help from the others. Over the past decade councils have lost between a third and a half of their income, with a quarter of their staff gone and up to a half lost in some places. Already the flooding has left those local authorities warning they haven’t got the money to cope.

Councils’ incapacity was exposed, Travers says, over the Grenfell tragedy. Kensington and Chelsea was not exceptionally badly run, but it could not cope with rehousing and supporting its residents after the tower block calamity: a team of chief executives from other local authorities had to come in and take over. The council on its own had lost too much administrative capacity. Councils run most services, and most, such as environmental health, have been hugely depleted: the National Audit Office describes that service as “failing”.

That civic incapacity will be revealed time and again by a coronavirus outbreak, with Whitehall’s civil service reduced to its smallest size in decades: look at the panic-hiring just announced to manage the Brexit customs fallout. If, as government plans suggest, one in five staff are out of action, the care sector will be hit hardest and fastest, as it is already so fragile and understaffed. That puts at risk the lives of old people at home alone or in care homes unable to care, with day centres mostly closed down in the cuts.

Money will need to flow fast to stop some care homes going bust and to hire emergency staff from agencies, no doubt at higher rates. Children’s homes face the same crisis, with many more children in care than a decade ago: social work departments are already overstretched. As for understaffed prisons, the prospect of virus outbreaks there and many staff off sick is frightening.

A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care said yesterday, somewhat over-reassuringly: “The UK is extremely well prepared for these types of outbreaks and Public Health England has issued tailored guidance for care providers setting out action to be taken in a variety of circumstances.”

Public Health England does indeed inspire trust in its advice and oversight, but boots on the ground and helping hands are provided locally, and councils have taken the heaviest hit in the great austerity. Ever since George Osborne’s first budget in 2010, the plan was to “devolve the axe” to them. The Local Government Association this week warns they have lost £15bn.

The public realm will be exposed: the number of people working in it has fallen to just 16.5% of all jobs, the lowest since 1945. We will feel the spending cuts, with only £86 spent now on public services for every £100 spent in 2010.

The government is trying to recruit the 20,000 police it cut, but this takes time. Call in the army, says the emergency plan, but it’s now at its smallest ever, down to 73,000 from 103,000 in 2003. Even if there are no food panics requiring police or army at supermarket checkouts for rationing, emergency services are already planning to triage what they can provide with tough restrictions on their services.

In our book, The Lost Decade 2010-2020, David Walker and I have chronicled this unprecedented decline. The Tories have escaped electoral censure for austerity – so far. Perhaps, with luck, the virus will pass over without putting the country to the test. But if it is an epidemic on the scale Public Health England warns of, the politicians who have left the country so defenceless can expect trouble. Voters will be shocked to discover how far the things they took for granted have been depleted; and that the government may no longer be able to keep its citizens safe.

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