“A lettuce purchased here in September 2022 lasted longer than prime minister Liz Truss.”

Blue Plaque Put Up At Supermarket Where The Lettuce That Beat Liz Truss Was Bought

A fake blue plaque has been installed outside the supermarket where the lettuce that famously defeated Liz Truss was bought.

Kevin Schofield www.huffingtonpost.co.uk 

The commemoration is yet more humiliation for the former prime minister, who only last 49 days in office.

It has been erected at a Tesco in Walthamstow, east London, and says: “A lettuce purchased here in September 2022 lasted longer than prime minister Liz Truss.”

The lettuce stunt was launched by the Daily Star as Truss battled to save her political career in the wake of the disastrous mini-Budget.

Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s package of unfunded tax cuts sent the financial markets into crisis, saw interest rates soar and the value of the pound plummet.

At one stage, the Bank of England even had to step in to prevent the British pensions industry from collapsing.

The Daily Star website set up a livestream, showing the lettuce with eyes and a blonde wig, to see if it would last longer than Truss did in No.10. The lettuce won.

Since leaving office, Truss has struggled to shake off the embarrassment of being defeated by the leafy vegetable.

In August, a banner depicting a lettuce and the message “I crashed the economy” slowly unfurled from the ceiling behind her as she spoke at a pro-Donald Trump event.

Once she noticed it, the former PM left the stage, and the following day wrote on X: “What happened last night was not funny. Far-left activists disrupted the event, which then had to be stopped for security reasons. This is done to intimidate people and suppress free speech.

“I won’t stand for it. Would we see the same reaction if the activists were far-right?”

Better-than-expected returns from East Devon District Council’s investments means it is predicting a budget surplus.

But not out of the woods – Owl

Bradley Gerrard www.exmouthjournal.co.uk

The local authority thinks it will earn just over £2.3 million in investment income in this financial year, compared to the £1.5 million anticipated when it set its budget.

The boost outweighs lower-than-expected income from planning fees so far this year, although the council believes there is “significant potential” for that to improve thanks partly to two major residential planning applications at Cranbrook.

The council had also saved money from its management of public toilets, but its £300,000 target hasn’t yet been met.

However, the investment income again counteracts this, meaning the authority is expecting a surplus of around £500,000 in its general fund.

In its housing budget, which is ring-fenced money, a small surplus of £77,000 is predicted, with higher returns from investment income helping again.

Furthermore, while there is a predicted underspend in its housing capital account – a specific pot of money for the likes of housing repairs – this will either be spent this year or rolled over to next.

Millions of pounds in extra funding to rectify years of under-investment in social housing in the district was approved in July, with the council’s leader then claiming previous efforts to tackle the issue hadn’t worked.

The full council agreed nearly £12 million of additional funding in the summer, mainly to help it cover the cost of increased requirements on social landlords to ensure properties meet high safety and quality standards.

Like many councils, this means East Devon’s housing-related costs are rising more quickly than its income, exacerbated by what several councillors and officers referred to as sustained under-investment.

PCC to wait on criminal investigation into chief constable

The police and crime commissioner for Devon and Cornwall says she’s expecting an update on a criminal investigation into the force’s chief constable in “the next month or so”.

Elliot Ball, Ben Woolvin www.bbc.co.uk

Will Kerr was suspended in July 2023 after an investigation was opened into “serious allegations of sexual offences” in Northern Ireland, which he denies.

Alison Hernandez said she had hoped to receive an update from the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland (PPSNI) in September, but had now been told “they will get back to me in October or in a couple of months”.

Speaking on the investigation following Friday’s meeting of the Police and Crime Panel, Ms Hernandez said: “My timescale is that I will wait until the public prosecution service has decided whether there is a criminal charge or not.”

‘Still waiting’

She added: “If there is a criminal charge I may well not want to wait it out but if there is not a criminal charge I would be interested to what the misconduct element looks like and how long that may take.”

Ms Hernandez said she had written to the PPSNI and “I’m still waiting and I’m putting pressure on for a decision to be made because it’s not just affecting an individual’s life but the whole police force.”

In her attempt to move the investigation on, Ms Hernandez also said she had asked the chief inspector of His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary Fire and Police Services to write to the PPSNI.

“I really am now hopeful that it should be in the next month or so that I get an answer and that helps me make a decision about what I do next,” she said.

The PPSNI said the file it received in May had been significantly progressed but there was no specific timescale for a decision at this stage.

‘Not really acceptable’

Mr Kerr remains on full pay with an annual salary of £197,000, according to the latest accounts.

Councillor Philip Hackett said the Police and Crime Panel had been told in July that it would be informed of Mr Kerr’s position at the meeting on 4 October.

However in Friday’s meeting the panel was instead told the date had been “pushed [forward] another couple of months”.

He said: “It’s basically been punted into the long grass.

“It’s not really acceptable when resources are so tight.”

Several of England’s cleanest seaside swimming spots deteriorate in autumn and winter, an unpublished government report has found. This includes Summerleaze, Exmouth and Firestone Bay

Adam Vaughan www.thetimes.com 

Outside the bathing water season, which runs from the middle of May to September, there is no regular site monitoring for harmful bacteria.

However, campaigners have called for year-round testing because of the growing popularity of cold-water swimming, thanks to advances in wetsuits.

The Times can reveal that the Environment Agency (EA) ran a pilot project of winter water testing at several bathing sites. It found year-round testing was feasible despite challenges, and an internal EA document obtained by Greenpeace’s investigative unit, Unearthed, showed three of six beaches in Devon, Cornwall and Dorset became dirtier in winter.

Water quality at designated swimming spots is rated “excellent”, “good”, “sufficient” or “poor” in summer, depending on the levels of harmful bacteria found by weekly tests.

Exmouth fell from excellent in summer to poor in winter, an unsafe level for swimming, the EA project found. Summerleaze, in Bude, and Firestone Bay, near Plymouth, both dropped from excellent to sufficient. Two beaches stayed the same; one, Lyme Regis, improved from good to excellent.

Jo Bateman, a retired physiotherapist who is a wild swimmer in Exmouth, said: “I just think it’s shocking, but not a surprise. It’s totally unacceptable. People swim all year round, and many people use the water in winter here: kitesurfers, windsurfers, kayakers, rowers.”

Bateman, who is taking legal action against South West Water for a loss of amenity — being unable to swim — due to sewage spills, said monitoring of bathing waters should be extended to winter. “One hundred per cent, it’s essential. To say the bathing water quality is excellent, but it’s only for four months of the year, that’s disingenuous.”

Andy Tyerman, a local resident and member of the campaign group End Sewage Convoys and Poollution Exmouth, said: “We are obviously very disappointed that the results for Exmouth were so poor.” The EA is considering legal action against South West Water over sewage discharges at the town in August, when swimmers were told to stay out of the water.

During the bathing water season officials from the EA take weekly tests for two types of bacteria that cause sickness: intestinal enterococci and E. coli, which are found in faeces. Sewage, manure run-off from fields and birds can all be sources of the pollution. Four years of data are usually used to inform classifications.

At a meeting last month the agency showed little interest in taking water samples all year round, but the water regulator did commission a project that tested waters at the six beaches from last October to March this year.

The aims of the project were to see if winter testing was possible and to gauge how bacteria levels differ in winter, when heavier rain can wash more pollutants down rivers to coastal waters.

The deterioration in winter at Summerleaze, Exmouth and Firestone Bay — the latter designated a bathing water spot only last year — was blamed on greater pollution from rivers. At Exmouth, sewage incidents on the beach were also an issue.

Analysis of the types of bacteria at Firestone Bay indicated the source was roughly half human and half cattle — suggesting a mixture of sewage and agricultural pollution. At Summerleaze and Exmouth, farming appeared to have played a greater role.

Rougher seas in winter meant only 60 per cent of a possible maximum of 174 samples were successfully collected across the six sites. Officials said with extra resources catch-up testing could be done on safer days, allowing a dataset for winter to be produced that was comparable with summer’s.

“This story simply states what surfers and swimmers across the country already know — sewage ain’t seasonal,” Giles Bristow, chief executive of Surfers Against Sewage, said.

“We demand a water quality testing regime which is based on the reality of how the polluting water industry operates and how people actually use our rivers, lakes and seas. It’s 2024, not 1924.”

South West Water said it was aiming for year-round high water quality at all bathing sites. The company has started going beyond statutory requirements, taking daily samples at 14 swimming spots including Exmouth and Firestone Bay. Richard Price, managing director of waste water services, said: “Bathing water quality in our region remains a priority, and we fully support efforts to better understand conditions across the 157 bathing waters we serve.”

The EA noted that 90 per cent of bathing waters in summer met “good” or “excellent” standards. It is understood to have chosen the six beaches as representative of bathing waters across the country and commissioned the project to see how climate change was affecting beaches.

“During the bathing water season, we take more than 7,000 samples at 451 bathing waters to provide people with water quality information to make informed choices on when and where to swim. We will continue to work closely with the agriculture sector, water companies and local communities to ensure the highest standard of bathing waters for the public,” the agency said.

The Times’ Clean it Up campaign has been demanding great regulatory action and investment to improve the UK’s waters.

Cllr Ged Yardy (Lib Dem, Dartmouth and East Dart) told a full South Hams council meeting: “Their system for compensation is utterly disappointing.

“They are spending money on expensive lawyers to defend compensation cases when they should be just paying up.”

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

Diagram showing the supply to the Brixham and Kingswear tanks (Image courtesy: South West Water)

South West Water has come under fire again for the way it has responded to the cryptosporidium outbreak that hit South Devon earlier this year.

Thousands of homes in Kingswear and Brixham were told to boil their water before drinking it after the bug got into supplies from a small reservoir nearby. 

The disruption lasted for weeks, with South West Water (SWW) having to hand out tens of thousands of bottles of water to worried households. Dozens of people were made ill by the bug, and several were hospitalised.

The water company has been summoned to a ‘summit’ in the coming weeks to explain the outbreak and what is being done to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Cllr Ged Yardy (Lib Dem, Dartmouth and East Dart) told a full South Hams council meeting: “Their system for compensation is utterly disappointing.

“They are spending money on expensive lawyers to defend compensation cases when they should be just paying up.”

And Cllr Jacqi Hodgson (Green, Dartington and Staverton) said the £3.2 billion SWW says it has paid in dividends to shareholders since 1990 could have been better spent on improving the company’s infrastructure.

And, she went on: “All of these public services that we have privatised will spend more on lawyers than on the common decency of paying compensation for what has gone wrong.”
 

‘They have an opportunity to address the housing crisis and have decided not to’

Devon County Council is being accused of betraying local families in desperate need of homes.

Guy Henderson – Local Democracy Reporter www.radioexe.co.uk

County Hall has announced that instead of ‘ring-fencing’ proceeds from doubling council tax on second homes and using it for housing projects, it will spend some of the money on fixing potholes instead.

The announcement sparked fury from South Hams district councillors, who wanted all the cash ploughed back into housing. The area has 4,000 second homes, and the £6.4 million raised is the highest of any district in Devon.

“What the county council is doing is a betrayal of the people of Devon,” said Cllr David Hancock (Lib Dem, South Brent). “They have an opportunity to address what they have declared as a housing crisis, and they have decided not to.”

But South Hams’ full council dropped a call for the extra money raised in the district to be kept there, after hearing that they could drive a better bargain by being more flexible.

Members were voting on a motion brought by Cllr Nicky Hopwood (Con., Woolwell), who said the county council should repair road from its existing budget rather than spending council tax funds.

“I would never have voted for 200 per cent council tax if I thought for one moment that Devon would not ringfence it for affordable housing,” she said. 

She said she was ‘bitterly disappointed’, and went on: “We didn’t raise the council tax to give it to the whole of Devon. We raised it to give it to the South Hams.

“If we can’t keep that money in the South Hams, what’s the point of charging it?”

Council leader Julian Brazil (Lib Dem, Stokenham), who also sits on the county council, said while it would be wrong to demand that the money stay in the South Hams, it was right to say it should stay in the housing budget.

He went on: “This is about the county, having declared a housing crisis, betraying the people of Devon by saying they are going to spend money putting a sticking plaster over potholes in the roads.

“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest tens of millions of pounds into housing we desperately need.

“Our communities are being hollowed out. They are becoming retirement homes for people from up-country.”

Cllr Jonathan Hawkins (Con, Dartmouth and East Dart) said while communities benefit from money brought in by second home owners, there were streets in Dartmouth and Kingswear which had just one local family living in them all year round.

Families were moving out and relocating to Torbay and Newton Abbot, where they could afford homes.

“It is really soul-destroying,” he said.

Buildings at North Devon District Hospital over 50 years old

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey will hear about North Devon District Hospital’s ageing operating theatre and critical care infrastructure  when he visits next week.

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

Because of its remoteness, North Devon Liberal Democrat MP Ian Roome wants the Barnstaple hospital to be made a special case as the government undertakes its review into planned upgrades formerly announced by the Conservatives.

A number of Lib Dem MPs in Devon have joined a petition by Cornish MP Ben Maguire demanding the government reconsiders the review and allows the works to go ahead. They include Steve Darling (Torbay) and Caroline Voaden (South Devon).  Torbay Hospital and a new women’s and children’s hospital at Treliske in Cornwall are also on the list as is Derriford’s new urgent and emergency care facility.

The New Hospital Programme (NHP) was expected to be backed with £20 billion of funding but health secretary Wes Streeting says the plan is “not deliverable”.

MPs are now concerned that the hospitals in review – ones without business case approval for their main build phase – could be cancelled.

Mr Roome, a former mental health nurse, said former Tory health minister Lord Markham visited North Devon District Hospital (NDDH) last summer and promised spades would be in the ground by February this year.

“We have not seen a penny. It’s all been about business cases and consultants,” he said. “It is absolutely imperative that the government’s review into the New Hospital Programme at NDDH focuses on urgent needs in the area. The decision to scrap these plans would be catastrophic.”

He has invited Mr Davey to visit on Wednesday.

“The NDDH has a high level of on-site infrastructure risk and, given that it’s the most remote mainland hospital in England, the effects of losing this funding could be devastating, forcing people to travel long distances to access essential care,” said Mr Roome.

He said the hospital provided a 24/7 emergency service and is a designated trauma unit, meaning it could “stabilise the most severe conditions” before patients are transferred to more specialised hospitals at Bristol, Plymouth of London.

“The thing is if you lose a hospital in London, there is another 10 minutes away. That is not the case here in North Devon. Patients in Lynton and Lynmouth face a two hour trip to get to Exeter.

“Our hospital is over-capacity as it is, and the theatre and intensive care unit are over 50 years old.”

At a board meeting of the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust this week, chief executive Sam Higginson said the trust is continuing to make the case for NDDH “very strongly” with the government.

He said they are concerned “if there was a failure there what the implications of that might be for patients” given risks faced with the ageing theatre and critical care infrastructure.

“I, and the chair, have both written to the secretary of state for health to make that case yet again and invited him to come and visit us in Barnstaple to see for himself.” he said.

“We think we will see some outcome from the review around about budget time (Wednesday 30 October) and we will convene as a board to decide the next steps once we are clear what the future holds

“The most important thing for me is that we end up in a position where we have safe and appropriate infrastructure.”

In a letter to MPs in constituencies affected by the review, Mr Streeting said the previous government failed to hold a spending review in their last few years of office, which allowed the Conservatives to suugest £20 billion of investment for hospitals which hadn’t been accounted for.

Conservative MP for South West Devon Rebecca Smith has launched her own petition to save the urgent and emergency care facility at Derriford.

She said: “I welcome the fact that the government is still considering this essential scheme. The capacity challenges at Derriford Hospital are in plain sight. Its health workers operate in an extremely challenging environment. Every day my inbox is filled with emails from constituents who are left waiting for treatment at Derriford Hospital.”
 

Work to replace four toilet blocks in Exmouth, Budleigh Salterton, Seaton and Honiton is set to begin soon.

Adam Manning www.exmouthjournal.co.uk

Construction is expected to last around two to three months at each site. The scheduled start dates (weather permitting) are as follows: 

·     Exmouth (Foxholes): Monday, 7th October 

·     Budleigh Salterton (East End, Lime Kiln): Monday, 21st October 

·     Seaton (West Walk): Monday, 4th November 

·     Honiton (Lace Walk): Monday, 18th November 

Initial works will involve site set-up and essential surveys, with major groundworks commencing at the Exmouth site near the beginning of November with other sites following shortly thereafter. 

All investment works are scheduled for completion by early 2025, with the Exmouth site expected to be finished in December and the Honiton site by February. 

Temporary toilet facilities will be provided at Exmouth, Budleigh Salterton, and Seaton throughout the works, but no temporary facilities will be available at Lace Walk, Honiton, due to levels of usage and access to other public toilets in locality.

The works will provide modern fit-for-purpose facilities, improved accessibility and generally a more pleasant user experience.

This project follows the 2021 Public Toilet Review consultation. Read more: East Devon Council extend closing date for public toilets.

A new toilet block was proposed at Ham East in Sidmouth, but the planning application was refused.

Temporary toilets will be provided at all phase one sites except Lace Walk, Honiton. Accessible toilets will also be available, and no radar key will be required. 

The new toilets will cost 40p to use, and showers will be installed at all seafront locations. 

The work is part of an East Devon District Council (EDDC) public toilet investment programme majority funded by the council with top-up funding from national government towards new adult changing places facilities at the Exmouth, Budleigh Salterton and Seaton sites.

For more information, visit the EDDC website.

Five thousand Devon potholes have been fixed in just six months using a device known as a ‘dragon patcher’.

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

Devon’s Dragon Patchers flying through pothole repairs (image courtesy: Devon County Council)

The machines, which emits flames, are being used across the county’s vast road network to tackle the huge number of damaged surfaces.

Since April, more than 33,000 square metres of material have been laid to fix potholes and road damage across 5,250 patches.

The success of the dragon patchers appears to be because the heat of their flames helps the repair material bond effectively to the existing road surface.

Cllr Jerry Brook (Conservative, Chudleigh and Teign Valley) told the county council’s corporate infrastructure and regulatory services scrutiny committee he had been “criss-crossing” Devon recently and had seen a clear improvements on the roads.

“There has been an enormous amount of work and therefore improvement to our network in quite a short space of time,” he said.

“Some places are diabolical still and they may never get done, but I want to say congratulations to the team as there has been quite considerable improvement.”

The committee’s chair, Frank Letch (Liberal Democrat, Crediton), added: “I would reiterate that in my area too.”

In the first four months of this financial year, more than 24,000 potholes were recorded – a 54 per cent increase on the same period last year.

The council’s highways department was helped by an extra £12 million in funding.

More than £7 million of this has been put towards capital funding, which has allowed the council to double the number of patching teams from two to four.
 

Paul Arnott 

A couple of weeks ago East Devon held a double celebration at its Blackdown House HQ, meant to happen in June but postponed due to the sudden calling of the general election. In one part of the afternoon, I was privileged on behalf of the people of East Devon to co-sign the Veteran’s Charter with Major Mark Latham RM. This had been the idea of Cllr Vicky Johns from Ottery St Mary, who comes from a forces’ family

The charter commits your council to redouble its efforts on behalf of the nearly eight thousand ex forces personnel and reservists who live in the East Devon district. Most thrive, but for many there are challenges around both jobs and housing when they leave their service, as well as lifelong medical conditions. As a council we already do try and help with steering them in the right direction. Signing the charter now weaves this commitment into the fabric of everything we do.

The other part of the afternoon involved marking the 50th anniversary of East Devon District Council itself, which arose from a massive reorganisation of local government back in 1974. It was great to welcome back at least one councillor who’d been first elected back then which unusually made me feel very young.

The timing of it was ironic, because at this very moment local government where we live is undertaking another, slightly odd change. I am mindful that for most readers this is an epic yawn, so I’ll try to be brief. Essentially, if you live in East Devon and think about your council tax bill, that’ll help.

In very approximate terms, if you pay £2,300 Council Tax per year, roughly £80 is for your parish or town council, £100 for Fire and Rescue, about £160 for East Devon District, £260 for the Police, and by far the largest share, £1,700 to Devon County Council.

That huge chunk to the County Council covers big ticket items such as Adult and Young People’s Social Care, Highways (Potholes!!), Education, Libraries and local economic strategy to worry about. All of which is horribly underfunded from central government.

But as of last week, the government signed off on Devon County Council together with Torbay Council (both “unitary” authorities) forming a “Combined County Authority” (CCA). Technically, this makes no difference to the bodies listed two paragraphs back, but it becomes a joint endeavour which can draw down greater infrastructure funding from central government, plan more strategically with Homes England, and have a bigger say in the region’s transport arrangements, amongst other things.

It’s all early days at the moment, and there is a measure of genuine surprise in the two major cities in Devon, both Labour-led, that the new government has rushed to rubber-stamp what was very much a Conservative idea. Plymouth in particular had pulled out of the CCA idea but it looks now very much that, having forlornly courted an unwilling Cornwall to join up with them, their own party is pushing them back into the CCA.

One clear advantage is that it staves off the potty idea of a Mayor for a totally unitary Devon. But with County Council elections looming in May, it’s all to play for on who will actually end up rolling all this out.

Civic Voice highlights the need for stronger community involvement and housing affordability measures

http://www.civicvoice.org.uk 

Civic Voice, the national charity for civic societies, has today submitted its response to the Government’s consultation on the National Planning Policy Framework, which was published on 30 July 2024. Engaging with civic societies and community groups across across the country, Civic Voice collected input through surveys, briefings, webinars, and discussions, ensuring that the views of local communities were heard.

In total, seven events were held, attended by 202 individuals, with an additional 405 responses through an online survey and 366 detailed email submissions from individuals, civic societies and other community organisations. These contributions helped shape Civic Voice’s comprehensive response to the Government’s proposals.

Key points from Civic Voice’s response include

Housing Affordability: Civic Voice emphasises that simply increasing housing targets will not automatically result in more homes being built or lower house prices. Without targeted reforms, the private sector may continue to prioritise high-end developments, leaving the urgent need for affordable and social housing unmet. Civic Voice calls for stronger public sector involvement, empowering local authorities and housing associations to meet community needs.

Community Involvement: Civic Voice urges the Government to strengthen Statements of Community Involvement, ensuring that local communities have a meaningful role in shaping major planning decisions. Public engagement must be an ongoing process at every stage of development to rebuild trust and ensure local voices are not just heard, but acted upon.

Strategic Planning: Civic Voice supports enhanced strategic planning at sub-regional levels, potentially overseen by combined authorities, to address complex housing and infrastructure issues. Local housing markets should be assessed by regional bodies, with findings used to guide public investment programmes.

Net Zero and VAT Reform: Civic Voice highlights the urgent need for planning policy to support the Government’s net zero ambitions. Building new homes must go hand in hand with sustainability goals, ensuring developments are energy-efficient and contribute to carbon reduction targets. To this end, Civic Voice calls for reform to the VAT system to incentivise retrofitting and refurbishment of existing homes. Lowering VAT on these projects would encourage greener building practices, support the transition to net zero, and reduce carbon emissions, helping to make homes more energy efficient.  

Ian Harvey, Executive Director of Civic Voice: “The current housing crisis isn’t just about numbers—it’s about ensuring that the homes being built are genuinely affordable and meet the needs of the people who need them. If we allow the large housebuilders to continue to dominate, the problem will be prolonged, leaving the urgent need for affordable and social housing unmet. We cannot solve the affordable housing crisis without stronger public sector leadership and viewing communities as partners in these national challenges. Communities should be at the centre of decision-making, not sidelined. Using local knowledge and input can speed up decision-making. The future of planning must put local voices first, through local plans ensuring the developments we build meet local needs and contribute to our net zero ambitions.”

Next Steps

Civic Voice looks forward to continued dialogue with Ministers and officials on the NPPF consultation, as well as on future planning reform proposals. We remain committed to ensuring that local communities have a real say in shaping the future of their areas and will continue to advocate for greater housing affordability and strategic planning measures., including latest announcements on brownfield passports, and retrofttting.

To read Civic Voice’s full response, click this link. 

More than 8,000 people in the over-80s in Honiton and Sidmouth risk losing Winter Fuel Payments.

Bobby Angelov www.sidmouthherald.co.uk

The latest official statistics reveal that these pensioners, previously benefiting from £300 each to stay warm, are set to lose this support unless they qualify for other benefits.

The cuts affect those who previously received pension credit.

The Liberal Democrats have voiced concerns over the government’s decision, urging ministers to “protect vulnerable pensioners”.

In total, 25,921 pensioners in Honiton and Sidmouth risk losing support due to the cuts.

The Liberal Democrat MP for Honiton and Sidmouth, Richard Foord, said: “Thousands of people in Mid- and East Devon are desperately worried about how they will make ends meet this winter.

“Vulnerable older pensioners shouldn’t be racked with worry; these figures are deeply worrying.

“I have heard countless stories from those who now say they will have to choose between staying warm or putting food on the table as a result of this Government’s decision.

“Cutting these payments for thousands who are barely getting by, is the wrong decision.

“It is not too late for the Government to change course, reverse these proposals and protect vulnerable pensioners in Devon this winter.”

Nationally, Age UK has previously stated that 2.5 million pensioners will “be in serious trouble” this winter due to the cutting of the payments.

The Liberal Democrats have called on the Government to “reverse these proposals and protect vulnerable pensioners” this winter.

The winter fuel payment is a tax-free payment designed to help elderly people cover their heating costs.

The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer was met with boos at his party conference over the winter fuel cuts (Image: PA)

Following the Chancellor’s announcement in July, winter fuel payments – previously eligible for all pensioners – will now be limited to those who receive pension credit.

The policy has proved to be controversial as the Labour leadership lost a conference vote on winter fuel payments at the Labour conference.

The opening of a new supermarket in a Devon new town will be the beginning of a “vibrant and much used town centre”, a local councillor says.

www.bbc.co.uk

Morrisons has confirmed it was “working hard” to open the store between Badger Way and Tilllhouse Road in Cranbrook, near Exeter, in early 2025 or sooner.

East Devon District Councillor for Cranbrook and town council member Kevin Blakey said that, despite the long delays, he believed the opening was “worth the wait”.

He said the new supermarket would allow people to shop locally, rather than having travel to Ottery St Mary and Exeter.

The council said work for the new town centre, which began in October 2022, was set to includes shops, a nursery, residential apartments, a market square and the supermarket.

Mr Blakey said the design and the layout “looked good” and, come the new year, it would be a “massive improvement for many” nearby.

He said: “Some people have argued that it has just been a vast housing estate, and there is an argument for that; but the economics come into play here, which is the money doesn’t appear out of nowhere.

“It comes from development, the infrastructure around Cranbrook and any other developments that come from selling houses.

“[For] retailers, there has to be enough people resident here to make it worthwhile opening”

Mr Blakey said he believed the supermarket would be the biggest part of the town centre and, economically, the most important, helping, with other shop units, to let the town benefit from an increased footfall.

He said: “It is the beginnings of what we are pretty certain will be a vibrant and much used town centre; not just for the people who live in Cranbrook, but for those in the surrounding villages which, perhaps… do not even have a village shop anymore.”

He added the whole development was created based on it being “the first town in Devon for 500 years, adding it was “never going to be built overnight”.

Morrisons said: “We are looking forward to welcoming customers and we’re working hard to open the store very early next year, or sooner, if regulations permit us to do so.”

Covid is on the rise in England, and experts have warned that more must be done to prevent and control infections after a “capitulation to the virus”.

Nicola Davis www.theguardian.com 

Prof Danny Altmann, an immunologist at Imperial College London, said those working in the field were perplexed by the current attitude to the battle against Covid, as the latest figures showed an increase in hospital admissions.

The latest data for England from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) showed that hospital admissions increased to 3.71 per 100,000 population for the week between 16 and 22 September 2024, compared with 2.56 per 100,000 the previous week.

The percentage of people with symptoms who have tested positive for Covid, based on tests at sentinel “spotter” laboratories, has also risen in the last week to 11.8% compared with 9.1% in the previous week.

Altmann described the prevailing stance on the virus as a “capitulation”. “To those who work in this field, the current attitude of acceptance to losing this war of attrition against Covid is puzzling and a little desperate,” he said.

“The data, both in the UK and US, show that the current Omicron subvariants are hugely successful at punching through any dwindling population immunity, so that we tolerate huge prevalence of around 12%. Our capitulation to the virus is a combination of a population where most are now many months or years from their last vaccine dose, and that vaccine dose was in any case poorly cross-protective for the very distinct current variants.

“Clearly, there is behavioural polarisation between those who are worried by this and look for mitigation, and those who think we must learn live with it and paid too high a price for our earlier measures,” he said.

Dr Simon Williams, from Swansea University, added that surveys suggest there is also a large group of people who are not thinking much about Covid at all. “Part of this is psychological – for two to three years it was something people had to think about all the time and is something that for many had many negative memories and feelings attached to it,” he said.

While Altmann said debate around measures needed to be properly informed and data-driven and to avoid extreme stances, it was important not to trivialise the impact of the virus.

“Those at the weaker end of the immune response spectrum may often experience four or more breakthrough infections per year. These may range from mild to those needing several days of work, with all the associated economic costs, plus any additional NHS burden,” he said.

Altmann also stressed the impact of long Covid, noting that it is thought to affect around 400 million people globally – with 3% lost workforce and a global cost estimate of $1tn annually – and can arise even in vaccinated people following reinfection.

The latest Covid data comes as a new variant is expected to become prevalent in the coming months. Known as XEC, it was first identified in Germany over the summer, and cases have already been identified in the UK. It is thought to have emerged from two other Covid variants, themselves descended from the BA.2.86 variant.

However, experts have said that, at present, XEC is not thought to cause different symptoms from previous variants and does not appear to be fuelling a surge in cases. It is also expected that Covid vaccinations and past infections will continue to offer protection against severe disease.

While bookings for the NHS autumn Covid booster jabs opened this week, Altmann said they should be offered more widely, together with increased use of lateral flow testing to avoid the spread of Covid.

Williams added that it was strange that more had not been done to clean indoor air and improve ventilation in public spaces including schools.

But while he backed offering boosters more widely, he also raised concerns: “I worry that again this autumn we will see a relatively low uptake of the booster among priority groups, including younger adults with a compromised immune system.”

Clear as mud to Owl.

South West Water has updated Sidmouth Town Council on their work in the town to add ‘sewer improvements’ around The Ham.

Adam Manning www.sidmouthherald.co.uk

The latest Sidmouth Town Council meeting took place on Monday September 2, where representatives for South West Water Charlie Ford and Kathy Merchant, gave an update to Members regarding the ongoing Remedial Works Project and installation of a new tank at The Ham. 

The work they are doing on The Ham is split into four parts. Which is currently in the ‘design phase.’ Work is due to start in October.

Find out more about the work on the South West Water website. Sidmouth Sewer Improvement Scheme | Projects and Investments

The first is Infiltration, which is water from manhole covers, to stop infiltration we’ll be lining, repairing and replacing our pipes and manhole covers in hotspot areas. We call this rehabilitation work.

The second part is building a bigger storm overflow in The Ham. The third is building new sewers which has one to hold the foul flows and one to hold surface water. 

The last part is ‘significantly reducing’ reliance on the storm overflows in Sidmouth and investing in their maintenance – upgrading their screens and relocating our monitoring chambers. 

A spokesman for South West Water said: “This work will help reduce the impact of overflows on the environment, and allow us to better monitor, check and maintain the overflows.

“But we know that sometimes the sewer system is struggling to cope. Our investigations tell us that this is for a number of reasons including population growth in the area, groundwater entering the sewers, and the age of some of our assets.

“We’re on a mission to reduce the impact the town’s sewerage system is having on the environment.

“We’ve done a lot of investigating and surveying to find the best solution for Sidmouth’s sewerage system. Some of those are still ongoing, and we’ve got others planned as the scheme moves forward.”

South West Water also said they are ‘working fast to reduce spills in Sidmouth. Sidmouth has enjoyed Excellent bathing water for many years now.’

The launch ceremony, organised by Cranbrook Town Council, will take place on Saturday, September 28, from 11am to 12pm at the Younghayes Centre.

Bobby Angelov www.midweekherald.co.uk

The new service aims to help residents and visitors navigate the town more easily, particularly to key locations like the award-winning Cranbrook Country Park.

The initiative follows the recent opening of the Cranbrook Skate Park and Pump Track.

Cranbrook’s mobility scooter scheme is co-funded by Devon County Council, LiveWest, and Move More Cranbrook.

The launch event will feature a ribbon-cutting ceremony by Cranbrook Town Councillors and project sponsors, with a demonstration ride to the country park.

The mobility scooter has reportedly received positive feedback during its trial phase, with residents expressing appreciation for the boost in town mobility.

Available for free hire on weekdays from 10am to 2pm, the scooter can be booked in two-hour slots.

This service allows users to explore more of Cranbrook’s local amenities and the recently awarded Green Flag and Treescape Award-winning Cranbrook Country Park.

Bookings can be made through the Cranbrook Town Council office at the Younghayes Centre.

The introduction of the mobility scooter is a significant step towards enhancing the quality of life for those with mobility challenges in the community.

By providing a means to access more areas of the town, the service aims to ensure that all residents and visitors can enjoy the full range of amenities and attractions Cranbrook has to offer.

This initiative reflects a growing recognition of the importance of mobility and accessibility in fostering an inclusive community.

More information about the service and its benefits will be available at the launch event.

A year-long programme of mental health support for East Devon school children and their parents has been praised after the Covid recovery initiative achieved several positive outcomes, including greater awareness of mental health in school communities and increased confidence among pupils.

eastdevon.gov.uk 

Wishing to shift its attention from the immediate impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and focus on restoring strength in communities, East Devon District Council used funding from the government’s Contain Outbreak Management Fund (COMF) – designed to support local Covid-related public health projects – to facilitate activities in two schools in Axminster.

Axminster was selected to receive the support because feedback and insight from East Devon councillors, council officers and agencies such as the police indicated that mental health support would be welcomed in the area.

Multiple reports suggest that some young people’s mental health and wellbeing was substantially impacted during the pandemic. According to the Department for Education’s State of the Nation report (2021) “evidence indicated lower wellbeing in December 2020 and February 2021, when schools were closed to most pupils, compared to previous months in the academic year.” Additionally, data from February and March 2021 shows that rates of likely mental disorder in children and young people increased between 2017 and 2021.

During the 2023/24 academic year, East Devon District Council commissioned third sector groups Action East Devon, HeadsUp and Parental Minds to help to address the emotional and psychological needs of children and parents as they navigated life after the pandemic.

Children were supported throughout the year at St Mary’s Primary School and Axe Valley Academy, where the school communities benefited from a mixture of:

• One-on-one and group counselling from qualified professionals.
• Training to become mental health ambassadors, increasing subject knowledge.
• Workshops for parents, fostering stronger family relationships and communication.
• Face to face and virtual support hubs – including self-sustaining peer support groups.
• Events, including parents’ coffee mornings, to raise awareness in informal settings.
• Training for teaching assistants.
• Lunch clubs.
• Phone support during half terms and holidays, to address feelings of isolation.

Among the key outcomes from the project, children and parents reported they:

• Had a better understanding of mental health.
• Felt more confident and had higher self-esteem.
• Were in better physical health and had an improved standard of self-care.
• Were sleeping better.
• Felt a stronger sense of identity, self-expression and resilience.
• Had better access to work and a stronger commitment to school and education.
• Experienced healthier relationships.

In one situation, a child and their caregiver were struggling with their mental health. During the programme, the caregiver had frequent support calls which made them feel “less alone, helpless and isolated” and gave them strength to support their child. The child also received support and is now able to attend school and enjoys socialising with their friends.

A parent who received support said: “Knowing that someone was at the end of the phone really helped put my mind at ease. As a parent, lots of people say ‘remember to look after yourself’ but no one really has the practical advice on how to do this when there are so many demands to keep your child safe. The support, information and network are the gifts that keep me going.”

The 2023/24 programme was made possible through non-recurrent COMF funding. Any potential expansion to other parts of East Devon will be subject to additional funding being available.

Councillor Dan Ledger, Portfolio Holder Sustainable Homes and Communities, East Devon District Council, said: “Our health directly influences our quality of life and that of our families and the communities around us. We know that many people are still struggling after the Covid pandemic and the subsequent cost-of-living crisis, so we are pleased to have funded some support for Axminster school students and their parents and carers. As good mental health is so important for everyone’s wellbeing, we are very grateful to the many local voluntary and community groups, charities and social enterprise organisations working hard to support our communities across East Devon.”

Lola Coombs, Wellbeing Coordinator, Action East Devon, said: “We would like to thank East Devon District Council, Devon County Council and Axminster Town Council for helping to fund and support our wonderful school mentoring service at Axe Valley Academy. We would not have been able to do this without them, nor would the students have received the support they needed at the time they needed it most.”

Paula Baker, Director, HeadsUp, said: “St Mary’s Primary School was very welcoming during our time there and we feel we made a difference to the children’s lives. We developed a good working relationship with Parental Minds, and we signposted all the parents from our parent workshops to their support, so there was ongoing help available for those in need. Thank you to East Devon District Council for the funding the work.”

Vanessa Rossiter, Parental Minds, said: “It’s great that Axe Valley Academy staff are now using our Thrive directories and attending our skills workshops. We remain committed to continuing and enhancing our collaboration with other local support groups to benefit the community. We are so grateful for the support from the East Devon District Council, which has enabled us to make a tangible impact on the mental wellbeing of families in the area.”

Sideshore Community (text from facebook post)

Thousands of you have now registered your interest in legal action against SWW. This is amazing news!! Keep telling your friends, neighbours and colleagues to join this community action. The more we have, the greater our voice.

https://leighdaylaw.info/ExmouthSewagePollution?r=qr

Please continue to support our local businesses who have suffered from all the negative press on beach closures. And remember there are many days when the Surfers Against Sewage app has a green tick on Exmouth. It’s really important that we get that message out there too.#ExmouthvsSWW #PoolutionSolution

https://leighdaylaw.info/ExmouthSewagePollution?r=qr

[Backed by Feargal Sharkey]

Due to a recently announced protest scheduled to take place in Central London on October 26th, the March for Clean Water will now be taking place on Sunday 3rd November.

Molly Allen riveractionuk.com

Chair and Founder of River Action Charles Watson said, “Thousands of people and more than 90 charities, organisations and community groups have pledged their support to the family-friendly March for Clean Water.  It promises to be a positive, loud and colourful demonstration of the public’s outrage at the dire state of the UK’s polluted rivers, seas and lakes.  Join us on the streets of London on Sunday 3rd November to send a clear message to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer that the people of Great Britain will no longer tolerate the manner in which the making of dirty money has been allowed by the government to be prioritised at the expense of clean water.”

Melissa Green, CEO of the National Federation of Women’s Institutes said: “The Women’s Institute proudly stands with the March for Clean Water, and WI members will be travelling from across the country to join forces on Sunday 3rd November.

 “We invite all our members who want to see decisive action to resolve the water crisis once and for all, to march alongside us. While we’re encouraged by the government’s response to our calls for a comprehensive review of the water system, we must ensure this opportunity is not wasted. Now is the time for bold, urgent action to deliver lasting solutions.”

Patrick Begg, Outdoors & Natural Resources Director at the National Trust said: “We are disappointed that the date of the march was forced to change, but remain fully supportive of this march which is now on Sunday 3^rd November.

“Water is our most precious commodity, and we play fast and loose with it at our peril.  Yet only 14 percent of rivers across England are in good ecological health, and severe droughts and floods have become more commonplace. Urgent action is needed. 

“We urge the government to adopt a comprehensive source-to-sea water management strategy. This includes tackling pollution at its origin, whether from agriculture, industry or from sewage outflows. But is also means restoring peat bogs, creating more space for water in our landscapes, and reducing water waste – without which we won’t succeed in making our rivers healthier for both nature and people, or resilient in the face of a changing climate.”

Becky Malby, from the Ilkley Clean River Group, said, “At the March for Clean Water on 3rd November river users from across the nation will rally and send a unified message to the government of Sir Keir Starmer – we demand that you enforce existing environmental laws and prosecute the polluters responsible for the disgusting state of the UK’s rivers, seas and lakes.”

March for Clean Water, Central London on Sunday 3rd NovemberThousands of people dismayed at the appalling state of Britain’s waterways will join the March for Clean Water in London on Sunday 3rd November. Groups as diverse as British Rowing, Extinction Rebellion, the National Trust and the Women’s Institute have backed the march.

Together they will send a clear message to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer: take immediate and decisive action to end the poisoning of our rivers, lakes and seas by the lethal cocktail of raw sewage, agricultural waste and other chemical pollutants, that over recent years have been allowed to leave most of our waterways so filthy that they present major risks to human health and untold damage to nature.

Visit: marchforcleanwater.org

Notes to editors
The March for Clean Water is on Sunday 3rd November. It will be a legal, peaceful, family-friendly and inclusive demonstration. Timings will be confirmed in the run up to the event.

River Action is an environmental charity on a mission to rescue Britain’s rivers from the deluge of pollution that has left the majority of our waterways in a severely degraded ecological condition. Our campaigns to date have focussed on tackling the severe environmental crises created by both sewage and agricultural pollution.

Senior Tory spills the beans.

A correspondent reminds Owl that David Reed may be too young to remember Tory Councillor (and ex-member of the “Raving Loony Party”) Stuart Hughes’ all too true account of East Devon District Council’s planning policy circa 2017 under the “build, build, build” strategy – His educational video “We plan anywhere”.

Owl thinks this should be essential viewing for our new MP to get him “up to speed” of how we got into this mess and why the local Tory vote has been tanking ever since.

Stuart Hughes gained further notoriety as the Tory Chairman of EDDC in 2020 who, on the pretext of Covid, cancelled the May 2020 Annual Meeting in a shameful attempt to frustrate the Democratic Alliance and the Independent Progressive Group, led by councillor Paul Arnott taking over power as the majority group within EDDC.

At the time the Tories only held one third of the council seats. This was a denial of democracy.

Stuart Hughes finally resigned as chairman in June 2020. He remains both a District and County Councillor.