Devon County Council’s plans to stop funding a homelessness prevention service in Exmouth have been condemned by a local councillor.

Philippa Davies www.exmouthjournal.co.uk 

The county council is currently consulting on proposals to end its contract with Alexandra House in Exmouth, which gives supported accommodation to people at risk of homelessness.

It’s part of a cost-cutting exercise that would remove around £1.5 million in funding to various hostels and other services across Devon for vulnerable adults. Alexandra House currently receives nearly £108,000 per year.

Devon County Council said it can no longer afford to pay for the services and will instead increase spending in other areas that support vulnerable children, young people and adults. The homelessness prevention services fall outside the council’s statutory (compulsory) adult social care responsibilities.

But many councilllors are against the cuts. Independent Exmouth town and district councillor Joe Whibley said: ”Alexandra House provides an incredibly important service to the community, helping people to help themselves. We’re starting to see the effects of Devon County’s funding problems hit real people in real, desperate situations, in a county where other social care services are also struggling to cope. and it’s not good enough.

“If this funding withdrawal reduces service, it will ultimately put more pressure on East Devon District Council’s already overwhelmed homelessness team. Central government needs to recognise that district and county councils need a fairer funding arrangement to deliver effective local services.”

Cllr Jess Bailey, (Independent, Otter Valley) told Radio Exe’s Devoncast podcast: “I think it’s the worst possible time and, as a member of the [county council’s] health and adult care scrutiny committee, I will be looking very closely at these proposals. I’m strongly opposed to them and I think it’s removing funding from our most vulnerable residents.

“I’m very disappointed that the county council cannot apparently find the money for our most vulnerable residents and I think, in terms of health inequality, we need to find a way of supporting these people and continuing with that funding.”

The consultation runs until Wednesday, April 19, and can be found on the county council’s website

Boris Johnson will give his first televised evidence next Wednesday on whether he misled parliament over Partygate, the privileges committee has announced.

Compelling watching or a complete turn-off? – Owl

Jessica Elgot www.theguardian.com

The committee, which is chaired by the Labour MP Harriet Harman, has said the former prime minister has accepted an invitation to give evidence at 2pm on 22 March.

His appearance will come after an interim report by the cross-party committee found there was significant evidence he misled MPs over lockdown parties, and that he and aides almost certainly knew at the time that they were breaking rules.

The damning report includes one witness saying the then prime minister told a packed No 10 gathering in November 2020, when strict Covid restrictions were in force, that “this is probably the most unsocially distanced gathering in the UK right now”.

Other new evidence includes a message from a No 10 official in April 2021, six months before the first reports of parties emerged, saying a colleague was “worried about leaks of PM having a piss-up – and to be fair I don’t think it’s unwarranted”.

The session will be held in public and includes questioning from all of the committee’s members – four Conservative MPs, two Labour and one SNP.

Johnson has also been offered the chance to provide written evidence to the inquiry setting out his response, should he wish, in advance of the oral evidence session.

Any response will be published, the committee said, and added that it had already disclosed all evidence submitted to the inquiry so far to Johnson “under secure conditions”.

The interim report published last month was intended to give Johnson notice of lines of inquiry before he testifies later this month.

“There is evidence that the House of Commons may have been misled in the following ways, which the committee will explore,” the report said, giving four examples, all backed up by lengthy footnotes.

A formal finding that Johnson deliberately misled parliament could result in him being suspended. Under parliamentary rules, an exclusion of 14 days or longer would mean Johnson’s constituents could seek a recall petition to remove him as their MP, a viable occurrence given the slim majority in his west London seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip.

Johnson – who was forced out as prime minister last summer after Conservative MPs tired of repeated controversies – responded to the report with an immediate and orchestrated fightback, seeking to discredit the findings and the committee.

Council chiefs will consider ‘repurposing’ some East Devon public toilets with ‘commercial activities’ – after deciding to keep 28 sites open this summer.

East Devon Reporter eastdevonnews.co.uk 

The district’s busiest loos will also be rebuilt or updated as part of a £3million overhaul.

More details of the refurbishment programme – agreed in February 2022 – will be announced later this year.

Members of East Devon District Council’s (EDDC) cabinet have agreed to keep 28 of its sites in use from April 1 – and they will be open daily from 8am to 10pm.

They include conveniences in Exmouth, Sidmouth, Honiton, Seaton, Budleigh Salterton, Axminster, Colyton and Beer.

Councillor Geoff Jung, EDDC portfolio holder for coast, country and environment said: “We recognise the importance of our public toilets especially at tourist destinations, and therefore we will be operating 28 facilities for the 2023 season.

“Our plans are now coming together to repurpose some toilets with commercial activities with public access to toilets whilst others will be totally updated or rebuilt to modern hygiene standards, good disabled access, with some providing adult disabled changing facilities.

“These changes will be scheduled to start this autumn to help minimise any disruption locally.”

EDDC says it ‘remains committed’ to a £3million refurbishment programme of its ‘Category A’ toilets.

“Discussions on other public toilets that can be repurposed to incorporate a public accessible toilet will continue through the summer,” said a spokesperson.

The 28 public toilets in East Devon are:

Axminster
West Street Car Park

Budleigh Salterton
Cliff Path (West End, Steamer Steps)
East End (Lime Kiln)
Station Road Car Park

Beer
Jubilee Gardens

Colyton
Dolphin Street Car Park

Exmouth
Exmouth Bus/Train Station
Foxholes Car Park
Imperial Recreation Ground (Royal Avenue)
Magnolia Centre
Manor Gardens
Orcombe Point
Phear Park
Queen’s Drive/Old Lifeboat
The Maer

Honiton
King Street
Lace Walk

Seaton
Harbour Road/ Thury Harcourt Place
Seaton Hole
Seaton Wetlands
West Walk

Sidmouth
Arches )paid for and managed by Sidmouth Town Council)
Connaught Gardens, Sidmouth
Long Park, Sidmouth (paid for and managed by Sidmouth Town Council)
Market Place
Triangle
Port Royal (Alma Bridge)
Sidbury toilets, Sidmouth (paid for and managed by Sidmouth Town Council)

NEU teacher strikes are scheduled to go ahead this week despite union members in Scotland backing a pay deal. National walkouts are planned for March 15 and 16 in schools in England and Wales.

Steve Hitchcock www.devonlive.com 

Unions are calling for above-inflation increases, and want schools to get extra money to ensure pay rises don’t come from existing budgets. The Department for Education said it wanted “formal talks on pay, conditions and reform, ahead of the latest strike days – but only if the NEU called them off.

One school in Devon will be closed on Thursday as staff at St Peter’s C of E Primary School, Budleigh Salterton, take part in a national day of strike action. Headteacher Steve Hitchcock has written to parents to inform them of the closure.

He said that staff feel strongly about striking in order to support our children’s education around staff recruitment, funding and pay, but recognise the pressure of two days of striking and an INSET day on parents, so have tried to compromise by striking on Thursday only. He added: “Personally, I am furious with the lack of engagement from the government, who are refusing to talk to the unions.”

He has written a letter which he sent to the DfE, his MP Simon Jupp, and the parents at our school. Read the full letter below

I felt compelled to reply to your email to headteachers on 24th February 2023. The views expressed here are my own, but I feel my work across my county gives me a good understanding and calibration of the feeling in schools. It is no wonder that the unions did not pause the strike action in the way you wanted. The DfE consistently refuses to listen to the profession and confront reality. My community of headteachers has been meeting with our local Conservative MP for many years, and we sound like a broken record.

Trust

The first point I want to make is that there is no trust between the DfE and Headteachers. In order for any profession to thrive, there must be equal measures of challenge and support. The matrix on the right very neatly shows this, and I am afraid to say the staff in your schools are predominantly in the ‘stressed’ box.

Recruitment and retention

The second point I want to make is that the DfE has to confront the reality that there is an acute retention and recruitment crisis in schools. It’s well known that MPs, ministers and certain elements of the population think that teachers are overpaid, lazy and get too much holiday. If that is really the case, then why does no one want to be a teacher (or teaching assistant) anymore? Things are getting worse, not better, as schools are expected to support families with health, parenting, diet, social work and more. These issues need to be taken more seriously by the DfE.

Rhetoric

It is incredibly frustrating to hear the DfE use the same line each time there is a criticism of school funding. “The additional £2 billion going into schools in both 2023-24 and the following year means that by 2024-25 schools will be funded at their highest levels in history.” But it is not enough. Relative to both needs and the proportion of GDP of other developed countries, it falls short. A decade of austerity and a pandemic has caused a significant erosion of all elements of schools. My role as a headteacher is more as a fundraiser and community worker than an educator.

Staff pay

To tell staff that they can’t have a pay rise because it would cause inflation is frankly an insult. The point of a pay rise is so our wages keep up with inflation. How is it acceptable to receive a 20% cut in your salary over a decade, whilst being expected to deal with more expectations in school? If I asked my hairdresser to trim my hair and then massage my back, cut my toenails and clean my shoes, whilst taking away some of her equipment and paying her less, she would think I was mad! That’s not an unfair analogy of what is happening in schools.

Solutions

My suggestions to fix this would be to start a national consultation on the point of schools and education in our country. Society has changed dramatically and the school system has not kept pace with this. A modern school is way more than just a place to learn a curriculum.

Parents no longer have access to support services, more children are in poverty, parents are expected to be in work more, and life growing up (particularly around safeguarding and the online world) is way more complex than in the past. Schools need to be re-imagined and given the resources to meet the needs of a modern family.

At the end of the pandemic there was an opportunity to revolutionise schools (hours, holidays, provision, expectations) which was missed, but it’s not too late to engage in a meaningful re-visioning of schools.

Children and families are still reeling from austerity and pandemic. We shouldn’t have children and families with so much stress, poverty and mental illnesses.

Does the government believe Schools are just about education? In that case, you need to instruct us to stop all the other support work we do, and provide it in another way. Schools are more than education? If we are ‘everything to everyone’ then schools need the funding, resources and recognition.

Whether you like it or not, schools feel the moral imperative to intervene constantly to support our families, with no recognition from the DfE or Ofsted. Imagine a school system where we were recognised for this, through inspection or more public respect from our MPs. It would improve staff wellbeing knowing they were doing more of a service than just teaching the curriculum.

Summary

It’s in all of our best interests, but most of all in children’s interests, to resolve these issues in a meaningful way. Strike action has a minimal effect on children’s education and well-being compared to the significant longer term issues that I have described above.

Pupils, families and school staff need way more support than ever before, and the current relationship between schools and the DfE is not going to resolve things effectively.

I would recommend that you:

· Re-imagine the purpose of schools and education in this country.

· Work towards a trusting relationship between the DfE and schools, so there is an equal level of challenge and support.

· Acknowledge the issues that we raise. If we can’t have more money, be clear what we need to stop doing and providing. If you can’t recruit more school staff, lower our expectations on what we can achieve.

· Stop patronising schools by saying school funding is at the highest level ever, when we are saying we need more to meet children and family’s needs, and keep our school buildings in good condition. I hope this is helpful. I would be happy to elaborate further on any of my points

Steve Hitchcock

Headteacher

St Peter’s CoE Primary School

Budleigh Salterton

Exeter City Council has a new chief executive.

At an extraordinary council meeting on Monday [13 March], and following a recruitment process, councillors unanimously supported the appointment of current deputy CEO Bindu Arjoon.

Ollie Heptinstall, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk

She is the council’s first female chief executive and replaces Karime Hassan, who is leaving after a decade in charge.

In a statement, Ms Arjoon said she is delighted. “Exeter is a fantastic city which has built very firm foundations for its future success, and I am looking forward to embracing the opportunities and dealing with the challenges that lie ahead.

“We have a fantastic team at the council who are committed to delivering the best possible services for all of our residents, and together with our partners we will continue to ensure that Exeter remains a city we can all be proud of.”

Ms Arjoon, who has worked in local government leadership for 19 years, is also chair of the governing body of St Leonards Primary School and St Peter’s Secondary School and is currently chair of the Corporation of Exeter College.

Council leader Phil Bialyk (Labour, Exwick) said: “Bindu has been part of our leadership team here at the council for many years. She brings a wealth of experience to the role and has the skills, vision and expertise to make sure that we succeed as a council and as a city, in collaboration with our partners.

“I know Bindu will be a great success and I very much look forward to starting a new chapter in the successful story of this great city.”

Speaking at the full council meeting, co-leader of the opposition Progressive Group, Cllr Kevin Mitchell (Lib Dem, Duryard & St James) added: “I think Bindu’s going to do an outstanding job for the council and, more importantly, also for the city.”

Government rejects bid 

Cross party shots have been fired over the blame for Teignbridge’s failure to secure levelling up funding.

Rob Kershaw, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk

Teignbridge District Council applied for £14.5 million of government cash last year to create a cycle route between Newton Abbot and Torquay, and build a rail bridge linking Kingskerswell and Wolborough.

During a levelling up discussion at an executive meeting on Monday [13 March], Cllr Gary Taylor (Liberal Democrat, Dawlish South) criticised members of the South Devon Alliance for not supporting the bid.

“Local consensus is that the South Devon cycleway had been a strong bid,” he said. “And there will have been general disappointment to not have been selected – except of course among South Devon Alliance members, who either did not support the bid or voted against it.”

Cllr Taylor added that the South Devon Alliance members were “content, it would seem, to disadvantage their own residents while preaching the gospel of climate change mitigation from behind the steering wheel.”

Cllr Liam Mullone (South Devon Alliance, College) was not at the meeting, but countered afterwards that the case for the bid was “not well argued’, and the Liberal Democrat party needs to take responsibility.

“It has nothing to do with the South Devon Alliance, which has four members and no power,” he added. “I realise it’s election time, but Cllr Taylor should stop trying to lay the blame for his catastrophic four years of planning failure on other people. The blame lies with him and his Lib Dem colleagues.”

Cllr Taylor’s fellow Lib Dem Cllr Martin Wrigley of Dawlish North East said the council needs to be “brutal” when deciding whether to bid for government funding given that only one in five bids in the second round of levelling up funding were successful.

Councillors unanimously vowed to continue supporting improvement projects in Teignbridge.

• Replacement of a conservatory with a larger single-storey extension. 19 Moormead Budleigh Salterton EX9 6PZRef. No: 23/0483/FUL | Validated: Fri 03 Mar 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Lawful Development Certificate for the construction of a single storey rear extension2 Capel Lane Exmouth EX8 2QZRef. No: 23/0480/CPL | Validated: Fri 03 Mar 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Conversion and extension of the existing two storey garage/outbuilding for habitable use. Flat 1 Foxholes House Maer Lane Exmouth EX8 2DDRef. No: 23/0479/FUL | Validated: Fri 03 Mar 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed single storey extension to north elevation (front) Pine Hollow Hulham Road Exmouth EX8 5DXRef. No: 23/0478/FUL | Validated: Fri 03 Mar 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed single storey extension to north & east. Lavender Cottage Flower Street Woodbury Exeter EX5 1LXRef. No: 23/0477/FUL | Validated: Fri 03 Mar 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of an earth banked slurry lagoon Gittisham Farm Gittisham Devon EX14 3AXRef. No: 23/0462/FUL | Validated: Thu 02 Mar 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• A single storey lean to extension at the rear of the property 6 Bennetts Close Branscombe EX12 3DGRef. No: 23/0460/FUL | Validated: Thu 02 Mar 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Application for a lawful development certificate (CLUED) to establish the lawful use of existing vehicular access and adjacent building for domestic garaging and parking of cars Gibbons Farm Wilmington Devon EX14 9JQRef. No: 23/0459/CPE | Validated: Thu 02 Mar 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T4, Holm Oak : crown reduce by 2m. 1 The Deaf Academy Douglas Avenue Exmouth Devon EX8 2AURef. No: 23/0464/TRE | Validated: Thu 02 Mar 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Erection of an agricultural building Vinnicombes Poltimore Devon EX4 0ABRef. No: 23/0463/FUL | Validated: Thu 02 Mar 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of rear extension to bungalow and replacement of garage. Hillcrest Luppitt Honiton EX14 4SURef. No: 23/0449/FUL | Validated: Wed 01 Mar 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed erection of a glamping pod Coombe Park Farm Woodbury Salterton Devon EX5 1PZRef. No: 23/0446/FUL | Validated: Fri 03 Mar 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed shed/studio building to replace oil tank and fenced enclosure. Batts Cottage Gittisham EX14 3AJRef. No: 23/0454/FUL | Validated: Wed 01 Mar 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Prior approval for a general purpose agricultural storage building Linhayes Farringdon Devon EX5 2JERef. No: 23/0452/AGR | Validated: Wed 01 Mar 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed new slurry cover store Broadhembury Barton Broadhembury EX14 3LPRef. No: 23/0450/FUL | Validated: Wed 01 Mar 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Alterations and extensions including replacement roof and accommodation at first floor; demolition and replacement of existing garage with proposed double garage. Anchorage Barline Beer EX12 3LRRef. No: 23/0457/FUL | Validated: Fri 03 Mar 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Single storey extension of the existing switchroom building at NGED’s operational primary substation site off Temple Street Electricity Sub Station Ascerton Close SidmouthRef. No: 23/0447/FUL | Validated: Wed 01 Mar 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed storage building for timber. Blamphayne Sawmill Gittisham Devon EX14 3ANRef. No: 23/0436/FUL | Validated: Thu 02 Mar 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Retention of extension, alterations to roof and fenestration to existing rear extension. 23 Manstone Avenue Sidmouth EX10 9TFRef. No: 23/0437/FUL | Validated: Wed 01 Mar 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed two-storey side extension 9 Victoria Road Sidmouth Devon EX10 8TZRef. No: 23/0440/FUL | Validated: Tue 28 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Retrospective planning for an existing agricultural donkey shed/donkey housing and surrounding land used for grazing Land North East Of Woods Farm East Hill SidmouthRef. No: 23/0434/FUL | Validated: Tue 28 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed single storey rear extension, hipped to gable roof and front and rear dormers 10 April Close Exmouth EX8 4QERef. No: 23/0438/FUL | Validated: Tue 28 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of rear dormer window and single storey rear/side extension Roswyn Well Mead Kilmington EX13 7SQRef. No: 23/0439/FUL | Validated: Fri 03 Mar 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed single storey private garage 101 Mill Street Ottery St Mary EX11 1AJRef. No: 23/0428/FUL | Validated: Mon 27 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Monterey Pine (T1) – fell. Eucalyptus Tree (T2) – fell. Both trees are within 3m of each other. Ref number: CA/SIDSV Hunters Moon Hotel Sid Road Sidmouth EX10 9AARef. No: 23/0416/TCA | Validated: Mon 27 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Erection of single storey and two storey side extension with detached garage and associated alterations to detached bungalow following the demolition of side extension and detached garage. Oaktree Lodge Oakhayes Road Woodbury EX5 1JTRef. No: 23/0425/FUL | Validated: Mon 27 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• New main entrance and access track for Rosamondford Farm Perkins Village Pig Farm Perkins Village Devon EX5 2JGRef. No: 23/0430/FUL | Validated: Mon 27 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of two storey side extension. 32 Woolbrook Park Sidmouth EX10 9DXRef. No: 23/0427/FUL | Validated: Tue 28 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1: Sycamore – crown lift to approximately 4m from ground level to remove the lower limb/s encroaching into the garden and a crown reduction of up to 4m reduction leaving the prune cuts at growth points to encourage regrowth. T2: Beech – crown lift to approximately 3m from ground level to remove the lower limb/s encroaching into the garden and a crown reduction up to 4m reduction leaving the prune cuts at growth points to encourage regrowth. 4 The Bothy Rousdon Devon DT7 3YDRef. No: 23/0424/TCA | Validated: Mon 27 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Variation to Section 106 agreement linked to application 19/2674/FUL (as varied by application 21/3343/VAR) to amend the units to be provided as affordable rented from units 3, 4 & 5 to units 1 , 2 & 5 Beer Social Club Berry Hill Beer Seaton EX12 3JPRef. No: 23/0419/V106 | Validated: Mon 27 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Two storey side extension and single storey rear extension 2 Thrashill Cottages Shorebottom Stockland Honiton EX14 9DQRef. No: 23/0410/FUL | Validated: Fri 03 Mar 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Variation of condition no. 4 (approved planning permission 98/P1783 for the renovation of storage building into habitable dwelling) to ensure that the accommodation is not used permanently for residential purposes Higher Yellands Holly Ball Lane Whimple Devon EX5 2QXRef. No: 23/0408/VAR | Validated: Mon 27 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of dwelling and associated works Land Lying To The South Of Rull Barton Rull Lane WhimpleRef. No: 23/0402/FUL | Validated: Mon 27 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Retrospective planning application for a replacement dwelling. Treaslake Farm Owl Cottage Buckerell Devon EX14 3EPRef. No: 23/0343/FUL | Validated: Mon 27 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Certificate of lawfulness for the erection of a single storey rear dining room extension4 Nurseries Close Exton Devon EX3 0PGRef. No: 23/0327/CPL | Validated: Mon 27 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Prior approval application for the conversion of former hall to two dwellingsFormer Kingdom Hall Russell Street Sidmouth EX10 8DDRef. No: 23/0297/PDMA | Validated: Mon 27 Feb 2023 | Status: Withdrawn
• Rendering of chimney to make weatherproof. Old Manor Mill Littletown Road Honiton EX14 2DQRef. No: 23/0289/FUL | Validated: Thu 02 Mar 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Rendering of chimney to make weatherproof. Old Manor Mill Littletown Road Honiton EX14 2DQRef. No: 23/0290/LBC | Validated: Thu 02 Mar 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Remove and construct new partition walls at first floor to create bathroom (bedroom 1); shower room (bedroom 3) and external vent on north elevation for bathroom Orchard Cottage Harcombe Devon EX10 0PRRef. No: 23/0200/LBC | Validated: Mon 27 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Single storey rear infill extension and conversion of roofspace to habitable use to include 2 x side dormers. 1A Halsdon Avenue Exmouth EX8 3DLRef. No: 23/0189/FUL | Validated: Mon 27 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed single storey rear/side extension Clover Cottage Boughmore Road Sidmouth EX10 8SJRef. No: 23/0172/FUL | Validated: Mon 27 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision

Looks like “the Great South West” loses out yet again – Owl

Jeremy Hunt is set to announce a dozen new low-tax “investment zones” across Britain at this week’s Budget in a bid to boost growth and help “level up” areas outside of London.

Adam Forrest www.independent.co.uk

The chancellor is expected to reveal 12 zones clustered around universities – radically scaling back a scheme introduced by the former prime minister Liz Truss which saw hundreds of councils bid against each other.

The Treasury said each zone would get £80m of support over five years – including generous tax incentives to attract businesses to left-behind parts of the country.

The zones will be clustered around universities and research centres and will be focused on driving growth in key sectors – technology, creative industries, life sciences, manufacturing and the green sector.

Eight mayoralty areas in England – East Midlands, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City, North East, South Yorkshire, Tees Valley, West Midlands and West Yorkshire – have been shortlisted to host investment zones.

Rishi Sunak’s government is working with devolved administrations to establish the final four locations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The chancellor is also set to announce £100m of investment in research and development projects in Glasgow, Greater Manchester and the West Midlands, as well providing more funding for levelling up partnerships across England.

Saying he wanted to “supercharge growth” across the country, Mr Hunt said: “True levelling up must be about local wealth creation and local decision-making to unblock obstacles to regeneration.”

Hundreds of councils are thought to have spent £12.5m on bids to be part of a wider, low-tax, low-regulation investment zone scheme scrapped after Ms Truss was kicked out of No 10 in the autumn.

Some 626 bids were submitted in England, with councils estimated to have spent an average of £20,000 to £30,000. Labour said they had been “forced to waste millions of pounds” on a “Hunger Games-style approach”.

Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said Mr Hunt’s scheme appeared to be a “marked improvement” on the previous Truss-era policy.

The influential figure said that by avoiding “a bidding-style competition and going straight to combined authorities, the government has avoided repeating previous mistakes”.

The move to boost “budding industries” comes after the government was forced to step in to facilitate the sale of the UK arm of the collapsed Silicon Valley Bank to HSBC to prevent dozens of tech companies being “wiped out”.

Sir Keir Starmer has challenged the chancellor to get the UK “off this path of managed decline” ahead of Wednesday’s Budget.

The Labour leader urged Mr Hunt to match his party’s ambition to secure the highest sustained growth in the G7 group of advanced economies.

Criticising the stalling economy under the Tory government, Labour pointed to data showing there are 3,000 fewer high-growth businesses in the UK than there were five years ago.

Sir Keir said: “This week the government has a real opportunity to show they have the ambition and competence to govern. Either they show some proper leadership and get our country off this path of managed decline or stand aside for an incoming Labour government.”

Exeter has been named as the eighth lowest city in the country when it comes to pay. The average annual salary for someone living in Exeter is £25,533. That’s almost £7,500 lower than the national average of £33,000.

Becky Dickinson www.devonlive.com

It was recently voted the best place to live in Devon. In a poll of DevonLive readers, the city of Exeter was declared the county’s favourite ‘hometown.’ With a vibrant city centre, a thriving hub of business and industry, and a top university, it’s a city that is often praised for offering that elusive work-life balance. However, when it comes to salaries, Exeter is lagging behind many other parts of the UK.

A new study has revealed the UK cities with the lowest average salaries. And Exeter has been named as the eighth lowest city in the country when it comes to pay. The average annual salary for someone living in Exeter is £25,533. That’s almost £7,500 lower than the national average of £33,000.

Surprisingly, the area with the highest average salary in the UK wasn’t London, but Guildford, in Surrey. Here, people take home an average of £38,040 a year. London came second with an average annual salary of £33,970.

The research also revealed the best places to work based on criteria such as the cost of living index, and average working hours per week. When these factors were taken into account, Edinburgh was crowned the best city in which to live and work. Cardiff took second place and Aberdeen camethird.

When it came to the worst places to live, based on these factors, Nottingham was named the worst city to work in, closely followed Plymouth in second place, and Derby third. The research was carried out by Utility Bidder, using data from the Office of National Statistics. You can see the top 10 UK cities with the lowest average salaries below.

We have to wait a little longer to hear the first cuckoo of the spring, but pending that a leaflet from the East Devon Conservatives has plopped through our letterboxes. And so it begins – the district election season.

(But not yet through Owl’s letterbox: “The Chestnuts”, middle of the hundred acre wood.) 

www.sidmouthherald.co.uk

Leader of East Devon District Council, Paul Arnott writes for this title.

It features a curious star line-up. Simon Jupp, the MP for East Devon is the star, even though he is not the MP for huge chunks of the East Devon District. The East Devon Conservative leader Philip Skinner, who has conducted the majority of his zoom meetings from his study in Bystock Court, Exmouth, is photographed “at his desk in Talaton”.

There is also mention of the supposedly apolitical figure looking after Police matters, Alison Hernandez, described as police and crime “commissionaires”. This took me back to the days of Commissionaires in scarlet braided uniforms outside cinemas. Will she soon appear with epaulets and medals at one of the local police stations where, just before the election, she is “re-opening” front desks to drop-in cases? Readers with even the shortest memories recall that it was under Conservative district, county and parliamentary rule that the front desks were closed in the first place.

The leaflet then makes Mr Jupp the hero for finding funding from the Department for Education to assist the flood-prone Tipton St John Primary School. Yet this battle goes back a decade and was first fought at County by the well-respected Independent Claire Wright, the cause taken on by her successor, also Independent, Jess Bailey (a much-valued colleague at District too).

First, the Conservatives claim they opposed increases in car park charges. This is simply untrue. At the key Overview and Scrutiny (O&S) Committee where the increases were agreed, two venerable but retiring Conservative councillors from Budleigh Salterton happily voted with a proposal which had in fact came from a Labour councillor.

It was only when less principled Tory chums decided they could make mischief with this later on – i.e., now, at election time – that they were ordered to vote another way at Full Council. This was a pity. Both men acknowledged that the Tories had ducked car park charges for more than a decade. They both knew that the cost to residents in key seaside tourist locations of cleaning the streets, emptying the bins and so on, especially in the staycation boom we have seen in the last three years, is immense – way more than inland car parks.

To mitigate that, charges have increased, and to nobody’s surprise the car parks have remained jam-packed. For a tourist family to park all day cannot cost more than £8, and the free market said yes.

To make sure this did not affect local people we offered very reasonable yearly permits, £2 winter parking etc., which have been well-taken up.

Finally, no car park charges will rise for at least a year. We have taken measures to take them out of the political arena where they languished in Conservative chaos for 45 years.

The heat generated by a washing-machine-sized data centre is being used to heat a Devon public swimming pool.

By Zoe Kleinman www.bbc.co.uk

Mark Bjornsgaard says his scheme can save public swimming pools thousands of pounds

The computers inside the white box are surrounded by oil to capture the heat – enough to heat the pool to about 30C 60% of the time, saving Exmouth Leisure Centre thousands of pounds.

The data centre is provided to the council-run centre free of charge.

Start-up Deep Green charges clients to use its computing power for artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Founder Mark Bjornsgaard said the company would also refund the leisure centre’s electricity costs for running the “digital boiler” – and seven other England pools had signed up to the scheme.

The concept, developed over five years, is relatively straight forward – the hot oil is pumped into a heat exchanger to warm the water in the pool.

Sean Day, who runs the leisure centre, said he had been expecting its energy bills to rise by £100,000 this year.

“The partnership has really helped us reduce the costs of what has been astronomical over the last 12 months – our energy prices and gas prices have gone through the roof,” he said.

“Looking at different ways of how we can save money as an organisation has been awesome.”

Swim England chief executive Jane Nickerson said it was good to see pools “embracing innovative solutions”.

Last summer, BBC News revealed 65 swimming pools had closed since 2019, with rising energy costs cited as a significant reason.

‘Huge problem’

Cambridge University professor of engineering and the environment Dr Julian Allwood said: “If it’s a sensible idea and it saves the leisure centre some money, then why not?” adding data centres on the whole used less energy than previously reported.

But large ones can require billions of gallons of water and millions of pounds to keep cool.

Some are even built under water – or in caves or very cold parts of the world.

And in Danish and Swedish cities, huge data centres power thousands of homes.

“Data centres have got a huge problem with heat,” Mr Bjornsgaard said.

“A lot of the money that it costs to run a data centre is is taken up in in getting rid of the heat.

“And so what we’ve done is taken a very small bit of a data centre to where the heat is useful and required.”

Mid Devon takes £500k from its savings

Mid Devon has finally agreed its new budget, which will see the district council take more than half-a-million pounds from its reserves.

Ollie Heptinstall, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk

Officers were forced to reconsider the council’s financial plans after councillors last month rejected two sources of income needed to balance the 2023/24 budget – a legal requirement.

Mid Devon had been expecting to earn interest from loans it had made to its controversial housing development company, 3Rivers, but members rejected a new business plan for the firm, and its future is now in doubt.

The council was also short of an additional £120,000 after members paused planned hikes to car parking charges following a public outcry.

Some charges, including annual allocated permits, were set to more than double, but they are instead now likely to rise by inflation.

To ensure the council is not projecting to spend more than it receives in income next year, the majority of councillors approved a temporary reduction of £610,000 from its current general fund reserve at an emergency full council meeting on Wednesday [8 March].

The move, agreed three days before councils must legally set balanced budgets, will take the reserve down to around £1.6 million – below the £2 million minimum level previously accepted by councillors.

Explaining the numbers, council finance chief Andrew Jarrett’s report said: “Due to the extremely tight timetable to make these final budget adjustments, it is fundamentally impractical to offer any other budget solution except utilising our general fund balances/reserves.”

It adds the council will therefore need to agree a plan “as to how and over what period it will be replenished back to the £2 million figure that was agreed.”

Mid Devon’s overall budgeted cost of services next year is £16.8 million.

Councillors also agreed to take a further £15,000 out of reserves to prevent two paddling pools at Tiverton and Crediton from being mothballed, after hearing from disgruntled residents.

The pools will remain open this summer, though town councils and businesses may step in to help after that.

Mid Devon previously agreed to raise council tax by 2.99 per cent from next month, equivalent to an extra £6.56 per year for band D properties.

Rishi Sunak has electricity grid upgraded to heat his private pool

Rishi Sunak’s new private heated swimming pool uses so much energy that the local electricity network had to be upgraded to meet its power demands, the Guardian has been told.

Jim Waterson www.theguardian.com 

While many Britons are facing increased electricity bills – and are trying to limit their energy usage – extra equipment was recently installed in a remote part of North Yorkshire to provide extra capacity from the National Grid to the prime minister’s constituency home.

This followed Sunak’s construction of a new heated swimming pool, gym and tennis court in the grounds of the manor house he occupies at weekends. Engineers had to install a substantial amount of equipment and a new connection to the National Grid that runs across open fields.

Sunak will personally pick up the cost of the electricity upgrade work – estimated to have cost tens of thousands of pounds – in addition to the ongoing cost of energy consumption for the swimming pool.

Construction work on Sunak’s private 12-metre (40ft) swimming pool has finished just as many council-run baths, including in his local area, are being forced to reduce their opening hours owing to increased energy costs. This week, the House of Commons culture select committee called on the government to offer extra help to swimming pools in the forthcoming budget, suggesting 350 pools had closed or cut their hours as a result of energy costs.

Only last month, the operators of a swimming pool near the prime minister’s home said it would reduce public access because of the increased cost of energy.

Meanwhile, the government is preparing to end its energy bills support scheme, although it is likely it will temporarily extend it in next week’s budget.

Sunak’s constituency home is an imposing Grade II-listed manor with extensive gardens including a private lake, weir and boathouse. The home is surrounded by a sprawling collection of isolated farmhouses, and the immediate neighbouring buildings are three houses, a farm and the remnants of a medieval settlement.

Sunak’s new pool was built on greenfield agricultural land that until recently was used for grazing animals.

A spokesperson for the prime minister declined to comment on the works at his constituency home.

Sunak is believed to have paid for the work on his home using personal funds, and there is no suggestion he used his status to receive preferential treatment from Northern Powergrid, which maintains the network in the region. Developers and businesses often pay to upgrade the local grid when constructing new buildings.

Sunak bought the home for £1.5m in 2015, shortly after becoming the MP for the constituency of Richmond. He still regularly visits the house, although he often eschews the direct rail service from London to nearby Northallerton in favour of a personally funded helicopter trip.

The home abuts an abandoned medieval settlement, and the remnants of ancient rig-and-furrow cultivation are still visible in the surrounding fields – a stark difference to Sunak’s other private homes, which are a new-build flat overlooking the Pacific Ocean in California and a mews house in central London.

When Sunak’s swimming pool was given planning permission in 2021, local councillors were told that the building was designed to look like a converted agricultural building clad in local stone and blend in with the local area.

But at the meeting, one councillor, John Noone, said: “It doesn’t look like an agricultural building to me; it looks like a rather large bungalow.”

A year ago Owl alerted residents to a “survey” from Simon Jupp addressed to named individuals asking, amongst other things, how they voted in 2019.

Apparently “Big Brother” is at it again, with a focus on Exmouth residents.

This time, however, a  sinister shadowy figure can be seen peering over his shoulder.

(Jupp’s left shoulder to be precise)

Scary! – Owl 

PS The Tories are obviously now too old to conquer the finer skills of PhotoShop

THEN

NOW

HERE IS WHAT SIMON & PHIL WANT TO KNOW (and record)

Police and Crime Commissioner role could be scrapped under devolution plans

The office of our PCC employs 30 Full time equivalent staff and cost us £6m annually.

Are the selfies worth it? – Owl

Oliver Pridmore www.nottinghampost.com

Ben Bradley says the role of Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) could be scrapped in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire as part of devolution arrangements for both counties. The leader of Nottinghamshire County Council was speaking as the results of a public consultation on the proposed East Midlands devolution deal are published.

The deal would see a new authority established in the East Midlands that would be given £1.14 billion over 30 years, alongside extra powers in areas such as housing and transport. Those taking part in the consultation broadly agreed with most parts of the deal, but there was less support for the creation of an East Midlands Mayor to head up the new devolved authority.

The first East Midlands Mayor is set to be elected in May 2024, the same month when the new East Midlands authority is set to be formally established. The public consultation saw 45% disagreeing with the plans for the governance of the new authority, compared to 42% who agreed, with comments mainly focusing on the creation of the new mayor role.

But speaking about some of the concerns raised, Ben Bradley said: “Certainly people ask those questions around whether this is more politicians and more elections. It doesn’t have to be and we’ve got all sorts of options as we go forward.

“There are options in other places where you have less politicians, where PCCs disappear and become part of the combined authority. All those things are questions for us to consider and look at in the future.

“It doesn’t have to be more politicians. I feel very strongly that this is about getting all of our existing people and structures into a coherent strategy so we’re working together instead of pulling in different directions.”

PCCs are elected to hold the Chief Constable of the relevant force to account and to oversee the force as a whole. The roles were created in 2012 after the abolition of police authorities, with former Sherwood MP Paddy Tipping serving as Nottinghamshire’s first PCC.

Mr Tipping, who stood for Labour, was elected again in 2016 but was then defeated by Conservative candidate Caroline Henry in 2021. Speaking about the future of the role, Caroline Henry said: “No decision has yet been made on whether the role of the PCC will be subsumed into a new governance structure because there are two statutory police force areas, with separate commissioners.

“As such, the PCC element is unlikely to be a component. As it stands, we are told by government that they fully expect there to be PCC election cycles in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire in May 2024.”

The devolution agreement was first signed last August by Ben Bradley, together with the leaders of Nottingham City Council, Derby City Council and Derbyshire County Council. Nottingham City Council leader David Mellen has previously said he was not “100% in favour” of having a new East Midlands mayor.

But Ben Bradley says having a mayor is a condition of being given the amount of money and power set to be handed to the East Midlands. He said: “We took the view as the four upper tier leaders across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire that we would play the game.

“We want these outcomes, so we’ll do what we need to do to get these outcomes. In other places over the border, they decided to have an argument with Government about it and as a result they’re not going to get the outcomes.

“I think we’ve made the right choice.” Addressing the question of whether there would be a low turnout for the first East Midlands Mayor election, Councillor Bradley said: “It’s incumbent on us as leaders to make sure we engage with people and they see the reasons to come and have their say on this, so I hope this won’t be an issue.”

Ben Bradley, who also serves as Mansfield’s Conservative MP, has not yet confirmed whether he would run to be East Midlands Mayor himself. The process of establishing a ‘shadow’ East Midlands authority, preceding the formal set-up next year, is set to begin in April.

Caroline Henry added: “I always want the best for people in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire and I am fully supportive of any devolution deal that helps deliver the best outcome in terms of investment and local control for vital services and infrastructure. I have been working closely with senior figures across Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Derby and Derbyshire throughout this process to help deliver the best deal for local people.”

The consultation saw 4,869 responses altogether, with majority agreement on proposals around the transport and environment powers the new authority would have. Legislation to form the new authority could go through Parliament later this year.

“Last year, a 1.3km (0.8 mile) rock berm at the base of the cliff was approved in principle, but the council funding for the £15m scheme was challenging to obtain, with just £2.5m available from the government.”

Work to demolish three homes close to the cliff edge in Norfolk has started after high tides cut into sandy cliffs.

Residents have left their wooden properties in The Marrams in Hemsby, some of which are within 1m (3.2ft) of the cliff edge and at risk of collapse.

By Kate Scotter, Jon Ironmonger, Martin Barber & Andrew Turner www.bbc.co.uk (online article contains many graphic images)

Several outbuildings were lost to the sea as high tide hit at about 21:00 GMT on Friday.

Sue, whose property was the first to be taken down, said it was “soul-destroying”.

The demolition of her house is now complete, and the two other properties will be flattened on Sunday, contractors on the site say.

Along with her neighbours, Sue spent the morning hurriedly packing up her belongings before the demolition teams moved in.

Sue, who did not want to give her surname, said she wished more could have been done to save her home of three years.

“It’s really annoying, it’s all your hopes and dreams collapsed into nothingness,” she said.

This time last week there was up to 20ft between her property and the cliff edge, and then there was just 3ft.

She was told she would have to get planning permission for her home to be moved back from the cliff edge but there was not enough time.

Watching her house being destroyed with her head in her hands, she said: “We’ve got some very happy memories there because it’s got lovely energy to it, lovely atmosphere.”

Mary Withey, whose home is also set to be demolished, said she and her partner “had got what we can”.

“I’m not OK with it, it’s been my home, I don’t want to move… it’s very sad,” said Ms Withey, who has lived in her house for four years,

“When I first heard I was in shock and today I’ve just been tearful, it’s horrible.”

Jane Beck, head of property and asset management at Great Yarmouth Borough Council, had initially planned to demolish all three properties within the day, before the next high tide at 21:38.

“It’s extremely sad for those people and we’re trying to do everything we possibly can to help them through that process,” Ms Beck said.

The beach and surrounding area at Hemsby should be avoided, she added, and she urged people to stay away for their own safety.

The only access road to properties on the Marrams has also been cordoned off and is expected to collapse.

Fire crews knocked on doors on Friday and urged anybody still in the affected properties to leave their homes.

During the evening, a shed and a playhouse toppled over the cliff but Hemsby Independent Lifeboat crew managed to rescue two chickens from the shed which they said “put a smile on everyone’s face”.

Daniel Hurd, coxswain with the lifeboat crew, said it had been a “long old night”.

The Highways Agency blocked off the road on Friday evening and BT responded to a telegraph pole that was tilting on the edge.

“Luckily we managed to get that on to the beach and not risk public safety by it falling on top of them,” he said.

“My concern now is that if [the erosion] gets to the car parks, we possibly may have to shut the doors on the lifeboat station and then you won’t have sea cover off Hemsby at all… and that is serious,” he added.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council’s chief executive, Sheila Oxtoby, said the authority was looking to bring some rock on to the beach to protect the road access to a number of other properties as a “temporary solution”.

It is understood 1,900 tonnes of granite are due to arrive on Tuesday.

Ms Oxtoby said: “At the same time as dealing with the immediate issue, we’re also looking at how we can use our emergency powers to provide a temporary rock berm solution to give us more time for the main scheme.”

Mr Hurd, however, said the current situation was “heart-breaking” and could have been resolved earlier.

He said: “I just think it’s absolutely ridiculous, this has been an emergency for years and it’s taken this weekend for them to see it’s an emergency to then get a rock berm put on the beach.”

Borough councillor, James Bensley, said he could understand people were frustrated but there had been “so much bureaucracy”.

“It’s a real minefield of making sure that what local government and the authorities do is the correct line of procedure and I can totally understand people’s frustrations,” he said.

“We [also] have to make sure it works, we have to make sure it’s cost affordable and doesn’t affect further south down the coast.

“I know the process and the time that has been taken is exhausting and I can fully appreciate and understand that but we have to do it correctly and with the tools that we have got and through the right channels.”

Hemsby, near G.reat Yarmouth, is home to about 3,000 people and was once home to a Pontins holiday camp

Seven bungalows along The Marrams had to be demolished when sandy cliffs washed away in March 2018 and, in December 2013, “the worst storm surge in 60 years”, destroyed seven homes.

Last year, a 1.3km (0.8 mile) rock berm at the base of the cliff was approved in principle, but the council funding for the £15m scheme was challenging to obtain, with just £2.5m available from the government.

 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.