Author Archives: East Devon Watch

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25 Jul 2023

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Gove’s plans to relax planning rules met with mixed response

Michael Gove has announced a £24m package including ‘super squads’ and relaxing planning rules, including developing more brownfield and retail units to deliver new homes

Harriet Clough www.pbctoday.co.uk 

The plan to relax planning rules follows the Government’s assertion that they will meet the target of building one million homes between 2019-24, despite a recent report from the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee stating that the government would not deliver 300,000 net new homes per year by the mid-2020s.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak reiterated over the weekend that the government would deliver the much-needed housing and housing secretary Micahel Gove added to this in his speech on Monday(24 July 2023), where he outlined the scheme.

Relaxing planning rules is intended to speed up the housebuilding process

In a statement released ahead of his speech, the Housing Secretary said: “Most people agree that we need to build more homes — the question is how we go about it.”

Citing regeneration in east London in the 1980s by the Docklands Development Corporation, the housing secretary said his plans would kick-start a “21st century renaissance for our great cities”.

The proposals included:

  • a £24m training fund to develop skills needed to increase housebuilding
  • a renewed effort on developing and building homes in cities rather than “concreting over the countryside”; with an increased focus on brownfield
  • creating an Office for Place, which would aim to ensure new homes are delivered to both high aesthetic and functional quality
  • Reviewing and relaxing planning rules such as permitted development rights, which would allow retail units, takeaways and betting shops to be converted into housing without needing planning permission

Questions have been raised about the standard of conversions

Councillor Shaun Davies, chairman of the LGA, said: “Premises such as offices, barns and shops are not always suitable for housing.

“Further expanding permitted development rights risks creating poor quality residential environments that negatively impact people’s health and wellbeing, as well as a lack of affordable housing or suitable infrastructure.

“It is disappointing that the Government have ignored their own commissioned research that concluded that homes converted through a planning application process deliver higher quality homes than those converted via permitted development rights.”

The first of these projects, a new “urban quarter” in Cambridge, has already met with criticism

Gove also announced that he was appointing Peter Freeman, chair of Homes England, to lead a “Cambridge delivery group”, aiming to build on the strong research and innovation market in the area by providing housing for more professionals.

But local responses have ranged from angry to vehemently angry.

Cambridgeshire County Council leader, Cllr Lucy Nethsingha said she was “deeply angry and frustrated”, and Conservative MP for South Cambridgeshire Anthony Browne condemned the plans in light of the fact that natural resources in Cambridge were already overstretched.

He later described the plans as “dead on arrival”.

The opposition decried the announcement as more ‘empty promises’

Referring to the new speech and recent news that housing targets were rolled back to be advisory rather than mandatory, Lisa Nandy, Labour’s shadow housing secretary, said: “It takes some serious brass neck for the Tories to make yet more promises when the housing crisis has gone from bad to worse on their watch, and when housebuilding is on course to hit its lowest rate since the Second World War because Rishi Sunak rolled over to his own MPs.

“We don’t need more reviews, press releases or empty promises, we need bold action to get Britain building.”

Industry responses were slightly more optimistic- but clear that there is still a long way to go

Victoria Hills, chief executive of the Royal Town Planning Institute, said they would “make a significant contribution to alleviating the pressure placed on England’s planning services.”
The CEOs and chief executives of Mace, Kier and Persimmon all welcomed the proposed reforms of planning to decrease delays, and Verity Davidge of Make UK Modular said:

“Today’s announcement to manage the housing planning backlog through a planning skills delivery fund is a step in the right direction. Part of the fund should be dedicated towards ensuring planners have the knowledge and expertise of modular housebuilding too, which can help tackle the housing crisis we face in the UK.

“That said, these policies only begin to scratch the surface and we need to see more ambitious reforms to housing. Lowering stamp duty for EPC A rated homes and allocating a higher proportion of the affordable housing programme to modular housing would unleash the potential of a dynamic and innovative sector able to provide homes greener, faster and better.”

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24 Jul 2023

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Tory selection stitch up

Tim posts a comment:

If you look very carefully at the David Reed selection photo you can see it is quite literally a stitch up! How else might they explain the two images of ex Tory MP and Whip Tim Wood occupying adjacent spaces? (yellow tie and light grey suit about 1/3rd in from left) . Stitching up might explain Angie’s question about Humphreys single leg.


With such low numbers gathered, a good few of whom are recent election losers or quitters, no wonder there doesn’t seem to be a single smile amongst them. If anything, one looks to have nodded off!

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24 Jul 2023

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Planning applications validated by EDDC for week beginning 10 July

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24 Jul 2023

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Building outstrips Household Formation over past decade – ONS

Background to Gove’s big announcement.

There is undeniably a housing crisis but it isn’t just a simple question of building for building’s sake.

We need the right sort of building in the right place.

From the Office for National Statistics:

There were 24,782,800 households in England and Wales on Census Day; the number of households increased by more than 1.4 million since 2011 (6.1%), when there were 23,366,044 households.

In 2021, there were 26.4 million dwellings in England and Wales, which has increased by 8.4% since 2011 (24.4 million dwellings) [an increase of 2.0 million]. This breaks down to 24.9 million dwellings in England and 1.5 million dwellings in Wales, which have increased from 23.0 million and 1.4 million dwellings respectively in 2011.

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24 Jul 2023

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Sunak promises new focus on inner-city housebuilding projects

So, was EDDC right to pull out of Exeter Masterplan (GESP)? You bet! – Owl

Inner-city areas will be the focus of new housebuilding projects, Rishi Sunak has announced, in a move designed to signal sympathy with those struggling to get on the property ladder but avoid a backlash from Tory MPs.

Aubrey Allegretti www.theguardian.com

The prime minister promised not to “concrete over the countryside”, before a speech by the housing secretary, Michael Gove, who will set out changes on Monday to help homeowners extend their properties and streamline the planning process.

A new “super squad” of planners and other experts will be established, tasked with unblocking major housing developments.

Amid concerns that a lack of housebuilding is holding back economic growth and making younger voters less likely to support the Conservatives, Sunak said he was confident the 2019 Conservative manifesto pledge to build 1 million homes over the course of the parliament would be met.

Top of the priority list for development is a new urban quarter in Cambridge, with space for homes, art facilities, laboratories and green areas.

Sunak said progress had made been made but that “we need to keep going because we want more people to realise the dream of owning their own home”.

He added: “We won’t do that by concreting over the countryside – our plan is to build the right homes where there is the most need and where there is local support, in the heart of Britain’s great cities.

“Our reforms today will help make that a reality by regenerating disused brownfield land, streamlining the planning process and helping homeowners to renovate and extend their houses outwards and upwards.”

Stuart Baillie, the of planning at property firm Knight Frank, said the move was “unlikely to have meaningful impact on housing supply” and would only create hundreds of new homes instead of the thousands needed.

He added: “This policy will only paper over the cracks, instead of getting to the heart of the issue facing the UK’s overburdened and under-resourced planning system. In many instances, residential amenity would be compromised by a town centre location – particularly ground floor retail – meaning conversion or redevelopment would be limited to fringe and out-of-town areas.”

The announcement comes only two weeks after a cross-party committee ruled ministers were unlikely to meet the government’s pledge of building 300,000 new homes a year. That target was made advisory rather than mandatory by Sunak last year, in an attempt to see off a potential backbench rebellion.

Clive Betts, the chair of the levelling up, housing and communities select committee, said the prime minister’s decision was “already having a damaging impact on efforts to increase the building of new homes”.

On Monday, while Sunak is on a visit to the West Midlands, Gove will deliver a speech in London and promise to cut red tape. The changes will allow more shops and takeaways to be converted into houses, and are aimed at making it simpler for existing homes to be extended.

To unblock bottlenecks in the planning system, Gove will announce an intention to invest £24m in a planning skills delivery fund. In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, the housing secretary said the proposals would start with Cambridge before spurring the creation of new homes in cities such as Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool.

Labour accused Gove and Sunak of exacerbating the housing crisis.

Lisa Nandy, the shadow housing secretary, said it had “gone from bad to worse on [the Conservatives’] watch” and that housebuilding was on course to hit its lowest rate since the second world war. She promised Labour would restore housing targets, change compulsory purchase rules and “take the tough choices to back the builders, not the blockers”.

Shaun Davies, the chair of the Local Government Association, said new homes were much needed but such places as shops, offices and barns were not always suitable for conversion.

“Further expanding permitted development rights risks creating poor quality residential environments that negatively impact people’s health and wellbeing, as well as a lack of affordable housing or suitable infrastructure,” he said.

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24 Jul 2023

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New Tory hopeful chooses Tory has-been for first photo op 

David Reed, the Tory hopeful for the new constituency of Exmouth & East Exeter, chose to be photographed with Philip Skinner for the first post on his facebook page, following selection.

An “interesting” choice, given Phil’s record.

Are the Tories so demoralised that they couldn’t field a more significant “personality” to witness the selection? A County councillor, for example?

Party members at the selection meeting look from the photos to be thin on the ground, compared to 2019. It’s also a very low key event. (See images below).                  

Phil Skinner, former Tory group leader in EDDC, was rejected in May by the electorate in a straight fight with Lib Dem Cllr Richard Jeffries.

He had been a councillor for 24 years. One of the leading proponents of the pro-development “build, build, build” policy of the “Old Guard”, leading on the ill fated Exmouth Seafront “regeneration” taking little note of local opposition, and acting as the EDDC lead on the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan (GESP).

“Chapter and verse” on his record and exploits can be found by searching the copious East Devon Watch archive.

Phil was notoriously sacked by Sarah Randall Johnson in 2011 after sending her a “cheeky” Christmas Card. (He signed off: XX Phil – See below)

Owl wonders whether David Reed, apart from his time as a Royal Marine, has any real connection or “feel” for Exmouth.

In the May local elections he was active in his support for Pauline Stott and Richard Parr. 

Stott and Parr’s joint campaign, claiming that the pair will be “standing up for our environment” if elected and will “protect our seas and rivers”, reached the national news when it was revealed that Parr had paid £82,000 to a local environmental group after being found guilty of running an unpermitted landfill site on his farm, and running mate Pauline said “I don’t even know him”!

The electorate, wisely, rejected both.

Richard Parr is also a major developer around Exeter.

Owl recalls the old adage: “A man is judged by the company he keeps”.

Are Exeter Conservatives on board with all this?

Selection meetings 2019 and 2023 compared

The David Reed selection 2023 (actual selection but before confirmation which came two days later?)

Compare with Jupp’s selection 2019

XX Phil

Councillor ‘sacked’ over Christmas card comments www.exmouthjournal.co.uk

A COUNCILLOR has been sacked from his role as Rural Champion at East Devon District Council after he offended the authority’s leader with comments he wrote in a Christmas card.

Conservative Philip Skinner, who represents the Talaton area, sent the card to Sara Randall Johnson and headed it “My greatest adversary”.

He went on to write: “The rest I can demolish in my sleep, but you are in a class of your own.

“Despite our forever on-going spats, that I and I’m sure you enjoy, I do have a huge amount of respect for you.

“Roll on February.

“Hope you are well. Don’t take the world on, on your own, it’s not worth the personal cost.

“It’s business not personal.”

Councillor Skinner ended the letter with two kisses and two footnotes, the last of which stated: “If only things had turned out different, we’d have made one hell of a team.”

Councillor Randall Johnson informed councillors of her decision to sack Councillor Skinner in an email sent out on New Year’s Day.

She wrote: “I wanted you to know that I have reluctantly had to take the Rural Champion position away from Philip Skinner. We met on Thursday afternoon when I hoped he would have taken the honourable route, but he declined.

“The reason for doing this lay in a disagreement over a message he sent in a Christmas card. I was disappointed and concerned at its tone towards members of the council.

“Being called “my biggest adversary” is something I can well shoulder, but I am not prepared for all members to be so summarily dismissed. This is not tolerable and why I felt it necessary to take such a drastic step.”

Councillor Skinner declined to comment when The Herald contacted him.

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23 Jul 2023

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Ed Davey: ‘Tactical voting can lock Tories out of power for a generation’

The Tories could be locked out of power for a generation if supporters of other parties vote tactically at the next general election, the Liberal Democrat leader, Ed Davey, says on Sunday, after his party chalked up another stunning West Country byelection victory.

Toby Helm www.theguardian.com 

A massive 29% swing to the Lib Dems saw Sarah Dyke take the Somerton and Frome seat, overturning a Conservative majority of more than 19,200. Davey’s party now has a comfortable 11,000 majority of its own, the largest it has ever had over the Tories in the constituency.

In June last year the Lib Dems won Tiverton and Honiton from the Tories, overturning a 24,000 Conservative majority as Boris Johnson’s reputation reached its nadir.

Tactical voting clearly played a large part in the latest victory, with Labour’s share of the vote dropping sharply to just 2.6% compared with almost 13% at the general election in 2019, putting the party way back in fifth place.

The Lib Dems were themselves squeezed in the other two byelections held on Thursday: in Selby and Ainsty in North Yorkshire, where Davey’s party won only 3.3% of the vote compared with 8.6% in 2019, and in Uxbridge and South Ruislip, where it won only 1.7%, down from 6.3% in 2019.

As Davey hailed his party’s recovery in its traditionally strong territory of the south-west, he told the Observer that there was now a clear opportunity to remove the Tories from office at the next election and keep them out for the foreseeable future, if tactical voting occurred across the West Country and more widely.

“It is no secret that some Labour and Green party voters lent us their votes in Somerset and we are very grateful for their support,” he said. “In many seats across the south-west, voters at the next election will be faced with a similar choice between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives.

“My message to all voters who want to get rid of this out-of-touch Conservative government is clear: if the Liberal Democrats can win back our heartlands in the West Country, it could lock the Conservatives out of power for a generation.”

The Lib Dems, who suffered a near wipeout at Westminster after forming a coalition government with the Tories in 2010, are now rebuilding at national and local government levels.

Having returned only eight MPs to Westminster in 2015, they are now up to 15 after their victory in Somerton and Frome and have their eyes on 15 other Tory-held seats in the West Country alone, where the Conservative majorities are lower than in Somerton and Frome. They now run eight councils in the West Country, up from two in 2016.

Naomi Smith, chief executive of Best for Britain, which campaigns for better democracy and favours parties working together to remove the Conservatives, said her organisation would be providing guidance to voters ahead of the next election.

“In the absence of opposition parties standing aside for one another to defeat this failing government, progressive voters have little choice but to make tactical decisions come polling day,” she said.

“But voters can’t take for granted who the main challenger to the Tories is, so Best for Britain will provide constituency-level guidance. For as long as we have an arcane first-past-the-post system that structurally favours the right, such tactics will be necessary.”

Neal Lawson, the director of Compass, a centre-left pressure group, who is facing possible dismissal from the Labour party for encouraging people to vote tactically, said it had gained 250 members since his argument with Labour came to light last month, suggesting support for his argument. He added: “To translate big by election wins into a more widespread general election and deep political victory means Labour and the Lib Dems, and also the Greens, systematically squeezing the Tory vote and building an ideas agenda for lasting change.”

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Council moves to plug ‘massive hole’ in finances

But Opposition councillors want money spent on families in need instead

Torbay councillors have been urged not to let the bay’s most needy families ‘go to hell in a handcart’ by keeping money in reserves rather than spending it on helping them.

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

“Don’t turn your backs on those in housing need,” urged Cllr Steve Darling (Lib Dem, Barton with Watcombe) as the full council debated its finances at a meeting this week.

But the bay’s Conservative administration insists that £400,000 left as a surplus from last year’s budget should go into capital reserves to help offset what they say is a “massive hole” in the capital programme.

Leader David Thomas (Con, Preston) said: “We are committed to having a strong grip on our finances, and the capital hole is absolutely massive.”

Opposition Liberal Democrats and Independents tried to persuade the administration to use the money to help families in need. Cllr Darling urged them: “The cost of living crisis is massively impacting many local residents. We want to address this immediately, rather than putting this money away for a rainy day.

“For many people in our community, it is already raining cats and dogs.”

Cllr Darling said the money could support people in their homes and help prevent them becoming homeless which increases pressure on council finances.

“We need to support our communities now, rather than leaving it to the future,” he added.

“Either we put the money in now, or we are going to have to find it somewhere else in the budget, or officers will be instructed by the cabinet to turn the taps off and let people go to hell in a handcart.”

And Cllr Nigel Penny (Lib Dem, Roundham with Hyde) said: “We are stashing away £400,000 into our pockets. People will say the council doesn’t understand them, and is lining its own pockets with this money.

“It’s a welcome windfall, but why should we keep all the luck? Why not share it with those in need? We can help people in genuine need now if we so choose.”

Cllr Darren Cowell (Independent, Shiphay) said the council must make sure it was supporting local families in need. “I don’t hear any words about social responsibility from this administration,” he said. “It’s all about pound signs.”

But Cllr Thomas insisted the council was still committed to supporting people in poverty and housing need, and added: “This money is not being squirrelled away into somebody’s deep pockets.”

And Cllr Alan Tyerman (Con, Churston with Galmpton) pointed out: “The financial position we have inherited is quite worrying.

“I am not unsympathetic to the argument that our residents need that help, but I still believe that this is the prudent way of acting at this particular time.”

The majority Conservative side of the council chamber voted down the Lib Dem and Independent amendment and agreed to put the £400,000 into council reserves.

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Finally Tories announce candidate two days after selection meeting – Hatchets buried?

Wrangling over?

Simon Jupp congratulates David Reed but, unusually for Simon, shows no selfie with him. 

Was Simon rooting for one of the others?

There has now to be a big question mark hanging over David Reed’s head. 

From David Reed’s facebook page, the only local Tory “Grandees” greeting his selection are Philip Skinner and Ben Ingham!

Looks a bit down market (second stringers) to Owl

Worth remembering how Ben Ingham described Simon Jupp at his selection meeting in 2019::

“If they wanted someone charismatic, which is what I think they tried to do, they would have been better off with Iggy Pop in my opinion. People would be able to relate to him more than a DJ from Plymouth.“

East Devon leader Ingham “nearly stood for Parliament “
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22 Jul 2023

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Latest on Tory Exmouth selection **** up

If it’s not the “wrong” people on the selection panel then it must be that Tory members “didn’t get the message”!

Take you pick – Owl

[Whatever happens now, the Tories are going to find it difficult to unite behind whoever does “emerge”.]

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22 Jul 2023

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Sewage discharge alert! It’s going to rain!

Exact date Britain will see a month’s worth of downpours in just 48 hours

Brits are in for heavy downpours as up to a month’s worth of rain is expected to fall in 48 hours while the rest of Europe continues to bake in a record-breaking heatwave.

Up to 60mm of rain could fall across a 48-hour period of Saturday and Sunday, medium-term forecasts indicate.

www.mirror.co.uk

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22 Jul 2023

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Simon Jupp yet to acknowledge or congratulate Tory selection result for Exmouth

Same also seems to apply to the candidates.

With the “writing on the wall” have they all barricaded themselves in a very small room?

Or is the result being challenged? – just asking Owl

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22 Jul 2023

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Affordable homes are included in approved plans to build 180 newbuilds in East Devon

Affordable homes are among 180 newbuilds given the green light for East Devon, this week agreed by council planners.

But do we have the sewage capacity? – Owl

Local Democracy Reporter eastdevonnews.co.uk

Up to 180 new homes will be built near Rockbeare as part of the wider Cranbrook development, writes local democracy reporter Ollie Heptinstall.

East Devon District Councillors approved the outline plan, for land west of Gribble Lane and south of London Road, at a planning meeting on Tuesday [July 18].

It is thought around 27 affordable homes could be built as part of the latest plans. Affordable housing will account for 15 per cent of the homes (classed as up to 80 per cent of market rates), and four per cent will be custom or self-build plots.

East Devon

The homes agreed for land west of Gribble Lane. Image: EDDC planning documents.

The development includes an adjoining piece of land to be used as natural green space, while all other matters will be considered as part of a detailed ‘reserved matters’ application at a later date.

Approval was given despite more than 100 public objections, as well as from Rockbeare and Whimple parish councils.

It was suggested the development contravenes the local plan and Rockbeare Neighbourhood Plan, that Cranbrook was originally planned with no building south of the former A30 (London Road), and it would have an adverse impact on wildlife.

Others suggested it would have a “detrimental impact on the rural character of the area,” cause greater pressure on local public services, go against efforts to reduce climate change, and lead to a loss of agricultural land.

However, subject to a number of conditions, planning officers recommended approval, deciding it would be an “attractive and legible development, which would integrate well with the natural environment within the site and beyond.”

Councillor Mike Howe (Independent, Clyst Valley) agreed, stating: “Our policies here and now dictate the Cranbrook Masterplan overrides the neighbourhood plan of Rockbeare. It’s the newer document and, as such, it has prominence.”

“When you add that to the fact we still don’t have a five-year housing land supply and, to be frank, this looks – I know it’s indicative and we’ve got reserved matters [to come]– like a lovely scheme. And this is the type of scheme we should be having.”

The planning committee voted to approve the plan by eight votes to three.

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Campaigners protest South West Water’s failure to protect rivers

Campaigners gathered outside the AGM of South West Water’s parent company Pennon Group to protest against the ‘failure to keep rivers and waterways’ safe. Groups gathered before the meeting – before a further group protested inside the AGM on Thursday.

Daniel Clark www.devonlive.com

Protesters from Extinction Rebellion, Surfers Against Sewage, Friends of the River Exe and Greenpeace, wild swimmers, kayakers and citizen scientists attended the meeting at The Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Sandy Park. Their protests highlighted concerns over the state of our rivers and waterways.

A further group protested inside the AGM with a number of speeches. Searching questions to the board followed and the meeting ended with the unfurling of a ‘Dirty Profits = Dirty Water” banner. The protesters message was clear – Clean up your act!

Last week, South West Water (SWW) has been rated as among the worst water companies in England for water pollution. The company was given two stars, out of a possible four, in the annual Environmental Performance Assessment report for 2022.

It is an improvement on the previous rating of one star but the Environment Agency (EA) said the level of pollution remained “unacceptable”. SWW said it had delivered the biggest improvements on pollution sector-wide – but overall, SWW was ranked at the bottom of national performance tables – alongside Anglian Water, Thames Water, Wessex Water and Southern Water, the EA said.

In response to the protests, a Pennon Group Spokesperson said “We were pleased to see our customers at the Annual General Meeting today. The views of all our customers matter hugely to us and we fully respect the rights of those who wish to protest peacefully.

“We are listening and there is more to do. We are investing more than ever, delivering improvements in our environmental performance, and protecting our region’s beautiful seas and rivers.”

Campaigners gathered outside the AGM of South West Waters parent company Pennon Group

Alison Campbell from Extinction Rebellion, said: “This action is a result of the growing public outrage at South West Water’s poor record of sewage overflows and under investment. On average, last year there were over 100 sewage overflows from their network to our beaches and rivers every single day. South West Water puts profits before people and planet. This has to stop.”

Marcus Kern from Surfers against Sewage, added: “Clean water is a basic human right; protecting our waterways and seas is vital. In what world does poisoning the planet while paying out dividends to greedy corporations achieve this? As we protest outside, Pennon shareholders voted to help themselves to a whopping £112 million dividend, an increase of 11% over last year, while their water infrastructure fails to protect us from jaw dropping sewage pollution.”

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Lib Dem leader vows to ‘get clowns out of No 10’

Including Simon Jupp! – Owl

George Thorpe www.somersetlive.co.uk

Lib Dem leader vows to ‘get clowns out of No 10’ after Somerset by-election success

Sir Ed Davey came to the county to celebrate his party’s victory in the Somerton and Frome vote after Sarah Dyke gained the seat from the Conservatives overnight

Sir Ed Davey and new MP Sarah Dyke were greeted with loud cheers in Frome

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has lauded his party’s victory in a by-election overnight in Somerset as they gained another seat in the House of Commons. Sarah Dyke won the vote in the Somerton and Frome constituency, which was triggered by David Warburton’s resignation, overturning a Tory majority of 19,000 in the process.

Ms Dyke ended up claiming victory by 11,008 votes from Conservative rival Faye Purbrick during a victory which she described as “humbling”. This morning (July 21), members of the party gathered in Frome to celebrate the win, with Sir Ed being among the guests along with Ms Dyke and Bath’s Lib Dem MP Wera Hobhouse.

The party also unveiled a sign which featured a dig at the Tory Government, who lost another seat in a by-election for Selby and Ainsty but kept hold of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s old Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat. The sign, shaped like a cannon, said: “Get these clowns out of No 10!”

As he and Ms Dyke arrived at the celebration, Sir Ed quipped that was “really starting to like by-elections”. Along with last night’s win, the Lib Dems have also gained seats for North Shropshire, Chesham and Amersham, and Tiverton and Honiton in the past two years.

Speaking in Frome, Sir Ed said: “We are back in the West Country. We will certainly not take voters for granted.

“The Conservatives keep taking people in the West Country for granted with their appalling record on the health service, on the economy.

“We won’t be complacent at all. But there are 15 seats in the West Country with majorities smaller than Somerton and Frome was.

[E.g the old East Devon constituency which Simon Jupp held with only 6,708 votes]

“We’ve got every reason to believe that people across the West Country … are turning to the Liberal Democrats as the party best placed in this part of our country to defeat the Conservatives.”

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Tory angry outburst mars attempt to reset Council

Actions to provide the strong, united and informed managerial and political leadership

On Wednesday the council passed a motion to initiate six actions to reset the council and reinforce best practice by 28 votes to 17 with two abstentions. 

The motion was put by Cllr Paul Hayward, seconded by Cllr Todd Olive.

Paul Hayward said that the actions flowed from the letter to Michael Gove and were aimed at “looking to do things better”. An approach encouraged by the Local Government Association (LGA).

The full text of the motion can be found here.

Forceful case to reset the council came from unexpected quarter

The most forceful case for the urgent need to reset the council was made, not by the proponents of the motion but, unintentionally, by Tory Cllr Mike Goodman. 

Early in the proceedings he gave vent to an angry speech that was at times out of order. At one stage he had to be rebuked by the Monitoring Officer for naming officers. See below for verbatim quotes.

In reply, Leader Paul Arnott, said he would put aside all the venom and inaccuracies and deal with issues calmly and rationally. 

He stressed that this motion was as a result of the council, LGA and LGA(SW) coming together with the LGA offering to come forward to get this work underway. Otherwise the work was in danger of becoming piecemeal. 

See more detail on Paul Arnott’s reply below.

Costs and “value for money”

Cllr Goodman’s attack followed Conservative Group leader, Cllr Marcus Hartnell, contribution. Cllr Hartnell questioned the motives of the administration in bringing this motion to full council. 

Whilst saying that he could support the positive elements (at least five of the six) at Owl’s count. He ultimately voted against. 

The groove the Tories seem stuck in is one of cost and “value for money”. Though, as disclosed in the meeting, the bulk of the costs will be picked up by the  LGA and there is a motion item to review costs in any case. 

Later, Cllr Paul Hayward, Portfolio Holder Finance (Assets), confirmed that this would be covered within the existing “transformational” line of the budget. 

Technicalities

Both Cllr Eleanor Rylance (Chair) and Cllr Sam Hawkins (vice chair) voluntarily stepped down from their posts and left the chamber during this agenda item. This was because they were both signatories to the recent letter sent to the Secretary of State, Michael Gove, by the administration, revealed by the BBC.

The letter asked for government officials to become involved with overseeing an “improvement journey” aimed at bringing the cabinet and senior managers together as a “unified team” that can “move forward as one body”. The context concerns the “historic case of paedophilia and the way it has been treated within the council”.

Council agreed that Cllr Joe Whibley should take the Chair, (during the recorded vote he also followed suit and abstained). 

Quotes from Tory Cllr Goodman’s angry outburst 

Cllr Goodman started by saying (1hr 47approx on EDDC YouTube recording):

This has “nothing to do with helping residents, it is a personal motion to discredit officers of this council. We have all seen this in the tone of the letter Cllr Paul Arnott sent to Michael Gove….it is a reflection of the poor leadership of this council under Cllr Paul Arnott.” 

He then went on to accuse the Leader of undermining the Chief Executive Officer “This needs to be treated as a code of conduct issue and I have today reported this issue to the Monitoring Officer”.

He then, strangely, made heavy reference to the “mysterious report” reported last week.

“What a shame we have to wait for the critical Grant Thornton Report which I am confident will tell the truth about how the current Leader leads this council. This report was requested from this council after the procurement of the Verita report and was conducted independently by Grant Thornton [Fact check: the report was commissioned by the Chief Executive]. I have tried to get this report published before tonight’s meeting so members can make decisions based on facts. But I have not been successful…..We are here to serve our residents, not the ego of our leader.”

Calmer reflections from Paul Arnott

In reply, Leader Paul Arnott, said he would put aside all the venom and inaccuracies and deal with issues calmly and rationally. 

He made  three points:

It is a convention within the council that referrals to the Monitoring Officer are not made public. (This is probably his  fourth against the leader).

He stressed that this motion did not come from an ill-tempered councillor trying to dominate from the Chair, but was as a result of the council, LGA and LGA(SW) coming together with the LGA offering to come forward to get this work underway. Otherwise the work was in danger of becoming piecemeal. 

He asked, through the Chair, whether Cllr. Goodman had seen the Grant Thornton recommendations? (Cllr Goodman replied that he hadn’t) Paul Arnott then asked “So why are you beating me about the head with it? ” (The publication date of this “report” is unknown.) Paul Arnott then suggested that unless Cllr Goodman had some privileged information it was not relevant to the motion.

Worth a reread from May 2020:

Tories in denial, they have finally lost what they thought was theirs by right

As with last week’s extraordinary Council meeting, the Chief Executive did not attend.

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21 Jul 2023

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Seagull droppings blamed for beach pollution

If it’s not the wrong sort of rain it must be the wrong sort of seagull poo. – Owl

Seagulls roosting under a pier could be to blame for a fall in water quality at a Portsmouth beach, according to a water company.

Adam Vaughan www.thetimes.co.uk

Portsmouth city council said this week it was working with the Environment Agency and Southern Water to investigate why water quality was deteriorating at a section of the beach at Southsea.

Quality at Southsea East declined from “excellent” in 2019 to “sufficient” last year, but officials fear bathing water tests this summer could result in it being classified as “poor” when this year’s results are released in November.

A poor rating would mean that swimmers would be advised against entering the water next year.

Southern Water said it took the decline “extremely seriously” and had been trying for more than a decade to tackle concerns in the area.

“Over this time, leaking ageing sewers have been identified as one contributing factor, prompting a major upgrade programme involving sealing pipes with special polymer linings and ensuring manholes are watertight.

“Other contributing factors include surface water run-off from roads and pavements, wildlife such as seagulls roosting beneath the pier and private sewer pipes wrongly connected to surface drains,” the company said in a statement.

Testing will be undertaken to establish whether gulls’ droppings are playing a role. Water testing by the company at Brighton Central beach last year found seabirds were an important source of pollution.

A spokesman for Southern Water said: “By looking at the samples we can find out the type of animal source it comes from.”

Southern Water used falconers with hawks to scare off seagulls at Worthing beach four years ago, much as a hawk is used to keep pigeons away from the Wimbledon tennis tournament each summer. The company ended the practice following local anger.

Southern Water’s environmental performance last year was ranked as two out of four stars — joint bottom for the industry — but up on the one star it achieved in 2021.

It is facing a private prosecution this week from the angling group Fish Legal over pollution of the River Test. The case relates to diesel from a tenant on an industrial estate which reached the river via a surface water drain owned by Southern Water. A company spokesman said: “An Environment Agency investigation into the cause of the incident and the identity of the polluters is ongoing.”

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Breaking: Tories choose candidate for Exmouth & East Exeter

Not an auspicious day to announce the Tory candidate to contest the new Exmouth & East Exeter as the LibDems win Somerton & Frome taking 55% of vote. Tories share of vote crashes to 26%.

In retrospect was Simon Jupp’s chicken run towards LibDem country wise? Out of the frying pan into the fire?

Owl understands there was a short list of three: David Reed, a former Marine; Cllr Sophie Richards and Toby Williams who once worked for Hugo Swire.

Which prompted this wry commiseration to Sophie4Devon: