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
Sutcombe Rally Around Post OfficeAnger and Bewilderment at Post Office ClosureTuesday 27 May 2008 Sutcombe villagers turned out in force this morning to rally around their beleaguered post office, which the Post Office Network has allocated for closure. Residents help up placards, signs and posters protesting against the closure of Sutcombe, the only community facility for 3 miles around. Adam Symons, Lib Dems PPC for Torridge and West Devon, and councillor in neighbouring Bradworthy joined local residents in their protest, distributing posters and stickers. He said: “Talking to local residents, there is a lot of anger and bewilderment that the post office is closing. The nearest post office, in Bradworthy, is 3 miles down a winding lane. There is no bus, and no other shops in Sutcombe. What are people without a car meant to do?” “These current closures are just a culmination of successive Governments’ policies that say that if something does not wash its face financially, it must go. This must stop – we have to start thinking about the health of our communities!”
Adam Symons joins Sutcombe residents in protest at post office closure
Bus Pass Black HoleUnknown Costs for CouncilsTuesday 20 May 2008 Leading Lib Dems in Torridge and West Devon have called upon the Government to ensure that council tax payers do not pay the burden for the concessionary bus pass ‘black hole.’ The Devon concessionary bus pass, which provides reduced or free transport to pensioners and the disabled, has cost Torridge £487,000 this year, and West Devon £338,871. Now the scheme has been rolled out nationally, each council have been given more funding, but have no idea whether this money will be sufficient. Furthermore, on April 25th, the Devon Partnership, which includes the two councils, received notification from the Government that they may chance the amount the councils should pay bus operators, and therefore they may have to pay more, not just for this year, but for the coming year. Councillor Hugo Barton, Lib Dem Group Leader at Torridge said: “It is so difficult to budget for this expenditure, given that we don’t know what it costs until the year has finished. We did not have enough money last year, and I doubt we will have enough this year.” Councillor Alison Clish-Green, Lib Dem Group Leader at West Devon said: “It’s ridiculous that council tax payers in West Devon may have to fork out more money because holiday makers with concessionary bus passes use buses local to West Devon. We want the Government to guarantee that local council tax payers don’t lose out.” Adam Symons, Lib Dem PPC for Torridge and West Devon said: “The common sense approach for Government would be to ensure that local authority don’t face a budgetary ‘black hole.’ Nobody can tell what the impact of a national scheme will be on local budgets, so local people may end up paying for people from other parts of the country. I don’t think this is fair.” Note on budgets: Torridge DC had a budget of £490,000 this year for the Devon Wide scheme with expenditure of around £487,000. Next year the budget for Torridge DC will be £736,000 reflecting the fact that the scheme goes nationwide. Torridge DC was given an additional £246,000 from the Government to reflect these changes. West Devon BC had expenditure for 2007/8 of £338,871.
More Pain to Come for Post OfficesBut There is Still HopeFriday 16 May 2008 A message of hope was trumpeted by local Lib Dems today, on leaked news of proposals to shut post offices throughout Torridge and West Devon.
On the day that MPs were meant to find out which Post Offices were due to close, Councillors Adam Symons and Alison Clish-Green were in London representing Torridge DC and West Devon BC at the Local Government Association and finding out how post offices identified for closure can still be saved. Adam spoke out at the conference against the criteria Post Office Ltd. was using to shut offices: “The criteria as set out are nonsense. The Government know the price of everything, but the value of nothing.” According to leaked reports to the press by some MPs, 6 post offices in Torridge and West Devon are due for closure including Bideford, Tavistock, Peter Tavy, Buckland Monachorum and Sutcombe. However, the leaked list does not seem to tally with expectations on the ground. Adam Symons said: “As I have been working with a number of post offices, I know that they have been told they are going to close, yet are not on the leaked list. These sub-postmasters did not want this information leaked, but wanted to get their information packs on Tuesday to find out what happens next. We are all really upset for those allocated for closure, and want to find a way to help them, as we know that it is going to be devastating for the communities involved. We are also upset that the list was leaked by MPs, as it has put a number of post offices in a difficult position, having already been written to and told they were closing. Confusion reigns because of this leak.”
Alison Clish-Green, West Devon Borough Councillor said: “We know that we can challenge the data that the Network Change Programme has made these decisions on, especially in terms of access and footfall. We do not think that the programme has the right data, else they would not be shutting perfectly viable post offices. We will be working closely with a range of post offices to make sure we challenge the data used. We have been told that petitions and ‘jumping up and down hysterically’ will not work, so we will need to help the affected offices put forward a rational argument as to why the closures are wrong.” Adam Symons said: “In the end, these closures are just a short-term sticking plaster over what is a starved network. What we really need is a long-term plan for post offices to be more integrated into other community facilities and to be given more services to run. The value of these community facilities is much greater than the cost of them. This problem is nothing new - over 3,500 post offices were closed under the previous Conservative Government’s tenure – and yet we are still no nearer to a coherent approach to saving our post offices.”
Adapt to the Impacts of Climate ChangeLocal Farmers Urged to Take ActionThursday 15 May 2008 More than half of farmers in the South West interviewed by Farming Futures, report that they are already affected by climate change. A leading Lib Dem has called for local farmers to take action to adapt to and mitigate against climate change, taking examples from other farmers in the South West to find opportunities for new business. The survey results, published today, also found that over 70% of South West farmers expect to be affected by climate change in the next ten years. More than 30% of farmers in the South West are already taking action to adapt to the impacts of climate change and 40% are acting to mitigate climate change. The South West region is particularly at risk from climate change, with drought and water availability being key issues. Although 44% of farmers see it as a risk, one fifth of those interviewed felt climate change was a business opportunity for farmers in the South West, particularly in the form of new crops and increased tourism. Mark Diacono, a farmer in East Devon is already taking advantage of climate change by growing exotic crops such as olives, almonds and peaches. Owen Yeatman, a farmer in Dorset is helping to mitigate climate change using new technology that also supplies renewable energy to his local community. Adam Symons, Lib Dem PPC for Torridge and West Devon and local farmers son said: “It is great to hear about examples where farmers have taken a threat, and turned it into an opportunity. We need to take action now, and adapt to the changes that are happening. I encourage all local farmers to think about their future.” Katie Zabel, Farming Futures project manager said: 'The survey results show that local farmers are already affected by climate change and they are starting to take action to both adapt their businesses, and reduce their own impacts. ‘Climate change will affect us all, so for farmers and land managers to continue running successful, sustainable businesses in future, they need to think about on-farm adaptation and mitigation action. Taking action now can help reduce costs and risks in the future.’ Note on Farming Futures:
Contact Katie Zabel, projectmanager: 07825 204434 or .
Over-Development Wrecking TavistockSainsbury's Plan for New SupermarketMonday 12 May 2008 Described as ‘the straw that broke the camel’s back’, the proposed new Sainsbury’s in Tavistock is causing alarm amongst residents who believe that Tavistock is ‘being wrecked’ by over-development. Three Lib Dem Councillors who represent different wards in Tavistock, have been deluged by letters, emails and phone calls from the public and the business sector, concerned about the negative impact that the development would have on Tavistock. This reaction is backed up by recent survey work carried out by the Lib Dems in Tavistock, where over 500 people were asked what they thought of the local area. Of the specific issues raised by residents, over 90% of them were linked to over-development and traffic. Newly elected Borough Councillor, Adam Bridgewater said: “While out canvassing, people I met said that their biggest concern was that Tavistock was losing its charm. Peoples seem to think that West Devon is just using new development to generate money by developer contributions through the granting of planning permission much of which could be spent outside of Tavistock”. District and County Councillor Roy Connelly said: “The Lib Dems nationally are against the development of supermarkets at the expense of town centre shops. A Lib Dem peer is currently introducing a bill in supporting small shops against the power of supermarkets.” Borough Councillor Alison Clish-Green, who represents the ward where the new Sainsbury's is proposed said: “I haven't come across a single person who wants this in Tavistock. We are just losing more and more green field open space.” Torridge and West Devon Lib Dem PPC Adam Symons said: “If we continue like this, Tavistock is going to lose its unique character and end up becoming an urban sprawl. Forget about the worries expressed about the change to boundaries, the District Council seems set to turn Tavistock into Plymouth anyway.” “Tavistock is an historic Stannary town, and it came out loud and clear from our survey work that the 'wrecking' of Tavistock by over-development is what residents fear most. We should be worrying more about what happens to our town, rather than where the boundaries are.” ENDS Note on planning proposal: The proposed site of the new Sainsbury's is at Brook Farm, Brook Lane, Tavistock, Devon, PL19 9DP . The proposal is a mixed use development comprising the erection of a Class A1 food store including a coffee shop and other customer facilities, a petrol filling station and related facilities, seventeen business units, an office building, car parking, servicing, landscape provision and recycling facilities.
Remembering Torrington 50 Years AgoStunning Victory by Mark Bonham-CarterSunday 11 May 2008 Torrington Liberal Democrats remembered this weekend the stunning victory 50 years ago that the party had in Torrington, when Mark Bonham-Carter won the parliamentary by-election. The occasion was marked by a visit from the Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson for Torridge and West Devon, Adam Symons, who spoke to fellow members about his hopes to regain the seat.
It was in 1958 that the Torrington by-election was called in a safe Conservative seat, and Bonham Carter became the Liberal candidate. Much to everyone's surprise, he won, overturning a 9,000 majority, and giving the Liberals their first by-election gain since 1929. Bonham Carter's margin of victory was extremely slim — just 219 votes. Nonetheless, it was a major boost to the success-deprived Liberals, and was the first in a string of by-election victories that would make up the post-war Liberal Revival. Since then, Torrington has been incorporated into Torridge and West Devon, a Conservative/ Liberal Democrat marginal. The seat was lost by the Liberal Democrats at the last election to a small Conservative majority. Adam Symons said: “Torrington has so much heritage, as we have seen today. However, much of this heritage is cultural, and Mark Bonham-Carter's victory marked a symbolic change in political fortunes in this country. At that point, the then Liberal Party had only 6 MPs, and now there are 63. Much of this rebuilding started in Torrington.” ENDS Photograph shows Lib Dems PPC Adam Symons, with Cllrs John Rawlinson and Geoff Lee outside The Plough in Torrington.
Waste Champ Cleans Up
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Touring Torrington with Devon County Councillor John Rawlinson, and Torridge
District Councillor Geoff Lee, Adam visited Torrington Community Hospital,
Torrington Market and The Plough. 
Holsworthy
Councillor Des Shadrick, who helped to secure the extension through working
closely with local companies during the planning process, said: “I am delighted
that local businesses were prepared to make this major investment in the future
of Holsworthy. I am really optimistic about the future. We have a real
opportunity to bring, with our Ruby Country Initiative, a greatly increased
share of rural tourism to our town with new business for our pubs and shops.”