Tories in retreat continue their “Scorched-Earth” policy – Owl

Fossil fuel companies will be allowed to explore for oil and gas under offshore wind-power sites for the first time, the government will announce on Friday, in a move that campaigners said is further proof that ministers are abandoning the climate agenda.

Helena Horton www.theguardian.com 

The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA), which regulates North Sea oil and gas production, will confirm that it is granting licences to about 30 companies to look for hydrocarbons on sites earmarked for future offshore windfarms.

The move has brought renewed criticism of Rishi Sunak from environmentalists, including from the prime minister’s own former net zero tsar, who worry that any future oil and gas production could hamper clean energy generation.

But it will also give the embattled prime minister a welcome piece of news to sell to his restive backbenchers – many of whom are keen to see more oil and gas production in the North Sea – the day after what are set to be a bruising set of local election results.

Chris Skidmore, the former Conservative MP who recently quit as Sunak’s net zero champion in protest at the government’s climate policies, said: “With a general election just months away, this is a deeply irresponsible and divisive move that goes against all advice from the International Energy Agency or the UN, and regrettably will further set back the UK’s climate reputation.

“Instead of wind powering new oil, the investment should instead be in more wind and renewables. More fossil fuels will only create stranded assets and stranded jobs at a time when demand for oil and gas is falling.”

He added: “This is a political and cynical stunt that will only backfire … We need to stop playing politics with climate and people’s future, and take a grownup position on seeking to find consensus for an end date to new oil and gas.”

A spokesperson for the NSTA said: “The NSTA have worked closely with other regulators to consider matters of co-location with offshore wind and other users.”

Sources say that the oil exploration itself will not involve any drilling, with companies largely using data to decide whether sites have the potential to be profitable for extraction.

Supporters of the scheme add that if any of the sites under windfarms prove suitable for production, oil and gas platforms will be able to use power from the wind turbines to lower their emissions. They will also have to strike an agreement with windfarm operators before they can begin drilling.

Experts say, however, that the emissions from burning any oil and gas produced will far outweigh whatever is saved in the drilling and extraction processes. They add that Friday’s announcement is likely to undermine investor confidence in Britain’s green energy sector as a whole.

The Guardian understands that investors in offshore wind have already expressed concern to the government about the decision, even threatening to pull out of the UK clean power sector altogether.

Doug Parr, policy director at Greenpeace UK, said: “It’s hard to think of a worse use of clean electricity from windfarms than powering the dirty industry that’s driving the climate crisis. It’s like using a nicotine patch to roll a cigarette.”

Sunak has made a series of announcements since becoming prime minister to roll back the government’s climate policies, including delaying the end of new sales of petrol and diesel cars and giving the green light for the huge new Rosebank oilfield off the coast of Shetland.

The prime minister has said the policies are part of a push to bring energy costs down and improve energy security. But his critics believe Sunak is using them as a dividing issue between the Conservatives and Labour going into this year’s general election.

Last month, Chris Stark, the outgoing head of the Climate Change Committee, accused the prime minister of abandoning Britain’s reputation as a world leader in the fight against the climate crisis.

Sunak, however, is also under pressure from Tory rebels, with the party more than 20 points behind in the polls and heading for heavy losses after Thursday’s local elections. A group of unhappy backbenchers is planning a move to unseat him altogether if the Tories lose the mayoralties in both the Tees Valley and the West Midlands this weekend.

No 10 has been working for weeks on a fightback plan to ward off any potential coup, and sources have told the Guardian the prime minister is likely to put his energy policies at the heart of any offer he makes to get his own MPs back on side.

Friday’s announcement marks the third phase in the 33rd round of North Sea oil and gas licensing. Earlier this year the government gave licences to 17 companies to look for hydrocarbons, including Shell, Equinor, BP, Total and Neo.

This phase differs from previous ones, however, because officials are opening up parts of the sea which have been leased to offshore wind operators for the first time. The government issues about 100 licences a year, only 2% of which go on to receive consent for production.

Dan McGrail, the chief executive of the trade body RenewableUK, said: “Prioritising offshore wind over oil and gas isn’t just the right choice for the planet, but given renewables are the lowest-cost means of generating power, we should be doing this for bill payers.”

Parr said: “Most of the planet-heating emissions from oil and gas rigs come from burning the polluting fuels, not extracting them.

“At best, this will make a small dent in the carbon footprint of a few oil companies’ operations. But more likely than not, it will end up greenwashing the fossil fuel industry’s image just as the government keeps trying to expand extraction against the advice of leading scientists and experts.”

A spokesperson for the energy department said: “To strengthen our energy security and grow the economy, we want to maximise the huge energy potential of the North Sea.

“We will continue to need oil and gas over the coming decades as we increase our share of renewables; that’s why we welcome the work by the NSTA and the Crown Estates to facilitate the co-location of wind and oil and gas projects as the offshore space gets busier.”

Proposals to double the amount of accessible space in Clyst Valley Regional Park will be put before residents.

Clyst Valley Regional Park (Image:East Devon District Council/LDRS)

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

The park, effectively created by the Green Infrastructure Strategy in 2009, provides a buffer between Exeter and the countryside and, crucially, offers residents usable green space from nearby towns and villages in East Devon.

At present, 762 hectares is accessible but East Devon District Council has created plans to increase this by a further 740 hectares over 25 years – almost doubling the existing amount.

Under the proposals, a range of green spaces will be linked by greenways, or accessible routes through the countryside, for pedestrians and cyclists.

And less accessible areas will also be promoted in a bid to enhance the area’s biodiversity.

A large proportion of the regional park lies within the National Trust’s Killerton Estate, while 40 per cent of it is within a floodplain.

Members of the council’s strategic planning committee voted in favour of the plans going out to consultation, which should happen this month and last for six weeks.

Other key aspects of the proposals include the removal of some areas from the existing regional park boundary, including Cranbrook, Clyst St Mary and the Enterprise Zone where development has been implemented.

However, the proposals take into account the prospective new development south of Clyst Honiton and west of Aylesbeare.

The regional park expansion proposals say that the community between the A3052 and the A30 will include spaces and routes that will ultimately form part of the park, albeit these will be determined through a separate master plan.

A small number of sites within the current boundary are being promoted for development, and these are still being assessed.

Councillor Geoff Jung (Liberal Democrat, Woodbury and Lympstone), the portfolio holder for coast, country and environment, said he was a “great supporter” of the park and welcomed the expansion proposals.

“The park is designed to protect the countryside and improve access to it around the new towns,” he said.

“At the same time as we’re building new houses, we have to provide access to the countryside and this project does exactly that, so I hope councillors support it.”

The strategic planning committee chair, Olly Davey (Green Party, Exmouth Town), also praised the plan’s inclusion of the new community and its links to the park.

“Given what Mr Freeman was saying about the new community and routes through it that will form part of the regional park, maybe for once we are getting those allocated first before the new development of homes,” he said.

“It looks like for once we’re getting that right, and we’ll make sure we get the other bits of the new community right in the same way.

“This is something members have often called for, and it looks like that will happen, so these plans are to be welcomed.”

Kier is to start work in the Lime Kiln Car Park on behalf of South West Water for 5 days from 13/05/24.

For weeks tankers have been ferrying “Non Hazardous” liquids through the Town, destination unknown but assumed to be Exmouth.

Jodie McDonald reports on ESCAPE:

Budleigh Today, when I asked a member of EDDC what they were doing the response was “Sewage problems, lots of issues apparently” they were there the whole time we were, leaving and coming back.

From Owl’s researches it would seem that the failure of sewage discharge pipes into the sea, most of which are of Victorian origin, is nothing new:

Budleigh Salterton Sewage Outfall, Local Government Board Inquiry 1903.

This records a 1903 inquiry into whether a storm broken sewer pipe should be extended prompting this letter to the press:

“As to the sewer outfall, after a public inquiry by a Government official, the Local Government. Board refused to sanction the scheme the local authority put before them, and advised the calling in of an engineer. This The Council have refused to do, and, although they know the danger is great, and increasing year by year, they will do nothing further until a zymotic plague enters the place, which is calculated to seriously injure the reputation of a health resort.”

Are the pipes at Maer Rocks 150 years old?

Robin Bush in “The Book of Exmouth” records that “The Board of Health” built new sewers in 1861 adding an outfall at Maer Rocks, completed in 1883, further schemes were required in 1899 and again in 1932. The Board of Health was replaced by the Exmouth Urban District Council in 1894.

How much of the current pipework dates from 1883?

Latest reports on the Maer Rocks overflow pipes

Geoff Crawford

I cannot tell you everything I know as I do not want to compromise the Environment Agency ongoing investigation into SWW but I do want to provide an update following last weeks dye test by SWW.

I was fortunate to actually be there during the test on the first day.

SWW did not tell ESCAPE about the second day of tests so we missed that. An admin error they say but fortunately one of our members stopped by on his walk and witnessed most of it.

As I was actually physically present for several hours, spoke with the senior SWW engineer and the EA guy at length and was there when the dye came out of the broken pipe I know exactly what occurred, what was said and the views of both the senior SWW engineer and the EA representative.

You may have seen statements published by the Exmouth Journal and DevonLive last week issued by SWW to say that they had completed the promised dye test to locate the Maer Road Sewage Pumping Station emergency and storm overflow pipe location.

They stated things like the pipe was where they expected it to be and was operating as they expected and was located within the permitted area so all was well.

The Exmouth Journal and DevonLive (part of the same media group who regularly post paid for articles from SWW written as if they are real news articles) presumably published (both have now been removed) the SWW statements without crosschecking them or asking EA for their view on the situation.

Similar statements were sent by SWW to Exmouth Town Council, East Devon District Council and Simon Jupp MP. Fortunately those organisations are in contact with ESCAPE and EA and they chose to check the facts of the matter before simply promoting SWW point of view.

It is very interesting that SWW have not published these statements themselves but only offered them to others to publish on their behalf.

The Environmental Agency is undertaking an investigation of the Maer Road / Maer Rocks overflow pipe to determine in SWW breached its permit and so illegally overflowed sewage and caused pollution. They are investigating why SWW, though they knew that the pipe was broken, had not self reported this to EA and had not worked quicker to investigate it and repair it. EA are investigating if the end of the pipe or indeed the break in the pipe is at its permit stated location. If not it is potentially in breach of its permit and a new permit may be required.

EA are investigating if the several hundred tankers of sewage that were dumped into Maer Road SPS across December 23 and hence spilled out through this broken pipe whilst the SPS was already overflowing were hence “wilful pollution”.

EA are investigating if, as was stated by a SWW contractor to David Parsley of iNews, that a storm pump at Maer Road SPS had failed and had been failed for some time, making all overflows during that period illegal.

This pumping station and its location and cause of overflows is central to Jo Batemans legal claim for loss of amenity against SWW and the outcome of the EA investigation will surely have an impact on that claim.

So its no surprise that SWW are trying to get their story out, their narrative, their version of the truth and have that published by ETC, EDDC, Exmouth Journal, DevonLive, Simon Jupp MP. Its no surprise that SWW want you to believe that they broke no rules, all is well, all is within permit and they want to get that out before the Environment Agency have chance to properly review the facts, the results and to come to a proper considered conclusion.

It is the Environment Agency that issues the permits. It is the Environment Agency that will decide if the Maer Road SPS overflow pipe has breached those permit conditions and it is the Environment Agency that we should listen to and believe. The EA are the police acting to protect the public and holding criminals to account. Listen to the EA, publish their findings, not SWWs alternative truth.

I am pleased to say that many now understand that what SWW tell them is not necessarily the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Now people are asking questions, checking SWW statements, no longer blindly believing and repeating their propaganda. Hopefully the tide is turning and its not just the public that can see the subterfuge of SWW. Do not believe everything you read in the papers.

London Playbook PM from Politico

SEWAGE FOR DAMAGES: Along the few kilometers the River Lim weaves between Uplyme village and the seaside town of Lyme Regis in Dorset, there are multiple points sewage can flow in. Human, animal and manufactured waste trickle in from numerous directions alongside the tributaries of fresh water. The sources include sewage works, home and agricultural slurries, and roads, to name a few.

Trolling the water: One of the culprits is a porthole tucked under a bridge right before the river meets the English channel. When an underground cathedral used for sewage storage fills faster than management firm South West Water can pump and treat it, the porthole belches the overflow out into the sea. Overflows are meant to be restricted to rain deluge events, which fill the infrastructure quicker. But the porthole — and others like it along the river — discharged for around 1,300 hours in 2023, up from around 1,200 in 2022.

Water warriors: The River Lim Action Group has been investigating pollution in the water and sounding the alarm about it. As a result, South West Water has upped its measurement and maintenance efforts, but more is needed to improve the current “moderate” cleanliness classification from official watchdogs. “We’ve been getting special treatment because we’ve made such a stink,” says Vicki Elcoate, a driving member of the group. “But we need a thorough, systematic solution to all these problems.”

Issue politics: The national political parties have picked up on concerns about similar sewage problems across Britain. The Liberal Democrats were the first to weaponize it against the governing Tories in target seats. Labour is now making noise too and the Tories are upping their game. Ministers handed Dorset council £4.63 million to tackle some of the land runoff issues affecting Poole Harbor, for example, and ministers have begun to talk tough about failing water bosses. No local Conservatives were available to talk to Playbook PM, however. 

Votes for water: Constituencies around Dorset are prime Lib Dem targets in the so-called “Blue Wall” of southern Conservative heartlands. Davey is hopeful of seizing Dorset council as a staging post during local elections this week and is using the sewage issue as a battering ram. Last month he visited West Bay beach just east of Lyme Regis alongside Giles Bristow, CEO of the Surfers Against Sewage campaign. The beach had a number of pollution alerts in 2023. 

A sodden shame: The pollution amounts to “hundreds of thousands of local tragedies in a national picture of shame,” Bristow tells me as we walk along the River Lim from Uplyme to the sea. Thatched cottages are dotted along a gravel path high above the river, the track bordered with bluebells and wild garlic flowers. The trail crosses the stream then opens out to a small meadow. Hidden in the trees is a South West Water treatment plant. I’m sure I detect a subtle smell of rot in the breeze.

Closed for sewage: The path becomes a single lane road flanking the river as we head towards the urban center of Lyme Regis. Bristow points out a pipe draining road surface water into the stream. There’s a sign on a bridge crossing an old fjord: “Reduced water quality is predicted. Swimming and paddling is not advised.” Children used to paddle in the area in summer, but now sewage fungus grows on the plants and rocks. 

The open seas: In the center of Lyme Regis the river flows through a mill then cuts deep between the  beautiful old buildings. There are a couple more bridges under the coastal road and footpath before the water hits the sea. The overflow gate sits low beneath the final bridge, its chin out of view under the water. Around the corner is Church Cliff Beach, which was stripped of its safe swimming designation because sewage was pooling at the shore. 

It’s not that bad, honest: “The River Lim has good water quality but that can sometimes be impacted by periods of heavy rainfall,” a spokesperson for South West Water said. Campaigners point out 10 of the overflow discharges occurred during the summer of 2022. The spokesperson added: “The most frequent and largest change to the water quality comes from agricultural runoff from fields, upstream of any of our infrastructure.”

Message discipline: Along the coast, the cliffs at Seatown rise up then fall towards the West Bay beach Davey visited to illustrate the sewage issue. But there’s a mismatch between national and local Lib Dem messages on sewage. Nick Ireland, Lib Dem group leader on Dorset Council who stands a good chance of becoming council leader this week in what would be a historic win in a Conservative stronghold, argues voters aren’t raising the sewage on the doorstep. 

Retail politics: “Across the South West it is a big thing and the politicians are jumping on the bandwagon,” Ireland tells me over lunch at the Posh Partridge cafe in Dorchester. But he insists voters are more focused on the cost of living crisis, ailing NHS services and demands for new housing. 

Nevertheless: It’s clear the national Lib Dems reckon polluted water is a vote-winner — and the Greens took the Lyme Regis council seat from the Tories at a 2022 by-election, which suggests it’s resonant, at least in affected wards. “It’s an issue that has captured the imagination of the whole country,” Bristow argues. Elcoate adds: “People will vote for the parties who support efforts to clean all this up.”

Residents of Tipton St John are being asked for their views on the proposed relocation of the village primary school to Ottery St Mary.

Philippa Davies www.sidmouthherald.co.uk

A consultation was launched on the school’s website, and on Devon County Council’s ‘Have Your Say’ website, on Wednesday, May 1.

It sets out the plan to rebuild the school at Thorne Farm in Ottery St Mary, and provides links to relevant documents. These include a report commissioned by the Department for Education on four possible sites for the new school, two of which are in Tipton St John: Carters Field and land south of Otter Close. The other two were Thorne Farm and the King’s School playing fields. The report considered the suitability, constraints and planning considerations of all four sites before recommending Thorne Farm as the best option.

The initial consultation will run until June 19. On June 24 the governors of the Otter Valley Federation, which runs Tipton Primary, will meet to decide whether to go ahead with the proposed relocation. If they do proceed, there will have to be a formal four-week consultation, ending on July 25, and the ultimate decision will be made by the Cabinet of Devon County Council in September.

As part of the initial consultation a drop-in session, open to all those interested in the proposal, will be held on Wednesday, May 22 in Tipton St John village hall from 4pm until 7pm. Governors from the Otter Valley Federation will be available to answer questions as well as officers from Devon County Council and representatives from the Diocese of Exeter.

While there has been a campaign for the rebuilding of Tipton St John Primary for many years, a large number of people feel strongly that it should be in the village. A petition has been launched on Change.org arguing that the primary school is the heart of the Tipton St John community, and pointing out that even if it relocates, measures will still be needed to tackle the flood risk in the village.

But there is also a view that Tipton Primary needs a new school building as soon as possible, and the relocation to Thorne Farm is the quickest way to achieve this.

Responses to the consultation can be sent to Tipton St John Primary School via email admin@tipton-stjohn.devon.sch.uk or by post. All responses will be shared with Devon County Council.

A new group of Covid variants is spreading fast, putting the UK at risk of a fresh wave of infections in the coming weeks, scientists warn.

Tom Bawden inews.co.uk

Cases involving the variants, nicknamed FLiRT, have soared this month to account for around a quarter of total UK Covid infections.

They are replacing JN.1, the dominant variant they are descended from, that until recently accounted for virtually every case of the virus in the UK.

At the moment, the new variants appear to be largely replacing JN.1 rather than driving up Covid cases overall – which remain at around three year lows.

But there are fears that its continued spread could start to push overall cases higher, given that it seems to be more contagious and that vaccines don’t work as well against it, scientists say.

At the same time, the immunity the British public has built up from vaccines and previous infections is likely to be waning after several months of very low levels of the virus.

“It is likely we are about to enter a new wave of infections due to the global increase of new subvariants of the current dominant variant JN.1,” said Professor Christina Pagel, of University College London.

“I expect prevalence to increase in the coming weeks as we see the arrival of new variants that seem to be replacing the JN.1 variant that caused the Christmas 2023 wave.”

“Essentially, JN.1 has mutated further and several of its children have found mutations that help them spread much faster than their parent,” Professor Pagel explained.

The FLiRT variants involve two key mutations from the JN.1 virus which mean it can spread more easily.

One sees a mutation, known as F, being replaced by another, known as L. The other involves mutation R being supplanted by mutation T – giving the main letters for the term FLiRT.

Although some scientists are expecting a new wave, they predict that it will be considerably smaller than that seen in the run-up to Christmas last year, when more than 2.5 million, or 4.6 per cent of the UK population had Covid.

That’s because the new subvariants are not as different from their “parents” than some previous subvariants were from theirs, while the two mutations have been around before, earlier in the pandemic, in some previous variants – but not since JN.1 became the dominant variant.

As such, the population may have some enduring immunity to those mutations but its hard to be sure, scientists say – as effect of any given mutation varies according to the variant it’s found in and is difficult to predict.

Professor Pagel said: “When the JN.1 wave hit around the world last December, it was significantly different to previous circulating variants and caused a substantial wave. Since these new FLiRT offshoots are more similar to JN.1, and we are heading into summer, hopefully any wave caused by these new subvariants will be smaller.”

Other scientists agree there is a risk that FLiRT could cause a spike in cases – although there is a good deal of uncertainty about whether this will happen and how big any outbreak may be, other than that is is likely to be smaller than the last wave.

Professor Lawrence Young, a virologist at Warwick University, said: “One FLiRT variant now accounts for 1 in 4 of all Covid infections in the US and so it is possible that these variants will cause a small wave of infection over the next few months.

“These mutations have been seen before in previous Covid variants but not in the context of JN.1. This makes it difficult to predict the behaviour of the FLiRT variants as many folk will have some immunity due to previous infections.

“As the FLiRT variants are derived from JN.1 it is also likely that previous JN.1 infections will provide some protection. Recent data suggests that a previous JN.1 infection will provide good protection but that the modified booster vaccines currently available are unlikely to be effective against FLiRT variants,” he said.

Professor Eric Topol, of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in California, believes FLiRT could deliver “a wavelet but not a significant new wave of infections”.

He argued that these new subvariants are not sufficiently different from their parents to overwhelm the immunity people have collectively built up.

Paul Hunter, professor in Medicine at the University of East Anglia, said: “While we don’t know for sure, I doubt that we will see a major wave over the next few months. My guess is that infection and hospitalisation rates will probably decline further as we move into the summer, but probably slowly rather than any dramatic fall.”

“With the exception of 2022, when there were serial waves associated with new Omicron subvariants, there has been fairly strong evidence of “seasonal forcing” of Covid infections from the very first year,” said Professor Hunter, a member of the National Institute for Health Research’s Health Protection Research Unit, which contributed to national and international panels, including Sage and NERVTAG during the pandemic.

Whatever the size of any wave, scientists urge the public to take up the offer of a spring booster, if they have one – and for others to consider a private jab if they can afford it.

Cllr Jess Bailey: “This does not address the fundamental issue that this council is not properly funded. It doesn’t address that at all, and I have no confidence that this will lead to any better services but just pointless bureaucracy and crumbs from the top table.”

Devolution is a ‘Devon fudge’ claim

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

Attempts by Devon’s opposition parties to delay a decision about getting more decision-making powers from goverment but combining their own powers has failed after the controlling Conservatives voted for the plan.

In an at-times febrile full council debate on devolution at Devon County Council, Liberal Democrat, Labour and Independent councillors raised concerns about the proposals.

The special meeting of the full council was called to ratify the cabinet’s decision this month to press ahead with plans to create a combined county authority, or CCA, with Torbay.

Councillor Alan Connett (Liberal Democrat, Exminster & Haldon) called the proposal a “right Devon fudge”.

“This is an extra layer of bureaucracy and suggests we want to spend more money on local government red tape than actually doing things,” he said.

“The £1 million pledged to fund the first three years of costs of running the CCA could be better spent fixing potholes, or solving road drainage problems.”

A significant part of the council debate focused on how Team Devon, an initiative that includes business, education, skills, and public sector members, would be factored into the CCA, and how much control Devon’s councillors would have in formulating that relationship and its influence upon the CCA.

Opponents questioned whether this was devolution as they saw it – bringing decision-making closer to the electorate – given it creates another level of government in which people are appointed rather than elected.

Concerns were also raised that Torbay, as one of Devon’s smaller districts, could disproportionately benefit from the deal given its smaller population than the Devon County Council area.

In spite of the disparity – Torbay’s 139,000 residents compared to the Devon County Council area’s 750,000 – both councils will have three voting members on the CCA.

Other fears raised included district councils seeing their relationship with Homes England diluted, concerns about the long-term costs and how these would be met, and the potential impact on residents if Devon and Torbay officers spend time working for the CCA.

Proponents of the CCA say the move will give the county greater control over adult education and skills, more say in transport and green issues, as well as a louder voice when it comes to securing cash from Homes England, the body responsible for funding affordable housing.

Part-way through the debate, Devon’s Liberal Democrat leader Councillor Caroline Leaver (Barnstaple South), put forward a motion to delay the decision because of what she and other opposition members deemed as lack of clarity about how the CCA would function.

But this motion was defeated, and the initial proposal to submit Devon’s bid to create a CCA with Torbay to the government was agreed.

Councillor Jacqi Hodgson (Green Party, Totnes and Dartington) had “real concerns” about the devolution deal. “There are positive aspirations, but how will it address housing pressures; the £16 million that has been given to the CCA won’t touch the surface,” she said.

“And with local transport, how are we going to do it? We have lots of plans, and Councillor Andrea Davis (Conservative, Combe Martin Rural) has done a huge amount, but buses are fading away as there is no money.

“Until we have money for services, there’s no point in plans.”

Councillor Martin Wrigley (Liberal Democrat, Dawlish) noted that the £16 million had now already been promised to Devon. “I appreciate a lot of work has been put into this process, but this proposal has been put together in a rush,” he said.

He added that the CCA “goes against the very principle of devolution” and feared that government minsters would be “double-checking” its every move and “drip-feeding money in a begging bowl, Hunger Games approach”.

Councillor Caroline Whitton (Labour, St David’s and Haven Banks) questioned “how this was a good idea for Devon”, and raised the prospect that Exeter, which she called the “economic centre of the county”, could not be guaranteed a voting member.

“As a Labour party member, I absolutely support devolution and having decisions being made closer to the people, but let’s make sure those decisions come to the all the people of Devon, and not, as in this deal, a very small minority overrepresented by Torbay and underrepresented by most of the people in our area,” she said.

“In my view, most of our residents will not feel the decision-making come closer to them, far from it. The decision-making is actually going further away, and that’s the reason we will certainly not be supporting it.”

The Lib Dem Cllr Leaver acknowledged that the consultation on devolution, which ran for six weeks over February and March, did show some support for it, but highlighted that more people did not approve of the way it was being set up.

“With the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, that goes to district councils now, but it is clearly stated that this will be going to the CCA,” she said.

“We have had no reassurance that any future money will be allocated fairly by default.

“The proposal for the CCA leaves so many questions and areas of uncertainty; for us we believe we should be looking at devolution for a coherent economic area, words which are used in the proposal, but I would seriously question whether Devon and Torbay is a coherent economic area.”

Cllr Leaver added that Devon’s patchwork of town and district councils already work well together and often struck agreements to ensure cross-border collaboration, therefore questioning the need for the CCA.

And Councillor Jess Bailey (Independent, Otter Valley) said that while council leader John Hart, who is standing down, had emphasised that it had been a long process to get to this point, she questioned the lack of clarity.

“For instance, why has Devon not established whether it will give district councils voting rights, as that could have been set out,” she said.

“And this does not address the fundamental issue that this council is not properly funded. It doesn’t address that at all, and I have no confidence that this will lead to any better services but just pointless bureaucracy and crumbs from the top table.”

• Discharge of condition for 23/1374/AGR: Condition 3 (badger class licence), Condition 4 (ecological works), Condition 5 (track surfacing) and Condition 6 (surface water drainage) Heathayne Wood ColytonRef. No: 24/0833/DOC | Validated: Fri 19 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of single storey flat roofed extension which would extend beyond the rear wall of the original house by 4m, for which the maximum height would be 2.9m and for which the height of the eaves would be 2.9m 36 Pinn Hill Exeter Devon EX1 3TQRef. No: 24/0835/GPD | Validated: Fri 19 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1, Silver Birch : Crown reduce by no more than 3m in height and reshape; due to over hanging to public footpath obstructing the walkway and over hanging of the ajacent garden to 12 Westminster Close work carried out will ensure the tree retains a balance and uniform shape as previously done during work carried out on the tree early 2022 previous application no; 21/3231/TRE date of decision 18 January 2022. 12 Westminster Close Exmouth Devon EX8 5QSRef. No: 24/0831/TRE | Validated: Thu 18 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of a single storey extension to the front N/W elevation of the property. 12 Manstone Mead Sidmouth Devon EX10 9RXRef. No: 24/0830/FUL | Validated: Thu 18 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T001, Pedunculate Oak : Section fell to ground level Land Off Alansway Ottery St Mary EX11 1RERef. No: 24/0826/TRE | Validated: Thu 18 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Front porch and rear extension with terrace 22 Fore Street Budleigh Salterton Devon EX9 6NHRef. No: 24/0825/FUL | Validated: Wed 17 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Discharge of condition for 18/2504/MFUL :: Condition 9 (landscaping), Condition 12 (external lighting) Armada House Odhams Wharf Ebford Devon EX3 0PBRef. No: 24/0819/DOC | Validated: Wed 17 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Discharge of condition for 16/2227/VAR: Condition 12 (Construction Management Plan) Rolle College Playing Field Douglas Avenue Exmouth Devon EX8 2HARef. No: 24/0822/DOC | Validated: Wed 17 Apr 2024 | Status: Unknown
• Certificate of existing lawfulness for the erection of a single storey rear extension. Melhuishs Kerswell Devon EX15 2ENRef. No: 24/0820/CPE | Validated: Tue 16 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T001 – Pedunculate Oak : sectionally fell to ground level.Land Set Aside For Finnimore Industrial EstateRef. No: 24/0811/TRE | Validated: Mon 15 Apr 2024 | Status: Withdrawn
• Construction of single storey front extension. 21 Hillside Payhembury Devon EX14 3HBRef. No: 24/0808/FUL | Validated: Mon 15 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed bike/bin store to north elevation 11 Otter Court Budleigh Salterton Devon EX9 6JHRef. No: 24/0810/FUL | Validated: Mon 15 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Discharge of condition for 23/0090/FUL: Condition 3 (materials) 16 Upper Stoneborough Lane Budleigh Salterton Devon EX9 6SZRef. No: 24/0809/DOC | Validated: Tue 16 Apr 2024 | Status: Unknown
• Discharge of condition for 22/2795/MRES: Condition 3 (materials), Condition 4 (external materials), Condition 5 (fencing), Condition 6 (hard surfacing materials) Land North Of Sidmouth Road (Ceramtec) ColytonRef. No: 24/0797/DOC | Validated: Mon 15 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Discharge of condition for 21/2447/FUL: Condition 5 (Schedule of Materials) Scout Hut Imperial Road Exmouth Devon EX8 1DBRef. No: 24/0800/DOC | Validated: Mon 15 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Demolish existing garage; construction of attached dwelling 36 Westward Drive Exmouth EX8 1JDRef. No: 24/0775/FUL | Validated: Fri 19 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Discharge of condition for 22/2443/VAR: Condition 5 (footpath) Brookfield Farm Offwell Devon EX14 9SURef. No: 24/0770/DOC | Validated: Mon 15 Apr 2024 | Status: Unknown
• Front Porch, Single Storey Rear Extension and Decking. 3 Ladymead Sidmouth Devon EX10 9XNRef. No: 24/0772/FUL | Validated: Wed 17 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Installation of 32no. ground mounted Photovoltaic Panels and 2no. Air Source Heat Pumps. Repositioning of internal studwork wall to form enlarged bathroom Southcombe Farm Chapel Street Axmouth Devon EX12 4ANRef. No: 24/0768/FUL | Validated: Thu 18 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Installation of 32no. ground mounted Photovoltaic Panels and 2no. Air Source Heat Pumps. Repositioning of internal studwork wall to form enlarged bathroom Southcombe Farm Chapel Street Axmouth Devon EX12 4ANRef. No: 24/0769/LBC | Validated: Thu 18 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Replacement windows to property 1 North Street Exmouth Devon EX8 1LFRef. No: 24/0760/FUL | Validated: Mon 15 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed demolition of old barn and erection of new residential annexe Milton Furze Payhembury Devon EX14 3HERef. No: 24/0762/FUL | Validated: Thu 18 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Renovations, and reinstatement of hipped roof to detached outbuilding within the curtilage of a listed building. Holly Farm Alston Devon EX13 7LGRef. No: 24/0761/FUL | Validated: Tue 16 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Retrospective application for use of barn as a dwelling and use of outbuilding for associated incidental purposes Swallows Nest Payhembury EX14 3HJRef. No: 24/0741/FUL | Validated: Wed 17 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Erection of a side elevation, oak framed garden room Sowden Cottage Sowden Lane Exmouth EX8 5ADRef. No: 24/0732/FUL | Validated: Mon 15 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Erection of a side elevation, oak framed garden room. Sowden Cottage Sowden Lane Exmouth EX8 5ADRef. No: 24/0733/LBC | Validated: Mon 15 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed two storey corporate facility, floodlighting around existing football pitch and the construction of a flood lit 3G Football Pitch with 3 metre high netting Exmouth Town Football Club King George V Ground Southern Road Exmouth Devon EX8 3EERef. No: 24/0682/FUL | Validated: Thu 18 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Erection of an oak framed annexe Lancercombe House Lancercombe Sidmouth Devon EX10 0JXRef. No: 24/0639/FUL | Validated: Tue 16 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed conversion of first floor and second floor extension to provide a residential dwelling above the existing retained retail unit. Hind Street Gallery Hind Street Ottery St Mary EX11 1BWRef. No: 24/0636/FUL | Validated: Thu 18 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• The erection of 4 x military tents; installation of 20ft container for storage of equipment; installation of 2 person compost toilet Beacon Copse TalatonRef. No: 24/0603/FUL | Validated: Thu 18 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Renovations, and reinstatement of hipped roof to detached outbuilding within the curtilage of a listed building. Holly Farm Alston Devon EX13 7LGRef. No: 24/0547/LBC | Validated: Tue 16 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Certificate of lawful development for a rear extension and a habitable room in the loft14 Raleigh Road Exmouth EX8 2SBRef. No: 24/0528/CPL | Validated: Fri 19 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposal for replacement Bridge, replacement retaining walls and boundary treatment Penshurst High Street Newton Poppleford Devon EX10 0DWRef. No: 24/0449/FUL | Validated: Mon 15 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposal to re-surface car parking area, rebuild shed, re-roof 2no. lean-to’s and install 2no. EV chargers. Retrospective permission for internal lime render, replaced window boards, revealed original fireplace, and new stone flooring replacing previously carpeted areas The Gardens High Street Newton Poppleford Sidmouth EX10 0DURef. No: 24/0423/LBC | Validated: Tue 16 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Change of use and regrading of Top Field to accommodate 32no luxury lodges and re-layout of existing holiday park to reduce holiday caravan pitches (no net increase in number of units) and provide landscape and environmental improvements Ladram Bay Holiday Park Otterton Devon EX9 7BXRef. No: 24/0415/MFUL | Validated: Mon 15 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposal to re-surface car parking area, rebuild shed, re-roof 2no. lean-to’s and install 2no. EV chargers. The Gardens High Street Newton Poppleford Sidmouth EX10 0DURef. No: 24/0422/FUL | Validated: Tue 16 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed change of use of the office to residential, construction of spiral staircase on west elevation, and renovation/restoration on the front elevation 34 Fore Street Budleigh Salterton EX9 6NHRef. No: 24/0399/FUL | Validated: Thu 18 Apr 2024 | Status: Awaiting decision

Hard to believe, but the “Old Guard” Tory administration was so focussed on development that it placed little or no emphasis on tourism. For example, leaving Dorset to run the WHS Jurassic Coast bid.

Paul Arnott on redressing the balance. – Owl

Paul Arnott ,

I’ve often been involved in discussions with local people about whether East Devon has a distinct identity, compared say to other parts of the county. This matters when it comes to thinking about tourism strategies, and that matters because of the huge role tourism plays in the district’s economy.

To many, the identities of, for example, Torbay, or the South Hams, or Dartmoor are clear. They can be pointed to on a map. To me, East Devon, the largest district by population, is pretty clear too. To the south, the Jurassic Coast from Axmouth to Exmouth, the Axe and the Exe estuaries defining east to west, with the Blackdown Hills drawing most of the northern boundary to the M5 and a small part also to the north of Exeter.

At East Devon we have a superb Economy team which has worked up a valuable tourism strategy, all of it underpinned by the desire to promote our unique local offer and benefit the district’s economy. Last weekend on the Strand in Exmouth, we were involved in staging a bit of a triumph, and because the joy of democracy means the council has to accept regular punches on the chin, I’m unashamed in promoting this to show just how much good an ambitious council can sometimes achieve.

The event was the first ever Exmouth Gate to Plate all-day festival, which I was delighted to see was getting rave reviews from Exmouth people on social media almost instantly and for the rest of the day. Food providers from Devon and beyond set up dozens of stalls, selling everything from bread to doughnuts, teas to kombucha, lots for veggies and vegans, but plenty for carnivores too.

The Strand was buzzing, a great crowd, lovely atmosphere, families and singles wandering from stall to stall and sitting down to eat their purchases at some tables in the middle. Of huge significance, despite understandable apprehension by local traders, was that those who chose to open also did very well. Many locals said to me that this was the kind of event the Strand was made for, and it was hard to disagree. There was almost a sense of civic pride that Exmouth felt like the perfect host for an aspirational occasion such as this. Bar the threat of drizzle around lunchtime, even the weather played its part.

Of course, events like this don’t just fall from the sky. At East Devon we’ve been piloting them for a few years, first at Honiton, then for the first-time last year at Axminster. Indeed, a date for your diaries, Axminster goes again on Bank Holiday Monday 26th May. I was there last year and that was a joy too. I’ll be there again on the 26th (note to self: also wedding anniversary that day).

In Exmouth I was delighted to have a long discussion with Bev Milner Simonds, one of the two geniuses at the Eat Festivals organisation which brings these events together and who East Devon brought in to run it for us. Her passion for these events, the joy and fun they bring, and the serious role they can play in shifting the needle on a community’s civic self-confidence, was inspirational, and her company, run with her wife Sarah, has a stunning record across towns in the region.

As I said in an online comment, it’s a relief to be writing about Exmouth and for it not to be about South West Water or disputed planning applications for a change. It’s lovely to have a bit of good news. A proud day for all concerned.

“Destination Exmouth” levelling up project gets a well deserved thumbs down from residents. 

To Owl this has always looked like a “Big Brother knows best” project driven more by its glossy brochure potential in winning funds, using buzz-phrases such as “Gateways and Destination Exmouth” than actually satisfying a local need. Levelling up is more than this.

Worth recalling the words of Simon Jupp MP in January 2023: “….I’m really looking forward to seeing spades in the ground as quickly as possible. This new multi-million-pound investment will improve journeys in Exmouth, improve air quality, and help spruce up the area around the train station.”

Did he ever speak to “real” people in Exmouth? – Owl

Plans to reduce traffic in Exmouth town centre are set to be scrapped after scores of residents failed to support the closure of a subway.

eastdevonnews.co.uk

Devon County Council (DCC) has announced the proposals are in doubt because Councillors have been urged to terminate the Exmouth Gateway plans after failing to win public backing.

The county council said The Dinan Way Extension – which proposes to provide a link to the A376, moving traffic away from residential roads in the area – was not expected to be impacted if the gateway plans were scrapped, but added the go-ahead must come from the Government.

Devon County Council said plans fill in the underground subway near the railway station – in a bid to widen the pavement and ‘improve the experience for people arriving in Exmouth’ – had been rejected by the majority of those taking part in two public consultations.

A Devon County Council spokesman said: “The Dinan Way Extension, which proposes to provide a link to the A376 and move traffic away from residential roads in the area, is not expected to be impacted if the gateway scheme is not undertaken, although it is still to be confirmed with the Department for Transport.”

He added: “Devon County Council is working closely with the Department for Transport to understand the financial implications of not progressing the gateway scheme.”

Devon County Council’s spokesman said recommendations will go before Devon County Council’s Cabinet next week (Wednesday, May 8) calling on Councillors not to proceed with proposed active travel improvements near Exmouth railway station.

The DCC spokesman said: “The “Exmouth Gateway” proposals had been planned to be part of the Destination Exmouth Levelling Up Fund improvements for the town, which also includes an extension to Dinan Way.

“The gateway scheme, which aimed to reduce the amount of traffic in the town centre and improve the experience for people arriving in Exmouth, included plans to close the subway near the railway station to enable widening of the shared pedestrian and cycle path in this area and changing the zebra crossing to one with traffic signals.

“Among other improvements, it also proposed to introduce a new zebra crossing outside The Strand Inn, a pedestrian crossing on The Royal Avenue, and widening of the footpath to the leisure centre.

“However, during two rounds of public consultation, the majority of respondents did not support the closure of the subway.

“Without the additional space provided by the infilling and closure of the subway and its ramps, it’s not possible to deliver the other active travel improvements.

“This has led to the recommendation to remove the Exmouth Gateway proposals from the Destination Exmouth scheme.”

Devon County Council successfully submitted a bid to the Government’s Levelling Up Fund for £15.765 million for its Destination Exmouth improvements.

Devon County Council, East Devon District Council and Exmouth Town Council had agreed to contribute £1.752 million to the plans.

Councillor Andrea Davis, Devon County Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Environment and Transport, said: “This is brilliant news for the people of Exmouth and a boost to the town’s regeneration. It will not only enable Devon County Council to complete the Dinan Way link road which will reduce traffic going through the centre, but also fund improved walking and cycling routes, and bus services to Exeter. A big thank you goes to Simon Jupp, the Member of Parliament for East Devon, who has worked tirelessly to support this project. I want also to thank the team at Devon County Council who put such a compelling bid together.” 

Swimmer tries to start a wave of legal actions

A wild swimmer taking legal action over sewage pollution wants to “open the floodgates” for other citizens to fight water companies (Adam Vaughan writes in yesterday’s print edition of the Times)

Jo Bateman, a retired physiotherapist in Exmouth, was unable to swim for a ten-day period last year because of raw sewage being spilt by South West Water on the town’s beach.

Bateman, 62, had previously brought a small claims court challenge against the company, which she admitted she did not expect to win. But her case has now been boosted by the support of the law firm Leigh Day and the non-profit Good Law Project.

“It’s a game-changer.

Having the backing of a law firm experienced in this area of law has to hugely increase my chances of winning,” Bateman said.

She added: “For me, it isn’t about the winning as such, it’s really not about the money. If we win, that will really properly open the floodgates for other people to do the same.”

A burst pipe just before New Year’s Eve led to untreated sewage being discharged into the sea and 240 lorry loads of sewage a day being transported through the Devon town.

In her claim, Bateman argues that not being able to swim during the ten days amounted to a loss of amenity, meaning a reduction in the quality of a person’s life. She said: “To have a consecutive period like that has a real impact on my mental health. G-ing in that cold sea is such a boost to my mental health, it’s so meditative. So when I can’t do that, I can feel myself not feeling so great mentally.”

She said that last year there had been more than 120 days she couldn’t swim because online maps reported sewage spills, and she always allowed 48 hours after a discharge ended.

With Leigh Day’s help her challenge has been redrafted to focus more on the ten-day period. Bateman could win as little as £60 in compensation but she hoped it would cause bigger ripples. “I want to see all the water companies not paying massive dividends to shareholders … I want to see more money going into infrastructure and maintenance,” she said.

Her case is part of a wider drive by campaigners and lawyers to use the courts to force companies to take more action on water quality.

Leigh Day is also representing Carolyn Roberts, of Gresham College in London, who is trying to win compensation for the customers of several water companies she alleges have underreported sewage spills. Her claims are going through the competition appeal tribunal.

The firm is also bringing a multi-party action against Tesco’s main chicken supplier, Avara Foods, over the impact of chicken farms’ pollution on the River Wye. If successful it could lead to a payout for locals.

A recent YouGov poll of 2,000 adults found that only 14 per cent were likely to swim in rivers and seas this summer in light of headlines about sewage pollution — 73 per cent said it was unlikely.

The Times’s Clean It Up campaign has been calling for better real-time information about sewage spills and faster, greater investment to improve water company infrastructure.

South West Water was contacted for comment.

Holding South West Water to account – Good Law Project

Jo Bateman couldn’t go swimming after a water company sent tankers to release a flood of sewage. We’re supporting her legal action.

Jo Bateman tries to swim in the sea off Exmouth every day, because of the huge benefits to her physical and mental health. But in December 2023 this retired physiotherapist couldn’t get into the water for 10 days straight, after a pipe burst and South West Water started driving a fleet of lorries full of untreated sewage to a pumping station that was already overflowing.

Ten tankers transported up to three million litres of untreated sewage a day for the next three days. But they didn’t take it to a nearby sewage treatment works, where it could have been processed. They didn’t take it to sewage treatment works outside Exmouth. They didn’t even take it to a pumping station 2km up the road – a pumping station which wasn’t already overflowing. All of these options could have prevented the spillage, but they likely would have been more expensive. Instead, South West Water drove this untreated sewage straight to a pumping station that was already spilling sewage into the sea, making it unsafe to swim off the beach at Exmouth for 10 days.

We’re supporting Jo in her legal action against South West Water.

Good Law Project is powered by people across the UKDonate now

“I’m bringing this case because I’ve simply had enough,” Jo said, “and I feel there is no other option available to me for holding South West Water properly to account.”

But “it’s not just about me,” she continued, “the sea belongs to all of us, and there are many, many other people who are also prevented from using the sea as they would like”.

The water companies’ behaviour is “simply unacceptable” Jo added. “In the 21st century we can land a spacecraft on Mars. Why can’t we have a sewage system that disposes of our waste without polluting the rivers and oceans?”

Environment Agency data paints a picture of a country swimming in sewage. Latest figures show that South West Water discharged sewage into local rivers and waterways for a staggering 530,737 hours in 2023, an 83% increase on 2022.

Storm overflows should only be used in an emergency, such as during exceptionally heavy rainfall, but when water companies put profit above people our seas and rivers are closed off.

For Good Law Project’s executive director, Jo Maugham, this scandal can’t go on.

“It’s shocking how little water companies have to care about the destruction they wreak on our stunning natural heritage and the lives of people who wish to enjoy it,” Maugham said. “We want this case to change that.”

According to water experts, the flood of sewage sweeping the country is the result of a decade of failures by Tory ministers to tackle the problem. Government inaction and underfunded regulation have allowed water companies to get away with environmental vandalism.

We can’t allow our rivers, waterways and seas to continue being poisoned by pollution. We can’t stand by as swimmers get sick and lose their right to swim. And we can’t sit back as the dirty money made by water companies destroys the natural environment for us and for future generations.

It’s time for the government to take action, so that water companies are forced to clean up their act and we can all enjoy our right to swim. 

Sign the petition

Cancer patients are resorting to self-dentistry due to the lack of access to NHS dentistry. The situation has been brought to light by Richard Foord MP, the Liberal Democrat representative for Tiverton and Honiton at a House of Commons debate on Wednesday, April 17.

Lewis Clarke www.devonlive.com 

Foord, who has been in office for nearly two years, says he has frequently received complaints about the difficulty of accessing NHS dentistry.

He said, “It is common across the country for someone to have difficulty accessing new NHS dentists if they are not already registered, but that is particularly difficult in some parts of the country, including in Devon, which is often regarded by many as a so-called ‘dental desert’.”

The government has proposed one-off incentives to attract qualified dentists to these dental deserts. However, Foord argues that this is insufficient as there is no long-term incentive for dentists to move into these areas. This issue is particularly concerning for cancer patients, for whom regular dental check-ups are crucial due to the weakening of their bones and teeth from treatment and medication.

Foord shared the story of his constituent, Robin Whatling, a 55-year-old advanced cancer patient from Tiverton. Robin’s wife, Sharon, contacted Foord last December, recounting their distressing experience.

“After booking a check-up, he received an abrupt phone call just a few days before it was due to happen. He was informed that the practice was no longer treating NHS patients and that if he wanted to go ahead with his appointment, he would need to go private. That is clearly a massive issue for a couple like Robin and Sharon.

“Due to Robin’s vulnerable state, Sharon has had to go part-time to become his carer. That means that she is not able to work the hours that she used to, which would have possibly afforded her more money to pay for private healthcare treatment.

“Instead, the couple pursued the idea of finding an NHS dentist. They were held on the phone for three hours before being cut off. In the end it all became too much, and Rob ended up removing one of the teeth that was causing him pain by himself at home. I do not need to tell the House that that is a shocking, appalling situation to have to contend with while suffering advanced cancer.

“Despite years of working hard and paying into the system, this couple are now left adrift with no support or access to dental care. In some of the correspondence that Members receive, we have constituents who rage at us with anger, but this couple approached me with great modesty and humility. They absolutely were not seeking to score any sort of political point. They just wanted to let me know, in a very factual way, the experience of a rural couple contending with cancer and trying to find NHS dentistry on the state.

He explained that The British Dental Association has revealed that oral cancer is one of the fastest-growing types of cancer, killing more people than car accidents every day. Dentists play a key role in diagnosis and referral, and early diagnosis can significantly increase survival rates.

Foord stated, “Let us say it as it is: NHS dentistry is in crisis. It is another example of the Government continuing to let people down and stand by as our vital services crumble. The NHS dental budget has been cut in real terms by £1 billion while the Conservatives have been in power. That is a shocking legacy of neglect.”

In response, Dame Andrea Leadsom, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, acknowledged the challenges in Devon and announced the forthcoming introduction of a mobile dental van for the area. She also highlighted that only around 57% of commissioned units of dental activity are actually undertaken by dentists in the area.

Leadsom outlined the steps taken to improve access to dentistry across the country since the publication of their recovery plan on 7 February. The plan aims to create around 2.5 million additional NHS appointments and increase the minimum value of a unit of dental activity to £28. It also includes initiatives to bring dental care to isolated communities and increase the dental workforce.

Despite these measures, the struggle of cancer patients like Robin and Sharon underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive reform of NHS dental care. Mr Foord said: “I urge the Minister, for the sake of Rob, Sharon and everyone who is trapped in a situation like this, to take on board the urgency of the issue of NHS dental care for cancer patients and those who might become cancer patients.”

Plans to expand a town with the creation of more than 1,400 homes and two schools have been given the green light.

Angela Ferguson BBC News

The development of Cranbrook near Exeter, which has been approved by East Devon District Council (EDDC), will also include the creation of a neighbourhood centre, green space and a place of worship and cemetery.

Plans for 10 permanent pitches for gypsies and travellers have also been approved.

Ed Freeman, assistant planning director, said the development would provide “much-needed homes for people in East Devon”, along with key facilities such as schools, shops and play areas.

The development will be the first expansion of the town since it was created more than 13 years ago, EDDC has said.

The town is set to get a new three-form entry primary school along with a special educational needs school.

Mr Freeman said the planning permission meant “important facilities such as new schools, shops and play areas” would be provided.

‘Population of 20,000’

“We look forward to seeing the town continue to grow, bolstering the strong sense of community that Cranbrook has fostered over the past 11 years,” he added.

The Cranbrook Plan was adopted in October 2022 and sets out how it will accommodate a population of about 20,000 people.

The plan sets out that low carbon development must be used, with financial contributions made to key Cranbrook facilities.

A council spokesperson said the development would see over £4m contributed towards projects including a new health and wellbeing centre, leisure centre, fire station and improvements to London Road to make it more suitable for people walking and cycling.

They added that Devon County Council had been successful in a bid to the Department for Education for funding to build and open the new special educational needs school on the site.

Three other planning applications for Cranbrook’s expansion look set to see a further 2,085 homes built in the town, along with another primary school, sports pitches, open space, play areas, allotments and neighbourhood centres.

These planning applications are to be issued once legal agreements are finalised, the council added.

Persimmon Homes has been given outline planning permission to build new homes at Cranbrook Cobdens.

The company’s managing director for the South West, Daniel Heathcote said: “Throughout the planning process for Cranbrook Cobdens, we have worked closely with officers and stakeholders at East Devon District Council to ensure that our homes complement and enhance the local area.”

See www.mirror.co.uk

Richard Foord MP writes on “X”

The Govt have got their priorities all wrong. Towns like Cullompton & Seaton have seen their levelling-up bids rejected repeatedly, while Ministers spent huge sums bragging about the scheme. This is galling for communities across rural Devon.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has set out plans to give everyone over 70 and those with long-term health conditions access to a named GP.

Sophie Wingate www.independent.co.uk

The policy would affect around 18.7 million people in this cohort, who have been found to benefit the most from having continuity of care.

The party pointed to British Medical Journal research showing that people who had kept the same GP for more than 15 years had a 25% lower chance of dying than those with a GP relationship lasting a year or less.

The Lib Dems are also campaigning for 8,000 more GPs to be recruited in response to a “crisis” in general practice waiting times.

Sir Ed said: “Years of neglect and broken promises under this Conservative government have left people struggling to see their local GP when they need to. It is piling pressure on to overcrowded hospitals and meaning patients with easily preventable and treatable conditions aren’t getting the rapid care they need.

“We want to see the return of the family doctor, so patients with long-term care needs see the same GP and don’t have to waste time repeating their details from scratch at every appointment.

“This would provide vital personalised care for those who need it most, helping people lead healthier lives, independently in their own homes wherever possible.”

Thames Water collapse could trigger Truss-style borrowing crisis, Whitehall officials fear

Senior Whitehall officials fear Thames Water’s financial collapse could trigger a rise in government borrowing costs not seen since the chaos of the Liz Truss mini-budget, the Guardian can reveal.

Anna Isaac www.theguardian.com (Extract)

Such is their concern about the impact on wider borrowing costs for the UK, even beyond utilities and infrastructure, that they believe Thames should be renationalised before the general election.

Officials in the Treasury and the UK’s Debt Management Office fear that, unless the UK’s biggest water company is renationalised as soon as possible, “prolonged uncertainty” about its fate could “damage confidence in UK plc at a sensitive time”, with elections in the UK and the US later this year.

Earlier this month, the Guardian revealed details of government contingency plans, known as Project Timber, to renationalise Thames via a special administration. This could lead to the bulk of its £15bn of debt being moved on to the government’s balance sheet. Thames’ investors have refused to pump more money into the struggling company amid a standoff with the water regulator Ofwat.

Some lenders to its core operating company could lose up to 40% of their money under the plans, a move that officials believe marks a careful balance between managing public outrage at the water company’s many failures and the need to sustain investor confidence in the UK.

Those contingency plans also describe a risk of “contagion” from Thames’s plight that could trigger a loss of confidence that feeds through to wider state borrowing costs.

In the aftermath of the Truss mini-budget in September 2022, UK borrowing costs shot up as government debt markets went into freefall. Her chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s promise of £45bn of unfunded tax cuts, the sacking of the most senior civil servant at the Treasury and Truss’s refusal to have her sums checked by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility spooked investors and sent the value of UK debt instruments, known as gilts, plummeting.

The pound hit a low against the dollar not seen since 1985, and the whiplash effect on the bond market damaged some pension funds’ investment strategies so severely that the Bank of England had to stage an emergency market intervention to maintain market stability. That crisis added billions of pounds to the UK’s cost of borrowing, as investors demanded a higher price to lend to it. British households experienced big spikes in mortgage costs, as banks and building societies passed on higher borrowing costs. Many mortgage offers were pulled overnight…..

Dr Dan Poulter MP, Central Suffolk and North Ipswich.

“The difficulty for the Conservative Party is that the party I was elected into valued public services,” he said. “It had a compassionate view about supporting the more disadvantaged in society.

“I think the Conservative Party today is a very different place.”

Says it all – Owl