Austerity forcing short term decisions with long term negative consequences? – Owl

A council is considering breaching its own policies by selling off two multi-million pound landmark sites for student housing.

Miles Davis Politics Reporter BBC Devon

A report has recommended Exeter City Council should sell the former leisure centre site at Clifton Hill and the Mary Arches multi-storey car park without restrictions on use.

Councillors are considering the sales despite a council policy not to sell off land for student accommodation.

Exeter City Council needs to raise millions of pounds to pay off debts from its failed housing development housing company, Exeter City Living.

The report going before the executive of Exeter City Council on Tuesday evening shows the council is likely to be left with an outstanding loan of about £9m as a result of the winding down of Exeter City Living.

The report states: “The council’s current corporate policy is not to dispose of any of its land for Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) in the city centre.”

Valuations carried out for the sale of the two sites have not been made public but it said if the council stuck to that policy it could lose out by “something in the region of 70% of the site’s potential value”.

When the council announced the demolition of Mary Arches car park in December 2022 the council leader, Phil Bialyk, said: “I can be clear, if it is the city council’s land, there will be no purpose-built student accommodation.”

On Tuesday, Mr Bialyk, Labour and Cooperative Party, said: “The officers have a duty to advise me and the executive as to the potential value of all the sites for whatever purpose.

“We have to cover the original debt that we now have to deal with going forward.”

According to the council’s report specialist student accommodation is “failing to meet rising demand” with about 29,000 full time students at the University of Exeter, and numbers expected to increase to about 36,500 by 2026.

The Clifton Hill leisure centre closed in 2018 and was demolished in 2022.

Michael Mitchell, Liberal Democrat councillor and Progressive Group co-leader, said: “The community surrounding the Clifton Hill site are rather concerned about the possibility of student accommodation being built on the old Clifton hill leisure centre site.

“A commitment was made by this council not to allow PBSA on this site and I hope they will not renege on this decision as a result of the failure of Exeter City Living.”

‘Dismayed’

Anne Jobson, leader of the Conservatives on the council, said she was “dismayed” to read the report.

She said: “I would have thought that within Exeter there would be a developer for residential housing or for a housing association or for affordable/social housing which is what we need in Exeter.

“What we are looking for is housing that will accommodate people that work in Exeter – care workers, teachers and nurses who find it hard to get into the rental sector and don’t qualify for social housing.”

Diana Moore, Green Party councillor and Progressive Group co-leader, said: “There has simply been a failure by the executive to provide proper oversight of Exeter City Living and it has turned council assets into liabilities.”

A new banking hub has opened in Axminster, a year after the town lost its last remaining bank branch.

The hub, based in the former Lloyds Bank building, was officially opened by local MP Richard Foord on Friday, November 24.

Philippa Davies www.midweekherald.co.uk

It is a shared banking space, offering face-to-face service for customers of all major banks and building societies and access a full range of banking services.

The Community Bankers will work on rotation, with a different bank available on each day of the week. The hub will be open Monday to Friday from 9am until 5pm.

The banking hub is the second to open in Devon, and was established by Cash Access UK, an organisation set up to protect nationwide access to cash. It will be operated by the Post Office. 

Mr Foord joined local community leaders and the Mayor of Axminster to cut the ribbon and formally open the site on Friday.

He said: “This new banking hub will make a huge difference. It will enable local people to access a full range of banking services in their own community and will help resuscitate the high street.

“Rural areas have lost so many bank branches in recent years. Many towns have seen every branch close; that is what happened in Axminster.

“This new hub shows that when we apply pressure to Government and to big business, we can protect vital services like face-to-face banking, which are essential to small businesses and older residents in particular.

“I will continue to advocate for more action by the Government to speed up the delivery of banking hubs across our corner of Devon, so as to protect people’s access to cash close to where they live.

“In particular, I will be pressing for similar progress with a proposed banking hub in Sidmouth – which has been roundly endorsed by the local Chamber of Commerce there.”

Tory candidate for the new Tiverton & Minehead constituency, currently member for Bridgwater and West Somerset, Ian Richard Peregrine Liddell-Grainger, sounds off again. [Use EDW search box to find past harrumphs].

Owl doesn’t think the creation of a Somerset unitary authority, by merging Districts, is entirely relevant to the hoops Devon is trying to jump through to unlock devolution cash.

Beware of who you vote for in Tiverton. – Owl

Lewis Clarke www.devonlive.com

Parliamentary candidate Ian Liddell-Grainger has warned Devon councils not to rush into a merger they might later regret. He says plans to link Devon County Council and Torbay Council and devolve some Government functions could end up saddling taxpayers with unforeseen costs.

Under Government proposals the authorities would merge to become a single, Level 2 non- mayoral council.

Spokesmen for the councils have welcomed the deal, saying it will benefit residents and businesses and give the area a stronger voice in influencing national policies.

But Mr Liddell-Grainger, who intends to stand for the Conservatives in the new seat of Tiverton and Minehead said every caution should be exercised.

“Mergers between local authorities are always talked up as opening the door to a prosperous new world but they don’t always turn out so successful,” he said.

“Take a look at what happened in Somerset where the former county council leader David Fothergill sold the idea of merging all five local authorities with the carrot of £18 million savings.

“Two years later Somerset council is on the dung heap: on the point of bankruptcy with unmanageable debts.

“Somerset’s case should serve as a terrible warning as to how taxpayers can be dragged into chaos as a result of uncontrolled enthusiasm for change.”

New homes for farmland on the edge of an East Devon village have been given the go-ahead amid concerns raised over the impact the development could have on drainage.

Local Democracy Reporter eastdevonnews.co.uk

Plans to build up to 70 homes on farmland on the southern edge of Woodbury in East Devon have been approved, writes local democracy reporter Will Goddard.

Since the application was outline only, more concrete plans including exactly how many new houses there would be, and what they would look like, must be put forward later.

A computer generated image taken from the planning documents, shows the proposed layout of the new homes. Image: LHC Design.

Fears about the development’s impact on the sewage system, and therefore a potential increase in raw sewage discharges, led Councillors to put the plans on hold last month to ask the Environment Agency (EA) and South West Water (SWW) again whether they had any pollution-related objections.

Having received no reply, and with the EA saying it would not change its position that it doesn’t object, council officers suggested imposing a condition on the developer to draw up a sewage management scheme before putting forward further plans “to ensure that the network as a whole is not overloaded as a result of the development.”

East Devon District Council principal planning officer Gavin Spiller explained how this method could help the council get more information and evidence than further consultations would.

Satisfied, Councillors granted permission with this condition and several others, including having a pedestrian crossing and two bus stops.

Speaking about SWW’s failure to respond, Cllr Eileen Wragg (Lib Dem, Exmouth Town) said: “It is disappointing that this council did not have a reply from South West Water, but again, are we surprised? No, we’re not. I think it’s deplorable, frankly.”

Cllr Mike Howe (Independent, Clyst Valley) expressed his dismay at raw sewage discharges.

He said: “It is unacceptable for raw sewage in this day and age to be regularly flooding footpaths, footways and anything else in our communities. Full stop.

“We cannot allow development to happen where we are going back to the 1800s, where you just throw it out in the street.”

Members of the public and Woodbury Parish Council also objected, expressing concerns about road safety and infrastructure.

According to the latest financial analysis only if the government offers NatWest shares at a loss to the taxpayer of £28bn.

But this government might be tempted to try anything to stay in power, or is Owl being too cynical? 

NatWest sale ‘could cost taxpayers £28bn’

George Grylls, Ben Martin www.thetimes.co.uk

The government may end up losing £28 billion from selling its shares in NatWest, a financial analysis has shown.

Jeremy Hunt announced last week that the government would explore options to sell its remaining 38.6 per cent stake in the bank, potentially offering the public the opportunity to buy shares. The chancellor said it was “time to get Sid investing again”, a reference to the 1980s advertising campaign during the privatisation of state-owned assets such as British Gas.

The government bailed out the Royal Bank of Scotland, which subsequently rebranded as the NatWest Group, purchasing an 84.4 per cent stake for £45.5 billion between 2008 and 2009 during the financial crisis.

Ministers have been reducing the government’s stake in the bank since 2015, but all of these sales have been at a loss. Financial analysts have questioned the decision to examine ways to expedite the sale of the remaining stake at a time when NatWest is struggling.

The bank has lost a quarter of its value this year after the former chief executive, Dame Alison Rose, was forced to resign over the debanking scandal involving Nigel Farage, the former Ukip leader, and Coutts, the private bank owned by NatWest.

Analysis by Hargreaves Lansdown, the investment firm, has shown that selling the government’s remaining stake at the bank’s current share price of 206p would lead to a total cost of £28 billion to the taxpayer.

The government has benefited from some returns on its NatWest shares when dividend payments were resumed in 2018 after a ten-year pause. NatWest figures suggest that the government has been paid £4.4 billion since 2018 in dividends. The bank has paid out a total of 70.8p per share in ordinary and special dividends, amounting to only 14.2 per cent of the buy-in price, according to Hargreaves Lansdown.

Derren Nathan, head of equity at the investment group, said that despite those modest returns the taxpayer was still facing an “eye-watering loss”.

“It needs to be said that gain on investment wasn’t the main motivation for the initial bailout, as this was seen as essential for the nation’s financial stability,” he said. “But given where we are in the cycle the timing of a disposal may be somewhat questionable. Based on forward earnings the valuation is close to a ten-year low.

“There are of course still potential economic tripwires ahead, but so far a much-anticipated recession has been avoided and there’s still a chance the landing in the UK will be on the softer side. Meanwhile NatWest is poised to benefit from some of the structural tailwinds that should lift sector earnings over the medium term.”

The Treasury said the government planned to sell its final shares by 2025-26 “subject to market conditions and value for money”. It said: “As part of the plan to return [NatWest Group] to the private sector, the government will also explore options to launch a share sale to retail investors in the next 12 months, subject to supportive market conditions and achieving value for money.”

NatWest Group said: “Any decisions around share sales are a matter for the government. We welcome the government’s continued commitment to returning NatWest Group to private ownership and believe this is in the best interests of the bank and our shareholders.”

The UK Covid-19 inquiry is set to come to Exeter on Monday, with residents invited to share their pandemic experiences in person.

www.bbc.co.uk

The Every Story Matters programme was designed to remove the formality of giving evidence or attending a public hearing, organisers said.

Drop-in sessions are being held at Exeter Community Centre, or people can book 30-minute slots online.

Hearings for the national inquiry are expected to conclude in 2026.

People who visit the community centre will be able to speak to the inquiry staff.

Inquiry secretary Ben Connah said: “Each of us has a story to tell about the pandemic.

“Sadly, hundreds of thousands of people lost loved ones, and many more became ill or suffered hardship or isolation. We really want to hear what you have to say.”

Speaking on BBC Radio Devon, he added that the session was helping to ensure the “human impact of the pandemic is at the centre of this inquiry.

The inquiry was established to “examine the preparedness for, the response to, and the impact of the pandemic and to learn lessons for the future”.

Baroness Heather Hallett opened the national inquiry in June 2022.

It has since opened seven investigations, with more expected.

UK Covid-19 Inquiry – Every Story Matters Drop in Event

www.eventbrite.co.uk

About this event

Come and meet our team in Exeter at the Exeter Phoenix, and help us to understand how the pandemic affected you and your community.

The pandemic affected every single person in the UK and, in many cases, continues to have a lasting impact on lives. This is your opportunity to share the impact it had on you, and your life, to shape the Inquiry’s investigations and help lessons to be learned.The pandemic affected every single person in the UK and, in many cases, continues to have a lasting impact on lives.

Every Story Matters, the Inquiry’s UK-wide listening exercise, is the public’s opportunity to share the personal impacts of the pandemic with the Inquiry, without the formality of giving evidence or attending a public hearing. It will support the UK Covid-19 Inquiry’s investigations by providing evidence about the human impact of the pandemic on the UK population.

The Drop In session at Phoenix Exeter on Tuesday 28th November 2023. It starts at 10am and ends at 12.30pm.

You can just turn up on the day but if you need support, you can also book in for a private 1-2-1 session..

The Drop In session is in Studio 1, 1st floor and for the Private 1-2-1, go ot the Meeting Room, 1st Floor.

The event has been specially created to explain how you can share the impact it had on you, and your life, to shape the Inquiry’s investigations and help lessons to be learned.

• Single-storey side extension to bungalow & existing vehicle access widened. Merrywood Blackpool Corner Axminster EX13 5UHRef. No: 23/2471/FUL | Validated: Fri 17 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1: Hazel – reduce in height to historic pruning points, removing branch lengths 2-3m in length and making natural target pruning cuts up to 75 mm in diameter. G1: Beech (group) – reduce in height and spread, removing branch lengths up to 1m in length and making natural target pruning cuts up to 50 mm in diameter. 21 Silver Street Honiton EX14 1QJRef. No: 23/2473/TCA | Validated: Fri 17 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Discharge of condition for 22/2801/FUL : Condition 4 Materials 1 Cowley Barton Cottages Cowley Exeter EX5 5ELRef. No: 23/2476/DOC | Validated: Fri 17 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Prior notification of an agricultural barn at Patersons Cross for proposed change of use under Class R to use Class E (business) and/or Class B8 (storage or distribution) Stables Field West Of Gosford Road Ottery St Mary EX14 3AZRef. No: 23/2460/PDR | Validated: Thu 16 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Variation of Condition No.2 approved drawings from 23/0921/FUL – Single storey glass canopy to the rear elevation of the property. Proposal for addition of fixed glazing and sliding glass doors 27 Primley Road Sidmouth Devon EX10 9LDRef. No: 23/2461/VAR | Validated: Thu 16 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Roofing over open livestock yard area Court Place Farm Wilmington Honiton EX14 9LARef. No: 23/2462/AGR | Validated: Thu 16 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Single storey rear extension 9 Blackthorn Close Sidmouth Devon EX10 9XRRef. No: 23/2452/FUL | Validated: Wed 15 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1: Alder – reduce height by approximately 5m and associated lateral trimming. T2: Lime – Lower crown by 1.5-2m. Meadow Brook House Broadway Woodbury Devon EX5 1NYRef. No: 23/2438/TCA | Validated: Tue 14 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Two storey side extension and single storey rear extension re-submission, (previously submitted under 23/1798/FUL). Appletree Cottage Hand And Pen Lane Whimple EX5 2PXRef. No: 23/2443/FUL | Validated: Tue 14 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1: Oak – reduce tree back to previous pruning points, to approximately 15m in height and a crown spread of 12m. Land Set Aside For Finnimore Industrial EstateRef. No: 23/2448/TRE | Validated: Wed 15 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Deed of variation to amend the mortgagee exclusion clause (MEC) to the section 106 agreement pursuant to outline planning consent 03/P1900 in respect of part of the affordable housing approved under 18/1237/MRES and 20/1190/MRES. Site Of Cranbrook New Community London Road BroadclystRef. No: 23/2437/V106 | Validated: Tue 14 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1 – Group of 4+1 sycamores – reduce crowns to a height of 8m (to previous cuts). T2 – x2 Pear trees – remove 25% of new growth since last permission and the remaining 75% cut to lowest buds. T3 – Silver birch – reduce crown height to 5.5m and width to 4m. T4 – Holly – depending on the council’s assessment would welcome any of these options: a) complete removal b) remove whole crown leaving 1.8m trunk. c) pollard at height of 3.5m and side branches to 0.5m. d) reduce crown height to 4m height and uplift creating umbrella shape. 7 Cliff Terrace Budleigh Salterton EX9 6JYRef. No: 23/2423/TCA | Validated: Mon 13 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Repairs and reinstatement of seriously decayed timber roof structure to existing portico Gaveney House 5 Salterton Road Exmouth EX8 2BWRef. No: 23/2426/LCPL | Validated: Tue 14 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed Demolition of existing single storey structure and the construction of two storey side/rear and single storey rear extensions (Revised scheme of 20/2520/FUL) Brookside Cottage Station Road Newton Poppleford Devon EX10 0ERRef. No: 23/2429/FUL | Validated: Mon 13 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1 – Beech: reduce height by 2.5m, maximum diameter of cuts (MDC) 50mm. Reduce lateral spread by 1.5 metres, MDC 25mm. T3 – Beech: reduce north and north western aspects to a point 3m south of property, MDC 50mm. Reduce eastern aspect by 2.5m, MDC 50mm. Reduce height by 2.5m, MDC 25mm. T3a – Beech: reduce northern aspect by 2m, MDC 25mm. Reduce height by 2.5 m, MDC 25mm. T4 – Oak: reduce eastern limb by 2.5m, MDC 25mm. T5 – Beech: reduce eastern aspect by 2m, MC 25mm. Crown lift to 4m, following contour of sloping garden, MDC 25mm. 20 Eastfield West Hill Devon EX11 1XNRef. No: 23/2431/TRE | Validated: Tue 14 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• G1/2 – Lime: remove the tree and replant with another of the same species in a similar location. Endellion Axminster Road Musbury EX13 8AZRef. No: 23/2434/TRE | Validated: Tue 14 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1, lime : reduce height by approximately 2 to 3m and shorten branches and re-shape to leave a balanced form. High Trees Manor Road Sidmouth EX10 8RRRef. No: 23/2424/TRE | Validated: Mon 13 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• New cladding to be applied to the front elevation of the property, Increased opening to the rear doors of the dwelling, Increased opening to the rear of the garage, Extension to the North-East Elevation (bathroom), Removal of a porch to the North-East elevation, Removal of a chimney on the front elevation, Installation of a window to the garage gable. Laneside Drakes Avenue Sidford Devon EX10 9QYRef. No: 23/2432/FUL | Validated: Wed 15 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Change three dormers on the rear elevation to a pitched ended flat dormer to facilitate the installation of a flat solar panel system.Durlston Barline Beer EX12 3LWRef. No: 23/2416/FUL | Validated: Tue 14 Nov 2023 | Status: Withdrawn
• Rear extension to dwelling Flat 1 14 Seafield Road Seaton EX12 2QSRef. No: 23/2413/FUL | Validated: Thu 16 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Installation of new timber shelter within playground. Woodbury C Of E Primary School Castle Lane Woodbury EX5 1EARef. No: 23/2409/FUL | Validated: Fri 17 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of single storey extension on western elevation and demolition of two existing garages to be replaced with new garage. The Robins Luppitt Honiton EX14 4TRRef. No: 23/2414/FUL | Validated: Tue 14 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposal to demolish existing dwelling and replace with 1no new dwelling, revised access and associated landscaping Site Of Penny Park Kersbrook Lane Kersbrook EX9 7ADRef. No: 23/2406/FUL | Validated: Fri 17 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• The erection of a garage, workshop and home office within the curtilage of the existing property. Valley Farm Sheldon Honiton EX14 4QXRef. No: 23/2393/FUL | Validated: Tue 14 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Erection of Lean-to and Laying of Concrete Pad Land Adjacent Sunnyside BirchillRef. No: 23/2381/FUL | Validated: Tue 14 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Two-storey side extension to provide larger office and guest bedroom. Meadowhayes Harcombe Road Axminster Devon EX13 5TBRef. No: 23/2383/FUL | Validated: Mon 13 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Change of roof, wall materials and rooflight on existing extension on north elevation and installation of new door and window on south boot room elevation Copplestones Ridgeway Sidbury Devon EX10 0SFRef. No: 23/2375/FUL | Validated: Wed 15 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Change of roof, wall materials and rooflight on existing extension on northern elevation and installation of new door and window on south boot room elevation Copplestones Ridgeway Sidbury Devon EX10 0SFRef. No: 23/2376/LBC | Validated: Wed 15 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T1, Lime : prune branches around street light to maintain 1.5m clearance. T6, Cherry : crown lift branches overhanging the highway by less than 4m (as indicated on annotated photo). Drakes Gardens Drakes Avenue Exmouth EX8 4ADRef. No: 23/2358/TRE | Validated: Wed 15 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• New garage and parking spaces. 13 Parkside Crescent Exeter EX1 3TWRef. No: 23/2343/FUL | Validated: Mon 13 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Demolition of 2no. existing semi-detached dwellings and replaced with 3no. new terraced dwellings and garages with associated landscaping. Lower Stone Cottage Blackhorse Devon EX5 2APRef. No: 23/2349/FUL | Validated: Mon 13 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Installation of CB aerial attached to the chimney [retrospective] 3 Elizabeth Road Exmouth Devon EX8 4NTRef. No: 23/2342/FUL | Validated: Mon 13 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• T3: Beech – raise the canopy on the north and west sides of the tree to 3m above ground level, making cuts up to 30mm in diameter. 3A Ashley Brake West Hill Ottery St Mary EX11 1TWRef. No: 23/2336/TRE | Validated: Thu 16 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Construction of a single storey extension on the south elevation 4 Shelly Reach Exmouth Devon EX8 1XTRef. No: 23/2310/FUL | Validated: Mon 13 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed new dwelling and removal of existing garage and formation of new car standing space [previously submitted under 23/0804/FUL] Wymcot Church Road Whimple Devon EX5 2TARef. No: 23/2306/FUL | Validated: Mon 13 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed new haulage trailer storage facility/compound Land Opposite Greendale Business Park Woodbury Salterton EX5 1EWRef. No: 23/2300/MFUL | Validated: Fri 17 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Conversion and Extension of existing water tank to form 1No. residential dwelling and carport (Amended scheme – 22/2697/FUL) Pitney Water Storage Tank Broadhembury EX14 3LERef. No: 23/2294/FUL | Validated: Mon 13 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Erection of 1no. dwelling, with associated access and landscaping Land Adjacent To Last Resort Green Lane ExtonRef. No: 23/2292/FUL | Validated: Tue 14 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposal to reposition the existing gate pillar 93cms to the right using the original bricks 20A Portland Avenue Exmouth EX8 2BSRef. No: 23/2255/FUL | Validated: Mon 13 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposal for change of use to permanent campsite with 40 tent pitches and 10 caravan pitches. Erection of toilet and wash block Forest Edge Campsite Putts Corner Sidbury Sidmouth EX10 0QQRef. No: 23/2230/FUL | Validated: Mon 13 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Installation of a 16 panel ground mounted solar array in the open ground to the North of Combe Wood House. Combe Wood House Salcombe Regis EX10 0JNRef. No: 23/2210/FUL | Validated: Fri 17 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Demolition of existing garage and construction of single storey annex on west elevation. Proposed new garage with loft store. Ground floor rear single storey extension, extended first floor dormer. New render on external walls. 42 Honey Park Road Budleigh Salterton EX9 6EGRef. No: 23/2087/FUL | Validated: Wed 15 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Adapting existing first floor bathroom into accessible walk-in shower room with associated works. Weycroft Manor Weycroft Axminster EX13 7LLRef. No: 23/2049/LBC | Validated: Tue 14 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Proposed demolition of existing outbuilding/store and replacing with timber single storey three bedroom dwelling, with decking area and associated off-street parking Land To The West Of Carpenters Yarcombe EX14 9BDRef. No: 23/1996/FUL | Validated: Tue 14 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision
• Replace 7no. windows on west elevation. W1, W2, W3 & W4 at first floor and W8, W9 & W10 at ground floor. Cuthayes Farm Axminster EX13 5SERef. No: 23/1907/LBC | Validated: Mon 13 Nov 2023 | Status: Awaiting decision

Well, maybe if it’s a Tory camera.

The photos recording David Reed’s selection as Tory candidate for Exmouth in July were found by observant readers to be a “stitch up” with some people appearing twice!

Now Simon Jupp is “padding out” supporter numbers by claiming that he can’t get them all in the picture (when he clearly can, as pointed out by Ian Rex-Hawkes). 

Anyone remember the school photo with little Simon sitting cross legged in the front?

Has he pushed Devon County over the brink? – Owl

Jeremy Hunt has been warned he will trigger a fire sale of public assets, reduce councils to an emergency service and put the vulnerable at greater risk after an autumn statement pointing to a new wave of austerity.

Michael Savage www.theguardian.com 

There will be a significant increase in the number of councils in effect “returning the town hall keys” to government because they are no longer sustainable, according to council leaders. In a furious response to the autumn statement, they said several “flagship blue counties” could go bankrupt just as next year’s election is called.

The backlash comes after economists concluded that the chancellor’s tax cuts last week in effect came at the expense of future public spending. Once settlements for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are taken into account, non-protected government departments in England face an annual cut of 3.4% for five years.

The state of prisons, backlogs in the legal system and pressure on further education have caused most immediate alarm. Sir Bob Neill, the Tory MP who chairs the Commons justice select committee, said that there was a case for “revisiting which departments should be given protection” from spending cuts.

Traditionally, ministers have chosen to prioritise the NHS and schools.

However, local government sources said that after austerity since 2010, there was now an “existential threat” to local services – while big council tax increases could be on the cards.

“Things are starting to fall apart at the seams,” said one despairing leader. Another warned: “We need to have a recognition that if we aren’t properly funded the rest of the country will fall over.” A third said: “The system is totally and utterly broken.”

One senior Tory said: “The Treasury is fully aware that some flagship blue counties are right on the edge: falling over just before the election won’t look good.”

Mel Lock, director of adult services for Somerset, warned of a real human cost. “No doubt about it, it’s going to be older and disabled people not getting timely support,” she said.

“Some will end up in hospitals, or will be delayed leaving. That means lives will be restricted and foreshortened. That’s the bottom line to it.”

Shaun Davies, leader of Telford and Wrekin council and chair of the Local Government Association, said there would be a big increase in the number of councils in financial distress. “Any suggestion of any further cuts on top of the current deficit we face and we’ll see the number of councils set to go bankrupt rise from one in 10 to a significantly higher number.

“They’ve done the restructures. They’ve done the asset sales, they’ve done the staff reduction, they’ve done the service redesign and they’ve done the transformation. They’ve used the reserves already. Once those things are gone, they’re gone. My concern is that there is a wave of councils that will effectively return the town hall keys back to the government because there is just no way out of this.”

Councils that in effect fall into bankruptcy can issue a section 114 notice, signalling that they cannot balance their budgets. Jonathan Carr-West, chief executive of the Local Government Information Unit which has just surveyed the opinions of council leaders, said he was “starting to talk about this as a sort of existential threat to local government”.

“What has surprised me in the last couple of days is just how angry leaders are,” Carr-West said. “It’s big Labour cities like Bradford, but it’s also Kent and Hampshire – big Conservative councils.

“I don’t believe that there is a conspiracy to destroy local government. But I think we are sleepwalking towards a position where councils just won’t be viable.”

He said that while assets could be sold off in the short term, it would lead to a big transfer of wealth of public assets into private hands.

Elsewhere, there are concerns over the condition of the prison estate and a lack of experienced officers. Charlie Taylor, the chief inspector of prisons, saidthe situation was “very fragile” and his biggest worry was the lack of activity for prisoners and the impact on their rehabilitation.

“Out of 37 prisons we inspected in our last annual reporting area, only one of them was good or reasonably good for purposeful activity,” Taylor said. “The risk is that the revolving door of people committing crime going back into prison, costing the taxpayer a huge amount of money, simply continues.”

There are also concerns about further education funding over the next five years. Louis Hodge, an associate director at the Education Policy Institute, said: “Cuts in funding for further education have been around twice the rate experienced in schools and over a quarter of children now live in relative poverty, based on data that does not yet fully reflect the effects of rapidly rising prices over the last year.”

He added: “Whatever the outcome of the next election, it is clear there is much to do to get education back on track following a hugely disruptive pandemic and a decade dominated by funding cuts.”

A protest has taken place on Portreath Beach in Cornwall as locals say there have been sewage alerts for 26 consecutive days.

Swimmers said they had not been able to enter the water there, and that South West Water (SWW) had not given them any explanation.

Campaigning charity Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) said multiple sewage alerts had also been flagged at Porthtowan, St Agnes, Godrevy and Gwithian recently.

SWW declined to comment.

He said: “That should only happen in exceptional circumstances when the rain is such and [sewage systems] cannot handle it.

“But, quite clearly, the system cannot handle it day-by-day right now.”

Tina Dennett, from Portreath & Porthtowan Bluetits swimming group, said if it was “something really simple, like a stuck valve, then they need to take action”.

He said: “If it is something more serious and we have had 26 days continuously of overspill here, then something drastic needs to be done about it.

“It’s shameful – shame on you South West Water.”

Sea swimmer Alison King said people and animals should not be swimming in sewage.

She said: “We want to come to a local beach and be able to swim at a local beach.

“I love animals as well and birds, and I don’t think they should be swimming in all our all our rubbish.”

Car park price hikes across East Devon boosted council coffers by more than £1million a new report has shown.

Local Democracy Reporter eastdevonnews.co.uk 

Car park fee hikes have brought in an extra £1 million for East Devon District Council (EDDC) from April to October each year, according to a cabinet report, writes local democracy reporter Will Goddard.

Parking charges in the area went up for the first time in 10 years in April 2022.  Some tariffs doubled from £1 to £2 per hour in short-stay car parks.

In 2021, gross council car park revenue from its summer season between April and October was just under £2.5 million.

In 2022 and 2023, it rose to over £3.5 million each year.

Summer ticket sales have gone down year on year, but revenue has grown.

This year saw a “very small” rise of £2,600 overall compared to last year. Takings dropped in July and August , possibly because of poor weather, but the normally quieter months before and after increased.

There has also been a shift in the type of car park people use.

More motorists are reportedly paying for longer stays in EDDC long-stay car parks and staying for shorter amounts of time in short-stay car parks.

The council claims this is not a problem, as long-stay car parks are larger and so are “well suited to this type of use.”

People are buying more monthly permits too. East Devon residents can also buy £120 annual permits for parking in one town, which increases by £24 for each additional town up to a total of five locations.

A monthly payment option, introduced last year, is available for this permit type.

This helps split the upfront cost across the year or allows residents to only buy permits for the months they need.

Sales of monthly permits have more than doubled since they were brought in, which the report suggests could be down to the cost-of-living crisis, tariff rises or the introduction of residents’ parking zones in Exmouth.

East Devon District Council is to produce a parking strategy next year, which will set out how car parks “will be holistically used and managed in the coming years”, including pricing and special offers.

The report recommends Councillors keep car park charges in East Devon the same next year and make any future changes in line with this new strategy.

The Lower Otter Restoration Project is finished -15 years after the idea was first put forward.

Philippa Davies www.exmouthjournal.co.uk

The 70-metre footbridge was the final construction stage of the major environmental scheme at Budleigh Salterton.

The project is creating 55 hectares of mud flat and saltmarsh by allowing the tide to flow freely in and out of a new inter-tidal area. 

It is reversing the work done 200 years ago when an embankment was created to hold back the sea, creating more farmland. In recent years, the embankment had started to fail, putting recreational facilities, footpaths, a municipal tip and other infrastructure at risk from serious flooding.

To prevent this, Clinton Devon Estates and the Environment Agency devised an ambitious plan to re-connect the River Otter and estuary to its former floodplain, providing space for floodwater and creating habitats for invertebrates, fish, waders and wildfowl.

On Friday, November 25, the Elizabeth Bridge was officially opened, spanning the breach made in the 200-year-old embankment. The breach reconnects the sea and the river to its original floodplain.

Clinton Devon Estates said the Lower Otter Restoration Project (LORP) is central to its 2030 Strategy on land use, with two of its ambitions being adaptation to a changing climate and the restoration of the ecological health of its land holdings.

Chief executive John Varley said: “Everything we do is with tomorrow in mind. There was a danger that without the Lower Otter Restoration Project there would have been no ‘tomorrow’ for parts of the Estate or for our tenants and neighbours.”

Dr Sam Bridgewater, Clinton Devon Estates’ Director of Environment Strategy and Evidence, and the Estates’ lead on the project, said one of the biggest challenges was having to restructure the Estate landholdings to accommodate the project. For example, working with tenant farmers to adapt their business models to an uncomfortable climate change reality and finding a large, flat piece of ground to relocate the often-flood hit local cricket pitch.

He said: “LORP has been a great partnership project and with the Environment Agency we found a partner whose vision and ambition matched our own.”

The Environment Agency managed the development of the scheme, appointing engineering consultant Jacobs to lead the design of the project, contractor Kier to carry out the construction work and Hi-line to provide specialist ecological support.. 

Project managers say significant positive changes have already been recorded, both for the benefit of local people, visitors, and wildlife. South Farm Road, which in the past has been impassable due to flooding, has been moved and raised by the project. Budleigh Salterton Cricket Club has now moved to a flood-free pitch, with improved facilities enabling it to develop youth, women’s and disability cricket with a stunning new pavilion. New signage, interpretation and parking is also in place to help visitors understand and enjoy the site and identify its wildlife.

Animal and plant species already resident in the area, including beavers, bats and rare birds such as the Cetti’s warbler and little ringed plovers, continue to thrive in the valley. The evolution of habitat from agricultural land to wetland habitat has only just begun, but already rare bird species including lesser yellowlegs, white egrets, avocets, glossy ibis, spoon bills and at least two ospreys, have been seen.

Ecologist Mark Wills, an ornithologist with Hi-Line, worked on the project for more than two years. He said: “We have had two different ospreys call in on migration. Normally they just stop over for a day or two – this time they remained on site for nearly two weeks, which is amazing. We’ve got a bigger body of water, and the ospreys seem to have felt better able to feed.”

Although construction is now complete, monitoring work will continue at the Lower Otter, which it’s hoped will become an extension of the East Devon Pebblebed Heaths National Nature Reserve (NNR).

 Chris Riddell www.theguardian.com

The real s.. hole in this country is parliament.

The way it has treated the citizens of this country is utterly disgusting.

A housing crisis that has not been dealt with in more than 40 years.

A sewage system that has not had any proper level of investment in over 40 years.

No new reservoir built in over 40 year despite a big increase in population.

The total lack of investment in public services.

The promise of lower prices and more efficiency through privatization.

We appear to have a banking system that prefers to invest in the inflation of house prices rather than invest in businesses. This in turn then means that people cant afford to get on the housing ladder. It also means that the big multi nationals (who all off shore as much of their profit as possible) have effective monopolies in the market. They are allowed to offshore huge profits while at the same time paying poverty levels of wages that need to be topped up with in work benefits.

We shovel huge sums to big business. For example we are giving the big oil companies £42 million per week with the tax relief that goes to new oil and gas drilling while these companies are making massive profits. Around 90% of the cost of new oil and gas fields is being paid for by the tax payer through these tax reliefs.

Then people wonder why it is that we have so many low waged jobs in this country. We are continually told that they are going to turn us into a high skilled high wage economy and then never deliver what they tell us. They fail time and time again to invest in education and health properly.

We are continually told they are making things more efficient and that deregulation will lead to higher levels of growth.

If we have seen all of the efficiency improvements that we have seen governments bang on and on and on about why is it that housing is now so insanely expensive when compared to 50 years ago?

If we have seen all of the efficiency improvements that we see the government bang on and on and on about why is it that public services are on their knees?

Our whole system is in a total mess and the stench emanates from those who are running the country.

We are constantly fed a diet of lies and misinformation while watching the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

Headteachers have called the government’s failure to invest in school staff and crumbling buildings in the autumn statement “an absolute disgrace”.

Anna Fazackerley www.theguardian.com 

Unions said this weekend that the government had now lost any vestiges of credibility among teachers after the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, failed to announce any new investment for schools on Wednesday – despite Rishi Sunak’s pledge at last month’s Conservative party conference that education would be his “main funding priority”.

With education unions determined to make staff shortages an election issue, parents can now search the newly relaunched School Cuts website to see whether their local school may be forced to shed teaching staff next year. The unions warn that 99 per cent of state secondary schools and 91 per cent of primaries will have to make cuts to survive in 2024.

[Examples of searches on the School Cuts website]

Garry Ratcliffe, chief executive of the Golden Thread Alliance, which runs nine primary academy schools in Dartford and Gravesend in Kent, told the Observer: “Especially with support staff, when someone leaves for a better paid position in a supermarket, most schools are now asking: ‘Can we afford to replace them?’”

Ratcliffe’s schools are now focusing on helping struggling families with food and cheap presents for Christmas, despite fighting to cope with rising costs themselves. He added: “People in schools have given up hope that this government will suddenly start to invest in children’s education.”

A primary school head in a deprived area of north-west England, who asked not to be named to avoid alarming parents, said the potentially dangerous reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) recently discovered in his school’s roof was far from the only problem. “The list is endless: asbestos, flooding, damp, cracked windows,” the head explained.

“And we need urgent safety upgrades to our school entrance and car park which have been delayed because of Raac. The fact that education spending is going to be flat is an absolute disgrace.”

The head said he had had to “really fight” to get the Department for Education to approve a temporary “crash deck” to make the school usable after it joined the growing list of schools deemed unsafe due to Raac. However, the department is refusing to provide any timetable for a decision on what to do to make the school safe permanently, or whether it will need to be demolished.

Tim Warneford, a consultant who advises academies on their buildings, said the autumn statement would lead to “further deterioration” of thousands of schools as they faced another winter with serious issues including Raac, leaking roofs, broken boilers and asbestos.

He said: “This has to be another reason for poor attendance. Why would you want to come in if your school isn’t safe or warm or dry? What message does that send to children about how much they are valued?”

A damning parliamentary inquiry into the school estate found that 700,000 pupils are learning in classrooms that need a major rebuild or refurbishment, but many schools have no hope of an overhaul because of the Raac crisis.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: “Teaching assistants and support staff will probably be the first roles to go as schools try to make savings, and of course that will hit the most vulnerable children who need extra support that won’t be there.”

He added that after the autumn statement, the government has “completely lost the trust of the teaching profession”.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of Schools and College Leaders union, said: “On current funding levels, schools will only be able to afford a 1% pay award for staff next year – and this is in the midst of the worst recruitment and retention crisis in living memory.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Our school rebuilding programme is transforming 500 schools over the next decade, with the first 400 projects selected ahead of schedule. The education secretary has already confirmed we will fully fund the removal of Raac from our schools – either through grant funding or through the school rebuilding programme.”

County council announces a public consultation for eight Devon towns

Pay-and-display parking could be on the cards for the East Devon towns of Sidmouth and Honiton, the county council has revealed.

Becca Gliddon eastdevonnews.co.uk

Once the Traffic Orders are advertised at the November, and into December, the public will have just 21 to make their views known.

Devon County Council (DCC) said comments received through the public consultation will be considered before any final decision is made,

DCC said installing pay-and-display parking in Sidmouth and Honiton would bring the towns in line, locally, with Exmouth and Exeter.

It said the proposals included free parking for the first hour and would result in converting existing limited waiting bays.

The proposed changes have been announced for eight towns across Devon – Braunton, Crediton, Dartmouth, Honiton, Okehampton, Salcombe, Sidmouth and Tavistock.

A Devon County Council spokesman said: “The proposals are for communities which do not already have -or have very little – pay-and-display.

“The proposals are located in busy town centres where vehicles often spend time circulating looking for parking places and where off-street parking is available.”

The county council believes the restrictions will:

• Manage congestion
• Improve air quality
• Provide a safer environment for pedestrians and cyclists
• Maintain reasonable access to premises
• Encourage off-street car park use and shorter stay parking

A DCC spokesman said: “Pay and display parking is widely used, both across Devon and nationally, with well-established schemes in communities such as Bideford, Barnstaple, Newton Abbot, Totnes, Exmouth and Exeter.

“It can help reduce congestion and encourages the turn-over of vehicles and availability of parking spaces, particularly in busy town centres, thereby helping to support the local economy and the use of local shops and businesses.

“Following discussions with local members and community representatives, the proposals also include one-hour free parking in the new pay and display spaces in all eight communities.

“This is to ensure that the new parking policy strikes the right balance of keeping costs down for users while delivering the benefits we have identified.”

Councillor Stuart Hughes, DCC cabinet member for highways management, said: “I understand there may be concerns about pay and display, and that is why we have talked to local groups and elected members to ensure that the first hour parking is free.

“Pay and display has been in place in many communities in Devon for some years and we believe it is one of the components that is needed to ensure a healthy high street and community.

“It encourages turnover of parking spaces thereby increasing the availability of town centre parking in busy areas, it reduces congestion and may encourage some to walk and cycle more.”

The proposals follow a review of parking management agreed by the county council in November 2022.

100-year-old structure has no foundations

Wall isn’t all it’s cracked up to be (image courtesy: EDDC)

A barrier of vertical steel sheet piles costing more than a million pounds could be the solution to save a section of Exmouth’s sea wall.  

Will Goddard, local democracy reporter www.radioexe.co.uk

Cracks in the wall, which is believed to be around 100 years old, appeared in August in front of the Sideshore development. 

A storm at the end of October significantly dropped beach levels and caused the wall to “crack and slump,” putting it “at serious risk of collapse.”

Concrete blocks were then put at its base ahead of Storm Ciaran, which helped keep it intact. 

The wall has failed because it has no foundations at this location and has been undermined, according to a report to East Devon District Council (EDDC)’s cabinet, which estimates the repair cost at £1.1 million.

When waves wash out sand from underneath, the structure cracks. A further storm may remove the stone, which would eventually lead to all of the sea wall “unzipping” and land behind being lost to the sea. 

To fix the problem, a vertical steel sheet piled wall in front of the current wall has been suggested. This could be in place indefinitely or at least until next autumn. 

The sloping seaward revetments would be removed, or alternatively repaired or replaced for aesthetic purposes. 

Other options such as beach recharges and rock defences were considered, but thrown out because of high costs. 

Currently only 90 metres of the 255-metre section between Coastwatch House and Sideshore has failed. 

But the remaining 165 metres of wall is “of the same construction and at risk of failure”, the report warns, and would be more expensive to repair later. 

The Environment Agency could help cover between £250,000 and £400,000 of the cost, but this is not guaranteed. 

Works are “unlikely to start until January and there will probably be further costs as temporary repairs are made until then. But there is a chance they could start next month. Installing the piles will take eight and a half weeks. 

“The main risk is that the wall falls completely before we start with the end solution”, the report warns.  

East Devon District Council’s cabinet will decide what to do when it meets next Wednesday.

Look taxes really are falling!

Interesting to conjecture what the impact of hiving off the two concentrated urban areas of Plymouth and Torbay into combined authorities has been on the rural economy of Devon. Obviously services can be provided more efficiently to urban areas than to rural ones. Despite this Torbay has been struggling. – Owl

Guy Henderson www.devonlive.com

A devolution deal which will see more power and money coming Devon’s way has been hailed as ‘fantastic’ by the leader of Torbay Council. And while Devon County Council ’s top councillor agrees it is hugely significant, his counterpart at Plymouth City Council has decided it would be a ‘backward step’ and wants no part of it at all.

Under the deal announced by the government last week, Torbay and Devon will become one powerful combined local authority.

But Plymouth will not be part of the union. Exeter City Council and Devon’s other district councils – West Devon, Mid Devon, East Devon, North Devon, Torridge, Teignbridge and South Hams – are also not part of the deal and will remain intact.

The people involved in Torbay and at Devon County Council are adamant that the new combined authority is not a merger, but instead two councils coming together as equal partners.

For football fans, imagine Exeter and all of those districts are in League Two. As unitary authorities, Torbay and Plymouth are currently with Devon County Council in League One.

But the devolution deal means that while Plymouth will choose to stay where it is, the new Torbay/Devon combo will be promoted to the higher-stakes Championship of local government.

The Premier League remains the domain of giant mayor-led authorities like those in Greater Manchester, Liverpool and South Yorkshire. The Torbay/Devon combined authority will not have an elected mayor. But it should have more resources.

The new partnership will be run by a ‘cabinet’ consisting of three elected councillors from Torbay and three from Devon, probably the leader of each council and two more.

The district councils will have four seats at the table between them, and there will be places for other people to be appointed. These could include business leaders, education chiefs and the county’s police and crime commissioner.

An overall leader will be chosen by members of the ‘cabinet.’

Supporters of the deal say it will give the combined authority (CA) a seat at the top table when the government doles out grants and support for projects covering issues such as local transport, adult education and the drive to achieve ‘net zero’ in carbon emissions.

Nigel Long of the Local Government Information Unit says that by this time next year the majority of the population in England will be living in council areas covered by a combined authority.

More powers are coming, too. Housing investment and the regulation of social housing are among the policies being considered for devolution by the current government.

And in the future, says Mr Long, devolved local authorities could even take back control of energy, transport and water for the first time in decades.

The Local Government Association says a combined authority allows a group of two or more councils to collaborate and take collective decisions across council boundaries. It says it is ‘far more robust’ than an informal partnership or even a joint committee.

It goes on: “The creation of a CA means that member councils can be more ambitious in their joint working and can take advantage of powers and resources devolved to them from national government.”

The government says a transfer of power from Whitehall to local leaders will help to address weak economic performance and the high regional levels of inequality.

In July, the Institute for Government said: “Devolution has led to improved decision-making in many places – but is no silver bullet. Devolution deals have enabled local leaders to allocate resources, regenerate their economies and reshape public services in light of local needs and preferences.”

Labour supports devolution, too, meaning that the Torbay/Devon process is unlikely to be derailed whatever happens at the next general election.

Torbay says the new deal is “ground-breaking” and will build on the bay’s long history of working as partners with the county council. Projects like the A380 South Devon Highway were founded on the close partnership between the authorities.

Torbay Council leader David Thomas said: “We see real opportunities from our continued working together on transport and other key issues across Devon and Torbay, and we are confident this devolution deal will bring positive benefits for our residents, economy and communities.”

And John Hart, leader of Devon County Council, added: “It will put Devon and Torbay in a new and very different relationship with government, one where we will have a stronger voice in Whitehall and an ability to influence policy.

“We have, for a long time, worked well as neighbouring authorities to deliver good public services for Devon residents and to tackle key local priorities. The prospect of significant government funding and powers devolved locally will enable us as a partnership to make a real difference to people’s lives.”

A public consultation will now be launched, and a final decision on whether or not the promotion to the ‘Championship’ goes ahead is expected early in 2024.

However, Plymouth City Council leader Tudor Evans has warned the proposed deal was “unreasonable and unrealistic.”

He said it would have seen Plymouth having less power and control over transport in the city, with no commitment to increased resources. The city has been working alongside Devon and Torbay on the deal for more than two years, from before the current Labour administration took over, but has now decided it doesn’t make sense for Plymouth.

Cllr Evans said: “The final deal on the table would have been a step backwards given that 25 years ago Plymouth became a unitary authority and took back responsibility for key areas such as education and transport.

“The aim of a devolution deal was to hand control from Whitehall to a Devon combined authority, not take away existing powers from Plymouth. The government is insisting that we surrender our powers and funding regarding transport. Therefore, we have no choice but to withdraw. It is massively disappointing.

“In the meantime, we wish our Devon and Torbay colleagues well in progressing a deal that is right for them.”

Bearing in mind the damage done only a year ago by Liz Truss, these two paragraphs from Paul Johnson spell out the risks, short and long term ,of what the Tories have now done. – Owl

 Paul Johnson, Director of the IFS ifs.org.uk:

Two paragraphs from his response to the Autumn Statement 2023 

Announcing immediate tax cuts in response to highly uncertain changes in assumptions about the UK’s medium-term economic prospects does not feel like a recipe for good management of the public finances, especially when some extra “space” is opened up by announcing another year of very low increases in public service spending, and cuts in investment spending, which may prove hard to deliver.

This may turn out to be risky even in the short run. His so called “headroom” against a rather loose fiscal target is minuscule and the OBR could easily take it away in the Spring Budget with some very small changes to forecasts. What will he do then? Certainly, whoever is Chancellor after the next general election is going to have very little room for manoeuvre.

Tory Mayor Calls On James Cleverly To Apologise Over Stockton ‘S***hole’ Row

A Tory mayor has called on James Cleverly to apologise after he was accused of calling an English town a “shithole” in the Commons.

Kevin Schofield www.huffingtonpost.co.uk 

The home secretary has denied making the comment about Stockton North during prime minister’s questions yesterday.

It came after Alex Cunningham, the Labour MP for Stockton North, asked Rishi Sunak why 34% of children in his constituency lived in poverty.

Cleverly has insisted that he actually called Cunningham “a shit MP”.

But in an extraordinary intervention, Ben Houchen, the Conservative mayor for Tees Valley, effectively called his party colleague a liar by demanding he say sorry.

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), he said: “I’m not interested in excuses and I will always put our area above party politics, and it is clear to me that the home secretary should apologise for dragging Stockton’s name through the mud.

“Having made huge progress in recent years with major investment, thousands of jobs and Teesside forging a brighter future in the in the industries of the future including a new era of steelmaking, this type of language only furthers the outdated and inaccurate stereotypes we’ve battled for years.

“We’re a wonderful place and passionate and proud community, and people across the world are looking at the exciting future that is emerging before us – but childish and unprofessional language used by Westminster politicians, who should know better, does nothing to help our plans for progress.”

When the row erupted yesterday, a spokesman for Cleverly said: “He didn’t say that. He wouldn’t say that. He’s disappointed anyone would accuse him of it.”

But in response to Houchen’s comments, a source close to the home secretary said: “James made a comment. He called Alex Cunningham a shit MP. He apologises for unparliamentary language.

“As was made clear yesterday, he would never criticise Stockton. He’s campaigned in Stockton and is clear that it is a great place.”