Monthly Archives: February 2015

There are around 4000 houses on the eastern side of Exeter that fall into the East Devon constituency.

I have just sent this email to EDDC leader, Paul Diviani and chief executive, Mark Williams…...

East Devon District Council’s legal fees on fighting the Information Commissioner have spiralled to over £10,000, it was revealed at Wednesday evening’s full council meeting, following a question I asked.

East Devon District Council’s beleaguered Local Plan will move ahead without hindrance after all, it was revealed at Wednesday evening’s full council meeting.

Only two weeks ago EDDC issued a press release saying that the long-awaited strategic housing figures would remain confidential and the Local Plan would not be progressed until after the May elections - blog here - https://www.claire-wright.org/index.php/post/eddc_delays_yet_again_over_its_local_plan_this_time_because_of_elections

The government has opted to ignore an important report with many recommendations from MPs, on amending the developer friendly National Planning Policy Framework, which is causing so much damage to our countryside and to our communities here in East Devon.

No wonder Hugo evaded my question to him last Thursday evening at Clyst St Mary - see - https://www.claire-wright.org/index.php/post/hugo_dodges_the_question_and_blames_eddc_fully_for_speculative_development

Clive Betts MP hits out at the Government’s unaccountably complacent reaction here - http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/communities-and-local-government-committee/news/nppf-government-response/

But why are they so keen to befriend developers?

Story webbed today by the Western Morning News - http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Furious-fall-Government-minister-independent/story-26094868-detail/story.html

Here’s a link to Hugo’s column in today’s Express & Echo.

He seems a bit worried!

And he is quite wrong of course. Independents have all the same rights as any other back bencher and can use a range of mechanisms within the House of Commons to get their constituents views heard.

But the difference is that they are unconstrained by a party line and are free to speak up and act for their communities ....

This press release was issued this afternoon….

West Hill FINALLY has its missing link pavement, after 20 years of pressing for it to be done.

Aggregate Industries is holding two public consultation events next week in advance of submitting a planning application for a 100 acre quarry on the edge of Ottery, at Straitgate Farm.

This must be a first surely. Five Westcountry hospitals on black alert. Not a bed in sight. Hundreds of operations cancelled because there are just no beds.

A great time to plan to cut beds in community hospitals… but just who is to blame for this crisis?

A useless flu jab and a cut in funding appear to be the two main causes, coming at the same time as a higher demand with more elderly people with complex health needs.

The NHS isn’t really ringfenced, that’s just misleading government rhetoric. The growth funding has dropped from around six percent a few years ago, to roughly levels of inflation, which are hovering at about one percent.

Under Mr Lansley’s watch, the government spent THREE BILLION POUNDS on reorganising the NHS into an incomprehensible mess.

By 2019, we are informed that the NHS in Devon could be around £430 MILLION in the red. 

Just what has the Conservative led coalition done to the NHS?  And can it be saved before it is too late?  I truly hope so.

http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/hospitals-black-alert-demand-outstrips-supply/story-26077238-detail/story.html

All councillors were sent this email earlier today, which seems to indicate that a vote will be forced on the office relocation project just days before the election period starts!

It is a shocking indictment of the way that the Conservative leadership operates at the Knowle. THE most controversial and costly project (apart from the local plan, which incidentally has been deliberately delayed until AFTER the election) in YEARS.  Stacks of concern about the facts and figures, as well as the enormous cost and the millions that would need to be borrowed.

So, instead of waiting to allow a new council to make up its own mind on the plans, the Conservatives force through a vote, just days before the election period starts.  What a disrespectful way to run a council.

I attended my third EDDC tree task and finish forum this morning at the Knowle and it feels as though it is going in the right direction.

I heard LibDem Tessa Munt’s interview on BBC Radio 4 this evening and it must have struck a chord with just about everyone who listened.

She expressed amazement that an MP could ever have time to do another job because she didn’t have enough hours in the day to carry out her MP duties.

Hearing Malcolm Rifkind plead poverty on a salary of £60,000 plus a year and claiming this rather handsome sum needs to be supplemented to attract good quality MPs is as pathetic, as it is grasping.