Deeper Tory austerity at DCC will hit the most vulnerable
Emotional appeals have been made to stop potential cuts to adult services by Devon County Council. Ollie Heptinstall, local democracy reporter http://www.radioexe.co.uk The local authority has consulted on plans to withdraw a number of services across adult social care, including stopping £1.5 million being spent on preventing homelessness and closing its North Devon mental health…
— Read on eastdevonwatch.org/2023/06/15/proposed-adult-service-cuts-criticised/
What a surprise – Simon Jupp’s NHS pledge is filmed outside the only hospital where the Tories didn’t remove the beds
So Simon Jupp, the chicken-run Tory MP for Exmouth who’s now standing for the new Honiton & Sidmouth constituency, is trying to counter Richard Foord’s pledge to support community hospitals. He’s done a photo-op outside Sidmouth Community Hospital- the only one in the new constituency that hasn’t had its beds ripped out by the Tories. Funny he didn’t come to Seaton, Axminster, Honiton or Ottery St Mary, isn’t it?
www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/23584504.i-will-always-fight-protect-local-nhs/
Politics Matters, my new column on @EastDevonWatch
READ THE FIRST COLUMN, A historic opportunity for East Devon
A busy start for Beer & Branscombe councillor John Heath
John writes: It has been a very busy first month for me as the new district councillor for Beer, Branscombe, and ‘West Seaton’.
The excitement of the election has now well and truly passed, and I am down to hard work to represent my ward.
I have been dealing with individual ward members concerns as well as facilitating improvements to issues concerning community issues such as discussing with the EDDC beach manager replacing the rubber matting on Beer beach same as the matting installed on Seaton beach, improved waste dispersal and whether there is scope for compostable toilets adjacent to the beach. This will make the beach more user friendly for disabled visitors and parishioners as well as improving access and egress overall.
As a member of Beer parish council, I am involved in discussions about how the Beach Court car park is repaired due to tree roots uplifting the paving slabs. I am usually totally opposed to removing or cutting down trees, however, this may need to happen and two tree saplings to be planted elsewhere on the common to mitigate.
There is a site meeting at the Jubilee Gardens on 14 June to look at removal of Alexander weeds, close mowing the public walkways, however, in order to support rewilding the upper, less traversed parts of the Jubilee where the boys’ den is situated can be rewilded with flowers. This will involve getting key members of the community involved such as the horticultural society and members of Beer parish council.
Beer Food Save is an important community service to parishioners, and I am working with the organiser to secure community grant funding. I am a volunteer helper, and the Food Save is held every Tuesday at the Mariner’s Hall.
I have represented individuals such as a homeowner in ‘West Seaton’ who strongly felt her property was in the wrong council tax banding and learnt this is a government issue rather than an EDDC one so through consultation with EDDC officers was able to signpost her to the appropriate government web sites to appeal. One of the homeowners in Beer raised a hedge maintained by EDDC that was making the pavement impassable and restricting her vision when exiting her driveway. This was rectified the next day when I raised it to EDDC officers. Last Saturday someone came to me in a state of angst about a swarm of bees. I phoned the local beekeeper in Branscombe but fortunately the bees dispersed not due regrettably to any divine powers of intervention I may now be expected to have.
I am exploring options for youth services in Beer and Branscombe and this will be discussed within the next two or three months so hopefully we can have some clarity about any available resources before autumn and winter for the older children 11–18-year-olds as I strongly feel the reduction of youth services and facilities over the years is unacceptable and fails to give the youngsters a creative and recreational outlet.
I am meeting Branscombe Parish Council on 8 June and probably will offer to attend Seaton Town Council subject to their invite soon so we can work together. The Electoral Commission decided in 2019 to merge part of Seaton with Beer and Branscombe so I am mindful of the need to liaise with the town council to have joined-up working.
Finally, I have invited Cllr Paul Hayward, asset transfer portfolio holder, and Tim Child, EDDC officer to the BPC meeting on 14 June. If they accept the invitation it promises to be a very intense and hopefully productive session with clarity becoming more evident on whether Beer can negotiate over the terms and conditions of the asset transfer.
I am working is close collaboration and harmony with EDDC officers and other councillors. We work within a constrained budget and poor central governance where there has been considerable financial waste and incompetence and district councillors are being as creative as possible in overcoming significant hurdles affecting progress and development, but this is a challenge we need to overcome to benefit our communities.
Richard Foord’s new campaign: Bring Back Community Hospital Beds
Back Richard’s campaign to bring beds back to our local community hospitals.
— Read on www.richardfoord.org.uk/campaigns/community-hospitals
MP hits out at ‘shameless’ South West Water payout | Midweek Herald
Devon’s Liberal Democrat MP has hit out at the decision by the Pennon Group, who own South West Water, to increase their dividends payout by almost…
— Read on www.midweekherald.co.uk/news/23562082.mp-hits-shameless-south-west-water-payout/
Brexit ‘benefits’: How Boris Johnson sold out Britain’s farmers over dinner with the Australian PM
As the UK-Australia trade deal comes into force, those close to the negotiations reflect on their dramatic — and farcical — climax.
— Read on www.politico.eu/article/boris-johnson-sold-out-uk-farmers-australia-trade-deal-uk/
Unbelievable: South West Water increases dividends by 11% as CEO set herself up as climate change champion
From East Devon Watch: For once Owl is lost for words. Susan Davy, Chief Executive Pennon Group, is quoted as justifying the payout because: “we have delivered improvements in environmental performance, building on our sector leading 100pc water quality for our 860 miles of coastline and on track to reduce our use of storm overflows by 50pc by 2025.”…
— Read on eastdevonwatch.org/2023/06/02/unbelievable-south-west-water-increases-dividends-by-11-as-ceo-set-herself-up-as-climate-change-champion/
Richard Foord MP’s latest constituency newsletter
Reporting back – 1st June 2023
— Read on mailchi.mp/6f4471a8de2e/reporting-back-april-6236839
Seaton & Colyton MATTERS 