No mention of the preparations to mount a legal case,  Exmouth  v SWW, or the Town Council invitation to the Secretary of State for the Environment to visit the town.

Are we going to hear what he achieved?

Nice photo though. – Owl

Text of facebook post:

David Reed MP 

I recently met with leaders from the water regulator, OfWat.

To get the sewage network upgrades we so desperately need across #ExmouthandExeterEast will take a whole team effort, and coordinated action.

Only by working with the regulator, the Environment Agency and bringing together every layer of local government will there be sufficient pressure on South West Water.

Devon and Torbay’s proposal to create a Combined County Authority has been given the green light by the new Government, the two councils confirmed today, Thursday 19 September.

www.devontorbaydeal.org.uk

A decision by the previous Government, to establish the Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority (CCA), was deferred in June pending the General Election in July.

Establishing the CCA is legally required to assume responsibility for new funds and powers transferred by Government from Whitehall to Devon and Torbay.

Devon and Torbay’s final proposal for the CCA followed a widespread consultation that drew responses from a cross-section of organisations including Devon’s District councils, Town and Parish councils, and representatives from the business, education and skills, housing, transportation, health service providers and voluntary sectors.

Last month, the two Leaders of Devon County Council and Torbay Council initially wrote to the new Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State (SoS) for Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP, asking the Government for a meeting to discuss the proposal.

And now, the Government has confirmed that the Devon and Torbay proposal, first submitted to Government in May 2024, is officially back on track. 

It’s hoped that with draft regulations to create the CCA to be made this Autumn, the Devon and Torbay CCA could hold its first meeting early in the New Year.

The CCA will deliver the devolution deal – a whole raft of powers, responsibilities, and funding, devolved to Devon and Torbay from Whitehall – and will enable important decisions to be made locally on local priorities such as jobs and skills, housing, and the environment.

With potential for the range of devolved powers to expand, the current proposals would see the new body having direct control of adult education to create up to 50,000 new training and retraining opportunities by 2030.

Through Local Skills Improvement Plans, the proposed CCA will work with business and education leaders to create a stronger, joined-up relationship between employers and schools, colleges and universities to provide the skilled workforce the local economy needs for the future.

The Government has re-confirmed the transfer of £16 million capital funding to invest in new green jobs, homes, skills, and business growth and accelerate Devon and Torbay’s transition to a net-zero economy, capitalising on the area’s world-leading expertise in green science and technology. 

The Government is offering a stronger partnership with Homes England, capitalising on the Affordable Housing Programme and Brownfield Infrastructure and Land Fund to create a joint action plan for affordable housing schemes for local people and reduce homelessness. The proposal includes additional land assembly and compulsory purchase powers and would facilitate greater Community Land Trust-led delivery.

On transport, the proposed Deal builds on Devon County Council and Torbay Councils’ long history of working together on local transport planning. The proposed Deal will strengthen this joined-up approach with Devon and Torbay working as equal partners on a CCA and improving the efficiency and co-ordination of public transport. There is an ambition to introduce a single ticketing system for travellers and investment in services to provide greater access to public transport. 

The CCA would be responsible for working with Devon County Council, Torbay Council, District Councils and the business and education sectors to support high growth  sectors such as advanced manufacturing, marine engineering, defence, photonics and digital. One of the first tasks of the CCA would be to agree a Local Growth Plan working with the private sector which set out clear priorities and an investment plan.

There will also be close collaboration and productive joint working between the CCA and Police and Crime Commissioner.

Councillor James McInnes, Leader of Devon County Council, said:

“After a short pause for the General Election, I’m delighted that the new Government has now considered our joint proposal for the CCA and has confirmed its intention to progress with it.

“Devolving powers and funding will enable the partnership to make a real difference to people’s lives in ways that matter.

“We look forward to working with our District Council colleagues as part of a Team Devon Joint Committee, alongside representatives from our Town and Parish councils and two national parks. The Joint Committee will formalise the partnership that we already have with Team Devon colleagues, to support joint working in a number of areas, including economic development, housing and the environment.

“This is the starting point, and a new relationship with central Government.  Our ambition is to deepen the deal as we go forward.

“The door, of course, is still very much open for Plymouth City Council to be in the partnership, and we will continue to work closely with them as we move forward.”

Councillor David Thomas, Leader of Torbay Council, said:

“It’s fantastic news that we can now move forward with the creation of the Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority.

“This Devolution Deal will give us and our residents and businesses a stronger voice with Government. It really does give us the opportunity to influence those policies that affect the lives of those that live in Torbay and Devon.  Working together – as councils and with the Government and our stakeholders – is key to us meeting our ambitions.”

Lessons will be learned from the development of Cranbrook, as East Devon District Council proceeds with planning its second new community, a leading councillor says.

Bradley Gerrard, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk

Todd Olive (Liberal Democrat, Whimple and Rockbeare), who oversees planning strategy for the council, said efforts are being made to ensure that certain infrastructure and services are in place before homes are occupied in the forthcoming new town near Farringdon.

The comments come as the authority launches a public consultation that runs until Monday 7 October.

“Some of the objections that we hear [to planning applications] are around services and infrastructure, and for the new community we know there are some lessons to be learned from how previous administrations of a different political colour have done this at East Devon before, and there is a real enthusiasm and conviction to make sure we do it differently this time,” he said.

“I’ve said that there is a real red line around the new sewage works for the proposed new community, meaning that we want that built and operational before any new dwellings are occupied.”

Although it can be difficult for councils to refuse individual planning applications because of concerns about insufficient services, Cllr Olive said the authority had more control when planning a whole new community.

He acknowledged that while lessons needed to be learned from Cranbrook, it had enjoyed some early successes, notably the school being opened by the time the thirtieth house was occupied even though the agreement with developers would have allowed it to be operational by the time the 500th home was lived in.

One of the biggest issues highlighted by Cranbrook residents was the speed with which the town centre was developed compared to original promises, with a supermarket potentially opening at the end of this year, some 12 years after the first residents moved in.

Cllr Olive’s comments came in Radio Exe’s Devoncast podcast as part of a wider discussion about planning.

The authority is identifying land across the district suitable for residential development or be acceptable as employment land.

Like all councils responsible for planning, it is required to build a set number of homes – decided by a central government formula – each year.

Councils have to complete a local plan in the coming months, or risk having to build a larger number of homes under forthcoming changes to planning policy being mooted by the Labour government.

East Devon is required to build 946 homes a year at present, but if its local plan is not completed in time, this could rise to 1,146 a year.

How much of the South Hams will now be swallowed up for the expansion of Plymouth and its free port?

The signal lies in just one word. Before appointment the job title was changed  from “strategic director for place” to “strategic director for growth”. You have been warned!

Karime Hassan is remembered in East Devon as being at the forefront of the “build, build, build” administration, in particular, the architect of the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan which dumped much of Exeter’s housing needs on the green fields of East Devon. 

He was appointed Corporate Director in EDDC in 2005, the same year as the influential (unaccountable and infamous) East Devon Business Forum was formed. He was also the main driving force behind “setting Devon’s first free-standing settlement to be built in Devon since the Middle Ages on its way” (Cranbrook). Leaving us with continuing legacy problems regarding housing targets.

In 2011 he joined Exeter City Council as the Director of Economy and Development after about six months of sharing his time between Exeter and East Devon. In 2013, controversially, he was appointed both Chief Executive and Growth Director of Exeter City Council. [His exploits are extensively recorded in the EDW archives].

Plymouth hires retired Exeter City Council boss on £1,000 a day

Miles Davis www.bbc.co.uk

The former chief executive of a city council who retired in 2023 has landed a new job with a different council being paid an estimated £1,000 a day.

Karime Hassan MBE left Exeter City Council in March 2023.

He has now been hired by Plymouth City Council as the interim strategic director for growth.

Plymouth City Council has not disclosed Mr Hassan’s salary but a council report said, external there was a “shortage of high-quality candidates” for this type of role and the market rate was between £1,000 and £1,300 a day.

In his previous job as chief executive and growth director at Exeter, Mr Hassan was paid an annual salary of more than £123,000.

Exeter City Council announced his retirement in December 2022, external, saying he was leaving after “a golden decade”.

Exeter City Council accounts show, external he received £369,680 from the council in 2022/23, made up of his salary, compensation for loss of office of £60,877 and employer’s pension contributions of £185,125.

The chief officer appointments panel on Plymouth City Council agreed in August, external that an interim strategic director for growth should be “engaged initially for six months, but with the option to extend to nine months pending the permanent appointment to the role”.

A spokesman for the city council said the pay rates in the appointments panel report were “indicative” and did not necessarily mean the role was being paid for on a daily rate.

The council said the pay band for the role was an annual salary of £136,920 to £163,904.

The employment of Mr Hassan follows the departure of Anthony Payne from his role as strategic director for place – the name of the role was changed to strategic director for growth ahead of the new appointment.

The chief executive of Plymouth City Council, Tracey Lee, was paid £184,773 with additional pension contributions of £32,356 in 2023/24 according to the council’s annual accounts, external.

Leaves no doubt who is in “the naughty corner”. But the EA does not make clear what will replace their own daily water sampling in Exmouth after the end of September. No response from SWW. – Owl

Exmouth Water Quality (text with image below)

September 2024

We have created this briefing to update communities and interested parties on Environment Agency actions regarding Water Quality in Exmouth.

Background

Exmouth is serviced by a sewerage system operated by South West Water. Some of the network is due significant improvements and upgrades. Unfortunately, some of the changes planned by South West Water are overdue. The Environment Agency is demanding that the issue is addressed quickly.

Throughout 2023 and 2024 the existing system has been struggling to cope with the increased flows which were the result of both the aging infrastructure and an exceptionally wet winter.

More recently during the summer holiday season, damage to a rising main has resulted in further incidents impacting bathing water quality, this had negative impacts to local businesses and visitors to the town.

The Enviroment Agency’s Role

The Environment Agency is responsible for issuing environmental permits relating to the discharge of treated effluent to the environment and ensuring that water companies comply with the conditions.

An investigation into incidents in Exmouth in 2023 and 2024 is currently underway. We are questioning South West Water about the incident and what proposals are in place to prevent further bursts at Exmouth. We also have 24 hour monitoring in place whilst South West Water fixes the current issue. We aim to conduct prompt investigations, however until all the facts are known especially at a site like this where there have been multiple incidents, we cannot set timescales for this investigation and anticipate it will take many months.

We will look at all available options in deciding how best to proceed and this can only be done once the investigation is complete. Any future decision will be made in accordance with the EA Enforcement and Sanctions Policy.

The Environment Agency was successful in getting all water companies to complete a programme to install Event Duration Monitoring (EDM) across England. This was completed for all combined sewer overflows (CSOs) in Devon and Cornwall in 2023 including Exmouth. This published data shows all discharges. Much of our investigation will be on understanding the cause and circumstances of the spills which have taken place.

Ongoing Monitoring at Exmouth

We currently collect water samples at Exmouth from May to September and these give us information on the numbers of bacteria in the water. These bacteria can come from a range of sources not just sewage. Because of the increased risk of pollution by South West Water we have increased our sampling to daily monitoring until the end of September and installed sensitive equipment in the Littleham Brook. These are continuous monitors operating 24 hours a day, every day. We now better understand the extent to which South West Water is impacting the local area and this has allowed us to build our knowledge of the local systems.

Water quality can also be impacted by other factors, especially through the winter. We will continue to prioritise proportionate data gathering in this area whilst risks remain.

Outstanding improvements for Exmouth

SWW was expected to deliver two key improvements for the Exmouth Area by September 2023. Improvements at Maer Road Pumping Station and Phear Park Pumping Station, and their associated CSOs, were planned to reduce the number of spills. This environmental obligation was put in place due to the Exe Shellfish Waters having been shown statistically to be deteriorating, with a high degree of certainty.

SWW confirm that the two schemes in Exmouth have been delayed due to the increased complexity of the solution. SWW is proposing an enhanced plan which includes: upgraded pumping stations, rising main improvements, replacement of the sea outfall and UV treatment on storm overflows, as well as advancing the upgrade of the wastewater treatment works by 2030. (from SWW DWMP)

We accept that increased investment is planned at Exmouth. However, we believe the improvements needed to reduce sewage spills are well overdue. We have submitted this information to OFWAT the financial regulator of water Companies

We are seeking assurance that SWW are doing all they can to mitigate the environmental impacts now, whilst they wait for planned improvements. The prioritisation of improvements, to reduce sewage spills in Exmouth, remains a substantial agenda item at leadership and performance meetings with the company.

We are receiving many complaints and requests for information regarding Exmouth and will endeavour to update this briefing every 3 months. Information relating to sewage discharges can be found at the following links:

South West Water EPA Report 2023

Inspection surge to crack down on water sector pollution

Storm overflows discharge reduction plan

Environment Agency investigation into sewage treatment works

Below is the text of the letter plus an image. 

In Owl’s opinion it should be the local MP who takes the lead in getting Ministers to visit on serious matters of this sort.

It is a sign of the significance of the political upheaval we have just witnessed, accompanied by a collapse in Tory morale, that David Reed MP has not inherited a functioning constituency office. This is what he has been having to tell his constituents:

“Thank you for your email regarding storm overflows.

Firstly, please accept my sincere apologies for the delay in my reply. Since the election I have been busy setting up my office, hiring staff and prioritising urgent casework.

Nevertheless his job is now to press home the invitation.

This invitation and the Leigh Day review of possible legal action may not be all that is going on. Three days ago Owl spotted this cryptic comment made by Paul Arnott, Leader EDDC, on the ESCAPE facebook page:

“We have an event announcement to make soon which will go to the heart of it all.”

Text of Exmouth Town Council letter

The Rt Hon. Steve Reed O.B.E., M.P Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Defra, Seacole Building, 2 Marsham Street,London SW1 P 4DF

Cc David Reed, Member of Parliament for Exmouth & Exeter East

A copy has also been emailed to Defra.helpline@defra.gov.uk

Dear Secretary of State,

Exmouth, as I’m sure you are aware is a seaside resort 10 miles south of Exeter.

At the height of the summer season (14th August) a rising main leading to the sewage treatment works (on the edge of Town) failed. This resulted in highly concentrated raw sewage being discharged on to the Highway and agricultural land adjacent to a water course leading ultimately into the bathing waters. Red flags to effectively ban swimming were flown.

National media swarmed into Exmouth to cover the story highlighting the deserted beach, a dearth of visitors to the town and angry residents, businesses and trippers.

The reputational damage to Exmouth as a seaside resort, although still being quantified, is considered immense.

South West Water (SWW) mobilised a significant number of engineering teams and equipment to the area, but the mains failure meant hundreds of sewage tanker journeys travelling through town and they were also highly visible from the seafront.

SWW has recently rectified the immediate fault, and they are publicly giving assurances to our community that they are “doing everything we can, as quickly and thoroughly as possible, to ensure your local wastewater network is fit for the future”. Unfortunately, there appears to be little public trust in their promises.

We have tried to engage with SWW, but we have been disappointed with their slow responses and when they do respond frustrated with the lack of up to date information being provided.

The Town Council are therefore writing to invite you to visit Exmouth, in order that you might gain an understanding of the impact on the Town, its residents and businesses, associated with these events. We would see this as the first step in re-building civic pride and to show potential visitors that we are taking serious steps to rectify matters.

On 10th September the Government announced plans to attract investment into the water sector to rebuild broken water infrastructure and clean up Britain’s rivers, lakes and seas.

We would also extend our invitation for you to take this opportunity to outline the Government’s plan for dealing with water companies who fail to comply with the Environment Act, what enforcement steps are being implemented and what initiatives are being encouraged to meet clean water targets.

We hope you see this invitation in a positive light and feel you can use Exmouth as a ‘pilot scheme’ to realise Government intentions in promoting water companies working together with communities to implement immediate courses of action to provide permanent solutions to existing problems.

If you would like further information or to speak with me please feel free to call on 01395 276167.

We look forward to your response.

Yours Sincerely

Chetna Jones

Deputy Town Clerk On behalf of Exmouth Town Council

Geoff Crawford

This is Nicky Nicholls the person who has turbo powered this campaign and is organising the Group Legal Action.

Hi Everyone, SS Exmouth

What a fantastic meeting last night! The room was packed (thank you to Ocean for hosting us) and the speeches were really insightful (thank you Ollie & John).

For those of you who couldn’t make it, here’s a brief summary:

Leigh Day confirmed that anyone who has been affected by pollution incidents can join the claim – businesses and beach users too (e.g. swimmers, kite surfers, rowers, sailors or dog walkers). The legal action will focus on “public nuisance” which is defined as something which endangers “the life, health, properly, morals or comfort of the public or obstructs a public right”. People do not have to live in Exmouth to join the claim – they just have to be a beach user, or run a business which relies on people who do.

The next step is for everyone who has been affected to register their interest in legal action. This doesn’t commit anyone to anything at this point, but it helps Leigh Day understand more about the scope of who wants to get involved. People can register here: https://leighdaylaw.info/ExmouthSewagePollution?r=qr or email exmouthsewage@leighday.co.uk

Please circulate this brief info, and the sign-up link to everyone on your mailing lists, contacts, members and social media. Feel free to use the attached photo too (I think it’s helpful to see the amount of support there is). Getting this out there in the next week is crucial.

The next step will be when Leigh Day have scoped out the case a bit more and then are ready to sign people up to the action. They will get in touch with everyone who has registered directly.

I hope that makes sense. I’m learning as I go here too!

Thanks for all your support,

Nicky,

Nicky Nicholls, Community & Innovation Lead, Sideshore

Photo credited to Ed Dark. Thanks Ed

• Application to vary the Section 106 Agreement to update the Mortgagee Exclusion Clause and to provision to release an affordable housing unit in relation to Phase 3 (19/0028/MRES) only. Redhayes North Of Blackhorse Lane BroadclystRef. No: 24/1874/V106 | Validated: Fri 06 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Replacement single storey infill extension to the rear of the property. 23 Alexandria Road Sidmouth EX10 9HDRef. No: 24/1869/FUL | Validated: Fri 06 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Garage conversion, new external door and garden room extension to form annexe. 26 Lilley Walk Honiton EX14 2EARef. No: 24/1860/FUL | Validated: Thu 05 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed front single storey extension with raised decking and additional rooflight to front elevation. Elm View 57 Burrow Lane Newton Poppleford Sidmouth EX10 0BWRef. No: 24/1857/FUL | Validated: Thu 05 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Discharge of condition for 23/0779/LBC – Condition 3 Lower Lye Stockland Honiton EX14 9LJRef. No: 24/1858/DOC | Validated: Fri 06 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1, T2 & T3 (English Oaks): reduce via thinning western aspects of trees crown by removing approximately 2m branch sections to reduce lateral crown spread by approximately 1-1.5m making pruning cuts up to approximately 50mm in diameter. Hawkins Cottage Hawkins Lane West Hill Ottery St Mary EX11 1XGRef. No: 24/1864/TRE | Validated: Thu 05 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Demolition of existing two storey wing of house and construction of replacement larger two storey wing Calhayes Farm Luppitt Honiton EX14 4SURef. No: 24/1850/FUL | Validated: Wed 04 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Certificate of lawfulness for the construction of a wall and new garage door to enclose under an existing roof overhang to the existing side garage.28 Maple Drive Exmouth EX8 5NRRef. No: 24/1847/CPL | Validated: Wed 04 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Replacement flat roof, change of external materials, amended fenestration 29 Grove Hill Colyton EX24 6ETRef. No: 24/1848/FUL | Validated: Wed 04 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Discharge of Conditions for 23/0624/FUL: Condition 3 (Schedule of Materials – Walls & Roofs), Condition 5 (Landscape Planting Plan), Condition 6 (Surface Water Management Plan), Condition 8 (Schedule of Materials – External Hard Surfaced Areas) Luscombes Back Lane Newton Poppleford Devon EX10 0EZRef. No: 24/1844/DOC | Validated: Wed 04 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Discharge of condition for 92/P0998: Condition 3 (Materials) Land At Millbrook Valley Stoney Lane AxminsterRef. No: 24/1851/DOC | Validated: Thu 05 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Non material amendment to reduce the ground levels on approved plots Plots 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61 Land North Of Moonhill Copse West Clyst ExeterRef. No: 24/1852/NMA | Validated: Wed 04 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Discharge of conditions for 21/1282/MRES : Condition 6 (gravel paths specification and construction) Land At Exeter Science Park Clyst HonitonRef. No: 24/1837/DOC | Validated: Tue 03 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Discharge of condition for 22/2443/VAR: Condition 5 (footpath) Brookfield Farm Offwell Honiton EX14 9SURef. No: 24/1839/DOC | Validated: Wed 04 Sep 2024 | Status: Unknown
• Prior approval (Class Q) for a change of use of a building as an agricultural unit to 2no. dwellinghouses (Use Class C3) Barton Farm Village Way AylesbeareRef. No: 24/1836/PDQ | Validated: Tue 03 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Demolition and construction of garage and single storey side extension. 1 Yarde Hill Orchard Sidmouth EX10 9JZRef. No: 24/1838/FUL | Validated: Tue 03 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Discharge of conditions for 24/0992/FUL : condition 4 (Cladding) Banjul Toadpit Lane West Hill Ottery St Mary EX11 1LQRef. No: 24/1825/DOC | Validated: Mon 02 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Turkey Oaks (7) and (8) – removal of lower (below 7m) epicormic growth with permission to to repeat the works on a cyclical basis every three years. 33 Evergreen Close Exmouth EX8 4RRRef. No: 24/1834/TRE | Validated: Tue 03 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• To fit a new obscure glazed fire escape window at first floor level on the westerly elevation. 6 Woolbrook Rise Sidmouth EX10 9UBRef. No: 24/1829/FUL | Validated: Mon 02 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Erection of a single storey rear extension which would extend beyond the rear wall of the original house by 4.73m, for which the maximum height would be 2.93m and for which the height of the eaves would be 2.66m 97 Salterton Road Exmouth Devon EX8 2NERef. No: 24/1835/GPD | Validated: Mon 02 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Ground floor: removal of section of wall between small and large living rooms; removal of wall between kitchen and large living room Rosehill 30 West Hill Budleigh Salterton Devon EX9 6BURef. No: 24/1813/LBC | Validated: Wed 04 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1, Hornbeam: dbh 700mm, cut back to historic pollard points, clean up poor previous pruning cuts where possible, avoiding flush cuts. T2, Sycamore: dbh 600mm, re-pollard to historic pruning points. Both trees are situated in the rear garden. Little Haddons Membury Devon EX13 7AFRef. No: 24/1803/TRE | Validated: Wed 04 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Change of use from shop (use class E) to residential dwelling (use class C3) 126 High Street Honiton EX14 1JPRef. No: 24/1739/PDMA | Validated: Wed 04 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Single storey extension on the south elevation 2 Silverdale Exmouth EX8 4NBRef. No: 24/1752/FUL | Validated: Fri 06 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Certificate of lawfulness for proposed rebuilding of existing dwelling house to current building regulations, extension of the property within permitted development guidance and replacement of existing Cesspit with a packaged Sewage Treatment PlantBridewell Bungalow Hawkchurch Axminster EX13 5XLRef. No: 24/1753/CPL | Validated: Thu 05 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Demolish rest of existing agricultural buildingTarka Barn Rawridge Honiton EX14 9PXRef. No: 24/1738/DEM | Validated: Tue 03 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Discharge of conditions for 24/1108/FUL : Condition 3 (surface water drainage) 21 Cotfield Close Honiton EX14 1QXRef. No: 24/1826/DOC | Validated: Mon 02 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Outline application for up to 65 dwellings and associated infrastructure and works, with details of access layout and landscaping provided. Land Abutting Strawberry Lane Strawberry Lane Salston Ottery St MaryRef. No: 24/1716/MOUT | Validated: Fri 06 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Earth lined slurry lagoon with security perimeter fence Glanville Farm Offwell Devon EX14 9STRef. No: 24/1718/FUL | Validated: Tue 03 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed 1no new dwelling in grounds of existing dwelling East Hayes House East Hill Ottery St Mary EX11 1QHRef. No: 24/1706/FUL | Validated: Thu 05 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Rear single storey extension and extension of raised patio. 7 Heatherdale Exmouth EX8 2HZRef. No: 24/1696/FUL | Validated: Tue 03 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of porch to front elevation 45 Grove Road Whimple Devon EX5 2TPRef. No: 24/1690/FUL | Validated: Wed 04 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Conversion of existing office to two dwellings 9 Mill Street Ottery St Mary Devon EX11 1AARef. No: 24/1686/FUL | Validated: Tue 03 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Single storey extensions to the East & West elevations with creation of an additional vehicle access. Brooklands Lodge Woodbury Salterton Exeter EX5 1ELRef. No: 24/1691/FUL | Validated: Thu 05 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Remove a broken post box within the stone boundary wall of Snowden house and to in-fill the opening with stone work to match the existing Sowden House Longbrook Lane Lympstone Devon EX8 5BERef. No: 24/1680/LBC | Validated: Tue 03 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed extension to existing building to form dry store area to kitchen and new toilets with new orangery to cafe Combe Garden Centre Hayne Lane Gittisham EX14 3PDRef. No: 24/1683/FUL | Validated: Thu 05 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Extension of warehouse building for additional freezer storage J And R Food Services Ltd Fair Oak Close Exeter Airport Clyst Honiton EX5 2ULRef. No: 24/1641/FUL | Validated: Wed 04 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• A change of external materials to white painted natural timber cladding, Construction of WC (partially retrospective) Longboat Cafe Marine Parade Budleigh Salterton EX9 6NSRef. No: 24/1635/FUL | Validated: Mon 02 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed self storage container yard (partially retrospective) Land And Buildings South Of Waldrons Cottages Clyst HonitonRef. No: 24/1612/FUL | Validated: Wed 04 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Changes to fenestration on east and west elevations. Fairway Horslears Axminster EX13 5JURef. No: 24/1595/FUL | Validated: Mon 02 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed construction of single storey front extension Merrow Cottage Hawkins Lane West Hill Ottery St Mary EX11 1XGRef. No: 24/1494/FUL | Validated: Thu 05 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposal to install a new packed gas cooler & 3 no. floor mounted AC Units. District Centre Tithebarn Way TithebarnRef. No: 24/1502/FUL | Validated: Tue 03 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Installation of 4no. fascia signs, 3no. projecting signs and 1no. dibond panel. Local Centre Tithebarn Way Tithebarn ExeterRef. No: 24/1513/ADV | Validated: Tue 03 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of garden annex Magnolia Lodge Southway Sidmouth EX10 8JLRef. No: 24/1506/FUL | Validated: Wed 04 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Variation of condition 2 (approved plans) of 22/0549/FUL (Construction of 3no. bungalows with associated access, parking and landscaping), to include installation of air source heat pumps enlarged foot print to Plot 1, removal of conservatories and installation of solar panels Land Adjacent To The Gardens Blackhorse Exeter EX5 2FTRef. No: 24/1305/VAR | Validated: Mon 02 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• The erection of a shed to cover an existing silage pitK H May And Partners Netherexe Barton Netherexe Exeter EX5 4DZRef. No: 24/1259/AGR | Validated: Fri 06 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Installation of 132kV terminal and woodpole. Land West Of Courneys Farm WhimpleRef. No: 24/1854/OHL | Validated: Thu 05 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Demolish garage and lean-to, construction of single storey extension incorporating existing outbuilding Higher Salston Lodge Ottery St Mary Devon EX11 1RQRef. No: 24/1208/FUL | Validated: Thu 05 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Retention of the following work: Ground floor work: External door blocked up internally on south elevation; Creation of WC in new snug; Open up fireplace in new snug; Open up fireplace in new dining room and remove partitions in new kitchen. First floor work: Re-configure staircase at top of flight; Bedroom 1: remove existing ensuite and create new ensuite and built in wardrobe area; Bedroom 3: Remove bathroom wall and incorporate space to create a larger bedroom with ensuite; Bedroom 4: to create new bedroom 4 remove partition walls to bathroom; create new ensuite and block up opening to landing; Create new corridor leading to bedroom 3 and 4 and also create new door opening into bedroom 3 and 4 and open up fireplaces in Bedroom 3 and 4. External works: 2no . cast iron SVP on both north elevations and rainwater goods. Myrtle Farm Fore Street Sidbury EX10 0RSRef. No: 24/1012/LBC | Validated: Wed 04 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• General purpose agricultural building Land South Of Bridge Meadow Whitford Road KilmingtonRef. No: 24/0796/FUL | Validated: Wed 04 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Demolish existing garage and wood store, construct new wooden single-storey two bay garage. Sunnylands Salcombe Regis EX10 0PARef. No: 24/0766/FUL | Validated: Thu 05 Sep 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision

A LETTER FROM A CORRESPONDENT 

Dear Owl,

Last night, I attended the event on the top floor of Ocean, on Exmouth seafront about the possibility of Exmouth businesses and residents pursuing legal action against South West Water.

What struck me was those who attended the event ranged from people in their late teens to the elderly. All there because “Enough is Enough!” about the damaging effects of sewage is having on people’s lives. 

Looking around the room, I spotted Town, District and County councillors who represent constituents in Exmouth, They have different political allegiances, but nevertheless united in wanting an end to sewage pollution. Councillor Paul Arnott, the Liberal Democrats leader of East Devon District Council was also present.

Nicky Nicholls, Community and Innovation lead at Sideshore, introduced the event. Andy Tyerman, of End Sewage and Poollution In Exmouth (ESCAPE) campaign group spoke briefly about his and Geoff Crawford’s work. This was followed by two businesses who shared their experiences of the devastating effect of the constant sewage pollution during August had on their businesses. Jo Bateman, the Exmouth swimmer spoke about why she is taking legal action against South West Water.

Representatives from Leigh Day, a legal firm spoke about how they work and the way forward if they decide to take on our case. They emphasised it would be done on a ‘No Win No Fee’ basis.

Many questions were asked by members of the audience. These included questions from 

* environmentalists

* people who use the sea and beach for health benefits

* people who use it for recreational purposes such as rowers, sailors, kitesurfers, kayakers etc

* people who are now reluctant to walk their dog on the beach

* people who live near the water

* people whose businesses rely on trade

* people who are concerned about the devastating effects sewage pollution could have on the town’s future as a tourist destination

* people who are regular visitors to the town who are seeing their lifestyles compromised

I was aware that people with families whose lifestyles have been thwarted by sewage pollution may not have been able to attend. 

Nicky Nicholls concluded the event by informing those present that ESCAPE and Sideshore will provide people with regular updates on their social media about this situation.

I urge people affected by sewage pollution in Exmouth to register their interest to join the Exmouth v South West Water.  It’s for each family member and club member to complete as individuals.and can so by completing the form below:

https://www.leighday.co.uk/our-services/group-claims/exmouth-sewage-pollution-potential-legal-action/?fbclid=IwY2xjawFXeYtleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHW-Fie4RH2S0O_IAwzIhoFCw1YM_Ba2enPQEFjG10GF69S6EWGSQmnqjFg_aem_NbDQNzvvB8KxFNdEiV-0ZQ

The meeting was briefly reported on BBC Spotlight, full report yet to emerge but here is the background – Owl

Exmouth Sewage Pollution Claim | Leigh Day

We are assisting the residents of Exmouth in exploring the possibility of bringing legal action against South West Water over its pollution of Exmouth Beach and surrounding area. www.leighday.co.uk

Sewage Pollution in Exmouth

Exmouth Beach, often called the “gateway to UNESCO’s World Heritage Jurassic Coast” is the prized asset of Exmouth and is of vital importance with much of the Devon town’s economy revolving around the tourism the beach attracts.

However, according to local reports, South West Water repeatedly discharges large amounts of untreated sewage into the River Exe and Sea which is having a detrimental impact on Exmouth Beach and the surrounding area.

The impact of these discharges is acknowledged by both the Environment Agency and South West Water, with the Environment Agency having issued numerous ‘do not swim’ warnings in recent years and South West Water regularly stating on its website that discharges may affect the condition of the bathing water.

Paul Arnott, the East Devonshire District Council leader declared a state of “ongoing civil emergency” due to beaches having to be closed repeatedly from Seaton to Sidmouth because of sewage discharges. Most recently, during the August 2024 Bank Holiday weekend, the local council had to put Red Flag warnings up on Exmouth Beach to prevent people from entering the water.

What do I need to know?

We currently represent wild swimmer and Exmouth resident Jo Bateman in her claim against South West Water. Jo Bateman is arguing that South West Water’s continued pollution of the sea has prevented her swimming in the sea on numerous days.  

By working with Jo Bateman, it became clear that many others within Exmouth were also being impacted by the activities of South West Water and following a meeting with members of the local community, we were asked whether we could also represent others in a group action.  

Most people who live in the area or regularly visit the area will be able to join the claim, including if you: 

• Rely on the sea at Exmouth Beach or the River Exe for hobbies and leisure and have been affected by the pollution.
• Have a business which has been affected by the pollution.  

To register your interest in this potential claim, please complete the online form here.  

If you would like to meet the legal team looking to bring this claim and hear more about the potential legal action, we will be attending a community meeting on Tuesday 17 September 2024 at Ocean Suite, Queen’s Dr, Exmouth EX8 2AY please complete this form.

Affected by this issue?

If you have been affected by sewage pollution in Exmouth, then you can contact us via our expression of interest form.

Are our MPs happy with this? – Owl

Six years of disruption on railways as HS2 works wreak havoc

Train services between London and the southwest will be severely disrupted for six years because of HS2 work.

Ben Clatworthy, Aubrey Allegretti www.thetimes.com

Up to a third of weekend and overnight services leaving Paddington will be axed, affecting journeys to Heathrow as well as south Wales, the Cotswolds and the west of England.

The station will also be closed for extended periods each Christmas between this year and 2030. It includes a closure of up to four weeks starting in December 2028

Disruption at Paddington will be mitigated by diverting some services to Euston, which will add 15 minutes to journeys

Much of the disruption is caused by the building of the new HS2 station at Old Oak Common, in west London.

The Times has seen a presentation made by GWR, the rail operator, and Network Rail, to MPs whose constituents will be affected by the works.

It warns that only two tracks, compared with the usual four, will be open in the Old Oak Common area when weekend and overnight work takes place, reducing the number of train “paths” from 48-56 an hour to 14-15. Line speeds will also be halved from 125mph, adding to journey times.

Weekend services between the west country and London are already regularly overcrowded as passengers return from mini-breaks, especially on Sunday evenings. The reduction in services is likely to cause significant issues.

Network Rail is also carrying out extensive upgrades to the western mainline between Paddington and Didcot Parkway, including replacing 30-year-old overhead wires. The line has been “plagued by faults” in the last 18 months, including cracked rails, overhead line and points failures.

Services on the line became so bad last year that the rail regulator launched an investigation into whether Network Rail was managing its assets appropriately.

A rail source, familiar with the plans, said: “There is going to be real and significant disruption on the line in Paddington. Passengers who use the line regularly have just suffered a decade of upheaval with the electrification project [which was completed in 2020].

“Now there’s going to be more closures, cancellations and service alterations. We are looking at a similar level of disruption as the five years to 2019 when the electrification works were in full swing.”

Complete closures of Paddington will begin this Christmas and continue each year until 2029-30. Plans to mitigate the disruption include diverting a handful of services to Euston, which will add about 15 minutes to journey times.

Latest modelling suggests one Bristol/South Wales service and one Devon/Cornwall service each hour will be able to terminate at Euston. There are also plans for the Night Riviera sleeper service to Penzance to run from Euston.

The first Paddington closure is scheduled for November 17 this year. It will be followed by a three-day closure from December 27 to 29. The length of Christmas closures will increase from 2026.

Paddington was the second busiest station in the UK last year, up from sixth in 2022, largely thanks to the opening of the Elizabeth Line.

Old Oak Common, in west London, will be a huge new HS2 station with 14 platforms, eight of which will be used by conventional services. The HS2 platforms will be 400m long.

Under current plans, all GWR services out of Paddington as well as Heathrow Express and Elizabeth Line will call at the new station. It will also initially serve as the terminus for the HS2 line, until the planned link to Euston opens.

In October last year, Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government cancelled a plan to extend HS2 between the West Midlands and Manchester because of spiralling costs. The leg between Old Oak Common and Euston was also put on ice, with Sunak favouring a private investment model to connect the line to central London, its intended terminus.

Louise Haigh, the new transport secretary, has said that Labour is assessing all options for the scheme, including the central London leg. A decision on the future of Euston is vital as it affects the Old Oak Common design.

Rail bosses are understood to be concerned about the impact of all mainline services calling at Old Oak Common. MPs were told that timetables will need to be amended to incorporate “increased running times resulting from the new station call”.

It is anticipated that it will add an average of three minutes per train, although one MP present said officials privately believe it could add an extra 15 minutes to journeys.

“Some trains [are] likely to be significantly longer due to congestion into and out of Paddington,” the presentation said.

The rail source said: “There is a real concern about undoing the good work of the electrification project which shaved about eight minutes off London-Bristol and about 15 minutes London to south Wales.”

A spokesman for HS2 Ltd, which is building the station, said: “HS2 is delivering one the UK’s largest stations at Old Oak Common — a super-hub with unrivalled connectivity for passengers.

“There will, unfortunately, be some disruption on existing services while construction is carried out, although work has been comprehensively planned in partnership with Network Rail and the train operating companies to reduce the impact as much as possible.

“We apologise to people who will be impacted, particularly those using GWR, Heathrow Express and the Elizabeth Line who are already affected by separate works to improve performance on the Great Western mainline between Oxfordshire and London.”

People have started catching a new Covid variant that could soon take off and become the dominant type, according to scientists.

Michelle Roberts www.bbc.co.uk

Identified in Germany, in June, cases of the XEC variant have since emerged in the UK, US, Denmark and several other countries, say users on X,, external formerly known as Twitter.

It has some new mutations that might help it spread this autumn, although vaccines should still help prevent severe cases, experts say.

For those more likely to become seriously ill from Covid, the NHS offers a free booster shot.

The vaccines have been updated to better match recent variants, although not XEC, which has emerged from earlier Omicron subvariants.

Prof Francois Balloux, Director of the Genetics Institute at University College London, told BBC News that although XEC has a “slight transmission advantage” over other recent Covid variants, vaccines should still offer good protection.

He says it is possible XEC will become the dominant subvariant over the winter though.

Director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute, in California, Eric Topol says XEC is “just getting started”.

“And that’s going to take many weeks, a couple months, before it really takes hold and starts to cause a wave,” he told the LA Times.

“XEC is definitely taking charge.

“That does appear to be the next variant.

“But it’s months off from getting into high levels.”

Symptoms are thought to be the same cold or flu-like ones as before:

• a high temperature
• aches
• tiredness
• a cough or sore throat

Most people feel better within a few weeks of Covid but it can take longer to recover.

There has been “strong growth” of XEC in Denmark and Germany, Covid data analyst Mike Honey says on X, external.

There is far less routine testing than before, making it difficult to know how much Covid might be around.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) says it is normal for viruses to mutate and change.

People qualifying for a free booster vaccine include:

• adults aged 65 years and over
• those living in a care home for older adults
• those over the age of six months in a clinical risk group
• some front-line NHS, care-home and social-care workers

The main vaccination drive for flu and Covid, external will start in October, although some may receive their shots earlier.

Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, UKHSA Deputy Director, said: “It is normal and expected for viruses to genetically change over time. UKHSA continues to monitor all available information relating to emerging Covid variants in the UK and internationally, and to publish our data regularly.

“Vaccination provides the best protection against serious illness from COVID-19, and we urge those who are contacted by the NHS to come forward to receive their autumn vaccine.”

Will the introduction of a “seasonal charge” for water be followed by something similar for sewage.treatment? Would that go up during the rainy season perhaps? – Owl

Households in the southwest of Eng­land are being encouraged to use less water in summer, in trials during which they will receive cheaper water in winter and pay more during the summer months.

Adam Vaughan www.thetimes.com

The region had a longer-lasting hosepipe ban than any other area after the 2022 drought. Water demand across the southwest surges in the summer with the annual tourist influx, just as water supplies are tighter because of hotter weather.

In an attempt to curb water use and bills, South West Water is moving 3,500 of its 1.8 million customers to a pair of two-year trial tariffs from October 1. Participants in Devon, Cornwall, Bristol and Bournemouth will be shifted to a “seasonal tariff” that will charge them £1.02 per 1,000 litres between October and March, far lower than the normal £2.07 for metered customers. The price will be higher than normal in summer. In illustrative examples, a resident in a flat would save £1 a year but a keen gardener might pay £22 more annually.

Others in the southwest will be moved to a “summer peak” tariff and enjoy cheaper water — £1.90 per 1,000 litres rather than £2.07 — provided they use no more than 90,000 litres between April and September. If they breach that level they will pay £7.60 per 1,000 litres. The summer threshold is equiv­alent to about 1,125 baths.

“Trialling alternative charging opt­ions has the potential to alleviate the pressure both on people’s finances and our water resources and we look forward to seeing the results of this new approach,” Andrew White, senior policy leader at the Consumer Council for Water, said.

Ray Henning, a retired heavy goods vehicle driver who lives in Exeter, objected to being moved to one of the new tariffs. “They have tried to tell me that on this new charging system I will save £5 a year on water. Wow! That’s just over £0.01 a day. I can bet that it will end up costing me a lot more than I am currently paying though,” he wrote on Facebook.

Only people who are poorly or moving house can opt out of the trials, which do not include customers on social tariffs. Steve Reed, the environment secretary, said recently that people should take individual responsibility for cutting water usage, to help to meet a national goal of reducing average household water consumption by a fifth by 2038.

Martin Shaw writes:

The CEO and chair of the Royal Devon University Healthcare trust, which runs the RD&E, have felt it necessary to include this unprecedented statement in their latest newsletter:

“Last month saw deplorable violence and intimidation in towns and cities across the UK. We wholeheartedly condemn the deliberate acts of violence and racism that have taken place and we want to make a clear statement about our values and behaviours as an organisation.

“Inclusion is one of our core values and we take pride in having a diverse workforce and a culture that respects everybody. The values we hold, and the behaviours we expect from staff, students, patients and visitors, mean that we will not tolerate discrimination or abuse of any kind.

“Our workforce is made up of talented and committed people from all around the world. Their diversity, expertise and skill are our strength and enable us to provide truly world-class services for people in need in our local communities. 

“It has been heartening to see many thousands of people come together to join protests against the violence and racism. But we know that some of our people do not feel safe coming to work and that is unacceptable.

“Our priority is to build a culture at work where our people feel safe, healthy and supported. Whilst we have a wide range of support in place for our people we ask for your help in ensuring that all of our colleagues feel safe and welcome.

“We expect people who use our services to treat those who are caring for them with courtesy, kindness and respect and vice versa. We will take action against those who do not.

“We pride ourselves on being an inclusive and respectful community where we can all live and work safely. We believe very strongly that there is no place for hate in our homes, on our streets, in our clinics, in our hospitals, in our NHS or in our country.”

Devon will use around a quarter of its reserves to help plug the financial hole in its special educational needs and disabilities (Send) service.

Bradley Gerrard, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk 

The council struck a deal with the government for a £95 million bailout earlier this year to help it tackle the cumulative deficit of more than £160 million in the Send budget.

At the time, the council said it would use £20 million of reserves as part of a plan to “bring the budget back into line”.

But the authority will now spend nearly £29 million of its £100 million of reserves as part of a so-called safety valve agreement it has with the Department for Education, and is expected to contribute over £6 million this financial year.

This year alone, though, the Sed budget is expected to overspend by more than £38 million.

This could be problematic, as under the agreement, it is only allowed to overspend by £31 million this financial year, meaning it needs to cut £7.4 million from the service.

Angie Stewart, the council’s director of finance, said there is a cross-council effort to “drive the savings and get us to budget”.

“We are committed to that £31 million [overspend limit],” she said. “That means we need to put effort in to get there. If at the end of the financial year we’re at £33 million, then £2 million would need to be made good by Devon.

“That happened last year when we put £1 million extra into [reducing] the deficit.”

She added that some other councils “including some not too far away from us” had not been able to live within the constraints of the safety valve agreement and so had seen their government support suspended.

“We are not in that situation,” she added.

“We are working to achieve that £7.4 million we need to save; it is a big ask but should be achievable.”

Ms Stewart’s report added that the council also had a separate pot of reserves at around £16 million.

Cllr Julian Brazil (Liberal Democrat, Kingsbridge) said he was “yet to see how we are going to achieve those savings. They are massive within a budget that is under pressure.”

He acknowledged that Send overspending is a national issue, but feared that if reserves had to continue to be used at such scale, “we’re going to end up bankrupt sooner rather than later”.

Cllr Frank Biederman (Independent, Fremington Rural) is concerned about the impact on Send service users if the budget savings are achieved.

“If we hit that maximum deficit target, what will the impact be? Is there an impact assessment I can read to find out what the impact on schools and families could be?” he asked.

Cllr Caroline Leaver (Liberal Democrat, Barnstaple South) asked whether the authority was “worried about the overspend”.

And Cllr Phil Twiss (Conservative, Feniton & Honiton) said using reserves was part of a planned contribution, and the council’s plan to make the Send service more efficient should yield results soon.

The council’s chief executive, Donna Manson, said Send is “the number one issue” among her peers in other authorities.

“From the county council chief executives’ network, safety valve is a concern, Send is a concern, and transformation is a concern,” she said.
 

Devon’s councils could take more control of local bus services after the government announced measures to empower local leaders.

By Guy Henderson and Bradley Gerrard www.radioexe.co.uk

Transport secretary Louise Haigh said it was the first stop on the journey to better buses, and all local transport authorities across England can now run their own services if they want to.

Exeter City Council leader Phil Bialyk (Lab, Exwick) has called on the county council to use the new powers to transform bus services in the city.

Cllr Bialyk, a former bus driver, said he had been inundated with requests from local people for better and more reliable services.

“We have lots of problems at the moment,” he said. “Pointing fingers isn’t going to help, but it is fair to say a lot of people are pretty fed up with both the service and how changes are consulted on with things like timetables and routes.

“Having a reliable and affordable bus service really is at the heart of so many parts of improving lives for residents in Exeter.

“Now there is nothing in their way, I want Devon to be one of the first to sort this for people.

“This really is a golden opportunity. I am urging Devon to work at pace and scale to deliver this for our residents.”

But the county council says it already plays a significant role in bus services  and is spending nearly £13.5 million this financial year to subsidise routes.

“I have no spare cash in my back pocket,” said Cllr Andrea Davis (Con, Combe Martin Rural), the cabinet member who oversees transport.

“I’m very much for anything that improves bus services for Devon’s residents and visitors but what we don’t know yet is whether there would be any funding for it.”

The county council, which spent just over £12 million in the previous financial year subsidising routes where commercial servicea aren’t viable, is part of the Devon Bus Enhanced Partnership, an agreement between the local authority and bus operators to work together to improve local services.

“Any changes would need to be affordable for the people of Devon,” said Cllr Davis.

She said Devon had done very well to keep its rural network going but every month is a struggle to keep the network as it is.

Councillors in Torbay will debate a new Local Transport Plan at a meeting next week. It says the document it will discuss supports its goal of a ‘happy, healthy and prosperous’ Torbay, and includes an analysis of local bus services.

However, if the proposed Combined County Authority (CCA) devolution arrangement which pairs Torbay and Devon councils comes into being, the transport plan will no longer be solely the bay’s responsibility and a new strategy will have to be drawn up.

The CCA deal was announced earlier this year by the then-Conservative government. Exact details have yet to be finalised, but local transport services will be part of the its workload if it does go ahead.

A spokesman for Torbay Council said there are currently no plans to take more control of buses, and the council would go on working in partnership with service operators.

“Torbay Council will review the published guidance for consultation in light of the government’s announcement,” said the spokesman. “Bus franchising was included in the devolution agreement with the government but there are currently no plans to implement.”

Speaking to Radio Exe’s Devoncast podcast last month, Stagecoach South West managing director Peter Knight said: “Stagecoach nationally welcomes the opportunity for debate and discussion about the ownership or risk model for bus services going forward.

“They are currently privatised, but working with the deep partnership we have with Devon County Council and other stakeholders, there is control locally of bus services…There is the ability for local officials that where there is a need for a bus service, funding will be made available if it is available. We are very happy to run services that are specified by local authorities but it has to be backed up by relevant funding for those services.”

David Harris, Managing Director of Water Services at South West Water’s, latest entry in the “how to win friends by plain speaking” competition. No mention of “liabilities”. – Owl

Paul Atkins www.devonlive.com

It has been over nine weeks since we lifted the final customers from the boil water notice that impacted people in the Brixham area following the cryptosporidium outbreak in May, writes David Harris, Managing Director of Water Services at South West Water.

We deeply regret that this incident occurred and as part of our ongoing work in Brixham and across the wider region we are determined to understand exactly why this happened, and how we can make sure it never does again. Our top priority will always be protecting our customers and providing the best quality of water you all rightly expect.

Where does our raw water come from?

In the South West, most of the raw water we access is stored in reservoirs and released into rivers to be abstracted and treated at one of our 42 water treatment works across the region to make it safe to drink. Once fully treated, we pump that water through our network of pipes to homes and businesses. Along the network we use large tanks, known as service reservoirs, to safely store treated water so we can keep supply flowing during periods of high demand. Throughout our treatment process, our focus is to make sure that water is safe and clean.

Recognising that cryptosporidium is present in the natural environment is an important part of our treatment process. Cryptosporidium is an incredibly tiny parasite which comes from the faeces of animals. It has a tough outer shell, so it can survive outside an animal host, and for weeks in water, including chlorinated swimming pools or water supplies. It is routinely found in rivers and lakes where livestock is nearby and it is spread by swallowing untreated raw water.

In Brixham and Kingswear, water is treated at Littlehempston Water Treatment Works which takes its water from river sources near agricultural land. Because of this, we test every single day for cryptosporidium in this untreated water. We also use advanced treatment processes at that site and test the water as it leaves the treatment works and enters our water network to make sure it meets the highest quality standards.

We do further regular testing for many contaminants at service reservoirs, including the Alston, Hillhead and Boohay service reservoirs. We test for a range of contaminants, including those that would be markers for the presence of cryptosporidium. We also monitor issues across the network and have teams that look for changes in pressure, potential bursts and respond to customer contacts around how their water looks and tastes to see if there are any changes we need to be aware of.

So how did this issue occur?

In Brixham this May, unfortunately despite all the monitoring in place, cryptosporidium was able to enter our clean water network. We identified the site that caused the issue, we isolated and fixed a damaged asset, and we are continuing our investigation into the source on that site.

We were alerted to reports of illness in the area by the UK Health Security Agency and although most issues are found to be from other sources such as private supplies, direct contact with livestock, or swimming in affected swimming pools or rivers, we immediately carried out additional testing on our network.

When we received the results of those tests a day later confirming the parasite had been detected, we immediately informed the Drinking Water Inspectorate and issued a boil water notice to the areas that could be affected, together with the Alston area as a precaution.

Our teams worked around the clock for eight weeks to provide bottled water to thousands of customers, isolate the cause of the infection and thoroughly clean and protect our network.

We flushed over 34km of water pipes 27 times at high velocity to clean network pipes and remove cryptosporidium and carried out 17 phases of ice-pigging and swabbing – a more aggressive cleaning approach. We also installed ultraviolet solutions and microfilters to provide barriers to remove cryptosporidium within the network. We then lifted the boil water notice in line with the principles agreed with public health partners, including the UK Health Security Agency and the local authority’s Environmental Health department.

What have we learned?

Thankfully incidents such as this are extremely rare both in our region and across the UK as a whole but that does not take away from the impact this caused to our customers. The public water supply in the UK is among the most tightly regulated in the world and this has led to the delivery of the best quality drinking water in the world since those regulations were introduced in 1989. However, we need to continue to work hard every day to be sure we maintain those standards.

We have already learned valuable lessons from this incident and are taking action to ensure a safer and more reliable water supply for the future. We will also share these learnings with the rest of the UK water industry to help prevent similar outbreaks from happening anywhere else.

One of the key lessons we have learned is the importance of early detection. Our processes did not detect this outbreak early enough and so we need to look at improving our monitoring technologies so contaminants can be detected more quickly and accurately.

We are identifying opportunities for enhanced investment within our network to further minimise the risk of future contamination. In Brixham, Hillhead and Kingswear, a filtration system and ultraviolet treatment has been installed to provide long-term additional protection for our customers.

We have worked tirelessly to address the cryptosporidium incident and to implement measures that will prevent such incidents in the future. As well as continuing our own internal investigations we are fully co-operating and supporting the Drinking Water Inspectorate’s investigation into what happened.

We will continue to work hard to make improvements and rebuild trust within the Brixham community so that everyone can have confidence in the water we supply.

Pushing at an open door?- Owl

Richard Foord, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson (Defence)

I welcome the fact that the Health Secretary talks about a shift from hospital to community care; that builds on Lord Darzi’s finding that 13% of beds are occupied by people who are waiting for care in more appropriate settings. Caring for patients in community hospitals is much more cost-effective than caring for patients in big acute hospitals like the Royal Devon and Exeter hospital where I live. What thought has the Secretary of State given to the use of community hospitals that have lost beds in the last decade, such as Seaton, Axminster, Honiton and Ottery St Mary?

Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right about the value of community hospitals, step-down accommodation and care close to people’s homes—or, better still, wherever possible, in their homes, so long as it is clinically safe and the right support and care is available. The shift from hospital to community will be at the heart of our 10-year plan for reform and modernisation. Like lots of his colleagues on the Liberal Democrat Benches and lots of those on the Government Benches behind me, the hon. Gentleman has already done a good job of putting his local lobbying of Ministers on the record in the House.

Reference and context here

Jess Bailey said she was concerned the footbridge, closed since last December, might have a “total collapse”

A bridge that connects two sides of a town in Devon remains closed nine months after it was damaged in storms in December 2023.

Miles Davis www.bbc.co.uk

People in Ottery St Mary said they were concerned for the safety of hundreds of schoolchildren who used to use Coleridge Bridge and now have to walk a far longer route on a busy road, with some journey times quadrupling.

One local councillor said she feared the entire bridge could collapse if work was not carried out ahead of any more storms in the coming winter.

Devon County Council and the Environment Agency said they were working together to obtain necessary permission for the “critical” work.

The bridge was damaged by a fallen tree in the storms of December 2023 Image source, Devon County Council

Jess Bailey, Independent councillor for Otter Valley on Devon County Council, said: “Ultimately, during the winter we might see further deterioration and erosion which could cause the total collapse of the bridge into the river.

“It’s an absolutely vital pedestrian link between the King’s School and residents to get to the main centre of Ottery St Mary, and it was used by hundreds of people on a daily basis.”

Ms Bailey said the bridge, which was built in 2011, was supported by a central pier which had suffered serious erosion.

“This is an absolutely crucial piece of infrastructure for the community,” she said.

Caz Meech’s back garden overlooks the River Otter and her children were regular users of the footbridge.

She said her biggest concerns were around safety.

She said: “Not only do the children now have to go around the main road, where they are at risk of the traffic, but also quite regularly you get children scaling the fence and getting onto the bridge.

“Those fences are not going to stop determined teenagers. Do we need a tragedy to happen for anybody to actually act?”

Other residents in Ottery St Mary said it had turned a five-minute walk into town into a 20-minute walk, and they were concerned about elderly people or people with mobility issues being cut off from the main town centre.

Devon County Council said “critical work” was needed “first to strengthen and protect the foundations on which the bridge sits”.

The council said it was in discussion with the Environment Agency about the necessary permissions and it hoped to be able to start the work before the end of September.

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said it was working closely with the council on granting permissions for both temporary work this year and for permanent repairs in the longer term.