(Which has become even more progressive, see below – Owl)

A view from East Devon Council Leader Paul Arnott (Exmouth Journal and sister publications)

It seems to happen every year, a period of scorchingly hot weather followed by a roof-leak-causing deluge. So often, August then turns out to be an absolute bust until, just as all hope is almost lost, September proves itself yet again to be the greatest month.

So keep the faith, East Devonian. I suspect we’ll all need our brollies in the coming weeks, but it is far from over. Revival is always just around the corner. Which brings me, with an inelegant crashing of the gears, to the politics of East Devon.

Now, despite being Leader of the council, I do try to spare this newspaper’s readers from too much of the hard stuff politically. Any local, or indeed national politician, with a decent nose is aware that most people mainly want to pay their taxes and see the services they have been promised being delivered. Local politics can be alienating.

However, East Devonian, you are a more interesting lot than that. A few months ago after the county council elections I bored you with the fact that the Conservatives had taken something over 22,000 votes across our district (yet took 10 seats at county) while the non-Conservatives managed around 29,000 votes (for two seats as it happens. Something awry there.)

What this suggests is that the old adage that you could put a blue rosette on a donkey in East Devon and it would get elected is not the sure proposition of yore. However, to turn what is clearly an interesting and probably centrist electorate – with a strong inclination to support social housing/the NHS/progressive social attitudes – the non-Tories need to get their act together. Now, I am not claiming that the cavalry is coming over the hill, but perhaps I can hear the sound of distant hooves. Because a few weeks ago at a by-election in Honiton a highly capable and serious young Labour councillor was elected to district, joining up with an existing Labour councillor to make two on the district council – historic.

After some friendly discussions in the following weeks, this Labour twosome decided – with permission of their party – to become part of the Democratic Alliance, the political group I lead at the council. In plain terms, their party allegiance is and will always be Labour, but their group is the Democratic Alliance.

There they now share an umbrella with my own party, the Independent East Devon Alliance, the Liberal Democrats, the Greens and an excellent Independent from Exmouth.

I want to be cautious here: one swallow does not make a spring. Yes, there is a cry across the country for the non-Tory interest to show leadership rather than navel-gazing, and perhaps this example of genial co-operation presages that. People talk of “progressive alliances”, but you have to be careful there.

I can already imagine the twitching, Twitter fingers of some of the more febrile local Tories barking out that “I always said Arnott was worse than Corbyn”. I fully expect the accusation that because we have embraced two highly talented young councillors wearing the Labour badge then we are rolling out the bright red carpet to Russian tanks and Chinese cyber-warriors.

However, on Monday this week progressive thought bore its first fruit. The Tories reflexively opposed the eminently sensible proposal – their own government having betrayed their promise to legislate for this – to return to Zoom meetings, just until January. Despite the Tories’ Johnsonian rhetoric on behalf of the Me First party, all the other councillors present voted in the interest of staff and member safety to return to Zoom. This calm decision is greatly to the credit of our new council chair, Ian Thomas, and the officers who helped him with the legalities. Parish and Town Councils of East Devon, take note … could you do the same?

A sensible solution to a huge problem – that’s what a progressive alliance can enable.

[Owl notes from the EDDC website that Cllr Paul Millar is now the other Labour councillor referred to above.] 

“A council surcharge of up to 60 per cent is being imposed on second homeowners in some areas in an attempt to prompt them to sell up.”

Tax shock for Britons with second homes in cities and resorts in France

Adam Sage, Paris www.thetimes.co.uk 

Britons with second homes in cities and resorts in France are facing local tax rises after becoming caught up in a drive to lower property prices in holiday destinations.

A council surcharge of up to 60 per cent is being imposed on second homeowners in some areas in an attempt to prompt them to sell up.

Mayors hope it will increase the number of houses and flats on the market and reverse price rises. Critics accuse them of using second homeowners to top up budgets with tax increases of several hundred euros a year.

A total of 86,000 Britons have second homes in France, according to the French National Institute for Economic Studies and Statistics.

Those with properties in rural France will be unaffected by the surcharge, which can only be imposed in areas with housing “tensions” under a 2015 French law.

But the 8,600 with second homes in Alpine ski resorts are likely to be hit, as are those with properties in Biarritz and other parts of the southwest coast, Nice, Lyons and Bordeaux.

Anne Hidalgo, Paris’s Socialist party mayor, put a 60 per cent surcharge on the tax paid by owners of the 126,000 second homes in the city in 2017. The average council tax bill in France is about €1,000 a year.

She claims the measure has forced 5 per cent of second homeowners to sell. Other councils have adopted similar policies, such as Lyons, Bordeaux and resorts on the Atlantic coast.

The move is more aimed at Parisians, who have been buying second homes in record numbers since last year’s lockdowns. They are accused of making housing unaffordable for locals. In the French Basque country several estate agents have been vandalised with graffiti that says: “Parisians, go home.”

All talk and no action? – Owl

www.northdevongazette.co.uk

Devon County Council leader John Hart has been re-elected as the voice of the South West.

He was voted in unopposed as the chairman of South West Councils for a fifth two-year term.

The organisation represents 33 county, unitary and district councils stretching from Cornwall to Gloucestershire and Wiltshire as well as police, fire and rescue services, national parks and town and parish councils.

Mr Hart said: “It’s a tremendous privilege to have been re-elected to chair South West Councils.

“This region has many issues in common, with the economic recovery from the pandemic as our most urgent task alongside support for our vulnerable residents and our vital tourism, hospitality and food and farming sectors.

“We must also stimulate our economy by improving communications with the rest of the country, ensuring fast broadband coverage for our rural areas at an affordable price and promoting greater skills and employment for our young people.

“We need to present a united front to the Government to ensure we do not remain the poor relation when it comes to funding and that we get a fair share of cash for levelling-up.

East Devon District Council (EDDC)  looks set to take a tougher stand against ‘unscrupulous’ developers cutting down trees before planning applications are submitted.

eastdevonnews.co.uk 

The authority has asked for an outline report on a new tree strategy to inform discussions an ‘overview’ committee will hold in October, writes Local Democracy Reporter Joe Ives.

A motion by West Hill and Aylesbeare representative Councillor Jess Bailey said East Devon’s trees are important for wildlife, capturing carbon, enhancing wellbeing and preventing flooding and erosion.

And a full council meeting on Tuesday, July 27, was broadly in favour of the motion – passed with 38 votes in favour –  but some members had different ideas on how to approach the problem of tree felling.

Cllr Bailey’s motion called for EDDC to recognise the ‘immense contribution’ trees make to the area.

She called for the council to agree a ‘robust’ policy which proactively makes protection orders in a bid to tackle ‘unscrupulous’ developers removing trees ahead of submitting planning applications.

Cllr Bailey also requested a  detailed, district-wide report identifying ways of enhancing and improving the existing treescape be commissioned.

She called on EDDC to implement a community engagement scheme to support town and parish councils in protecting and enhancing trees ‘at the most local level’.

“This council acknowledges that these proposals will increase the workload of the tree officers and additional tree officer capacity will be required in order to give effect to this motion,” added the motion.

“The council will use its general fund balance in the current year and will commit to ongoing costs being met in the 2022/23 budget round.”

Exmouth Brixington ward member Cllr Maddy Chapman argued that EDDC should take a firmer hand in protecting trees – issuing preservation orders in ‘no man’s land’ areas.

She added that, right now, people are cutting down trees ‘and just getting away with it’.

Cllr Fabian King, who represents the Exe Valley and personally looks after trees on his land, agreed with the motion’s sentiment.

But he warned of the dangers of red tape if the same regulations for towns were to be deployed in rural areas where farmers have more work to do with tree husbandry.

Cllr King said: “I understand the fervour that’s going on with those who are bothered about trees being cut down in town.

“Please think about the rural communities and farmers doing their good work as they have to.”

Sidmouth Town representative Cllr Denise Bickley, the authority’s assistant portfolio holder for climate action and emergency response agreed with the motion’s emphasis on a rapid plan.

She said: “This is something that cannot be put off now. It does need to be pulled together very quickly but I would also suggest that we want the best policy possible.”

Cllr Geoff Jung, ward member for Woodbury and Lympstone and portfolio holder for coast, country and environment, added: “We’re going the right direction. It’s not going as fast as a lot of people would like, but it’s a massive issue.”