Dear All,
After a (mostly) sunny week here in the bay it is time for my latest update.
I hope you found last week’s update from my team of interest as I took a short break.
Those who follow me on Social Media will have seen I spent my holiday week in Belgium\Northern France as part of a trip shadowing the Royal British Legion’s Great Pilgrimage 90 event in Ypres (Now known locally by its Flemish name Ieper).
It was very moving to see a parade of 1,200 Royal British Legion Standards representing communities from across Great Britain and Ireland, along with Commonwealth Branches, cross the Market Square towards the iconic Menin Gate. The tour also included visits to the place where the first and last shots were fired on the Western Front (They are only a few hundred yards apart), plus the battlefields of Fromelles, Loos and Passchendaele where troops attacked heavily defended German positions. Tens of thousands still lie in the fields where they fell as their bodies could not be found after the fighting ended.
My week started last Saturday with my regular surgery and a range of issues being raised by residents. Whilst most casework issues come via e-mail or telephone queries, many residents still prefer the traditional route of attending a surgery. Sensitive personal issues are also better dealt with via a meeting, rather than email exchanges or on the phone.
Sunday saw me join the Congregation at the Church of the Assumption of Our Lady in Abbey Road to mark what was planned as being Fr Kieran Kirby’s last Sunday before he moves to a new role in Exeter. It was great to be part of the celebrations marking the work he has done here in Torquay and also to meet Fr Patrick, a retired Priest living in the Parish, who spent over based 30 years in Africa.
During the Afternoon I headed to the Harbourside for a service to mark a significant moment in Torquay’s history. More on this below.
Monday evening saw me hold a lengthy meeting with the Leader and Deputy Leader of the Conservative Group on Torbay Council, Cllrs David Thomas and Alan Tyerman. Whilst a range of issues were discussed our focus was the news around the Council’s Financial position, more on this in my update below.
On Wednesday those from the bay who served in the Burma Campaign were remembered with a short service at the Burma Star Memorial in Roundham organised by the Royal British Legion (Paignton Branch). As the photo above shows a good crowd turned out to pay their respects, including a veteran of the campaign which paved the way for victory in the Far East.
Finally yesterday evening I visited Riviera Life Church in Torquay to discuss the exciting plans they have to make their building a real hub for the local community.
This week’s update is below and includes:
Council Finances, Ilsham Security Services Leaflet, Police Merger Consultation Continues, TUFC Stadium Latest, Palace Hotel, Community Litter Grants, Samaritans Seek Night Owls, New Paignton RBL Facebook Page, Search Government Contracts Online, More New Trains Head West, The Wet Nose of The Law and finally…..Giving the Shirts Off Their Backs.
Council Finances
News Torbay Airshow 2019 may fall victim to pressure on Torbay Council’s Budget caught the headlines this week, although the source of the latest pressure relates to one of the key services the Council must provide, Child Protection.
I met with Councillors David Thomas and Alan Tyerman to discuss this in more depth and get additional detail. They outlined how in 2010 the Council spent £17.7m on Children’s (Social) Services and had about 270 children in its care. Now Children’s Services has a budget of approximately £33m, but with 360 children now in the Council’s Care is facing a potential overspend of £2.8m. These services are “demand led”, this means the Council can only estimate what it may spend it cannot set a limit on how many children can be brought into care as each case is assessed individually based on the need to protect the child concerned.
Following our discussions, I agreed to arrange a meeting with the Local Government Minister as Torbay Council is not the only one to be seeing a major growth of demand in this area. There are a range of reasons speculated for this, but given each case is unique it is not possible to identify a specific cause which covers them all.
Yesterday I spoke with my parliamentary neighbour, Dr Sarah Wollaston, about the work she has been doing to push a bid for Devon (Including Plymouth and Torbay) to be a Trailblazer for a new approach to these services which would potentially bring additional funding with it.
This is an issue which will continue over the coming months and I will include further news in future updates.
Ilsham Security Services Leaflet,
Members of the Wellswood & Torwood Community Partnership contacted Cllr Nick Bye, Cllr James O’Dwyer and Myself this week after they received a leaflet from a security company.
The letter makes claims about an increase in crime in the area and asks if residents would be interested in signing up to a monthly subscription for a patrol service in their area. It also claims this approach is being endorsed by the Police and our local Police & Crime Commissioner, Alison Hernandez.
After being forwarded a copy of the leaflet I asked Alison about the claims in it.
She was clear no endorsement from her or the local Police has been given and other claims made in the leaflet are also disputed by them.
Whilst many residents make use of local security firms, particularly for Monitored Alarms and CCTV Installation, it is concerning to see a company seek to advertise its services in this way, especially the false claims of endorsement by the PCC. I understand Trading Standards have been asked to investigate these.
Police Merger Consultation Continues,
The consultation into a possible merger of Devon & Cornwall Police with Dorset is continuing and I would urge residents to have their say.
Combining the two forces would see the new force become the 5
th largest in England & Wales, covering three diverse county areas. This merger would see the largest change to policing in our area since the 1960’s when the current Devon and Cornwall Police force was created. If agreed the Police & Crime Commissioner Elections in May 2020 would see a PCC elected to cover the new force area. The two forces already share a range of backroom support functions.
No final decisions have been made and you can find out more about the proposals, plus make your own comments on them, via a dedicated website. You can find it by clicking
here.
TUFC Stadium Latest,
The suggestion of building a new stadium for Torquay United Football Club on Nightingale Park were front page news again this week.
The story was based on a video included in the presentation a couple of weeks ago, rather than a detailed plan or planning application being unveiled. You can read it on Devon Live by clicking
here.
I had been due to meet the Club’s Chairman this week to explore what detail there is behind the pictures and ask a range of questions about them, not least what survey work has been undertaken on the site (Formerly Barton Tip) to see if it could physically take the development suggested.
Sadly it had to be rearranged (at his request) and we are now due to meet later this month.
Palace Hotel,
The rooms which once hosted some of the biggest stars to visit our bay now lie empty, yet the Palace Hotel, Torquay was in the news again this week after Devon Live published photos taken inside.
An “urban explorer” went round the building documenting images of its final days, including a bitter sweet message left on a noticeboard as the Hotel closed for the final time. You can see the pictures by clicking
here.
The Fragrance Group, which now owns the Hotel, has recently indicated the old hotel will be demolished to make way for a new, 250 room, Five Star Hotel. No plans have been made available so far, but I understand a public exhibition will be held on them.
When I receive any further details I will include them in a future update.
Community Litter Grants,
Over £300,000 of Government funding is now available for community projects to get tough on litter as the second round of the Litter Innovation fund is launched.
The maximum grant available is £10,000 and you can find full details on the Government website by clicking
here.
Samaritans Seek Night Owls,
Following a recent rise in calls South Devon Samaritans are trying to find volunteers to cover night shifts.
The calls are often received in the early hours of the morning when often there's no one else to call, hence the need to find Night Owls who are prepared to volunteer their time to help others in need. Ensuring the Samaritans service operates 24/7 is vital to its success.
The service is based in Warren Road, Torquay and full training will be given. You can read more on their website by clicking
here.
The Samaritans is a unique and special service, one which makes a difference for thousands in our bay every year. If ever you need them just call 116 123, they will be there waiting to answer the call.
New Paignton RBL Facebook Page,
The Paignton Branch of the Royal British Legion has launched a new Facebook Page and wants to ensure all its members and supporters are aware of it.
If you use Facebook and would like to be kept up to date with all branch news, plus events to mark the Centenary of the Armistice which ended World War 1, then just click
here to be taken to it.
Search Government Contracts Online,
If you run a business in the bay and would like to find out what Government Contracts are available then there is an easy way to do this.
Contracts Finder lets you search for information about contracts worth over £10,000 with the government and its agencies.
You can use Contracts Finder to:
You can also create an account to get email updates and save your searches, although there is no requirement to do this in order to search and apply for contracts.
Just click
here to be taken to the relevant part of the Government website.
More New Trains Head West,
More new trains will soon be heading to our region following the first service to Paignton three weeks ago.
The new Intercity Express Trains will replace the Class 43 HST sets which have given valiant service since the 1970’s yet are now showing their age. The 802 class is specifically designed for Devon and Cornwall, with Hitachi making clear they have under gone rigorous tests to ensure they are “Dawlish Proof”. This is to ensure no repeat of the flaw in the Crosscountry Voyager trains which means they cannot operate in certain wind and tide conditions.
The trains are based on the Japanese Bullet Train Technology and as hybrids can operate on either Diesel or overhead Electric Power.
You can read more on the Devon Live by clicking
here.
The Wet Nose of The Law.
At this time of year we welcome many day trippers to our bay and yesterday two work colleagues, Jet and Holly, decided to spend a day with their friends enjoying the good weather in Torquay.
Like many others they were keen to introduce their friends to some new people. They therefore quickly started sniffing out those who might otherwise miss the chance to stop for a chat and a quick search. They quickly introduced 16 people to their colleagues from Torquay Police and suspected drugs were seized. You can see some snaps from their trip on Twitter by clicking
here.
When walking through the town centre yesterday evening I walked past four of Holly and Jet’s (two legged) friends busy dealing with an individual in Union St. They were in plain clothes so as not to spoil the surprise for some engaging in anti-social behaviour!!
We often hear of the long arm of the law, yet in many ways the wet nose is even more effective.
And finally…..Giving the Shirts Off Their Backs.
Ending on a lighter note staff and volunteers at Paignton Zoo are committed to the conservation work which lies at the core of their mission, hence it is no surprise to hear they are literally giving the shirts off their back to help hard-pressed conservationists across Africa.
Paignton Zoo Environmental Park, Living Coasts in Torquay and Newquay Zoo in Cornwall are donating old uniforms to PASA, the Pan-African Sanctuary Alliance, a group of primate sanctuaries.
Volunteers at Paignton Zoo, headed up by volunteer seamstress Nikki Stewart, are sewing over the logos and preparing the clothes for shipping. The items include polo shirts, sweatshirts, fleeces, waterproof coats and trousers, along with the odd hat. It’s thought it will take a month for the uniform to arrive in Sierra Leone by boat. You can read more on the Zoo’s website by clicking
here.
That is all for this week and enjoy your weekend.
Best Wishes,
Kevin
