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16 Apr 2019

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Accountability, Democracy, East Devon Tories, Voting

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The Hermione Grainger of local politics – able to be in two places at the same time!

Phil Twiss (who is NOT the East Devon Tories Whip but is a Tory agent has sent this to Owl.

Just one thing Phil – if she’s been so busy in the Axe Valley, how has she managed to do so much in West Sussex! On parish and district council there and many committees.

Do we have a Hermione Grainger here – able to be in two places at once?

“Well done Owl; you have excelled yourself in getting at least half of the story correct.

I am happy to confirm that Jacquie Russell, a Conservative candidate in the forthcoming East Devon District Council elections on the 2nd of May (with fellow Conservative Marcus Hartnell) has lived in East Devon since 2017, where she is a Governor of the Axe Valley Academy, attended by one of her children. Admittedly not a born and bred local, but in that respect no different to EDA candidates including former Labour Party PPC Martin Shaw, Paul Arnott, Paul Hayward, Cathy Gardner etc………………………………..

More details are of course available on her Election leaflets that is going to all electors in the Seaton ward.

Promoted by Phillip Twiss on behalf of Jacquie Russell both of PO Box 57, Colyton, Devon, EX12 9AP”

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15 Apr 2019

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Accountability, Privatisation, Sleaze, Utilities

British Gas shares plummet – CEO’s salary soars

“The boss of Centrica [formerly British Gas] is fighting for his job as investors lose faith in his leadership.

Iain Conn has been chief executive of the British Gas owner since 2015 – picking up £11.1 million in pay along the way.

But the FTSE 100 group’s shares have tumbled 60 per cent on his watch and are at their lowest level since 1999.

The father-of-three’s position is seen as particularly vulnerable since the arrival of Charles Berry, who succeeded Rick Haythornthwaite as chairman in February. …

Conn has also attracted the ire of retail investors who have seen the value of their savings plummet from 279p a share when he took over in 2015 to 109.05p at the close of business yesterday.

The slump has slashed Centrica’s value from £15.9 billion to £6.2 billion.

The backlash among shareholders comes a week after it emerged that Conn, 56, enjoyed a 44 per cent pay rise to £2.4million in 2018.

The rise of £740,000 covered a year when British Gas hiked bills for millions of families and saw 742,000 customers leave. …

Centrica this month announced another 500 jobs are at risk – 400 of which are based in Glasgow –- as part of the company’s plan to cut 2,000 jobs this year. It has axed 7,700 jobs since 2015.

Centrica declined to comment last night. …”

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-6925171/British-Gas-boss-fights-job-Iain-Conn-fire-shares-hit-20-year-low.html

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15 Apr 2019

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Accountability, Cranbrook, High Street decline, NHS (local)

Cranbrook urgently needs temporary GP practice

Owl is amused at the idea that an extra GP practice would increase footfall in the “town”. But you just cannot call a settlement of 2,000 houses with 5 shops a town – maybe “suburb of Exeter” is now more appropriate!

“… Cranbrook temporary GP Practise
The Projects Director presented the report which sought approval for up to £150k of funding from the Enterprise Programme to enable the delivery of a temporary GP practice in Cranbrook town centre. This was an urgent requirement because of the lack of capacity at the current practice. Whilst Access Healthcare had had their contract extended there were significant concerns over the ability to deliver increasing patient numbers. Expanded facilities were therefore urgently required.
Discussions included the following:

 if not supported this would create a massive health inequality
 this was a loan therefore the borrowing would be repaid
 as well as helping the health service, this was a benefit to the residents of Cranbrook as the existing provision was under pressure. …

The current GP practice in the Younghayes Centre was at capacity. The temporary GP practice would enable the continued delivery of primary care services in Cranbrook for a period of 5 years. It would also bring increased footfall to the town centre and act as a catalyst for attracting wider investment.”

https://democracy.eastdevon.gov.uk//documents/g143/Printed%20minutes%2003rd-Apr-2019%2017.30%20Cabinet.pdf?T=1

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15 Apr 2019

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And yet another Tory councillor from far, far away (170 miles) it seems – this time Seaton?

NOTE: if this is NOT the same person, Owl is very happy to be contacted by either or both of the people with this name to clear up the matter (eastdevonwatch@gmail.com) as quickly as possible.

This time a sitting councillor in West Sussex – Mrs Jacquie Russell. On her nomination paper for Seaton she gives her address as “East Devon District”:

Click to access seaton.pdf

She appears to be an East Grinstead Town Councillor:

Councillors

“Jacquie sits on the Public Services Committee at present and is also a West Sussex County Council for East Grinstead South and Ashurst Wood.”

Councillors

though apparently not standing for re-election this year:

and she sits on her local district council too:

“Jacquie Russell is a former Co-Director of a Construction Project management company and is now a Property Developer. Previously she has been Leader of East Grinstead Town Council and Chairmen of its Planning Committee. She is a mother of five, grandmother of two, and enjoys walking and photography.”

https://westsussex.moderngov.co.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=237

though, again, not standing this year.

So, is this a coincidence? It seems unlikely as she DOES tweet about our area – although her tweets are private) you can see this Google listing:

Maybe she is/was a second home owner? If so, it would no doubt be useful for them to have a voice on the district council, there being so many of them!

Or maybe she has just moved or about to move into the district?

But not immersed in East Devin local politics with all that work in East Grinstead!

Seaton voters, if they see her about, might well have a few questions to ask her!

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15 Apr 2019

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Accountability, Developers/ Development, Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation, PegasusLife, Sidmouth/ Sidford/ Sidbury

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PegasusLife ‘to build in phases’ at Knowle

Owl says: Won’t be much fun for those in Phase 1 (or their neighbours) to live on or near a building site until other phases (how many?) are completed.

“… Sidmouth Town Council revealed on Monday night 3.5hectres of land at Knowle could be transferred sooner than expected after members were told the land and car park would not be available until the completion of PegasusLife’s 113-home retirement community.

Town clerk Christopher Holland told the meeting the developer has decided to build its 113-home retirement community in phases, rather than one go, meaning it will be able to contain its construction materials without using the public car park.

In November, the Herald revealed the developer had been allowed the use of the lower car park and meadow as storage space for the duration of the works. …”

https://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/transfer-of-knowle-parkland-to-sidmouth-town-council-moved-up-1-5992919

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15 Apr 2019

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Can you be an effective councillor from 218 miles away?

Owl has received the email below from an anonymous source.  However, on checking, it does appear correct – the person in question who wants to represent Sidmouth Sidford [edited from Sidbury – ed mistake] ward as a Conservative will need to spend the majority of his time in Cambridge for the foreseeable future.

Gosh – that’s 50 miles further than our London-based MP – who we rarely see!

Information: The AA

“As an elector who takes an interest in who might be representing us on the incoming District Council, I was pleased to see that a young man was standing in the Sidmouth Sidford ward.

However, my pleasure then turned to uncertainty when I realised that this young man is student at Robinson College in Cambridge. It appears that he started his degree course in the autumn of 2018.

I then asked myself the question – how will someone who must surely have to spend much of his time studying in Cambridge over the next few years be able to full represent the electors in Sidford as well as playing a full part in District Council activities? AND University life?

I see that the distance between Sidford, which would be where his electors live, and Cambridge, where he will be studying for his degree is a good 218 miles which on a good day could take upwards of 4 hours to drive.

This has all left me a bit bemused as to how this young man, will be able to balance his studying, with effectively representing his electors, with having a reasonable social and family life.

Is this really fair on young Zachary Marsh – or is his political party so short of candidates that it thinks its right to have an elected Councillor who would live so far away from those he wants to represent?

A concerned elector”

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14 Apr 2019

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Developers/ Development, Help to Buy, Linden Homes

Linden homes: catalogue of serious problems in new Exeter home

“A new build owner has shared shocking pictures of her mouldy bathroom which came to light months after moving into what she thought would be a hassle free home.

Linda Hamlet claims the first problems began from the day she moved into the Linden Homes development Tithe Barn in Pinhoe, Exeter, when ‘snagging’ issues included being unable to lock her front door because it was misaligned.

Since then the main problem in three-bed semi-detached home has been four leaks, including from a u-bend which was not connected properly in the kitchen, and a rotten wall and mouldy floors in the ensuite and bathroom.

Linda said: “I went two months without being able to use the shower in our ensuite as they used mastic instead of grout after the first leak. At same time there was two botch jobs made with our leaking bathroom sink.

“I could smell a horrible smell in the bathrooms and it turns out it was because the floors were mouldy underneath. They were just going to regroup the tiles until I insisted there must be underlying damage. Then they only removed tiles and saw the stinking rotten wall.

“I have spent nearly £300,000 on a new house as I thought it would give me peace of mind because I could close the door and enjoy my life, but I haven’t been able to and now have a problem with missing pointing in the brickwork. I haven’t been given an apology and I haven’t been offered compensation.”

A Linden Homes spokesperson said: “We pride ourselves on the quality of our homes and our customer care. Our dedicated customer care team have been in regular contact with Ms Hamlet to rectify the minor faults in her property that have appeared during the snagging and defects period.

“We have worked to complete these items as quickly as possible, and with minimum disruption for the customer. We will continue to work with Ms Hamlet to ensure that any identified defects are resolved and any repairs are carried out, under the conditions of her warranty.”

https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/horrible-smell-led-new-home-2754859

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14 Apr 2019

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Accountability, Audit (EDDC), Sleaze

Major companies could escape “double check” audit

Owl has just one question – why?

“Britain’s competition watchdog is drawing up plans to exclude some major companies from a controversial new rule that would require many businesses to appoint joint auditors.

Sky News has learnt that the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has been weighing whether to offer an exemption as part of its heavily scrutinised inquiry into the audit market.

The CMA is expected to publish its final report this week, but has been stung by a backlash from corporate Britain to proposals outlined in December that would force FTSE-100 companies to employ two audit firms.

Sources close to the regulator’s probe say it has floated the idea of offering a “carve-out” from the joint audit rule for “the biggest, most complex companies”.

That could apply to banks such as HSBC Holdings and oil companies including BP and Royal Dutch Shell.

One insider said a crude market capitalisation threshold could apply, with companies worth more than a certain threshold allowed to continue with a single auditor.

The workability of this idea was dismissed by corporate chiefs, however, given the potential impact on companies crossing such a threshold in either direction or on multiple occasions.

It was unclear this weekend whether the exemption would be included in the CMA’s final report, although one source close to the government said the watchdog had appeared to be determined to press ahead with it several weeks ago.

The CMA is also expected to push for a more robust separation of the big four’s audit and non-audit practices than it floated in its preliminary report four months ago.

Its inquiry was launched at the behest of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) in the wake of anger about the role of auditors in major corporate scandals at BHS and Carillion.

Accountants have also faced probes into their work on the books of companies such as BT Group, the Co-operative Bank, Ted Baker and Patisserie Holdings. …

https://news.sky.com/story/watchdog-may-exempt-biggest-firms-from-joint-audit-rule-11693962

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14 Apr 2019

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Accountability, Austerity cuts, Inequality, Poverty, Universal Credit

Universal Credit: a cancer sufferer’s story

“A single mum with breast cancer was left with just 84 pence after a Universal Credit nightmare.

Teacher Gillian Sykes found out she had cancer in January and is preparing to have a double mastectomy operation in the summer, Liverpool Echo reports.

She has had to quit work as a supply teacher but says she has been left to ‘fight for survival’ with the Department of Work and Pensions.

Gillian explained how she has been turned down for support and was even made to take bank statements into the job centre just two days after her first draining bout of chemotherapy.

She said she also had money taken away because of the DWP made mistakes over dates – and was eventually left with just 84p to live on, forcing her to rely on hand-outs from family and friends.

Gillian was also told she needed to be looking for work – which the DWP later said was just an ‘automated response.’

The 45-year-old, who lives in Ashton-in-Makerfield with her two teenage children, spoke about the devastating moment she discovered she had cancer.

She said: “I found the lump myself on the 28th December when I was going to bed – and I cried myself to sleep.

“We’ve got a family history of it – its the 20th anniversary of my mum’s death this year.

“I was in an absolute panic and got an appointment shortly after – then two weeks later I was sent to see an oncologist who confirmed what I already knew, that it wasn’t a cyst, it was a solid mass.

“A week later I got given the news and things progressed quite quickly from there. I’ve now had three rounds of chemotherapy. My hair is coming out in handfuls daily.”

“This summer I will be having as double mastectomy – which is not nice.”

Gillian began a lengthy, draining battle with the Department of Work and Pensions to get the benefits she needed to help her through an incredibly difficult time.

After her cancer diagnosis, Gillian said she was never told she qualified for Limited Capability for Work Related Activity – which is supposed to provide extra cash for those who are unable to work.

She was left battling with the department for weeks in a bid to get the extra support.

Gillian said: “To be going through that is enough, only to then to deal with this – after paying into a system as a teacher system that I desperately need help from.

“I’m having battles left, right and centre with Universal Credit – and issues with not being told what I can and can’t claim.

“I’ve had more support from Macmillan nurses than the government.”

“Two days after my first chemotherapy session, I was told I had to take my bank statements in to the job centre to prove that they had taken money from me that they shouldn’t have.

“I’ve had statutory sickpay penalised – I complained and complained. I spoke to a different person on the phone every time.

“I just feel like I’m fighting for survival with benefits, that I shouldn’t be fighting with right now. I’ve got enough stress.”

After spending weeks waiting to find out if she could get the vital extra LCWRA payments, Gillian decided to apply for what is known as a Universal Credit budgeting loan – used to help those who are struggling.

She said: “This particular month was really hard, I rang them to be told by someone that nothing was available to me because ‘all the buttons were greyed out – and we don’t know why.”

“Someone else told me nothing was available because I had earned at least £2,600 in the last six months – well of course I did, I’m a teacher, I was working full time with my agency up until Christmas – so I’ve been punished for actually going to work.

“What I do get from Universal Credit, I’m paying a mortgage, I’ve got two kids. I didn’t expect this to happen to me.

“I have suffered with depression for several years, which has been greatly under control and I have been able to work – and this is now what’s happening on a daily basis when I find out the next step, the next fight.”

After she spoke to the Liverpool Echo, the Department of Work and Pensions told her she did in fact qualify for the extra cash.

The following day she was told she would be backpaid hundreds of pounds that were owed to her, and an apology from the DWP followed.

A spokesman told the ECHO: “We have apologised to Gillian Sykes for the distress caused by this delay and are paying her full arrears.

“She has been placed in the long-term health condition group, meaning she receives a higher level of support and will not be required to seek work.

“We want to ensure that anyone with a health condition gets the support they need, which is why the Government is rolling out a recovery package to support people diagnosed with cancer and over 300,000 people will benefit every year by 2020.”

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/mum-needing-double-mastectomy-left-14312002

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14 Apr 2019

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Accountability, Voting

Voters under 50 hold key to election success or failure – even for Boris Johnson

Young voters are vital to democracy in East Devon, where older voters are, by and large, over-represented on voting day compared to younger ones. If young(er) people in the district want their say and want to influence it, they must register and vote.

“Boris Johnson could lose his seat to a surge of younger voters, research shows.

The Tory leadership hopeful’s 5,000 majority is at risk after his party has failed to attract enough voters under the age of 40.

Research conducted by new Conservative supporting thing tank Onward has suggested that Mr Johnson’s Uxbridge and South Ruislip is “vulnerable”.

Their analysis suggests that a Conservative seat is vulnerable lose if the ratio of younger voters, under 40, rises above 1.1 for every older voter over 60.

According to the think tank in 2017 the ‘tipping point age’ – the median age at which a voter is more likely to vote Conservative than Labour – was 47 years old.

But it has increased in the last two years to 51 years old. … “

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/boris-johnson-could-lose-seat-14311251

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14 Apr 2019

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Accountability, Affordable and Social Housing, Developers/ Development

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‘Help to Buy’ costs first-time buyers an average £33,000 extra

“First-time buyers who use Help to Buy to get on to the property ladder face paying a premium of more than £30,000.

That’s according to new research by the price comparison website Reallymoving, which claims first-time buyers using Help to Buy paid an average £303,000 in February, significantly more than the average of £270,000 spent by those who bought a home on the open market. …”

First-time buyers face a £33,000 premium when using Help to Buy

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13 Apr 2019

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Accountability, Austerity cuts, NHS (local), Privatisation

“Revealed: Collapsed private provider to the NHS owes £11m”

“A patient transport company which collapsed after it withdrew from a key NHS contract owes more than £11m, including to the NHS, statements filed with Companies House have revealed.

Liquidators winding up Coperforma have found just a few thousand pounds in the company’s bank accounts. But the papers also showed the company owes £11.3m to unsecured creditors, including NHS organisations and suppliers of ambulances and staff.

Clinical commissioning groups in Sussex – where Coperforma won a patient transport service contract in 2016 – have claimed the company owes them £7.6m. In a statement, the county’s CCGs said: “The Sussex CCGs are actively pursuing all options to maximise recovery for the NHS of costs incurred as a result of the failure of the patient transport service contract.

“In particular, the CCGs are pursuing legal recovery against an associated party of Coperforma which provided a parent company guarantee. The CCG is currently unable to publicly give more details for legal reasons.”

Companies House lists Guernsey-based Seabourn Ltd as a “person with significant control” in Coperforma.

Coperforma claims instead that the CCGs owe it nearly £2.5m, although the documents lodged at Companies House showed the liquidators and their solicitors felt “there was not sufficient evidence to progress recovery”. The CCGs’ claim could be offset against this, it was suggested. This could still leave the CCGs owed more than £5m.

The liquidators are also investigating “potential antecedent transactions” involving the firm, although they will not say who was involved in this. These transactions normally involve the transfer of money out of a firm before it becomes insolvent.

Earlier documents, from just after the company went into administration in early 2018, suggested it had assets of around £400,000, excluding the money it said it was owed by the CCGs. It also owed £377,449 to “trade and expense creditors”.

Coperforma took over the Sussex PTS contract in April 2016, having been the only bidder for a contract which split the transport side of the service from the scheduling of ambulances. It struggled to deliver the service, with many patients arriving late for appointments or being left in hospital. Two of its subcontractors went into administration and the CCG had to pay some staff wages to make sure the service kept going.

Following growing complaints from commissioners and patients and a critical Care Quality Commission report, the company abandoned the £16m a year contract in November 2016. It was handed to South Central Ambulance Service Foundation Trust.

The Sussex CCGs involved were Eastbourne, Hailsham and Seaford; Hastings and Rother; Brighton and Hove; Coastal West Sussex; Horsham and Mid Sussex; Crawley; and High Weald Lewes Havens, which led on the PTS procurement.”

https://www.hsj.co.uk/finance-and-efficiency/revealed-collapsed-private-provider-to-the-nhs-owes-11m/7024800.article?

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13 Apr 2019

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Accountability, Democracy, East Devon Alliance, East Devon Tories, Independent Councillors

Politics: when your (very recent) past comes back to bite you

And why Independents make sense – no party line, no whipping.

“Activists for political parties are hardy souls.

They’re used to braving the elements, leafleting and door knocking in the depths of midwinter and encountering the uninterested, the unruly and even the odd bloodthirsty dog.

But from conversations I’ve been having with councillors and council candidates from both main parties over the past few days, all campaigning for next month’s local elections, the reaction they’ve received this time round has been of a quite different order.

The Tories, most of all, are in abject despair with many believing they are heading for the drubbing of their lives.

One, a local chairman from Essex, told me that his prime minister’s actions represent “an absolute betrayal of the British people”.

He told me: “Next month’s elections are going to be absolutely pivotal – we are going to get absolutely hammered.

“We are struggling to get anyone to deliver leaflets, even members of our executive don’t want to go out.”

This theme of Conservatives being unable to turn out their own members was commonplace across the country.

One exasperated Tory councillor told me: “Every association I’ve spoken to are struggling to get their members out.

“Members are saying, why should I get s*** on the doorstep and doors slammed in my face when I’m as angry as they are?”

Most are unequivocal: they blame Theresa May and want her to go. “It isn’t just six weeks of incompetence, it’s two and a half years.”

But this isn’t just a rejection of the Tory party and Theresa May, the backlash extends to Labour too.

I’ve spoken to a score of Labour councillors from up and down the country who are deeply concerned about the reaction they’re getting. …”

https://news.sky.com/story/brexit-backlash-party-activists-fear-hostility-could-turn-sinister-11691211

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13 Apr 2019

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Misc

18 days to local elections – today’s picture

Swire (and his party’s view right down the line to councillors):

As explained here by Claire Wright:

https://eastdevonwatch.org/2015/03/24/claire-wright-responds-to-hugo-swires-jokes/

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12 Apr 2019

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Accountability, Privatisation, Utilities

Much cheaper water bills in south west – thanks to Jeremy Corbyn!

Threatened with nationalisation, South West Water cuts bills by 15% – interesting!

“Under threat of nationalisation from a putative Jeremy Corbyn-led Labour government, Britain’s three listed water companies have agreed to the largest cuts in customer bills since privatisation by Margaret Thatcher 30 years ago.

The reductions will mean that households in the West Country will pay 15 per cent less at 2019 prices over the next five years. In the northwest of England, bills will fall by 11 per cent before inflation.

While the inflation link in water charges will mean bills will fall by less, new penalties for missing environmental and operational targets could mean suppliers having to cut household charges by even more as a means of compensating their communities.

Of the 17 water companies in England and Wales, three have made a fast-track agreement with Ofwat, the regulator, to set customer charges from April 2020 to March 2025.

The other 14 suppliers have been given a must-do-better notice by Ofwat. Having been told by the regulator to resubmit their plans and make them more ambitious, the 14 will be told by Ofwat in July whether their revised proposals are acceptable.

As there is no competition in the supply of water to households, the 17 suppliers are all local monopolies and as such are tightly regulated by Ofwat. However, critics of the regulatory regime, including MPs on both sides of the House of Commons, have argued that Ofwat has for too long allowed suppliers to put up prices without investing enough in, for instance, stopping leaks, which in some areas lead to 25 per cent of the treated water in the mains system going missing.

The three suppliers who have been fast-tracked by Ofwat for presenting credible business plans for the 2020-25 price review are, coincidentally, the three remaining stock market-quoted water companies: United Utilities, formerly known as North West Water, which serves 3 million homes from Cheshire to the Scottish border; Severn Trent, which serves 4.3 million customers in the Midlands; and South West Water, which supplies 1.8 million people in the West Country and is a subsidiary of Pennon Group.

Household customers of South West Water have long had the largest bills in the country. Ofwat has agreed with the group that those bills will fall before inflation by 15 per cent, or £77, from this year’s £527 average to £450.

However, South West Water has also agreed with Ofwat that if it does not clean up its act with the Environment Agency — it is the most regularly fined for pollution incidents — then it could face further cuts to the charges it makes.

United Utilities has agreed to a £49, or 11 per cent, cut in bills over the next five years but has been told it will have to cut charges more if it does not hit targets to reduce its leaks by 20 per cent.

Severn Trent is to cut bills by 5 per cent, or £16, over the five years. It has committed to more than halving the average time its customers are without water every year or face penalties.

Under Ofwat’s rules, bills will go up every year in line with CPIH, the consumer price index that includes housing costs, now running at 1.8 per cent.

The suppliers’ charges will get final clearance in December. David Black, the Ofwat director in charge of the process, said: “Our draft decisions for these companies show that investment in service and infrastructure can go hand in hand with more affordable bills.”

Source: The Times (pay wall)

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12 Apr 2019

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Accountability, Developers/ Development, Development Management Committee, EDDC, Greendale, Independent Councillors

20 days to local elections: today’s picture

This image below shows current planning issues at Greendale Business Park – many of which have been allowed, or allowed to drag on, by EDDC Tory councillors who form the majority decision-makers in “planning” and planning “enforcement” (those inverted commas are there deliberately!). Many of Greendale’s planning applications have been approved retrospectively.

Independent Councillor Geoff Jung works tirelessly (in the face of great difficulty) to try to ensure that Greendale stays within its proper boundaries – but it is a never-ending task:

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12 Apr 2019

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Austerity cuts, Police (local)

Secretively towards a new kind of emergency service in Devon?

Currently many firefighters are trained as medical first responders too. Now they are being trained as police first responders.

Is this a plan to have just one type of first responder – police, fire AND ambulance?

“A police force has trained firefighters as special constables in an attempt to boost officer numbers in rural areas.

Seven Devon and Somerset firefighters have taken on the community responder roles after two months training with Devon and Cornwall Police.

They can now arrest suspects, but must prioritise fighting fires when needed.

Police and fire unions have criticised the scheme as a ploy to “paper over the cracks” saying “firefighters exist to save lives, not to enforce the law”.

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall, Alison Hernandez, said the new roles would help make “communities in Devon and Cornwall safer”.

“They are a great addition to rural communities and importantly represent extra resource for blue-light services,” she said.

“They are not a replacement to full-time sworn police officers, whose ranks we are also adding to with a further 85 being recruited this year, taking our numbers to the highest level since 2012.”

But Dave Green, from the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), said: “Firefighters provide a humanitarian service, which often allows access to areas of the community that the police sometimes struggle to engage with.

“Independence from the police is vital to ensure that communities know firefighters exist to save lives, not to enforce the law.

“We remain opposed to any attempt to turn firefighters into law enforcement, either in Devon and Somerset, or elsewhere in the country.”

Simon Kempton, of the Police Federation, told The Telegraph that the project was an attempt to “paper over the cracks” caused by cuts in funding.

“It just exposes how scant resources are in some rural areas,” he said.
Cullompton, Crediton, Dartmouth, Honiton, Okehampton, Newton Abbot and Totnes will all receive a community responder later this year.”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-47880818

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12 Apr 2019

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Accountability, Austerity cuts, Inequality, Local Government Finance

Deprivation no longer a criterion for extra local authority funding

“Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn this week chose local government funding as the central focus of Prime Ministers Questions, describing the Fair Funding Review as an Orwellian phrase.

Local government organisations have voiced concerns that poor areas of the country will lose out under government proposals to remove deprivation as a factor in calculating the foundation formula for grants to councils.

Speaking in the Commons on Wednesday, Corbyn said that the Fair Funding Review proposals are likely to make things worse for struggling local authorities.

He said: “Tory proposals on the new funding formula for councils will make poorer areas even poorer. “They are removing the word ‘deprivation’ from the funding criteria. “In a phrase that George Orwell would have been very proud of, they have called this the fairer funding formula.”

However, May hit back, saying: “No, that is not what we are doing. “What we are doing is ensuring that we have a fairer funding formula across local authorities. “We are also ensuring that we are making more money available for local authorities to spend.”

However, Corbyn pointed to concerns raised by local authority representatives over the removal of the deprivation factor. He said: “The Society of Local Authority Chief Executives has called the fairer funding formula decision ‘perverse’. “Even before this new formula kicks in, councils are losing out now.

“A Conservative council leader said earlier this year: ‘We are really, really short of money…I mean there is no money.’”

Publication of the review proposals sparked an angry response from urban councils, which said they would be hit by the removal of the current deprivation measure.

And in February, even the County Councils Network (CCN), whose members are set to benefit from the move, said: “Considering recent debate within the sector on deprivation we recognise that the government may wish to consider whether deprivation should be included…”

However, the CCN it said that this should only be done at a small weighting, if its inclusion was supported by evidence, and did not compromise the review’s principles of simplifying the system.

Paul Carter, chairman of the CCN, said: “…if we are to see this review through – and if we are to grasp this opportunity – compromise and pragmatism on all sides of the local government sector, will be necessary.” …”

Corbyn attacks ‘Orwellian’ Fair Funding Review