Health “care” US-style
“25% of households at risk of homelessness are in work”
“We can revive Britain’s high streets. But developers stand in the way”
“… there are just fewer and fewer drivers of footfall. You cannot get your hair cut online, so barbers – like nail bars, tattoo parlours and tanning salons – buck the downward trend. But we only need so many of these. Greggs and to-go food stores are buoyant; gyms and takeaways are the only sectors showing double-digit net growth, says PwC. But even that feels precarious. Delivery apps are driving growth in the takeaway sector but, if in-person purchases fall, these could quickly migrate to so-called dark kitchens on industrial estates.
“The reality is we may need fewer high streets in the future,” says a PwC spokesperson. “This opens opportunities to repurpose high street space, while [evolving] to meet consumer demand.”
But what will that look like? In 2011 Mary Portas, retail expert and Cameron-era government consultant, lobbied for an anti-clone-town drive to remodel high streets around independent shops. But bar a few niche fashion, gift or record shops, supermarkets marched relentlessly on. The butcher, baker and candlestick-maker now work in Tesco.
Consequently councils and property developers increasingly want to use food and drink to seed regeneration, many inspired by Altrincham’s Market House. In 2010, 30% of Altrincham’s shops lay empty. In 2014, the Market House opened – a communal dining hall of independent kitchens attached to a speciality market – and, since then, a remarkable ecology of bars, restaurants and coffee shops has evolved around it. Footfall has risen sharply, shop vacancy rates have fallen to 9.7% and brands such as JD Sports and Nando’s have moved into the town’s once-failing shopping area.
Market House’s operator, Nick Johnson, a former board member at property company Urban Splash, claims for the £635,000 it cost (£435,000 came from Trafford council, Johnson contributed the rest) : “It has probably delivered the greatest regeneration outputs of any project in 25 years.”
Little wonder councils love the idea: it allows them to cost-effectively reinvent one of the few central sites they still own, the market.
There are similar schemes in development countrywide. But it will be tough to repeat Altrincham’s success. First, it is a relatively affluent Greater Manchester town bordering Cheshire; and second, Johnson’s unorthodox curation of some exceptional foodie talent (like the artists on his friend Tony Wilson’s Factory records, none of the Altrincham traders have signed contracts) has provided an X factor that councils and developers will find hard to mimic.
There is also something about both the Portas and Altrincham models of handmade, artisan-roasted regeneration that, at their most crude, feel a bit myopically middle class. Mishandled, it can create silos of gentrification that alienate residents. Craft markets are great, but where does your nana buy a new washing line?
If town centres are to shrink and be redrawn, surely the ideal would be to intermingle viable businesses that attract different kinds of customers (in age and socioeconomic status), much as Trafford’s Stretford Mall is trying to blend hip new businesses into its established tenant mix. That fosters social cohesion but, commercially, there is strength in numbers, too – in making it easy to shop at Quality Save and Boots, Greggs and Stretford’s new Food Hall canteen, as mood or budget permits.
Not that this future should always have a commercial imperative. As town centres empty, there is a generational opportunity to reverse the gross monetisation of our public realm. This is a chance to make the principles of placemaking – creating inclusive public spaces where people can enjoy their leisure time without spending money – a reality. Nonprofit arts and cultural organisations forced out by high rents could, likewise, come back into empty shop units (long-term, not as a temporary gesture by developers), to re-engage local people with these spaces – and without it costing them £6 a pint.
But will any of this happen? The short answer is no. Councils do not have the money or the compulsory-purchase powers to radically intervene. Enlightened developers are rare. The patchwork of smaller private landlords who own peripheral space in town centres need to fill their properties, hence the fact that cool cottage industries tend to flourish there, in pockets. But the remote coalition of global property management, pension and investment funds that owns most shopping precincts or malls is, at best, distantly concerned with the local population.
Even if the retail property market crashes (in January, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors warned unusually of “potential for significant changes in value”), such owners will consolidate, sell property, bulldoze it and redevelop, and if shopping centres can limp on, they will. Under new permitted development rights, closed high street retail units can now easily be turned into residential property.
Where will those new residents congregate? High streets may yet be reborn as the genuine heart of their communities, protected from commercial pressure, but don’t bet on it – and certainly not online.”
“Historic High Street funding winners named”
The south-west, as usual, gets least funding, and, of course, Cranbrook, with no town centre at all, is NOT historic!
“Historic English shopping centres will benefit from a £95m regeneration fund, the government has said.
In all, 69 towns and cities will receive money, with projects aimed at turning disused buildings into shops, houses and community centres.
The largest share of money, £21.1m, will go to the Midlands, with £2m going to restore buildings in Coventry that survived World War Two bombing.
The government said the move would “breathe new life” into High Streets.
The government’s Future High Street Fund is providing £52m of the money, while £40m will come from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). A further £3m is being provided by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Towns and cities had to bid for the £95m funding, which was first announced in May.
The announcement comes after figures showed that about 16 shops a day closed in the first half of the year as retailers restructure their businesses and more shopping moves online.
Lisa Hooker, consumer markets leader at PwC which was behind the research, said retailers had to invest more in making stores “relevant to today’s consumers”, but added that “new and different types of operators” needed encouragement to fill vacant space.
‘Wider regeneration’
The government said the money would “support wider regeneration” in the 69 successful areas by attracting future commercial investment.
“Our nation’s heritage is one of our great calling cards to the world, attracting millions of visitors to beautiful historic buildings that sit at the heart of our communities,” said Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan.
“It is right that we ensure these buildings are preserved for future generations but it is important that we make them work for the modern world.”
Other major projects include a £2m drive to restore historic shop-fronts in London’s Tottenham area, which suffered extensive damage in the 2011 riots.
By region, the funding breaks down as follows:
London and the South East: £14.3m
South West: £13.7m
Midlands: £21.1m
North East and Yorkshire: £17.2m
North West: £18.7m
You can read a full list of the towns and cities that will benefit here
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-49692091
but for south-west:
Chard
Cullompton
Gloucester
Keynsham
Midsomer Norton
Plymouth
Poole
Redruth
Tewkesbury
Weston-Super-Mare
“Increasing competition from online outlets is putting High Streets across the country under growing pressure,” said the DCMS.
“As part of the government’s drive to help High Streets adapt to changing consumer habits, the £95m funding will provide a welcome boost.”
Responding to the move, shadow culture secretary Tom Watson said High Streets had been “decimated” by “a decade of Tory austerity”.
He added: “This funding pales in comparison to the £1bn Cultural Capital fund that Labour is committed to, which will boost investment in culture, arts and heritage right across the country, not just a few lucky areas.”
“All eyes on Devon independent politician Claire Wright ahead of pending General Election”
Owl says: it would be tragic if other mainstream parties put up candidates against her which might bring a Tory back to power.
“National political pundits are predicting that independent Devon politician Claire Wright could be about to make history.
It comes after last night’s shock announcement that East Devon MP Sir Hugo Swire will not stand in the looming General Election. The Conservative saw his majority dwindle in the 2017 General Election after a serious challenge from independent candidate Ms Wright, who came a close second in the traditional Tory heartland – she gained 36 per cent of the votes with 21,270 votes and Sir Hugo took 48 per cent with 29,306 votes.
New Statesman political correspondent Patrick Maguire, said: “This is fascinating. Apart from North Down, East Devon is just about the only seat in the UK that could plausibly be won by an independent (in this case anti-austerity councillor Clair Wright) at the next General Election.”
Historically very few seats in Parliament have ever been won by candidates with no political party backing.
Although there are currently 31 independents in Parliament, they were all elected as members of different political parties and have later quit.
Today the independent Devon County Councillor for Otter Valley admitted she was shocked when she heard Mr Swire’s announcement that he won’t stand in the upcoming General Election. She said: “I had heard a few rumours but I didn’t believe them. There were no signs – in fact he had been more active in recent weeks.
“I think he knew he would have a stiff challenge.
“I have been preparing with my team for a year and we have recently ramped up our preparations rather swiftly. Now I am excited.”
She has been aware that nationally political pundits have begun to watch her with interest. She said: “It’s always nice to get a tweet from a National journalist. I have noticed on my Twitter feed that national journalists have started following me recently.”
Predicting a November election she said: “This will be my third election and my team and I are ready to build on the two previous elections.
“The momentum in 2017 and the excitement and energy was incredible – it felt then that I could win, and now we are that much further on.
“I was a serious threat. Brian May backed me before the last election as one of his ‘common decency’ election candidates.
“I think East Devon will be close whoever the Conservatives put forward. This is the Tory heartland. East Devon has been Conservative for 150 years. That’s what I’m up against. It’s a huge challenge.
“This will be my third general election and my manifesto will be based on a survey I carried out at the beginning of this year. Hundreds and hundreds of people filled out the survey and I feel confident I know the issues that people are concerned about in East Devon.
“The Conservatives have just been disastrous for the country – they have gone from one crisis to the next. It’s been like watching a slow car crash – and in the last few weeks it’s turned into absolute meltdown.
“The whole Tory agenda is simply about saving their own skin. The rhetoric seems to be about how they can out-Brexit the Brexit party and turn themselves into the new Brexit party.
“The things they should have been focusing on are public services and the environment. Devon County Council has lost £100m from its budget and all the people in Devon have lost out on services as a result of those cuts.”
The anti-austerity councillor is also known for her strong stance on protecting the environment. She said she likes to be totally independent: “I like to plough my own furrow. I don’t want to have to answer to a party and told what my policies are.
Bruce de Saram, chairman of East Devon Conservatives, said: “East Devon Conservatives would like to thank Hugo for his outstanding work as our MP since 2001 and also his service as a Northern Ireland and Foreign Office Minister, where he developed a passion for the Commonwealth among his many other interests.
“Hugo rose to the challenge of being our MP, winning five general elections. He has continually challenged injustice with great passion and been very visible in the constituency, standing up for local residents.
“We are very sorry to say goodbye to him and wish him well for the future.
“We will now begin a process to select a candidate to build on Hugo’s excellent work.”
https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/eyes-devon-independent-politician-claire-3316742
The nine things councils worry about most with a hard Brexit
Backlog of dead bodies
Clean drinking water
Unrest
Illegal immigrants
Far right
Reduced house building
Fuel shortages
Rubbish piling up
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/no-deal-brexit-chaos-feared-20058935
“No-deal Brexit documents reveal UK councils expect food and medicine shortages and civil unrest”
Is this why Swire is jumping ship?
“Local authorities are bracing themselves for widespread food, fuel and medicine shortages, civil unrest and job losses in the event that the United Kingdom leaves the European Union without a deal at the end of October.
Well over half of 63 local authorities nationwide expect a shortage of basic necessities if the UK leaves the EU without a Brexit deal, according to Freedom of Information requests sent by the People’s Vote campaign.
According to the documents compiled by the campaign:
68% of councils said they expected food shortages.
59% of councils said they were preparing for fuel shortages.
52% expected medicine shortages.
65% are preparing for “civil unrest,” “increased tensions,” and “public disorder.”
https://www.insider.com/no-deal-brexit-documents-reveal-councils-expect-food-shortages-riots-2019-9
Friday competition
Who is this?
“He has continually challenged injustice with great passion and been very visible in the constituency, standing up for local residents.”
“We are very sorry to say goodbye to him and wish him well for the future.
“We will now begin a process to select a candidate to build on Hugo’s excellent work.”
Answer – yes, really: Hugo Swire!
The quote is from the (recently very high profile) local Tory Chairman, Bruce de Saram, who has been making his views known on just about everything and anything in East Devon recently.
Coincidence?
Owl says: Swire – justice, visibility, standing up for residents?
Sorry, Mr de Sarum, you’ve confused him with Claire Wright!
A few (selected) comments from Swire’s Twitter account
Claire Wright on Swire, politics and East Devon
Looking forward to Swire’s better explanation of his reasons for standing down, given that he adores Boris and supports a hard Brexit.
Was there the suggestion he might be deselected?
Was he frit?
Does Boris have the (formerly safe, but not now) seat for one of his mates?
Is a local Tory polutico ready to make his or her mark?
Come on, Hugo – spill the beans!
Government Brexit consultants – expensive and secret
“Government departments have ploughed nearly £100m into “overly secretive” Brexit consultant contracts since the 2016 referendum, MPs have said.
Publicly available information on consultancy work to prepare for Brexit is lacking and in some cases has taken too long – up to 237 days – to materialise, according to a Public Accounts Committee report out today.
Government guidelines say details of contracts should be published within 90 days of being awarded.
“Departments have been overly secretive about what the consultants are doing,” the PAC said.
“When departments have published information on consultancy work, usually later than they should have, they have failed to meet the government’s own transparency standards.”
Even when documents are published they are often “over-zealously redacted, the committee added.
The MPs also accused the government of being “overly relaxed” that 96% of the £97m spent on consultancy contracts has gone on just six large companies, despite the governments supposed “aspirations for more government work to go to small and medium-sized enterprise”.
The committee report suggested the true cost of Brexit consultancy work was not known, due to differing definitions of ‘consultancy’.
It said: “There is a widening gap between the Cabinet Office’s analysis of data on overall spending on consultancy services, not just to support Brexit, and expenditure reported by the departments.
“It appears that different departments are choosing to categorise their spending on consultancy services in different ways.”
For 2017-18 the Cabinet Office said total spend on all consultancy – not just for Brexit – was £1.5bn whereas analysis of invoices from individual departments suggested only £0.3bn was spent.
The Cabinet Office has been approached for a response. …”
Source: CIPFA (pay wall)
DCC FINALLY sacks broadband (non) provider Gigaclear
And it took 18 months of failure before they did so!
“Sharp increase in families on brink of becoming homeless”
“The number of families at risk of becoming homeless has risen by more than 10 per cent as councils struggle to support people living in overcrowded accommodation or facing eviction.
In the first three months of this year 70,430 households were judged to be on the brink of being made homeless, up from 63,620 in the previous quarter, the latest figures showed.
Local authorities have placed 84,740 families and couples in temporary housing, including 126,020 children, the highest figure in a decade.
A report last month by Anne Longfield, the children’s commissioner for England, showed that thousands of children were living in converted shipping containers and office blocks after being classed as homeless.
Yesterday’s figures were published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government a year after rules came into effect requiring councils to do more to prevent people from becoming homeless. It doubled to 56 days the period over which they must assess a person’s risk.
The most common reason for people becoming homeless, affecting 18,150 households, was family or friends no longer being willing to provide temporary shelter. The second most frequent cause was the termination of a shorthold tenancy by the landlord, which applied in 14,700 cases.
Kate Henderson, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, which represents housing associations, said more homes should be built for rent by people on low incomes rather than for better-off private buyers.
“It is unacceptable that the number of families living in temporary accommodation has been allowed to reach an eight-year high with no real action to tackle the root of the problem,” she said.
David Renard, the Local Government Association’s housing spokesman and Conservative leader of Swindon borough council, welcomed extra funds announced in the budget to support homeless people but said that long-term funding was needed.
“A lack of affordable housing has left many councils struggling to cope with a rising number of people coming to them for help and are having to place more families and households into temporary and emergency accommodation as a result,” he said.
Luke Hall, a housing minister, said the Homelessness Reduction Act, which came in last year, was “helping people earlier so they are not having to experience homelessness in the first place”. He said the latest figures showed that progress was being made. “There is still more to do, though, which is why we have committed a record investment to ending homelessness and rough sleeping for good.”
The government published a separate report which showed that the number of vulnerable people sleeping rough had fallen by one third.”
Source: Times (pay wall)
Claire Wright responds to Hugo Swire standing down at next election
“Independent parliamentary contender Claire Wright has said tonight she ‘stands ready to take on the issues’ important to people in East Devon after a shock announcement from her long time political opponent East Devon MP Sir Hugo Swire.
In a tweet sent out tonight the MP said he remained a supporter of Boris Johnson but will be standing down at the next General Election.
Nub News contacted Claire Wright, who came a close second in East Devon in the 2017 General Election, for her views on Sir Hugo’s announcement, she said:
“Party Politics is in turmoil. I stand ready to take on the issues that matter to people here in Devon East of health services straining to cope, underfunded schools and the irreparable damage to our environment under the watch of the current Conservative government which lurches from one crisis to another and has put narrow party political interest above the needs of local people.”
https://exmouth.nub.news/n/claire-wright-says-she-stands-ready-as-east-devon-mp-announces-departure?
“Devon MP Hugo Swire will not stand in the next General Election”
Owl says: FRIT! FRIT! FRIT!
“The Member of Parliament for East Devon says he will not stand in the next general election.
Conservative MP Hugo Swire, who was first elected in 2000, insists that he will continue to support Prime Minister Boris Johnson but says he will not be standing for re-election.
Announcing his decision via social media this evening, he said: “At a meeting earlier this evening of the Executive if the East Devon Conservative Association I announced that I would not be standing for re-election as the Member of Parliament.
“It was my original intention to stand down in 2022, when the next general election was scheduled to be held.”
He continued: “I served in a number of different roles in opposition, including in the shadow cabinet as Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. In Government I was first appointed as Minister of State in the Northern Ireland Office and then Minister of State in the Foreign Commonwealth Office.
“Whilst I was honoured to have been appointed to these roles, my greatest privilege has been to serve my constituents, regardless of their political allegiance, I am truly grateful for consistently returning me at elections and will continue to serve them to the best of my ability until an election is called.”
Reaffirming his support to Mr Johnson, he added: “We live in challenging political times, but I remain convinced that to bring the country back together we need to deliver on Brexit and I shall continue to support the Prime Minster and the Government in their endeavours.”
The announcement prompted quick reaction from the prospective parliamentary candidates (PPC) for East Devon.
Eleanor Rylance, for the Liberal Democrats, said: “Conservative chaos continues.”
And independent PPC Clair Wright simply posted a ghost emoji after Mr Swire shared his announcement on Twitter.”
https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/devon-mp-hugo-swire-not-3314246
EDDC: political power … could be radically rejigged …
Currently:
Conservatives: 19
Green Party: 2
Independent Group: 19
Independent 1
Independent East Devon Alliance: 11
Liberal Democrats: 8
IF East Devon Alliance, Independent, Green and Lib Dems
formed a coalition they would number 22.
It would then be:
Conservatives 19
The Independent Group 19
Coalition Group 22
The coalition would be the biggest group ……….. and could, if they so wished, bring in a committee system …….
EDDC: the resigned/sacked councillor saga continues…
Owl says: Of course, none of this would be happening if Leader Ingram had been prepared to work with the other independent group – East Devon Alliance (of which he had previously been leader – after being an independent independent – after being a Tory!).
AND it re-ignites the argument: who actually runs the council: councillors or officers? In theory, officers advise, councillors decide …..
“Cllr Paul Millar, who represents the Exmouth Halsdon ward, quit the Independent Group who are in control of East Devon District Council
A blistering attack on East Devon District Council’s management has been launched by a councillor who resigned from group running the council.
Cllr Paul Millar, who represents the Exmouth Halsdon ward, quit the Independent Group on Monday night.
In an email announcing his departure from the group, Cllr Millar said he found working with the Senior Management Team and trying to have any influence over his transformation portfolio to be impossible, that he had no confidence in the senior management, and that the Independent Group has little desire to change anything really at all.
His resignation from the group means that they are no longer the largest party on the council, with both them and the Conservatives having 19 seats each.
In a response, Cllr Ben Ingham, leader of the council, said that he thanked Cllr Millar for his contribution but that the ‘personal and unfounded comments’ do not help advance understanding of the work carried out by East Devon District Council’s officers and councillors.
It is understood that Cllr Millar had been removed from his transformation portfolio role by Cllr Ingham prior to his resignation from the group.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Cllr Millar confirmed that he would remain a member of the council and would sit as an Independent not aligned to any group.
He said that he has found local casework immensely fulfilling and this will enable him to concentrate on that and he joked that his contributions to the cabinet wouldn’t be missed as his ideas seemed to be ignored and they didn’t give him anything to do.
In his resignation statement, Cllr Millar said: “Since being elected I have sadly found working with the Senior Management Team and trying to have any influence over my portfolio to be impossible. I was not once asked my view on any matter of policy or given information with which to make any real decision.
“I raised this on a number of occasions, and was sent an email by the Monitoring Officer telling me it is ‘impractical’ for councillors to make even a ‘small fraction’ of decisions.
“Although I’m very new, as a democrat I found this despairing and disappointing as I believe elected representatives are best placed to make decisions in the public interest. We take the blame when things go wrong, so we should have more control, as we’re the ones on the ground.”
Cllr Millar was absent from last Thursday’s overview and scrutiny committee meeting where the service plan objectives for 2019/20 where being evaluated due to illness, but had he attended, he said: “I would’ve struggled to explain what I’d done at the as I’ve not been given any opportunity to make a single major decision. I can only conclude this has been a deliberate action taken by the officer lead for my former portfolio.”
He added that he has no confidence in the current Senior Management and he would like to work with colleagues to at some point submit a motion of no confidence against the Senior Management Team.
He said: “I have become convinced by my short experience and conversations with others across parties that cultural change at the top is required if East Devon District Council is ever to provide a better service, win greater trust among our residents and to have fewer decisions made behind closed doors by officers who are unelected, unaccountable and often I believe show an arrogant contempt towards councillors.”
And he questioned whether the current administration in charge of the council was sustainable for much longer, and his departure means that the Independent Group, which was made up of 20 individual Independent councillors, is no longer the largest group, with the Conservatives also have 19.
He said: “My departure means the ‘Independent Group’ no longer has any majority and as a result to my mind no longer has any mandate to continue as the current administration.
“I will be voting against the Council Plan as I believe it is mostly a load of wishy-washy nonsense written entirely by senior officers, some of whom view our residents merely as “customers” to have money sucked out of, and underestimate the intelligence and ability of elected representatives. In its current form the plan gives the council and the current administration no clear direction of travel.
“Worst of all, I’ve been disappointed that the Independent Group has little desire to change anything really at all. I’ve never been part of a more autocratically-minded institution in my life, and my old Students’ Union was pretty bad.
“The leader and deputy leader have consistently bowed to the SMT (senior management team) in the name of ‘continuity’. It’s been so frustrating and there’s no active feeling that SMT want to work with councillors.”
Cllr Ingham, in response, said he was grateful for the work Cllr Millar had carried out and wished him well for the future.
He added: “It is very unfortunate when individuals resort to personal and unfounded comments. Such attacks do not help us advance understanding of the work carried out by East Devon District Council’s officers and councillors and their respective roles and responsibilities as detailed in the council’s constitution. Rather, they confuse, contribute to rumours and create more harm.”
“However, I am confident that the council offered Cllr Millar a high level of support and assistance to help him try to adjust to the demands of being a Portfolio holder, and I thank him for his contribution.
“On behalf of the council I am very grateful for the work that Cllr Millar has carried out since his election and appointment to the cabinet and wish him well for the future. Looking forwards, though, it is business as usual for East Devon.”
It is understood that Cllr Ingham had sacked Cllr Millar from his role as he failed to take the ‘many chances’ given to ‘show respect to officers and each other at all times’.
Cllr Millar’s resignation leaves the Independent Group and the Conservatives both holding 19 seats on the council. The East Devon Alliance hold 11, the Liberal Democrats eight, the Green Party two, and one Independent.
A meeting of Conservatives members will take place next week to discuss what, if any, moves they plan to make to try and regain control of the council.”
https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/councillor-quits-independent-group-launches-3313607
“£28m budget black hole forecast for Devon County Council”
“A report to Devon County Council’s (DCC) cabinet meeting tells councillors that the total projected budget overspend, four months into the 2019/20 financial year, is £4.3m.
However, Mary Davis the county’s treasurer, says this figure assumes a funding shortfall of £15.8m for special educational needs and disability (SEND) will not be dealt with this financial year.
It also assumes planned contributions to reserves of £8m are not made.
The report said that, without these adjustments, the projected overspend would be £28.1m.
Mrs Davis’ report added: “The Government has announced additional funding for SEND in 2020/21 but nothing as yet for the current year.
“It is suggested that the deficit is not dealt with at the end of this financial year but held on the balance sheet as a negative reserve.
“It is not a solution, but it is a mechanism that gives more time for a solution to be found.”
The cabinet are recommended to note the budget monitoring forecast position.
Councillor Alan Connett, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, said the projected £28 million shortfall highlights that Devon is being ‘short-changed’ by this Government.
He added: “More children and adults need the council’s support.
“Our schools are being cheated.
“They get around £300 per child less than the national average, and our children with special educational needs are being let down.
“Those that need our help the most are being denied by a Government that could act, but won’t.”
The cabinet agenda report says DCC could receive an extra £11.7 million next year and £9.5 million in 2021/22 for education, following the Government’s spending review, and an extra £8.6 million to help support children with special needs next year.
County council leader, Cllr John Hart, said: “We have been campaigning with headteachers, governors and parents for fairer funding for Devon’s schools and the promise to ‘level up’ under-funded areas is one I very much welcome.
“It’s also encouraging to see Mr Javid (Chancellor for the Exchequer) announcing a three-year funding cycle for education as compared to the single year for other services.”
https://www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/news/devon-county-council-budget-forecast-deficit-1-6264239
The dangers of anagrams and acronyms in these dangerous times!
Acronyms:
Story is civil servants – but nobody appears to have admitted to this being deliberate – named a process the “Community Rolling Action Plan”, knowing regulators’ love of acronyms. It is now called the CoRAP.
Anagrams:
YELLOWHAMMER
is an anagram of
ORWELL MAYHEM
East Devon Watch 