Dartmoor to be re-industrialised under “permitted development rights”?

Why does the Plymouth “Freeport” have to include most of West Devon?

Looks unbelievably dangerous for the environment.- Owl

William Telford www.devonlive.com

Tax-break industrial sites with relaxed planning rules could be set up anywhere in the South Hams or on Dartmoor as part of Plymouth’s new freeport, it has emerged. The Government has set a vast boundary for the project which stretches from Devonport to Dartmouth, Salcombe to Okehampton, and incorporates all of the moor and the entire South Hams.

Ministers have revealed the extensive boundary for the freeport on a map, leading to concerns being raised from some environmentalists and critics of the freeport programme. It came as a surprise because it had been said that the freeport would involve just three Plymouth sites: at Oceansgate in Devonport, Sherford and Langage.

But it has now been explained that these are what are termed “tax sites”, where businesses can benefit from a range of tax benefits including paying less when buying land and avoiding National Insurance payments for newly employed workers. The three sites are also what is called “customs sites”, where businesses don’t have to pay tariffs on some goods they import.

There can only be three tax sites, and there must be at least one customs site, or “free zone”, in any freeport. But the freeport company could seek to create more customs sites within the extensive outer boundary.

However, the Plymouth and South Devon Freeport stressed it is “categorically not the case” that the entire area on the map has been earmarked for development or has any special planning status. A spokesperson said: “The outer boundary does not confer any special planning or regulatory status.”

The freeport explained that any new customs site would still need to fit within a “rigorous planning process”, including the suitability of the area for any businesses, and existing local authority restrictions and prohibitions. In Dartmoor’s case this would mean it having to fit with it being within a national park and an area of outstanding natural beauty (AONB).

But an individual new customs site could, in theory, benefit from relaxed planning regulation. The Government’s own website highlights relaxed planning rules for customs sites. It said freeports will “provide a supportive planning environment for the development of tax and customs sites through an extension of permitted development rights and incentivising use of local development orders.”

Permitted development rights allow certain building works and changes of use to be carried out without the need for a full planning application. And local development orders allow local authorities to give permitted development rights for specific types of development in defined locations.

The freeport boundary maps published by the Government drew concern on social media and from some commentators. Twitter campaigner Stan Fontan called them “deregulation zones” and in the Guardian, writer George Monbiot questioned why the Plymouth and South Devon Freeport boundary needed to be so extensive and said that what the boundary means is “as clear as mud”, criticising the Government for “opacity” around freeports. PlymouthLive has also been approached by readers asking what it all means.

The blue line is the boundary of the Plymouth and South Devon Freeport area, the red dots are the tax and customs sites at Devonport, Sherford and Langage (Image: http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/maps-of-uk-freeports)

A spokesperson for Plymouth and South Devon Freeport explained that the furthest permitted distance between any two sites in a freeport is 45km, hence the outer boundary. The spokesperson said: “Only three tax sites will ever be created as part of the Plymouth and South Devon Freeport and these were defined at bid stage and confirmed with the Government during both the outline and full business case process. Two sites (South Yard and Sherford) have been designated and one (Langage) is to be designated in the autumn.

“No further tax sites will be allowed – we have included the maximum number of tax sites permissible (three) as part of the bidding process and these have been confirmed by the Government.”

But the spokesperson confirmed that “dependent on need” the freeport could look to HM Revenue and Customs to designate further custom sites within the outer boundary in the future. However, the spokesperson stressed: “To be clear, any planning for customs sites would follow the standard rigorous planning processes including suitability of the area, local authority restrictions and prohibitions including those in the national park and AONBs, and in consultation and agreement with relevant parties.

“Planning for any future custom site(s) will follow the usual planning processes. The current freeport sites are covered under the Plymouth and South West Devon Joint Local Plan.”

The Plymouth and South Devon Freeport is one of only eight freeports planned for England by the Government. It is expected to provide an economic boost to the region, deliver thousands of jobs and encourage millions of pounds of inward investment to Plymouth, South Hams and the wider region.

The freeport’s outline business case is set to be approved by the Government and it is now under the control of a new company called Plymouth and South Devon Freeport Ltd. This is a private company limited by guarantee without share capital, currently led by interim chair Adrian Bratt, executive director at Princess Yachts, and interim chief executive Richard May, currently head of Oceansgate and Marine Investment for the city council.

It is a condition of freeport designation that an independent company is formed which has a chair and board of directors. Its directors are from Plymouth, Devon and South Hams councils, and private companies.

Raw sewage has been pumped into waters around the UK for more than nine million hours since 2016, figures have revealed.

Geraldine Scott www.thetimes.co.uk 

Data from the Environment Agency showed that the total duration of monitored spill events had risen from 100,533 hours in 2016 to 2,667,452 last year.

This week pollution warnings have been put in place on 40 beaches across England and Wales after companies discharged raw sewage into rivers in response to heavy rainfall.

The Labour Party, which analysed the data, said it was a “disgraceful practice”. Jim McMahon, the shadow environment secretary, said: “Families across Britain are trying to enjoy the summertime.

“While water companies are paying billions in dividends, the Tories have allowed them to cut corners and pump filthy raw sewage on to our playing fields and into our waters.

“Labour will put a stop to this disgraceful practice by ensuring there can be enforcement of unlimited fines, holding water company bosses legally and financially accountable for their negligence, and by toughening up regulations that currently allow the system to be abused.”

Using information from the annual returns of each water company, the Liberal Democrats found that the combined bonuses and salaries per water company boss rose by a fifth over the last year.

This is an average rise in executive pay of nearly £200,000, with the average bonus alone rising by £100,000. The Liberal Democrats called the situation a “national scandal”.

The Environment Agency had previously suggested that bosses should face jail for the worst pollution incidents and said this week that the risk of surface water floods caused by sudden heavy rain “reinforces the need for robust action from water companies to reduce discharges from storm overflows”.

David Black, the boss of regulator Ofwat, said: “I was very clear with company remuneration committees in March that performance-related pay for CEOs should be clearly linked to their performance for customers, the environment and society.

“We are carrying out our own analysis and plan to report on whether we feel companies have clearly made this link. Performance-related pay can’t be a one-way street — if companies are not performing that should be reflected in executive pay.”

Water companies have also come under fire for the increasing number of leaks detected in their systems during a period of widespread hosepipe bans.

A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pointed to a statement released on its website yesterday, which said the government was “taking action” on sewage discharges, with the present administration being the first to set an expectation on water companies to significantly reduce discharges from storm overflows.

Steve Double, the water minister, said: “We have been clear that water companies’ reliance on overflows is unacceptable and they must significantly reduce how much sewage they discharge as a priority.” He said a plan would be published by September 1.

Enough to get her first choice!

The swimming and bathing ban at Exmouth [and Sidmouth Town and Jacobs Ladder and Beer] has now been lifted from today, (August, 19) following a pollution issue earlier in the week.

person Adam Manning www.exmouthjournal.co.uk 

Exmouth and Budleigh beach was closed on Tuesday, (August, 16), after pollution in the sea following the heavy rain over that weekend. 

Budleigh re-opened on Wednesday.  A temporary alert was raised for Exmouth Beach in relation to a storm water overflow on Monday.

Between 15 May and 30 September EDDC receives daily ‘pollution forecast’ from the Environment Agency for all the registered bathing waters (Exmouth, Budleigh, Ladram, Sidmouth Jacobs Ladder, Sidmouth Town, Beer, and Seaton). 

These forecasts are based on a range of factors including rain over the various river catchments, wind, known pollution events etc.

This is a forecast of potential pollution risk not a report of a specific incident. 

These forecasts are also sent straight to the electronic signs which are located at all our beaches.  During an alert of this type, it is mandatory requirement that bathing is closed, and signs displayed.   

Because these alerts look at the whole river catchment affecting the bathing water, they are more frequent at Exmouth and Budleigh since the Exe and Otter catchments are much larger than the Sid or the Axe.

A spokesman for South West Water said: “A precautionary notice was raised on Monday at Exmouth Beach and has now been removed as there were no further discharges.”

East Devon District Council has confirmed that the ban on swimming at Exmouth beach has also been lifted.

More information on the Environment Agency website here 

Visitors to a Devon beach hit by a sewage pollution warning say water companies should invest more to cut storm overflows. There was anger and dismay at Holcombe Beach, between Teignmouth and Dawlish, with one woman saying she had let her young child swim in the sea, but told her not to put her head underwater.

Edward Oldfield www.devonlive.com 

A pebble-filled brook runs across the sand into the sea at the picturesque cove, which is crossed by the stone-built legs of a viaduct carrying the main railway line. The beach, which has a cafe at the bottom of a steep, narrow road, is popular with surfers, local people and holidaymakers. It has an entrance via a set of steps to the sea wall which carries the railway, and walkers can use the path alongside the tracks to reach Teignmouth.

Half-way up the hill to the village is a small brick-built South West Water building where a combined storm overflow can empty a mixture of rainwater and untreated sewage into the stream, if a heavy downpour threatens to overwhelm the system. On Thursday morning, a pollution alert was issued for the beach. It warned that storm sewage had been discharged from a sewer overflow within the previous 48 hours. The secluded beach was one of five along the south Devon coast with an alert still in place on Thursday afternoon, advising people not to go into the sea.

Walkers passing the South West Water hut on Smugglers’ Lane could detect a musty smell in the air where the brook runs alongside, but the water appeared to be clear and there was no sign of sewage. However, swimmers have in the past reported seeing human poo floating in the sea while they have been swimming off the beach. People in the area said it appeared South West Water was not investing enough to reduce the storm overflows. Others warned the pollution warnings threatened the reputation of Devon as a clean and safe holiday destination.

Teignmouth-born Sue Taylor has been running the Salty Dog Kiosk at the beach for six years, and knows when the storm overflows are particularly bad, because the pressure from the torrent of sewage and rainwater blows out a steel inspection cover in the road outside. She said: “We have had two months without any rain. Now they have had an hour of rain yesterday, and they are worrying about water quality. So what happens for the rest of the year?”

Sue Taylor, at the Salty Dog Kiosk at Holcombe Beach (Image: DevonLive/Reach Plc)

She said it appeared there was a lack of investment, with housing developments in the area being connected to the same Victorian infrastructure that was built for Teignmouth and Dawlish 150 years ago. She added: “Why are they not investing their money? Water rates are very high in the South West, among the highest in the country. They are not investing and putting in place new infrastructure to cope with the sewage.”

Ms Taylor said she was concerned about the impact of regular pollution warnings on Devon’s reputation as an environmentally friendly destination for visitors. She said two people that day had told her they had seen the pollution warning for Holcombe on the Safer Seas & Rivers Service phone app. She said: “People come and swim on this beach all year round. If they don’t come and don’t swim here, I lose trade from the business.”

Ms Taylor added: “The beaches are very important to the economy of Teignmouth. We rely on the beach, because that is what people come to Teignmouth for. People who go to the seaside want to know that it’s safe for them to go in the water. They want to know the water is clean, and the environment is good. So many people are more aware these days, and if somewhere doesn’t tick all the boxes, they will go somewhere that does. Teignmouth has got a blue flag for its clean beach, and we need to keep it that way. If it is down to South West Water, they need to pay to make sure they stay that way. They have a responsibility to the public.”

South West Water station in Smugglers’ Lane, Holcombe (Image: DevonLive/Reach Plc)

James Atkinson, 55, had walked to Holcombe from his home in Dawlish. He said: “The issue is that the water companies are not investing. I think the issue is privatisation, in my view. They know the problems, but they want to wait for it to go away, for public attention to move on.” He added: “I don’t think private water companies invest enough. They have plans, but I think their plans are always a few years behind what is happening. I don’t think they are prepared to take a punt on the future. They are just happy to get away with what they can get away with now.” He suggested the government should provide more public information to tell people about the importance of using less water.

A woman from Teignmouth, visiting the beach with friends, said: “They are a private company, they are a profit-making business, they could invest the money. It boils down to money at the end of the day.” She added: “I think it is pretty sad to see, it is lack of investment by profit-making companies. They are taking the money, they are not investing the money.” She said more should be done to reduce water use in public buildings, including schools, to cut waste and conserve supplies.

The list of Devon beaches with no-swim warnings on Thursday covered Teignmouth Holcombe, Dawlish Town, Exmouth, Sidmouth Town, and Beer. Earlier warnings issued in recent days have ended for Teignmouth Town, Wembury, Goodrington, Paignton, Budleigh Salterton and Saunton in North Devon.

The Environment Agency which monitors designated bathing water also issued precautionary advice not to bathe in the sea at Dawlish and Exmouth. The alerts follow heavy downpours which have triggered storm overflows to discharge untreated sewage mixed with rainwater into the sea. The outflows are legally allowed to prevent pipes which carry a mixture of rainwater and sewage backing up to flood roads, homes and businesses. Downpours can also wash animal waste and fertiliser into rivers and seas, causing a pollution risk.

Holcombe Beach, near Teignmouth (Image: DevonLive/Reach Plc)

South West Water, which provides water and sewerage services in Devon, said the Environment Agency’s Pollution Risk Forecast system triggered precautionary alerts when the weather posed a potential risk to water quality. Alerts were also raised in relation to stormwater overflows which may temporarily impact bathing water quality, but they were also precautionary.

A South West Water spokesperson said: “In recent days we have seen heavy localised rainfall which followed the prolonged period of hot and dry weather. As a result, the rain hasn’t been able to permeate into the ground and a significant volume has run into our network, which can cause our storm overflows to trigger. We continue to invest in our network to reduce the use of storm overflows as part of our WaterFit plan.”

The company says its plan will “dramatically reduce our use of storm overflows, maintain our region’s excellent bathing water quality standards all year round and reduce and then remove our impact on river water quality by 2030.” It says storm overflows act as a legal safety valve to prevent sewers becoming overloaded and flooding homes, roads and businesses. South West Water achieved 100 per cent coastal bathing water quality for the first time across 860 miles of coastline earlier this year.

East Devon District Council (EDDC) announced the passing of Councillor Valerie Ranger, better known as Val, on Wednesday, August 10. Val lost her 18 month-long battle with stomach cancer on Tuesday, August 2.

Mary Stenson www.devonlive.com

Friends of Val, Liz Dowen and Lesley Woolley, who set up a GoFundMe to help pay for Val’s stomach cancer treatment, paid tribute to the ‘inspiring’ local woman. The announcement of her passing said: “It is with a sad and heavy heart that we have to announce that Val passed away on Tuesday 2nd August 2022. Val fought this awful disease with such courage and determination. She was an inspiration to us all.

“With a constant smile on her face to the end and a determination to never give up, we have much to learn from her life, values and spirit. A truly inspiring and loving person who will be so missed, she made our community a better place to live. We will never forget her. Thank you to all of you who supported this appeal and gave Val precious time and hope.”

Val has been an active member in her local community for thirty years, starting out by doing voluntary work in 1992 in Sidbury in where she lived. She helped Second World War vets who had been denied disability benefits after being injured during the war.

Following on from her voluntary work, Val also taught at Exeter College from 1993 until 2020 when she had to leave due to her illness. She mainly worked with Access to Higher Education students, who are mature students seeking career changes and university access.

Val was known to share her vast range of skills as a teacher as she passed on her knowledge of shorthand to local Devon newspaper reporters.

Alex Richards, senior content editor at DevonLive, added: “It is with deep sadness we’re reporting on the passing of Val. There’s a generation of Devon journalists that owe her a great deal following her shorthand tutelage, just one of many strings she had to her bow. She was warm and witty, and we all found her a delight to work with. Our thoughts are with her friends and family at this difficult time.”

In 2013, Val began pursuing EDDC matters and was shocked by a ‘biased system’. The following year, she joined the parish council and then ran as an independent councillor for EDDC in 2015, proving to be a popular candidate after winning a clear majority. She was re-elected in 2019, becoming Vice-Chairman, a post which she remained in until her recent passing.

Putting locals first was one of Val’s core values as the GoFundMe page set up on her behalf explains: “She became part of the Democratic Alliance which is a collaboration between independent councillors, Liberal democrats and Green candidates in a bid to put politics aside and work on behalf of residents regardless of their political alliance.

“Along the way she was involved in ensuring Harpford Hall was retained as a community asset, and has campaigned for the retention of the red bridge over the River Otter to ensure residents have a safe walking route to and from Newton Poppleford and Tipton, as well as safety improvement measures on Four Elms Hill which should finally complete in July.”

In November 2020, Val received a stomach cancer diagnosis. In an October 2021 update on the GoFundMe page set up on her behalf, she described the first year with the illness as a “rollercoaster” but offered her thanks to “all those who have contributed to my fund, both financially but also with words of support and prayers.

“The response has been overwhelming and has made a massive difference to my physical and emotional well-being.”

After difficulty accessing treatment during multiple lockdowns, Val hoped that being open about her journey with cancer would encourage others to “take heart and feel able to doggedly pursue their doctors if they feel that something isn’t right and seek second and subsequent opinions if you are fobbed off or indeed written off.”

She expressed gratitude for the kindness of her friends for setting up the GoFundMe page and described Force Exeter and Honiton team hospice nurses as “brilliant”.

At its core is the so-called “productivity puzzle”, and Liz Truss is winning over a gullible Conservative party with the notion that cutting taxes is the way to unlock it. 

The gullibility of Tories to accept arguments that seem to be too good to be true has local form. Just think of the way they accepted our Local Enterprise Partnership’s (LEP) claim to be able to double the local economy in 20 years on the basis of no evidence.

Like our LEP, Liz Truss’s claim doesn’t stand scrutiny either, read on. – Owl

Larry Elliott www.theguardian.com 

It will doubtless come as a surprise to British workers toiling in distribution warehouses, call centres or the NHS that Liz Truss thinks they could do with showing “more graft”.

Judging by comments made when she was chief secretary to the Treasury, the frontrunner to be prime minister thinks the UK’s economic problems are down to a working culture quite different from that in communist China.

Truss is right in one respect. The UK does lag behind many other western countries in the productivity league table. Across the G7 group of major industrial countries, the average worker produces 13% more an hour than the average British worker and the gap is getting bigger.

Official data also appears to show a divide between London and the rest of the country, with workers in the capital apparently 80% more productive than the national average. Truss suggests this is a mindset issue.

The idea, though, that the UK’s deep-rooted economic problems are caused by shirking or a lack of effort does not stand up to serious scrutiny. Britain has one of the most deregulated labour markets in the developed world and the average British worker puts in more hours a week than the European average.

Monitoring and surveillance in many workplaces are intense, with disciplinary measures for those that fail to meet quotas. This is a country where management has the whip hand and, for the most part, workers are not protected by unions. To the extent Truss’s analysis was ever true, it harks back to a labour market that has long since disappeared – now replaced by one in which an army of gig economy and self-employed workers toil away to make a living.

The real reason for Britain’s poor productivity lies elsewhere. UK business investment as a share of national output, or gross domestic product, is the lowest in the G7. It is a similar story with research and development, to which the UK devotes 1.7% of GDP annually, compared with an average of 3.1% for members of the developed country club, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Britain’s economic model is based on an abundance of cheap labour and under-investment in up to date capital equipment and product innovation. Skills levels are higher in a country such as Germany because the Germans invest more in training.

The difference between Britain and better performing countries is not that they work harder than we do, but that they work smarter than we do. Foreign-owned companies in the UK tend to have higher productivity, so if “mindset” is the issue then it is the mindset of management that counts.

Nor is it really the case that productivity is higher in London because workers in the capital have a “can do” spirit lacking elsewhere. As a paper from researchers at Sheffield Hallam University found, once adjusted for factors including the size of the working age population, the concentration of high productivity jobs in finance and the number of hours worked, the gap virtually disappears.

Truss’s team say the remarks made some years ago have been taken out of context but they seem pretty clear. If Boris Johnson’s probable successor thinks more graft is needed, she is completely misdiagnosing the problem.

Lib Dem MP for Tiverton and Honiton, Richard Foord, said beaches in his Devon constituency had been among those marked unsafe due to sewage.

“Local people and holidaymakers shouldn’t be forced to swim amidst human waste.

“Devon’s beaches are amongst the best in the world but the Government is turning a blind eye while private companies ruin them,” Mr Foord said.

See also: The tories just voted against an amendment to stop water companies dumping raw sewage into rivers Owl

www.denbighshirefreepress.co.uk 

The average water company boss’s total pay rose by 20% over the last year as a “national scandal” of leaks and sewage being pumped into the sea continues, research has suggested.

Analysis by the Liberal Democrats found the 22 water company executives across Great Britain were paid £24.8 million, including £14.7 million in bonuses, benefits and incentives in 2021/2022.

Pollution warnings were put in place on 40 beaches across England and Wales this week, mostly on the south coast, after flash flooding overwhelmed sewage systems.

Thames Water, which supplies 15 million people, is putting a hosepipe ban in place on August 24, as water levels in its reservoirs are “much lower than usual”.

Lib Dem environment spokesperson Tim Farron said: “This is a national scandal. These disgusting polluting habits have made beaches unsafe in the middle of the summer holidays and harmed precious British wildlife.

“Hosepipe bans could have been avoided this summer if these water company CEOs bothered to invest in their rusting pipes rather than stuffing profits in their pockets.

“They are putting profit over the environment. Frankly, the whole thing stinks.”

He added: “This Government is guilty by association for letting water companies get away with this.”

Using information from the annual returns of each water company, the Lib Dems found the combined bonuses and salaries per water company boss rose by a fifth – or 21% – from 2020/2021 to 2021/2022.

This is an average rise in executive pay of nearly £200,000, with the average bonus alone rising by £100,000.

Lib Dem MP for Tiverton and Honiton, Richard Foord, said beaches in his Devon constituency had been among those marked unsafe due to sewage.

“Local people and holidaymakers shouldn’t be forced to swim amidst human waste.

“Devon’s beaches are amongst the best in the world but the Government is turning a blind eye while private companies ruin them,” Mr Foord said.

In a report published in July, the Environment Agency said water company bosses should face jail for the worst pollution incidents, describing the sector’s performance in 2021 as the “worst we have seen for years”.

The agency this week said that the risk of surface water floods caused by sudden heavy rain “reinforces the need for robust action from water companies to reduce discharges from storm overflows”.

David Black, the boss at water regulator Ofwat, said: “I was very clear with company remuneration committees in March that performance-related pay for CEOs should be clearly linked to their performance for customers, the environment and society.

“We are carrying out our own analysis and plan to report on whether we feel companies have clearly made this link.

“Performance-related pay can’t be a one-way street – if companies are not performing that should be reflected in executive pay.”

Water Company Executive Remuneration Total – 2020 & 2021

Companies house data on operating profits of water companies 2020/2021

Conservative leadership frontrunner Liz Truss will be “empty chaired” by farmers after she refused to turn up at a hustings event on rural issues organised by union leaders.

Adam Forrest www.independent.co.uk

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) is furious at Truss’s decision to snub the invitation to address members on Friday, at event which will be attended by her Tory rival Rishi Sunak.

It comes as Truss faces criticism from environment secretary George Eustice, who suggested that she did not protect animal welfare standards in post-Brexit trade deals.

Speaking about plans to “empty chair” Truss, the NFU president Minette Batters said she had “offered to meet her anywhere” saying she had offered to ask questions virtually.

“It’s disappointing as it’s not just about farming – food is such a critical subject, water is so critical to everybody, especially at the moment,” Batters told The Guardian.

Describing the snub as “a shame”, the farming union leader added: “It doesn’t bode well. George Eustice has made his comments – you would think she would want to put her marker down.”

The Truss campaign said she “cannot turn up to everything”, but the Sunak campaign said he would attend on Friday. A spokesperson said he would “support farmers in all future UK trade deals, taking time to get the trade deals right, rather than rushing them through”.

Eustice revealed on Wednesday that he faced “challenges” and tensions” with Truss in getting her to recognise animal welfare in trade deals she struck as trade secretary.

The Sunak supporter made the remarks at an environment-focused leadership hustings hosted by the Conservative Environment Network (CEN) – which boasts more than 100 Tory MPs as part of its parliamentary caucus.

“It is fair to say there were some challenges that I had getting Liz Truss to recognise the importance of animal welfare in particular,” he said.

The minister added: “It’s not a secret really – but there was often quite a bit of tension between us trying to get animal welfare in particular recognised during those trade agreements.”

Farming groups have accused the government of undercutting British producers by doing deals with countries which allow lower welfare standards hoping to boost cheap exports to the UK.

A recent report by the ResPublica think tank warned that domestic farmers will be undercut if the “soft” approach of the Australia and New Zealand negotiations continues in talks with countries with “less qualms” about quality.

But Zac Goldsmith, a Truss supporter, told the online hustings: “I think Liz is sound on animal welfare. She’s committed to seeing through the kept animals bill.”

The Tory peer, a close ally of Boris Johnson, described how he was a “Liz sceptic” when she became foreign secretary, but said he believed she had been an “enthusiastic driver” of the environmental agenda.

The NFU president said this week that neither Tory had set out a sufficient plan to deal with the water crisis.

Ms Batters said it was “immoral and unethical” to allow water to be wasted, as fears grow could be ruined crops because of widespread droughts.

Both Tory candidates will go head-to-head at a live Tory hustings event in Manchester evening hosted by GB News.

Sunak has insisted that he “definitely” still has a shot at becoming the next PM despite the latest YouGov poll of Tory members putting Truss as the frontrunner by 66 per cent to 34 per cent.

[One way of getting Exmouth featured on almost all BBC news channels – Owl] 

A pollution warning has been issued at six Devon beaches today as people are being advised not to swim in the sea. The alerts have been flagged due to a drop in water quality as well as a sewer overflow.

Lili Stebbings www.devonlive.com

The warnings in place on Thursday were published by the Safer Seas and Rivers Service from the campaign group Surfers Against Sewage. Its interactive map monitors 400 locations around the UK coast, issuing alerts based on real-time tracking of combined sewage overflows and pollution risk forecasts.

The updated warning comes after swimmers were advised to avoid five Devon beaches yesterday. The service gave details of the following Devon locations where warnings were in place:

Teignmouth Holcombe

Pollution Alert: Storm sewage has been discharged from a sewer overflow in this location within the past 48 hours.

A small sand and rock beach located at the base of tall red cliffs, Holcombe is an isolated beach backed by cliffs and a railway line. A sewer overflow discharges into the Holcombe Stream 40m upstream of the beach.

Teignmouth Town

Pollution Risk Warning: Bathing not advised today due to the likelihood of reduced water quality.

Located NE of the Teign Estuary, Teignmouth Town beach is a 1km stretch of sand backed by a promenade and the town. A sewer overflow at the railway station discharges northeast of the beach.

Exmouth

Pollution Risk Warning: Bathing not advised today due to the likelihood of reduced water quality.

Exmouth is a large sandy resort beach at the mouth of the River Exe backed by a promenade and the town. A memento of its Victorian heyday fine gardens and parks also back the beach. There is a sewer overflow discharging through an outfall to the south east which may affect bathing water quality especially after heavy rainfall.

Sidmouth Town

Pollution Alert: Storm sewage has been discharged from a sewer overflow in this location within the past 48 hours.

Rock pools to the west, overhanging cliffs to the east, Sidmouth Town beach compromises 900m of legally protected pebbles broken up by rock groynes and backed by a promenade and the town. Two sewer overflows are located at Sidmouth, one discharges through a long sea outfall some 600m out to sea while the other discharges into the River Sid, just under 400m to the east.

Beer

Pollution Alert: Storm sewage has been discharged from a sewer overflow in this location within the past 48 hours.

A small seaside village built around a small cove, Beer is a pebble and sand beach, approximately 1.2km wide. It is backed by cliffs and sheltered from most winds. Three sewer overflows surround Beer with one discharging from Beer car park, one discharging 600m North East and one slightly further to the South.

Wembury

Pollution Risk Warning: Bathing not advised today due to the likelihood of reduced water quality.

Famous for its shore life and rock pools, Wembury is a very popular sand and rock beach resort, some 1.1km wide. A stream flows across the beach, many rock pools are exposed at low tide and cliffs back the beach. There is a sewer overflow from Wembury pumping station that discharges 50m upstream of the beach.

Shoalstone Beach in Brixham is also under maintenance meaning sewage alerts have been disabled.

South West Water, which provides water and sewerage services in Devon, said in a statement: “The alerts raised at Teignmouth and Exmouth today were from the Environment Agency’s Pollution Risk Forecast (PRF system) which triggers precautionary alerts when weather conditions pose a potential risk to water quality along with other factors, and were not related to SWW activity.

“Alerts have been raised for Sidmouth and Beer in relation to stormwater overflows which may temporarily impact bathing water quality – these are precautionary and we expect them to be removed soon.”

As recorded by Steve Bell

The Government has been accused of being “asleep at the wheel” after an Ofgem director quit, citing concerns the regulator is failing to effectively protect struggling households.

Ofgem director quits over price cap as Ed Miliband says Government is ‘asleep’

Dominic McGrath www.standard.co.uk 

Christine Farnish told The Times she resigned in the belief the watchdog has not “struck the right balance between the interests of consumers and the interests of suppliers”.

The energy regulator has faced criticism in recent months for not doing enough to protect families during the global energy crisis.

Ms Farnish, who served on the Ofgem board for several years, told the paper: “I resigned from the Ofgem board because I could not support a key decision to recover additional supplier costs from consumer bills this winter.”

She said she believes the move will “add several hundred pounds to everyone’s bill in order to support a number of suppliers in the coming months”.

It is understood her resignation is linked to Ofgem’s decision to change the methodology of the price cap to allow suppliers to recover some of the high energy “backwardation” costs sooner rather than later.

An Ofgem spokesman said: “We are thankful to Christine for her many years of devoted service to Ofgem.

“Due to this unprecedented energy crisis, Ofgem is having to make some incredibly difficult decisions where carefully balanced trade-offs are being weighed up all the time. But we always prioritise consumers’ needs both in the immediate and long term.

“The rest of the board decided a shorter recovery period for energy costs was in the best interest of consumers in the long term by reducing the very real risk of suppliers going bust, which would heap yet more costs on to bills and add unnecessary worry and concern at an already very difficult time.”

The resignation comes amid mounting pressure on the Government to bring forward extra measures to tackle surging inflation and rising energy bills.

The issue has overshadowed the race to replace Boris Johnson as Prime Minister, with both Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak being repeatedly pressed on their plans to help struggling households.

Ed Miliband, Labour’s shadow climate change secretary, said Ms Farnish’s resignation shows the Government is “asleep at the wheel”.

“For 12 years, the Conservatives have totally failed to regulate (the) energy market. In no other country has 32 energy suppliers gone bust.

“We simply cannot allow the British people to suffer a further increase in bills. It is intolerable that the Conservatives continue to offer no solutions to this crisis, and oppose Labour’s plan.”

A spokesman for the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy said: “We are aware of a resignation at the board of Ofgem, which has been accepted.”

Budleigh is now open but Exmouth, Sidmouth and Beer are still closed

Edward Oldfield www.devonlive.com 

People are being advised not to swim in the sea at five holiday beaches along the south Devon coast due to the risk of pollution. The alerts have been issued warning of possible contamination due to heavy rain, in some places causing storm overflows to discharge untreated sewage into the water.

The warnings were in place on Wednesday for the beaches at Wembury, near Plymouth, Teignmouth Town, Exmouth, Sidmouth Town and Beer. A notice for each location said: “Pollution Risk Warning: Bathing not advised today due to the likelihood of reduced water quality.” Exmouth, Sidmouth and Beer are on the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site and in the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Warnings were also in place for 11 beaches in Cornwall.

The warnings coming at the height of the tourism season were published by the Safer Seas and Rivers Service from the campaign group Surfers Against Sewage. It is also available as a mobile phone app and monitors 400 locations around the UK coast, issuing alerts based on real-time tracking of combined sewage overflows and pollution risk forecasts.

The service gave details of the following Devon locations where warnings were in place:

• Wembury: There is a sewer overflow from Wembury pumping station that discharges 50m upstream of the beach.
• Teignmouth: A sewer overflow at the railway station discharges northeast of the beach.
• Exmouth: There is a sewer overflow discharging through an outfall to the south east which may affect bathing water quality especially after heavy rainfall.
• Sidmouth: Two sewer overflows are located at Sidmouth, one discharges through a long sea outfall some 600m out to sea while the other discharges into the River Sid, just under 400m to the east.
• Beer: Three sewer overflows surround Beer with one discharging from Beer car park, one discharging 600m North East and one slightly further to the South.

The Envrionment Agency , which assesses water quality at designated bathing beaches, had precautionary alerts on Wednesday advising against swimming in the sea at Wembury, Teignmouth and Exmouth. The warnings followed alerts on Tuesday for Exmouth, Goodrington, Paignton and Budleigh Salterton, and at the weekend for Saunton in North Devon, where the water was contaminated by sheep manure.

Heavy rain can trigger legally allowed storm overflows to prevent pipes which carry a mixture of rainwater and sewage backing up to flood roads, homes and businesses. Downpours can also wash animal waste and fertiliser into rivers and seas, causing pollution.

South West Water, which provides water and sewerage services in Devon, said in a statement: “The alerts raised at Teignmouth and Exmouth today were from the Environment Agency’s Pollution Risk Forecast (PRF system) which triggers precautionary alerts when weather conditions pose a potential risk to water quality along with other factors, and were not related to SWW activity.

“Alerts have been raised for Sidmouth and Beer in relation to stormwater overflows which may temporarily impact bathing water quality – these are precautionary and we expect them to be removed soon.”

A South West Water spokesperson said: “In recent days we have seen heavy localised rainfall which followed the prolonged period of hot and dry weather. As a result, the rain hasn’t been able to permeate into the ground and a significant volume has run into our network, which can cause our storm overflows to trigger. We continue to invest in our network to reduce the use of storm overflows as part of our WaterFit plan.”

The company says its plan will “dramatically reduce our use of storm overflows, maintain our region’s excellent bathing water quality standards all year round and reduce and then remove our impact on river water quality by 2030.” It says storm overflows act as a legal safety valve to prevent sewers becoming overloaded and flooding homes, roads and businesses. South West Water achieved 100per cent coastal bathing water quality for the first across 860 miles of coastline earlier this year.

Surfers Against Sewage said: “Water companies discharged raw sewage into UK waters over 370,000 times in 2021 alone, demonstrating just how important real-time pollution alerts are in helping the public dodge poor water quality and have the cleanest and safest experience possible.”

It said a poll it commissioned found more than half the British public (52%) were scared of swimming outside due to not knowing if the water is clean or polluted. It said of the one in six Brits (17%) that have tried wild swimming in UK waters, more than half (55%) had fallen ill.

Pollution warnings are in place for almost 50 beaches in England and Wales after untreated sewage was discharged into the sea around the coast.

By Claire Marshall BBC Environment & Rural Affairs Correspondent www.bbc.co.uk

Official data shows discharges have taken place since Monday and Southern Water says they have been made to protect homes and businesses.

It follows a period of heavy rain across southern England, after a spell of extremely dry weather.

Data was provided by water companies to the Safer Seas and Rivers Service.

The service is run by the charity Surfers Against Sewage.

Many of the beaches contaminated are popular resorts, and include Bognor Regis, Lulworth Cove, Newquay, Seaford and Southend-on-Sea.

The majority are along England’s south coast.

Southern Water is one of the water companies responsible for those regions, along with Wessex Water and South West Water.

In a statement, Southern Water said: “There were thunderstorms accompanied by heavy rain the night before last and yesterday [Tuesday]. Storm releases were made to protect homes, schools and businesses from flooding. The release is 95-97% rainwater and so should not be described as raw sewage.

“We know customers do not like that the industry has to rely on these [discharges] to protect them, and we are pioneering a new approach.”

Last year Southern Water was fined a record £90m after admitting deliberately dumping vast amounts of sewage into sea across the south coast.

These kind of discharges – which are legal – mostly happen after heavy rain, when there is a risk that pipes, which carry storm-water along with sewage, may overflow.

This is only supposed to happen in exceptional circumstances. However, in 2020 and 2021, there were almost 400,000 spill events.

Protecting health

In a statement, the Environment Agency said that sewage pollution could be “devastating to human health, local biodiversity and our environment”. It said it would not “hesitate to act to eliminate the harm sewage discharges cause to the environment”.

It has previously called for the top executives of England’s water companies to face jail when serious incidents of pollution occur.

Hugo Tagholm, chief executive of Surfers Against Sewage, said: “Our rivers and beaches are once again being treated as open sewers. Years of underinvestment is now in plain sight.”

The government has said it intends to produce a plan to reduce storm overflows by 2022. This was made a legal requirement by the Environment Act 2021.

A decision on whether Ottery St Mary Town Council will contribute towards the legal fees for an action group to fight a planning appeal relating to Straitgate Quarry has been deferred.

Adam Manning www.sidmouthherald.co.uk

At a town council meeting, councillors agreed to refer the matter of paying a contribution to the  legal costs incurred by the Straitgates Action Group to its financial committee.

Last month the Herald reported that a hearing has been launched by quarry firm Aggregate Industries after Devon County Council and Ottery St Mary Town Council rejected plans for the 100-acre quarry near Ottery St Mary.  

Concerns have been raised about footing the legal bill but the council has reiterated it’s support for the fight to uphold the original decision.

After the last town council meeting in July, it was agreed  that the Council`s CEO should seek further advice regarding the council contributing towards  the action group`s legal costs, and, if appropriate, carry out an online poll to gauge public opinion 

A six-day hearing for the quarry is set to take place at Exeter City Football Club from Tuesday, October 4.

In December last year, Devon County Council’s development management committee voted against the plan for Straitgate Farm on Exeter Road, submitted by Aggregate Industries UK Ltd.  

The scheme would have seen up to 1.5 million tonnes of sand and gravel dug up on the site over the next 10 to 12 years, before being transported 23 miles by road to Hillhead Quarry in Mid Devon for processing. 

Councillor Roger Giles said: “The strait gate action group have the same views as us on this, we think the same things they are fighting it and will participate in the hearing with their barristers and a water expert etc in October.

“It’s important we give them the right funding and its completely correct that we help fund it.” 

The matter is now deferred to the finance committee of Ottery Town Council. 

In three weeks’ time, Boris Johnson will no longer be UK prime minister. But, as many have observed, you could be forgiven for thinking he had already left.

Rachel Hall www.theguardian.com 

Despite the country being beset by a series of crises, from the mounting cost of living crisis to war in Ukraine, he has been accused of leading a “zombie” government.

So what exactly has he been doing?

June: the ‘summer sausage offensive’

In late June, and in an effort to save his own bacon, Johnson embarked on a busy schedule of “barbecues and drinks” at his grace-and-favour residence, Chequers.

Described as a “summer sausage offensive”, the goal was to reward party loyalists who had promised to vote for him in the event of a no-confidence vote.

July: Sweet Caroline – and the Bamford wedding bash

Although that strategy failed, it didn’t deter him from hosting further parties. On July 25 he missed a Cobra meeting to discuss the heatwave to host a leaving bash attended by senior Tories including Nadine Dorries.

Labour accused Johnson of being “missing in action” as he “prepares to party while Britain boils”.

Johnson’s busy social calendar at Chequers was set to culminate in a “champagne-soaked soiree” in celebration of his one-year wedding anniversary – however he backed away from having it there amid rumours that the only reason he insisted on remaining in power over the summer was to keep access to the residence.

Recognising his travails, a major Tory donor, Lord Bamford, reportedly stepped in to offer up his 18th-century Cotswolds estate to host a lavish party.

The “festival-esque” celebration – said to have included a steel band, rum punch, Abba songs and a conga – on 30 July was intended to compensate for the scaled-back wedding Johnson and Carrie organised during the pandemic.

The guest list is understood to have presented a “headache” for the couple, with erstwhile allies having received save-the-date invitations a year before their subsequent betrayal.

A video of the Johnsons’ first dance – to the tune of Sweet Caroline – was leaked to the Tory-supporting political website Guido Fawkes.

“Some questionable dad dancing moves from Boris there,” was how the blog described the prime minister’s routine.

August: Mini-moon, ‘that’ meeting … and then to Greece

The wedding was followed by a “mini-moon”, a neologism coined to describe a second honeymoon usually taken immediately after a wedding and prior to a larger, more extravagant trip.

Johnson disappeared on 3 August, with the location undisclosed for security reasons, prompting speculation about where he was going and who was paying for it.

It later emerged he was staying at a five-star eco-hotel – Vila Planinka in the Slovenian mountains. It promises “healing energies” for its guests, with rooms costing between £242 and £541 a night. They have no electronic devices and wifi is available only upon request to enable people to “rest and unpack themselves from everyday worries” – possibly not the ideal setup for the leader of a country of 67 million people.

A Downing Street spokesperson refused to say if a Tory donor funded the trip, but insisted that no taxpayers’ money had been used.

After his return on 11 August, following pressure – including from the CBI chief executive – to introduce immediate support to households struggling with soaring energy bills, Johnson made headline-grabbing news: he turned up to a meeting.

However, hopes that one of his final appearances might produce a more compelling legacy than his ride in a Typhoon fighter jet to open Farnborough airshow on 18 July soon gave way to disappointment. Johnson declined to offer any new help on energy bills now, instead deferring responsibility to the new prime minister in September to provide extra financial support.

For those wondering whether Johnson had taken the ensuing backlash to heart, he was spotted on Sunday. Not in a Westminster backroom with his two potential successors thrashing out emergency relief, but rather on his second holiday in two weeks, filmed shopping for groceries in a supermarket in Greece.

Greek news websites reported that Johnson and his wife, Carrie, were in Nea Makri, a coastal town near Athens located a few hours away from where his father, Stanley, has a villa.

The son of a Tory donor who hosted the Prime Minister’s wedding party was given an £11.2 million grant by the UK government, it has been revealed.

April Curtin www.thelondoneconomic.com 

Jo Bamford, CEO of Wrightbus, was given the cash to build hydrogen buses for his company Wrightbus in March 2021.

His father, billionaire businessman Lord Bamford, hosted Johnson and Carries’ wedding do at his Cotswolds estate in late July.

Lord Bamford, who is chairman of construction equipment manufacturer JCB, has donated millions to the Conservative party, and is understood to have paid for some of the costs towards the PM’s wedding celebration.

Wrightbus provided the world’s first ‘zero-emission’, double-decker buses powered by hydrogen, and has won publicly-funded contracts – worth millions – to supply these vehicles across the UK.

Jo Bamford’s other company, Ryze Hydrogen, is facilitating a £45million hydrogen and infrastructure distribution hub for Lanarkshire, and has signed a deal to import tankers of hydrogen from Australia.

Speaking to the Daily Record, SNP Cabinet Office spokesman Brendan O’Hara MP said “Tory cronyism”  has been “endemic” under Johnson’s leadership, and that the public deserve transparency regarding the £11.2million payout.

“He may be going, but the legacy that will follow Boris Johnson is one of Tory sleaze,” O’Hara said.

Economy spokesman for the Lib Dems, Willie Rennie, agreed that transparency about how such contracts are “dished out” is needed, and described the relationship between Tory donors and Tory Ministers responsible for awarding multi-million-pound contracts as “unhealthy”.

A UK Government spokesperson told the publication: “All contracts are awarded in line with procurement regulations and transparency guidelines and there are robust rules and processes in place to prevent conflicts of interest.”

The head of the water regulator for England and Wales has defended water companies against criticism over not building new reservoirs despite high levels of executive bonuses and shareholder dividends.

Helena Horton www.theguardian.com 

David Black, the chief executive of Ofwat, also said old pipes were not to blame for leaks and that most companies were meeting their leakage targets.

Water companies have come under criticism as England faces water shortages. Some homes have run out of water, rivers have turned dry and farmers are facing crop failures. Many are outraged at the companies for failing to invest in reservoirs, fix leaks and stop sewage pollution from their pipes.

The bosses of England’s water companies have been criticised for banking £58m in pay and benefits over the last five years. Since privatisation, shareholders have been paid £72bn in dividends. The cash has come from big debts, with companies having borrowed £56bn, and big bills, with prices having risen 40%.

However, Black said critics were not giving companies enough credit for actions being taken to reduce leaks and improve water supply, and suggested they did not understand the “complex” issue.

He told the BBC’s Today programme: “There isn’t sufficient account given to what’s happening in the sector; we appreciate it’s complex and difficult to understand.”

Ofwat has the power to fine companies 10% of their turnover if they do not meet targets. Despite high levels of leakage, many companies are meeting these targets, which has led campaigners to question whether they are strict enough. For instance, Thames Water has 11,000 leaks across its system but is not falling below the regulator’s standards.

Black said: “Thames Water are not in breach of their performance, by my understanding. There are risks of leaks across the networks. Some of the biggest problems we face on networks are in modern infrastructure, it’s simply not the case that this is down to old pipes.”

Many have also criticised water companies as no new major reservoir has been built since privatisation in the 1980s, but Black said they were not needed. He said: “The reason there were no reservoirs is that demand had actually fallen over that period.”

He also defended the large pay water company bosses and shareholders have been given, saying it made them more competitive in the global market.

Campaigners said they did not agree with Black’s assessment and were shocked that he suggested they did not understand the issue.

Stuart Singleton-White, head of campaigns at the Angling Trust, said: “It is painful to hear Ofwat, who are complicit in our broken water sector, acting as apologists for that system and water companies. Ofwat have prevented a lot of the investment needed and allowed companies to take huge profits and screw our rivers.”

Christine Colvin, advocacy and engagement director at the Rivers Trust, said: “This drought highlights that the targets and timelines agreed with the water sector are not enough to ensure we are climate resilient for the long haul. Why are we now talking expensive inter-basin transfers when we’re leaking a fifth of our water supply?”

Some MPs also believe that Ofwat needs to take firmer action against water companies. Philip Dunne, the Conservative MP and chair of the environmental audit committee, said the regulator needed to do more to restore public trust in water companies.

He told the Guardian: “The performance of water companies is under the spotlight now more than ever before. Sewage pollution incidents and leaks wasting 20% of our mains water supply every day is eroding public trust. It is clear that there is much to do to make our water sector fit for purpose, particularly as the effects of climate change are likely to make water scarcity worse in the coming decades.

“To lead to meaningful improvements, the boards of water companies must be encouraged to develop plans to manage water resources and treatment, and work with the regulators to ensure that these can be delivered.”

Ofwat declined to comment further.

Critics of Conservative leadership candidate Liz Truss have accused her of suggesting British workers were “lazy” in comments made in a leaked recording.

[Raises the question: is failure to improve productivity just something to do with workers, as implied by Truss, or does it require a different economic model focusing on investment and the longer term? – Owl]

www.bbc.co.uk

In the audio, published by the Guardian newspaper, Ms Truss suggested British citizens lacked the “skill and application” of foreign nationals.

Labour said her comments were “offensive” and “effectively brand British workers as lazy”.

Asked about the remarks, the foreign secretary did not deny making them.

“I don’t know what you’re quoting there,” Ms Truss said under questioning at a Tory leadership event on Tuesday evening.

“But the point that I’ve always made is what we need in this country is more productivity across the country and we need more economic growth.”

The party’s roughly 200,000-strong membership are voting for their next leader, who will succeed Boris Johnson as prime minister in September.

The Guardian report said Ms Truss made the comments in the audio when she was chief secretary to the Treasury, a role she held between 2017 and 2019.

The report did not reveal the source of the audio recording, parts of which were redacted.

In the two-minute clip, Ms Truss said British workers’ “mindset and attitude” were partly to blame for them producing less per hour than their foreign counterparts, suggesting they needed “more graft”.

Ms Truss said in the recording: “Essentially it’s partly a mindset and attitude thing I think. Yeah, its working culture basically. If you go to China it’s quite different, I can assure you…

“There’s a fundamental issue of British working culture. Essentially if we’re going to be a richer country and a more prosperous country, that needs to change.

“But I don’t think people are that keen to change that.”

Speaking on difference in productivity in the UK, she said: “If you look at productivity, it’s very, very different in London from the rest of the country.”

A Truss campaign source said the comments were “half a decade old” and lacked “context”, while acknowledging the UK does “need to boost productivity”.

“As prime minister, Liz will deliver an economy that is high wage, high growth and low tax,” the source said.

The Office for National Statistics says every country has seen slower growth in output per worker since 2009 when compared with the pre-financial crisis period.

OECD figures show that in 2019, the UK came fourth highest in the rankings of GDP per hour worked among G7 countries.

Ms Truss, who has consistently led Mr Sunak in polls, has put her tax-cutting plan for boosting economic growth at the centre of her pitch to Conservative members.

The remarks by Ms Truss echo controversial arguments made in a 2012 book she co-authored, “Britannia Unchained”, in which British workers were described as among the “worst idlers in the world”.

Asked about it at a leadership debate last month, Ms Truss distanced herself from the contentious assessment, claiming co-author and Sunak supporter Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, had written it.

Mr Raab has subsequently said the authors of the book, which also included several other senior Conservative ministers, had agreed “collective responsibility” over its contents.

Labour’s shadow work and pensions secretary Jonathan Ashworth said the “Britannia Unchained fiasco” seemed to be “the blueprint” for Ms Truss’s prospective government.

“Workers across the country are working all hours to keep a roof over their heads, put food on the table and provide for their families,” he said.

“Liz Truss should be helping working people to cope with this cost of living crises, as Labour this week outlined we would do, not peddling this offensive nonsense.”

The BBC approached Mr Sunak’s team for comment on the matter but received no response.

The Environment Agency has advised against swimming at four popular Devon beaches today. There is understood to be a risk of pollution following thunderstorms in the area this week.

Mary Stenson www.devonlive.com

Beautiful views across Exmouth beach (Image: Devon Live)

Four beaches on Devon’s south coast have warnings in place, advising people not to swim. Budleigh Salterton beach, Exmouth beach, Paignton Sands and Goodrington Sands are the areas that swimmers are being told to avoid.

The major concern at all four beaches is pollution as a result of heavy rain in Devon, with a yellow thunderstorm alert having been issued by the Met Office for today. However, there are also concerns over the impact the storm could have on the tides, particularly at Paignton Sands.

Budleigh Salterton and Exmouth beaches both received ‘Excellent’ bathing water quality based on water samples taken from 2017 to 2021, with Paignton Sands and Goodrington Sands having been ranked as ‘Good’. Today’s pollution risk warnings are only believed to be in place temporarily during the storms.

The yellow thunderstorm alert will remain in place for the rest of today and tomorrow. Parts of Devon have already seen flash flooding, lightning and thunder over the last two days.