Successful town meeting in Seaton brainstorms ideas for local climate action
Around sixty people joined in a two-hour discussion last night about how the Seaton community could play its part in addressing the climate emergency. Breaking into roundtable groups, the meeting discussed issues around food and lifestyle; trees, gardens and biodiversity; housing; transport; and the commercial sector in the town. The points raised in discussion will go a further open meeting on Wednesday 6th November at 7 pm in Marshlands, Harbour Road, to develop a practical plan of action and set up a local climate forum (name to be decided!).
The meeting, in the Old Picture House on Harbour Rd, was organised by Seaton Town Council’s climate emergency working group with the help of Seaton Extinction Rebellion (XR). Introduced by Cllr Jack Rowland, deputy mayor, the discussions were led by working group members councillors Tony Antoniou, Dan Ledger, Martin Shaw and Amrik Singh and XR member Helena Whitten. If you’d like to be kept informed, email cllrmartinshaw@gmail.com.
Fire station closures are getting to be like hospital bed closures, a litmus test of politicians’ support for local communities – my post on the Tories blocking discussion was viewed 932 times on the day it was published.
Information for Devon and Somerset Conservative councillors who may be thinking of voting through the fire station closures. I’ve just checked my site stats and this post on how the Tories blocked the County Council discussing the closures was the most viewed ever in a single day on this site – and it’s now been viewed nearly 1400 times. Vote for this at your peril!
Seaton Primary School lost out £500k, Colyton £250k, Beer over £100k over last 5 years. Axe Valley lost £1m and Colyton Grammar nearly £900k. ‘Fair funding’?
A new interactive map from schoolcuts.org.uk shows the following losses:
Seaton Primary lost £501k, or £267 per pupil per year, from 2015-16 to 2019-20. The site summarises: ‘Class sizes are above average and increasing. Cuts are above average. Cuts are equal to the salaries of 2 teachers. Funding is below average.’
Colyton Primary lost £246k or £343 per pupil.
Beer Primary lost £117k or £101 per pupil.
At secondary level, Axe Valley lost £1m or £394 per pupil. ‘Class sizes are above average. Class sizes rose from 20.4 pupils per class in 2015 to 23.0 in 2018. Cuts are above average. Cuts are equal to the salaries of 4 teachers.’
Colyton Grammar lost £883k or £239 per pupil, equivalent to 3 teachers.
Winter ‘chaos’ looming at Wonford as RD&E posts worst ever summer performance in A&E
Devon Live reports that the RD&E has posted its worst-ever summer A&E figures, with only 72 per cent of patients seen within 4 hours compared to a 95 per cent target. There are fears of an even worse situation once winter sets in …
Until now, A&E performance (while failing to meet targets) was the one key NHS target on which the Devon NHS was actually better than the national average – cancer care and general waiting lists were already well below par.
Our local NHS is creaking at the seams – we need more doctors; more nurses; more beds (I was told this week that there is a ‘severe beds crisis’ across the hospital).
Despite Boris Johnson’s frequent hospital photo-opportunities, his proposals for the NHS amount to refurbishing a mere 6 hospitals across the country (none of them in Devon) and do nothing to address the real issues.
New Statesman analysis shows that Johnson’s Government sees Claire Wright as threat in East Devon constituency
East Devon is one of the seats the Tories are most concerned to defend from rivals. According to analyst Stephen Bush, ‘Noteworthy is that – as is echoed privately by many Conservatives from the area – the government regards Claire Wright, of the independent campaign in East Devon, as a serious challenger for the seat.’
No Deal Brexit ‘as bad as Foot and Mouth’ for South West, business and council leaders say
So on Thursday DCC leaders refused to answer my questions about No Deal Brexit. Yet the previous day, it turns out, the Heart of the South West Joint Committee and Local Economic Partnership – both of which include DCC – issued the statement below. Either the left hand doesn’t know what the right is doing … or the DCC leadership are so desperate to avoid public divisions in the Tory group that they won’t even claim credit in the Council chamber for finally speaking out as I have been asking them to do!
This should also give Neil Parish MP food for thought after his inane comments the previous day.
So: Devon farmers lose their tariff-free access to Europe on October 31st, and gain a ‘glorious future’ in US markets … when? Does @neil_parish really believe in this fantasy?
In Parliament on 3rd October:
Neil Parish Chair, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
I very much welcome the Prime Minister’s statement. May I also welcome his enthusiasm, because for two and a half years there has been so much negativity in this House that we just cannot get this deal through? For goodness’ sake, let us get the deal done. Does he believe it will then lead on to a good trade deal, so that farming, agriculture and business will not have to pay tariffs to the European Union and we can export across the whole of the world?
Boris Johnson The Prime Minister, Leader of the Conservative Party
Of course. I can tell my hon. Friend that Somerset lamb, cattle and beef—[Interruption.] I should say Devon, as he represents Tiverton. [Interruption.] He does farm in Somerset, so I should say that Somerset and Devon’s beef and lamb will have the opportunity to find export markets that they are prevented from finding by our current arrangements, such as those in the United States and indeed elsewhere. We have a glorious future ahead of us if we just take the first few steps.
Crucial new survey launched by Seaton Area Health Matters – please complete and spread to everyone you know in Seaton, Colyton, Beer, Axmouth etc.
Health Matters Chair, Cllr Jack Rowland, writes: ‘We invite all residents in Seaton and the surrounding areas to complete a questionnaire on the future of Seaton Hospital and local health services.
The questionnaire is available to complete online via www.seatonhealthmatters.co.uk/survey as well as by paper.
‘If you need to complete the paper questionnaire instead of online the questionnaire will be available from a high number of places in your area so keep an eye out for the advertising posters to pick one up and find out where to return it.
‘If you care about the future of Seaton Hospital and local health services please take about 10 mins to complete the survey online or on paper as the higher the response rate the more accurate the picture will be of the local views.
‘We are hoping for a high response rate as the data gathered will be invaluable in adding value to what we are trying to achieve by identifying any service gaps that could be potentially filled by a service operating from Seaton Hospital. We have prepared a business plan to make the current site a Health & Wellbeing Hub that retains the existing services that operate from the site, but potentially adds other services to utilise the empty space.
‘Your opinion and views will be invaluable and we want and need all members of the communities covered by this survey to participate.’
