Owl’s correspondent on the Pakistan Observer lets us know what Hugo Swire is up to now that he is free from being so busy in his constituency. 

https://pakobserver.net/bestway-group-invites-deputy-chairman-cweic-uk-to-pakistan/

In pursuit to position the Islamic Republic of Pakistan a key member of Commonwealth with the potential to assist in creating a powerful platform for meaningful engagement between businesses and Government decision-makers across the Commonwealth through CWEIC, the Rt Hon. Sir Hugo Swire KCMG, Deputy Chairman of Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council UK (CWEIC) and former British Parliamentarian visited Pakistan on 20th and 21st February 2020.

 Claire Wright: This is my speech from Devon County Council’s Budget full council meeting on Thursday.

What started as a commentary on how austerity is STILL affecting councils and local people, also ended up as a rather scathing response to the general election…

claire-wright.org 

This is the tenth year of austerity.

But this year there were no government funding cuts.

That’s NOT because austerity is over it’s because there is NOTHING left to cut.

Because central government ministers have now removed the revenue support grant in its entirety.

Total reductions to budgets since 2010, including this one, is £272million.

Core funding to DCC has reduced by 72% in real terms.

So services are STILL having to be cut.

This council is now reliant only on business rates, council tax revenue and any ad hoc funding that ministers deign to pass in our direction.

We’re now in the humiliating position of having to go cap in hand to ministers, for the funding that should never have been taken from OUR RESIDENTS in the first place.

Council tax is set to increase again by 3.99 per cent, to help finance an adult social care situation that sinks further into crisis every single year.

We now have a truly reprehensible situation where Devon’s council tax across Devon’s public sector has rocketed by well over 20 per cent, while each year services have been progressively slashed to pieces.

And all the while earnings stagnate.

 We have seen closures of residential care homes, children’s homes, children’s centres, youth centres and day centres, library services reduced, support for the elderly slashed, support for vulnerable children slashed, support for disabled people slashed, support for unpaid carers slashed, potholes cratering our roads and pretty much no budget to do anything at all, other than provide the most basic of services.

It is an ABHORRENT indictment of the ideological values of the government overseeing the sixth largest economy in the world…………..

There are cuts across all services, but as a member of Devon County Council’s Health and Adult Care Scrutiny Committee this is where my focus lies….

“This is a really tight budget and it’s getting harder to find savings. This is the hardest one so far.”

The words of Jennie Stephens, chief officer for adult care and health.

So although we have a 10 per cent increase for adult social care this year because of the Better Care Fund and ad hoc government grants, a decade of austerity has meant that significant service cuts still have to be made.

Including:

• that around 70 fewer Devon people will be able to access daycare
• Over 100 fewer people will receive paid personal care. At a time when unpaid carers are finding times increasingly tough
• 140 fewer people will receive support for alcohol addictions

There’s a long list of risks in the budget assessment, relating to the shortage of staffing and the increasing cost of and demand for, services.

The possibility of a Brexit no deal is described as a “major risk” to workforce in the budget risk assessment, as is a points based immigration system.

The council’s official risk register also records the council’s ability to meet its statutory requirement for nursing care, personal care and demand for working aged adults, as “high” or “very high.”

So not only has this government financially crippled councils and the rest of the public sector, but its hardline, ideological, right wing politics, has put at risk the VERY EXISTENCE the statutory services that this council must legally provide.

As a result thousands of Devon people have been plunged into hardship, struggling to manage without the services that were once available to support them.

And every day we’re lied to by ministers.

Lied to about funding, lied to about responsibility, lied to about Brexit, lied to about immigration and lied to about workforce.

The citizens of this country have been enmeshed in a tissue of lies for so long, it’s virtually impossible for many people to determine the truth anymore.

My heart sank deeply in the early hours of 13 December.

Not just because I wasn’t elected as East Devon’s MP.

But because an amoral government, that has NO INTEREST whatsoever in providing care for its citizens, a prime minster who cares about nothing except the retention of power, has been elected with a huge majority.

It’s a disaster. And I PASSIONATELY wish it wasn’t so.

But that’s the reality. And all I can do. Just like everyone else as despondent as I am about the election, is to carry on.

We must continue to hold local MPs to account BUT very importantly….

We must continue to SEEK the truth and PRESENT that truth to local people.

Here’s the full webcast …. https://devoncc.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/455417

Those who live in the countryside pay more for almost everything – from petrol to central heating

Households in the countryside suffer a £3,300 “rural living penalty” as they pay more for everyday services than urban dwellers, analysis has found.

By Sam Meadows  www.telegraph.co.uk

The cost of essential goods for those in rural areas is rising significantly faster than the national average, according to heating firm BoilerJuice Connected, which analysed figures from the Office for National Statistics.

Rural dwellers, who are more likely to need to drive, will spend £535 more on petrol each year and an additional £561 on cars and vans.

They are also forecast to spend £354 more on “domestic fuels” than city inhabitants. The firm said this could be because 1.5 million households use heating oil rather than mains gas.  

Rural homes are far less likely to have energy-saving technology such as smart meters installed – 43pc of city homes have one compared to 34pc in the countryside.

Lee Cowles of BoilerJuice said: “Although living in the countryside can be wonderful, rural life is a financial challenge, particularly for those on lower incomes.”

The firm said households could save money by investing in insulation. A fifth of homes in rural areas fall into the lowest two categories on energy efficiency, according to the Energy Saving Trust.

Those on low incomes can receive support from their energy supplier to make their homes more efficient as part of the “energy company obligation” scheme.

The firm also recommended weighing up whether the distance from home to supermarket meant that using a delivery service would be more cost-efficient than driving. Some supermarkets also offer cashback on petrol for those who spend a certain amount.

Owl thinks it is essential to protect local services – use it or lose it.

Talking to your neighbours is mandatory if you live here.

You can only live in this block of flats if you are under 25 or a pensioner – and you have to socialise. It’s all part of a plan to help tackle loneliness.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/stories-51480010/talking-to-your-neighbours-is-mandatory-if-you-live-here

Environmental Scientists don’t agree with DCC Leader John Hart (who looks to be parroting Environment Secretary George Eusitice) – it’s not enough, just sticking plaster.

Here is a digest of today’s press comments

Robin McKie  www.theguardian.com 

More investment in flood defences and improved planning for future disasters are urgently needed, scientists have warned…….

“We are simply not prepared for the flooding coming our way in future,” said Prof Hannah Cloke, of Reading University. “We need to carry out a complete overhaul of our defences and be prepared to spend a lot more on them over a longer period of time.”

So far the government has committed to spending £4bn over the next five years on improving flood defences. But both the amount and timescale were criticised for being insufficient last week.

“Extremely wet days during UK winters are currently up by around 15% compared with previous decades,” said Dann Mitchell of Bristol University’s Cabot Institute for the Environment. “Wetter future winters is a consistent projection with some predicting a 30% to 35% increase in rain by 2070. Our government and town planners need to invest significantly in UK flood defences.”

Last week George Eustice, the environment secretary, said he wanted to see more nature-based solutions, such as the construction of dams made of natural materials and the planting of trees in upper catchment areas. These would hold on to water and prevent it from pouring too quickly into rivers and estuaries.

But this approach was dismissed as inadequate by Roger Falconer, professor of water management at Cardiff University. “It is like putting a small sticking plaster on a major open wound to control profuse bleeding. It would certainly be insufficient when dealing with the 30% increase in winter rainfall which the Met Office has predicted for some areas.”

Instead, Falconer called for the construction of a large number of flow-through or perforated dams above towns at high risk of flooding. “Such a dam fills during flooding in the upper parts of the river basin and is then emptied, under controlled conditions, after the flood,” Falconer said. “We need many more of these.”…..

Bringing a halt to the construction of houses on flood plains has also emerged as a key issue. One in 10 new homes built in England since 2013 has been built on ground at high risk of flooding, official figures show. Prof Robert Wilby, of the University of Loughborough, told the Guardian that the government should review its housebuilding targets in view of the increased risks from floods.

This was backed by Mohammad Heidarzadeh, head of coastal engineering at Brunel University. “The UK’s flood defence systems were developed decades ago and are not fit to address the current climate situation,” he said. “While the interval for major floods was 15 to 20 years in the past century, it has shortened to two to five years in the past decade.

“The country needs further investment in its flood systems, but such investment should be within a holistic and integrated framework.”

Did you know that Government flood defence expenditure is driven by house prices? 

Sunday Times

The Environment Agency is to rewrite its controversial flood defence funding formula after claims that it pours cash into England’s richest regions, mostly in the south, at the expense of poorer flood-prone areas mainly in the north.

The formula is criticised for favouring the southeast because it is based on property values. It means up to 60% of the £2.6bn flood defence funding from 2015 to 2021 will be spent around London — despite the deluges hitting towns in the Pennines, Yorkshire Dales and Herefordshire in recent weeks during storms Ciara and Dennis. Many are still flooded.

Now the formula is to be rewritten to focus more on protecting people’s health — so property values will be less important. It means hundreds of millions of pounds could be diverted northwards and westwards, to protect England’s poorest flood-prone regions.

And in the Financial Section

Insurers are refusing to provide affordable cover for small businesses in parts of the country where floods have forced thousands to shut temporarily.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) warned this weekend that up to 75,000 companies would not be able to find the money for flood insurance after weeks of heavy rain. It is estimated the cost to the economy will top £1bn.

Insurance industry sources said that premiums would rise sharply after storms on successive weekends this month. Some brokers are said to be demanding more than £100,000 for cover in new policies. “You just need to look at the pictures. Small businesses are being crucified,” said one broker.

Campaigners have asked the government to reduce business rates in the worst-affected areas. There are also growing demands for small companies to be permitted to join Flood Re, a government-backed initiative to make flood cover more affordable.

Unlike homeowners, occupiers of commercial premises on flood plains do not receive lower insurance premiums if they erect their own defences.

“We cannot have a situation where small businesses are driven off the flood plain because they cannot access affordable insurance,” said Craig Beaumont, a director at the FSB. “Those that put in place flood defences should see that reflected in lower premiums, so they can stay in the local communities that rely upon them.”

Surprise Surprise!

As an Owlet has pointed out the area marked Two Bridges in the flood map below i.s the land Fords will develop as a business park at Sidford . So no affordable insurance for them.

https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/long-term-flood-risk/map?easting=313437&northing=90163&address=100040198690&map=RiversOrSea

Owl says: remember the Nolan Principles – Selflessness; Integrity; Objectivity; Accountability; Openness; Honesty; Leadership

Hannah Corfield   honiton.nub.news /n/honiton-town-council-backstory-of-disputes

It is the issue which has ignited public fury in Honiton; a series of disputes stretching back almost eight years, which has left locals in despair with the town council.

Now there are calls for every councillor to resign and seek re-election.

Action group, Honiton Residents, has even started a petition following a series of major disagreements within the town council going back to 2012 – when plans for the The Beehive first emerged.

These include:

• May 2012: Decision to build The Beehive – opposed by two Town Polls. These are not binding on the council and HTC had lots of reasons and evidence in favour. HTC voted to build; 12 votes to three.
• Dec 2012: How will the Beehive be Managed? By a HTC run company, or by a separate charity? Five current members of HTC were opposed to the charity; Howard, Coombs, McNally, Taylor, Zarczynski.
• 2012 – present day: Overspend on the building of The Beehive (Baileys Dispute) – currently ongoing with court case pending against Baileys (Architects). 
• 2014: How much should HTC be paying in service charges to Honiton Community Complex Co (Charity that leases and runs The Beehive)?
• June 2017 – December 2019: HTC questioned invoices relating to the service charge submitted by HCC (The Beehive) and subsequently ceased payment for two years while negotiations took place.
• July 2019/February 2020: Lack of public confidence with co-option of councillors.

This has resulted in the following concerns around Honiton Town Council’s conduct:

• Non-compliance with transparency code regarding publication of expenditure.
• The very large expenditure on legal fees.
• The over-use of Part B agendas and the lack of information regarding Part B issues.
• Two successive Clerks going on sick leave. The first resulting in over £40,000 being spent in employing an interim clerk and deputy clerk.
• The large number of councillors who have left the council since 2015.
• The lack of confidence of some councillors and members of the public in the co-option procedure.
• The open row at the council meeting this month (February) that resulted in the Clerk and several councillors walking out.

Correspondence from a water-logged Feathered Friend! (Hope you dry out soon – Owl)

Owl is, indeed, very wise to keep a close eye on this District’s increased risk of flooding due to climate change, where the local floodplains are over capacity and drains are unable to cope with the recent more intense rainfall, which was highlighted in last night’s BBC Spotlight, reported from the old bridge over the River Clyst in Clyst St Mary. 

The investment of a quarter of a million pounds to alleviate long-standing problems from extensive flooding from the River Clyst at Clyst St Mary is welcomed by this community, although this sum will not alleviate all the local flooding problems in this fragile area.

Hopefully, the much publicised major Winslade Park development by Burrington Estates https://winsladepark.com/   will not exacerbate the  problematic flooding issues in this village? The Developers’ proposals for Zone B (elevated commercial units with parking below) & Zone  J (substantial car parking) are in high risk flood zones and will require significant flood relief measures to ensure that the Grindle Brook (which flows into the River Clyst) does not create substantial deluges in these areas. Storms Imogen (2016),  Ciara and Dennis (2020) created major flooding in these areas and to lower-lying parts of the village, with the A376 dual carriageway and local roads being overwhelmed and the 2020 storms are not over yet!

Clyst St Mary’s residents and businesses certainly support a better management of flood defences and storm drains and although these vital improvements will cost millions of pounds – such figures pale into insignificance against the catastrophic cost to the lives of flood victims!

However, Devon County Council Leader, John Hart’s solution to encourage a modern day dad’s army of individuals, villages and Parish Councils to do more for themselves, using self-help methods seems unrealistic, blinkered, impracticable and somewhat utopian! Historically, King Canute demonstrated that no mortal could hold back the tides and the power of leaders is worthless in such situations! 

We are all prepared to ‘do our bit’ to protect our local and wider environment and support local authorities. However, we are already manually clearing DCC drains,  cutting DCC grass verges, pruning DCC trees, collecting/disposing of DCC autumn leaves, improving DCC potholes etc but we do need a little help from local and national government and regulators to build essential, significant flood defences for protection against climate change!

A Water-logged Feathered Friend!

Thinktank says 70,000 new builds in high risk areas are not covered by government-backed scheme

Josh Halliday www.theguardian.com  

Tens of thousands of families who bought new homes in flood-risk areas are facing “crippling” financial costs, as they are ineligible for cover under a government-backed insurance scheme, a study has found.

Research by the liberal conservative thinktank Bright Blue found that 70,000 homes had been built on land at the highest risk of flooding in England since 2009, including 20,000 that were not protected by flood defences.

Homes built after 1 January 2009 are not eligible for insurance under Flood Re, a government scheme launched in 2015 with the aim that about 350,000 homeowners would have access to affordable cover.

However, the scheme has been criticised – not least because tens of thousands of people who bought new homes in flood-prone areas in the past decade are not covered. The government ordered a review into flood insurance following the storms over Christmas.

The study found that about £31bn worth of properties had been built after 2008 on land in England at the highest risk of flooding. The vast majority of these properties are protected by the Thames Barrier in London, it said, although £5bn worth of buildings remain unprotected.

Of the 70,000 new homes built in these at-risk areas since 2008, 20,000 are not protected by flood defences. Lincolnshire had the greatest concentration of undefended at-risk homes, according to the report.

The thinktank said the government had not done enough to inform new-build homebuyers of their flood risk over the past decade and should step in to help. Helen Jackson, the author of the report, said: “Government policy over the past decade has seen individuals as entirely responsible for finding out their flood risk, but obviously many are simply not aware.

“Many of those seeing their communities deal with flooding would view this onus on them as individuals to have understood how flooding could affect them as a bit heartless.”

The National Planning Policy Framework, which guides local planners on the government’s housebuilding policies, states that “inappropriate development in areas at risk of flooding should be avoided” by directing development away from areas at highest risk. It adds that where development is necessary, it should be “made safe for its lifetime without increasing flood risk elsewhere”.

However, experts say that any housebuilding on high-flood-risk land risks exacerbating the problem elsewhere because it involves paving over green space that would otherwise help soak up rainwater.

A government spokesperson said: “Local authorities have a responsibility to assess the number of homes their communities need and have the final say on planning permissions for new developments. However, flooding risk should always be a consideration to ensure building takes place where this risk is lowest.

“Where development in a risk area is absolutely necessary, sufficient measures should be taken to make sure homes are safe, resilient and protected from flooding.

“To better understand if some households are not receiving sufficient insurance cover, we have announced an investigation into this issue.”  [Owl might have to ask the weasels what the last few paragraphs mean]

On last night’s BBC Spotlight, Adrian Campell reported from the river Clyst on the increased risk of flooding due to climate change. This follows a number of serious flooding problems in the last week especially on the river Yealm. He reports that our drains can’t cope with today’s more intense rainfall. The river Clyst is to get a quarter of a million pound investment to alleviate long standing problems. [Preparing the way for more development – Owl?]

More intense rainfall because of climate change means that new methods are needed to manage flood defences and storm drains.The County Council Lib Dems have called for millions more to be spent on improved drainage. Council Leader, John Hart’s solution, however, 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.

Owl notes that in following its jobs led, high growth strategy to: build, build, build; EDDC has rolled over to developers for years. Cranbrook comes to mind. Owl fears that it’s going to get worse. As reported earlier, Barnstable is now the go to place for high tech start-ups. It’s more attractive.

Richard Vize   www.theguardian.com 

Boris Johnson’s “smash the system” approach to public policy is about to reach every street, town, village and field in the country. The government is preparing to dynamite development controls and unleash market forces on our physical world, moving power from councils to developers and inflicting great harm on the built and natural environments.

While No 10 adviser Dominic Cummings and eugenics aficionado Andrew Sabisky grab the headlines, it is Jack Airey who may well have the more lasting impact on our lives. As Johnson’s new adviser on housing and planning, Airey is leading the charge to strip local councils of meaningful control over local development. Just last month, in his role as head of housing at influential right-wing thinktank Policy Exchange, he published his manifesto, Rethinking the planning system for the 21st century.

Airey is undoubtedly right that the planning system is not fit for modern times. Fertile land is being gobbled up for ugly, sprawling, car-dependent, amenity-free housing developments. Poorly planned building is exacerbating the menace of floods. Too few new buildings minimise their carbon footprint. Developers constantly dodge their obligations to build social housing. There are too few homes. Planning decisions can take too long and the rationale can be opaque. But junking democratic accountability and putting developers in charge is not the answer.

A white paper on planning reform is expected in the coming weeks. Johnson is clearly in the mood for bold, high-risk policies, and Policy Exchange is playing to that tune by proposing land is simply divided into development and non-development zones. “Market conditions” will then determine how development land will be used, with few controls. Councils will be reduced to mere administrators of the system, banned from taking a view on any scheme no matter how awful.

The green belts are in their sights, of course. They could be stripped of their protections.

Apparently this free-for-all will create “a more beautiful built environment”. The Policy Exchange report is full of this sort of seductive phrasing. The current restrictions “prevent dynamic places from growing naturally”, as if there is anything natural about a cheap, ugly development on what used to be a field. The choice we are offered is the current system – painted as dystopian state control reminiscent of the Soviet Union’s infamous Gosplan state planning committee – and the sunlit uplands where untrammelled market forces spontaneously enhance our environment and help us become carbon neutral.

It claims councils are saddled with too many policy objectives around development, often pulling in different directions. Of course there are conflicts, and it is the role of local and national politicians, accountable to voters, to do their best to resolve them. The outcomes will be inherently imperfect, but still superior to allowing the answers to be determined by those whose primary objective is to maximise profit.

As councils have repeatedly demonstrated, it is developers who hold back housebuilding, rather than planning. Figures released by the Local Government Association yesterday revealed that 2.6m units

Owl recommends searching the archive using a combination of these terms: Twiss; broadband supremo; omnishambles. How far back can you go?

The search is on to find a new contractor to roll out superfast broadband across Devon and Somerset.

Daniel Wilkins

www.exmouthjournal.co.uk /news/devon-somerset-superfast-broadband-procurement-1-6526131

Connection Devon and Somerset (CDS) is working with Building Digital UK (BDUK) on a new procurement process.

The Government has confirmed an extension for the CDS programme, helping to provide a £38 million public investment in the region’s broadband.

Funding has also been provided by Heart of the South West local enterprise partnership, local authorities, the European Regional Development Fund and the Rural Development Programme for England.

Councillor Rufus Gilbert, Devon County Council cabinet member for economy and skills and CDS board member, said: “CDS is working hard to find alternative broadband providers for our residents and businesses.

“BDUK has always stated its commitment to extend the funding for the programme, and it has backed us by doing exactly that.”

Final bids from qualified bidders in the procurement process are expected to be received by CDS by late summer, and contracts are due to be awarded in December.

Following this week’s announcement that Axminster Carpets had entered administration, East Devon District Council has said it will be working with partner organisations to assist staff facing redundancy.

East Devon council offers support to Axminster Carpets staff

The historic carpet-making company, once one of the biggest employers in the area, entered administration on Wednesday with almost all of the remaining 90 staff members being made redundant.

The council is re-convening a support network, which will give staff the opportunity to access direct support, advice and guidance to help them through this difficult period.

East Devon is bringing together a group of relevant organisations, who will be available at the Axminster Job Club at Pippins, Lyme Road, Axminster on Thursday, February 27.

This session will be repeated over the following weeks as many times as is necessary to ensure that the needs of all redundant staff are met.

Affected staff will be offered the opportunity to come and speak one-to-one with representatives from organisations to find out about universal credit/benefits, council tax, options for retraining and skills development, finding alternative work, support for self-employment.

Organisations offering support will include the council itself, as well as Business Information Point, Job Centre Plus, Citizens Advice, the National Careers Service, Education + Training Skills, Learn Devon, Axminster Job Club, and Community (trade union).

The council wants to encourage all staff, including those unable to attend the event, to speak to the right people and organisations who will understand their individual situations and who are best placed to offer advice and valuable practical support.

Councillor Kevin Blakey, East Devon District Council’s portfolio holder for economy, said: “We are deeply saddened at the news of further redundancies at Axminster Carpets.

“East Devon District Council responded in October 2019 with a programme of support for employees affected by redundancy at that time. We are now working with a range of partner organisations to widen our support via a series of redundancy support events at Axminster Job Club for as long as the support is required.

“We recognise that finding alternative employment is a daunting task for those facing redundancy, but we are keen that the skills and expertise of the highly trained workforce are recognised by other prospective employers who undoubtedly can benefit from this pool of talent.”

Owls’ previous post  mentioned the IPPR ( Institute for Public Policy Research ) study on devolution. This is their view of the South West.

They use the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS) definitions of regions.  In this definition the South West includes, not just the area of the Great South West, but Gloucestershire, Bristol, Bath, Swindon and Wiltshire.

https://www.ippr.org/files/2020-02/the-devolution-parliament-feb20.pdf  

(page 53)

The South West is perhaps the more challenging part of England to group together at scale. Cornwall has a very strong regional identity which is often overlooked by policymakers, and it is crucial that, in devolving power out of Westminster, this sense of identity is duly respected. That said, there is an economic case for grouping the South West together, due to the economy of scale and the resilience that comes with an area that is more socially and economically diverse.

Taken as a whole region, the South West would be home to 5.6 million people. With annual GVA of £139 billion, it would be the smallest English region, but it would have an economy twice the size of Wales. This region would unite the high-productivity city of Bristol, its affluent commuter belt, high-tech clusters, and universities with the rural Devon and Cornwall, with their natural assets and tourism economy. There are significant disparities in income and wealth between Cornwall and Gloucestershire for example; and there is currently a great deal of geographical fragmentation too. Bristol has been working closely with Cardiff recently in the Western Gateway project and such cooperation should be encouraged rather than impeded by any new governance structure in England.

However, all these factors could be better addressed by more cooperation within this region. The region could work at scale to reduce economic disparities and to enable better connectivity, and could also use devolved power to forge stronger partnerships across the Severn estuary. Given the strong economic case for working at a regional tier, this appears to be the best starting point for this part of England. However, economic arguments can only take policy so far, and identity must also be respected. The area may therefore benefit from a bespoke governance solution and more powers devolved to Cornwall than to subregional authorities elsewhere. 

Owl has been reporting on the very public way the new unelected, unaccountable, unrepresentative Great South West, chaired by Steve Hindley (Chair MIDAS Group) and previous Chair of HoTSW, has been pushing its prospectus for your future to Ministers (including Sajid Javid).

Under the headline “Regions must be given new powers” today’s Western Morning News gives a more balanced view from a Northern Think-tank.

Owl wonders whether Exeter University, whose representatives are claimed to contribute to HotSW, has produced a regional view as comprehensive and reflective as this? Are we letting the North seize the initiative?

Sophie Morris, Western Morning News 21 Feb 2020:

The Government must deliver a devolution Parliament and open the door to more devolved power across England, including the South West, to level up the country, a think-tank has said.

A report by IPPR North suggests almost half of England’s job increases in the last decade were in London or the South East and calls on the Government to implement a four-year programme that “puts power and resources into towns, cities and regions” across the country.

Greater powers should be given to mayors and local leaders and areas that already have devolution such as Greater Manchester, the West Midlands and London should be permitted to take on more, the research suggests.

The Local Government Association also urged the Government to publish its promised devolution white paper “as soon as possible’.

England has the worst regional inequalities in the developed world with 47% of the increase in jobs in the last 10 years occurring in London and the South East, despite the area being home to just a third of England’s population, the research shows. This Parliament must be the “devolution Parliament” to reduce divides both between England’s regions and between the people living within them, IPPR North said.

The think-tank’s proposals to bridge the gaps include giving additional power to mayors and local leaders over issues such as schools commissioning, job centres and some taxes and setting up a “new geography of regional collaboration” with four regions in the North, the Midlands, South East and South West led by council leaders and mayors.

Holding a “convention on devolution in England” to “set the direction of travel and empower citizens” is also recommended.

The report suggests that Germany, which spends twice as much locally or regionally on supporting their economies as a percentage of GDP, is “better placed to support economic prosperity’.

Senior Research Fellow at IPPR North, Luke Raikes, said: “For too long, Westminster has hoarded power and held back prosperity in all of England’s regions, including London.

“Levelling up should mean opening the door for all of England to benefit from devolution, while also letting areas that have devolution take on more.

“This Parliament must be the Devolution Parliament. It is time to overturn the centralisation that’s let towns, cities and regions fall into decline. The Government must give places the power and resources they need, to adapt to the decades of change that lie ahead.”

Responding to the report, Sir Richard Leese, chair of the Local Government Association’s City Regions Board, said: “There is clear and significant evidence that the country gets better value for money when decisions over investment and how to run local services are taken closer to communities and businesses.

“As this report shows, with the right powers and funding, devolution can lay the foundations for a more inclusive arid prosperous economy across the whole of England. Democratically-elected councils are best placed to support the Government in seizing the opportunities for growth in the years ahead. They also make a huge difference to their communities by building desperately-needed new homes, creating jobs and providing care for older and disabled people.

“We urge the Government to publish its promised Devolution White Paper as soon as possible, and to reignite the process of handing councils the freedom and resources they need to get on and deliver for their communities:’

Last year, Local Government Association chairman James Jamieson said of Conservative plans for a Devolution White Paper: “Taking decisions over how to run local services closer to where people live is key to improving them and saving money.

“There is clear and significant evidence that outcomes improve and the country gets better value for money when councils have the freedoms and funding to make local decisions!’

Next door to us in Devon, East Devon District Council is discussing a poverty strategy that addresses issues of incomes, rent, rural isolation, debt and general well-being. So if you live in Honiton or Axminster the council is actively engaged in addressing your problems. If you live over the border in Lyme or Beaminster – or if you’re in Sherborne or Wyke or Swanage or Ferndown … bad luck!” Owl thinks this is the advantage of having a Council no longer dominated by Conservatives unlike the Dorset unitary authority.

www.dorsetecho.co.uk /news/18250506.low-wages-driving-young-people-dorset—may-contribute-suicide-rates/

Chronic low wages are not only driving Dorset’s young people out of the county to find work – but may also be contributing to suicide rates and poor health.

Professor Phil Marfleet says that while the incidents of people taking their own lives in rural Dorset increased by almost 40 per cent last year, in neighbouring Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch it reduced.

Some of the poorest and most deprived areas of the country are in South Dorset – which also has one of the lowest average household income figures.

Profesor Marfleet told Dorset Councillors at their February meeting in Dorchester: “chronically low wages are driving away our young people. Many of those who can leave – especially if they have appropriate qualifications – do leave, and don’t return. Among those who remain, job opportunities are depressed by employers who take advantage of the low-wage economy by violating the law on pay, contracts and in-work benefits. This is becoming a systemic problem, especially in South Dorset – and especially in leisure, hospitality, retail and the care sectors, which dominate the local economy.”

He said that in a few years the ratio of those in work in the area, compared to those who are economically inactive, will be 1:1 – a ratio which he says is not sustainable and will leave the county in deep trouble.

“Chronically low wages have their impact on local businesses – less to spend, less commercial income and more business failures. This is part of the syndrome which leads to a collapse in new business starts. Weymouth & Portland dominates the Dorset Council area demographically … but here, where wages are lowest, the number of new companies is a fraction of those established elsewhere in the county and in Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole.”

He says that other councils with similar problems have intervened – with Cornwall and Bristol guaranteeing the real living wage of £9.30 an hour to its lowest paid, compared to just 12 registered Living Wage employers across the whole of south and west Dorset.

“Next door to us in Devon, East Devon District Council is discussing a poverty strategy that addresses issues of incomes, rent, rural isolation, debt and general well-being. So if you live in Honiton or Axminster the council is actively engaged in addressing your problems. If you live over the border in Lyme or Beaminster – or if you’re in Sherborne or Wyke or Swanage or Ferndown … bad luck!”

He said that so far, despite Dorset Council setting up a panel to investigate, it had made no recommendations:  “Other local authorities are intervening directly to tackle wage poverty and social deprivation. Why is Dorset Council apparently unable to take the initiative? “

Fellow speaker Jenny Lennon-Wood said that one third of children now live in poverty in the Dorset Council area.

“Parents frequently go without food so that their children can eat. Even so, children often go to school hungry and, during school holidays, food banks do their best to make up for the loss of the main daily meal. Hungry children can’t get the best out of their education and impoverished parents can’t afford extras like school trips. So the one-third of Dorset’s children who live in poverty are doubly disadvantaged in the education system,” she said.

She also highlighted the area’s gender pay gap – at 29% compared to 8.9% nationally.

“This grim situation serves only to bring down the economy of the county as a whole,” she said.

Cabinet brief holder Cllr Gary Suttle says that work an economic growth report is expected by the council later in the spring.

“In the short-term the council is providing leadership to drive improvement and is working with partners to deliver interventions such as the work of the Careers Enterprise Company.  In tandem with the Careers Hub focussed on Weymouth & Portland this will raise aspirations amongst young people, develop linkages between schools and business, and identify appropriate pathways for progression.”

He said the other initiatives included special events in the coming months to raise awareness of careers in science, technology and maths subjects, and jobs in construction.

Cllr Suttle said that the impacts of equal pay and adopting minimum wages needed to be“fully appraised, and if considered appropriate could take significant time to deliver.”

Owl has previously chronicled EDDC’s planning decisions, irresponsible in Owl’s mind, to build in areas prone to flooding. Now that EDDC has a climate change strategy. No doubt that will be a thing of the past.

But wait – Owl finds a concern in the strategy that new planned development will have minimal environmental impact, good, but no mention of not building in flood risk areas. Opps!  As one might expect there is a lot of talk of the risk of flooding and the need for protection measures (and a lot of this will be paying for past mistakes).

This looks to Owl a strategy that isn’t entirely “joined up”.

www.theguardian.com /environment/2020/feb/19/one-in-ten-new-homes-in-england-built-on-land-with-high-flood-risk

Josh Halliday

(abridged)

One in 10 of all new homes in England since 2013 have been built on land at the highest risk of flooding, official figures reveal, potentially leaving tens of thousands of people in greater danger from extreme winter storms.

The number of properties built in these high-risk areas annually has more than doubled in recent years, with more than 84,000 new at-risk homes in total since 2013, according to a Guardian analysis of government data.

In the aftermath of the devastating Storms Ciara and Dennis, experts and council leaders have warned that residents are being left at risk in part due to the pressure on local authorities to build thousands of new homes despite a dearth of suitable sites.

Prof Robert Wilby, of the University of Loughborough, said the government should review its housebuilding target in light of the increasing risk from floods: “We’re compounding the existing risk by continuing to build on the floodplain. The more we’re paving over natural areas the more we’re making it easier for water to move across the land and enter rivers.”

The figures emerged on Wednesday……….

The government has promised to build 300,000 new homes a year by the mid-2020s to help solve the UK’s chronic housing shortage. Data from the ministry of housing, communities and local government (MHCLG) shows that the number of new houses built on land at the highest risk of flooding has risen from 9,500 in 2013 to 20,000 in 2017-18, following a peak of nearly 24,000 the previous year…….

Wilby said the issue was one of several that needed to be examined by the government in light of storms Ciara and Dennis. He said ministers also needed to rethink contingency planning for widespread disasters like these – with multiple agencies with often overlapping roles on the ground – and ensure the regular maintenance of flood defences and drainage systems.

Another key issue is funding. Boris Johnson has committed to spending £4bn over the next five years on flood defence schemes. However, the Environment Agency and independent experts have said this is too little and that money needs to be committed way beyond 2025 so planners can mitigate future disasters.

“A greater level of investment would mean that we could prepare better for floods,” said Prof Hannah Cloke, of the University of Reading, who is helping the Environment Agency respond to the widespread damage caused by storms Ciara and Dennis.

She said that with more funding “people would not be at such great risk” and planners could make bold changes to cities and landscapes that at the moment “we just can’t do”. She added: “You can’t plan ahead to deal with climate change unless you have a sustainable funding source to take those big measures, to redesign cities and landscapes so we can design better for floods.”

Ministers have also been advised to place more emphasis on natural flood management, such as planting trees, building so-called “leaky dams” and capturing water upstream, as well as building more hard structures like flood barriers.

An MHCLG spokeswoman said: “Local authorities have a responsibility to assess the number of homes their communities need and our planning policy is clear that housing should be located in the areas at least risk of flooding.” 

She added that when development in a risk area was “absolutely necessary, sufficient measures should be taken to make sure homes are safe, resilient and protected from flooding”.

Councils say 1m homes given go-ahead but not yet built. LGA says stripping councils of planning powers not the answer to housing shortages

www.theguardian.com /society/2020/feb/20/councils-say-1m-homes-given-go-ahead-but-not-yet-built

Peter Walker

Councils have hit back at possible government moves to strip them of planning powers to speed up housebuilding by releasing analysis that shows more than a million so-far unbuilt homes have already been granted planning permission in the last decade.

The Local Government Association said its analysis found 2,564,600 units had been given planning permission since 2009-10 and 1,530,680 had been constructed. It said this showed councils were not the block to the government’s target of creating 300,000 new homes a year.

Robert Jenrick, the housing, communities and local government secretary, is reportedly considering taking planning powers away from councils in an attempt to speed up housebuilding. Ministers are due to produce a long-awaited white paper on shaking up the planning system in the next few months.

Last week the government announced that eight local councils in London, the south-east or east of England would lose some planning powers after failing to meet targets for completed new homes.

The LGA found that the number of granted planning permissions for new homes in England almost doubled between 2012-13 and 2018-19, from 198,800 to 361,800.

While the organisation acknowledges there is an inevitable time lag between permissions being granted and the homes being built, it notes that over the same period the number of newbuild completions has risen more slowly, from 118,540 to 213,860.

The LGA argues the figures show that rather than taking planning powers from councils, the white paper should consider other measures, notably allowing local authorities to build on land that has planning permission, for example by assisting compulsory purchase on such land, and allowing councils to charge full council tax on unbuilt developments.

It is also calling on the government to change the right to buy system, under which tenants can purchase local authority homes, by letting councils keep all the money from such sales to help them to replace them.

David Renard, the leader of Swindon council and the LGA’s housing spokesman, said: “The planning system is not a barrier to housebuilding. The number of homes granted planning permission has far outpaced the number of homes being built.

“No one can live in a planning permission, or a half-built house where work on a site has begun but not been completed. Councils need powers to tackle our housing backlog and step in where a site 

Councils say 1m homes given go-ahead but not yet built. LGA says stripping councils of planning powers not the answer to housing shortages

www.theguardian.com /society/2020/feb/20/councils-say-1m-homes-given-go-ahead-but-not-yet-built

Peter Walker

Councils have hit back at possible government moves to strip them of planning powers to speed up housebuilding by releasing analysis that shows more than a million so-far unbuilt homes have already been granted planning permission in the last decade.

The Local Government Association said its analysis found 2,564,600 units had been given planning permission since 2009-10 and 1,530,680 had been constructed. It said this showed councils were not the block to the government’s target of creating 300,000 new homes a year.

Robert Jenrick, the housing, communities and local government secretary, is reportedly considering taking planning powers away from councils in an attempt to speed up housebuilding. Ministers are due to produce a long-awaited white paper on shaking up the planning system in the next few months.

Last week the government announced that eight local councils in London, the south-east or east of England would lose some planning powers after failing to meet targets for completed new homes.

The LGA found that the number of granted planning permissions for new homes in England almost doubled between 2012-13 and 2018-19, from 198,800 to 361,800.

While the organisation acknowledges there is an inevitable time lag between permissions being granted and the homes being built, it notes that over the same period the number of newbuild completions has risen more slowly, from 118,540 to 213,860.

The LGA argues the figures show that rather than taking planning powers from councils, the white paper should consider other measures, notably allowing local authorities to build on land that has planning permission, for example by assisting compulsory purchase on such land, and allowing councils to charge full council tax on unbuilt developments.

It is also calling on the government to change the right to buy system, under which tenants can purchase local authority homes, by letting councils keep all the money from such sales to help them to replace them.

David Renard, the leader of Swindon council and the LGA’s housing spokesman, said: “The planning system is not a barrier to housebuilding. The number of homes granted planning permission has far outpaced the number of homes being built.

“No one can live in a planning permission, or a half-built house where work on a site has begun but not been completed. Councils need powers to tackle our housing backlog and step in where a site with planning permission lies dormant and housebuilding has stalled. If we are to solve our housing shortage, councils need to be able to get building again and resume their role as major builders of affordable homes.”

A turf-cutting ceremony marked the start of work on a new net zero carbon building that will create up to 150 jobs in East Devon. On Owl’s reckoning a similar ceremony will have to take place every two months to meet the job creation targets underlying the jobs led housing strategy in EDDC’s Local Plan.  

Becca Gliddon, eastdevonnews.co.uk

The Ada Lovelace Building, at Exeter Science Park, is due for completion in November 2020, bringing up to 150 jobs to the area.

The office and laboratory’s day-to-day energy aims to be net zero carbon thanks to ‘innovative designs’ such as 44kw solar roof-mounted solar-voltaic panels.

The three-storey building has been designed specifically for science, technology, engineering, maths and medical (STEMM) businesses, with flexible workspace depending on what is needed.

Dr Sally Basker, CEO of Exeter Science Park, said: “Our mission is to help innovative STEMM companies to deliver extraordinary growth and the Ada Lovelace Building will be the prime location for knowledge-based companies, both those from the Science Park looking to take their next step and new firms looking to relocate and grow.

“As well as helping to meet the demand for high-quality office space in the region, the innovative design of the building means that it will make more than it will take, being net zero carbon and highly sustainable.”

Councillor Ian Thomas, East Devon District Council’s (EDDC) portfolio holder for finance, and chair of Exeter and East Devon Enterprise Zone Board, said: “The Science Park is the flagship project within the Exeter and East Devon Enterprise Zone.

“This new building will build on the success already being realised at Exeter Science Park, with space in high demand.

“The Ada Lovelace Building will provide further opportunities for high-quality, high-value jobs in our district.”

Exeter Science Park Limited is the park developer and has four shareholders, Devon County Council (DCC), the University of Exeter, EDDC and Exeter City Council.

EDDC’s cabinet has invested £1.1m in the development of the building in conjunction with DCC as part of the Exeter and East Devon Enterprise Zone programme.

The Ada Lovelace Building is part-funded by £5.5 million from the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership’s (HotSW LEP) growth deal funding.

Karl Tucker, chair of the HotSW LEP, said the new space would be a ‘valuable asset in attracting innovative, knowledge-based companies to our area’.

He said: “The new Ada Lovelace Building – formally known as the Open Innovation Building – is one of our Growth Deal-funded projects designed to boost the economy in key sectors throughout the heart of the South West.”

The Ada Lovelace Building, named after the 19th Century mathematician and computer scientist, is being built by Midas Construction.

Owl thinks it is worth listing the dramatis personae in the accompanying photo: Cllr Ian Thomas, chair of Exeter and East Devon Enterprise Zone; Prof Sir William Wakeham, chair of Exeter Science Park board of directors; Dr Sally Basker, CEO Exeter Science Park; Steve Hindley, chairman of Midas Construction; Eifion Jones, Chief Operating Officer, HotSW LEP.

Axminster Carpets, founded in 1755, is the last link to Devon’s historic wool trade. Sadly, this famous carpet-makers has collapsed into administration, threatening the 265 year-old royal warrant-holder’s survival prospects.

news.sky.com /story/royal-carpet-maker-axminster-floored-as-rescue-bid-falters-11937845

Mark Kleinman, Sky News

Sky News has learnt that Axminster Carpets called in Duff & Phelps as administrators on Wednesday afternoon after weeks of efforts to secure a rescue deal.

Sources said that Axminster’s underlay-manufacturing division had been sold to rival Ulster Carpets, while its shop had been offloaded to another competitor, Wilton Flooring.

However, the main carpet-making business, which is based in Devon, has so far not found a backer willing to take it on.

Most of the company’s 90 staff have been made redundant, leaving a handful of remaining employees to fulfil its existing order book.

The news that administrators have been formally appointed imperils a company which has supplied hand-woven carpets to some of the UK’s most prominent buildings, including Buckingham Palace.

It is the second time that Axminster Carpets has fallen into administration in seven years.

It is one of the best-known names in its industry, having been founded by Thomas Whitty in 1755.

Axminster also counts Clarence House and the US Congress among the most prestigious locations of its products.

The royal warrant-holder’s troubles are understood to have been prompted by weak consumer confidence, delays to corporate orders and a hiatus in the awarding of several new rail franchises – an important source of revenue for it.

Owl – rail franchises??