A HEREFORDSHIRE farmer caused “wanton destruction” by bulldozing the bank of the river Lugg, the Environment Agency has said.

Charlotte Moreau www.herefordtimes.com 

John Price was sentenced yesterday (April 20) to 12 months in prison by a district judge at Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court.

He was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £600,000 and disqualified from being a director of a limited company for three years.

A Restoration Order under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 was also imposed requiring Price to carry out a number of actions to restore the river.

The sentence is the result of legal action launched last year by Natural England and the Environment Agency after an investigation into environmental harm caused by work carried out by Price in 2020 and 2021.

The 68-year-old used heavy machinery including bulldozers and excavators to dredge and reprofile a 1.5km stretch of the Lugg at Kingsland, Herefordshire, destroying the riverbed and banks.

John Price used heavy machinery to reprofile the bank (Image: Environment Agency)

The works were in breach of several regulations, and in a Site of Special Scientific Interest, which persisted despite Price being issued with a stop notice.

Speaking after the verdict, Emma Johnson, area manager for Natural England said: “The destruction of this section of the river Lugg was devastating for the abundance and range of species which thrived in this river.

“The Lugg is one of the most iconic rivers in the UK and to see this wanton destruction take place was devastating. This is why we have used our powers as regulators to see that justice was done and to act as a stark warning to others that we will take the strongest action against those who do not respect the laws that protect the environment and wildlife we all cherish.

The site after John Price carried out the works to the bank of the river Lugg (Image: Environment Agency)

“We want to ensure that Mr Price now takes the necessary actions which we hope, in time will restore this much-loved stretch of river to its former condition.”

Martin Quine, Environment Agency place manager for Herefordshire said that the EA is working hard to restore the health of rivers, a complex task that can only be achieved in partnership with landowners.

“We provide advice and guidance but will impose sanctions or prosecute where appropriate to protect the environment and ensure those who breach regulations are held to account,” he said.

“The vast majority of landowners and users fully cooperate with this process.

The site on the Lugg before John Price used heavy machinery to reprofile the bank (Image: Environment Agency)

“While Mr Price’s justification for the works was to help prevent flooding to local properties, his actions did not have any flood prevention benefit. The destruction of river banks is not appropriate flood management. It is important that the judge recognised that the works significantly weakened flood prevention measures rather than improved them.

“We urge landowners never to take extreme measure such as this and instead to always work closely with the Environment Agency around river management to agree the best solutions for both landowners and the environment.”

Just how environmentally squeaky clean do you have to be to campaign under the pledge: “Standing up for our environment”? 

It seems to be becoming a bit of a challenge for some Tory candidates.

Cheryl McGauley, the Tory candidate running alongside deputy Tory leader Ben Ingham in Woodbury and Lympstone, holds a number of company directorships. 

According to Companies House, both she and her husband are the only two directors of WOODBURY CAR BREAKERS LIMITED (08364146), Incorporated in 2013.

Two enforcement notices by the Environment Agency were served on the company in June and then again in October 2016

Obviously the voters will ultimately decide whether this candidate, or indeed any Tory candidates, are really committed to standing up for our environment.

Simon Jupp’s: “We must do all we can to protect our countryside, rivers and coastline” is becoming a hollow soundbite.

First Sasha, according to The Times:

Sasha Swire — whose husband, Sir Hugo, helped co-ordinate Raab’s campaign — joked about it in her 2020 memoir, Diary of an MP’s Wife, depicting him as ambitious but gauche. When his name comes up as a possible contender, David and Samantha Cameron “shriek”. On meeting him for the first time, Sasha can’t decide “whether he is a real hottie or a bit nerdy”. “He appears a little frightened, a little unconfident,” she writes. Turning up at a Chequers meeting convened by the embattled Theresa May less than a fortnight later, Raab is described as looking “like he usually looks: sweaty and just out of the gym, and wanting to kill people”.

In her book Sasha Swire described Dominic Raab as looking “like he usually looks: sweaty and just out of the gym, and wanting to kill people”

Now Lord Hugo on the beeb

Hugo Swire, a Tory peer, said he thought Dominic Raab was “too big a talent” not to be back “in some capacity” following his resignation over bullying accusations.

Lord Swire told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:

“I think to lose somebody who has been a justice secretary, a lord chancellor, deputy prime minister and foreign secretary at this stage is very unwise.”

PA reports he recounted Raab’s time standing in for Boris Johnson while the former prime minister was ill with Covid-19, saying there “were no criticisms of that at all”.

He continued:

“I think this is a career which has been brought prematurely to a temporary halt because I fundamentally believe that a talent such as Dominic will reappear in some place at some time.

It is the government’s loss. I think he will be back in some capacity.

I think he is too big a talent not to be.”

Dominic Raab has resigned as deputy prime minister after an official report found he had bullied civil servants. Let’s look at the reaction on the front pages.

www.theguardian.com 

We begin with the Guardian which says “Raab quits in fury”. It reports that the investigation by Adam Tolley KC cited “abuse of power”, but that Raab believes himself the victim of “activist civil servants” trying to block the Conservative government’s work.

The Daily Telegraph has “Row over Spanish forces in Gibraltar sank Raab”. It says the report found Raab “bullied a British ambassador said to have secretly proposed putting Spanish boots on the ground in Gibraltar during Brexit talks”.

The Daily Express is sympathetic, regarding Raab as having been “Forced out for wanting best for Britain”, which it says was a matter of “unwavering determination” for him according to allies.

“Was this the day Britain became ungovernable?” – dramatic stuff in the Daily Mail which picks up on Raab’s riposte that “flimsy complaints” such as those that brought him down make it “almost impossible” for ministers to “deliver for the British people”.

The Financial Times Weekend edition leads with complaints of a much more serious nature at Britain’s peak business lobby. “Big names quit CBI after new rape allegation”. Dominic Raab is in a picture spot, headlined “End of the road: Raab strikes defiant note as he resigns over bullying report”.

“Raab goes down swinging” sums it up well on the front of the Times. The deputy PM laments that you can be forced out under a “tyranny of subjective hurt feelings”.

“Raab officials angry at ‘tone-deaf’ resignation” is the angle in the i newspaper. One subheading says “Officials who worked under Raab hit back, telling i the ex-deputy PM is ‘arrogant’ and ‘playing the victim’”; another points out the official report branded Raab “intimidating” and “persistently aggressive”.

Simon Jupp chose this week to double down on how Tories will protect the environment, placing it centre stage: 

Simon Jupp MP talks the environment in his latest column – DevonLive.

In selecting Richard Parr, who was found guilty of running an unpermitted landfill site on his farm in 2021, as a candidate for the Exmouth Halsdon ward the East Devon Conservative campaign has lost all credibility. 

Did they fail to conduct “due diligence” in their selection process? Or are they taking the electorate for fools?

You see Owl carried the story in October 2021 under the heading: Environmental Damage in East Devon – Landowners to pay.

Not only did Richard Parr agree to pay £82,000 for his infringement at Higher Bagmores Farm, Woodbury, but our old friends F W S Carter & Sons Limited of Greendale Business Park and owners of Hogsbrook Farm in Woodbury Salterton also agreed to a sum of £24,000 for sewage pollution of the Grindle Brook and burning of waste on the farm in the same period.

A search of Companies House reveals the Exmouth Candidate is a man with fingers in a number of pies.

Richard Henry PARR personal appointments –

Total number of appointments 3

Date of birth

October 1965

Q TRACTOR & PLANT LTD (05292726)

Company status

Dissolved

Correspondence address

Higher Bagmoors, Rydon Lane, Woodbury, EX5 1LA

Role

Director

Appointed on

22 November 2004

AVON BRIDGE MACHINERY LIMITED (02592102)

Company status

Active

Correspondence address

Matford Home Farm, Matford, Exeter, Devon, United Kingdom, EX2 8XT

Role Active

Director

Appointed on

19 March 1991

ALAMAC GARDEN MACHINERY LIMITED (02763843)

Company status

Dissolved

Correspondence address

Lowton Farm, Moretonhampstead, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ13 8PN

Role Resigned

Director

Appointed on

1 April 2003

Resigned on

17 April 2003

Time for full disclosure?

Having been a Special Adviser (SpAd) to Dominic Raab when he was Foreign Secretary, where he has been found to have engaged in “abuse or misuse of power” to undermine or humiliate staff, is there anything you need to talk about? 

This was obviously a very important and formative stepping stone in your political career.

Bullying is a serious problem that affects the lives of countless children and adults. No one should have to feel unsafe or threatened by someone else, but it happens all too often in our society. While bullying can manifest itself in many different forms, the effects it has on an individual are always significant. From mental health issues to decreased self-esteem and even perpetuating cycles of further bullying behavior, the consequences of bullying can have long-lasting and damaging impacts.

Who used to boast about having been one of Dominic Raab’s SpAds on his CV? – Owl 

Jennifer Scott news.sky.com

Dominic Raab has resigned after he was found to have bullied staff members while working as a cabinet minister across different departments.

A report from independent investigator Adam Tolley said two complaints against him had been upheld, concluding the deputy prime minister had “acted in a way which was intimidating” and had been “unreasonably and persistently aggressive” in meetings.

The findings also said his conduct “involved an abuse or misuse of power in a way that undermines or humiliates”.

But in a resignation letter posted on Twitter, Mr Raab took issue with the report, calling the inquiry “flawed” and claiming the conclusions “set a dangerous precedent for the conduct of good government”.

In an article published in the Telegraph shortly after his ousting, the outgoing minister confirmed there had been a total of 15 allegations investigated – but also describe the probe as “a Kafkaesque saga”.

The news comes after Rishi Sunak was presented with an official report into Mr Raab’s behaviour on Thursday.

In a letter responding to the decision, Mr Sunak said he accepted his deputy’s resignation “with great sadness”, saying it “should not make us forget your record of delivery in both this government and previous administrations”.

And the PM said there had been “shortcomings in the historic process that have negatively affected everyone involved”, adding: “We should learn from this how to better handle such matters in future”.

But Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the situation showed “the continual weakness of the prime minister”, adding: “He should never have appointed [Mr Raab] in the first place… and then he didn’t sack him.

“It is that decision and that weakness I think that goes to the heart, not just of this prime minister, but of the 13 years now of [Conservative] failure and it is why people desperately want a change.”

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats called for Mr Raab to resign as an MP and for a by-election to be held in his seat, saying he had shown “he is not only unfit to serve as a minister, but is totally unfit to represent his constituents in parliament”.

In the letter addressed to the prime minister, Mr Raab wrote: “I called for the inquiry and undertook to resign, if it made any finding of bullying whatsoever. I believe it is important to keep my word.”

He said the report – carried out by independent investigator Adam Tolley KC – showed he had “not once, in four and a half years, sworn or shouted at anyone, let alone thrown anything or otherwise physically intimidated anyone, nor intentionally sought to belittle anyone”.

But he also attacked the findings, saying the inquiry had set “the threshold for bullying so low” that it had “set a dangerous precedent”.

Mr Raab added: “I am genuinely sorry for any unintended stress or offence that any officials felt, as a result of the pace, standards and challenge that I brought to the Ministry of Justice.

“That is, however, what the public expect of ministers working on their behalf.”

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‘Downing Street had to weigh up difficult judgements.’

In his newspaper article, Mr Raab gave more detail about the complaints made against him, saying some staff “complained that I asked too many questions, including in budget meetings with hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money at stake, curtailed unwieldy interventions in meetings, or that they were intimidated or offended by my body language.

“These were dismissed.”

On the allegations that were upheld, he said the report concluded “I had abused my power by replacing a lead negotiator when I was foreign secretary, and as justice secretary had left senior officials feeling insulted on three occasions because of direct feedback”.

But he doubled-down on his attack on the process, saying “normal rules of evidence and procedural fairness were disapplied”, including a rule for all complaints to be made within three months.

“In my case, all the complaints were stored up for over three months, most over eight months, some for over four years – and then submitted in a coordinated way,” he claimed.

“And I was subject to trial by media for six months, fuelled by warped and fabricated accounts leaked by anonymous officials.”

Labour’s Sir Keir accused Mr Raab of “whining” when the public wanted to hear about things that mattered to them.

“There is a bigger picture here,” he said. “We have got a cost of living crisis, there is the future of the NHS that is really, really important… and we are mired in talking about the weaknesses and the inability of the government to actually deliver anything for the people of this country.

“I don’t know why Dominic Raab thinks in the middle of a cost of living crisis that anybody wants to hear about his whining about having to resign.

“What I think everybody wants is strong leadership and that has been palpably absent here.

“Why on earth was Raab appointed in the first place? Why on earth didn’t the prime minister act more quickly? Why on earth isn’t the government laser focuses on the cost of living crisis and the absolute mess of the NHS that they have made?”

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The Labour leader says that the resignation of the deputy prime minitser and justice secretary shows there is weakness at the top of the Tory party.

The civil service union, the FDA, called for an independent inquiry into ministerial bullying following the findings of the report.

General secretary Dave Penman said: “This resignation is not a vindication of the current system, it’s a damning indictment of the inadequacy of a process that relies solely on the prime minister of the day to enforce standards.”

Mike Clancy, the boss of another civil service union Prospect, also said there had been “a toxic culture at the top of government for too long with civil servants and public trust paying the price for this chaos”, calling on Mr Sunak to now “clean out the rest of the stables”.

He added: “These issues go to the heart of the anger and distrust many people feel towards the way our country runs. It is time for ministers to step up and to start restoring trust both for civil servants and the good of the country.”

Mr Raab was appointed by Mr Sunak after he took power in October, and less than 48 hours ago was sat alongside the PM at Prime Minister’s Questions.

Allegations surfaced about Mr Raab back in November, with former staff claiming he created a “culture of fear” in their departments.

He denied the allegations and requested an investigation into himself after two formal complaints were made.

As the weeks rolled on, more accusations came to light, with one report suggesting as many as 24 complaints had been made.

Mr Sunak has come under pressure over what he knew about Mr Raab’s alleged conduct, with a source telling political editor Beth Rigby the PM was informed about Mr Raab’s “unacceptable behaviour” before appointing him as his deputy and justice secretary.

Downing Street said Mr Sunak was “not aware” of any “formal complaints” about Mr Raab when he appointed him, but Number 10 did not deny concerns had been expressed informally.

Who could take over as the next justice secretary?

They will be the 10th justice secretary in 10 years and will also serve as lord chancellor, responsible for protecting and upholding the rule of law and independence of the judiciary.

For this reason, it is often the case that MPs with legal experience – normally as barristers – are the typical picks for the role.

Some names in the frame:

• Lucy Frazer: Currently culture secretary. Ex-solicitor general and junior minister at the MoJ. Former barrister.

• Victoria Prentis: Currently attorney general. Ex-senior government lawyer. Held several junior ministerial posts. Served four years on the justice select committee.

• Victoria Atkins: Currently financial secretary to the Treasury. Was a junior minister at the MoJ. Former criminal barrister.

• Oliver Dowden: Currently Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster based in the Cabinet Office. Considered a favourite. Seen as one of Mr Sunak’s closest and most trusted political allies.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has previously accused the PM of ignoring reports about Mr Raab’s conduct.

Mr Raab’s departure follows Mr Sunak’s decision to dismiss Tory party chairman Nadhim Zahawi from his post in January after the former chancellor was found to have broken the ministerial code over his tax affairs.

Tory council candidate who ran illegal landfill operation now campaigning on green credentials

A Conservative council candidate in Devon who is promoting his green credentials paid £82,000 to a local environmental group after being found guilty of running an unpermitted landfill site on his farm.

Makes a mockery of;

Tory local election Pledge 3 Standing up for our environment. You have told us how important  protecting green spaces and the natural environment is to you. We will make this a priority for this Council.

David Parsley inews.co.uk

Richard Parr, who is standing in May’s local elections to become an East Devon District councillor for the Exmouth Halsdon ward, claims in his campaign literature that a vote for him would protect the environment.

However, Mr Parr fails to mention that in 2021 he was found by the Environment Agency to have run an unpermitted waste operation on land near Exeter between June 2016 and March 2018.

In a campaign leaflet that Mr Parr shares with fellow Conservative candidate Pauline Stott, he highlights the protection of the environment among his and Ms Stott’s six key pledges to local people.

Richard Parr shares his campaign leaflet with fellow Tory candidate Pauline Stott (Photo: Supplied)

The leaflet states that the pair will be “standing up for our environment” if elected and will “protect our seas and rivers”.

The leaflet adds: “You have told us how important protecting green spaces and the natural environment is to you. We will make this a priority for the council.”

When asked about his unpermitted waste operation, his campaign partner Ms Stott told i: “I don’t even know him.”

She added: “I am all for protecting the environment and I am utterly shocked by this.”

Mr Parr claims that he will protect ‘green spaces and the natural environment’ (Photo: Supplied)

Following the investigation, the Environment Agency accepted an Enforcement Undertaking from Mr Parr, which is a type of civil sanction and a voluntary offer to put right the effects of the offence.

As part of the settlement of the case, Mr Parr also agreed to pay £82,000 to the North Devon Biosphere Foundation, which runs a Unesco Biosphere Reserve.

He also committed to carrying out restoration work on his farm, to obtain advice from an external consultant, to cease all waste movements into the site, complete construction of silage clamps and to cover the Environment Agency’s costs associated with its investigation.

Dan Wilson, who is standing as a Labour candidate in the same Exmouth Halsdon ward, said: “For the Conservatives to send out leaflets that claim they’re ‘Standing up for the environment’ whilst simultaneously standing a candidate who has been investigated for polluting, shows a complete lack of decency and integrity.”

When i approached Mr Parr for comment, he said: “I have held and operated waste permits since 2008 and it wasn’t until the end of 2016 that an issue occurred.

“I applied for planning permission, again to make improvements to the farm and on this being approved, I mistakenly took in stone without ensuring my waste competent manager had completed the recovery plan for the capacity on the waste exemption for this new area.

“Since this incident, we have taken guidance from the Environment Agency as to how we can enhance the farms improvements further.”

The East Devon Conservative Association did not respond to requests for comment.

Will the Tories lose more seats in Mid Devon? – Owl

Councillors in Tiverton have been warned they may face prosecution. Clerk, John Vanderwolfe reminded members of Purdah rules in a recent email. The rules state that councillors must also not use the council’s own social media accounts or blog platforms during this time.

Lewis Clarke www.devonlive.com 

Purdah rules also means local authorities should not publish any material which, in whole, or in part, appears to be designed to affect public support for a political party. The council can still issue media releases on factual matters provided that these do not identify individual councillors or groups of councillors.

Councillors are still free to respond to enquiries received from the media in a personal capacity. Individual councillors can issue their own statements, write letters to the local newspaper(s) for publication, contact the media directly or say what they like in a personal capacity, but must not use council resources to do so.

In an email to members, John Vanderwolfe said: “Please note that the use of social media for political or election purposes during the period known as Purdah is illegal, and indeed could result in prosecution. Leaflets are permitted providing they contain the required information on them about who is publishing and printing the material.

“Unfortunately, I have already received a complaint that one of you has allegedly broken the purdah code, and on viewing the Facebook item I actually agree with them. Whilst there are grey areas the best policy is not to put anything like that on social media until after the election.

“I know that many of you do keep within the guidelines, so this message is a reminder, but a warning to those who have broken the guidelines to exercise more care.”

The widespread revulsion surrounding the wholesale discharge of sewage into our rivers and onto our beaches every time it rains is obviously getting to Simon Jupp. 

Again he goes into print trying to shift the blame onto the water companies. Despite voting down the Lords amendment placing a legal requirement on water companies to demonstrate progressive reductions in harm caused by discharges of untreated sewage. Simon claims  this Conservative government has brought in the toughest ever crackdown on sewage spills, But these have been criticised as being too weak, and are being challenged in the Court. 

The watered down scheme Simon thinks is so good, gives water companies a deadline of 2035 to reduce the amount of sewage flowing into bathing water and areas of ecological importance, and until 2050 to stop dumping sewage elsewhere. 

He also re-announces that Sidmouth and Tipton St John are set to receive a share of £70 million from SWW’s own coffers for infrastructure upgrades to help improve bathing water quality by reducing storm overflows.

Fact check

Owl has already looked into this funding. 

According to OFWAT, the immediate funding is being taken forward as part of the Ofwat/Defra “accelerated infrastructure delivery project for English Water companies” funded through the “transition expenditure process”. 

Owl’s take on all this bureaucratic gobbledygook is that the accelerated costs will be financed initially by the taxpayer, with the water companies paying on the “never never” over a period ending in 2030.

The question then arises as to how the water companies levy their customers and/or shareholders to provide the payback. The only explanation Owl can find talks about setting an appropriate “time value of money” so that  companies are not financially incentivised to delay making investment.

These projects have not been chosen on the basis of any priority but because they are the (only) local ones that Ofwat considers to be “oven ready” (to coin a phrase).

It’s all smoke and mirrors to Owl.

Tim Farron

“The Conservatives are responsible for this sewage crisis after allowing water companies to dump sewage in our rivers for years. They need to take responsibility for fixing it. The public shouldn’t be forced to pay the price with our rivers and coasts ruined for generations to come.” – Tim Farron

Tory local election Pledge 3 Standing up for our environment. You have told us how important  protecting green spaces and the natural environment is to you. We will make this a priority for this Council.

We must do all we can to protect our countryside, rivers and coastline

Simon Jupp www.devonlive.com (Extract of relevant paragraph)

….We must do all we can to protect our countryside, rivers and coastline. I live close to the sea in Sidmouth and have relentlessly campaigned for investment in our water infrastructure. In the last few weeks, I was delighted to see multi-million-pound plans to upgrade Sidmouth and Tipton St John’s sewage system unveiled by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs.

Back in February, I led a debate on the performance of South West Water in Parliament. Whilst this Conservative government has brought in the toughest ever crackdown on sewage spills, it is simply unacceptable that we pay the highest sewerage bills in the country but still witness an all too frequent use of combined sewer overflows (CSOs). They are supposed to be available in an emergency, not used whenever the system can’t cope due to a lack of investment. South West Water should upgrade their systems instead of rewarding bonuses.

The Environment Act and Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan backs this up, introduced to ensure that water companies face strict limits on when they can use storm overflows. WaterFit Live, a new website from South West Water, is useful tool to help monitor the use of these CSOs across our shores so we can hold failing companies to account. It currently shares information about water quality in our area but sadly won’t provide real-time data until later this year.

Sidmouth and Tipton St John are set to receive a share of £70 million from SWW’s own coffers for infrastructure upgrades to help improve bathing water quality by reducing storm overflows. On top of this, £3.1 million is also being invested at the Axminster-Kilmington water treatment site which will help reduce nutrient pollution to further protect East Devon’s waterways. I also want to see investment in Exmouth and Budleigh Salterton. I won’t stop my calls for change until South West Water clean up their act and our water…..

Plans to plant a new woodland have been cancelled after local councillors discovered a field was so saturated with sewage the soil could be too toxic for the trees.

Helena Horton www.theguardian.com 

The woodland was to have been planted in a council-owned field located by Otterspool Road in Romiley, Greater Manchester. Officials hoped the woodland would improve the environment, provide green space and encourage wildlife habitats.

However, Stockport councillors have learned the land is unsuitable for tree planting because of sewage discharges leaching into the ground. They were told the resulting soil contamination would make it hard to plant the trees, so they had decided to cancel the woodland.

Assessments are being done by United Utilities and council officials to find out the scale of the problem, but the council said it had decided there were too many risks to human health, including workers having to dig into raw sewage to plant trees, and there were worries the contaminants would prevent the trees growing.

This is a fresh blow to attempts by local councils to create green spaces to improve local areas in the face of funding cuts and battles to keep existing spaces open.

Raw sewage contains many problematic elements, including heavy metals that can be toxic to plants, and nutrients that can disturb ecosystems.

According to Environment Agency data, United Utilities discharged sewage at Otterspool Road 135 times last year, which amounted to 40 days of sewage flowing.

The water company was found to be the most polluting in the country last year. One of United Utilities’ pipes spilled sewage into the River Ellen, near the Lake District, for nearly 7,000 hours in 2022. Environment Agency data also showed that 10 of the country’s 20 pipes that spilled the most sewage in 2022 were owned by United Utilities, which provides water to the north-west and the Lake District.

Sewage leaks have also been reported in a nearby field when local waterways flooded. Pictures show sanitary products and other toilet waste strewn across the field.

Local officials have asked ministers to visit the field to see the devastating impact of the pollution.

Lisa Smart, the Liberal Democrat councillor for Bredbury Green and Romiley, said: “This is a devastating blow for the local community in Stockport. The council was working hard to deliver a new woodland for local people and wildlife to enjoy, however this environmental scandal has cancelled the project.

“United Utilities owe local people an apology. Their destruction of our environment cannot go on any longer. We already knew our local rivers were being pumped full of sewage, but now it is our green land.

“I want a minister to visit this field and see first-hand the destruction caused. Rather than a new woodland, we are left with an open sewer.”

The Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron, who is also the Lib Dem’s environment spokesperson, added: “This is a scandal. United Utilities are ruining our region’s environment, from the Lake District to Stockport’s green fields.

“Conservative ministers are sitting on their hands whilst these environmental scandals take place. Meanwhile, United Utilities reward their execs with multimillion-pound bonuses. Frankly, the whole thing stinks.”

A United Utilities spokesperson said: “An issue on our network caused flooding from a manhole, affecting a small section of a field in Stockport which we are cleaning and repair work is being programmed.”

Richard Sharp’s future as chairman of the BBC looks increasingly in doubt ahead of a potentially “damning” report into his appointment.

Henry Zeffman, Alex Farber www.thetimes.co.uk

The former Goldman Sachs banker was summoned earlier this month to see Adam Heppinstall KC, the barrister who is conducting an investigation into the appointment process on behalf of the Commons’ public appointments committee.

Heppinstall, who was asked to oversee the investigation in early February, is expected to publish his findings within the next few days, having already shared some of the material with Sharp.

One individual familiar with the content of the report said that the findings were “damning”, adding: “When it’s all laid out clearly, it exposes just how extraordinary the whole episode is.”

Rishi Sunak last month declined to say he had confidence in Sharp’s chairmanship, instead saying he was waiting for Heppinstall’s review to conclude.

Though Sharp was appointed BBC chairman under Boris Johnson’s government, he has known Sunak for many years too. Sharp is understood to have seen some of the report’s early findings, which have set out several discoveries “including some unwelcome elements”.

Sharp was Sunak’s boss when the future prime minister was a junior banker at Goldman Sachs. During the pandemic Sunak hired Sharp as an unpaid adviser on the government’s economic response.

A number of individuals who have previously criticised Sharp reiterated their concerns. The SNP MP John Nicolson, who was part of the cross-party select committee which accused Sharp of making “significant errors of judgment” in failing to declare his role in helping facilitate an £800,000 loan to Johnson, said he expected the report to be “grim”.

“Richard Sharp has clung on as BBC chair in desperate and unseemly fashion,” Nicolson said. “He should have resigned with a semblance of dignity after the Commons culture and media committee report. He must now go.”

Philippa Childs, head of the broadcasting union Bectu, added: “His position is untenable and his resignation is long overdue, no question. Richard Sharp’s presence as chairman continues to damage the BBC’s reputation on a daily basis.”

Pledge 1 of the local Tory election leaflet says they “will protect and invest in the services our communities expect and make sure every penny is spent wisely”.

How can anyone believe that when Tory County Hall is on the verge of bankruptcy?

Ask yourself: who delivers “Value for money”? 

The non-Tory EDDC who raised council tax by 3% and balanced the books.

The Tory County who raised council tax by 5%, can’t mend potholes and faces bankruptcy.

Or Tory Alison Hernandez, who spends twice as much of your council tax as EDDC and went off the scale with a 6% rise for Devon and Cornwall Police?

New county council review warns of ‘serious’ failures of governance

Ollie Heptinstall www.northdevongazette.co.uk

 Devon County Council is set to agree an in-depth review to address ‘serious’ failures in its governance.

A report due to be presented to the council’s procedures committee next week says the authority ‘finds itself in a very different operating context and the need for a review of priorities is required’.

Describing the council’s internal position as ‘very challenging’. It cites failing children’s services and budget sustainability as two major factors, whilst accepting there is ‘concern from stakeholders regarding confidence in the council to address these challenges’.

Devon’s children’s services, which excludes Plymouth and Torbay, are rated inadequate, with the government threatening intervention unless there are signs of improvement. This could involve the council being stripped of its responsibilities.

Westminster has already issued the council with an improvement notice, adding in December that it was ‘extremely concerned’ about its children’s services. A commissioner has been appointed to oversee improvement.

The report also warns there is a ‘material threat of a s114 notice’ – an effective declaration of bankruptcy – due to a growing overspend on caring for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Councils across the country have been told by the government to put their overspends into separate ring-fenced accounts while it develops a new funding model – an arrangement recently extended to 2026.

Since 2020, Devon’s total running overspend on the SEND service – effectively debt – has risen to around £127 million, a figure projected to increase to £153 million by March 2024. The amount is more than the county has in reserves.

The report adds: “Linked to these formal situations and serious concerns, external assessment bodies such as Ofsted have reported in their monitoring issues relating to corporate governance and declared that there has been little or no improvement in services for three years since the last inspection.

“These are serious, material, well evidenced failures of the county council’s governance.”

It says long-serving council leader John Hart (Conservative, Bickleigh and Wembury) and new chief executive Donna Manson have therefore agreed the ‘urgent need for a review of corporate governance as a priority’.

This will be in conjunction with the work to improve children’s services, overseen by the commissioner appointed by a government minister and an SEND improvement board.

The governance review aims to put in place ‘effective scrutiny arrangements’ to help members and officers ‘understand and respect’ their roles, and to develop a culture where staff are ’empowered to constructively challenge and improve ways of working’.

It also seeks to develop and deepen relationships with the council’s partners, ensure it has an ‘absolute focus’ on residents and customers, and to maintain ‘political stability’.

The report adds: “The proposed review seeks to rigorously examine and modify recent expenditure and to significantly improve governance to mitigate the current situation now facing the council.”

It goes on to state, in light of recent management changes and the pandemic: “This is an opportune time to consider … future governance arrangements, making the necessary improvements as expected by the minister, the DFE, the commissioner and the SEND improvement board.”

The ‘root and branch’ review will be split into two phases, each lasting six months. It will be led by a cross-party working group of the procedures committee, which exists to review the council’s constitution and how it functions.

“Strong, trusted governance is essential if the county council is to continue to be a credible and authoritative democratically accountable champion for the people and communities of Devon,” the report adds.

Councillors will decide whether to go ahead with the review on Tuesday, April 25. Its decision will then need to be ratified by the authority’s ruling cabinet.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has just released housing data from the 2021 census for England and Wales compared with 2011.

This seems to have provoked a frenzy of similar local media reports across the country, including our own. All seem to take the same quote from the Institute for Policy Research. This picks up on an increase of 8% in the number of unoccupied houses in England to argue that the Government should look again at policies to curb or control holiday homes, short-term lets, and empty homes; and to build millions more homes.

Although the ONS comparison shows an increase in unoccupied dwelling in the “South West”. There has been little change within Devon. 

In Devon the picture is one of greater variations between districts than over time. 

The highest unoccupied rates in Devon are in North Devon (12%) and South Hams (15%). These coincide with those districts reporting greatest  problems with housing affordability. Second homes are likely to be a factor but not the only one. The unoccupied rate for East Devon is 8%. Second Homes in East Devon amount to 4% so can only account for half of the unoccupied total.

Caveat: Census 2021 was carried out during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some people, for example overseas students or those privately renting, may have moved back in with family members leaving more unoccupied dwellings. [Seems to affected the Exeter numbers].

Nationally, the pattern of highest unoccupied rates fall perhaps where you might expect them to: in the tourist hotspots, and around the coast.

The lack of affordable homes is a major concern. It is a complex subject and Owl will address this in greater depth later, laying out the  historic failure of Tory administrations at local and national level to deliver the affordable housing we need.

This will be a challenge to the Tory election pledge 4 claim: “We will work to ensure that there are sufficient affordable homes that our community requires” given that unfettered development has been their driving philosophy for a couple of decades.

Meanwhile, Owl thinks it a bit of a stretch to argue from these figures that our problems will be solved by building millions more houses. 

NATURE IN CRISIS  – Letter in the Times – www.thetimes.co.uk

Sir, Wild Isles and the “David Attenborough” effect helped Britain to fall back in love with the nature on our doorstep. But nature is in crisis, and we need collective action to protect and restore it, including a “crisis response” for nature from the government — which is failing to act with the urgency and scale needed.

The government’s new water plan will allow intensive farms to continue to pollute our water and choke the life out of our beautiful English rivers. And its painfully low investment in farm payments in England will not help farmers to put in place what is needed. Meanwhile, our environmental protections are threatened by the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill.

We know the public are worried about nature and that there is a demand for change: any party that wants to win the next general election must increase its ambition and action on nature at home and abroad, including investing in the power of nature to fight climate change and turning rhetoric to reality on Cop15 ambitions. Only then can we hope to heed Sir David’s wake-up call and save our wild isles.

Hilary McGrady, director-general, National Trust; Beccy Speight, CEO, RSPB; Tanya Steele, CEO, WWF (UK)

“This government will have integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level.”

Opposition parties have called on Downing Street to provide answers over Rishi Sunak’s family financial interests as the Guardian discovered that previous ministerial registers made no mention of his wife’s stake in a childcare firm, even though it began in 2019.

Peter Walker www.theguardian.com 

The prime minister could be ordered to apologise to the House of Commons if an inquiry announced on Monday into his declarations about the investment finds he breached the code of conduct for MPs.

Companies House records show Akshata Murty first took a stake in Koru Kids, one of six childcare companies that stand to benefit from a policy announcement in last month’s budget, in March 2019, when she held 20,000 shares in the firm.

While the register of ministerial interests has not been updated for nearly a year following the resignation of Boris Johnson’s adviser on interests, the six registers published since March 2019, when Murty took the stake, have no mention of it.

The first of these does not refer to Murty at all, while the five subsequent versions, the last of which was published in May 2022, says only that Sunak’s wife “owns a venture capitalist investment company, Catamaran Ventures UK Ltd”.

The records for Koru Kids show Murty owns the shares in her name, not that of the investment company. The most recent records show she still has 20,000 shares.

Downing Street has said it cannot comment while the inquiry is under way, beyond reiterating that the shareholding had been “transparently declared as a ministerial interest”.

Unlike the parallel register of MPs’ interests, not every interest declared by ministers to the relevant civil service head of their department is publicly listed, as it is up to the adviser on ministers’ interests, who is now Laurie Magnus, to decide whether this is necessary.

It is therefore possible that Sunak declared the shareholding in Koru Kids but that Mangus’s predecessors, Christopher Geidt and Alex Allan, who between them held the role until June last year, thought it did not need to be published.

Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, said: “Rishi Sunak should have declared his financial interests as a minister, chancellor and prime minister, as is required by his own ministerial code. But with no list of interests for nearly a year, his failure to come clean on what he declared gives the impression he’s got something to hide.

“He could clear it up by simply saying when and how he has declared these potential conflicts of interest and whether steps have been taken to manage them in line with the code.”

Daisy Cooper, the Liberal Democrat deputy leader, called for the rules to be changed and for Sunak to provide clarity.

“Rishi Sunak needs to come before parliament and explain why this wasn’t featured in the previous registers of ministerial interests,” she said. “It is absurd that the rules mean that government ministers can currently get away with publicly declaring less than a backbench MP.

“We need a total overhaul of the system, to ensure that the ministerial register of interests is regularly published and has more rigorous standards. The public has a right to know.”

One difficulty for Sunak is that as part of his inquiry, the standards commissioner, Daniel Greenberg, is expected to look into whether the prime minister should have declared the interest when questioned by a committee of MPs last month, where the rules are stricter than for registering interests.

Appearing before the liaison committee on 28 March, Sunak was asked by the Labour MP Catherine McKinnell about a proposed pilot scheme to incentivise people to become childminders, with Koru Kids among six private childcare providers involved.

When McKinnell asked Sunak whether he had anything to declare in relation to the scheme, he replied: “No, all my disclosures are declared in the normal way.”

The MPs’ code of conduct states that not only must members be “open and frank” in declaring interests, but mentioning a declaration without explaining what it is “will not suffice on its own”.

If Greenberg finds Sunak should have been more open with the liaison committee, there is the option of “rectification”, where he admits fault and amends the record.

However, if the prime minister refuses this, or if Greenberg decides he has not been properly transparent, Sunak’s case could be referred to the standards committee, made up of MPs and lay members, for punishment.

A suspension from the Commons seems very unlikely – of 66 MPs suspended since 1949, only one had this happen because of a non-declaration of interests, the Conservative MP John Browne in 1990. But it is possible Sunak could be ordered to apologise.

actions.goodlawproject.org

Over a year of hard work has paid off today. The High Court has ruled that the Government’s operation of a fast-track VIP lane for awarding lucrative PPE contracts to those with political connections was unlawful. 

In a challenge brought by Good Law Project and EveryDoctor to the behind closed door VIP lane worth billions of pounds, the Court found:

“the Claimants have established that operation of the High Priority Lane was in breach of the obligation of equal treatment… the illegality is marked by this judgment.” (§512)

The Judge agreed the VIP lane conferred preferential treatment on bids: it sped up the process, which meant offers were considered sooner in a process where timing was critical, and VIPs’ hands were held through the process. She said: 

“offers that were introduced through the Senior Referrers received earlier consideration at the outset of the process. The High Priority Lane Team was better resourced and able to respond to such offers on the same day that they arrived”. (§395)

The Court found the Government allocated offers to the VIP lane on a “flawed basis” (§396) and did not properly prioritise bids: 

“there is evidence that opportunities were treated as high priority even where there were no objectively justifiable grounds for expediting the offer.” (§383).

The Court noted that the overwhelming majority by value of the product supplied by Pestfix and Ayanda could not be used in the NHS. 

An independent investigation by the BBC has also revealed issues with the product supplied by Clandeboye which were not disclosed to the High Court. Good Law Project believes that the Government misled the Court and is in correspondence with lawyers for the Secretary of State.

The Judge found that, even though Pestfix and Ayanda received unlawful preferential treatment via the VIP lane, they would likely have been awarded contracts anyway. The Judge also refused to allow publication of how much money was wasted by the Government’s failure to carry out technical assurance on the PPE supplied by Pestfix and Ayanda. Good Law Project is considering the wider implications of these aspects of the ruling and next steps.

We first revealed the red carpet-to-riches VIP lane for those with political connections in October 2020. Since then, we have fought to reveal details of those who benefited, and at whose request – while the Government fought to conceal them.

Never again should any Government treat a public health crisis as an opportunity to enrich its associates and donors at public expense.

Thank you for your trust in us, and your continued support of this case over 18 long months. Without you, this simply wouldn’t have been possible.

We also want to express our deep gratitude to our expert legal team on this case: Rook Irwin Sweeney and Jason Coppel QC, Patrick Halliday and Zac Sammour of 11KBW. They have worked tirelessly on this case and we hugely appreciate their efforts.

You can read the full judgment from the High Court here.

New hosepipe ban as map shows areas affected

[Not us yet]

Large areas of Devon will be hit by a hosepipe ban from next week despite weeks of heavy rain across the county. Last summer’s drought is being blamed for the continuing low water levels in some reservoirs across Devon and Cornwall.

Guy Henderson www.devonlive.com

Water levels at the huge Roadford reservoir are currently at just 66 per cent full, and all parts of the county served by Roadford will see the hosepipe ban come into force at a minute past midnight on Tuesday April 25. South West Water took out a full-page advertisement in our sister paper the Western Morning News today to announce the news.

The ban is on hosepipes, sprinklers and automatic irrigation systems, and covers watering gardens, washing cars and filling ponds, paddling pools and fountains. Householders will not be able to use hosepipes to clean walls, windows, paths or patios, but they can use buckets and watering cans instead, as long as they don’t use hosepipes to fill them.

There are exceptions for health and safety reasons, for commercial gardens and for filling and maintaining certain pools, including those used for medical treatment.

A spokesman for South West Water said: “Our region remains officially in drought and a hosepipe ban has been in place for Cornwall and a small part of North Devon since August 2022. To further ensure our reservoir levels’ recovery, and in accordance with our drought plan, we will be introducing a Temporary Use Ban throughout other parts of Devon on April 25.

The area in pink – served by Roadford – is subject to the hosepipe ban

“The South West Water region is still seeing the impact of last year’s exceptionally dry weather and reservoir levels are lower than normal for this time of year. South West Water is acting now to protect water resources and the environment, to help rivers and reservoirs to recharge ahead of the summer months.”

SWW says reservoir levels are recovering across the two counties, but remain lower than this time last year. At Roadford – between Okehampton and Launceston – the water level is at 66 per cent, whereas at this time last year it was 96 per cent. Colliford, on Bodmin Moor, is at 60 per cent, as opposed to 79 percent in April 2022. Wimbleball on Exmoor, however, is 100 per cent full, as are the Kennick, Tottiford and Trenchford reservoirs on Dartmoor.

The spokesman continued: “Our customers’ actions to save water really are making an extraordinary difference to the rate of this recovery. We continue to work closely with the National Drought Group and all relevant agencies to ensure comprehensive plans are in place to manage water resources throughout 2023.

“You really are making an extraordinary difference. We are grateful to all our customers and communities for their efforts in reducing daily water usage over the drought period.

“We must ask you to keep saving water where you can, so that our water resources can recover sufficiently for the spring and summer ahead.”

The most regrettable – indeed dangerous – consequence of the government’s “living with Covid” approach is that it leaves the country so poorly prepared for the next pandemic, or indeed a recrudescence of Covid, such as via the Arcturus coronavirus subvariant that is now emerging.

Editorial www.independent.co.uk 

As our package of reports highlights, there is worrying evidence that the authorities are taking unacceptable risks with public health. Sad to say, it is as if Britain has learned nothing from the initial response to the coronavirus crisis in the spring of 2020. Have we really learned so little, and forgotten so much?

While the return to normality – thanks to the combined efforts of the NHS, the public compliance with the emergency lockdowns and the vaccines – is obviously welcome, Covid has not gone away. Far from it.

People are still being hospitalised, even as milder variants have come into circulation, and new strains, variants and subvariants will continue to evolve. Some may be less damaging to human health than previous ones but some may be more so, either because they are more infectious or more inherently lethal, more vaccine evasive, or any combination of those factors.

In the case of the Arcturus subvariant of Omicron, also known as subvariant XBB.1.16, it seems the issue is one of infectivity and of pathogenicity – that is to say, its capacity to harm a larger number of individuals, and each one more severely.

Virologists have told The Independent that the Arcturus variant is responsible for a surge of 10,000 new Covid cases a day in India: it could easily become the dominant strain in the UK. Even if the effects on mortality were relatively small, the arrival of Arcturus could well mean an increase in hundreds of cases per day, with corresponding incremental pressure on the NHS.

What of future variants? The next virus, zoonotic or otherwise? Perhaps that will be even more infectious and more lethal than its predecessors. The recent concerns about avian flu should remind all concerned that the intrusion of humans and their livestock into the habitats of wild animals, most notably in “wet” markets, is a constant threat to human life as well as to agriculture.

Are the Department of Health and Social Care, the devolved administrations and the UK Health Security Agency doing all that is required to monitor the situation and prepare for the worst? On that, there is some cause for concern. The fact is that a pandemic on the scale of the recent Covid outbreaks may not necessarily be a once-in-a-generation or once-a-century event. In fact, the next one could come much sooner, and be even more devastating. We are underprepared.

According to some of the most respected experts in the field, the UK has moved too rapidly to dismantle the infrastructure that was eventually built up, at enormous cost, during the pandemic.

Some would say the world has been through many such scares in recent decades, and nothing came of them – but that is partly because vigilance and rapid actions prevented a more widespread outbreak. The coronavirus also demonstrates that the experts aren’t always “crying wolf”.

Yet, despite recent traumas, the government has decided to disband tracking systems, including the Covid survey, and mothball testing labs. It also intends to sell off the UK Vaccine Manufacturing and Innovation Centre – before it had even opened. It seems a long time now since Boris Johnson was championing the UK’s world-leading work on Covid vaccines as a symbol of Global Britain’s scientific prowess.

Overlaying all of this is the inescapable fact that the NHS is in an even more vulnerable position than it was three years ago. Today there is also a disturbing wave of wild misinformation on social media about the lockdowns being unnecessary, the Covid vaccines being unsafe, and even that the entire pandemic was merely some exercise in mass control, even though the mass control has been all but abandoned. Such absurd conspiracy theories are being put around with scant effort to contest them. Again, this is a further risk to public health.

To all of this, ministers may simply shrug and plead lack of funds. The public services, including the NHS, have to contend with a formidable range of more immediate challenges than the inchoate possibilities of a new pandemic. This is patently true, but we have only to reflect on the vast cost – at least £400bn – of the last pandemic to Britain to understand the force of the old medical adage about prevention being better than cure.