Adam Symons News
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01237 431498 or 07786 277470
£3.8 Million ‘Massive Funding Boost’
Fantastic News for Torridge and North Devon
Wednesday 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:
- Diversification into non agricultural activities
- Business creation & development
- Encouragement of tourism activities
- Basic services for the economy and rural population
- Village renewal and development
- Conservation and upgrading of the rural heritage
- Training and information
Dark Cloud to Dartmoor Celebrations
Taylor report sends a stark message
Tuesday 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 Critical
Bad in West Devon but Worse in Torridge
Friday 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
Revealed
Offers of Help to Keep the Post Office Open
Tuesday 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
Schools
Poor Funding for Devon Schools
Monday 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 Devon
Turned Away by Overgrown and Blocked Footpaths
Friday 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.
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Councillor Adam Symons at an overgrown footpath stile
which is impassable |
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 Out
Single Farm Payments Scheme Leaves Thousands Underpaid
Wednesday 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 Fair
Good Food Going to Waste
Monday 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.
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Councillor Adam Symons, with ‘Mrs Recycling’, aka Cathy
Karniewicz, and Annette Dentith, Waste Officer at Devon County Council,
promoting the ‘Love Food, Hate Waste’ campaign |
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 Consultation
Yet More Phone Boxes to go From North Devon
Friday 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.”
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Adam Symons with Cllr Bill Pillman in front of the phone
box which is due to close in Hartland |
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 Input
Give Local Communities More Power Over Decision Making
Saturday 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 Slow
Need for Lower Speed Limit
Friday 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.
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Jane Scott from Eastdown Park hands the petition to Cllr
Adam Symons |
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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