I would have been laughed at this time last year if I had predicted that by December 2016 we would not only no longer be a member of the European Union, but the supremely vile Donald Trump would be elected as President of the United States.
While the vote to leave the EU left me shocked and worried, by November I had sort of expected (albeit with a growing horror) Donald Trump to be successfully elected.
I have just sent the following email to Hugo Swire
Dear Hugo
I am writing to you to express my serious concern and frustration concerning the so-called schools ‘fairer’ funding announcement that took place last week.
My consultation response is below:
I am very concerned that the proposal to more than halve the credits to community composting groups will put the extremely popular Otter Rotters out of business and drive up waste ending up at landfill.
This article for me epitomises the unattainable (and completely stupid) standards that many women (especially older women) feel compelled to live up to, thanks to the ridiculous commentary in the media and in porn.
A north Devon headteacher has described the so called fairer funding distribution as a shambles, after many schools, already struggling under huge historical underfunding - around one third across Devon - are set to be worse off…
Ottery St Mary Primary School is set to lose £38,000 - a loss of 2.7 per cent in the first year of a so-called fairer funding regime, which was supposed to even out the massive discrepancies, resulting in Devon schools being funded on average £300 less per pupil than elsewhere in the country.
The King’s School is set to lose £120,000 by 2020 if the new funding formula goes ahead.
I believe West Hill Primary School would be hit by a loss of around £4000, a 0.5 per cent cut.
I am reeling after hearing the news that after the government’s so called fairer funding formula shake up, that the King’s School is set to lose almost three per cent (2.9) of its already massively stretched budget!
Yes, the government will remove £123,000 from King’s alone by 2020.
Most Devon secondaries are in a similar position.
This is despite Devon schools being virtually at the bottom of the league table in the UK for funding and despite the government promising a fairer outcome for the county’s schools.
I am monitoring this issue closely and will report as soon as I know what this means for our schools here in Devon - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-38301843
Devon schools facing “crisis” and must take “urgent very undesirable actions” to balance finances
East Devon District Councillor, and Ottery St Mary Town Councillor, Roger Giles attended the Aggregate Industries exhibition of their Straitgate quarry proposals at The Institute in Ottery on 23 November 2017. Here is his report.
The answers to my questions on community composting did nothing to allay my fears that Devon County Council is in denial over the impact of cutting the credits paid to community composting schemes across the county, by more than half.
See background here - https://www.claire-wright.org/index.php/post/otter_rotters_at_risk_from_plans_to_halve_composting_collection_payments
Otter Rotters, which is run by Ottery resident, Mandy Jennings is staffed by a team of committed volunteers and provides a door to door service that EDDC has admitted would cost them a significant sum to set up themselves.
My motion to review Devon County Council’s environment policy in the wake of Brexit and the shocking state of nature report was backed unanimously at this afternoon’s full council meeting.
I lodged the motion after feeling my usual despair at the now annual state of nature report which was published in October.
It was excellent to see councillors from across the political divide agreeing this afternoon on the importance of retaining our health services and beds, as we voted unanimously to stand against cuts and to demand more funding from central government.
I am very concerned that the excellent Otter Rotters is at risk of going out of business after Devon County Council announced a proposal to more than halve the credit it pays community composters.
Otter Rotters, which covers Ottery, as well as many other villages across East Devon has operated a green waste door to door collection for many years, which avoids compost ending up at landfill - both environmentally unfriendly and expensive.