Royal Marines have helped a woman clear up her garden after it was covered in mud following a flash flood.

By John Ayres & Rebecca Ricks www.bbc.co.uk

Royal Marines from the Commando Training Centre, in Lympstone, Devon, came to the aid of Ms Pinfold

Hilary Pinfold, from Newton Poppleford in Devon, said she contacted the local barracks and was “delighted” when more than 40 marines turned up to help.

Dane, one of the marines, said it “feels good” to be able to help the local community.

A 6ft (1.8m) wall in Ms Pinfold’s garden collapsed during the downpours, and the downstairs of her house was also flooded.

Ms Pinfold’s garden following the flood

“We were getting a bit downhearted at the weekend about the amount of work that we’ve got to do and didn’t see, even with volunteers, how we could get it done,” she said.

Ms Pinfold, a nurse, said she made a phone call to the local barracks, Commando Training Centre, Lympstone, after a friend suggested they might help.

Royal Marines helped to build a sandbag wall to offer some extra protection to the garden

“What they’ve done in just a few hours is amazing, it would’ve taken weeks.

“This is part of what King Charles III said in his Coronation mandate, that he wanted to see communities working together and I think that’s what you’re seeing here.”

Newton Poppleford was badly hit by the flash flooding

Matthew, one of the commandos, said: “She needed help digging up all the mud that came through from the farmer’s field.

“It [the garden] looks quite good now, but it was quite a mess when we first got here. It was under a lot of mud and we just had to shift it out the way.”

Ms Pinfold said builders were expected to start work on her house in late June.

Medical care and surgical services at the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital (RD&E) and North Devon District Hospital (NDDH) have been rated as ‘requires improvement’ following an unannounced inspection instigated by 16 ‘never events’ being reported at the sites between March 2021 and November 2022.

Anita Merritt www.devonlive.com

Never events are serious, largely preventable patient safety incidents that should not occur if healthcare providers have implemented existing national guidance or safety recommendations. It promoted independent health and social care regulator Care Quality Commissions to inspect the hospitals at the end of 2022.

Areas of concern found included a ‘high number’ of staffing shortages, long increasing waiting lists, surgical outcomes not always meeting national standards, action not always being taken quick enough for patients at risk of deterioration and significant challenges with the new integrated electronic patient record system.

The results of the inspection of diagnostic services, published today, May 26, state the RD&E has declined from a rating of ‘good’ to ‘requires improvement’ overall for medical care. It was rated as requires improvement for being safe and well-led. Effective, caring and responsive categories were inspected but not rated.

Surgery at both locations, dropped from good to requires improvement overall as did the ratings for safe and well-led. How responsive, caring and effective the service is was inspected but not rated. Medical care at North Devon District Hospital remains requires improvement overall. It was rated as requires improvement in safe and well-led. Effective, caring and responsive were inspected but not rated.

Diagnostic imaging at both locations was rated as good overall. It was also rated as good for being caring, responsive and well led, and requires improvement for safe. As per all CQC inspections, diagnostic services were inspected but not given a rating for how effective they are as it is not usually used for treatment.

This is the first inspection of the trust since the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust and Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust merged to form the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust in April 2022. The aim of the merger was to combine resources and expertise to provide acute, community and specialist services across North Devon, Mid Devon East Devon and Exeter.

Corporate and clinical services are in the process of being merged. The inspection was one of a number of CQC visits that will form the Royal Devon’s overall trust rating.

The trust had a separate well-led inspection earlier in May which looked at the leadership and governance of the organisation. A further report and an overall trust rating is expected in the coming weeks.

Cath Campbell, CQC deputy director of operations in the south, said: “Our inspection of Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was prompted by concerns about the number of never events that had taken place. Although we understand the pressures that healthcare providers have faced, and continue to face, never events are precisely that – they should never occur.

“If they do, it’s important they are thoroughly investigated to ensure they don’t happen again. Once an investigation has taken place learning should be shared with all staff and that wasn’t always happening.

“The trust had mitigated risks by putting in place a never event investigation report. While individual investigations into each never event had taken place, the trust also recognised the need to join up the learning and communicate this between all trust locations as it wasn’t currently happening.

“Inspectors found staff knew how to safeguard people. They also treated people with kindness and compassion, considering their individual needs and preferences.

“Following the inspections, we reported our findings to the trust. Its leaders know what they need to do to improve services, and where there’s good practice on which they can build on.”

The inspection report does not reveal details of the 16 never events that were reported by the trust. The concerns highlighted by inspectors include:

• The service had a high number of vacancy rates at all levels. There was a high reliance on a locum workforce. Due to the shortages on most shifts, some people had to wait longer to receive help with food and personal care.
• In medical care, people’s documentation and risk assessments were not always completed. This meant staff did not always identify or act quickly enough for patients at risk of deterioration.
• In medical care staff did not always know if people had enough food and drink to meet their needs and improve their health as it was not recorded.
• In surgery, outcomes for people did not always meet expectations based on national standards. The surgical division was under pressure with long waiting lists which were increasing.
• In surgery and medical care, there were challenges with the new integrated electronic patient record system as a complete oversight of the service provided was difficult. Some audits that were required had been postponed during the pandemic and the results were currently unavailable due to the introduction of a new integrated electronic patient record system. This did not give sufficient oversight of performance and how to improve.
• Staff were not always competent in using the new integrated electronic patient record system.
• At the safety and risk meeting in October 2022, the trust acknowledged they were not completely assured that all the steps identified to minimise the amount of never events, were being taken. While individual investigations were completed, the trust did recognise the need to join up the learning and communicate this between all trust locations.

However, inspectors also praised the hospital in a number of areas. Inspectors note people didn’t stay in hospital longer than they needed to as managers and staff started planning each person’s discharge as early as possible.

Staff were said to be open and honest and understood the duty of candour. They gave patients and families a full explanation if and when things went wrong.

If staff were concerned about people’s mental health, it was noted the service had 24-hour access to mental health liaison and specialist mental health support provided onsite by the local mental health trust.

In diagnostic imaging services, inspectors found staff were discreet and responsive when caring for people. They took the time to interact with people and those close to them in a professional, respectful, and considerate way – to ensure people understood every issue.

Chris Tidman, the trust’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are pleased that our diagnostic imaging services have been rated good. We are of course disappointed by the results in our medical and surgical services, however, we feel it is a fair reflection of the challenges the trust and our teams were under at the time of the inspection.

“We are a learning organisation and we welcome feedback from the CQC and their response to our never events, which will help us to continuously improve our services for our patients and communities. We are reassured that the majority of the areas for improvement were already known to us, and work is underway to raise standards and performance.”

The report describes the challenges caused by the rollout of the trust’s electronic patient record.

Chris said: “Epic brings us huge opportunities to modernise the care we provide to our patients, but with a new system of this size we always expected it to take time to become embedded, so we were not surprised to see this reflected in the report.”

Inspectors also highlighted how patients were treated with compassion and kindness, and examples of positive-team working, staff feeling empowered to raise concerns and treating patients according to their individual needs.

Chris added: “As a leadership team, we are extremely proud of our staff and we encourage them to be proud too, of everything they do every day for our patients.”

Ministers have appointed external commissioners to in effect take control of a Surrey council with debts expected to reach £2.4bn – 100 times its annual net income – after spending heavily on commercial property.

The council, which was run by a Conservative administration when the investments were made but now has Liberal Democrat leadership, said it welcomed the move as the “challenges are so significant that the council and its officers cannot deal with these on its own”.

We will be living with Conservative legacy problems such as this for years to come. – Owl

Peter Walker www.theguardian.com

Woking borough council, which spends £14m a year and has an annual net income of £24m, now has a total debt of £1.9bn. But it is forecast to hit nearly £2.4bn by 2024-25, a written statement from Lee Rowley, the junior levelling up minister, said.

The council, described by Rowley as the most indebted council in England compared with its financial resources, risks effective insolvency after a surge in debt interest costs on its investments including a shopping centre, residential tower blocks and a 23-storey Hilton hotel.

In February, Woking said it was at risk of issuing a section 114 notice, which signals insolvency. Councils cannot technically go bankrupt, but such a move obliges central government to intervene to ensure local services are sustainable.

Rowley’s statement said the council faced “the most challenging financial position of any local authority in England”, and that his department had increasing concerns about the size of the debt and how it was being managed.

In January, the levelling up department commissioned three experts on local government to carry out an external review. While this has not yet been published, and is likely to be redacted in part due to commercial sensitivities, Rowley quoted it as concluding that there “is no realistic route to the council returning to financial sustainability alone”.

He has thus appointed the same three experts to become commissioners with wide-ranging powers over the council, including financial and commercial decision-making, and restructuring the authority.

They are Jim Taylor, who was chief executive for three metropolitan councils; Carol Culley, the deputy chief executive of Manchester city council; and Mervyn Greer, a senior Cabinet Office official with responsibilities for local government.

The decision to appoint the three, taken by Michael Gove, the communities secretary, “reflects the acute situation in Woking and the urgent need for commissioners to begin work immediately to ensure that the council takes steps to secure compliance with their best value duty”, Rowley’s statement said.

The council, which was run by a Conservative administration when the investments were made but now has Liberal Democrat leadership, said it welcomed the move as the “challenges are so significant that the council and its officers cannot deal with these on its own”.

Ann-Marie Barker, its leader, said: “My administration is very clear about the huge challenges facing the council due to the legacy of both the extraordinarily high and disproportionate levels of debt that we have inherited from the previous administration. We are also very clear and focused on the significant risks that the council is now facing up to as a result of that debt.

“We also recognise that these challenges are so significant that the council and its officers cannot deal with these on its own. We therefore fully acknowledge and accept the findings of the report and welcome the support set out by the minister in his letter.”

Relax! 

This refers not to our new Chair but to the Chair of Teignbridge District Council (and it’s a man obviously) – Owl

The new chairman of Teignbridge District Council claims he will unite the community and water ski in the Teign Estuary during his year of office.

Guy Henderson, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk 

Long-serving Cllr Chris Clarance (Independent, Shaldon and Stokeinteignhead) was chosen to chair the council for the coming year after spending the last 12 months as deputy.

“He has performed admirably as deputy chair,” said proposer Cllr Martin Wrigley (Lib Dem, Dawlish NE). “He has navigated our way through some interesting discussions.  I also like the fact that as an Independent he can ensure openness and transparency.”

Cllr Clarance was elected by 32 votes to nine, defeating Cllr John Radford (South Devon Alliance, Kerswell-with-Coombe).

He told a meeting of the full council on Tuesday: “I consider this to be a great honour, and I hope all council members will have confidence in me.”

He named the Devon Air Ambulance as his chosen charity for the year, and pledged to raise funds by water skiing at Coombe Cellars, as he had during a previous stint as chairman a decade ago.

He will not be able to tackle the famous ski jump this time, though, as it has been removed since his first leap.

“I hope to bring members together to work for the good of the community,” he went on.

And he broke the news of the death of former chairman Mike Walters. “He was in relatively recent times a member and chairman of this council,” he said.

“I have fond memories of Mike. Our condolences to his family. It is very sad.”

Cllr Clarance’s deputy will be Cllr David Cox (Lib Dem, Teignmouth Central)
 

Kevin Forster MP (Con) Torbay led a Westminster Hall debate on Tuesday on short -term holiday lets and the planning system.

The purpose was to air the problem and consider the Government’s proposal to tweak the planning system as a solution.

A Correspondent has filleted some nuggets of information (so you don’t have to read it all)

First a pithy quote from Luke Pollard MP (Lab) Plymouth:

”The south-west has enough houses; we just do not have enough homes for people to live in.“

Now some interesting stats:

In ENGLAND although there is no single source of data on short-term lets “one plausible estimate” is 257,000 properties. (Report commissioned in 2022.by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport )

In DEVON there are 13,363 second homes, an increase of 11% from last year.

In Totnes in south Devon, there are 3,454 Airbnb lets. But houses available for long term rental in Totnes number 34 properties.

In CORNWALL, there are approximately 25,000 second and holiday homes.

Holiday lets have grown by 661% in Cornwall in five years, according to the Campaign to Protect Rural England.

There are 23,500 households on the housing waiting list.

“One of the villages just down the road from where I live is over 70% second homes already “(Luke Pollard )

In NORTH NORFOLK, Wells-next-the-Sea, 40% of all homes are now second homes or holiday lets.

Villages such as Morston, Salthouse, and Blakeney, where every new build house now goes for £1 million, over 50% of the homes are holiday homes or holiday lets.

Some 2,700 families and households are on the North Norfolk District Council housing list

In CUMBRIA there are 8,384 short-term lets of which 75% are Airbnbs.

There are only 232 long-term rental properties available in the whole of the county of Cumbria.

Why has this happened?

Why have our local councils not been given the powers to balance the needs of the economics of tourism with the basic human need of local families to have a safe, affordable place to live?

The minister has the final say:

The Minister Rachel Maclean outlined the details of the proposal to enable local authorities, if they wish, to require planning permissions for change of use to short term and holiday lets.

In passing she boasted that the government delivered 232,000 additional homes—a 10% increase on the previous year. This included “over 632 affordable houses” (Can this be right? Is the Minister, like many of the rest of us, confusing “affordable”, 20% off market rate houses, with old fashioned “council houses”?)

Just to remind you, East Devon has a waiting list of over 4700 individuals and families .

What contribution did Simon Jupp make?

Below is his speech verbatim.

Frankly, this correspondent is unimpressed. 

Simon seems more interested in name checking and political point scoring than adding anything constructive to the argument. Compared to his peers, he comes across as an intellectual lightweight.

[Tim Farron rather than Richard Foord spoke for the LibDems, Speakers are chosen to give political balance. Richard Foord managed one small interjection. So only Jupp got to speak for East Devon]

Simon Jupp:

I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Torbay (Kevin Foster) for securing this morning’s debate on short-term holiday lets and the planning system.

I represent a glorious part of the UK. It is understandable that many people want to visit East Devon year after year: we have the Jurassic coast, stunning food, rolling hills, country pubs, quaint bed and breakfasts, and historic attractions. Many jobs in our communities depend on visitors enjoying the variety and availability of accommodation options. Visitors, in turn, spend money locally year after year.

Homeowners benefit from the flexibility offered by short-term lets. For many, it is an important second income at a time of high inflation. However, the soaring numbers of short-term lets and second home ownership make it more difficult for so many local people to own a home of their own. I live in Sidmouth, where a glance at the estate agent’s window reveals the reality: local people are being priced out of the market. It is a similar story in Beer, Branscombe, Budleigh Salterton, Exmouth, Topsham and Seaton. Many local people find it increasingly difficult to get on the property ladder, given the high prices advertised. Homes are often being sold to cash buyers from elsewhere within days of being advertised.

I hope the key message of today’s debate will be that we need to get the balance right. Homes to buy and for long-term rent are out of reach for many people who grew up in Devon, like me, or who work locally or need the support of family to look after a loved one. Our country and our county need strong communities all year round, not places that are ghost towns half the year. What have the Government done, what will the Government do and where could the Government go further?

The Government have been listening to the concerns of colleagues, particularly those who represent tourist hotspots in Devon, Cornwall, Norfolk, the Lake district and Yorkshire. There have been welcome measures. The Government have already introduced higher rates of stamp duty for additional properties. They have closed business rate loopholes. They plan to let local authorities double council tax on second homes, as has been mentioned. That is a great start, but more action is needed, specifically on short-term lets. That is why I welcome the introduction of a registration scheme through an amendment to the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill, which will bring short-term lets up to a higher standard and provide much-needed data on activity in local areas.

This debate is timely, because the consultation on how the registration scheme will be administered is still open; it closes in roughly a fortnight. There are also plans to restrict the ways in which homes can be flipped into short-term lets by bringing in new permitted development rights for a change in use from a C3 dwelling house to a C5 short-term let. Councils would then have the option to limit the use of those permitted development rights, such as in certain geographical areas with the highest number of short-term lets. Let me tell you: East Devon is definitely one of those.

The consultation is running in parallel to the one on registration schemes, which also closes soon. It is right to give local councils all the tools they need. Those powers should not be mandated by Whitehall officials. Decisions will be made by local people elected at the ballot box. I hope that East Devon District Council will use the tools given to it by this Conservative Government.

Finally, there are areas in which the Government can go further. As I have mentioned before in Parliament, one policy could be to allow councils to reserve a percentage of new builds for people with a local family or economic connection to an area. For example, the purchaser or tenant could have to meet one of the following conditions: that they currently live or work within 25 miles of the property, that they were born within 25 miles of the property, or that they can demonstrate a care network within 25 miles of the property. A covenant would permanently protect a percentage of any new housing stock from short-term let or second home ownership. We undoubtedly need to build new homes in East Devon, but we should aim to look after locals first. The Government can be creative and proactive in looking at all possible options. Only then will there be a better balance.

Obviously there are two sides to this debate, and I do acknowledge that short-term holiday lets bring visitors to the places we love. Visitors contribute a great deal to our communities in East Devon, but their stay is often enjoyable only because of local workers behind the bar of a pub, in the kitchen of a restaurant or tapping on the till of a local high street shop. Those workers need somewhere to live, too. Our economy in East Devon would grind to a halt without them. We need a much better balance for our communities in East Devon for local people, now and for generations to come.

The Democratic Alliance Mk 2.

Council members may give notice that they wish to be considered as part of a political grouping for the purpose, amongst other things, of assigning seats to committees so as to achieve political balance. 

The formal political groupings amongst members of the new East Devon District Council are listed below

Owl notes that our Labour councillors follow national guidance and stand aloof.

Democratic Alliance Group (29)
Councillor Paul Arnott
Coly Valley Liberal Democrat Leader of the Council
Councillor Christopher Burhop
Newton Poppleford and Harpford Independent
Councillor Sarah Chamberlain
Broadclyst Liberal Democrats
Councillor Olly Davey
Exmouth Town Green Party Portfolio Holder Strategic Planning
Councillor Tim Dumper
Exmouth Halsdon Liberal Democrats
Councillor Paula Fernley
Broadclyst Green Party
Councillor Charlotte Fitzgerald
Budleigh and Raleigh Independent
Councillor Steve Gazzard
Exmouth Withycombe Raleigh Liberal Democrats
Councillor Anne Hall
Exmouth Littleham Liberal Democrats
Councillor Matt Hall
Exmouth Withycombe Raleigh Liberal Democrats Portfolio Holder Economy
Councillor Paul Hayward
Axminster Independent Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder Finance (Assets)
Councillor John Heath
Beer and Branscombe Independent
Councillor Nick Hookway
Exmouth Littleham Liberal Democrats Portfolio Holder Culture, Leisure, Sport and Tourism
Councillor Sarah Jackson
Axminster Independent Portfolio Holder Communications and Democracy
Councillor Richard Jefferies
Tale Vale Liberal Democrats
Councillor Geoff Jung
Woodbury and Lympstone Liberal Democrats Portfolio Holder Coast, Country and Environment
Councillor Jamie Kemp
Exe Valley Liberal Democrats
Councillor Dan Ledger
Seaton Independent Portfolio Holder Sustainable Homes & Communities
Councillor Yehudi Levine
Dunkeswell and Otterhead Liberal Democrats
Councillor John Loudoun
Sidmouth Rural Independent Portfolio Holder Council and Corporate Co-ordination
Councillor Duncan Mackinder
Yarty Liberal Democrats
Councillor Todd Olive
Whimple and Rockbeare Liberal Democrats
Councillor Marianne Rixson
Sidmouth Sidford Liberal Democrats Portfolio Holder Climate Action & Emergency Response
Councillor Eleanor Rylance
Broadclyst Liberal Democrats Chair of the Council
Councillor Simon Smith
Axminster Independent
Councillor Andrew Toye
Exmouth Halsdon Liberal Democrats
Councillor Susan Westerman
Trinity Liberal Democrats
Councillor Joe Whibley
Exmouth Town Independent
Councillor Eileen Wragg
Exmouth Town Liberal Democrats

Conservative (17)
Councillor Brian Bailey
Exmouth Littleham Conservative
Councillor Colin Brown
Dunkeswell and Otterhead Conservative
Councillor Jenny Brown
Honiton St. Michael’s Conservative
Councillor Alasdair Bruce
Feniton Conservative
Councillor Fred Caygill
Exmouth Brixington Conservative
Councillor Maddy Chapman
Exmouth Brixington Conservative
Councillor Iain Chubb
Newbridges Conservative
Councillor Mike Goodman
Sidmouth Sidford Conservative
Councillor Derek Haggerty
Seaton Conservative
Councillor Marcus Hartnell
Seaton Conservative
Councillor Stuart Hughes
Sidmouth Sidford Conservative
Councillor Ben Ingham
Woodbury and Lympstone Conservative
Councillor Cherry Nicholas
Exmouth Brixington Conservative
Councillor John O’Leary
Honiton St. Paul’s Conservative
Councillor Helen Parr
Coly Valley Conservative
Councillor Sophie Richards
Sidmouth Town Conservative
Councillor Henry Riddell
Budleigh and Raleigh Conservative

Independent Group (9)
Councillor Jess Bailey
West Hill and Aylesbeare Independent
Councillor Ian Barlow
Sidmouth Town Independent
Councillor Kevin Blakey
Cranbrook Independent
Councillor Kim Bloxham
Cranbrook Independent
Councillor Sam Hawkins
Cranbrook Independent Vice Chair of the Council
Councillor Mike Howe
Clyst Valley Independent
Councillor Vicky Johns
Ottery St Mary Independent
Councillor Melanie Martin
Budleigh and Raleigh Independent
Councillor Tony McCollum
Honiton St. Paul’s Independent

Labour (3)
Councillor Violet Bonetta
Honiton St. Michael’s Labour
Councillor Bethany Collins
Ottery St Mary Labour
Councillor Daniel Wilson
Exmouth Halsdon Labour

Independent Councillor Group (2)
Councillor Roy Collins
Honiton St. Michael’s Liberal Party
Councillor Peter Faithfull
Ottery St Mary Independent

From a correspondent:

Yesterday Owl reported that “The owner of Exmouth Watersports company has written to South West Water claiming that sewage pollution in the sea is damaging his business” and then also reported that Exmouth has been a “Blue Flag” beach for five years.

I was not entirely sure what merited the award for a blue flag so was astounded to read that WATER QUALITY was a requirement.

“The Blue Flag is a certification given to beaches by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE).  A beach that has been awarded the blue flag means that it meets the organisation’s standards of environmental management. These standards are for water quality, safety, and public environmental education. Local governments try to get the Blue Flag for their beaches and marinas, to show people that they have high environmental and quality standards.

The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE which is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation. It is made up of 65 organisations in 60 member countries in Europe, Africa, Oceania, Asia and the Americas.”

Perhaps the 32 times that sewage discharged in Exmouth for 418 hours from the Sewage Treatment Works, plus the 39 episodes of 470 hours from Maer Pumping Station in 2022 is considered acceptable. See: Sewage Map | The Rivers Trust (sewage pollution was considerably down last year from previous years due to less rainfall)

I then looked at Sidmouth which has a four year history of an award, 48 discharge episodes totalling 608 hours in 2022.

Seaton, with only two previous awards, experienced 49 discharge episodes totalling 490 hours in 2022.

Beer, the newcomer, experienced a mere few hours of outfall.  Perhaps the only beach which may be said to have met the public’s expectations.

Budleigh Salterton doesn’t have a Blue Flag, why not?

BS experienced a mere 31 episodes of 270 hours duration.

That beats Sidmouth, Seaton and Exmouth. 

Did the FEE know about the Honiton Waste Water Treatment works discharging for 1,966 hours over 115 episodes into the River Otter eventually flowing onto the beach, and then thought twice? (Not to mention Gittisham, another 606 hours and all outfalls south).

The owner of Exmouth Watersports company has written to South West Water claiming that sewage pollution in the sea is damaging his business.

Exmouth has been a  “Blue Flag” beach for five years. Despite this, a correspondent recently added up all the sewage discharges recorded by the rivers trust for their latest annual report. This found that Exmouth had over 2,000 hours of outfall into Lyme Bay and the Exe. 

2,000 hours of sewage discharge merits a “Blue Flag”- how come? – Owl

Adam Manning www.exmouthjournal.co.uk 

Stephen Rollason Managing Director of Red Rock Leisure Ltd, which owns PrattsHayes campsite and Exmouth Water sports has written the letter to South West Water in reference to the sewage spills into the estuary, river and seas over the past year. 

Stephen said in the letter: “We work hard to encourage in the region of 20 thousands visitors to our campsite, wedding venue and watersports/activity centre. To then have received so much bad feed back and complaints due to the closure of bathing and watersports is surely unacceptable. There is also an obvious financial loss as we have to refund customers who cannot go out out on the water and the loss we have suffered from guests no longer wishing to return to East Devon.

“In our times when the environment is such and issue, should we not be leading the way and showing care to our environment and protect our resources for the future generations? As a company we have planted thousands of trees and support green levies. We teach our customers about sustainability and about protecting nature.

“We pay out extra for green energy and environmentally green waste collections. And we are in the process of possible large scale solar system, we are trying to do our bit for the environment.”

In response, a South West Water spokesman told the Journal: “We want everyone to feel confident about water quality across our region and proud of the performance of their water company.

“We continue to reduce our use of storm overflows but we know there is more to do. We are investing in several schemes in Exmouth to prevent surface water entering the sewer network and to reduce spills.

“All overflows in Exmouth are currently included in plans to be improved by the end of 2030.”

They concluded: “We have a plan, it is working and we won’t stop until everyone can feel proud about the performance of their water company in the South West.”

Exmouth Town Councillors have voted in a new mayor – Green Party councillor Olly Davey.

Adam Manning www.exmouthjournal.co.uk 

At the Exmouth Town meeting held on Monday, May 22, Cllr Davey became the new mayor, with independent councillor Jo Whibley as his deputy mayor.

Cllr Davey takes over the mayorial role from Cllr Steve Gazzard, an independent who represents Exmouth Withycombe, who had been the mayor since May 2019.

Cllr Davey said: “I am honoured to be the first Green mayor of Exmouth and thank Exmouth Town councillors for nominating and electing me to this position. I shall aim to represent Exmouth and its people to the best of my ability”.

Olly has served as a district councillor and town councillor for the last four years and has been re elected as a district councillor for Exmouth town ward.

As a member of the EDDC strategic planning committee  he has been involved in the development of the draft new local plan for East Devon. He is now in a key role to ensure that the views of Exmouth Town are considered by the district council.

Following the district council elections in May, councillor Steve Gazzard was re-elected for another term.

He spoke to the Journal at the count: “I’m delighted to be re-elected, whether people voted for me or not we are here to serve the community and we will do what we can for residents until the next election.

“We did not set out specific aims in our manifesto but if any residents what to come and raise something with us we can do what we can to help.”

After an election, councillors agree at the next council meeting a new mayor and deputy. 

Outgoing Council Chair Ian Thomas did not seek re-election. 

However, his retirement was delayed as he was required to return to the “colours” to preside over the nomination and election of the new Chair, Cllr Eleanor Rylance.

Thereafter, protocol apparently required that he be described as the “Dowager Councillor” Thomas.

The new Chair, in her words recalling and thanking him for his long service in EDDC, culminating in deftly chairing the past couple of years of the coalition, struggled with that.

(So did Owl)

Suella Braverman is facing fresh controversy after it was claimed civil servants in her department were forced to “fact-check” the home secretary’s statements to cabinet on up to six occasions.

Aubrey Allegretti www.theguardian.com 

Concerns have been raised about the under-fire minister’s competence, as Downing Street denied Rishi Sunak was dithering about whether to launch an investigation into a potential breach of the ministerial code over her bid to avoid a speeding fine.

Government sources told the Guardian Braverman has repeatedly got things wrong, including during cabinet talks about King Charles’s coronation in March and in meetings held this week on migration, in which she overstated the number of Ukrainians and Hongkongers who had come to the UK by tens of thousands.

One insider said she made “basic errors”, while another said she “keeps getting facts wrong”. After meetings with other senior ministers, the Cabinet Office was said to have had to contact officials from the Home Office, who were asked to “factcheck” her claims.

There was no such similar problem when her predecessor, Priti Patel, ran the Home Office, the Guardian was told.

A source close to Braverman disputed the suggestions and claimed they had no awareness of such issues.

Sunak has not yet decided whether to ask his ethics adviser to look into Braverman’s attempt to arrange a private speed awareness course and concerns about her attempt to draw on civil servants to help her.

He has asked her for “further information”, according to the Cabinet Office minister Jeremy Quin, who fielded questions in the Commons on Tuesday.

Despite no firm decision having been publicly announced, No 10 insiders suggested that Braverman could be in the clear because they felt there had not been enough of a public outcry for her to face a severe sanction.

Tory MPs are in a “mutinous” mood, with government frontbenchers understood to have spoken to figures in the whips’ office to voice their frustration with a lack of action being taken against Braverman.

Braverman’s special adviser, who is accused of having told a journalist who asked whether she had been caught speeding that it was “nonsense” before the story became public, is also coming under scrutiny. Sunak’s spokesperson confirmed they were being looked at “in the round”.

Some Whitehall experts and former civil servants have downplayed a potential breach of the rules by Baverman.

Gus O’Donnell, a former head of the civil service, told an event at the Institute for Government on Tuesday morning: “One of the things that was wrong about the ministerial code [is] that people thought, journalists in particular, about this, ‘A-ha, gotcha! You broke the ministerial code, therefore you must resign’, which is not true.

“It shouldn’t be true. It should be, ‘You broke the ministerial code, it is actually a relatively minor offence, I am going to give you a yellow card and we’ll move on’.”

Jill Rutter, a former No 10 civil servant and government expert at UK in a Changing Europe and the Institute for Government, also said it might fall into the category of a bad judgment for which she is in “final, final warning territory”.

She said the context and tone of the incident was important, including how strongly she had asked civil servants to look into a private course. “Should she have asked? Probably not. That’s bad judgment and an inappropriate thing to do. But if people said they couldn’t help her, and in terms of ordering the civil service around, it looks as if she desisted. If she was just inquiring whether this was possible, it is different from saying: ‘Look, I’m the home secretary, don’t you know who I am?’ It’s all bad, but Sunak will have to decide: is it worth sacking her over?”

She said in a more functioning system the ethics adviser, Sir Laurie Magnus, would be able to order his own investigation rather than relying on Sunak as the person to trigger an inquiry.

Braverman has defenders within politics, particularly on the Eurosceptic right of the party. One political aide who has worked with Braverman said she was steely and extremely clever, as well as persistently underestimated by her colleagues.

They said she was still very well-regarded by the European Research Group wing of the party and Sunak would not be strong enough to move against her, even if he wanted to.

MP Richard Foord has called for South West Water to be overhauled following an overdue apology for sewage dumping. In a statement issued through Water UK, water and sewage companies admitted to dragging their heels on taking action to stop sewage discharges into our coastlines, rivers and lakes.

Lewis Clarke www.devonlive.com 

In the wake of this announcement, Tiverton & Honiton MP Richard Foord has said the apology is far too late, and that it is meaningless unless the firm is completely reformed.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for water firms to become “public benefit companies,” making environmental goals more important than profits, and making it compulsory for environmental experts to sit on their company boards.

They say this would put an end to billions of pounds being wasted in dividends whilst sewage destroys waterways.

Devon Liberal Democrats are also demanding an apology from the region’s Conservative MPs, saying they repeatedly voted down tougher action on water firms.

Commenting, MP Richard Foord said: “This announcement is too little too late after years of putting public health at risk and large-scale environmental damage, which has previously been arrogantly dismissed by the water industry.

“This apology means nothing unless the firm is completely reformed from top to bottom. Protecting the environment should be more important than making overseas investors rich. Sadly, South West Water still has their priorities all wrong.

“To add insult to injury, this Conservative MPs across the West Country have spent recent years voting down tougher action on polluting water firms. They too owe people an apology.”

Mr Foord has welcomed the announcement that Ofwat has launched an investigation into South West Water, warning that the company has ‘serious failings’ that need to be addressed. Commenting, Richard Foord said: “The fact that Ofwat has launched this investigation into South West Water reinforces what we already knew – that there are serious failings in the way some of our utility companies are being run.

“This action is overdue, as it’s clear that South West Water is being run for the benefit of shareholders; our local communities are an afterthought. Their negligence has seen a stream of sewage dumped in our rivers and on our beaches, while communities are left facing burst pipes and hosepipe bans.

“The Government has repeatedly rebuffed Liberal Democrats’ efforts to clamp down on this behaviour, claiming that Ofwat has the ability to properly regulate the actions of water companies. Sadly, to date we’ve seen little tangible action.

“Now is their chance to prove they mean business and reassure the public that water company bosses will not be allowed to get away with this shockingly poor performance.”

A South West Water spokesperson said: “We agree with the messages shared by Water UK. As we have said, we know there is more to do. We are investing more than ever before, we have a plan and it is working. We take our responsibilities to customers, the environment and society as a whole extremely seriously. We won’t give up until people have a water company they are proud of.”

A Dorset Council councillor is to resign his seat after winning an election at Exmouth in Devon.

[He not only won in Exmouth but has been appointed to the EDDC cabinet on the basis of his experience! – Owl]

Trevor Bevins www.dorsetecho.co.uk 

Cllr Matt Hall had moved to the neighbouring county to take up a job as a planning officer after recently qualifying.

His move is likely to lead to an election for his Sherborne West seat on Dorset Council in the coming weeks.

He had been criticised by Conservative councillors for moving away from the area, whilst retaining his Dorset seat which he has held since spring 2019.

In a statement Mr Hall says it came as a surprise to be elected in Exmouth and it had always been his intention to step down from his Dorset Council role before next May’s elections. He will now resign formally at the next council meeting.

He said: “I had agreed to stand as a paper candidate in Exmouth ahead of a move to the town. However last week Exmouth, like much of the UK, voted overwhelmingly to reject the nasty politics of the Conservative Party and I now find myself a councillor on two different councils. It had always been my intention to step down from Dorset Council at the elections next year, but it isn’t fair to constituents in either place to try and do both jobs. So with great sadness I have decided to give up my Sherborne seat early.”

Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Dorset Council Nick Ireland paid tribute to Cllr Hall saying: “Exmouth’s gain is very much Dorset’s loss. Matt has been an outstanding councillor for Dorset and is a prime example of why electing Liberal Democrats is good for local communities. He works tirelessly for residents of Sherborne and a raft of local charities. He champions local causes and is always available to help constituents with their problems.

“Matt will be sorely missed by his fellow councillors and by the many hundreds of Sherborne residents he has personally helped. We look forward to putting forward a candidate who can carry on his good work.”

Matt Hall added: “I am extremely sad to be leaving Sherborne. It has been my home for over 20 years and I’ve been a councillor here in many different guises for 12 years. I am enormously proud of what I and my fellow Liberal Democrats have achieved; from dealing with blocked drains, trip hazards and potholes, to getting funding from the various councils to help fund highway improvements and supporting local groups and organisations.

“The success of Liberal Democrat candidates across the country in last week’s local elections shows that people are tired of being taken for granted and want elected officials who are going to work for them rather than themselves.”

Sir Richard Branson’s rocket company Virgin Orbit has shut down, just months after a major mission failure.

Where now for Cornwall’s space port? – Owl

By Peter Hoskins www.bbc.co.uk

The firm’s converted jet and leases on properties have been sold for $36m (£29m), just a fraction of the $3.7bn the company was valued at in 2021.

In March, Virgin Orbit said it would make most of its workforce redundant after failing to secure new investment.

The California-based firm filed for bankruptcy protection in the US early last month.

It came just weeks after the company paused operations in an apparent attempt to shore up its finances.

Earlier this year, a Virgin Orbit rocket failed to complete the first ever satellite launch from UK soil.

Virgin Orbit’s headquarters rocket factory and equipment were bought by rival start-up, Rocket Lab, for $16.1m.

Its converted Boeing 747 jet, called Cosmic Girl, was sold for $17m to aerospace firm Stratolaunch.

Another space company, Launcher Inc, bought Virgin Orbit’s launch site and lease in the Mojave desert for $2.7m.

Virgin Orbit, which was founded in 2017, never turned a profit as a public company.

It developed rockets to carry small satellites and is part of Sir Richard’s business empire, which includes airline Virgin Atlantic and space tourism company Virgin Galactic.

The company’s LauncherOne rocket reached space but fell short of reaching its target orbit.

The mission was billed as a milestone for UK space exploration. It had been hoped it would mark a major step forward to fulfilling an ambition to turn the country into a global player – from manufacturing satellites to building rockets and creating new spaceports.

Much of Dartmoor, and in particular the areas owned by the duchy are classed as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI). These special areas are designated because they are nationally important for wildlife, and in need of protection. Yet despite 10 years of environmental subsidies much of the land is still in poor condition, according to the latest surveys by Natural England, the most recent of which were undertaken in 2019. Some date back to 2011.

King Charles and Prince William could be dragged into a bitter fight over £13m of taxpayer funds paid over the past decade for nature restoration on Dartmoor national park.

Helena Horton www.theguardian.com

The funds have partly been paid to tenants farming land in the national park that is owned by the Duchy of Cornwall, a land and property estate controlled by the heir to the throne.

The subsidies were intended to help preserve and restore Dartmoor as an important national wildlife ecosystem. Yet despite the government funding little improvement has been seen.

Last month the government regulator, Natural England, stepped in and threatened to stop the subsidy payments unless farmers significantly reduced livestock grazing, a key contributor to the degradation of the land. This controversial move caused a local and parliamentary backlash, which has thrown into question the regulator’s powers.

Some have criticised the duchy, suggesting that Prince William, and previously the king, as the landowners are ultimately responsible.

The duchy has developed a plan with farmers to help improve the land and recently committed £700,000 to land restoration. But the area is failing on virtually every government environmental measure.

Much of Dartmoor, and in particular the areas owned by the duchy are classed as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI). These special areas are designated because they are nationally important for wildlife, and in need of protection. Yet despite 10 years of environmental subsidies much of the land is still in poor condition, according to the latest surveys by Natural England, the most recent of which were undertaken in 2019. Some date back to 2011.

Most worryingly, peat bogs on the SSSIs are in terrible condition. These bogs are a significant store of carbon in the UK as well as being invaluable for wildlife.

Much of the damage to the environment has been put down to increased grazing. Though grazing is a traditional part of life on Dartmoor, in recent years there has been an increase in animals stocked on the land, stripping vegetation from the peat bogs which cover the national park, according to Natural England.

Wes Smyth, Natural England’s area manager for Dartmoor, said landowners who did not improve the areas they looked after, would cease to get government funding unless they changed their ways.

He said: “It’s become clear over the recent years that the relationship between farming, nature and other impacts like climate change are not in balance and nature is declining in a way that may jeopardise the huge value that Dartmoor brings to local communities and visitors.

“Despite the protection these designations provided, and the huge investment of public money in agri-environment schemes, wildlife has declined. Breeding populations of golden plover, red grouse and ring ouzels have now gone or are on the verge of being lost.

“Dartmoor’s precious peatlands, its blanket bogs on the highest ground and mires in the valley bottoms are still suffering from historic management affecting their ability to store carbon and regulate river flows.”

The lack of improvement led Natural England to write to tenant farmers saying subsidy payments would be stopped unless they reduced their livestock on Dartmoor. At stake is more than £1.3m paid annually to farmers to improve the condition of peatland and plants as well as increase numbers of rare birds on the SSSI.

As the largest landowner Prince William could find himself dragged into the debate over these payments. Some of the farmers who received letters are tenants of the duchy.

Campaigners believe that it is ultimately the responsibility of the duchy to ensure tenant farmers are deploying farming methods that give the land the best chance to recover.

A spokesperson for the Duchy of Cornwall said: “As a responsible landowner who prioritises sustainability, we work closely with our partners on Dartmoor – particularly our tenants, the wider farming community, conservation groups, Dartmoor National Park Authority and Natural England – on the management and condition of the commons.”

Environmental campaigner and Devon resident Guy Shrubsole said: “King Charles and Prince William have both spoken passionately about environmental issues for decades, but their rhetoric hasn’t always been matched by action when it comes to their Duchy of Cornwall landholdings. Large swathes of duchy land on Dartmoor have the right climate for temperate rainforest, but only tiny fragments now remain. Prince William has supported the restoration of temperate rainforest in the Pacific north-west – let’s hope he now does so on his own estate.”

Tom Usher, of the Dartmoor Preservation Association, added: “The Duchy of Cornwall are in a unique position to show leadership by properly managing Dartmoor’s degraded SSSIs. They have a duty to the land they claim to care for and the people that live and work there.

“To fix it the duchy needs to have tightly and regularly monitored outcomes that are key to success. The collaborative approach of the last decade with farmers and those that work the land should continue and now also involve local community groups.”

EDDC chooses continuity in leader, deputy leader and most cabinet appointments

At this evening’s annual meeting the following were elected unanimously as:

Chair, Cllr. Eleanor Rylance (LibDem)

Vice Chair Cllr Sam Hawkins (Cranbrook Independent)

Leader Cllr Paul Arnott (LibDem)

Having been elected he then chose Cllr Paul Hayward (Independent) to continue as his deputy.

In a short address Paul Arnott outlined his intention to continue giving priority to three topics::

Homes

The environment

The East Devon economy with emphasis on sustainability

He announced nine cabinet members who included eight from the retiring cabinet :

Climate Action Cllr Marianne Rixon (LibDem)

Coast, Country and environment Cllr Geoff Jung (LibDEm)

Council and Corporate coordination Cllr John Loudon (Independent)

Democracy and  Transparency Cllr Sarah Jackson (Independent)

Tourism, leisure, sport, culture Cllr Nick Hookway (LibDem)

Economy Cllr Matt Hall (LibDem) (new cabinet member)

Finance and assets Cllr Paul Hayward (Independent)

Strategic Planning Cllr Olly Davey (Green)

Sustainable homes and communities Cllr Dan Ledger (Independen)

Assistant portfolio holders will be announced in due course when the newly elected members have settled in.

What a waste of taxpayer money – Owl

Boris Johnson will no longer work with government-appointed lawyers for the Covid inquiry, after he was referred to the police over further potential rule breaches during the pandemic.

www.bbc.co.uk 

Allies of the former PM said he had lost all confidence in the Cabinet Office, which handed over the material.

The Cabinet Office said officials had been obliged to disclose the documents under civil service rules.

No 10 said neither ministers nor the PM were not involved in the decision.

The outgoing council was controlled for the past three years by a Democratic Alliance comprising members of the Green Party, the Liberal Democrats, the Independent East Devon Alliance, and an Independent who came together for form a new political group.

Will such a  “coalition of the willing” be formed amongst the new council members?

We will discover tonight.

This meeting is being recorded by EDDC for subsequent publication on the Council’s website and will be streamed live to the Council’s Youtube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmNHQruge3LVI4hcgRnbwBw

Furious residents say they are being driven from their seaside town by holiday rentals that have “hollowed out” their community.

Alice Clifford www.independent.co.uk

People living in Whitstable have expressed frustration that homes previously filled by locals are now being used by visitors throwing loud parties, blocking driveways, taking up vital parking spaces and leaving the streets covered in rubbish.

With long-term neighbours being replaced with a constant stream of unfamiliar faces, people are feeling as though the town has been ripped of its sense of community.

Those desperate to find a solution attended a meeting last Friday to discuss ways to regulate the industry, hosted by members of Canterbury City Council’s Green Party in a bid to find a way to balance the issues with the benefits of tourism.

One woman said she “really struggles as a resident of this town” as working from home has become an impossible task with constant noise.

Another added: “People don’t care where they park – it’s cheaper to pay a fine than pay for a day’s parking.”

People applauded when one local said “there is no longer a sense of community”.

One resident, Jonathan Hollow, added: “I have lived in Whitstable since 2006. I’m right in the centre. When I moved in I had long-term neighbours each side of my terraced house. Now one side is a second home, and the other side is a holiday rental property for short-term lets.

“The owner of the holiday rental property has been very considerate in response to the requests I have made, but he is not there all the time. He can’t legislate for the behaviour of everyone who passes through his house.

“You do get more noise – confusion with people knocking on your door seeing if you can help them with lost keys. Sometimes there are problems with bins being left out on a street.

“All these are incidental nuisances, but generally having this feeling where you know fewer of your neighbours is resulting in a deterioration in the life of the community in Whitstable.

“We do need tourists but we need to find a happy way of living with tourism. I would like to see Canterbury City Council immediately introduce a voluntary code of practice which owners can sign up to that sets high standards for neighbourliness.”

As it stands, a property can be used as a short-term holiday let with no notice or permission needed.

One of the possible regulations discussed was making it so that people hoping to convert future properties into short-term lets have to apply for change-of-use planning permission.

This is something the government is considering, with a new planning use class created for lets not used as a sole or main home.

But it would only apply to new hosts and not existing second homes already used as holiday lets.

Sophie Williams, 52, welcomed the idea. She said: “Having a holiday let next door, I didn’t initially know it was happening. There was a person knocking at my door because he couldn’t get in. That was one of the first incidents I dealt with.

“It’s not always parties late at night, although last New Year’s Eve a party went on until 8am.”

She added: “I like to sit and read in my garden and their garden has been done up beautifully for barbecues so there are garden parties three times a week in the summer. It’s upsetting and makes me not want to live there.

“I think they should be paying council tax because they have taken away a property that should be residential.”

According to rough data obtained by Councillor Clare Turnbull, Canterbury City Council could be missing out on almost £500,000 of revenue.

This is because hundreds of holiday lets in Whitstable are not registered for council tax and don’t pay business rates either.

At the meeting, people voted in favour of introducing council tax for second homes and owners of holiday lets. Some feel the tax should even be doubled for people with second homes – something councils running tourist hotspots across the country are considering.

Limiting the number of nights each year a property can be rented out for was also suggested among other ideas.

While welcoming regulations, resident Jo Taylor feels they need to be tougher, saying: “This is not a witch hunt. We still want people to come here for their holidays but it needs to be a nice place for residents too.

“We have quite a few holiday lets down our road and people are coming and going all the time. You don’t know who these people are. At least when you have neighbours you recognise who is who.

“Because there are so many holiday lets and not enough family homes, you don’t see as many people in the winter so the community is losing out massively.

“Lots of the shops are shut in the winter, the restaurants are closed, the people in the shops take less money because we’re a seaside town and there are not as many people staying here.”

She added: “The regulations suggested are all a bit too ‘light touch’, they need to be more dynamic and forceful. The people who own the holiday lets need to be more accountable for what happens in them.

“We need to be able to know how many properties we are dealing with because we are saying all this, but we don’t know the full facts. I would like to see more meetings like this, so we can get an in-depth view on how we can get that balance.”

Another person, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “Holiday lets mean there are fewer rental properties for young people and families. The homes that are left, nobody local can afford because the rents sky-rocket with demand.

“People are moving further away just so they can afford to live.”

Rebecca Sewell from Tankerton runs the house-keeping business Halos and earns around 70 per cent of her income through holiday lets.

While she supports the industry, as a local she also welcomes regulations.

The 49-year-old said: “While I do have concerns about people having affordable homes to live in the area, I also have invested interest in holiday lets being here. The housekeeping jobs provide income for local people and for the town. They support women in particular back into work after having children.

“Holiday lets have driven prices of the rental market up, but the flip side is it does provide work. I can see both sides which is why I came to the meeting to see if there is a way to balance that.”

It wasn’t just concerned neighbours who attended.

One man who lets out his spare room to tourists, while still living in his home, also welcomed regulations. But he felt they should be on a different scale for set-ups like his.

Most people agreed these types of lets are more sustainable and cause less problems for the town. As a result, the majority agreed regulations for these types of lets should not have to follow such strict rules.

The meeting was held following an online consultation sent to residents in September asking for their views.

While emotions were high from people desperate to find a solution, there was also a sense of hope that balance could be found. Residents’ responses and views on the proposed regulations will be combined for the next stage of the consultation locally and nationally.

Cllr Turnbull said: “People made strong contributions to the ideas behind the registration scheme and the change of use and regulations. It’s a massively emotional issue and I think the main point was it’s about the community.

“What was a close knit, really vibrant town, is becoming hollowed out by holiday lets taking over people’s homes that were habited by young families before with children going to local schools.

“It is driving people out of the town which is desperately sad. People who want to stay in the town that have always lived here can’t find rental properties or they can’t afford to buy because the prices have gone up so high.

“The council is due to set up a working group on this issue to recognise this is an important issue in Whitstable. I’m going to make sure they deliver on this working group and they take the issue seriously.”

Labour councillor Pip Hazelton, recently appointed as the new-look city council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “We want to see as much affordable accommodation made available to local families as possible.

“We do understand we need to balance that with tourism. We shall be setting up a cross-party politically balanced working group to look into exactly how we will do this as soon as possible. This will be an opportunity to delve into the complexities, government guidelines and legislations, while looking at the needs of our district.

“There isn’t one simple answer. What we don’t want is communities hollowed out and destroyed by holiday lets. People are seeing homes as an investment to be exploited rather than homes for local people.”