Eight bay beaches had sewage warnings at the weekend

Torbay Council’s Conservative administration is being urged to think again after turning down a call to hold the government and South West Water to account for sewage pollution at sea.

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

The call, from the council’s Liberal Democrat leader Steve Darling (Barton with Watcombe), follows a weekend during which Surfers Against Sewage named 37 Devon beaches where sewage was already in the sea or likely to be discharged.

They included some of the bay’s showcase holiday beaches including Meadfoot, Beacon Cove, Torre Abbey, Hollicombe, Preston Sands, Paignton Sands, Goodrington and St Mary’s Bay. 

Cllr Darling, who is also the Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Torbay, said: “It is shameful how the Conservatives are wilfully blind to this continuing blight on our waters in the bay. As someone who loves sea swimming, I believe with a passion that we need to be holding the government and South West Water to account on this matter.”

The council was asked at its overview and scrutiny board meeting on July 5 to undertake a spotlight review of sea pollution and demand answers from the government and the water company, but the motion was not passed.

Now Cllr Darling will ask again, this time at a meeting of the full council on Thursday 20 July.

His question to the council’s Tory leadership says: “This dumping is poor publicity that Torbay could do without at the start of the school holidays.

Residents and visitors should have clean waters to enjoy.

“Do you agree that it was a poor judgement not to agree to undertake a bespoke spotlight review that would have held South West Water and the government to account on pollution of our seas that is significantly impacting on Torbay’s aspiration to become the premier resort in the UK?

“And do you agree that in light of this, a spotlight review should be undertaken as a matter of urgency by Torbay Council’s overview and scrutiny board?”

Private equity takeovers of health services worldwide are associated with worse quality of care and higher costs, according to the largest study of its kind.

Andrew Gregory www.theguardian.com 

In the past decade, private equity firms have increasingly invested in, acquired and consolidated healthcare facilities. Globally, healthcare buyouts have exceeded £157bn since 2021 alone.

Despite much speculation, evidence about the impact of this rapidly growing global trend has been lacking.

Now a systematic review of private equity healthcare service takeovers across eight countries including the US, UK, Sweden and the Netherlands provides it. Private equity (PE) ownership of healthcare services including hospitals and nursing homes is linked to a harmful effect on cost and quality of care, suggests the review published in the BMJ medical journal.

The authors of the review, which was led by the University of Chicago, said: “The most unequivocal evidence points to PE being associated with an increase in healthcare costs. Evidence across studies also suggests mixed impacts of PE ownership on healthcare quality, with greater evidence that PE ownership might degrade quality in some capacity rather than improve it.”

No consistently beneficial effects of private equity ownership were identified, the researchers said. “The current body of evidence is robust enough to confirm that PE ownership is a consequential and increasingly prominent element in healthcare, warranting surveillance, reporting and possibly increased regulation,” they wrote.

The researchers identified 1,778 studies, of which 55 met the inclusion criteria. They looked at the impact of private equity takeovers on costs, quality of care and health outcomes.

Nine of 12 studies revealed higher costs to patients or the funders of healthcare at services owned by such firms, three found no differences, and none showed lower costs.

Private equity ownership was also associated with a mixed to harmful impact on healthcare. Of 27 studies that assessed quality of care, 12 found harmful effects, three found beneficial, nine found mixed – some measures declined, some improved – and three were neutral.

Health outcomes showed beneficial and harmful results, but the volume of studies for this measure was too low for any definitive conclusions to be drawn.

Cat Hobbs, the director of the public ownership campaign group We Own It, said: “This important new study is sadly no surprise. When vital services are privatised, patients get the worst of both worlds: higher costs for worse quality care.

“Private equity firms will always put their duty to make a financial return first – that’s their job. But these incentives are in direct conflict with the public good. Healthcare is not just another investment opportunity. It’s a crucial public service which we all need at some point in our lives.”

She added: “Private equity ownership in the healthcare sector is on the rise fast, and the public need to know the risks it poses to care quality and access.”

David Rowland, the director of the Centre for Health and the Public Interest, a thinktank, said regulators and politicians needed to “get a grip” of how private equity takeovers impact healthcare.

He said: “How one makes the sizeable returns which these private equity funds require from providing care to a child with learning difficulties, for example, is a question which is never asked either by regulators or politicians. But it is clear from this research that squeezing profit from these types of services can put patients and vulnerable people at risk.”

Dr Tony O’Sullivan, the co-chair of the campaign group Keep Our NHS Public, said the review provided a “screamingly obvious piece of evidence”. Policymakers must prioritise public funding and provision of healthcare if they are to avoid “damaging” consequences for patients, he said.

Shocking urgent concerns have been raised about conditions asylum seekers are said to be enduring while being accommodated in an East Devon hotel. It is claimed some children who have sought refuge at Hampton by Hilton Exeter Airport are malnourished due to ‘inadequate’ and culturally inappropriate food being provided.

Anita Merritt www.devonlive.com 

Local councillors have condemned the ‘careless and inappropriate manner’ in which the asylum seekers are being treated following visit to the hotel. They have also raised concerns over medical concerns and transport issues to places such as schools and the doctors due to the hotel’s location. It’s even been alleged that children as young as four are being left to ride the school bus without someone looking after them.

At East Devon District Council’s (EDDC) cabinet meeting last Wednesday, July 12, members discussed the issues being experienced since asylum seekers were placed in the hotel by the Home Office. Since January, the hotel has been closed to hotel guests to accommodate asylum seekers and is said to be reopening again in early 2024.

The minutes of the meeting state that in the public speaking part of the meeting, Aynsley Jones, community hub manager at Cranbrook Education Campus told how 48 students on its roll were seeking asylum. She said following weekly meetings with families and from talking to the children, food was said to be substandard, the menu didn’t change and there was no consideration given to cultural differences.

From the evidence it has gathered, it was said 30 per cent of the children do not eat the food provided at the hotel, with two cases of malnutrition. There were said to be no individual cooking facilities or fridges, which impacted the storage of medication and baby milk, and snacks were provided on a first come first served basis, if issued at all.

It was also claimed 18 per cent of the pupils had severe trauma and through a lack of funds could not be adequately supported, and 21 per cent had potential undiagnosed Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Ms Jones added untrained hotel staff were triaging medical appointments resulting in residents ‘suffering’ and not getting the medical attention they required.

Multiple hotel management changes were said to have resulted in ‘misinformation or fear’. There was said to be no shuttle bus to Exeter or Pinhoe surgery and no provision of over-the-counter medication.

The taxi company being used was claimed to be ‘ineffective’ with an average waiting time of four hours. There was no transport for residents to leave the hotel and no clear complaints procedure.

She concluded there needed to be an independent body to coordinate the wellbeing of the hotel residents and commended the work being done by Refugee Support Devon. She called for a 40-strong volunteer buddy scheme supported by the Pickwell Foundation with financial support from EDDC and others.

Independent councillor Kevin Blakey, who represents the Cranbrook ward, read out a statement during the meeting that had been approved by all three ward members raising their concerns.

He said: “The recommendation is that cabinet endorse measures being taken to ensure the Home Office are accountable for providing adequate feeding and safeguarding of the asylum seekers. This is fine so far as it goes but it does not address the real and urgent matter of the provision of inadequate food for the disparate groups of people occupying the hotel.

“I have been to the hotel, along with Cllr Kim Bloxham and Cllr Jess Bailey, to observe the food service operation. While the residents say that matters have improved with the availability of fresh fruit such as oranges and bananas over the last few weeks; since the local school raised its concerns with us, the main meals remain woefully unappetising to many.

“There was a lack of variety and no provision of fresh vegetables or salads to ensure a healthy and balanced diet. On the occasion we visited, people were taking platefuls of only rice or potatoes, much of which was then thrown away, particularly potatoes that had not had eyes removed before cooking and were pale in colour even though they purported to be roast potatoes.

“Meat is an issue. The small amount served sat in a bland sauce that some of the residents disliked, the remaining residents could not eat it because their faiths do not permit the consumption of red meats. They will not eat the chicken because, according to all those that we spoke to, the meat stinks and they do not believe it is safe or good to eat.

“While there are certainly cultural issues with food at the hotel, we understand that the children are eating all types of foods at the Cranbrook Education Campus which seems to confirm the problem with the quality of the food being shipped in by the current contractor at the hotel.

“MP Simon Jupp has been in touch with the service provider, who told him that they had received no complaints about the food and that all special dietary needs were being met. All the residents we spoke to complained about the food and two people who are diabetic have never been offered food appropriate to their medical needs. Perhaps these complaints have never been expressed to the service provider.

“Some of those we spoke to reported increasing illness and weight loss. In short, many are suffering from malnutrition. This is not about quantity, it is about the quality, nutritional balance and cultural acceptability of what is offered.

“Remember that a significant proportion of the residents are children who need suitably balanced food to grow. The monotonous and unappetising offering currently provided is not working.

“This is not about providing a restaurant experience for the residents. We are not forgetting that all the residents are waiting for their asylum or residency applications to be determined by the Home Office, who will decide whether they have valid reasons to be in the UK.

“Whatever the outcomes of their applications, it is clear to us that while they wait for the Home Office decisions, they should be treated humanely and with respect. The rights and wrongs of how the asylum seekers got here is not a matter for us, but in the 21st century, the UK has no excuse for treating anybody in such a careless and inappropriate manner. East Devon surely cannot permit poor treatment of our guests, whether they are welcome or not.”

Regarding transport issues, it was said that due to the hotel’s ‘isolated location’ residents are reliant on buses or taxis to get to schools or doctors.

Cllr Blakey said: “In the case of school transport, some children as young as four years are travelling without a chaperone which is clearly unacceptable. We suggest that some of the available budget be used to pay for a coordinator to manage all residents’ needs, including transport, health and food requirements so that children can get to and from school with appropriate safeguarding and that transport to doctors can be effectively arranged.”

The Cranbrook councillors stated they are calling for a number of urgent changes, including for the Home Office to cancel the current food supply contract and for it to be provided locally at the same cost, with an emphasis on pulses and fresh vegetables.

It added Cranbrook Education Campus is providing food and even school uniforms with no additional funding which is ‘unsustainable’ and the government should provide additional funding for the extra costs incurred by local schools.

Cllr Blakey said: “EDDC must press the Home Office to make the changes we have suggested. This is a highly emotive matter but I believe the decisions made by Cabinet today should be guided by the humanitarian needs that are pressing here and now. We feel sure you will make the right choices.”

It was added that a grant of £217,500 is available to meet local needs, of which £31,000 has already been earmarked for transport, leaving around £186,000 for other support. Cabinet members agreed to maintain pressure on the Home Office to ensure that asylum seekers in the district are ‘properly fed and safeguarded’ while in its care.

The minutes of the meeting state it was resolved to: “Delegate authority to the director of Finance, Director of Housing, Health & Environment in consultation with the portfolio holder Finance (Assets) and Portfolio Holder Sustainable Homes and Communities, as well Cllrs Bailey, Bloxham and Blakey, to spend up to £217k.

“The spend is to be used for welfare support, transport, kitchens, food contract, healthcare and medication, fridges, hotel management, safeguarding, insurance concerning the use of kitchens and infant food. To send a further letter to the Home Office expressing the council’s ongoing concerns, while still putting pressure on the local MP Simon Jupp to take further action with the Home Office.

“To explore the issues of an off-site meeting and the hiring of a co-ordinator type role.”

In response to the claims made during the meeting, the Home Office has told DevonLive it does not comment on operational arrangements for individual hotels. It assured all asylum seekers in hotels are provided with three meals a day along with snacks and water.

Where concerns are raised about any aspect of the service delivered by the hotel, the Home Office works with the provider to ensure concerns are addressed in a ‘timely manner’. It also said it speaks to accommodation providers about delivery and performance daily, as well as holding formal weekly, monthly and quarterly meetings to ensure contractual obligations are followed.

Weekly food surveys for residents are said to be carried out to account for cultural preferences for food. It was added supported asylum seekers have access to a Migrant Help 24/7 helpline to raise any concerns regards the support they receive and are able to make formal complaints which are followed up.

In catered accommodation, asylum seekers receive £9.58 per week per each household member where eligible, and new mothers are provided with nappy packs and milk.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “Despite the number of people arriving in the UK reaching record levels, we continue to provide support for asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute. Asylum-seekers in receipt of catered accommodation are provided with three meals a day along with snacks and water, and a weekly allowance where eligible.

“The food provided in asylum hotels meets NHS Eatwell standards and responds to all culture and dietary requirements. Where concerns are raised about any aspect of the service delivered in a hotel we work with the provider to ensure these concerns are addressed.”

East Devon MP Simon Jupp said: “I have been actively engaging with Home Office officials and service contractors on their delivery of contingency asylum accommodation at the hotel, including during my visit to the site earlier this month. I will continue to work constructively with all parties involved to resolve ongoing issues.”

Hilton and EDDC have both been approached for a comment.

The Liberal Democrats will need to rely on tactical voting from constituents who want to defeat the Tories in Thursday’s by-election in Somerton and Frome, party insiders have told i.

David Parsley inews.co.uk 

The party, which is hoping for its fourth by-election victory against the Conservative Party in just over two years, needs to overturn a Tory majority of 19,213 to take the seat.

While Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey insists the poll is heading for a “photo finish”, campaign sources within his party suggest internal polling is showing both Green and Labour voters are shifting over to their candidate, Sarah Dyke.

One Lib Dem source said: “In the last 48 hours we’ve noticed a lot of traditional Green and Labour voters in Frome are coming over to us as they realise this will come down to tactical voting.

“Many who want to kick the Tories out of Somerton and Frome are coming over to us this time.”

However, the source added that the Somerset town of Frome makes up only 25 per cent of the total vote, and that the party in this largely rural constituency still had “some way to go” before the Lib Dems could be assured of victory.

“Over the past week we have seen voters in the villages moving towards us as well,” added the source. “So, we’re optimistic but not at all complacent.”

Davey, who was campaigning alongside Ms Dyke at a local equine charity, said the result was a “two-horse race”.

As he toured the Glenda Spooner Farm near Somerton, he told i: “It’s a huge majority to overturn and there’s no doubt the Conservatives have been campaigning hard in this by-election.

“But, we’re not going to pretend we’re not optimistic and hopeful.”

The Lib Dem leader added: “Given our successes in three by-elections that no one thought we could win, we’re getting used to winning.”

But Davey did seek to manage expectations, warning that a shorter campaign, compared with last year’s overturning of a 26,000 Tory majority in Tiverton and Honiton, did mean Ms Dyke was facing a tougher challenge to persuade voters to eject the Conservatives, who have held the seat since 2015.

“We have to keep going until 10pm on polling day,” he said. “We’re not taking anything for granted. This is my sixth visit and I think that’s a sign we’re taking it very seriously.

“If you compare it to that other three campaigns that we won, it’s a lot shorter and that has created challenges for us.

“I think if we had another month or so then we’d probably feel even more optimistic than we do.”

The Conservative candidate Faye Purbrick was campaigning in Castle Cary on Tuesday, but refused several requests to answer questions from the media.

This latest opportunity for the Lib Dems to inflict a defeat on the Tories was been caused by the resignation of David Warburton, who was suspended from the Conservative Party over allegations of sexual misconduct.

Warburton denied the allegations.

In June 2021 the Lib Dems overcame a Tory majority of more than 16,000 to take the Chesham and Amersham seat, while in December of the same year the party reversed a near 23,000 Conservative majority in North Shropshire.

Then last June the party celebrated a 29.9 per cent swing in its favour to take Devon’s Tiverton and Honiton seat in what was the eleventh largest swing in by-election history, and the largest since 1985.

East Devon District Council are looking for people to take over the running of a derelict seafront building which has glorious views. The council is looking to lease out the Seaton Moridunum – which has been plagued with controversy for years.

Daniel Clark www.devonlive.com

Planning permission for the redevelopment of Seaton seafront was granted in 2017. It would have included pedestrianisation of sections of the seafront, demolition of the existing public toilets and Moridunum.

The plans would also have seen alterations to the highway layout and a new pedestrian crossing, as well as new public space with raised seating and siting of seasonal huts for commercial use. But the plans never came to anything, and three years on, were scrapped, despite more than £50,000 having been spent on the scheme – and a second hope that the plans could have got the go-ahead were dashed when the Axe Valley missed out on Levelling-up funding.

Now though East Devon District Council are hoping to find a use for the dilapidated moridunum on Seaton seafront. It is currently being marketed as a commercial premises – with the chance it can be transformed into a café or other leisure related facility.

What the Seaton Moridunum could look like

The moridunum on The Esplanade – a former toilet block with ramps either side and a viewing platform above – is currently being marketed for lease by Lambert Smith Hampton. The seafront property is in a prominent tourist location, has impressive sea views, the opportunity for development, and the location offers high footfall, the listing says.

The property would suit a food and beverage operation development or refurbishment, the council says. Although development would be subject to the necessary consents being obtained.

You can view the full listing here: https://www.lsh.co.uk/find/properties/devon/seaton/2050090

They are separated by choppy waters – and different political ideologies.

But the leaders of Wales and Cornwall have come together to sign an agreement vowing to work together on shared issues, ranging from the crisis of holiday homes to the prospect of cooperating on offshore wind power projects in the Celtic Sea.

Steven Morris www.theguardian.com

Mark Drakeford, the Labour first minister of Wales, and the Conservative leader of Cornwall council, Linda Taylor, put aside their party political differences to meet at Cathays Park in Cardiff to seal the five-year collaboration agreement.

Drakeford said Wales and Cornwall had much – challenges and opportunities – in common. “We share many historical, cultural and linguistic ties with Cornwall, and our economies, landscape and our people have many shared characteristics,” he said. “These commonalities enable us to learn from each other.”

On the opportunities side, Drakeford said they had “the shared resource” of the Celtic Sea. “We both have an interest in making sure we get the most we can from the fact that our geography is suddenly on our side. Here we both are on the western fringe of Europe, where our geography has been against us in many ways for economic development; now suddenly being on the edge is an advantage in terms of wind and marine energy.”

The challenges the two territories share include the second homes crisis, which pushes families and young people out from places favoured by holidaymakers. The Welsh government will share learning from its “radical” campaign to tackle the problem such as changing planning laws and allowing councils to increase taxes on second homes.

Cornwall may also be able to learn much about increasing the number of people who speak Cornish from Wales, which is aiming to have 1 million people speaking Welsh by 2050. On language, Drakeford said: “The three Celtic languages closest together are Welsh, Breton and Cornish. We want to support other branches of the Celtic language.”

Wales already has strong links with Brittany and Drakeford travelled to Paris earlier this year to mark the start of a year-long celebration of connections between Wales and France.

He said the move was not about bypassing Westminster. “It’s not antagonistic to the UK government – it’s much more a positive wish to engage directly with places beyond Wales.”

Taylor said Cornwall was proud of its language but its school programme did not have the reach of Wales’s. While Drakeford is a fluent Welsh speaker, Taylor admitted her Cornish amounted to little more than thank you – meur ras.

The Cornish council leader said she was keen to learn more about Wales’s new planning laws designed to make it harder for houses to be turned into holiday homes. “To me, it would be incredibly important to have those powers,” she said.

Garry Tregidga, a co-director of the institute of Cornish studies at the University of Exeter, said there were many common features between Cornwall and Wales. He cited the visit of the Welsh former prime minister David Lloyd George to Falmouth at the start of the 20th century, when he declared he was visiting “his fellow countrymen” since Cornwall and Wales had the “same Celtic passion for liberty”.

Joanie Willett, the institute’s other co-director, said: “As Cornwall pursues its goal of meaningful devolution to local government, building strong relationships with other governments is going to be incredibly important.”

Dennis Sorondo Salazar, an expert on sub-state diplomacy at Cardiff University’s Wales governance centre, said: “These kinds of agreements can sometimes be a way of bypassing the central government. Wales is increasingly active in this paradiplomatic sphere, in establishing both international and regional links.”

The Government’s promised bus “revolution” is failing to address a steep decline in rural services as journeys hit a historic low, councils have warned.

The Newsroom www.newschainonline.com

The Conservative-led County Councils Network (CCN), which represents 37 authorities serving nearly half the population in England, said problems with the delivery of the Government’s national bus strategy is threatening to undermine a key aim of the levelling up agenda.

Research commissioned by CCN found the bulk of the £1.1 billion in funding made available as part of the flagship national bus strategy went to urban authorities following a bidding process.

This was despite these areas experiencing smaller percentage falls in passenger numbers since 2010.

Analysis of Department for Transport data found passenger numbers in rural areas declined by 14% between 2010 and 2019, compared with a fall of 8.5% in metropolitan areas outside London over the period.

Lockdown restrictions during 2020-21 caused passenger numbers to fall by a further 35% in both rural and metropolitan communities.

However, the study showed urban areas received £739 million (67%) of the available Government funding, while rural areas received £336 million – just 10% of the value of their submitted bids.

Buses have long been a lifeline for many people in rural areas, particularly the elderly and the disadvantaged. But outside of London and the cities, far too many services are at best patchy, and at worst non-existent

The report said more than one in four bus services in county areas have “vanished” over the last decade, with total bus miles travelled falling faster than in cities and adjacent places.

This limited availability has led to a historic low of 344 million fewer passenger journeys now being taken in rural areas compared with 2020, the report said.

CCN transport spokesperson Stephen Giles-Medhurst said despite high hopes, county councils felt let down by the Government’s funding allocations as the money has been “directed to places that arguably needed the least help”.

He added: “Buses have long been a lifeline for many people in rural areas, particularly the elderly and the disadvantaged. But outside of London and the cities, far too many services are at best patchy, and at worst non-existent.

“As their bids for the funding showed, councils have serious ambitions when it comes to improving and modernising their bus services. But it is increasingly likely that reversing the decline in passengers is a challenge to be picked up by a future government.

“Today’s report sets out a number of recommendations to transform local services. Failure to act will keep buses in county areas in a state of managed decline, with consequences for our residents.”

Announcing the plans in 2020, former transport secretary Grant Shapps said the Government was taking the lead by “launching a revolution in bus services”.

The national bus strategy was published in 2021 with the aim of increasing bus use above 2019 levels in the medium term.

Then-prime minister Boris Johnson said “better buses will be one of our major acts of levelling up” while the strategy added “buses are vital to ensuring the economy meets net zero carbon emissions and driving the green transformation”.

Under the strategy, transport authorities were required to produce a bus service improvement plan and the first of two rounds of allocations were confirmed in April 2021.

CCN called on the Government to provide a further round of funding as councils in rural areas have received only a fraction of the money needed to deliver their plans.

The organisation also called for greater transparency over how bids are evaluated and the amount of funding that can be expected.

CCN also called for the Government to move away from competitive bidding and allocate funding based on need and increasing passenger numbers.

Labour has proposed allowing local authorities to introduce bus franchising without Government approval and an end to the ban on creating council-owned bus companies.

But the report said the proposals are likely to have a limited take-up in county areas due to the limited viability of rural services.

A DfT spokesperson said: “This report only focuses on just one part of the £3.5 billion we’ve put into buses since March 2020.

“Our new bus service improvement plan funding will be focused on areas that didn’t receive support under the original scheme.”

Parking charges being reintroduced for hospital staff are a “stealth tax” according to union leaders.

By Miles Davis www.bbc.co.uk

Staff at Royal Devon and Exeter (RD&E) sites and at North Devon District Hospital (NDDH) will have to pay once again for parking from 1 September.

More staff at the main RD&E site will also not be able to park on site as a “green zone” is extended.

Hospital bosses say the sites are among the last in the country to reintroduce parking charges scrapped during Covid.

Staff at RD&E will continue to be able to use the Digby Park and Ride service for free.

‘Unfair’

Helga Pile, deputy head of health at the Unison union, said: “These parking charges are a stealth tax that health workers can’t afford. No trusts should be imposing them on staff especially given the current cost-of-living crisis.

“Not only is such a policy unfair, but staff could quit as a result. This is at a time when the NHS is struggling to fill vacancies.”

Julie Connolly, senior officer for Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Devon said it was “more important than ever” for nursing staff not to have to worry about finding somewhere safe to park or facing additional expense.

She said: “Like many hospitals the demand for parking spaces outstrips supply. Congestion around hospital sites has increased over time and is the cause of stress and frustration for staff, patients and visitors alike.

“In the short and medium term, the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust needs to continue to work with staff, the local council and other partners to alleviate pressure on parking across all its sites and to ensure the safety of staff arriving at and leaving their work places.”

Staff who live within 1.5 mile (2.4km) of the RD&E Wonford site are currently not eligible for a travel pass to park on the site from 08:00 to 16:00.

From Monday that area, referred to as the “green zone”, will be extended to cover staff who live within 2 miles (3.2km) of the site.

‘Air quality’

The parking charges for staff will be reintroduced from 1 September.

A spokesperson for the trust said: “Free staff parking was introduced at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, and when national funding was removed in April 2022, the trust chose to continue with free parking to support colleagues.

“We are currently one of the last remaining trusts to offer free parking.

“This will also help us manage demand for our car parks as well as encourage more sustainable travel choices, in order to improve air quality.”

Private landlords in England have made enough money from rising house prices in the last three decades to build at least 3m council homes, research suggests.

Robert Booth www.theguardian.com 

Owners of private rental properties have seen their assets grow in value by £400bn since 1990, equivalent to the amount needed to build more than 50 times the number of council homes that were actually built in England in that period.

The windfall calculation, commissioned by the Renters Reform Coalition campaign group and based on Office for National Statistics data, comes as landlords demand tax cuts to help ease the impact of rising interest rates. The National Residential Landlords Association has said many landlords “simply cannot afford to soak up” rising costs and will have to sell up or raise rents.

The growth in capital values means a landlord in London with five properties owned since 2013 has made £655,000 without even accounting for profits from rent.

Fewer than 54,000 council homes have been built in England since 1990, official figures show. They typically require grants of up to £200,000 per home in London and about £100,000 elsewhere, according to the National Housing Federation.

Fergus Wilson, one of Britain’s biggest buy-to-let landlords until a recent sell-off, told the Guardian that he and his wife, Judith, had bought 13 racehorses and 100 acres of farmland with some of the capital gains from selling dozens of homes they bought in the early 2000s on new estates around Ashford in Kent.

The sale of 15 homes they owned on one street – Grice Close – netted them close to £3m in profits, and another 20 homes on the Park Farm estate made nearly £5m.

“Mrs Wilson bought some National Hunt horses and had them trained with David Pipe – she had 28 winners,” he said. “I’ve got an awful lot of agricultural land. You wonder if you’re ever going to get permission to build houses on it.” The rest of their profits are “floating around” in investments, he said.

Last week, the ONS revealed that 43% of renters in Great Britain were finding it difficult to afford their rent payments. Fourteen per cent of renters said that in the last two weeks they had run out of food and been unable to afford more.

Wilson said he believed workers in the NHS and train drivers deserved to be paid more, but when asked if capital gains tax should be increased he replied: “The landlords would hate me if I said that.”

Half of English private residential landlords have owned a home since at least 2010, according to the research. During that time, the average privately rented home has increased in value by 41%, delivering the owner £76,000 in capital gains on top of profits from rent.

Landlords have on average made 23% “year one” cash profits on rental income from 2014 to 2021, according to separate research by Savills, an estate agent, although rising interest rates have pushed that down for landlords with mortgages.

The windfalls in the capital and south-east England are far greater, according to the analysis commissioned from Positive Money, a not-for-profit advocacy group. Owning a rental property for a decade in those areas would deliver between £100,000 and £131,000 in capital gains, which is taxed at lower rates than income.

“It’s difficult to miss the news stories of landlords complaining they are under the pump at the moment because of rising interest rates and, most absurdly, the government’s forthcoming renters’ reform bill,” said Tom Darling, a campaign manager at the Renters’ Reform Coalition. “[But] landlords have seen a vast expansion of their wealth over the last 30 years.”

But the windfalls are only available if landlords sell up, and those who continue to operate claim that incoming reforms protecting tenants from no-fault evictions and rising interest rates will squeeze their margins.

Chris Norris, policy director at the National Residential Landlords Association, said: “Landlord profits are at their lowest levels since 2007, a clear sign that they are not ‘cashing in’ on the cost of living crisis. What the country needs is a plan of action that recognises the need for more homes of every kind, whether they be properties for private rent, social rent or owner occupation.”

The geographic spread of capital gains is uneven. A typical landlord in the north-east of England has gained £12,000 per home in the last decade, compared with £40,000 in the north-west and £71,000 in the south-west, according to the estimates.

Meanwhile, in the last 30 years the number of households renting in England and Wales has more than doubled to 5m (one in five), census results show.

Amid rising interest rates and expiring fixed-term mortgages, last week the Bank of England forecast that average monthly payments on buy-to-let mortgages would increase by about £275 by the end of 2025.

Asking rents for new lets in London, Cardiff, Aberdeen, Southampton, Glasgow, Manchester and Edinburgh are all at least 10% up on last year, according to the property website Zoopla. Average London rent has increased by £490 a month to £2,001.

Across the UK, all private rents – including those paid by sitting tenants – rose by 4.9% in the 12 months to March 2023, according to the ONS.

Residents in England’s biggest new town have been left furious after developers failed to live up to their promises – forcing them to live without necessities six years on.

Ring any bells locally? – Owl

www.mirror.co.uk (Extract)

Northstowe, located 10 miles from Cambridge, has been left like a ‘ghost town’ with rows upon rows of newly-built houses, but not a single shop, café, pub or even a GP practice.

Around 10,000 homes are planned with a total population of 26,000, making it the largest new town in Britain since Milton Keynes was built in Buckinghamshire in 1967.

The construction started in 2017 and around 1,200 properties have been built, but families still don’t have any basic facilities and have to drive to buy a pint of milk or coffee.

Book loans went down after vehicles halved

The decision to scrap Devon’s mobile library service is being challenged by opposition councillors.

Ollie Heptinstall, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk

Last week the county council’s ruling Conservative cabinet voted to close the service after hearing user numbers are down and three of its four mobile libraries are coming to the end of their “serviceable lives.”

But several opposition councillors criticised the plans, urging the cabinet to delay a decision, and now the Liberal Democrats have ‘called-in’ the move for further examination.

It means no decision will be taken until October. Before then, the council’s scrutiny committee will consider the plans in further detail and could call on the council’s leadership to change its mind.

Explaining why the service was closing last week, Devon’s cabinet member for communities, Cllr Roger Croad (Conservative, Ivybridge), admitted it was a “sad day” but “inevitable,” explaining that it would cost between £600,000 and £800,000 to replace the three vehicles.

In the last decade, the number of books being borrowed has also fallen, although the fleet has been reduced from eight to four vehicles in this time. It led the council to conclude mobile libraries are no longer “cost-effective” and “not sustainable.”

The annual £217,000 cost of providing the mobile service would go to Libraries Unlimited, a charity that runs the library service across Devon and Torbay, to help sustain existing services amid cost increases in recent months.

A one-off £25,000 for “transition support” would also be spent by the council so that current mobile library users can access alternative library services.

However, Cllr Alan Connett (Lib Dem, Exminster & Haldon), who spoke against the cuts when the cabinet met last Wednesday [12 July], has questioned the authority’s decision-making process.

“A key part of the decision to axe the libraries was that the cabinet said the council could not afford the costs of buying four new vans, said to be up to £800,000. We highlighted that the council could have looked at leasing vans which may have been cheaper,” he said.

“Then council officers announced they had considered that, but there was no mention of it in the report. So how could the cabinet have considered all the options? They did not have all the facts in front of them.

“There is an appearance that a decision had been made to axe the mobile libraries and the arguments then marshalled in favour of that outcome.

“We have called in the decision because we believe there are several aspects of the information used in the decision making which need further examination and scrutiny,” said Cllr Connett, whose group thinks the £25,000 support fund is “too vague.”

A petition calling for a rethink on the plans was also presented to cabinet by Torridge district councillor Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin (Lib Dem), who said more marketing and sponsorship would help keep it going.

Green councillor Henry Gent (Broadclyst) was critical too, calling it a “strange decision when the whole economy is moving towards mobile delivery-based services.”

But speaking at the meeting, cabinet member Andrew Saywell (Conservative, Torrington Rural), said: “The trend is very clear, unfortunately, that less and less people are using this service. And so, we have to look at how we deliver this differently.”

Meanwhile, fellow cabinet member Rufus Gilbert (Conservative, Salcombe) said it was an “incredibly expensive subsidy per head,” adding: “It’d be better to buy the books and post them to them, quite frankly.”

The council says ending the mobile library service is a “reasonable solution to reducing costs” and “will help to secure the wider sustainability of library services in Devon.”

The last journeys by Devon’s mobile libraries are currently expected to be made at the end of December.

Devon’s corporate infrastructure and regulatory services scrutiny committee will examine the closure plans on Thursday 28 September.

Devon oldies’ station didn’t understand regulations

A Devon radio station breached broadcasting rules when it allowed a presenter to go on the airwaves whilst standing as a candidate in a Plymouth City Council by-election.

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

The ruling follows a complaint from a listener about the Gavin Marshall Show on DevonAir Gold, during the run-up to a local election in January.

Mr Marshall, an independent candidate for Moor View, submitted his nomination on 13 December last year and, under rules to ensure fairness in elections, wasn’t permitted to broadcast until voting closed a month later.

Following a complaint by a listener, Ofcom concluded that although Mr Marshall’s show was music based with no political coverage or mention that he was standing for council, the broadcast itself disadvantaged other candidates.

The regulator said the rule exists: “to help secure the integrity of the democratic process, and the public’s trust in that integrity, by preventing any unfair electoral advantage being afforded to a particular candidate.”

East Devon Radio, a community station in Exmouth that runs DevonAir Gold as a commercial station broadcasting in Exeter and online, defended its programme by saying “nobody in the ward in Plymouth could hear the presenter on a licensed transmitted radio signal” some 40 miles away from the broadcast area.

The company claimed the rules are “ambiguous” and claimed it had not appreciated that a candidate “was unable to act as a presenter in any part of the UK while in an election period.” It suggested Ofcom should change the wording in its rules because it isn’t clear that the phrase “Candidates in UK elections” covered people standing in local elections.

It had previously breached the same rule in 2013 when a Devon County Councillor presented programmes on its Exmouth station. At the time it said it had “overlooked the rules” and its breach was “an unfortunate error….a hard lesson learned and a mistake we will ensure will not happen again.”

This time round, Ofcom said it had taken into account that Mr Marshall was standing in an election in a different area, explaining: ‘It may have mitigated the potential for harm to an extent, though it did not preclude the possibility of electors in the relevant ward hearing the programme.”

East Devon Radio highlighted the presenter’s experience as a broadcaster and said that he had taken care not to refer to his candidacy in this by-election, or to elections more generally, while broadcasting during the election period, and that he had avoided discussion of political matters and had not referred to Plymouth. It was confident that no material which could have inappropriately influenced UK voters was broadcast.

It explained that to avoid a recurrence, they had put in place additional training and briefed the programme controller and all presenters about the rules on elections in the Broadcast Code.

Ofcom acknowledged that community radio stations faced challenges preparing themselves for broadcasting, but that they have responsibility to ensure they have an adequate understanding of the code.

After being unsuccessful in the January by-election for Moor View, Mr Marshall stood again at the local election in May, where he came third out of five candidates. At the time, he announced that he wasn’t a politican.  “I really struggle with the party political fighting,” he said. “Hence why I feel the time is right to stand as an independent candidate. Locally, and nationally, the party system isn’t working.

“Being independent, I wouldn’t have to take any party line. I will take my constituent’s line. As neither main parties have a main Plymouth right now, the election of just one additional independent councillor will mean that the Independent Alliance can influence meaningful change from next Friday.”

East Devon Radio has been contacted for comment.

• Remove existing roof to form new first floor structure including internal alterations & replacement windows & doors Acorns Road From Trelowen To Metcombe Barton Higher Metcombe Devon EX11 1SLRef. No: 23/1481/FUL | Validated: Fri 07 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Loft conversion to create dormers and conversion of existing garage to a study with a glazed link to the living room. Brackenside Shepherds Lane Colaton Raleigh EX10 0LPRef. No: 23/1475/FUL | Validated: Fri 07 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Replacement of thatch roof with slates, loft conversion, construction of half hip to gable extension and construction of 3 new dormers Sellerswood Farm Combpyne Road Musbury EX13 8SRRef. No: 23/1471/FUL | Validated: Thu 06 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Erection of a lambing shed to store food and machinery Westleigh Willows Farm Feniton EX14 3BNRef. No: 23/1460/FUL | Validated: Wed 05 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Erection of a rear extension Marrickville London Road Rockbeare Devon EX5 2EARef. No: 23/1462/FUL | Validated: Thu 06 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed agricultural building extension including permeable hard surface courtyard and access track, improvements to site access and Egress, new public footpath and cycle path Four Oaks Clyst St Mary Devon EX5 1ATRef. No: 23/1457/FUL | Validated: Thu 06 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Agricultural unit extension Hogsbrook Farm Woodbury Salterton Devon EX5 1PYRef. No: 23/1455/FUL | Validated: Thu 06 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Erection of single storey garage side extension 2 Glebe Close Exmouth EX8 2QURef. No: 23/1461/FUL | Validated: Wed 05 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Installation of a pitched and flat roof extension to detached garage Cherry Briar 24 Cranford Avenue Exmouth EX8 2PZRef. No: 23/1448/FUL | Validated: Thu 06 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1: Oak – repollard back to old pruning points at approximately 8m above ground level, retaining some live growth on each pollard point where feasible to do so. Wrenswood Lower Broad Oak Road West Hill EX11 1UFRef. No: 23/1454/TRE | Validated: Thu 06 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Outline application for 7 dwellings (renewal of permission ref 20/0390/OUT) Land Between Woolbrook Road And Manstone Avenue SidmouthRef. No: 23/1449/OUT | Validated: Tue 04 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1, Sumach : remove 4 stems nearest low wall. Kings Gardens Kerslakes Court Honiton EX14 1FLRef. No: 23/1447/TCA | Validated: Tue 04 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1, Oak : crown lift above neighbouring property to the south, achieving a 3m clearance from property, maximum diameter of cut (MDC) 50mm; tip reduce southern aspect by 1.5m, MDC 25mm. T2, Copper Beech : reduce height by 1.5m and tip reduce northern aspect by 1.5m., MDC 25mm. Land South Side Of 11 Drakes Avenue Exmouth Devon EX8 4ABRef. No: 23/1446/TRE | Validated: Tue 04 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• The construction of a single storey extension to form sun room and alteration to fenestration Wellcourt Orchard Close Woodbury Devon EX5 1NDRef. No: 23/1443/FUL | Validated: Tue 04 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Erection of a single storey extension to rear 10 Mount View Feniton EX14 3EBRef. No: 23/1440/FUL | Validated: Tue 04 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Erection of a single storey rear extension with a balcony, extension of existing side utility area and replacement of existing conservatory and first floor extension above existing garage Pippins Coreway Sidford EX10 9SDRef. No: 23/1421/FUL | Validated: Tue 04 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed creation of a new private access way for agricultural use. Linhayes Farringdon Exeter EX5 2JERef. No: 23/1432/AGR | Validated: Mon 03 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Replace existing single storey garage with a two storey garage and dormer. 15 Gronau Close Honiton EX14 2YTRef. No: 23/1422/FUL | Validated: Mon 03 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Certificate of existing lawful development for extensions to existing dwelling and free standing multi-purpose building in the front garden Canonsleigh Wilmington EX14 9JQRef. No: 23/1424/CPE | Validated: Thu 06 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed new greenhouse and shed 16 Bridge Road Budleigh Salterton EX9 6EARef. No: 23/1435/FUL | Validated: Wed 05 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• The erection of Cricket practice nets and the construction of an Astroturf area for the netted structure. Glebe Park Upottery Devon EX14 9RHRef. No: 23/1431/FUL | Validated: Wed 05 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Certificate of existing lawful development for the land highlighted was used for agriculture until 1965. This use has been abandoned since then and is now an extension of the garden to Court Place just to the South. The area is mowed regularly and the children of the resident family use the space as a play area. This application is to document its current use as garden ancillary to Court Place. Court Place Farm Lower Way Harpford Newton Poppleford EX10 0NQRef. No: 23/1427/CPE | Validated: Mon 03 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Erection of two outbuildings (retrospective) 5 Clyst Hayes Gardens Budleigh Salterton EX9 6BERef. No: 23/1433/FUL | Validated: Mon 03 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Erection of replacement of garage with two storey side extension 2 Kings Avenue Ottery St Mary Devon EX11 1TARef. No: 23/1434/FUL | Validated: Mon 03 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Oak – retrenchment pruning. Electricity Sub Station 29M From 5 Tillhouse Road 8M From Tillhouse Road Tillhouse Road Cranbrook EX5 7FDRef. No: 23/1416/TRE | Validated: Wed 05 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Prior approval for conversion and change of use of an agricultural building to a single dwelling. Agricultural Building Land At KerswellRef. No: 23/1415/PDQ | Validated: Fri 07 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed 2 storey side and rear extension single storey front extension with alteration to fenestration, relocation of entrance, installation of solar panels, 2 storey outbuilding with ground floor garage Summer Haye St Johns Road Exmouth Devon EX8 5EFRef. No: 23/1412/FUL | Validated: Thu 06 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Installation of dormer windows and roof light to rear elevation, increase in height of roof to rear wing, replacement of existing rear access steps and porch and conversion of existing rear kitchen windows to doors Flat The Hair Studio 61 High Street Sidmouth EX10 8LERef. No: 23/1413/FUL | Validated: Wed 05 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Erection of first floor side extension 41 Fleming Avenue Sidmouth Devon EX10 9NHRef. No: 23/1419/FUL | Validated: Wed 05 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Certificate of lawful existing use as holiday accommodation units Woodhouse Lodge Woodhouse Hill Uplyme DT7 3SLRef. No: 23/1405/CPE | Validated: Tue 04 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Erection of greenhouse Albanwood House Bickwell Valley Sidmouth Devon EX10 8SGRef. No: 23/1401/FUL | Validated: Wed 05 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed New Agricultural Entrance at Land North of Barley Way Land North Of Barley Way Ebford Lane EbfordRef. No: 23/1399/FUL | Validated: Tue 04 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed demolition of the existing dwelling and construction of a replacement dwelling 9 West Hill Lane Budleigh Salterton EX9 6AARef. No: 23/1398/FUL | Validated: Tue 04 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Replace existing gas boiler with air heat exchange unit to rear of the property Flat 1 The Garden Flat 13 The Beacon Exmouth Devon EX8 2AFRef. No: 23/1346/FUL | Validated: Mon 03 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed internal works to include an en-suite to bedroom 1 re-plumbed, with walls and ceiling replaced and new brick vent to rear of the property. Replace existing gas boiler with air heat exchange unit to rear of the property including internal unit fixed to wall. Repair works to any pipework, gully traps, gully traps, drainage run and waste pipes as required. Repair and seal the front steps to the main building. Removal of internal stud walls, where present, to access the original walls, prepare walls, line with a suitable damp proof membrane, board and replaster. Replace the existing UPVC rear door with a more traditional timber frame door. Flat 1 The Garden Flat 13 The Beacon Exmouth Devon EX8 2AFRef. No: 23/1347/LBC | Validated: Mon 03 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Erection of storage/workshop/office building and associated works to facilitate the change of use of the land to commercial Land At Axehayes Farm Clyst St MaryRef. No: 23/1296/FUL | Validated: Mon 03 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Juliet window in rear gable of bungalow 7 Woodlands Drive Exmouth EX8 4QPRef. No: 23/1290/FUL | Validated: Tue 04 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of side extension with flue on north elevation. Internal alterations and removal & construction of walls and ceilings on both ground floor, first floor and loft. Blocking window and removing a door on ground floor east facing elevation. Replacing 2no. windows at first floor rear west elevation. Addition of 3no. rooflights on rear west elevation. Replacing main roof clay tiles with slate tiles, and replacing polycarbonate roof on rear west elevation. Increase height of stone wall on front east elevation. Allerford Tappers Knapp Uplyme Devon DT7 3TWRef. No: 23/1282/LBC | Validated: Mon 03 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of side extension with flue on north elevation. Replace existing garage with garage/garden studio with PV panels. Alterations to garden ground levels and construction of gates/fences and walls. Allerford Tappers Knapp Uplyme Devon DT7 3TWRef. No: 23/1281/FUL | Validated: Mon 03 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Erection of a Bungalow Bramley Ridgeway Sidbury Devon EX10 0SFRef. No: 23/1283/FUL | Validated: Mon 03 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Reconfiguration of existing visitor toilets including internal alterations to provide compliant accessible facilities A La Ronde Summer Lane Exmouth EX8 5BDRef. No: 23/1260/LBC | Validated: Wed 05 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Outline application (with details of access to be considered and all other matters reserved) for the residential development of up to 31 no. dwellings (8 affordable); vehicular and pedestrian access from Globe Hill, pedestrian access only from public right of way; demolition of existing wooden structure to be replaced with Parish Council building; community parking area; public open space, landscaping, wildflower meadow and orchard and other associated infrastructure. Land To The Rear Of Orchard House Globe Hill Woodbury EX5 1JPRef. No: 23/1258/MOUT | Validated: Wed 05 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Demolition of Ascerton Cottage and erection of detached 2 bedroom cottage Ascerton Cottage Ascerton Road Sidmouth EX10 9BTRef. No: 23/1227/FUL | Validated: Thu 06 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Remove existing cement render to the front of the property (West Elevation) re-render in lime with paint finish. 1 Sid Bank Sid Lane Sidmouth EX10 9AWRef. No: 23/1181/LBC | Validated: Mon 03 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Replace the existing upvc window with new upvc windows West Checkstone 2 Douglas Avenue Exmouth EX8 2AURef. No: 23/1070/FUL | Validated: Fri 07 Jul 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision

Remember about 12% of your council tax goes on the police, 7% on EDDC and 4% on town and parish.

Seaside towns, like Budleigh, get three EDDC street scene rubbish collections a day during the tourist season. The “benefits” of Alison Henandez 6% hike in council tax this year may not be seen before her next tax hike. – Owl

Adam Manning www.exmouthjournal.co.uk 

Exmouth police say they will be patrolling Budleigh ‘as and when they can’ after the town saw a rise in anti-social behaviour from children.

Police say they are currently aware of ongoing problems of anti-social behaviour in Budleigh town centre and the immediate surrounding area.

A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police said: “We have liaised with the Child Centred Policing Team at Exmouth Police Station about the issues raised and they have placed a bid with our partners at Devon County Council’s Youth Outreach Team hopefully to meet and engage with the youth of the town.

“Meanwhile the Neighbourhood Policing Team will patrol Budleigh as and when we can.”

Agenda item – Motion: Actions to provide the strong, united and informed managerial and political leadership

EDDC council meeting 6.00 pm, Wednesday 19th July

Another week another interesting debate. – Owl

democracy.eastdevon.gov.uk

Council believes that the start of a four-year term with a controlling partnership of councillors with an increased mandate from the people of East Devon provides the opportunity to refresh the whole council both in terms of its priorities and the way it assembles all its resources to deal with the complex issues faced by its residents in challenging times.

To that end council commits to the following actions to provide the strong, united and informed managerial and political leadership that is required:

In the short term, to work with Local Government Association and other parts of the local government family to:

1. Undertake a skills and knowledge audit of all Cabinet Members and key councillors to ensure that they are fully equipped to undertake their roles in the challenging times in which we find ourselves. This will lead to individual support for those members including specific mentoring and placement on appropriate courses and conferences; and

2. Work to bring together the Cabinet and Senior Management to become a unified team which, whilst respecting the different roles of officers and members, can move forward as one body in dealing with the issues faced by the council and its partners. In the first instance this would involve a facilitated Cabinet/SLT awayday and such work as may flow from that.

In the medium term, to:

3. Ask the LGA to undertake a Corporate Peer Challenge in September using leading and respected officers and members from other councils to look at the core of the council and recommend ways forward with a particular emphasis on:

i) Reviewing the member/officer protocol.

ii) Reviewing the Council’s communications strategy in the light of experiences gained with Covid.

iii) Reviewing the procedural standing orders as part of a constitutional review and make all parts of the constitution become clearer, both to the public and members, and encourage more members to participate in discussions & decisions around both the development, and the scrutiny, of those strategies.

iv) Reviewing all safeguarding strategies to ensure the continued protection of our vulnerable residents.

v) Reviewing the relationships between the District Council, the County Council and town & parish councils to ensure appropriate place-based working and the joining up of the public sector and partners to deliver cost-effective and locally relevant services.

4. Ask the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny to conduct, as soon as is practicable, a review of the scrutiny processes to ensure that:

i) The Cabinet and Officers continue to cooperate in the preparation of strategies to ensure that the undoubted professionalism of our staff is supported by the undoubted skills and knowledge of all local councillors from across the political spectrum in the development of those strategies from the outset.

ii) A suite of performance indicators are put in place to ensure that service delivery can be scrutinised by both Councillors and the public and to ensure that modifications can made to service delivery by a due process of review.

5. Ask SW Employers to undertake a review of the training and support needs of the SLT and the methodologies by which the SLT functions as a coherent team.

6. Ask the Council’s S151 officer, in conjunction with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets, to prepare a report outlining the likely costs to the Council of these recommendations  and to ascertain any risks associated with them, both financially and reputationally.

7. Establish a working Group (composed of the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Council, the Chair of the Council and other Group Leaders) to support this programme of action and to monitor it and move the improvement agenda forward within the Council in cooperation with the Council’s SMT.

Proposed by Councillor Paul Hayward

Seconded by Councillor Todd Olive

Supported by Councillors John Health, Paul Arnott, Tim Dumper and Geoff Jung

Devon County Council’s deputy leader says authority “can’t afford” the grants

Ollie Heptinstall, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk 

At a Devon County Council cabinet meeting this week, Cllr James McInnes (Conservative, Hatherleigh & Chagford), who’s responsible for adult services,  was probed about the plan to scrap Devon’s £1.5 million contribution to projects which prevent people becoming homeless.

The council insists no decision will be made until a special cabinet meeting scheduled for next month, but Cllr McInnes appeared to suggest there is unlikely to be a change of heart.

“The county council works with the district [and] city councils but we’re not statutorily obliged to deal with homelessness,” he said in response to a question from Labour group leader Carol Whitton.

“[It’s] money that we can’t afford,” Cllr McInnes added. “The only way we could afford it would be [to] take it away from the statutory services which we have a responsibility for. And as cabinet member for adult services I’m not prepared to do that, so I’m very clear.”

The £1.5 million currently pays for contracts with five providers who support around 250 people at any one time.

Their services are provided in multiple occupancy hostels in Exeter, East Devon, Torridge and North Devon, as well as through a countywide support service. None of the money pays for accommodation.

Local charities have hit out at the potential funding cut. YMCA Exeter, which receives £150,000 from the council, says “the consequences for vulnerable young adults will be huge,” while St Petrock’s, a charity in Exeter, warned it could lead to a “homelessness crisis” in the city.

They believe it will end up costing other services such as district councils, the police, NHS and social care “significantly more in the medium to long term.”

Meanwhile, Cllr McInnes also admits “there is a risk that hostels may close,” in a further written answer to Cllr Whitton, “but that is not an inevitability.”

He adds: “Although we do not fund accommodation, in identifying the risk of hostels closing, we have subsequently had informed conversations about how that risk can be averted or managed, including finding alternative funding options, or repurposing or reconfigure existing provision.”

When the proposal was first announced, a spokesperson for Devon County Council also said it can no longer afford the money, diverting it instead towards spending in other areas that support vulnerable children, young people and adults.

A decision is expected to be made at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday 23 August.

“Urban local authorities received £7.15 per homeless person, compared to just £2.50 per homeless person paid to rural local authorities.”

www.cpre.org.uk

The countryside is beset by a ‘hidden homelessness’ crisis driven by soaring housing costs and a gaping shortfall in local authority funding, a new report shows.

The true scale of the crisis is likely to be far higher than the official statistics. The year-long study, which included a survey of 157 frontline support workers, service providers, NGOs, and shelters, found a large majority thought rural homelessness was a serious problem that was getting worse. Key findings include:

• 91% of respondents in rural areas have seen homelessness increase in the past five years.
• 83% of respondents in rural areas said their job had become harder in the past five years.
• 81% of respondents believe that rough sleeping is experienced differently in rural areas compared to urban areas.

Underfunded local authorities

The study was conducted by academics at the University of Kent and the University of Southampton. It was commissioned by English Rural and co-funded by a coalition of rural charities and housing associations (including CPRE). It shows that rural areas receive a fraction of what they need to tackle homelessness in their communities.

Overall, rural local authorities are receiving 65% less in funding per capita through the Homelessness Prevention Grant than urban areas, who are themselves chronically underfunded. Statistics released by the Department for Levelling Up Housing and Communities show a sharp difference in financial aid. For example, urban local authorities received £7.15 per homeless person, compared to just £2.50 per homeless person paid to rural local authorities.

Life and health in jeopardy

Interviews with more than 40 people, including people who sleep rough and outreach workers in four rural locations, paint a striking picture of isolation and resilience.

People who experience homelessness in rural areas often sleep rough in farmland or woodland. This makes them much harder for outreach workers to find and support, and puts their life and health in jeopardy. Real life stories shared with researchers were harrowing. They included people digging trenches in the snow to sleep, going several days without food, being spat on, their tents set on fire, and muggings that resulted in brain injuries and teeth being knocked out.

The study found that isolation also made the problem far worse. Limited transport options and a lack of support placed those facing rural homelessness at greater risk. Those with physical or mental health needs were found to be most vulnerable.

Growing rural crisis

Martin Collett, chief executive of English Rural and co-chair of the research project, said:

‘This research shines a spotlight on a growing rural crisis hidden in plain sight. You see here the brutal reality beyond the insufficient official statistics. People who have no chance of affording a basic standard of living through no fault of their own. You don’t tend to see people sleeping rough in rural areas. But they’re there, normally hidden in agricultural buildings, outhouses, sleeping rough on farmland or condemned to an insecure life of sofa surfing. Because funding is so inadequate, many people are moving to urban centres for much needed support. It is in all our interests to fix this crisis.

‘Rural homelessness is a significant problem, and a lack of support and funding for affordable homes and services in these areas puts vulnerable households at a distinct disadvantage. The findings of this research should drive a step change in our approach to the issue. Local and national leaders must come together to say clearly that ‘rural homelessness counts’.

Farmers were frequently cited as a lifeline by those experiencing rural homelessness, allowing people to pitch tents in their fields and providing clean water and cups of tea in the morning. But some farmers expressed frustration at regulations they said prevented them from allowing rough sleepers to stay on their land, for fear of criminilisation by local authorities.

A national disgrace

Tom Fyans, interim chief executive of CPRE, said:

‘Farmers caring for people sleeping rough in their fields is a shocking indictment of government indifference. This is a political choice, paid for by our most vulnerable. It shouldn’t be this way, but chronic underfunding and years of slashed budgets means there is no longer a social safety net in the countryside.

‘In many cases, the kindness of others hides the extent of the homelessness crisis in rural areas. It’s very generous, and no doubt welcome, but contributes to the true scale of the crisis going unreported.

‘Hard working people are falling through the cracks of a broken system and the government must take responsibility. We need immediate action to fix a growing affordable housing crisis that, in one of the richest countries in the world, is nothing short of a national disgrace.’

Commitment to tackle rural homelessness

The coalition is calling for local and national leaders to make a clear commitment that ‘rural homelessness counts’. They are recommending:

• All future homelessness and rough sleeping strategies consider the needs of rural communities and ‘at risk’ residents living in them.
• Improved processes for better counting and identifying instances of rural homelessness.
• Delivering new homelessness support services in rural communities that address mental health and social and physical isolation.
• Dedicated investment to fund much needed rural social housing and increasing funding through the welfare system to cover the cost of rent.

Read the full report on the English Rural website

A potential devolution deal for Devon is a “dead duck,” according to one senior county councillor – although the county council’s leader is continuing to back the idea.

Ollie Heptinstall, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk

Outline approval was given in March to transfer money and powers to local leaders across the whole of Devon – part of ‘levelling-up’ proposals by the government – and it is hoped a deal could be offered by the autumn.

The ‘tier two’ arrangement doesn’t need an elected mayor, nor would it change the established council structure. Instead, a combined board would be created with the leaders of Devon County, Torbay and Plymouth councils, as well as district representatives.

But speaking at a county council cabinet meeting this week, opposition leader Julian Brazil (Lib Dem, Kingsbridge), who’s also leader of South Hams District Council, poured cold water on the project.

“I think we shouldn’t be wasting our time with that. It’s a dead duck,” he said. “We’ve got a zombie government who will be very lucky if anything comes to fruition before September of next year, when we’ll probably be in the middle of a general election and it will never happen.

“I think our time would be much better spent spelling out what we see as a good devolution deal for Devon, and that certainly isn’t contained in what we’ve got on the table at the moment.

“So I think if we want to conserve resources and to prioritise, that should just drop off the list straight away.”

But council leader John Hart (Conservative, Bickleigh & Wembury), who is part of negotiations with the government, disagrees with his opposite number.

“Anything that gives us extra money and advantages is useful. It’s worth saying that the minister is actually going to be talking to Devon, Plymouth and Torbay shortly in relation to this.”

After Cornwall recently dropped out of plans to go for a ‘tier three’ devolution deal with an elected mayor, Cllr Hart said Devon’s bid is “the one that’s actually been stable throughout the whole of the conversation so far.”

And he stressed: “If Cornwall come in on a tier two, they should have no advantages that Devon hasn’t got.”

In an update last month, councillors were told any new powers are likely to include more say on housing, devolution of adult education funding and more control of public transport commissioning.

A correspondent has asked where the local press found the word “dismissed” in their reporting of the Verita report into actions following Humphreys arrest. The word does not occur in Verita’s report.

The context of the quote comes from this paragraph: 

The report concluded that a former monitoring officer became the only person to know of the police investigation when he was asked to attend a safeguarding meeting (LADO) in March 2016, but doubt was cast on this evidence when further details came out regarding a comment made in a meeting suggesting the CEO of the council might have also known. This, however, was fully investigated by Verita in a supplementary report, and dismissed, as they were unable to corroborate the statement.

Here is a bit of fact checking from Verita’s supplementary report:

New Information (from page 5)

10. In 2016 Devon County Council (DCC) held three meetings described as LADO MAS meetings. The meetings involved the DCC Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO), Devon & Cornwall Police (the Police) and senior officers from DCC. The former Monitoring Officer of EDDC (referred to hereafter as the fMO) attended all those meetings. 

11. The meeting on 9 March 2016 was the first in this series and was described as the “Initial Strategy Meeting: Managing Allegations Against Adults Working with Children”.

 12. Under a section titled “General discussion”, the minutes of the meeting recorded that: “The Chief of East Devon District Council had been alerted to the situation.” 

13. This record appeared to contradict the evidence given by the fMO and the CEO of EDDC in our investigation.

[Verita were shown a copy obtained from DCC to verify this]

Conclusions 

74. We consider that the record in the minutes of the meeting on 9 March 2016 cast doubt on the evidence given by the fMO and the CEO in the course of our original investigation.

75. The statement was, however, recorded in the formal minutes of a LADO MAS meeting, and we have no evidence that it was subsequently amended. In our view it is more likely than not, on the balance of probabilities, that the comment was made in the course of that meeting.

76. Although the precise wording of the statement may be open to misinterpretation, we conclude that the reference to “The Chief” could only mean the CEO of EDDC. 

77. However, because we have been unable to corroborate this statement, we conclude that it does not constitute sufficiently reliable evidence that the CEO of EDDC was aware of the Humphreys situation.

So whilst Verita concluded this did not constitute sufficiently reliable evidence that the CEO of EDDC was aware of Humphreys situation, the minute as quoted remains on the record.

That minute has not been “dismissed”. Its meaning has yet to be explained. – Owl

Frome rhymes with “doom” (for the Tories?) – Owl

Arriving in the Somerset village of Templecombe there are Liberal Democrat placards aplenty. The by-election specialists are at it again.

David Parsley inews.co.uk inews.co.uk 

This latest mid-term poll has been caused by the resignation of David Warburton, who was suspended from the Conservative Party over allegations of sexual misconduct.

Warburton, who denied the sex allegations but admitted to taking cocaine after drinking “incredibly potent” Japanese whisky, leaves a healthy majority of 19,213 behind him.

Usually that would be considered all but impossible impenetrable, but we do not live in normal times.

During its 40-year existence the Somerton and Frome constituency has been shared by the Tories and Lib Dems but, after 18-years as a Lib Dem seat, returned to the Conservatives in 2015 and has remained with the party ever since.

However, given the Lib Dems recent by-election successes – not least the overturning of a 24,239 Tory majority in Tiverton and Honiton just over a year ago – the bookies have the party’s candidate Sarah Dyke as odds-on favourite to give take her party’s numbers in the House of Commons to 15.

There’s a clear confidence about her, but she’s not prepared to speak to it yet. But with the Government’s inner turmoil not easing since last June, she clearly has hope.

“Well, I won my first election on the district council here in South Somerset by one vote in 2015,” she says. “I did that by going out and knocking on every door, and that’s what I’m doing now.”

Dyke, whose family has been farming land around Templecombe since 1763, is aware, however, that of the three by-elections forced by departing Tories, this is the one the Lib Dems are banking on.

As soon as Warburton announced his resignation in in mid-June, the yellow army invaded this rural idyl.

“My phone went absolutely crazy with the news that he had just resigned,” says Dyke. “So, from that moment on, it was literally let’s get on with this job.

“The HQ team came down and within 48 hours had set up our HQ offices in Frome.”

So, when she’s knocking on those doors, what are the voters telling her? They are, she says, “furious, angry, and fed up”.

“They are fed up with the wait for a GP appointment, a dentist, with the cost-of-living crisis, the state of the NHS and all public services.

“They are fed-up with 13 years of this Government and they are coming back to the Liberal Democrats.”

Dyke runs through the Lib Dem policies, such as reversing £3bn of Tory tax cuts for banks to spend on helping people with soaring mortgage costs, and a “plan to recruit 8,000 more GPs”.

While the bookies may have Dyke as the overwhelming favourite to take the seat back for her party, she has stiff opposition in Conservative candidate Faye Purbrick, an experienced and competent politician.

The first question to Purbrick is the reverse of that put to Dyke. Is she confident of protecting the enormous majority of 19,213?

In normal times the answer would be a simple one, but she’s seen the internal Lib Dem polling of 10,000 voters from last week.

That showed support for the Tories has fallen from 55.8 per cent at the December 2019 general election to 44.5 per cent. Lib Dem backing had jumped from 26.2 per cent to 36.5 per cent.

With just eleven days to go until the polls open on 20 July, Lib Dem sources are saying that gap has narrowed further, and the result is going to be “very tight”.

That’s Lib Dem for “we’ve got this in the bag”.

Purbrick’s first answer reflects that the momentum is with her rival.

“I think we should never take our electorate for granted and in the same way that I worked hard to serve the people I have as a councillor I’ll look to be able to show people my track record and why they should support me,” says Purbrick.

However, telling people on the doorstep that the Conservatives are the party to trust with the economy can be a tough task.

“We have had the fastest growth in the G7,” she adds, though others have said this may have been true in the immediate aftermath of the Covid pandemic from 2021 to 2022, but has not been true since and that when comparing quarter-on-quarter growth in 2022, the UK is among worst-performing in the G7.

“They are not figures I recognise,” says Purbrick.

As for the condition of the economy she maintains the party line that “we’ve been hit by two huge events in Covid and the war in Ukraine” and that “if we all work together we will get through this”.

Purbrick quotes the CCHQ line less when it comes to local issues, insisting she will lobby Westminster for better broadband connectivity, flood protection and “fighting hard” for cash for local schools, the NHS and other public services.

“I am working to be the MP Somerton and Frome,” she adds. “Standing up for the people in Somerton and Frome.

“Making sure that the Government is listening to what we need here. I will be an MP not a member of Government.

“I will be holding them to account in the way that an MP is supposed to, to make sure that people here have the best possible outcomes. That’s what I care about.”

While Purbrick has a chance of clinging on to this seat for the Tories, albeit a rapidly shrinking one, the likelihood that Labour can go from a poor third with just 13 per cent of the vote in December 2019 to take a seat is slim.

But that’s not putting off Neil Guild, Sir Keir Starmer’s representative in this by-election.

“A good result for Labour is winning this seat,” he says. OK, but what will you really consider a success? Forcing the Tories into a humiliating third place maybe?

“I’m always going to fight for the Labour Party,” he adds. “If, ultimately, the public decides something different than absolutely, I’ll accept that, but, yes, I do want to show progress.”

As the holiday traffic floods in, the slow going allow times to count the signs. It’s no more than anecdotal evidence, but between Frome and the bit of the A303 where the constituency ends there were 27 Liberal Democrat placards, three supporting the Conservatives and one for Labour.

Indeed, there were more Green Party signs being displayed in the front gardens of voters than there were Tory and Labour put together.

It’s hard not to believe the Lib Dems will be more disappointed not to win this one than the Tories will be to lose it.

There are eight candidates standing in the Somerton and Frome by-election. The remain five are Lorna Corke (Christian Peoples Alliance), Martin Dimery (Green Party), Bruce Evans (Reform UK), Rosie Mitchell (Independent), and Peter Richardson (UK Independence Party).