Would-be holiday makers are being warned ‘not to put the summer at risk’ by travelling down to Devon this Easter before lockdown restrictions ease.

Daniel Clark www.devonlive.com

Under the government’s roadmap, Monday, April 12, is the earliest date outdoor attractions and self-contained accommodation such as campsites and holiday lets, where indoor facilities are not shared with other households, are allowed to open.

Until then, many facilities, shops and hospitality venues will not be fully open with food and drink only available from essential shops or takeaways.

Visitors are being warned it is illegal and could be dangerous to travel before Government restrictions are lifted.

With Easter approaching, there are fears a minority of tourists might be tempted to travel early and before facilities are ready or attractions are open, Thursday’s Devon County Council corporate infrastructure and regulatory services scrutiny committee meeting heard, with the potential that the ‘false start’ to the tourist season would risk spreading Covid-19 and put unnecessary extra strain on the emergency services.

Keri Denton, Devon County Council’s head of economy, skills and enterprise said: “We will give people a warm welcome when the guidelines allow but not before.

“We are not ready for visitors yet and we do not want to put the summer at risk for the sake of a few more weeks.

“After all our hard work to keep Covid-19 cases in Devon so low we do not want to risk things now.

“We ask everyone thinking of coming to Devon after April 12, to behave responsibly and make sure you book the sort of accommodation and experiences you can enjoy safely in advance.

“We also ask potential visitors, as well as our own residents thinking of travelling within Devon, to take extra care and to show our local communities respect and courtesy. This includes the simple things like parking responsibly, respecting the countryside and taking litter away.”

But Dr Phil Norrey, Devon County Council’s chief executive, added: “Last year we saw little evidence of transmission of the disease in outdoor settings so even if there is the usual or enhanced number of visitors, it won’t pose an increased risk based on what happened last year.”

The council is also urging Devon residents and potential visitors after Monday, April 12, to take extra care, to act responsibly and to show local communities courtesy and respect at all times, and with them being urged to ‘find a bin or take it home’ in a new county-wide anti-littering campaign.

As lockdown eases and the warmer months beckon, the multi-agency partnership Clean Devon wants to encourage everyone to take more responsibility for their rubbish whilst enjoying the beautiful moors, beaches, wildlife, countryside, towns and villages.

Littering is an increasing burden on society, both financially and environmentally and the partnership aims to improve the issue through preventing, detecting and deterring this type of behaviour in Devon.

Principal waste manager from Devon County Council and Clean Devon co-ordinator, Annette Dentith, says: “One of our key priorities is to protect and enhance Devon’s wonderful environment. Local authorities do their best to keep bins emptied however with increased visitors over the warmer months we must take responsibility for our own rubbish.

“If bins are full, bring your own bag and dispose of it when you return home. Please don’t leave it next to an already full bin as this contributes to littering and is considered fly-tipping for which you could be fined. It’s really important we protect our beautiful county, not only for ourselves but for future generations.”

Infection rates in the county are down to 15.3/100,000 – the lowest on the mainland of England with only the Isle of Wight lower – with North Devon, the South Hams, Teignbridge, Torridge and West Devon is the bottom ten for lower tier authorities.

Dr Norrey told councillors on Thursday that cases were still declining – and have dropped by 25 per cent in the last week – but that at the lower levels they are currently seeing, further declines will be slower and bumpier.

Steve Brown, director of Public Health Devon, added that we are all going to have to learn to live safely with COVID-19 for the foreseeable future, and that a key part of that is for us to keep the infection rates as low as possible.

Mr Brown said: “Please continue to maintain your social distance, wear your face coverings when you’re indoors in a public place, and remember to wash your hands frequently and properly.

“If you are somebody who has to leave home to work or volunteer, or you’re a carer for somebody, or you happen to be in a family, household or maybe a bubble with somebody who attends a nursery or education, please access regular testing twice a week.”

Rates down, but higher than summer.

Daniel Clark, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk

Devon is in a “good place” to cope as restrictions  ease in the roadmap out of lockdown.

Infection rates in the county are down to 16 per 100,000 – the lowest on the England mainland, with only the Isle of Wight lower – with North Devon, the South Hams, Teignbridge, Torridge and West Devon in the bottom ten for lower tier authorities.

Dr Phil Norrey, Devon County Council’s chief executive, has told councillors cases are still declining and have dropped by 25 per cent in the last week – but further declines will be slower.

He said that while restrictions are beginning to ease and that life begins to return to normal, there will still be a public health role as we will be living with covid over the next couple of years.

And he added that with more than 100,000 tests a week being carried out in the county through community testing, schools, care homes and health settings – around 12 per cent of the population – Devon is a good position to spot anything if it occurs. Even with the reopening of schools and twice weekly testing for pupils, infection rates are lower for people up to age 19 in Devon than when schools returned on 8 March.

Speaking at the council’s corporate infrastructure and regulatory services scrutiny committee meeting, Dr Norrey said: “Rates are still coming down but have slowed and we are into the hard yards to drive them out from a relatively low position. They are still higher than last summer, but we had far fewer tests then than now, and overall rates are still coming down but slowly and bumpily.”

On the relaxation of restrictions, he added: “It is important to emphasise that it is an end to the behaviour changes so we still need to follow the precautions where possible as we are not out of the woods today and the pandemic won’t move on and we will be living with Covid over the next couple of years.

“We have a public health role as we emerge from the restrictions and our core role will be ongoing surveillance, community testing, local contact tracing including enhanced tracing which is working really well and supporting self-isolation, and to control outbreaks where they occur.

He added: “Last year we saw little evidence of transmission of the disease in outdoor settings so even if there is the usual or enhanced number of visitors, it won’t pose an increased risk based on what happened last year.”

Answering questions on the upcoming local elections, Dr Norrey said they are confident that they would run smoothly, although that there were still a few isolated issues to sort out, including that one of the proposed centres for the count is being used as a vaccination centre, and that one district may be counting on the Saturday, rather than the Friday, which could delay the result.

Cllr Alistair Dewhirst, chairman of the committee, in a message to those planning to visit Devon in the summer, added: “We will have a fantastic summer for business, but while some places may be pretty busy, other places may be as quiet as you imagine Devon to be.”

Jackie Weaver has joined critics of a government move to end virtual council meetings in England from May.

By Jennifer Scott www.bbc.co.uk

Minister Luke Hall has written to local authorities saying the government is under too much pressure to fit in legislation to allow them to continue.

Ms Weaver, who rose to fame after a meeting of Handforth Parish Council went viral, said it would be “dreadful” to bring them to an end.

The Local Government Association also called for the decision to be reversed.

Chair of the organisation, Councillor James Jamieson, said reintroducing face-to-face meetings “could easily involve up to 200 people in one room, even before adding in members of the public and reporters” – so their return would pose a “significant challenge” to councils to make them Covid-secure.

Lawyers in local government, along with Hertfordshire County Council, have now made an application to the courts to declare authorities already have the powers needed to hold online meetings.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said it had asked councils to share their experiences of remote meetings, saying they will use the evidence “to inform any potential future legislation regarding their use beyond the pandemic”.

Like many other organisations, local councils were forced to go online in 2020 due to the pandemic and restrictions on public meetings.

Emergency legislation was passed in the Commons to give them the power to do business over video conferencing tools, but the temporary law is due to run out the day after the local elections on 6 May.

In his letter, Mr Hall – the minister for regional growth and local government – praised the efforts of local authorities in England, saying they had “risen magnificently to the challenges of this period”.

But he said extending virtual meetings past May would involved primary legislation in the Commons, which would have a “significant impact… on the government’s legislative programme, which is already under severe pressure in these unprecedented times”.

media captionViral moments like this Handforth Parish Council meeting could come to an end – but there are more serious reasons for concern too

Mrs Weaver – the chief officer of the Cheshire Association of Local Councils – told BBC Radio Derby it would be “dreadful” to bring virtual meetings to an end.

She added: “I think all the evidence is out there to show that actually Zoom has done more… [and] has been instrumental in getting people involved.

“We can see it in the figures [with] people turning up. We are seeing it in the people that are showing interest in elections.

“I am not saying all council meetings should be held virtually and I know a lot of my councils are keen to get back to face-to-face meetings, but it would be so helpful, so valuable to be able to hold Zoom meetings.”

Mr Jamieson agreed the move risked “damaging the gains seen in public participation in remote council meetings during the pandemic and our vital local democratic process”.

He also pointed to the imbalance when it came to the rules in Westminster.

“MPs will retain the right to participate remotely until at least 21 June, but the powers-that-be in the House of Commons will not make time available to legislate for councillors to do the same,” he added.

The County Councils Network said the government’s decision was “deeply disappointing, considering the success of remote meetings”.

Its chairman, Councillor David Williams, said he had concerns over whether face-to-face council meetings could be done safely, adding: “The decision is illogical when you bear in mind the government’s own guidance stipulates that indoor events cannot be organised until 17 May at the earliest.”

‘Consider permanent option’

Asked for a response to the criticism, the ministry sent a statement from Mr Hall, who said: “Councils continue to play a vital role in our response to the pandemic and I am grateful for how they have used emergency powers introduced a year ago to continue to operate at a difficult time.

“As the vaccine roll-out continues and restrictions are lifted, councils holding face-to-face meetings from 7 May are being given the support and guidance they need to do so in a safe and secure way.”

He added: “I am keen to hear from councils and local residents about their experiences of virtual meetings so that we can properly consider whether to make these a permanent option.”

The Council Chamber in Blackdown House is long and narrow – so Owl wonders whether the only way to achieve social distancing is to put the Tories in an ante-chamber somewhere? In 2019 the opposition was relegated to the back row anyway from where it is quite hard to engage effectively with the meeting. Do we count this as an “Own Goal”?

Here is the view of Tim Todd in his June 2019 FOI entitled: “What thought went into the design of the debating chamber at the new EDDC HQ and its suitability for participation by the public?”

Along with a fair number of members of the public, I attended the first council meeting under the new intake of councillors in May. Even arriving early I found that there was no room to accommodate me and a number of other members of the public, we had to use a less than satisfactory gallery with a restricted view of the participants. We also had to put up with broadcast information and missed out on all that was said when speakers forgot to use the microphones. Being quite separate from councillors and others, we were not readily able to have conversations with others on matters that may have been relevant and could have been raised by our representatives.

I gather from some in the small chamber downstairs, and from social media, that many were less than impressed and some felt the design and construction did not give due weight to public engagement in council matters in their public meetings, that the council has failed in its duty to provide adequate facilities or encourage participation.

Jackie Weaver’s view on abandoning virtual meetings is posted separately.

Daniel Clark www.devonlive.com 

Legislation that has allowed councils and local authorities to meet virtually during the last year throughout the coronavirus pandemic will not be extended.

Last April, the Government introduced emergency legislation to relax the requirement for local authorities to hold public meetings in person, with the regulations applying to all meetings taking place before May 7, 2021.

But on Thursday night, it was confirmed the Government have decided that it is not possible to bring forward emergency legislation on this issue and that the successful rollout of the vaccine and the reduction in cases of Covid-19 should result in a significant reduction in risk for local authority members meeting in person from May 7.

It means that from May 7 onwards, all councils – from Devon County down to the parish councils – will have to resume meetings in person, and also applies to the Dartmoor and Exmoor National Park Authorities, the Devon and Somerset Fire Authority, as well as the Police and Crime Panel.

Councils though are being encouraged to continue to live stream the meetings to meet the legal obligation to ensure that the members of the public and press can access the meeting without having to physically attend.

Luke Hall MP, Minister of State for Regional Growth and Local Government, in his letter to councils, said: “Extending the regulations to meetings beyond May 7 would require primary legislation. The Government has considered the case for legislation very carefully, including the significant impact it would have on the Government’s legislative programme which is already under severe pressure in these unprecedented times.

“We are also mindful of the excellent progress that has been made on our vaccination programme and the announcement of the Government’s roadmap for lifting Covid-19 restrictions. Given this context, the Government has concluded that it is not possible to bring forward emergency legislation on this issue at this time.

“As outlined in the Government’s Spring 2021 Covid-19 Response, our aim is for everyone aged 50 and over and people with underlying health conditions to have been offered a first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine by April 15, and a second dose by mid-July.

“While local authorities have been able to hold meetings in person at any time during the pandemic with appropriate measures in place, the successful rollout of the vaccine and the reduction in cases of Covid-19 should result in a significant reduction in risk for local authority members meeting in person from May 7, as reflected in the Government’s plan to ease Covid-19 restrictions over the coming months.”

Mr Hall said that he recognised there may be concerns about holding face-to-face meetings, but that ‘ultimately it is for local authorities to apply the Covid-19 guidance to ensure meetings take place safely’.

He added: “If your council is concerned about holding physical meetings you may want to consider resuming these after May 17, at which point it is anticipated that a much greater range of indoor activity can resume in line with the roadmap, such as allowing up to 1,000 people to attend performances or sporting events in indoor venues, or up to half-capacity (whichever is lower).

“While you do have a legal obligation to ensure that the members of the public can access most of your meetings, I would encourage you to continue to provide remote access to minimise the need for the public to attend meetings physically until at least June 21, at which point it is anticipated that all restrictions on indoor gatherings will have been lifted in line with the Roadmap.”

But responding to the announcement that emergency legislation allowing virtual council meetings will not be extended, Cllr James Jamieson, chairman of the Local Government Association, said: “This decision is extremely disappointing. The Government’s own roadmap out of lockdown states that indoor gatherings or events – organised by a business, charity, public body or similar organisation – cannot be organised until May 17 at the earliest. Yet councils will be unable to hold remote meetings from May 7.

“MPs will retain the right to participate remotely until at least June 21 but the powers-that-be in the House of Commons will not make time available to legislate for councillors to do the same.

“The case is clear for the ability for councils to continue to be able to hold meetings flexibly. We urge the Government to reverse this decision and not force councils to have to hold Covid-19 secure face-to-face council meetings until all restrictions are lifted.

“Holding face to face council meetings, with supporting staff, could easily involve up to 200 people in one room even before adding in members of the public and reporters.

“This is likely to be a significant challenge with councils, for example, having to source larger venues in order to be able to host meetings with social distancing measures in place, such as full council meetings which will need to be held following the May local elections.

“This also risks damaging the gains seen in public participation in remote council meetings during the pandemic and our vital local democratic process.

“Left with no choice, Lawyers in Local Government, the Association of Democratic Services and Hertfordshire County Council have made an application to the Courts to declare that councils already have the powers needed to hold online meetings. The LGA will be providing support in these proceedings as the representative body for councils.”

Mr Hall said that councils who are not subject to elections could consider conducting their annual meetings prior to May 7, and therefore do so remotely while the express provision in current regulations apply, but for councils were elections are taking place, this is not possible, and after a new elections, an annual council meeting has to take place within 21 days of the election, so Devon County Council will have to allow 60 councillors to meet in person.

A Devon County Council spokesman said: “This decision presents all local authorities with a complex challenge in deciding how best to hold face-to face council meetings safely after May 7.

“We will be looking very carefully at the detail of the new guidance before considering the best approach for the County Council.”