Julian Brazil says blaming ills on ‘tiny minority of desperate people is not the answer’ amid bid to halt protests and amplify councillor cohesion.

Bradley Gerrard www.devonlive.com 

Devon’s leader has issued a call for the county to embrace unity amid recent protests outside an asylum hotel and elevated political tensions over the wider issue of immigration.

Julian Brazil, the Liberal Democrat leader of Devon County Council, told his cabinet that he wanted to speak “not just about policy, but about people”, as part of efforts to encourage cohesion among all residents in the county.

He said he wanted to talk about the “values that define us, not just in documents, but in our actions”.

Protests have occurred outside the Hampton by Hilton hotel, near Exeter airport, for the past six weeks, broadly split into two groups; those who have expressed welcome for the migrants, largely organised by Stand Up To Racism, and those who have concerns about the immigration system.

Cllr Brazil said he understood that people were “frustrated” given the strain many feel the country is experiencing, but urged residents to express their anger in different ways.

“The country is facing real challenges—rising costs, stretched public services, and a growing sense of disconnect,” he said.

“Our county faces cut upon cut by central government and a wholesale reorganisation [of this council], which will prove immensely costly and disruptive.

“But I want to be absolutely clear: to blame all our country’s and our county’s ills on a tiny minority of desperate people is not the answer. It’s not true, and it only serves to divide us.”

The comments came after a heated full council meeting earlier this month, whereby several Reform UK members walked out before a vote could be taken on a zero tolerance to hate crime motion.

Their exit had been preceded by Lib Dem member, Cllr Syed Jusef ( Okehampton Rural) seeming to suggest that anyone who didn’t support the motion – which was approved – was racist. Cllr Jusef apologised for any upset, stating he had not meant to say the word ‘racist’, but instead to ask whether those who opposed the motion had ‘respect’.

Cllr Brazil did not directly acknowledge that incident, but stressed that Devon’s values should be about “tolerance and compassion”.

“There are children staying in that hotel,” he said.

“Children who have fled war, famine, and persecution. Many are terrified and confused. I urge anyone who wishes to protest to be mindful of their circumstances.

“These are not criminals. These are not people who arrived illegally on boats. They are some of the most vulnerable people in the world—many have been tortured, persecuted, and are now waiting in the asylum system.

“They have come here legally, seeking safety and a better life. Who among us wouldn’t do the same?”

He added that hate and discrimination had “no place in Devon”, and asserted that residents “must treat asylum seekers with the dignity and respect we would expect for ourselves”.

“We must be vigilant against those who seek to poison our communities with fear and division,” he added.

Cllr Brazil also expressed thanks via Councillor Michael Fife Cook (Yelverton Rural), the Reform UK leader on the council, for efforts by one of his colleagues who helped disperse protesters from the hotel on Saturday.

Cllr Ed Hill (Independent, Pinhoe and Mincinglake) and Cllr Angela Nash (Reform UK, Wonford & St Loyes) attended the protest on Saturday (6 September), and were able to enter the hotel and relay information from inside to protesters outside, which helped encourage those protesting to relocate to Cathedral Green in Exeter.

Cllr Brazil’s comments were endorsed by his cabinet colleagues, with Councillor Cheryl Cottle-Hunkin (Liberal Democrat, Torrington Rural) stating “kindness and compassion were vital”, especially given the “only thing that separates us and them is luck”.

She added that so many of the residents had provided donations to refugee children in 2016 who were being housed in Great Torrington after the so-called Jungle Camp in Calais was bulldozed by French authorities, that people had to be turned away.

“That kindness is the majority of people and it makes me sad to see protests outside the hotel as we need to remember that they are people in there,” she said.

“We need to make sure people of every background and culture can live peacefully in Devon without fear.”

Deputy leader Paul Arnott (Liberal Democrat, Seaton & Colyton) claimed this was a “moment where we turn a corner”.

“The people in the hotel are not who those online, divisive people who have been inciting the protests, are saying they are,” he said.

“Perhaps there is a rogue element of national parties encouraging attendance.

“But in terms of the local community around the hotel, they have given nothing but love, support and charity.”

“I hope we can draw a line under this now,” he said.

Exmouthians have expressed their dismay as planners approved a controversial site that had around 1,100 objections against it.

Bradley Gerrard www.exmouthjournal.co.uk

The move means that land at St John’s in Exmouth, near the internationally significant Pebblebed Heaths and Grade II* listed St John in the Wilderness Church, will be able to accommodate around 700 homes.

Besides huge opposition from residents, environmental groups such as Devon Wildlife Trust, the RSPB and Natural England all had concerns, as did the Environment Agency and Historic England.

Some councillors who represent Exmouth were equally puzzled about the proposal to allocate the site, with Cllr Brian Bailey (Conservative, Exmouth Littleham) stating there was “no way on God’s earth the site is sustainable”, and Cllr Nick Hookway (Liberal Democrat, Exmouth Littleham) outlining “very real concerns” about access to the site “due to the proximity to the Pebblebed Heaths and the impact on wildlife”.

Only two residents were allowed to speak in relation to each site, which was criticised by some councillors as well as some members of the public.

Resident dismay

Resident John Hamill expressed dismay at the decision to approve the St John’s site. The decision means development of the land is deemed acceptable but is not the approval of a specific scheme.

“To say it is disappointing is an understatement,” Mr Hamill said.

“We’ve made the case for over a year to each councillor to look at the environmental, historical, and people impacts of the proposals and feel nobody has listened.”

He added that he felt the strategic planning committee, which has been tasked with identifying sites across East Devon that can collectively accommodate nearly 21,000 homes between now and 2042, had been “driven by fear of government quotas rather than what’s right for the residents”.

This criticism relates to the fact that East Devon has been allowed to produce its emerging local plan under so-called ‘transitional arrangements’, which means it is allowed to target a lower number of homes over the life of the plan.

The committee has been frequently reminded that a “significant change” to the plan could derail the process of adopting it in time, which could risk the district having to find more than 26,000 homes over the life of the plan.

That would be additional 5,227 homes, meaning the council would need to find locations for 1,188 per year out to 2042 rather than the lower 950 annually it is aiming for.

Mr Hamill added that he lived close to where the access road from the St John’s site was being proposed, which would emerge onto the B3179 near a tight S-bend at Outer Ting Tong.

“Since June, there have been five significant accidents there, one of which required the air ambulance,” he said.

“The road won’t take it, and councillors know that yet don’t seem to have the confidence to say that we need to stop this. That road will end up killing people.”

Resident Nigel Humphrey said he was “gutted”.

“I can understand all of their arguments with regards to the government pushing the housing targets, but it comes down to the site itself, which is not suitable, sustainable or viable, and they know it, but are saying they risk having to find even more houses across the district if they don’t put it in,” he said.

He also had concerns about how the site would be accessed, and questioned whether the site could be cohesively developed given significant parts of it will have to be left alone due to their proximity to St John in the Wilderness Church, plus the fact part of the site lies within a buffer zone that discourages development due to the proximity to the Pebblebed Heaths.

And there’s an added complication in that this buffer zone is echoed by a mineral consultation area – essentially meaning it is land which Devon County Council believes could have valuable mineral deposits.

Planning officer Ed Freeman stated the only part of any potential development that would be within the buffer zone would be an access road, which he said highways experts had no issue with.

While there were suggestions about allocating part of the site, and potentially accessing it from a different location, it was Exmouth Green Party councillor, Olly Davey (Exmouth Town), who said that “with a heavy heart I propose to accept the officers’ recommendations”.

“It’s really obvious there aren’t many alternatives,” he said.

“I think the lack of alternative sites, and the fact nobody else wants our allocation in terms of the number of homes, means it has to be accepted,” he said.

He added that planning applications for the site would still have to be subject to the usual process, and so would be scrutinised by the council’s planning committee, which decides the fate of individual schemes rather than considering district-wide development proposals like the strategic planning committee does. 

Cllr Bailey, who sits on the strategic planning committee, added that he felt some of his fellow committee were “bending over backwards to make it work”.

“I don’t see why as there’s a limit to what you can and can’t do,” he said.

“We should be looking after people, and this site had 1,100 complaints, which is a significant amount, so I’m at a loss to understand why we’re doing this.”

However, Councilor Todd Olive (Liberal Democrat, Whimple and Rockbeare), who chairs the strategic planning committee, reminded members that officers had initially not recommended it, noting that it had eventually been included because of the potential benefits a larger site can bring.

“By concentrating development in one place, you can achieve the necessary funds to put infrastructure in place,” he said.

“It’s the very same rationale in terms of pursuing a second new community; by concentrating development you get a better outcome, and I don’t think splitting the 700 homes on the St John’s site across lots of others would achieve a better outcome.”

Nine members of the committee voted for the Exmouth allocations, with one voting against and two abstaining.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Olive told the Local Democracy Reporting Service, that it might seem “counterintuitive” to go against the concerns of organisations that were consulted, but queried whether many appreciated that only part of the site would be developed.

“I have a strong suspicion that they object to the site as a whole, and if we were proposing to build on the whole site, I’d agree it would be inappropriate,” he said.

“But as one member noted, there are pressures not only to deliver against national government housing numbers, but a moral imperative to deliver housing for young people in East Devon; we have a duty to deliver housing and ameliorate the lack of availability and affordability.”

South West Water (SWW) has been rated poor by the water industry watchdog, over the number of household complaints and the company’s handling of them.

Kirk England www.bbc.co.uk

“It’s really disappointing,” said Catherine Jones from the Consumer Council for Water (CCW), which represents the views of water customers in England and Wales and carried out the research.

It comes after the utility company announced average customer bills for this year would go up by 28%.

SWW said it is “doing everything it can to keep bills affordable” adding that contact centre staff have received additional training.

‘Poor performer’

The CCW report, external – which reviewed household customer complaint handling by all water companies from April 2024 to March 2025 – highlights that SWW received fewer complaints from its household customers than in the previous year.

However, as other companies saw a greater decline in complaints, SWW was moved into the “poor performer” band.

The watchdog said that SWW had seen more “stage 2 escalations” and generated more complaints to the CCW in 2024/25 than in the previous year.

SWW was only one of three companies that provide water water and sewerage services that were rated as poor for their overall complaint performance for 2024/25. The others were Yorkshire Water and Thames Water.

The CCW research shows that SWW received fewer water and wastewater complaints in 2024/25 than the year before but had dealt with more issues related to billing.

The analysis by the CCW shows that SWW saw 72.696 complaints per 10,000 connections during that period.

“SWW needs to look at how they handle complaints but also at the root cause of the complaints and how to stop them happening in the first place”, said Ms Jones, head of company engagement at CCW.

“We know there has been this massive bill increase across England and Wales and the company needs to be explaining what people’s money is going on and why the bills are increasing,”, she added.

“Better communication could stop a lot of the complaints happening in the first place.”

‘Nothing has improved’

Customer Roger Haworth, from Widecombe in the Moor, said: “I’m absolutely outraged my bill has increased given the performance of the company.”

Mr Haworth called SWW to complain after his bill went up from £26 a month, to £38 a month earlier this year, although he did not continue the formal complaint process further.

“Nothing has improved, bills have gone up and they are still polluting our environment, it’s absolutely unacceptable,” the 79-year-old added.

Failures at the company over sewage spills have led to a £24m enforcement package after an investigation by the water industry regulator Ofwat.

In January, the company announced plans to almost double its investment in the environment to £2.5bn between 2025 and 2030.

In a statement SWW said: “Our customers are at the heart of everything we do and when things go wrong, we work hard to put them right as quickly as possible. We recognise that we have more to do, and we are already taking action to try and provide a resolution the first time a customer contacts us.

“Our contact centre staff have received additional training and are committed to improving the service they provide. In response to customer feedback, we have also made our bills easier to understand and have a new dedicated section on our website providing answers to the questions we get asked about the most.”

It added it had a new £200m support package for customers and that bills were “funding a third of our record-breaking investment to improve water quality, protect the environment and boost resilience”.

South West Water is being taken to court over a parasite that infected the water supply in parts of Devon last summer and left dozens sick.

Helena Horton www.theguardian.com

More than 140 people were confirmed to have the diarrhoea-type disease, which also causes stomach pains and vomiting, typically lasting for about two weeks. Four people were hospitalised at the time.

About 16,000 households and businesses in the Brixham area were told by the water company not to use their tap water for drinking without boiling it first.

A water tank at Hillhead reservoir had been found to contain the parasite, the company said at the time. The contamination caused mass disruption in the area, with holidaymakers cancelling their guesthouse bookings and a school having to shut.

The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) said the summons had been issued to the company for prosecution for potential offences under section 70(1) of the Water Industry Act 1991. This makes it a criminal offence for a water company to supply water that is unfit for human consumption.

Marcus Rink, the chief inspector of the DWI, said: “The Brixham incident was serious with significant impact on the public and the wider community. Accordingly, I consider it appropriate to pass the matter to the court to consider the evidence in the public interest.”

Caroline Voaden, the Liberal Democrat MP for South Devon, applauded the DWI’s decision, saying: “I am pleased to hear that the Drinking Water Inspectorate has decided to take South West Water to court over the cryptosporidium outbreak in Brixham last year. It’s important we find out exactly what South West Water knew, and when, and why they told people the water was safe to drink when it wasn’t.

“Many of my constituents still don’t trust the drinking water and are paying for bottled water more than a year on from the outbreak. This incident affected the whole community, damaged businesses, hurt the local economy and, most importantly, made many people severely ill. It’s taken a long time to get to this point, but finally, we are seeing South West Water brought to account.”

A spokesperson for South West Water said: “We will reflect on this summons. South West Water has cooperated fully with the Drinking Water Inspectorate from the outset of this incident to help in its investigations.

“We take this incident extremely seriously, and we will continue to engage fully in response to these legal proceedings. In the meantime, our focus remains on delivering clean safe drinking water to our 2 million customers across Cornwall, Devon and the Isles of Scilly.”

East Devon’s major second new community of 8,000 homes could shun South West Water and opt for an alternative provider.

A map of the second new community in East Devon, which the public has voted to name Marlcombe (Image courtesy: East Devon District Council).

Bradley Gerrard, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk

Planners behind the forthcoming development, which will be named Marlcombe after a public vote out of four possible names, are focused on ensuring vital infrastructure for the new town is in place before homes are built.

East Devon has said it is keen to learn lessons from Cranbrook, where there were early successes, such as schools being opened early in the town’s life, but problems in other areas, with Morrisons only opening in December last year – some 12 years after the first residents moved in.

As part of its efforts to control how Marlcombe develops, senior planners have told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that an alternative water and sewage provider could be sought.

“Speaking for the administration, we don’t trust South West Water to deliver the relevant infrastructure, and certainly not in time for the second new community,” said Councillor Todd Olive (Liberal Democrat, Rockbeare and Whimple), the cabinet member for place, infrastructure and strategic planning.

“The reason we are putting all this effort into a masterplan and a delivery vehicle is to make sure it comes forward with infrastructure at the right time.”

South West Water said it was “confident” it could meet the requirements of it in relation to the development of the new community, which will be sited between Exeter Airport and Crealy Adventure Park.

Cllr Olive added that SWW would “freely admit” a new treatment works is needed in the west end of East Devon, but that the council couldn’t let the wait for that impact the new community.

“We need a strategy that makes sure the second new community’s sewage will be dealt with and not be dumped on beaches,” he added.

In July, the water regulator Ofwat proposed a £24m enforcement package following its findings that South West Water had failed to meet its legal obligations in managing its wastewater treatment works and network.

“These failures resulted in the company spilling wastewater to the environment when it should not have done,” Ofwat said at the time.

Ian Lake, head of solution development & technical performance at South West Water, said: “We have been liaising with the East Devon District Council for a number of months and will continue to keep them updated throughout the development of the delivery plans for drinking water and wastewater infrastructure for the new community of Marlcombe.

“We are confident we can meet the necessary requirements for these services.”

It’s possible Marlcombe will need around 10 individual treatment plants, and that the work of installing the sewage system as well as maintaining it, could be given to another firm.

Council officers have stated that while no decision has yet been taken, this responsibility could be handed to another existing water company, or even an entity that the council sets up through the Marlcombe delivery entity – a notional Marlcombe Drainage Co.

The council is aiming to create a so-called ‘delivery vehicle’ that will steer the development’s progress, and not rely on third-party commercial entities, as in the case of Cranbrook.

Crucially, the council said it is not seeking to become a housebuilder, but rather strike agreements with landowners and developers to help housing come forward at the right time alongside infrastructure.

It is also considering the power to pursue compulsory purchase orders of land, but has stated it would prefer mutual agreements over this approach.

Cllr Olive added that he hoped to work with developers, because the council could potentially secure cash towards major infrastructure upgrades that would help unlock the housing projects that developers would benefit from.

A key example was the need for airport junction enhancements on the A30, and connectivity improvements between that location and the A3052. Council estimates suggest each of these schemes alone would cost tens of millions of pounds.

Cllr Olive said the council could help secure that cash to enable a developer to fund those works before completing the homes it aims to sell.

He stated that Cranbrook had secured some successes in this regard, helping bag around £100 million in infrastructure investment, notably in relation to Cranbrook railway station.

Elsewhere, the council is hopeful Marlcombe could attract major funding for passing loops on the west of England mainline to potentially double service frequency from hourly to every 30 minutes.

A loop would enable trains to pass one another on an area of track that is currently only a single line.

The council said it was aiming to publish its masterplan in October, and hoping to launch its development corporation in early 2027.

“There were some positives with Cranbrook, such as the first primary school being open by the time just 30 homes were occupied, but the decision to leave everything to the developer was a fundamental mistake,” Cllr Olive said.

“I think the way we are approaching Marlcombe will lead to a significantly better outcome, and sooner, with infrastructure delivered early in the programme relative to how it came forward in Cranbrook.

“We need to show the people of East Devon that this is going to be the outcome. It isn’t down to them to take our word for it, there were mistakes and so it is down to us to prove we can do it better this time around.”

Almost 8,000 potentially illegal spills happened on dry days during the first half of the year and South West Water was responsible for more than a quarter….

…South West Water, which serves Devon, Cornwall and parts of Dorset and Somerset, was by far the worst offender. The company, which recently hired a former Tory MP who was previously critical of its “unacceptable” behaviour, spilt raw sewage 2,323 times into rivers and seas on dry days….

…South West Water said that rain falling in one place could take more than 24 hours to move through a catchment and trigger a spill in another area. This type of situation was due to topographical reasons and was outside of its control, it said…..

Are we buying this topographical explanation after such a dry season? – Owl

Thousands of potentially illegal sewage spills in first half of 2025

Adam Vaughan www.thetimes.com (Extract)

Almost 8,000 potentially illegal spills happened on dry days during the first half of the year and South West Water was responsible for more than a quarter.

Hundreds of the raw sewage spills in England occurred since the bathing season started on May 15, polluting rivers and seas when wild swimmers would least expect it.

Most of the hundreds of thousands of sewage spills each year are legally permitted, happening during times of heavy rainfall to stop sewage backing up into homes and businesses.

However, outfall permits issued to water companies do not allow for discharges on dry days so releases on a day without rain are likely to be illegal. Environment Agency (EA) figures released to The Times under transparency laws showed 7,888 dry day spills between January 1 and June 30.

South West Water, which serves Devon, Cornwall and parts of Dorset and Somerset, was by far the worst offender. The company, which recently hired a former Tory MP who was previously critical of its “unacceptable” behaviour, spilt raw sewage 2,323 times into rivers and seas on dry days.

The southwest has scores of beaches and spots such as the River Dart that are popular with wild swimmers. Most people who take part in open water swimming know to avoid waterways after periods of heavy rain when sewage pollution and agricultural run-off usually increase the risk of harmful bacteria such as E. coli being present.

By comparison, swimmers do not expect dry day spills, which are defined by the EA as ones with no rainfall above 0.25mm on the day and 24 hours before. They also tend to concentrate the pollution because it is not diluted by rainfall.

Anglian Water was responsible for the second-highest number of dry day spills, with 1,370 over the period, while Wessex Water was third on 982. Northumbrian Water had the fewest, with 292.

Since January, the EA has required water companies to report dry day spills on a rolling basis. The regulator is reviewing how many have breached company permits, which could result in written warnings and financial penalties.

The industry body Water UK said: “No spill is ever acceptable. Water companies are working to end them as fast as possible by tripling investment. Over the next five years, companies will invest £12 billion to halve spills from storm overflows by 2030, including relining and sealing sewers to prevent groundwater infiltration — one of the main causes of dry day spills.”

The EA said: “The number of pollution spills happening in dry weather is unacceptable. We investigate every dry spill and our message to the industry is clear: we will not hesitate to take robust enforcement action where we identify serious breaches.”

South West Water said that rain falling in one place could take more than 24 hours to move through a catchment and trigger a spill in another area. This type of situation was due to topographical reasons and was outside of its control, it said.

A spokeswoman added: “We are clear that storm overflows must only be used when absolutely necessary.” The company said a multibillion-pound investment plan was in place to curb the spills……

Over many years Owl has tried to draw attention to various un-elected, unaccountable groups, usually initiated by developers, who have positioned themselves to speak on our behalf. The Great South West, the latest, does now have council leaders on its board but their/our plans seem to be developed in secrecy.

How much of this do YOU know and is common knowledge? – owl

According to reports in The Times:

“A client of the lobbying firm that employs Angela Rayner’s partner secured two meetings with ministers in her department this year, according to disclosures.

Transparency returns showed that Great South West, a group of councils and business partnerships, met the housing minister Baroness Taylor of Stevenage to discuss its funding in March, followed by a meeting with Alex Norris, the regional growth minister.

The group employs Henham Strategy as its lobbyist, a firm where Rayner’s partner, Sam Tarry, works as an adviser.“….

….”Great South West recently received £281,250, while the government cut funding to other pan-regional partnerships.

This was granted on the grounds that the southwest region did not have any mayoralties with the capacity to cover the work previously covered by the partnerships on coordinating investment.”…

….The MHCLG said: “Any suggestion of impropriety in this matter is completely unfounded. It is also standard practice for ministers to meet with regional stakeholders to discuss funding and strategic priorities.

“The Great South West received an additional year of funding to support its transition towards a mayor-led model of regional collaboration, as it is the only area not currently covered by a mayoral combined authority.”

A Henham Strategy spokesman said: “Sam Tarry does not conduct any work for Henham Strategy with any client or on any project related to MHCLG departmental responsibilities and has not been involved with the Great South West account.”…

The Great South West carve-up

Since 2017 Owl has been reporting on the chequered history of The Great South West lobbying group. Steve Hindley, the developer with the “Midas” touch until it went bust, started it rolling.

The low point was probably reached in Jan 2020 when it made a big pitch, with full fanfares, to Sajid Javid, then Chancellor of the Exchequer (but an Exeter alumni), a couple of weeks before he resigned during a Boris Johnson cabinet reshuffle. 

It then seemed to have fizzled out, until Susan Davy put the day job to one side to offer a reboot, in June 2021, of the “economic expertise” of Pennon in a paper grandiosely entitled  Levelling Up the Great South West: A G7 Legacy. 

Now, on your behalf, they have bent the ear of ministers with The Great South West Housing Prospectus 2025 prepared by Henham Strategy “positioning the Great South West as a proactive, opportunity-rich region ready for housing investment.”

This will be music to Angela Rayner’s ears!

No effort has been spared in its preparation as described by the said Henham Strategy:

“The final prospectus combined strategic regional narrativewith individual site showcases, designed to help investors quickly assessopportunities and understand their value. The design and tone wereintentionally practical, accessible, and geared toward sparking furtherconversation. This project required more than copywriting. At the core, itdemanded the ability to translate between two sectors that often struggle tocommunicate effectively. We helped local government tell its story in termsthat resonate with investors.” [Sic]

The Big Picture

Recognise it?

Owl thinks this gives “Tractor Porn” Neil notoriety when he was nothing more than a fool and should be left in obscurity.

How would readers rank him as a constituency MP alongside the likes of neighbouring Hugo Swire or his successor Simon Jupp?

All best forgotten.

He resigned for a particularly naughty reason

Lewis Clarke www.devonlive.com

Neil Parish, the former Conservative MP forced to resign after admitting to watching pornography in the House of Commons, has been ranked among the “ten worst modern British politicians” by Daily Mail writer Dan Hodges.

Dan published his list on Thursday, August 28, describing Parish as “the most obscure politician on the list” but one who had squandered what should have been a “job for life”.

Mr Parish represented Tiverton and Honiton from 2010 until 2022, when he resigned following the scandal. At the time of his re-election in 2019, he held a majority of 24,000, making the seat one of the safest Conservative strongholds in the country.

In his column he wrote: “The most obscure politician on the list. And if he’d had the slightest bit of political nous, the former member for Tiverton would still be lounging in blissful obscurity. Re-elected in 2019 to the granite-safe Tory seat with an unassailable majority of 24,000 he had a job for life.

“But the ex-farmer had other ideas. In April 2022 he was accused by a female colleague who had witnessed him watching pornography in the Commons chamber.

“A more cynical – some might say accomplished – political operator would have denied the charge.

“Not Neil Parish.

“Looking for images of a combine harvester called “The Dominator” he had, he said, “reached another website with a very similar name,” whereupon he “watched for a bit”.

“Parish resigned and in the by-election that followed the Lib Dems snatched the seat with the biggest swing in parliamentary history.”

Mr Parish’s inclusion on the list places him alongside a range of political figures past and present, including Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Ed Miliband, Nick Clegg, Peter Mandelson, Suella Braverman, Keir Starmer, Theresa May and Sue Gray.

Since leaving Parliament, Mr Parish has launched a podcast on farming and environmental issues and has continued to campaign with local Conservatives in Devon.

What lies behind the reorganisation into mega councils? Not a lot!

Plymouth and Exeter’s self interest “go it alone” unitary bids will likely wipe out any benefits from Angela Rayner’s devolution reorganisation plans.

Here’s why:

Latest analysis shows “that splitting county areas into unitary councils with populations as small as 300,000 will create hundreds of millions of new unsustainable costs for local taxpayers”. – Owl

Joshua Nevett www.bbc.co.uk

The UK government did not do its own analysis of the cost of the biggest reorganisation of councils in England for decades, the BBC has learned.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said “a significant amount of money” could be saved by merging councils in 21 areas into single authorities.

Rayner’s department, the ministry of local government, based its cost estimates on a 2020 report commissioned by the County Council Network (CCN) that said £2.9bn could be saved over five years.

But the CCN has since revised its analysis and now says the reorganisation could make no savings and actually cost money in some scenarios.

Tim Oliver, chairman of the CCN, said local government reorganisation “could unlock billions in efficiency savings to be reinvested in frontline services”, if it was delivered at the right scale.

Oliver said the CCN supported the government’s reforms but added: “We are concerned over the potential costs of reorganisation where proposals seek to replace the two-tier system with multiple small unitary councils.”

A two-tier system means responsibilities are split between a county council and district councils.

Councils involved in the reorganisation have been submitting plans to create new local authorities in their areas.

Some have proposed setting up multiple smaller unitary authorities in their areas.
In Essex, for example, the county council has proposed three new unitary authorities in the region.

The government will decide which proposals to take forward and intends to inform most councils next year.

A government spokesperson insisted the reorganisation “will improve services and save taxpayers’ money”.

Financial shocks

Ministers talked up the potential to save money as one of the main benefits of local government reorganisation.

Speaking to MPs in June, Rayner said: “Local government reorganisation will lead to better outcomes for residents and save a significant amount of money that can be reinvested in public services and improve accountability.”

But her department insisted it was not necessary to commission separate in-house analysis of the cost of reorganisation at the public’s expense, in response to the BBC’s freedom of information request.

The government’s savings estimates were based on data produced by PwC, an accounting firm, and analysis by the CCN, external, a cross-party lobbyist group.

A PwC report in 2020 estimated potential savings of £2.9bn over five years if all councils in two-tier areas were replaced by single authorities.

But in updated analysis this year, external, the CCN said the reorganisation could cost £850m over five years and deliver no savings if 58 new councils, based on a minimum population of 300,000, were created in all 21 two-tier areas.

“Under this scenario no long-term efficiency savings would be delivered, meaning it would be more efficient to retain the current two-tier system in England,” the CCN’s analysis said.

Oliver said the CCN’s analysis showed “that splitting county areas into unitary councils with populations as small as 300,000 will create hundreds of millions of new unsustainable costs for local taxpayers”.

The councillor said the government must ensure the new councils created are the right size to achieve efficiencies, improve capacity and withstand financial shocks.

“Failure to do so could pile further strain on already under pressure care services and at a time when many county and district authorities could see their funding reduced,” Oliver said.

‘Mega councils’

The District Councils’ Network (DCN) said the reorganisation could produce poor results given the funding pressures already facing local government.

“It’s astonishing that the government has undertaken no independent analysis before embarking on the biggest reorganisation of councils for 50 years,” said Sam Chapman-Allen, chair of the District Councils’ Network.

“Mega councils, with populations of half a million people or more, could be imposed on areas when there’s no independent, up-to-date evidence to justify councils of this size, and many large councils created previously are struggling financially.”

The DCN said it was not too late for the government to commission analysis on the optimal size of councils to maximise potential savings.

Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: “It beggars belief that the government has embarked on a huge reorganisation of vital services, in a way which piles even more costs onto councils, whose finances are already on the brink.”

Stephen Atkinson, Reform UK leader of Lancashire County Council, said: “It is extraordinary that Angela Rayner is pushing ahead with these huge changes to local government without either proper consultation or any independent analysis of how much it might actually cost.

“To make fundamental changes to 20 councils in one year is unprecedented and will lead to vulnerable children and adults falling between the gaps.”

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “Councils across the country have also told us that bringing services together under one roof means residents get joined-up support when they need it most, while clearer structures mean people know exactly who’s responsible for delivering their services.

“Councils will also develop their own proposals for how reorganisation works best in their areas, as we fix the foundations of local government through our Plan for Change.”

England will sell off more than eight times as many council homes in 2025-26 as were constructed the previous year, research has found.

Rachel Hall www.theguardian.com

Right to buy is depleting council housing stock more quickly than public housing can be replaced, forcing people to spend more money on private market rents and obtain less secure tenancies, a report from the thinktank Common Wealth finds.

Its analysis of government data in England found that 38,170 social homes and 2,850 council homes were constructed by the government in 2023-24. In 2024-25, 2,260 council homes were built. There were 13,966 sell-offs of council houses through right to buy in 2023-24 and 8,656 in 2024-25. An analysis in the i Paper estimated that 18,500 council homes will be sold off in 2025-26 – more than eight times more than the number built in 2024-25.

The report concludes that if the government wants to increase the supply of social rental housing quickly, it must invest in buying back and restoring homes sold off under right to buy, alongside more council housebuilding.

Adam Peggs, the report’s author, said: “We need to pull every effective lever we can find to expand public housing. Council housing gave people secure, low-cost homes in the past. With the right framework, it can give people high-quality, genuinely affordable homes, with real democratic voice in the future too. But we need to build the political will to make it happen.

“Every day of delay is another day families languish in squalid temporary accommodation. The government has the tools to turn this emergency around – and more quickly than they might admit – they just need to use them.”

The report, which is published on Thursday, is also calling for expanded “right of first refusal” powers, enabling local authorities to be the preferred buyer when ex-social homes and private rental homes enter the market.

Since 1980, 2.4m council homes have been sold off under right to buy, at a discount that Common Wealth calculated was valued at £194bn, accounting for house price appreciation, with 41% now belonging to private landlords. As a result, council homes have collapsed from accommodating about 30% of households in the late 1970s to 6% today, a decline of about 80%.

Common Wealth’s report analysed council buy-ups of existing homes for public and social housing in seven countries, and determined that funding and incentivising a national right to buy back scheme would be a cost-effective policy in the UK.

The Spanish government has granted powers for a right of first refusal to the country’s new national public housing company after Barcelona acquired 1,500 homes – more than one-fifth of new affordable homes in the city – through right of first refusal powers since 2016, often below their market value.

The report also recommends a national rollout of a London scheme, in which the Greater London Authority bought 1,500 mostly ex-council homes in the first year of its right to buy back scheme. The New Economics Foundation calculated that this would generate a net saving to the taxpayer within 16 years.

A 2024 report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation concluded that buyouts would offer better value for public money, rather than paying housing benefit to private landlords or private temporary accommodation.

Kwajo Tweneboa, a social housing campaigner and the author of Our Country in Crisis, said: “Homes that were once publicly owned are now profit-generating assets for private landlords. That’s the legacy of right to buy. Reversing that damage isn’t just a nice idea. It’s essential.

“Buying back ex-council homes and investing in a new generation of high-quality, genuinely affordable council homes must be the backbone of any serious plan to fix this crisis. That means central government stepping up with proper funding and power – not just warm words and weak targets.”

A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: “We do not recognise these figures. We know, however, that too many social homes have been sold off before they can be replaced, which has directly contributed to the worst housing crisis in living memory.

“That’s why we have introduced right-to-buy reforms to reverse the decline in much needed council housing, alongside investing £39bn to deliver the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation.”

“Though the inspector agreed the site “does not represent an appropriate location for the proposed housing”, the inspector noted that East Devon District Council did not have a five-year housing land supply.”

The Government has changed the goal posts by increasing our housing target – we were close to a 5 year supply but now we aren’t! See here. – Owl

Bradley Gerrard www.exmouthjournal.co.uk

The developer behind a plan for 42 homes in an East Devon village has been given the green light by a government inspector after the local council blocked one version but then accepted another.

A proposal to build 42 homes on land between Meeting Lane and Strawberry Hill in Lympstone was initially refused by East Devon District Council’s planning committee in August last year.

But then the developer, 3 West, put in a tweaked version of the scheme, including making it an ‘outline’ plan, meaning it was seeking permission to build ‘up to 42 homes’, with the exact figure to be agreed at a later date.

That revised version was rubber-stamped by East Devon’s planning committee in November, but this prompted the developer to appeal the decision to reject its initial scheme.

Now the Planning Inspectorate has allowed the appeal, meaning 42 homes can be built on the site.

The council’s approval of the subsequent outline scheme on the same site was deemed a “material consideration” by the inspector.

Furthermore, “moderate weight” was given to the fact that the site was included in the council’s emerging local plan, which has yet to be ratified but identifies areas where homes could be built. That inclusion came after the initial planning application was refused.

The main issues dealt with by the inspector included whether the site was appropriate for housing, the effect on the character and appearance of the area and the scheme’s potential impact on protected trees, and whether there was adequate social housing that was also properly dispersed across the site rather than clumped together.

Fears about the impact on the nearby Exe Estuary and Pebblebed Heaths European Protected Site was a final factor.

But even though the inspector agreed the site “does not represent an appropriate location for the proposed housing”, the inspector noted that East Devon District Council did not have a five-year housing land supply.

Meeting housing targets

This is a government requirement upon councils, meaning they have to have enough approved planning sites to show they can meet their annual housing target over the next five years.

While East Devon had a 4.5 year supply when it initially refused the application last year, changes to national planning policy since then mean it now only has nearly three years’ worth.

The inspector also agreed with the council that the affordable housing was not suitably dispersed throughout the site, but concentrated in one area.

The council had raised the fear that this could limit social cohesion, and the inspector said there appeared to be no reason why the affordable housing “could not be dispersed throughout the development without materially harming the character and appearance of the area”.

The developer has proposed 35 per cent of the properties would be affordable, and has pledged nearly £293,000 to help fund further affordable homes in other areas of the district. That step has been taken because developments in rural areas are required to have a 50 per cent level of affordable housing, although funding can be given in lieu of some on-site provision.

The inspector also felt there was suitable mitigation proposed by the developer to ensure that the Pebblebed Heaths would not be unduly impacted, and while some heritage concerns were noted – especially in regard to Thorne Farmhouse – they were not deemed significant. 

“Having considered the benefits and adverse impacts of the appeal scheme, I conclude that the adverse impacts identified, namely conflict with the council’s spatial strategy, limited harm in respect of the proposed affordable housing provision and less than substantial harm to the heritage significance of the listed building at Thorne Farmhouse would not, cumulatively, significantly and demonstrably outweigh the substantial benefits of the proposal when assessed against the policies of the framework taken as a whole,” the inspector stated.

“Therefore, the presumption in favour of sustainable development, as set out in the framework, applies.”

The developer also submitted a claim for costs against the council, but the inspector refused this.

A new water monitoring project to help tackle pollution has been launched by a Devon council.

Zhara Simpson BBC News, South West www.bbc.co.uk

South Hams District Council said it was “ramping up efforts to tackle water pollution” so that communities, experts and agencies could better understand what was happening in the area’s rivers and estuaries.

The council said the kit – from local marine tech firm Teledyne Valeport – enables the public to see real-time data on water quality in key areas across the district for the “very first time”.

It said the data would be shared publicly via an online dashboard in late 2025.

‘Tackle real problems’

The council said it teamed up with like-minded local groups which had been pushing for better river health.

It said from the Yealm to the Avon, Dart, Erme and Salcombe-Kingsbridge Estuary, community-led river and estuary groups had helped shape the project, including advising on the best locations in which to put the sensors.

Executive member for climate change and biodiversity John McKay said it was a brilliant example of collaboration between communities, researchers and businesses to help “tackle real problems”.

He added: “Local groups have been key to shaping this project and now we are giving them, and everyone else, access to real-time water quality data so we can all play a part in protecting our rivers and coastline.”

‘Real-time insights’

The project has been funded by the government and is being delivered in partnership with Innovative UK, the University of Plymouth and Teledyne Valeport, the council said.

The Environment Agency and local harbourmasters have also supported the project.

Innovation and project manager at Teledyne Valeport Amy Thompson said its sensors were able to provide the kind of real-time insights into water quality that it hopes will tackle water pollution.

She said: “This project is utilising our latest sensors, all designed and manufactured at our Totnes facility.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see our instruments that are used worldwide being applied to such an important local initiative.”

Ditto Plymouth and Torbay (if given the chance).

Currently none of these three meet the original population targets set by Angela Rayner of 500,000 for the creation of new unitary authorities to create a single tier of authorities as she abolishes district councils.

Plymouth has only half the target population, Torbay has only a quarter, Exeter even less, so land grabs are in the air.

In fact, if Torbay is allowed to continue to be a unitary, then East Devon, with a similar population, has an equal right to be one as well, particularly were it to swallow Exeter in a reverse takeover to what is being proposed in the press article below.

This is naked self interest on the part of city dwellers and Owl is surprised to see it being led by a Labour controlled council.

Put crudely, those living in compact urban areas don’t want to contribute to providing services for the more costly and dispersed rural ones.

For example this is the line being peddled in Torbay: “People in Torbay have been warned they face steep rises in council tax if a local government shake-up sees them having to  join forces with their neighbours.

The bay has the lowest rate of council tax in Devon, but if Torbay is joined to neighbouring councils such as South Hams and Teignbridge in the forthcoming revamp of local councils, bay bills will inevitably rise.“

The map below shows vividly how Exeter City’s carve-up between the “haves” and the horseshoe of “have nots” would look.

Predictably, there has already been a very sharp backlash to Exeter’s “land grab” from Teignbridge councillors.

Angela Rayner’s aim is to get rid of district councils and create a set single tier councils. Overarching these “principal authorities (PA)” would be a “mayoral strategic authority (MSA)” who would get significant funds devolved from Whitehall.

All the districts have signed up to the 1-5-4 option. The “1” is Plymouth and the “5” and “4” refer to an east west split of the nine districts, including Exeter City and Torbay

Although geographical, or ceremonial, Devon could be a single PA it would be unwieldy both in area and population.

There are other options, the obvious, and simplest, is to divide the county into two with one of the two cities of Plymouth and Exeter in either half. Vainglory from the city leaders seems to trumping common sense.

Remember also that Angela Rayner’s proposal dramatically reduces your democratic representation in local affairs. The working assumption is that district wards will be abolished and your representation, however these PAs are created, will be based on existing county divisions.

Currently, we in East Devon are represented by 60 district councillors in 30 wards plus 11 county councillors in 9 divisions. After the abolition of districts our representation at local level will drop from 71 councillors to just 11. Their case load will become overwhelming.

Another Rayner rule is that a strategic mayor must control more than one PA.

Recently, all the Devon authorities signed up to a “South West Peninsular Mayoral Strategic Authority (MSA)”, obviously leaving open the door for Cornwall to join at some future date.

Already Angus Forbes wealthy “businessman, entrepreneur and philanthropist” from Australia, who came to Plymouth in 2019, is on manoeuvres. 

He garnered sufficient signatures to require Plymouth City Council to hold a referendum on having its own mayor. He had the backing of Reform but narrowly lost after the government intervened to kick the operational date until after the reorganisation, rendering the referendum pointless.

He is now rooting for the mayoral office to be in Plymouth.

County councillor Alan Connett, LibDem Exminster, sums it all up when he says:

“Changing the way councils are organised and run in Devon is a cash-wasting priority for the Government that is being rushed through.”

With land grabs being submitted by both Plymouth and Exeter, and Cornwall insisting on staying as it is, a county wide unitary, unpopular decisions will have to be made by government or the timetable will have to slip. As planned, this deeply unpopular reorganisation will begin to be implemented in the run up to the next election, well before any benefits appear. Owl expects things to slip.

All authorities are all holding consultations on reorganisation with different timescales and it is difficult to see how one’s voice can be heard in all the noise.

Exeter plans to lead a brave new Devon

The city would absorb 49 towns and villages in the process

Guy Henderson www.devonlive.com

Exeter has been urged to ‘be brave’ and go ahead with bold plans to go it alone in the massive nationwide local government shake-up.

Members of the city council were almost unanimous – just one councillor abstained – in backing a proposal for Exeter to become a stand-alone unitary council, absorbing 49 other Devon communities in the process.

Councillors heard that the 49 – comprising 28 in East Devon, 15 in Teignbridge and six in Mid Devon – are parishes that naturally look to Exeter for work and leisure.

“I believe that Exeter has a responsibility to lead,” said city council leader Phil Bialyk (Lab, Exwick). “Not to demand, not to dictate, but to lead with clarity, humility and deep respect for the communities around us.

“We need to find the best possible option for all of Devon.”

The city council’s strategy would boost its population to more than 250,000, fitting the government’s criteria for one of its new unitary authorities, but other councils around Devon continue to come up with other plans.

The existing district authorities all favour a ‘1-5-4’ model in which Plymouth stands alone and the rest split to create two larger councils.

Under that option, the five-council section would include Exeter, East Devon, Mid Devon, Torridge and North Devon. The four-council section would be Torbay, Teignbridge, South Hams and West Devon.

But Torbay has said it wants to go it alone, and one Torbay councillor described Exeter’s recent decision to pursue a unitary future as ‘a huge rock thrown into the pool’.

If Exeter’s proposal for it and Plymouth to be two unitary councils with the rest of Devon forming another, Torbay would be part of a giant coast-to-coast council stretching from the southernmost tip of the South Hams to the most northerly part of North Devon, and taking in the Somerset, Dorset and Cornwall boundaries.

A report to the city council said Exeter’s strategy reflects its position as a major urban hub with strengths in housing growth, knowledge economy, innovation, education, climate science and transport connectivity.

Cllr Michael Mitchell (Lib Dem, Duryard and St James) said: “This is the start of a journey, but the destination is still unclear.”

He also echoed calls for strong town and parish councils under the new unitaries to make sure local issues were at the top of the agenda.

Cllr Laura Wright (Lab, St Thomas) went on: “This isn’t about Exeter swallowing up the surrounding areas. These are areas which already have a strong local connection. It makes so much sense.”

Cllr Ruth Williams (Lab, Mincinglake and Whipton) said some of the other options favoured by other councils were a ‘back of a fag packet effort’. “How can they think that clumping five districts and four districts together is going to work for those residents?

“No thought seems to have been put into it at all.

And Cllr Josie Parkhouse (Lab, Pennsylvania) told the meeting: “This is our chance to lead. Let’s seize it.”

A period of six weeks of intense public engagement starts now. All councils have been asked to consider their options before a deadline of November 28, when their preference must be submitted to the government. Ministers will then make a final decision, and the new councils will take control in May 2028.

Elections to the new councils will be held in May 2027, with councillors acting in a ‘shadow’ role leading up to the final switch a year later.

An anxious Budleigh Salterton resident, following the Exmouth ban on seawater bathing, asks if any tests have been carried out by the Environment Agency on the stagnant Kersbrook at the side of the skateboard park.

This now has minimal current or flow.  The sewer emergency outfall from the sewage works can be clearly seen. As a consequence there is often an unpleasant smell. It is tragic to see the dying trees on the bank and the scum on the surface of the water. 

The kingfisher has not been seen for a long while.

This water is connected to the sea 100m away through a conduit under the road. Its end is visible at low tide.

Yards east of the beach outfall into the bay the Lifeguards have a recommended area for safe water bathing.

How many would do so if they just walked a few metres and looked over the bridge?

Would an EA test produce a similar result to Exmouth?

A red flag is blowing in the wind on a beach. Beachgoers are in the distance. Swimmers are in the water. The sky is blue.

This is at the height of the holiday season and it’s not raining! – Owl

It comes after the Environment Agency detected elevated readings of ammonia in a brook linked to the beach

Swimmers have been told to stay out of the water at a Devon beach after a pollution incident.

Chloe Parkman www.bbc.co.uk

The Environment Agency is investigating after it detected “elevated readings of ammonia” in a brook that connects to the bathing water at Exmouth beach.

South West Water (SWW) said it had not had any storm overflow spills in the area.

Beachgoer Jamie Steadman said: “We spent money on all day parking, went to the beach for an hour and [were] then told we can’t swim in the water.”

Mr Steadman visited the beach at about 11:00 BST before lifeguards and the council started to display warning signs.

He said lifeguards would not reveal further details about the pollution after instructing swimmers to exit the water.

“The response was ‘we can’t tell you but there is pollution in the water’,” he added.

“They’re telling everyone to get out of the water… but there’s no explanation as to why, what or when.

“The whole of Exmouth beach is now cordoned off.”

‘Red flags’

East Devon District Council (EDDC) said a “pollution incident reporting tool” was issued as a precaution by the Environment Agency due to “elevated ammonia levels”.

The Environment Agency said: “South West Water are supporting this action by checking their assets, including for any potential misconnections to their sewerage network in the area.”

EDDC said council officers lowered the blue flag and lifeguards would fly the red flag to advise against swimming.

“No swimming signs will also be displayed,” it said.

“We hope we can remove these signs and the red flags as soon as possible.”

SWW said: “The Environment Agency have assured us that they are thoroughly investigating and we will continue to support in any way we can.”

Exmouth resident Louise Hughes said it was “disappointing”.

“We came today to the beach because it was so hot, we really wanted to go swimming,” she said.

Alex Harding said water pollution had never been a problem for him when travelling abroad.

“Why is this just a British problem?” he asked.

He added: “Why can’t we get our act together and just make it so that, consistently, you can come to a beach? It’s not much to ask, is it?

“Coming to a beach and to go in the sea, it’s not rocket science.

“But all too often it’s just ‘no, you can’t go in because of this, because of that’, excuses, excuses.”

The crime commissioner has asked for James Vaughan to stay on longer

Commissioner Hernandez said the force and the residents of Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly would now benefit from a much-needed period of stability. [Haven’t we had the benefit of “stability” from Alison Hernandez as commissioner since 2016? – Owl]

Carl Eve www.devonlive.com

Devon and Cornwall Police’s interim Chief Constable is to keep the force’s top cop seat warm for 16 more months after his contract was extended by Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez.

Chief Constable Vaughan QPM has agreed to stay on in the post which was recently vacated following the sudden retirement of Chief Constable Will Kerr, who had been on suspension, on full pay, for the last two years. During a crime panel meeting in 2024, Ms Hernandez admitted Mr Kerr was on a salary of “about £170,000 a year”.

Mr Vaughan has agreed to stay on in the top job for another 16 months, after Ms Hernandez offered to extend his contract to January 2027. She had initially appointed him in December 2024 following the suspension of the then Acting Chief Constable Jim Colwell.

Devon and Cornwall Police was last week removed from the Engage stage of monitoring – also known as special measures – by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services.

Commissioner Hernandez said the force and the residents of Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly would now benefit from a much-needed period of stability, and she was looking forward to seeing further improvements under Mr Vaughan’s leadership.

She said: “I have been really pleased to see how Chief Constable Vaughan has tackled head-on several legacy issues from the period of unstable leadership that preceded his appointment.

“In particular, I have welcomed his decision to reduce the number of senior ranks to enable more officers to be out in the community where council taxpayers can really feel the benefit and get better value for their money.

“It’s so important that Mr Vaughan and I take a unified approach in delivering my police and crime plan priorities. I have been delighted to work closely with him and stand side by side at events including my recent VAWG [Violence Against Women and Girls] Disruptive Ideas workshop that aims to tackle violence against women and girls, and councillor advocate seminar on the serious violence work taking place across the peninsula.

“I look forward to the coming 16 months which I am confident will see more good work and continued improvement under Mr Vaughan’s experienced leadership.”

Chief Constable James Vaughan said: “It is a personal privilege to be asked by the Commissioner to stay on in my role. I have really enjoyed leading this fantastic organisation for the last eight months and seeing the great work officers, staff and volunteers do every day to keep our communities safe.

“Despite some challenging times we have made considerable progress over the last few years and that is testament to the hard work of everyone in the Force. Working closely with the PCC and our partners I am confident that we will continue to improve the service we offer across Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.”

Mr Colwell was returned to his substantive role as Deputy Chief Constable and has resumed his duties after he was given a written warning for breaching professional standards.

The breach was eventually revealed to have been “a failure to report exchanging personal messages with a journalist on social media”, which went against the force’s misconduct and notifiable associations policy.

The process to recruit a substantive Chief Constable is due to begin in the summer of 2026.

Exeter unveils: The Greater Exeter Strategic Plan (GESP) on steroids!

Owl has been watching as all the Districts, Devon County, and the two unitaries, Torbay and Plymouth, row in behind what is, at the moment, an hypothetical “South West Peninsular Mayoral Strategic Authority” (MSA) in letters to the Secretary of State. [Possibly behind clenched teeth]

Torbay appears ready to join in as districts are forced to amalgamate into unitaries of sufficient size.

Plymouth has ambition to expand in order to meet the minimum size criteria set by Angela Rayner or face amalgamation.

Exeter has now dropped a bombshell.

The city looks to be seeking, unilaterally, a massive takeover of its neighbours, mostly from East Devon and Teignbridge, GESP on steroids!

Exeter could absorb 39 towns and villages in mammoth expansion

A key decision looms Guy Henderson www.devonlive.com

Exeter City council leader Phil Bialyk at Exeter bus station (Image: Exeter City Council)

[Looks ready to swoop! – Owl]

City councillors in Exeter will vote next week on a move to spread the city’s wings and swallow up nearly 40 smaller communities across Devon.

The city council believes it will help boost its population to more than 250,000, fitting the government’s criteria for one of its new unitary authorities.

Local councils across the country will face major changes as part of the government’s move to ‘streamline’ the way local authorities work. In Devon it will mean the abolition of district councils and the creation of larger unitaries covering the county.

The existing districts all favour a ‘1-5-4’ model in which Plymouth stands alone and the rest of the districts split to create two larger councils.

The five-council section would include Exeter, East Devon, Mid Devon, Torridge and North Devon.

The four-council section would be Torbay, Teignbridge, South Hams and West Devon.

But Torbay has said it wants to go it alone, and now Exeter City Council has published its own proposal.

It says it reflects the city’s position as a major urban hub with strengths in housing growth, knowledge economy, innovation, education, climate science and transport connectivity.

It says it recognises the importance of Devon’s two major urban centres – Exeter and Plymouth – as engines for economic and housing growth for the benefit of the whole county.

It says the right way to go is an urban unitary council for Exeter and the surrounding areas; an urban unitary council for an expanded Plymouth and a rural and coastal unitary council for the rest of Devon.

Council Leader Phil Bialyk (Lab, Exwick) said: “Reorganisation presents a once in a generation opportunity to reshape public services to improve outcomes for residents, address inequalities and deliver value for money.

“Exeter is the regional capital and acts as the engine for growth of our dynamic and diverse urban and rural area and our important market towns.

“By joining forces with key locations close to the city – places with a strong connection and affiliation with Exeter – we can create a new unitary council which accelerates growth and allows communities to thrive.”

The proposed new urban unitary council for Exeter and the surrounding area would serve a population of around 256,273, rising to 294,079 by 2040.

It would include 15 locations currently in the Teignbridge District Council area: Dawlish Town, Ashcombe, Mamhead, Starcross, Kenton, Chudleigh Town, Powderham, Exminster, Kenn, Dunchideock, Shillingford St George, Ide, Holcombe Burnell, Whitestone, Tedburn St Mary.

There would be 18 locations currently in the East Devon District Council area: Exmouth, Woodbury, Lympstone, Otterton, East Budleigh, Budleigh Salterton, Colaton Raleigh, Bicton, Upton Pyne, Brampford Speke, Stoke Cannon, Nether Exe, Rewe, Huxham, Poltimore, Broadclyst, Clyst Hydon, Clyst St Lawrence, Whimple, Cranbrook, Rockbeare, West Hill, Aylesbeare, Farringdon, Clyst Honiton, Sowton, Clyst St Mary, Clyst St George.

There would also be six locations currently in the current Mid Devon District Council area:

Cheriton Bishop, Hittisleigh, Colebrook, Crediton Town, Crediton Hamlets, Newton St Cyres.

Members will discuss the report on August 14.

New data show Anglian Water was the worst offender, followed by South West Water and the crisis-hit Thames Water.

Adam Vaughan www.thetimes.com 

England’s water companies are causing more than 100 potentially illegal raw sewage spills a day into rivers and seas, far more than previously thought, The Times can reveal.

New data, which suggests a previously unknown level of widespread breaches of the law, shows Anglian Water was the worst offender, followed by South West Water and the crisis-hit Thames Water.

The potentially illegal nature of many of the spills raises the prospect of a wave of prosecutions and potential multimillion-pound fines for water firms. Regulators said the figures were “unacceptable” and they would not hesitate to take enforcement action against breaches of permits.

Raw sewage is legally permitted to pour into waterways from relief outfalls, known as storm overflows, on days of heavy rainfall. Those legal spills, which lasted a record 3.61 million hours last year, have sparked public outrage and targets from ministers to halve them.

However, they are not meant to happen on dry days, when the risk to swimmers and wildlife is greater because the pollution is not diluted by rainwater.

Companies have previously cast doubt on independent attempts to gauge the extent of such “dry day spills”, which experts said were likely to mostly be in breach of permits and illegal, with a few exceptions.

The previous best estimate was about 6,000 dry day spills in a year. However, the data shared with the Times shows that number in just two months.

“The massively high numbers of untreated sewage spills on days when we haven’t had exceptional rainfall is the canary in the mine — clear evidence that our sewage infrastructure and capacity has not kept pace with population growth, development and climate change over the last decades,” said Michelle Walker, the technical director of the Rivers Trust, a charity.

The Times, which obtained the data using transparency laws, can disclose there were 6,177 dry day spills by nine water companies across January and February. Anglian Water reported 1,347 dry day spills, followed by South West Water on 1,306 and Thames Water on 1,063. Northumbrian had the lowest figure, with 210.

The figures have come to light because since January the Environment Agency (EA) has required water firms to report dry day spills. It now classifies them as pollution incidents.

Much of Britain’s sewer system is based on the model chosen in the 19th century, of combining rainwater and sewage in the same pipes. During heavy rainfall, storm overflows can by design be used to stop sewage backing up into homes and businesses.

However, dry spills should not happen. Observers said the high frequency of day spills uncovered by The Times suggested companies had failed to keep sewers clear and had not invested enough in infrastructure to keep pace with population growth.

A dry day is defined by the EA as having no rainfall above 0.25mm on the day and the 24 hours beforehand. “Storm overflows should not spill on dry days,” the regulator has said.

The new figures are important because they are sourced directly from the water firms. Some companies have contested past efforts by the BBC to infer how many dry spills there were by cross-referencing stop-start times of sewage spills with weather data, claiming the methodology was flawed.

The agency is in the process of establishing how many of the 6,000-plus discharges were illegal. The regulator has said dry day spills could lead to prosecutions, written warnings and financial penalties for companies.

Alex Ford, a professor of biology at the University of Portsmouth, said the EA was likely to find a high level of illegality. “Most, if they occurred during dry spells, are illegal. They would still be potentially illegal if they were caused by delayed rising water tables and seepage into cracked pipes,” he said.

Experts said dry day spills were typically more devastating for people and the environment than those during exceptional rainfall.

“Definitely, dry weather spills are worse because of the lack of dilution in the river — so any pollutants or infectious pathogens will be more concentrated if someone were to swallow some of the water,” said Barbara Evans, a professor of public health engineering at the University of Leeds.

“In dry weather people may be using the rivers and beaches more, so there are more people who may then be exposed to the pollutants,” she added.

Most of the dry day spills are understood to be classed by the EA as category three pollution incidents, where one is the most severe and four the least. The reasons why dry day spills can occur include under-investment in pipes and treatment plants, blockages in sewers and groundwater infiltrating into pipes via cracks and other routes.

Some of the spills this year could have happened without permits being breached. For example, in a large catchment water may fall in one place and take more than a day to drain down to another area where the spill occurs.

However, campaigners said the scale was unacceptable. Giles Bristow, the chief executive of the charity Surfers Against Sewage, which uncovered early evidence of dry spills in 2022, said of the 6,177 spills: “It’s outrageous, unlawful, and a damning indictment of a water industry broken beyond repair.”

The group’s provisional data shows a total of 206,529 raw sewage spills during January and February, most of which will have been legally permitted. “It’s bad enough having to think twice on taking a dip after rain — to do so in dry weather is just downright ludicrous,” said Bristow.

An EA spokeswoman said: “The number of pollution spills happening in dry weather is unacceptable. We investigate every dry spill and our message to the industry is clear: we will not hesitate to take robust enforcement action where we identify serious breaches.”

A spokeswoman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “Our root and branch reform will revolutionise the water industry through a record £104 billion investment.”

All of the companies were contacted, and none disputed the figures. Anglian Water said it is spending around £1 billion on storm overflows up to 2030. “We recognise that customers want us to take swift action to end storm overflow discharges. We intend to meet these expectations,” a spokesman said.

A South West Water spokeswoman said: “We are clear that storm overflows must only be used when absolutely necessary.” The firm note said it was trying to eliminate dry day spills caused by groundwater infiltration.

A spokesman for Water UK, the industry body, said: “No spill is ever acceptable. Water companies are working to end them as fast as possible by tripling investment. Over the next five years, companies will invest £12 billion to halve spills from storm overflows by 2030 including relining and sealing sewers to prevent groundwater infiltration — one of the main causes of dry day spills.”

Richard Foord, MP for Honiton and Sidmouth, has called on the chief executive of NHS Devon to allocate one of the five community hospitals in his constituency for this purpose.

Bobby Angelov www.midweekherald.co.uk

An MP is urging for a hospital to be turned into a neighbourhood health centre in East Devon.

In a letter to Steve Moore, Mr Foord highlighted the potential for investment in local health services, given the “rapidly expanding older population.”

He expressed concern about the comfort of residents, particularly in Sidmouth and Seaton, with NHS England’s increasing reliance on technology and artificial intelligence.

Citing the 2021 census, Mr Foord noted that around one quarter of Seaton and Sidmouth residents have some form of disability.

In both areas, around 10 per cent of the population provide unpaid care for a friend or relative.

He also pointed out that the average age in these towns has increased more than the England and South West averages.

Mr Foord said: “This means that there are five hospitals in my constituency that have the potential for essential investment in local health services amid what is a rapidly expanding older population, that will continue in the years to come.

“The Sidmouth and Seaton areas in particular, are now well known to be home to demographic mainly over the age of 65, who are not necessarily comfortable with NHS England’s direction of travel with AI and technology.”

The community hospitals in question are Honiton, Sidmouth, Axminster, and Seaton, all of which have some available space, while Ottery St Mary Hospital is currently at full capacity.

Mr Foord praised the state of repair of Ottery St Mary, Seaton, and Honiton hospitals, noting they are only about 30 years old.

Axminster Hospital, though older, is reportedly in good condition.

Mr Foord has previously raised this issue with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and followed up with another letter and question in parliament.

Wrong sort of drought – not long since we had rain causing landslips and disruption in the same area! – Owl

Rail services in parts of southern England are being reduced because embankments have shrunk and disturbed the track after the sunniest spring in more than a century.

Gwyn Topham www.theguardian.com

Trains are unable to travel at full speed over embankments in Dorset and Devon that have contracted because of a lack of moisture in the soil.

In the latest example of extreme weather affecting the UK’s railways, South Western Railway (SWR) said that for a safe and reliable service it had no alternative but to reduce the number of trains running.

Journeys from London Waterloo to Exeter will take an hour longer, with trains running at 40mph instead of 85mph for sections of the route.

This year’s was the second driest spring on record for England, with the least amount of rainfall since 1976. The lack of moisture has caused embankments to shrink on a 12-mile stretch of track between Gillingham in Dorset and Axminster in Devon.

The speed restrictions on the single-track route means trains cannot pass at the usual times and places, and SWR said it had been forced to cut services from the schedule.

The operator said dry conditions were likely to continue and that further speed restrictions could be needed.

SWR’s chief operating officer, Stuart Meek, said: “We are very sorry for the disruption that customers will experience due to this change, as we know just how important the west of England line is to the communities it serves.

“We have not taken this decision lightly … However, to continue operating a safe and reliable service, we have no alternative but to introduce a reduced timetable.”

Network Rail’s operations director, Tom Desmond, said: “The safety of our customers is our number one priority, which is why we must impose these speed restrictions. We will regularly review conditions in order to restore the normal timetable as soon as possible.”

The changing climate has caused problems for the railway in recent years, including the need to impose speed restrictions in extreme summer heat for fear of buckling rails.

Train services were meanwhile cut back in Kent last year after the wettest winters on record also affected tracks and embankments.

Network Rail is spending almost £3bn over the period 2024-29 to tackle the effects of climate change, having already increased its budget to maintain earthworks in the wake of the Stonehaven disaster, when heavy rain and poor drainage led to a landslip.