Rapid charging points for electric vehicles could soon be installed in two of Honiton’s car parks – Lace Walk short stay, and Blackdown House.

East Devon Council has been offered the chance to host 30 charging points in car parks across the district – provided it can move quickly to get them installed.

Philippa Davies honiton.nub.news

If the proposal goes ahead, Honiton could get two charging units, each serving two parking bays, at both car parks.

The rapid chargers can top up an empty battery to 80 per cent in around 40 minutes.

The council’s Cabinet will meet next Wednesday, March 17, to discuss the proposal, and is being recommended to take it forward.

The background is that a supplier, Gamma Energy, won funding from the Government-funded public body Innovate UK to provide and manage rapid chargers in the Devon County Council area. The project has funding for 150 charging units – and needs them to be operational by the end of March 2022.

Devon County Council and Gamma Energy approached the district council to invite interest in hosting the units in up to 30 car parks where residents and visitors would find them useful. There’s no upfront cost to the district council; it will lease the car park spaces to the unit supplier for a token rent, and receive a small percentage of the income from the charging fees.

The report going to the Cabinet describes this as ‘an exciting opportunity’ and recommends entering into the necessary legal agreements to provide up to 30 charging units, which is what Gamma Energy is offering.

Car parks in Lympstone, Budleigh, Exmouth, Sidmouth, Seaton, Beer, Colyton, Axminster and Ottery are also being looked at as potential charging sites.

Electric car sharing hub at Blackdown House?

Councillors will also hear that – in view of the possible car charging points at Blackdown House – there’s a possibility of it being used as a hub for Co-Cars. These are low-emission vehicles operated by a Community Interest Company, and available to the public for hire by the hour or the day. The district council is ‘actively exploring’ the possibility of creating Co-Car hubs at the car park of its Honiton headquarters, along with other locations in East Devon.

A separate charging units proposal under DELETTI scheme

There’s already a scheme under way to provide a different charging point at the Lace Walk short stay car park under the first phase of the Devon Low-carbon Energy and Transport Technology Innovator scheme, known as DELETTI. This will be a fast charging unit serving two designated parking bays, providing a top-up charge in two hours or more.

Car parks in Exmouth, Sidmouth and Seaton will also have these charging points. Most of the funding for this project has come from the European Regional Development Fund, meaning the district council will need to contribute only £4,000 per two-vehicle charging unit.

And more electric charging points in the pipeline

The district council has also bid for £500,000 from the Local Enterprise Partnership to install further electric vehicle charging points throughout its area, including on-street units.

The focus is on rapid charge points, and the council envisages using its experience of the Innovate UK and DELETTI projects to commission and manage its network of charging points.

Nine residents have died following a “devastating” outbreak of coronavirus at a care home.

BBC News www.bbc.co.uk 

Brandon House in Exmouth, Devon, had been free of Covid for 11 months prior to residents getting ill in February.

Diane Loxam, a training coordinator, said nine residents at the dementia specialist care home had died and two were “quite poorly”.

“It’s just awful, no words can express how we’re all feeling at the moment,” she said.

All residents at the home received their first dose of the vaccine in January.

image captionTwo residents are still poorly at Brandon House care home in Exmouth

Heather Coles, an administrator, said because many of the residents had dementia it was “harder” for them to understand the restrictions in place at the care home.

Public Health Devon said while the county had “relatively few cases of coronavirus” compared to the rest of the country “a small number of outbreaks” had occurred in some settings.

It is working “very closely” with the homes to ensure the safety of residents and staff, control the outbreaks, and reduce the risk of further transmission.

It added: “Coronavirus is still a very infectious virus, and cases like this are a reminder of how important it is for us still to remain vigilant and to take every precaution to prevent its further spread.”

Always interesting to keep an eye on our old GESP Partners – in this case Teignbridge which bottled pulling out of GESP last July. – Owl

Daniel Clark www.devonlive.com 

A High Court ruling dismissing an appeal against a 1,210 home housing plans for the edge of Newton Abbot has left locals outraged.

PCL Planning’s scheme, submitted on behalf of the Rew family, was granted planning permission in June 2020, after the Secretary of State allowed the appeal for the land at Wolborough Barton, in Newton Abbot.

As well as the 1,210 new homes, the Wolborough scheme includes a new primary school, employment land, community facilities, including a day nursery and a health centre, a local shopping centre, play area, allotments and a multi-use games area, as well as a link road connecting the A380 and the A381.

Full planning permission to convert the Wolborough Barton farmstead into a boutique hotel, restaurant and bar, has been granted by the Secretary of State as well.

Abbotskerswell Parish Council had taken legal action over the granting of the appeal, but after a two day hearing in the High Court in February, Mrs Justice Lang ruled that the Secretary of State was entitled to grant permission for the development without having comprehensive information on biodiversity and climate change, as this can be considered at the reserved matters stage.

The Judge also has ordered the parish council to pay costs of up to £10,000, and they will now be calling in the pledges that residents had made in the event of them losing the case.

Abbotskerswell parish council have been left outraged by the ruling, while Newton Says No councillors says that the battle to save Wolborough from NA3 continues, but the Rew family have welcomed the decision and Teignbridge District Council have said that now the development is going ahead, they will work together with stakeholders to make it a place where people want to live, work and play.

A spokesman for the parish council said: “We are outraged at this judgement. Teignbridge District Council’s decision to allocate Wolborough Barton (NA3) for development in the local plan is something that Abbotskerswell Parish Council has challenged because the environmental information and protections are completely inadequate.

“The implications of this judgement are of national importance. In the High Court the Judge has said, despite the law saying that environmental matters need to be dealt with at the earliest possible date, that such matters can be delayed and should be dealt with in reserved matters at a later date. In effect further delaying all environmental surveys until the very last minute.

“The decision to persistently delay or avoid being presented with key environmental information and protection is alarming. We believe that the lack of firm environmental protections is unacceptable.”

The parish council is now considering carefully whether to appeal the High Court decision to the Court of Appeal, but the spokesman said they need to consider the question of costs in doing so.

They added: “In the meantime, the parish council wholeheartedly thank all those who supported our cause and pledged their money to help us with the costs in the event that we lost this case. We are very sorry to have to call in those pledges and we are considering funding options that might enable an appeal.”

Aerial view of the Wolborough Barton site

Newton Say No councillors, who were in part elected to Teignbridge District Council due to their opposition to the development, said that the decision was shameful.

A statement from Newton Says No said: “Teignbridge District Council continues with the shameful false narrative that anyone other than a small number of vested interests they support and enable will benefit from the environmental and climate change disaster that is NA3.

“They have shown utter contempt and disdain for the residents since they shoehorned NA3 into the Local Plan in 2013. In the fullness of time their actions will be laid bare. In the meantime, they will continue to soft soap and gaslight the residents with stories of ‘live, work and play’, whilst below the waterline their plans simply destroy the environment and pollute the district to profit the few.”

Cllr Richard Daws, deputy group leader, added: “The decision to allow NA3 is similar to the Drax power station and the coal mine in Cumbria in terms of being a nationally relevant environmental and climate change catastrophe. The Government cannot be allowed to escape its own promises. After public pressure, Robert Jenrick today admitted the Cumbria coal mine raises issues of wider importance.

“NA3 is something the people need to keep fighting every step of the way with all their might, so that, as a community, we can all look our grandchildren in the eyes and reassure them that we understood and tried our hardest to fight blind greed and ignorance. The battle for NA3 will continue.”

Cllr Janet Bradford added: “Once again I repeat what I said when I was elected by the residents of College Ward in Teignbridge. There are some things that are just wrong and this is one of them. At this point, no one has the ethical or moral right to destroy the nature that we are part of and depend upon. The fight goes on for the voiceless, our wonderful wildlife and our children and grandchildrens’ future.”

And Chris Watts, from the Wolborough Residents Association, added: “In Newton Abbot, developers are in the process of destroying our access to high quality open spaces and in the process exacerbating the process of climate change and the diminution of our biodiversity. It is bewildering to keep reading government texts exhorting the need to mitigate the effects of climate change and halt the loss of biodiversity but witness the exact opposite in our lived experience.”

But a spokesman for the Rew family, who own the land, said that they welcomed the court ruling, that the proposal would help people on the housing waiting list, and it was a ‘great shame that these proposals have been delayed by legal challenges’.

They added: “We welcome the court’s ruling that the Secretary of State was right to agree that outline planning permission, first applied for in 2017, should be granted.

“This site was included in the Teignbridge Local Plan in 2014 and is a highly sustainable location, suitable for a new mixed-use urban extension to Newton Abbot.

“At the last count there were almost 1,000 households in Teignbridge on the housing waiting list and our proposals will help to deliver almost 250 much-needed affordable homes for local people.

“We are sure that many people will, like us, feel it is a great shame that these proposals have been delayed by legal challenges partly funded by local council tax payers.

The new link road between the A380 and the A381 as part of the NA3 Wolborough Barton development framework plan

“We are now looking forward to working constructively with Teignbridge District Council and other stakeholders as we take the next steps towards delivering 1,210 new homes and a new link road which will connect the A381 with the A380 South Devon Highway, easing congestion and improving air quality.

“In addition, there will be the creation of new jobs and investment in the local community including a community centre, shops, workplaces, a network of green infrastructure and a site for a new primary school.”

And a spokesman for Teignbridge District Council said that they hope the ruling would bring an end to the process and that there will be polarised views on this decision.

They said: “This decision removes uncertainty and enables us now to work with the developers to ensure that the detailed planning requirements are properly met and that homes, amenities and surroundings are built to meet the needs of future generations.”

“It has been considered by the Planning Inspectorate, the Secretary of State and the High Court. Despite the many challenges at different stages, the outcomes show that officers acted appropriately, following the correct planning processes and gave sound professional advice on planning, ecological and environmental issues.

“There will be polarised views on this decision with some people being disappointed, while others will welcome the economic and housing benefits that will flow from the development.

“Now this development will go ahead, the Council will work together with stakeholders to make it a place where people want to live, work and play.

Wolborough Barton

“The permission, that was part of the council’s planning blueprint for the next 10 years and beyond, will see 300 affordable homes delivered, as well as key infrastructure and accessible green spaces for residents and communities.

“There will still be planning conditions to comply with and detailed designs and environmental impact assessments will need to be approved so that construction of the new neighbourhood at Wolborough can start.”

The decision can still be challenged in the Court of Appeal, although this could have significant costs implications for Abbotskerswell Parish Council if they chose to go down this route.

While the application has outline planning permission, a reserved matters application for elements of detail for the application, concerning access, appearance, landscaping, layout and scale will need to be submitted and approved before work can begin.

A £6m contribution will be made from developers towards Cranbrook and other new developments on the edge of Exeter becoming zero carbon – and hopefully end the frustration of residents who say they have been faced with endless power outages leaving them without heating or hot water.

Daniel Clark www.devonlive.com

Residents in Monkerton, Tithebarn and Westclyst have been faced with endless power outages leaving them without heating or hot water, and alongside Cranbrook, the areas are heated by a district heating network provided by E.ON.

But those already living in the area say the system is blighted by problems, some saying that they have been forced to buy a plug-in electric heater as they don’t trust the heating system.

A proposal has though been submitted based on securing a connection from the Energy from Waste plant to both the Cranbrook/Skypark and Monkerton heating networks which would take the form of a trunk heat main carrying hot water under pressure.

East Devon District Council’s planning committee on Wednesday morning almost unanimously backed the proposals that will help find a ‘cost effective solution that can be delivered at scale and at pace’ for the area around Cranbrook and Monkerton.

The district energy network to meet a zero carbon standard, rather than rely on fabric and renewable energy measures on each home, will serves the region, and will ultimately connect 12,000 homes and 2m sqm of commercial space.

There is a requirement for all homes to be connected to a district heating network became a key part of the planning strategy for Cranbrook and the neighbouring Skypark commercial development, with all homes tied into a contract with EON.

Together there are now over 100km of heat pipe in the ground, while the first permanent energy centre at Skypark was commissioned in 2013 and a second energy centre, currently under construction at Monkerton, is due to be commissioned later this year.

Picture of the E.on centre, the heating pipes, and the heating unit. Image shown to the EDDC planning meeting. (Image: EDDC planning meeting)

Planning permission for the energy centre had previously been granted and that in recognition of the need to ensure that the district heating network would meet increasingly stringent carbon performance standards for the first 2,900 homes at Cranbrook, the section 106 legal agreement attached to the planning permission included the provision of a solid biomass Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system.

But with the benefit of further technical advice, councillors heard that it was accepted that the gasification and pyrolysis technologies, which it was hoped would be scalable, as well as being more efficient and lower cost than traditional steam based technology, had not matured sufficiently in the decade since the section 106 agreement was negotiated to provide a reliable way forward.

Instead, the energy from waste (EfW) plant at Hill Barton, which is due to start construction during the summer of 2021 and be operational by the summer of 2023, has been taken forward as the preferred method of providing the district heating network.

A proposal has been submitted based on securing a connection from the EfW plant to both the Cranbrook/Skypark and Monkerton networks. This would take the form of a trunk heat main carrying hot water under pressure, and will enable connections to the two existing concession agreements totalling circa 8,000 homes and 2m sq ft of commercial space as well as the potential to serve the Cranbrook expansion areas (an additional 4,000 homes).

In light of the revised plans, councillors agreed to convert the obligation to install solid biomass CHP in to a financial obligation to be fixed at £6m, which will be taken as a payment in kind in relation to the extra over costs for the rerouting/future proofing of the Eastern Transmission Main which to be delivered in 2021/22.

The future proofing of the Eastern Transmission Main and its use to serve the expansion areas is critical to making sure that a key policy provision of the Cranbrook Plan can be achieved and that the ongoing roll out of district heating is both seamless and cost effective.

And Cllr Kim Bloxham, who represents Cranbrook, said this should solve the issues of the interruptions some residents have where their heating supplies are cutting out.

She added: “This reflects the views of the town to drive forward with a low carbon solution and it deliver the much needed the Eastern Transmission Main to ensure the eastern part of Cranbrook and its Eastern Expansion is well served with district heating, as without the main, we will continue to have interruptions to supply to some of the residents from the temporary energy centres.

“Low carbon is essential and this presents a way forward for delivery and a pathway to deliver an alternative form of heat and I look forward to working with officers to take this forward.”

The meeting heard from Andy Wood, service lead for growth, development & prosperity, that utilising waste heat from the EfW plant will therefore bring forward the timing of the transition away from gas, the inclusion of the Monkerton network, which will ultimately serve 4,600 homes as well as Exeter Science Park, and will both add scale and achieve accelerated carbon savings,

He added that the future proofing of the Eastern Transmission Main and its use to serve the expansion areas is critical to making sure that a key policy provision of the Cranbrook Plan can be achieved and that the ongoing roll out of district heating is both seamless and cost effective.

Councillors, with one abstention, voted to note the further technical work that has been undertaken to support the delivery of low and zero carbon development in the West End of the District and agree the principle of the proposed Deed of Variation for the £6m payment in lieu of the CHP.

Rolle College’s buildings to go

Thirteen years after it closed, councillors have approved what they say is “the best possible” redevelopment of the undeveloped part of the former Rolle College site in Exmouth.

Daniel Clark, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk

Redundant buildings, right, will go. The Deaf Academy stays (courtesy: East Devon District Council)

Rolle College’s buildings to go

Thirteen years after it closed, councillors have approved what they say is “the best possible” redevelopment of the undeveloped part of the former Rolle College site in Exmouth.

After more than a decade as a redundant eyesore, the western side of the former further education campus comeback into use when Exeter Deaf Academy moved to the town.

Developers had sought planning permission for the demolition of a number of vacant buildings on the eastern side to provide 29 new homes, together with the conversion of the former student bar, a Grade II listed building called Eldin House into four flats.

East Devon District Council’s planning committee unanimously supported the scheme, which they say is “a well-designed and well thought out residential scheme that would be positively contribute to the character and appearance of the area.”

Development manager Chris Rose, recommending approval, added: “The existing site is vacant and run down and its number of derelict and vandalised buildings do detract from the character and appearance of the area.

“It is considered that the proposed design, layout and form of development has been largely sensitive to the topography of the site whilst addressing the complex constraints posed by the retained trees.”

Cllr Mike Howe said: “This brings the building back into use. Yes, we lose some trees, but they are not the best quality trees, and if the officers thought we were losing good quality trees they would be screaming about it. This is far in advance of a lot of other developments, so I am happy to support this, and I cannot see how they could design it any better.”

Cllr Olly Davey added: “It is a shame to lose the trees but if the officers feel the best we will get, I am happy to accept their view. This is the best quality we will get in the same within the constraints,” while Cllr Philip Skinner said: “This is a scheme that works for Exmouth and the right density of housing in the right place.”

The scheme will see the demolition of existing buildings for a residential development of 33 new homes, in a mix of 10 house and 19 apartments, as well as the four apartments in the former bar.

East Devon recycles more than 60 per cent of all household waste, beating a national target by 10 years – but Exeter is the worst performing recycling council in the county.

Daniel Clark, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk

Keep on truckin’ (courtesy: East Devon District Council/LDRS)

But Exeter is nowhere near

East Devon recycles more than 60 per cent of all household waste, beating a national target by 10 years – but Exeter is the worst performing recycling council in the county.

The government expects councils to recycle that amount by 2030. 

But East Devon resident already among the best recyclers in the country, with the tenth highest recycling rates. At county council level, Devon is  the second best county in the country for recycling with a countywide rate of 56.6 per cent.

Cllr Geoff Jung, East Devon District Council’s portfolio holder for coast, country and environment said: “We can’t thank residents enough for embracing our curb side recycling scheme introduced five years ago.

“Recycling is more important than ever as we work to build a greener economy and combat climate change. The materials that we collect from households are valuable resources that benefit our environment and our economy.”

In 2016/17, East Devon District Council was recycling just 46 per cent of its waste, but since moving to a three-weekly residual waste collection system in the last three years, has seen that rise to 60.5 per cent.

Across the rest of Devon, councils are rolling out plans to boost recycling rates. Teignbridge District Council has a new ten point action plan to try to rates rise to 60 per cent.

South Hams District Council has launched a ‘super recycler’ service which means residents will have a weekly recycling collection and, for the first time, will be able to put glass and plastic pots, tubs and trays out for recycling. Food waste will also be collected weekly.

West Devon Borough Council has extended its trial for around 1,000 homes where non-recyclable waste collections take place every three weeks, rather than fortnightly. That’s due to finish this month, but early results of the trial are positive.

Torbay Council says three-weekly bin collections will be as a last resort if recycling rates fail to go up enough.

Exeter City Council had previously put forward plans to change the way waste is collected and to move to a three-weekly model, but councillors have launched a review to look at alternatives, citing ‘financial and operational’ considerations.

RECYCLING RATES FOR 2019/20

East Devon – 60.5 per cent

Exeter – 26.1 per cent

Mid Devon – 53.1 per cent

North Devon – 49.5 per cent

South Hams – 54.4 per cent

Teignbridge – 56.3 per cent

Torridge – 54.1 per cent

West Devon 53.7 per cent

Devon County Council 56.6 per cent

Plymouth 34.1 per cent

Torbay 40.2 per cent

Dear Owl, I am glad that you raised the fact that 2/3rds of East Devon is situated in Areas of Natural Beauty. I am now in the process of completing the on-line consultation and, living in a town that is actually situated in the East Devon AONB, I am very disappointed that Question 8 seeks to have my opinion on the number of houses I would like to see in the area with no mention of this constraint.

EDDC is aware of a constraint as it is finally in Chapter 10 that the presence of AONBs is mentioned

– Our outstanding natural environment- Objective 8: To protect and enhance our outstanding natural environment and support an increase in biodiversity–

10.1         East Devon is blessed with a truly outstanding natural environment. Around two-thirds of East Devon falls within Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). These areas have the highest level of landscape protection in England, EQUAL to that for National Parks. There are two AONBs in East Devon, the East Devon AONB occupies much of the south of the District, and the Blackdown Hills AONB which although mostly in East Devon also extends into neighbouring mid Devon and Somerset and occupies much of the north of the District.

10.3         The AONBs and other protected landscapes of East Devon are both of national and local importance, the countryside and coast that falls within them helps define much of the essence of the District. Protecting and indeed seeking to enhance our environment may, however, PLACE LIMITATIONS ON THE AMOUNT AND SUBSEQUENT LOCATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT. Government policy states that AONBs are not normally appropriate for large scale development schemes, though to help support local communities and enterprises there is scope for smaller developments. 

Further in the document the seven towns and Cranbrook are lumped together for urban expansion and once again, it is only at the end of a long list of challenges that the following sentence appears-

The AONBs come close to or wash over most East Devon towns and this could LIMIT POTENTIAL.

It seems EDDC have a tremendous problem on their hands. Many of the villages are in the AONBs as well. Where can they accommodate housing?

Could they try and argue a “special case” with government?  

I urge everyone who hasn’t already done so to fill in this consultation bearing the above in mind.

Plymouth’s new freeport is “excellent for the city” but could have a detrimental impact on the local area, an expert has said.

(Freeports are not a new concept – Drake’s Island in Plymouth was made a freeport in the year 1393.)

Custom posts on the A38? – Owl

BBC News www.bbc.co.uk 

Plymouth is one of eight new freeports being created across England

The city successfully bid for one of eight new freeports being created across England.

The government hopes they will boost the economy in those areas.

A freeport expert said the concern is that they “suck business into the freeport area which is not necessarily good for the rest of the local region”.

Prof Catherine Barnard has written a report on freeports for the think tank UK in a Changing Europe, and said it was “very good news for Plymouth” in terms of attracting business, enterprise and creating jobs.

However she warned that evidence from abroad shows that surrounding areas “may suffer”.

“Freeports operate a bit like a big vacuum cleaner and they suck in business from the surrounding area,” she said.

In her report, she argues that if lowering the level of tariffs or regulation is justifiable, “they should be lowered for the whole country”.

“The main impact of freeports – and any associated reductions in regulation – is therefore likely to be to relocated rather than create economic activity and jobs,” the report adds.

Plymouth City Council made the successful bid with the claim that freeport status would create 9,000 new jobs over the next 10 years.

“I was actually surprised at some of the job numbers that were stated by other freeport bids and I was worried that we actually came in a bit low,” said Richard May, head of marine investment at Plymouth City Council.

“I think that within the zone itself, there’s actually a good chunk of that 9,000, but it’s the surrounding area that will also get a benefit,” he added.

What are freeports?

• Freeports are usually located around shipping ports, or airports.
• Goods that arrive into freeports from abroad aren’t subject to the tax charges, called tariffs, that are normally paid to the government.
• These taxes are only paid if the goods leave the freeport and are moved elsewhere in the UK.
• Otherwise, they are sent overseas without the charges being paid.
• The government says the new freeports, which they hope will regenerate deprived areas, will begin operations from late 2021.

He is certainly very active in Sidmouth spending money on cliff surveys, we know he makes a good DJ/cabaret act, but what about his day job as Devon County Council Cabinet Member – Highways Management?

Remember the Department of Transport instructing local councils to go ahead with planned maintenance last May during the lockdown to clear a backlog of road repairs?  

Questions raised over potholes and drainage underspend

Daniel Clark www.devonlive.com

Devon County Council is forecasting a £3.7m underspend against its target budget for 2020/21 – but concerns have been raised over lack of spending on potholes and drainage.

The council’s cabinet on Wednesday morning heard that the financial position had improved from the month 8 position of a £1.9m overspend to a £3.7m underspend at the end of month 10.

But councillors heard that the level of uncertainty and pressures being faced by the public sector this year was unprecedented and continues to evolve, and while the projected underspend is welcome, there remain significant far reaching risks associated with the impact of the pandemic.

And questions were raised by opposition members that the highways maintenance budget were forecasting an underspend of £500,000, and that drainage could be underspent by up to £2.6m.

Cllr Alan Connett, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, said: “Residents are saying why during the lockdowns hasn’t more been done to fix the problems on the roads, so will we carry forward that budget to get a real march on fixing the problems that we know exist.

“They’ve taken eight months and the best weather to spend half the available revenue funding, and have left the other half to spend in four months and the worst weather when this type of work is the most challenging.”

A car in a ‘water lake’ at Marsh Barton in 2021 (Image: Alan Connett)

Cllr Alistair Dewhirst added: “If residents knew we were underspending, they would have been horrified. It would have been good if works done on the highways in the last year when traffic was down, so don’t understand why we are down on that.”

But Meg Booth, chief officer for highways, infrastructure, development and waste, said that while there has a £500,000 underspend on drainage works, they had been overspending on pothole maintenance against the budget, and that the change in forecast is primarily attributable to confirmation that patches greater than 1m squared, and that the underspend in the capital budget was around the more complex infrastructure projects.

The budget forecast see children’s services forecasting an overspend of £2.2m, but this figure does not include the projected deficit of £30.1m on Special Education Needs and Disabilities, and when combined with the 2019/20 deficit, the total figure is now £49.8m, but the meeting heard the service is currently developing a recovery plan for the overall DSG deficit.

Mental health is also forecasting an overspend of £962,000, with the report saying that pressures continue to be experienced from higher client numbers within community-based settings, and Cllr Rob Hannaford, leader of the Labour group, added: “I fear that this will be the tip of the iceberg and there will be a mental health long covid repercussions that we will have to deal with, so we need substantial investment in the area.”

Mary Davis, county treasurer, in report, added: “The level of uncertainty and pressures being faced by the public sector this year are unprecedented and continue to evolve. The projected underspend is welcomed but there remain significant far reaching risks associated with the impact of the pandemic, which could be financially destabilising as well as the ongoing pressures being experienced within the DSG.

“The funding issued to support local authorities in responding to the pandemic is significant but the ever-changing landscape we are faced with continues to present service delivery challenges and financial pressures.”

The cabinet agreed to note the budget monitoring forecast position and that the confirmed additional funding Devon County Council is expecting to receive from the Government directly this financial year currently stands at £91m.

From a correspondent

I see that EDDC are announcing ‘running totals’ regarding Local Plan consultation responses, three weeks before the consultation is over.   That can’t be right.    I’ve never seen that before.

I understand the desire to get people to respond to the consultation ( is everyone tired of these things, I wonder, and responses are not coming in?  ).   It is also a very lengthy document – not badly written but turgid, and therefore off-putting.    But I think announcing the score halfway through is very unusual.  We don’t want to break the usual conventions of a Local Plan before we even start:  that’s what went wrong last time!

It is possible that an inspector might declare the consultation invalid if the results are declared halfway through.

I’m probably being unnecessarily thin-skinned.   And it is very likely that I am getting too old…

If Mark Williams needs a reminder about what a dysfunctional local authority really looks like, he need look no further than this gem from the glory days of EDDC’s finest Tory administration – when, we presume, he felt more comfortable…

[From a comment posted today – Owl]

The strapline reads: “Extraordinary. Unexpected. Fantastic. A Beacon of Hope: The UK Vaccine Story. Coming soon.”

As Owl expected this is an example of the “Dick Barton” Gambit: “with one bound they are free!”. Or are they?

Labour condemns taxpayer funding of jab film that could boost local Tory votes

Heather Stewart http://www.theguardian.com 

Labour has condemned the government for using taxpayers’ money to produce a documentary about the vaccine rollout entitled “A Beacon of Hope”, as party strategists fear the Tories will benefit from a “vaccine bounce” in May’s local elections.

Downing Street tweeted a short video on Wednesday, featuring clips of interviews with Chris Whitty and Jonathan Van-Tam, as well as Boris Johnson and Matt Hancock.

The strapline read: “Extraordinary. Unexpected. Fantastic. A Beacon of Hope: The UK Vaccine Story. Coming soon.”

With a bumper set of elections due to be held on 6 May, Labour suspects the government of trying to turn the feelgood factor from the vaccination programme and the lifting of lockdown restrictions to its political advantage.

“The government must come clean about how much taxpayers’ money was spent making this ‘documentary’ and for what purpose,” the deputy Labour leader, Angela Rayner, said.

“Sorry for the spoiler, but we already know the plot twist will be the prime minister choosing to cut the pay of the same nurses delivering the vaccine to the British people, while handing out billions in contracts to Conservative party donors and cronies.”

A No 10 source conceded that the film was taxpayer-funded, but stressed that it was made in-house, as a thank you to those involved in the successful programme, which has seen 22.8m people receive their first dose.

“Purdah” rules preclude the government from using official resources to produce party political material during pre-election periods. The government has not yet announced when that period will begin in relation to the local elections, but it is expected to be later this month or in early April.

The row about the glossy video came as Keir Starmer prepares to launch Labour’s campaign for May’s elections, using the government’s plan for a 1% NHS pay rise as a political dividing line.

The SNP is hoping to secure a pro-independence majority at Holyrood in the 6 May elections, while all 60 seats in the Welsh Senedd are up for grabs, as well as a string of metro mayoralties and local councils in England.

Starmer will launch Labour’s campaign at a virtual event on Thursday where he will speak alongside the new Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, the Welsh first minister, Mark Drakeford, and other senior party figures.

His team believe the government’s recommendation that only a 1% pay increase for NHS workers in England is affordable is a damaging misreading of the public mood in the wake of the pandemic.

He says: “I will be working alongside our local authorities to ensure every town and community across Tiverton and Honiton gets their fair share of funding.”

Neil Parish www.devonlive.com

NEIL PARISH IS THE CONSERVATIVE MP FOR TIVERTON AND HONITON

On Tuesday, I spoke in the Budget debate. Support for jobs and livelihoods was front and centre of the Chancellor’s statement – and rightly so.

The expansion of the self-employed income support scheme was particularly welcome news – providing aid to an additional 600,000 people who were newly self-employed last year. From self-employed barbers, to driving instructors and tutors, this grant money is a lifeline. I had written to the Chancellor to ask for the inclusion of those excluded last year, and this money goes some way to doing just that.

Businesses too are set to receive additional relief funding. Restart Grants of up to £18,000 are being made available, alongside an extension of the business rates holiday and the reduced rate of VAT. Alcohol and fuel duty has also been frozen for a second year in a row. Cutting these taxes and providing cash boosts will help Devon’s many tourism and hospitality businesses, including hotels, pubs, and wedding venues, to recover.

The Chancellor is also right to extend the Universal Credit uplift for a further six months. While millions of jobs have been protected, record numbers of people have had to rely on social security to get by. Universal Credit has been critical for countering the financial hardships experienced during the pandemic and it is right we continue to bolster this support.

As we build back better from coronavirus, I also want to see further innovation in our economy to create a “Green Industrial Revolution”. I welcome the announcement of the new ‘super-deduction’, rewarding businesses for investing in greener, more efficient machinery. But I also want to see it apply to new fishing boats, reducing the cost of restoring our fleets, creating jobs in this country and making fishing greener and safer for our fishers in the South West.

The Green Homes Grant is another fantastic example of how the Government can spur a green recovery, delivering subsidies for energy-saving home improvements. However, doubt hangs over the scheme. As I pointed out this week, Treasury ministers would be wise to extend and expand this support as we search for an investment-led, carbon-slashing recovery.

And as people strive to return to normality this Spring, further investment is needed in our communities. “Levelling up Britain”, as the Prime Minister has said, is key to building a fairer economy. That’s why I am delighted £4.8 billion has just been committed for the “Levelling Up Fund”- delivering investment for improvements to transport, town centres and cultural and heritage sites. Such funding will be vital for strengthening Devon’s recovery efforts and building a resilient local economy for the future.

The Chancellor and his team have worked tirelessly, in tough circumstances, to ensure people have access to financial help, whilst encouraging investment and growth in our economy. In the coming months, I will be working alongside our local authorities to ensure every town and community across Tiverton and Honiton gets their fair share of funding.

The pandemic has a habit of bringing hidden social crises into the open. Now it reveals the precarious position of local government, the provider of vital services from care homes to public health and bin collection, which has helped keep the show on the road in the UK’s biggest national emergency since the second world war.

Patrick Butler www.theguardian.com 

The National Audit Office (NAO) account of the near implosion of England’s local councils during Covid is sobering: only by the government’s swift, if grudging, injection of billions of pounds of emergency cash into council coffers over recent months did ministers avert what the auditors call “system-wide financial failure”.

The watchdog rightly praises ministers for this: the consequences of scores of local authorities having to declare bankruptcy in the middle of lockdown are frightening. But it makes two other points: first, that 10 years of austerity made municipal finances structurally fragile; and second, that councils’ budget crisis isn’t over.

It makes clear successive Tory governments not only dismantled the town hall roof but failed to fix it by the time hurricane Covid blew in. Council spending was cut by a third, rising demand for social care was ignored and council budgets made reliant on the whims of local income, whether council tax or car parking charges.

Grand, longstanding government plans to reform local government and social care funding failed to materialise. For years, councils patched up their threadbare budgets by using up financial reserves and cutting frontline services. The more ambitious borrowed billions to spend on risky office and retail investments.

So when Covid arrived, council spending rocketed, income crashed and many found they had little in the way of rainy-day cash reserves. As the NAO puts it: “Funding reductions … means that authorities’ finances were potentially more vulnerable to the impact of the pandemic that they would have been otherwise.”

Only one council – Croydon – went bust this financial year. Yet at least seven more have had or asked for government bailouts to head off insolvency. When the NAO surveyed councils in December, it assessed that 25 were at acute or high risk of financial failure, and a further 92 at medium risk of insolvency.

One bailout loan recipient, Luton, was reliant on a £33m-a-year dividend from its ownership of Luton airport to pay for its core services. When Covid brought air travel to an abrupt halt, so the council’s finances collapsed. In July it pushed through £17m of service cuts to stay afloat. Even that, it seems, was not quite enough.

The government has encouraged councils to quietly come to it for help, rather than unilaterally declare insolvency. Wary perhaps of the alarming optics of a long line of council leaders queueing up for rescue funds, it refuses to say how many councils have approached it for emergency bailouts.

The NAO makes it clear the future is uncertain. Many councils have little confidence in the robustness of the 2021-22 budgets they have just voted through. Most expect to make more cuts – not least because the government has failed to fully compensate them for Covid spending – and to endure more years of financial uncertainty.

The NAO urges the government to draw up a long-term plan for councils to help them recover from the “financial scarring” caused by the pandemic. Until it does so, local authorities – and the services they provide – face more years of uncertainty and agonising cuts decisions.

Residents face years more swingeing cuts to local services, from social care to libraries, bin collections and bus routes, as at least 25 councils teeter on the brink of bankruptcy, the public spending watchdog has warned.

Patrick Butler www.theguardian.com 

According to the National Audit Office, the vast majority of English councils (94%) expect to cut spending next year to meet legal duties to balance their budgets. The “scarring” of council balance sheets since the coronavirus pandemic began has been so fierce that half of town halls do not expect their finances to recover until at least the middle of the decade.

The watchdog said a decade of austerity for local government, which has reduced councils’ spending power by a third at a time when demand for services has soared, had left local authorities more vulnerable to the impact of the pandemic than they otherwise would have been.

Social care services for older and disabled adults are likely to be in line for cuts from April, along with special educational needs and homelessness spending, the NAO reported. Libraries, theatres and community centres face closure, bins would be collected less frequently, and subsidies propping up bus routes will shrink.

The warning of continued cuts to local services came as many councils prepare to increase council tax bills by up to 5% from April, and despite claims from ministers that austerity is over. The NAO urged ministers to draw up a programme to stabilise councils’ battered finances in the long term.

“Authorities’ finances have been scarred and won’t simply bounce back quickly,” said Gareth Davies, the head of the NAO. “Government needs a plan to help the sector recover from the pandemic and also to address the longstanding need for financial reform in the sector.”

The chair of the Commons public accounts committee, Meg Hillier MP, warned that local councils were “not out of the woods” despite billions of pounds in emergency funding in recent months.

She said: “Central government support has provided an important lifeline to keep local authorities’ heads above water. But the last year has taken its toll. Local authorities were already over-stretched and now, with reserves depleted, many will have to slash service budgets to balance their books.”

Councils have spent an estimated extra £6.9bn this financial year on Covid-related services, said the NAO. Authorities have seen costs rise as a result of social distancing and the need for personal protective equipment, especially in adult social care, while taking on extra responsibilities to house rough sleepers, support those shielding at home and help with testing, tracing and control of outbreaks.

In addition, they incurred £2.9bn losses from unpaid council tax and business rates, while lockdowns led to income losses of £695m from car parking fees, and £554m from leisure centres, theatres and museums.

Ministers have provided £9.1bn in emergency help but the resulting £600m funding gap has left a third of councils with significant holes in their budgets. This has led to authorities accusing ministers of breaking promises made early in the pandemic to “do whatever is necessary” to support councils.

The NAO said that while the government’s extra Covid funding had “averted system-wide financial failure”, the financial position of councils remained a concern, with many using increasingly depleted reserves and service cuts to shore up budgets. “The outlook for next year is uncertain,” the NAO concluded.

Just one council – Croydon – declared itself insolvent in the past year, but five others – Wirral, Luton, Eastbourne, Bexley and Peterborough – have between them sought and received £109m in government bailout loans to keep them afloat. Ministers approved a £120m emergency loan to Croydon this week.

Both Slough and Nottingham have sought £10m and £30m respectively in bailout cash from the government, and are awaiting decisions. However, the government has refused to say how many other councils have approached it for emergency loans to avoid section 114 insolvency notices.

James Jamieson, chairman of the Local Government Association, said: “We continue to call on government to meet – in full – all cost pressures and income losses incurred by councils as a result of the pandemic. Public finances are undoubtedly under huge strain but investment in our local services will be vital for our national economic and social recovery.”

Steve Reed MP, Labour’s shadow communities and local government secretary, said: “The Conservatives cut council funding by 60% over the past decade so town halls were already on the brink of financial disaster even before the pandemic. Now the government is forcing local authorities to hike up council tax so hard-pressed families are left to pay the price of the Conservatives’ broken promises.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “As the NAO acknowledges, the government acted swiftly and flexibly to ensure councils continued to deliver vital services throughout the pandemic. Councils continue to play a critical role and we have committed over £35bn to help them support communities and local businesses during this time.”

Small scale developments infilling current towns and villages, more home working, support for entrepreneurs and jobs in town centres are among residents’ top priorities.

This is according to the latest answers in a consultation on the New Local Plan, which finishes on Monday (March 15).

[Below this article Owl posts a summary list of the questions and link to the EDDC web site. Closing date for submissions is 15 March (Monday). This Council is listening to you, don’t waste the opportunity to have your say. Remember that two thirds of the District lie in two AONBs which severely constrains where new development can take place.]

Daniel Wilkins, Exmouth Journal

East Devon District Council (EDDC) is urgently appealing to residents to share their views on new developments and where they think new jobs should be located and whit those jobs should be.

So far, hundreds of people have had their say In the consultation although there have been few comments from young people.

The Council is keen to hear from all groups in the community as the new Local Plan will affect everyone who lives, works and plays in the district.

This week the authority has revealed a number of randomly selected suggestions from residents who have shared their views on jobs and homes.

When asked about sties for housing developments: 25 per cent favoured one in 10 houses being built on small sites.

A further 16 per cent of respondents thought up to a quarter of new houses should be built on small sites and 29 per cent favoured options of more than a quarter of new houses being on small sites.

So far residents have said that it is important not to swamp smatter communities, especially without providing the necessary infrastructure

Other suggestions included building on small sites near towns and villages on unsightly unused brownfield sites – In the hope it would be better for town centre regeneration, with less car use. When asked where developments should go the majority of people favoured infilling in towns and larger villages over building new communities.

As part of the consultation residents have been asked how many new homes East Devon should plan for.

Overall, 29 per cent of respondents favoured an annual average of 922 this is a Government ‘minimum’ level. A total of 31 per cent favoured higher levels of growth. Residents also suggested that affordable housing should be ring-fenced for local families and not be allowed as second homes and there should be a levy/tax on existing second homes and holiday lets so the demand for these is reduced.

When it comes to jobs, residents have also been asked their thoughts on where they think future jobs should be located. The highest-ranking answer was for ‘more home working’. In order, thereafter, were ‘more jobs in towns’, jobs ‘close to Exeter – excluding the West End’ more jobs ‘at the West End’ and at the bottom of the list was jobs in ‘villages and countryside’.

Another hot topic of discussion has been the support for differing job sectors. The highest-ranking answer was for ‘more local entrepreneurs’.

In order, thereafter, were more jobs in traditional sectors, more high-tech jobs and lowest of the options was attracting inward Investment by large firms.

Among the views shared by residents were that employment creation across the whole of East Devon was important but different areas have different needs so schemes needed to be planned for sensitively.

Other views included support for home working now Cov id-19 had shown it was possible for a large proportion of people to do so and should be actively encouraged. Residents said that home working encouraged local community development as people see each other when going for their daily walk.

Cllr Dan Ledger the EDDC Portfolio Holder for Strategic Planning said: “The current Issues and options consultation asks how EDDC should look to achieve this. Through your feedback. we will try to gain a consensus on how the district wish to see employment development come forward, where job creation should be focussed and how we should perceive the future working enviromnents for all of our residents.”

The Questions – Have your say

You do not have to answer all the questions but this summary list is intended to get you started.

(Some questions that allow more detailed comment on a previous topic have been omitted from this list)

Have your say in the New Local Plan consultation here: www.eastdevon.gov.uk/newlocalplan

Q 1 Are the objectives right

Q 3 How to make best use of Neighbourhood Plans

Q 4 Planning for Health and Wellbeing

Q 5, 6 & 7 Climate emergency and related topics

Q 8 How many new homes each year

Q 9 Sites for small scale developments

Q 10 Planning for all stages of life

Q 12 Where to create jobs

Q 13 What emphasis on which job sectors

Q 15 What policies for future Town centre use

Q 17 How important to design beautiful spaces and buildings

Q 19 Importance of conserving and enhancing Heritage Assets

Q 20 Development in protected landscapes

Q 21 Gaining biodiversity

Q 23 Promoting access to walking and cycling facilities

Q 25 Score the importance of facilities from post offices to pubs, places of worship, and bus services

Q 27 Should we retain and refine the existing settlement hierarchy

Q 28 How to distribute new housing development

Q 29 Future options on the type and location of development

Q 30 Should we create a Development Corporation

Q 31 Should we start planning beyond 2040

Q 32 Have we missed anything

“British taxpayers cannot be treated by Government like an ATM machine. We need to see a clear plan and costs better controlled.” Meg Hillier

Committees – UK Parliament committees.parliament.uk 

In May last year NHS Test and Trace (NHST&T) was set up with a budget of £22 billion. Since then it has been allocated £15 billion more: totalling £37 billion over two years.

• Read the report summary
• Read the conclusions and recommendations
• Read the full report: COVID-19: Test, track and trace (part 1) [PDF 330 KB]
• Public Accounts Committee

The Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC) justified the scale of investment, in part, on the basis that an effective test and trace system would help avoid a second national lockdown – but since its creation we have had two more lockdowns.

In its report Public Accounts Committee says that while NHST&T clearly had to be set up and staffed at incredible speed, it must now “wean itself off its persistent reliance on consultants”; there is still no clear evidence of NHST&T’s overall effectiveness; and it’s not clear whether its contribution to reducing infection levels – as opposed to the other measures introduced to tackle the pandemic – can justify its “unimaginable” costs.

The scale of NHST&T’s activities is striking, particularly given its short life. Between May 2020 and January 2021, daily UK testing capacity for COVID-19 increased from around 100,000 to over 800,000 tests. NHST&T had also contacted over 2.5 million people testing positive for COVID-19 in England and advised more than 4.5 million of their associated contacts to self-isolate. 

But the percentage of total laboratory testing capacity used in November and December 2020 remained under 65%, and even with the spare capacity, NHST&T has never met the target to turn around all tests in face-to-face settings in 24 hours. Low utilisation rates – well below the target of 50% – persisted into October last year.  

A major focus for NHST&T in early 2021 was the mass roll-out of rapid testing in different community settings, but there have been particular setbacks for the roll-out to schools, after NHST&T had significantly underestimated the increase in demand for testing when schools and universities returned last September.

Meg Hillier MP, Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, said:

“The £23 billion test and trace has cost us so far is about the annual budget of the Department for Transport. Test and Trace still continues to pay for consultants at £1000 a day.

Yet despite the unimaginable resources thrown at this project Test and Trace cannot point to a measurable difference to the progress of the pandemic, and the promise on which this huge expense was justified – avoiding another lockdown – has been broken, twice.

DHSC and NHST&T must rapidly turn around these fortunes and begin to demonstrate the worth and value of this staggering investment of taxpayers’ money. Not only is it essential it delivers an effective system as pupils return to school and more people return to their workplace, but for the £billions spent we need to see a top class legacy system. British taxpayers cannot be treated by Government like an ATM machine. We need to see a clear plan and costs better controlled.”

The Department of Health (DHSC) signed two PPE deals worth more than £90 million with a state-backed Chinese firm listed at a hotel room in Beijing, newly-published documents show.

Josh Layton metro.co.uk

The heavily-redacted contracts have emerged as the Government is accused of signing off ‘secretive big money deals’ with foreign firms despite British companies having tendered their services.

Matt Hancock’s department spent an estimated £9.5 billion on vital PPE equipment during the first wave as it tried to rush supplies to the NHS supply chain, according to Tussell market intelligence.

The deals struck with Beijing Union Glory Investment Co. Ltd feature in documents which were released last week.

The largest amount was £69.9 million, paid for surgical theatre gowns in a contract that began in May 2020. Under the terms, 70% of the contract value was to be paid by transfer through China Everbright Bank within three working days of the deal being struck.

The company’s address is listed as Room 9401A, Guobin Hotel, No9 Fuwai Street, Xicheng District. The closest hotel is the opulent Presidential Beijing, also known as the Guobin, which lies in the business district, although the postcode is a few digits different.

The grand hotel has 486 bedrooms, including the Royal, Presidential and State suites, which offer a 24-hour butler service, and three executive floors which boast ‘bespoke facilities, business tools and complimentary services’.

The suites are billed as offering ‘an exclusive, discreet environment in which to fuse business or leisure with unsurpassed pleasure’, while guests can also make use of a grand ballroom.

A source familiar with the district said the address provided by Beijing Union Glory is the same as the location given on the hotel’s website.

The Presidential did not reply to a request for comment.  

Another contract for gowns, which listed the same address, was signed off for £26.4 million the previous month.

Again, the terms included a 70% down-payment, this time within two working days. In this instance, the buyer was the British Embassy in Beijing on behalf of the UK Government.

Both documents are heavily redacted with quantities and unit prices blacked out, making it impossible to ascertain if the orders reflected value for money for the taxpayer. Although the award notices have been included on the Government’s online register since October, the corresponding documents were only added last week.

MP Matt Western said British companies which repurposed their operations to respond to the pandemic have been dealt a ‘kick in the teeth’ after being overlooked in favour of contractors mainly based in China and Turkey.

Mr Western has taken up the case of companies which say they were overlooked for PPE contracts despite spending hundreds of thousands of pounds answering a ‘call to arms’ during the first wave.

Mr Western, who represents Warwick and Leamington, said: ‘I have called for the firms in my constituency – and others across the UK that suffered financially after being overlooked for PPE contracts – to be reimbursed by the Government and prioritised for any future NHS contracts. 

‘The secretive big money deals reached with foreign firms like Beijing Union Glory in China is a kick in the teeth for them.

‘Firms like Contechs in my constituency have taken a big hit as a result of this betrayal after the Government’s “call to arms” in April.

‘They invested heavily to develop and manufacture PPE here in the UK, expanding manufacturing space and sourcing capital equipment only to be told at the last minute they would not be successful. 

‘It is infuriating to hear about the DHSC signing off contracts with Conservative Party donors, companies with no prior experience and chums of the Secretary of State – with the equipment purchased sometimes unusable.

‘And now profiteering “middle-men” dealing with Turkish and Chinese companies are granted contracts rather than the Government sourcing directly from our UK companies with UK employees making high quality products at similar or lower cost.’

Allegations of cronyism have repeatedly been denied by Government ministers.

A fast-track lane without the usual procurement and transparency requirements was used in the first wave in an effort to secure supplies for the health service, with the department saying it needed to act in ‘extreme urgency’ during ‘unprecedented’ events.

The Good Law Project (GLP) has been calling on the Department of Health to disclose further information relating to the deals.

The non-profit organisation secured a victory in the High Court last month when the Health Secretary was ruled to have acted unlawfully by not releasing Covid contracts within a 30-day deadline.

The DHSC maintains that its protocols specify that all PPE is quality assured, meets high standards and is only distributed if it meets strict standards in line with the Government’s technical specifications.

The department holds that it has ‘taken advantage of every avenue to get PPE into the country including working with companies that have established productions and delivery routes outside of their normal business’.

It also says that ‘proper due diligence is carried out for all Government contracts and we take these checks extremely seriously’, with ‘clear Treasury guidance to ensure value for money was achieved’.

Offers not offering value for money were rejected, according to the DHSC.

The department says it recognises ‘the importance of transparency in the award of public contracts and will continue to publish information about contracts awarded as soon as possible’.

A DHSC spokesperson said: ‘We have been working tirelessly to deliver PPE to the frontline.

‘Over 8.8billion items have been delivered so far and almost 32billion items have been ordered to provide a continuous supply, which will meet the future needs of health and social care staff.

‘Proper due diligence is carried out for all government contracts and we take these checks extremely seriously.

‘All offers were prioritised based on volume, price, meeting clinical standards and the time it will take from an offer being accepted by DHSC to the supplier delivering those items.’

On a website for the firm’s parent company, China National Complete Engineering Corporation, Union Glory says it acts with ‘creation, honesty, efficiency and co-prosperity’.

Opening a bank account or giving to charity requires tougher checks than donating to a political party, an investigation into “dark money” has heard.

www.independent.co.uk

Charities must prove the cash they receive has not been laundered – yet parties receiving billions of pounds escape any such protections, a Commons committee was told.

“That seems to me to be a fairly big anomaly in the ability to donate money into the political system,” he told the public administration committee.

“There’s absolutely no reason why political parties shouldn’t be able to adopt those customer requirements, because we’ve all had to deal with these when we’ve opened a bank account, when we we’ve done something online.”

“And I see no reason why all parties shouldn’t have to apply those money laundering regulations as well.”

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent.

Dr Clark added: “People are going to be asked for identity to vote – yet no one’s really asking for identity for those who are donating money to political parties.”

The inquiry comes amid Conservative threats to overhaul – or abolish – the Electoral Commission which Amanda Milling, the Tory chairwoman, branded “not fit for purpose”.

The government has been accused of a revenge mission, after the watchdog punished Vote Leave for breaking electoral law during the Brexit referendum campaign.

Meanwhile, the prime minister was accused of giving the Kremlin the green light to meddle in UK politics, after dismissing many of the findings of the Russia report – after eventually releasing it.

But Dr Clark said the Commission’s powers needed to be strengthened, because – with fines capped at just £20,000 – campaigners “don’t see it as serious deterrent”.

“They can exploit loopholes in the law,” he warned, adding: “They will take a fine at the end of it, if they get found out.”

Dr Clark added: “The ISC [intelligence and security committee] Russia report pointed to Russian being able to do this.

“So the permissibility regime that we have is very much beyond its sell-by date. We really do need to be thinking about tightening up here.”

Professor Toby James, of the University of East Anglia, raised fears about the elections in May – postponed from last year – with decisions left to local authorities, amid the pandemic restrictions.

In Scotland, the Holyrood parliament enjoyed powers over day-to-day preparations, while in England and Wales “there is no central authority able to do that”.

“Is every polling station booked? Are they all in place?” he asked, adding: “We’ll see what happens in May.”