Developers want to build a £25million hotel complex.

The first steps could be taken next week to protect Brixham’s Breakwater Beach area from over-development.

Guy Henderson – Local Democracy Reporter www.radioexe.co.uk 

Members of Torbay Council’s cabinet committee will be recommended to make the council-owned car park beside the beach an ‘asset of community value’, which could mean curtains for recent proposals to redevelop the area.

Listing a place as an asset of community value acknowledges that its main use is ‘to further the social wellbeing or social interests of the local community’. If the car park area is listed, the local community would also get the opportunity to club together and buy it if the council ever decided to sell.

The car park is caught up in plans which were unveiled by developers last summer to ‘transform’ the Breakwater Beach area. Hundreds of local people queued across it to examine the plans when they went on show at the Breakwater Bistro.

Many were furious at what they said was a ‘monstrosity’ which would overshadow the beach and ruin the area.

Earlier this year the designers said they were going back to the drawing board to come up with something more acceptable.

The original £25 million hotel complex would have created a 44-bed hotel, spa and beachside bistro. But the multi-coloured design was compared to the fictional village setting in the children’s TV show Balamory.

Jack Turton, who owns the bistro, said new plans would be drawn up as a result of the feedback he had received. He said his scheme would bring new jobs and more tourists to Brixham.

He said he understood concerns over the beach, and pledged that his proposals would not include any development on the beach. He also warned that the current bistro building had structural issues and would need ‘radical’ redevelopment soon.

“The most important thing is that we get it right,” he said. “We’re not here to just build. We’re trying to do something that suits Brixham.”

Nearly 5,000 people joined an online protest group, and local MP Anthony Mangnall promised to present a petition to parliament. Opponents of the development are planning to be at the cabinet meeting next week.

The Breakwater Beach Community Group has made the application to have the area listed, and council officers are advising the cabinet to say yes.

They say: “We want Torbay and its residents to thrive, and consideration should be given to safeguarding amenities which are of great local significance to the places where people live and work.”

The listing would last for at least five years.

In the application the group says Breakwater Beach is a ‘much-loved local asset’ and the car park area provides important access to it.

The request says: “The beauty of the beach is that it is fairly unspoiled and has an old world charm that draws families back to it time and time again.

“The views from the beach are exceptional. It is, as a result, popular 12 months of the year.”

Justine Greening, education secretary and minister for women and equalities, 2016-18, and Conservative MP for Putney, 2005-19. www.theguardian.com

Last week’s local election results may finally have sunk Rishi Sunak’s Conservative party. It lost all but one of the 11 mayoralty contests, and while Ben Houchen held on in Tees Valley, it was with a diminished majority. Labour were out of sight in winning the Blackpool South byelection with a 26% swing, and more broadly in local elections across England the Tories lost nearly half the council seats they were defending.

These losses are staggering, but so too is the reaction of would-be Tory rebels, the Reform-lite group. They have suggested they will not challenge Sunak now; as Suella Braverman put it, it is Sunak who should “own this and fix it”. It is the height of political self-unawareness – because it is their political gameplan that Sunak’s rudderless No 10 has been attempting to follow. It is as a result of their flawed political judgments that support for the party has plummeted the length and breadth of the country, and across generations of voters – so much so that shockingly, the party only now leads in the over-70s voter age group. The 2024 local election results are their responsibility to “own”, not just the prime minister’s.

Time after time, Sunak has pivoted more sharply towards this group’s uniquely unpopular political agenda, whether in his bizarre conference speech attacking the 30 year failed status quo, raging against the apparently omnipresent “woke” agenda, stoking divisive but headline-grabbing culture wars – or even now threatening to leave the European convention on human rights.

And the more Sunak has danced to the Reform-lite political tune, the worse the party has done in the polls. Far from suggesting that the party should continue with more of the same, Thursday’s election results show that voters are rejecting the very Reform-inspired agenda it has pursued. This direction has so clearly taken the party backwards, to the extent it could barely scrape second place in Blackpool South, the latest byelection disaster for the Conservatives. To suggest, as they now do, that Sunak should try harder with a strategy that has already proved to have failed is self-serving madness.

It’s also bad maths. In places like Blackpool South or London, even combining Conservative and Reform UK voters into a “coalition” of support would be insufficient for winning a general election. In London, after deliberate overnight speculation on Friday that the race would be tight, the Tory mayoral candidate performed even worse than last time. Meanwhile, in Braverman’s own patch of Fareham, the party lost councillors to the Lib Dems. The madness is that when it comes to the national picture, the party finds itself battling for a small pool of voters with the third-placed party, Reform, while abandoning and alienating many more in the centre ground of British politics to Labour, which is first place by a wide margin.

Theirs is a strategy that has tripped up at every hurdle. Today’s Reform-lite Conservatives are losing badly, and more of the same cannot be the solution.

The problem is that they have no positive vision for our country, just a long list of things and people they dislike and oppose as they tilt at any “woke” windmill they can conjure up. These issues are irrelevant and a turn-off for most voters.

Crucially, the promise of levelling up that voters across the country bought into – whether north or south, leave or remain – has been arrogantly ditched by them and Sunak. While continually pointing the finger at “elites”, they nevertheless seem to have little to say on how we fundamentally level up Britain so that everyone can have fair access to opportunities, irrespective of background.

Yet whether you call it levelling up, breaking down barriers, or equality of opportunity, the local election results show that it is the candidate and party that voters believe can practically deliver for them and their families that consistently wins elections in today’s Britain.

In Tees Valley, Houchen managed to hold back the political tide through demonstrably driving greater access to opportunity for local people and giving his own region the chance to be part of Britain’s economic success of the future. In Harlow, where a concerted effort on levelling up has been made by the council, county council and the respected local MP Robert Halfon, the Conservatives held on. Andy Street may have lost the West Midlands mayoralty but he is a politician respected across the party divides as having a track record of delivery. His demand for a moderate, tolerant and inclusive Conservative party is correct and the antithesis to culture-war-driven Reform-lite Conservatives. Unlike them, he should have a role in any future Conservative revival.

By contrast, Reform-lite Conservatives, like Labour’s Corbynites, are far more consumed by making ideological political arguments, theorising about deep-state plots and demonstrating they are disconnected from our day-to-day lives, than setting out proposals on the necessary, ambitious and comprehensive plan Britain needs for driving social mobility.

Stepping back from a Conservative leadership coup they clearly assume would fail suggests they believe they cannot even win the argument within their own party, let alone the wider country. Yet they still plan to wage the equivalent of a coup in public anyway. They may say it’s about forcing Sunak to own the results, but that’s just an excuse. What they really want is for Sunak to continue to carry the can for their own failing political strategy. They are simply getting their excuses in early, unable to see what everyone else in the country can: that they are the people turning off millions of voters from voting Conservative. And the longer this goes on, the more damage they will do to the party, and the harder it will be to regain public trust.

Bluntly, they are the problem the Conservative party now needs to face down if it is ever to electorally prosper again. As long as Reform-lite continues to loudly monopolise the debate, banging on with their futile finger-pointing and vote-losing culture wars, they prevent the wider party from confronting the hard truths about where it goes next.

Conservationists in the Thames Valley have warned they cannot carry out river restoration works because constant sewage discharges are making the water too “unsafe” to enter.

Lucie Heath inews.co.uk

Rivers in the Colne Valley, which sits to the west of London, are being taken over by invasive species that choke aquatic life because volunteers have been left unable to enter the water to clear them, campaigners say.

Lara Clements, a rivers officer working with the Colne Catchment Action Network, told i she has been forced to cancel eight restoration events in the past six months. This accounts for around a third of the events she had organised.

The meetings are cancelled at the last minute when Thames Water’s online map shows that raw sewage has been discharged in the area.

“It’s incredibly unsafe to send volunteers into a river of sewage,” Ms Clements said.

She co-ordinates the removal of floating pennywort, a non-native weed, from rivers in the area. Introduced to the UK from the Americas in the 1980s, the plant is incredibly invasive to the point that it is banned from sale and is illegal to cause it to grow in the wild.

“Floating pennywort outcompetes native aquatic vegetation, so you lose native biodiversity and native wildlife,” Ms Clements said.

“In situations when it gets really bad, it can literally cover the whole river so you can’t see the river… you can end up in a situation where it blocks the light and deoxygenates the entire river so you basically get dead zones.”

Ms Clements said there are certain areas in the region that volunteers have been unable to enter for months due to constant sewage spills from Thames Water.

Thames Water said it was committed to minimising its impact on the environment and that increased investment was needed to meet ageing infrastructure and demand.

Water companies are permitted to release untreated sewage from points in their network known as “storm overflows” during periods of exception rainfall to prevent their systems from becoming overwhelmed and sewage backing up into people’s homes.

But public anger is rising over how often water companies are doing this, and the impact these discharges are having on rivers.

Latest official data show water companies across England spilled sewage 464,056 times in 2023.

Ms Clements said the River Misbourne, a chalk stream that runs through Buckinghamshire, has been particularly affected by sewage spills. In February, i reported that the river had become so polluted from sewage that the local drinking water company, Affinity Water, was forced to temporarily stop extracting water.

An image taken of the river just downstream from Gerrards Cross Sewage treatment works in December last year shows the water completely covered in floating pennywort. Ms Clements said it has still not been cleared as it has been too unsafe to enter the water.

“The environmental incident declared on the River Misbourne has basically meant that carrying out any pennywort removal there is impossible. I have the capacity and the funding to go and do this work, I just can’t do it. The condition of the river is completely unsafe for me to be in it and volunteers to be working around it,” Ms Clements said.

“It’s just really disappointing,” she added. “You can’t predict it… We don’t know what the situation is going to be. We don’t know when a sewage discharge might stop so it’s really hard to work out and strategise what to do and there isn’t a lot of advice available.”

A Thames Water spokesperson said: “While all discharges are unacceptable, the sewage system was historically designed in this way, to relieve pressure and prevent overflow into people’s homes.

“We appreciate how much waterways are loved and enjoyed by everyone, and we are committed to minimising our impact on the environment, but we can’t do it alone. Farming, industry, livestock and more extreme weather also play a role in river health.

“We have published plans to upgrade over 250 of our sites across our region, including Gerrards Cross sewage treatment works. At the vast majority of our sites this will increase capacity and reduce the number of necessary discharges.

“More investment is needed across the entire sector, as infrastructure ages and demand on it increases. That’s why we’ve asked for increased investment in the next regulatory cycle between 2025-30.

“We were the first company to publish an online map providing close to real-time information about storm discharges from all our permitted locations, putting transparency at the heart of what we do.”

Two workers at Ottery St Mary’s Silver Otter Café have earned food hygiene qualifications, thanks to a grant from the town council.

Philippa Davies http://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk 

The council gave £2,278 to the Able2Achieve scheme operating at the café, which supports people with learning difficulties and promotes independence. The money has paid for two laptops and online courses. The first two learners to benefit were Josh and Kerry, who have completed a level 2 food hygiene course and passed the exam.

Helen Holmes, Enterprise Coordinator, said:  “Together we are looking at further courses they can take, plus investigating roles they are now qualified for. We expect our other learners to qualify soon.

“The grant has been a real boost to how much training can be completed and also pays for a number of learners to complete upcoming courses.”

The laptops have also been used to help create CVs for learners with Able2Achieve, and search for jobs and work placements that match the qualifications they are about to acquire.

A spokesperson for Ottery St Mary Town Council said: “We are delighted to be able to support the amazing work of Helen and her team at Able2Achieve.”

(Or, if you prefer another set of headlines: “It’s for the Birds”: pollster mocks Rishi Sunak HuffPost)

“These results suggest we are heading for a hung parliament with Labour as the largest party. Keir Starmer propped up in Downing Street by the SNP, Liberal Democrats and the Greens would be a disaster for Britain.” – Rishi Sunak 

The disaster for Britain is the likelihood of the Conservatives lurching to the right if they are re-elected, indeed the possibility of lurching to the right as they cling on until the election.

Remember Liz Truss! – Owl

Conservative ministers are adamant that the upcoming general election is not yet a lost cause – claiming last week’s local elections show Labour is not on course for a Commons majority.

Hugo Gye inews.co.uk

But polling experts have hit back at the argument made by Rishi Sunak and his allies, pointing out it is based on only a partial reading of the results.

The Prime Minister told The Times: “These results suggest we are heading for a hung parliament with Labour as the largest party. Keir Starmer propped up in Downing Street by the SNP, Liberal Democrats and the Greens would be a disaster for Britain.”

The claim is a repeat of the campaign run successfully in 2015 against a co-called “coalition of chaos”, which Tories said would see Ed Miliband propped up in power by the Scottish National Party.

It is based on an assessment by academics Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher, who used the local election results to forecast the outcome of a general election in which all voters acted in the same way as they did at the locals – concluding that Labour would fall 32 seats short of a majority in Parliament.

But elections expert Sir John Curtice cautioned: “The way that people vote in local elections doesn’t necessarily exactly mirror the way that they would vote in a general election, at least in terms of levels of support. Particularly, the Liberal Democrats have long since done better. And it tends to be Labour that suffer more as a result.”

Both the Lib Dems and the Greens outperformed their showing in opinion polls – suggesting there may be a large pool of people who will back the smaller parties at a local level but vote Labour when it comes to the general election, in order to get the Tories out of power.

Health minister Maria Caulfield claimed the Conservatives could take heart from the difference between local elections and national ones, telling Sky News: “It’s always difficult when you’ve been in Government and voters can send a message to a party in Government that they’re unhappy about certain things with the safe knowledge that they still have a Conservative Government in control. It’s very different come a general election where they really do have to make a choice.”

That has long been at the heart of the Tory election message: that in a straight fight between Mr Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer, voters will end up rejecting the Labour leader.

But Ben Page of polling firm Ipsos told Times Radio: “Keir Starmer isn’t particularly popular, but it’s always compared to what? If you look at how people rate Keir Starmer as best possible candidate for being Prime Minister with Rishi Sunak, he’s got double the score of Rishi Sunak.”

He said that Sir Keir’s mediocre ratings were a “silver lining” for the Tories because “people aren’t particularly enamoured with Labour”, but added: “Next to that is a cup of cold sick, which is basically that people are utterly fed up with the Conservatives.”

Other problems with the Ralling and Thrasher analysis include that the fact that it takes no account of potential changes in Scotland, where opinion polls currently suggest Labour could take well over 20 seats off the SNP.

And any projection based on the local elections faces the problem that Reform UK stood in only a minority of council seats, making it hard to know how much they would damage the Tories in a general election.

Sir John told the BBC: “We know from the opinion polls that Reform are now taking more votes off the Conservatives than Labour is. Reform only appeared in one in six of the wards – so therefore their impact was probably diminished.”

Mr Sunak will continue to argue that the general election hangs in the balance. But unless the polls start to narrow soon, maintaining that message will get harder and harder.

People in East Devon will be asked their views on whether to protect land designed to stop sprawling urban development.

William Bradley www.devonlive.com

A public consultation on so-called green wedges will be issued shortly by the district council to gauge view about areas that include potential for new houses, because of the pressures the district is under to provide homes for people.

Across the 12 parcels of land, including between Beer and Seaton, Budleigh Salterton and Knowle, Colyford and Colyton, and Exmouth and Lympstone, a total of 1,100 potential new homes could fall on what are currently green wedges.

Any development would ideally be small-scale, and not unduly impact the purpose of the wedge. Ed Freeman, assistant director of planning strategy and development for East Devon, noted the potential jeopardy of the consultation because of the lack of obvious support for green wedges by the government.

“I do have some concerns about the approach given the lack of government guidance, as fundamentally there isn’t any,” he said.

“They are a historical thing that we have had, and other local authorities, and some have maintained them in their plans.

“While one can see the merit in retaining them, we will be challenged on them in a way we haven’t previously.”

Mr Freeman noted that property developers, in particular, would “challenge our position” and that the council would “need to respond and defend our decision”.

Indeed, the council’s strategic development committee heard that some development had already taken place within the green wedge boundaries as they were previously drawn, and that it was proposed that new boundaries exclude these recently built homes.

Mr Freeman also highlighted the challenge the council would face if councillors decided that development shouldn’t take place in a green wedge.

“Representations from developers reflect the pressure to release land within a green wedge for development, and the pressures in trying to meet housing needs will be quite challenging,” he said.

“There are 1,100 homes proposed in first or second choice sites for allocation in green wedges, and if those are removed, then that would cause us significant challenges in terms of where to build those properties, and developers are picking up on that and putting pressure on us to release green wedge land.”

Cllr Ben Ingham (Conservative, Woodbury and Lympstone) said the council should not have found itself in this position.

“This is why ages ago we should have been debating green wedges, so we don’t have this ridiculous compromise where there are potential allocations [of houses] and we’re wondering how we can draw green wedges around them,” he said.

“We started this process a few years ago in the wrong place as we never had an overview of what we were trying to achieve or any strategic thinking.

“We should have put the green wedges in place before housing allocations, and so this is so unfortunate, so please could officers take note not to do this again in 10 years’ time.”

However, Cllr Mike Howe (Independent, Clyst Valley) said the approach the council had taken with the consultation was correct.

“Previously, we showed the green wedges without the housing allocations in, then we allocated [the houses] and then removed the green wedge boundary around them,” he said.

“This way is honest, as we are saying these are the green wedges, and there are pressures on them which might mean we have to allocate houses on some or all of them, or possibly none.

“In the previous way, we showed these lovely green wedges with no threats to them and I think the only way we can do this is to be honest and upfront, by saying there are allocations in them, and that might change, but either way the allocations are not determined and can be debated at a later date.”

The consultation is set to start this month and last for six weeks.

Not everyone did, according to the Telegraph:

• T1, Oak : Crown reduce by no more than 2m as per the accompanying photographs. Maximum diameter of cuts (MDC)75mm; crown lift to achieve clearance of no more than 4.5m above ground level. MDC 100mm. 25 Chestnut Crescent Stoke Canon Devon EX5 4AHRef. No: 24/0872/TRE | Validated: Fri 26 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Certificate of existing lawful development for the construction of a rear, ground floor extension Barley Barn Shermoor Farm Station Road Broadclyst Exeter EX5 3AZRef. No: 24/0868/CPE | Validated: Thu 25 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Discharge of condition for 23/1481/FUL: Condition 3 (materials) Acorns Higher Metcombe Ottery St Mary EX11 1SLRef. No: 24/0859/DOC | Validated: Wed 24 Apr 2024 | Status: Unknown
• T1, Ash: Fell Saddlers Mead Sid Road Sidmouth Devon EX10 9AQRef. No: 24/0860/TCA | Validated: Wed 24 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Discharge of condition for 23/0962/MFUL: Condition 9 (Archaeological Trench Evaluation) Land At Saundercroft Farm WhimpleRef. No: 24/0858/DOC | Validated: Thu 25 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Conversion of office building to two apartments, 3no new windows on west elevation Barnfield Office Kerslakes Court Honiton Devon EX14 1FLRef. No: 24/0855/FUL | Validated: Wed 24 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Discharge of condition for 23/2761/FUL: Condition 3 (materials ), Condition 4 (soft landscaping scheme) Forge Cottage Cowley Exeter EX5 5ELRef. No: 24/0861/DOC | Validated: Thu 25 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• G1. Holly and Bay Suggested Works: Reduce eastern crown aspect by 1 metre T1, Sycamore : Suggested works: Reduce eastern crown aspect by 2 metres T2, Beech : suggested works: Reduce north eastern crown aspect by 3 metres T3, Sycamore : suggested works: Reduce eastern crown aspect by 3 metres T4, Oak : Suggested Works: Reduce eastern crown aspect by 2 metres T5, Yew (NB not specified on arboricultural assessment) : Suggested Works: Crown reduce eastern and western spread by up to 2 metres, reduce northern aspect by up to 1 metres, crown lift southern aspect to shape by up to 3 metres T425, Ash : Suggested Works: Crown reduce height and lateral spread of canopy by 1.5 metres, targeting hyper extended branches, prune branches away from floodlight to achieve a minimum of 2 metres of clearance Rationale: Following an arboricultural inspection, these works have been proposed both as part of the reasonable maintenance of the trees and to improve and maintain the amenity and accessibility of the gardens for residents. Fortfield Lawn Manor Road Sidmouth Devon EX10 8PHRef. No: 24/0846/TCA | Validated: Tue 23 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Discharge of condition for 24/0305/FUL: Condition 4 (Programme of Archaeological Work) Orchard View Payhembury Devon EX14 3JARef. No: 24/0847/DOC | Validated: Wed 24 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Discharge of condition for 23/2591/LBC: Condition 3 (Details of roofing materials, windows and doors) Wayside Causeway Beer Seaton EX12 3JURef. No: 24/0850/DOC | Validated: Tue 23 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Discharge of condition application for 21/0479/FUL: Condition 3 (Sound Insulation) Talbot Arms Hotel Lyme Road Uplyme Devon DT7 3TFRef. No: 24/0843/DOC | Validated: Tue 23 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Detailed planning application for the change of use of land to football pitches, erection of clubhouse, new access and parking, landscaping, engineering and ancillary works. Land West Of Tower Road And East Of Cuckoo Down Lane HonitonRef. No: 24/0841/MFUL | Validated: Thu 25 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Discharge of condition for 22/2801/FUL: Condition 3 (materials) 1 Cowley Barton Cottages Cowley Devon EX5 5ELRef. No: 24/0837/DOC | Validated: Mon 22 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Discharge of conditions on 20/0191/FUL : Condition 3 (landscaping), Condition 4 (noise mitigation) Home Farm Buildings Clyst Honiton Exeter EX5 2LXRef. No: 24/0836/DOC | Validated: Wed 24 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• The erection of a two storey side extension and single storey rear extension (resubmission of of 23/2211/FUL) 1 Millwey Avenue Axminster EX13 5EHRef. No: 24/0828/FUL | Validated: Thu 25 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Extension and alterations to existing lifeboat station. Sidmouth Lifeboat The Lifeboat Station The Esplanade Sidmouth EX10 8BERef. No: 24/0823/FUL | Validated: Wed 24 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• The erection of a shed to cover an existing silage pit. K H May And Partners Netherexe Barton Netherexe Exeter EX5 4DZRef. No: 24/0818/AGR | Validated: Tue 23 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Demolition of existing storage buildings, construction of extension on south and west elevations Vanier Ltd Holyford Lane Colyford Devon EX24 6HWRef. No: 24/0803/FUL | Validated: Thu 25 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Erection of annexe, new access and parking deck, and construction of new retaining structure to enlarge patio to rear of main dwelling Maycoes Branscombe Devon EX12 3DNRef. No: 24/0767/FUL | Validated: Mon 22 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Create shower room in bedroom at first floor; install 2no. rooflights on south elevation and remove chimney on south elevation Spring Cottage Cotmaton Road Sidmouth EX10 8EYRef. No: 24/0765/LBC | Validated: Fri 26 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Replace 1no. window (W1) on east elevation; replace 4no. windows (W2, W3, W7 & W8) on east elevation; replace 6no. windows (W4, W5, W6, W9, W10 & W11) on south elevation; replace mechanical ventilation in gents, ladies and kitchen and install 4no. through wall vents beneath windows to below floor void on east and south elevation Mill Street Hall Mill Street Sidmouth Devon EX10 8DFRef. No: 24/0715/LBC | Validated: Mon 22 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Replace mono pitched roof on east elevation and rake out mortar and repoint mono pitch extension and whole of gable (east) elevation Raleigh House Mill Street Ottery St Mary EX11 1AFRef. No: 24/0720/LBC | Validated: Fri 26 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Demolish rear garden brick wall and replace with wooden panel fencing Claremont Cottage Mirey Lane Woodbury EX5 1DXRef. No: 24/0683/FUL | Validated: Tue 23 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Demolition of existing garage and conservatory. Erection of single storey side extension and new entrance porch 28 Harcombe Lane Sidford EX10 9QNRef. No: 24/0664/FUL | Validated: Wed 24 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of raised decking area and trellis fencing (retrospective). 6 Rowan Drive Seaton EX12 2UHRef. No: 24/0621/FUL | Validated: Mon 22 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Replace existing porch with enlarged lead flat roof porch on south elevation; replace existing extension on north elevation to create bedroom and bathroom and glazed canopy over rear door. 2 Riverside Cottages Gittisham Devon EX14 3AERef. No: 24/0539/LBC | Validated: Tue 23 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed conversion of an existing workshop/garage to an annexe; new first floor space to be constructed with independent access via an external timber stair on the rear, north elevation Tipton Barton Cottage Hayne Hill Tipton St John EX10 0ALRef. No: 24/0527/LBC | Validated: Mon 22 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed conversion of an existing workshop/garage to an annexe; new first floor space to be constructed with independent access via an external timber stair on the rear, north elevation Tipton Barton Cottage Hayne Hill Tipton St John EX10 0ALRef. No: 24/0526/FUL | Validated: Mon 22 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• New home office/study outbuilding. Briar Patch St Johns Road Exmouth EX8 5EGRef. No: 24/0504/FUL | Validated: Mon 22 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Use of the land for the stationing of a non-static caravan for use as a rest facility in association with the agricultural use of the land. Land At Broad Down SouthleighRef. No: 24/0432/CPE | Validated: Mon 22 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Replace 7no. windows: 1no. dormer window on rear elevation; 2no. first floor and 2no. ground floor on front elevation; 2no. ground floor side elevation Penny Thatch Northmostown Sidmouth EX10 0NLRef. No: 24/0412/LBC | Validated: Tue 23 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision

From – www.express.co.uk /news/uk/1895897/beach-cliff-Ladram-Bay-Bank-Holiday

Ladram Bay beach has been shut after a significant cliff fall (Image: Suzie Nixon/Devon Live)

Owl recalls retrospective application 20/0297/FUL for the partial retention at Ladram Bay of a raised viewing platform including balustrade and storage areas, validated 17 February. It appears to have been made in response to an enforcement notice issued in 2018. Owl has found it difficult to conduct a full audit trail of this application. This structure is in the World Heritage Site.

Ladram Bay showing extent of the deck 2020

Can it ever be a good and safe idea to construct a viewing platform under cliffs? – Owl

Olivier Vergnault www.devonlive.com (Web contains video)

A popular beach has had to be shut down this Bank Holiday Weekend following a cliff fall. Ladram Bay beach near Sidmouth on the Devon south coast, was closed as a precaution by owners Ladram Bay Holiday Park following the incident in the early hours of this morning (Sunday, May 5).

The cliff fall, in which thankfully no-one was hurt, is understood to have happened at around 7am. A large area of rocks collapsed onto boats and stand-up paddle boards moored up onto the beach below. Barriers have since been put up along all access roads to the beach to stop anyone from going on it.

Pictures and videos of the cliff fall sent in to DevonLive show the extent of the cliff fall including larges rocks hanging precariously above and likely to come down too in the near future. A spokesperson for the holiday park said the beach would remain closed to its guests and members of the public until the safety of the iconic cliffs and Jurassic coastline had been assessed.

Ladram Bay Holiday Park has also put out a warning message to its customers on social media. The message reads: “Beach closure notice. As you may be aware for several months we have been monitoring the cliff. Early this morning we sadly experienced a significant cliff fall where thankfully no-one was hurt.

“The beach will now remain closed until further notice. We await guidance from our geological experts and reopen the beach when they say it is safe to do so. We will update you on their findings.”

Ladram Bay beach has been shut after a significant cliff fall

Exmouth RNLI Lifeboat station said it had been made aware of the cliff fall in the early hours of this morning but had not been called out to any incident on the beach. A spokesperson said: “A customer came into our shop this morning and told us about it. They saw it happen at around 7am this morning which was fortunate as there was no-one about on the beach. Some of the rocks fells on top of boats below the cliff and this customer said he was lucky not to have parked theirs just there and it was lucky no-one was underneath it when it came down.”

The Ladram Bay Holiday Park spokesperson said: “We are aware of the cliff fall on our and beach. We have shut the beach and access to it is now restricted until we have sought advice from our geology consultant which we are hoping to do as quickly as we can.”

With the bank holiday weekend, the park said its cliff fall specialist would likely be on site on Tuesday.

Bay beach has been shut after a significant cliff fall

It is not the first time cliff falls have happened in the area. The Jurassic coast in East Devon is notorious for them. In March a large cliff fall took place in Sidmouth with eyewitnesses describing rocks the size of cars coming down onto the beach below. At the time, Exmouth coastal scientist Vicky Walkley had been sitting on a bench enjoying the view of the coast when she heard a loud rumbling noise. She looked at the famous red cliff below and saw it collapse onto the beach at the Jacob’s Ladder end of the beach.

Vicky explained at the time that cliff falls are very difficult to predict and can happen at any time – not just in stormy weather with big waves, but also on calm sunny days. She warned then: “All the heavy rainfall we’ve had this winter acts to lubricate the joints in the rock and increase the likelihood of cliff falls. Warm sunshine can also heat the rock, causing it to expand – this can trigger cliff falls too.

“The effects of climate change, including rising sea levels and wetter winters, are likely to accelerate the rates of cliff erosion in future, so it’s important that everyone is aware of these risks when visiting the coast.”

The Lib Dems have added more council seats than any other party over the last parliament, gaining more than 750 in the last five years, largely in the south-west and south of England.

Rowena Mason www.theguardian.com 

As Ed Davey’s party won more seats than the Conservatives in the local elections last week, the Lib Dems said Tories would be “looking over their shoulder terrified” as the general election approached.

Data analysis by the party shows that the Lib Dems have gained 768 seats, Labour 545 and the Greens 480, while the Conservatives have lost 1,783.

The scale of the Conservative losses, with many councils falling to no overall control or Labour and Lib Dem coalitions since 2019, is likely to add to nerves among Tory MPs worried about keeping their seats at the general election.

The Lib Dems have taken control of councils in Devon, Dorset, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Somerset and Surrey.

The party could be responsible for toppling some of the biggest Conservative names at the general election, such as the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, and the housing secretary, Michael Gove, in Surrey, the justice secretary, Alex Chalk, in Cheltenham and Jacob Rees-Mogg in Somerset.

The Lib Dems have not improved their polling much nationally in recent months, remaining on about 10%, while the Reform party is on about 12%. Its national share of the vote in the local elections was about 17%, three percentage points down on 2023, but it appears to be building up support in pockets rather than across the country.

The party’s strong gains in local elections suggests its strategy of focusing on building up votes in key strongholds could help deliver seats at the election.

Visiting Dorset, where the Lib Dems took control of the council by taking 13 seats off the Tories, Davey said Conservative MPs in the region would be worried.

“This victory in Dorset is an historic and stunning result for the Liberal Democrats,” he said. “People here in Dorset and right across the country are fed up with this chaotic and out-of-touch Conservative government and they’re voting for change with the Liberal Democrats.

“From tackling issues with the NHS and the local environment to supporting people with the cost of living crisis, I know the new Liberal Democrat team on Dorset council will do everything they can to give people here a fair deal.

“After our victory in Somerset two years ago and our stunning successes in Devon last year, this win in Dorset confirms that the Liberal Democrats are back in the West Country and will be the main challengers to Conservative MPs here whenever the general election is called.”

The Green party also performed well at the local elections, adding about 74 seats, and becoming the largest party on Hastings borough council. It also became the largest party in Bristol, just short of an overall majority on the city council.

It also won its first seats on councils including Newcastle upon Tyne, Sefton in Merseyside, Redditch in Worcestershire and South Norfolk.

The party will also be targeting seats such as North Herefordshire and Waveney Valley in East Anglia at the general election.

East Devon is aiming to avoid relying on controversial estate management firms that charge homeowners fees for providing and maintaining services, such as parks, writes local democracy reporter Bradley Gerrard. eastdevonnews.co.uk 

The firms have been flagged up in a national review of the housebuilding sector, with watchdog the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) stating that around four in every five homes sold by the 11 biggest builders in 2021-2022 were subject to annual estate management charges (EMCs).

The average charge was £350, the CMA found, but it added that unplanned charges for significant repair work could cost thousands of pounds.

The charges are levied in addition to council tax, and critics say that residents are often not aware of the charges until shortly before they complete on their home purchase.

Cranbrook’s amenities were initially overseen by an estate management firm, but the town council took on its responsibilities in 2018, meaning residents were no longer subject to EMCs.

Now East Devon District Council wants to make sure it doesn’t fall into the same trap again, and has launched a strategic review into how it delivers services for residents, particularly those of its second new town which is being planned.

Andy Wood, assistant director for growth, development and prosperity at the council, said East Devon was in a “rare position” of delivering two new towns concurrently, and that he only knew of South Cambridgeshire taking on a similar challenge.

“But it isn’t just about building houses, but about how those communities thrive and the necessary infrastructure and services needed for that,” he told East Devon District Council’s cabinet meeting.

He added that the Planning Advisory Service, part of the Local Government Association (LGA), had been commissioned to ensure East Devon was in a strong position to expand Cranbrook and deliver the new town in the west of the district as well as various employment sites.

“One of the recommendations from the LGA is about this really key issue, looking at the role the council plays in the delivery of services and community assets,” he said.

“The CMA findings highlight the risk of what I would describe as part-privatised developments coming forward for housing estates that use estate management companies, which can be quite unaccountable and poor value for money and yet are becoming the default model.

“So, this is a real opportunity for the council to strategically review how we approach that.”

Mr Wood said the council was seeking permission from Councillors for an additional £80,000 to help it complete this review, as well as a review into the governance of Cranbrook – essentially looking at how the community is managed between the town, district and county councils.

Councillor Kim Bloxham (Independent, Cranbrook) welcomed the report, and hoped “lessons could be learned” from Cranbrook.

“The estate management company experience of Cranbrook was expensive and totally ineffective, and it left a legacy of poor maintenance and remediation once the town council assumed responsibility,” she said.

“The town council has been approached by other areas that want to move away from management companies but only one other has managed to do so, as it has proven to be hard.

“The best advice is to not go there in the first place and find a way to manage open spaces locally.”

Her ward colleague, Councillor Kevin Blakey (Independent, Cranbrook) said estate management companies had become a “national scandal” and feared things could only get worse.

“To say they do not offer value for money is an understatement, I would avoid them like the plague,” he said.

“Now we need to consider what can be done instead for large scale open spaces, and this authority will have to think carefully about how maintenance is managed and funded.”

He added that council tax had risen in Cranbrook due to the costs of managing a country park there, but that the outcome was still better than continuing to be involved with an estate management company.

Leader Paul Arnott (Liberal Democrat, Coly Valley) said that without the “persistent contributions” from the town Councillors, “we probably wouldn’t have got around to doing this”.

“As it turns out, it is something that has been extremely good in that we are rectifying a wrong that was done to the new community and we are now able to use that experience to hopefully get it right as the new community continues.”

The proposal to conduct the review provide the requested £80,000 was passed, but did include an amendment from Councillor Olly Davey (Green Party, Exmouth Town) that the authority’s incoming chief executive and other relevant planning and development staff and Councillors urgently review the report and propose any additional recommendations to cabinet.

Despite losing a seat to the Greens and an independent

Labour have kept control of Exeter City Council with an increased majority, but it was an Independent win in Heavitree that shared the limelight as the city went to the polls.

www.radioexe.co.uk

Labour gained Topsham from the Conservatives and St Thomas and Pinhoe from Independents, but lost the Newtown and St Leonards seat to the Greens and Heavitree to independent Lucy Haigh.

She had campaigned against the city’s controversial Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme, which has put Heavitree in the headlines in recent months.

She said she was delighted to have been elected and hoped to take the message of the protesters against the car ban to the council chamber.

Thirteen of the city council’s 39 seats were up for grabs.

The Liberal Democrats also had reason to be cheerful after snatching Duryard and St James from Labour. Council leader Phil Bialyk retained his seat in Exwick by a comfortable margin of nearly 700 votes.

He said it showed that the people of Exeter understood what Labour was trying to do on behalf of residents. “We are the political adults in the room,” he said. “We have to look towards Exeter’s future and we are not just about one issue.”

The first ballot boxes arrived at the Riverside Leisure Centre a few minutes after 10pm and a small army of counters got to work verifying the papers and then getting down to the business of counting them.

Party activists with coloured rosettes sat opposite the counters, watching the piles of papers mount.

Candidates paced the hall, taking stock of their progress. Young Green Party candidate Jack Vickers, standing for the Pennsylvania ward, cut an unmissable figure in his vivid green suit.

Yellow and green voting papers tumbled out of the big black ballot boxes as they were emptied – green for the police and crime commissioner election and yellow for the city council. They had to be carefully separated before counting could begin in earnest.

Early predictions were that it could be 1.30am before the first result was declared, but in fact it was 2.45am before returning officer Bindu Arjoon, the city council’s chief executive, declared that Cllr Bialyk had successfully defended his Exwick seat for Labour.

And there was an early success for the Greens, with the first batch of results also containing a win for the party in Newton and St Leonards, where Lynn Wetenhall convincingly took the seat from Labour.

Full results were:

Alphington – HARDING Rob, Labour Party 997; HARRELD Mark Jeffrey, Independent 125; HARRISON, Benn Elliott, The Green Party 289; HORNER Jamie Liam, Liberal Democrat 151; NEW Katherine Helen Judy, The Conservative Party Candidate 606. Turnout 34.24% LAB HOLD

Duryard and St. James – BADCOTT Tony, Labour and Co-operative Party 619; LEE Martha Sylvia, The Green Party 270; MORE O`FERRALL Rory Fouad, The Conservative Party Candidate 180; PALMER Tammy Catherine, Liberal Democrat 891.Turnout 27.2 % LIB DEM GAIN FROM LAB 

Exwick – BIALYK Philip Michael, Labour and Co-operative Party 1060; CURNOCK Charles Anthony, Liberal Democrat 130; HELIANTHUS Eric Sinclair, The Green Party 252; LUSCOMBE Kayleigh Michelle Suzanne, The Conservative Party Candidate 256; RUFOLO Frankie, Independent 371. Turnout 28.53% LAB HOLD

Heavitree – COLLACOTT Joan Marilyn, The Conservative Party Candidate 355; EADE Jack, The Green Party 948; HAIGH Lucy, Independent 1171; MUTTON Dave, Labour Party 705; RUFFLE Rod, Liberal Democrat 76. Turnout 48.8%  IND GAIN FROM LAB

Mincinglake and Whipton – BROWN Oscar Harold, The Conservative Party Candidate 290; HUTCHINGS Clive Alan, Independent 775; PAYNE Michael Geoffrey, Liberal Democrat 111; POLE Liz, Labour Party 842; STEPHAN Alex, The Green Party 169. Turnout 33.67%  LAB HOLD

Newtown and St. Leonard`s – BROCK Philip John, Liberal Democrat 96; CABRERA Julian Edward, Labour Party 941; SIMMONDS Paul, Independent 122; SPARKES Keith Andrew, The Conservative Party Candidate 211; WETENHALL Lynn Susan, The Green Party 1215. Turnout 39.1% GREEN GAIN FROM LAB 

Pennsylvania – HUGHES Zoë Jane, Labour Party 1106; HUNT Jack, The Conservative Party Candidate 390; JARMAN Victoria, Independent 297; VICKERS Jack David, The Green Party 878; WILLIAMS Nigel David, Liberal Democrat 177. Turnout 39.6% LAB HOLD

Pinhoe – CAMPION Christine Anne, Liberal Democrat 220; HUSSAIN Jakir, Labour and Co-operative Party 1019; JAGO Kate, The Green Party 300; SIMMONDS Susan, Independen 314t; THOMPSON David John, The Conservative Party Candidate 580. Turnout 32.37 LAB GAIN FROM IND

Priory – ABDULRAZAQ Tal, Independent 442; LUSCOMBE David, The Conservative Party Candidate 344; MULLETT Heather Ursula, The Green Party 233 THOMAS Philip Alexander, Liberal Democrat 209; WARDLE Tony, Labour Party 888 Turnout 32.34% LAB HOLD

St. David`s – BANYARD James John, The Green Party 1187; NEWBY Rob, The Conservative Party Candidate 248; STUART Ellen Miriam, Labour and Co-operative Party 785, WRIGHT Harry,Liberal Democrat 107. Turnout 33.3% GREEN HOLD

St. Loye`s – BONETTA Jake, Labour and Co-operative Party 914; BUTTERS Timothy Robert, Liberal Democrat 167; HANCOCK Deb, The Green Party 211; JOBSON Anne Margaret, The Conservative Party Candidate 1220. Turnout 36.69% CON HOLD

St. Thomas – BRAGG Andy, The Green Party 299; CARR Ashley, The Conservative Party  Candidate 167; DARLING Deborah Charlotte, Labour and Co-operative Party 1058; HANNAFORD Rob, Independent 464; NEWCOMBE Alexandra Vanessa, Liberal Democrat 771. Turnout 38.1% LAB GAIN FROM IND 

Topsham – FINCH Sarah Jane, The Green Party 322; ROLSTONE Gemma Lorraine, Labour Party 1339; THOMPSON Cynthia, The Conservative Party Candidate 1094; WILLIAMSON Alan, Liberal Democrat 217. Turnout 37.33% LAB GAIN FROM CON

The UK government’s climate action plan is unlawful, the high court has ruled, as there is not enough evidence that there are sufficient policies in place to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Helena Horton www.theguardian.com

The energy secretary, Claire Coutinho, will now be expected to draw up a revised plan within 12 months. This must ensure that the UK achieves its legally binding carbon budgets and its pledge to cut emissions by more than two-thirds by 2030, both of which the government is off track to meet.

The environmental charities Friends of the Earth and ClientEarth took joint legal action with the Good Law Project against the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) over its decision to approve the carbon budget delivery plan (CBDP) in March 2023.

In a ruling on Friday, Mr Justice Sheldon upheld four of the five grounds of the groups’ legal challenge, stating that the decision by the former energy security and net zero secretary Grant Shapps was “simply not justified by the evidence”.

He said: “If, as I have found, the secretary of state did make his decision on the assumption that each of the proposals and policies would be delivered in full, then the secretary of state’s decision was taken on the basis of a mistaken understanding of the true factual position.”

The judge agreed with ClientEarth and Friends of the Earth that the secretary of state was given “incomplete” information about the likelihood that proposed policies would achieve their intended emissions cuts. This breached section 13 of the Climate Change Act, which requires the secretary of state to adopt plans and proposals that they consider will enable upcoming carbon budgets to be delivered.

Sheldon also agreed with the environment groups that the central assumption that all the department’s policies would achieve 100% of their intended emissions cuts was wrong. The judge said the secretary of state had acted irrationally, and on the basis of an incorrect understanding of the facts.

This comes after the Guardian revealed the government would be allowing oil and gas drilling under offshore wind turbines, a decision criticised by climate experts as “deeply irresponsible”.

The CBDP outlines how the UK will achieve targets set out in the sixth carbon budget, which runs until 2037, as part of wider efforts to reach net zero by 2050. Those emissions targets were set after a 2022 ruling that Britain had breached legislation designed to help reach the 2015 Paris agreement goal of containing temperatures within 1.5C (2.7F) of pre-industrial levels.

The Climate Change Committee’s assessment last year was that the government only had credible policies in place for less than 20% of the emissions cuts needed to meet the sixth carbon budget.

The lawyer for Friends of the Earth, Katie de Kauwe, said: “This is another embarrassing defeat for the government and its reckless and inadequate climate plans. We’ve all been badly let down by a government that’s failed, not once but twice, to deliver a climate plan that ensures both our legally binding national targets and our international commitment to cut emissions by more than two-thirds by 2030 are met.

“We urgently need a credible and lawful new action plan that puts our climate goals back on track and ensures we all benefit from a fair transition to a sustainable future. Meeting our domestic and international carbon reduction targets must be a top priority for whichever party wins the next general election.”

Ed Miliband, the shadow energy secretary, said: “This is a new low even for this clown show of a government that has totally failed on energy and climate for 14 years. Their plan has now been found unlawful twice – once might have been dismissed as carelessness, twice shows they are incapable of delivering for this country.

“The British people are paying the price for their failure in higher bills, exposed to the dictators like [Vladimir] Putin who control fossil fuel markets. Only Labour can tackle the climate crisis in a way that cuts bills for families, makes Britain energy independent, and tackles the climate crisis.”

Caroline Lucas, the Green party MP, said: “Once again the government’s climate plan has been ruled unlawful. When dealing with the climate emergency, simply ‘hoping for the best’ and putting your faith in unproven technologies and vague policies is not good enough – we need concrete plans and investments and there is no time to lose. The government must now go back to the drawing board and urgently pull together a credible plan to put the UK back on track to delivering our climate commitments.”

John Barrett, professor in energy and climate policy at the University of Leeds, said: “The UK government has failed to describe a credible pathway for the UK to achieve its legally binding climate commitments. This is despite overwhelming evidence from the Climate Change Committee and university researchers on the various options available to the government. Many of these options also deliver numerous co-benefits such as warmer homes, cheaper bills, more energy security, better air quality, more jobs and a healthier society. It is time for the UK government to take climate change seriously and tell us how they are going to achieve their own targets.”

A DESNZ spokesperson said: “The UK can be hugely proud of its record on climate change. Not only are we the first major economy to reach halfway to net zero, we have also set out more detail than any other G20 country on how we will reach our ambitious carbon budgets. The claims in this case were largely about process and the judgment contains no criticism of the detailed plans we have in place. We do not believe a court case about process represents the best way of driving progress towards our shared goal of reaching net zero.”

People in Britain and Ireland are being asked to monitor their local rivers for pollution so a leading water charity can measure the scale of the sewage crisis.

Helena Horton www.theguardian.com 

The Rivers Trust is this week launching the Big River Watch, asking people to record observations of their local rivers on a free app. The results will be made available through an interactive dashboard, and will help the organisation, as well as individuals and communities who can all access the data, to take action to improve rivers.

Volunteers will be asked to identify sewage pollution, sewage fungus, minewater and silt, along with other indicators of river health, so pollution hotspots can be identified and tackled. The Rivers Trust is hoping for it to be the UK and Ireland’s biggest ever mass participation survey of river health.

Tessa Wardley, director for communications and advocacy at the trust, said: “In September 2023, 60% of Big River Watch participants were new to citizen science, which shows just how important this tool is to help everyone get involved and showing they care about rivers. As well as learning where pollution and wildlife are spotted, we also want to know how spending time near rivers affects people’s wellbeing, so I’d encourage anyone and everyone to spend some time by their river and make their voice heard.”

UK and Irish rivers have been choked by sewage pollution, as the sewer system allows untreated human waste to mix with rainwater and domestic wastewater, meaning that the pipes become overwhelmed. This toxic cocktail of sewage and chemicals is then drained into waterways to prevent it backing up into homes.

Data first revealed by the Guardian found that 2023 was a record year for sewage spills. Raw sewage was discharged for more than 3.6m hours into rivers and seas in a 105% increase on the previous 12 months.

Water industry figures have admitted that this is due to a lack of investment in pipes and sewers, and as climate breakdown brings heavier rains and the population rises, the system is failing.

Emma Brisdion, marketing campaigns lead at the Rivers Trust, said: “Healthy rivers are essential for our wellbeing and for our wildlife. But rivers in the UK and Ireland have been allowed to get into a desperate state, and there are many people who care immensely about them and want to help.

“The Big River Watch invites communities to get involved. The simple survey is all about using that connection to rivers to record the good, the bad, and the ugly so we can understand our blue spaces better and make informed decisions about how to revive them.”

The proportion of people testing positive for Covid has jumped in the space of a week, latest figures have revealed.

Jane Merrick inews.co.uk

Positivity rates from the virus through the UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) surveillance system were 7.1 per cent last week, compared to 4.6 per cent the previous week.

The figures relate to the proportion of people who take a Covid test, not the overall population. Positivity rates were highest in those aged over 65, at 10.4 per cent.

While people testing positive for Covid can be typically at 10 per cent or higher in the winter, the sudden jump from 4.6 per cent to 7.1 per cent in a week, in the middle of spring, is likely to prompt concerns of a mini-wave of the virus.

The UKHSA urged people eligible for a Covid vaccine to have their spring booster.

There were 297 positive samples for Covid out of 4,196 specimens reported by laboratories in the Respiratory DataMart System, which carries out ongoing surveillance for the virus.

Hospitalisations from Covid also increased slightly from 1.97 to 2.56 per 100,000 over the one-week period.

However, this rate is far lower than the peak of the pandemic, when admissions were at more than 30 per 100,000.

People eligible for a spring booster – those aged 75 years and over, care home residents and people who are immunosuppressed – have until 30 June to have the jab.

Dr Mary Ramsay, director of public health programmes at UKHSA, said: “Now is the time to get a Covid-19 spring booster if you’re eligible, as we’re starting to see a rise in Covid-19 cases and hospitalisations after a few weeks of low activity.

”The Covid-19 vaccine offers the best protection for those most at risk as the virus spreads. So, if you are aged 75 and over, a resident in a care home for older adults, or have a weakened immune system, book now. You don’t have to wait for the NHS to get in contact with you.

“If you have symptoms of flu or Covid-19 try to stay at home, as this helps protect others, especially those who are vulnerable. If you do need to go out when you are unwell especially if you [are] attending settings with vulnerable people, consider wearing a mask.”

“We are making progress across the board with a truly Conservative approach. Labour is nowhere to be seen.”

Rishi Sunak (comment in the Telegraph Friday 7:30 pm) 

Maybe you don’t get such a clear view from a helicopter – Owl

The overall turn-out was 33.25%. The Liberal Democrats took the majority of the votes, with 42 elected councillors and now have control of Dorset Council.

What’s the make up of the new council?

There will be 82 councillors representing four political parties and in addition there are 4 independent councillors on Dorset Council. The numbers are as follows:

42 Liberal Democrats
30 Conservatives
2 Labour
4 Greens
4 Independent for Dorset/Independent other

Out of the 82 seats up for grabs, 28 are new councillors. 54 seats have been retained by members who have previously served as a councillor for Dorset Council.

www.dorsetecho.co.uk

Discredited Tory police commissioner hangs on because big anti-Tory majority splits its votes

Martin Shaw posts on Seaton & Colyton matters:

It’s a big disappointment that Alison Hernández, the Conservative Devon & Cornwall police commissioner, has been re-elected with 131,000 votes to 107,000 for Labour and 64,000 for the Lib Dems.

This is a clear lesson here for the General Election – there is a clear anti-Tory majority in our region (171,000 to 131,000 in this case) and we can remove most of their MPs. But if we split our votes between two or three opposition candidates in a constituency, the Tories will survive.

www.devonandcornwall-pcc.gov.uk/news-and-blog/multimedia-hub/alison-hernandez-has-been-returned-as-police-and-crime-commissioner-for-devon-and-cornwall-for-a-third-term-after-winning-a-majority-of-xxxx-votes/

See below for Owl’s analysis

East Devon District Council – By-election 2 May 2024

Declaration of results for East Devon District Council Exmouth Brixington Ward 2 May 2024

Exmouth Brixington

Electorate: 6110
Ballot Papers Issued: 1593
Rejected Ballot Papers: 19
Turnout: 26%

Here is an analysis of Thurday’s result, compared to the full council elections held last year (see below).

Analysis: Similar turnout, but Thursday’s winner Aurora Bailey, in 2023, stood as an “Independent”. On Thursday she won with only  38% of the vote.

The 2023 election was for three councillors, electors had three votes. This Thursday’s election was for only one councillor and electors had one vote. The significant difference is the fall in the votes cast for the Green and Labour candidates. 

The conclusion Owl reaches is that if the “anything but Tory” majority really wants to do business in a straight fight under the first past the post system. Only the Lib Dems offer a viable alternative.

Council Exmouth Brixington Ward 4 May 2023

Electorate: 6143
Ballot Papers Issued: 1743
Rejected Ballot Papers: 3
Turnout: 28.4%