Torridge and West Devon Liberal Democrats
 PeopleLiberal Democrats Representatives and Prospective Candidates at all levels of government. Adam Symons PPC
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Adam Symons NewsFor more information on any of the news items below contact Adam Symons on 01237 431498 or 07786 277470
£3.8 Million ‘Massive Funding Boost’Fantastic News for Torridge and North DevonWednesday 30 July 2008 “This is a massive boost for Torridge and North Devon”, said Adam Symons, Lib Dems Parliamentary Spokesperson for Torridge and West Devon, on news that the Regional Selection Panel has approved an indicative allocation of £3.8million for the Leader 4 Torridge & North Devon Programme. Adam said, “This is fantastic news for the local area, and could not come at a better time, to give us a shot in the arm now that the economy is faltering slightly. A comprehensive programme was bid for, and it looks like the Regional Selection Panel were impressed by our bid. I congratulate everyone involved. This is a massive boost for Torridge and North Devon. We should be rightly proud of our success.” “I have worked with some of the projects which have bid for this money, and look forward to helping them develop their plans to improve communities and the economy in Torridge.” The next step in the Leader 4 Torridge & North Devon Programme is to produce a Delivery Plan for 2008, and once this has been approved by the SWRDA they will issue a formal funding agreement.
Note: Leader 4 Torridge & North Devon is a local partnership of public, private and community representatives that is submitting a bid to run a new five-year funding programme which will build on the successes of previous LEADER programmes. The bid is to the Rural Development Programme for England (2006-2013) which is being managed by the South West Regional Development Agency. The funding originates from European and Defra monies, and is based on the principles of Local Action. The local partnership currently involves representatives from North West Devon LEADER+ Local Action Group (including private and community sector representatives), North Devon Council, Torridge District Council, North Devon and Exmoor Regeneration Company (the lead partner), North Devon AONB, North Devon Biosphere Reserve, Exmoor National park Authority, Devon Renaissance, Devon County Council and North Devon +. As part of the development of the bid, the partnership wants to consult on the specific projects and areas of work to include in the bid, in particular the priorities for the first two years. This will be done through consultation workshops, a website and emailed communications. A briefing paper has been prepared to provide background information for the workshops and to give an opportunity for direct feedback on your project priorities. The programme will be able to consider projects in the following broad areas:
Dark Cloud to Dartmoor CelebrationsTaylor report sends a stark messageTuesday 29 July 2008 The celebration of National Parks Week on Dartmoor this week has been overshadowed by the release of the Taylor report, which has called on trialling the restriction of use of full-time homes as second homes or holiday lets in National Parks. National Parks Week 2008 (28th July to 3rd August) is celebrating the year of Food and Farming. Farming on Dartmoor, particularly on the moorland, has traditionally been based around the keeping of hardy breeds of beef cattle, sheep and ponies suited to the exposed hills. However, for many, the traditional way of life on Dartmoor is considered to be under threat by increasing numbers of second homes and holiday lets. Local Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson for West Devon and Torridge, Adam Symons said: “Having met with the Parks Authority and Commoners Council last week, it is clear that having houses for local people is going to be important in continuing farming and the associated way of life on Dartmoor. The Taylor report sends a stark message that if we do not tackle the loss of houses from the local market, many of our traditions we are celebrating this week may disappear.” “The unique status of Dartmoor makes the issue particularly important for them, since there is very little option to make up the loss of full time homes by new building, and the maintenance of their unique environment relies on people living locally doing relatively low paid agricultural and other jobs which maintain the landscape.” To help celebrate the week, Adam will be visiting Greenwell Farm, near Meavy on Saturday 2nd August to watch pony handling and to sample some of Dartmoor’s local foods.
Affordable Housing Gap is CriticalBad in West Devon but Worse in TorridgeFriday 25 July 2008 “Affordable housing is one of the most important issues affecting our area”, said Adam Symons, Lib Dems Parliamentary Spokesperson for West Devon and Torridge, at a meeting with Dartmoor National Park Authority and the Dartmoor Commoners’ Council. Adam, who was meeting the Chief Executive of the Park and Chair of the Commoners’ Council, was speaking out after the publication of the Taylor Review, which conducted a review on how land use and planning can better support rural business and deliver affordable housing. The report, which found that young families are being priced out of the rural communities in which they work, called for a ‘fundamental shake up of planning and affordable housing policy.’ The publication of the report came in the same week as two other key reports: the Secretary of State for Housing revealed the expected house-building levels for Torridge and the revised housing figures for West Devon over the next 20 years; and the unveiling of the Northern Peninsula Housing Market Assessment, which includes Torridge. The Housing Market Assessment report identified that only 12% of newly forming households could afford to buy into the housing market in Torridge, and that if the local authorities wanted to redress the balance between the current housing composition, and the need from residents, 75% of all houses which are built should be affordable. Calling on the Government to rethink how new housing is planned and built, Mr Symons said, “Residents in West Devon earn 35% less than the national average, and residents in Torridge earn 45% less than the national average. Yet both have significantly higher house prices. Most people cannot afford to buy into the local housing market. This is one of the most important issues affecting our area.” The Government needs to take into account the needs of our residents when guiding the planning of affordable homes. High house prices compared with low wages threaten the future of communities in Torridge and West Devon.”
Note: The Northern Peninsula Housing Market Assessment covers the areas from North Cornwall, through Torridge, into North Devon and West Somerset. The evidence from this report will feed into the local authorities Local Development Framework.
Village Anger as Post Office Decision RevealedOffers of Help to Keep the Post Office OpenTuesday 22 July 2008 Villagers in Buckland Brewer expressed their anger today as the Post Office revealed that it was going to shut its post office. Villagers arrived at the Post Office in the morning to express their support for the community shop and post office. They were in defiant mood, shaking their fists at the Post Office sign, and they vowed to fight on. Two months ago Buckland Brewer post office was identified as one of the offices which was due to be replaced by a mobile outreach service. Villagers staged meetings and demonstrations, with a host of representations to the Post Office Network Change Team. Adam Symons, local councillor, who helped spearhead the campaign said: “We are astounded that the Post Office still plan to shut Buckland Brewer. We have demonstrated how much support there is for this community facility, and we really are gob smacked that they are still going to close it.” “Two years ago, £26,000 of public money was spent on opening the community shop and post office. Now the Government is spending nearly the same amount to shut it down again. This is madness!” Offers of help to keep the post office open have come from the County Council. Humphrey Temperley, who is County Councillor for the area said: “We are currently in negotiations with Post Office Ltd. to see whether we can meet the costs of turning the outreach service into a hosted service, back in the community shop. It is imperative that we keep this open.”
Government Gambles With Our Primary SchoolsPoor Funding for Devon SchoolsMonday 21 July 2008 ‘Gambling with our childrens’ future’, is how Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson for West Devon and Torridge, Adam Symons, called the Government’s continuing funding squeeze of primary education in West Devon. The Government continue to under-fund Devon’s pupils by £359 below the £4,066 national average. Devon comes 146th out of 149 local authorities for funding allocations, and Adam Symons, the Lib Dem PPC for the area thinks that this is ‘plain wrong’. He said: “I have been approached by a number of schools in Tavistock and West Devon who are finding balancing the budget this year hard going. All schools have to deliver the same curriculum, but primary schools in Devon are expected to do so with much lower level of funding. A Primary school of around 100 pupils would get around £36,000 less than the average, enough to employ another teacher for example.” “This is not just about total funding levels though. The Government are insisting schools provide ‘wrap-around care’, yet the money they are ‘ring-fencing’ for this service is being taken out of core school budgets. Similarly, schools have to provide ‘10% release time’ for teachers, but with no additional funding. Schools with over 200 pupils have been really badly hit with senior teaching posts being lost, and classes being taught by Teaching Assistants. This is exactly what the Government said they would not allow, yet they are forcing schools down this path.” “The fact that the Government are forcing primary schools to shed experienced staff is plain wrong. They are gambling with our childrens’ future. We should be striving to give all children the best early education that they can get. Instead some schools are telling me that they are considering cutting back on teaching and administration staff just to make ends meet.”
Visitors Could Stop Visiting North DevonTurned Away by Overgrown and Blocked FootpathsFriday 18 July2008 “Visitors might stop coming to North Devon” was the stark message of one councillor at the start of this year’s school summer holidays. This week marks the start of a busy time for North Devon’s holiday businesses, as they vie to attract visitors from all parts of the world. One of the key attractions of North Devon is its rolling countryside, however one local councillor has said that this may be under threat. Councillor Adam Symons, who, as a keen walker, has walked much of the area, thinks that visitors may be turned away by poor access to footpaths, poor maintenance, and even blocked paths.
He said “People come to North Devon because of the scenery and the countryside. They want to get out into it and enjoy it. However, recently I have come across footpaths so overgrown they are impassable, blocked footpaths, and footpaths through fields with crops 4 foot high. If I were a visitor, I would get very frustrated by this, and probably wouldn’t go back to an area which had poor footpath provision.” “Generally, the coastal path and long-distance footpaths are terrific. However, as you go inland, the scope and quality of them deteriorate. Walking is becoming such an important factor for visitors when they are choosing a holiday destination. If we don’t get this right, they won’t come! I urge all landowners with footpaths across them to keep them open, and let the visitors flow.” “The market for people wanting to go away on holiday and walk is huge. I think we need to look at creating more paths for visitors, and opening up more of our amazing countryside.” Martin Wickham, General Manager of North Devon +, which promotes the region as a tourism destination said: ”Walking is extremely popular in North Devon. Footpaths are basic facilities for visitors, and if they are not kept to a good standard, they can lead to disappointment. Those visitors, whose main reason for coming to North Devon are to walk in the countryside, tend to also be the types who spend money on high quality accommodation and good local food and drink. They are an important contributor to our economy.”
Note: North Devon + is a private sector lead company, formed by North Devon Council and Torridge District Council to drive the growth of the economy of North Devon.
One in Five Rural Households Dip Below Poverty Line‘Government Must Help Rural Areas’Thursday 17 July 2008 Adam Symons, Lib Dem Prospective MP for Torridge and West Devon called on the Government today to help residents in sparsely populated rural areas, as a report today showed that one in five rural households are below the poverty line. These figures, revealed in today’s publication of the ‘State of the Countryside 2008’, by the Commission for Rural Communities, show that for the poorest fifth of rural households, 50% of weekly income goes on essentials such as food, housing, energy and transport. The report also provides indications of increasing inequality within rural areas themselves, with a widening gap between less and more sparsely populated rural areas. Official figures detailing Households Below Average Income data show that poverty increased by 3% in rural households compared with 1% in urban households between 2004/05 and 2006/07. This is the tenth such report by the CRC, and affordable housing and access to services have retained their place as the issues of most widespread concern amongst rural people. Adam said: “Those of us who have to travel anywhere are feeling the pinch. The price of petrol and diesel, and rising costs of heating our homes is hurting everyone. The Government must help rural areas, as it is here that the deepest, and yet hidden poverty is occurring.” “Prices for travel and food are rising just as the Government plans to shut Post Offices and their associated shops in many areas, making people have to drive longer distances. This absurd plan will only lead to greater rural poverty.” “The Lib Dems plan to reduce fuel tax in favour of charging for use of motorways. In sparsely populated areas we would slash car tax by half for the first car in a household. This would reduce the costs of motoring in rural areas.”
Local Farmers Still Likely to Lose OutSingle Farm Payments Scheme Leaves Thousands UnderpaidWednesday 16 July 2008 Today saw the publication of the Public Accounts Committee’s report on the administration of the Single Payment Scheme for farmers in England. The report, which was commissioned after the fiasco of delays, over and under-payments to farmers in 2006, after the Single Payment Scheme replaced previous European Union production-based agricultural subsidy schemes from 2005. Over £20 million of overpayments were made during the 2005 scheme, and thousands of farmers were underpaid, or had such significant delays as to cause significant hardship, especially in such a predominantly agricultural area as Torridge and West Devon. According to the committees report, in 2005 “DEFRA had chosen to implement the most complex option for reform in the shortest possible timescale, and the Rural Payments Agency had badly underestimated the scale of the task. This led to delays in making payments to farmers, erroneous payments and additional project and administrative costs.” The report concluded that “The Agency is still not able to offer adequate advice to farmers on the progress of their claim. It was reluctant to specify targets by when such information would be available and when payments would be made under the 2008 Scheme.” Commenting on the report, Adam Symons, Lib Dem Prospective MP for Torridge and West Devon said: “This is crazy that three years on from identifying the problem, the RPA still cannot be sure that they will get payments to farmers on time. They are not even able to track claims. This shows what a muddle this Agency is in.” “So once again, local farmers continue to face uncertainty over when payments will be received. An even greater scandal is that of the 19 overpayments in excess of £50,000 paid in August 2006, mainly to large agri-businesses, the RPA had started the recovery process with only two of the claims affected. Why does it always seem to be those which need support the least, get away with the most? We need a fundamental change in the way we support our rural industries, making payments fairer and greener!”
Wasted Food Targeted at Wood FairGood Food Going to WasteMonday 14 July 2008 Waste food was being targeted at this weekend’s Wood Fair at Roadford Lake, as Torridge District Council teamed up with Devon County Council to stop a third of all the food bought being thrown away.
The ‘Love Food, Hate Waste’ campaign was launched in Torridge on Saturday at the ‘Don’t Let Devon go to Waste’ road show. Councillor Adam Symons, lead member at Torridge District Council for Waste and Recycling was there to help promote the message. He said: “Around a third of all the food we buy ends up being thrown away and most of this could have been eaten. 90% of us just don’t realise how much good food we throw out, yet in Torridge we throw away 6,500 tonnes of food every year.” “I am a real food lover, and one of the things I find really hard is when people throw away food which has been lovingly grown, processed, transported, packaged and bought, only to throw it into the bin because they haven’t got around to eating it!” “It’s not just an issue of good food going to waste, and the money we are wasting buying the food, but that there are serious environmental implications. The amount of food we throw away is a major contributor to climate change. If we stopped wasting food which could have been eaten, it would have the same impact on carbon dioxide emissions as taking 1 in 5 cars off the roads.” The next road show in Torridge will be at the North Devon show, near Torrington, on Wednesday 6th August.
Note: Current research suggests that about 40% (by weight) of the food thrown away that could have been eaten is fresh fruit & vegetables (which includes potatoes). Visit the www.lovefoodhatewaste.com website for tips, recipes and much more. Alternatively, you can email or call the Helpline if you have any questions on 0808 1002040
Parish Upset at Loss of Phone Box Without ConsultationYet More Phone Boxes to go From North DevonFriday 11 July 2008 More phone boxes are due to be lost from North Devon, but these will disappear without anyone knowing, which has upset a local Parish. Under plans announced by BT in April, the majority of villages in Torridge were identified as being under threat from losing their payphones. However, further correspondence with BT by Torridge and West Devon Prospective Lib Dem MP, Adam Symons, indicate that another 3 phone boxes in Torridge will be shut down without consultation, because they are within 400 meters of another phone box. BT has argued that 60% of their payphones no longer cover the costs of running them, and therefore they need to shut them down to maintain profits. Nearly every village and town in Torridge will be affected, as BT seeks to shut down the 50 least profitable phones. One of the phone boxes which is due to be shut without consultation is at Springfield in Hartland. Chair of Hartland Parish Council, Robert Parsons, said:” The phone box in Springfield is well used and should not be removed. Mobile phone coverage is unreliable and the phone box is essential for the needs of the community, particularly those living at the West end of the village.”
Adam Symons, who is also District Councillor for Hartland and Bradworthy, said: “I was really annoyed that BT took over a month to reply to my concerns over phone boxes they were not consulting on. They were just going to shut this phone box without letting anyone know. I have also found two other well-used phone boxes which they intend to shut; one in Holsworthy and one in Bideford.” “I know people in Hartland who use this phone box as a lifeline, as they don’t have a phone. Even more importantly, some of these phone boxes are used nearly 10 times per day. For those people who thought that phone boxes were not used anymore, think again. In some places, like Westward Ho!, they are essential for holiday makers, walkers and campers, especially where mobile phone coverage is poor.” “It seems, that much like with Post Offices, the true extent of the closures only become apparent if you do the work and delve more deeply. It would have been good if BT would have been up front about all the phone boxes they intend to shut, rather than wait for people to find out.” “In an added twist to the story, a company has come forward with a request to BT not to remove any of the phone boxes until they have been given the opportunity to be a provider of telecom services. The company, ISC Ltd, suggests that they will continue to be able to provide a service to the local community, using a smarter business model than BT, and include information for visitors, including bus timetables. We hope that this will preserve what is a very well used phone box, and part of the heritage of Hartland.”
Note: The two other phone boxes due for closure are on Golf Links Road, Westward Ho!, which gets 2407 uses per year, and Underlane, Holsworthy, which receives 202 uses.
Reorganisation Is One Thing – But Give Councils More Local InputGive Local Communities More Power Over Decision MakingSaturday 5 July 2008 This Monday sees the Boundary Commission submit their draft proposals for the future of local authorities in Devon. A leading local Lib Dem has called on local authorities not to let this detract from the real issues of empowering communities and local accountability. Since the Government asked for a Boundary Commission review of Devon, after the failed Exeter unitary bid, local authorities have entered into a an intense debate about the future structure of local authorities in Devon. Many local authorities have welcomed the opportunity to formalise a process which had already started with a range of partnership projects between neighbouring local authorities. The submissions made by local authorities to the Boundary Commission suggest that there is obvious disagreement as to how this should take place, with each local authority in the area putting forward a different vision of how the future might look. However, Adam Symons, Lib Dem Prospective MP for Torridge & West Devon, wants to ensure that the fierce debate does not detract from empowering communities. He said: “Whatever the model put forward by the Boundary Commission on Monday, it will not deal with the fundamental issues facing local authorities. The model might change the structures, and where services are delivered from, but without fundamental changes to how local authorities run, it might not improve local accountability. “If you want to give local communities more power over decision making, and ensure there is more local accountability, you need to decentralise the way local authorities raise funds, and remove the constraints placed by too many centralised targets. If you want to deliver change in local communities, it cannot be done through a top-down approach. Local communities must have more say, and this should involve raising more funds locally, and empowering communities to make more decisions in more public service areas. “For example, we have Britain's unfairest tax, the Council Tax, which is based upon property values from 20 years ago, and relates in no way to people's ability to pay it. For Torridge & West Devon, this tax actually takes money out of the local economy, as for the average earner it can take nearly 10% of earnings. In wealthier areas of the country Council Tax accounts for less than 2% of peoples earnings, so in effect, Torridge and West Devon is subsidising richer parts of the country. Adam's comments were backed up by the leader of the Lib Dems, Nick Clegg, who was speaking at the Bournemouth Local Government Association. Talking about regional ministerial posts introduced a year ago by the Government, he said: “Devolving power isn’t about having a national minister ‘advocating’ national policy in the regions. In fact, it’s not clear what these pointless gimmicks spend their time doing, except costing us a lot of money. "It’s about letting the regions - and below them, councils, communities and people - make decisions for themselves.”
Fight for Hartland to Go SlowNeed for Lower Speed LimitFriday 4 July 2008 A local councillor is spearheading a campaign to bring the speed limit down on a notorious stretch of road which school children walk and cycle to school on. Eastdown Park, where 20 families live, is connected to Hartland by a stretch of road with a 60mph speed limit on it. There is no footpath on the road, and it is the only route to the primary school for the children from Eastdown Park. Concerns have been raised over the road for some time, with the County Council estimating that to put a new footpath in would cost £500,000. However, increasing worries over child safety has led to renewed calls to make the stretch of road safer.
Jane Scott, resident of Eastdown Park said: “My daughter was cycling to school, but a few weeks ago a car nearly hit her, and she is now scared to cycle on the road. Everyone is trying to get people out of cars, however if the roads are not safe to walk or cycle, what are residents meant to do? We have got a petition together to make the road safer. The school has written in support, as it wants to see more children walking and cycling to school.” Adam Symons, District Councillor representing Hartland said: “We have been working with the County Council to try to find a solution to this dangerous stretch of road. We hope that the County Council will agree to lowering the speed limit and ensure that drivers understand that they are sharing the road with other users. We still need to look into a longer term option of how we ensure that pedestrians and car drivers are not sharing the same road space.”
Note: Representatives from Eastdown Park, Hartland Parish Council, Hartland Primary School and Cllr Adam Symons will be meeting with Devon County Council Highways and members of the Highways and Traffic Order Committee at Eastdown Park on Monday July 7th at 2.00pm
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