Andrew Lloyd Webber composes a tribute

This has to be seen as an historic planning failure, hopefully the last legacy from the “Old Guard”. It is a good example of how a council’s hands are tied once it grants outline planing permission. Seeking outline planning permission has become common practice- Owl

“The scheme won’t win awards for the layouts”

“Of all the sites, this is the runt of the litter” 

“It is everywhere houses in an everywhere town.” 

“This flagship new housing development says to many younger people seeking a first house, ‘You are not welcome here’.”

Daniel Clark eastdevonnews.co.uk 

Plans to build 303 new homes in Exmouth have been given the go-ahead – despite being branded ‘disgusting’, ‘unexciting’ and a ‘missed opportunity’. 

The scheme for Goodmores Farm, off Hulham Road and Dinan Way, also features land for a new primary school and employment and commercial use.

East Devon District Council’s (EDDC) Planning Committee today (Wednesday, February 10) approved the reserved matters application – which features 16 ‘affordable’ dwellings – by 11 votes to one.

Members heard the layout ‘won’t win award’ and were told the project offered ‘everywhere houses in an everywhere town’.

Eagle Investments Ltd secured outline permission for up to 350 homes on the plot in July 2018.

It also secured the go-ahead for five-and-a-half acres of the site to be utilised for mixed-use employment and commercial purposes, and three acres for a primary school.

The application approved today detailed the layout, scale, appearance and landscaping of the project.

Five per cent of the homes will be ‘affordable’.

And while councillors were unhappy the number is far below its 25 per cent policy requirement – they said there was nothing they could do as the principle of the development had already been agreed.

The proposals for 303 homes at the Goodmores Farm site in Exmouth.

EDDC development manager Chris Rose had recommended approval and told the meeting: “The scheme that has been submitted provides for a development that is well-balanced and does not impact unreasonably on its surroundings, the trees on site, existing watercourses, highway safety or the amenity of nearby residents.

“The scheme won’t win awards for the layouts, but, because of the constraints, we have what we have, and I think the application has either mitigated the concerns or come up with good reasons why they cannot go further.”

Councillor Ben Ingham, who represents the Woodbury and Lympstone ward, said: “Of all the sites, this is the runt of the litter and the reason it has taken so long to come forward is because it offers the greatest challenges for the development and the least amount of profit.”

He said the scheme was of ‘great benefit’, adding: “Only 300 homes, not 350 are to be built on the plot, so we should grab this.

“There are so many merits that weren’t on the table five years ago, so it would not be good to reject this.”

Fellow ward member Cllr Geoff Jung branded the proposals ‘a missed opportunity for right development in the right place’.

He added: “What we are getting is a 300-home housing estate that is unexciting and hardly advanced on energy saving from 50 years ago.

“It is everywhere houses in an everywhere town. The proposal will not deliver a high-quality healthy place and therefore should be refused.”

Exmouth Halsdon ward member Cllr Paul Millar said: “Exmouth is dire and urgent need of more affordable homes.

“This makes a mockery of the spirit of the Local Plan and Neighbourhood Plan where the target is 25 per cent, but to see just 16 affordable homes out of 303 is an insult and doesn’t provide any benefits to Exmouth.

“This flagship new housing development says to many younger people seeking a first house, ‘You are not welcome here’.

“There is a high need for affordable housing that will grow even further and you have to ponder how the passing of time made this inappropriate and unbalanced.

“This application in its current form is disgusting.”

The development plot at Goodmores Farm in Exmouth.

Exmouth Brixington representative Cllr Maddy Chapman described the scheme as being one that should read ‘could do better’.

Exmouth Town ward member Cllr Olly Davey said the proposals were a missed opportunity, adding: “This was a chance to create a forward-looking, fit-for-the-21st-century housing estate here with open living spaces, green spaces, provision for active travel, clear walking and cycling routes, but that doesn’t appear to be provided.

“We have a similar housing estate to much of what exists in Exmouth already and lacks infrastructure.

“This lacks vision and we have a 20th century site with a loss of biodiversity, doesn’t relate well to the context of the site and provides poor amenity to residents.”

Cllr Philip Skinner said: “It is a very difficult site to come out of, but we have to balance to get a scheme that is going to work along with what people want to see.

“If you play too hardball, you can end up with not a lot at all – and while this may not be totally satisfactory, it may be what we end up with.”

Cllr Mike Howe added: “We can’t change history or rewrite it.

“The Local Plan was made and formed with all the local knowledge, but we have to live with the outcomes and understand the context decisions were made in at the time.

“It is regretful that we end up with five per cent affordable housing, but that is a fact of life that we can’t change and, if we want more, then viability means we will lose out on something else.”

Cllr David Key said: “This will have to go forward as we wouldn’t stand much chance at an appeal.”

Another contender emerges as East Devon’s very own Handforth – Owl

Council agrees to broadcast virtual meetings after ‘fiasco’ over accuracy of minutes

Francesca Evans seaton.nub.news 

Colyton Parish Council has agreed to record and broadcast its virtual meetings in future, following a request from a member of the public who described recent meetings as “a fiasco”.

The December meeting of the parish council descended into an ill-tempered debate over the accuracy of the minutes of the previous meeting in November, when the controversial Neighbourhood Plan had been discussed.

The minutes reported that a decision was made to withhold all comments submitted during the public consultation on the draft Neighbourhood Plan, until the consultation period was over, and they would then be shared with parish councillors and members of the Neighbourhood Plan Steering Committee at the same time.

Council chairman Andrew Parr said this was not what was agreed by the council; he understood that parish councillors would not see the comments until after the consultation period had ended, but the steering committee members would receive them so they could continue with their work.

After much heated debate on the subject, a vote on whether or not to amend the minutes was split, with Cllr Parr giving his casting vote in favour of changing them.

Cllr Howard West then put forward a motion of no confidence in the chairman, but this failed with four votes to five.

Throughout the meeting, several members of the public argued that they had listened to the November meeting and the minutes had been correct.

Now a resident has called for all future meetings, currently held via video conferencing app Zoom, to be recorded and broadcast to the public to ensure similar confusion does not happen again.

Speaking in support of the proposal during the public forum at this week’s meeting, Rob Kenyon said: “I’d like you to consider formally recording your sessions in a more accurate way, whether that’s visually or visual and audio after the fiasco of the meetings in November and December.

“I think this would be beneficial to whoever is taking the minutes and for people to reflect back on to get clarity on what was said and what was not.”

Addressing Cllr Parr, Mr Kenyon continued: “Me and other members of the public witnessed that particular meeting and that isn’t what we heard, so why you then chose to change those minutes and proceed with other councillors to try and get them formally changed is beyond me.

“To cut out all that aggravation, it would be far better if you had a system to recall what was said fully and accurately and then all this animosity would be resolved.”

Cllr Paul Arnott, who is also leader of East Devon District Council, said most other local authorities were already recording and broadcasting their meetings.

Referring to a video clip of Handforth Parish Council in Cheshire, which went viral last week due to the dysfunctional nature of the meeting, he joked: “I don’t think any of us fear we’re the next Jackie Weaver!”

He continued: “It’s a little bit embarrassing for us because so many tiny parish councils are doing this and why aren’t we?

“All that would happen is that this Zoom meeting would simultaneously be put out either on YouTube or a Facebook link, which could be done in about 30 seconds.

“We may get one person watching, we may get 50, but at the moment we’re in no man’s land because people are having to login to our Zoom meetings when they could just be watching it via their own Facebook account or something.”

Cllr Ray Watts argued that the council was not being asked to broadcast the meetings, but just to record them for their own use to check accuracy.

However, clerk Ian Haines said the initial request from the public did ask for the meetings to be broadcast, which by default meant they would also be recorded for future reference.

Cllr Arnott said: “It’s almost perverse not to do both, you just press one button.”

But Cllr Watts pointed out that this would involve setting up a parish council Facebook account or something similar, and proposed the meetings be recorded only on a three-month trial basis.

One member of the public then interrupted, asking: “What are you frightened of?”

Cllr Arnott commented: “Just because about every other town and parish council in East Devon are doing this, we should record it and make it available for transmission on the internet. ‘Broadcast’ is a really loaded term, all we’re doing is putting it on the internet.”

Cllr Crispin Denny added: “Absolutely, this is the 21st century and this is a perfectly reasonable thing to do.”

On Cllr Arnott’s proposal, it was agreed to record and broadcast future meetings.

During the silent hours a night owl “clicked” on an East Devon Watch post creating an historic moment …………….the MILLIONTH hit!

To mark this significant milestone “Old Owl” has written three reflections on what led to the creation of the blog, what has happened since it started, culminating with the “changing of the Guard” in EDDC last year.

Appropriately this milestone has been reached just as we prepare to embark on the County Council elections. Are the people of Devon in 2020 [oops should read 2021] ready to follow the example of the East Devon electorate who voted for local change in 2019?

“New Owl” will be posting these timely reflections on successive days.

Observations by “Old Owl”

Part One – Why?

When this blog started in 2014, never did OA think that it would last this long, let alone reach its milestone birthday of ONE MILLION hits!  So, OA looks back at how this came to be.

Many years ago, during the 1990’s, OA had its first inklings that all was not well in East Devon, and particularly at East Devon District Council.  It became obvious to anyone with half a political brain that the district was being run by a cabal (“A cabal is a group of people who are united in some close design, usually to promote their private views or interests in an ideology, a state, or another community, often by intrigue and usually unbeknownst to those who are outside their group) of highly influential councillors (Conservative) and officers (under the savvy leadership of one Mark Williams).  It was further obvious that this group expected (and had hitherto been correct) that this state of affairs would long continue.

There were so many things to point to.  The rather opaque way Cranbrook was foisted on an unknowing population, rewards of official posts to those who toed the strict line that the ruling group maintained (paid offices, promotions, new jobs).  It was too easy to identify these people, but they made it impossibly difficult to follow their trails.

Towards the end of the 1990’s there began to be murmurings amongst the voting populations that these issues existed but very little idea about how to go about changing things.  With alarming regularity the “same old” group went about its business almost unseen.

In the early 2000s and the decade that followed, it became impossible to ignore that this group was not only highly influential but also had many conflicts of interest.  Planning applications directly and indirectly connected to these individuals seemed to sail through the planning process, developers of large housing schemes being particularly welcomed, especially if they had good connections already in the area. While those of people not connected to them floundered endlessly. There were flagrant breaches of trust and manipulation of events.  One such event springs to mind: Councillor Malcolm Florey, who moved permanently to France but who was considered to be perfectly capable of taking decisions about East Devon from there:

https://www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/news/budleigh-ward-member-defends-move-1-687241

Evidence slowly began to mount that things were in a desperate situation – action was needed.  The council was basically run at this time by the leadership of East Devon Conservatives (the notorious Sarah Randall-Johnson followed by Paul Diviani and a small group of trusted Tory councillors) and a smooth partnership of Mark Williams (CEO), Karim Hassan (director of Regeneration and now Chief Executive of Exeter City Council) and the no-less redoubtable head honcho of Planning – Kate Little.  Ably assisted by highly development supporting councillors such as disgraced ex-Councillor Graham Brown.  This group was effectively a developer-friendly team, working for the most part in the shadows.  Karim Hassan was eventually replaced by the now also departed Richard Cohen who easily stepped into Hassan’s shoes.

At about this time, a young woman from Ottery St Mary decided enough was enough and mounted a campaign to flush out the information that people so desperately needed.  A number of highly-publicised demonstrations were led by her at The Knowle (EDDC HQ) and the ruling group began to get VERY nervous.  When she easily succeeded in obtaining a district council seat at Ottery St Mary, the nervousness VASTLY increased.  She had defeated the then Leader of the Council (Randall-Johnson) and the writing was well and truly on the wall that change was about to come.

Here OA must once again stress that Claire Wright NEVER has any involvement in East Devon Watch (no matter what those who would like it to be so think), which has ALWAYS been run by independent authors).  It just so happened that EDW proved to be just about the only outlet at that time that gave her campaign wide publicity – local newspapers simply parroting the propaganda of the leading group.

It is fair to say that Ms Wright had a baptism by fire.  Never had an independent councillor been subject to so much vitriolic and misogynistic behaviour from Conservatives on the council.  She was treated with total disdain and attempts were constantly made to destroy her and her reputation.  She responded valiantly and fearlessly – and in time, as she found her feet, scored notable successes in bringing transparency to the long-concealed machinations of the Conservative majority.

And what machinations they were …

Times were about to change …

You may remember the tale of the jeweller from Florida and the Spanish intermediary who profited to the tune of tens of millions of pounds from vast PPE contracts, paid for with taxpayers’ money. Well, there have been developments.  

Government continues to fail to publish details of contracts within the legally required timeframe, but we have learned of another contract it entered into with the jeweller Saiger, worth £36 million, for face masks. 

The contract was for FFP2 masks  – which protect the wearer, unlike the ones we all wear to the supermarket. But to protect the wearer they need to be adjustable – which means headstraps – and all of these masks have ‘earloops’. Earloop masks, Government has admitted in other cases, can’t be used in the NHS because they don’t give a proper fixing. We expect these £36 million of masks will also be unusable.

Not only did Government buy PPE that can’t be used. It also appears to have paid well over the odds. For one type of mask, Government paid $2.93 per unit. The prevailing price paid by Government at the time it entered into the contract was about 60p per unit: more PPE, paid for at a premium, that can’t be used by the NHS.

But that’s not all. 

Saiger was awarded a contract worth £70.52 million to buy 10.2 million sterile surgical gowns. We are challenging this particular contract in court. Almost all of the gowns supplied under that £70m+ contract are unable to be used as such because they are wrapped in such a way that their sterile quality can’t be maintained.

At this stage, you might be wondering: shouldn’t a responsible Government just put up its hands and say “we got this wrong”? 

Instead, it is spending, quite literally, millions in public funds trying to defend the indefensible. And what we want to know is, who is this spending for – is it in your interests? Or is it to avoid political embarrassment? If you would like to support our attempts to deliver transparency, you can donate to the legal challenge here.

Thank you, 

Jolyon Maugham QC

Director of Good Law Project

Care homes were left exposed and vulnerable by a lack of personal protective equipment early in the pandemic, while the government’s handling of the procurement left ministers open to accusations of conflicts of interest, MPs have found.

Kevin Rawlinson www.theguardian.com 

A damning report published on Wednesday by the Commons public accounts committee (PAC) concludes that the Department of Health and Social Care’s decision to prioritise hospitals for PPE meant care home workers and residents were not properly protected.

“Frontline workers were left without adequate supplies, risking their own and their families’ lives to provide treatment and care,” said the committee’s chair, Meg Hillier. “We’re at a dangerous new phase of the pandemic, in our third national lockdown with no defined end in sight. The government needs to acknowledge the errors and be better prepared.”

Ministers have been accused of running a “chumocracy” after it emerged that contracts worth £1.5bn have been awarded to firms with links to the Conservative party during the pandemic.

Many contracts were awarded without proper tender processes and departments were criticised for not publishing many of the details in the usual manner.

The committee said the episode had left the government “open to accusations of poor value for money, conflicts of interest and preferential treatment of some suppliers”, while a lack of transparency “undermines public trust in government procurement and the use of taxpayers’ money”.

The committee found also that, while the government had a plan and a stockpile of PPE in place, that proved insufficient to deal with the pandemic.

The committee said care homes only received a fraction of the PPE needed compared with the health service – and were only taken seriously after their high mortality rates became apparent.

Overall, the committee said frontline staff in both health and social care experienced shortages of PPE, with some forced to reuse single-use items as stocks ran “perilously low”.

The findings recall complaints made by the Labour MP Nadia Whittome, who spoke out about PPE shortages after working in a temporary role as a carer during the pandemic.

Surveys by staff organisations found at least 30% of care workers, doctors and nurses reported having insufficient PPE – even in high-risk settings.

“Many workers at the frontline in health and social care were put in the appalling situation of having to care for people with Covid-19 or suspected Covid-19 without sufficient PPE to protect themselves from infection,” it said.

The committee’s findings follow on from two highly critical reports published last November by the National Audit Office (NAO).

Concern over shortages of PPE was a marked feature of the early phase of the pandemic as countries around the world scrambled for scarce supplies as the disease erupted across the globe.

The committee said the situation was particularly acute in the social care sector, which did not receive “anywhere near enough” to meet its needs.

The committee criticisms over the lack of transparency around the procurement process echoed similar made by the NAO. In particular, the MPs pointed to concerns over the so-called “high priority lane”, where orders were placed with companies on the basis of recommendations from MPs or other prominent figures rather than those with expertise in the field.

“Leads that were considered more credible were those from government officials, ministers’ offices, MPs and members of the House of Lords, but it is not clear why this assumption was made,” it said.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We have been working tirelessly to procure, produce and deliver PPE to over 58,000 settings, protecting our health and social care staff on the frontline of this pandemic.

“As the public accounts committee recognises, the government faced significant challenges in having to rapidly procure PPE at pace in a competitive international market. Thanks to the combined effort of government, NHS, armed forces, civil servants and industry we have delivered over 8.1bn items of PPE at record speed.”

Politico Newsletter today:

Cabinet Secretary Simon Case wakes up to a tricky problem in his in-tray this morning, after Education Secretary Gavin Williamson appointed a close friend, former MP turned Tory peer James Wharton, as the new chair of the Office for Students. The plum role brings a taxpayer-funded salary of £60,000 for just two days’ work a week. Peter Riddell, the commissioner for public appointments, is accusing the government of “packing” the selection panel with Tories to rig the outcome. And now Labour has swooped …

“’clap for the NHS’ during the first lockdown, was part of a ‘false Covid-19 narrative’” 

The influential right wing think tank, the Institute for Economic Affairs (IEA), has published a paper critical of the NHS. The paper was written by the IEA’s Dr Kristian Niemietz a consistent critic of the NHS, who believes it should be replaced

Extract from extensive report on IEA findings: David Wilcock www.dailymail.co.uk 

“The NHS‘s performance during the coronavirus pandemic has been ‘nothing special’ and many countries without similar public healthcare have performed better, a think tank claimed today.

The Institute for Economic Affairs said ‘there is no rational basis for the adulation the NHS is currently receiving’ as it attacked ‘confirmation bias’ on both sides of the political spectrum.

In a new report it accused politicians across the board of trying to fit the pandemic into their pre-existing world-view.

This included leftwingers who used the deadly pandemic to criticise low public spending but also those on the right who have demanded that the UK become much more self-sufficient.”…

….“Dr Niemietz also attacked the ‘clap for the NHS’ during the first lockdown, saying it was part of a ‘false Covid-19 narrative’ of ‘how lucky we are to have the National Health Service, and how grateful we have to be for that’ “

However, Electoral Commission records show that the chair of the IEA board, Neil Record, has donated £32,000 to Hancock. See:

Thinktank critical of NHS Covid response has links to Hancock

Haroon Siddique www.theguardian.com 

Labour has demanded that Matt Hancock return donations from the chair of an influential conservative thinktank after it published a report saying there was “no reason to be grateful” for the NHS during the coronavirus pandemic.

The report published by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) claims to debunk “myths” including that “the NHS is the star performer of the pandemic” and that it “has done the most amazing job under the most difficult of circumstances”.

Written by Dr Kristian Niemietz, the IEA’s head of political economy, it says: “There is no rational basis for the adulation the NHS is currently receiving, and no reason to be ‘grateful’ for the fact that we have it. It should go without saying that if the UK did not have the NHS it would not have no healthcare system. It would have a different healthcare system.”

After suggesting possible alternative systems used overseas, such as insurance-based models, it adds: “There is no guarantee that this would have served the UK better during the pandemic, but there is certainly no reason to believe that it would have done any worse. There is nothing special about the NHS, neither during this pandemic, nor at any other time.”

Electoral Commission records show that the chair of the IEA board, Neil Record, has donated £32,000 to Hancock. In a letter to the health secretary, the Labour deputy leader, Angela Rayner, urged Hancock to pay back the donations and condemn the “disgraceful attack” on the NHS.

She wrote: “As health secretary it is your job to protect and defend our country’s greatest institution – our National Health Service – and stand up for our NHS staff who have sacrificed so much throughout the pandemic to save lives and keep us safe. It is therefore deeply concerning that our country’s health secretary is so closely linked to … an organisation which criticises our NHS and is committed to its dismantling, abolition and replacement with a privatised healthcare system.”

The public has shown its appreciation for NHS staff in the pandemic, from the weekly “clap for carers” between March and May last year to making personal protective equipment for frontline workers and delivering meals to hospital staff.

Referencing the “clap for carers”, the IEA report says: “It was soon followed by self-made posters and adverts saying ‘Thank you NHS’ or some variation thereof, usually showing hearts and rainbows drawn around the NHS logo, popping up everywhere. Crises often trigger a collective ‘Rally-Round-the-Flag Effect’, and ‘Rally-Round-the-NHS’ is the modern British version of that.”

The IEA is one of the most politically influential thinktanks in the UK, previously boasting that 14 members of Boris Johnson’s cabinet had been associated with its group’s initiatives.

The report, released on Tuesday, says the NHS was only the star performer “in the way in which for proud parents watching a school performance, their own child will always stand out as the ‘star performer’, even if nobody else sees it that way”.

Niemietz writes: “The claim of this paper is that an effective pandemic response is compatible with a variety of public spending levels, a variety of trade regimes, and a variety of healthcare systems.”

Rayner urged Hancock to take action “to assure NHS staff and the British people that you don’t share the view … that we should not be grateful for the NHS or thank the NHS and its staff for their work during the pandemic”.

The IEA and Department of Health and Social Care have been approached for comment.

Texas Attorney struggles to remove cat filter during Zoom court hearing

Jackie Weaver’s account of the follow up actions of the Handforth parish councillors, planning and environment meeting, sounded all too familiar to Owl.

Jackie Weaver: ‘Me, the Zoom bully? The men thought so’

 Extract from Alice Thomson’s interview  www.thetimes.co.uk

“……What many of us want to know is whether the men have grovelled for their rude behaviour. “What do you think?” she says, laughing. “Actually, they have made a formal complaint.” Really? Do they not realise that most of the country took her side? “They thought my behaviour was appalling. They thought I had bullied them, I treated them with disrespect, I had exceeded my powers, which makes me smile as I have their names etched on my heart and I won’t forget.”

The monitoring officer of Cheshire East council is investigating the complaint. “Hopefully, they will resolve it soon. I am not suspended, at least; they do have 23 years of experience of me, so I am not too worried.”

Weaver hopes that a formal complaint regarding the meeting will be resolved soon…”

A county councillor is calling for the Government to reconsider its decision to snub a funding bid to rebuild flood-hit Tipton St John Primary School. 

About Author Daniel Clark eastdevonnews.co.uk 

Otter Valley ward representative Claire Wright has written to education minister Baroness Berridge and launched a petition urging Whitehall to provide funding for a new school in the village.

The Environment Agency (EA) declared in 2015 that there is a ‘risk to life’ of the children attending the hub and that it must be rebuilt outside of the flood zone.

However, a  £3.5million bid to the Priority Schools Building Programme was rejected in the same year.

Councillor Wright says ‘it’s now time for government ministers to put things right’.

Controversial plans for 150 homes and a new primary school in Ottery St Mary were rejected earlier this month.

The scheme would have seen Tipton St John Primary School relocated from its village setting to a site on the town’s outskirts.

Cllr Wright has told Whitehall: “There is no other plan. This cherished local school is now at risk of closure due to the flood risk.”

Tipton St John Primary School. Image: Google Maps

Flooding next to Tipton St John Primary School. Image: Devon County Council

She says in her letter to the Government: “I am writing to you asking that you consider the above much-loved school for your current rebuilding programme.

“The Environment Agency has been deeply concerned about the welfare of children attending the school since 2015 where it stated in a report that there is a ‘risk to life’ of the children attending the school because of the flood risk.

“It maintains this position and the school is in flood zone three.

“I have attended at least two clean-up community efforts since alongside teachers, parents, children and the fire and rescue service, and, around ten years ago, children had to spend six months having lessons in the local village hall and church due to a serious flooding event, which rendered the buildings out of action.

“For a decade, strenuous efforts have been made by the diocese, Devon County Council and the governors to find a solution.

“In 2015, just after receipt of the Environment Agency’s report stating that Tipton St John Primary School held a risk to the life of its children, the diocese, supported by Devon County Council, applied to the Government’s Priority Schools Building programme for funding for a rebuild in the village, outside the flood zone.

“There were meetings with ministers and many encouraging communications were exchanged and a suitable piece of land in the village was identified and there were positive discussions with a local land owner.

“Unfortunately, after many months of encouraging discussions, our bid was rejected by ministers.

“This was extraordinarily disappointing and left the diocese and Devon County Council desperately casting around for alternatives.

“Eventually, this led to the very unpopular planning application that has now been rejected.”

Cllr Wright adds: “New schools should be funded by central government, not by the planning system.

“Especially when the Government body responsible for prevention of flooding has described the lives of children as being at risk and it is only a matter of time before the school is flooded again.

“The local community feels incredibly let down by government ministers over the Priority Schools Building Programme.

“As a voluntary-aided school it is vital that it receives financial support from central government.

“I really hope that this time the Government will now do the right thing and provide Tipton St John Primary School with the necessary funding for a rebuild outside the flood zone.”

Gove under pressure as Guardian, Times, Telegraph, FT, Mirror and others sign openDemocracy letter calling for investigation of controversial FOI ‘Clearing House’

Mary Fitzgerald www.opendemocracy.net 

More than a dozen current and former national newspaper editors have signed an openDemocracy public letter calling for MPs to urgently investigate the British government’s handling of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests.

The rare show of unity from traditional rivals across the British press comes in response to an openDemocracy investigation which revealed details of a secretive unit inside Michael Gove’s Cabinet Office, described as “Orwellian” by the head of the National Union of Journalists.

A shadow cabinet minister has accused the unit, known as the ‘Clearing House’, of “blacklisting” journalists. It is also said to have blocked the release of sensitive FOI requests.

Joining openDemocracy’s call for transparency, the editor of The Times, John Witherow, called the situation a “disgrace” and Katharine Viner, editor-in-chief of The Guardian, criticised government “time-wasting on legitimate FOI requests”, saying it stands “at odds with its global commitments to press freedom”.

They join the editors and editors-in-chiefs of openDemocracy, The Sunday Times, The Daily Telegraph, Financial Times and Daily Mirror, as well as Paul Dacre, chief executive of Associated Newspapers, Alan Rusbridger, former editor-in-chief of The Guardian, and Lionel Barber, former editor of the Financial Times, in signing openDemocracy’s letter demanding swift action to protect FOI.

The letter calls for an investigation into the controversial Clearing House unit. It also demands new measures to speed up FOI requests and greater support for the Information Commissioner’s Office, which oversees FOI.

openDemocracy is working with the law firm Leigh Day on a legal bid to force the Cabinet Office to reveal full details of how the Clearing House operates, and nearly 40,000 people have also signed a petition to Michael Gove calling for urgent action.

Expressing his support for openDemocracy’s initiative, Times editor John Witherow said: “Transparency is not a privilege or a gift bequeathed to a grateful citizenry by a benign government. It is a fundamental right of a free people to be able to see and scrutinise the decisions made on their behalf.

“That message has failed to get through to the government of Boris Johnson, which seems hell-bent on making it harder. This is not only a disgrace, but a mistake.”

Guardian editor-in-chief Katharine Viner also called for more powers for the Information Commissioner to investigate breaches of the law on FOI: “Given the huge amounts of public money now spent with private contractors, a clear commitment to greater transparency and a well-funded Information Commissioner are manifestly in the public interest,” she said.

‘Against the spirit and the letter of the law’

Today’s joint letter – addressed to the chairs of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee and the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee – comes amid rising concerns about how Freedom of Information requests are dealt with, particularly within Whitehall.

Conservative MP David Davis, a signatory of today’s letter, has described the Clearing House as “certainly against the spirit of the (FOI) Act – and probably the letter, too”.

A recent report released by openDemocracy showed that FOI response rates are at their lowest level since the introduction of the Freedom of Information Act 20 years ago.

When previously questioned by MPs about the Clearing House, Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said that the government treats all Freedom of Information requests in “exactly the same way”, adding: “They’re applicant blind, so whether or not it’s a freelance journalist, someone working for an established title, or a concerned citizen.”

However, after openDemocracy reporter Jenna Corderoy sent a Freedom of Information request to the Attorney General’s Office, she discovered that staff at the office had written in internal emails: “Just flagging that Jenna Corderoy is a journalist,” and: “Once the response is confirmed, I’ll just need [redacted] to sign off on this before it goes out, since Jenna Corderoy is a reporter for openDemocracy.”

Other disclosures suggest that many requests, including those from The Guardian, The Times, the BBC, Privacy International, Big Brother Watch and others have been treated in similar ways, undermining the “applicant-blind” principle of the FOI Act.

In December, openDemocracy reported that the Clearing House had blocked the release of documents about the infected blood scandal, involving thousands of people who received contaminated transfusions. And in January, we revealed that the housing ministry had told local councils it was “appropriate” to block the release of information about buildings that still have Grenfell-style cladding.

Labour shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves this week called for the FOI Act to be extended to cover public service contracts outsourced to private firms, amid numerous reports of prominent Conservative party donors being handed lucrative government work.

‘Deteriorating’ press freedom in the UK

Experts warn of a worsening climate for media freedom in the UK. Reporters without Borders (RSF) has criticised Boris Johnson’s government for its “vindictive” response to media criticism over its handling of the pandemic, warning that press freedom in the UK is being eroded.

Today’s openDemocracy letter on FOI (published in full below) has won the backing of cross-party MPs and peers, leading cultural figures such as the author Philip Pullman, human rights lawyers, journalists, press freedom advocates and global non-governmental organisations including Index on Censorship, RSF, Greenpeace, Article 19, PEN and Transparency International.

Michelle Stanistreet, general secretary of the National Union of Journalists, warned: “In 2016 the government tried to clamp down on Freedom of Information and they failed: there was a public outcry at the time and the plans were dropped. Now it’s clear they just changed their tactics. The intended outcome is the same.

“To obstruct and restrict FOI shows the government’s disdain for open and transparent government and basic democratic scrutiny. Journalists from across the media industry are united on this issue, we all want to see FOI fully restored. To restrict FOI is to undermine public interest journalism.”

A spokesperson for the Cabinet Office said: “A Clearing House function has operated in different forms for the 15 years since the FOI Act came into effect, and a small Cabinet Office team now helps ensure a consistent approach to requests for information.

“This is especially important for complex FOI requests where we must balance the need to make information available with our legal duty to protect sensitive information and national security.”

He added: “This government remains fully committed to its transparency agenda, routinely disclosing information beyond its obligations under the FOI Act, and releasing more proactive publications than ever before.”

Sign the petition: save our Freedom of Information

The UK government is running a secretive unit inside Michael Gove’s Cabinet Office that’s accused of ‘blacklisting’ journalists and hiding ‘sensitive’ information from the public. Experts say they’re breaking the law – and it’s an assault on our right to know what our government is doing.

We’re not going to let it stand. We’re launching a legal battle – but we also need a huge public outcry, showing that thousands back our call for transparency. Will you add your name?

In Douglas Adams’ comic novel “The hitchhiker’s guide to the Galaxy”, the permanently bewildered Arthur Dent lies down in front of a bulldozer to prevent it destroying his house. He’s told by a jobsworth council worker that permission to demolish his home for a bypass had been available to view in the planning office for the past nine months.

[From “Computer Active” 27 Jan – 9 Feb]

“Yes.” Arthur replies “it was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet, stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying “Beware of the Leopard”.

Shortly after this Earth itself is demolished, which rather puts Arthur’s inconvenience into perspective. But his frustration has been shared by thousands of UK residents over the years, albeit without the threat of being mauled by one of the world’s big cats.

The traditional way to read a planning notice require visiting a library, scouring adverts in your local newspaper, or squinting at the microscopic text on signs strapped to lamp posts. The Government wants to make life easier by bringing notices online as part of its push to modernise the planning process. In doing so, it will tell local authorities they won’t have to print statutory notices in local newspapers. 

The past year has made this change more urgent, the Government said. Its “Planning for the Future” White Paper, published last August said that the Covid-19 pandemic “has highlighted the need for modern digital planning services that can be accessed from home”, rather than stored in dusty cabinets guarded by leopards.

Inevitably the scheme involves Google. It has given £1m to a project to build a single website on which all councils nationwide can publish planning notices, as well as about 800 local news websites.

You’ll be able to search the information for planning notices near you, and sign up for alerts realted to a particular area. Google will provide technical advice to the newspapers to help ensure the information reaches as many people as possible.

Google’s money comes from its Google News Initiative which funds projects that “work with the news industry to help journalism thrive in the digital age”.

It launched the scheme in 2018, following pressure from regulators and media over how much money it makes from adverts placed alongside news stories written by newspapers and websites.

Local newspapers say Goggle’s involvement will help compensate for money they’ll lose if councils stop advertising planning notices in print. They claim this is worth £10m a year to the UK newspaper industry, further wounding a sector already hit by falling advertising revenues caused by the pandemic. Publishers say that losing this money could put the jobs of 400 journalists at risk.

While welcoming the online scheme, publishers the Government to keep the local requirement for councils to place planning notices in newspapers. They point out rightly that many people don’t use the internet – around 1.3per cent (roughly 6.5 million) of the UK’s adult population – not to mention the many other millions who do go online but nevertheless prefer reading newspapers and magazines to websites.

For Goggle’s part, it hopes  such measures will prove it can coexist with traditional forms of media such as local newspapers, and therefore prevent or more likely delay Government regulation.

We don’t see any reason why notices shouldn’t appear online and in print. With such wide coverage, even Arthur Dent would probably have found the info he was looking for.

From today’s Western Morning News we can see which projects get funding to “create jobs and contribute to a green recovery”. Interesting timing – Owl

A dozen ‘shovel-ready’ South West development projects are ready to ‘go live’, after receiving £21 million of funding.

The Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership (HotSW LEP) has allocated the cash from the Government’s Getting Building Fund (GBF) to projects in Devon, Somerset, Plymouth and Torbay.

The projects have all been contacted and another 12, that have secured £14 million from the fund between them, are expected to be contracted and go live in the spring.

The HotSW LEP secured a total allocation of £35.4 million in the summer of 2020, the highest allocation in the South West, from the Government’s GBF campaign, designed to restart the economy after the Covid-19 pandemic.

So-called shovel-ready projects were chosen to receive funding, having proven a solid business case, and shown that they would create jobs and contribute to a green recovery.

Karl Tucker, chair of the HotSW LEP, said: “This is great news for our area, and we can’t wait to see the work getting underway in the coming weeks. Each of these projects has a role to play in contributing to the economic recovery and longer-term growth in our area.

“The funding we have been able to award to these projects through our allocation of the Getting Building Fund will help to get projects underway or accelerate their progress, ­creating jobs and economic stimulus. We also recognise there are other important projects that still need funding and we will continue to work closely with Government to secure further funding in the future so that we can continue to provide support where it is most needed in our area’s recovery.”

The selection process for the projects considered areas hardest hit by Covid-19.

The 24 projects that will receive a share of the Government’s Getting Building Fund funding include:

• Torquay Gateway (£2m GBF)
• Concourse Phase Two, Brunel Plaza, Plymouth (£4.17m GBF)
• Ilfracombe Watersports Centre (£1.5m GBF)
• Burrows Centre, Torridge (£400k GBF)
• Exeter Bus Station (£800k GBF)
• Enhancement of Future Skills Centre, Exeter Airport (£1m GBF)
• Exeter Science Park Grow-Out Building (£5m GBF)
• Zebcat 2 (£2.4m GBF)
• EPIC (£1m GBF)
• Torbay Business Centre (£2m GBF)
• Devon Work Hubs (£640k GBF)
• Plymouth City Business Park (£1.9m GBF)
• Centre for Clean Mobility (£2m GBF)
• Health Tech Innovation Hub, Plymouth (£1m GBF)
• Plymouth Sound National Marine Park (£600k GBF)

See this and other reports from William Telford on our sister website BusinessLive here… and for more details of our Back the Great SW campaign, click here…

Cllr Paul Arnott, leader of East Devon District Council, said: “I’d like to congratulate all the parties involved in securing the funding for this vital project.

“Only last week, Seaton seafront took a major battering, and there is no doubt that we must take action for this precious section of our coastline. From an EDDC perspective, the council is very proud of our lead officer’s work in bringing this all together.”

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

41 homes will have better protection

Seaton is one step closer to getting the vital flood defences it needs, after final funding was pledged.

East Devon District Council now has the money needed to complete the Seaton Hole Beach Management Plan (BMP) as long as the Environment Agency gives the final go-ahead.

It follows a successful bid for funds from the South West Regional Flood and Coastal Committee, as well as extra funding from both the district council and Seaton Town Council. Subject to planning permission, construction could start next year and once complete, would leave 41 homes better protected.

Seaton Hole has been prone to coastal erosion and landslips, leaving homes and infrastructure of at risk of damage and the project sets to upgrade and enhance the existing aging defences at the base of the cliff, to slow the rate of erosion.

And following the recent overtopping and flooding of the Esplanade, East Devon District Council is also investigating if the Seaton Hole BMP can be extended to cover the town or if a separate project is required to look at minimising flood risk.

But in the short term, using excavators, the council have re-profiled the beach to better resist wave overtopping.

Cllr Marcus Hartnell, Seaton ward member and the chair of the Seaton BMP, said: “In 2020, the rules regarding funding eligibility were changed by central government and reduced the BMP funding gap but did not close it.

“However, with a smaller funding hole to plug, EDDC and Seaton Town Council were able to help contribute funds. This allowed the final funding gap to be plugged by the South West Regional Flood and Coastal Committee which approved a motion to back the scheme.

“This is a significant milestone for the Beach Management Plan and a step closer to ensuring that the risk of flood and coastal erosion between Seaton Hole and Axmouth harbour are reduced, protecting property and infrastructure.”

Cllr Paul Arnott, leader of East Devon District Council, added: “I’d like to congratulate all the parties involved in securing the funding for this vital project.

“Only last week, Seaton seafront took a major battering, and there is no doubt that we must take action for this precious section of our coastline. From an EDDC perspective, the council is very proud of our lead officer’s work in bringing this all together.”

The amount of funding has not been disclosed by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Why was this exit made so small when Liverton Park was first planned? It’s not as if there isn’t enough room. It should have been a condition each time the business park has been expanded. – Owl

Plans to upgrade an Exmouth road junction that is a ‘source of frustration’ have been agreed.

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

Councillors on East Devon Highways and Traffic Orders Committee supported proposals on Salterton Road at the Liverton Business Park where The Range, Home Bargains, Exmouth’s fire and ambulance station, among others, are based. 

On average 800 vehicles come in or out of the industrial estate every hour, but it is often a bottleneck. Queues sometimes extend to 300 metres.

Jamie Hulland, transportation strategy and road safety manager for Devon County Council which is responsible for roads, said: “This can cause delays to vehicles and is a source of frustration for customers of the park and traders seeking to conduct their daily business. The blue light services, although closest to the access junction, have also expressed concerns about the delays caused by the current junction arrangement and issues with cars parked in the yellow box.

“This minor widening scheme will extend the two lane approach and extend the stacking to enable more traffic to turn left to reduce queues, allows more traffic out, and will reduce the emissions associated with that.

“This arrangement will enable a greater number of left-turning vehicles, which account for approximately one in four vehicles throughout the day, to clear the junction more quickly and reduce the overall queueing and delay. This proposal represents a proportional and cost-effective solution to improve traffic conditions when exiting Liverton Business Park.”

Cllr Richard Scott said that the work would future-proof the site and put the infrastructure in place to allow for future development.

Councillors unanimously voted in favour to improve the junction at an estimated cost of £200,000.

From the blog of County Councillor Martin Shaw

seatonmatters.org 

The Government has decided to go ahead with local elections in May, but proposes to ban leafletting and canvassing by candidates. The Electoral Reform Society, an independent body, says: ‘One row likely to grow is this: in-person leafletting by volunteers remains banned under England’s lockdown. That means smaller parties – who rely on door-to-door campaigning more than paid leafletting services (which is still legal) will lose out. This is an issue of fairness we must all be aware of in the coming month or two.‘

It’s even more unfair to Independents. The Conservatives will draw on their huge funds donated by hedge fund bosses and Russian oligarchs’ wives to send leaflets out by post which they would struggle to find supporters to deliver themselves. Independents who have the commitment to deliver their own leaflets will struggle to find the funds to have them commercially delivered. It’s just not acceptable for the Government to skew the electoral process towards their own party.

REGISTER TO VOTE AND TO GET A POSTAL VOTE, NOW!

The Government has also failed to make postal voting easier, which is essential to enable people to vote safely and take the pressure off polling station workers. They could have created a fully online application system. At present you can download a form which you print off and return by post. But some people don’t have printers or even computers – the only way then is to phone East Devon Electoral Services on 01395 517402.

You must of course be on the electoral register before you can apply for a postal vote! If you’re not on at your current address, you can apply online here.

Get on the register now, and get a postal vote now – you don’t have to wait until the election!

 DavidH www.newsbiscuit.com

A consequence of stirring nationalism for political gains by the Conservative Party is rearing its divisive head in the fight against Covid-19. One GP has stated that he is aware of more than ten people who have turned down the Pfizer vaccine in order to “wait for the English one”, experiencing comments, such as: “I want that one made from ketchup plasma”, and “Will it make me speak German?”

The issue first arose after the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine was approved for use in the UK. Boris Johnson hailed it as “a triumph for British science” with Matt Hancock adding: “it’s the Billy Elliott of boosters.”

Reports followed claiming Downing Street had attempted to get doses of the Oxford vaccine labelled with the Union Jack and packaged within a stick of Blackpool rock – a request that was ultimately rejected.

Dr Barry Smith, currently working on a new one-shot vaccine, said the development of coronavirus vaccines was “an international effort. To promote it as being the product of one country, like Champagne or black puddings, is nationalism.” he added. But fearing the problem of nationalism may escalate, Dr. Smith quickly added: “But er, the vaccine we’re currently developing at our Buckingham Palace-shaped laboratory at Stonehenge is fundamentally based upon the purified essence of Matt Hancock’s tears. They are well known to be of a sincerity powerful enough to combat any contagion. Comes in red, white, and blue too.”

With an obvious lump in his throat and on the verge of producing more vaccine, Mr Hancock added: “My sincere hope is that I can protect every UK citizen as fast as I can and at the same time shed a few extra pearls for those around the world that aren’t lucky enough to live in our land of hope and glory. And if I can make a few extra quid selling them, then so much the better.”

Mockingbird spotted in Exmouth!

See below and in today’s Times

• Construction of single storey wrap-around extension39 Holland Road Exmouth EX8 4AYRef. No: 21/0275/FUL | Validated: Fri 29 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Certificate of lawfulness for the placement of caravan/log cabin within the residential curtilage of the property for ancillary purposes.Ashbrook Stoneyford Colaton Raleigh Sidmouth EX10 0HZRef. No: 21/0268/CPL | Validated: Fri 29 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of replacement sunroom10 Mill Lane Alfington Ottery St Mary EX11 1PFRef. No: 21/0276/FUL | Validated: Fri 29 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Remove existing detached garage and replace with new workshop studio on eastern boundary.Fieforshame Colyton Devon EX24 6DTRef. No: 21/0272/FUL | Validated: Fri 29 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Two storey side extension and rear extension to dwelling, construction of shed and installation of solar PV panels on garage roofGreystones Salcombe Regis Sidmouth EX10 0JQRef. No: 21/0277/FUL | Validated: Fri 29 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed two storey side extension and attached carport.1 New Buildings Farringdon Exeter EX5 2HZRef. No: 21/0269/FUL | Validated: Fri 29 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of three storey rear extension including roof terrace, balcony to front and new front porchOld Coastguard Cottage 29A Foxholes Hill Exmouth EX8 2DGRef. No: 21/0274/FUL | Validated: Fri 29 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Certificate of lawfulness for an existing use of the land for the siting of a residential mobile home for occupation within the Class C3 (dwellinghouse) useCaravan Bridgend Harpford Sidmouth EX10 0NGRef. No: 21/0264/CPE | Validated: Fri 29 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Raising of roof ridge to provide additional storey157 St Johns Road Exmouth EX8 4EWRef. No: 21/0257/FUL | Validated: Thu 28 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of loft conversion with two front dormers22 Crabtree Close Cranbrook Exeter Devon EX5 7GARef. No: 21/0247/FUL | Validated: Wed 27 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision

• Construction of single storey rear extension.8 Dawlish Park Terrace Courtlands Lane Exmouth EX8 5AARef. No: 21/0243/FUL | Validated: Thu 28 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Agricultural storage buildingChallenger Farm Membury Axminster EX13 7JTRef. No: 21/0250/AGR | Validated: Thu 28 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of single storey rear extension and rear dormer window.33 Hill Crescent Honiton EX14 2HYRef. No: 21/0244/FUL | Validated: Wed 27 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Change of use and conversion of workshop and greenhouse to holiday accommodation and family annexeEast View Old Taunton Road Dalwood Axminster Devon EX13 7QDRef. No: 21/0228/FUL | Validated: Tue 26 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Tulip Tree (T1) – fell because of extensive rot to one half of the trunk which has resulted in half the tree dying. Apple Tree (T2) – Crown reduction (5m width and 5m height) and crown thinning (25%)Little Orchard Doatshayne Lane Musbury Axminster EX13 8BDRef. No: 21/0237/TCA | Validated: Tue 26 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Demolition of existing garage and construction of single storey extension.18 Higher Woolbrook Park Sidmouth EX10 9EBRef. No: 21/0231/FUL | Validated: Tue 26 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Change of use agricultural field to domestic curtilage and erection of single storey rear extension, and car port1 Brockhill Lodge Station Road Broadclyst Exeter EX5 3ARRef. No: 21/0235/FUL | Validated: Tue 26 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed construction of annexeLarkshayne Colyton EX24 6SHRef. No: 21/0215/FUL | Validated: Mon 25 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of two storey extension and garage and provision of render and claddingWillows End Payhembury Honiton EX14 3HLRef. No: 21/0205/FUL | Validated: Mon 25 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Conversion of barn to form ancillary accommodation (annexe) and workshop, including change of use of agricultural land to gardenThe Linhay Payhembury Honiton EX14 3JFRef. No: 21/0216/FUL | Validated: Thu 28 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision

• Demolition of existing outbuilding and construction of an annexe for use as ancillary accommodation to main house, including change of use of part of adjacent paddock to garden and planting of new native hedgeGreen Down House Greendown Axminster EX13 7TDRef. No: 21/0214/FUL | Validated: Mon 25 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of a garden buildingMillhayne Harcombe Lyme Regis DT7 3RNRef. No: 21/0220/FUL | Validated: Mon 25 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Certificate of lawfulness for the construction of single storey side and rear extension7 Elizabeth Road Exmouth EX8 4NTRef. No: 21/0204/CPL | Validated: Fri 29 Jan 2021 | Status: Approved
• Construction of single storey front extension and pergola; installation of air source heat pumpLower Watchcombe Farm Shute Axminster EX13 7QNRef. No: 21/0209/FUL | Validated: Thu 28 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Retention of boundary fence60 St Johns Road Exmouth EX8 4DDRef. No: 21/0203/FUL | Validated: Wed 27 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of key agricultural worker’s dwelling with associated access and landscaping (approval of reserved matters relating to access, appearance, landscaping, layout and scale following outline permission 19/0530/OUT)Birchwood Farm Shute Road Kilmington Axminster EX13 7STRef. No: 21/0217/RES | Validated: Thu 28 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Certificate of lawfulness for the construction of a conservatory.Westering 1 Connaught Close Sidmouth EX10 8TURef. No: 21/0211/CPL | Validated: Fri 29 Jan 2021 | Status: Withdrawn
• Change of use from existing self catering/hotel C1 to form an independent single dwelling house( C3)Long Range Whimple Exeter EX5 2QTRef. No: 21/0198/FUL | Validated: Wed 27 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed residential annexe to be built above existing garage (resubmission of application 19/2729/FUL)11A Lansdowne Road Budleigh Salterton EX9 6AHRef. No: 21/0195/FUL | Validated: Tue 26 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Retention of two storey side extension (revision to 19/1876/FUL)5 Northview Road Budleigh Salterton EX9 6BYRef. No: 21/0193/FUL | Validated: Tue 26 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision

• Construction of a dwelling in accordance with planning permission 05/0943/FUL (application for a certificate of lawfulness of proposed development)Site Of Woodside Higher Metcombe Ottery St MaryRef. No: 21/0196/CPL | Validated: Wed 27 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed single storey extensionMohuns Ottery Luppitt Honiton Devon EX14 4TSRef. No: 21/0184/LBC | Validated: Tue 26 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed single storey extensionMohuns Ottery Luppitt Honiton Devon EX14 4TSRef. No: 21/0183/FUL | Validated: Tue 26 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Two storey side extension10 Riverside Close Honiton EX14 1XJRef. No: 21/0186/FUL | Validated: Thu 28 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Removal of kennels and construction of an agricultural storage building to support land within the holding and provision of a dressage schooling manege to the rear of the existing stable yard for the use of the owner of the property.Higher Knapp Farm Sidbury Sidmouth EX10 0QGRef. No: 21/0181/FUL | Validated: Mon 25 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of 5no dwellings (including 3no affordable dwellings) (Approval of details of layout, scale and appearance of buildings and landscaping of site pursuant to outline planning permission ref. 16/1673/OUT)Land North Of Frogmore Road Frogmore Road East BudleighRef. No: 21/0163/RES | Validated: Thu 28 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed domestic garage and store and conversion of remaining existing garage to study11 Northview Road Budleigh Salterton EX9 6BZRef. No: 21/0161/FUL | Validated: Tue 26 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of three detached bungalows with associated car parking, reserved matters application to assess scale, appearance, landscaping and Layout (pursuant to outline planning consent 17/2933/OUT)Allwood King Edward Road Axminster EX13 5PWRef. No: 21/0159/RES | Validated: Mon 25 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of replacement conservatory.Woodcroft Weston Honiton EX14 3NYRef. No: 21/0157/FUL | Validated: Mon 25 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of replacement garage/store with annex at the first floor level including balcony and associated hardstandingStone Cottage Tolcis Axminster EX13 7JFRef. No: 21/0152/FUL | Validated: Tue 26 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision

• Construction of extension above the existing garage.12 Kings Avenue Ottery St Mary EX11 1TARef. No: 21/0150/FUL | Validated: Thu 28 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Extend existing agricultural buildingHay Close Farm Building Stockland Honiton EX14 9DXRef. No: 21/0138/FUL | Validated: Fri 29 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of replacement conservatoryRydon Barn Ottery Street Otterton Budleigh Salterton EX9 7HWRef. No: 21/0108/FUL | Validated: Mon 25 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Installation of two cabinets to house data exchange for telecommunications (Jurassic Fibre) requiring a concrete plinth for placement and a protective 2.4metre high steel palisade green fence for securitySidmouth Town Football Club Manstone Lane SidmouthRef. No: 21/0089/FUL | Validated: Mon 25 Jan 2021 | Status: Withdrawn
• Conversion of ground floor to residential, and incorporation of existing first floor flat to create single dwelling house15 Rolle Street Exmouth EX8 1HARef. No: 21/0082/FUL | Validated: Tue 26 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed demolition of existing buildings and replacement with 1 no. dwellinghouse.Virtues Vineyard Southleigh Colyton EX24 6JARef. No: 21/0061/FUL | Validated: Fri 29 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of rear extension4 The Farm Whimple Exeter EX5 2UBRef. No: 21/0051/FUL | Validated: Thu 28 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Eucalyptus – Reduce back to original points (where previously pruned) and remove single branch. Branches are resting on power lines, phone cable and low branches causing land to be unusable. Oak – Crown lift bottom (x 4 branches) and crown reduce by 2 meters. The tree is situated on the edge of an exposed bank through which the roots are protruding and becoming unstable through erosion. Crown reduction is to prolong the longevity of the tree. Holly – Crown reduce by 2 meters. The tree is situated on the edge of an exposed bank through which the roots are protruding and becoming unstable through erosion. Crown reduction is to prolong the longevity of the tree.Cariad Brampford Speke Exeter EX5 5HERef. No: 21/0041/TCA | Validated: Wed 27 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of first floor extension over the existing garage11 Everest Drive Seaton EX12 2EDRef. No: 21/0021/FUL | Validated: Thu 28 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of garage and first floor ancillary accommodation (revised scheme to planning permission 19/1762/FUL).Warrens Cottage Pound Lane Upottery Honiton EX14 9QBRef. No: 21/0001/FUL | Validated: Thu 28 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision

• Conversion of former care home into 6 new detached and terraced dwellings with off street parkingBindon Residential Home 32-42 Winslade Road Sidmouth EX10 9EXRef. No: 20/2898/FUL | Validated: Wed 27 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of outbuilding and chicken coop (Partly retrospective).2 Culvert Road Stoke Canon Exeter EX5 4BDRef. No: 20/2885/FUL | Validated: Tue 26 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Demolition of existing rear extension & construction of two storey rear extensions with new roofs & roof windows to new & main roofs. Demolition of existing porch & construction of new porch with slated, duo pitched roof.Newcourt Barton Clyst Road Topsham Exeter EX3 0DBRef. No: 20/2781/FUL | Validated: Tue 26 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Variation of condition 2 (approved plans) of planning permission 16/1971/FUL (conversion of workshop to dwelling) to allow changes to windows and doors.Workshop At Rear Of 69 Temple Street SidmouthRef. No: 20/2757/VAR | Validated: Fri 29 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of two storey side extension to form 2no. flats with associated parking and garden areas.11 Walnut Road Honiton EX14 2UGRef. No: 20/2723/FUL | Validated: Fri 29 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Retrospective application for the erection of an artist studio and shed (ancillary to the amenity use of field/orchard)Land Adjacent Poppins Goldsmith Lane All SaintsRef. No: 20/2677/FUL | Validated: Mon 25 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of a building to enclose the existing sand schoolHigher Northcott Farm Blackborough Cullompton EX15 2JFRef. No: 20/2616/MFUL | Validated: Mon 25 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Removal of bank to create new vehicular access and driveway to front of property3 Tipton Vale Metcombe Ottery St Mary EX11 1RWRef. No: 20/2163/FUL | Validated: Tue 26 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Change of use of outbuilding to dog grooming studio.22 Furzehill Sidbury Sidmouth EX10 0RJRef. No: 20/1474/FUL | Validated: Wed 27 Jan 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision