Boris Johnson accepted free accommodation worth £10,000 from the wife of the leading Tory donor who hosted his wedding party this summer, it has emerged.

Alexandra Topping www.theguardian.com 

The updated register of MPs’ interests shows that the former prime minister accepted a £10,000 gift from Lady Carole Bamford, for “concessionary use of accommodation for me and my family in September”.

Lord Anthony Bamford, a pro-Brexit Conservative peer who is chairman of construction equipment manufacturer JCB, has been a major Tory donor for decades. The billionaire entrepreneur, who supported Johnson’s successful leadership bid in 2019, has given more than £10m in donations and gifts to the party since 2001.

The latest register of MPs’ interests data published this week shows Liz Truss also accepted an £8,000 donation from Bamford, to cover “transport” during her leadership campaign.

It comes after the register showed that the prime minister was given more than £500,000 for her leadership campaign. Around half of that came from donors linked to hedge fund bosses, venture capitalists and other City financiers.

In July, Bamford hosted Boris and Carrie Johnson as they celebrated their wedding, which took place during lockdown in the grounds of his 18th-century mansion Daylesford House in the Cotswolds. Johnson had abandoned plans to hold the celebration at the prime minister’s official country residence, Chequers in Buckinghamshire. The “festival-esque” celebration is said to have included a steel band, rum punch, Abba songs and a conga.

A previous register of MPs’ financial interests showed that JCB paid Johnson £10,000 three days before he gave a speech at its headquarters in January 2019 in which he repeatedly praised the company’s business acumen and innovation. The speech in Staffordshire was primarily about Brexit, but mentioned JCB a number of times, noting at the start how the company had sold nearly 750,000 units of one model of digger.

He crashed a digger displaying the slogan “Get Brexit Done” through a wall of fake bricks marked “Gridlock” during a visit to a JCB factory in a stunt during the 2019 general election campaign.

In 2022 Johnson faced a backlash after using a visit to India visit to once again hail the success of JCB, over the use of its machinery in the mass demolition of homes.

Amid a fierce row about the demolition of mainly Muslim settlements in an area of Delhi hit by communal violence, TV footage showed JCB bulldozers being used to flatten properties.

The UK has opened a new licensing round for companies to explore for oil and gas in the North Sea.

By Jonah Fisher www.bbc.co.uk

Nearly 900 locations are being offered for exploration, with as many as 100 licences set to be awarded.

The decision is at odds with international climate scientists who say fossil fuel projects should be closed down, not expanded.

They say there can be no new projects if there is to be a chance of keeping global temperature rises under 1.5C.

Both the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the global body for climate science and the International Energy Agency (IEA) have expressed such a view.

The government’s own advisers on climate change said in a report earlier this year that the best way to ease consumers’ pain from high energy prices was to stop using fossil fuels rather than drill for more of them.

Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg says the new exploration will boost energy security and support skilled jobs.

And supporters of new exploration insist it is compatible with the government’s legal commitment to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. They say the North Sea fossil fuel will replace imported fuel and so have a lower carbon footprint in production and transportation.

Licences are being made available for 898 sectors of the North Sea – known as blocks.

“Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine means it is now more important than ever that we make the most of sovereign energy resources,” Mr Rees-Mogg said in a statement.

The licensing process will be fast-tracked in parts of the North Sea that are near existing infrastructure and so have the potential to be developed quickly, according to the North Sea Transition Authority. It says the average time between discovery and first production is close to five years but that gap is shrinking.

Both campaigners and the oil industry agree that the reserves will not be large enough to have a significant impact on the prices consumers pay for energy in the UK.

“This government’s energy policy benefits fossil fuel companies and no-one else,” said Philip Evans, energy transition campaigner for Greenpeace UK.

“New oil and gas licences won’t lower energy bills for struggling families this winter or any winter soon nor provide energy security in the medium term.”

North Sea oil and gas production peaked about 20 years ago and since then the UK has gone from producing more oil and gas than it needs, to importing it from other countries.

Offshore Energies UK, which represents the oil and gas industry say there could be as much as 15 billion barrels of oil left in the North Sea. It says that new fields will be less polluting than their predecessors and in a statement said there would be an environmental “bonus”.

The decision to launch a licensing round follows the publication of the government’s “Climate Compatibility Checkpoint“, which “aims to ensure” the new exploration aligns with the UK’s climate objectives.

The checkpoint criteria covers emissions from oil and gas production and how those emissions compare internationally but take no account of the carbon dioxide emitted when the oil and gas are burnt.

More changes to local news following change of ownership of the Archant portfolio of titles.

The continued vitality of local news is so important to local democracy. – Owl

Sidmouth Herald Staff www.sidmouthherald.co.uk 

Newsquest, the UK’s leading local media group, has announced the appointment of Tim Lethaby as Editor of its titles in East Devon.

Tim has taken on an expanded role within the company as Regional Editor for the South West region, which includes the Sidmouth Herald, Exmouth Journal, Midweek Herald, Budleigh Journal and Ottery Herald.

These titles were previously owned by the Archant media group, which was bought by Newsquest earlier this year.

Tim was previously Editor for Newquest’s Somerset region, which includes the Somerset County Gazette, Bridgwater Mercury, Burnham & Highbridge Weekly News, and Chard & Ilminster News.

He will continue to run the editorial department of these titles, along with the other former Archant titles the Weston Mercury and North Somerset Times.

Tim has previously been Editor of the Western Gazette, the Mid Somerset Series of Newspapers, and the Blackmore Vale Magazine. He joined Newsquest in December last year from Nub News where he was Southwest Regional Editor.

He said: “I am delighted to be take on this new adventure with some of the most well-known news titles in the South West.

“I am relishing the prospect of leading these great regional news brands. The opportunity to further develop the titles’ digital offering through quality local content is incredibly exciting.

“As someone who is West Country born and bred, the opportunity to take the reins at titles that I have always held in high regard was not one I could ignore, and I am looking forward to working with what is clearly an incredibly talented team.

“Of course, at the heart of these titles are the readers and I would love to hear from everyone about what they like, and don’t like, so it will help me shape the publications and their websites moving forward.

“I will also soon be organising some Meet the Editor sessions in local cafes and coffee shops to chat to the readers in person about what the community feels are the main issues that we need to focus on.”

Tim has lived in the West Country all his life, and has attended far too many festivals, wassails and Somerset County Cricket Club matches than he can remember.

As well as a love for Somerset Cricket, Tim is a long-suffering supporter of Aston Villa and Bath Rugby.

The Government’s proposed investment zones will deliver the “slums of the future” and do little to boost growth, planning experts have warned.

Richard Vaughan inews.co.uk 

Liz Truss has championed the creation of the “full fat freeports” in 38 different parts of the country as part of her “supply side reforms” to fuel growth in the economy.

But deep concerns over the plans have begun to emerge after the bidding process was opened earlier this week, which risks creating 38 different sets of planning regimes across the country.

According to the Government’s own guidance, authorities that are successful at the expression of interest stage will then work with officials on their plans, “including agreeing the specific tax incentives, planning liberalisation, and wider support for the local economy”.

But Hugh Ellis, policy director at the Town and Country Planning Association, said the plans will create “total chaos”.

“There will be real world consequences to scrapping planning regulations in these areas. It will mean developers scrapping affordable housing and flood protections. It will mean ditching habitat and other environmental protections,” he said.

“But above all, it just wont work. They’ve tried this before and it made no difference to growth. All it will do is create slums of the future because if you leave planning to the developers, it just leads to slums.”

The Government’s investment zones policy bears a striking resemblance to the 38 enterprise zones, which were introduced by the Thatcher government between 1981 and 1996.

In an Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) fiscal forecast report published in October 2021, the watchdog said the economic effects of enterprise zones and freeports would “probably be difficult to discern even in retrospect”.

The OBR report also stated: “More broadly, experience of enterprise zones around the world points to little difference in performance between cities with zones and those without, with stronger determinants of performance being existing infrastructure and transportation links.”

i understands there is still disagreement within the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) as to the size of the new zones, meaning it is unclear whether they will be on the scale of industrial estates or entire sub-regions.

There are also concerns that the new proposals could allow development on environmentally protected sites, sites of special scientific interest and even national parks, although Levelling Up Secretary Simon Clarke attempted to placate fears of development on the latter this week at the Tory conference.

The CPRE, the countryside charity, warned the proposals looked similar to the planning reforms introduced by Boris Johnson that sought to strip out local consent and sparked a backbench rebellion and the loss of Chesham and Amersham to the Liberal Democrats.

Paul Miner, acting director of campaigns and policy at the CPRE, said the investment zones may succeed if they took into account local plans if the plans have gone through local consent. But, he warned: “If these areas are foisted on communities as a fait accomplis, then people will have real concerns.”

A DLUHC spokeswoman said: “Investment zones will drive growth by incentivising businesses to start, grow, and innovate by cutting taxes and restrictive red tape that hinders development.

“They will not be imposed by Government and will only be in areas where there is demand and need. This will bring much needed investment, quality jobs, higher wages and housing that local communities want and need.”

See here for his connection to Knotty Ash.

Is he on Boris Johnson’s Lavender List? He can be counted on to vote in the Lords as instructed and move on from his wife’s indiscretions in the “secret diaries”.

Floreat Etona!  – Owl

Brexit-backing Conservatives who supported Boris Johnson will be appointed to the House of Lords within days to reduce the chances of Tory legislation being defeated.

Ben Riley-Smith, Political Editor www.telegraph.co.uk – (Extract)

The Telegraph can reveal the full list of political peerages that is on the brink of being announced by Downing Street, subject to last-minute tweaks.

There are 15 Conservatives on the current list to become new peers, more than all the other political parties combined. Labour is due to get just eight new Lords.

Paul Dacre, the former Daily Mail editor, is set to become a Tory peer. He had been lined up by Mr Johnson for the chairman of the media regulator Ofcom, but the move fell through.

Sir Michael Hintze, the businessman and Conservative donor, is also in line to be elevated. He has given £4.7 million in donations, according to the Electoral Commission database.

Andrew Roberts, the historian who has written positively about Mr Johnson, and Tony Sewell, who investigated ethnic disparities for the Prime Minister, will get peerages.

There are also five former Tory MPs on the list – Stewart Jackson, Sir Hugo Swire, Angie Bray, Graham Evans and Sir Nicholas Soames…

….Dominic Johnson, the investor who set up Somerset Capital Management with Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Business Secretary, will get a peerage to become a trade minister.

…The list of political peerages was drawn up by Mr Johnson and his team when they were in Downing Street and has been scrutinised for months by an oversight body.

It is different to the list of resignation honours that Mr Johnson drew up when he was ousted as Prime Minister. That is weeks or even months away from publication….

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.”

EDDC Leader Cllr Paul Arnott writes for the local press:

THIS is the most challenging article I have had to write in the last two years, and as with all difficult stories it is best to begin at the beginning. In the dying years of the last century an underage male was sent from Exmouth Community College for ‘work experience’ with a man called John Humphreys, who ran a gardening business and was eager to offer such opportunities.

Before long, the underage male (who I will refer to as DE) was sexually abused by Humphreys. This went on over a prolonged period of time. Eventually DE’s mother could see an awful change in her son.

She challenged him, and he told her about Humphreys’ abuse. In 2001, she took DE to the police.

From 2001 until the day Humphreys was sent to jail in August 2021 for an unprecedented 21 years, DE’s suffering was compounded by the way he was treated by the authorities. To DE, Humphreys was a living monster, seemingly untouchable.

He boasted of being a town councillor in Exmouth, and eventually its mayor, an East Devon District Councillor for Exmouth, and a swaggering bully in meetings about the development of the seafront. He was a mason of the highest lodge and, beyond parody, was sent by the Conservative party to be East Devon’s representative on the Police and Crime Panel. He was adored by the MP, Hugo Swim, whose wife Sasha couldn’t praise him enough in her indiscreet political diaries published last year.

One cannot find a Conservative today who will admit that they knew that Humphreys had been arrested back in 2016. If asked why they didn’t wonder what possible reason there was for such a powerful man not to stand for re-election to district in May 2019, they look the other way. It took them SIX months after he had been sent to prison to admit that Swire’s successor, Simon Jupp, had for months in the lead up to the December 2019 election been a guest in a property owned by Humphreys, where he’d committed his offences. The defence for Humphreys made much of what a great public servant he was, belittling DE’s evidence. At the trial, DE stated that Humphreys had traded on his social and political connections both to offend and then to evade prosecution for twenty years.

The council I lead was one of those organisations that leant him credibility – DE was owed a hearing. Over the ensuing months I met with DE, along with his mother, his victim support worker, a current officer in the police sex crimes unit, and eventually four other female councillors, who all saw that DE is a damaged but heroic man, now in his late thirties, paying the mental price for what Humphreys did to him every day of his life.

Last week, five months after EDDC voted to ask for an independent investigation, an experienced company called Verita was finally appointed to draw together what had happened to DE.

It is the least the people of East Devon can do for him.

In the debate last week I prayed that the Conservatives would not stoop low enough to describe this as ‘a waste of public money’ or ‘a political witch-hunt’, even as they either abstained or voted against (or just didn’t show up for) the vote. But of course they did

One of them even managed to twist his argument to accuse me of bullying the council into appointing Verita, when the idea and the motion to do so came from an entirely independent group of councillors. DE contacted me a few days before the debate; he wanted to speak at last. My job was to guarantee his anonymity on the day. Even as the Tories ranted against any investigation, and laid into me as well, he smiled at me across the room where he was safe. None of it came as any surprise to him

In response to this post “South West Water boss trebles pay with huge bonus as beaches are shut due to raw sewage in sea”, and others, a Correspondent writes: 

I do not understand how Ms Davy, chief executive of South West Water’s parent company Pennon with a base salary of £456,000 has any bonus payments for SWW’s results for last year. These amount to an extensive £1,144000!

What are the criteria for these bonus payments? It is obviously not inclusive of the waste water spills and sewage into our rivers and onto our beaches.

The Environmental Performance Assessment of the water industry name the two worst performers as Southern Water and SWW.

SWW has sunk from a 2 star rating to 1 star. This after, she committed in 2020 to work closely with the EA to target 4 stars by 2024.

£13.3 million has to be paid back to us users.

 In July 2022 she wrote

“for the first time ever, we’ve achieved 100% bathing water quality,” 

What world does she live in? Not where I live on the coast in East Devon.

I would have thought she should fall on her sword and resign. Not take any bonuses.

Years of waiting for a town centre in Cranbrook will be over by the end of 2023 after a turf-cutting ceremony officially marked the start of the building work.

Becca Gliddon eastdevonnews.co.uk

The diggers have moved onto the site, and at the end of September East Devon District Council (EDDC) leader Councillor Paul Arnott officially broke the ground with spade in a ceremony, held at the junction of Tillhouse Road and Court Royal.

Construction work will take around a year and once built, the town centre is expected to have a Morrisons supermarket, children’s day nursery, retail shops, residential apartments and a new market square.

The new town centre is expected to be ready by the end of 2023.

Cllr Arnott said the turf-cutting brought months of negotiations to a close and the town centre deadlock to an end.

He said: “My administration is thrilled to have broken the deadlock over the future of a new town centre in Cranbrook.

“This has taken dedicated negotiations by our officers and the political will to invest.

“I was delighted to meet the construction team on a very well-run site and can’t wait to go shopping in Morrisons as soon as possible.”

East Devon District Council leader Cllr Paul Arnott breaking ground alongside (left to right) Acheson operations director Colin Johnson, HDD managing director Scott Davidson and Acheson Commercial manager David Green.

The town centre will be built by Henry Davidson Developments (HDD) and local building contractor Acheson Construction.

Scott Davidson, HDD managing director, said: “It is an important part of the wider Cranbrook development and with a great range of retail occupiers it will prove to be a real asset.

“There has been a lot of interest in its progress since the plans were announced, so it is very satisfying for construction to begin and deliver the much-needed town centre.”

The site of Cranbrook town centre. Image: Still Imaging

Attending the turf-cutting ceremony was Richard Harrison, for Taylor Wimpey Exeter, and Gareth Jones, for LiveWest.

Mr Harrison said: “We’re all very excited for what we’re about to see here in Cranbrook. A lot of time and hard work has been put into the making of this new town and we can’t wait for everyone to see what the town centre has to offer.”

Plans for Cranbrook town centre. Image: EDDC

Mr Jones said: “It’s fantastic to see the town centre being constructed and for LiveWest to play its part in supporting the delivery of the residential homes.

“It is just what Cranbrook and its residents need and adds an essential element to the new community.”

Only six affordable homes were provided in Exeter last year, a public inquiry has heard today. According to the Exeter City Council’s (ECC) housing register in September, there were 2,727 people in registered housing need in Exeter.

“Not financially viable” – usual old story, not much trickle down from profits except into pockets. – Owl

Anita Merritt www.devonlive.com 

To help boost its delivery of affordable housing in the city, the council is looking to gain contributions from developers who wish to build housing in Exeter. It is currently seeking £4.3m from Churchill Retirement Living, who have submitted a planning application to build 84 retirement apartments on the site of the former Royal Academy for Deaf Education campus on Topsham Road.

Construction work has already begun on the land to build 146 new homes. The plans also include a nursery and a 68-bed care home.

In December 2021, Churchill submitted its plans to the council and despite being recommended for approval at a planning committee meeting in April, councillors voted to defer the plan for further discussions due to uncertainty surrounding affordable housing provision and vast opposition against using Weirfield Road as an access road.

Churchill insists the affordable off-site housing contribution being demanded by ECC is not financially viable and the proposed scheme already makes a ‘significant contribution to housing and specialist housing need in a sustainable location’. A four-day public inquiry has begun today following a failure by Exeter City Council to reach a decision on the application within a designated period of time.

Sasha White, representing Churchill, told the inquiry the proposal complies with policies on meeting specialist housing needs and the use of land in urban areas. He argued that the scheme can only provide up to £862,253 for affordable housing payable through the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), a planning charge to help deliver infrastructure to support the development of a local authority’s area.

Mr White said in his opening statement: “The local planning authority’s (LPA) case utterly overestimates the monies consequently that will be available if the development is implemented.”

He continued: “Not one authority has sought the vast amount that the LPA say is available here. They are seeking £4.3m. It is striking that in the past three years of considering retirement developments where viability was a factor there are 33 Churchill schemes. There is not one example where the full policy compliant payment has been sought by any LPA.

“Exeter are unique in this regard. It is also noteworthy that irrespective of location, scale of development and local context not one has the agreed sum exceeded £608,000. That needs to be contrasted here where the LPA seek incredibly £4.3m.

“That figure is far far too high and again can be corroborated by the bizarre outcome that the actual off-site provision amounts to an equivalent of 54 per cent of the total number of units to be provided well in excess of the policy of 35 per cent. Additionally, the Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) on which the calculation emerges is significantly out of date having not been reviewed or updated in the past nine years.

“Overall, the LPA’s viability evidence overstates the Gross Development Value (GDV) for the appeal scheme and unjustifiably reduces build costs. The appellant’s position is far more reliable, is properly evidenced, and should be preferred.”

The site plan

Arguing that the ‘much-needed, sustainable development’ should be granted approval, Mr White said: “Permission can only be refused where the adverse impacts of development significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits… The benefits of the scheme should be given substantial weight. In no way are these substantial benefits significantly and demonstrably outweighed by impacts.”

Timothy Leader, representing Exeter City Council, said: “There is nothing wrong with this scheme except the appellant is not delivering affordable housing they can afford which is what this city needs. It makes the scheme unsustainable.”

He compared the scheme to being like a three-legged stool with ‘one leg missing’ which would make it fall over. Mr Leader claimed the site was purchased for £4m, but since lodging an appeal the benchmark land value given by Churchill is £1.74m. Regarding contributions ECC has received from other developers, he argued some were ‘significant’ such as land at Pinhoe Road.

Mr Leader said: “The council’s case is straightforward. Its assessment of the appellant’s scheme is that the difference between the gross value of the development for which permission is sought, less the cost of the development leaves headroom for a policy compliant financial affordable housing contribution of £4,382,876.”

The hearing is being conducted by inspector John Wilde, a chartered civil engineer who has been appointed by the Secretary of State. The location of the public hearing has moved from Exeter Corn Exchange to the Civic Centre in Paris Street to provide a bigger space for participants to meet.

A decision is expected to be issued by the planning inspectorate before November 25, 2022. When planning permission for the site of the former Royal Academy for Deaf Education campus on Topsham Road was first granted, a 61-bed assisted living complex was also in the original permission.

The south elevation of the proposed retirement homes

The chair of Churchill is said to have confirmed the company will implement that proposal if the appeal fails. The original permission also states that access via Weirfield Road was granted and Devon County Council Highways Authority raised no objection to the scheme.

Although local residents have been supportive of the need for housing for the elderly, vast opposition has been raised about the impact of Weirfield Road – a steep, quiet and narrow cul-de-sac is used by many pedestrians and leads down to Exeter Quay – being used as an access road.

Nearly 1,000 people signed a petition that stated the ‘detrimental impacts’ would include unsustainable traffic congestion and reduced safety for pedestrians and vehicles.

Weirfield Road resident Helen, who started the online petition, was given an opportunity to raise her concerns about access onto the proposed development at the planning inquiry. They included the increase in the proposed number of homes on the site being a ‘fresh threat’ to the parking system in Weirfield Road with residents having lost a total of 12 spaces, the impact of increased traffic on residents and pedestrians.

She added Weirfield Road had been dug up five time for utility repairs of power cables since 2018 with works ranging from three days to three weeks, and future works could leave Churchill residents without emergency vehicle access.

Helen said: “It is not practical or safe. A certain level of planning permission was granted four years ago and I believe your hands are tied over this decision, but I hope we will not have lost this battle.”

Exeter city councillor Tess Read, who represents St David’s. also voiced her concerns about access via Weirfield Road. She said: “The residents of this area are not against this redevelopment of a brownfield site or the need for housing provision in Exeter, but it must not come at their expensive when other solutions are available.”

She added she had attempted to contact Churchill to engage in ‘constructive discussions, but had only received a ‘stock email’ response.

Ms Read said: “It shows the developer does not appear to be interested in engaging with the community to serve the whole of the city of Exeter. We are left to feel the city and its residents are unimportant.”

She continued: “Exeter is in dire need of affordable housing for a lot of people… Churchill says it is not in a position to provide or contribute to this vital need.”

The public inquiry continues.

Apparently, this “anti-growth coalition” includes all opposition parties, “militant unions” and the 15 million member environmental campaigners who have joined forces to oppose Trusses “attack on nature”.

[Didn’t Labour unveil a “Green Growth Plan” at its conference though?]

Think she could be in a minority on environmental concerns. – Owl

Green charities urge millions of members to oppose Tories’ ‘attack on nature’

Environmental charities are mobilising their millions of members to take on the UK government over what they say is an attack on nature in the push for growth.

Sandra Laville www.theguardian.com 

Groups including the RSPB, the National Trust, the Wildlife Trusts, and Wildlife and Countryside link are encouraging supporters to put pressure on Conservative MPs over proposals that they say strike at the heart of environmental and wildlife protections.

The main charities involved have a combined membership of more than 15 million.

Their concerns include:

• The removal from the statute books of 570 laws derived from EU directives that make up the bedrock of environmental regulations in the UK, covering sewage pollution, water quality and clean air. These include the habitat regulations, which have protected areas for wildlife for more than 30 years.
• The ending of the moratorium on fracking.
• The creation of low-tax investment zones from Cornwall to Cumbria where environmental protections would be relaxed to encourage development.
• The feared scrapping of the post-Brexit environmental land management scheme (Elms), which pays farmers to enhance nature.

The charities’ campaign asks members to contact their Conservative MPs to leave them in no doubt of their opposition to the proposals.

Beccy Speight, the RSPB’s chief executive, said: “We are gearing up to fight the biggest attack on nature in a generation and the immediate outpouring of support from all quarters has been overwhelming.

“The economy, food security and our own health and well-being is wholly reliant on a healthy natural environment, yet this government appears intent on amending or scrapping crucial environmental laws. As we hold urgent talks with our partners across the sector, we are calling on all nature lovers to stand up for wildlife, contact their MPs, and make their voices heard.”

Craig Bennett, the chief executive officer of the Wildlife Trusts, said: “Nature is under attack from a raft of dangerous decisions by government and we know people are furious at the new threats.

“Vital legal protections for wildlife are at risk, fossil fuel extraction is being favoured over renewables, and the government is going back on plans to reward farmers for managing land in a nature-friendly way.

“The government wants deregulation that will lead to yet more poo in rivers, less wildlife and land that’s unable to adapt to climate change.

“We are calling on the public to contact their elected representatives and share just how concerned they are. These actions will affect us all – the communities where we live, our wild places, food security, and our futures.”

Hilary McGrady, the director general of the National Trust, which has 5.7 million members, said environmental protections were being dismissed as burdens, while investment and growth were pitted against nature and climate action.

Mark Lloyd, of the Rivers Trust, called for the government to meet environmental NGOs to work in collaboration. He said: “We urge the government to discuss urgently with environmental NGOs and others how we can develop collaborative plans to achieve sustainable economic growth while restoring the health of our natural environment. Each is dependent on the other.”

The campaign comes as the former environment secretary Michael Gove and ex-environment minister Rebecca Pow signed a letter in the Times calling for the retention of payments that reward farmers for environmental improvements such as cleaner water, improved soil and more pollinators.

A government spokesperson said: “Claims we intend to go back on our commitment to the environment are simply not right. A strong environment and a strong economy go hand in hand. We have legislated through the Environment Act and will continue to improve our regulations and wildlife laws in line with our ambitious vision.

“We want every corner of our country to prosper too. Bureaucratic processes in the planning system do not necessarily protect the environment so, by making sure we have the right regulations for our nation, we can make this happen.”

PS Then there are the 40,000 members of CPRE not happy with Jacob Rees-Mogg’s gung-ho attitude to fracking.

The government must rethink its plans on fracking – our petition – CPRE www.cpre.org.uk

“Fracking is a huge threat to our countryside and wildlife. It industrialises our landscapes and fuels climate change. Rural communities have already endured a host of disturbances from the minimal fracking operations that have taken place in the past decade – no wonder it’s the least popular form of energy generation.”

Liz Truss was given more than £500,000 for her leadership campaign, with about half of it coming from donors linked to hedge fund bosses, venture capitalists and other City financiers.

Rowena Mason www.theguardian.com 

The prime minister, who has made a virtue of being pro-business and cutting taxes, saw a further round of donations declared on the register of MPs’ interests on Wednesday.

Since she was chosen by party members last month, Truss and her chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, have embarked on a programme of deregulation, promising reform to financial services regulation and looser planning rules.

More than £230,000 of her funding has come from people linked to the world of finance, while £200,000 came from those linked to the property and construction sectors.

The second tranche of donations takes the amount she has received to more than £500,000 – way above the campaign spending limit of £300,000.

The donations included £50,000 from Graham Edwards, the millionaire cofounder of Telereal Trillium, a property investment firm owning 6,000 commercial sites.

He is also on the board of the rightwing thinktank the Centre for Policy Studies, and wrote a paper for it two years ago proposing long-term fixed rate mortgages to first-time buyers to help them deal with high interest rates.

Truss was also given £5,000 by Lord Vinson, a Tory peer who contributed to the Global Warming Policy Foundation, the climate science-denying thinktank.

The largest single sum, declared last month, came from Fitriani Hay – the wife of James Hay, who has a construction and luxury goods empire and is a former BP executive. She gifted Truss £100,000.

Other supporters included the Tory peer Greville Howard, whose Westminster townhouse was used by her campaign team as a headquarters.

Michael Spencer, founder of the interdealer broker Icap, also gifted £25,000 to Truss at the start of August, one week after giving the same sum to Sunak and two weeks after doing the same for another failed candidate, Penny Mordaunt.

Truss accepted £20,000 from Jon Moynihan, a former prominent member of the Vote Leave campaign who has called for the Electoral Commission to be abolished.

He has also written paper for the Institute of Economic Affairs, a rightwing thinktank, called “Removing the barriers to enterprise”.

This argued for regulators to be trained to favour “light-touch” approaches, for fewer people to be required to be “auto-enrolled” into pensions and to reduce employer auto-enrolment contributions to zero.

She also accepted £10,000 donated by a smoked salmon firm run by the former Brexit party MEP Lance Forman.

One of the critical questions for the next General Election in the United Kingdom will be whether the Conservative Party can hold onto the mostly northern, traditionally Labour voting constituencies that they won in 2019—often described, if somewhat inaccurately, as the Red Wall.¹ Accordingly, we at Redfield and Wilton Strategies have taken up the challenge of regularly polling this cluster of politically salient constituencies.

Redfield & Wilton Strategies redfieldandwiltonstrategies.com

In the forty ‘Red Wall’ seats that we poll, the Conservatives won all in 2019 but Hartlepool (which was won in a subsequent parliamentary by-election) with 46.7% of the vote to Labour’s 37.9%. Reform UK, previously known as the Brexit Party, came third in these seats with 6.5% of the vote.

Our latest Red Wall poll finds Labour leading the Conservatives by 38%, a staggering twenty-three points more than in our previous poll two weeks ago, and the largest lead ever achieved by any party in our Red Wall polling. Altogether, the results of our poll (with changes from 19-20 September) are as follows:

Labour 61% (+12)

Conservative 23% (-11)

Reform UK 3% (-4)

Liberal Democrat 7% (+2)

Green 4% (–)

Plaid Cymru 1% (+1)

Other 1% (–)

When those who say they do not know how they would vote in a General Election are included, the Labour Party leads by 31%. After weighting by likelihood to vote, 16% of the sample says they do not know how they would vote, including 19% of those who voted Conservative in December 2019 and 4% of those who voted Labour. 

Altogether, 93% of those who voted Labour in 2019 say they would vote Labour again, while just 43% of those who voted Conservative say they would vote Conservative again.

Prime Minister Liz Truss’s approval rating in the Red Wall registers at -38%, 45 points lower than her rating of +7% in the Red Wall two weeks. 56% of those in the Red Wall, including 50% of those who voted Conservative in 2019, say they disapprove of Truss’s performance. Only 18% of respondents approve. 

36% approve and 24% disapprove of Keir Starmer’s job performance since he became Leader of the Labour Party, giving him a net approval rating of +12%, ten points higher than two weeks ago.

When asked which would be a better Prime Minister between Keir Starmer and Liz Truss, 47% of Red Wall voters choose Keir Starmer (+14), 22% choose Liz Truss (-18), and 31% say they don’t know (+4) which would be a better Prime Minister.

On policy delivery, respondents in the Red Wall are most likely to say they significantly (15%) or fairly (28%) trust the Conservative Party to deliver on the coronavirus pandemic. 

By comparison, majorities of respondents say they do not at all trust the Conservatives to deliver on taxation (55%), ‘Levelling Up’ (54%), the economy (53%), and the NHS (50%).  

With regard to the Labour Party, respondents are most likely to say they significantly (21%) or fairly (32%) trust Labour to deliver on the NHS. 51% significantly or fairly trust Labour on education and on benefits.

On the flipside, Labour is most likely to be not at all trusted on the economy (34%) and on immigration (32%).

When the two parties are pitted against each other on the issues, Labour are more frequently trusted than the Conservatives on all the policy issues listed. Labour holds leads of more than 30 points over the Conservatives when voters are asked who they trust most to tackle poverty (47% to 13%), to support the NHS (47% to 15%), to manage housing (45% to 14%), and to invest in ‘left behind’ areas (43% to 13%). 

Labour is also more trusted by Red Wall voters to manage the economy (43% to 17%).  

On the cost-of-living crisis, 73% of members of the Red Wall public say no, the Government is not taking the right measures to address this crisis. This figure is 9 points up from the 64% who answered no to the same question two weeks ago. 

Finally, 63% of Red Wall voters say no, they do not feel like the Government has been making a clear effort to ‘level up’ the area in which they live.

¹ Prior to the 2019 General Election, the term ‘Red Wall’ originally pertained to a broader set of adjacent Labour-voting constituencies whose profile made them susceptible to being won by the Conservatives’ pro-Brexit platform. However, many of these constituencies were not ultimately won by the Conservative Party in 2019. Since then, the term ‘Red Wall’ has, in the media and elsewhere, interchangeably referred to both its original, broader definition and the traditionally Labour constituencies that the Conservatives won. For the purpose of this tracker polling, we refer to the post-2019 GE definition.

A full list of the constituencies polled can be found in the data tables.

• Erection of two storey 4-bed detached dwelling, erection of a detached single garage and demolition of existing dwelling. Weetwood Offwell Devon EX14 9SBRef. No: 22/2122/FUL | Validated: Fri 23 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Replacement single storey rear extension. Byways Upottery Devon EX14 9PLRef. No: 22/2123/FUL | Validated: Fri 23 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Reduce crown height of Ash (nearest to house in rear garden) by 15% (3-4m) and reassess it every 3-5 years to consider another reduction, with the ultimate aim for the height of the tree being brought down to 11m and maintained at that size indefinitely. 17 Glebelands Uplyme Devon DT7 3TBRef. No: 22/2125/TRE | Validated: Fri 23 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed new haulage trailer storage facility/compound Land Opposite Greendale Business Park Woodbury SaltertonRef. No: 22/2121/FUL | Validated: Fri 23 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Variation of condition no.2 (approved plans) of planning permission 21/2482/FUL to amend the schedule of the approved drawing and minor alterations to fenestration Flint House Fremington Road Seaton Devon EX12 2HXRef. No: 22/2114/VAR | Validated: Thu 22 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Single storey front extension 2A Cyprus Road Exmouth EX8 2DZRef. No: 22/2116/FUL | Validated: Thu 22 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Single storey side extension 8 Stevenstone Road Exmouth EX8 2EPRef. No: 22/2110/FUL | Validated: Fri 23 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1, Sweet Chestnut : Fell. The tree represents a significant and immediate danger to the fabric of a listed wall and a listed dwelling known as The Wardens House. It is also a health and safety threat to those living in the Wardens House. Wardens House The College Ottery St Mary Devon EX11 1DQRef. No: 22/2113/TCA | Validated: Thu 22 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Fell 2x Sycamore suffering from ‘bark death’. 10 Old Home Farm Rousdon Devon DT7 3YLRef. No: 22/2111/TCA | Validated: Thu 22 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Retrospective application for the installation of a track to access building Harcombe Acres Land North Of Ashcombe Woods HarcombeRef. No: 22/2096/FUL | Validated: Wed 21 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed alterations to, and subdivision of, existing dwellinghouse to form 2 no. dwellinghouses. High Croft Wyke Axminster EX13 8TNRef. No: 22/2098/FUL | Validated: Wed 21 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Two-storey rear extension and conversion of roofspace to habitable use to include dormer and two side roof lights 8 Grange Avenue Exmouth EX8 3HURef. No: 22/2102/FUL | Validated: Wed 21 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Roofing over slurry separator system Sutton Barton Wilmington Honiton EX14 9SHRef. No: 22/2073/FUL | Validated: Tue 20 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Variation of condition No. 5 (approved plans) of planning permission ref: 21/2490/MRES to allow for an updated electric vehicle charging point plan. Land North Of Old Tithebarn Lane Clyst HonitonRef. No: 22/2072/VAR | Validated: Tue 20 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Two storey side extension and associated internal alterations Lake Farm Town End Broadclyst EX5 3HWRef. No: 22/2094/LBC | Validated: Tue 20 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Two storey side extension and associated internal alterations Lake Farm Town End Broadclyst EX5 3HWRef. No: 22/2093/FUL | Validated: Tue 20 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Single storey front extension and conversion of garage to office/utility room. 21 Travershes Close Exmouth EX8 3LHRef. No: 22/2090/FUL | Validated: Tue 20 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1, Cypress tree with stem diameter of 27cm. The tree is well away from any boundaries (>5m). Proposing complete removal of tree due to proximity to property leading to reduced light and concerns with root damage to foundations and drainage as well as damage to property in event of the tree coming down uncontrolled. Renovation and extension work due to start on the property exacerbates these concerns. The Conifers Brampford Speke Devon EX5 5DPRef. No: 22/2082/TCA | Validated: Tue 20 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Application for the erection of silage clamp walls on existing site. Broadley Farm Yarcombe EX14 9BJRef. No: 22/2092/FUL | Validated: Fri 23 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Certificate of lawful development for the 30 acres that is used as an aerodrome, this involves taking off, landing and manoeuvring of aeroplanes on the ground, 365 days per year; existing outside parking and an established hangar for the storage of the same; operation of a commercial flying school from the airfield Moorlands Farm Mincombe Post Sidbury Devon EX10 0QWRef. No: 22/2087/CPE | Validated: Fri 23 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Single storey rear extension and removal of rear porch. 40 Anson Road Exmouth EX8 4NYRef. No: 22/2078/FUL | Validated: Thu 22 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Provision of single parking space within front curtilage accessed from existing shared private driveway. 11B Marine Parade Budleigh Salterton Devon EX9 6NSRef. No: 22/2074/FUL | Validated: Wed 21 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Installation of 2 x illuminated fascia signs and 1x non illuminated fascia sign. Sidford Branch Surgery Church Street Sidford Devon EX10 9RLRef. No: 22/2071/ADV | Validated: Tue 20 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Erection of a garden studio and demolition of old shed and adjacent store. Oaklea Ham Devon EX13 7HLRef. No: 22/2059/FUL | Validated: Tue 20 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Demolition of the existing uPVC conservatory and construction of a new sun room extension in its place. Millbrook Farmhouse Chard Road Axminster Devon EX13 5EGRef. No: 22/2056/LBC | Validated: Wed 21 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Outline application with some matters reserved for Phase 1, including highway access, layout and landscape, and scale and appearance for Block A and Block C, and for Phase 2, access, layout, and landscape only, creating a total additional business space of 1,701 sqm. Alexandria Industrial Estate Station Road SidmouthRef. No: 22/2063/MOUT | Validated: Wed 21 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Demolition of the existing uPVC conservatory and construction of a new sun room extension in its place. Millbrook Farmhouse Chard Road Axminster Devon EX13 5EGRef. No: 22/2055/FUL | Validated: Wed 21 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Repainting and update of strapline text of 3no. existing fascia signs, replacement of 2no. existing projecting signs and brackets with new ones and redecoration front and side elevations. Joules Market Place Sidmouth Devon EX10 8ARRef. No: 22/2034/ADV | Validated: Wed 21 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Application for approval of reserved matters (layout, scale and appearance) for the erection of a new dwelling following approval of outline application ref. 21/1692/OUT. Not EIA development. 29 Winters Lane Ottery St Mary EX11 1ARRef. No: 22/2031/RES | Validated: Wed 21 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Ash Tree : Pollard by 50%: located in the northeastern corner boundary. It shows signs of ash die-back and its location is not accessible by machinery, so the tree will need to be climbed and tree surgeons advise reduction of tree necessary before disease advances further. Salcombe Regis House Salcombe Regis EX10 0JHRef. No: 22/2009/TCA | Validated: Tue 20 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Outline application, with all matters except access reserved, for up to 44 residential units including demolition of 76 Douglas Avenue, open space provision, drainage and the creation of a linking pedestrian access Douglas Gardens Douglas Avenue ExmouthRef. No: 22/1954/MOUT | Validated: Tue 20 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Installation of 18-20 ground solar panels on removable mountings in adjacent field. Ford Farm Luppitt Honiton EX14 4TRRef. No: 22/1930/FUL | Validated: Sun 25 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of a replacement shed Mundys Farm West Down Lane Exmouth EX8 2RHRef. No: 22/0781/FUL | Validated: Tue 20 Sep 2022 | Status: Awaiting decision