Following the devastating fire The Poltimore House Trust has started a Crowdfunder appeal to raise funds.

www.creditoncourier.co.uk 

A spokesperson for the Trust said: “We are absolutely devastated that Poltimore House suffered a major fire in the early hours of April 9 with extensive damage to the house in a suspected arson attack.

“Over the past couple of years, the House and Grounds have become a major hub for our local community with a farm shop, thriving cafe, open house sessions and events – all supported by dedicated volunteers.”

Dr Peter Totterdill, Chair of Poltimore House Trust, added: “This amazing place has been loved by so many people over the years, and our heart goes out to all the many volunteers who have worked so hard to protect and restore Poltimore House. Everyone at Poltimore House Trust is shocked at the scale of the devastation.

“We know that many people love Poltimore House and Grounds and are distraught by what has happened and we are all feeling a deep sense of loss. 

“However, we are determined to save what we can of this important part of Devon’s heritage, and to hold on to our vision of Poltimore House and Grounds as a place for everyone.

“More than ever, we need everyone’s help to recover from this disaster and to move forward with optimism.”

The spokesperson added: “Please support our Poltimore House Emergency Fundraising Appeal so that we can clear up after the fire damage and make the site safe and accessible so we can welcome visitors again.

To donate, visit: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/poltimore-house-fire-appeal .

Three candidates are standing for election as Devon and Cornwall’s Police and Crime Commissioner.

The current PCC, Conservative Alison Hernandez, is running for re-election, and she’s up against a Labour candidate, Daniel Steel, and a Liberal Democrat, Steve Lodge.

Philippa Davies www.exmouthjournal.co.uk

Ms Hernandez has been in the role since 2016 and said she is proud of her achievements, having made ‘real, tangible progress’ in the four priority areas she set for policing in 2021: tackling violence, antisocial behaviour and drugs, and improving road safety. She plans to continue this work.

She said: “Devon and Cornwall enjoys the highest number of police officers that it has ever had. We see an estate of police stations and other facilities that has been well-managed, refreshed and renewed where needed, and we have seen a progressive investment in technology and resources. I am delighted to report that having listened to our communities, my programme of reopening police enquiry offices across our cities and towns has already seen 13 open where they are most needed, with more to come.”

But both of her challengers say more could be done to reduce crime and restore trust in the police.

Daniel Steel (Labour) said he would bring ‘strength, integrity and honesty’ to the role of PCC, and outlined the following pledges:

Put police back on the streets: More police officers and PCSOs on our streets to prevent crime, catch offenders and tackle anti-social behaviour.

Tackle the levels of violence against women and girls: By creating new police specialists to tackle violence and rape.

Prevent youth crime: Knife crime is soaring. I’ll ensure the police crack down on serious violence and prevent young people getting drawn into crime.

Boost crime prevention and victim support: To make it more local, and better focused on the challenges that face our rural areas and towns. 

Crack down on illegal sewage dumping: I’m backing Labour’s tough plans to ensure water bosses overseeing repeated illegal sewage dumping are prosecuted.

Steve Lodge said the Liberal Democrats ‘have sharpened their focus on law enforcement and criminal justice’ with crime and policing policies that ‘strike a balance between Prevention, Effectiveness and Trust. The party believes that ‘communication is the bedrock of effective policing’.

He said: “Current government policies have missed the mark and we need more innovative and community-focused approaches to crime and policing.

His pledges are:  

Engage our senior officers – committing to bridge the gap between the police and the communities they protect.

Back fair funding and smarter spending – Ensuring our police force has the resources required to fight crime effectively.

Steer a return to proper community policing – Strengthening bonds with local communities to prevent crime and improve safety.

Promote rehabilitation – Working to reduce reoffending and secure a safer future for all residents.

The election will take place on May 2, and the winner will serve a four-year term in the role.

Two children have been arrested on suspicion of arson following a fire at a historic manor house on the outskirts of Exeter.

Radio Exe News www.radioexe.co.uk

The blaze, overnight between Monday 8 and Tuesday 9 April, left the property severely damaged.

It’s thought to have been started deliberately.

The boys, aged 14 and 16, were taken into custody on Wednesday and subsequently released on police bail until 4 July while enquiries continue.

Anyone with information, who hasn’t yet spoken to police, is asked to call 101 using reference number 50240083403.
 

Government recovery fund stipulates affected areas must be less than 150 metres from a ‘main’ river

Helena Horton www.theguardian.com

Farmers who have their entire cropping land submerged underwater have found they are ineligible for a government flooding hardship fund – because their farms are too far from a major river.

According to the Met Office, 1,695.9mm of rain fell from October 2022 to March 2024, the highest amount for any 18-month period in England since the organisation started collecting comparable data in 1836. Scientists have said climate breakdown is likely to cause more intense periods of rain in the UK.

Agriculture organisations said earlier this week that food production was down in the UK because so much cropland was underwater after the floods.

The government this week opened a farming recovery fund scheme, under which eligible farmers can access grants of between £500 and £25,000 to return their land to the condition it was in before exceptional flooding owing to Storm Henk in January.

But farmers have said they have had funding applications refused because they do not meet criteria such as being located near a designated major river.

John Charles-Jones is an arable farmer based in Nottinghamshire. He said he was six miles from the nearest river and not eligible for the fund. His farm has been waterlogged since Storm Babet in October, with most of his topsoil washed away, making it unviable for cropping.

His losses are expected to go into six figures as he planted a third of his planned crops in the autumn before the rain hit, and only 10%-15% of that planted crop will be viable.

Charles-Jones pointed out the farming minister, Mark Spencer, was himself from a farming background in Nottinghamshire, one of the worst-affected counties, but that farmers in the area had been blocked from the fund.

“The eligibility criteria for recipients are completely flawed,” he said, “How could anyone take so long to come up with such nonsense? I don’t think I have ever witnessed such an ill-thought-out scheme. It is difficult to know quite where to start in picking it all to pieces. For once I had higher hopes, with farming minister Mark Spencer actually living and farming in one of the worst-affected counties.”

Andrew Naish, also from Nottinghamshire, said he had faced the same problem. “Whilst grants are technically available, it looks like you will have to have walked on the moon to qualify,” he said. “We, like many farmers, have suffered flooding and large financial losses this winter but fail to meet the criteria for claiming because the government has set the parameters at unachievable levels.”

Henry Ward, an arable farmer based in Short Ferry, east of Lincoln, is perhaps one of the most recognisable growers who have been hit by recent floods. His farm has been shown on news programmes over the past few months as it is entirely underwater, with his farmhouse sitting on what resembles an island in the middle of murky water.

His application for the hardship fund has been refused, despite the fact his farm has been underwater for six months. This is because his nearby river, the Barlings Eau, does not count as a major river in the scheme. Ward told the BBC: “If I’m not eligible, then who on earth is? I’m sure everyone is sick of seeing the pictures in the news as much as I am – but our farmhouse and yard is literally an island in the middle of a 500-acre [202-hectare] lake.”

Ward said his losses were about £100,000, and that he was eligible to claim £3,000 for a small piece of land away from the main farm that was close to the River Witham, but not able to claim any funding for the main farm, which was responsible for the bulk of his losses.

Rachel Hallos, the vice-president of the National Farmers’ Union, said: “It has very quickly become clear that there are major issues with the newly announced farming recovery fund, which aimed to help farmers devastated by Storm Henk in January.

“We are hearing from numerous members who have suffered catastrophic impacts who have been told they are not eligible for the fund because some of their affected areas are more than 150 metres from ‘main’ rivers. These include members with 90% of their land saturated or underwater, and huge damage to buildings and equipment.

“We are taking this up with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs urgently. I cannot believe this is what ministers intended when they launched the fund, which was a welcome and well-intentioned development, which seems to have been fundamentally let down in the detail. While the impact of the weather goes far beyond Storm Henk, this could have been a good start but, as it stands, it simply doesn’t work.”

Defra has been contacted for comment.