Like St Ives, which pioneered the move in 2016, Padstow is looking to limit the number of second home owners in the town as a way to stop local residents being priced out of their own town by wealthy outsiders.

Olivier Vergnault www.cornwalllive.com

Padstow Town Council is getting ready to submit its Parish Neighbourhood Plan.

Neighbourhood plans allow communities to have a say on what they want to see in their towns from skateparks to green spaces, and more importantly where and how many houses can be built and crucially who can buy them.

Padstow has been working on its own NP since 2018 and is about to send its latest iteration to the planning authority – Cornwall Council.

Like St Ives, which pioneered the move in 2016, Padstow is looking to limit the number of second home owners in the town as a way to stop local residents being priced out of their own town by wealthy outsiders.

The planning restriction comes as while about 2,500 people live in Padstow all year round, that figure more than doubles during the tourist season. Padstow also receives more than 500,000 day-visitors every year.

In 2017, Padstow was rated by the Halifax Building Society as the fifth least affordable seaside place for properties in England, with an average house price of £423,000. House prices have since gone through the roof with some houses in the historic heart of the town far exceeding £500,000.

A recent survey of residents also revealed that not many local people can actually afford a home over £200,000.

A spokesman for the town council said: “There must be little doubt that Padstow has been one of the primary areas for second-home seekers for many years.

“When we started our neighbourhood plan three years ago more than two thirds of all houses purchased in the PL28 postcode area were for second homes.

“Our own residents have told us that they feel it is very depressing to have so many houses in the town empty for most of the year and have highlighted the very negative effect it has on the community, especially in the winter months.

“St Ives Neighbourhood Plan pioneered the way in which the coastal communities of Cornwall can place a legally enforceable restriction on the sale of new open market dwellings in the interests of sustainability.

“As a result, our proposal for open market housing will only be supported where first and future occupancy occupation is restricted by a legal agreement to ensure that each new dwelling is occupied only as a principal residence.”

It means that newcomers to the parish will have to prove the new build property they are trying to purchase is their main residence. Proof needed will include registering to vote in the area or putting children in local schools.

The condition that new homes should be for local residents will also include resale – which means that even when people sell their home, only buyers who want to make it their primary residence will be able to buy.

The town also wants affordable homes to blend in with market value homes on new developments to avoid any ghetto effect.

The NP adds: “While we have no statutory obligation to meet all the local housing needs within the neighbourhood area, we have concluded that it would be wrong not to ensure that all larger housing developments provide as high a proportion of affordable homes as is achievable.

“We continue to favour developments that provide a mix of market housing and housing that is affordable and accessible to local people. Different housing tenures on the same development should be integrated and relatively indistinguishable from each other. In this way we will achieve more balanced communities.”

As Padstow also attracts its fair share of retirees, the town council is asking that new developments must include homes designed to accommodate older households.

The town council spokesman added: “Due to the impact upon the local housing market of the continued uncontrolled growth of dwellings used for holiday accommodation (as second or holiday homes), our plan will support the provision of a principal residence condition to be applied on all new build housing, other than one-for-one replacement.

“It will bring greater balance and mixture to the local housing market and create new opportunities for people to live and work here, thereby strengthening the community and local economy.”

Comments on the neighbourhood plan are being invited from 9am on Monday February 8 for an extended 10-week period closing at midnight on Sunday April 18.

Hard copies of the plan and comment forms are available by post upon request for those without online access. To request a hard copy please contact the Padstow Town Council Offices by leaving a voicemail message on 01841 532296. Alternatively, by email to ndp@padstow-tc.gov.uk

People may comment on the plan by completing a comment form online at https://padstow-tc.gov.uk/regulation-14-consultation/ and emailing it to ndp@padstow-tc.gov.uk or by completing a paper form and delivering or posting it to NDP, Padstow Town Council, Station House, Station Road, Padstow, PL28 8DA.

Owl recalls that one-time Chief Planning Officer Kate Little is reported as having had an aesthetic mission which included “dragging Budleigh Salterton into the 21th century with contemporary architecture” (and further afield). A mission which seems to have had its apotheosis in the Exmouth “Albotross”.

So who will be the EDDC’s aesthetics Tzar or Tzarina? 

Oliver Wright, Policy Editor www.thetimes.co.uk

Local communities will be given the power to set design standards for all new developments under plans to improve the look and quality of housing.

Any planning proposal that does not meet the new criteria will be automatically rejected by local councils as part of efforts to eliminate “identikit” housing estates.

Symbolically, the word “beauty” is to be included in planning rules for the first time since the system was created in 1947.

The measures come in response to the Building Beautiful Commission that reported last year. It called for local people to be given much more say in setting standards for new homes in their areas and emphasising the importance of ensuring that new developments had adequate green space.

The proposals are also designed to offset criticism of the government’s wider proposals for planning reform.

A white paper published last year proposed designating areas across the country where planning permission would be automatically granted to meet housing targets. As part of the plan, local planning committees would lose the power to reject developments in zones set out for housing as long as they met set criteria.

The move, however, is facing strong opposition from Tory MPs after it emerged that the algorithm for deciding where homes should be built was skewed towards shire councils in the southeast, while recommending lower numbers in northern cities.

In the hope of seeing off some criticism, the government is publishing a draft national design code that provides a checklist of design principles that councils should consider for new developments. These will include such things as street character, building type, façade and requirements that address wellbeing and environmental impact.

Each local council will then be expected to draw up their own individual design codes in consultation with local residents. They will be supported by a new national Office for Place that will advise councils developing their plans.

Nicholas Boys Smith, who will lead the new body, said the plan was to make it easier to refuse ugly new developments. “There is no fundamental reason that prevents the creation of streets and squares, homes as places where we can lead happy, healthy, and connected lives,” he said. “As a society we have not done this, and we are paying the consequences.

“Our ultimate purpose will be to make it easier for neighbourhood communities to ask for what they find beautiful and to refuse what they find ugly.”

Mr Jenrick said too much recent development had been inappropriate. “We should aspire to pass on our heritage and our unique built environment, not depleted but enhanced. To do that, we need to bring about a lasting change in the buildings and places we build.

“In recent decades some development has acquired a bad name due to shoddy workmanship, at times outright unsafe, and the development of ‘anywhere’ places, which have little relevance or connection to local character.

“Local people [should] set the rules for what developments in their area should look like, ensuring that they reflect and enhance their surroundings and preserve our local character and identity.

“Instead of developers forcing plans on locals, they will need to adapt to proposals from local people, ensuring that current and new residents alike will benefit from beautiful homes in well-designed neighbourhoods.”

Consequences of what happens when things go seriously wrong – Owl

www.markpack.org.uk

The Hackney Citizen reports:

Another consequence of the serious cyber attack on Hackney Council has emerged today, with the Town Hall asking registered postal voters to submit new applications ahead of local and regional elections in May.

Organised criminals hacked into the council’s systems last October, causing extensive disruption that even affected the local property market…

Now, the Town Hall has revealed that the damage extends to parts of its elections computer system, forcing it to ask postal voters to resubmit their applications…

According to the council, there is no evidence that any postal voting data was stolen in the cyber attack.

The council has written to those affected. The next elections due in Hackney are this May.

The number of coronavirus cases confirmed across Devon and Cornwall has fallen by a third in the previous seven days.

The online article contains a lot more detailed data, this is just an extract. – Owl

Daniel Clark www.devonlive.com

A total of 2,327 new cases were confirmed across the two counties in the last week as the total for the two counties now stands at 41,388 – the lowest total for five weeks – and with Exeter and Plymouth seeing cases more than halve.

Government statistics show that 2,327 new cases have been confirmed across the region in the past seven days in both pillar 1 data from tests carried out by the NHS and pillar 2 data from commercial partners, compared to 3,521 new cases confirmed last week.

Of the 2,327 cases confirmed since January 22, 1,005 were in Cornwall, with 152 in East Devon, 110 in Exeter, 107 in Mid Devon, 51 in North Devon, 382 in Plymouth, 80 in South Hams, 137 in Teignbridge, 211 in Torbay, 30 in Torridge and 62 in West Devon

This compared to the 3,521 cases confirmed between January 16 and 22, of which 1,229 were in Cornwall, with 221 in East Devon, 258 in Exeter, 127 in Mid Devon, 72 in North Devon, 794 in Plymouth, 147 in South Hams, 245 in Teignbridge, 278 in Torbay, 39 in Torridge and 111 in West Devon

By specimen date, everywhere is seeing cases fall, with a total of 1,811 of the cases in the past week having a specimen date between January 22 and 28, with 814 in Cornwall, 116 in East Devon, 90 in Exeter, 70 in Mid Devon, 34 in North Devon, 272 in Plymouth, 62 in South Hams, 105 in Teignbridge, 211 in Torbay, 26 in Torridge and 44 in West Devon.

The latest positivity rates for tests carried out at 5.7% in Cornwall, 3.9% in East Devon, 4.9% in Exeter, 5.4% in Mid Devon, 2.3% in North Devon, 6.2% in Plymouth, 4.2% in South Hams, 4.7% in Teignbridge, 4.3% in Torbay, 1.5% in Torridge and 4.2% in West Devon. Every single area has seen positivity rates fall since last Friday.

BRITONS are so outraged by Boris Johnson’s poor performance they cannot believe they are going to vote for him again in 2024.

The Daily Mash www.thedailymash.co.uk 29th January 2021

Angry voters say Johnson’s terrible mishandling of Covid, Brexit disruption and his obvious personal incompetence have left them with no choice but to vote him in for a second term.

Stunned voter Wayne Hayes said: “If there’s one thing we’ve learnt over the last year it’s that Johnson isn’t fit to lead. So it’s going to be a real shock when I inevitably give him my vote again.

“I’ll be standing there in the voting booth, pencil in hand, thinking of all the stupid things he’s said and all the terrible things he’s done. And then I’ll put a cross next to his name. It’s gobsmacking what an idiot I am when you think about it.”

Mary Fisher said: “We should boot him out like America did with Trump. We’ve even got a leader of the opposition who you could vote for without worrying about it too much. 

“My jaw’s going to hit the floor when Huw Edwards says Johnson’s won on election night. Even though I’ve voted for him I’ll still shout at my TV ‘Who the hell voted for him, apart from me?’

“Mind you he is funny, isn’t he? And immigrants.”

Owl has posted a number of comments relating to the problems of holding local elections in May. One of these is how difficult candidates will find it to canvas, especially those challenging the sitting incumbent. 

Owl has received this opinion piece from one challenger to be Police and Crime Commissioner, other challengers are welcome to submit pieces for Owl to consider publishing.

An opinion piece from Gareth Derrick, Labour Party candidate for Police and Crime Commissioner, entitled:

“Policing Coronavirus and Beyond”. 

Already 2021 has added so much to the challenges of policing that have emerged since Covid-19 began to tear through the UK. Across the country forces adapted to meet an increasing need for the “policing” of coronavirus guidance, the rules, and ultimately the law. But there is much more to be done.

In Devon and Cornwall, a drop-off in “traditional” crime reporting amounted to around 11% opening up scope for the police to deploy extra resources to the “front-line,” working to combat the spread of infection. They have performed admirably, but it’s no surprise working in close contact with the public that police officers and staff have become infected, leading to sickness rates of around 10% at present. This is not alarming yet, but it adds much weight to the argument that it’s a good investment to vaccinate all front-line staff from care workers to police officers and staff. If the next few months of vaccination effort do not go well, it might just be too late.

Commissioner Alison Hernandez made much about giving Special Constables a one-off payment if they commit to eight shifts above their normal voluntary commitment. They could earn £750 which by my reckoning is about £12 per hour. Sadly, with just a small number of “Specials” it will make limited impact and reflects badly on how commitments to front-line duty are valued. The annual “summer surge” should already have taught us that when resources are pared to the bone even in a national crisis, a properly established reserve capability is vital, where trained officer and civilian staff reservists are held at readiness and employed on a salaried basis to allow high levels of police demand to be met. My experience as the Commanding Officer for the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Reserves, deploying people world-wide, tells me that this offers tremendous operational flexibility and a powerful connection between the individuals and the communities they serve which is worth its weight in gold.

The “clarity of the rules” for Covid has often been drawn into question, not helped by the disparities over “guidance”, “rules”, and what is actually a matter of law. There have been numerous examples of those in authority flouting the rules from the notorious Dominic Cummings’ eyesight check, driving across the country during lockdown, and perhaps even Boris Johnson’s seven-mile cycle-rides. The reality is that most people are very aware of the rules but many choose not to stick by them. We are not actually at war, nor fighting organised crime in respect of Covid, so in a public health crisis like this we should expect good old fashioned team spirit and public cooperation. I have strongly supported the Chief Constable’s approach to this focusing initially on “engage,” “explain,” and “encourage” before moving to enforcement. But, as we descend into new depths of this crisis in January 2021, I would expect that plans are in place to be ready for a rapid shift to new “Rules of Engagement” where little quarter is given to those that choose to break the law. Added to that, the police should be ensuring that they are exemplary in allowing non-frontline staff to work from home. If that means making investment in technology, so be it. A dispersed and secure workforce is often more resilient than a centralised one, and the challenges of Covid and its potential successors may be around for a long time.

So, standing for election to become Police and Crime Commissioner from May this year, my priorities in respect of the Covid response would be four-pronged. Making the case for early vaccination of front-line police personnel as soon as the highly vulnerable groups are safe. Taking immediate steps to establish a professional police reserve capability to provide operational “flex” in both the uniformed and the civilian staff. Prioritising investment in technology to create added resilience in the police workforce by minimising the need for office working. Being ready to upshift the police response at short notice, closer to “zero tolerance” but finding the delicate balance between handling the crisis firmly and public consent. Lives and livelihoods are in peril to an extent rarely seen outside war, so these investments are worth making. We will come out of this pandemic, and when we do they will have paid back many-fold. Just as in 1945, much of what we learn during this trauma will help to reset our society, allowing us to see with greater clarity how our future can be better shaped. 

    Gareth Derrick

       Labour Party candidate for Police and Crime Commissioner

    Devon and Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly

Eileen Wragg, district councillor for Exmouth, writes for the Journal

Eileen Wragg www.exmouthjournal.co.uk

The Democratic Alliance, consisting of the East Devon Alliance, Liberal Democrat’s, Greens and an Independent has been making huge strides forward since becoming the administration at East Devon District Council at the end of May last year.  

We have already begun the Local Plan Review, which plans building development for future years, and which went out for public consultation last week.  

Actions have been taken for local people and visitors to take control over what will happen on Exmouth seafront, long overdue.  

EDDC has pulled out of the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan (GESP) which would have imposed substantial numbers of residential development in East Devon. 

We are now delivering a town centre for the residents of Cranbrook after years of being deprived of one long promised, and a new officer will be recruited to tackle the high priority issue of climate change and the environment. 

Last week, the decision was made to appoint a Mental Health Officers for both Officers and Members, particularly in these difficult times, when we are also dealing with and trying to help our residents who are in need.  

Research carried out by the World Health Organisation and The Health Foundation has found that the impacts on mental health have been considerable, with increased domestic violence and abuse cases, and the effects of stress, anxiety and depression as well as employment problems.  

Good mental health is vital for physical well-being, and as Councillors, we are actively addressing and tackling the issues.  

We have engaged one of our Councillors as the Mental Health Champion for EDDC, Cllr. Tony Woodward, and he has sent around some useful information for anyone who may be suffering any of the conditions contained within this article.  

This can be accessed through the internet https://www.nhs.uk/one you/every-mind-matters/ and https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/mindfulness/ 

 I do hope that this will be a help for those who need support, and please stay safe, and help others do the same.