Category Archives: Misc

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Planning applications validated by EDDC for week beginning 15 April

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1 May 2024

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‘I explore Exmouth’s first Gate to Plate Festival’

Hard to believe, but the “Old Guard” Tory administration was so focussed on development that it placed little or no emphasis on tourism. For example, leaving Dorset to run the WHS Jurassic Coast bid.

Paul Arnott on redressing the balance. – Owl

Paul Arnott ,

I’ve often been involved in discussions with local people about whether East Devon has a distinct identity, compared say to other parts of the county. This matters when it comes to thinking about tourism strategies, and that matters because of the huge role tourism plays in the district’s economy.

To many, the identities of, for example, Torbay, or the South Hams, or Dartmoor are clear. They can be pointed to on a map. To me, East Devon, the largest district by population, is pretty clear too. To the south, the Jurassic Coast from Axmouth to Exmouth, the Axe and the Exe estuaries defining east to west, with the Blackdown Hills drawing most of the northern boundary to the M5 and a small part also to the north of Exeter.

At East Devon we have a superb Economy team which has worked up a valuable tourism strategy, all of it underpinned by the desire to promote our unique local offer and benefit the district’s economy. Last weekend on the Strand in Exmouth, we were involved in staging a bit of a triumph, and because the joy of democracy means the council has to accept regular punches on the chin, I’m unashamed in promoting this to show just how much good an ambitious council can sometimes achieve.

The event was the first ever Exmouth Gate to Plate all-day festival, which I was delighted to see was getting rave reviews from Exmouth people on social media almost instantly and for the rest of the day. Food providers from Devon and beyond set up dozens of stalls, selling everything from bread to doughnuts, teas to kombucha, lots for veggies and vegans, but plenty for carnivores too.

The Strand was buzzing, a great crowd, lovely atmosphere, families and singles wandering from stall to stall and sitting down to eat their purchases at some tables in the middle. Of huge significance, despite understandable apprehension by local traders, was that those who chose to open also did very well. Many locals said to me that this was the kind of event the Strand was made for, and it was hard to disagree. There was almost a sense of civic pride that Exmouth felt like the perfect host for an aspirational occasion such as this. Bar the threat of drizzle around lunchtime, even the weather played its part.

Of course, events like this don’t just fall from the sky. At East Devon we’ve been piloting them for a few years, first at Honiton, then for the first-time last year at Axminster. Indeed, a date for your diaries, Axminster goes again on Bank Holiday Monday 26th May. I was there last year and that was a joy too. I’ll be there again on the 26th (note to self: also wedding anniversary that day).

In Exmouth I was delighted to have a long discussion with Bev Milner Simonds, one of the two geniuses at the Eat Festivals organisation which brings these events together and who East Devon brought in to run it for us. Her passion for these events, the joy and fun they bring, and the serious role they can play in shifting the needle on a community’s civic self-confidence, was inspirational, and her company, run with her wife Sarah, has a stunning record across towns in the region.

As I said in an online comment, it’s a relief to be writing about Exmouth and for it not to be about South West Water or disputed planning applications for a change. It’s lovely to have a bit of good news. A proud day for all concerned.

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Lack of public support to close an underground subway scuppers traffic reduction plans for Exmouth town centre

“Destination Exmouth” levelling up project gets a well deserved thumbs down from residents. 

To Owl this has always looked like a “Big Brother knows best” project driven more by its glossy brochure potential in winning funds, using buzz-phrases such as “Gateways and Destination Exmouth” than actually satisfying a local need. Levelling up is more than this.

Worth recalling the words of Simon Jupp MP in January 2023: “….I’m really looking forward to seeing spades in the ground as quickly as possible. This new multi-million-pound investment will improve journeys in Exmouth, improve air quality, and help spruce up the area around the train station.”

Did he ever speak to “real” people in Exmouth? – Owl

Plans to reduce traffic in Exmouth town centre are set to be scrapped after scores of residents failed to support the closure of a subway.

eastdevonnews.co.uk

Devon County Council (DCC) has announced the proposals are in doubt because Councillors have been urged to terminate the Exmouth Gateway plans after failing to win public backing.

The county council said The Dinan Way Extension – which proposes to provide a link to the A376, moving traffic away from residential roads in the area – was not expected to be impacted if the gateway plans were scrapped, but added the go-ahead must come from the Government.

Devon County Council said plans fill in the underground subway near the railway station – in a bid to widen the pavement and ‘improve the experience for people arriving in Exmouth’ – had been rejected by the majority of those taking part in two public consultations.

A Devon County Council spokesman said: “The Dinan Way Extension, which proposes to provide a link to the A376 and move traffic away from residential roads in the area, is not expected to be impacted if the gateway scheme is not undertaken, although it is still to be confirmed with the Department for Transport.”

He added: “Devon County Council is working closely with the Department for Transport to understand the financial implications of not progressing the gateway scheme.”

Devon County Council’s spokesman said recommendations will go before Devon County Council’s Cabinet next week (Wednesday, May 8) calling on Councillors not to proceed with proposed active travel improvements near Exmouth railway station.

The DCC spokesman said: “The “Exmouth Gateway” proposals had been planned to be part of the Destination Exmouth Levelling Up Fund improvements for the town, which also includes an extension to Dinan Way.

“The gateway scheme, which aimed to reduce the amount of traffic in the town centre and improve the experience for people arriving in Exmouth, included plans to close the subway near the railway station to enable widening of the shared pedestrian and cycle path in this area and changing the zebra crossing to one with traffic signals.

“Among other improvements, it also proposed to introduce a new zebra crossing outside The Strand Inn, a pedestrian crossing on The Royal Avenue, and widening of the footpath to the leisure centre.

“However, during two rounds of public consultation, the majority of respondents did not support the closure of the subway.

“Without the additional space provided by the infilling and closure of the subway and its ramps, it’s not possible to deliver the other active travel improvements.

“This has led to the recommendation to remove the Exmouth Gateway proposals from the Destination Exmouth scheme.”

Devon County Council successfully submitted a bid to the Government’s Levelling Up Fund for £15.765 million for its Destination Exmouth improvements.

Devon County Council, East Devon District Council and Exmouth Town Council had agreed to contribute £1.752 million to the plans.

Councillor Andrea Davis, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport, said: “This is brilliant news for the people of Exmouth and a boost to the town’s regeneration. It will not only enable Devon County Council to complete the Dinan Way link road which will reduce traffic going through the centre, but also fund improved walking and cycling routes, and bus services to Exeter. A big thank you goes to Simon Jupp, the Member of Parliament for East Devon, who has worked tirelessly to support this project. I want also to thank the team at Devon County Council who put such a compelling bid together.” 

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Latest National Press coverage of Jo Bateman’s legal challenge, its support and aims

Swimmer tries to start a wave of legal actions

A wild swimmer taking legal action over sewage pollution wants to “open the floodgates” for other citizens to fight water companies (Adam Vaughan writes in yesterday’s print edition of the Times)

Jo Bateman, a retired physiotherapist in Exmouth, was unable to swim for a ten-day period last year because of raw sewage being spilt by South West Water on the town’s beach.

Bateman, 62, had previously brought a small claims court challenge against the company, which she admitted she did not expect to win. But her case has now been boosted by the support of the law firm Leigh Day and the non-profit Good Law Project.

“It’s a game-changer.

Having the backing of a law firm experienced in this area of law has to hugely increase my chances of winning,” Bateman said.

She added: “For me, it isn’t about the winning as such, it’s really not about the money. If we win, that will really properly open the floodgates for other people to do the same.”

A burst pipe just before New Year’s Eve led to untreated sewage being discharged into the sea and 240 lorry loads of sewage a day being transported through the Devon town.

In her claim, Bateman argues that not being able to swim during the ten days amounted to a loss of amenity, meaning a reduction in the quality of a person’s life. She said: “To have a consecutive period like that has a real impact on my mental health. G-ing in that cold sea is such a boost to my mental health, it’s so meditative. So when I can’t do that, I can feel myself not feeling so great mentally.”

She said that last year there had been more than 120 days she couldn’t swim because online maps reported sewage spills, and she always allowed 48 hours after a discharge ended.

With Leigh Day’s help her challenge has been redrafted to focus more on the ten-day period. Bateman could win as little as £60 in compensation but she hoped it would cause bigger ripples. “I want to see all the water companies not paying massive dividends to shareholders … I want to see more money going into infrastructure and maintenance,” she said.

Her case is part of a wider drive by campaigners and lawyers to use the courts to force companies to take more action on water quality.

Leigh Day is also representing Carolyn Roberts, of Gresham College in London, who is trying to win compensation for the customers of several water companies she alleges have underreported sewage spills. Her claims are going through the competition appeal tribunal.

The firm is also bringing a multi-party action against Tesco’s main chicken supplier, Avara Foods, over the impact of chicken farms’ pollution on the River Wye. If successful it could lead to a payout for locals.

A recent YouGov poll of 2,000 adults found that only 14 per cent were likely to swim in rivers and seas this summer in light of headlines about sewage pollution — 73 per cent said it was unlikely.

The Times’s Clean It Up campaign has been calling for better real-time information about sewage spills and faster, greater investment to improve water company infrastructure.

South West Water was contacted for comment.

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Breaking: Jo Bateman backed by “Good Law Project”

Holding South West Water to account – Good Law Project

Jo Bateman couldn’t go swimming after a water company sent tankers to release a flood of sewage. We’re supporting her legal action.

Jo Bateman tries to swim in the sea off Exmouth every day, because of the huge benefits to her physical and mental health. But in December 2023 this retired physiotherapist couldn’t get into the water for 10 days straight, after a pipe burst and South West Water started driving a fleet of lorries full of untreated sewage to a pumping station that was already overflowing.

Ten tankers transported up to three million litres of untreated sewage a day for the next three days. But they didn’t take it to a nearby sewage treatment works, where it could have been processed. They didn’t take it to sewage treatment works outside Exmouth. They didn’t even take it to a pumping station 2km up the road – a pumping station which wasn’t already overflowing. All of these options could have prevented the spillage, but they likely would have been more expensive. Instead, South West Water drove this untreated sewage straight to a pumping station that was already spilling sewage into the sea, making it unsafe to swim off the beach at Exmouth for 10 days.

We’re supporting Jo in her legal action against South West Water.

Good Law Project is powered by people across the UKDonate now

“I’m bringing this case because I’ve simply had enough,” Jo said, “and I feel there is no other option available to me for holding South West Water properly to account.”

But “it’s not just about me,” she continued, “the sea belongs to all of us, and there are many, many other people who are also prevented from using the sea as they would like”.

The water companies’ behaviour is “simply unacceptable” Jo added. “In the 21st century we can land a spacecraft on Mars. Why can’t we have a sewage system that disposes of our waste without polluting the rivers and oceans?”

Environment Agency data paints a picture of a country swimming in sewage. Latest figures show that South West Water discharged sewage into local rivers and waterways for a staggering 530,737 hours in 2023, an 83% increase on 2022.

Storm overflows should only be used in an emergency, such as during exceptionally heavy rainfall, but when water companies put profit above people our seas and rivers are closed off.

For Good Law Project’s executive director, Jo Maugham, this scandal can’t go on.

“It’s shocking how little water companies have to care about the destruction they wreak on our stunning natural heritage and the lives of people who wish to enjoy it,” Maugham said. “We want this case to change that.”

According to water experts, the flood of sewage sweeping the country is the result of a decade of failures by Tory ministers to tackle the problem. Government inaction and underfunded regulation have allowed water companies to get away with environmental vandalism.

We can’t allow our rivers, waterways and seas to continue being poisoned by pollution. We can’t stand by as swimmers get sick and lose their right to swim. And we can’t sit back as the dirty money made by water companies destroys the natural environment for us and for future generations.

It’s time for the government to take action, so that water companies are forced to clean up their act and we can all enjoy our right to swim. 

Sign the petition

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Richard Foord shines light on cancer patients forced into self-dentistry

Cancer patients are resorting to self-dentistry due to the lack of access to NHS dentistry. The situation has been brought to light by Richard Foord MP, the Liberal Democrat representative for Tiverton and Honiton at a House of Commons debate on Wednesday, April 17.

Lewis Clarke www.devonlive.com 

Foord, who has been in office for nearly two years, says he has frequently received complaints about the difficulty of accessing NHS dentistry.

He said, “It is common across the country for someone to have difficulty accessing new NHS dentists if they are not already registered, but that is particularly difficult in some parts of the country, including in Devon, which is often regarded by many as a so-called ‘dental desert’.”

The government has proposed one-off incentives to attract qualified dentists to these dental deserts. However, Foord argues that this is insufficient as there is no long-term incentive for dentists to move into these areas. This issue is particularly concerning for cancer patients, for whom regular dental check-ups are crucial due to the weakening of their bones and teeth from treatment and medication.

Foord shared the story of his constituent, Robin Whatling, a 55-year-old advanced cancer patient from Tiverton. Robin’s wife, Sharon, contacted Foord last December, recounting their distressing experience.

“After booking a check-up, he received an abrupt phone call just a few days before it was due to happen. He was informed that the practice was no longer treating NHS patients and that if he wanted to go ahead with his appointment, he would need to go private. That is clearly a massive issue for a couple like Robin and Sharon.

“Due to Robin’s vulnerable state, Sharon has had to go part-time to become his carer. That means that she is not able to work the hours that she used to, which would have possibly afforded her more money to pay for private healthcare treatment.

“Instead, the couple pursued the idea of finding an NHS dentist. They were held on the phone for three hours before being cut off. In the end it all became too much, and Rob ended up removing one of the teeth that was causing him pain by himself at home. I do not need to tell the House that that is a shocking, appalling situation to have to contend with while suffering advanced cancer.

“Despite years of working hard and paying into the system, this couple are now left adrift with no support or access to dental care. In some of the correspondence that Members receive, we have constituents who rage at us with anger, but this couple approached me with great modesty and humility. They absolutely were not seeking to score any sort of political point. They just wanted to let me know, in a very factual way, the experience of a rural couple contending with cancer and trying to find NHS dentistry on the state.

He explained that The British Dental Association has revealed that oral cancer is one of the fastest-growing types of cancer, killing more people than car accidents every day. Dentists play a key role in diagnosis and referral, and early diagnosis can significantly increase survival rates.

Foord stated, “Let us say it as it is: NHS dentistry is in crisis. It is another example of the Government continuing to let people down and stand by as our vital services crumble. The NHS dental budget has been cut in real terms by £1 billion while the Conservatives have been in power. That is a shocking legacy of neglect.”

In response, Dame Andrea Leadsom, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, acknowledged the challenges in Devon and announced the forthcoming introduction of a mobile dental van for the area. She also highlighted that only around 57% of commissioned units of dental activity are actually undertaken by dentists in the area.

Leadsom outlined the steps taken to improve access to dentistry across the country since the publication of their recovery plan on 7 February. The plan aims to create around 2.5 million additional NHS appointments and increase the minimum value of a unit of dental activity to £28. It also includes initiatives to bring dental care to isolated communities and increase the dental workforce.

Despite these measures, the struggle of cancer patients like Robin and Sharon underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive reform of NHS dental care. Mr Foord said: “I urge the Minister, for the sake of Rob, Sharon and everyone who is trapped in a situation like this, to take on board the urgency of the issue of NHS dental care for cancer patients and those who might become cancer patients.”

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Major expansion of Cranbrook given green light

Plans to expand a town with the creation of more than 1,400 homes and two schools have been given the green light.

Angela Ferguson BBC News

The development of Cranbrook near Exeter, which has been approved by East Devon District Council (EDDC), will also include the creation of a neighbourhood centre, green space and a place of worship and cemetery.

Plans for 10 permanent pitches for gypsies and travellers have also been approved.

Ed Freeman, assistant planning director, said the development would provide “much-needed homes for people in East Devon”, along with key facilities such as schools, shops and play areas.

The development will be the first expansion of the town since it was created more than 13 years ago, EDDC has said.

The town is set to get a new three-form entry primary school along with a special educational needs school.

Mr Freeman said the planning permission meant “important facilities such as new schools, shops and play areas” would be provided.

‘Population of 20,000’

“We look forward to seeing the town continue to grow, bolstering the strong sense of community that Cranbrook has fostered over the past 11 years,” he added.

The Cranbrook Plan was adopted in October 2022 and sets out how it will accommodate a population of about 20,000 people.

The plan sets out that low carbon development must be used, with financial contributions made to key Cranbrook facilities.

A council spokesperson said the development would see over £4m contributed towards projects including a new health and wellbeing centre, leisure centre, fire station and improvements to London Road to make it more suitable for people walking and cycling.

They added that Devon County Council had been successful in a bid to the Department for Education for funding to build and open the new special educational needs school on the site.

Three other planning applications for Cranbrook’s expansion look set to see a further 2,085 homes built in the town, along with another primary school, sports pitches, open space, play areas, allotments and neighbourhood centres.

These planning applications are to be issued once legal agreements are finalised, the council added.

Persimmon Homes has been given outline planning permission to build new homes at Cranbrook Cobdens.

The company’s managing director for the South West, Daniel Heathcote said: “Throughout the planning process for Cranbrook Cobdens, we have worked closely with officers and stakeholders at East Devon District Council to ensure that our homes complement and enhance the local area.”

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Richard Foord on “Tories blew £1.1m on levelling up adverts rather than actually levelling up”

See www.mirror.co.uk

Richard Foord MP writes on “X”

The Govt have got their priorities all wrong. Towns like Cullompton & Seaton have seen their levelling-up bids rejected repeatedly, while Ministers spent huge sums bragging about the scheme. This is galling for communities across rural Devon.

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Ed Davey calls for return of ‘family doctor’ by giving over-70s named GP

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has set out plans to give everyone over 70 and those with long-term health conditions access to a named GP.

Sophie Wingate www.independent.co.uk

The policy would affect around 18.7 million people in this cohort, who have been found to benefit the most from having continuity of care.

The party pointed to British Medical Journal research showing that people who had kept the same GP for more than 15 years had a 25% lower chance of dying than those with a GP relationship lasting a year or less.

The Lib Dems are also campaigning for 8,000 more GPs to be recruited in response to a “crisis” in general practice waiting times.

Sir Ed said: “Years of neglect and broken promises under this Conservative government have left people struggling to see their local GP when they need to. It is piling pressure on to overcrowded hospitals and meaning patients with easily preventable and treatable conditions aren’t getting the rapid care they need.

“We want to see the return of the family doctor, so patients with long-term care needs see the same GP and don’t have to waste time repeating their details from scratch at every appointment.

“This would provide vital personalised care for those who need it most, helping people lead healthier lives, independently in their own homes wherever possible.”

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Are you ready for the next Tory policy driven economic crash?

Thames Water collapse could trigger Truss-style borrowing crisis, Whitehall officials fear

Senior Whitehall officials fear Thames Water’s financial collapse could trigger a rise in government borrowing costs not seen since the chaos of the Liz Truss mini-budget, the Guardian can reveal.

Anna Isaac www.theguardian.com (Extract)

Such is their concern about the impact on wider borrowing costs for the UK, even beyond utilities and infrastructure, that they believe Thames should be renationalised before the general election.

Officials in the Treasury and the UK’s Debt Management Office fear that, unless the UK’s biggest water company is renationalised as soon as possible, “prolonged uncertainty” about its fate could “damage confidence in UK plc at a sensitive time”, with elections in the UK and the US later this year.

Earlier this month, the Guardian revealed details of government contingency plans, known as Project Timber, to renationalise Thames via a special administration. This could lead to the bulk of its £15bn of debt being moved on to the government’s balance sheet. Thames’ investors have refused to pump more money into the struggling company amid a standoff with the water regulator Ofwat.

Some lenders to its core operating company could lose up to 40% of their money under the plans, a move that officials believe marks a careful balance between managing public outrage at the water company’s many failures and the need to sustain investor confidence in the UK.

Those contingency plans also describe a risk of “contagion” from Thames’s plight that could trigger a loss of confidence that feeds through to wider state borrowing costs.

In the aftermath of the Truss mini-budget in September 2022, UK borrowing costs shot up as government debt markets went into freefall. Her chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s promise of £45bn of unfunded tax cuts, the sacking of the most senior civil servant at the Treasury and Truss’s refusal to have her sums checked by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility spooked investors and sent the value of UK debt instruments, known as gilts, plummeting.

The pound hit a low against the dollar not seen since 1985, and the whiplash effect on the bond market damaged some pension funds’ investment strategies so severely that the Bank of England had to stage an emergency market intervention to maintain market stability. That crisis added billions of pounds to the UK’s cost of borrowing, as investors demanded a higher price to lend to it. British households experienced big spikes in mortgage costs, as banks and building societies passed on higher borrowing costs. Many mortgage offers were pulled overnight…..

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“I can no longer look NHS colleagues in the eye and remain a Conservative”

Dr Dan Poulter MP, Central Suffolk and North Ipswich.

“The difficulty for the Conservative Party is that the party I was elected into valued public services,” he said. “It had a compassionate view about supporting the more disadvantaged in society.

“I think the Conservative Party today is a very different place.”

Says it all – Owl

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28 Apr 2024

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Shock – “Ultimate Air Fryer Cookbook” outsells Liz Truss’s “Ten Years to Save the West”!

Her book is also outsold by – wait for it – “More Confessions of a Forty-something F**k Up”.

[But she still beats the memoirs of both David Cameron and Tony Blair on “a copies-sold-per-day-in-Downing-Street basis.”]

Liz Truss book enters bestseller list in 70th place with 2,228 copies sold

Jim Waterson www.theguardian.com

Liz Truss’s book about her 49-day stint as prime minister sold 2,228 copies in the UK during its first week on sale, after a wall-to-wall promotional media blitz.

Ten Years to Save the West: Lessons from the Only Conservative in the Room, combines an account of Truss’s time in office with a call to arms for the political right.

Nielsen sales data puts Truss’s effort in 70th place on last week’s bestsellers’ list, outsold by titles such as the Ultimate Air Fryer Cookbook and More Confessions of a Forty-something F**k Up.

Truss, 48, has said her book is “not a traditional political memoir”. In it, she reveals how Queen Elizabeth II advised her upon becoming prime minister to “pace yourself”. The monarch died days later, which Truss writes felt “utterly unreal” and caused her to ask: “Why me? Why now?”

Biteback, the publisher that paid Truss an initial advance of £1,512 for the book, pointed out the sales still made it the sixth bestselling nonfiction book in the UK last week. The publishing company, owned by the former Conservative donor Lord Ashcroft, specialises in political books – a tough section of the market where few books sell in large numbers.

By comparison, David Cameron managed to sell about 21,000 copies of his memoir in its first week, while Tony Blair’s autobiography sold 92,000 in the same timeframe. Although Truss’s figures pale in comparison, she beat both on a copies-sold-per-day-in-Downing-Street basis.

Margaret Thatcher was estimated to have sold 500,000 copies of her memoir but other past occupants of No 10 have mixed records when it comes to book sales. John Major’s memoir sold just 5,415 copies in its first week but went on to exceed 200,000 in total. Edward Heath’s The Course of My Life struggled to surpass 20,000 copies, while Gordon Brown’s My Life, Our Times sold about 30,000.

Truss has also been promoting the book in the US, where she appeared at a number of Republican events and warned about establishment elites who she said had stopped her from implementing her plans for Britain.

The book has already been edited to remove a quote misattributed to the Jewish banker Mayer Amschel Rothschild, which has previously been used in antisemitic conspiracies.

The Guardian’s reviewer described Truss’s book as “one of the most shamelessly unrepentant, petulant, politically and economically jejune and cliche-ridden books I’ve read”.

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RD&E and North Devon hospital waiting times slashed

It’s still one of lengthiest in the country

Waiting times have been slashed in A&E departments at the Royal Devon and Exeter (RD&E) and North Devon District hospitals, and are now among the best in the country.

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

The Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is in the top 10 of most-improved health trusts in the country for urgent emergency care and says it has “exceeded its expectations”.

The end-of-year performance showed 80 per cent of A&E patients were dealt with within four hours. The national target is 76 per cent.

The trust’s chief executive Sam Higginson told a board meeting there is “a sense of growing momentum” for the organisation which was rated as “requires improvement” by the Care Quality Commisson (CQC) last August in its first inspection since the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust and Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust merged the year before.

The financial situation is more stable, with the Integrated Performance Report at the end of the 2023/24 financial year showing its deficit dropped to £27 million after savings of £77 million were made.

Over half of these savings will have an ongoing benefit.

The patient waiting list had reduced by 8,500, and waiting times for cancer diagnosis and of more than 78 weeks for non-urgent care had improved.

But at 75,000 people, the trust still has one of the largest patient waiting lists in the country.

Mr Higginson complimented the 16,000 staff in the two hospitals who had  improved performance during times of challenge and industrial action, but he said there is still a lot to do.

The trust plans to reduce the waiting list by another 10,000 people this year.

“In two-to-three years’ time, I would like to see us back to having a stable waiting list, and in a good financial position within 18 months,” he said.

He said the trust had achieved its best four-hour performance in emergency care since the merger.

A letter from Dame Cally Palmer and Professor Peter Johnson from the NHS Cancer Programme said the trust’s 40 per cent reduction in people waiting more than 62 days from getting a cancer diagnosis to starting treatment –  101 fewer patients than a year ago – was “some of the most positive progress we have seen anywhere nationally.”

There were three ‘must-do’ actions for the trust following the CQC report last year.

To ensure its systems and processes support it to oversee and respond to issues and risks more quickly and ensure learning from incidents, including never events and data issues.
To ensure the information reported from its electronic patient record system is accurate and properly analysed to support regular audits to improve the quality of care.
Achieve a stable financial position and continue to manage pressures so they do not compromise the quality of care.
The CQC reported “compassion and positive teamworking” and found the leadership to be “cohesive, patient centred and knowledgeable about the issues and priorities for the quality and sustainability of services”.

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Developer unveils plans for “Grange Area” Cranbrook extension

More new homes for East Devon as a developer unveils plans to build around 500 – some affordable – between Cranbrook and Rockbeare

Becca Gliddon eastdevonnews.co.uk

Plans to build around 500 homes – approximately 75 affordable – a community hall, allotments, play areas and a neighbourhood centre on East Devon land between Rockbeare and Cranbrook have been revealed to the public.

Developer Baker Estates, based in Newton Abbot, this week held two public consultation exhibitions, showcasing its plans for what it has described as ‘residential-led, mixed-use development’ on land to the east of Gribble Lane and south of London Road.

The housebuilder said the site has been allocated for development as part of the Grange Expansion Area within the adopted Cranbrook Plan.

The developer’s proposed plan of the site.

The proposals include around 500 homes, a community hall,  a neighbourhood centre for shops, plus  business use near London Road.

Some 15 per cent of the homes – around 75 – will be affordable and for local people.

Plans shown to the public included multi-use green spaces, plays areas for children, allotments, plus community and ‘amenity’ space.

The developer said the southern part of the site would be left as Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG), to ‘provide sustainable opportunities for recreation, with new circular accessible routes created, habitat creation, increasing access to nature, and providing connections provided to the wider landscape’.

Baker Estates said its developments were designed to be walkable, ‘served by good quality pedestrian and cycle links with roads designed to incorporate bus services’.

Graham Hutton, Baker Estates operations director, said: “We received some positive feedback from locals on our outline proposals and we’ll be looking to incorporate some of the suggestions into our proposal before we submit to East Devon District Council.

“An outline application determines the principle of development together with the means of access.

“If successful, we would then prepare more detailed plans which we would share with the community then come back to the community, prior to submitting a number of ‘reserved matters’ planning applications.”

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26 Apr 2024

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Tory duty on Ofwat protects profits over reducing sewage pollution, experts say

The Conservatives have pushed through a duty on the water regulator to prioritise growth, which experts have said will incentivise water companies to value their bottom lines over reducing sewage pollution. [With Simon Jupp’s help. – owl]

Helena Horton www.theguardian.com 

Campaigners fear this move will weaken Ofwat’s ability to crack down on water companies as it may force the regulator to consider a company’s financial situation and the impact on its growth if the firm is heavily fined for polluting.

The Liberal Democrats forced a vote in parliament on Wednesday on the government’s new “growth duty” for Ofwat, which requires the regulator to “have regard to the desirability of promoting economic growth” when cracking down on water companies. They lost, as 50 MPs voted against the statutory instrument and 395 voted in favour.

The growth duty specifically mentions fines of companies as a measure that could hamper their growth. It says: “Certain enforcement actions, and other activities of the regulator, can be particularly damaging to growth.

“These include, for example, enforcement actions that limit or prevent a business from operating; financial sanctions; and publicity, in relation to a compliance failure, that harms public confidence.”

Last year water companies were ordered to cut more than £100m from customers’ bills after repeated failures to stop sewage pollution.

Campaigners fear the growth duty could cause the regulator to be less stringent with penalties because it would have to consider the commercial impact of fines on a company.

The financing of some water companies is already in a precarious state; Thames Water is currently at risk of collapse.

Richard Benwell, CEO of Wildlife and Countryside Link, said: “The growth duty once again privileges business bottom lines over nature. Public demand and environmental need are totally clear – Ofwat should be promoting investment in nature and ensuring polluters pay.

“A new duty that obliges the regulator to think twice before taking environmental action is headed entirely in the wrong direction. Parliamentarians are right to oppose this backward step.

“The real economically responsible action is to protect the natural assets we depend on. Political parties should commit instead to a new green duty on regulators to ensure they take action to stop climate change and restore nature.”

Labour MPs voted with the government, and it is understood this is because they did not want to be accused of being “anti-growth”.

The Liberal Democrat environment spokesperson, Tim Farron MP, said: “Conservative MPs have just voted to help water firms get off the hook. Ofwat will now be fighting water companies with one hand tied behind their back.

“This government is all talk and no action when it comes to the sewage crisis. Time and time again Conservative MPs have voted against taking tough action on polluting firms.

“It is a scandalous vote by a government which is woefully out of touch with this environmental crisis. The public will be furious to hear the industry’s enforcer has been weakened even more. Conservative MPs should hang their heads in shame.”

A government spokesperson said: “Ofwat continues to have very clear environmental responsibilities to ensure water companies comply with existing protections, and the growth duty will not change that.

“This extension allows Ofwat to more effectively deliver economic growth alongside its regular duties and does not in any way restrict how regulators enforce the industry.”

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Sewage puts majority of us off sea swimming

Only 14 per cent of people are likely to swim in Britain’s seas and rivers this summer because of raw sewage, a new survey reveals.

“It’s a tragedy that something the whole country should be able to enjoy has become increasingly toxic because of ongoing failures of government who are simply letting the water companies get away with it,”

Adam Vaughan Environment Editor

Figures released last month showed that sewage spills in England doubled to 3.6 million hours last year.

In response to the question “in light of the recent news headlines regarding sewage pollution … how likely, if at all, would you be to consider swimming in UK seas and rivers this summer?”, 73 per cent of people said it was unlikely. You-Gov polled 2,000 adults in Britain.

“It’s a tragedy that something the whole country should be able to enjoy has become increasingly toxic because of ongoing failures of government who are simply letting the water companies get away with it,” said Humphrey Mil-les, founder of the Central Office of Public Interest, a non-profit group of creatives which commissioned the poll.

Maggie Alderson, a novelist and journalist who lives in Hastings in Kent, took up sea swimming during the Covid lockdowns until she got an ear infection in the summer of 2022. Her infection progressed to the point where her ear drum was punctured and she lost hearing in that ear.

“It’s no exaggeration to say it’s affected every aspect of my life,” she said. She attributes the infection to swimming in sea water contaminated with faeces. “I feel like one of the great joys of my life . has been spoilt for me forever,” she said.

The YouGov polling found that 31 per cent of people had swum in UK rivers or seas for leisure since April 2021, with another 16 per cent saying their children or partner had done so.

Water companies are expected to release real-time sewage discharge maps online within weeks. Most of the 424 designated bathing waters in England are beaches. with 27 stretches of rivers proposed as additions recently. Officials-must test these sites for harmful bacteria between May and September. But testing is no guarantee that waters are safe to swim in at any given time.

A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesman said: “We share the public’s concern about our rivers and the results of this You-Gov survey are another example of why water companies must go further and faster.

“If water companies are found to breach their permits, action will be taken — up to and including criminal prosecution.”

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What watering down of the Renters Reform Bill has Simon Jupp been supporting?

Why not “Reach Out” to “Owl of Honiton” or “Owl of Axminster” with full disclosure?

Caroline Lucas posts on “X”

List of Tories supporting one of the key amendments to water down the Renters Reform Bill. What does the (R) by names mean? Registered interests. Looks like landlords turning out in force to scupper a bill that was meant to protect renters’ interests, not their own finances

[Second down, second column]

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25 Apr 2024

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Planning applications validated by EDDC for week beginning 8 April

(Apologies for being a little later than usual – Owl)

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Nature destruction will cause bigger economic slump in UK than 2008 crisis, experts warn

The destruction of nature over the rest of the decade could trigger a bigger economic slump in Britain than those caused by the 2008 global financial crisis and the Covid pandemic, experts have warned.

Phillip Inman www.theguardian.com 

Sounding the alarm over the rising financial cost from pollution, damage to water systems, soil erosion, and threats from disease, the report by the Green Finance Institute warned that further breakdown in the UK’s natural environment could lead to a 12% loss of gross domestic product (GDP) by the 2030s.

In a report that received input from experts across academia and government, the authors argued that “gradual, year-to year environmental degradation is as detrimental or more so than climate change”.

The continued loss of natural habitats in urban and rural areas would compare unfavourably with the financial crisis of 2008, which took about 5% off the value of UK GDP, while the Covid pandemic cost the UK 11% of its GDP in 2020.

The academics used three scenarios to construct the report: domestic risks from continued UK environment breakdown; international risks – including destruction to nature in countries which are key UK trading partners; and a health scenario, focusing on the dangers of a fresh global pandemic.

All three took into account current trends in environmental breakdown – including water and air pollution, soil health erosion and biodiversity loss – resulting in a hit to GDP worth up to 3%, or about £70bn by the late 2020s.

The report then added “acute risks” on top of these trends – including floods, droughts and wildfires – which would result in a 6% loss to GDP in the domestic and international scenarios, and a 12% hit in a health scenario, reflecting the extreme dangers to the UK economy from a renewed pandemic.

Ministers are expected to take an interest in the report amid concern over the potential dangers to the economy from nature breakdown. Environment minister Richard Benyon said the report showed that nature “underpins the health of our economy and it is under threat from a global nature crisis”.

The former Conservative MP, whose family controls a 5,600-hectare (14,000-acre) estate in west Berkshire, southern England, said the responsibility to conserve nature “lies with all sectors and sections of society, and green finance has a crucial role to play”.

He said: “The findings in this report will help people and institutions across the corporate and finance sectors understand that it is in their own interests to go further and faster for the planet to protect it for future generations.”

Shadow environment secretary, Steve Reed, blamed the government for the UK becoming “one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world”.

Saying that the UK needed “to reverse the tide of destruction”, Reed committed Labour to cleaner air and water “and growing nature-rich habitats for wildlife to thrive”.

The Green Finance Institute describes itself as the UK and Europe’s “principal forum for innovation in green finance” bringing together banks, academics, philanthropists and government bodies to develop climate-friendly policies and financial products.

The report warned that unless action is taken, UK banks will need to reduce their exposure to the worst hit industries or find themselves increasing the risk of losses from bad loans. About 50% of the extra cost will come from the loss of nature overseas that the UK relies on to provide food, natural resources and trade.

Partly funded by the government with input from the Treasury and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the authors also relied on advice and information from the Bank of England, Oxford and Reading universities, the UN’s environment programme, and the National Institute of Economic and Social Research.

The report said: “The impacts of biodiversity loss and environmental degradation will not be felt alone but will compound with climate risks. Both are happening at once and there are strong feedback effects between the loss of natural capital and climate change.”

The study follows a Treasury-backed review in 2021 by the Cambridge economist Sir Partha Dasgupta, who found that the world was being put at “extreme risk” by the failure of economics to take account of the rapid depletion of the natural world.

Last year, the government agency Natural England launched its Nature Returns programme to coordinate efforts across government and the private sector to explore how the UK can best use land in England “to address climate change whilst producing food and promoting thriving nature”.

The agency said it wanted “to mobilise the billions in private investment that government estimates we need to meet our national net zero commitments”.

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Cllr Jess Bailey unspins Simon Jupp’s claims on Tipton Primary

Claire Wright comments as well.


Jess Bailey – Otter Valley Devon County Councillor facebook post:

(For Simon Jupp’s facebook boast this refers to see below – no mention of St Peter’s Budleigh Salterton during Education Secretary’s low profile visit last Friday)

“Simon Jupp’s latest social media post shows a total disregard for the community of Tipton St John.

It’s bad enough that out of the blue in January this year he ditched his commitment to the school remaining in the village, but it’s made worse by his attempts to exploit the situation for his own photo opportunities.

However, no amount of photo opportunities can disguise the fact that the Conservative government has totally failed to deliver a new school for Tipton St John for more than a decade now.  All that has happened is Tipton school has been included on a list for a rebuilding programme.

I was not invited to attend this meeting with the Secretary of State, even though I had every right to be there as the elected representative of Tipton residents at Devon County Council. I complained about my treatment to the Leader and CEO of DCC.

It feels to me that Simon Jupp is attempting to steam roller me, and therefore Tipton residents, out of the way. I am not prepared to let that happen.

I want to draw your attention to a number of key points about the consultation process:

– There will be an informal consultation by the school from 1st May – 19th June on possible relocation. Simon Jupp states on his social media post that this consultation is for ‘parents carers and staff’. That is completely misleading – crucially it’s for residents too. This is a really important point and I would urge as many people to respond as possible.

-All the reports and consultation details will be uploaded to the school’s website. They will also be uploaded to DCC’s ‘Have your Say’ website under the Education and School category. All responses to the informal consultation will go to the school.

-The school governors will meet following the informal consultation on 24th June 2024 and decide whether to proceed to a statutory consultation.

-If the governors proceed with a statutory consultation there would be a formal four week consultation which may take place from 27th June – 25th July. At this stage all the responses will go to DCC.

– DCC officers would then prepare a report for DCC cabinet (possibly for a meeting in September). The decision whether to relocate will ultimately be taken by DCC cabinet.

I also want to clarify another point. Simon Jupp claims that it was his ‘direct intervention’ that will mean the DfE report being made public during the consultation. In fact the publication of the DfE report is actually something I insisted upon as a condition of the school going out to consultation and this was then agreed between DCC and DfE counterparts.

In addition, unlike Simon Jupp, I did not feel the DfE report alone was sufficient and I felt further work was required and insisted on DCC carry out additional work. The DCC report will also be published at my insistence. Once published I will share my views on the outputs from these reports and will be interested in the views of parents and residents.”

This provoked such comments as: (first four from a long list) 

Louise Mansfield

We all know what he’s like Jess. .a glory seeker without putting any of the hard graft in himself. Thank you for your unending work behind the scenes on lots of local important issues

Jan Daly

No surprise here. Jupp is in electioneering mode for his own benefit rather than working for the benefit of his constituents.

Ann Pangbourne

Well done again, Jess. So glad to have you as our DCC representative.

Claire Louise Wright

Well said Jess. Mr Jupp is roaming all over his and Richard Foord’s constituency taking credit for anything he thinks he can get away with while blocking anyone who asks a question he doesn’t like. He then ignores communications from them too, rendering an unknown proportion of people in East Devon without an MP. He regularly posts communications to Richard Foord’s claiming to be the ‘local MP’ and we’re all familiar with what appears to be fraud over diverting Richard Foord domain names to his own website. Who knows when the election will be upon us but we all need to ensure he is voted OUT!

Simon Jupp’s “Fantastic Visit” facebook boast