The drawing room had a very special listing as the Treaty of Exeter marking the end of the English Civil war in Devon was signed there in 1646.

Readers of the “Watch” with really local connections might even have been born there when it was used as a hospital 1945-1975. Brief history can be found here.

Eleanor writes:

So, yet another landmark historic building catches fire and burns to a cinder- most people now barely seem to bat an eyelid when these conflagrations hit the press. With the ashes of the house still smouldering, the cause of the fire as yet it is unknown. So far so routine, you might think.

Except Poltimore House is and was very different. It has been widely described in the last couple of days by national reporters who’ve never visited as “derelict”. It is anything but derelict- it is in the process of being painstakingly restored.

When I moved to the area in 2003, The Friends of Poltimore had an open day. My family and I went to visit the mansion, at the time open to skies in places, with magnificent yet mouldering plasterwork, floorboards and walls. The drawing room had a very special listing as the Treaty of Exeter marking the end of the English Civil war in Devon was signed there in 1646.

At the time of my visit, the task of restoring the house seemed so huge, that I came away feeling that it was too Herculean to be even possible. But the Friends of Poltimore doggedly, persistently, proactively proved me wrong. They begged, borrowed, applied for grants, protected, restored, found new sources of funding, publicised. Every time a Friends of Poltimore Chair stepped back for a breather, another stepped forward to drive it forwards. I’ve never been more happy to be wrong about something. Poltimore House is the very embodiment of community spirit and the power of working together- and it continues to be despite still smouldering from the huge fire that engulfed it on the 9^th of April.

This house has a past that touched many people’s souls. Everyone here knows someone who had been born or been nursed there during its time as a hospital. It had been part of local people’s landscape for their entire lives. The Friends of Poltimore wanted to preserve it for the people. Over the years it has hosted a huge range of events of all kinds- artistic, musical, camps. 

Just last week, I picked up my Easter lamb from the farm shop at the back of the hugely successful Branches café there. The place was becoming a true community hub, an oasis of calm on the edge of a city now reaching out to scratch the house’s parkland, and all run, restored and managed by volunteers -most of them living close to the house.

That’s why this house is so different. It is loved, not abandoned or derelict. Past and present are painstakingly being brought together to give it a good future and a central place within our communities. It is a vast, ambitious community project, one that has brought hundreds of people together for a quarter of a century.

The House has been here before. It has burned before. The volunteers have dusted themselves off after every setback, and kept on going.  I hope the spirit of the Friends of Poltimore can endure in the face of this latest event- more than ever, they and the house need us. This house is a testament to human endurance, ingenuity and resilience. For that reason alone the project must persist.

The Drawing Room and details of the plasterwork.

Dear Reader – No such parliamentary constituency exists or is planned, though there is a Lib Dem controlled “Mid Devon” District Council and Mel Stride (Con) is the MP for “Central Devon”.

Looks like the Tories are spending the Hester millions on leaflets – though Owl’s contacts in what will be the new Exmouth & Exeter East haven’t reported receiving this one.

Is Simon being deliberately misleading or is he so stressed by the thought of losing his seat he has become “confused”?

Perhaps some kind soul could refer him to Sidmouth’s memory clinic. – Owl

An alarming 83% increase in sewage discharge into Devon’s rivers has sparked outrage and demands for government action

Lewis Clarke www.devonlive.com

New figures released by the Environment Agency show that sewage was discharged into local rivers and waterways for 530,737 hours last year, an 83% increase from 2022. 

Devon’s Liberal Democrat MP Richard Foord has called the revelation ‘deeply shameful’ and called for the Government to finally act on the sewage scandal gripping local communities by strengthening the powers available to regulators such as the Environment Agency.

[Note Simon Jupp’s is a signatory to a request to the government to strip power from Natural England] – Owl.

Across East Devon, there are several prolific discharge sites covered by South West Water. The worst local outlet was the storm overflow at Dulford, which discharged sewage into the River Weaver 258 times for a total of more than 5,212 hours. Several other notable sites include the overflow at Salcombe Regis, which saw 223 spills lasting 4,827 hours, the sewage treatment works in Honiton, which experienced 148 spills into the River Otter for more than 1,061 hours, and the overflow in Kilmington, which discharged into the River Axe for 1,391 hours over 171 individual spills.

South West Water says it is serious about tackling storm overflows and ‘change of this scale takes time, ambition, and increased investment’ – and that is why it is investing £850m in the region over the next two years.

Meanwhile, Richard Foord, MP for Tiverton & Honiton, has demanded that the Government follow through on their promise to stop water firms “marking their own homework” and monitoring sewage spills in-house. He has demanded a deadline by when the Government will mandate this data to be gathered by the Environment Agency.

Richard Foord, MP for Tiverton & Honiton, said: “Conservative MPs have consistently voted against measures which would have helped to tackle this scourge much sooner.

“It is a complete scandal that untreated raw sewage is being spilled into Devon’s rivers and onto our premier beaches on an almost industrial scale. This is harming our natural environment and risks making our waterways unsafe for people to enjoy. But it’s not just water companies who are at fault; Conservative MPs have voted time and time again to allow these polluting firms to get away with this environmental vandalism. Local people are rightly angry that the Conservatives have blocked tougher action to tackle this crisis.

“Our towns and villages are fed-up with pollution warnings at our beaches; fed-up of not knowing whether their local river is safe for their children or pets to swim in. We need to see real action, not more warm words and far-off promises. The situation we now face is a result of years of neglect, not just by water companies but also from Government ministers – who have repeatedly hollowed out our environmental regulators, leaving them unable to properly police the sector and hold failing firms to account.

In a statement, South West Water said: “We care about our 860m of coastline, our regions 100% bathing water quality, which we have successfully maintained for 3 consecutive years and protecting the environment now and in the future.

“We were one of the first water companies to have all our storm overflows monitored meaning we know exactly what is happening, when and where, allowing us to target investment and make changes where it matters most. We are serious about tackling storm overflows and change of this scale takes time, ambition, and increased investment – and that is why we are investing £850m in our region over two years.

“The increase in the storm overflow spills this year can be accounted for by the amount of named storms and weather warnings in 2023. It’s clear we need to redesign our systems, which we are already doing. We will also be the first water company to meet the Government target of less than 10 spills per overflow, per year – a decade ahead of target.”

and again posts the text of his letter on social media “X”.

Nicholas Pegg

I have today written to my MP, @simonjamesjupp, to urge him to withdraw his support for an environmentally disastrous proposal to remove @NaturalEngland’s power to designate Sites of Special Scientific Interest: a flagrant #AttackOnNature which must not be allowed to succeed.

To Simon Jupp, MP

House of Commons

London SW1A OAA

Tuesday, 9th April, 2024

Dear Mr Jupp,

While I await your reply on the matter of the bogus web links which misappropriated the name of Richard Foord MP to divert traffic to your own campaign website, I find that I must once again write as your constituent to raise a separate and most pressing matter.

I am extremely disappointed to learn that you are among the signatories to a letter which was sent to the Environment Secretary on 15 March 2024, urging him to support or ‘otherwise enact’ the provisions of a private member’s bill introduced on 13 March by Derek Thomas MP

This bill proposes that the power to designate Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) should be removed from Natural England (a non-departmental public body which is independent of government) and instead be granted directly to the Secretary of State.

I can only assume that you were temporarily confused, or perhaps distracted by your urgent casework, when you agreed to sign a letter supporting such a damaging proposal – a letter which, unsurprisingly, all eighteen signatories kept very quiet about until its existence emerged yesterday.

The SSSI status is the foundation stone of nature conservation in England. Its strength lies in its designation being based purely on independent scientific evidence. If that power were to be transferred to the Secretary of State, it is all too clear that protected site designation would in future become compromised by political, economic and commercial considerations. In other words, this bill represents yet another ‘attack on nature’ of the kind advocated in September 2022 by the discredited former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, when he proposed measures to remove environmental protections – measures which were roundly condemned at the time by conservation charities including the Wildlife Trusts, the RSPB and the National Trust, and which contributed to Mr Kwarteng’s swift political downfall.

Mr Jupp, as your constituent I am calling on you to withdraw your signature from that ill-judged letter of support, and instead to speak and vote against this bill when it comes before the House for its second reading on Friday 26 April.

As an MP who professes to champion environmental issues, you must surely be aware that the only intellectually and morally justifiable choice open to you is to champion Natural England’s independence, and strive to ensure that the agency is adequately supported and funded to carry out its legal duties: specifically, to designate new SSSIs, to advise on their management, and, where appropriate, to use its legal powers to ensure their protection.

I look forward to your reply on this very serious matter, as well as on the very serious matter of the still unexplained website deception.

Yours sincerely,

Nicholas Pegg

Interesting to consider the details of this application for a conservatory addition to the Longboat Café with concurrent reports of Exmouth Seafront buildings collapsing in Storm  Pierrick and the need for “pebble resilience” in Budleigh’s new loos. – Owl  

Rockfish has provided further details about its planned takeover of the Longboat Café in Budleigh Salterton.

Philippa Davies www.exmouthjournal.co.uk

As reported in the Journal last week, the restaurant chain has submitted a planning application to upgrade the venue and turn it into a seafood café.

It will serve breakfast and coffee in the mornings, with fresh seafood on the menu from lunchtime: local crab rolls, shellfish, grilled and fried fish, along with cold beer from Salcombe Brewery and a small selection of wines. 

There will be a conservatory over the courtyard with a retractable roof for the summer and a log burner for the winter months.

Rockfish’s founder and chief executive Mitch Tonks said: “We are really looking forward to opening our seafood café in Budleigh that will carry all the much-loved hallmarks of a Rockfish, with fresh seafood, community and sustainability at the core.

“We know how much everyone in the town loves the café and how important it is to local life, so we will continue to build on the great work that Lisa, Myles and the team have done to ensure it remains that way.”

Rockfish’s planning application cancels out a previous planning permission, granted in 2013, to demolish the site and construct a two storey building.

This latest application will be determined by East Devon District Council at a later date.

An Exmouth coastwatch building had to be evacuated after it was battered by stormy weather last night. It’s feared that the building may have to be condemned.

Mary Stenson www.devonlive.com

Exmouth has suffered some of the worst Storm Pierrick as a dramatic video showed waves crashing over the sea wall, drenching passers-by. A weather warning was put in place by the Met Office for gusts of 45-55mph for Monday night, while the Environment Agency warned that flooding was possible.

Volunteers at Exmouth’s National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) arrived to their lookout station this morning (April 9) to find that the foundations of one of the two buildings had collapsed into the sea. They said that the building was evacuated and had been “propped up” temporarily by East Devon District Council.

In a Facebook post, NCI Exmouth said: “Coastwatch House suffered damage last night in the storm. The property has now been evacuated, with the council propping it up temporarily. Looks like we will need a new home.

“Some people refer to this building as the “old First Aid Hut” but it’s been a Coastwatch building for the last 25 years.”

Station manager Peter Oliver told the BBC that contractors have started work to make the area safe. He says the other lookout tower has been unaffected and that their operations would continue there.

Peter said: “We believe the decision will be to condemn the building. We’ll lose our training facilities which is problematic but not insurmountable.

“We’ve been able to recover most of the materials inside and moved them into people garages, the team has been absolutely brilliant, you just can’t beat the sea.”

Coastwatch House in Exmouth was severely damaged during the storm (Image: NCI Exmouth)

Following the storm, the Environment Agency says that flooding is expected to continue to impact parts of England today. They have advised people to take care in coastal areas and avoid driving through flood water.

Harry Walton, Flood Duty Manager at the Environment Agency, said: “Due to a combination of spring tides and strong winds generating storm surge and large waves, minor coastal flooding impacts are probable for parts of England on Monday and Tuesday.

“Environment Agency teams are out on the ground, taking action to reduce the impact of flooding and support those communities affected. We urge people to stay safe on the coast, take extreme care on coastal paths and promenades, and we advise people not to drive through flood water as just 30cm of flowing water is enough to move your car.”

Paul Arnott

This week’s column hangs on two well-known sayings. The first phrase, often but apparently wrongly known as a Chinese curse, is “may you live in interesting times”, by which it is actually meant, may your whole life is afflicted by chaos.

And interesting times have afflicted this week’s column. I had actually intended to focus on the superb new Pump Track opened recently in Cranbook. It’s a cracking example of Cranbrook Town Council and East Devon District Council working with others to fund a facility I would have adored when I was a kid. It’s a landscaped, profiled area in the Country Park, given an undulating hard surface to provide loads of fun for bikes, skateboards, roller blades etc. It opened, albeit in torrential rain, just in time for the Easter holidays, and I am told it has been packed with children ever since.

The reason I would have written about this is to show that with all the amazing hard work of local people in Cranbrook, facilities are arriving, albeit somewhat belatedly, and that East Devon will do all we can to try to cut through the red tape to help where we can. I might then have gone onto a bit of a serious think piece about how East Devon, having originally dropped the ball in planning the development of Cranbrook, with landowner and developer gain seeming to have been the priority under the Conservatives, is as keen as mustard to make amends for that.

However, that will have to keep for now. Because a second old saying has also come into view in these interesting times: “Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery”.

For there I was eating my Shredded Wheat on Friday when I was astonished to read in the i Newspaper online that someone had set up web addresses purporting to be for local Lib Dem MP Richard Foord which, on being innocently visited, took readers directly to a website for Conservative MP Simon Jupp. It’s almost a hundred years ago that the inimitable P G Wodehouse wrote a comic satire called “Something Fishy”, and heavens above, there’s something fishy going on here.

The story then gathered national attention from the likes of LBC’s James O’Brien and the very brave mathematical whizz-turned-commentator Carol Vorderman. Top class national broadsheet and broadcast journalists then spent hours trying to elicit from Mr Jupp any explanation. I understand that it was like getting blood from a stone and resulted in a six-word gnomic comment that he was “not responsible for the web domains”.

The problem for all people of East Devon is that with a general election looming this can’t be just written off as a bit of a lark. This week William Wragg, another Conservative MP, has been forced to resign various senior positions in the unfortunate matter of pictures of his anatomy and his somehow then providing personal data on other MPs to someone he met online!

With Donald Trump in the USA, and Conservative strategists in the UK, openly planning smear-based campaigns for 2024, we don’t want any of this chicanery in East Devon, and demand better. Mr Jupp can help with this by expanding his tight, six-word comment into six full paragraphs of what he knows, and who was responsible. And soon.

In the meantime, my thought for the week is directly attributable – to Sophocles – and has stood the test of time for two and a half thousand years: “I would prefer even to fail with honour than win by cheating.”

• Discharge of condition for 22/2409/MFUL: Condition 5 (Archaeological Written Scheme of Investigation) & Condition 6 (Archaeological Post Investigation Assement) Higher Hawkerland Farm Sidmouth Road Aylesbeare Devon EX5 2JWRef. No: 24/0699/DOC | Validated: Thu 28 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed lawful development to adapt a disused swimming pool building, constructed over the existing open-air swimming pool, into a workshop. To comprise of two classroom spaces, a climbing area intended for physical training, and additional storage facilitiesBicton College East Budleigh Devon EX9 7BYRef. No: 24/0698/CPL | Validated: Thu 28 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Discharge of condition for 24/0258/FUL: Condition 3 (Surface Water Run-off Management) 11 Newlands Park Seaton Devon EX12 2SFRef. No: 24/0704/DOC | Validated: Thu 28 Mar 2024 | Status: Unknown
• Proposed agricultural storage building for machinery and fodder storage only. Land Off Withen Lane AylesbeareRef. No: 24/0696/AGR | Validated: Thu 28 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Prior approval for proposed change of use of agricultural building to 1no. larger dwelling house (use class C3) and associated operational development under Schedule 2, Part 3, Class Q(a) and Q(b) of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015 (as amended) Upcott Farm Broadhembury Devon EX14 3LPRef. No: 24/0695/PDQ | Validated: Thu 28 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Single storey extension to rear of property; existing outbuilding at rear to be demolished and enlarged with addition of side extension Kenber Frys Lane Sidford Devon EX10 9SRRef. No: 24/0689/FUL | Validated: Wed 27 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Outline application (with all matters reserved apart from access) for the erection of up to 8 dwellings and associated infrastructure Land At Beggars Lane HonitonRef. No: 24/0687/OUT | Validated: Wed 27 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1: Horse Chestnut (dbh 80cm) – fell due to bleeding canker. Woodmans Stoup Swan Hill Road Colyford Devon EX24 6QJRef. No: 24/0690/TCA | Validated: Wed 27 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Discharge of conditions for 20/0655/FUL : Condition 3 (materials) 11 Northview Road Budleigh Salterton EX9 6BZRef. No: 24/0678/DOC | Validated: Tue 26 Mar 2024 | Status: Unknown
• Conversion of semi-detached dwelling to 2no flats and a three en-suite bedroom HMO. Roof installation of three dormer windows, and solar panelling to south facing elevation 11 Townsend Avenue Seaton Devon EX12 2BERef. No: 24/0675/FUL | Validated: Thu 28 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Certificate of Proposed Lawful Development for a single storey rear extension51 Slade Close Ottery St Mary EX11 1SXRef. No: 24/0667/CPL | Validated: Mon 25 Mar 2024 | Status: Approved
• Discharge of condition for 23/2192/FUL: Condition 3 (samples of the external cladding and roof shingles). Fiddles Reach Preston Farm Upottery Honiton EX14 9PFRef. No: 24/0671/DOC | Validated: Mon 25 Mar 2024 | Status: Unknown
• Construction of loft conversion with dormers. 28 Marpool Hill Exmouth Devon EX8 1TDRef. No: 24/0670/FUL | Validated: Mon 25 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Outline permission sought (with all matters reserved other than access) for construction of a single storey dwelling Cory Hill Combe Raleigh Devon EX14 4TQRef. No: 24/0673/OUT | Validated: Mon 25 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1, Spruce : removal. T2, Lawsons Cypress : height reduction down to approximately 7m. T3, Holly : height reduction down to approximately 7m. Westering Elm Farm Lane Colyford Devon EX24 6QSRef. No: 24/0672/TCA | Validated: Tue 26 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1 – Oak: reduce limb, arising on south-west aspect at approximately 10m above ground level, by 3-4m, maximum diameter of cuts 75mm. Remove hanging branch overhanging road on south-east aspect. Land West Of Sherwood Drive ExmouthRef. No: 24/0653/TRE | Validated: Mon 25 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Permission in principle for 7-9 residential dwellings Land Off Hawkins Road Hillside Gardens Pinhoe ExeterRef. No: 24/0643/PIP | Validated: Tue 26 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Oak – crown reduction to bring the crown back in line with the existing trees. Also, to remove the failing limbs due to cracking and try to reduce the weight on the lower side (pruning cuts extent, as per annotated photograph). 20 Barnes Meadow Uplyme Devon DT7 3TDRef. No: 24/0635/TRE | Validated: Tue 26 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Demolition and replacement dwelling and garage with associated landscaping. Sea Chimneys Southdown Road Beer Devon EX12 3AERef. No: 24/0632/FUL | Validated: Thu 28 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of 1no new detached dwelling and garage with associated works, and ground mounted solar panels Land At Back Lane Newton Poppleford EX10 0DHRef. No: 24/0641/FUL | Validated: Wed 27 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• The works are the replacement of the existing roof and glazing forming the conservatory attached to the main building at Lakeview Manor. The new flat roof will be built from the existing walls which remain in the same location. Lakeview Manor Dunkeswell Devon EX14 4SHRef. No: 24/0620/FUL | Validated: Wed 27 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed agricultural farm building to store and take deliveries, and widened access Land East Of Gosford Road Gosford Road Ottery St Mary Devon EX11 1LXRef. No: 24/0619/FUL | Validated: Wed 27 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of single storey extension. 2 Warwick Close Feniton EX14 3DTRef. No: 24/0625/FUL | Validated: Tue 26 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed extension with retractable roof and walls. Longboat Cafe Marine Parade Budleigh Salterton Devon EX9 6NSRef. No: 24/0594/FUL | Validated: Tue 26 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Removal of existing internal boiler, construction of concrete base, installation of proposed new external floor mounted boiler and associated timber fence screen. Riverside Cottage Harcombe Sidmouth EX10 0PRRef. No: 24/0611/LBC | Validated: Thu 28 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Demolish existing barn, proposal for 1no dwellinghouse with detached garage/workshop, and associated works Upham Farm Farringdon Devon EX5 2HZRef. No: 24/0604/FUL | Validated: Wed 27 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Installation of solar panels on the roof of an outbuilding built within the curtilage of a listed building estate. Listed Building Consent has been granted on 22/2561/LBC Stoney Court Talaton Exeter EX5 2RJRef. No: 24/0601/FUL | Validated: Wed 27 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Removal of existing internal boiler, construction of concrete base, installation of proposed new external floor mounted boiler and associated timber fence screen. Riverside Cottage Harcombe Sidmouth EX10 0PRRef. No: 24/0610/FUL | Validated: Thu 28 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed porch and two strorey side extension to replace existing garage. 4 Cunningham Avenue Axminster Devon EX13 5HERef. No: 24/0561/FUL | Validated: Thu 28 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposal to demolish garage, construct single storey extension on north & west elevations, and a loft conversion 34 Honey Park Road Budleigh Salterton EX9 6EGRef. No: 24/0505/FUL | Validated: Thu 28 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Oak: crown raise by a minimum of 3m above ground level and reduce the crown to restore symmetry. Trevine Oakhayes Road Woodbury Devon EX5 1JTRef. No: 24/0482/TRE | Validated: Mon 25 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Agricultural building to be used for agricultural purposes Egremont Farm Payhembury EX14 3JARef. No: 24/0452/AGR | Validated: Thu 28 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed dormered loft extension, external works to increase rear patio and parking areas. 24 Woolbrook Park Sidmouth Devon EX10 9DURef. No: 24/0435/FUL | Validated: Mon 25 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposal for a new roof top dwelling including lift shaft and access. 30 Parade Exmouth EX8 1RWRef. No: 24/0442/FUL | Validated: Thu 28 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Removal and replacement of existing roof covering including increase in height Exmouth RNLI Station Queens Drive Exmouth Devon EX8 2AYRef. No: 24/0416/FUL | Validated: Tue 26 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Replace rooftiles with new on a like for like basis. Flat 4 Carlton Mansions The Esplanade Sidmouth EX10 8BERef. No: 24/0429/LBC | Validated: Tue 26 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Replacement single storey side and rear extension. Well House Clyst St Mary EX5 1BRRef. No: 24/0344/FUL | Validated: Wed 27 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Variation of condition 2 (approved plans) to allow re-positioning of hard surfacing for approved dwelling under planning permission 22/1045/FUL and variation of conditions and revised wording to conditions 6 (landscaping scheme), 8 (levels), 17 (Landscape and Ecological Management Plan, 18 Construction Traffic Management Plan), and 19 (Construction Environmental Management Plan) from pre-commencement to compliance conditions Cowley Barton Farm Cowley Devon EX5 5EJRef. No: 24/0324/VAR | Validated: Wed 27 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Demolish fire damaged single storey rear extension and replace with new single storey rear extension to enable level access from house to garden Manor Farm Payhembury Honiton EX14 3HLRef. No: 24/0268/FUL | Validated: Thu 28 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Revise the position of the external door in the north elevation of the annexe. S.19 amendment to approved application 23/1637/LBC. Dirks Garden Birchill Axminster EX13 7LFRef. No: 24/0193/LBC | Validated: Tue 26 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Front east elevation: replace 3no. windows (W1, W2 & W3) on ground floor and 4no. windows (W8, W9, W10 & W11). Side north elevation: replace 2no. windows on first floor (W12 & W13). Rear west elevation: replace 2no. windows (W6 & W7) on ground floor; replace 3no. windows on first floor (W14, W15 & W16) and 1no. door (Wd2). First floor: removal and construction of walls to create new bathroom and removal of cupboard. general refurbishment of shutters. Allerford Tappers Knapp Uplyme DT7 3TWRef. No: 23/2527/LBC | Validated: Tue 26 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Removal of cement render on front (north facing) 2 storey porch at first floor and re- rendering in lime, including repairs to the underlying structure and replacement of first floor window on east elevation. Wistaria Cottage High Street Newton Poppleford EX10 0EGRef. No: 23/2113/LBC | Validated: Mon 25 Mar 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision

Questions were raised if new pay-to-use public loos planned for Budleigh Salterton seafront could withstand ‘pebble dashing’ during storms.

Local Democracy Reporter eastdevonnews.co.uk

Budleigh Salterton is getting new-and-improved public loos on the seafront near Lime Kiln car park, writes local democracy reporter Will Goddard.

The current toilet block will be demolished, and when the replacement opens, users will have to pay 40p to spend a penny with a contactless payment card or phone.

Plans for the proposed new Budleigh seafront loos. Image: EDDC/Kendall Kingscott.

Refurbished in 2011, the current building is believed to date from the 1930s and features one disabled toilet and four unisex loos opening onto the coast path, as well as an external shower for beachgoers.

The new block will have fibre-cement timber-look cladding, painted metal doors in beach-hut colours and a flat roof with solar panels. It will have one disabled loo and four unisex toilets as before, but also a ‘Changing Places’ facility for people with severe disabilities, two outside showers, a bike rack, a water bottle refill point, and seating.

How the toilet block looks now. Image: EDDC.

When asked whether it could withstand pebbles dashing it during storms, Councillors were assured it would be “robust”

But Cllr Brian Bailey (Conservative, Exmouth Littleham) was not happy with the design, describing the new block as “hideous”. He said: “It’s completely out of keeping with buildings on the seafront.

“If you put a flat roof with solar panels on, some little darlings of Budleigh will be… having great fun leaping off the cliff onto the roof. It’ll be their latest sport. I think it’s absolutely unacceptable.”

By contrast, Cllr Anne Hall (Lib Dem, Exmouth Littleham) argued the flat roof was in keeping with nearby flat-roofed apartments.

An artist’s impression of the new Budleigh seafront loos, near the Lime Kiln car park. Image: EDDC/Kendall Kingscott.

The new Budleigh loos come as part of a wider East Devon District Council (EDDC) scheme to refurbish or rebuild 15 ‘category A’ public conveniences across the district at an estimated cost of £5 million.

Another 12 category B and C loos EDDC cannot afford to run have been offered for commercial operators to change them into cafes, takeaways or community hubs – although the public must still be able to go to the loo there – and also to town and parish councils to run in place of EDDC.

East Devon’s public toilets are ranked as follows:

Category A

West Street car park, Axminster    

Cliff Path (West End/Steamer), Budleigh Salterton

East End (Lime Kiln), Budleigh Salterton

Jubilee Gardens, Beer

Foxholes car park, Exmouth

Magnolia Centre (London Inn), Exmouth

Manor Gardens, Exmouth

Phear Park, Exmouth

Queens Drive, Exmouth

Lace Walk, Honiton

West Walk, Seaton

Connaught Gardens, Sidmouth

Triangle, Sidmouth

Market Place, Sidmouth

Ham car park (new site), Sidmouth

Categories B and C    

Orcombe Point, Exmouth    

The Maer, Exmouth

Imperial Road, Exmouth

Jarvis Close, Exmouth

Seaton Hole, Seaton

Harbour Road, Seaton

Marsh Road, Seaton

Brook Road, Budleigh Salterton

Station Road, Budleigh Salterton

Dolphin Street, Colyton

King Street, Honiton

Port Royal, Sidmouth

A brief history of the wanderings of our local “MP for Everywhere & Nowhere”

Nicholas Pegg

Even before the news broke about the bogus web links using @RichardFoordLD’s name to direct traffic to @simonjamesjupp’s campaign website, Mr Jupp’s enthusiasm for muscling in on Mr Foord’s territory was a matter of public record. Largely thanks to Mr Jupp’s own social media.

At the neglect of his real constituents in places such as Exmouth? – Owl

Nicholas Pegg

I have written today to my MP, @simonjamesjupp, regarding the unfolding story of the bogus web links which dishonestly used the name of Lib Dem MP @RichardFoordLD to direct voters to Mr Jupp’s campaign website.

To Simon Jupp, MP

House of Commons

London SW1A OAA

Monday, 8th April, 2024

Dear Mr Jupp,

In common with a great many people across the country, I have been following with interest the developing story regarding three web domains which were found to be appropriating the name of Tiverton & Honiton MP Richard Foord, your rival in the forthcoming general election, to mislead web users and direct them instead to your own campaign website.

Even before this story broke on Friday, your keen interest in Mr Foord’s constituency was well documented. It is a matter of public record that Mr Foord’s constituents have been targeted with ‘newsletter’ style campaign leaflets which misleadingly describe you as ‘local MP Simon Jupp’. Since the beginning of this year (and, I might add, notwithstanding your reproachful words in your last letter to me that prioritise urgent casework over letters drafted for attention on social media’), you have found time amid your urgent casework to use your own social media to publicise your visits and your support for local services and businesses in Cullompton, Colyton, Higher Wiscombe, Axmouth, Luppitt, Upottery, Honiton, Seaton, Beer, Branscombe, Broadhembury, Dalwood and Axminster. None of these towns and villages fall within your own constituency of East Devon. They are all in Mr Foord’s constituency. Needless to say, they will soon fall within the new constituency of Honiton & Sidmouth, which you and Mr Foord will both be contesting at the general election.

I understand that none of these shabby strategies – the misleading leaflets, the deceptive URLs, the time-consuming charm offensive in a neighbouring MP’s constituency while you chide your own constituents about ‘urgent casework’ – are in breach of electoral law, although goodness knows why not. But illegal or no, they amount to a pretty bad look for an MP who once wrote those uplifting words: ‘I am not afraid to stand up for what is right.’ In the case of the leaflets and the web domains, I’m sure you will agree that they’re more than just a bad look: they are underhand, deceitful, and quite staggeringly stupid.

In a brief statement yesterday to the BBC, you said that you were ‘not responsible for the web domains in Mr Foord’s name.’ That may certainly be considered a relief, but it falls far short of being an explanation. In fact, it raises more questions than it answers. Mr Jupp, if you are not responsible for the web domains, then who is? Who set up the misleading links? Who has now deleted them?

If these tactics were adopted on your behalf by members of your campaign team, but without your knowledge or approval, then you owe it to yourself and to your constituents to give a full and immediate explanation of exactly what has occurred, and who is responsible, and what disciplinary measures have been taken.

If, on the other hand, the actions were taken with your knowledge, then you know as well as I do that you owe considerably more than an explanation: not only to your own constituents, but also to Mr Foord’s constituents, and to the country.

We all look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

Nicholas Pegg

Paul Arnott: “As leader of East Devon District Council for the last four years, I have made it a priority at all times to make sure the council and all local politicians operate at the highest level of truthfulness and transparency.”

“At this stage it is not certain what has happened here, but I do think the absolute onus is on Simon Jupp to give a full, frank and immediate explanation of what has happened.”

Bradley Gerrard www.sidmouthherald.co.uk 

Three web domains in the name of a Liberal Democrat MP that redirected people to a Conservative rival’s website now appear to have been disconnected.

Pressure began growing on Simon Jupp (Conservative, East Devon) last week to explain why the web addresses – richardfoord.co.uk, richardfoord.com and richardfoord.uk – sent users to Mr Jupp’s website.

Mr Foord (Liberal Democrat, Tiverton and Honiton) will contest the new Honiton and Sidmouth seat against Mr Jupp at the forthcoming general election.

Now, just days after news of the web domains emerged in a national newspaper, they do not connect to Mr Jupp’s website.

A Google search for them still lists them as results, but the links are no longer active.

Mr Jupp said he was “not responsible for the web domains”, and the Electoral Commission said it is not an issue they will be looking into.

But Paul Arnott (Liberal Democrat, Coly Valley), the leader of East Devon District Council, an area currently represented by Mr Jupp, said it was up to the Conservative MP to explain what he thinks occurred.

“As leader of East Devon District Council for the last four years, I have made it a priority at all times to make sure the council and all local politicians operate at the highest level of truthfulness and transparency,” he said.

“At this stage it is not certain what has happened here, but I do think the absolute onus is on Simon Jupp to give a full, frank and immediate explanation of what has happened.”

A spokesperson for Mr Foord said: “When we talk to people across Mid and East Devon, they tell us they want their representatives to play it straight and be honest.

“Links that look genuine but simply redirect to Conservative websites only serve to arouse suspicion and undermine trust.

“People deserve better from their MP, and at the election they have a chance to demand better by voting Liberal Democrat.”

To editor of West Country Voices 

Dear Editor,

‘Disgusted’ doesn’t come close. Although even now I am still sometimes surprised by how badly these Tories behave, I am genuinely shocked at what Simon Jupp is up to.

Jupp, the Conservative elected as East Devon’s MP in 2019, is attempting to deceive voters by purloining – for his own purposes – the name of his strongest rival, the Lib Dem Richard Foord, in the run-up to the general election.

Some readers may recall that in the recent past, the Tories have produced election flyers with green print – not their usual trademark blue – and have been a little ‘shy’ to own up that they are campaigning for the Conservatives.

Now Simon Jupp is going one better – or rather, much lower.

Richard Foord is currently MP for the Tiverton and Honiton constituency; in 2022’s by-election he overturned the 24,000-odd majority of the previous incumbent, Neil Parish, the Conservative MP who resigned after being caught watching porn on his phone in the House of Commons. (No sniggering at the back!)

Jupp and Foord will almost certainly be going head-to-head for the new seat which will result from boundary changes and will be known as Honiton and Sidmouth; because of the boundary changes it’s expected to be a tight race and Jupp presumably feels that anything goes.

So if you google ‘richardfoord.co.uk’, ‘richardfoord.uk’ or ‘richardfoord.com’, you are directed not to a webpage from Richard Foord, but to Jupp’s own website. Readers might not credit the sheer brazenness of it and I’d suggest they try it – but I don’t want Jupp’s page to get the hits.

inews reported Jupp’s piece of trickery on 5 April 2024 and also detailed other instances where the Tories – who couldn’t lie straight in bed – have played dirty. In the leaflet for her campaign to be re-elected in May, Devon’s current Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez somehow fails to mention that she is a Conservative. I can understand why she might not wish to be too closely identified with the national party Tories at present, but surely this omission is just deceitful?

Unfortunately, the stratagems employed by Jupp and his ilk are not illegal. Sly, yes. Dishonourable, yes. Insolent, undoubtedly. But not outwith the law.

I feel particularly strongly about this because I live in the constituency and Richard Foord is my MP. For the first time in my adult life, I am lucky enough to have an MP who I feel broadly represents my values and who will try to mitigate some of the damage caused by Conservative policies. Moreover, in another refreshing change, I see my MP constantly working for his constituents: Foord is always visible, always busy. I want him to remain as my MP after the election. I don’t want a Tory MP again and I especially don’t want Jupp.

I want an MP with integrity. Is that too much to ask?

Constituent,

Axminster

Is the British staycation boom over? Short-term holiday rentals experienced a surge in recent years, especially during the pandemic, when Britons stayed at home in the UK, leading to a spike in rates.

Suzanne Bearne www.theguardian.com 

However, holiday-let owners across the UK are reporting a significant fall in bookings so far this year as the sector feels the effects of the cost of living crisis, poor weather and an increasingly saturated market.

Helen Angove, 58, managing director of Woodland Collection Holidays in Townshend, Cornwall, about 10 miles from tourist hotspot St Ives, said demand in January and February fell by about 80% across her four three-bedroom holiday lets on the same period last year. “This year we had hardly any bookings at all in January or February. March and April bookings are down 20%.”

She attributes much of the sluggish demand to the poor weather. “So many [people] are fed up with the wet weather. They are going abroad to get some sunshine. The second big factor is the massive oversupply of holiday lets. A lot of people thought they could make easy money because of what happened during Covid.”

Data supplied from AirDNA, which tracks listings on holiday rental sites Airbnb and Vrbo, found 342,000 short-term lets available in the UK in the 12 months to February 2024, up 19% on the previous year. New listings for homes in the UK jumped 22% year on year in 2023, while new apartment listings increased by 16%.

Yvonne Turnbull, 58, who lives in Horsham, West Sussex, has been letting out a three-bedroom apartment in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, for between £150 and £175 a night, including through Airbnb, for the past six years.

She said demand was significantly down on previous years, with no bookings for January, February or March, including half-term, and fewer bookings over Easter. Turnbull said Scarborough was now oversupplied with holiday lets. “When we started there were about 200 Airbnbs in the town. Now you’re looking at 1,000.”

Nor is the problem limited to seaside destinations. Veeve, which offers short-term rentals, has seen a 21% drop in booking values across its London portfolio of more than 500 properties from January to 19 March since the same period last year.

The lack of bookings is another hit to the holiday-let industry after the government announced increased regulation and the end of tax relief from April 2025 in last month’s budget. New controls on holiday lets in England will be introduced this summer, including a mandatory national registration scheme and councils being given greater powers if they want to use them to control short-term lets by making them subject to the planning process.

Martin Dunford, founder of accommodation site Cool Places, said inquiries for UK self-catering accommodation were slightly down on last year but higher than before the pandemic. “We are finding that people are more careful. They have less money, tend to book later, watch the weather and try to get more for their money.”

Miriam Vanags, 60, and her husband have run a one-bedroom holiday cottage on their 18-acre smallholding in St Clears, Wales, for the past 17 years. She said people were demanding a lot more for their money. “They expect more of a hotel experience. Now we see a huge number of requests for hot tubs and wood burners, which seem to be deal breakers. Trends change.”

She added: “We have considered long-term letting and that is something we may revisit. Selling up may become a necessity, depending on whether things pick up.”

Mr Jupp told the BBC he was “not responsible for the web domains”.

Not exactly a condemnation and did we ever think Simon Jupp was tech savvy enough to set the links up all by himself? 

It looks like the links have now mysteriously disappeared though they were active yesterday – Owl

By Miles Davis www.bbc.co.uk

Questions are being asked of a Conservative MP over people being redirected to his website.

Simon Jupp, East Devon Conservative MP, will stand in the new constituency of Honiton and Sidmouth.

Two MPs in Devon, Conservative Simon Jupp and Richard Foord, Liberal Democrat, will go head to head in the general election in a new constituency.

It emerged anyone typing in RichardFoord.uk, RichardFoord.co.uk or RichardFoord.com would be redirected to Mr Jupp’s site.

Mr Jupp told the BBC he was “not responsible for the web domains”.

Richard Foord is currently MP for Tiverton and Honiton

Mr Foord, MP for Honiton and Tiverton, said: “When we talk to people across Mid and East Devon, they tell us they want their representatives to play it straight and be honest.

“Links that look genuine but simply redirect to Conservative websites only serve to arouse suspicion and undermine trust.

“People deserve better from their MP, and at the election they have a chance to demand better by voting Liberal Democrat.”

Mr Jupp is currently the MP for East Devon but will be the Conservative candidate standing against Mr Foord in a new constituency of Honiton and Sidmouth introduced due to boundary changes.

He told the BBC he was “not responsible for the web domains in Mr Foord’s name” which link to his own website.

The Electoral Commission said it would not be looking into what had happened.

A spokesperson said: “There is nothing in electoral law concerning the use of website domain names by candidates.

“The content of campaign material does not fall within our regulatory remit so it wouldn’t be for us to investigate.”

Social Media

James O’Brien

He’ll be 2019 intake. You don’t even need to check. The people who watched the lying & cheating of Brexit & Boris Johnson & decided that was the life for them. God only knows what sort of flotsam will get on to the candidates list this time round.

Marina Purkiss

Dear @simonjamesjupp, How is it that the URLs for Lib Dem candidate http://richardfoord.uk, http://richardfoord.co.uk and http://richardfoord.com all link directly to your website? Not a good look Are you, your staff or anyone you know responsible for this? Helpful to know

So that’s another half million “views” to imprint the current Tory desperation! – Owl

Devon will need to go further in tackling its housing challenges to make sure communities thrive, possibly even adopting radical policies to ban second homes.

That’s according to the chair of the Devon Housing Task Force, Cllr Mandy Ewings.

Alison Stephenson, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk

She leads a cross-party group of councillors across Devon’s 11 local authorities on the task force, set up in 2022 in response to the county’s housing crisis. Cllr Ewigns said problems are vast, not least with 11,000 second homes in the county, the rising number of empty homes and not enough affordable homes being built.

She hopes a new report by the Devon Housing Commission, due to be published in July, will trigger improvements.

The commission, set up by the task force, is made up of experts, parliamentarians, councillors and academics from the University of Exeter. It has been tasked with making a strong case to present to the government on how to approach the many housing issues, including homelessness.

The commission is lobbying the government for measures to control the growth of short-term lettings because it is claimed they lead to a shortage of homes for local people.

The commission believes switching from long-term to short-term lets is a key reason for the fall of 50 per cent in private lettings across the county, and by as much as 67 per cent in North Devon alone between 2019 and 2021.

The short-term lettings phenomenon is also affecting would-be homeowners, where landlords purchasing properties for short-term letting are pricing out local first-time buyers, it said.

Cllr Ewings (Ind, Tavistock South West), leader of West Devon Borough Council, said the county needs to get tougher on second-home ownership.

Along with many other local authorities in the county, West Devon is doubling council tax on second homes from April next year,

It wants the additional money raised ring-fenced to address housing challenges in the area, including building more homes that are affordable for local residents.

The move is expected to lead to some second homeowners selling properties, renting them out, or making them their main residence.

Cllr Ewings said she believed if people could afford to buy second homes, hitting their pocket with a 100 per cent increase in council tax was not likely to have much effect.

“I just don’t think people should come here with their Citybank bonuses and spend it on a property,” she said.

“We are communities, we need to be able to live as communities and at the moment it is so so difficult for families to be able to find a home. They want their lives to be in the same spot rather than packing their bags every six months to move somewhere else.

“One in five properties in Salcombe is a second home. Even in West Devon, one in 12 properties is a second home. It is affecting us all in one way or another.”

Salcombe had the most expensive seaside homes in the UK last year with the average cost of a property being £1.2 million.

“Developers say they will build in Salcombe, the £1 million houses that is, and tell us they will give us the money to deliver affordable homes elsewhere. They don’t want to build them in Salcombe.

“That is not morally right, it’s creating an artificial community, an artificial place… It has as all the yachts bobbing in the sea, but there are no local people on the ground to keep that town alive.”

Cllr Ewings continued: “I would like to hope we can go further to protect our communities. We could always join the St Ives policy, where no newbuilds can be second homes and the homes can only be bought or rented by people who have a very strong connection with the town.”

She added that £8 million for homes if the government approves devolution for Devon and Torbay could potentially attract more money from Homes England to be used “where it is needed the most”. The Devon Housing Task Force would “have a voice” in how this money was distributed.

Other ideas includ landowners being encouraged to “do deals” with councils to give over parts of their fields for affordable homes on the basis that they could build some open market housing.

More community lands trusts, which are democratic, non-profit organisations that own and develop land for the community, would be encouraged, and planning policies looked into to see how best they could allow more local needs homes in the countryside, she added.

Cllr Ewings said councils should stand strong against developers who often ask for the number of affordable homes to be reduced because of viability issues. She added: “We understand that developers need to make profits but they don’t need to make such vast profits on occasions. If it is not viable, don’t do it, that’s my personal view.”

See yesterday’s post for details.

A spokesperson for Mr Foord said: “When we talk to people across Mid and East Devon, they tell us they want their representatives to play it straight and be honest.

“Links that look genuine but simply redirect to Conservative websites only serve to arouse suspicion and undermine trust.

“People deserve better from their MP, and at the election they have a chance to demand better by voting Liberal Democrat.”

Carol Vorderman on “X” under heading: DIRTY ELECTION TACTICS?

Dear @simonjamesjupp

The URLs of http://richardfoord.uk, http://richardfoord.co.uk and http://richardfoord.com all link directly to your website (I have screen recorded all links incase someone attempts to delete).  Have you been aware of this? And are you, your staff or anyone you know responsible for this?

Yours

Carol V (who you seem to have inadvertently blocked even though I’d never heard of you before now)

And Simon Jupp himself who according to the Exmouth Journal “has not yet commented on this.”

Martin Shaw writes:

A de facto cross-party coalition is building up around Richard Foord, our Liberal Democrat MP, to be re-elected for the new Honiton & Sidmouth constituency, which includes Seaton. Last month the Labour candidate, Jake Bonetta, urged local members to go to Plymouth to campaign in the General Election, rather than campaigning here (although Labour will still be fighting for council seats and the police/crime commissioner).

Now Henry Gent, the Green candidate, has said on Twitter that Honiton/Sidmouth members should go to Bristol to help win the Greens a second MP. Labour, Greens, and Independents like me – we all agree it’s essential to keep the Tories and Simon Jupp out, and get Richard Foord back in. It’s the best way for us to be involved in the big change that the election will bring.

Council has Exmouth’s back – Tim  reminisces on “times past” under the “Old Guard” in EDDC  

Paul Arnott’s comment on Town Council meetings reminds me of the fights we had with the old EDDC over transparency. At one time the EDDC meetings about The Splash/Sideshore, or as I prefer to call it, Cohen’s Folly, was restricted to a small group of people who held their meetings in private and initially didn’t produce or publish proper minutes. It took quite a bit of argument to change that, to get minutes made and published, and more general transparency. I recall the EDDC officer running the matter publishing draft minutes by accident once, and when challenged, they produced a final record with some interesting differences.

It is worth comparing an EDDC that records and publishes many of it’s meetings on YouTube, making access easier to all who may want it, to the old EDDC. I remember when Williams, Diviani, Moulding and others were running the show and government allowed any council who so wanted, to allow citizen reporting and filming of public meetings. The old EDDC wouldn’t have any of it, we had to wait until government obliged councils to allow such recording, and even then EDDC tried to curtail it by asking for notice (a condition that was not a requirement by gov).

Yes, Exmouth seems to be split on everying you care to ask its citizens about. Some do a bit of digging, others show no interest until someone raises it on Facebook and then asks about why didn’t they know about it. And of course there is a hard core who say you will never change anything in Exmouth- I think they may still be unaware that things have changed considerably, not least in matters of transparency and what group runs the council.

Knowing Paul pretty well, and bearing his comments about Romans and watching our back, I am quite certain I shall never need to say to him “Et Tu Brute?”

Sign of desperation in the local Tory party – Owl

A Conservative MP in Devon has been accused of deceiving voters by using internet addresses in a Lib Dem opponent’s name that direct web users to his own campaign website.

David Parsley inews.co.uk

Three web domains that purport to link to websites connected to the Liberal Democrat candidate for the new seat of Honiton and Sidmouth do, in fact, direct people to the campaign website of Tory MP Simon Jupp, i has found.

Mr Jupp, the current MP for East Devon, and Richard Foord, the Lib Dem MP for Tiverton and Honiton, have both seen their constituencies abolished under boundary changes and they are fighting what is expected to be a tight race in the new seat.

When i visited the richardfoord.uk, richardfoord.co.uk and richardfoord.com web addresses, they all linked directly to Mr Jupp’s website.

It is not known who bought the internet addresses as ownership records currently point to a web domain-buying site based in Worcestershire.

A spokesman for Mr Foord said: “When we talk to people across Mid and East Devon, they tell us they want their representatives to play it straight and be honest.

“Links that look genuine but simply redirect to Conservative websites only serve to arouse suspicion and undermine trust.

“People deserve better from their MP, and at the election they have a chance to demand better by voting Liberal Democrat.”

Simon Jupp (right), the current Conservative MP for East Devon, and Richard Foord (left), the Lib Dem MP for Tiverton and Honiton, have both seen their constituencies abolished under boundary changes and they are fighting what is expected to be a tight race in the new seat of Honiton and Sidmouth

Mr Foord, who overturned a huge Tory majority in Tiverton and Honiton following the resignation of Tory MP Neil Parish after he was found to have watched pornography in the House of Commons, has the official website address of richardfoord.org.uk.

According to political forecasting website Electoral Calculus Mr Jupp has a 54 per cent chance of winning the Honiton and Sidmouth seat, while Mr Foord is nine points behind on 45 per cent.

Web domains are inexpensive to buy and easy to direct to any website as long as no one has already bought the name.

For example, domain names ending in .uk can cost as little at £10 a year, with the first year coming in at less than £1. A co.uk domain will cost around the same amount and a .com address tends to be a little more expensive at around £18 a year.

Once the web domain name is owned it is a simple process to redirect it to any other website already in existence.

If someone wants to buy a domain that is already tkaen, they can steps to find the owner and negotiate a price.

The redirection of websites in an opponent’s name appear to be a new front in the campaign publicity wars that have long been a part of UK elections.

With the 2 May local elections approaching and a general election expected later this year, campaign leaflets from all parties have begun appearing though voters’ letterboxes.

In recent elections the unpopularity of Conservative candidates in some areas of the country has led to its candidates withholding which party they represent from their campaign material.

All the major parties, including Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party, have accused each other of disguising their leaflets at recent elections.

At last year’s local elections the Lib Dems called for an inquiry into Conservative flyers that claimed voters did not require ID to cast their ballot despite rules coming in for the first time demanding acceptable forms of identity at polling stations.

And in the South West of England the incumbent Tory police commissioner has issued flyers that do not state that she is the Conservative Candidate.

Alison Hernandez, the Police and Crime Commission for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, sent out flyers earlier this week boasting of the improvements that had been made under her leadership, but failed to mention she will be the Conservative candidate when she stands again next month.

A spokesman for the Electoral Commission suggested the directing of the domain names to Mr Jupp’s website did not break any election law.

He said: “There is nothing in electoral law concerning the use of website domain names by candidates.

“The content of campaign material does not fall within our regulatory remit so it wouldn’t be for us to investigate.”

Mr Jupp and the Conservative Party were contacted for comment.