Obscene inequality
Children in abject poverty
Massive increase in food bank need
Schools without resources
NHS privatised and on its knees
Global warming inaction
Potholed roads
Austerity: a political choice that favours the rich and punishes the poor.
There are things WE can do about these issues at a local level – but not by being whipped by the parties causing them.
Vote Independent …
Why have East Devon Tories had to recruit candidates who have more links with other parts of England, far, far away from East Devon?
We already have stories of an (admittedly locally educated) student who must spend the vast majority of his time at his university in Cambridge standing in Sidmouth Sidford and a person in Seaton who seems to have a much greater link to West Sussex than East Devon.
And we have the odd spectacle of old-timer and former Leader Paul Diviani deserting his home turf (Yarty, Blackdown Hills) after many years to stand in Broadclyst, still giving his address as Yarcombe. Go figure!
And around 30 candidates (mostly Labour but some Tory and Lib Dem and one independent – Harv Sethi in Ottery) refusing to say exactly which part of ‘East Devon District’ they live in.
Are there more?
But just these few examples show that, in particular, East Devon Tories are really, really desperate – they do NOT have any truly local replacements for candidates standing down.
Does this matter? Yes. We need to know just how active and interested candidates are in their chosen (chosen for them) seats. What motivates them? Their ambition or their community?
Fortunately, there is a solution. ALL East Devon Alliance Independent candidates have been locally-active and locally high-profile in their respective communities for years.
Cambridge, East Grinstead or East Devon based – make your choice wisely.
A correspondent has sent the following email to EDDC CEO Mark Williams:
“Dear Mark,
Back in 2006 you supported me in a move to show Planners the Al Gore film “The Inconvenient Truth’ about climate change. You allowed staff a half hour of work time on top of their lunch break to enable the departments staff to watch that film. Thank you!
Tonight I was reminded of this event and your support while watching David Attenborough s documentary ‘Climate Chsnge: the Truth’.
What is scary for me is that the film tonight was so similar to that of Gore’s almost 15 years ago. Pleasing in that Attenborough verifies all the fears that Gore postulated then with our increasingly sophisticated technology. But the reality is the same.
In what way have we changed our practices to respond to our pending oblivion on this planet. ? The answer: not enough.”
Public land owned by EDDC sold off during the time of the current Tory majority:
A planning application has been submitted to provide 20 self-contained generators on land south of Woodbury Business Park.
Enquiries seem to point to Woodbury Business Park being the instigators. Woodbury Business Park is owned by Zoe House and her husband. Zoe is the sister to Robin and Rowan Carter and therefore an an aunt to William Carter, who is a Conservative candidate for Woodbury and Lympstone at the coming district council election on 2 May 2019.
“A new power plant could be built on the outskirts of Exmouth, new plans have revealed.
A planning application has been submitted on behalf of Plutus Energy Group for 20 self-contained natural gas engine-driven electricity generators on land South of Woodbury Business Park.
The application has already drawn two objections with one saying it contravenes both the National Planning Policy Framework and the other calling it ‘totally inappropriate’ for this part of East Devon.
However, East Devon District Council’s environmental health department has said the power plant would have a ‘low impact’ on the nearest residential properties.
Woodbury Parish Council is set to be consulted and the deadline for consultation is Friday, May 10.
East Devon District Council will make the final decision.
https://www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/news/power-plant-plans-for-woodbury-1-6004231
“York council leader Ian Gilles is not standing for re-election on May 2. He told STEPHEN LEWIS why
IAN Gillies has never been one to mince his words. But the former policeman turned Tory leader of City of York Council has to bite his tongue to keep his frustration about the state of local politics from spilling over.
Owl says: BUT this is the kind of I dependent to be Very wary of! if there is a REAL i dependent to vote for – no brainer!
“It can be very tribal,” he says. “Very… challenging.”
We’ve met over coffee to talk about his reasons for deciding not to stand in next month’s council elections: a decision which means that, from May 2, he won’t even be a city councillor, let alone council leader.
He took over as leader of a fractious Tory/ Liberal Democrat ruling coalition early last year, when previous Tory council leader David Carr sensationally quit the Conservative Party, accusing some within the council’s Conservative group of committing an ‘act of betrayal’ against him.
Cllr Carr is one of a number of former Tory councillors who will be standing as an independent on May 2. But it’s not exactly all sweetness and light in the city’s other political parties, either. Former Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors will also be standing as independents this time around.
Cllr Gillies, a former Conservative group leader and one-time Lord Mayor, was clearly seen as a safe pair of hands when he took over as head of the Tory group and as council leader last year.
But, while he insists he’s perfectly willing to try to work with members of other political groups in the interests of getting things done, he admits it has been hard work.
“The Liberal Democrats are not natural bedfellows for us,” he says. “And the situation in my own group has been very challenging.”
He says that when he took over as group and council leader last year, he intimated to other group members that it would only be until the next election.
But it is clear his frustrations run deep.
A couple of years ago he even thought of setting up a new centrist party in York, so as to escape some of the traditional party tribalism and infighting. It would have been effectively a collection of independents – none of them ‘extremists’ – whose viewpoints were similar enough for them to work together to get things through, he says.
That never happened, and he ended up leading the Tory group again and becoming council leader.
But he has begun to seriously question whether party politics should have a place in local government.
“Do we really need political parties in local government? No. I’m a Conservative: that’s what I am. But as far as this city is concerned, what matters is what is best for the city. Whipped party politics (ie a system where councillors have to obey their party line) isn’t really necessary in a local environment.”
What you need, he says, is intelligent, able people from all kinds of backgrounds who are willing to work together to get things done. “Is that Utopian? I don’t see why. You’d still have debates and arguments. But it wouldn’t be so tribal.”
Party politics isn’t the only thing that has frustrated him to the point of persuading him not to stand again, however.
The glacial pace of the move towards Yorkshire devolution has also got to him.
He places the blame for that squarely at the feet of Whitehall.
Sheffield has gone its own merry way. But council leaders in Leeds, Bradford, North Yorkshire and York all want to have a single tier of government for Yorkshire, with an elected mayor at its head, he says.
That would mean more money for the region – and more powers for regional decision-making on things such as transport. Yorkshire could become a real financial powerhouse. “I want that for Yorkshire and for York,” he says.
A proposal for such such a devolved regional government is now sitting with the Treasury. But the government has been slow to respond, and keeps drip-feeding suggestions that it would prefer smaller devolved authorities, such as one for West Yorkshire and one for York and North Yorkshire, he says.
He believes there’s only one reason for that. A regional government made up of West Yorkshire, North Yorkshire, York and Humberside combined would have a population bigger than Scotland, he points out. “I think the government is scared of the size of Yorkshire.” …
And what about the prospects for York Conservatives at the election?
He chooses his words carefully. “I don’t want to decry them,” he says. “But I think there will be a lot of people who won’t vote in the local elections.” Who knows? in other words.
His own part in local politics is over, at least for now. And once he ceases to be a councillor and council leader, he will also give up his place on various other local and regional bodies – as a director of the York BID, for example, and as vice-chair of Transport for the North. But he’s not ruling out a return to public life altogether. …”
It seems some Tory party candidates are not sure where they live. And as they don’t seem to be canvassing in person – just sending their leaflets through the post – there’s no-one able to draw their attention to the problem, so Owl is letting them know …
[Leaflet refers to “Otter St Mary]
Credit: Guardian
Another reason to vote Independent in local elections.
Party members have to be loyal to their parties. Voting Labour, Conservative and Lib Dem means you really have no idea what you are voting FOR. Labour and Conservative are each split down the middle (or several middles!) with ideological issues (anti-Sematism, Islamophobia, Brexit, privatisation, nationalisation) with little or no time to think about local needs or local issues. The Lib Dems will have a new Leader soon who may decide to take the party in directions very different to those of current leader Cable. (Not to mention they certainly don’t seem to be able to keep their house in order in Seaton where the disgraced ex-Mayor Burrows is being allowed to stand for them again).
You CAN be sure your (real, of course, not phony “just left my party’) independent councillor has only one aim – representing YOU at district council.
“Affordable housing output needs to be increased as the Help to Buy scheme is wound down, according to property consultancy Savills. The Help to Buy scheme has been a major factor in helping young people to afford their own home in recent years. However, its eligibility criteria are set to be tightened in 2021 with the future of the scheme up in the air.
[Take this with a pinch of salt – those “affordable” homes are, on average £33,000 more expensive than they ought to be]:
‘Help to Buy’ costs first-time buyers an average £33,000 extra
A report by Savills said that housebuilding in England may need to increase by up to a third between 2021 and 2025 to make up for the end of the current Help to Buy scheme. Emily Williams, associate director for residential research at Savills, said: “Private sector housebuilding for market sale has underpinned the rapid expansion in housing supply since 2013, including affordable housing delivery through Section 106. But that growth is slowing against market headwinds.”
http://www.room151.co.uk/brief/#end-of-right-to-buy-set-to-increase-demand-for-affordable-housing
“Half of England is owned by less than 1% of its population, according to new data shared with the Guardian which seeks to penetrate the secrecy that has traditionally surrounded land ownership.
The findings, described as “astonishingly unequal”, suggest that about 25,000 landowners – typically members of the aristocracy and corporations – have control of half of the country.
The figures show that if the land were distributed evenly across the entire population, each person would have almost an acre – an area roughly the size of Parliament Square in central London.
Major owners include the Duke of Buccleuch, the Queen, several large grouse moor estates, and the entrepreneur James Dyson.
While land has long been concentrated in the hands of a small number of owners, precise information about property ownership has been notoriously hard to access. But a combination of the development of digital maps and data as well as pressure from campaigners has made it possible to assemble the shocking statistics.
Jon Trickett, Labour MP and shadow minister for the Cabinet Office, hailed the significance of the findings and called for a full debate on the issue, adding: “The dramatic concentration of land ownership is an inescapable reminder that ours is a country for the few and not the many.”
“It’s simply not right that aristocrats, whose families have owned the same areas of land for centuries, and large corporations exercise more influence over local neighbourhoods – in both urban and rural areas – than the people who live there.”
“Land is a source of wealth, it impacts on house prices, it is a source of food and it can provide enjoyment for millions of people.”
Guy Shrubsole, author of the book in which the figures are revealed, Who Owns England?, argues that the findings show a picture that has not changed for centuries.
“Most people remain unaware of quite how much land is owned by so few,” he writes, adding: “A few thousand dukes, baronets and country squires own far more land than all of middle England put together.”
“Land ownership in England is astonishingly unequal, heavily concentrated in the hands of a tiny elite.” …”
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2019/apr/17/who-owns-england-thousand-secret-landowners-author
Owl asks: Who is “growth” FOR? Developers definitely, privatised company bosses too – but ‘the workers’ – hhmmmm.
“The figures from HMRC show the average employee in East Devon took home £19,100 before tax in the 2016-17 financial year, £100 more than their counterparts in North Devon who made £19,000 before tax.
That’s significantly lower than the £23,600 median income across the UK.
Workers in the City of London have the highest median salary in the UK at £54,300, while employees in Boston, Lincolnshire, have the lowest, at just £17,600.
HMRC uses the median, the middle number in a series, instead of the mean average, so the figures are not distorted by extreme highs and lows. The data does not cover people who are self-employed. …
East Devon workers also faired lower than others across the South West, with Stroud, Gloucestshire, recording the highest income in the region at £22,800. West Somerset employees have the lowest at just £18,000. The median is £20,800.
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation, a poverty and social mobility charity, urged the Government to focus on strengthening the economies of poorer areas in the UK. …”
A response to today’s post on retiring EDDC Councillor Roger Giles:
“When I first moved to OSM and had a leaflet from Roger through the letterbox, I could tell immediately that he was the best councillor you needed no money to buy. I voted for him without any hesitation, and I have never been disappointed in the decision.
(Ditto for Claire Wright but that is another story.)
More importantly it was also the beginning of a journey for me, to understand what genuinely Independent councillors do that makes them so different from the Party clones, and to understand the depths of the dodgy behaviour perpetrated by EDDC’s Conservative / Liberal Democrat regime.
Unfortunately I have now moved away, but I do hope that Roger’s shoes are filled by a new crop of fiercely independent-minded Independent councillors who will fight for the rights and needs of local residents against the elite powers-that-be and who will continue Roger’s fight to shine a spotlight and hold the council leadership to account on both the decisions made by them and the process by which those decisions are reached.
To anyone considering standing as a genuine Independent in any of the roles Roger has until now held, I urge you to take the plunge – the last thing East Devon / Devon needs is yet another Conservative / Liberal Democrat clone who will vote as directed in a totally non-critical brain-dead manner.
To anyone voting, equally I urge you to AVOID candidates from the national parties (or indeed any candidates who until recently were associated with national parties and who have decided to stand as Independents even though we can see through this ploy) and to support your genuinely INDEPENDENT candidate.”
Today, something a little different. Above is a photo of Ottery St Mary Independent councillor (town, district and county at different times) Roger Giles.
Roger is a role model for what a good independent councillor must be – passionate about his community, principled, straightforward, eco-friendly, green, living and working in it all his life. He has been a councillor for 24 years and he has put his community first for all that time.
He claims almost no expenses (probably less than £ 100 in those 24 years), he cycles or walks as much as possible, tends his allotment and is approachable, available and active for EVERY member of his community who seeks his help.
Roger does not suffer political fools gladly! His firm but fair chairmanship of EDDC’s Scrutiny Committee and his forensic investigation of its planning omnishambles that helped to lead to the downfall of the much-maligned East Devon Business Forum and its disgraced chief, the notorious Councillor Graham Brown (more about him later in this series) have been recent highlights of his many achievements.
And why is he standing down? Because he believes the younger people of East Devon should have their chance to fill his (not inconsiderable) shoes and make their mark on the district.
Roger nurtured potential MP and councillor-warrior Independent Claire Wright and wants to see more like her in positions of influence in East Devon.
Enjoy your well-deserved retirement Mr Giles – local independents have a hard act to follow but will benefit from your great example.
Luckily, Mr Giles will remain a town councillor for Ottery St Mary if enough (sensible) people vote for him on 2 May 2019.
NOTE: a planning inquiry is much more formal than a hearing and usually involves lawywers, examination of evidence and cross-examination:
“We have now been advised by the District Council that the Planning Inspector has determined that instead of holding a Hearing into the planning appeal as we previously had been told, the Inspector has now decided to hold an Inquiry which could last up to three days. The first of these days is due to start on 16 July. We are assuming that the Inspector will therefore have penciled in the Inquiry to be held on
16, 17 and 18 July
The Inquiry will be held in public and will be held locally. If you have any interest in attending then put these dates in your diary now!
In our last Update we asked you to consider submitting additional evidence to the Planning Inspector and we know that a number have done so, and thank you to those who have.
The District Council’s latest communication advises that the Inspector has put back the date by which additional submissions can be made. The new deadline by which any additional comments have to be received by the Inspector is now
17 May 2019
We again would encourage as many of you as possible who wish to, to submit comments even at this late stage. As the District Council refused planning permission solely on grounds related to highways matters you should only submit highways related comments. In doing so you might want to address matters that include –
Evidence or statements regarding the effect of noise, vibration, damage and pollution on your properties (and vehicles) due to HGV or other traffic
Effect on the health of residents attributable to air quality
Effect of pollution on children walking to school and in the playground of the primary school
Road safety issues – lack of pavements or narrow pavements, plus no lollipop lady, crossing nor traffic lights to help you cross safely with your children
Traffic delays due to congestion at the various pinch points on the A375 in both Sidford and Sidbury
Evidence of vehicles mounting and/or diving on pavements
Where possible your comments should be supported by photographic evidence.
We believe that it is important for as many photographs and/or videos are submitted to the Planning Inspector showing images of traffic congestion/difficulties along the A375 at any point between Sidford and Cotford in Sidbury.
Attached, once again, is a brief guide as to how to present any submission that you make.
Best wishes
Campaign Team
GUIDE TO PRESENTATION OF SUBMISSIONS:
Guidance on submitting additional evidence to the Planning Inspector
All comments and evidence must –
• be received by the Planning Inspector by no later than 22 April 2019. Anything received after this date will not be considered by the Inspector.
• quote the planning appeal reference for in order for it to be considered by the Inspector. The reference is – APP/U1105/W/19/3221978.
• quote the address of the appeal site i.e. the Business Park. The address to be quoted is – Land East of Two Bridges, Two Bridges Road, Sidford.
• your name and address
• state “I am against the appeal proposals” and explain whether it is for the same reasons as given by the District Council or, if not, explain your own reasons
The reasons given by the District Council in refusing the planning application were –
“1. The proposed development, by virtue of the proposed B8 uses, would result in an increase of HGV traffic on the surrounding road network, both in the vicinity of the site and through Sidbury which both suffer from inadequate road widths and a lack of footways. As such increased HGV movements within this area will result in conflicts between vehicles, and between vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians, to the detriment of highway safety. The proposed development is therefore considered contrary to paragraph 32 of the National Planning Policy Framework and Strategies 26 (Development at Sidmouth), and Policies TC7 (Adequacy of Road Network and Site Access) of the adopted East Devon Local Plan 2013 – 2031.”
The Planning Inspector asks that any additional submissions are –
• in a font such as Arial or Verdana in a size of 11 point or larger
• use A4 paper wherever possible
• number the pages of the documents
• make sure photocopied and scanned documents are clear and legible
• use black and white for documents unless colour is essential
• put any photographs (both originals and photocopies should be in colour),
maps, plans, etc, in a separate appendix and cross reference them within the main body of the document
• print documents on both sides of a page. You should use paper of good enough quality that something printed on one side of the page does not show through to the other side
• do not send original documents
• if possible, send 3 copies
You should send your written submission and/or photographs/videos –
By post to:
The Planning Inspectorate, Room 3/C Eagle Wing, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Bristol BS1 6PN
By email to: west2@pins.gsi.gov.uk
Planning Portal: https://acp.planninginspectorate.gov.uk
Remember all evidence must be received by the Planning Inspector by no later than
17 May 2019
More on the Hermione Grainger-like Tory hopeful Jacquie Russell:
Interesting to see her “likes” on her social media page:
On the one hand, nice to see she “likes” Independent DCC Councillor Martin Shaw (his county council seat her next target perhaps!) but, on the other hand, very worrying that she also “likes” far-right BNP splinter group “British Voice” whose background is detailed here:
and in its beginnings here:
“A far-right British National Party splinter group are expected to hold their autumn conference in St Helens tomorrow.
A letter seen by the ECHO suggests British Voice, whose chairman Mike Whitby is a former BNP candidate for Liverpool mayor, will meet at a secret location in the town.
Michael Whitby was found guilty of racially abusing a Birkenhead traffic warden in 2013, less than a year after standing for Liverpool mayor for the BNP. …”
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/bnp-splinter-group-british-voice-10476630
Another correspondent remembers old times …
Owl has recently featured a number of stories of Conservative Candidates standing in local elections when they appear to be spending time in places far removed from their constituencies, such as Cambridge and West Sussex.
One of Owl’s not so myopic Moles has a sense of déjà vu.
Moley recalls that in 2010 Budleigh Salterton, for a year, became a French Commune. This was when Malcolm Florey, Conservative District Councillor for the Town, retired to live in France and continue his reign of governance from there.
As was explained in an article in The Journal:
“Cllr Florey said his move to France had not affected his work championing the town and district.
“The ward member hit back at Budleigh Salterton Town Council’s recent claims he was failing to sufficiently serve the town.
“He said email and telephone allowed him to keep his finger on the pulse as far as Budleigh and the ward was concerned.
“Cllr Florey rubbished claims his constituents had been let down by his decision to relocate from the UK to France…..
“Cllr Florey said his decision to remain a ward member while living in another country was one of responsibility to the people who elected him.
“He said stepping down as ward member had been an option – a move he had decided not to take so close to an election…..
“I could resign and let the people of the ward down, but I am still doing things that are benefitting the community.”
https://www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/news/budleigh-ward-member-defends-move-1-687241
Malcolm was a protégé of Cllr Ray Franklin and it was Ray who took on the role of voicing, within the Knowle: “ses réflexions au sujet des affaires locales britanniques”
Both Cllrs Franklin and Florey had a track record of paying more attention to the voices they heard in their heads from the “silent Majority” than from electors or the Town Council.
The story does not end well for the Party of Strong and Stable Government. In the subsequent elections in 2011 the dummy withdrew and the ventriloquist was de-selected.”
So, who is playing political games here – Swire who switched from Remain to Brexit or Claire Wright who has been a ‘strong and stable’ Remainer!
https://www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/news/east-devon-mp-sir-hugo-swire-column-1-5997739
(And Owl does hope she will get a right of reply during this local election period)
Info from correspondents coming thick and fast in this last couple of weeks before voting – here’s one from Woodbury and Lympstone (NOT Lympstone and Woodbury, as it appears on Tory party leaflets!).
“Interesting to read the glossy brochure submitted by the 2 young “Tory Hopefuls” standing against the hard-working Independent Councillors in the Woodbury and Lympstone Ward. Shame they don’t get the ward title right as they seem to think its Lympstone and Woodbury!
Cheryl Mcgauley the present chair of Woodbury Parish Council has joined up with William Carter to challenge for the 2 seats available in the ward.
Cheryl needs no introduction to most of the ward electors as she has chaired the Parish Council in Woodbury for the last 4 years.
William is less known, but his family are well-known in East Devon! His father Rowen Carter runs the family business that includes Exmouth Docks, and Greendale Business Park. His uncle and aunt Robin Carter and Zoe House run Ladram Bay Holiday Park, and his brother Matt runs Greendale Farm shop.
In their leaflet Will says he is eager to represent the electorate and make a positive impact locally.
However, judging by the family’s history of development at Exmouth docks, Woodbury Park Golf Club, before selling on, and the continuing issues at Ladram Bay and Greendale Business Park most local people would say the family have already made an impression!
The whole idea of representing constituents is you need to voice the electorates’ concerns. How can that be done, when they are required to declare an interest and leave the debate on matters that concern the many issues relating to these local businesses?
According to the brochure Will and Cheryl love their ward which they say is a great place to live and work.
They believe there is a need to achieve a balance between the environment (in particular, places like the Exe estuary and Woodbury Common) and promoting sustainable development, affordable housing, and employment opportunities.
Many residents would argue that with more work places than there are working people living in the ward already, with Greendale and Woodbury Business parks alone, providing 1700 jobs, the balance if anything is too far leaning the wrong way!
The brochure reports that Conservative led East Devon delivers. However, it doesn’t mention the massive debt the new Honiton headquarters has cost (£16M) , nor next years “black hole” of a £1M in the Council’s Budget. Nor the £70M shortfall in infrastructure requirements over the next 12 years!!
The brochure makes many bland promises, which, if the new administration dared to follow, will lead the Council to more spending, but the brochure also promises to remain a “low tax council”
Where is the money coming from to cover our existing black holes never mind these new extravagant promises!”
