In December 2021 DCC’s planning committee went against their officers’ recommendation and refused permission for the latest planning application  from Aggregate Industries UK Ltd. 

The scheme would have seen up to 1.5 million tonnes of sand and gravel dug up on the site over the next 10 to 12 years, before being transported 23 miles by road to Hillhead Quarry in Mid Devon for processing. 

DCC is defending this decision at the appeal.

Accounts of what has happened can be found on Cllr Jess Bailey’s blog here with day to day accounts from Goger Giles

The history of this application can be found by using “Straitgate” as search term in the East Devon Watch search box.

“Liz Truss’s failure to appoint an independent ethics adviser has shown that instead of turning the page on years of Tory sleaze, this prime minister is allowing it to fester on her watch.

“Labour will clean up politics by establishing an Independent Ethics and Integrity Commission to restore standards in public life.”

Andrew Woodcock www.independent.co.uk

Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner has accused Liz Truss of allowing sleaze to “fester” at the heart of her government by failing to appoint an independent ethics adviser a month after taking over from Boris Johnson.

Ms Rayner wrote to the prime minister’s most senior civil servant, cabinet secretary Simon Case, to urge him to open inquiries into a trio of questions over ethics within government raised since Ms Truss entered Downing Street.

She said that the events of the past month suggested that Ms Truss’s administration was “no better” than the one led by Mr Johnson, showing “scant regard for standards in public office”.

In her letter, seen by The Independent, Ms Rayner asked for assurances that allegations relating to Ms Truss’s adviser Mark Fullbrook, chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng and Treasury minister Chris Philp were being “thoroughly investigated” in the absence of an Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests, who would normally be responsible for such an inquiry.

The call comes after The Independent revealed that Ms Truss accepted help during her leadership campaign form a former minister who had reached a financial settlement with a woman after being accused of sexual harassment.

During the leadership campaign, the PM dismissed calls to appoint an ethics adviser, saying that she knew “the difference between right and wrong”.

The most recent No 10 ethics adviser, Lord Geidt, resigned in June in protest at Mr Johnson’s willingness to consider measures which would breach the ministerial code. His predecessor Sir Alex Allan quit in 2020 when Johnson overruled his finding that then home secretary Priti Patel had bullied staff.

Ms Rayner said: “A month into her premiership, the prime minister has failed to fill the ethical void at the heart of Downing Street left by her predecessor.

“Liz Truss’s failure to appoint an independent ethics adviser has shown that instead of turning the page on years of Tory sleaze, this prime minister is allowing it to fester on her watch.

“Labour will clean up politics by establishing an Independent Ethics and Integrity Commission to restore standards in public life.”

Ms Rayner told the cabinet secretary that the four-month absence of an adviser to enforce the ministerial code “cannot be a sustainable state of affairs”.

She demanded confirmation that an inquiry had been opened into the decision to allow Mr Fullbrook and two other No 10 advisers to be paid by his PR company Fullbrook Strategies, rather than by the government.

“The public deserve answers on how and why this was allowed to happen and what sensitive and privileged information No 10’s on-loan lobbyists may have had access to at the heart of government,” she said.

She asked Mr Case to look into questions of “propriety” raised by Mr Kwarteng’s attendance at a drinks party with City financiers on the evening of his mini-Budget.

She urged him to establish whether any guests at the party were provided with privileged information which might have allowed them to profit from the subsequent crash in the financial markets.

“A thorough investigation is now required into whether market sensitive insider information has been improperly exchanged to enable Tory donors and hedge funders to profiteer,” she said.

And she called on Mr Case to take action to “shed light” on the decision that Treasury chief secretary Chris Philp should be kept out of discussions on planning and housing issues because of his own property interests.

“The chancellor’s effective deputy still retains ministerial responsibilities for housing and planning policy despite retaining lucrative property interests,” said Ms Rayner. “It is now incumbent on Downing Street to explain what action has been taken to prevent such a naked conflict of interest that could affect government decision-making.”

Ms Rayner told the cabinet secretary that in the absence of an independent ethics adviser, it fell to him to inquire into any conflicts of interest or breaches of the ministerial code.

“There is a clear pattern of behaviour developing at the heart of this government which must be stamped out,” she said. “Tory ministers are governing in the interests of the richest one per cent, leaving working families to carry the can for their mistakes.

“Public trust is already hanging by a thread and this cabinet must be held accountable.”

Exploiting new oil and gas fields is “radically at odds” with the UK’s commitments to fight climate change, according to a new report.

By Jonah Fisher www.bbc.co.uk

Researchers from Global Energy Monitor (GEM) also calculated the greenhouse gas emissions if all the North Sea’s reserves were extracted and burnt.

They said it would lead to the UK exceeding its legally binding carbon budget by almost two-fold.

A new licensing round for North Sea oil and gas is set to be launched soon.

The report looked at the reserves in the 21 largest North Sea oil and gas fields that have already been licensed and are awaiting final approval. It says that if those reserves were extracted and burnt it would release the equivalent of 920m tonnes of CO2. That’s more than the total annual emissions of many countries.

“If the UK claims to be a climate leader, it cannot allow these new fields to start up, nor hold another licensing round,” Scott Zimmerman, lead author of the GEM report “Hooked on Hydrocarbons“, told BBC News.

Prime Minister Liz Truss says she is committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2050. But her government has also lifted a moratorium on fracking of shale gas and said it will award new licences for North Sea oil and gas.

“We are taking decisive action to reinforce our energy security,” Ms Truss told the Conservative party conference.

“We are opening more gas fields in the North Sea and delivering more renewables and nuclear energy. That is how we will protect the great British environment, deliver on our commitment to net zero and tackle climate change,” she said.

The International Energy Agency (IEA), the United Nations, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have warned there can be no new fossil fuel projects if there is to be any chance of keeping global temperature rises under 1.5 degrees.

Business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg has spoken of his desire to extract “every last drop” of North Sea oil. The GEM report also looked what the environmental consequences of that might be, estimating that if all undeveloped and undiscovered (currently unlicensed) oil and gas were extracted and burnt it would release the equivalent of 7,602m tonnes of CO2. That’s more than the total UK carbon budget for the 14 years from 2023 to 2037.

A UK government spokesperson called the GEM report “unfounded speculation”.

“The Government remain fully committed to the legally binding target of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050,” the spokesperson said.

Tiverton’s MP has joined his fellow Lib Dems in branded the Conservative plans on heating oil a “slap in the face” for rural families in Devon as they offer off-grid homes just £100 extra help.

Lewis Clarke www.devonlive.com

The average household on heating oil is facing a £1,200 increase in their heating costs, meaning the £100 help from the government will make little difference. In Devon, 40,511 homes use heating oil to keep their homes warm. It means families in Devon on heating oil are facing a total increase of £44,561,992 to the cost of their heating, even including the £100 help from the government.

Richard Foord, Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton & Honiton, said: “People in Devon are facing unprecedented hikes in their energy bills, yet those who use heating oil are being forgotten about. Over 40,000 households are left facing a £44 million increase in their bills, and all the Conservatives have offered them is just £100 to help. Once again rural homes are being forgotten by this out of touch Conservative Government.”

Responding to the government’s announcement on energy bills for small businesses, he added: “The announcement is nothing more than a sticking plaster that comes far too late for many local businesses. The Conservatives have had months to act, but instead chose to sit on their hands whilst local shops, pubs, and cafes went to the wall. Now, they are trying to push the problem down the road for another six months. This simply isn’t good enough. It leaves many uncertain about the future and shows the Government still doesn’t have a plan to tackle this crisis. Our high streets need support to cover at least the next year; with a strong focus on improving energy efficiency and cutting bills in the long term. This is the only way to provide certainty and protect the beating heart of our towns and villages.”

Tim Farron MP, Liberal Democrat Rural Affairs Spokesperson said: “This is a slap in the face for rural communities across the country. People in rural areas often face higher bills yet despite this the Conservatives are offering them less. The promise of only an extra £100 for people facing a £1,200 hike in just their heating bill alone shows that the Conservatives don’t understand the needs of rural communities who cannot rely on the mains grid. These communities are sick of being taken for granted and this announcement is proof – if ever it was needed – that the Conservative Government does not understand or care about rural Britain. Liberal Democrats are calling for a price cap on heating oil to protect homes facing sky high bills this Winter.”

“Undeveloped and under-developed areas” are suitable for investment zones bids, no caveats -Owl

Julian Glover www.thetimes.co.uk

The Lake District, William Wordsworth wrote in 1810, should be “a sort of national property”, a place for everyone who has an “eye to perceive and a heart to enjoy”. In that phrase lies the origin of something precious: an understanding that the countryside enhances the common good. We look after it to make our lives — and those that come after — richer, deeper, happier and healthier.

So “horror” is not too strong a word to describe the prospect of England’s national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONB) falling prey to investment zones, thinly thought-through wheezes to get things built in what government describes menacingly as “undeveloped and under-developed areas”.

Of course, if you want to see it that way, the peat bogs of Dartmoor are badly undeveloped; the summit of Helvellyn is notably lacking useful housing and car parks; and there would surely be room for profitable industrial warehousing in the New Forest, if only someone could remove pesky rules holding such things back.

It sounds absurd. But might it happen? On Sunday, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities issued rules for its light-touch investment zones intended to “drive growth and unlock housing”. Far from exempting national parks or AONBs, the green belt or sites of special scientific interest, it asks applicants to note simply “whether the proposed development would be on land” that includes them. A hasty tweet followed from the minister, Simon Clarke. He said — heaven forbid! — investment zones would “categorically” not be happening in national parks. But policymaking by social media is not the same as a guarantee to parliament. The formal guidance has not changed and he did not rule out, by accident, ignorance or intent, other protected areas, including AONBs.

The thrust of this government is that rules of all sorts get in the way of pouring concrete. We are not wrong to be scared.

If the problem is confusion, it should be straightforward for Clarke and the new Defra secretary, Ranil Jayawardena, to clear it up. They should make it clear they will respect landscape, heritage and environmental protections set out in law. Many of these laws were passed by Conservative governments under Margaret Thatcher and Boris Johnson, neither known for their addiction to red tape.

The new Environment Act sets clear targets for natural recovery. The government’s response to the recent landscapes review promised to “leave our protected landscapes in a better condition for future generations”. This is radicalism of the right kind.

 

Rating agency Fitch lowered the outlook for its credit rating for British government debt to “negative” from “stable” on Wednesday, citing risks posed by the measures announced in the chancellor’s mini-budget.

www.theguardian.com 

“The large and unfunded fiscal package announced as part of the new government’s growth plan could lead to a significant increase in fiscal deficits over the medium term,” Fitch said.

The downgraded outlook came just days after a similar move by rival ratings agency Standard & Poor’s. Fitch maintained its “AA-” credit rating for Britain, which is one notch lower than S&P’s.

The UK chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, announced £45bn of unfunded tax cuts in the 23 September statement alongside large energy subsidies and other measures aimed at boosting growth, but financial markets balked at the extra borrowing required.

The pound fell to a record low against the dollar and some British government bonds took the deepest tumble in decades, forcing the Bank of England to stage a £65bn intervention to try to stabilise markets.

Fitch said the lack of independent budget forecasts, as well as an apparent clash with the BoE’s inflation-fighting strategy had “negatively impacted financial markets’ confidence and the credibility of the policy framework, a key longstanding rating strength”.

On Monday, Kwarteng said he would not go ahead with part of the tax cuts – scrapping the top 45p income tax rate, which it was estimated would have cost the Treasury £2bn a year.

Fitch said this was not enough to change its broader assessment. “Although the government reversed the elimination of the 45p top rate tax … the government’s weakened political capital could further undermine the credibility of, and support for, the government’s fiscal strategy,” Fitch said.

The ratings agency forecast Britain’s general government deficit would reach 7.8% of gross domestic product (GDP) this year and 8.8% in 2023, while general government debt would rise to 109% of GDP by 2024.

“It’s now clear that an appreciation of Latin poetry and a PhD in 17th-century coinage aren’t enough to stop a man from crashing the economy. …..Two medieval universities stand squarely in the centre of our national myth of intelligence. In other countries, exceptional learning summons images of lab coats, test tubes and industry. In Britain, it will always be mixed up with port and privilege.” (James Marriott, the Times)

Standby for a repeat. – Owl

Kevin Schofield www.huffingtonpost.co.uk 

Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-budget was definitely to blame for the subsequent economic chaos which hit the UK, the Bank of England has confirmed.

Ministers have insisted that the plummeting value of the pound and spike in interest rates was down to global factors like the war in Ukraine.

But in a letter to Tory MP Mel Stride, the chairman of the Treasury select committee, Bank of England deputy governor Sir John Cunliffe produced data linking the crisis to the chancellor’s Commons statement on September 23.

It showed that the cost of government borrowing spiked in the immediate aftermath of the mini-budget, and only started to come down again after the Bank made £65 billion available to bail out the UK pensions industry.

By contrast, the cost of government borrowing in America and the EU remained relatively flat while Britain’s financial markets went into meltdown.

The Bank of England graph showing the effect of the mini-budget – Bank of England

The knock-on effect saw mortgage rates for homeowners go up, with the average cost of a two-year fixed rate deal reaching 6 per cent for the first time since 2008.

Pat McFadden, Labour’s shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, said: “This shows once and for all that the Tories’ kamikaze budget is responsible for the economic chaos we have seen, leaving people with skyrocketing mortgage rates.

“This is a Tory crisis made in Downing Street. The government’s reckless mistakes show they cannot be trusted to manage the public finances.

“They must revisit this budget as soon as possible and urgently publish Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts tomorrow when they receive them.”