Ms Hernandez said: “Thanks to investment from our residents Devon and Cornwall Police now has record police officer numbers. Having accessible police stations close to our communities is the missing part of the jigsaw in providing the neighbourhood model of policing that the Chief Constable and I support. 

Who removed them and why? – Owl

 

Planned reopening of Police station front desks

Radio Exe News www.radioexe.co.uk

Total of 17 police enquiry desks will be reopened across Devon and Cornwall

SIX more police enquiry desks will be reopened across Devon and Cornwall in the next 12 months, the county’s Police and Crime Commissioner has announced. 

The next phase of Alison Hernandez’s project to reopen police enquiry offices (PEOs) will see stations reopened to the public in Devonport, Looe, Ilfracombe, Honiton, Okehampton and Kingsbridge in the 12 months to April 2024.

 A total of 17 front desks are being reopened under the project, taking the total number of PEOs across the force area to 26. 

The force was among those to close ‘front desks’ during public sector cuts following the 2009 financial crisis. Across Devon and Cornwall 11 were forced to shut their doors to the public in 2014, although the stations remained in use as operational bases. 

  The Police Enquiry Office in the popular Cornish resort of Newquay was the first to be reopened, in 2020. The Commissioner and CC Kerr are officially reopening the PEOs in Tiverton, Newton Abbot, Penzance, Falmouth, Truro and Bude.  They have plans to open a further four between April 2024 and April 2026.  

  So far £1.5m has been earmarked for investment in the project. In addition, Exmouth Police Station in East Devon is being rebuilt and the new stations is to include a functioning front desk. 

  The Commissioner has made connectivity with the public a cornerstone of her Police and Crime Plans, arguing that face to face contact with the public helps victims and provides a long-term solution to rebuilding confidence in policing. 

  Ms Hernandez said: “Thanks to investment from our residents Devon and Cornwall Police now has record police officer numbers. Having accessible police stations close to our communities is the missing part of the jigsaw in providing the neighbourhood model of policing that the Chief Constable and I support. 

“Although we experience some of the lowest crime levels in the country, drugs and antisocial behaviour are considerable issues for our communities. We want people to feel confident in telling us about the problems and challenges they experience before these issues escalate so preventative action can be taken. 

“Already crimes including non-recent historic offences have been reported at one of our reopened police enquiry desks, demonstrating that some people prefer talking to an officer in confidence and in person.” 

  The force is the largest geographic police force in England and Wales and has more domestic visitors than any other, increasing demand for emergency services in remote rural and coastal locations selected for investment. 

  “There is an immediate positive effect of having these stations back open to the public for these communities,” the Commissioner added. “But this is more than that – it’s about making a long-term commitment to the people of Devon and Cornwall. We want to let them know that the police are by their side, accessible and care about their problems.”

Council’s longest-serving Chief Executive will be stepping down one month after a no-confidence letter urged him to resign. 

Middlesbrough Council chief executive Tony Parkinson has announced he will be stepping down.

Alex O’Leary www.gazettelive.co.uk /

Mr Parkinson – who is the council’s longest-serving chief executive and has been in the role since 2016 – is set to depart on March 24. Mr Parkinson, who is paid £155k a year and has a local government career spanning 33 years, has recently come under fire after concerns over the council’s bleak financial situation.

However, just one month after a no-confidence letter urged him to resign, the council boss has officially announced he will be stepping down. In a statement, he said he “loved every minute” of his time in Middlesbrough and added that “it is the right time to hand over the reins.”

Last month, Labour slammed the “scapegoating of officers” after 17 councillors called for Mr Parkinson to resign, saying they no longer had confidence in his ability. He had been blamed by politicians for the council’s financial situation following £12.4m cuts.

The 17 councillors who wrote a no-confidence letter included executive member for finance and governance Cllr Stefan Walker, chair of the council Cllr John Hobson, chair of the corporate affairs and audit committee Cllr Brian Hubbard, Conservative Group leader Cllr David Coupe and Middlesbrough Independent Group (MIG) leader Cllr Chris Hobson.

The letter raised a number of concerns, including the inadequate rating of the children’s services department in 2020, financial mismanagement, and even Mr Parkinson’s relationship with other politicians.

It came just as the council’s proposed budget revealed a £14.9m shortfall with £12.4m worth of cuts. This was a reduction from when the first budget measures, set out at the end of last year, outlined how £14.2m worth of cuts were expected.

In January, the council was issued a best value notice – a formal notification the government has concerns – following explosive reviews that exposed the local authority’s toxic culture. The letter, from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), suggested that the Secretary of State Michael Gove could call on powers to launch an inspection or intervention if improvements weren’t made quickly.

Back in November 2021, Mr Parkinson easily survived a vote to scrap his job after 36 councillors voted against the proposals and five abstained. However, last July saw an audit reveal a lack of trust in the council. At the time, Mr Parkinson spoke out, saying council officers were operating in a culture where there were “sometimes attempts to coerce them, bully them, and intimidate them.”

Mr. Parkinson played a pivotal role in the council’s response to public sector cuts, delivering in excess of £113m in savings. He oversaw the response to the covid pandemic and the creation of Middlesbrough ’s Investment Strategy, which has achieved over £300m in investment for the town since 2017.

Mr Parkinson said: “I have loved every minute of my time in Middlesbrough, despite the challenges in local government generally and the more specific challenges that Middlesbrough faces. As we enter a new phase of activity with upcoming elections, it is the right time to hand over the reins to a new chief executive to take Middlesbrough forward.

“Middlesbrough is a place I love and I will miss witnessing the amazing work that council staff do every day. Their passion and commitment to the town and its residents often goes unrecognised but it has never ceased to inspire and amaze me.

“I haven’t given much thought as to what I will do next. I intend to take a little bit of time out to spend with family and friends, work on my golf handicap and get away for a few weeks before considering what, if anything, I want to do professionally.”

Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston said: “Thanks very much to Tony for over three decades of service to the town. His commitment to Middlesbrough is legendary. Tony has led Council staff through incredibly challenging times and I know people will be sad to see him leave. I’d like to wish him good luck for the future.”

Former Tory minister who tried to sell off forests is given Natural England role

A former Tory minister who tried to sell off England’s forests has been appointed to the board of Natural England, leading Labour to accuse the government of “cronyism”.

Helena Horton www.theguardian.com 

Dame Caroline Spelman has been given a senior role with the government’s nature watchdog and will set its strategy and policy, as well as overseeing the use of public money. Other trustees announced on Friday include Mel Austen, a professor of ocean and society at the University of Plymouth, and Lynn Dicks, who leads a research group working on sustainable agriculture and insect conservation.

Questions have been raised over the appropriateness of the appointment, as the former environment secretary previously had to apologise for trying to privatise England’s woodland.

Her plans to change the ownership of 258,000 hectares (637,000 acres) of state-owned woodland in 2011 were widely criticised at the time and caused a Tory revolt. She had to take part in a humiliating climbdown in front of fellow MPs. She said at the time: “I have taken a decision to end the consultation on the future of the public forest estate and I take full responsibility for that. I am doing so because it is quite clear from the early responses to the consultation that the public and many honourable members are not happy with the proposals we set out.”

The shadow environment secretary, Jim McMahon, raised questions over the appropriateness of her appointment. “It appears the conveyor belt of Conservative cronyism is alive and well,” he said.

“The decision to appoint the former secretary of state for the environment who attempted to sell off England’s forests to the board of Natural England raises serious questions of judgment from Defra ministers.

“Natural England exists to conserve our natural environment for the benefit of future generations. This flies in the face of somebody who thought it appropriate to sell off some of our most treasured environmental assets.”

Announcing the positions, a spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “Defra ministers have announced today the appointment of three new members to Natural England’s board: Prof Mel Austen, Dr Lynn Dicks and Dame Caroline Spelman. These appointments are for a three-year term and will run from 1 March 2023 for Lynn Dicks and Dame Caroline Spelman, and 1 April 2023 for Mel Austen.

“The appointments were made in accordance with the governance code on public appointments published by the Cabinet Office. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process.”

Defra has been contacted for comment.

BBC will not broadcast Attenborough episode over fear of ‘rightwing backlash’

The BBC has decided not to broadcast an episode of Sir David Attenborough’s flagship new series on British wildlife because of fears its themes of the destruction of nature would risk a backlash from Tory politicians and the rightwing press, the Guardian has been told.

Helena Horton www.theguardian.com

The decision has angered the programme-makers and some insiders at the BBC, who fear the corporation has bowed to pressure from lobbying groups with “dinosaurian ways”.

The BBC strongly denied this was the case and insisted the episode in question was never intended for broadcast.

Attenborough’s highly anticipated new series, Wild Isles, looks at the beauty of nature in the British Isles.

Narrated by David Attenborough, it is expected to be a hit, with five episodes scheduled to go out in primetime slots on BBC One.

A sixth episode has also been filmed, which is understood to be a stark look at the losses of nature in the UK and what has caused the declines. It is also understood to include some examples of rewilding, a concept that has been controversial in some rightwing circles.

The documentary series was part-funded by nature charities the WWF and RSPB, but the final episode will not be broadcast along with the others and will instead be available only on the BBC’s iPlayer service. All six episodes were narrated by Attenborough, and made by the production company Silverback Films, responsible for previous series including Our Planet, in collaboration with the BBC Natural History Unit.

Senior sources at the BBC told the Guardian that the decision not to show the sixth episode was made to fend off potential critique from the political right. This week the Telegraph newspaper attacked the BBC for creating the series and for taking funding from “two charities previously criticised for their political lobbying” – the WWF and RSPB.

One source at the broadcaster, who asked not to be named, said “lobbying groups that are desperately hanging on to their dinosaurian ways” such as the farming and game industry would “kick off” if the show had too political a message.

They added: “Frankly, this idea that you sort of put it in a separate programme to almost parcel it to one side is disingenuous. Why don’t they integrate those stories into all of them at the time?”

In a statement provided after the story was first published, the BBC said: “This is totally inaccurate, there is no ‘sixth episode’. Wild Isles is – and always was – a five part series and does not shy away from environmental content. We have acquired a separate film for iPlayer from the RSPB and WWF and Silverback Films about people working to preserve and restore the biodiversity of the British Isles.”

Alastair Fothergill, the director of Silverback Films and the executive producer of Wild Isles, added: “The BBC commissioned a five-part Wild Isles series from us at Silverback Films back in 2017. The RSPB and WWF joined us as co-production partners in 2018.

It was not until the end of 2021 that the two charities commissioned Silverback Films to make a film for them that celebrates the extraordinary work of people fighting to restore nature in Britain and Ireland. The BBC acquired this film for iPlayer at the start of this year.”

Laura Howard, who produced the programme and used to work at the BBC’s Natural History Unit, said she did not believe its messages to be political.

She told the Guardian: “I think the facts speak for themselves. You know, we’ve worked really closely with the RSPB in particular who are able to factcheck all of our scripts and provide us with detailed scientific data and information about the loss of wildlife in this country. And it is undeniable, we are incredibly nature-depleted. And I don’t think that that is political, I think it’s just facts.”

The producer said the film would touch on how farming practices had harmed wildlife, but would also profile farmers who had done the right thing.

“Those farmers are there to make the point that every farm in the country ought to be able to do a little bit at least of what they do, and that it is possible to farm alongside nature, to make a profit, to produce healthy food and to still run a business,” Howard said.

She added that she hoped a young audience would be able to find the film, as they are used to streaming on iPlayer rather than watching a broadcast.

Caroline Lucas, the Green party MP for Brighton Pavilion, said: “For the BBC to censor of one of the nation’s most informed and trusted voices on the nature and climate emergencies is nothing short of an unforgivable dereliction of its duty to public service broadcasting. This government has taken a wrecking ball to our environment – putting over 1,700 pieces of environmental legislation at risk, setting an air pollution target which is a decade too late, and neglecting the scandal of our sewage-filled waterways – which cannot go unexamined and unchallenged by the public.

“BBC bosses must not be cowed by antagonistic, culture war-stoking government ministers, putting populist and petty political games above delivering serious action to protect and restore our natural world. This episode simply must be televised.”

Chris Packham, who presents Springwatch on the BBC, also criticised the decision. He told the Guardian: “At this time, in our fight to save the world’s biodiversity, it is irresponsible not to put that at the forefront of wildlife broadcasting.”

Stephen Moss, a natural historian and TV producer who has worked for the BBC on nature programmes, said focusing on a conservation angle could win political support for the cause. He said: “Often, if you lead on environmental issues, people genuinely turn off. But if you drip feed it within the programmes and then hit people with a message at the end when you convince them how brilliant wildlife is, it tends to work.

“With Blue Planet, you got Theresa May standing up and Philip Hammond, the chancellor at the time, saying: ‘this is the BBC as its very best’, doing what Conservatives never do, basically praising the BBC and saying: this is fantastic. So maybe that will happen with this. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Tory politicians jump on the bandwagon and go on and on about how brilliant it is.”

The charities involved in the programme are already using it to launch a campaign – unaffiliated with the BBC – called Save Our Wild Isles. They have gained the support of the National Trust, the Guardian understands.

…unless Muddy Stilettos are your lifestyle.

Personally Owl prefers bloody talons.

Devon locations in race to be voted ‘best place to live’

Ten desirable Devon locations have been named among the UK’s top 250 places to live. Now you have the chance to vote for your local area to see it crowned Devon’s best place to live – and the UK’s hottest postcode outside London.

Caroline Abbott www.devonlive.com

Lifestyle website Muddy Stilettos has curated the top places to live in each county in 2023. When readers have voted for Devon’s best place to live, the winner will go through to the national finals.

Muddy Stilettos says Devon has “over 200 miles of South West coast path, national parks of Dartmoor and Exmoor and more beaches than you can shake an ice-lolly stick at. Plus two vibrant hubs: the cathedral and university city of Exeter and the Ocean City of Plymouth.”

Here are the 10 places in the running to be named Devon’s – and the country’s – best place to live in 2023. Let us know which you will be voting for and why in the comments – or tell us if there’s a place you think should have been on the shortlist but has missed out. You can vote for the place you think deserves to win here and you’ll be in with a chance to win £500 to spend at John Lewis.

Sidmouth

Muddy Stilettos loves Sidmouth’s “seaside location, its unspoilt open spaces and buzzing town centre, plus a very desirable range of period housing.”

It describes Sidmouth as “a Mecca for tourists and the well-heeled retired” but says it’s “far from sleepy.” It “isn’t short” of coffee shops and there’s a still-thriving independent department store, Fields. The town also has “every kind of dance, drama and sporting activity for children.”

Exmouth

Muddy Stilettos says Exmouth is famous for its golden sands and proximity to Exeter while celebrity chef Michael Caines is “really putting it on the map” with Lympstone Manor and Mickey’s Beach Bar.

The town has “much for outdoorsy types” especially watersports, and “increasingly swanky hospitality” as well as good chippy Krispies and Mitch Tonks’ Rockfish which has “fabulous sea views.” The website recommends boutiques Caramel and Shop Dead Gorgeous.

Okehampton

Muddy Stilettos says Okehampton is a town “very much on the up” and it “may be rural but it just got a whole lot better connected thanks to the return of The Dartmoor Line.” The website says it has “everything you could want in terms of rural idyll making it a thoroughly wholesome place to raise a family.”

It has a “vibrant” town centre and Muddy Stilettos loves Image Coffee Lounge where “the atmos is buzzing and the baking hard to beat.” Its main claim to fame is the ruinous English Heritage castle.

Ashburton

Muddy Stilettos says Ashburton is “perfect for anyone who needs all the perks of living in a town but wants to be able to make a fast getaway.” It has two cities just half an hour away and has “brilliant shops, community and a buzzing community.”

The community are “rightly proud of their town’s creative independent spirit” and the foodie scene is “bustling and getting ever more so.” Creamo’s is unmissable for ice cream in unique flavours. In terms of shops, you’re “spoilt for indie choice.”

Tiverton

Tiverton is described as the place for you if you’re a townie at heart as it has “oodles of indie shops but you’re just five minutes from bucolic rolling fields, half an hour from the sandy beach at Exmouth and 45 minutes from the stunning North Devon coast.”

Muddy Stilettos says there’s “loads to like” in Tivvy including a “romantic castle” and “good transport links and one of Devon’s best independent schools.” Sarah’s Kitchen is recommended for cakes and “the best” smoked cheese and bacon scones, while Duck’s Ditty Bar on the canal is a good place for a drink in the sunshine.

Totnes

Muddy Stilettos describes Totnes as “VERY on-trend” as it was “into sustainable living and eco-chic well before the rest of the UK.” It’s your place “if you want the countryside idyll but more than just cows and antiques shops.”

The website says: “It’s seven-day-a-week hustle and bustle with vegan coffee shops, cool indie retailers and talented local producers – vibrant, ethical and alive. Everything a historic market town should be and more.” It’s “foodie heaven” and the weekly market’s street food is “worth a trip alone.” When it comes to shops, there’s “ soooo much to choose from and lots of ethical choice.”

Muddy Stilettos recommends you do not miss Totnes Cinema which is “small and adorably vintage.” It says Totnes “punches above its weight for bringing cool culture to town.”

Topsham

Muddy Stilettos describes Topsham as “an oh-so pretty, bijou town” on the Exe estuary, less than five miles from Exeter. It’s ideal if you “want a waterside location but without the tourists and schlep to the shops.” Fore Street is “what every town wishes it had, replete with indie stores, boutiques, galleries, florists and groceries.”

It’s “buzzy by day and has plenty of nightlife (but not the noisy nightclub kind).” Denleys Essence of India is worth checking out as it has been crowned Asian Restaurant of The Year in the West Country two years on the run.

Tavistock

Muddy Stilettos says Tavistock “may not have a train station but it has everything else you could want in a town.” It has “plentiful amenities” including a swimming pool, cinema and supermarkets. It’s “old-fashioned but in a good way.” Its high street and pannier market are “vibrant and busy” and it “rocks a good cafe culture.” The most Instagrammed spot in town is Odds & Buds Florist.

Kingsbridge

Muddy Stilettos says: “If you crave a laid-back boaty lifestyle, you can’t beat this vibrant town” which is “less shishi (and less pricey) than nearby Salcombe.”

Kingsbridge is “known for a pretty impressive entrepreneurial crowd” and it has a “buzzing high street with an indie vibe.” Notable places to eat include The Old Warehouse while a spot on the upstairs deck of The Crabshell Inn is the place to go for waterside views.

St Leonard’s, Exeter

Muddy Stilettos says: “Leafy St Leonard’s is perfect for the city gal, just a 15-minute trot from Exeter centre with historic architecture, good shops and all the temptations of the cathedral city close by. But city perks come with city prices.”

It’s a “very upmarket” place where “coffee culture is strong” and the shopping parade is “going from strength to strength.”