Over the months the flow over the weir seemed to dry up almost totally, leaving just a trickle of water cascading down the rocks. I contacted the Environment Agency a few weeks ago and they investigated. They found that it was due to hydro-electric power facility downstream, which was taking more water than it should have been. The EA explained that during construction of the fish pass, flows and[...]
Last night your MP, Hugo Swire, voted the wrong way. [1] Yesterday, MPs voted on whether to give voters the power to sack misbehaving MPs. [2] The majority voted no, choosing to stick with the government’s recall law that takes this power out of our hands. Days like these can be pretty disheartening. They remind us there’s a huge gap between the political system we want and the political [...]
Everyone at the meeting set about contacting family and friends inviting them to come along - and also making placards - very fast! So at 10.30am we all met. I gave a brief but hopefully rousing speech and we had our pictures taken. A coach has already been booked for a really important meeting - the health and wellbeing scrutiny committee on Monday 17 November, which will start at 2pm. If you [...]
I say a little more colourful because it wasn’t quite as colourful as I had hoped, when I started the project last year, with Devon County Council highways, Devon Wildlife Trust, ably assisted by Dick Beardsall from West Hill Residents Association. The yellow rattle came up beautifully in June, but the other species that were sowed - a whole range of pretty wildflowers such as cornflowers [...]
Dear colleague Re: Urgent and necessary measures to address patient demand As a key stakeholder I am writing to inform you that we expect to announce a series of urgent and necessary measures to address a worsening of the CCG’s financial situation. As you will be aware, last year the CCG returned a £14.5 million deficit (known as the control total) and this year we have been predicting the [...]
The motion was: “Openness and transparency in the planning process is vital. This council therefore agrees to include an item on the agenda of all development management committee and planning inspections committee meetings, requiring members of those committees to declare if and who they have been lobbied by, about items on the agenda.”Tomorrow’s agenda item follows a postponement[...]
It is encouraging that Mr Swire is doing something to put pressure on the seemingly paranoid DEFRA, however, the answer is surely to abandon the expensive and unnecessary capture plans, rather than risk the animals becoming ill or dying in captivity either before or after they are operated on and tested for a disease that Public Health England are apparently unconcerned about them having. If the [...]
The environmental charity Friends of the Earth has launched legal action to try to stop the government from ordering the capture of a family of beavers living in the wild in Devon. FoE lawyers have submitted legal papers seeking to challenge licences that allow the capture the animals, believed to be the first beavers to live in the wild in England for centuries. The Department for Environment, [...]
Now over 1,300 households and businesses will be able to sign up to superfast broadband services following the switching on of four new fibre broadband cabinets. Ottery residents should now be able to get speeds of around 24 mega bits per second. There will be a free workshop in the area delivered by the ‘Get up to Speed’ team part of Connecting Devon and Somerset, showing businesses how to [...]
The East Devon locality county committee, which met this morning, also objected to the loss of minor injuries units in all East Devon hospitals except Honiton and Exmouth. And It requested urgent provision of financial from the NHS, to accompany the plans. I made the proposal, which was seconded by Cllr Andrew Moulding, who represents Axminster and whose community is up in arms about the [...]
Our shouts of outrage have already prompted East Devon’s MP, Hugo Swire to sit up and take notice and change his position from one of accepting complacency, to opposition. For a start, I would urge everyone who responds to the NHS consultation to send their letter to the local papers, so that they raise the profile of the issue and encourage others to respond. They are: - Fran McElhone, [...]
I heard some brilliant speeches and loved the atmosphere of positive energy and happiness. I took part in a panel debate in the afternoon, which was sparky and challenging, with some thought-provoking questions from the young people present. I have had some lovely messages from the young people who attended, which mean a lot. Thanks to George Downs, MYP for East Devon for inviting me! [...]
Unbelievably, it seems that Wainhomes couldn’t give a fig about their moral responsibilities, let alone their legal obligations and are happy to let the residents of Feniton flood. But they didn’t bargain on the wrath of Cllr Susie Bond and Feniton Parish Council! And EDDC have reacted assertively….. Anyway, don’t miss the One Show at 7pm, where you will see Susie [...]