Even our AONBs, SSSIs and National Parks are inadequately protected and in poor condition. – Owl

Prominent environmental scientists, peers and experts have signed a letter to the Prime Minister, calling on the government to give Protected Landscapes new powers and duties to help meet international commitments on nature recovery.

“The past decade has seen deterioration in the condition of our Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). Our National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) still lack the purposes, powers and resources needed to fulfil their potential to protect and restore nature within their boundaries. If not urgently addressed, this lack of progress in delivering bigger, better and joined up spaces for nature will mean the end of any chance of meeting nature recovery targets in England by 2030, undermining UK promises made at COP15.“

www.cnp.org.uk 

Organised by a coalition including Campaign for National Parks, Wildlife and Countryside Link, and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the letter has been covered in The Times.

The letter also urges the government to set a new target under the Environment Act for improving the condition of special sites of scientific interest (SSSIs) across the UK. Our recent analysis, again covered in The Times, shows that only a quarter of SSSIs in National Parks in England are in ‘favourable condition’, compared to a national average of 38%. This is a worrying trend over the longer-term, and that’s why we need to take urgent action.

Is Government giving up on nature in protected landscapes?

The letter has been accompanied by an article from Campaign for National Parks, Wildlife Trust, and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, warning that the Government has one last chance in this Parliament to act to recover nature in Protected Landscapes. They need to step up and grab this opportunity.

We’re calling on Peers in the House of Lords to back our campaign

The letter coincides with the next stage of the levelling-up and regeneration bill in the House of Lords. Thanks to the efforts of Campaign for National Parks and the coalition, Lord Randall has tabled an ammendment to the bill with cross-party support taking forward key recommendations from the Glover Review of Protected Landscapes, which would see National Parks and other Protected Landscapes being given vital new power and duties so they can do more for nature recovery and people’s access. Signatories on the letter include the author of the review, Julian Glover, as well as members of the review panel.

As the letter makes clear below, although the government have accepted proposals from the review, they have so far failed the seize the opportunity to legislate these commitments. With the amendment now tabled in the House of Lords there is a perfect opportunity to turn words into action. 

We’re delighted with the broad alliance of supporters that have come together on this campaign and we’re now calling on Government and Parliament to take forward this legislation so Protected Landscapes can do more for nature, climate and people.

The next few weeks and months will be crucial as we look to win over even more support and everyone’s voice counts – including yours. You can pledge your support, and sign up for receiving more information about joining our campaign for legislative action.

Full letter to the Prime Minister – Delivering on COP15 promises by making space for nature

Dear Prime Minister,

The UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in December concluded with agreement, signed by 195 countries, to protect 30% of our land and ocean by 2030. Your Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs rightly hailed the agreement as ‘‘a historic milestone in protecting our natural environment for future generations’’.

We are writing, as scientists and experts working to protect the natural environment, to urge you to uphold these welcome global commitments by implementing them at home.

The blueprint for restoring natural systems in England is now over a decade old. In September 2010, a group of scientists, including some of the authors of this letter, submitted a Government-commissioned review of England’s ecological network, Making Space for Nature.

The review found that England’s wildlife sites were largely inadequately protected and in poor condition, even in our most special habitats. Overall, the review concluded that the existing network of places for nature was not sufficient to either halt the loss of biodiversity or to meet our natural capital needs. In response to this conclusion, the review’s core recommendation was that England needed more, bigger, better and joined up spaces for nature.

Sadly, this vision has still not been delivered in full. The past decade has seen deterioration in the condition of our Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). Our National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) still lack the purposes, powers and resources needed to fulfil their potential to protect and restore nature within their boundaries. If not urgently addressed, this lack of progress in delivering bigger, better and joined up spaces for nature will mean the end of any chance of meeting nature recovery targets in England by 2030, undermining UK promises made at COP15.

Every year counts, and to uphold COP15 commitments at home, 2023 needs to see early, ambitious action to deliver better spaces for nature. There are two steps that can be taken straight away by your Government to implement key Making Space for Nature recommendations:

• Amending the Levelling Up & Regeneration Bill to deliver legislative reforms to purposes, duties and management for Protected Landscapes.

The Glover Review of Protected Landscapes, building on Making Space for Nature conclusions, highlighted how National Parks and AONB were held back from delivering for nature and put forward a package of recommendations to address this. A number of these recommendations were accepted by the Government in their response to the review, including recognition of need for legislative reform. Ahead of the Levelling Up & Regeneration Bill’s report stage in December, Sir Gary Streeter MP tabled amendments to the Bill which would have put these key recommendations and related reforms into law for National Parks. It was very disappointing that at Report Stage on 13.12.22 the Bill Minister failed to take this opportunity to legislate to deliver agreed commitments, merely stating that the Government was ‘‘continuing to consider how best to implement’’ the Glover review. Now that the Bill is in the Lords a further amendment to deliver Glover recommendations, both for National Parks and AONBs, has been tabled by Lord Randall, with cross-party support. This amendment must be accepted. There have been years of consideration of recommendations to improve protected landscapes for nature. It is now high time for delivery.

• Adding a terrestrial protected sites condition target to the Environment Act targets.

There is no target for the condition of designated nature sites in the package of Environment Act targets, despite the fact that the UK’s SSSI network (the last fragments of habitat that are most important for nature) are languishing in sub-standard condition, with just 38% in favourable status. This should be addressed by a direct target for at least 75% of SSSIs to be in favourable condition by 2042, with the remaining 25% showing evidence, based on monitoring, that SSSI features are making progress towards ecological recovery. Although the interim SSSI condition targets in the new Environmental Improvement Plan are a step forward, they are not legally binding and are no substitute for a headline target set under the Environment Act. The Environment Act gives Ministers the power to set new environmental targets at any time; a new terrestrial protected sites condition target should be set as soon as is practicable. The new Environmental Land Management (ELM) system of farming support, if properly structured and adequately funded (at least £2.4 billion per annum for the next five years), has the potential to help improve the condition of SSSIs in farmed landscapes. Improvements to SSSI condition assessments will also help to drive progress.

Your Government has made welcome COP15 commitments to net zero, to halt and reverse the decline in the abundance of species and to protect 30% of our land and sea by 2030. It must now complement these global promises with meaningful domestic delivery – starting with implementation of the above recommendations.

Yours sincerely,

Professor Sir John Lawton CBE FRS, Chair of Making Space for Nature

Julian Glover OBE, Chair of the Review of Protected Landscapes

Lord Cameron of Dillington, member of the Review of Protected Landscapes panel

Jim Dixon, CEO Peak District National Park 2003-2014, member of the Review of Protected Landscapes panel

Jake Fiennes, Director of Conservation at the Holkham Estate, member of the Review of Protected Landscapes panel

Professor Lord Krebs FRS, Department of Biology, University of Oxford Professor Julia Aglionby PhD, Professor in Practice, University of Cumbria

Dr Gail Austen, Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent

Maxwell A. Ayamba BEM, Founder & Managing Director, Sheffield Environmental Movement (SEM) and academic at University of Nottingham

Dr Cristina Banks-Leite, Reader in Conservation Ecology, Imperial College

Dr Joseph J. Bailey, Lecturer in Ecology, Conservation and Sustainability, Anglia Ruskin University Professor Tim Benton, Professor of Ecology, University of Leeds

Dr Stuart Connop, Associate Professor in Sustainability, Sustainability Research Institute, University of East London

Dr Charles Cunningham, Department of Biology, University of York

Prof Zoe Davies, Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent

Prof Alastair Driver FCIEEM, Honorary Professor of Applied Environmental Management, University of Exeter

Dr Charlie Gardner, Associate Senior Lecturer, Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent

Professor Kevin J. Gaston, Professor of Biodiversity & Conservation, Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter

Dr Pippa Gillingham, Deputy Head of Department, Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Bournemouth University

Dr Mark Goddard, Assistant Professor, Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Northumbria University

Professor Dave Goulson, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex

Professor Richard D. Gregory, Head of Monitoring Conservation Science, RSPB Centre for Conservation Science

Professor Rosie Hails MBE FRSB FRES, Science & Nature Director, National Trust

Professor Karen Jones, Professor of Environmental and Cultural History, School of History / Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent

Richard Lindsay, Head of Environmental and Conservation Research, Sustainability Research Institute University of East London

Dr Caroline Nash, Senior Research Fellow, Sustainability Research Institute, University of East London Dr Lisa Norton, Senior Scientist UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology

Professor Lois Mansfield, Director for the Centre for National Parks & Protected Areas, University of Cumbria

Professor David Macdonald CBE, WildCRU, Biology, University of Oxford

Dr Chloë Metcalfe, Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research, University College London Professor Jesse O’Hanley, Professor of Environmental Systems Management, University of Kent Professor Nathalie Pettorelli, Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London

Dr James Robinson, Director of Conservation, Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT)

Professor Christopher Short, Associate Professor in Environmental Governance, Countryside and Community Research Institute, University of Gloucestershire

Professor Bob Smith, Director of the Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent 

David Stroud MBE, Former Chair of Ramsar Convention Science Panel and AEWA Technical Committee 

Professor Philip Warren, Emeritus Professor of Ecology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield 

Professor Michael Winter OBE, Glanely Professor of Agricultural Change, University of Exeter

Reminders of Philip Hammond warning of Cuba and Venezuela-style food shortages under a Jeremy Corbyn government have been circulating today as UK supermarkets impose purchase limits on fruit and veg.

Jack Peat www.thelondoneconomic.com 

The former chancellor used the Conservative Party’s 2017 conference to raise the spectre of failed socialist states around the world as he branded Labour’s economic plans a “political version of Jurassic Park”.

Speaking in Manchester, he claimed “Corbyn’s Marxist policies will inevitably lead us back to where Britain was in the late 1970s”.

And he also made an “appeal to geography”, pointing to the desperate plight of countries that rejected market economics in favour of socialism.

“Like Cuba, which I visited last year as Foreign Secretary, where curiously, I found cows in the fields but no milk in the shops.

“Or Zimbabwe – once, one of the most productive and prosperous countries on the continent but after decades of socialism, not so much a breadbasket, as a basket case.

“And Venezuela, a country rich beyond imagination in natural resources but where the economic policies of Hugo Chavez, publicly supported by Jeremy Corbyn, have so tragically impoverished the country that it can longer feed its people and inflation is over 1,000 per cent and growth this year will fall for the fourth year in a row.”

The Chancellor claimed Labour’s “failed ideas, dredged up from a bygone era” threatened “not only our economic progress but our freedom as well”.

“A party taken hostage by a clique of hard-left extremist infiltrators people who despise our values and talk down our country,” he said.

The comments have been posted as national food shortages, rampant inflation and threats of 1970s-style blackouts hit Britain under the Conservative government.

A comment from Councillor Phil Twiss, Cabinet Member for Finance DCC has prompted Owl to add more clarification on the plight of Woking Borough Council highlighted in this morning’s post: “Another one bites the dust” 

Phil pointed out that Woking is a LibDem council. Indeed this is now a LibDem run council, Owl pointed this out quite clearly in the post, but the problem it is grappling with is one that it inherited from an earlier Conservative administration. 

“We inherited enormous Conservative debts. We knew that decades of dependency on new future debt was hard-wired into supposedly long-term projects. These two factors – debt and a dependence on debt – already presented a financial survival project.

“Yet we are now uncovering a third and potentially more worrying financial inheritance: the mis-statement of debt. Uncovering more of that reality is essential, even if it makes unpleasant reading.” LibDem leader, Woking Borough

New discovery adds to Woking Council’s debt woe

George Rae www.wokingnewsandmail.co.uk

THE Liberal Democrats in charge at the Civic Offices claim to have uncovered another devastating threat to Woking Borough Council’s (WBC) already parlous financial position – the mis-statement of debt.

They say that new officially-audited accounts for Thames
Wey Limited, which is fully owned by the council and responsible for multiple energy and housing developments in the town, uncover a string of overstatements of income and assets.

The documents reveal that the company has negative net assets of £19.4 million, as of the end of 2021, rather than the claimed positive assets.

A “restatement” of previously published accounts shows concern by newly-appointed auditors Menzies that old accounts were not giving a true and fair view.

For example, say the Lib Dems, the new documents demonstrate that, in 2020, ThamesWey Group accounts overstated turnover.

Financial statements incorrectly included £30.3 million inter-company revenue, effectively an internal transfer, in the group turnover, meaning the real turnover for the year has had to be reduced from a previously-claimed £61 million to £31 million – an overstatement of almost double the actual revenue.

In 2021, there were group losses of a further £17 million. A single loss of £13.2 million had been classified as “work in progress” when it should have been written off.

Cllr Ann-Marie Barker, leader of the council, said: “We inherited enormous Conservative debts. We knew that decades of dependency on new future debt was hard-wired into supposedly long-term projects. These two factors – debt and a dependence on debt – already presented a financial survival project.

“Yet we are now uncovering a third and potentially more worrying financial inheritance: the mis-statement of debt. Uncovering more of that reality is essential, even if it makes unpleasant reading.”

It follows grim warnings that WBC could be facing bankruptcy unless a balanced budget can be agreed by February.

Although the scale of council debt has long been known and debated – it is forecast to reach £2.4billion by 2024-25 and has attracted the concern of central government – the recent appraisal by the Liberal Democrat administration was the bleakest assessment yet.

With the council, in their words, “close to running out of money”, the Lib Dems proposed launching Operation Recovery “to rescue Woking”.

While local authorities cannot officially go bankrupt, they are effectively in that position as they declare a Section 114 notice, under which all non-essential and statutory spending is stopped.

A sobering assessment of the financial situation was delivered by the council’s finance director Leigh Clarke. In a document considering the council’s medium term financial strategy and presented to the council Executive, the section headed Executive Summary noted the need for “additional assurance on the financial position for each of the years 2023-24 to 2025-26 to provide assurance the expenditure can be contained within resources.

“If this is not possible, the council will need to commence discussions with the government on financial support and the finance director will determine whether a Section 114 report is appropriate.”

Inflation is measured by increases in the retail and consumer price indices.

Recipients of public services, e.g. the NHS, do not pay a retail or consumer price for this service. The same applies for most other public services.

If nurses are given a pay rise to cover inflation, consumers are not charged any more, so there is no direct effect on inflation. 

Government tax receipts tend to rise with inflation. Those given pay rises in line with inflation, pay more tax; VAT also rises with inflation. 

So the Treasury line that paying more than currently offered would be “inflationary” is arguable.

The real crunch occurs when inflation drives prices up but economic stagnation pushes purchasing power down, producing what is called “Stagflation”. Squeezing public sector pay reduces economic activity.

The political reason to squeeze public sector pay, which can only ever be a short term tactic, is to create budget headroom. Useful at this point in the electoral cycle to fund pre-election tax giveaways.   [Owl’s thought for the day]

Richard Partington www.theguardian.com 

Jeremy Hunt is facing calls to offer a bigger pay rise to public sector workers to break months of strike deadlock, after official figures showed stronger than expected government finances.

The government ran a surprise £5.4bn surplus in January, fuelled by bumper self-assessment income tax receipts, handing the chancellor scope to increase spending or offer tax cuts at next month’s budget.

The surplus was £5bn higher than the government’s fiscal watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility, had expected, although it was £7.1bn smaller than in January 2022, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics. Analysts polled by Reuters were taken by surprise, having predicted that the government would have to borrow £7.8bn in January.

In the final snapshot of the government finances before Hunt’s budget, public borrowing for the year so far was about £30bn lower than forecast by the OBR in November.

“[This] could tempt the chancellor to offer a pay increase to public sector workers as part of his budget next month, hoping to prevent another wave of strikes,” said Michal Stelmach, a senior economist at the accountancy firm KPMG UK.

Paul Nowak, the general secretary of the TUC, said the figures showed the government was “running out of excuses” to break the deadlock on strikes.

“Jeremy Hunt must come out of hiding and help break the deadlock on public sector pay. After 13 years of pay cuts and pay freezes nurses, teachers and millions of other public servants are at breaking point,” he said.

“If ministers don’t provide a fair pay settlement the staffing shortages crippling our schools, hospitals and other frontline services will just get worse.”

Government coffers were increased by £21.9bn of self-assessed income tax receipts, the highest January figure since monthly records began in April 1999. They were offset partly by substantial spending on energy support schemes for households and businesses to cushion the blow of spiralling energy prices, and large one-off payments relating to historic customs duties owed to the EU, the ONS said.

However, the Institute for Fiscal Studies said the cost of energy support was less than expected: “While expensive, the energy support schemes introduced in the last year are actually likely to cost less than forecast in November due to a combination of lower wholesale energy prices and a milder winter.”

Ruth Gregory, an economist at the consultancy Capital Economics, said the figures suggested Hunt “will have some wriggle room in the budget to fund near-term tax cuts and/or spending rises”.

However, Hunt suggested he was in no mood for loosening the purse strings after an increase in the national debt. “We are rightly spending billions now to support households and businesses with the impacts of rising prices – but with debt at the highest level since the 1960s, it is vital we stick to our plan to reduce debt over the medium-term,” he said.

“Getting debt down will require some tough choices, but it is crucial to reduce the amount spent on debt interest so we can protect our public services.”

Downing Street also played down the prospect of tax cuts, despite pressure from backbench Conservative MPs calling on Rishi Sunak to do more to support economic growth. The prime minister’s official spokesman said borrowing remained close to a record high, while “significant uncertainty and volatility” remained.

Interest payments on government debt have risen sharply in recent months because of the effect of higher inflation on index-linked gilts. Debt interest payable rose to £6.7bn, the highest January figure since monthly records began in April 1997. However, despite a rise compared with a year earlier, economists said borrowing costs had not risen by as much as feared in November.

The figures come as the government stands to benefit from a fall in global energy prices over recent months, which is expected to reduce the overall cost of support schemes put in place for households and businesses.

Cara Pacitti, a senior economist at the Resolution Foundation, said Hunt was approaching the budget with “significantly healthier borrowing levels” than forecast in the autumn.

“However, with borrowing still much higher than last year, and with interest rates likely to remain elevated for some time to come, Jeremy Hunt can’t afford to be relaxed about the state of the public finances,” she said.

“The extra fiscal headroom should allow him take on some key issues however – namely corporate reform, boosting workforce participation and preventing a spike in energy bills this spring.”

A member of the committee which keeps a check on how well Teignbridge councillors are doing their jobs has resigned. Jane Taylor, in her open letter announcing her departure, accused leaders of not taking seriously a damning report by the local government watchdog.

Philip Churm www.devonlive.com

In the open letter to Teignbridge District Council (TDC) monitoring officer Paul Woodhead, published on the ‘Kingskerswell – Have your say’ Facebook group, Jane Taylor, accused council leaders of not accepting the findings of the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. It followed an extraordinary council meeting on Tuesday, February 14, to debate the findings of a highly critical report by the local government watchdog.

The ombudsman said an investigation by TDC into the conduct of South Devon Alliance Group Leader, Cllr Richard Daws, was flawed and “found fault with a number of aspects of the council’s investigation.” The Ombudsman ordered the council to now apologise to Cllr Daws.

Cllr Taylor, who is a parish councillor in Kingskerswell, as well as a former Devon and Cornwall Police office, accused Teignbridge of not accepting the Ombudsman’s report. She also claimed the council were “out of control, show no remorse for their behaviour and who have no intention of being accountable for their actions.”

Cllr Taylor, who previously stood as a candidate for ‘Newton Says No’ in the Devon County Council elections in 2021 – the predecessor to the South Devon Alliance – added: “It has become very clear to me that the bullying of anyone who challenges the council is blatant and unacceptable. It would not be tolerated in any other workplace and I want no part in it.”

But leader of Teignbridge District Council, Lib Dem councillor for Kenton & Starcross, Alan Connett described suggestions he did not take the ombudsman’s report seriously as “a load of old nonsense.”

He said: “For a start, I apologised as leader of the council to Cllr Daws on the 19th of January when the ombudsman’s report was published. I repeated that and we stated that apology in full at the council meeting and it was very clear, I think if you read the words we accept, in full and without reservation, the report and the recommendation of the ombudsman.”

Cllr Taylor also accused Cllr Connett of not accepting the finding of the report because he called for a letter to be written to the Secretary of State “challenging the authority of the ombudsman’s involvement.” But Cllr Connett said that was not true and he was determined to ensure the council carried out the recommendations.

“It suits some people to ignore the inconvenient and focus on their own particular spin,” he said. “That’s been a huge difficulty for the council over several years because the SDA don’t like to be confronted with the facts.

“I was concerned that council accepted the recommendations without reservation and we implement them. So, it’s my leadership that has enabled that meeting to happen.”

Cllr Taylor, in her letter, added: “I will be resigning with immediate effect, as I do not wish to be associated with a Council, where the majority of councillors either condone this behaviour or lack the courage to stand against it. A council who will readily breach both their own policy and the law to exact revenge, on those who dare to speak out against them.”

Last week we had Simon Jupp the Farmers’ Friend, aimed at Honiton? This week it looks to be Sidmouth’s turn….

‘I’ve spoken to the PM about the state pension and the triple lock’

(Simon is worried about protecting pensioners’ spending power – what about everyone else? – Owl)

Conservative Member of Parliament for East Devon Simon Jupp writes for the Journal.

www.exmouthjournal.co.uk

I know many people have welcomed the news that the state pension will rise in line with inflation this year. There is no value more British than our commitment to protect and honour those who built the country we live in.

I’ve talked to the Prime Minister and Chancellor on how to protect pensioners’ spending power. Restoring the Triple Lock is a big part of doing that. The Triple Lock raises State Pension payments by the highest of inflation, average earnings, or 2.5 percent. It offers vital economic security for many people in East Devon.

The government has acted to ensure that every household is also supported with energy bills, and it’s been confirmed recently that the government will provide another £300 Cost-of-Living Payment for pensioners next winter.

It can be a little tricky to work out what support is out there. Fortunately, most people don’t need to take any action since support is being paid automatically.

But it’s worth being sure. So, if you are receiving the state pension and reading this, I’d warmly encourage you to check two things.

First, please check if you’ve received this winter’s Winter Fuel Payment. It is usually paid automatically in November or December if you’re getting other benefits like the State Pension. Everyone who is eligible should have been paid by 23 January 2023. If you did not receive your payment, you should contact the Winter Fuel Payment Centre through gov.uk/winter-fuel-payment/how-to-claim or 0800 731 0160 by 31 March 2023.

Second, please check if you are eligible for Pension Credit. Pension Credit is extra money to bring your weekly income up to a minimum amount. Estimates suggest that up to one million people who may be entitled do not claim the benefit. You can use this online tool to check gov.uk/pension-credit-calculator or call 0800 731 0469. An award of Pension Credit can also act as a gateway to other pensioner benefits, including help with rent and council tax.

It’s only right that those who’ve paid into the tax system all their lives are looked after when they’ve retired.

Former Tory Surrey council on brink of insolvency with debts of nearly £2bn

[Conservative control 2011 to 2018, no overall control 2019 to 2021, LibDem control 2022. Elections for one third seats for three consecutive years followed by one year with no elections]

Richard Partington www.theguardian.com

A local council in Surrey has signalled it is close to effective bankruptcy after amassing debts worth almost £2bn to fund a property investment spree, raising fresh questions over the fragile health of local authorities after years of austerity.

Woking borough council said it was “in the territory” of being unable to meet its financial obligations, amid a surge in debt interest costs on its investments, which include a shopping centre, residential skyscrapers and 23-storey Hilton hotel.

The council, one of several in England with big debt problems, said it was at risk of issuing a section 114 notice, which effectively signals insolvency. Although councils cannot technically go bankrupt, a section 114 is able to force central government to intervene to ensure local services are sustainable.

The process is seen as an admission by an authority that it lacks the resources to meet current expenditure, that its reserves are depleted and that it has little confidence it can bring its finances under control in the near future.

Woking is currently subject to a government review of its finances. Control of the council passed to the Liberal Democrats last year, after a fraught local election which partly focused on the vast debt pile accumulated by the former Conservative administration.

The development comes as Michael Gove’s levelling up department turns the screw on local authorities with high levels of debt. The government has ordered inspectors to review the finances, investments and governance, or has directly intervened, at several authorities, including Slough in Berkshire, Thurrock in Essex and Warrington in Cheshire.

Woking said it would increase council tax by 3% in 2023-24, but added: “It is not evident at this stage, however, how the council will establish a balanced budget for 2024/25.”

According to budget papers, the council borrowed about £1.8bn for investment purposes but is only bringing in £38.5m, a figure expected to rise to £43.3m next year.

“That’s clearly unsustainable and is five times the amount of council tax,” said Will Forster, the council’s deputy leader. “The major issue is the council’s borrowing commitments, which is something as a new administration we have inherited.”

He said Woking was committed to increasing its debt levels to £2.4bn by 2026, with much of the increase linked to its town-centre Victoria Square redevelopment, which includes a new shopping centre and a trio of tall residential and commercial towers.

“That is huge for a small borough council like Woking. We’re in a tough position.”

Several English councils have used debt-fuelled investment programmes over the past decade, arguing that budget cuts directed from Westminster forced them to take matters into their own hands. However, questions have been raised over the suitability and scale of some projects.

Local authorities have also run into trouble after a sharp decline in town- and city-centre footfall since the onset of the Covid pandemic, leading many retailers to pull out of key high street locations, hitting the value of their investments.

Conservative-run Thurrock council was the last authority to declare effective bankruptcy, after issuing a section 114 notice in December as it grappled with a £500m deficit caused by a series of disastrous investments. That followed other recent failures at Northamptonshire county council, Croydon and Slough.

Plymouth could be merged into a Devon “super council” but is opposing any moves to be ruled by a directly elected mayor. Under government devolution proposals, Plymouth City Council could become part of a combined authority with Devon and Torbay.

William Telford www.plymouthherald.co.uk

But while council chiefs would be happy with this outcome, which could come with increased government investment, they are not so keen on having an elected mayor for the area. A delegation from the three Devon councils recently travelled to Westminster to make its case.

Plymouth City Council’s Tory leader Richard Bingley joined Devon County Council’s John Hart, also a Conservative, and Torbay’s Lib Dem leader Steve Darling in a mission to meet Dehenna Davison, parliamentary under secretary of state in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

The Devon politicians pressed the case for a devolution deal that would see the Government award more powers to a new combined authority for the county. The trio said they had a “positive” meeting with the under-secretary.

Cllr Bingley said: “We had a very positive meeting with the minister and expressed our shared desire to have a combined authority with powers moved out of Government and into the hands of local politicians. While there is no desire to have a directly elected mayor here, we believe there is huge potential for a deal that would give us greater control in delivering our shared priorities.”

In 2022, the three authorities united to pilot one of the Government’s nine new county deals which were announced in the Levelling Up white paper. The nine areas invited to begin negotiations were Cornwall; Derbyshire and Derby; Devon, Plymouth and Torbay; Durham; Hull and East Yorkshire; Leicestershire; Norfolk; Nottinghamshire and Nottingham; and Suffolk.

The three options open to these areas include:

• Remaining as they are now but with the separate authorities working more closely to deliver services.
• Forming a single institution or county council, which could have additional powers for such things as transport, bus franchising, the adult education budget and compulsory purchase.
• Having a directly elected mayor, which comes with greater control over transport funding and the powers to identify a key transport networks and to establish mayoral development corporations.

In August 2022, Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire councils together signed a devolution deal which will include the creation of a directly-elected mayor for the East Midlands. In February 2023 a consultation began in Cornwall on whether the duchy should accept a new deal providing new powers and funding and have a new directly elected mayor. The issue divided people across the county after Cornwall Council distributed a 34-page Cornwall Devolution Deal documentary and consultation materials.

In 2022, Devon County Council issued a statement saying a combined authority without an elected mayor would “enable councils to work together strategically whilst respecting the sovereignty of their respective authorities.” It is understood the three authorities would welcome the opportunity to become a centralised focus for government investment.

It is also hoped that in return for making such a substantial change to the way the authorities are run, the Government may look to provide more infrastructure and skills investment.

The Government is keen to devolve powers over adult skills, infrastructure projects, and transport systems such as bus routes. Past devolution settlements in metropolitan areas have included these elements, plus powers over other forms of integrated transport, business support, planning and land use.

They have also come with a 30-year investment fund of between £15m and £38m annually and in some cases more extensive powers over health, housing and policing.

Ultimately the Government is keen that every part of England that wants one will have a devolution deal with “powers at or approaching the highest level of devolution and a simplified, long-term funding settlement” by 2030.

Gun owners could help fight terror attack, says police commissioner

Steven Morris  www.theguardian.com 12/06/2017

A police commissioner has caused alarm among rank and file officers by suggesting that members of the public who own guns could help defend rural areas against terror attacks. Alison Hernandez, the Devon and Cornwall police and crime commissioner, said she was interested in having a conversation with the chief constable about whether ordinary people with gun licences could assist in a terrorist crisis.

The comments have caused alarm within the force and prompted a stern warning from a senior officer that citizens should not arm themselves.

Hernandez, a former Conservative election agent, made her comments during an extraordinary exchange with a caller to a phone-in programme on BBC Radio Cornwall. The caller, from Bude in north Cornwall, said she was a gun owner and a former firearms dealer and asked: “If there should ever be a terrorist attack, what happens if I and other people try to defend themselves using those guns? What would be the repercussions?”

Hernandez replied that it was a “a very good question” and asked the woman if she would put it in writing so that the chief constable, Shaun Sawyer, could consider it. But she then added: “This might be some of our solution to our issues.”

When challenged by presenter Laurence Reed if she was advocating vigilantism, Hernandez replied: “I’m just saying, let’s officially have a look at that and see what would be the implications of it. Let’s unpick it a little bit.

“We work with businesses to keep our communities safe. I’d really be interested in exploring that with the chief constable.”

The presenter asked the caller if she would be happy taking on a terrorist. She replied: “Yes,” prompting Hernandez to remark: “She’s not messing about. Don’t go down to Bude.”

The presenter said he could not believe the chief constable would entertain the idea of the public defending themselves with firearms. Hernandez replied: “I’m sure he wouldn’t want to entertain it, but these are times that are challenging and I would like to have an official response on that myself.”

The official response came swiftly from the deputy chief constable, Paul Netherton, who said: “Quite obviously, a marauding terrorist is the most challenging of circumstances. The police response requires significant professionalism and training as well as firearms capability. During these incidents, highly trained police firearms officers and special forces will be deployed to protect our communities.

“Under no circumstances would we want members of the public to arm themselves with firearms, not least because officers responding would not know who the offenders were, and quite obviously they would not have the time to ask. Our message to the public is a simple one: to run, to hide and to tell.”

Rank and file officers also made it clear that they did not believe it was a good idea for members of the public to take up arms. Janice Adam, from the Police Federation, said reacting to and dealing with any such incidents should be left to highly specialised firearms officers. There was no reply from Hernandez’ office on Monday evening.

Owl’s comment at the time:

When your local newspaper runs articles like this, you know that there is a serious problem. It really is time for this incompetent and rather witless person to be replaced.

“Devon and Cornwall Police Commissioner Alison Hernandez has been embroiled in controversy ever since her appointment to the post last year.

She caused consternation yesterday when she said members of the public with guns could form ‘some of our solution’ to terrorism in isolated rural areas.

Ben Jennings www.theguardian.com 

The hedging of bets by senior Tories is obscene. None of them know whether Johnson is finished or still has enough within him to run again so they’re all just laughing and joking about him but without any actual condemnation. “Oh it’s just Johnson”, “what he said was really useful”, “blah blah blah blah blah”.

Not one of them is willing to risk a future job if indeed Johnson has legs and not one of them is willing to chop those legs off at the knees for actively trying to undermine their own government. The man is running his own foreign policy completely separately from government and all they do is smile and nod and excuse and indulge. Cowards.

Here’s the thing, if you didn’t support him last time you’re done. He holds grudges.

If you resigned last time, you’re done. He holds grudges.

If you have brains, you’re done. The sun king can’t countenance another star in his firmament.

Johnson will not forgive, he will not forget and he will not change. If you thought it right to sack him last time for his venal corruption it remains right now. He will do the same things again. He is incapable of being anything other than Johnson and he’ll burn you for disloyalty, advantage or just because he’s too arrogant ti believe anyone matters more than him.

We don’t want more weasel words, we have already heard Jupp deploy the “I would never vote to pollute our water” argument’

To which Owl replied: Simon it is true that you didn’t actually vote to pollute our water, but you did vote against imposing a legal duty to stop it, instead voting for something very much more “light touch”.

This month Thérèse Coffey continued the “light touch” by backtracking on plans for penalties having already extended clean up deadlines to 2035.

Richard Vaughan inews.co.uk 

Tory MPs will be given tips on how to counter claims being made by the Liberal Democrats and Labour over raw sewage being pumped into the country’s rivers and seas.

The issue of the UK’s polluted waterways has become a key battleground in certain parts of the country, with the Conservatives increasingly finding themselves on the back foot.

In a bid to push back against the charges being made against MPs, the party will be giving local council candidates and would-be MPs briefings on the matter ahead of the local and general elections.

Tories will be handed extensive information on what action the Government is taking to prevent sewage dumping in rivers, while providing them with facts and figures to rebut claims being made by the Lib Dems and Labour.

There is growing exasperation among many Conservatives in areas where river pollution is a major local issue, as they believe they are being unfairly criticised by opposition parties for something that is largely beyond their control.

As revealed by i last week, the Lib Dems have drawn up a target list of Tory seats where sewage is a contentious issue and they believe they can gain votes.

One Tory MP who has two rivers running through their constituency bemoaned the Lib Dem attacks, adding: “It’s easy for them because they can take the moral high ground.”

Particular anger is focused on how Conservative MPs are being accused of voting in favour of allowing water companies to continue pumping sewage into the waterways when they voted to pass the Environment Act last year.

An amendment tabled by hereditary peer the Duke of Wellington called for such pumping to be illegal if any raw sewage was spilled into the system. It was voted down by Government MPs.

Clean water campaigners in Devon have erected fake blue plaques on the seafront recording local Tory MP Simon Jupp as having failed to prevent raw sewage from being dumped in the region’s rivers and seas.

One senior backbencher said the sewage issue was regularly referred to on internal WhatsApp groups, with colleagues left “angry” that they are being accused of making the issue worse.

“We were voting to improve the situation, if it were illegal for any rainwater to run back into the waterways leading to heavy fines for the water companies, it would have just been added to people’s bills,” the MP said.

“This is a hugely complex issue, and you can just try and fix it overnight, it will take time to sort it.”

Conservative sources also believe that the two main opposition parties’ policy suggestions do not add up. Tories have claimed that under the Lib Dems’ plan to hit the water companies with a sewage tax of 16 per cent on their profits, it would take 500 years to raise the money needed to solve the problem.

The Tories also accused Labour of promising an uncosted solution and raised doubts that its plans for automatic fines for water companies if they dump sewage into the waterways is workable.

Breathtaking incompetence and failings by police allowed a gunman to kill five people during a mass shooting in Plymouth, victims’ families have said. (BBC)

Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall, said the evidence heard at the inquest “provided a clear and independent understanding of missed opportunities”.

Ms Hernandez said: “I am working with the Home Office and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) so that we learn nationally from this tragedy to ensure that nothing like it happens again.”

Victims statement (Extract from full statement published here)

In a statement released by their legal representative, the victims have accused the licensing system at the force of being “a shambles from the top to the bottom”. In addition they said it was “too late for an apology from Devon and Cornwall Police. The time for that has passed” adding that what they do demand is “accountability, ownership and change.”….

They say warning signs were “ignored and a license to kill was granted.” They also say there was “very little evidence” of “regret or remorse in the decisions, actions, omissions or catastrophic mistakes made” by not just the force and its Firearms and Explosives Licencing Unit, but also by “multiple other agencies, care services and individuals.”…..

The families have accused senior police officers who gave evidence at the inquest of “seeking to defend the indefensible” which they found “extremely difficult for us to watch.” ……

Plymouth shooting: Families say warning signs were ignored

By Miles Davis & Johanna Carr www.bbc.co.uk

Jake Davison killed his mother and four other people, including a girl aged three, with a shotgun in August 2021.

Families of four of the victims said: “Warning signs were ignored and a licence to kill was granted.”

The inquest jury said there had been a “catastrophic failure” at Devon and Cornwall Police.

At the conclusion of a five-week inquest at Exeter Racecourse jurors said the deaths of the victims were “caused by the fact the perpetrator had a legally-held shotgun”.

All five of the victims were unlawfully killed, the jury found.

Davison killed his mother Maxine, 51, Sophie Martyn, three, her father Lee, 43, Stephen Washington, 59, and Kate Shepherd, 66, in the Keyham area of Plymouth before turning the gun on himself.

Will Kerr, who took over as Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall Police in December 2022, said: “Steps should have been taken to safeguard our communities and for that failure I am truly sorry.”

Mr Kerr called for changes in national firearms licensing policy.

He said: “I accept Devon and Cornwall Police has failed our communities in regard to Jake Davison, but had there been clearer national guidance, direction and specific legislation concerning firearms licensing – decision-making locally may well have been very different.”

Mr Kerr said the force had invested £4m into the Firearms and Explosives Licensing Unit since the shootings “to ensure more consistent and robust application of current law and guidance”.

The inquest heard the number of staff in the department had increased from 45 in 2021 to 99 currently.

‘Our community is angry’

Luke Pollard, Labour MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, said gun licensing systems were “not fit for purpose”.

“The inquest has found the failings are systemic and so deep rooted, the confidence that the public should have in the police to keep us safe – to licence firearms correctly – is absent.

“The inquest might have concluded, but the pain people still feel is very real.”

Mr Pollard said: “I do not have confidence in Devon and Cornwall Police to issue firearms licences, and every gun certificate they have issued must be reviewed in light of the failings laid bare by the inquest.

“I am angry. Our community is angry. We want to see comprehensive change to prevent a tragedy like this from ever happening again.”

Ian Arrow, senior coroner for Plymouth, Torbay and South Devon, said he would be preparing a preventing future deaths report to address “the likelihood of shotgun licences being inappropriately granted”.

In a joint statement, the Martyn, Washington and Shepherd families said the shooting “was an act of pure evil”.

They added: “However, we now know that this evil act was facilitated and enabled by a series of failings and incompetence from the people and organisations that are supposed to keep us safe.”

The families said they had been “hopelessly failed by the system” and in particular by Devon and Cornwall Police.

They said the evidence heard at the inquest told “a consistent story of individual failures, breathtaking incompetence and systemic failings within every level of the firearms licensing unit of the Devon and Cornwall Police force”.

They said: “It is beyond us how Davison, a man with a known history of violence, mental health issues, and with no real need to own a firearm, was granted a licence to possess a gun in the first place.”

Delivering a narrative conclusion on behalf of the jury, the coroner said: “There was a serious failure by Devon and Cornwall Police’s firearms and explosive licensing unit in granting and later failing to revoke the perpetrator’s shotgun licence.”

After hearing evidence from more than 50 witnesses the jury concluded there was “a lack of scrutiny and professional curiosity at all levels” and a “seriously unsafe culture of defaulting to granting licences and returning licences after review”.

It said there was a “catastrophic failure in the management of the firearms licensing department at Devon and Cornwall Police”.

“This was compounded by a lack of senior management and executive leadership who failed to notice or address the issues.”

The jury also concluded there had been “a serious failure at a national level by the government, Home Office and National College of Policing” to implement previous recommendations to improve firearms safety.

In the wake of the Dunblane shootings in 1996, Lord Cullen recommended nationally accredited training for firearms enquiry officers and that recommendation was echoed in 2015 in Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of the Constabulary’s Targeting the Risk Report.

Davison had applied to Devon and Cornwall Police for a shotgun certificate in July 2017 aged 18, saying he wanted to go clay pigeon shooting with his uncle.

As part of the application process Davison had declared he was autistic and had Asperger’s, but when police sought relevant information from his GP, the doctor declined to provide any as it was not mandatory.

Image source, Plymouth Coroner

The jury was shown a picture of the Weatherby pump-action shotgun (top) used by Jake Davison next to a standard sporting style twin-barrel shotgun (below)

Davison had a history of violence at the special school he attended and in September 2020 he repeatedly punched a 15-year-old boy in the face and slapped a 16-year-old girl in a skate park in Plymouth, the inquest heard.

Police decided on a deferred charge of battery – which could be dealt with by restorative justice – rather than the more serious charge of actual bodily harm.

Under the restorative justice scheme, called Pathfinder, Davison had to complete an online “thinking skills” course and was given a 40-page anger management booklet.

Following completion of the scheme Davison was given his shotgun and certificate back in July 2021 – a month before the tragedy.

‘Missed opportunities’

The IOPC watchdog found two employees of Devon and Cornwall Police had a case to answer for misconduct over the way they dealt with Davison’s gun licence.

David Ford, IOPC regional director, said: “The potential corporate failing of Devon and Cornwall Police as an organisation is subject to our separate criminal inquiry into possible health and safety breaches.”

Mr Ford added the IOPC was liaising with the Home Office regarding “recommendations at a national level to help inform improved firearms licensing arrangements and guidance for the police service as a whole”.

A Home Office spokesperson said it would “reflect” on the report and any recommendations from the coroner and “respond in due course”.

Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall, said the evidence heard at the inquest “provided a clear and independent understanding of missed opportunities”.

Ms Hernandez said: “I am working with the Home Office and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) so that we learn nationally from this tragedy to ensure that nothing like it happens again.”

It’s now official.

Jupp has jumped, abandoning 78% of his current constituents. 

He obviously wants to escape from ESCAPE (End Sewage Convoys And Pollution Exmouth) and all the other Exmouth protest groups.

However, he is too young and is insufficiently “local” to recall that in 2012 4,000 marched on the Knowle in Sidmouth to protest at Tory plans to sell the site for redevelopment. 

In his new constituency at least two thirds of the voters will never have heard of him – Out of the frying pan into the fire? – Owl

[Will Neil Parish be one of the candidates standing against him?]

Simon Jupp candidate for Honiton and Sidmouth constituency

Daniel Clark www.devonlive.com

East Devon’s Conservative MP Simon Jupp has announced that he will be candidate the new Honiton and Sidmouth constituency at the next general election. As part of changes to ward boundaries, existing constituencies in the region are being split up.

Honiton and Sidmouth is one of the new constituencies proposed to replace East Devon. The other will see a new East Exeter and Exmouth constituency created, while the existing Tiverton and Honiton constituency will be split as well.

Mr Jupp, who was first elected in 2019, would see his current constituency split into two when the boundary changes are confirmed. He though now has been selected as the candidate for Honiton and Sidmouth following at a meeting held at Sidmouth Conservative Club on Saturday.

He said: “I am delighted to have been selected by Conservative Party members to stand for the new Honiton and Sidmouth constituency at the next general election. Under the most recent boundary review, the current East Devon and Tiverton and Honiton constituency boundaries are being redrawn for the next election.

“As a resident of Sidmouth, home is where the heart is and I’m standing where I’m incredibly proud to live. Since I was elected in 2019, I have successfully secured a new school to replace Tipton St John Primary, £15.7m from the Levelling Up Fund, a new police station for Exmouth, and multi-million-pound support for Exeter Airport during the pandemic. I have a proven track record and will continue to work hard for everyone I represent in East Devon.”

The Independent Boundary Commission for England will send its final recommendations for the new constituency boundaries to Parliament by 1 July.

The new East Exeter Exmouth constituency will include the area covering Exmouth, Budleigh Salterton, Woodbury, Otterton, Newton Poppleford, West Hill, Whimple, and around Cranbrook from the current East Devon constituency, as well as parts of Exeter.

The new Honiton and Sidmouth constituency will include Sidmouth and Ottery St Mary from the previous East Devon constituency. The area around Branscombe, Seaton, Uplyme, Colyton, Axminster, Yarcombe, Uppotery, Hemyock, Culmstock, Cullompton, Dunkeswell, Feniton and Honiton from the current Tiverton and Honiton constituency would be included in this new area.

Nearly 15,000 British retail jobs have already been cut since January in a “brutal start to the year” for the high street.

Joanna Partridge www.theguardian.com 

A total of 14,874 retail job losses have been announced by companies so far, according to analysis from the Centre for Retail Research (CRR).

National retailers including stationery brand Paperchase, clothing chain M&Co and Tile Giant have all gone bust in recent weeks, while discount retailer Wilko, clothing retailer New Look and supermarkets Tesco and Asda have all also announced job cuts.

Large retail chains, which have 10 or more stores, are among those cutting jobs on UK high streets, as well as at main shopping destinations, the research found.

Most of the job losses – totalling 11,689 – are at large retailers including Tesco and Asda who are carrying out cost cutting programmes and restructuring operations.

Meanwhile, a further 3,185 jobs have been lost at large retailers which have collapsed and undergoing insolvency proceedings.

The embattled stationery specialist retailer Paperchase fell into administration in January, after being hit by rising costs and disappointing sales.

The brand and its intellectual property was bought by Tesco, but the deal did not include taking on Paperchase’s 106 stores across the UK and Ireland, prompting the immediate loss of 250 jobs, with an uncertain future for the remaining 500 staff.

Many of the struggling retailers have already collapsed in recent years, according to Prof Joshua Bamfield, the CRR’s director.

“The process of rationalisation will continue at pace as retailers continue to reduce their cost base,” he said. “We are unlikely to see any respite in job losses in 2023 after a brutal start to the year.”

Retail job losses have been mounting for several years, even prior to lengthy closures after repeated Covid lockdowns.

Just under 3 million people were employed in retail in the second quarter of 2022, according to a survey from industry body the British Retail Consortium, which was 63,000 lower than a year earlier.

A revaluation of business rates, which are among the largest operating costs for retailers, is taking place from 1 April, and looks likely to reduce the rateable values used to determine bills.

Business rates relief means that new bills will be discounted by 75% for the tax year from April 2023 to the end of March 2024, up to a cash cap of £110,000 per business, as announced by the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, in his autumn statement.

The Treasury has said that the retail sector “is set to see its overall bills paid fall by 20%” as a result.

However, the property adviser Altus Group is warning that most retailers with multiple stores will only benefit from the discount on a handful of their branches because of the cap.

“While the adjustments brought about by the revaluation are welcome, 10% overall just does not go far enough given the state of the market on the valuation date which is likely to lead to a tsunami of appeals,” said Alex Probyn, global president of property tax at Altus Group.

• Internal and external remodelling with new kitchen extension Pomeroy House Gittisham Devon EX14 3AJRef. No: 23/0309/LBC | Validated: Fri 10 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Internal and external remodelling with new kitchen extension Pomeroy House Gittisham Devon EX14 3AJRef. No: 23/0308/FUL | Validated: Fri 10 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Create new entrance drive, raise roof and erect extension to both sides Woodhyde The Glen Uplyme Lyme Regis DT7 3TRRef. No: 23/0313/FUL | Validated: Fri 10 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1 lime and T2 oak – reduce height by approximately 2m / 3m and shorten second and third order branches over garden by a similar amount, to a natural pruning position, to leave a radial spread of approximately 4m and a height of approximately 18m. The Salty Monk Church Street Sidford Devon EX10 9QPRef. No: 23/0318/TRE | Validated: Fri 10 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1: Oak – reduce side lateral limbs to give approximately 3m clearance to house and to reduce overhang of room. Reduce 3 lowest limbs, at same height, reducing by approximately 2m lengths, diameter cuts of up to 7cm. Reduce tips of limbs above by approximately 1.5m with diameter cuts of 5cm. T2: Oak – reduce 2 lowest over-extending limbs by 2m with cut diameters of up to 6cm. T3: Oak – reduction of small lowest limb by 2000mm; cut diameters up to 50mm. 20 Warneford Gardens Exmouth EX8 4ENRef. No: 23/0324/TCA | Validated: Fri 10 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed roof extension to include new roof dormer, enlarged first floor window on front elevation 14 Churston Rise Seaton EX12 2JERef. No: 23/0316/FUL | Validated: Fri 10 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed part conversion of existing garage, replacement windows, insertion of new doors, windows & rooflights, and external finishes. Greenwood Lodge West Hill Road West Hill EX11 1UZRef. No: 23/0293/FUL | Validated: Thu 09 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed single storey rear extension 1 Marine Parade Budleigh Salterton Devon EX9 6NSRef. No: 23/0300/FUL | Validated: Thu 09 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1: Oak – 20% crown reduction (approximately 1.5m tip reduction) and crown thinning. T2: Oak – 2m reduction of limbs extending out towards the property. 10-20% crown thin. 10 River View Drive Colyton EX24 6PRRef. No: 23/0307/TRE | Validated: Thu 09 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Certificate of lawfulness or the installation of solar panels on single storey, south facing slate roofThe Old Coach House Yarcombe Devon EX14 9LZRef. No: 23/0306/CPL | Validated: Thu 09 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed single storey front porch extension 6 Ashfield Close Exmouth Devon EX8 4HERef. No: 23/0294/FUL | Validated: Thu 09 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed replacement building for Vaccination Centre Greendale Farm Shop NHS Drive Through Vaccination Centre Sidmouth Road Farringdon Devon EX5 2JURef. No: 23/0298/FUL | Validated: Thu 09 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Internal alterations to modern walls on the ground and 1st floor; installation of additional roof lights; replacement of conservatory with a single room extension; installation of an ASHP, solar panels to the southwest boundary; construction of a garden building to the southwest of the property The Coach House Berry Farm Hawkchurch Axminster EX13 5XLRef. No: 23/0283/LBC | Validated: Wed 08 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed single storey flat roof extension 35 Gronau Close Honiton Devon EX14 2YTRef. No: 23/0286/GPD | Validated: Wed 08 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Internal alterations to modern walls on the ground and 1st floor; installation of additional roof lights; replacement of conservatory with a single room extension; installation of an ASHP, solar panels to the southwest boundary; construction of a garden building to the southwest of the property The Coach House Berry Farm Hawkchurch Axminster EX13 5XLRef. No: 23/0282/FUL | Validated: Wed 08 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Certificate of lawfulness for the material change of use for the commercial storage of vehicles (B8 sui generis) in association with Marsh Motors Yondermarsh Buildings Marsh HonitonRef. No: 23/0279/CPE | Validated: Wed 08 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Removal of timber sheds, greenhouse and garage and construction of a new garage, shower room and study. Runnymede Orchard Close Manor Road Sidmouth EX10 8RSRef. No: 23/0291/FUL | Validated: Wed 08 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Ramp to front elevation to provide wheelchair access 1 Le Marchant Close Dunkeswell Honiton EX14 4XDRef. No: 23/0292/FUL | Validated: Wed 08 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Conversion of an existing outbuilding to a residential annexe Crawley House Yarcombe EX14 9AYRef. No: 23/0274/FUL | Validated: Thu 09 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed alterations and change of use of guest house with owners accommodation (C1), to owners dwelling and the formation of one additional dwelling (C3). Colebrooke House Fore Street Beer EX12 3JLRef. No: 23/0277/FUL | Validated: Fri 10 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Oak – Cut 3 lower branches (growing through fence), max. length 12m; max dia. 20cm. 95 Ivydale Exmouth EX8 4TARef. No: 23/0271/TRE | Validated: Wed 08 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed extension to replace conservatory, internal alterations, repositioning the front door and new windows. 22 Oak View Honiton Devon EX14 2UDRef. No: 23/0278/FUL | Validated: Tue 07 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed alterations to an existing agricultural building. Halls Farm Feniton Devon EX14 3EURef. No: 23/0270/FUL | Validated: Tue 07 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Two storey rear extension, replacement front dormer, alterations to side extensions and works including new fenestration and render 19 Winslade Park Avenue Clyst St Mary EX5 1DARef. No: 23/0275/FUL | Validated: Tue 07 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Conversion of a barn to a one bedroom dwelling. Moor Farm Talaton Devon EX5 2RFRef. No: 23/0261/FUL | Validated: Tue 07 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed enlargement of rear extension, 4.7m in length, 3.35m in height, extension eaves height of 2.37m, enlargement and reroofing of lean to, new roof lights and new door and open porch to dwelling Chimneys Whitford Road Kilmington Devon EX13 7RGRef. No: 23/0267/GPD | Validated: Mon 06 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1: Norway spruce – fell. T2: Cherry – fell. T3: Blue Cypress – fell. Dundridge Sid Road Sidmouth EX10 9AARef. No: 23/0256/TCA | Validated: Mon 06 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Installation of replacement windows and doors to rear of property Thatchers Cottage Combe Raleigh EX14 4TQRef. No: 23/0265/LBC | Validated: Mon 06 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Installation of replacement windows and doors to rear of property Thatchers Cottage Combe Raleigh EX14 4TQRef. No: 23/0264/FUL | Validated: Mon 06 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of two storey side extension. 32 Longdogs Lane Ottery St Mary Devon EX11 1HURef. No: 23/0263/FUL | Validated: Mon 06 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Variation of condition no.2 (approved drawing single storey side/rear extension with associated partial demolition and external alterations and installation of 28 x solar panels to roof 22/2040/FUL) to be replaced with amended plans Route 303 Yarcombe Devon EX14 9NDRef. No: 23/0268/VAR | Validated: Mon 06 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Alterations and extensions to dwellinghouse, erection of detached double garage and realignment of driveway and installation of electric gates. Beech Grove House Rhode Lane Uplyme Lyme Regis DT7 3TXRef. No: 23/0237/FUL | Validated: Mon 06 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed rear extension, front porch and internal alterations. 32 Elmfield Crescent Exmouth EX8 3BLRef. No: 23/0243/FUL | Validated: Tue 07 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of garage/store/workshop with solar panelled roof. Rosedale Farringdon Exeter EX5 2JZRef. No: 23/0223/FUL | Validated: Wed 08 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed cladding on the top gable ends of the house and garage. 5 Copperfield Close Exmouth Devon EX8 4HPRef. No: 23/0206/FUL | Validated: Fri 10 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1: Oak – pruning of two minor, lowest limbs on the south side of the canpoy which are encroaching on the neighbouring garage roof; max. length of cut 2m and max. dia. cut 4cm. Westwards Bickwell Valley Sidmouth EX10 8RFRef. No: 23/0198/TCA | Validated: Fri 10 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Lawful Development Certificate to revert annexe back to games room, enlargement and addition of doors15 The Broadway Exmouth EX8 2NWRef. No: 23/0193/CPL | Validated: Tue 07 Feb 2023 | Status: Approved
• T11, Willow tree : pollard to previous pruning points; 2 – 3m on lower branches / 3 – 4m from top branches. T8, T9, Beech : whole crown reduction by approximately 1.5m on the southern side and 0.5m on northern side, to 12m above ground level. T10, Walnut : whole crown reduction by approximately 1.5m, to 12m above ground level. 51 Clyst Valley Road Clyst St Mary EX5 1DDRef. No: 23/0156/TRE | Validated: Mon 06 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Change of use from agricultural land to equestrian for private use. Land At Parricks Lane Hawkchurch EX13 5XBRef. No: 23/0116/FUL | Validated: Thu 09 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Installation of 512 kWp of solar photovoltaic panels and ancillary equipment across multiple roofs associated with the entertainment complex at Haven Devon Cliffs Holiday Centre Devon Cliffs Holiday Centre Sandy Bay Exmouth Devon EX8 5BTRef. No: 23/0094/PVJ | Validated: Tue 07 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of a multi-use games area (MUGA), with pavilion extension, additional parking and landscaping. Changing Rooms Strawberry Lane Salston Ottery St Mary EX11 1RGRef. No: 23/0092/FUL | Validated: Fri 10 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of new attached dwelling in garden of existing house 2 Turner Avenue Exmouth Devon EX8 2LFRef. No: 23/0078/FUL | Validated: Wed 08 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed covered yard areaColhayne Farm Shute Devon EX13 7QQRef. No: 22/2816/AGR | Validated: Thu 09 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Conversion of leisure centre building into 5 flats, demolition of storage unit and erection of 1 cottage. Stoneleigh Holiday And Leisure Village Weston Devon EX10 0PJRef. No: 22/2810/FUL | Validated: Thu 09 Feb 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision

Plans for one of the proposed expansion areas to Cranbrook are being recommended for approval. East Devon District Council planners are set to give the go-ahead for more than 1,000 homes to be built on land to the north of Treasbeare Farm, and south of the old A30.

Daniel Clark www.devonlive.com

As part of the Cranbrook Plan, 62 hectares of land at the Treasbeare Expansion Area is allocated for a mixed use development. Housing, community facilities, a neighbourhood centre, a school, a sports hub and employment land are all set to be built.

Those plans are now set to take a step closer to coming to fruition when councillors on Tuesday, February 28, will discuss them. And councillors are recommended by officers to approve the massive outline scheme for the growing East Devon town.

The scheme asks for outline planning permission for up to 1,035 residential dwellings – 120 more than is allocated in the development plan. There would also be a neighbourhood centre with retail units, including the possibility of takeaways, betting shops and a bar.

A two form entry primary school, of up to 420 places, with early years provision, is also planned. As is public open space, allotments, amenity open space and SANGS land.

There would be a sports hub comprising playing pitches, tennis courts, a multi-use path and a pavilion, as well as up to 10.26ha of employment land. Five serviced pitches for gypsies and travellers are also included, with principal access is to be provided from four points off London Road (B3174), with additional access points proposed for pedestrians and cyclists.

Treasbeare expansion area of Cranbrook masterplan

The report of planning officers says: “In essence the scheme which sits between Cranbrook and the old A30 to the north, and the airport to the south, proposes to locate employment land to the west, where it sits in close association within the Skypark and airport development, housing in the central and northern areas including those set to the north east of Parsons Lane, a gypsy and traveller site for 5 pitches (again to the north east), a sports hub and school towards the eastern ridge, and SANGS along the Ford Stream corridor and the eastern slopes of the site.

“The minor incursions where the proposed development steps outside of the built up area boundary are not considered to harm the character of the area or lead to any risk of settlement coalescence with the neighbouring village of Rockbeare.

“The delivery of the neighbourhood centre and key components of the sports hub including an artificial grass pitch are beneficial. While seeking some flexibility from the terms of the policy (but backed up with good evidence) the provision of these important community assets help with the sustainability credentials of the scheme

“The most balanced issue within the scheme has been the location of the proposed school – not so much as a result of the visual impacts although it is more prominent than would ideally be the case, but because it is proposed to be located towards the east of the site. This location means that walking distances from the proposed housing in the east and particularly development in Bluehayes would be in excess of the recommended walking distances advocated by Policy. Although this impact is partly offset by the provision of direct links, it is still a negative which must be weighed against specifically the delivery of a school, and more generally the other aspects of the proposal when considered as a whole.”

The report adds: “It is recognised that the layout of the scheme has resulted in minor incursions across the built up area boundary afforded to the Treasbeare expansion area, although these are not considered to cause harm. The location of the school is suboptimal and would result in greater walking distances than would be the case if it was located elsewhere within Treasbeare.

“However the delivery of the school within this expansion area nonetheless has merit, as it is a compatible use with the sports hub and spreads infrastructure either side of the London Road. As part of the proposed sports hub, the application provides a mechanism for the delivery of a full sized, flood lit AGP which was otherwise only partially funded. The scheme also proposes up to 1035 dwellings (of which 155 would affordable) which is of benefit to the Council’s 5 year housing land supply, employment land in excess of the policy requirement and a neighbourhood centre.

“Taken together it is considered that the public benefit that is derived from the scheme as a whole, outweighs the less than substantial harm to the heritage assets. Overall the proposal is considered to broadly accord with the Development Plan but where the proposal steps outside of this, other material considerations are in support, such that the proposal is acceptable.”

The Treasbeare expansion area will comprise a mix of housing, education, community, sport, employment and commercial uses (together with safeguarded land for the energy centre) that importantly will provide a key location for activity in the town and act as a hub for education and sporting facilities in this area. The sports hub in Treasbeare will be the main hub in Cranbrook and provide a wider range of facilities than at the Ingrams Sports hub further to the east.

The four expansion areas of Cranbrook

The expansion area is one of four planned for Cranbrook. Bluehayes (for around 960 homes), Cobdens (around 1495 homes) and Grange (around 800 homes) are set to come forward at a later date.

Since construction on the town on the edge of Exeter began back in 2011, around 6,000 people now call Cranbrook their home. Work after ten long years has finally begun in the town centre in recent weeks.

East Devon District Council’s planning committee, when they meet on February 28, are recommended to approve the scheme. The Cranbrook Plan, which sets out policies and allocations, to provide the supporting facilities that a sustainable new town needs, which the new neighbourhood scheme aims to correspond with, has already been adopted.

Warnings over lack of electric charging points

“On the coast, we’re right at the end of the line for infrastructure – it’s like broadband all over again.

“It’s going to hurt the tourism economy because people are going to travel down on a Saturday night and they’re not going to have the ability to recharge those cars for their day trips on the Sunday. So they’re going to spend less money.”

James Tapper www.theguardian.com 

When the Nissan Leafs and Teslas flock to the seaside this summer, the arrival of their well-off drivers should be good news for British tourism.

But tourism leaders have warned that places such as Dorset, Cornwall and North Yorkshire risk being overwhelmed by the demand for charging points for electric cars, putting off tourists from returning in the future.

One in three new cars sold in December was electric, and rural and coastal areas are in danger of being left behind as operators scramble to add more public charging points.

Dorset has 133 charging devices, a rate of 35 per 100,000 people, which is slightly below the national average. But the Jurassic coastline gets 3.6 million overnight visits a year, most of them in the summer, forcing tourists to compete with locals for charging points.

Seasonal demand means holidaymakers are likely to see a repeat of the Christmas chaos when Tesla drivers had to queue for hours at service stations, according to Martin Cox, vice-president of the British Holiday and Home Parks Association.

Cox, who also runs two holiday parks in Dorset, said: “If that snowballs in July and August, then we’re going to have friction in our area because people are not going to be able to go anywhere. In Dorset, they sell 35% more petrol and diesel during peak weeks. This summer, we will probably see people queuing at EV points and people arriving late at our accommodation because they’ve had to wait to charge their car.”

Most electric car owners charge their vehicle at home on their driveway or at work and expect to do the same on holiday, said Cox, who is also an electric vehicle owner.

“We have about 500 cars a night in August,” he said. “We’ve got 11 electric vehicle charging points and we’ve now reached the limit. If we put any more on, we’re going to start tripping out sections of the park. Even if I turned off everything in the holiday park, we could only charge up 80 cars overnight.

“On the coast, we’re right at the end of the line for infrastructure – it’s like broadband all over again.

“It’s going to hurt the tourism economy because people are going to travel down on a Saturday night and they’re not going to have the ability to recharge those cars for their day trips on the Sunday. So they’re going to spend less money.”

Richard Toomer, executive director of the Tourism Alliance, said: “Unless we grip the issue of a lack of charging infrastructure, we will continue to see huge queues on tourist routes, as is already happening at key times of the year. That’s bad for tourism, bad for business, bad for Britain as an attractive place to visit and explore, and bad for the environment as people revert back to traditional cars for their getaways.”

Journeys outside peak times are usually much smoother, and electric car owners can drive from the UK across Europe without any hint of a queue. But so-called “range anxiety” remains an issue.

Lisa Johnson, the owner of LJ Natural, a handmade organic and sustainable beauty products business, often drives her Kia from south Manchester for getaways to the North Yorkshire coast. “We go to a beautiful little coastal village, and there’s no electric charging at all. There is in Whitby down the coast, but what we find regularly is that you’ll get there and there’s already someone charging, or they’re not working. I’m not going back to petrol, but you do need massive forward planning.”

Charging companies have been expanding rapidly, and so far the UK has 37,600 devices, with 8,300 added last year, and various government schemes for workplaces, landlords and local authorities to install charge points. Cornwall said it was adding 150 charge points this summer.

Ionity, a Europe-wide network, said it aimed to have rapid charging stations on major roads across the continent and the UK so that no one would be more than about 80 miles from a rapid charger.

But setting up a site can take months, according to InstaVolt chief executive Adrian Keen. The firm needs to work out if a site is commercially viable, apply for planning permission and then find the microchips to build it. The biggest bottleneck is working out how much electricity can be routed to the charging station, and that depends on how much energy is spare in the local electricity network.

Meanwhile, the distribution networks say they could add power more quickly but Ofgem regulations mean they are not allowed to build new substations or power lines until they have received a firm request, preventing them from building capacity in advance. Power companies believe that once the UK has transitioned to electric vehicles in about 2050, the country will need roughly 50% more electricity to charge them.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said people should feel confident they can charge their cars, whether going on holiday or commuting: “The government has already invested over £2bn into accelerating the transition to zero-emission vehicles, and there are grants available to businesses, including tourist sites, to subsidise the costs of installing charge points.”

“Government needs to stop behaving like a marriage guidance counsellor and act, and act now.” – Feargal Sharkey

A majority of voters want water company bosses whose firms pollute rivers to be threatened with criminal prosecution, according to a new poll.

Hugo Gye, Daniel Capurro inews.co.uk 

Currently, the companies themselves can be held liable for pollution, but individual executives rarely are.

Asked whether bosses should be prosecuted if their companies have contributed to river pollution, 72 per cent of people supported the idea, with only 5 per cent opposing, according to a survey for i by Redfield & Wilton Strategies. There is little variation between different voting blocs, with supporters of all parties heavily in favour of potential criminal penalties.

The poll also found that 45 per cent of the public is dissatisfied with the current environmental condition of Britain’s waterways, while 16 per cent are satisfied.

A majority of those questioned said that water companies, local and national governments and independent regulators should all be held responsible for cleaning up rivers. Redfield & Wilton interviewed 1,500 adults in Great Britain earlier this week.

Campaigner Feargal Sharkey told i: “These polluters need to be held accountable, they need to be held responsible. The fines haven’t worked and jail is now the only answer, 72 per cent of the public get it, 72 per cent of the public want it, 72 per cent of the public demand it. Government needs to stop behaving like a marriage guidance counsellor and act, and act now.”

Charles Watson, chairman of River Action, told i that it was time for politicians to take notice of the public mood.

“Polling results like this demonstrate conclusively how the scandal of our polluted rivers rivers is now a matter of huge public interest,” he said.

“Our elected politicians need to wake up fast to the fact this is going to be a major issue when votes get cast at the next General Election.”

In many cases, the discharging of sewage into waterways is entirely legal. Water companies have environmental permits specific to each treatment works, which permit them to discharge sewage if the amount of water entering the system exceeds its ability to cope.

If a works discharges outside the parameters of any permit, this is illegal.

Permits can also be put in place for numerous other ecological parameters, such as phosphorus levels.

Criminal charges can be filed for breaches of these permits, but such cases are lengthy and expensive, meaning that the Environment Agency (EA) often relies on civil penalties. Fines in those cases are currently capped at £250,000. Defra has announced that it plans to raise this to £250m, but the Environment Secretary is reportedly wavering on the idea.

For the most severe cases, the EA does pursue criminal charges, but these have resulted in fines levied against water companies, not custodial sentences for executives.

The EA spoke out last year, urging courts to impose jail sentences on water company executives when serious cases of pollution are proved. However, the Crown Prosecution Service would have to consider the public interest when deciding whether to charge executives with criminal offences, and weigh how likely they would be to secure a conviction.

Since 2015, water companies have been hit with £138m in fines, £90m of that being against Southern Water. Since 2009, water companies have self-monitored their permits.

The Office for Environmental Protection is currently investigating Ofwat, the EA and the Environment Secretary over whether they failed to properly regulate water companies in England.

Ali Morse, water policy manager for The Wildlife Trusts, says: “It is critical that regulation designed to reduce water pollution is properly enforced. This means Government resourcing statutory bodies sufficiently to monitor river health and respond to pollution incidents. We also want to see reparations for damage caused to our waterways.

“Polluters should pay for negatively impacting nature and those fines should contribute to wider habitat restoration.”

A Water UK spokesperson said: “99 per cent of sewage works are now fully compliant with their legal permits, according to the regulator – a huge improvement on previous decades.

“That means compliance issues cause a tiny proportion of pollution in rivers, the transformation of which will require hard work, innovation and investment – with £56bn already planned for storm overflows alone.

“However, if things do go wrong, then it is right the Environment Agency has a wide range of powers to deal with it; those powers already include criminal prosecution.”

i is running a Save Britain’s Rivers campaign to raise awareness of the scale of pollution in the country’s waterways, and will draw up a manifesto for our rivers in consultation with experts and policymakers.

Save Britain’s Rivers campaign

i and its sister title New Scientist, the world’s leading science magazine, have launched a joint campaign to force ministers and water companies to address the scandal of Britain’s polluted waterways.

Over the next year we will deliver hard-hitting reporting that shines a light on the crisis, including in-depth investigations, features, podcasts and live events.

The Save Our Rivers campaign has three aims:

1. Reveal what’s going on in the UK’s rivers – and why.

2. Raise awareness and understanding of the plight of our rivers – and the terrible effects of pollution on people and nature.

3. Policy change. We will draw up a manifesto for our rivers – a robust, cross-party plan on how to fix them.

We will be speaking to experts and policymakers, business leaders and public officials. We also want to hear from you, i readers, to tell the stories of your local rivers and streams.

Level of Government funding, children’s services and roads [Cllr. Stuart Hughes’ deteriorating assets] all came under attack from a North Devon councillor.

‘Pull your finger out of your derrieres’

Only being kicked out at elections is going to put our Tory friends out of their misery. – Owl

Ollie Heptinstall, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk

The government needs to “pull their fingers out of their derrieres” according to a Conservative county councillor.

Dermot McGeough, who represents Northam in North Devon, made the comment during a speech criticising his own party’s government and the county’s MPs at a full county council meeting on Thursday [16 February].

The ruling Conservative group’s budget for 2023/24 was approved at the meeting, but Cllr McGeough voted against it, saying responsibility for adult social care and children’s services should be given back to Westminster.

“Central government are failing us,” he said. “I’m a Conservative through and through. Never walked the floor, no intention to ever walk the floor. You cut me in half and I’m blue all the way through, which is a lot more than can be said for some people.

“We’re really, really struggling. It needs to be given back. Financially we cannot cope in Devon. Why should our residents suffer with such a huge burden on their taxes?

“Central government need to pull their fingers out of their derrieres and get it sorted for us,” Cllr McGeough added. “It’s not right. It’s not fair.”

He said the county’s children’s services, rated as inadequate by Ofsted but receiving an 18.4 per cent funding boost from April, is being “neglected” by central government.

“I want to see the best for the children of Devon. I’ve got a small child growing up. I want to see the best….I’m a Conservative. Is central government giving their best? No, they’re not giving their best.

“The MPs that are in Devon, I put this to you: ‘You wake up. Look at us. We need your help. Bloody help us.’”

He also criticised the county council’s highways department, one of a number of councillors at the meeting to lament the state of Devon’s roads.

“Highways needs a very good shake-up in my opinion,” Cllr McGeough said. “It’s not right that you leave roads in such disrepair … We’re being reactive. We’re not being proactive in anything.

“In the long run it’s going to cost this county tens and tens of millions of pounds to put right what we’re neglecting at the moment.”

In response, a spokesperson for Devon County Council, said: “Cllr McGeough’s comments were a part of a good and healthy debate on the budget at the full council meeting in which many members acknowledged the real challenges facing Devon and more widely across local government at this time.”

A government spokesperson from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: “Councils have access to more than £7 billion in the next financial year to provide social care.

“We always listen closely to what they require to deliver great services, which is why this year we have set out a two-year funding guarantee so they can plan for the long term with greater confidence and certainty.”

“….due to long term under investment in both maintenance and renewals our assets have deteriorated and become very fragile. ..” Cllr Stuart Hughes.

Who is responsible for your deteriorating assets Stuart? The Tory austerity programmes 1.0 and 2.0 or the Conservative Council cutting corners? – Owl

“Don’t forget, all Devon county councillors are up for election in May 2025 . Maybe if they haven’t done something about the state of our roads by then it’s time to vote the lot of them out.” Huw Thomas, Bideford

Devon Live www.devonlive.com

The number of potholes on Devon’s roads is on the up. Devon County Council saw more potholes recorded by January 20 this year than it did in the whole of January last year.

The council blamed consecutive freezing temperatures and rain, “the worst possible combination for our roads”. They said: “We are doing all we can to maintain the network in the best possible condition to keep Devon moving.”

While in 2022, the number of potholes recorded each month was well below the five year average. “However due to long term under investment in both maintenance and renewals our assets have deteriorated and become very fragile. The winter weather this year has highlighted the fragility of the network,” an answer given by Cllr Stuart Hughes, cabinet member for highways, at Thursday’s Devon County Council meeting on the state of potholes said.

But one of our readers seems to have raised real concerns about the state of Devon’s roads The letter, sent into our sister print title the North Devon Journal, questions whether highways teams are even bothering trying to maintain the roads.

Read the full letter below

Do your readers think Devon County Council has given up trying to maintain our roads?

As more and more drivers, cyclists and pedestrians are finding out the hard way, the number and size of potholes in our roads seems to be expanding exponentially.

One Barnstaple resident, Graham Payne, has even set up a Facebook group to try and hold DCC to account.

The North Devon Pothole Community was only set up a few weeks ago but already has more than 1,000 members angry about the state of our roads.

I wrote to my county councillor about the general situation and a few specific examples around Bideford. I did get the good news that the “bottom half” of Manteo Way is to be resurfaced in April, though there is no date for repairs to the lower end of Clovelly Road.

I won’t hold my breath regarding Manteo Way either. That was due to be resurfaced previously but the work was postponed following budget cuts.

I realise DCC has many costs to juggle, including social care and education. But it also has a legal duty to maintain the safety of roads and pavements under the Highways Act 1980. Many would think DCC has not only failed in this duty but isn’t even really trying.

My councillor said the bad weather before Christmas had exacerbated the situation. This may be true but many of our roads have been in a dreadful, if not to say dangerous, state for years.

DCC does have a system for paying compensation to those whose cars have been damaged after hitting potholes but I’ve heard many stories of the excuses they find to avoid paying up.

I asked my councillor how many pothole damage claims DCC is facing and what this is costing the county (and its taxpayers). She said she didn’t have the information.

I could put in a Freedom Of Information request but she warned: “while highways officers are researching replies to your queries they are not getting on with the current work load”.

So, a bit of a Catch-22 situation. We can’t challenge the council because then their highways department will be able to achieve even less?

You’d think DCC would be fighting for more funding from national government. But when I raised this with my county councillor, she trotted out the tired excuse that when the Conservatives took power: “there was a note left for them saying that there was no money left”.

You’d think that after more than 13 years in power the Tories would stop blaming the lack of funding for county councils on how Labour coped with the worldwide financial crash of 2008. I seem to remember this was mainly caused by bankers, a number of whom later became Tory MPs and senior ministers.

Don’t forget, all Devon county councillors are up for election in May 2025 . Maybe if they haven’t done something about the state of our roads by then it’s time to vote the lot of them out.

Huw Thomas

Churchill Road, Bideford