“Protesters were seen marching in red lines from every direction along Sidwell Street, Fore Street, Queen Street, North Street, South Street, and Paris Street.
Protesters then gathered in Bedford Square where the speeches began.”
It included a rousing speech by DCC councillor Claire Wright:
“Police and crime commissioner (PCC) Alison Hernandez has told officials to find millions in cash to boost neighbourhood policing with dozens of new officers.
The Tory crime tsar won the May election with a pledge to keep open police stations and deploy more “bobbies” in communities that felt “abandoned”.
… Now Ms Hernandez has instructed her office to find all the spare money she can to fund new officers – including raising council tax and digging into cash reserves.
The operation – which could generate an extra £4million, funding as many as 80 new officers – comes as the results of a huge public consultation in Devon and Cornwall, generating 1,400 responses, are revealed.
Ms Hernandez will attend the police and crime panel in Plymouth, which oversees the PCC, to formally present her plans next Friday.
Andrew White, chief executive at the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner, said every potential source of fresh money would be tapped.
“I have been going through the budget to find all the money I can to turnover as much money as possible into frontline policing,” he told the Echo. …
… The plan is not explicit about the future shape of the force but promises to “retain a broad footprint for the police estate”.
“Police stations and offices are not the primary means by which the public engage with the police although they can play a part in connecting the community to the police,” it states.
The report also says “keeping underutilised or unnecessary physical buildings will tie up capital and revenue funds which we can spend in other ways”. “Going forward when a police station is vacated we will seek to provide an alternative base within that locality.
“In addition the PCC and the Chief Constable will look at ways to widen the police footprint in local areas to improve community liaison and connectivity – including through the Citizens in Policing Programme, colocation with partners and community access points and will pilot options in the second half of 2017.”
Panel member and Plymouth City Councillor Philippa Davey said: “it is a good plan which contains lots of fantastic things but does not set out exactly how we will achieve them. “It will be interesting to hear from Alison Hernandez and the chief constable at the meeting. “The bottom line is going to be a reduction in workforce, officers and money.
“The PCC and the chief constable will be spending their time making savings rather than doing their job – keeping our communities safe from harm.”
“The company building the UK’s first new nuclear power station for decades is facing questions over the health of its fleet of French nuclear plants after an investigation which has left the country with the lowest level of nuclear power for 10 years and the prospect of power cuts during a cold snap.
Thirteen of Électricité de France’s (EDF) 58 atomic plants are offline, some due to planned maintenance, but most for safety checks ordered by the regulator over anomalies discovered in reactor parts.
The outages have prompted warnings of potential planned power cuts and pushed up wholesale power prices, boosting coal and gas operators but squeezing small energy suppliers. Carbon emissions will possibly rise too as France, which last year forged a historic climate change deal in Paris, has to import more fossil fuel power.
The problems stem from a fault identified last year by the Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) in the as-yet-unfinished reactor at north-western France’s Flamanville plant – the same design approved for Hinkley Point C in the UK.
Pierre-Franck Chevet, president of the ASN, told Le Figaro the situation was “very worrying” and the discovery had led to “unprecedented” checks at all the country’s nuclear plants, which provide 75% of France’s electricity and normally help it export power to other countries. The issue is higher than expected carbon concentrations in steel reactor components, which could make them vulnerable to cracking.”
Interesting that Councillor Skinner feels he can bully his way into an SES meeting but does not allow anyone to attend (and listen) at an Exmouth Regeneration Board meeting! One law for him one law for others, it seems.
“An unexpected and uninvited band of Conservative councillors descended on the Harbour View cafe last night for the meeting of the Save Exmouth Seafront (SES) campaign group.
Councillor Philip Skinner, Chair of the Exmouth Regeneration Board was flanked by two Conservative Exmouth Town councillors, Fred Caygill and Richard Scott, when they arrived to the meeting of the campaign group. SES aims to push for independent consultation on the future of the seafront before any further work, including the submissions of additional planning applications. This is in sharp contrast to the Exmouth Regeneration Board who appear determined to press ahead with their development vision without consultation.
Councillor Skinner said he’d come to listen. People at the meeting were stunned but used the opportunity to question him. Laura Freeman, an SES member explained “I attended the meeting to help with SES’s campaign for independent consultation and the support of the existing seafront businesses. I was shocked to see Councillor Skinner, but like others, I tried to use the opportunity to ask him questions. However he rudely laughed at me as I tried to ask a question, which he then avoided answering. His presence at the meeting seemed to be more about disrupting SES than listening to what any of us had to say”.
SES spokesperson Louise MacAllister has been trying for some time to organise a public Q&A session with Councillor Skinner, and despite the negative feeling surrounding Councillor Skinner’s unexpected arrival at an SES meeting, hopes that this is a sign he is willing to engage with the wider public and ensure a Q&A session is organised as soon as possible. SES are not against meeting with external stakeholders but would rather they did not gate-crash their meetings. SES are now seeking an arranged meeting with Dr Mark Dixon the benefactor of the Watersport’s Centre.
—ENDS—
Unsurprisingly, planning officers have recommended the PegasusLife planning application for luxury flats at the Knowle.
Well, be honest, would you go against the wishes of your CEO, deputy CEO and all the Tory councillors?
Yet a very similar (almost identical) planning application in Bath has just been turned down – but that isn’t being built on council land and part- financing a new HQ.
Funny that.
http://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/knowle_demolition_wins_officer_support_1_4800636
“Lympstone residents have accused Devon County Council (DCC) of ignoring the village during the Dinan Way extension consultation process.
Council officers were subjected to scrutiny by the public at an open meeting in the village over a proposed £12million extension, which will link Dinan Way to the A376.
Mary Truell, who has lived in the area for 88 years and currently resides in Wotton Lane, Lymsptone, said the council had taken no notice of where the road was due to be built.
She said: “I would like to know who put in the application for the road because it is erroneous.
“All the time it talks about Exmouth and Exmouth benefits, but the whole thing is in Lympstone.”
DCC’s chief engineer for highways, Rob Richard, responded by admitting it was a project for Exmouth.
He said: “I am not going to stand here and say this is a scheme for Lympstone because it clearly isn’t. I am not pretending it is something it isn’t.
“It was quite clear the strength of feeling about the south route. It was very much the preference, not only from residents and the community of Lympstone, but also Exmouth as well.
“Unfortunately, consultation for us goes wider than the community and residents and, unfortunately, it is not us that dictates the importance of listed buildings, it’s government policy.
“We don’t get on with the National Trust and English Heritage any better than you guys do.”
Mr Richards added: “Hopefully, the road will provide a long, feasible structure that is going to help move traffic in and around Exmouth.”
DCC has voted through a compromise third route for Dinan Way after two proposed routes – a ‘south’ route and ‘valley’ route – were rejected after consultation. Despite being more popular with the public, the south route, which passed near A la Ronde in Summer Lane, was opposed by the National Trust.
Lympstone district and parish councillor Rob Longhurst accused the county council of letting everyone down with the road extension.
He said: “We are talking about loss of homes, financial hardship and social trauma.
“I am afraid I consider Devon County Council has failed us on these consultations.
“I think £12million is a ridiculous amount. It ignores the views of the consultations, raises the prospects of flooding in Lympstone and puts transient traffic problems over and above the effects on residents here.”
http://www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/news/villagers_hit_out_at_dinan_way_extension_1_4800155
PRESS RELEASE
Have Councillors been misled?
East Devon District Council’s Cabinet “rubber stamped” the go ahead for a “full planning permission” on the redevelopment at Queen’s Drive, Exmouth which they were told needs to be submitted by the end of the year.
This is part of what the Cabinet recommended on the 9th November:
“To note that under delegated powers and an exemption to standing orders, officers have engaged planning and design services to take forward a reserved matters application for the continuance of the current planning approval of Queen’s Drive.”
This means that contrary to normal procedures officers engaged the planning and design services of a company to design and submit a full planning application proposal for the remainder of the Queen’s Drive Development.
Within the submitted papers presented to the Cabinet it explains officers drew up a proposal to hire consultants in September 2016 and gave details of the costs which are estimated at £65,000.
The document states it is “necessary to submit the application by the end of 2016.” It also claims to be a “technical exercise” simply to “sustain a planning application”.
Local Independent District Councillors believe that the advice given to the Cabinet members was misleading. Rather than a “technical exercise” the proposal to submit a “reserved matters application” would provide full planning permission which in theory would allow contractors to start development as soon as it is approved. The ‘reserved matters’ application does not need to be submitted until 24th January, when the current outline application expires.
Megan Armstrong, District Councillor for Exmouth said “Independent colleagues and I cannot understand why the Council has now decided to appoint a designer to submit a full planning application at vast expense when all that is required is to submit a further outline planning application to replace the present one.
The cost of a new outline application would be far less than the ‘reserved matters’ proposal.”
Councillor Armstrong added “If this goes ahead, it contradicts the recommendation that “the Council will give Exmouth people another opportunity to have their say on what happens on that site. The Council will bring in external expertise to carry out a review. This will involve full consultation that is neither developer nor Council led.”
“I believe the District Council should put in a fresh outline planning application for phases two & three, which could be done before the current one expires. Then we can have the full consultation, rather than setting out the ‘reserved matters’ details first, which seems to be putting the cart before the horse. We understand that these Cabinet decisions will be discussed further at the next Full Council meeting on 21st December.”
— ENDS —
01 December 2016
Scrutiny committee questions CCG representative
Councillors voice concerns over proposed East Devon in-patient bed provision within Your Future Care consultation
At a meeting on Thursday 24 November 2016, members of East Devon District Council’s Scrutiny committee listened to Rob Sainsbury, the Chief Operating Officer of the NHS North Eastern & Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (NHS NEW Devon CCG), give a talk about the NHS’s Your Future Care consultation.
Mr Sainsbury spoke about issues such as the financial pressure faced by the NHS, the changing way in which people are cared for, proposed models of care and the number of community inpatient beds in East Devon. He outlined the options set out in the consultation and reassured the committee that no changes to services would be made until tests created by local clinicians had been undertaken to ensure the changes are safe and reliable.
Consultation options
• Option A: Tiverton 32 beds, Seaton 24 beds, Exmouth 16 beds
• Option B: Tiverton 32 beds, Sidmouth 24 beds, Exmouth 16 beds
• Option C: Tiverton 32 beds, Seaton 24 beds, Exeter 16
• Option D: Tiverton 32 beds, Sidmouth 24 beds, Exeter 16 beds
The CCG’s preferred option is A, as this combination is considered by the CCG to result in the smallest changes in travel time and to have the greatest impact on the whole system.
Prior to councillors questioning Mr Sainsbury and debating a number of issues, the Scrutiny Chairman Councillor Roger Giles reminded the committee of recent comments made by Neil Parish MP who asked that action be taken to: “Fight all closures across East Devon.” Cllr Giles expressed a hope that the committee would adopt a unified front rather than focus on arguments between the towns where community hospitals are located.
Following a wide range of questions from councillors, which Mr Sainsbury answered, councillors voted in favour of the following comments being sent in a response from the Scrutiny committee to the NEW Devon CCG Your Future Care consultation:
1. Asks that the New Devon CCG presents an outline of how care delivery integrates health, social, and mental care, as well as physiotherapy, and how it is provided to patients
2. Consider that the comparison with Northern and Western Devon areas is unfair as the demographics were not the same as Eastern Devon
3. The committee considers that the models proposed in the consultation will not meet the needs of the District because of the local issues of social isolation, and the support that carers need
4. The NEW Devon CCG should review the expenditure on management and administration as a means to realise savings that could be used to provide care rather than divert funding from in-patient beds
5. The committee considers that the evidence presented to date by the NEW Devon CCG is not sufficient to convince them that the new model of care will be successful
6. The Committee does not accept Options A – D, but recommends that the NEW Devon CCG should retain the current level of in-patient beds in community hospitals in the Eastern Devon locality
7. Should a decision be made to close in-patients beds, the Committee insists that this is not undertaken until the replacement model of care is recognised as safe and in place; subject to the provision of evidence that the model of care has resulted in no bed blocking at acute hospitals, non occupancy of beds in community hospitals, and full care in the community
Commenting on the content and outcome of the meeting, Councillor Roger Giles said:
“The Scrutiny Committee were very far from convinced about the practicality of the CCG proposals to close beds in East Devon community hospitals and replace them with care in the community. There was also concern about the accuracy of the CCG costings used to justify closure of hospital beds. The committee felt strongly that East Devon hospitals provided an excellent and essential local service and that the existing hospital beds should be retained.”
ENDS
Dear Friends,
I wrote to you a few days ago giving you the suggested meeting places in Exeter on Saturday for those demonstrating who wished to march through the town to the area of our rally in Bedford Square, Princess Hays rather than going directly to the rally. The rally is from 12.00-14.00.
I have now been informed that at the final planning meeting it was considered that the suggested places were too many and too complicated.
So to Keep it Simple, individuals and any towns or communities that have not made their own arrangements to enter Exeter as a group could gather, at 11.30, at Bury Meadow at the Northern end of Queen Street (ten minutes walk up the hill from St Davids Station, near Exeter College) and walk south to High Street, and turn left to Bedford Square. If you do get lost, just join a group wearing red, particularly if they are waving placards!
Others may assemble as already planned, for instance, East Devon people will meet near the bus station by the civic centre on Paris Street, walk north to High Street and left to Bedford Square.
It looks as though we can expect a very active rally with some good speeches. This is not just about the hospital beds in East Devon. That is only the first of the NHS cuts planned here in Devon which are part of the NHS’s STP (Sustainable Transformation Plan). People throughout England are getting up to be counted, led and motivated to some extent by 38 Degrees who have revealed the secretive nature of this STP which will be applied in 44 areas, or footprints, in England. Cuts are also to be made in AE departments, major acute hospitals and GP surgeries.
See you on Saturday.
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-community-hospital-beds-in-east-devon
Thanks
Chris East
Chris East started this campaign on the 38 Degrees Campaigns by You website.
Operative word “asked” not “forced” …
“MPs will be asked to restrict the hours they dedicate to lucrative second jobs and drop any work involving lobbying lawmakers or civil servants, according to a proposed new code of conduct.
Outside work will be scrutinised to ensure that MPs dedicate a majority of their working week to parliament in proposals which have been sent to the commissioner for standards and seen by the Guardian.
Those who are paid to lobby for outside interests – including those who work full-time for unions or charities – will be asked to drop their second jobs, according to the proposed code.
Twenty MPs declare more than £100,000 from second jobs
The change in the rules, which are still to be approved by MPs, could cut the amount of time MPs will be allowed to spend away from their constituents.
Until now, there have been no regulation of MPs doing other jobs apart from a general requirement to register income received from outside sources and to declare a conflict of interest.
Tommy Sheppard, the SNP member of the standards committee, has written to Kathryn Hudson, the parliamentary commissioner for standards, suggesting major changes.
He argued that there should be a ceiling on the amount of additional work an MP can take and this could be measured either by the year or by the week. …
… It comes after a study last year from Transparency International found that scores of MPs were being paid millions of pounds a year for outside jobs. The research found that 73 MPs, who are paid £74,962 per annum, also received £3.4m in the previous 12 months for “external advisory roles”, including in some cases board positions.
The biggest earner in that period was former prime minister Gordon Brown, who made almost £300,000 while still serving as the MP for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath.
Finance chiefs in charge of implementing NHS sustainability and transformation plans are struggling with a “club versus country” dichotomy, according to the Healthcare Financial Management Association.
Meanwhile, 52% of trusts and 21% of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are forecasting a deficit in 2016/17.
These were the findings of the latest NHS Financial Temperature Check undertaken by the HFMA, which represents NHS finance directors and finance staff working in healthcare.
It draws on responses to a survey of over 200 finance directors and chief finance officers from 128 provider trusts (53%) and 72 (35%) clinical commissioning groups across England. The responses were received between 20 October to 3 November this year.
Feedback indicated that 22% of trusts and 35% of CCGs are forecasting a worse position than predicted in their financial plan for the year. The most common causes of deficits were under-achieving savings plans (61%), increased agency costs (34%) and an increase in non-pay costs (24%).
Most respondents do view the STPs as a cornerstone in plans to reduce deficits. However, an overwhelming majority also voiced concerns about the structure of the plans, with almost three-quarters (72%) concerned about their governance.
Respondents professed limited confidence in the simultaneous delivery of both STP and organisational financial objectives. Only 6% of trust finance directors and 17% of CCG finance chiefs believe they are both deliverable.
Of the finance directors that responded, 62% claimed they will prioritise organisational objectives rather than their STP objectives. On reflection, 82% believe the regulatory regime needs to change to support the delivery of the STPs, and 79% believe the financial regime needs to change too.
Moreover, only half (54%) of finance directors believe that risks associated with STPs have been recognised, and only 5% believe adequate risk management arrangements are currently in place. …
“Sidmouth campaigners will join with others across Devon to rally against hospital bed cuts in Exeter on Saturday, December 3.
Organisers are urging the public to join them in a united show of opposition to proposals under which the town could lose all of its inpatient beds.
People from East Devon will gather at 11.40am near the bus station, outside the Civic Centre in Paris Street, Exeter. The rally will take place from noon in Bedford Square, Princesshay.
Campaigner Robert Crick said Sidmouth can be proud of its leading role in the campaign.
Organisers coined the term ‘See Red Day’ to highlight the point lines should be drawn to stop essential services being cut.”
“Organisers of a public meeting to discuss proposed hospital bed cuts are calling on East Devon’s MP to join and help fight the cause.
Campaigners are inviting people from across the district to attend a gathering on Friday, December 9, from 7.30pm, in Sidmouth Parish Church, in response to plans that could see the town lose its 24-bed inpatient unit.
Several community hospital beds around the county are under threat as the Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) seeks to change to a more ‘home-based model of care’ and plug a predicted £384million deficit by 2020/21.
One of the organisers, Robert Crick, has issued a call for the community to join ‘urgent talks’ and East Devon MP Sir Hugo Swire – who has raised concerns about the cuts in Parliament has been invited.
Mr Crick said the idea to mobilise individuals and groups in a public meeting was born out of dissatisfaction with the CCG’s ongoing consultation into the proposals and a feeling that asking the public to choose one of four set options does not offer people enough choice.
He is calling on residents and Sir Hugo Swire to resist the CCG’s proposals and demand the Government restores funding levels for NHS and social care.
There is also a county-wide rally planned in Exeter on Saturday, December 3. For more information, call Robert on 01395 519292.”
http://www.midweekherald.co.uk/news/urgent_public_talk_in_sidmouth_on_hospital_bed_cuts_1_4791334
It appears that Exeter City Council has spent “more than £500,000” on fees for its £26m bus station and leisure centre development and is getting some stick for this:
What’s the fuss? EDDC has already said its costs for Exmouth regeneration (officially supposed to be developer-led and funded) will be AT LEAST £3.2 million.
Should someone be patting Exeter City Council on the back and perhaps giving EDDC some stick? And perhaps querying why the Exmouth Regeneration Board (Chair: Councillor Philip Skinner) and EDDC’s Cabinet doesn’t seem to have a handle on the expenditure.
Maybe another elector should be contacting external auditor KPMG as that seemed to get some action on the S106 crisis.
“Communities across the South West have been suffering for some time from a planning system that all too often works against their interests while not serving the needs of the country.
Community Voice on Planning’s National Conference took place in Leeds recently and attracted delegates from as far away as Devon, over 20 groups across the South West being affiliated to CoVoP.
The South West has seen much recent inappropriate development: from building on the green belt around Bristol to unaffordable housing in St Ives and Salcombe. Building on Areas of Natural Beauty, on flood plains, prime farmland and public parks and swamping of green spaces around villages are further all-too-common examples.
Housing Targets are typically inflated and based on questionable methodology. And the current planning system encourages developers to land-bank, slow build-out rates allowing them to increase prices and exploit the 5-year land supply requirement to get even more planning permissions. Developers challenge planning restrictions through viability studies so that infrastructure or affordable housing needs are not met. And developers prefer to build expensive housing rather than the lower-cost houses that people actually need.
We, the undersigned, call upon the public as a matter of urgency to contact their MPs to change planning laws and halt the desecration of our green and pleasant land which is being sacrificed to the economic gain of a few developers and landowners, with public opinion ignored by councils and government.
Georgina Allen (Devon United) Jackie Green (Save Our Sidmouth) Stephen Henry (St Austell, Save Our Unspoilt Land (S.O.U.L.) Paul Adams, MBE (DefeND North Devon) Julie Fox (Your Kids’ Future Cornwall) Dr Louise MacAllister (Save Exmouth Seafront) Peter Burton (Our Cornwall) Mike Temple (East Devon Alliance) David Hurford (Pilton Residents Group) Ron Morton (Save Our Green Spaces)”
Owl recalls that claims were made that the “transformation” plans for the NHS were ordered by the government to be kept secret, and that attempts by mere mortals to get information about them through Freedom of Information requests should be actively resisted.
Well, here is proof.
A local elector made two requests for information (community hospital bed occupancy and objective evidence for the decisions made by New Devon CCG). Both of these requests have been ignored ( no reply within 20 working days) and the first noted is now 40 working days overdue – with a request for internal review of the decision also ignored. This is a necessary step that must be made before a formal complaint to the Information Commissioner.
Link to the request 20 working days overdue and not acknowledging the Internal Review request made 20 working days ago:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/community_hospital_bed_occupancy
Second needed to be answered yesterday to be in time.
This is the important one – it will be reasonable to assume that either they have no clinical evidence whatsoever, or that they are deliberately avoiding answering because the evidence they have is negative:
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/objective_evidence_of_the_clinic
Owl notes that none of our MPs appear to be trying to get this information for us – it is being left to local people to try to find out for themselves.
“EDDC TO DEFY INFORMATION COMMISSIONER – AND TO TAKE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUESTS ON KNOWLE TO TRIBUNAL
East Devon District Council have formally announced that they will only be complying with one of three Decision Notices issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office on 25th October.
They have formally released the already widely-known information that the price for the Knowle site to developers PegasusLife is £7.5 million – on condition that they receive planning permission. (Decision Notice on Case: FER0608237).
However, the Council do not wish to divulge the “minutes of meetings and correspondence on the subject the decision to award the contract to PegasusLife” (Decision Notice on Case: FER0623403) or give “a copy of an agreement between East Devon District Council and a developer, Pegasus Life, in relation to a site at Knowle” (Decision Notice on Case: FER0626901)
http://futuresforumvgs.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/knowle-relocation-project-breaking-news.html
http://futuresforumvgs.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/knowle-relocation-project-information.html
It is clear that the Council do not want any information to be revealed about the contractual arrangements it has with the developer. And in particular, they do not want this to happen before a crucial vote by their planning committee on 6th December – when the Development Management Committee will consider the controversial planning application 16/0872/MFUL from PegasusLife.
http://futuresforumvgs.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/knowle-relocation-project-planning_24.html
This timing seriously puts into question the extent to which the DMC’s decision-making is thereby being compromised, in that any information touching on the planning application should be made available to DMC Members – and the developer’s contract clearly refers to the planning application.
It is now obvious, therefore, that the Council would rather incur further embarrassment and potential damage to their reputation by appearing at the Information Tribunal – as this is the second time it will be appealing against the Information Commissioner.
http://futuresforumvgs.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/knowle-relocation-project-foi-request_27.html
The obvious question which has to be asked is: What are they so desperate to hide?
Moreover, the Council is clearly prepared to spend yet further on defending itself, no doubt with the use of expensive legal representation – and yet it complains regularly about the expense of having to deal with FOI requests.
Why, then, is the Council so determined to avoid being held properly accountable, let alone transparent to its rate-paying electorate?
http://futuresforumvgs.blogspot.co.uk/2016/10/knowle-relocation-project-continuing.html
It will be interesting to see how the Council deals with the legal process which will now ensue. Will it drag matters out as it did two years ago, during the first time it appeared at the Tribunal?
http://futuresforumvgs.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/knowle-relocation-project-we-believe.html
And how will the Council’s representatives conduct themselves on this occasion?
http://futuresforumvgs.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/knowle-relocation-project-information.html
END
Read this first – the response to their external auditors that their Section 106 system is not working:
“An EDDC spokesman said: “We know exactly how much section 106 money is owed. “However, we only hold that information by development and do not hold a total of all monies outstanding across all developments. “This is currently being addressed.”
http://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/we_know_exactly_how_much_community_cash_is_owed_eddc_1_4790645
(The rest of the press release is just as bizarre)
IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE!!!!!
Let’s say, for argument’s sake, EDDC has 100 developments which owe Section 106 money. What they are saying is: “We know what each of the 100 developments owes but we can’t add them all up and get a total!”
Or is Owl missing something here?
Agenda item
Councillor John Hart, Leader of Devon County Council
Meeting of Exeter Board, Monday 21st November 2016 5.30 pm (Item 31)
Minutes:
The Chair welcomed Councillor John Hart, Leader of Devon County Council who spoke on the future direction and plans of the County Council in light of Government policy and continued cuts to local government funding – 2017/18 set to be the 8th consecutive year since 2009 of further restrictions, the precise nature of cuts to become clearer as part of the budget setting process in the New Year.
Having recently met Sajid Javid, the Communities Secretary, Councillor Hart expanded on latest developments in the Devolution debate.
A number of areas such as Norfolk and Suffolk had withdrawn interest and, whilst the Secretary had urged a joint Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset bid, Councillor Hart outlined the disparity of views across the region for this approach.
Quarterly meetings for the Leaders of Devon, Cornwall, Torbay and Plymouth councils continued to be held and, although Somerset now also participated, within that County the views of districts diverged.
Whilst funding of £15 million per year associated with the adoption of the Mayoral system would be available there was no enthusiasm for an extra tier of local government and this sum represented a fraction of the overall County Council budget.
With regard to two independent studies looking into potential local government reorganisation in county areas for the County Councils Network, he asserted that County/District relationships in Devon were much improved since the previous ruling on re-organisation as evidenced by various joint initiatives with the Districts, the National Parks and the LEP. However, he suggested that some Devon Districts would face increased financial challenges with changes in New Homes Bonus rules.
In his meeting with the Secretary he had urged greater funding commitment for training and skills given the gap of some 20% between the SE and the SW in productivity and he emphasised the value of apprenticeships, including for small businesses.
He thanked the voluntary/community sector for the role played in supporting the County in the delivery of many of its services referring to Senior Voice, Age Concern and CAB which were valued and supported by the authority. He also referred to ICE where again the input of this sector was invaluable, this initiative being a pilot for the rest of the UK. Community self-reliance was a growing theme and he referred to County initiatives encouraging collaboration between parishes.
Members referred to the impact of the reshaped County Council services on areas such as youth, libraries, reduced rural transport funding of 1.7 million, day care, closure of residential homes, the sale of old people’s homes as well as responsibilities under the Care Act legislation.
Responding, Councillor Hart stated that the old people/residential homes had no longer been fit for purpose and that this was also being reflected in the private sector, the County was retaining its overall £4million County wide bus service subsidy and that the transfer of the library service to Charitable Trusts would facilitate business rate relief.
Responding to the concerns of Members regarding the changes emerging from the Care Act legislation and the shift to community based service delivery, he advised that the County Council’s Health and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee was leading on consultation and responses to the Wider Devon Sustainability and Transformation Plan which sought to achieve the NHS “Five Year Forward View”.
It was noted that the New Devon Clinical Commissioning Group had offered support towards the changes. The County Councils Network was reviewing changes at the national level. Devon’s older people population exceeded 170,000 – both over 65’s and over 85’s, with no specific Government funding for the latter.
It was noted that the Government had announced a £10 million investment to help strengthen the resilience of the railway line between Exeter and Dawlish and Teignmouth.
The Chair thanked Councillor Hart for attending.
A commentator reacts to the post below on Hugo Swire:
A few more points that come out of this article:
He wishes that he had been more rebellious in his youth – we wish he was more rebellious now.
He says he doesn’t understand how business works!!!
He says he liked visiting Cuba – we wish he had stayed there.
He likes telling unprintable jokes – which goes well with being one.
His sense of humour is apparently a little more sophisticated than his best joke about Napoleon’s armies being up his sleevies – but we guess not much.
He really, really wants to meet Donald Trump. His hero?
His motto: “Confuse your enemies and confound your friends.” Well he certainly confounds his constituents.
He is INCREDIBLY VAIN because thinks he is better looking than both Robert Wagner and Sam Neil (both of whom he thinks are “mothy”), and as good looking and with the physique of Ross Poldark – by which I am guessing he means 33 year old Aidan Turner (dream on, Hugo) rather than 74 year old Robin Ellis. We know which one we think he is most like.
He likes hurling abuse at cyclists, and even stranger likes being abused by them in return. (Is that the most rebellious he can get? Pity he can’t rebel against his own parties lies and destruction of democracy and British institutions.)
He likes sticking things up chickens’ bottoms.
He thinks his mobile phone has been hacked by foreign powers (presumably before he was sacked as a Foreign Office minister) – but he hasn’t asked the security services to check it or got a new one. (Can anyone check his parliamentary receipts to see how recently he has claimed for one?)
He refuses to confirm that he is law abiding.
Web page saved for posterity at
https://web.archive.org/save/https://www.politicshome.com/news/uk/politics/house/81121/unparliamentary-language-sir-hugo-swire
East Devon Watch 