Rishi Sunak was instrumental in getting rid of Boris Johnson and came second to Liz Truss, in the process the Conservative Party concocted to succeed him.

She crashed the economy in 44 days.

In order to stay in power and avoid a general election at all costs, the Conservative Party has now decided that he should be next up for the job.

Yet we, the electorate, haven’t a clue what plan the third choice has for us is.

The new owner of a small, private airfield in East Devon has hit back at ‘nefarious’ objectors and also East Devon District Council after having to officially apply into an entity operational 365 days of the year. Farway Common Airfield, Moorlands Farm, just outside Sidbury in East Devon, was established 36 years ago and was originally operated under the ’28 day rule’.

Anita Merrit www.devonlive.com

However, it has always been available 365 days a year to both resident and visiting aircraft which is evidenced from airfield logbooks, the on-site flying school and aircraft owners. As the site doesn’t technically have planning permission, new owner and qualified pilot James Hortop, has had to apply for a Certificate of Lawful Development.

The planning application has so far received 108 public comments and of those, 56 are in support of it and 51 against. Concerns raised include noise pollution, safety concerns for those directly under flight paths and being in with an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

Gary Fuller, who lives directly by the 30 acres airfield which has two runways, said: “The new person who has bought it is trying to develop it into something a bit bigger and a lot of residents have complained due to concerns about excessive noise and it is in an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

“I am also worried about disruption, the flight paths, being overlooked and what it could turn into. I believe the peace and tranquility we have experienced in the last 10 years will change and there will be no changing it back when the new owner gets the certificate of lawfulness.

“The person who owned it before just had it as a private airstrip. He was in his 90s and hadn’t flown for about 10 years, but he used to have people fly in and land there and would have some things running from there, but if it ever got too noisy he would put a stop to it. He ran it with respect for the neighbours.

“From what I have read on the planning application, the new person who bought it has big plans for the airfield to make it a bigger commercial venture and it will be used whenever he wants.”

Farway Common Airfield

To address concerns raised by local residents and objectors, Mr Hortop has written an open letter. In it, he states: “We are very disappointed with the obvious campaign that is running in objection to our recent application for a lawful use certificate. Many of the objections are a cut and paste from a circular letter whose writer has not properly read or understood our application.

“Despite making our contact details known and introducing ourselves to our near neighbours not a single one has opened any dialogue whatsoever as to what our plans are and our reasons for the application. We did not want to make an application; we were forced to do it.

“We write this letter in an attempt to prevent further concern, worry and fear that these circulating nefarious letters/social media posts are creating.”

He continued: “Due to unnecessary escalation from the council – with an out of the blue Contravention Notice despite writing to EDDC – we have had no choice but to apply for a Certificate of Lawful Development. This is simply to protect what has been occurring at the airfield for over 20 plus years.”

Mr Hortop added: “All we seek to do is regularise the operation of the site as a small airfield. The application to do this has been blown out of all proportion.”

Mr Hortop confirmed that its resident pilots fly around 70 to 100 hours per year (five to eight hours per month). He said: “We are also a small airfield with very limited space; we simply don’t have the room for hundreds of aircraft.”

Addressing concerns about its commercial flying school, he said: “The word ‘commercial’ has been taken out of all context. By commercial, we mean ‘for reward and employment. This does not mean an ab-initio school for would be commercial pilots who want to do circuits all day, every day.

“In fact, it would actually be illegal as such training must occur at a licenced facility. The flying school has operated for over 12 years.”

He continued: “The site has operated at a greater intensity than it does now for numerous years over the last two decades. No complaints during this time were received.

“There has been no impact on the ANOB, our fields are full of wild flowers, insects, pollinators, deer and birds. We seek to preserve and protect this environment.

“However, the natural asset that Farway Common Airfield has become is dependent on flying activities. Without it, we would be forced to graze horses or other livestock which would result in a monoculture.

“Had the airfield caused many of the issues that people are worried about, EDDC would have acted five, 10, 15 or even 20 years ago. There have been no complaints to act on.

“While we completely understand the concerns, the perceived negative effects of the airfield on the area have not materialised.”

Thanking those who have shown their support for the application, he said: “Farway is clearly loved by many and an important local and national asset to the flying community.”

Farway Common Airfield

A spokesperson for East Devon District Council said: “The council received a complaint early in the summer from a resident raising concerns that the times that Farway Common Airfield is used had significantly increased in recent times and now far exceeds the 28 days in a calendar year that the airfield can operate without needing planning permission. Council officers investigated the claims and agreed with the complaint and so advised the airfield to either stop or apply for retrospective planning permission.

“In response, the operators of the airfield have made an application called a Certificate of Lawfulness to demonstrate that they have been operating for more than 28 days per year for at least the last 10 years. Under the legislation where this is proven through evidence then the use can be recognised by the council as being lawful having operated unchallenged for more than 10 years.

“It is only right that this matter be formally addressed through the current application and residents be given the opportunity to submit evidence to challenge the applicant’s case. The airfields case could never have been formally considered other than through a formal application. A decision on the application will be made in due course.”

James is CEO of Merlin Equipment which supplies and designs of unique power products to the marine, specialist vehicle and defence industries. During Covid-19, his business delivered 500 x COVID vaccination and test vehicles in just three months

The Certificate of lawful development involves taking off, landing and manoeuvring of aeroplanes on the ground, and would allow operation 365 days per year – and regularising the use that currently takes place. The Town & Country Planning Act 1990: Section 191 as amended by section 10 of the Planning & Compensation Act 1991 states that the local authority has a period of up to 10 years to take enforcement action against breaches of planning control.

After the time limit has passed, the development becomes lawful, in terms of planning. To view the planning application, please click here.

“Christopher Chope, the MP for Christchurch and a supporter of Johnson, warned on Monday that Sunak was seen as having undermined both Johnson and Truss, and could not thus expect loyalty from his own MPs. To have a mandate, Chope said, Sunak needed to call a general election.”

“I believe I am well placed to deliver a Conservative victory in 2024…” Boris in his statement as he “bottles it” this time.

Rishi Sunak will face ‘ungovernable’ Tory party, warns Johnson supporter

Peter Walker www.theguardian.com 

Rishi Sunak’s hopes of a smooth accession to power have taken a blow after Boris Johnson supporters warned he would face an “ungovernable” Conservative parliamentary party, while Penny Mordaunt’s campaign insisted she remained in the race.

The former chancellor could be named as the successor to Liz Truss as party leader, and thus prime minister, as early as 2pm on Monday if Mordaunt, the Commons leader, fails to gather the necessary 100 nominations from MPs.

Sunak, who has over 160 nominations, became the very likely winner after Johnson announced on Sunday night that he would not be running. The former PM insisted he had 100-plus MPs backing him, but others were sceptical.

Christopher Chope, the MP for Christchurch and a supporter of Johnson, warned on Monday that Sunak was seen as having undermined both Johnson and Truss, and could not thus expect loyalty from his own MPs. To have a mandate, Chope said, Sunak needed to call a general election.

“We’ve got a parliamentary party which is completely riven, and it’s ungovernable,” Chope told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

“In a sense, that is the reason why Boris has pulled out, because obviously Rishi Sunak wasn’t prepared to guarantee him his support in the event that he was elected as leader by the party and the country.

“Unless we can have somebody as our leader in parliament who commands the support and respect of the parliamentary party, we are in effect actually ungovernable.

“Unlike Boris, who did have a mandate, we now have the prospect of having a Conservative party leader who doesn’t have the mandate from the country and won’t even have a mandate from the membership either.”

Asked if he would back Sunak if we won, Chope replied: “I supported Boris Johnson and I supported Liz Truss, and I saw before my very eyes their authority being undermined by the people who now wish to take over and inherit the crown.

“Respect is a mutual thing. If the people who are now seeking the crown want to have the respect which comes from having a mandate, then what I am saying is that the best way they can get that respect is by winning a mandate with the people, and that’s why I think a general election is essentially the only answer.

“Otherwise we’re just going to go from bad to worse. We’re going to have continuing rebellions as we try to change policies.”

Mordaunt is stuck on about 30 publicly declared MP nominations, although her team hope she could be boosted by some supporters of Johnson moving to her.

Mordaunt’s backers vowed on Sunday that she was still in the race, and on Monday morning released details of a poll they said showed she was the candidate best placed to unite the nation.

The Deltapoll survey of 4,000 voters found Mordaunt was more appealing to voters in seats the Tories had gained in 2019 than Sunak or Johnson. It also found she was seen as more trustworthy, “highlighting that she is the only candidate who can unite the country and restore trust in government”, her campaign said.

Tens of thousands of new homes face being delayed or scrapped because of river pollution that could cost the economy £16bn.

(So say developers – Owl)

By Wyre Davies www.bbc.co.uk

Experts say more phosphate, found in animal and human waste, is getting into rivers and affecting water quality.

Tougher rules on phosphate river pollution targets have been brought in – but that could affect 100,000 new-build homes in England and Wales.

Developers want governments to take urgent action to find a solution.

The pollution is a problem partly caused by us and our demand for cheap food.

That demand has driven an industry that’s threatening to overwhelm our environment, a BBC investigation has found.

Campaigners have said more needs to be done to save the UK’s rivers before it’s too late.

The building of more than 5,000 new homes are affected in Wales because of tighter phosphate pollution targets on rivers which were adopted in 2020. That could cost more than £700m to the economy.

‘Delays could cost £16bn’

The Home Builders’ Federation (HBF) contacted planning authorities and developers and calculated 100,000 homes in 74 areas in England are also affected by phosphate restrictions on housebuilding.

The HBF estimate the impact could be a £16bn loss in economic activity in England and Wales.

That figure is calculated from an industry standard model, factchecked by the BBC, that projects the financial footprint of new homebuyers, including spend in the local economy and taxes.

“We have government agency-imposed moratoriums on house building across large swathes of the country for nutrient neutrality, despite house building being a minor contributor to the issue,” said Stewart Baseley, executive chairman of the HBF.

“House building delivers growth, and it is crucial that the government re-evaluates the impacts of these costs and moratoriums and ensures that the industry is sufficiently supported such that it can deliver desperately needed new homes and the associated social and economic benefits.

“It is encouraging that after almost three years of home builders’ pleas, the government seems to be looking to find solutions, but we need urgent actions that matches the scale and urgency of the issue.”

‘Serious damage’

Natural England, a UK Government agency, said phosphate pollution is causing “serious damage” to rivers and wetlands – and the species that live in them – and made £100,000 available for each affected river catchment.

“These are also the same habitats that we need to protect us from the impacts of the climate crisis such as drought,” said Melanie Hughes of Natural England.

“Their protection and enhancement underpins our economy and our wellbeing.

“Nutrient Neutrality is a way of making sure that new housing does not add to the problem by ensuring developers can take action to reduce pollution, such as by making new wetlands.

“Together with the government, Natural England is working closely with local authorities, developers and planning authorities to create those solutions so that much needed development can take place. This is happening now.”

Wales’ First Minister Mark Drakeford held a summit with farmers’ representatives and water companies to discuss the impact of phosphate pollution on house building in the summer.

High levels of phosphate and other nutrients in rivers can lead to algal blooms and, ultimately, the loss of many species that make rivers their home, including fish, birds, invertebrates and plants that are vital to the river ecosystem.

BBC Wales Investigates has explored the problem on the River Wye that straddles the England and Wales border.

It is one of the UK’s most ecologically diverse waterway and supports wildlife like salmon, otters and kingfishers.

Warning ecosystem will ‘collapse’

The River Wye catchment is failing Joint Nature Conservation Committee targets and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) estimate almost three-quarters of phosphates entering the river are from rural land use, like farming.

“We cannot wait any longer,” said Gail Davies-Walsh of charity Afonydd Cymru, which represents river trusts in Wales.

“Quite simply, if it carries on as it is now, that ecosystem will just collapse.

“It is salvageable, but it is going to take a huge amount of working together, and it’s going to require all of those sectors to play their part in this and what we see at the moment is actually quite a lot of delays in that happening.”

Is pollution because of intensive farming?

Campaigners believe intensive poultry farming is responsible.

Data gathered by the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales has found that, since 2008, more than 300 intensive poultry farms and farm extensions have been given planning permission in Powys, which covers a large area of the Wye.

But water quality monitoring has not been able to prove a direct link between phosphates in the river and chicken farms.

“Agriculture is part of the problem,” National Farming Union Cymru President Aled Jones told the BBC Wales Investigates programme.

“It’s a very complex issue. There are so many other contributors to the water failing in these rivers.

“We need to go with the evidence. And as that evidence is clarified, clearly, then we will respond.”

Water monitoring across the UK is limited but a team at Lancaster University modelled how much muck is being generated in the Wye catchment.

They found 7,500 tonnes of phosphorus is generated in the River Wye catchment every year from animal muck.

Crops in that area can only absorb around 4,500 tonnes of that muck – leaving a surplus.

“Fundamentally, if you have a surplus, you have too much phosphorus in your environment, it’s likely that you’re going to have worse water quality,” said Dr Shane Rothwell of Lancaster University.

Can a manmade wetlands stop river pollution?

Near the Wye in Herefordshire, building has started on the first wetlands in the UK to be funded by developers buying what is being described as “phosphate credits”.

Such measures aim to stop putting more nutrients, like phosphate, into rivers – similar to carbon offsetting.

The wetlands in the village of Luston, near Leominster, should prevent 200kg of phosphate going into the river every year.

Developer Merry Albright has 52 house builds on hold due to the phosphate restrictions but is benefitting from the wetlands scheme.

‘Developers don’t mind doing more for biodiversity’

She said: “New housing didn’t cause this problem and yet we are being blamed and also being asked to pay for a solution which won’t really fix the bigger problem.

“I’m happy to do the best for the environment so I’m not seeking someone to eradicate the red tape but I would like people to focus on what caused this and what is needed to be done to fix it.”

In England, Defra said they have tripled their workforce in the last two years and increased farm inspections from 300 to 1700 a year. They added they plan to expand to 4,000 inspections annually.

In Wales, it’s NRW’s job to enforce water quality regulations. They are negotiating with Welsh government to get extra funding to police the new pollution rules.

“It is key having people on the ground to deliver,” said Siân Williams of NRW.

“That’s why we’re looking into not just external funded programmes that are temporary, but we’re also looking at our baseline funding with Welsh Government.”

Wales’ Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths said the Welsh Government had already been working to make “quick gains” as well as long term solutions.

“Of course, I’m part of the solution, just as other people are,” she said. “We all have to take responsibility each and every one of us.”

Yesterday’s man – Owl

For all Boris Johnson’s habitually coy language about his leadership ambitions, one thing is abundantly clear: he only withdraws from a political race if he thinks he cannot win it. And so it was on Sunday night.

Peter Walker www.theguardian.com 

The former prime minister’s statement confirming his decision to not stand was a classic of this Johnson genre: equal parts bullish insistence about his own ability to triumph, and a pretend modesty that he is choosing another path for the sake of unity.

In reality many observers – and many Conservative MPs – remain deeply dubious about Johnson’s claim that he had secured the support of 102 parliamentary colleagues, given that fewer than half this number had said so publicly.

There will be similar scepticism about Johnson’s insistence that, once on the ballot, he would most likely triumph in a vote of party members, and then stand a good chance of winning the next general election.

The first of those was not impossible, especially as Rishi Sunak, by now an apparent near-certainty to become the next prime minister, remains far from hugely popular with Tory members, some of whom blame him for precipitating Johnson’s downfall in July by resigning as chancellor.

But probably the very best outcome Johnson could have hoped for would be to emerge as the leader of a party where about two-third of its MPs think he is unfit for office, some even threatening to defect or resign if he took over again.

Far more humiliating would be to not make the 100-nomination threshold. Those who know Johnson portray him as a politician who, even by the standards of the trade, lives on adulation and approval. If he cannot feel wanted he would rather not be involved.

So it was in 2016, fresh from being hailed by Brexiters as the defining reason for the Vote Leave victory, with Johnson billed as one of the frontrunners to succeed David Cameron.

That time events were even more dramatic, but followed a similar narrative. Just before Johnson was due to formally declare, Michael Gove, his ally and Vote Leave partner, announced he believed Johnson was unsuited to the job and that he would stand instead. Johnson, his hopes badly damaged, gave up.

On Sunday, Johnson followed his prediction that he could win the race if he chose to by adding: “But in the course of the last days I have sadly come to the conclusion that this would simply not be the right thing to do.”

Much like the supposed 102 backers, many Tory MPs or others who have closely observed Johnson will greet that sentence with something of a hollow laugh.

Johnson would like the world to believe he is withdrawing for the sake of party unity, or the national good. But if he genuinely cherished those things he would not have launched a new bid to become PM little more than three months after he was forced out by more than 50 ministerial resignations, and with the threat of an official inquiry into whether he misled parliament hanging above his head.

Perhaps the one part of Johnson’s statement that is sincere, if not necessarily accurate, is when he states: “I believe I have much to offer but I am afraid that this is simply not the right time.”

Johnson very much does believe he was unfairly forced out and should be granted another go. He also perhaps believes that in political times as fevered as this he could yet make a comeback.

But while definitive predictions are perilous, this does seem self-comforting, even delusional. Johnson returned from yet another holiday during the parliamentary session to be greeted by some former acolytes sycophantically greeting him on social media as “boss”.

But there were not many. Among Sunak’s 140-plus confirmed backers were the likes of Suella Braverman, Kemi Badenoch and Steve Baker, from the previously Johnsonite right of the party.

Even if he does not fully realise it yet, Johnson is now the Conservative party’s yesterday man. To borrow Cameron’s damning putdown of Tony Blair: he was the future once.

……before you can say “non-dom”?