West Hill’s Conservative Party clearly “doesn’t get” satire
It certainly wasn’t the article I was expecting to see on West Hill’s Conservative Party notice board yesterday when I ambled past.
Petition set up: Healthcare crisis throughout rural Devon
The petition below has been set up by a group of campaigners in North Devon, who have sadly lost all their hospital beds, following a decision by the NEW Devon Clinical Commissioning Group.
The petition, quite rightly, calls on MPs across the county to show their mettle and stand up for NHS and demand more funding.
In Devon our NHS is historically significantly underfunded. This has been exacerbated by the government’s choice to reduce the level of growth funding to the NHS to around the levels of inflation. At the same time, demand in Devon has rocketed.
In five years time the NHS in Devon expects to be something like £430m in the red.
Please sign the petition…..
EDDC Tory whip reports me to the police for a comment on this blog
This chain of emails was circulated to all EDDC councillors yesterday…. you will need to read from the bottom up….
An extension to the consultation to remove beds and minor injuries unit at Ottery Hospital?
At last night’s second consultation meeting held by NEW Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), into plans to shut all the beds and minor injuries unit at Ottery Hospital, NHS managers implied that the consultation period may be extended.
EDDC planners reject former councillor’s planning application - and consider action against him
The story below was webbed today by the Express & Echo ....
East Devon Alliance chairman: Undemocratic empire building folly crashes in flurry of crisis m’ment
Paul Arnott, East Devon Alliance chairman, doesn’t mince his words on the latest news on EDDC’s office relocation mire - http://eastdevonalliance.org/
EDDC drops HQ move to Skypark. We’re going back to Honiton now, it says
I am not sure that anyone in East Devon will have have been familiar with a more atrociously managed project, than EDDC’s office relocation.
Here are 10 reasons why I think that this project is possibly the worst managed public sector project in the country.
1. The council made a formal decision to move before it investigated how much it would cost
2. It didn’t bother to consult the public, save one or two events in Sidmouth and one “stakeholder event” last year
3. It has made almost every decision behind closed doors
4. It has spent tens of thousands of pounds, maybe more, on keeping information secret, that the Information Commissioner rules must be public
5. It cannot, or will not, tell councillors or residents how much a new build will cost
6. It plans to build brand new offices at a time of significant financial austerity, when services are being cut
7. It spends almost a million pounds on thinking about building new offices
8. It has spent an indeterminate (probably very large) amount of public money negotiating to buy land at Skypark since February.
9. First it says it will move to Honiton because it is central, then it says it will move to Skypark, cos… it can give no good reason .... now it says it will move to Honiton again
10. The conservative leadership repeatedly attacks independent councillors (mainly me) for criticising and questioning the plans.
Wainhomes issues gagging clause on its Feniton purchasers
At this evening’s Feniton Parish Council meeting, the village turned out in force to discuss and ask questions about yet another major planning application - from Wainhomes, which now wants to build 31 houses adjacent to Louvigny Close, partly on land that was rejected by the planning inspector back in April.
EDDC councillors kept in dark over council merger, until agreement signed today
Councillors were informed of a new partnership with Exeter and Teignbridge Councils this afternoon.
We are told that the consultation with us will take place in the new year - after today’s agreement has been signed!
Unbelievable.
What does it mean for the unpopular and vastly expensive office relocation?
What does it mean for planning, given the talk of economic growth… and finally - is this act of unilateralism the final nail in the coffin of a deeply undemocratic council?
Are they REALLY serious about a consultation after the agreement is signed?
A task forum to protect trees gets underway at EDDC, next week
A scrutiny committee task and finish forum (taff) gets underway next Friday (5 December), which aims to provide greater protection for “trees of merit,” across the district.
Place your bets on an election upset in the Westcountry - odds down to 16/1
The story below is in today’s Western Morning News on Sunday - link - http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Place-bets-election-upset-Westcountry/story-24609650-detail/story.html
Woodbury residents turns out to talk to potential East Devon MP
Around 20 Woodbury residents turned up to ask me questions and express their concerns about local issues this morning, during my trip around three more East Devon villages.
Ros and Anna from Roberts DIY, commended for work with community composting scheme, Otter Rotters
A huge thank you went to Ros and Anna at Roberts DIY, who dedicate many hours of their time to support the essential Otter Rotters community composting, which wouldn’t be possible without their ongoing support.
Health and wellbeing scrutiny committee to write to MPs over CCG cutting health procedures
Devon County Council’s health and wellbeing scrutiny committee is to send a letter to Devon MPs about the latest cost cutting measures by the local NHS, which will see a large range of health and surgical procedures reviewed and lost.
It is the second list of cuts to procedures that the North, East and West Devon Clinical Commissioning Group has published inside a month.