The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner was charged the highest interest rate out of all the other organisations the fire service lent money to in the previous financial year.

The short-term loan was part of a wider £22.5 million in borrowing,

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

Devon’s police commissioner office has turned for the first time to the county’s fire service for £5 million in short-term loans.

The Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) for Devon and Cornwall said it had borrowed money from its emergency services counterpart alongside other councils and pension funds.

The £5 million it borrowed from Devon and Somerset Fire & Rescue service in the year to April came with a seven per cent interest rate, although it was only for a short period of time.

Fire service documents show the term of the loan – the period within which it has to be paid back in – was a third of a month, suggesting it would have been paid off in 10 days or less.

Interestingly, the OPCC was charged the highest interest rate out of all the other organisations the fire service lent money to in the previous financial year, with the next highest being 5.7 per cent for a loan to West Northamptonshire Council, and the lowest being 4.45 per cent to Helaba, a German bank.

The OPCC said the money it borrowed was used to cover short term fluctuations in cashflow, with those periods being around five days.

In total in the 2024/25 financial year, the OPCC borrowed £22.5 million from a range of lenders, which were Kirklees Council in West Yorkshire, Hampshire Pension Fund, Hyndburn Borough Council in Lancashire, and the West Yorkshire Pension Fund. 

And it has borrowed £20.5 million in the current financial year that will end next April, the OPCC confirmed.

A spokesperson said the borrowing was part of “routine cashflow management”, essentially meaning that it needed to make sure it had enough money in its coffers to pay some outgoings before its next expected income.

It is common for local authorities, such as councils and police commissioner offices, to borrow money from similar authorities.

An OPCC spokesperson said: “As part of routine cashflow management, it is sometimes necessary to borrow money for short periods.

“Through our treasury management strategy, there are approved routes for doing this in the best value for money way, which includes borrowing from public sector partners.

“All short-term borrowing is repaid quickly and does not therefore add to the long term borrowing that is undertaken to finance capital projects, such as buildings, which is repaid over a longer period.

“The treasury management strategy is reviewed annually to ensure our approach represents the best value for taxpayers.”  

In the OPCC accounts for the 2024/25 financial year, it states that all long-term borrowing is taken from the Public Works Loan Board, which is part of the Treasury and is the main lender to local authorities.

The accounts add that all short-term borrowing is arranged from local authorities to cover short-term fluctuations in cash.
 

A Cornwall MP says he has become so frustrated with sewage pollution, he has put the Chief Executive of South West Water on what he has described as “resignation watch”.

www.itv.com

Noah Law, the MP for Newquay and St Austell, has said he is issuing a ‘final warning’ to Susan Davy, calling for her to take immediate action to upgrade the region’s sewage treatment infrastructure.

South West Water has responded that it has a 15-year delivery programme to reduce its use of storm overflows across its network and redesign its infrastructure – but it also says that work of that scale takes time.

Pennon, which owns South West Water, has said they recently met with the MP to go through their investment plan in his constituency.

Speaking to ITV News West Country in Pentewan, the MP said: “The sense of urgency just isn’t there from South West Water.

“Getting detail on the timeframes around this infrastructure upgrade has been like drawing blood from a stone and I want them to be extremely transparent with the public as to when they can expect to see some of that change which we’ve fought so hard for in Government and through the Water Special Measures Act.”

He added: “I’m pressing really hard to get that information on just when we are going to see those upgrades. A five-year timeframe isn’t good enough, people want to see action now.”

According to South West Water’s own figures, there were 134 spills from the water treatment works in Pentewan last year.

Elsewhere in the region, MP for Taunton and Wellington Gideon Amos carried out water testing on the River Tone in a designated bathing water spot.

The result was a reading of ‘poor’ quality and the MP says water companies should be making cleaner rivers a priority.

The boss of Pennon Group and South West Water CEO, Susan Davy, received a total pay package of more than £800,000 in 2023-24, including almost 200,000 in long-term share awards.

Meanwhile, customers’ yearly bills rose by around a third from April this year.

A spokesperson for Pennon said: “We run critical national infrastructure and have embarked on our largest ever investment programme across our Group – £3.2bn – which spans from Cornwall to Surrey – 11 of these major projects are in Mr Law’s constituency.

“We are prioritising our investment on what customers have told us are most important to them and to help us deliver on what we promised; to reduce the use of storm overflows, ensuring water resilience and supply, investing in vital infrastructure, supporting customers more than ever and taking a green first approach to our solutions as much as possible.”

They added: “We live and work in this region and care deeply about what we all do every single day – we are also customers of South West Water. “Our 4,000 brilliant colleagues work hard day and night to keep taps running and toilets flushing, we will not stop and we will continue to deliver on our promises.”

Does this mean police resources locally will be concentrated in just Exmouth and Exeter? – Owl

Home Office www.gov.uk (Extract)

Thousands of shoppers and businesses will see increased police presence, stronger prevention and enforcement action by police and councils to support safer high streets this summer.   

Over recent years street crime has sky-rocketed, with theft from the person more than doubling between December 2022 and December 2024, and there has been record levels of shop theft, up by more than 60% – with offenders increasingly using violence and abuse against shopworkers.

This marks a key step in delivering the government’s Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee, which from July will see named, contactable officers in every community, increased peak time patrols in town centres and anti-social behaviour leads in every force.  

Commissioned by the Home Secretary, Police and Crime Commissioners across England and Wales have developed bespoke local action plans with police, businesses and local councils to crackdown on crime this summer.  

The aim is to support town centres to be vibrant places where people want to live, work and spend time, and restore faith in community policing after years of declining police officer presence on Britain’s streets.  

These plans include increased visible town centre policing and ramping up the use of targeted enforcement powers against troublemakers – including banning perpetrators from hotspots.  

The summer initiative will also support young people, making sure there are activities across the 500 towns for young people to be involved in throughout the holidays. 

The Home Office, alongside police, retailers and industry are also launching a new Tackling Retail Crime Together Strategy, which will use shared data to assist in disrupting not just organised criminal gangs, but all types of perpetrators including prolific offenders who are stealing to fund an addiction and ‘opportunist’ offenders. 

Creating thriving town centres where businesses and communities can flourish supports the government’s growth mission, raising living standards, backing local economies and supporting communities. 

Initiatives taking place this summer include:  

• in Humberside, police are using real-time mapping to deliver dynamic patrols to target emerging problem locations while reassuring local communities
• in Devon and Cornwall, police are embedding specialist anti-social behaviour lawyers to fast-track enforcement activity
• in Derbyshire, police have developed a Night Time Economy Charter to help deliver consistent proactive policing and coordinated management across the four largest local town centres
• in Wales, Dyfed-Powys Police are targeting seasonal, tourist towns through early police visibility, deterrence and community reassurance
• in Nottinghamshire, police have introduced a new diversionary intervention programme for Out of Court Resolutions with conditions attached for problem offenders

Towns signing up in Devon and Cornwall:

No, not Simon Jupp but Anne Marie Morris, ejected by the voters of Newton Abbot in favour of Martin Wrigley MP Lib Dem. Owl

Guy Henderson www.devonlive.com

A former Devon Conservative MP who was suspended for using racist language has joined Reform UK.

Anne Marie Morris represented Newton Abbot from 2010 to 2024 when her 17,500 majority was overturned by Liberal Democrat Martin Wrigley.

Now she will work on developing social care policy for Nigel Farage’s right wing party.

She first had the Tory party whip removed by then-prime minister Theresa May in 2017 after using racist language in a discussion on Brexit. She said the consequences of having no exit deal were the ‘n***** in the woodpile’.

At the time she apologised and said it had been an unintentional slip. The party whip was returned after six months.

She later lost it again after backing a Labour move to cut VAT on energy bills.

Ms Morris explained her decision to join Reform, saying: “The country is in a desperate position. I believe now it is Reform UK that offers the vision and leadership Britain so badly needs. I want to play my part in delivering that vision.”

Her arrival among the party ranks was welcomed by Reform chairman David Bull, who said: “We are delighted. She brings a wealth of experience with her and will be a crucial part in developing the party’s social care policy as we look to build our policy platform ahead of the next general election.

“Anne Marie is just one of many who realise that Reform UK is the only party that can stop this damaging Labour government in its tracks.”

Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said Ms Morris’ language had been ‘abhorrent’ and the people of Newton Abbot had made their views clear.

In a statement she said: “The mask has slipped, exposing Farage’s hollow claims of dragging his party into the mainstream. That Reform is embracing someone who has used such abhorrent language speaks volumes: they are the company they keep.

“Ms Morris’ constituents already made their views clear when they ejected her at the general election in favour of a hardworking local Liberal Democrat champion. The public will view Farage’s decision to elevate someone with such an appalling track record to the core of the Reform party with similar contempt.”

Caroline Voaden (Oral answers to questions 26 June – link)

(South Devon) (LD)

“Devon and Torbay combined county authority will receive just £40 million between 2026 and 2030 in local transport grant funding—less than half the amount awarded to York and North Yorkshire and a fraction of the billions given to the city regions, despite Devon having the longest road network in the country. A large local operator says that just £1 million a year would make a transformational change in Devon, where rural deprivation is well hidden. Will the Minister meet me to discuss the issues facing the bus network in Devon and the Government investment that is needed?”

Simon Lightwood,

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport

“Our long-term bus investment will support rural areas to improve local bus services. That is on top of the £712 million we have allocated to local authorities in 2025-26.”

Owl wonders if this week’s story about Labour’s proposal to scrap city mayors in favour of multi authority ones (aka mayoral strategic authorities) as part of its devolution deal, gives us a glimpse of what might lie in store.

Under Labour’s plan only strategic mayoral authorities will get serious devolved powers and funds. Unitary Plymouth now finds itself in the front line.

The immediate context is that a wealthy “businessman, entrepreneur and philanthropist” from Australia, Angus Forbes who came to Plymouth in 2019, has garnered sufficient signatures to require Plymouth City Council to hold a referendum on July 17 on whether or not to elect a mayor for the city. 

Labour have now frozen that process (see below), though Forbes has indicated he will fight the decision through the courts. Reform UK’s Plymouth branch has thrown its support behind the referendum (if it is held). 

If the referendum passes, Forbes has indicated that he will be a candidate.

Worth noting that Torbay voted to abandon its mayor in 2019. Similarly, Bristol abandoned its mayor in 2022.

The Plymouth referendum proposal has cross party opposition under the banner: “Plymouth knows better”

It has also got a bit nasty with Police issuing a Community Resolution Order against an individual following City Leader Tudor Evans claims to have received “serious threats of violence”.

The government preference for strategic mayoral authorities is for these to have a population in excess of 1.5 million. I.e. something bigger in scale than geographical Devon. 

Candidates will need huge resources or, organisational or political backing, to campaign over such a dispersed area.

In Owl’s opinion the examples of choosing Crime Commissioners and Leaders of Local Enterprise Partnerships are not encouraging. No inspired leader has emerged. The result has been mediocracy.

City mayors to be scrapped in Plymouth 

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

A question mark hangs over whether a referendum will take place in Plymouth next month after the government confirmed that city mayors will be scrapped if a new act of parliament is passed.

Minister of state for local government and English devolution Jim McMahon said in a statement this week that Labour wants regulations to “freeze processes that are underway” as it plans to simplify local government.

He said the 13 directly elected local council mayors currently in place across the country would continue but no new ones would be created.

“We must ensure precious time and resources are not spent moving Plymouth to a new governance arrangement while parliament is considering legislation that would prevent new council mayors,” he said.

But whilst any election for a directly elected mayor in Plymouth has been delayed by a year to 2027 to allow the English Devolution Bill to pass through parliament, the referendum to decide whether Plymouth residents want a mayor instead of a council leader and cabinet could still go ahead on 17 July.

The government’s move is to avoid confusion caused by establishing new regional mayors for strategic authorities which are set to be at the top of a forthcoming change to local government structure.

These authorities would oversee a small number of unitary councils in Devon  responsible for all local services, and the current two tier structure of county and district councils would disappear.

The Mayor for Plymouth campaign, spearheaded by businessman Angus Forbes, got enough support from the public to trigger a referendum at the cost of £410,000.

Mr Forbes said it wanted strong accountable leadership directly chosen by all Plymouth voters with politics taking a back seat.

Earlier this year he said his interpretation of the white paper was that Plymouth could have an elected mayor provided it is part of a strategic authority.

A ‘coalition’ group called Plymouth Knows Better was set up to urge the public to vote against it in the referendum.

It said it welcomed the confirmation today from the minister that no new city mayors will be created.

“This decision confirms that the government won’t create any new city mayors – making Plymouth’s referendum not just unnecessary, but now entirely redundant,” it said

A spokesperson added: “Local people will be rightly angry that public money is being spent on a vanity project that never had any future, all because the lead petitioner and millionaire Mr Forbes wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“The cross-party Plymouth Knows Better coalition has, from the start, tried to inform people that this position was being scrapped – and today’s news proves we were right.”

Plymouth and Sutton MP Luke Pollard said the money should be spent on filling potholes or looking after children in care.

The Mayor for Plymouth campaign has not yet commented on the minister’s statement.

Closer to home, Exeter Reform’s facebook page appears “unpaused” but its local Chair Cllr Ed Hill is claiming (25 June):

I’m still banned from the Reform UK Exeter Branch page (by Matt Sykes), so if you’re looking for updates from me, this is the place.

Please invite others to this page so they don’t miss anything important – especially those who may still think I’m able to post elsewhere.

Let’s keep the truth flowing.

The recently elected leader of Warwickshire County Council has resigned, leaving his 18-year-old deputy in charge.

Elizabeth Glinka Political Editor, BBC Midlands www.bbc.co.uk

Reform UK councillor Rob Howard released a short statement in which he said he had made the decision with “much regret”.

Howard was elected in May, when Reform made unprecedented gains in the local elections, becoming the largest party in Warwickshire and forming a minority administration.

The outgoing leader cited his health as the reason for his decision, adding: “The role of leader is an extremely demanding role and regretfully my health challenges now prevent me from carrying out the role to the level and standard that I would wish.”

He also confirmed that his current deputy, George Finch, would serve as interim leader until the council confirmed a new leader in due course.

Speaking to the BBC earlier this month, Howard said he was “not intimidated” by the challenge of running a local authority with £1.5bn of assets and a revenue budget of about £500m.

Despite resigning the top job with immediate effect, Howard confirmed he would be staying on as a county councillor.

“I am honoured and privileged to have held the role, even if only for a short time. I remain committed to my continued role working as a county councillor for the benefit of Warwickshire residents,” he said.

Extracts from Cllr Ed Hill’s social media reports on “Life as a Devon County Councillor”

19th june

…I’ve just spoken directly with Reform UK Head Office and can confirm that they were unaware of the way I’ve been treated by certain individuals in the Devon branch management.

To clarify:

I remain the Chairman of the Exeter Reform UK Branch
I remain a Reform UK County Councillor for Devon…..

20th June

..I’m still banned from the chair.exeter@reform email account, so anything sent there will go to the regional coordinator, Matt Sykes. I’m also still locked out of the Reform UK Exeter Branch Facebook page—so if you know anyone over there, send them this way for updates.

On the investigation into me allegedly bringing Reform into disrepute: due process is now underway. I gave my witness statement to Reform HQ Investigations about an hour ago—so as they say, it’ll all come out in the wash...

 21th June

..I am still banned from the Reform UK Exeter Branch Facebook group.

So, until the penny drops, any updates that would normally be posted there will be shared here instead.

Transparency and accountability matter — and I’ll continue doing what I’ve always done: keeping members and residents informed...

Is this a lockout? – Owl

South West Water manages 27, or 35 per cent, of all of England’s Blue Flag beaches, it occupies 50 per cent of the top 10 list for spills and 60 per cent of the top 10 worst performers for hours of sewage discharges.

Budleigh Salterton (264 sewage discharges), Exmouth (228) and Sidmouth (158) made up the top three.

Here is what “On the same page” David Reed is doing, posted a day after David Parsley’s article below.

Revealed: Water firms dump sewage 2,380 times at iconic Blue Flag beaches

David Parsley inews.co.uk 20 June – (Extract)

Using the Government’s official data, The i Paper has found that 26 of England’s Blue Flag beaches discharged sewage into seas more than 30 times in 2024, while nine dumped waste more than 100 times.

In all there were at least 2,380 sewage spills at Blue Flag beaches over a total period of 15,291 hours last year.

Visitors to Devon, which has more Blue Flag beaches than any other region, were most likely to experience sewage spills.

The latest figures, which could threaten the Blue Flag status of the worst offending beaches, follow claims from water companies that they are investing in improvements to mitigate sewage spills.

However, last year’s spills at Blue Flag beaches were up on 2023’s figure of 2,101 discharges, while the total hours of spills were up from the figure of 14,834.

Many of the top 10 worst performing Blue Flag beaches in 2024 were covered by South West Water, which manages water and sewage services in the holiday hotpots of Devon and Cornwall.

The beachside towns of Budleigh Salterton (264 sewage discharges), Exmouth (228) and Sidmouth (158) made up the top three.

Exmouth, which pumped sewage into the sea for 2,279 hours in 2024, tops the list in this category. The town, which has been awarded Blue Flag status seven years in a row, saw 214 sewage spills over 1,983 hours in 2023…..

……While South West Water manages 27, or 35 per cent, of all of England’s Blue Flag beaches, it occupies 50 per cent of the top 10 list for spills and 60 per cent of the top 10 worst performers for hours of sewage discharges.

South West Water said: “It is important to address that there are many factors that contribute to whether or not a beach is awarded Blue Flag status and water quality is only one of them.”…..

A new bill which the government says aims to speed up housebuilding has been described as “catastrophic for wildlife” by a nature charity.

This reinforces the point already made to the labour government but tossed aside. – Owl

Janine Jansen www.bbc.co.uk

Devon Wildlife Trust’s chief executive Nick Bruce-White has said it will give developers an open door to pay “cash to trash” the environment.

Labour says it wants to build 1.5 million homes during this parliament and 150 large infrastructure projects.

The government says the new Planning and Infrastructure Bill will deliver a “win-win” for the economy and nature by ensuring builders can meet their environmental obligations faster.

Devon Wildlife Trust has said it wants part three of the bill, entitled Nature Restoration Fund, scrapped.

Mr Bruce-White said it would be “catastrophic for wildlife by effectively giving developers licence to trash wildlife habitats”.

He said it “represents one of the most significant threats to nature that we’ve faced in decades”.

“We’ve worked really hard with government to try and make sure environmental protections are kept within the planning system, so we can both grow the economy and restore nature at the same time.

“All our work behind closed doors has been met with platitudes and false reassurances and we feel like we are being completely ignored,” he added.

‘Environmental improvements’

The government says the Nature Restoration Fund “will ensure there is a win-win for both the economy and nature by ensuring builders can meet their environmental obligations faster.”

“These changes will remove time intensive and costly processes, with payments into the fund allowing building to proceed while wider action is taken to secure the environmental improvements we need.”

At the bill’s third reading, the Minister for Housing and Planning, Matthew Pennycook said: “To those who believe this government might buckle and scrap part three of the bill entirely, I simply say, “You have underestimated the resolve of this government and this minister.”

“The case for moving to a more strategic approach that will allow us to use funding from development to deliver environmental improvements at a scale that will have the greatest impact in driving the recovery of protected sites and species, is compelling.”

Devon Wildlife Trust says often great crested newts and bats are blamed for delaying planning developments, but its own research shows they represent just 3% of planning application appeals.

The charity says sensitive and protected nature sites could be at high risk of damage or destruction under the new planning framework, with species like curlews, water voles, and the High Brown Fritillary butterfly at risk.

Members of the House of Lords will now debate the bill.

Richard Foord takes up the plight of business hampered by slow broadband speeds

He has previously criticised Devon County Council for its failure to ring-fence money clawed back from a previous scheme to connect rural areas. The county earmarked the money instead for services for young and vulnerable adults.

Owl can’t help associating the history of slow broadband speed with two prominent Tory politicians, now consigned to history.

The first is Richard Foord’s predecessor, Neil Parish, whose genuine attempts to raise this in parliament over the years have since become the butt of ribald comment, such as: “The Tory MP under investigation for allegedly watching pornography in the Commons chamber, has mentioned broadband in the Commons 58 times – mainly concerning slow connection speeds.”

Then there is the long historical connection of former Honiton councillor Phil Twiss, rejected by voters in May, to schemes that have repeatedly failed to deliver over many years.

Five years ago under a post entitled “Search begins for superfast broadband provider in Devon and Somerset”. Owl laid down this challenge to readers of “East Devon Watch”:

“Searching the archive using a combination of these terms: Twiss; broadband supremo; omnishambles, how far back can you go?“ [Answer: to the beginnings of the “Watch” in 2014 when Phil was an EDDC councillor claiming to be something of an expert, advocating an EDDC “go it alone” policy.]

The spotlight has fallen on ‘disappointing’ broadband speeds holding back East Devon businesses, raised by Honiton and Sidmouth MP Richard Foord speaking in Parliament.

Local Democracy Reporter eastdevonnews.co.uk

Businesses in rural areas like East Devon are facing ‘extraordinary barriers’ to success because of poor broadband connections, writes local democracy reporter Guy Henderson.

Digital businesses are at risk as the government delays a drive to connect the countryside to high-speed networks, it’s been claimed.

In the recent spending review, a target to get 99 per cent of the country fully switched on by 2030 was put back to 2032, an announcement which Honiton and Sidmouth Liberal Democrat MP Richard Foord said is ’disappointing’.

He told a Westminster debate on rural businesses that ordinary medium-sized and small businesses in Devon face extraordinary barriers, including being held back by a lack of reliable broadband.

Only 56 per cent of premises in mid Devon have access to full-fibre broadband, he said, which is well below the national average.

Mr Foord cited the example of one constituent, Daniel Lennox of Sidbury, who runs a home-based digital business showcasing regional theatre productions.

“It is exactly the kind of enterprise that we want to be encouraging,” he said. “It is creative, based in the community and part of the future digital economy.

“However, it cannot run properly, given the lack of a decent internet connection to Daniel’s property, which has been left with a part-copper line that is unreliable, slow and not sufficient for a digital business.”

He said the case was far from unique, and while he welcomed the government’s £5 billion investment in Project Gigabit, the rural roll-out of fast connections, the delivery is falling behind.

“We must ensure that rural businesses such as Daniel’s on the edge of villages succeed, and that they do not fail because of unreliable or unavailable broadband,” he said.

Mr Foord has previously criticised Devon County Council for its failure to ring-fence money clawed back from a previous scheme to connect rural areas. The county earmarked the money instead for services for young and vulnerable adults.

People living in a seaside town have welcomed the rejection of a developer’s bid to allow four new luxury flats being sold as second homes.

Jonathan Morris www.bbc.co.uk

A planning inspector has upheld a principal residency condition on all new build dwellings in Salcombe which means the flats are for sale only to people who live there.

“It’s about keeping Salcombe a lived-in town, not just a postcard,” said Salcombe Town Council after the ruling by a planning inspector on the flats at Brewery Quay.

Developer Valentine London said the condition made the flats “unsaleable” because potential buyers were put off.

Residents of Salcombe said overturning the ban would create a “dangerous precedent” in holiday towns like Salcombe where nearly half of all dwellings are already second homes or holiday lets.

The inspector said removing the principal residency condition would “undermine” the purpose of the policy to “redress the balance of an unquestionably high proportion of second or holiday homes in Salcombe”.

The inspector concluded the condition was “reasonable and necessary in the interest of ensuring the properties are only occupied as a principal residence”.

The town council said: “We want our streets to stay alive all year round, the school well-used, neighbours sharing a coffee and local shops and services supported by residents who call Salcombe home.

“Other coastal communities, like us with a substantial visitor economy and many houses not permanently occupied, have been closely watching this appeal.

“This decision helps reinforce the shared importance of protecting space for permanent communities in areas under intense second-home demand.”

‘Not about exclusion’

The council added: “We welcome everyone who loves Salcombe, whether you’re here all year, some of the year, or just visiting.

“What matters is that we work together to ensure Salcombe stays vibrant, resilient, and inclusive.

“Supporting principal residence new homes is not about exclusion, it’s about keeping the heart of Salcombe beating for generations to come.”

Valentine London declined to comment.

All comments on Reform UK Exeter facebook page have been “paused” following two county councillors and an election agent being reported to police by an Exeter colleague over election expenses.

Owl has previously reported that the report to police was made by Ed Hill, who was also elected for Reform in May and was the chairman of the Exeter branch but was removed from the post for what the party says was bringing it “into disrepute”.

Cllr Ed Hill posted this on social media:

“I’ve learned that I’ve been suspended from Reform UK Exeter and as a Reform councillor on Devon County Council. According to Matt Sykes, I’ve brought the party into disrepute.

It’s disappointing, especially given that the only communication I’ve received about it today was the same email sent to all members. Not even a phone call or a text.“

Yesterday he posted this follow up:

Statement from Cllr Edward Hill

I’ve just spoken directly with Reform UK Head Office and can confirm that they were unaware of the way I’ve been treated by certain individuals in the Devon branch management.

To clarify:

 I remain the Chairman of the Exeter Reform UK Branch
 I remain a Reform UK County Councillor for Devon

I continue to serve the people of Exeter and Devon with integrity, and I will not be deterred from standing up for what’s right.

This has not been acknowledged on the Reform UK Exeter Branch facebook page (see above).

Meanwhile Exeter Greens have stepped in to fill the void:

Infighting in the Reform UK party in Devon has seen two county councillors and an election agent reported to police by a colleague over election expenses.

[Fratricide on Devon County Council as reform Reform UK, in a rush to judgement, removes whistle blower from his post and the party, without telling him, for bringing the party “into disrepute”! Read on. – Owl]

Miles Davis, Bradley Gerrard www.bbc.co.uk 

Neil Stevens and his brother Tony were elected for Reform in May and documents seen by the BBC allege Neil Stevens spent about £170 more than the campaign spending limit.

This was reported to police by Ed Hill, who was also elected for Reform in May and was the chairman of the Exeter branch but was removed from the post for what the party says was bringing it “into disrepute”.

Neil Stevens said he misunderstood the process and his election agent Rob Sheridan said he was “confident” there were no errors. Tony Stevens declined to comment.

The Reform UK party won 18 seats in the Devon County Council elections held on 1 May – becoming the second biggest party on the council behind the Liberal Democrats.

Neil Stevens won the Alphington and Cowick seat with 1,126 votes – 72 votes ahead of the Labour candidate Yvonne Atkinson, with the Liberal Democrats a close third on 1,030 votes.

In county council elections, spending limits are set in each ward according to the number of voters, external.

In Alphington and Cowick the limit was set at £1,827.04 – however the election expenditure return papers for Stevens show he spent £1,995.72.

Hill was previously the election agent for Stevens but papers seen by the BBC show Sheridan was appointed as election agent on 3 June, a day before the election expenses forms were submitted.

Hill also alleges that a £250 podcast recording expense claimed by Tony Stevens, who won his Exwick and St Thomas seat by 22 votes, should be split equally between the brothers – further raising the expenditure of Neil Stevens.

Hill said he reported his concerns relating to Sheridan and Neil and Tony Stevens to the police and to the Electoral Commission on 1 June.

He said he had made “a clear promise to the people of Exeter” to “hold our candidates and councillors to the same high standards we expect of others”.

A spokesman from the national Reform UK party told the BBC: “Ed Hill has been removed as chairman of Reform UK Exeter after bringing the party into disrepute.

“There’s currently an ongoing internal investigation into the matter so we won’t be commenting further.”

Neil Stevens told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) he believed the spending limit only related to the money he had personally contributed to his campaign – £1,703.60 – and not to donations of £292.12 he received, meaning he believed he was below the spending limit.

Sheridan told the LDRS he was “confident” there were no errors and that third parties had checked them.

He added further checks to the returns were now being made, and if there had been an error, then an amended return would be filed.

Exceeding limits on candidate expenses can lead to an unlimited fine, while making a false declaration attracts the same punishment and/or up to six months in prison for a less serious summary conviction, or up to 12 months on indictment, according to the College of Policing.

A spokesperson for the Electoral Commission said the spending limit applied “to all spending during the regulated period in the run up to the local elections” including any personal money spent and donations received.

It said: “Any allegations of spending over the limit would be a matter for the police.”

Devon and Cornwall Police did not respond to requests for comment.

Social Media records the spat

A flavour of the internal Reform row can be gained from Cllr Ed Hill’s facebook screenshots below, full link here!

So much for Nolan’s seven principles of public office: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty, and leadership! – Owl

Cllr Ed Hill’s text reads:

I stepped away from the computer today and got stuck into replacing the wishbone on my car. Any mechanic will tell you—no matter how straightforward the job seems, if it’s a French car, it’s rarely simple.

Meanwhile, I’ve learned that I’ve been suspended from Reform UK Exeter and as a Reform councillor on Devon County Council. According to Matt Sykes, I’ve brought the party into disrepute.

It’s disappointing, especially given that the only communication I’ve received about it today was the same email sent to all members. Not even a phone call or a text.

That said, I’m now free to speak to the media without party restrictions. I’ll be on BBC tomorrow at 10:30, and later on LBC (time to be confirmed).

For the record, the two councillors who are actually under police investigation remain in post. I don’t think it takes an expert to see how that might come across.

Hopefully, in time, the party will reflect on this, recognise the facts, and do the right thing. Because I know I’ve acted with integrity and done nothing wrong

Owl has been receiving reports from East Devon NHS patients with hearing loss that they were told the Social Enterprise, Chime, would cease providing their audiology services from the beginning of April.

Information on how these services would be replaced has been patchy and mislesading.

Owl has discovered that the private Midlands based firm Scrivens, founded in 1938, is the replacement provider. 

Scrivens web site indicates that similar services eg repairs and replacement batteries will be provided at local East Devon health hubs as they were with Chime.

However, this appears to be misleading.

Richard Foord, who has obviously been getting similar reports from patients as Owl, has asked Secretary of State Streeting for these local services to be restored. Meanwhile it will have to be “on the bus”.

Topical Questions Health and Social Care – in the House of Commons on 17 June 2025.

Link to Hansard

Richard Foord Liberal Democrat, Honiton and Sidmouth

People in East Devon have been told that they must now travel to Exeter for audiology services that they previously received at their local community hospital. What steps are the Government taking to encourage new providers to restore accessible audiology services?

Wes Streeting Secretary of State for Health and Social Care

That has been a running theme this morning, which will not be lost on Ministers. We will ensure, as we deliver neighbourhood health services, that people can receive care closer to home, wherever they live. We have heard that message loud and clear today, and I think the hon. Member will see that priority reflected in our 10-year plan for health.

Government has a huge local government reform agenda, including finance and local audit systems, key social care services and an extensive reorganisation of local government structures; all happening at once. It is not clear whether local authorities will have the capacity to cope.

18 June 2025 sources: Committee of Public Accounts Local Government Financial Sustainability Thirty-First Report of Session 2024–25 and comments from the Chailr.

Local government finance is in a perilous state. Despite a real terms funding increase in central government grants, council tax and locally retained business rates of 4%, over the period 2015–16 to 2023–24, the amount per person fell over the same period. Funding has not kept pace with population growth, demand for services, complexity of need, or the rising costs of delivering services. As demand for targeted services such as social care, special educational needs, and temporary accommodation has grown, there has been a significant reduction in spending on commonly used discretionary services, such as street cleaning and lighting, parks and gardens, and leisure services. With exponential increases in demand for services they must provide, local authorities have less money for early intervention or preventative services, which can help reduce demand and deliver better outcomes for people. Yet government does not know if funding to local authorities is spent well, and there are signs that service quality is declining. At the same time local authorities’ ability to improve outcomes for people is made harder by having to navigate an overly complex funding system.

Local authorities fund their services from multiple sources including central government grants, council tax, locally retained business rates, commercial activities, sales fees and charges and their reserves. They spent over £72.8 billion in 2023–24, of which 58% went on adult and children’s social care. Some local authorities are spending as much as 80% of their budget on these services. Increases in national insurance contributions may have a significant impact on local service providers, particularly smaller charities. Yet neither the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) nor HM Treasury has assessed the impact.

With promised funding reforms delayed alongside rising demand, funding has not matched need nor local circumstances. Instead, MHCLG has implemented short-term and unsustainable approaches to keep local government afloat. Since 2020–21, 42 local authorities have received exceptional financial support from government to help manage financial pressures. Spending on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) has outstripped the money available from the Department for Education (DfE) to pay for it. Local authority deficits from these overspends are expected to be between £2.9 billion and £3.9 billion a year by the end of 2027–28. The mechanism which allows local authorities to keep these deficits off their books is due to run out in March 2026 and without it, many local authorities are at risk of effectively going bankrupt.

Government has a huge local government reform agenda, including reforms to the finance and local audit systems, and key services such as adult and children’s social care, SEND and homelessness. This is in addition to extensive reorganisation of local government structures. With reforms all happening at once, it is not clear what transitional arrangements will be and whether local authorities will have the capacity to cope.

• Read the report
• Read the report (PDF)
• Read all publications related to this inquiry
• Public Accounts Committee  

Chair comment 

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown MP, Chair of the Committee, said:  

“Our inquiry heard that the government is concerned about local authority finances. But the lack of urgent action to come forward with a plan to address the fast-approaching cliff edge for under-pressure authorities would seem to suggest it is comfortable with the current state of affairs as normalised background noise. Alarmingly, scrutiny of council finances can now provoke a sense of déjà vu, with the same unfixed issues seen over and over. We would urge the government to use the funding announced in this spending review as a starting point for the paradigm shift required. 

“However, even with concrete measures to put councils back on a proper long-term sustainable footing, once again the government seems not to have taken a holistic view of the butterfly effect of its other policies. To introduce major changes to national insurance without taking into account the likely effect on an already tottering local government sector is a major misstep. Similarly, aspirations for wide-ranging reforms seem to be unengaged with a reality in which local authorities do not have good and strong capacity to fundamentally change the way they work.  

“Our report gives a wide overview of the various and severe challenges that local government face – for the sake of everyone who relies on local authorities’ services, we hope decision-makers begin to take a similar overview in how policy is delivered.” 

Almost £2m given to candidates in the 2024 general election has “essentially disappeared” from the public’s view of British political campaign finance, a report claims.

Henry Dyer www.theguardian.com 

It notes that 170 candidates received in total almost £2m more than they were legally allowed to spend locally during the election, raising questions about where the surplus funds went after the campaign. The donors who funded them are also tricky to identify, especially if the candidate was unsuccessful.

The effect is a lack of transparency around who is funding constituency campaigns and what subsequently happens to excess funds.

If a candidate received more money than they could spend, they might transfer the surplus to the central party. As a result, parties could use candidates as a “back door” for money from donors hoping to remain anonymous, the report says.

The report’s authors, an academic at the University of Antwerp and a Liberal Democrat peer, have recommended three solutions to make it easier for the public to see who is funding candidates.

“There is a lot of money flowing to candidates that essentially disappears from the readily accessible public record,” Mark Pack, the president of the Lib Dems and a peer, told the Guardian.

Details of donations to central parties and local associations are routinely reported by the Electoral Commission, with extra disclosures made during elections. But contributions given to candidates, and how much they spent, are not available for public inspection from council returning officers until more than a month after polling day.

The Electoral Commission publishes headline figures per candidate on donations and expenditure, without the details of who funded their campaigns, months after the election.

The report’s authors, Chris Butler and Pack, sought a sample of the spending returns submitted by the candidates from the Electoral Commission. The watchdog provided them, but removed the identity of the donors.

This results in an “illogical” situation in which donors who give directly to a party, subject to a minimum reporting threshold, appear in the Electoral Commission’s database, while donors to individual candidates are obscured.

Pack said he thought this was “hard to justify” on the watchdog’s cited grounds of data protection. “The point of there being a place to say who your donors are in the form is so that people can look it up and check,” he said.

Pack believes there are reasonable grounds for the Electoral Commission to revise its position. The government is expected to bring a new elections bill, which could be an opportunity to change the complicated rules on political financing.

As for the almost £2m surplus funds from the last election, “we don’t know what is happening to that money”, Pack said. He suggested that some may have been given to the central parties, which could use it against their national spending limit while benefiting the candidate’s local efforts, such as with target letters to voters in that constituency.

“There is not a clear ‘what did you do with your surplus’ box on the expense forms,” he said.

Butler and Pack also propose the Electoral Commission publish the details of the direct donations as part of its political finance database, and proactively share their data with the House of Commons authorities to ensure candidates who become MPs are properly registering donations.

A spokesperson for the Electoral Commission said: “While the Electoral Commission publishes information on candidate spending to aid transparency, we do not have the legal authority to publish donors’ personal data from candidate returns.

“We recognise that the current political finance framework could be strengthened further, and have recommended that our remit be extended to include candidates, which would simplify the regulatory process for candidates and improve transparency for voters.”

Environmental campaigners who took Shropshire Council to the High Court over the massive expansion of a chicken farm have managed to get planning permission overturned.

www.shropshirestar.com

River Action UK managed to get the approval of a 200,000-bird intensive poultry unit at Felton Butler, near Shrewsbury, in the River Severn catchment overturned after a two-day hearing at the High Court in Cardiff. 

It comes after activists dressed up in chicken costumes outside the court, holding placards with slogans including “kindly cluck off”, with bird excrement streaming into the river one of the big concerns.

Campaigners say the judgment marks a pivotal moment in the movement against factory farming in the UK and that planning authorities must assess the cumulative impacts of having multiple intensive agricultural developments in one river catchment before granting permission for another. 

They say councils must also consider how livestock production units dispose of the waste from treatment facilities downstream, including from anaerobic digestion plants.

“This ruling is a wake-up call,” said Emma Dearnaley, River Action’s head of legal. “For too long, councils like Shropshire have been rubber-stamping intensive livestock farms without fully considering the damage they do to the surrounding environment. There are already far too many chickens in areas like the Severn and our rivers are choking on chicken muck. Today, the court drew a line: no more megafarms without looking at the bigger picture.

“This landmark judgment means councils across the country must take the health of the wider area into account and look at the wider consequences when it comes to agricultural waste. It’s a big win for our rivers. The reckless spread of intensive agriculture must end now.”

The judicial review focused on Shropshire Council’s failure to lawfully assess the environmental impact of the development, including the widespread and damaging practice of spreading poultry manure or digestate on surrounding land.

Key issues upheld by the court included:

* Failure to assess cumulative impact: The council did not properly assess the reality of having multiple polluting poultry units in one area, especially in light of the high density of existing units in the Severn river catchment.

* Failure to assess the indirect environmental impacts of the development. The council failed to lawfully assess the impacts of spreading manure or digestate, as indirect effects of the development.

Dr Alison Caffyn, a campaigner from River Action UK, said: “There are nearly 65 chickens for every person in Shropshire and yet the council still thought we needed more. This ruling proves what we’ve said all along: the planning system has been putting our rivers at risk. This case is a win for communities across the UK who are standing up to the environmental degradation caused by industrial factory farming.”

 Ricardo Gama, solicitor at Leigh Day, the firm representing Dr Caffyn, said: “River Action and our client are obviously delighted about this result. 

“They and others have done a huge amount of painstaking work reviewing technical documents to bring to light the flaws in this planning application. 

“Dr Caffyn and River Action say that industrial agriculture has flown under the radar for too long, and it’s only through the tireless work of them and others that people are waking up to its massive environmental impacts. 

“A High Court judge has found that Shropshire Council failed to properly assess those impacts, particularly given their legal obligation to look at the impacts in the round alongside the huge number of other intensive poultry units in the Severn catchment. River Action hopes that this will serve as an example for other councils looking at similar applications.”

This judgment follows several recent challenges against industrial agriculture. In March, the High Court ruled in The National Farmers’ Union v Herefordshire Council that farming manure constitutes industrial waste in law, with significant implications for the sustainable management of manure-as-waste across the UK.

Earlier this year, a proposed megafarm in Methwold, Norfolk was rejected over environmental concerns including the need to take full climate impacts into account when deciding whether to grant permission and the need to properly manage waste to prevent air and water pollution.

Campaigners hope that today’s victory will be a turning point in agricultural planning and policy, putting environmental health at the heart of decisions, stopping the spread of unsustainable megafarms and delivering proper protection for rivers.

Work on a massive housing scheme on the outskirts of Newton Abbot has stopped following a major public protest and an urgent intervention from Teignbridge Council.

Protesters at Wolborough (image courtesy: Newton Says No)

Guy Henderson, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk

Developer Vistry Homes has downed tools on the ‘NA3’ site at Wolborough, where permission has been given for 1,200 new homes.

At the end of April officers from Teignbridge Council stepped in to halt the work amid claims that Vistry had gone beyond the limits of the permission granted.

Work had got under way on a large drainage pond, and campaigners said they feared the works would cause irreparable damage to nearby Wolborough Fen, an official Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

A national newspaper recently named the fen as one its 10 ‘jewels’ of English nature at risk from development. Protesters walked onto the site with placards to see the pond for themselves.

Teignbridge Council said work to create the drainage pond fell outside the approved areas and issued a temporary stop notice, which is due to expire next week.

Vistry said at the time that it would continue to work with the council to resolve any concerns and ensure that recommended planning procedures were followed.

However, ward councillors have today received an email from council officers telling them that Vistry has confirmed in writing that it will stop work on the whole site, apart from ‘mitigation’ work to reduce soil erosion and make sure silt does not end up in the fen during storms.

Talks are understood to be in progress between the council and the developers.

The email goes on: “It has been made clear to the developer that regular monitoring of the situation will be undertaken, and it has been stressed to the developer that any continuation of works on the site itself  – other than agreed interim mitigation/remediation works – would likely necessitate the council having to formally serve a stop notice and enforcement notice.”

The news was announced on social media by the Newton Says No group which has campaigned against the NA3 housing project in its current form.

One group member posted: “Well done everyone, it just shows what we can achieve if we stick together and stay strong.”

Cllr Richard Daws (Ind, Ambrook) said: “This reinforces what we have been saying the whole time, which is please be sure that if you do anything, it is not to the detriment of the SSSI.

“And without doubt the residents putting forward such a strong and cohesive case made it difficult for the developers and the council to ignore.”

Vistry Homes has been invited to comment on the latest development.

Plans for a battery storage facility in East Devon have been unanimously rejected because of concerns about pollution.

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

The proposal for a battery energy storage system (BESS) at Blackpool Corner, Axminster had been submitted by Root Power, which hoped it would be able to store enough energy to power 100,000 homes for two hours.

Such sites are becoming more prevalent because they can store energy from renewable sources, such as wind or solar, and then feed it into the grid at times of high demand when there is little to no wind or sunshine to generate electricity.

However, members of East Devon District Council’s planning committee raised fears that a vital aquifer that provides water to local residents could be polluted in the event of a fire.

The applicant had proposed underground storage for run-off water that would be used to cool equipment if a blaze broke out. The storage is aimed at preventing the water entering watercourses, but planners weren’t satisfied with the details.

“The detail is just not in this one,” said Cllr Mike Howe (Independent, Clyst Valley).

“We have problems with not having the correct details, and problems with the possible damage to the aquifer.

“Also, they have put water storage in, but they don’t have enough storage to collect what would be needed to fight a fire.”

The report for councillors said the scheme proposed 500,000 litres of water storage to capture run-off from any firefighting, but that around five million litres was needed to deal with such an incident.

“My main concern is the aquifer, which has not been addressed properly by the applicant,” Cllr Brian Bailey (Conservative, Exmouth Littleham).

The Environment Agency said while it didn’t have an objection to the scheme, there was “no specific assessment on risks to groundwater”, and recommended the council “seeks more information in relation to the protection of groundwater”.

Committee chair Cllr Olly Davey (Green Party, Exmouth Town) noted that the applicant had “not sent a representative along to plead their case”.

Residents attended the meeting to speak out against the application, which had also been recommended for refusal by officers based on its “significant adverse landscape impact”.

Objector Elliot Jones, a member of the Hawkchurch Action  Group, said this was “the wrong location for this form of development”, noting an application on this site had previously been refused.

Dr Karen Goaman called the approach to water storage “disingenuous” and “inadequate”.

She referenced how the Planning Inspectorate had refused an appeal for a BESS at nearby Pound Road partly because of the size of water storage on site, which was believed to be insufficient.

The two objectors were among those who had just weeks earlier successfully lobbied for a similar scheme in a nearby location to be refused.

That scheme, submitted by Clearstone Energy for land near Hazelhurst Raymonds Hill, Axminster, was thrown out after a three-and-a-half hour debate.

Darwin Escapes, the operator of nearby Hawkchurch Resort and Spa, reiterated its objection to the latest development, emphasising the “tranquil” landscape would be disrupted.

It said its guests would be able to see the four-metre-high security lighting columns that had been proposed around it would ruin the area’s dark night skies, and a four-metre tall fence would also negatively impact the area’s natural beauty.

The committee voted unanimously to refuse the scheme.