Locals furious at ‘total destruction’

Torbay Council has apologised for cutting down 40 iconic palm trees in a Torquay seaside park without telling anybody.

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

Tree felling at the Italian Gardens in Torquay (image: Guy Henderson)

A social media outcry followed the felling of the much-loved palms in the Italian Gardens near Torre Abbey Sands, and the story has hit the national headlines. Some comments described the cull as ‘total destruction.’

Now the council’s parks and gardens company SWISCo has said sorry.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the company said: “You may have seen or heard about the work taking place and that we have removed some palm trees.

“We want to apologise for not adequately communicating with you about those plans in advance, and we should have shared our plans earlier and more widely.

“In our enthusiasm to deliver, we raced ahead and failed to let you know that we were going to be making a start on the scheme, so causing this breakdown in communication.”

Consultation over the restoration of the gardens in time for their 100th anniversary next year began in 2019, but the pandemic and budget pressures meant the work was delayed.

SWISCo says the trees were showing ‘signs of advanced decline.’ None was in its prime after years of battering from the seafront weather, the company claims.

The trees were cabbage palms, which have a lifespan of 50 to 70 years. Most were around 50 years old, having been planted in the 1970s.

SWISCo’s statement continues: “Of late, the quality of the gardens had diminished and they were looking far from their best. With the 100th anniversary of the gardens being next year, now felt the right time to make improvements.”

The new garden will feature 1,600 new plants from 12 different species, including some replacement palms. Palm trees did not feature in the gardens when they were first planted in 1924.

“As work continues in the new year, we will be sure to share with you how it is developing with updates on both our website and Torbay Council’s,” said the statement.

Homes will be bought by Plymouth Council at a cost of £10 million to help ease the city’s housing crisis.

Alison Stephenson, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk 

The council’s cabinet has agreed to borrow money to purchase around 50 properties to use as temporary homes.

It will also be bidding for a grant of between £3 million and £5 million from Homes England.

Demand for temporary accommodation in the city has more than doubled with the number of households requiring homes rising from 160 to 413 (158 per cent).

Many families are now live in B&B establishments and short stay holiday lets as there are no homes available.

Like other cities, Plymouth is facing a homelessness crisis brought about by  the cost of living and the economic impact of the pandemic.

These have significantly affected the housing market and people’s ability to meet day-to day bills such as rent, mortgage, utilities, food and travel. Inflation and the lack of affordable housing has resulted in further demand for housing and homelessness services.

The council needs to find £2.4 million to support homeless people and says it can make savings of more than £1 million a year if it buys properties.

Cabinet member for housing and communities Cllr Chris Penberthy (Lab, St Peter and the Waterfront) said it would ease pressure on families and have less impact on children.

“We have done the sums. An average family in temporary accommodation costs £23,000 a year. Once we have figured in all the costs, we can make savings of £16,000 and provide them with a temporary home which is exactly that and not a stop-start solution like B&Bs. This will give them something more stable.

“We are putting our money where our mouth is in terms of how we treat people.”

Councillors heard how 366 children currently live with their families in temporary accommodation, including 83 children in B&Bs and 35 under fives. B&B stays are limited to two weeks, so families are being moved around.

Children are being moved away from friends and schools, have to share rooms with siblings and parents, and often have nowhere quiet to do homework or revise for exams.

Cllr Penberthy said many families are finding themselves in a situation they have never experienced before because of section 21 ‘no-fault’ eviction notices from landlords who have decided to sell up. Many of these people were working and not claiming benefits.

A shortage of homes to rent meant that there are up to 100 enquiries for each one that becomes available.

He said he did not want anyone to suffer in silence. “We know people are saying they can manage and there will be something else, but it’s not like that any more. I want them to come to us. Please don’t be afraid or ashamed. Come to us as quickly as you can and we can begin to plan together.”

Council leader Tudor Evans (Lab, Ham) saidthe rise in people coming through the council’s doors for help is “alarming.” He said the authority’s action in allocating the £10 million was “proportionate and timely” and it would give hope to hardworking staff. “This money will help our staff to help people,” he said.
 

A Conservative councillor has quit the group and gone independent, causing the gap between the Plymouth’s governing party and their rivals to widen further.

Carl Eve www.plymouthherald.co.uk

The May this year the local elections in Plymouth saw the city change from blue to red, with Labour accruing a total of 31 seats, against the Conservatives 18, after it lost five seats. Two months later, Labour went on to celebrate securing two more seats with by-election victories. This led to Labour having 33 seats and the Conservatives 16 seats.

However, Plympton Erle Councillor Andrea Loveridge, elected to her seat representing the Conservatives in May 2016 and re-elected in May 2021, has now revealed she no longer has confidence in her party and has announced she will now represent residents as an Independent.

In a statement released on her Facebook page and provided to PlymouthLive, Cllr Loveridge said: “It’s with a heavy heart, and after careful, consideration, and reflection that I have decided to part ways with The Conservative Party and take a leap of faith as an Independent.

“Unfortunately, I have lost confidence with the Conservative Party going forward and as an Independent member it will provide me with the flexibility to engage in open dialogue, collaborate across political spectrum and focus on issues that matters within the constituency, which I am honoured to serve. This means I will be working with former Conservative Cllr Terri Beer in Plympton Erle Ward, together we will be a voice for our community and face issues together within the constituency”.

Cllr Loveridge will now sit as an independent member, in addition to both former Conservative councillors Maddi Bridgeman and Stephen Hulme who have previously become independents. According to Plymouth City Council’s website, Cllr Loveridge has chosen to not join the Independent Group, which currently is represented by former Conservative councillors Patrick Nicholson and Terri Beer.

In response to Cllr Loveridge’s move, Cllr Terri Beer, said: “This is amazing news as we are now on the same page and can both continue our hard work for the community in Plympton Erle.

“Behind the scenes Andrea and I have been working on many projects but things started to become difficult with her in a main party. Being Independent with me is the best possible outcome.

“We are also very close and good family friends and because of this strong bond we will work extremely well together as one.”

The current situation at Plymouth City Council is now:

• Labour – 33
• Conservative -15
• Green – 2
• Free Independents – 2
• Independent Group – 2
• Independent – 3

From an East Devon Correspondent:-

Sadly, it comes as no surprise to so many local people that the new homes element of Burrington Estates will cease trading and has gone BUST! For far too long advisors have predicted a financial fragility attached to this particular company (which is one of around 30 subsidiary companies flying under the Burrington Estates Group banner).

Even before EDDC planners were cajoled into recommending approval of the hugely ambitious growth masterplan for the refurbishment of Winslade Park, Clyst St Mary to provide an innovative Live, Work, Play environment, warning bells were ringing within the local community regarding the vulnerability of a company that is dependent on debt to finance its acquisition and build programme.

Indeed, from the onset, Burrington Estates freely admitted to EDDC planners that in order to make the refurbishment of the Winslade Park commercial offices complex financially viable, Burringtons would require the granting of planning permission for approximately 40 homes on an adjacent green, agricultural field (which was outside of the EDDC Local Development Plan to 2031, the local Neighbourhood Plan and the Built-Up-Area Boundary of the village), together with another 40 x 4.5- storey apartments on a brownfield car park. Crucially, approval of these two new Winslade Park residential areas would significantly increase the value of the overall assets of the Company, thus enabling them to borrow even more for further acquisition and building projects.

Apparently, Burrington Estates have now ceased trading with a pre-tax loss of £14m – but where has all the investment money gone? Sceptics working in financial fraud may suggest that many development companies have little or no intention of ever completing such building projects and merely use the planning approvals as a means to increase their borrowing capacity?

With local planning authorities desperate to keep pace with Government- imposed 5-year housing numbers, at the same time as some individuals attempting to accelerate their professional and political careers, it is ‘open season’ for property developers to ‘dangle the carrot’ of large-scale developments to tempt decision-makers to bathe in the potential future kudos!

Unfortunately, our local communities have already seen property developers’ promises being broken (e.g. thousands of housing in the new town of Cranbrook -but no town centre – plus significant housing numbers in Axminster – but no promised vital ring-road infrastructure) – but there is nothing to gain from stating the obvious that local communities warned EDDC planners that this would likely occur in future – but their warnings were not heeded, leaving too many communities the losers. Yes, local people were legally consulted for their views – but the decision-makers ignored their warnings, preferring to adopt an authoritarian stance of ‘we know better’ and local people are NIMBYS! Around 500 objections were submitted to the Winslade Park masterplan (many highlighted Burrington’s flawed business model and advised caution to protect the community).

Unfortunately, the current, national financial climate has put extreme pressure on everyone within our society; many financial failures are being attributed to the effects of the worldwide Covid pandemic and the Ukraine War and certainly those catastrophes have played a major part – but are they the root cause? If we all continuously borrow money and never pay off our debts – then at some stage – we should expect to ‘crash and burn’!

The future for Winslade Park is impossible to predict and extremely complicated! The Company states that it will sell off undeveloped sites- so what will be the impact of the ‘winding-up’ of Burrington Estates on the two sizeable residential proposals of approximately 80 units, that to date show no sign of developmental progression? Will Burrington Estates proceed to build these two approved sites to completion themselves – or prefer to sell the sites with residential planning permission to another developer to pay off their debts?

So many questions remain unanswered – will the conditions imposed by EDDC be thrust upon another new developer, if the two residential areas are sold off by Burrington Estates? Surely, it is unworkable to impose conditions on a different developer, who will not own the adjoining land where the conditions have previously been imposed? To mitigate against any losses to the community, the two residential planning permissions incorporated conditions for the primary school to access the refurbished swimming pool, for enhancement to the sports field facilities (to include new changing rooms/toilets/social facilities), for renovation/improvements to the cricket pavilion and tennis courts, for the provision of community access to a large public open space for leisure purposes and for the building of new additional, significant car parking areas to avoid Winslade users overflowing into nearby residential areas or blocking the village car parks and streets– but to date none of the aforementioned have been provided – so what will become of these promised community facilities?

To outsiders, the commercial/employment aspects of the refurbishment of both Winslade Manor and Winslade House appear to be successful (although the renovation of the two large employment areas within both Clyst and Brook Houses seems to have significantly slowed recently?) – Or are the plush, office interiors and the fine-dining experiences just window-dressing, aiming to encourage further investment, whilst masking the reality of the true worth of the commercial side of business?

Many of us are experiencing daily bombardment by telephone/online scammers lying in wait for us to make mistakes during bouts of lack of concentration, so the important lesson we must all learn is:-

– If it sounds too good to be true – then it probably is?

If you dive into crocodile-infested waters – then at best you will lose a limb or two – but at worst you will be devoured whole! Top predators are successful at what they do, there is no room for naivety – the stakes are far too high!

Hopefully, there will be acceptable answers to this Winslade Park conundrum that will benefit our local communities and not destroy them!

However, what would be totally unacceptable is if (with such colossal financial losses) any Burrington Estates’ directors/shareholders/investors have already ‘creamed off’ and stashed huge personal profits, which will see them this Christmas sipping pina colada cocktails on a tropical island, wearing Versace designs, whilst driving Ferraris or Lamborghinis, whilst East Devon residents are swaddled in blankets, endeavouring to save energy and avoid visiting local food banks!

. . . .. . Now that scenario would be a very bitter pill to swallow for the average East Devon resident!

Nearly 200 homeowners in Mid Devon could see their council tax double next year as part of changes to how second properties are charged.

Alex Richards www.devonlive.com

The government’s Levelling Up and Regeneration Act gives councils the option to charge second homeowners double council tax to provide a small boost to their finances.

A second home is defined as one that is substantially furnished and periodically occupied, but is not the owner’s sole or main residence. Mid Devon District Council has 194 properties ranging across all council tax bands that could attract the premium from April next year.

“We will be writing to all those who may be affected so that they are aware of the change regarding their billing,” a council spokesperson said.

The advance warning is aimed at giving second homeowners the chance to sell their properties if they don’t want to pay the higher fee, or alternatively rent them out or make them their main residence.

Linked to these changes is the ability for councils to define a home as empty after just one year of it being unoccupied, rather than two years under previous rules.

Empty properties can also be charged double council tax, with even higher, staggered premiums possible if they are empty for more than five years or more than 10 years .

Mid Devon has 203 empty homes, and so could also be charging some of these a 100 per cent council tax premium once they have been empty for a year.

The proposed charges will be put to the full council in February to be ratified. Bath & North East Somerset made the headlines last month after deciding to hike council tax charges for second homes.

Other authorities in Devon are also looking to increase their charges once they are able to, with East Devon District Council proposing such a move. More than 11,000 homes in Devon are considered to be second homes, according to the county council.