On Wednesday 5 February EDDC is going to hold a masterclass on Jointery (noun – the art of weaving liaison/co-ordination/steering committees/groups into such a complex web no-one knows who’s really in charge and no-one has time to do anything anyway).

https://democracy.eastdevon.gov.uk//documents/g233/Public%20reports%20pack%2005th-Feb-2020%2017.30%20Cabinet.pdf?T=10

Buried deep – see agenda Item 20, page 114 of the Cabinet Papers, subject: Heart of the South West Joint Committee Governance Arrangements.

Step back with Owl to 2014 when the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), covering Devon and Cornwall was first formed. The government’s idea was that this should be business chaired and business led. Consequently, of the 20 board members only six were elected representatives of the 19 local/unitary authorities covered.

In 2017 Mary Ney published a critical review of the unacceptably poor governance arrangements in most LEPs. Following this the Joint Committee referred to in the EDDC cabinet paper was set up in March 2018. A single representative from each local authority formed the membership plus co-opted members from HotSW, transport and health bodies. One might have thought that this was to provide some sort of accountable oversight of the LEP. But the EDDC cabinet papers say that the Joint Committee acts as a single voice to Government on socio-economic and environmental issues and makes the case for additional powers and funding to be transferred to its individual members for the benefit of the people of Devon and Somerset. Accountability seems to have been relgated to the Joint Scrutiny Committee which can barely scrape a quorum together.

Where does this leave HotSW, until now our formal devolution link with government?

Perhaps some clues can be found in para 4 of the cabinet paper which explains why a review (and more funding in cash and officer effort) is needed.

Changes in Government policy away from large devolution ‘deals’ to a more targeted dialogue on key themes of relevance to the local authorities and partners, e.g housing. The Joint Committee’s influencing role has become increasingly important as recognised by Ministers, local MPs and Government officials. The ambition remains to draw down additional functions, powers and funding from Government.

The developing relationships with other key local partnerships to ensure that there are appropriate reporting lines, ie, HotSW LEP Joint Scrutiny Committee, Peninsula Transport Board, HotSW Local Transport Board, and Great South West.

No! Great South West is not another rail franchise as the name suggests, it is, in fact, another example of Jointery which has crept out of the woodwork.

Steve Hindley, Chairman of Midas Group, stepped down as Chair of HotSW in 2019 and has now popped up in 2020 as Chair of this Great South West (GSW).

The Great South West prospectus sets out how the area spanning Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, the Heart of the South West (Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay) and Dorset aims to become the latest growth alliance to rebalance the UK economy, alongside the Midlands Engine and Northern Powerhouse.

On Wednesday, January 22, a delegation comprising business leaders, Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), MPs and local authorities (Including DCC Leader John Hart) presented Minister for Local Growth, Rt Hon Jake Berry MP, with the GSW growth prospectus and briefed him on ambitions to deliver £45 billion of economic benefit and 190,000 new jobs over the next 15 years.

It seeks support for an enhanced export and investment hub; recognition of a Great South West Tourism Zone and an agreement to create a rural productivity deal.

At HotSW, Hindley oversaw an unrealistic and undeliverable strategy for regional growth aimed at doubling the local economy in 20 years, way ahead of any national performance forecasts, with no clear strategy or feedback mechanism to measure success.

The GSW proposal is more modest. It considers three scenarios: continue growth at 2017 levels; increase to 90% of UK average; matching UK average — nothing about doubling the economy in 20 years. Owl wonders if everyone is singing from the same Hymn sheet.

Owl also wonders why Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset couldn’t have agreed on forming a single LEP based on the GSW area in the first place, a much more logical arrangement to make the case for infrastructure investment on transport etc .

GSW Prospectus here:

Click to access GSW%20Prospectus%20published%20final%20version%20100120.pdf

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/feb/03/pm-urged-to-give-nhs-100-new-hospitals-plus-an-extra-7bn-a-year?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

NHS leaders have urged Boris Johnson’s government to build 100 new hospitals and give the service an extra £7bn a year for new facilities and equipment.

They want the prime minister to commit to far more than the 40 new hospitals over the next decade that the Conservatives pledged during the general election.

So many hospitals, clinics and mental health units are dilapidated after years of underinvestment in the NHS’s capital budget that a spending splurge on new buildings is needed, bosses say. Too many facilities are cramped and growing numbers are unsafe for patients and staff, they claim.

Johnson has promised £2.7bn to rebuild six existing hospitals and pledged to build 40 in total and upgrade 20 others, although has been criticised for a lack of detail on the latter two pledges.

The call has come from NHS Providers, which represents the bosses of the 240 NHS trusts in England that provide acute, mental health, ambulance and community-based services.

The government needs to match the scale and ambition of the more than 100 new hospitals built between 1997 and 2015 under the controversial private finance initiative, and the 95 created in the first three years of the ”hospital plan” construction programme in the 1960s, they say.

They argue Johnson’s pledges, while welcome, “fall well short of what is needed” across the NHS, and that his planned 40 hospitals represent “a much more modest ambition than what was achieved under those previous initiatives”.

Flybe’s planes at risk of being impounded as wait for rescue package goes on

It appears Owl is not the only one flying on a wing and a prayer at the moment.

Embattled Flybe is facing a nervous wait over its potential £100m taxpayer loan amid reports that air traffic controllers could impound the regional airline’s planes.

According to mortgage records, many of Flybe’s planes are owned by other firms such as NordLB and Nordic Aviation Capital, who lease them to Flybe to use.

The Sunday Telegraph reported that the firms are monitoring the situation closely. Firms which lease planes to aircrafts are usually allowed to monitor debts owed to air traffic controllers in order to protect their interests.

Debts to air traffic controllers, which could add up to millions of pounds according to one source, must be paid within 30 days.

Last week it was reported that Flybe had been in talks with baggage handlers and other suppliers to postpone the payment of its debts until its rescue package is approved.
The struggling airline has also asked airports to be patient regarding unpaid landing fees.

Last month Flybe staved off collapse after shareholders and the government struck a controversial deal that will review the regional airline’s air passenger duty contributions.

Dear Owl,

Thank you for giving me your blessing. You know how much your 1,000 + followers admired your posts, the research effort that lay behind them and your perspicacity. You are truly irreplaceable but somehow we have to try, your followers can’t endure going cold Turkey any longer.

I will be following your flight path around East Devon, picking over the entrails of what I find and I know that you can always whisper in my ear.

My first post a story about two weeks old but it heralds seismic changes in EDDC and New Owl wants to make sure everyone is up to speed.

https://www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/news/joe-whibley-quits-independent-group-1-6476010

Joe Whibley has become the second Exmouth councillor to leave the controlling group and will now represent the town ward as a non-affiliated independent.

He made the announcement at a meeting of Exmouth Town Council on Monday, January 20.

Following Cllr Paul Millar’s decision to stand down last year, this leaves the independent group with 18 district councillors, one fewer than the Conservative Party.

He said the decision to not give a £2.1 million loan to Seaton Area Health Matters for the purchase of the hospital prompted his departure.

EDDC leader Ben Ingham told the Journal he was ‘puzzled’ by his decision.

Cllr Whibley said: “When elected I stood on a platform of change – an alternative to the status quo.

“I have seen little evidence that this desire is shared by the Independent Group and, to be true to myself and those who put their trust in me, have decided that I can no longer associate myself with them.

“The decision made to effectively vote against saving Seaton Hospital was the final straw.

“I wish all of the Independent Group the very best, and I hope they prove me wrong – the electorate voted for imaginative thinking and a council that would look out for everyone, whatever their situation.”

New Owl was as surprised and disappointed as Old Owl when Ben Ingham took his group of Independents into coalition with the Conservatives after the election last May, then pursued Conservative policies. As Cllr Joe Whibley has said, the electors who voted Independent didn’t vote for the status quo, they voted for change. So it’s not surprising that the wheels of Ben Ingham’s coalition have fallen off after only eight months.

New Owl imagines Ben Ingham is desperately running around trying to make new alliances. Too early to make any predictions but we can all have our hopes. This  is likely to remain a dynamic situation for a while.

This leaves EDDC with the following composition:
19 Conservatives
18 Independent group (Ben Ingham followers)
11 Independent East Devon Alliance
8  Lib Dems
2  Greens
2  Independents (other)

Just settling in … casting a beady eye around … so much to catch up on … so much to say … so much to hear … so much to do …

feel free to email at

eastdevonwatch@gmail.com

Normal service is about to be resumed …

And already some very juicy meat ready to process …

New Owl has the blessing of Old Owl … keep that content coming Owlets!

A sister blog (The People’s Republic of South Devon – PRSD) asked Owl for an exit interview.  Here it is:

The Owl of East Devon Watch has been keeping an eye on the doings in East Devon since 2013, ruffling feathers and shining a light into its murky corners. We caught up with them as they fly the coup

PRSD: What inspired you to start the East Devon Watch?

Owl – East Devon Watch: I had been involved in a very local issue where I lived some years ago. At a meeting where it was discussed, I spoke up. After the meeting, a complete stranger came up to me and said “What we need is a blog about it – I can set it up if you will deal with content”. I knew what a blog was and I had done a bit of professional writing (but not journalism) before, but had never run a blog, so I decided to give it a go. It was tremendously influential and, when the issue was resolved and we no longer needed the blog, I was hooked.

Dealing with the issue brought me up against local councils and local councillors, and I had been unimpressed with them to say the least. I also suspected a good few were, shall we say, not particularly honest! I was appalled that local newspapers were happy not to look under stones or dig deeper, so I decided to change my focus to local politics and politicians.

PRSD: What’s the response been?

Owl – East Devon Watch: Well, that depends on who you are! I was overwhelmed by how popular it became really quickly – I got lots of positive feedback almost immediately. The vast majority of local people were crying out for REAL news about what was REALLY happening in the district, but those who were brought under the spotlight were very upset! Not least the late Councillor Graham Brown, who was exposed for many and various planning conflicts and who had to resign and our MP at the time, Hugo Swire, who hated the blog and insulted it and threatened to sue the person behind it several times! (Swire was recently voted 649th worst constituency MP out of 650). But I was careful to source my information carefully and he never followed through!

PRSD: You’ve been shining a light into the darkest corners of East Devon – what have you found, what’s surprised you and has anything made you smile?

Owl – East Devon Watch: What surprised me was how many people have been prepared to help me to investigate various stories – I had several tip-offs about things going on that councillors and officers were hoping to keep secret but somehow the secrets usually leaked! I built up a large number of “owlets” in the area who have kept me well-fed with juict titbits! I could not have kept going without them.

What has made me smile is knowing when I have hit a chink in some local ne’er-do-well’s armour that has shown them up for what they are – people who have only their own interests or that of their party at heart, not what is best for East Devon. Worthwhile! But there are still too many such charlatans in local politics – in it for gain and/or power, not for greater good.

PRSD: What’s been the most memorable of the stories you’ve covered, and what would you consider to have been successes?

Owl – East Devon Watch: Well, definitely helping to expose Councillor Brown: but it was a much bigger story than one rogue councillor and that wasn’t covered nationally or locally.

It was, in effect, a “shadow (and shadowy) pseudo-council” of high-ranking officers, some high-level councillors with planning interests and big developers – all unaccountably hiding behind a council-run and council-financed “East Devon Business Forum” which was essentially controlling pretty much all the major planning issues in the area – without published agendas or minutes, so initially, in secret. It was having a major effect on the Local Plan without anyone knowing about it. Developers were basically ensuring their sites were included whether suitable or not and with no evidence base for inclusion.

It was Claire Wright, who was then a newly-elected Councillor at East Devon, who took up the task of exposing it at council level and essentially single-handedly brought the situation into the light once the blog (and only the blog) had campaigned on it. Eventually, the council had no option but to disband the Forum and its parallel (also at that time, secret) “working party” at the council and a new, transparent, council-only Local Plan committee had to be set up and the whole Local Plan process had to start all over again after a 2-3 year delay where developers had been given free rein – because there was no Local Plan! So developers were in a win-win situation thanks to the Business Forum!

PRSD: What’s you’re view on informed blogs and websites having a role to play holding power to account?

Owl – East Devon Watch: I think, at the moment, it seems to be ONLY local blogs and websites holding power to account. Local newspapers in East Devon are simply just mouthpieces for (unedited and uninvestigated) council press releases and council dogma statements. The fact that our main local media gets 95% of the council’s lucrative “official notices” revenue doesn’t help! Local newspapers are now pretty much toothless tigers, mostly controlled by national groups with their own (usually Conservative-supporting) agendas. It makes it impossible for them to be investigative journalists – in fact, true investigative journalists are now sadly a dying breed. Blogs have to plug the gaps the shortage leaves.

PRSD: How has the East Devon political landscape changed since you started in 2013?

Owl – East Devon Watch: Enormously. Thanks to the exposing of just how badly the district was being served by its “old-boy, pale, male and stale” developer-led Tories, independent councillors became more and more acceptable, as people could see that austerity (which my council did enthusiastically) was a political choice not a necessity – and it was a choice people didn’t want. For years East Devon boasted about its low council tax with many people unaware that meant loss of vital services. East Devon Alliance returned independent councillors who made a huge difference in their areas, truly representing people not parties.

My big sadness was that, when finally an independent majority DID happen, a number of the new “independent” councillors immediately caused a split into two camps – the new cohort showing its true colours and aligning with the very Conservatives people had elected them to get out! I have nothing but contempt for such people and they were very surprised to find themselves in the spotlight they had thought they would avoid.

Everyone assumed that EDW was simply anti-Tory but it never was – so the “Independent Group”, which aligned with the “old boy, pale, male and stales” got a bit of a shock!

PRSD: You’ve had some focus on planning. It can be a controversial issue. How do you find the current planning situation?

Owl – East Devon Watch: Planning is a minefield, where only developers can avoid the mines. For the individual who wants a small extension or a new garage, they are bogged down in an expensive and bureaucratic process where officers, thin on the ground, have the upper hand and can make them wait and wait for a simple answer, because they are far too busy serving the needs of big developers. For the developer, they VERY much have the upper hand these days (thanks to David Cameron giving them total control of the planning process with no stops when he became coalition PM). They tie planners in knots and eventually pretty much get to build anything they want, anywhere they want. They have the vast wealth to employ the best lawyers to ensure they can game the system and win.

Councillors are just rank amateurs when it comes to complex planning issues and find it hard to say no to officers or developers because it will involve a council in massive expenditure to stand its ground. With little money available, they play it safe and mostly say yes to big developers as they know they have the resources to beat them down.

Officers and developers use highly-questionable statistics to show that development must continue at whatever speed they find gets the developers the biggest profits. It’s a system that is rigged and that will never get the right homes built in the right places. The absence of social housing is a complete disgrace.

Sadly, with the new government I see things getting much worse.

And don’t get me started on “affordable housing’ which has never been affordable!

PRSD: What, if any, plans do you have now?

Owl – East Devon Watch: I’m involved in several things that are nothing to do with councils or politics and I was spreading myself very thinly over everything. Now, I can give those things the time they deserve. And DEFINITELY a holiday!

I couldn’t continue the blog for a district in which most people will not realise they have made some very bad political choices until it is much too late to do anything about them and where the government is going to make councils poorer and even more impotent about anything they disagree with – party whips will reign!

But I much admire PRSD for continuing the battle in its area!

East Devon Watch: Putting chinks in ne'er-do-well's armour

WATCH THIS SPACE …

So, the results are in.

East Devon and the country stay blue.

5 years of a wet-behind-the-ears and dim Swire clone for East Devon Jupp (or James, still not sure!)
5 years of a lying, narcissistic Trump clone for England.
5 years of a schismatic (dis)United Kingdom.

Owl has had enough*

East Devon has the representation it deserves:

A crap TiggerTory council

A crap new MP

A crap government

Thanks to Lib Dems and Greens who ensured a Tory victory
(thanks Rylance and Gent – though developer Gent really won’t mind much as he will still be a big winner developer-wise)

So, THEY at least will be pleased to hear that Owl has thrown in the towel and is flying off to pastures new.

Enjoy the next 5 years – Owl hopes you get what you deserve.

It was a pleasure to serve you – until this week!

Goodbye, au revoir, sayonara, adios, Auf Wiedersehen, Arrivederci …. I’m off …. RIGHT NOW.

* The blog will remain open as an archive until 31 December 2019 and will then be deleted

OWL HAS LEFT EAST DEVON …