Monthly Archives: October 2014

This is the latest picture of Tipton St John Weir, which now appears to have fully recovered from its dry spell, thanks to the work of the Environment Agency…..

Residents were understandably concerned that Tipton Weir had seemed to dry up this summer, following work by the Environment Agency to create an improved fish pass last year.

Last night I received this email from 38 Degrees, which is campaigning for “recall bill” along with conservative MP, Zac Goldsmith.

This would enable MPs who have behaved really badly, to be sacked, which in my view is a no-brainer. Why should the elctorate have to wait up to five years?.............................

Last night, Roger Giles and I held our first campaign meeting aimed at saving Ottery Hospital from effective closure.

During the meeting, we discussed publicity and decided on an impromptu photo opportunity outside the hospital this morning!

West Hill residents may have noticed the verge opposite the war memorial on West Hill Road looked a little more colourful this year.

Councillors have been sent the following letter by John Finn of the NEW Devon clinical commissioning group. I note it is also a news story today….

Worrying times for the NHS and all its patients and next year NEW Devon ccg will be in a position of a £30m deficit.

EDDC’s standards committee will debate a motion of mine that I lodged back in February, following months of trying to get the standards committee to discuss it after I had raised it at the overview and scrutiny committee…. AGES ago!

So Hugo Swire is urging DEFRA to process Devon Wildlife Trust’s licence to allow the beavers to return to the Otter once captured.

Friends of Earth challenges licences to remove beavers believed to be the first to live in the wild in England for centuries, reports tomorrow’s Guardian.

Fantastic news and huge thanks to all the work of Friends of the Earth and in particular, Alasdair Cameron!!!

Following my previous emails to Mr Swire asking him to request that DEFRA abandons the capture programme, he has remained silent .... will he now fight for us?

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/oct/23/beavers-devon-wild-england-friends-of-earth

Superfast Broadband is now available in Ottery St Mary, as part of the Connecting for Devon work, which includes Devon County Council.

However, surrounding villages in the parish, including West Hill, Tipton St John and Alfington, will have to wait a bit longer, hopefully no more than a few weeks, following some delays.  BT will need to dig up the roads to install fibre cables to the villages, which will involve road closures.

I am hoping that fibre will be installed early next year now and while I am disappointed by the delay, it is good news that we are still on schedule to receive broadband fairly early in the process.

Councillors on an East Devon committee have voted unanimously to oppose the loss of all in-patient beds at Axminster and Ottery Hospitals.

I firmly believe that the only way to save Ottery St Mary Hospital will be the voices of thousands of voices, all protesting at the loss of the hospital as we know it.

I had an excellent day last Saturday in Taunton, at a British Youth Council youth parliament event.

Some of you may be aware that Feniton has been having real trouble with appalling behaviour from Wainhomes, which has so far not bothered (and seemed until Friday, to have no intention of) complying with planning conditions attached to its 50 houses allowed on appeal in 2012 - and installing flood alleviation tanks.