The environment minister, Rebecca Pow, has promised to bring in legislation to reduce discharge of raw sewage into rivers. Pow said that she would be placing a legal duty on government to come up with a plan to cut dumping by water companies by September 2022.

Sandra Laville www.theguardian.com 

Pressure has been growing on water companies and ministers as evidence grows of the scale of the issue and amid increasing evidence of the poor state of rivers.

The Guardian revealed that in 2019, water companies discharged raw sewage from storm overflows for 1.5m hours in 204,000 incidents. These releases are permitted after extreme weather events, but the data revealed the frequent nature of the spills. None of England’s rivers meet quality tests for pollution, and just 14% are deemed to be of a good ecological standard.

Pow said the legal duty would mean that government would have to report to parliament on its progress on reducing sewage discharges. She said that she would also place a legal duty on water companies to publish data every year on their storm overflows.

The Environment Agency issues permits to allow water companies to release untreated human waste – which includes excrement, condoms and toilet paper – from storm overflows after extreme weather events, such as torrential rain, to stop water backing up and flooding homes. More than 60 discharges a year from a storm overflow should trigger an investigation by the agency.

Pow said: “Putting new commitments to improve our rivers into law is an important step forward to cut down the water sector’s reliance on storm overflows. This step is one of many – but an important one nonetheless – to provide greater protection for our water environment and the wildlife that relies on it.”

The government has been in discussion with Philip Dunne, chair of the environmental audit committee, who had been pursuing a private members’ bill to outlaw the discharge of raw sewage into rivers. The bill has now been withdrawn.

Dunne said: “I am delighted that the environment minister has honoured her pledge to seek a legislative route to give effect to the main objectives: from the government updating parliament on the progress it is making in reducing sewage discharges, to placing a duty on water companies to publish storm overflow data.”

Campaigners welcomed the focus on sewage pollution in rivers but questioned the delays in taking action to tackle the problem.

Hugo Tagholm, of Surfers Against Sewage, said: “For the first time since the 1990s, sewage pollution is back at the top of public and political consciousness … They must now manage and measure progress – and get as close to zero sewage emissions as possible.

“The evidence is already clear – water companies treat UK rivers like open sewers whilst making huge profits. Their actions, coupled with the impacts of agriculture, are destroying the blue arteries of our country. This simply isn’t good enough in this decade of ecosystem restoration.”

River campaigner Johnny Palmer, who is attempting to get a stretch of the River Avon outside Bath designated as bathing water to stop sewage discharges, said: “It’s great this is on the agenda. But agendas alone don’t create action.

“The problem is clear – shit is being pumped into our rivers by privately held monopolies. The solution is simple – water companies need to stop paying out such vast dividends to their offshore investors and put that money into infrastructure improvements. These can range from simple things like CSO ultraviolet treatment and attenuator tanks, through to larger and longer-term solutions like separate rainwater and sewage connections.”

The government refused to say whether the legislation would be included in the environment bill currently going through parliament – which would potentially provide the quickest route.

A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “We are identifying a suitable legislative vehicle to put these important measures on to the statute book as soon as possible.”

Mark Lloyd, chief executive of the Rivers Trust, said: “We welcome this further announcement from the government, which includes legal duties on the government and water companies. We look forward to understanding specific details on how this legislation will be introduced.”

The developers behind the controversial scheme to redevelop the former East Devon District Council HQ into an assisting living community are now ‘considering their options’ for the site.

Daniel Clark www.devonlive.com

Planning permission, after an appeal against the initial refusal, was granted in January 2018 to convert the Knowle in Sidmouth into a 113-apartment assisted living community.

Lifestory eventually completed the purchase of the site in January 2020 – a month later than the legal agreement stipulated they were required to – but 14 months on, little in the way of substantial works at the site have been carried out.

And while Lifestory have confirmed that they have carried out some ‘initial works’ on the site and thus the planning permission for the redevelopment has been implemented, they are currently ‘reviewing the consented development’.

Marc Evans, regional managing director for Lifestory, said: “We’ve been carrying out some initial works on site lately and whilst the permission has been implemented, we’ve also been reviewing the consented development.

“For a number of reasons, including our experience elsewhere, we’re changing our focus in terms of the types of later living schemes we’re likely to be developing in future. As a result, we’re now considering options for the site’s redevelopment, which we’ve spoken to the Council about.

“We’ll continue to talk to the Council over the coming weeks and we’re keen to make sure that the site’s redevelopment is successfully achieved.”

In 2015, the council decided to relocate from its current headquarters at the Knowle in Sidmouth to new offices in Honiton and Exmouth. And to finance the move, the council agreed to sell its Knowle headquarters to Pegasus Life Ltd for £7.5million.

But those plans were initially thrown into jeopardy when a planning application by Pegasus Life for a 113-apartment assisted-living community for older people was refused by the council’s planning committee, only for panning inspector Michael Boniface to allow the appeal.

A CGI showing Pegasus Life’s planned development of retirement apartments at the Knowle in Sidmouth, which was refused planning permission by East Devon District Council in December

East Devon District Council then moved out of the Knowle in February 2019, with two thirds of the staff moving to the new Heathpark HQ in Honiton, and one third to the refurbished Exmouth town hall.

The Heathpark HQ cost the council £8.7m, while an additional £1.5m was spent on upgrading Exmouth town hall where one third of the council staff are to be based.

In January 2020, East Devon received the full purchase price of £9,019,605 from Lifestory for the site, plus an additional £38,000 as a penalty for the late payment.

The Knowle, Sidmouth

The site was handed over to Lifestory in 2020 for them to begin works to convert the former HQ into an assisted living community for older people, comprising of extra care units, staff accommodation and communal facilities, including a kitchen, restaurant, bar, café, a well-being suite, a gym, treatment rooms and pool, comprehensive landscaping and groundworks.

Construction phasing plans – a condition of the initial planning permission – were submitted and approved in November 2020, but after starting initial works to implement the planning permission, Lifestory are now considering the options for the site’s redevelopment.

The events of last March show time and again our politicians in Central Government, in Devon County and East Devon failing to rise to the challenge and show leadership, with a few shining exceptions.

Around a week ago we marked the anniversary of the start of the first Lockdown and, as this March ends, we begin to emerge from the third.

Owl has been looking back at what was being posted on the “Watch” during March 2020. The posts record local events being overtaken by a faltering National and Local response to the Covid-19 pandemic as it emerged.

Local events start with the collapse of Flybe and a couple of examples of EDDC making massive “investments” of taxpayers money, despite recently having incurred the cost of the “cost neutral” move to Blackdown House. Support for “Independent” EDDC Leader Ben Ingham drains away and a new power group begins to emerge.

Very quickly the local shortage of hospital beds, particularly ICUs becomes evident, but Conservative Councillors stick their heads in the sand. Cllrs Martin Shaw and Claire Wright are among a very small group who continue to speak out.

Even after Lockdown when all the vulnerable are instructed to self-isolate by staying at home and not to move outside for any reason, Abbeyfield continues to close the Shandford Care Home in order to “free up assets”. 

Readers may recall the seemingly deliberate ambiguity of instructions and guidance being issued from No 10. This is reflected in the local response to closing holiday lets etc. Essentially Cornwall and North Devon take the lead but DCC and EDDC drag their feet. Indeed we have the bizarre situation at the end of the month when DCC says enforcement will be removed from many parking places including coastal and tourist destinations. Whilst the Police, having declared a major emergency, have been discouraging people from travelling to just these places as being “not in the spirit” of government emergency legislation.

Below Owl has extracted the more interesting headlines from the EDW March 2020 archive. In most cases they are self explanatory, but in some cases Owl has added further comment. Readers should remember that the EDW posting date may lag the original event report by a day or so which may be significant as events gather pace towards the end of the month. Owl has flagged up some of the nationally important key events to help place things in perspective.

Owl wonders how prospective County Councillors’ electioneering material will stand scrutiny against this body of evidence? 

Where were we at the beginning of March 2020?

March started in the “Contain” phase of a Coronavirus strategy summarised as: Contain, Delay, Research, Mitigate. In other words the government was pursuing a “Herd Immunity” strategy. However, we don’t have an adequate contact track and trace system. Conservative governments have allowed it to wither, and Public Health suffered under the Lansley reforms.

March 2 Boris Johnson attends his first Covid COBRA meeting, having missed the previous five.

(Too busy arranging his divorce amongst other things)

EDW March 3

“When states sell out to developers, housing is no longer a human right” (We need to be reminded where priorities lie, even in a pandemic)

EDW March 4 

“Where has the money come from for the new road?” (Eileen Wragg asks where the money for the “Queen’s Drive” realignment is coming from – gets same “No answer” from Ben Ingham as from previous Tory administration)

“Breaking news: Standard claims Flybe loan has been rejected”  (Flybe collapses a couple of days later)

March 5 We can no longer contain Covid-19, so move into the delay phase

Prof Chris Witty told MPs that the country is moving into the ‘delay phase’ of the government’s battle plan, which sets out action that would be considered as: ‘Distancing strategies – such as school closures, encouraging greater home working, reducing the number of large-scale gatherings – to slow the spread of the disease throughout the population’. Prof Whitty told MPs it is now ‘highly likely’ there is ‘community transmission’ of coronavirus in the country. He said: ‘I’m expecting the number only to go up, and there are now several – not large numbers – but several cases where we cannot see where this has come from in terms of a clear transmission, either because someone has come directly from overseas or because they’ve had a close contact with someone who has recently returned from overseas.

EDW March 6

“Flybe’s owners did not put their money where their mouths were” 

“District council completes £2.7m purchase of Ocean” (Another major investment of “our” money made by the Ingham regime, more to come) 

“Axminster Carpets has been bought out of administration” 

“Flybe employees at risk of losing entire pensions” 

EDW March 7

Breaking News suspected Coronavirus EDDC HQ in lockdown” 

EDW March 8

“East Devon District Council offices to reopen after Coronavirus scare” (After “deep cleaning” )

“Coronavirus will brutally expose the effect of a decade of public service cuts ” (Warnings about the impact of a pandemic begin to circulate)

“MPs asked to solve social care crisis after Johnson admits he has no plan” 

EDW March 9

“More deep cuts loom as Devon’s NHS must save over £400m by 2024” (Money matters more than lives – how can we take this seriously in the knowledge of the cash later splashed around cronies and consultants?)

“Budget: cash for flood defences to be doubled – County Leader John Hart “off message”?” (Devon County Council Leader, John Hart’s solution to flooding, is to encourage a modern day dad’s army of individuals, villages and Parish Councils, where they care, to do more for themselves. Self-help, he said, is going to be the order of the day. Just weeks before the government announces a doubling of money in the budget!)

“£2.5m road improvements boost for East Devon ‘Airpark’ agreed by EDDC hours before Flybe collapse” 

March 10 Cheltenham Festival starts

The Festival opened on 10 March with at least 60,000 racegoers in attendance each afternoon, while 68,500 were at the track to see the Cheltenham Gold Cup on 13 March. Regarded in retrospect as a super spreading event 

EDW Same Day

“Coronavirus: Devon emerges as disease hotspot as first regional  breakdown of cases revealed” ( Related to skiing trips but ultimately contained) 

EDW March 11

“Villagers in Devon hotspot ‘going stir crazy’” (St Mary the Virgin church, Churston Ferrers, closed when a member of its 50-strong congregation tested positive on March 1. The Grammar School also closed for a week when one of its pupils who returned from a holiday in northern Italy tested positive for the virus. The villagers go “stir crazy”. A foretaste of what is to come.)

“National Park Update – Don’t mention it to EDDC” (Business as usual?)

“District council worker no longer displaying symptoms after Coronavirus scare” 

March 12 – We move into the “Delay” phase aka “Squash the Sombrero”

Boris Johnson announced new measures, including asking people with a cough or a temperature to stay at home.“I must level with you, I must level with the British public. Many more families are going to lose loved ones before their time.”. Public health ceases testing in the community and retreats to testing principally within hospitals. We are now fighting the infection blind.

EDW March 14

“Johnson’s egocentric budget gives him everything and local councils nothing ” 

“Four County Councillors urge the Government to bring forward social distancing measures to reduce the impact of the Coronavirus” (County Councillors Claire Wright and Martin Shaw with two other members of the Health and Adult Care Scrutiny Committee issue a statement, starting: We are gravely concerned that the people of Devon are being excessively exposed to the threat of death through the coronavirus, because the Government is failing to introduce the social distancing measures needed to contain the epidemic. Going on th draw attention to the elderly population and shortage of ICU beds)

“Breaking news: Fifth Councillor joins plea to bring forward social distancing ” (They are now joined by a fifth councillor – the remaining County Councillors DO NOTHING)

EDW March 15

“Robert Jenrick plans for the future to get Britain building” (Another virus starts to spread)

“In the coronavirus crisis, our leaders are failing us – Gordon Brown” 

“Herd immunity: will the UK’s coronavirus strategy work?”

EDW March 16

“Coronavirus: health experts fear epidemic will ‘let rip’ through UK” 

“What’s happening with the Exmouth seafront redevelopment?” 

March 17 NHS cancels all non-emergency surgery

Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveils a package of financial measures, including loans worth £330 billion, to help businesses through the coronavirus crisis and furlough.

EDW Same day

“The five County Councillors’ intervention on Coronavirus last week now looks prophetic.” 

These five were doing their job, scrutinising Health and Well-Being policies as they affect our lives locally on our behalf. Until now the Government has been following a strategy at odds with WHO advice and markedly different from the rest of the world. This has now changed as that strategy has been subject to expert scrutiny and in the face of reality.

Proper and fearless scrutiny is an entirely constructive process.

Although this group stressed they were acting in a personal capacity, Owl notices that not one of the majority Conservative members of the committee joined them.

March 18 Schools close

EDW Same day

“A glimpse of hope in dark times? A new power grouping in EDDC” Councillors from the Green Party, the Liberal Democrats, the Independent East Devon Alliance, and an Independent come together to form a new political group. – The Democratic Alliance. They are now the largest group in EDDC

“Coronavirus sees councils cancel meetings and ask public not to go to offices” 

March 19 A second super spreading event takes place

Liverpool v Atletico Madrid bringing 54,000 people into the old atmospheric streets, pubs, bars, shops, chippies and stadium, with 3,000 from Madrid,

EDW Same Day

“How huge regional differences in intensive care bed numbers threaten coronavirus postcode lottery” “The south west looks most vulnerable in terms of ratios. It has the oldest population (so highest expected mortality) and lowest number of critical care beds per head of population. The modelling suggests it needs six times more than currently exists there (600 per cent).”

“Blackdown House – Old Owl makes an observation” Open office working …. well, no door handles but a long way for a sneeze to travel – and that narrow, tall, council chamber has people sitting cheek to cheek …..!

“Scientists have been sounding the alarm on coronavirus for months. Why did Britain fail to act? ” 

March 20 Mr Johnson orders pubs and restaurants to close.

Cinemas, nightclubs, theatres, gyms and leisure centres are also told to shut their doors. But the government declined to go further – for example, forcing non-essential businesses to close. Instead, the prime minister announces a new programme to “shield” the 1.5 million people at highest risk – who will be asked to stay at home for 12 weeks.

EDW same day

“When this coronavirus crisis is over, the people won’t forget who tried to destroy the NHS” 

“Unintended consequences of mixed messages” (Concerning the hospitality sector – stay open or shut). Our two MP’s (and County leaders) have been silent on this.

EDW March 21

“Cornwall tells tourists to ‘stay away’ during coronavirus outbreak” 

“Devon and Cornwall Police have just declared a ‘major incident’” 

“If coronavirus really is a war, shouldn’t opposition parties be invited to join the effort?”

EDW March 22

“The NHS is not being “overwhelmed”.  It is paying the price for 10 years of austerity” 

“Coronavirus update: cabinet squabble over who is to be Leader’s ‘designated survivor’” (The significance of this will become apparent before the end of the month)

“Devon Council asks Government to address concerns over holiday parks” (In this case the North Devon District Council Chief Executive takes the lead, not until 6 April can Owl report that Devon County and East Devon join in – “better late than never”)

March 23: First lockdown announced 

Mr Johnson tells the UK public that they will only be allowed to leave their homes for limited reasons, including food shopping, exercise once per day, medical need and travelling for work when absolutely necessary. All shops selling non-essential goods are told to close, gatherings of more than two people in public are banned.

EDW Same Day

“Food banks are under threat due to coronavirus stockpiling and government inaction” 

“No 10 denies claim Dominic Cummings argued to ‘let old people die’” 

“‘These are not normal times’: MPs across Devon and Cornwall back #ComeBackLater”

EDW March 24

“Britain had a head start on Covid-19, but our leaders squandered it ” 

“East Devon libraries shut after U-turn on keeping self-service facilities open” 

EDW March 25

“A Tory MP Makes £100,000 A Year From A Company That Is Selling Private Coronavirus Tests For £120 Each” (Just the start!)

“The middle class are about to discover the cruelty of Britain’s benefits system ”

“NHS now likely to cope with coronavirus, says key scientist – Neil Ferguson” 

“Closure of East Devon’s offices and amenities” 

“Not too soon to make a provisional verdict: too little, too late” 

EDW March 26

“Coronavirus: Tracking app aims for one million downloads” (Ah – the first of the high tech, and high risk, “panaceas” announced)

“Scientific modelling is valuable – but remember the limitations – only we didn’t.” 

“Mixed messages from EDDC – shopping encouraged but parks, toilets and play areas shut! ” 

“Is EDDC the most irresponsible council in the country?” (Winter car parking rates extended until May across East Devon “in order to better support town centre businesses”.Owl wonders whether LINO (Leader in name only) Ben Ingham and his “Independent” sidekick Geoff Pook have completely lost their marbles.)

EDW March 27

“Coronavirus: Prime Minister Boris Johnson tests positive (tested very quickly – unlike other self-isolaters)”(But there is no designated survivor. The country is in great peril as he becomes severely ill. )

“Pandemic psychologist explains lavatory roll panic” 

EDW March 28

“Motorhome owner sent home from Devon after driving from Birmingham” 

“Despite a national lockdown care home residents are being shuffled from one home to another.” 

As the most vulnerable  in society were sent a letter instructing them to stay at home and not to move outside for any reason, the Shandford closure accelerated..

This relates to the closure of the Shandford Care Home in Budleigh. Owl found following this story through February and March, with some deeply personal accounts, utterly unbearable. Closing the home in normal circumstances was bad enough but to persist as the pandemic accelerated verges on the irresponsible. None of those involved: at Abbeyfield or County Councillor Christine Channon and her handpicked adviser Chris Davies intervened. To give him credit Simon Jupp tried, but to use a phrase coined by Sasha Swire: “Jumping Jupp Flash” jumped but failed to flash. 

The closure results from Abbeyfield’s declared aim of “freeing up assets” as it changes its business model to concentrate on larger homes. County Councillor Christine Channon tried to intervene during the autumn 2019 but her handpicked adviser Chris Davis claimed that Shandford was no longer viable in a report never made public. Owl received plausible arguments that there are grounds to challenge the case for non-viability. This heart wrenching saga can easily be followed by using “Shandford” in the EDW search box.

“Advice on protective gear for NHS staff was rejected owing to cost” 

EDW March 29

“Guided by the science – interview with No 10’s Infection guru” 

Although Professor Neil Ferguson is the man we can credit for persuading the government to make the screeching U-turn a couple of weeks ago. This passage from this interview with him by the Science Editor of the Times, worries Owl:

“Yet for other scientists the big problem with Ferguson’s model is that they cannot tell how it works. It consists of several thousand lines of dense computer code, with no description of which bits of code do what. Ferguson agreed this is a problem.

“For me the code is not a mess, but it’s all in my head, completely undocumented. Nobody would be able to use it . . . and I don’t have the bandwidth to support individual users.”

“‘We lobbied to stem the flow’ – MP praises efforts to ward off holidaymakers” Some of our MP’s did and some of ours didn’t. Owl has heard nothing about Neil Parish ‘s  views on this issue. Certainly EDDC didn’t take the firm lead shown by North Devon and North Norfolk District Council. More interested in business than in people? 

“Care homes refusing to take in patients ready to leave NHS hospitals” 

“Mass testing is the fastest route back to normal life” Jeremy Hunt, previous Health Secretary starts to criticise the government – the irony seem lost on him!

EDW March 30

“Mixed messages again, coronavirus crisis: Parking enforcement relaxed in Devon to help residents” 

DCC says enforcement will be removed from many parking places including coastal and tourist destinations.

Police seem to have other ideas and have declared a major incident.

Police have also been discouraging people from travelling to just these places as being “not in the spirit” of government emergency legislation. Does Cllr Stuart Hughes know what is going on?

“Government in talks over state takeover of Flybe?” False hopes – Collapsed airline Flybe’s administrator EY has denied reports that it is in negotiations with the government to buy the regional carrier out of bankruptcy in order to protect the UK’s battered aviation sector.

EDW March 31

“Our social distancing is working, says Sir Patrick Vallance” Early indications that infection rates may no longer be doubling every three to four days. The infection rate peaks two weeks later. But the real pressure on the NHS has yet to come. There is a delay between patients becoming infected with Covid-19 and becoming sick enough to need hospital treatment. Sadly, many of those sick enough to be admitted to hospital then need intensive treatment lasting many weeks. The crunch comes in April.

Post Script

It is now estimated that the dithering and delays during March 2020 cost 21,000 lives compared to acting just one week earlier.

• Application to discharge a planning obligation (Affordable Housing Scheme – Schedule 1, paragraph 2.1) on 19/0995/MFUL Land South Of Mosshayne Farm BlackhorseRef. No: 21/0838/V106 | Validated: Fri 19 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of two storey and single storey rear extension and attached side carport The Lodge 26 Cranford Avenue Exmouth EX8 2PZRef. No: 21/0826/FUL | Validated: Fri 19 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Installation of two cabinets to house data exchange for telecommunications within a fenced compound. Sidmouth Town Football Club Manstone Lane SidmouthRef. No: 21/0824/FUL | Validated: Fri 19 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Constuction of two storey side extension and single storey front extension 14 Coleridge Road Ottery St Mary EX11 1TDRef. No: 21/0823/FUL | Validated: Fri 19 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed extension to front of existing garage, including canopy to entrance of studio. Summerhay Venn Ottery Road Newton Poppleford Sidmouth EX10 0BURef. No: 21/0818/FUL | Validated: Thu 18 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Single storey side and rear extensions 2 Burrow Close Newton Poppleford Sidmouth EX10 0BSRef. No: 21/0816/FUL | Validated: Thu 18 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Reinstatement and upgrading of forestry tracks Side Downs Wood BroadclystRef. No: 21/0809/AGR | Validated: Thu 18 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed external and internal alteration of existing east wing classroom block. Colyton Grammar School Whitwell Lane Colyford Colyton EX24 6HNRef. No: 21/0800/FUL | Validated: Wed 17 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Demolition of existing conservatory, construction of new single storey rear extension; addition of weatherboard cladding to parts of existing cottage. 1 Jubilee Cottages Fore Street Seaton EX12 2AERef. No: 21/0801/FUL | Validated: Thu 18 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Demolition of part of rear of the Kingswood Hotel to be replaced with new parking spaces The Kingswood And Devoran Hotel The Esplanade Sidmouth EX10 8AXRef. No: 21/0799/FUL | Validated: Thu 18 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision

• Proposed conversion of former chapel to 1 no. dwelling and provision of associated parking area The Chapel Sheldon Honiton EX14 4QURef. No: 21/0796/FUL | Validated: Wed 17 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of two storey rear extension and single storey side extension. Insertion of first floor side window. 8 Hillside Colyton EX24 6NWRef. No: 21/0795/FUL | Validated: Wed 17 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of single storey side/rear extension and front porch 64 Granary Lane Budleigh Salterton EX9 6ESRef. No: 21/0783/FUL | Validated: Tue 16 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Crown lift and thinning to crown approximately 20% to let more light into the rear of the property 7 Walls Close Exmouth EX8 4LYRef. No: 21/0786/TRE | Validated: Wed 17 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Formation of an all weather pitch and associated landscape works. Sidmouth C Of E Primary School 55 Woolbrook Road Sidmouth EX10 9XBRef. No: 21/0782/FUL | Validated: Wed 17 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• To crown lift x 4 lime trees to a height of 5m over site only. Remove epicormic growth from main stems. Works required to improve access underneath the trees and improve relationship with the users of the site. Jurassic Fibre Ottery Moor Lane Honiton EX14 1BWRef. No: 21/0792/TRE | Validated: Tue 16 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1, Conifer : Cut over hanging branches back to the boundary wall. Parkhayes Stockland Honiton EX14 9BSRef. No: 21/0790/TCA | Validated: Wed 17 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Demolition of existing buildings to west of play area and construction of a new hall, staffroom, ancillary accommodation and learning resource area; Refurbish part of the existing building creating an additional classroom; Construction of a new two storey accommodation block to the south of play area; Construct a new library to the east of the play area; New Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) with a 3G surface Sidmouth C Of E Primary School Manstone Avenue Sidmouth EX10 9TJRef. No: 21/0781/MFUL | Validated: Fri 19 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed roofing over an existing open yard. Higher Hampton Farm Shute Axminster EX13 7PARef. No: 21/0784/FUL | Validated: Sun 21 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Certificate of lawfulness for the construction of single storey extension and porch.Furze Farm Payhembury Honiton EX14 3HNRef. No: 21/0787/CPL | Validated: Tue 16 Mar 2021 | Status: Approved

• Replace existing Conservatory with new single storey extension Combe Cottage Harcombe Lyme Regis DT7 3RNRef. No: 21/0788/FUL | Validated: Tue 16 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed single storey rear extension 13 Elizabeth Road Seaton EX12 2DSRef. No: 21/0789/FUL | Validated: Tue 16 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed enlargement of existing dormer windows, replacement of conservatory with extension, replacement of existing open sided porch with an enclosed porch, construction of chimney (resubmission of planning application 20/0299/FUL) Conyers Green Dalwood Axminster EX13 7EHRef. No: 21/0738/FUL | Validated: Mon 15 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of single storey rear extension 10 High Street East Budleigh Budleigh Salterton EX9 7DXRef. No: 21/0741/FUL | Validated: Mon 15 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of single storey side/rear extension Livermore House Aylesbeare Exeter EX5 2DHRef. No: 21/0744/FUL | Validated: Mon 15 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Demolition of remaining derelict garage / workshop structure within curtilage of grade 2 Listed Old Mill, and replacement with a new single 3 bedroom house. The Green Door Old Mill Cottage King Street Honiton EX14 1AGRef. No: 21/0754/LBC | Validated: Mon 15 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of single storey extension. Melody Cottage Burrow Newton Poppleford Sidmouth EX10 0BPRef. No: 21/0765/FUL | Validated: Mon 15 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Install replacement windows to front of property Flat 4 Alma House Beacon Hill Exmouth EX8 1PBRef. No: 21/0771/FUL | Validated: Mon 15 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Install replacement windows to front of property Flat 4 Alma House Beacon Hill Exmouth EX8 1PBRef. No: 21/0772/LBC | Validated: Mon 15 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Retention of shelter / summerhouse. 7A Yarde Close Sidmouth EX10 9JNRef. No: 21/0773/FUL | Validated: Mon 15 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision

• Cedar Tree – remove historic pruning stubs and crown lift by removing the lowest five branches, creating a ground clearance of 4 metres when measured from the top terraced area. Cedar View Town Hill Broadclyst Exeter EX5 3EJRef. No: 21/0776/TCA | Validated: Mon 15 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1 Mulberry tree: to be removed. Reasons: nuisance, blocking of light, risk of injury to elderly residents, staff and visitors to the home, and damage to property The Old Vicarage Ropers Lane Otterton Budleigh Salterton EX9 7JFRef. No: 21/0750/TRE | Validated: Mon 15 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Roofing over open livestock yard. Woodhayne Farm Whitford Axminster EX13 7NRRef. No: 21/0746/FUL | Validated: Mon 15 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Roofing over open slurry store Woodhayne Farm Whitford Axminster EX13 7NRRef. No: 21/0747/FUL | Validated: Mon 15 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1, Ash, T2 ash, T3 ash: dismantle all three trees to ground level as they are too close to the house and there is a risk of them falling onto the house and causing damage/harm. 15 Yallop Way Honiton EX14 2GNRef. No: 21/0748/TCA | Validated: Mon 15 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Retention of trellis on top of existing fence 57 Hawkins Road Exeter Devon EX1 3UWRef. No: 21/0742/FUL | Validated: Tue 16 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Retention of boundary treatment exceeding 2 metres in height. 55 Hawkins Road Exeter Devon EX1 3UWRef. No: 21/0743/FUL | Validated: Tue 16 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Single storey rear extension, replacement garage roof & associated works. 10 Westaway Road Colyton EX24 6PARef. No: 21/0770/FUL | Validated: Wed 17 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Retrospective planning application for a Groundsmans Building Cat And Fiddle Training Ground Sidmouth Road Clyst St Mary Exeter EX5 1DPRef. No: 21/0755/FUL | Validated: Thu 18 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of first floor extension above existing garage and two storey link side extension. 1 Seafield Avenue Exmouth EX8 3NJRef. No: 21/0777/FUL | Validated: Thu 18 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision

• Demolition of remaining derelict garage/workshop structure within curtilage of grade 2 Listed Old Mill, and replacement with a new single 3 bedroom house The Green Door Old Mill Cottage King Street Honiton EX14 1AGRef. No: 21/0753/FUL | Validated: Fri 19 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Alterations and extensions to access stairway and change of use of first floor flat to a Dental Practice (D1) incorporating loft conversion with rear dormer window First Floor Flat 5 Victoria Road Exmouth EX8 1DLRef. No: 21/0731/FUL | Validated: Wed 17 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1, Ash : removal of limb with fungal fruiting body present. Removal of deadwood from throughout the crown. 5 Riverdale Orchard Seaton EX12 2RGRef. No: 21/0737/TRE | Validated: Mon 15 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of single storey extension Silverdale Rockbeare Exeter EX5 2LWRef. No: 21/0721/FUL | Validated: Wed 17 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Removal of three sycamores within a group of several more in accordance of site meeting with Tree Officer, David Coleman in the Autumn 2020. Removal of one Ash and replace with another native tree. North Lodge Rousdon Lyme Regis DT7 3XWRef. No: 21/0718/TCA | Validated: Mon 15 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of timber structure to screen existing shipping containers (partially retrospective) Rhododendron House Woodhouse Lyme Road Uplyme Lyme Regis DT7 3XARef. No: 21/0699/FUL | Validated: Wed 17 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Formation of vehicular access Fordton Farmhouse The Green Whimple Exeter EX5 2TXRef. No: 21/0702/FUL | Validated: Tue 16 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of two storey rear extension, side, front dormer windows (revision of 18/1240/FUL) Brambledale Westwood Way Seaton EX12 2DHRef. No: 21/0710/FUL | Validated: Mon 15 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Erection of one glamping cabin for holiday let purposes. Smithenhayes Farm Luppitt Honiton EX14 4TRRef. No: 21/0709/FUL | Validated: Tue 16 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Formation of vehicular access; creation of doorway between lounge and utility room Fordton Farmhouse The Green Whimple Exeter EX5 2TXRef. No: 21/0703/LBC | Validated: Tue 16 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision

• T1 Cherry: Single out to retain the one single Central upright stem. T2 Willow: Reduce by 4-5m and reduce spread by 2-3m to leave a height of 6m and radial spread of 3m. 2 Watering Court Fore Street Otterton Budleigh Salterton EX9 7HBRef. No: 21/0691/TCA | Validated: Tue 16 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of a new dwelling and construction of porch to existing dwelling 47 Foxhill Axminster EX13 5LHRef. No: 21/0679/FUL | Validated: Mon 15 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of single storey front and rear extensions, dormer windows to front and rear, creation of first floor balconies to front and Juliet balconies to rear (revision of 19/2637/FUL) 33 Foxholes Hill Exmouth EX8 2DQRef. No: 21/0672/FUL | Validated: Mon 15 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Ground mounted canopy with retractable awning. The Pea Green Boat The Esplanade Sidmouth EX10 8BBRef. No: 21/0654/FUL | Validated: Wed 17 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed erection of two replacement dwellings following the demolition of the existing agricultural buildings, using Class Q permitted development (ref 20/1791/PDQ) as the fallback position Rutton Barns Rull Lane Whimple Exeter EX5 2NXRef. No: 21/0651/FUL | Validated: Thu 18 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of replacement boundary fence Flat 1 Sidbury House Buckley Road Sidbury Sidmouth EX10 0SLRef. No: 21/0646/FUL | Validated: Tue 16 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of first floor extension and insertion of first floor side window Meadowbrook Talewater Talaton Exeter Devon EX5 2RSRef. No: 21/0641/FUL | Validated: Thu 18 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• 4 x Lime trees, re-pollard to previous pollard points to maintain cyclical management of pollarded trees within a highway setting. Lime Tree Cottage Fremington Road Seaton EX12 2HXRef. No: 21/0644/TRE | Validated: Tue 16 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• First floor extension on side (south) elevation; 3no. rooflights front (east) elevation; 1no. window at first floor and 3no. rooflights on side (west) elevation Meadowbrook Talewater Talaton Exeter Devon EX5 2RSRef. No: 21/0642/LBC | Validated: Thu 18 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Retention of log cabin 16 Hamilton Road Exmouth EX8 2LTRef. No: 21/0560/FUL | Validated: Thu 18 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision

• Construction of extension to provide link between existing incidental outbuilding and main dwellinghouse, use of part of existing outbuilding to form annexe and other external alterations, including the insertion of new windows, doors and rooflights, the installation of solar panels, and the creation of a raised decking area Coombehayes Farm Wadley Hill Uplyme Lyme Regis DT7 3SURef. No: 21/0516/FUL | Validated: Tue 16 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Installation of rooflight Flat 2 Crossingfields House 239 Exeter Road Exmouth EX8 3LSRef. No: 21/0507/FUL | Validated: Wed 17 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Retain residential use of the static caravan situated on the site located at Hornshayes Farm Hornshayes Farm Stockland EX14 9BXRef. No: 21/0463/FUL | Validated: Thu 18 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of dormer window, porch and canopy The Granary Hampton Court Whitford Axminster EX13 7NJRef. No: 21/0240/FUL | Validated: Fri 19 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Replacement windows and doors: 1no. window at ground floor and 1no. window at first floor on rear north elevation; 1no. window at first floor and double doors on side west elevation and 1no. door and 2no. windows on front south elevation 4 Counters Court Mill Street Sidmouth EX10 8DWRef. No: 21/0238/LBC | Validated: Wed 17 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed renovation and internal and external alterations, including extensions to eaves, repairs to roof, new fencing, alterations to 2no. windows on the north elevation, replacement flooring, removal of ceiling, alterations to the stud walls and replacement windows (Partially retrospective) The Old Mill King Street Honiton EX14 1AGRef. No: 21/0178/LBC | Validated: Mon 15 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed renovation and alterations, including extensions to eaves, repairs to roof, new fencing and associated works (Partially retrospective) The Old Mill King Street Honiton EX14 1AGRef. No: 21/0177/FUL | Validated: Mon 15 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• G1 group of two sycamores reduce height by up to 2 meters from 10 meters to leave a finished height of 8 meters. Thin crowns by 10 % restricting cuts to 65 mm. T2 sycamore fell the tree has an extensive area of dysfunction and decay at the base. Removing this tree would give more room to the two Macrocarpas T3 sycamore reduction via thinning the tree is approximately 8 meters to leave a Finished height of 6 meters. 5A Cliff Terrace Budleigh Salterton EX9 6JYRef. No: 21/0149/TCA | Validated: Thu 18 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Widening of vehicular entrance and driveway (partially retrospective). Woodview West Hill Road West Hill Ottery St Mary EX11 1TURef. No: 20/2589/FUL | Validated: Thu 18 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Install fire wall from first floor landing into roof space and create 1no. new loft hatch including adapting roof joists The Mews Cottage Knappe Cross Brixington Lane Exmouth EX8 5DLRef. No: 20/2479/LBC | Validated: Mon 15 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision

Certificate of lawfulness for the construction of a single storey rear extension

5 Church Lane Payhembury Honiton EX14 3HS

Ref. No: 20/2007/CPL | Validated: Fri 19 Mar 2021 | Status: Awaiting decision

“My affair with Boris” and other stories

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/grassroot-campaigns-stronger-together-rosie-pearson

Astonishingly, the grassroots map already has 275 campaigns! It has been viewed 12,000 times.

List of campaign headings

For those campaigning against unsustainable housing, the pie chart below shows the number of houses proposed. 67% of campaigners are fighting developments of more than 500 houses. (Some of these results may be the local plan housing target as a whole):

A legal loophole in England has allowed branches of political parties to claim hundreds of thousands of pounds of public cash during the Covid crisis – even as millions of ordinary people were frozen out of help.

Rachel Wearmouth www.huffingtonpost.co.uk

A Freedom of Information investigation by HuffPost UK has revealed more than 22 local branches of political parties were handed £10,000 grants to pay their business rates for high street campaign offices. 

Branches of the ruling Tory Party claimed by far the most, a total of £150,000, with 15 Conservative Associations (CAs) applying to town halls for money. Seven Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs) claimed £70,000 in total. One branch of each party subsequently repaid their share of the cash.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak set up a series of support schemes last year, giving councils the job of handing out money. 

No political party has been found yet to have successfully claimed in Scotland or Wales, where devolved governments issued stricter guidance to town halls. 

The Scottish government told councils: “No part of the grant shall be used to fund any activity or material which is party political in intention, use, or presentation, or appears to be designed to affect support for a political party.” 

In Wales, it was underlined to councils that grants were “targeted at supporting hospitality, leisure, retail, tourism and supply chain businesses”, adding: “Applicants have had to demonstrate a material impact on their business to be eligible for funding.” 

In England, however, the guidelines were more open, with organisations asked only to show they were forced to close during lockdown, and that their premises were subject to business rates.

The Conservative Party has said associations are “no different from other organisations in facing challenging times”. 

But it comes as small businesses complain of long delays to their grant applications to councils, and as millions of hard-pressed self-employed people remain cut off from government support altogether. 

Excluded UK, a campaign group set up to support those frozen out of state aid during Covid, said handing cash to political parties while businesses were folding was “very unjust”.

Rachel Flower, founder of the campaign, said there had been a “postcode lottery”, with different councils “applying the rules differently” for businesses, with a “large number” of Excluded members refused any grant. 

She said: “It seems very unfair that grants are being used in this way yet not for the small businesses for which we were all led to believe that they were intended.” 

The local parties who claimed include: 

• Conservative Associations of serving ministers, attorney general Suella Braverman, foreign office minister Nigel Adams and solicitor general Michael Ellis;
• The local Tory Party branch of Esther McVey, the former work and pensions secretary who has campaigned against supermarkets claiming rates relief;
• The Tory Party branch of first secretary of state Damian Green and David Davis, though HuffPost understands the latter was returned;
• Ten Conservative Associations who claimed from a Tory-led town hall, with five who claimed from Labour, Lib Dem or hung councils; 
• Seven local Labour Party branches, including Stella Creasy’s Walthamstow, though HuffPost understands Walthamstow CLP subsequently returned the payment.

Our Freedom of Information requests also uncovered that grants and supports were handed to clubs that may raise cash for parties, including £162,000 that went to various Conservative clubs and £68,000 to Labour clubs. Parties do not run these organisations, however, and not all will be involved in raising political funds. 

Democracy campaigners have hit out at the trend of local party branches claiming public cash. 

Steve Goodrich, senior research manger with anti-corruption group Transparency International UK, said: “There are heightened sensitivities about the use of public funds during the current crisis, and especially so when they are received by political parties.

“Whilst it may be permissible for constituency parties to accept government support, doing so may risk appearing as self-serving, especially by those who have not been eligible for assistance.

“Given the current low levels of trust in politics, it would be prudent for them to think carefully about the broader impacts of them applying for this funding, especially when these organisations would be ineligible for similar relief in other parts of the UK.” 

Tom Brake, director of Unlock Democracy, a non-partisan pressure group campaigning for a written UK constitution, said: “People will be really unimpressed to learn that politicians, often already in receipt of taxpayers’ support, have seen their parties benefit from covid business grants too. 

“The UK government would have been well advised to look over the border to Scotland, where such payments were prohibited.”  

A Conservative Party spokeswoman said that councils decide whether a CA is eligible.  

They added: “Local political associations are no different from other organisations in facing challenging times. The purpose of the coronavirus support schemes is to protect small organisations and prevent local job losses.

“The funding from these schemes is in line with government guidance.”

The Labour Party declined to comment. 

Labour MP Stella Creasy said her CLP did not apply for the cash but was paid the grant automatically by the local authority. The money was repaid by the CLP last year, when this became apparent.  

Creasy said: ‘’Walthamstow CLP pays rates as a small business and so was automatically given this grant, without applying for it, by the local authority.

“When the officers of the CLP realised what had happened, they took steps to repay it.’

Covid grants handed out to Tory associations

Local associations select and campaign for parliamentary candidates.

Ashford Conservative Association (Tory MP Damien Green): £10,000

Bassetlaw Conservative Association (Tory MP Brendan Clarke-Smith): £10,000

Beverley and Holderness Conservative Association (Tory MP Graham Stewart): £10,000

Haltemprice Conservative Association (Tory MP David Davis): £10,000, later returned

Tatton Conservative Association (Tory MP Esther McVey): £10,000

Crewe and Nantwich Conservative Association (Tory MP Kieran Mullan): £10,000

Westmorland and Lonsdale Conservative Association (no local Tory MP): £10,000

Fareham Conservative Association (Tory MP Suella Braverman): £10,000 

Harrogate and Knaresborough Conservative Association (Tory MP Andrew Jones): £10,00

Hemel Hempstead Conservative Association (Tory MP Mike Penning): £10,000 

Romford Conservative Association (Tory MP Andrew Rosindell): £10,000 

Selby and Ainsty Constituency Conservative Association (Tory MP Nigel Adams): £10,000

Shipley Conservative Association (Tory MP Philip Davies): £10,000 

Northampton Central Conservative Association (Tory MPs Michael Ellis, Andrew Lewer and Andrea Leadsom), £10,000

South Suffolk Conservative Association (Tory MP James Cartlidge): £10,000 

Covid grants handed to Constituency Labour Parties 

Dartford Labour Party £10,000 (no Labour MP) 

Ipswich Labour Party £10,000  (no Labour MP) 

St Albans Labour Party £10,000 (no Labour MP) 

South Suffolk Labour Party £10,000 (no Labour MP) 

Suffolk County Labour Party £10,000 (no Labour MP

Walthamstow Labour Party £10,000 (Stella Creasy, payment returned)

Workington Labour Party £10,000 (no Labour MP) 

Plans for a four-storey high development of retirement flats have been thrown out at appeal.

Kerry Ashdown www.stokesentinel.co.uk

Permission had previously been granted for 26 apartments in two blocks on the site at the corner of Stone Road and Cooperative Street in Stafford.

But Stafford Borough Council refused permission for a revised application that sought consent for 30 owner-occupied retired living flats. It followed concerns that the development would be overbearing to surrounding homes.

Now an appeal against the council’s decision has been dismissed by planning inspector Helen Hockenhull.

In her decision notice, she said: “The appeal proposal seeks to construct an additional four apartments by adding a third floor and roof garden to both blocks. The additional floor would be set back on the roof and feature railings would be provided around the roof gardens matching that of the balconies to the individual apartments below.

“The appellant has stated that the 26 approved apartments are not financially viable and the further four apartments proposed in the appeal scheme are required to assist overall scheme viability.

“No substantial evidence has been provided, however, such as a viability appraisal, to confirm and demonstrate this position. I am therefore unable to give this matter any weight in my decision.

“The appeal scheme, a four-storey development, would be out of character with the predominantly two-storey residential properties in the vicinity of the site. A development of this scale and height would form a visually dominant addition to the street scene, causing harm to the character and appearance of the area.

“The appellant has advised that the original property on the site was, in effect, four-storey, with three floors and a basement. However, the existing building had a smaller footprint and was centrally located within the site.

“The appeal proposal is not only higher by approximately 900 mm, but has a greater visual impact as it extends closer to the site frontages following the building line of properties on Cooperative Street.

“I acknowledge that there are four-storey buildings near to the appeal site. However, these are set back from Stone Road and form the backdrop to two-storey development fronting Stone Road and Cooperative Street. They do not therefore have the same visual impact and prominence in the locality.”

Stafford Borough Council’s planning committee considered the appeal decision at its meeting on Wednesday (March 17).

Councillor Bryan Cross said: “This was on the corner, just next to the railway bridge, where there was quite a substantial house which has been knocked down. They’ve flattened the house and there is just a pile of rubble there and the site is surrounded by a high wooden fence.

“It’ll be interesting to see how it progresses from there. Had it been built, it certainly would have overshadowed the houses opposite in Cooperative Street.”

Councillor Jack Kemp said: “There was some history attached to two of those villas. One of them was for a councillor Anderson and the other one was for Mr Hollins, who started from Railway Cottages and became a very important person in the town.

“They were really well-built, they had a lot of character. It was a shame it was knocked down, because I don’t think anybody thought that was going to happen.”

More homes will have to be built on greenfield land if the government is to hit its target of building one million homes before the next general election, the housing secretary has admitted.

Tim Shipman, Political Editor www.thetimes.co.uk

In a private call last week with MPs and donors, Robert Jenrick also suggested that there might need to be building on the protected green belt as well.

Jenrick made the comments in a video call with members of the Conservative Friends of India.

He stressed that the government wanted to “build on brownfield sites first”, but added: “We also know that we will have to build on some greenfield sites as well if we want to meet our overall housing targets, which are very significant.”

It was a “Conservative mission” to help “young people and those on low incomes back onto the housing ladder”, he said.

Where possible the government did not build on the green belt or protected places, Jenrick said.

But he added: “Where we do build on green fields, we are making sure that we are enhancing the natural environment with biodiversity net gain, which we are legislating for in the environment bill.”

Tom Fyans, the deputy chief executive of the CPRE, the countryside charity, seized on the comments and pointed out that the number of homes being built on the green belt was already rising.

The charity’s recent annual report, State of the Green Belt 2021, reveals that 257,944 homes are proposed for land removed from the green belt, nearly five times as many as in 2013.

Fyans said: “We support the brownfield-first approach. The huge increases in the pressure to release green-belt land for housing have been driven by the government forcing the hand of local authorities to meet unrealistic housing targets.”

In his talk Jenrick also said he wanted to “use the opportunity of Covid to convert more offices” in high streets “to bring more life into town and city centres”.

On Wednesday, Jenrick will unveil new planning rules that will make it easier to convert empty and derelict commercial properties into residential properties. The rules will also enable schools, colleges, universities and hospitals to add extensions without going through lengthy planning processes.

The housing department said: “We are prioritising building on brownfield land and revitalising town and city centres. Where there is home building in more rural areas, it needs to be sensitive and proportionate, and protect the local environment.”

The government has scrapped its flagship green homes grant scheme, the centrepiece of Boris Johnson’s promise to “build back greener” from the Covid-19 pandemic, just over six months after its launch.

Fiona Harvey www.theguardian.com

The abandonment of the £1.5bn programme, which offered households grants of up to £5,000 or £10,000 to put in insulation or low-carbon heating, leaves the UK without a plan for tackling one of the biggest sources of greenhouse gas emissions.

People who have had their applications for vouchers under the scheme accepted will receive any money owed, but no new applications will be accepted after the end of this month.

Green campaigners said the scrapping of the programme – the only major green stimulus policy yet announced by the government and originally expected to create tens of thousands of green jobs – came as a serious blow as the government prepares to host vital UN climate talks, called Cop26, this November.

Ed Matthew, campaigns director at the E3G thinktank, told the Observer: “The demise of the green homes grant is an embarrassment [before Cop26], and a disaster in terms of the UK getting on track to net zero [carbon emissions]. Emissions from buildings and transport have flatlined over the last 10 years. If we don’t have programmes to tackle this, we have no hope of meeting the net zero target.”

The green homes grant has been troubled since its launch last September, after it was announced in July as the central plank of the government’s bid to “build back better” and create new green jobs to help the economy recover from the pandemic. There were more than 123,000 applications for the grant by the end of February, but only 28,000 vouchers had been issued and only 5,800 energy efficiency measures had been installed.

Builders complained of excessive red tape in registering for the scheme, while households found it difficult to access. A US company was awarded the contract to administer the grants, but a Guardian investigation found numerous people unable to get a response. Many people were given conflicting advice, while builders have complained that heat pump installations in particular have been stymied by the rules.

Last week, a select committee of MPs delivered a damning assessment that found the scheme “botched [in] implementation … the administration seems nothing short of disastrous”. Far from creating new green jobs as had been promised, the environmental audit committee found some builders had laid off staff owing to problems with the scheme. The MPs recommended an urgent overhaul.

The government said on Saturday that an extra £300m would be directed towards helping people on low-incomes gain access to energy efficiency improvements, through local authorities.

Kwasi Kwarteng, the secretary of state for business and energy, said: “Upgrading the country’s homes with energy efficiency measures means we can cut emissions and save people money on their energy bills. Today’s funding boost will mean even more households across England are able to access these vital grants through their local authority. This latest announcement takes our total energy efficiency spending to over £1.3bn in the next financial year, giving installers the certainty they need to plan ahead, create new jobs and train the next generation of builders, plumbers and tradespeople.”

However, overall the amount of money earmarked for greening homes is being reduced from the £2.5bn announced with fanfare last summer. Of that, £1bn was earmarked last year for local authorities to improve homes for people on low incomes, now raised to £1.3bn. But the green homes grant was meant to disburse an additional £1.5bn, most of which remains unspent.

Scrapping the green homes grants leaves the 20m households on moderate incomes without any government help to undertake the improvements necessary to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Heating the UK’s draughty homes makes up about 14% of the country’s carbon emissions, according to the Committee on Climate Change, and successive efforts to tackle the problem have run into problems. The failure of the green homes grant follows the abandonment in 2015 of the previous scheme, the green deal loan scheme.

Kate Blagojevic, head of climate at Greenpeace UK, said: “We’re just seven months away from hosting a global climate conference at which we’re supposed to be leading the world on climate action. But we cannot expect anyone to think we’re a credible leader when our own policies on climate action are going in the wrong direction.”

The government on Saturday said the scheme was only ever intended to be a short-term stimulus. However, Matthew said that was part of the problem. “There has been a stop-start approach [to home energy efficiency] which has stopped businesses investing in skills, and has failed to give households confidence,” he said.

“They [the government] must pick themselves up and create a new green programme that works, and has long-term funding in place from the beginning. It is surely not beyond the capability of this government to give money away at a time of economic crisis.”

Despite suspicions, these things seldom see the light of day. Compulsive reading – Owl

(All this in a week when a General has been jailed for falsely claiming almost £50,000 in allowances; and two members of staff at a Sidmouth care home have been arrested on suspicion of wilful neglect in connection with a Covid-19 outbreak after a multi-agency investigation.)

www.independent.co.uk 

In an interview given in 2020, Joe Anderson, the then mayor of Liverpool, was asked what the biggest misconception about him was.

“Things like the brown envelope comments,” he told the Trailblazer website. “I live in a terrace house in Old Swan… I’m a scouser that wants the best for his people.”

This week, the city council which he led for a decade until December was found to be mired in scandal so rotten it will now be partially taken over by government commissioners.

In an eviscerating report following a three-month investigation, inspectors described an authority where “dubious” contracts were regularly handed out, key records were routinely destroyed and staff who dared voice concerns – or even ask questions – were intimidated. “Those who did not comply,” the report states, “did not last”.

Among major issues highlighted were senior councillors benefiting financially from funding decisions, a scrutiny process described as “sketchy”, and the handing of at least one major contract to a direct family member in breach of all regulations. Insiders suggest as much as £100m of public money may have been squandered.

“It could hardly be more damning,” says Jonathan Tonge, professor of politics at Liverpool University. “You could hardly get a more excoriating report. It is page after page of the most shameful stuff.”

Now, with Anderson himself under police investigation following his arrest on suspicion of bribery in December, the civic soul-searching is beginning: how could England’s 10th biggest authority – one that serves a metropolis of half a million people – fail so badly?

Part of the answer to that, it now seems, may lie in nothing more obscure than a couple of city centre flyovers.

The Churchill Way – a pair of brutalist 240-metre long road bridges – carried four lanes of traffic up and above Liverpool for almost 50 years until their much-welcomed demolition in 2019.

Now, two years on, they are at the centre of one of the most eyebrow-raising sections of the new report.

Specifically, it is said that, during their demolition, Amey – the company charged with the £6.75m job – was given a “direct instruction” by council officials to contract out part of the work to a small Liverpool venture called Safety Support Consultants.

While bosses at the infrastructure giant questioned this – SCC had “no published highways experience” – it ultimately did as it was told. Over a four month period, some £250,000 was paid out to the smaller firm for safety work.

Why is this significant? Because the director of SSC, it turned out, was none other than David Anderson, the 33-year-old son of the mayor.

“This action exposed the site teams to considerable health and safety risk,” says the report, which was written by government inspector Max Caller. “It also increased the commercial risk to the council of budget overrun.”

Any allegations of wrong doing have quickly been denied by both Anderson senior and junior.

In a statement released on Thursday, the latter described the 69-page report as “slanderous, unfounded, biased, tactical and politically motivated” as well as “factually incorrect”.

Yet it was his company’s involvement with the Churchill Way that perhaps first truly set alarm bells ringing about wider issues at the authority, insiders tell The Independent today.

By 2019, backbench councillors and officials were already becoming concerned about the way the regeneration, planning and highways departments were being run. Deputy mayor, Ann O’Byrne, had quit her role in May 2018 with a blistering attack: “The mayor isn’t listening to the Labour group, wider party and, most importantly, to the people of Liverpool”. Six months after Anderson himself was questioned by Lancashire Police in connection with a fraud inquiry.

Yet, up until the flyover demolition, there remained a widespread belief that, if the methods being deployed were unorthodox, they were not without their benefits. What the new report has judged to be “intimidation”, many saw as the forthrightness required to get Liverpool moving. What it has called “dubious” contracts were widely considered a way of ensuring local companies got local jobs; that money came into the city and stayed here.

The old government maxim was regularly thrown about: what’s right is what works. And on some level, it did work. According to Anderson himself, some £10bn was pumped into Liverpool during his tenure and 31,000 jobs were created.

“You have to remember Joe got things done,” says one Labour backbench councillor today. “He promised to bring development and jobs and he did that, so when people heard about corners being cut, there was a willingness to give the benefit of the doubt and accept it was being done for the right reasons. Which I think, to some extent, it probably was.”

But?

“But then SSC happened, and it was just one contract too many that was difficult to justify,” comes the reply. “People looked at that and it didn’t pass any kind of smell test.”

Indeed, it was by no means the only dealing that failed to meet such standards, according to the Caller report.

In total, inspectors analysed 65 sample property transactions entered into by the council between 2015 and 2020. Not a single one was found to be entirely satisfactory. “When selling land,” communities secretary Robert Jenrick told parliament after assessing the findings, “Liverpool City Council’s best interests were not on the agenda.”

The report itself goes back no further than 2015 but arguably a more key date in all this was 2010 and what some have called Liverpool’s Night of the Long Knives.

Within six months of Anderson sweeping to victory in that year’s local elections, the council’s chief executive Colin Hilton along with six or seven of its most senior directors and officers had either retired, moved on to other authorities or been asked to step down.

“It was a major clear out of the stables and, in effect, what ought to have been a neutral civil service was replaced by senior figures that were far closer to the politicians leading the authority than perhaps they should have been,” says Tonge today.

Key among the replacements was new interim CEO David McElhinney, a man with a reputation as an enforcer so ruthless he had the nickname Mack The Knife. His appointment, the Liverpool Echo reported at the time, would “send shivers down the spines of staff”.

A message, one insider says, soon started coming down the food: “You did what you were told or you started looking for a new job.”

The problem was – and still is – that there was no real opposition to scrutinise such manoeuvres. Liverpool is all but a one-party state. Of 90 councillors here, some 72 are Labour. Every single one of the city’s MPs is red.

“The Liberal Democrats are energetic, but they don’t have the volume or resources to engage in full scrutiny,” says Tonge. “There were a lot of Labour backbenchers who were brassed off with what was happening, but they have no mechanism to change things. Those that did speak out were marginalised. They were sent to political Siberia.”

None of this was in anyway illegal, or even necessarily improper, it should be said. It is the same political power plays that go on everywhere.

But it does offer context as to how, from then on in, certain council departments were able to operate, as Caller’s report notes, with minimal transparency.

Indeed, that opaqueness was only compounded in 2012 when the council shifted to a directly elected mayor system – a post which Anderson himself duly won in a city-wide election.

“It was a new system so there was confusion about who had what authority,” says one backbench councillor. “The consequence was that there was significant overreach that went effectively unchecked.”

Thereafter, power became increasingly concentrated in the hands of the few. In one of the bombshell lines from his report, Caller acknowledged this. He suggested the council’s leadership became not altogether different from a “secret cabal”.

Where exactly Liverpool goes now from here is not immediately clear. No other city of this size had ever had government officials move in like this. It is unprecedented territory.

What is already clear is that – excluding some on the hard left who talk of a Tory takeover – there appears some political agreement that communities secretary Robert Jenrick had little choice but to appoint commissioners to oversee change.

“We’ve got to be big enough to own [what has happened],” said Paula Barker, MP for Liverpool Wavertree. “If we expect any moral authority to call out alleged government corruption and cronyism, we’ve got to have the bravery and integrity to investigate it out in our own ranks.”

Sir Kier Starmer, too, supported the move.

The commissioners, it is understood, will now work alongside the council’s chief executive, Tony Reeves –acknowledged in the report for beginning to turn things round – to implement a plan for action in the authority’s planning, highways, regeneration and property management departments. They will likely stay in position for three years.

The police investigation into Anderson and at least four other men remains ongoing, meanwhile. All strenuously deny any wrongdoing. Anderson released a statement this week saying of the Caller report that “success brings jealousy”.

And, then, just to throw an extra ingredient into the pot, there’s the upcoming mayoral election in May.

Labour are still to pick a candidate – a process which has already been the subject of infighting – yet, whoever they do choose, their ultimate victory retains an air of inevitability.

“Will it all have an impact politically?” ponders Tonge. “The report is so damning, it could hardly fail to have some impact but I can’t see this staying anything other than a Labour city. The movement away would need to be too big. What it might mean is that we now have a contest rather than a coronation.”

Would-be holiday makers are being warned ‘not to put the summer at risk’ by travelling down to Devon this Easter before lockdown restrictions ease.

Daniel Clark www.devonlive.com

Under the government’s roadmap, Monday, April 12, is the earliest date outdoor attractions and self-contained accommodation such as campsites and holiday lets, where indoor facilities are not shared with other households, are allowed to open.

Until then, many facilities, shops and hospitality venues will not be fully open with food and drink only available from essential shops or takeaways.

Visitors are being warned it is illegal and could be dangerous to travel before Government restrictions are lifted.

With Easter approaching, there are fears a minority of tourists might be tempted to travel early and before facilities are ready or attractions are open, Thursday’s Devon County Council corporate infrastructure and regulatory services scrutiny committee meeting heard, with the potential that the ‘false start’ to the tourist season would risk spreading Covid-19 and put unnecessary extra strain on the emergency services.

Keri Denton, Devon County Council’s head of economy, skills and enterprise said: “We will give people a warm welcome when the guidelines allow but not before.

“We are not ready for visitors yet and we do not want to put the summer at risk for the sake of a few more weeks.

“After all our hard work to keep Covid-19 cases in Devon so low we do not want to risk things now.

“We ask everyone thinking of coming to Devon after April 12, to behave responsibly and make sure you book the sort of accommodation and experiences you can enjoy safely in advance.

“We also ask potential visitors, as well as our own residents thinking of travelling within Devon, to take extra care and to show our local communities respect and courtesy. This includes the simple things like parking responsibly, respecting the countryside and taking litter away.”

But Dr Phil Norrey, Devon County Council’s chief executive, added: “Last year we saw little evidence of transmission of the disease in outdoor settings so even if there is the usual or enhanced number of visitors, it won’t pose an increased risk based on what happened last year.”

The council is also urging Devon residents and potential visitors after Monday, April 12, to take extra care, to act responsibly and to show local communities courtesy and respect at all times, and with them being urged to ‘find a bin or take it home’ in a new county-wide anti-littering campaign.

As lockdown eases and the warmer months beckon, the multi-agency partnership Clean Devon wants to encourage everyone to take more responsibility for their rubbish whilst enjoying the beautiful moors, beaches, wildlife, countryside, towns and villages.

Littering is an increasing burden on society, both financially and environmentally and the partnership aims to improve the issue through preventing, detecting and deterring this type of behaviour in Devon.

Principal waste manager from Devon County Council and Clean Devon co-ordinator, Annette Dentith, says: “One of our key priorities is to protect and enhance Devon’s wonderful environment. Local authorities do their best to keep bins emptied however with increased visitors over the warmer months we must take responsibility for our own rubbish.

“If bins are full, bring your own bag and dispose of it when you return home. Please don’t leave it next to an already full bin as this contributes to littering and is considered fly-tipping for which you could be fined. It’s really important we protect our beautiful county, not only for ourselves but for future generations.”

Infection rates in the county are down to 15.3/100,000 – the lowest on the mainland of England with only the Isle of Wight lower – with North Devon, the South Hams, Teignbridge, Torridge and West Devon is the bottom ten for lower tier authorities.

Dr Norrey told councillors on Thursday that cases were still declining – and have dropped by 25 per cent in the last week – but that at the lower levels they are currently seeing, further declines will be slower and bumpier.

Steve Brown, director of Public Health Devon, added that we are all going to have to learn to live safely with COVID-19 for the foreseeable future, and that a key part of that is for us to keep the infection rates as low as possible.

Mr Brown said: “Please continue to maintain your social distance, wear your face coverings when you’re indoors in a public place, and remember to wash your hands frequently and properly.

“If you are somebody who has to leave home to work or volunteer, or you’re a carer for somebody, or you happen to be in a family, household or maybe a bubble with somebody who attends a nursery or education, please access regular testing twice a week.”

Rates down, but higher than summer.

Daniel Clark, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk

Devon is in a “good place” to cope as restrictions  ease in the roadmap out of lockdown.

Infection rates in the county are down to 16 per 100,000 – the lowest on the England mainland, with only the Isle of Wight lower – with North Devon, the South Hams, Teignbridge, Torridge and West Devon in the bottom ten for lower tier authorities.

Dr Phil Norrey, Devon County Council’s chief executive, has told councillors cases are still declining and have dropped by 25 per cent in the last week – but further declines will be slower.

He said that while restrictions are beginning to ease and that life begins to return to normal, there will still be a public health role as we will be living with covid over the next couple of years.

And he added that with more than 100,000 tests a week being carried out in the county through community testing, schools, care homes and health settings – around 12 per cent of the population – Devon is a good position to spot anything if it occurs. Even with the reopening of schools and twice weekly testing for pupils, infection rates are lower for people up to age 19 in Devon than when schools returned on 8 March.

Speaking at the council’s corporate infrastructure and regulatory services scrutiny committee meeting, Dr Norrey said: “Rates are still coming down but have slowed and we are into the hard yards to drive them out from a relatively low position. They are still higher than last summer, but we had far fewer tests then than now, and overall rates are still coming down but slowly and bumpily.”

On the relaxation of restrictions, he added: “It is important to emphasise that it is an end to the behaviour changes so we still need to follow the precautions where possible as we are not out of the woods today and the pandemic won’t move on and we will be living with Covid over the next couple of years.

“We have a public health role as we emerge from the restrictions and our core role will be ongoing surveillance, community testing, local contact tracing including enhanced tracing which is working really well and supporting self-isolation, and to control outbreaks where they occur.

He added: “Last year we saw little evidence of transmission of the disease in outdoor settings so even if there is the usual or enhanced number of visitors, it won’t pose an increased risk based on what happened last year.”

Answering questions on the upcoming local elections, Dr Norrey said they are confident that they would run smoothly, although that there were still a few isolated issues to sort out, including that one of the proposed centres for the count is being used as a vaccination centre, and that one district may be counting on the Saturday, rather than the Friday, which could delay the result.

Cllr Alistair Dewhirst, chairman of the committee, in a message to those planning to visit Devon in the summer, added: “We will have a fantastic summer for business, but while some places may be pretty busy, other places may be as quiet as you imagine Devon to be.”

Jackie Weaver has joined critics of a government move to end virtual council meetings in England from May.

By Jennifer Scott www.bbc.co.uk

Minister Luke Hall has written to local authorities saying the government is under too much pressure to fit in legislation to allow them to continue.

Ms Weaver, who rose to fame after a meeting of Handforth Parish Council went viral, said it would be “dreadful” to bring them to an end.

The Local Government Association also called for the decision to be reversed.

Chair of the organisation, Councillor James Jamieson, said reintroducing face-to-face meetings “could easily involve up to 200 people in one room, even before adding in members of the public and reporters” – so their return would pose a “significant challenge” to councils to make them Covid-secure.

Lawyers in local government, along with Hertfordshire County Council, have now made an application to the courts to declare authorities already have the powers needed to hold online meetings.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said it had asked councils to share their experiences of remote meetings, saying they will use the evidence “to inform any potential future legislation regarding their use beyond the pandemic”.

Like many other organisations, local councils were forced to go online in 2020 due to the pandemic and restrictions on public meetings.

Emergency legislation was passed in the Commons to give them the power to do business over video conferencing tools, but the temporary law is due to run out the day after the local elections on 6 May.

In his letter, Mr Hall – the minister for regional growth and local government – praised the efforts of local authorities in England, saying they had “risen magnificently to the challenges of this period”.

But he said extending virtual meetings past May would involved primary legislation in the Commons, which would have a “significant impact… on the government’s legislative programme, which is already under severe pressure in these unprecedented times”.

media captionViral moments like this Handforth Parish Council meeting could come to an end – but there are more serious reasons for concern too

Mrs Weaver – the chief officer of the Cheshire Association of Local Councils – told BBC Radio Derby it would be “dreadful” to bring virtual meetings to an end.

She added: “I think all the evidence is out there to show that actually Zoom has done more… [and] has been instrumental in getting people involved.

“We can see it in the figures [with] people turning up. We are seeing it in the people that are showing interest in elections.

“I am not saying all council meetings should be held virtually and I know a lot of my councils are keen to get back to face-to-face meetings, but it would be so helpful, so valuable to be able to hold Zoom meetings.”

Mr Jamieson agreed the move risked “damaging the gains seen in public participation in remote council meetings during the pandemic and our vital local democratic process”.

He also pointed to the imbalance when it came to the rules in Westminster.

“MPs will retain the right to participate remotely until at least 21 June, but the powers-that-be in the House of Commons will not make time available to legislate for councillors to do the same,” he added.

The County Councils Network said the government’s decision was “deeply disappointing, considering the success of remote meetings”.

Its chairman, Councillor David Williams, said he had concerns over whether face-to-face council meetings could be done safely, adding: “The decision is illogical when you bear in mind the government’s own guidance stipulates that indoor events cannot be organised until 17 May at the earliest.”

‘Consider permanent option’

Asked for a response to the criticism, the ministry sent a statement from Mr Hall, who said: “Councils continue to play a vital role in our response to the pandemic and I am grateful for how they have used emergency powers introduced a year ago to continue to operate at a difficult time.

“As the vaccine roll-out continues and restrictions are lifted, councils holding face-to-face meetings from 7 May are being given the support and guidance they need to do so in a safe and secure way.”

He added: “I am keen to hear from councils and local residents about their experiences of virtual meetings so that we can properly consider whether to make these a permanent option.”

The Council Chamber in Blackdown House is long and narrow – so Owl wonders whether the only way to achieve social distancing is to put the Tories in an ante-chamber somewhere? In 2019 the opposition was relegated to the back row anyway from where it is quite hard to engage effectively with the meeting. Do we count this as an “Own Goal”?

Here is the view of Tim Todd in his June 2019 FOI entitled: “What thought went into the design of the debating chamber at the new EDDC HQ and its suitability for participation by the public?”

Along with a fair number of members of the public, I attended the first council meeting under the new intake of councillors in May. Even arriving early I found that there was no room to accommodate me and a number of other members of the public, we had to use a less than satisfactory gallery with a restricted view of the participants. We also had to put up with broadcast information and missed out on all that was said when speakers forgot to use the microphones. Being quite separate from councillors and others, we were not readily able to have conversations with others on matters that may have been relevant and could have been raised by our representatives.

I gather from some in the small chamber downstairs, and from social media, that many were less than impressed and some felt the design and construction did not give due weight to public engagement in council matters in their public meetings, that the council has failed in its duty to provide adequate facilities or encourage participation.

Jackie Weaver’s view on abandoning virtual meetings is posted separately.

Daniel Clark www.devonlive.com 

Legislation that has allowed councils and local authorities to meet virtually during the last year throughout the coronavirus pandemic will not be extended.

Last April, the Government introduced emergency legislation to relax the requirement for local authorities to hold public meetings in person, with the regulations applying to all meetings taking place before May 7, 2021.

But on Thursday night, it was confirmed the Government have decided that it is not possible to bring forward emergency legislation on this issue and that the successful rollout of the vaccine and the reduction in cases of Covid-19 should result in a significant reduction in risk for local authority members meeting in person from May 7.

It means that from May 7 onwards, all councils – from Devon County down to the parish councils – will have to resume meetings in person, and also applies to the Dartmoor and Exmoor National Park Authorities, the Devon and Somerset Fire Authority, as well as the Police and Crime Panel.

Councils though are being encouraged to continue to live stream the meetings to meet the legal obligation to ensure that the members of the public and press can access the meeting without having to physically attend.

Luke Hall MP, Minister of State for Regional Growth and Local Government, in his letter to councils, said: “Extending the regulations to meetings beyond May 7 would require primary legislation. The Government has considered the case for legislation very carefully, including the significant impact it would have on the Government’s legislative programme which is already under severe pressure in these unprecedented times.

“We are also mindful of the excellent progress that has been made on our vaccination programme and the announcement of the Government’s roadmap for lifting Covid-19 restrictions. Given this context, the Government has concluded that it is not possible to bring forward emergency legislation on this issue at this time.

“As outlined in the Government’s Spring 2021 Covid-19 Response, our aim is for everyone aged 50 and over and people with underlying health conditions to have been offered a first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine by April 15, and a second dose by mid-July.

“While local authorities have been able to hold meetings in person at any time during the pandemic with appropriate measures in place, the successful rollout of the vaccine and the reduction in cases of Covid-19 should result in a significant reduction in risk for local authority members meeting in person from May 7, as reflected in the Government’s plan to ease Covid-19 restrictions over the coming months.”

Mr Hall said that he recognised there may be concerns about holding face-to-face meetings, but that ‘ultimately it is for local authorities to apply the Covid-19 guidance to ensure meetings take place safely’.

He added: “If your council is concerned about holding physical meetings you may want to consider resuming these after May 17, at which point it is anticipated that a much greater range of indoor activity can resume in line with the roadmap, such as allowing up to 1,000 people to attend performances or sporting events in indoor venues, or up to half-capacity (whichever is lower).

“While you do have a legal obligation to ensure that the members of the public can access most of your meetings, I would encourage you to continue to provide remote access to minimise the need for the public to attend meetings physically until at least June 21, at which point it is anticipated that all restrictions on indoor gatherings will have been lifted in line with the Roadmap.”

But responding to the announcement that emergency legislation allowing virtual council meetings will not be extended, Cllr James Jamieson, chairman of the Local Government Association, said: “This decision is extremely disappointing. The Government’s own roadmap out of lockdown states that indoor gatherings or events – organised by a business, charity, public body or similar organisation – cannot be organised until May 17 at the earliest. Yet councils will be unable to hold remote meetings from May 7.

“MPs will retain the right to participate remotely until at least June 21 but the powers-that-be in the House of Commons will not make time available to legislate for councillors to do the same.

“The case is clear for the ability for councils to continue to be able to hold meetings flexibly. We urge the Government to reverse this decision and not force councils to have to hold Covid-19 secure face-to-face council meetings until all restrictions are lifted.

“Holding face to face council meetings, with supporting staff, could easily involve up to 200 people in one room even before adding in members of the public and reporters.

“This is likely to be a significant challenge with councils, for example, having to source larger venues in order to be able to host meetings with social distancing measures in place, such as full council meetings which will need to be held following the May local elections.

“This also risks damaging the gains seen in public participation in remote council meetings during the pandemic and our vital local democratic process.

“Left with no choice, Lawyers in Local Government, the Association of Democratic Services and Hertfordshire County Council have made an application to the Courts to declare that councils already have the powers needed to hold online meetings. The LGA will be providing support in these proceedings as the representative body for councils.”

Mr Hall said that councils who are not subject to elections could consider conducting their annual meetings prior to May 7, and therefore do so remotely while the express provision in current regulations apply, but for councils were elections are taking place, this is not possible, and after a new elections, an annual council meeting has to take place within 21 days of the election, so Devon County Council will have to allow 60 councillors to meet in person.

A Devon County Council spokesman said: “This decision presents all local authorities with a complex challenge in deciding how best to hold face-to face council meetings safely after May 7.

“We will be looking very carefully at the detail of the new guidance before considering the best approach for the County Council.”

From EDA press release:

Three Independent candidates supported by the East Devon Alliance (EDA) will be standing for Devon County Council on May 6th. The Independent alliance has decided to concentrate its efforts in the divisions where it won or came a strong second in the last County elections in 2017.

In AXMINSTER, PAUL HAYWARD, who is deputy leader and economy portfolio holder at EDDC, will be standing. Paul came a close second in the last County election and says, ‘Axminster is tired of waiting for better times. We need action on potholes now. We need better healthcare provision now. We need a solution to our traffic and speeding problems now. Our residents need better and faster broadband now. On May 6th, if elected, I will start to deliver the change Axminster needs and deserves.’

In the Seaton and Colyton division, the current County Councillor, MARTIN SHAW, is standing again. He says, ‘My battle to secure the future of Seaton Hospital is only half-won, and I still have a huge amount of work to do, to help improve our environment, extend the Stop Line Way cycle route, achieve 20 mph limits in our town and village centres, and repair our rural roads. I am looking forward to another term if the voters agree.’

In Sidmouth, where EDA also came a close second last time, the Independent candidate will be LOUISE MACALLISTER, a project manager at Devon Communities Together who has worked on many projects in East Devon, including Sidmouth. She says, ‘As a passionate environmentalist, I am keen to enhance and protect Sidmouth’s natural assets and flood resilience. If elected, I look forward to working with the community to tackle issues with highways, traffic, and public transport, and ensure our NHS services and education provision are maintained and improved.’

In addition to its strong performance in these areas in the last County elections, the East Devon Alliance has 13 councillors on EDDC and its leader, Paul Arnott, is Leader of the Council.

[Owl draws attention to the trends. In the 2015 District elections there were 10 EDA councillors a net gain of 7. In 2019 this rose to 13 despite Cllr Ben Ingham’s double defection to “Independent” now “Conservative” and Cllr Megan Armstrong campaigning as one of Ingham’s “Indys” though now part of the “Independent Progressive” grouping working with the coalition. As mentioned in the press release EDA currently have only 1 County Councillor but are campaigning in two more divisions where they came a strong second.]

More than 40,600 people have been likely infected with coronavirus while being treated in hospital in England for another reason, raising concerns about the NHS’s inability to protect them.

Caelainn Barr www.theguardian.com

In one in five hospitals at least a fifth of all patients found to have the virus caught it while an inpatient. North Devon district hospital in Barnstaple had the highest rate of such cases among acute trusts in England at 31%.

NHS England figures also reveal stark regional differences in patients’ risk of catching the virus that causes Covid-19 during their stay. Just under a fifth (19%) of those in hospital in the north-west became infected while an inpatient, almost double the 11% rate in London hospitals.

Hull University teaching hospitals trust and Lancashire teaching hospitals trust had the joint second highest rate of patients – 28% – who became infected while under their care. The former has had 626 such cases while the latter has had 486. However, the big differences in hospitals’ size and the number of patients they admit mean that the rate of hospital-acquired infection is a more accurate reflection of the success of their efforts to stop transmission of the potentially lethal virus.

The trusts with the next highest rates were Stockport (28% – 386 cases), Brighton (367 cases – 27%) and James Paget in Norfolk (27% – 319 cases). At least one in four of all patients with the virus in hospital became infected at 10 of England’s 127 acute trusts.

Across England as a whole one in seven (15%) of all patients treated for the virus between 1 August 2020 and 21 March got it while in hospital.

The data shows that hospitals in England estimate a total of 40,670 people probably caught coronavirus while in hospital in their care during that time.

Doctors and hospitals claim that many of the infections were caused by the NHS’s lack of beds and limitations posed by some hospitals being old, cramped and poorly ventilated, as well as health service bosses’ decision that hospitals should keep providing normal care while the second wave of Covid was unfolding, despite the potential danger to those receiving non-Covid care.

“These heartbreaking figures show how patients and NHS staff have been abysmally let down by the failure to suppress the virus ahead of and during the second wave,” said Layla Moran MP, the chair of the all-party parliamentary group on coronavirus.

 Doctors and hospitals say many infections were caused by the NHS’s lack of beds, old hospital buildings and the decision to run normal services during the second wave. Photograph: Hannah McKay/PA

“It is simply staggering that one in seven hospital patients who developed Covid-19 caught the virus while being treated for another illness. This analysis also reveals deeply alarming regional disparities, with rates of hospital-acquired Covid in the north-west almost twice those in London.”

NHS England does not publish figures showing how many of those deemed likely to have caught coronavirus as an inpatient later died. But experts in hospital-acquired infection pointed out that many of those being admitted for other reasons – such as an operation or after a fall or flare-up of an existing medical problem – are frail and vulnerable and have underlying poor health, so would be more likely to die if they did get Covid.

“It is impossible to eliminate the risks of nosocomial infection, but the huge drive to run parallel Covid and non-Covid care since the summer has inevitably heightened those risks,” said Dr Claudia Paoloni, the president of the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association.

“Due to years of systemic understaffing and a cost-cutting approach to new hospital design we have far fewer beds available than our European counterparts, which has made it harder to separate out cases and led to an increase in the chances of hospital-acquired infection. Tragically, people will have caught Covid and inevitably died as a result of this shortsightedness.”

NHS staff need proper personal protective equipment to reduce the risk of transmitting the virus at work, especially FFP3 masks rather than just surgical masks, as the former are better at limiting the spread of the new variants of coronavirus, she added.

Stopping the spread of coronavirus in hospitals has been a key priority for hospitals internationally during the pandemic. The Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch watchdog published a report last year which criticised the NHS in England’s track record. Recent research by Public Health England found that 15.5% of all cases of Covid among hospitalised patients had either probably or definitely occurred while they were in hospital.

Three small single-hospital trusts in London have had some of the lowest rates of nosocomial infection in England among acute trusts. Thirteen people since August have caught coronavirus while an inpatient at the Whittington hospital, giving it a rate of just 1%. The North Middlesex and Homerton hospitals have had 66 and 47 such cases respectively, so the rate at each was 4%, the NHS figures show.

Dr Rob Harwood, chair of the British Medical Association’s consultants committee, said: “The NHS went into the current pandemic underfunded, understaffed and overstretched. The knock-on effects – particularly limited bed and workforce capacity – has unfortunately meant that controlling the spread of Covid-19 within hospitals has been more difficult than necessary.”

University hospitals Birmingham trust has had the most cases since August – 1,185. But its size means that those cases represent a rate of 14%, just below the national average of 15%.

Northern Devon healthcare trust said: “We acted quickly to put in place enhanced infection prevention and control measures when needed, including increased inpatient testing to identify any patients with no symptoms.”

A spokeswoman for the Hull trust cited high local rates of infecton and added: “We are taking all possible steps to reduce the risk of hospital-acquired infections, given the constraints placed upon us by our ageing estate, including the creation of ‘pods’ with floor-to-ceiling partitions, the removal of beds to reduce the risk of transmission, the isolation of patients with the virus and a regular testing regime.”

Lancashire teaching hospitals trust said that it had had a spate of nosocomial infections in November and December when it was very busy and that had led to an increased risk of hospital-acquired infection and affected its average over the year. “We also have an old estate which limits the opportunities for ventilated space,” a spokesman added.

NHS England insisted that the real rate of hospital-acquired coronavirus is 4.5%, not 15%, and blamed high rates of infection in the population. Its statement was based only on cases regarded as “definite” because the person tested positive on or after the 15th day after their admission.

An NHS spokesperson said: “The Office for National Statistics and other data conclusively demonstrate that the root cause of rising infection rates in hospitals is rising rates in the community.

“Since asymptomatic tests kits were made available for the first time by the government’s test-and-trace programme in November, millions of staff have been tested helping to keep infections as low as possible, and all staff have been asked to rigorously follow PHE’s infection control guidance with hospital infection rates currently standing at around 4.5%.”

On Thursday Sir Simon Stevens, NHS England’s chief executive, recommended that the health service reduce the national alert threat level from Covid from four to three because of the recent big fall in the number of people in hospital with the disease. UK hospitals are now looking after 5,407 such patients, a fraction of the 39,249 they were treating on 18 January, at the peak of the pandemic’s second wave.

• This article was amended on 26 March 2021 to correct the spelling of Barnstaple.

A radical plan to bring Devon’s school improvement services and support for special needs children back in-house has been agreed. 

Does this count as a U-Turn in DCC? – Owl

Daniel Clark Local Democracy Reporter www.exmouthjournal.co.uk

Devon County Council’s cabinet unanimously backed the plans at their meeting on Wednesday (March 10) which entails the authority taking responsibility for some 200 staff when its current contract with providers Babcock ends. The contract is worth £8.8 million a year. 

The meeting heard that one of the key aims of the move is to integrate all Devon’s support for children in the county with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and that bringing the service in-house will achieve a much more seamless offer across Devon. 

The decision in response to the national reforms that were introduced in 2014 that required much closer cooperation between education, health and social care providers. 

And it aims to address some of the issues that have led to the council’s children’s services being found inadequate by Ofsted. 

Devon County Council deputy leader and cabinet member for children’s services, Cllr James McInnes, said: “Bringing all these services back under one roof will mean we can offer a much better package of integrated help and support for these vulnerable children and their families in a one-stop shop. 

“This doesn’t imply any criticism of the work that Babcock has done which is much valued and which has achieved good outcomes for children. 

“Indeed successive annual reports have demonstrated the significant positive impact the services have on children in Devon. 

“But these services were outsourced in 2012 and the national picture has changed dramatically since the national reforms of 2014. 

“When we came to review our services and the current contract, it became clear that it made sense to integrate all our help for children with special needs. 

“We looked at whether private companies would want to bid to provide our school improvement services in the future but in the end it seemed more sensible to bring them all back in-house.” 

The SEND services include education psychology, early years support and advice, children missing education, physical and sensory support, social, emotional and mental health, communication and interaction and multi-sensory impairment which is currently under a separate contract. 

The other services which are currently out-sourced are: teaching, curriculum and learning advisory support, governance, school improvement and quality assurance, education safeguarding, elective home education support and monitoring, English as an additional language and the education welfare service. 

Devon’s chief officer for children’s services, Melissa Caslake, added: “There is a strong, partnership-wide commitment to develop a truly transformative SEND service where education, health and care work as one team. 

“Parents have told us we need to meet the needs of children with SEND earlier and better and improve access to and coordination of support. 

“We have excellent inclusion opportunities for children with SEND in Devon with 57 per cent of statutory school age children with education, health and care plans accessing mainstream education. That is 14 per cent above the national average. 

“We are committed to improving and securing the best long term futures for our children with additional needs and integrating these services will help us to achieve this.” 

Cllr Rob Hannaford, leader of the Labour group, said: “This is a good move and one I support as it is a better opportunity to lead and develop to changes. Getting this right is key to turning children’s’ services around.” 

Cllr Alan Connett, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, added: “I welcome the broad direction of travel and huge synergies that can be achieved by bringing the service in house, and doing the right thing for the children of Devon is the most important thing for all us of.  

“After seven years of Ofsted finding the service inadequate, if this step does anything to help improve that, then it is very much to be welcomed.” 

Leader of the council, Cllr John Hart, added: “This one decision which will have a fundamental effect on children’s services.” 

Exmouth’s only nightclub has permanently closed

Chloe Parkman www.devonlive.com 

Exmouth’s only nightclub – Popworld – has closed permanently, it has been confirmed.

Stonegate pub company has confirmed that the nightclub will not be reopening at all after lockdown.

Back in 2019, Devon Live reported that Popworld took over from Fever, Boutique and Kukui – it’s last remaining nightclub in East Devon.

A spokesperson for Stonegate Group said: “We can confirm that our lease at Popworld in Exmouth has come to an end, so unfortunately, it will not reopen after lockdown.

“However, Popworld in Plymouth will reopen on 21 June, in line with government restrictions, and we are looking forward to throwing our customers a Popworld Party once more.”

In August, Devon Live reported that following the lockdown Popworld in Exmouth reopened with strict social distancing measures.

According to the PM’s roadmap out of lockdown, from June 21 at the earliest, all remaining restrictions on social contact could be lifted, larger events can go ahead and nightclubs could finally reopen.