Planning for the future www.parliament.uk

On 12 March 2020, the Budget was presented in the House of Commons.

• Read the Commons Library summary on the Budget 2020

The Government announced new housing measures in the budget, including  a new affordable homes programme, a building safety fund to remove unsafe cladding from buildings, funding to help rough sleepers and more.

Robert Jenrick (Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government) announced in the statement that the Government will release a ‘Planning’ White Paper in the Spring.

Robert Jenrick: “home ownership seems like a dream that is out of reach”

Mr Jenrick says “home is so much more than 4 walls and a roof” its about “security, a stake in society and about investing for our future.”

He said:

“This Government believes in supporting people who are working hard to own their own home and ensuring that young people and future generations have the same opportunities as those became before them.”

He went on to say that the Government has built over 1.5 million new homes over the last decade and that the proportion of young homeowners has increased.

However he said “a great deal more is required to be done” because people are “trapped” paying high rents and many are “struggling to save for a deposit” which makes home ownership seem like a “dream”.

He says that a Building Safety Bill and a Renters Reform Bill will be presented to Parliament.

In relation to recent flooding, Robert Jenrick concluded by saying:

“I am announcing today that I will be reviewing our policy to prevent the building in areas of high flood risk.

Given the recent devastation suffered by many of our communities, we’re putting in an extra £5.2 billion into flood defences.”

John Healey: “Treasury’s flawed thinking runs throughout”

John Healey (Shadow Secretary of State for Housing ) said that “this indeed is a follow-up to the budget and the Treasury’s flawed thinking runs throughout.”

He scrutinised the Government’s plans by saying:

“After nearly 10 years, still no plan to fix the country’s housing crisis.

“While the promise of the White Paper is a threat to give big developers a freer hand to do what they want, ignoring quality, affordability and sustainability.”

He agrees that planning needs reforming however “planning is not the major constraint on the new homes the country needs when 365,000 and only 213,000 were built.” As well as “6,200 new social homes were built last year when more than million people are on housing waiting lists.”

Mr Healey asked the Government:

• whether local areas will set targets for social housing targets and not just total housing targets?
• will new standards be set for greener zero carbon homes?
• how much extra funding will Government provide to “beef up” the capacity of council planning services?

He says the White Paper is a “red warning” as it can “strip local communities of the powers they have to say ‘no’ to big developers.”

In response to the Minister’s proposal to invest in building safety, Mr Healey asked “how many fire risk buildings will this new fund have to cover” and whether he’d guarantee that “no leaseholder would now have to pay the costs to make their buildings safe.”

The Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government released new building safety figures in the morning, which the Minister “hadn’t mentioned” in his statement.

In response to this Mr Healey said “nearly 3 years on from Grenfell 266 high rise blocks still have the same Grenfell style ACM cladding on the side”.

He also says the Department has not published the test results or numbers of those blocks with unsafe cladding.

Owl wonders if the whole viability of this particular beach management plan needs to be re-examined. Storm protection is an investment for the long term and can’t really be done on the cheap. (See Owl’s archive.)

Daniel Clark  www.devonlive.com 

Seafront glass sea wall ‘smashed with sledgehammer’

The temporary glass panel installed on Sidmouth seafront as a flood defence has been smashed by vandals, possibly with a sledgehammer.

The splash defence is part of Sidmouth and East Beach Management Plan that has been designed to try and protect the town from the elements and reduce the rate of erosion following several large cliff failures shown at Pennington Point and along East Cliff.

The glass wall on the seafront last weekend survived Storm Ciara, and bar two very small chips, was undamaged by Storm Dennis.

But it appears to have fallen victim to ‘Storm Vandal’ as on Wednesday morning, residents in the town woke up to find cracks running through the panel that had been formed from the pavement side.

An East Devon District Council spokesman said that their StreetScene team has inspected the panel and have concluded deliberate criminal damage has clearly been inflicted on the glass’s landward facing surface – possibly with a hammer or similar heavy instrument.

The preferred beach management scheme consists of adding a new rock groyne on East Beach and importing new shingle onto Sidmouth Beach, as well as raising the height of the splash wall by one metre.

Local residents had called the initial stone wall design ‘hideous’ and ‘an eyesore that would mean the picturesque view of the Esplanade would disappear’, and a result, East Devon District Council had been exploring the possible use of glass sections of sea defence.

But a council spokesman said that the new act of vandalism jeopardises the trial and has implications for the installation of a glass panel along the entire seafront to help protect Sidmouth from coastal flooding.

They added: “The council has contacted Flood Control International who installed the panel and we will be checking CCTV footage covering the site to try and identify the culprits. The damage has been reported to the police and we are awaiting a crime number. We will work with the Police and seek a prosecution if possible.

“The trial of the panel is due to finish at the end of April and so far the glass appeared to be holding up well, having weathered the impact of three major storms. In light of its robustness to date it is therefore disappointing and immensely frustrating that it has succumbed to this malicious and destructive act.

“This new act of vandalism jeopardises an important part of the Sidmouth Beach Management Scheme, and sadly has implications for the installation of a glass panel along the entire seafront to help protect Sidmouth from coastal flooding.

“If a glass panel is going to be subject to repeated damage by vandals, then it will not be sustainable. We will now have to consider very carefully, whether the use of glass panels to minimise the visual impact of the splash defence is a material option that the council can take forward.”

Cllr Stuart Hughes, who represents the Sidmouth area, said it was sad that vandals had felt the need to target the glass panel, and added that it would be a shame if a more aesthetically pleasing route for the sea wall couldn’t be taken forward under fears it would be a continual target for vandalism.

Posting on Twitter, he added: “The panel got through rough stormy #stormsciara and #Dennis but not so lucky last night from what looks like #StormVandal.”

East Devon’s MP Simon Jupp added: “This is deeply disappointing. If the panel was vandalised, I hope witnesses come forward and the vandal is caught. I hope the panel can be quickly replaced.”

Cllr Geoff Jung, portfolio holder for the environment at East Devon, said: “The test panel of glass may have provided a possible solution to the required protection for the Sidmouth and East Beach management plan that would have protected residents and properties from serious overtopping along the seafront. However we knew this would severely test the 39mm thick laminated glass from storm damage with millions of stones and pebbles being thrown at it, and we also were concerned that damage could come from vandalism.

“It is clear the panel was up to the task of resisting shingle and storms, but sadly failed to withstand vandalism. An initial inspection strongly suggests the glass was smashed by a heavy blunt object such as a sledge hammer.

“The funding for the whole scheme was already restrictive, and the glass panel solution, along the seafront may have overcome many residents’ concerns regarding a solid wall with floodgates. The vandalism of the panel now casts doubt on its use in the final scheme.

“With a number of localised cliff falls and the dropping of beach levels in recent weeks and now the vandalism to the glass panel, it has highlighted the urgency of delivering a protection scheme for Sidmouth. The biggest obstacle, though, is the required funding from government; the  funding gap is sadly still over a £1m for the scheme.”

Sidmouth seafront glass sea wall survives Storm Dennis (Image: Daniel Clark)

Ward member Cllr Denise Bickley added: “I am so disappointed that a few vandals have spoilt what could have been an innovative solution to the very serious wall issue, as the integrated glass panels could have looked very special. Potentially having to withdraw this idea due to vandalism is such a pity and unfortunately will say something about the town rather than about the glass itself.

“I sincerely hope the CCTV footage can identify the perpetrators of this act and we should all call it what it was – criminal damage to property, and not something to be bragged about. We should also remember that any type of wall of or sea defence could be damaged by vandalism, whatever it was constructed from.”

Plymouth – although it looks to Owl to be one of those “re-announcements”

In this spring Budget, the Treasury has finally confirmed allocations from the remainder of the fund – plus some extra – following the shortlist being announced in 2018.

The roughly £1.1bn for ‘shovel-ready projects’ including £51m for Plymouth, which also includes £36m for an iconic new Central Park cycling and walking bridge

How many times since the war has Plymouth’s bombed out centre been rebuilt – Owl has lost count?

(The keywords for government funding seem to be: Cities and Mayors)

Budget 2020: Mayoral authorities win big in transport

Dom Browne 11 March 2020 www.transport-network.co.uk 

The Government has unveiled £4.2bn for urban transport as part of its spring budget giveaways.

The cash will be released from 2022-23 as part of five-year funding settlements for eight mayoral combined authorities, however, some authorities will have to put in place an elected mayor to win their share of the cash.

‘Funding will be delivered through five-year, consolidated transport settlements agreed with central government and based on plans put forward by Mayors,’ Treasury officials said.

‘Following the approach that has worked for London, these settlements will be published once they have been agreed, providing transparency and accountability while giving mayors the flexibility and certainty to deliver their plans.’

West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester, West Midlands, Liverpool City Region, Tyne and Wear, West of England, Sheffield City Region and Tees Valley, are all in line for the cash.

As a first step, the Government will open discussions with Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region and West Midlands ‘in the coming months’. 

The new West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Sheffield City Region, Tyne and Wear, West of England and Tees Valley will also receive settlements, ‘subject to putting in place appropriate governance to agree and deliver funding, including an elected Mayor for their city regions and transport networks’.

A new directly-elected West Yorkshire mayor has already been announced. 

The Treasury also outlined where it wants some of the cash go: ‘While it will be for elected Mayors to put forward ambitious plans, the Government would welcome the opportunity to support a range of schemes, such as the renewal of the Sheffield Supertram, the development of a modern, low-carbon metro network for West Yorkshire and tram-train pilots in Greater Manchester.’ 

Finally transformed cities?

The cash pot builds on the £1.7bn Transforming Cities Fund, which was first unveiled in the Autumn Budget 2017, and saw £840m go directly towards six combined authorities.

In this spring Budget, the Treasury has finally confirmed allocations from the remainder of the fund – plus some extra – following the shortlist being announced in 2018.

The roughly £1.1bn for ‘shovel-ready projects’ provides.

• £79m for Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole, including four new cycle freeways and new bus priority infrastructure
• £161m for Derby & Nottingham, including over £25m for bus rapid transit in Derby and over £10m for a new cycle route between Nottingham, Derby and East Midlands Airport
• £33m for Leicester, including £8m for the development of a sustainable transport corridor from St Margaret’s to Birstall
• £198m for the North East, including £95m for frequency and reliability improvements across the Tyne and Wear Metro system and to complement the government’s recent £337m investment in new rolling stock
• £51m for Plymouth, including £36m for an iconic new Central Park cycling and walking bridge
• £40m for Preston City Region, including £25m for a new station at Cottam Parkway on the Preston-Blackpool line
• £166m for Sheffield City Region, including a new Bus Rapid Transit link in Barnsley and a new tram stop on the Tram-Train line to Rotherham at Magna
• £57m for Southampton, including new Rapid Bus links
• £317m for West Yorkshire, including £39.9m for Halifax delivering a new bus station, improved rail station and other improvements to complement the revitalisation of the town centre and £30m for active and sustainable travel across Bradford

There will also be a further £117m for Portsmouth City Region, Norwich and Stoke-on-Trent ‘subject to further business case approval, which could fund a range of projects, including a multi-modal transport hub at Stoke-on-Trent station’.

The Government claimed in total around £800m of the cash was for cycling and buses ‘in line with its priorities’, suggesting this money forms part of the £5bn Boris Johnson pledged during the election.

The government is also investing £20m to develop the Midlands Rail Hub.

Green transport 

The Government also confirmed £500m over the next five years ‘to support the rollout of a fast-charging network for electric vehicles, ensuring that drivers will never be further than 30 miles from a rapid charging station’.

There will also be £403m for the Plug-in Car Grant, extending it to 2022-23 and £129.5m to extend the Plug-in Grants for ‘vans, taxis and motorcycles to 2022-23,’ the Treasury said.

In addition, the Budget announced the exemption of zero emission cars from the Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) ‘expensive car supplement’ and the publication of a call for evidence on VED, which will include how it can be further used to reduce vehicle emissions.

However, chancellor Rishi Sunak once again froze fuel duty.

Does Sidmouth have a new future as an extreme environmental testing laboratory?

The glass test panel installed on the sea front in mid-January has cracked within weeks. Doesn’t look fit for purpose to Owl, even if it is due to Sidmouth style vandalism. EDDC will have to go back to the drawing board.

Philippa Davies, Sidmouth Herald, 11 March 2020

Has ‘StormVandal’ caused this damage to Sidmouth’s glass test panel?

Sidmouth’s glass test panel, installed to test the material’s resistance to storm conditions, has been damaged.

But there are reports that the cracks running through the entire glass panel were not caused by the sea, but by human hands.

There is a clear impact mark on the top right of the panel, which at first glance appears to have been made by a stone flung against it by the waves.

But passers-by examining the panel on Wednesday morning (March 11) said it looked as if the impact had come from the pavement side, not the sea.

Local councillor Stuart Hughes posted on Twitter saying that the panel had withstood Storm Ciara and Storm Dennis, but not ‘StormVandal’.

The barrier was installed in mid-January as part of East Devon District Council’s beach management plan.

The idea was to test whether a glass panel could be used, instead of a solid wall, to reinforce Sidmouth’s sea defences.

It was due to stay in place until spring.

East Devon District Council has been asked for a comment but has not yet responded.

Owl listened to the budget speech (well mostly but got a bit bored with the repetition of the punch line). Here is what the Chancellor DID NOT say:

“I have read the prospectus drawn up by the Great South West. I have listened to my honourable friends for Devon East and Tiverton and Honiton. As a result I am announcing that the Government will give the Great South West £2M over three years so that it can draw up a plan to boost the local economy which the government will fund in full. That’s £40M for the region producing more houses, more jobs and boosting productivity.

Madam Speaker, this government is levelling up the regions getting the South West Done!”

(Owl assumes regular readers will know that the Great South West is not a rail franchise but the latest self-elected group to claim it can regenerate the region, given some cash to splash)

We will have to wait to see the small print, there might be something for the region in that. Otherwise we wait for the expected Devolution White Paper.

There is a silver lining, Devon with all its roads might get a decent share of the pothole fund.

Keep your fingers crossed – the A303 bottleneck at Stonehenge has been given yet another go ahead!