Daily Archives: 22 Nov 2021

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22 Nov 2021

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Planning applications validated by EDDC for week beginning 8 November

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22 Nov 2021

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More than 5,000 homes in England approved to be built in flood zones

How many will be fitted with Portable Loos or will they be an “optional” extra? – Owl

Gwyn Topham www.theguardian.com 

More than 5,000 new homes in flood-risk areas of England have been granted planning permission so far this year, as local authorities try to tackle the housing shortage.

Researchers analysing 16,000 planning applications lodged between January and September discovered about 200 had been approved, for a total of 5,283 new homes, in areas where more than 10% of homes were already at significant risk of flooding.

Insurers said they were concerned about the numbers of homes being built where owners were at risk of experiencing “traumatic and devastating losses”.

But builders said that the need for new homes meant even flood-risk areas would have to be used – and with the climate crisis leaving more homes exposed, more defences and mitigation measures would have to be put in place.

Martin Milliner, the claims director at LV= General Insurance, which commissioned the report, said: “Whilst we welcome the government’s commitment to increase housing we have concerns about the UK’s resilience to future flood events, and in particular the number of new housing developments in flood-risk areas that are still receiving approval.

“Flooding is an extremely traumatic event which has a devastating impact on a person’s life, both physically and mentally.”

Andrew Whitaker, the planning director at the Home Builders Federation, said: “We face an acute housing crisis. Planning policy already directs development away from those areas most liable to flooding.

“However, where there is no other choice, or sites in high flood risk zones are the most sustainable sites for other reasons, developments have to meet extremely stringent mitigation requirements.”

The Local Government Association’s housing and environment spokesperson, David Renard, said almost 99% of applications were decided in line with Environment Agency flood risk advice.

He added: “Funding for flood defences needs to be devolved to local areas to ensure money is directed towards projects that best reflect local needs. The government also needs to introduce mandatory anti-flood requirements for new homes in building regulations.”

An investigation by Greenpeace this year found that one-third of England’s most important flood defences were in private hands, with more than 1,000 found to be in a poor state of repair.

More than 5m homes and businesses in England are at risk of flooding, according to Environment Agency estimates.

The government said it was investing over £5.2bn in flood and coastal defences in England, which would improve protection for more than 336,000 properties.

A spokesperson said: “Our national planning policy is clear that floodplain development should be avoided wherever possible, and protections must be put in place when building in these areas is necessary – we expect local planning authorities to follow this guidance.”

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Devon covid rates soaring

Infection rates across Devon have soared, with every council area in the county reporting a significant increase in new cases. 

Joe Ives, local democracy reporter  www.radioexe.co.uk 

Government figures for the week up to Sunday, 14 November show a total of 6,886 cases across Devon, 33 per cent (1,721) more than in the previous week.

Infection levels are extremely high in some parts of the county and every district has a higher infection rate than the UK average. The average infection rate across Devon is now at 558 per 100,000 of the population. In comparison, the national average sits at 403 per 100,000.

In Torridge, infections have more than doubled within the space of a week. The district’s new 602 infections – 304 more than last week – represent a rise of 102 per cent. The infection rate in Torridge is now at 876 per 100,000 people – more than double the national average.

It’s a similar story for neighbouring North Devon. The district recorded 708 new cases, 183 (35 per cent) more than the previous week. The area’s infection rate now sits at 721 per 100,000, almost 80 per cent higher than the national average.

Overall, the Devon County Council area, which excludes Plymouth and Torbay, saw 4,789 new infections, 1,238 (35 per cent) more than the previous week. The infection rate across its seven districts is now 591 per 100,000 of the population.

Torbay’s infections shot up by 38 per cent, recording 808 new cases, 223 more than in the previous week. The 38 per cent rise takes the infection rate in the Bay to 593 per 100,000 of the population.

Cases rose sharply in Plymouth, too. The city saw 1,289 new infections, 258 (25 per cent) more than in the previous week. The infection rate in the area is now 490 per 100,000.

Despite rising infections in Devon and across the country, prime minister Boris Johnson this week said it was still too early to move to ‘plan b’ and reintroduce restrictions such as mask mandates and working from home orders.

Hospitalisations

As was reported on Tuesday, the latest figures (Tuesday, 2 November) show 127 covid patients in the county’s hospitals – a fall of two on last week’s total. However, this number is likely to rise in the coming weeks as the impact of the rapid increase of infections reaches the county’s hospitals.

There are 49 patients at Derriford in Plymouth, 44 at the RD&E in Exeter, 21 in Torbay and 13. Of the total number of patients, 13 are on mechanical ventilation beds.

Deaths

Deaths have increased, with four more recorded than in the previous week.

Eighteen people died within 28 days of receiving a positive covid test across Devon in the most recent complete seven-day period (up to Sunday, 14 November).

Eleven of the deaths occurred in the Devon County Council area. Meanwhile, four deaths were recorded in Torbay. A further four occurred in Plymouth.

Across Devon, a total of 1,323 people have now died within 28 days of a positive covid test.

Vaccinations

Eighty-six per cent of people aged 12 and above have had their first dose of a vaccine in the Devon County Council area, which excludes Plymouth and Torbay, with 80 per cent receiving both doses.

In Plymouth, 83 per cent have had one dose, while 75 per cent have had both.

In Torbay, 84 per cent have received one dose, while 78 per cent have had both jabs.

This means that vaccination rates in Devon remain slightly behind the rest of the UK. Across the country, 88 per cent of people aged 12 and over have had one dose, while 80 per cent have had both jabs.

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All new buildings in England to have electric car charge points from 2022

Boris Johnson will seek to boost the UK’s clean energy credentials after a tricky UN climate crisis conference by announcing that all new buildings in England will be required to install electric vehicle charge points from next year.

Aubrey Allegretti www.theguardian.com 

In a speech to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) in the north-east of England on Monday, the prime minister will reveal plans, briefed as “world-leading”, to toughen up regulations for new homes and buildings.

From next year developers on sites such as supermarkets and office blocks will be required to install electric vehicle charging points, in an attempt to help phase out the use of petrol and diesel cars before sales of them come to an end in 2030. The government expects the move to lead to 145,000 new charging points each year.

Buildings undergoing renovations that leave them with more than 10 parking spaces will also be subject to the new measures.

Heralding the importance of clean energy just weeks after the UK hosted Cop26, Johnson will say the country is at a pivotal moment, adding: “We cannot go on as we are.”

He will tell business leaders that it should not just be public spending that is used to “adapt our economy to the green industrial revolution”, but that the government will focus on investment in science and technology, raise productivity and “then get out your way”.

Defending the new requirements, Johnson will add: “We must regulate less or better and take advantage of new freedoms.”

The government will also support a new loan programme worth £150m, distributed by Innovate UK over three years, to help British small and medium-size enterprises commercialise their latest research. The “innovation loans” will be accessible to a variety of sectors – including green businesses – and follow a pilot with businesses.

A further £9.4m in funding has been confirmed for what Downing Street said was a first-of-a-kind hydrogen project in the UK’s largest onshore windfarm, near Glasgow. The money will go to the Whitelee green hydrogen initiative to develop the country’s largest “electrolyser” – a system that converts water into hydrogen gas. It is used to store energy and supply local transport providers with zero-carbon fuel.

As part of the government’s bid to reach net zero by 2050, almost 26,000 publicly available electric vehicle charging devices have been installed – including 4,900 rapid ones. A total of 250,000 points in homes and workplaces have already been put in place.

Ed Miliband, the shadow business secretary, accused the government of “failing Britain’s automotive companies and workers”. He said: “Ministers have stepped back and left manufacturers, workers and the public on their own, failing to take the action necessary to make the switch affordable for families hit by a cost of living crisis.

“By extending the help to buy an electric car for those on lower and middle incomes and accelerating the rollout of charging points in areas that have been left out, [Labour] would ensure that everyone could benefit and make the green transition fair.”

The prime minister’s climate spokesperson, Allegra Stratton, raised eyebrows in August when she revealed she was still driving a third-hand diesel. When asked why she did not drive an electric vehicle, she said: “I don’t fancy it just yet.”

Stratton, who lives in north London, said this was because of the length of time it took to make trips to visit her father in the south of Scotland, her mother in Gloucestershire, her grandmother in north Wales, and her in-laws in the Lake District.

However, in October, just before world leaders gathered for Cop26, Stratton revealed she had ditched the diesel car.

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Metropolitan Police must investigate the ‘Cash for Peerages’ scandal – Good Law Project

A peculiar trend has been spotted in the House of Lords. Have you noticed it? It looks a bit like high-value donors to the Tory party are being ‘awarded’ a peerage as thanks for massive wads of cash. Dodgy stuff. 

goodlawproject.org

There’s no denying the numbers. Earlier this month, The Sunday Times and openDemocracy revealed that 15 of the last 16 Conservative Party treasurers have been offered a seat in the House of Lords, having each donated more than £3 million to the party. 

Many other Conservative donors have also been ennobled alongside party treasurers. In total, 22 of the party’s main financial backers have been given peerages since 2010. Together, they have given an estimated £54 million to the party.

A former Tory Party chairman reportedly told The Sunday Times, “Once you pay your £3 million, you get your peerage.” And one former Conservative cabinet minister this month described it as a “scandal in plain sight”. 

The Scottish National Party’s Pete Wishart MP wrote to the Metropolitan Police to report this pattern and ask them to investigate. But mere days later, the Met wrote back to Mr Wishart refusing to investigate, saying, “there is insufficient information upon which to launch a criminal investigation”. 

This is baffling. Buying or selling honours is a crime which the police have, in the past, been willing to investigate. In March 2006, Scottish National Party MP Angus McNeil brought a complaint to the police after it emerged that four wealthy businessmen, who had lent the Labour Party a total of £5 million, were nominated by Tony Blair for peerages. The police questioned a raft of politicians over the scandal and made several arrests. 

We think this looks suspiciously like the Conservatives are selling off seats in the heart of our democracy. Members of the House of Lords get a say on laws that affect all of our lives. Why should someone get a vote on Universal Credit because they handed £3 million quid to the Conservative Party? 

When asked about this this week, the Prime Minister defended his party’s reliance on major donors, saying: “Until you get rid of the system by which the trade union barons fund other parties… we have to go ahead.”

If the Government is selling peerages, it’s breaking the law. We think there is more than enough evidence to trigger a police investigation. If the Metropolitan Police refuse to investigate, they must satisfactorily explain why or risk judicial review.  

Alongside Pete Wishart MP, we are asking the Metropolitan Police to share the information and documents they considered before refusing to investigate, and the internal record of the refusal. 

At the heart of this legal action is a simple ask: that Boris Johnson be subject to the same law as you and I. And if there is reason to think he has broken the law, he gets investigated by the police, just like you and I would.

We recognise that this is a difficult challenge, so we will assess the response we get before launching any fundraising. Good Law Project only exists thanks to donations from people across the UK. If you’re in a position to support our work, you can do so here.

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Lib Dems and Labour should only target seats they can win, says Ed Davey

The Liberal Democrats will target only one of two forthcoming byelections in Conservative-held seats, the party’s leader Ed Davey has revealed, as he said both his party and Labour should focus their campaigns “where they think they can win”.

Michael Savage  www.theguardian.com 

Davey said that he would not make any formal “deals or arrangements” with Labour over how the parties approach the contests, despite pleas for greater cooperation between them. However, he suggested his party would not be putting significant resources into the London seat of Old Bexley and Sidcup, where Labour is the main challenger.

He said that his party would instead be concentrating on North Shropshire, the safe Tory seat vacated by the resignation of Owen Paterson following his official rebuke over lobbying. While rejecting calls for a pact, Davey said Labour and the Lib Dems had the same goal of removing the Conservative government.

“What I see is a party led by Keir Starmer, who shares our view – that we’ve got to remove Boris Johnson from 10 Downing Street,” he said. “They will campaign in areas where they think they can win and we’ll campaign in areas that we think we can win. We have to manage our resources carefully. It’s no secret that we haven’t put all our effort into some byelections. We certainly want to make our case in North Shropshire.”

North Shropshire is an ultra-safe Tory seat with a majority of more than 22,000. The Lib Dems came a distant third at the last election, but the party believes local election results this year show it is now the main challenger. Insiders said there had been no discussions with Labour, but predicted both sides would “organically” recognise that they stood the best chance in different seats.

Labour sources said the party would contest both seats. But the party has a bigger membership base in London, which can be deployed to help its campaign in Old Bexley and Sidcup, where the Tories are defending a majority of almost 19,000 in less than two weeks’ time. Anything other than a Tory win in both seats would be a huge shock, but the Lib Dems believe they can put up a decent challenge in North Shropshire after overturning a 16,000 Tory majority in the Chesham and Amersham byelection in June.

Despite the fact that the North Shropshire byelection was triggered by the sleaze row, Davey said that “health, health, health” was actually the main local concern his party would be focusing on. “I’ve already been there twice and I’m going there a third time this weekend. And we will be ensuring that some of our best campaigners are there. You know parties put resources where they think that there’s a chance, however difficult. This is definitely tougher than Amersham and Chesham. But in the circumstances, with the Conservatives in serious trouble, with Johnson under pressure in a way he’s never been in his premiership, and the fact that we’ve got some momentum locally with a fantastic candidate, I think, why not?

“Ambulance waiting times are the first thing that comes up on the doorstep. Health is top of the issues, and it’s ambulance waiting times, it’s A&E problems, hospital problems and access to GPs. They’re really coming up on almost every doorstep.”

Concerns over the lack of coordination among progressive parties were raised by a council byelection in West Devon last week. The contest took place in the constituency of former attorney general Geoffrey Cox, who was criticised for voting as an MP while he was in the British Virgin Islands advising its government over allegations of corruption. The Conservative council candidate won by a single vote from Labour, after a big increase in the Green vote. The seat had been held by the Lib Dems.

Some figures within Labour and the Lib Dems have called for more explicit cooperation and electoral reform. Officials in both parties pointed out, however, that such an agreement could never be enforced at local level. “Pacts of non-aggression don’t have great reputations,” said one senior Labour MP.

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MPs in safer seats more likely to have a second job

New analysis from better democracy campaigners Best for Britain shows that MPs with safer seats are more likely to hold second jobs.

www.bestforbritain.org 

Of the 643 MPs who take their seats in the House of Commons, 103 currently have second jobs where they have contracted hours or a contractual obligation to provide services and receive personal financial remuneration.

Of this number 87% won their seat with a majority of more than 3,000 votes at the last election and 64% won with a majority greater than 10,000.

The analysis further revealed that of the nine MPs who earn more from their second jobs than from the parliamentary salary, seven have majorities in excess of 17,000 votes and all are Conservative MPs. 83% of all MPs with second jobs are Conservative MPs.

The correlation between second salaries and larger majorities lends weight to the suggestion that MPs are more confident undertaking second jobs for larger sums of money due to their relative security in a future election.

In the context of the UK’s current electoral system where an MP can win with a plurality of votes and where opposition votes are split between at least three parties, better democracy campaigners have criticised suggestions from the Prime Minister and Justice Secretary that voters can realistically regulate the practice by voting these MPs out.

Naomi Smith, CEO of Best for Britain, said

“First past the post delivers disproportionate outcomes, doesn’t represent the majority opinion, and delivers safe seats for too many MPs emboldening those who put personal financial gain ahead of voters. 

“Opposition parties must work together to deliver a government at the next election that will bring our voting system into the 21st century and give the public democratic equality.”

Labour MP, Clive Lewis said,

“By claiming the public can pass judgement on this scandal at the ballot box, the Prime Minister is deliberately misleading people about the reality of elections in the UK where MPs can be elected on a minority of votes, and the opposition vote is split between at least 3 parties.

“First past the post has clearly given some MPs a brass neck and the leadership of opposition parties must accept that the only way they can give the public a realistic opportunity of unseating the worst offenders is by working together to secure a fairer voting system.”

Take action now

Be part of the campaign for better democracy and take action today. Find out how you can make a difference.

Join the campaign for Better Democracy here.

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To level up Devon needs £500+M: what chance?

From today’s Western Morning News:

Devon’s economy should get more than £500 million in additional Government support if the county’s hardest hit areas are treated the same as Cornwall.

Analysis for Team Devon shows productivity in six local authority areas is at least as low as Cornwall and therefore should be eligible for the same level of investment from the Government’s planned UK Shared Prosperity Fund which will replace EU funding from April 2022.

In the Budget the Government promised that Shared Prosperity Fund contributions for Cornwall would “at a minimum match the size of EU Funds” but no guarantees have been given for Devon, Plymouth and Torbay.

Team Devon research shows that low productivity in East Devon, Mid Devon, Teignbridge, Torbay, Torridge and West Devon is at least as bad as Cornwall, and the population of the six Devon areas is 612,000, more than the population of Cornwall. Whilst relatively better than Cornwall, productivity in Plymouth, North Devon and South Hams is significantly below the UK average and all areas are struggling with skills shortages and low wages.

If Government simply guaranteed Devon’s local authority areas UKSPF contributions to at least match what they would have received from the EU, they would share around £83.5 million, £11.52 per head, for jobs, skills and business support spread over six years up until 2028. But Team Devon says that if the Government treated Devon the same as Cornwall, that investment would rise to £540 million, £80.19 per head, for the lowest productivity areas and up to £1.13 billion, £155.86 per head, for the whole of Devon, Plymouth and Torbay.

Team Devon is urging the Government avoid the mistakes of the old EU funding system and ensure UKSPF is targeted to help these productivity “cold spots”.

Cllr Rufus Gilbert, Devon’s Cabinet Member for Economic Recovery and Skills, said: “We have no quarrel with Cornwall, Cornwall’s challenges are very similar to those faced by Devon. We simply ask Government to treat the people and businesses of Devon fairly and to put right an injustice which has starved our economy of vital funding.

“For many years Devon, Plymouth and Torbay have missed out on hundreds of millions of pounds of vital economic support because the EU wrapped up the whole of Devon, poorer areas with better off ones such as Exeter which frankly gave a totally false image of Devon’s economy.

“Nor should anyone assume that Exeter, so long the driving force in the Devon economy, is fine as it is. It is vital that Exeter is supported to enhance the city economy, and helped to drive up productivity across the rest of the county.”

Cllr David Worden, Chair of the Devon Districts Forum, said: “Team Devon’s research nails the myth that the severe economic and social challenges facing the peninsula begin and end at the Tamar. If the Government’s Levelling Up policy is going to succeed it has to apply Shared Prosperity funding fairly whatever side of the Tamar you live and work. To do otherwise, risks creating an economic cliff-edge between our two counties.