Dear All,
After a warm and sunny week here in our bay, it is time for my latest update.
The weather was perfect for a wedding on Saturday with St George’s Church, Goodrington full as Tony and Clare Heasman get married at the fourth attempt!! The previous dates having to be rearranged due to Covid-19. It was a pleasure to join them for their big day and a welcome chance to catch up with some old friends from Paignton Royal British Legion as well.
Sunday started with attending the Morning Service at St Matthias, followed by an afternoon session out in St Marychurch with local Councillors and our Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez (Top Left). It was good to talk with residents whilst out with the latest survey.
After campaigning I headed to Babbacombe and St Marychuch Conservative Club to watch the final of the Women’s Euro Championship 2022. As mentioned last week fate seemed to be pointing to an England v Germany final at Wembley throughout the tournament. Thankfully the Lionesses were able to rekindle the spirit of 66 and bring football home, with a fantastic 2-1 win!!!
The lionesses have done our nation proud, yet they can only do this new due to the long overdue investment in women’s football which has started in recent years. It is worth remembering when England’s men lifted the World Cup in 1966 women were still banned from playing on FA affiliated grounds and even 30 years later in 1996, when the “Three Lions” (Football’s Coming Home) hit was written, England’s women still only had a part time coach.
One thing we can all do to help change this is to not only support the Lionesses in major tournaments, but to make time to back our local women’s teams, especially Torquay United Women FC. You can find details
here.
Parliament is in recess, so this week had been planned as a chance for a break for Hazel and I, yet with the Conservative Party leadership election underway and the hustings in Exeter on Monday night, there was plenty to do. Both candidates were in South Devon this week, with me heading over to Kingsteignton on Monday for a meeting with Liz, alongside my neighbour Anne-Marie Morris (Top Right).
Monday also saw me get a flurry of media requests for comment from the national and international media. The breaking story? Torbay Council cracking down on Patrick the Pony using the Drum Inn's Beer Garden. More on this one below.
Tuesday morning was a great chance to enjoy a breakfast networking session with the Torbay Business Forum (Bottom Left). It was held at the Hampton by Hilton Torquay in Torwood Street with Sales Director, Jackie Kelly gave an engaging talk about making the 131 bedroom hotel plan a reality and the launch of their impressive Business Suite.
After this I spent a couple of days with family, returning to the bay last night for a surprise birthday party at the Paignton Club to mark George DeVey turning 85. The DeVey family has been involved in the fairground business for over 150 years, with the evening including some fantastic photos and memories of business over the last 85 years. This included the use of steam engines to power the rides and wartime “black-out” fairs where the rides had to be covered to avoid their lights being visible to enemy aircraft.
Today I headed out into Babbacombe for a walk and to deliver some more surveys (Bottom Right), with the rest of the day spent catching up on some work ahead of planned time with family next week. This was followed by a session following the St Marychurch Scarecrow Trail which launched today, more on this in the inset story below.
Next week I will be taking some time to be with my family and attending an event to mark my Mother-in-Law’s 90th Birthday later this year. Therefore, my team will be producing next week’s update.
This week’s update is below and includes:
£20m Fish and Chips Bid, Getting South Devon Cycleway on Track, Highways Investment, Cost of Living, Paignton Traffic Change, Call to Bay Landlords, 72 Extra Care Apartments Planned For Torre Marine, Hinkley Point B Powers Down, One in 2 Million Catch, Preventative Measures Taken, Zoo Welcomes Tigers, Kev’s Column: Lionesses and finally……… Patrick the Pony Goes Global.
£20m Fish and Chips Bid,
As part of work to drive our economy forward, I was delighted to be part of submitting a bid for up to £20m from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund, which has been nicknamed the “Fish and Chips” bid.
The Levelling Up Fund is central to Government’s ambition to level up the country – investing in high value local infrastructure and building stronger and more resilient local economies and communities. It is especially intended to support investment in places where it can make the biggest difference.
The application focuses on a programme of works to extend Brixham’s Fish Quay and Market and create a new Electronics and Photonics Production Park. These projects will capitalise on the potential growth of the two sectors leading to more employment opportunities and anticipated private investment. The bid is being supported by Anthony and Myself as the 2 local MPs, along with Torbay Councillors on a cross-party basis.
The fishing proposal within this bid will ensure Brixham’s fishing future and sets out how a 2,250m² deck will be created over the sea that will accommodate a 2,000m² fish market, more than doubling the current capacity of 1,435m². This development could allow for an additional £20 million of catch to be processed through the market each year, creating a forecasted additional 160 year-round jobs and more than £38.5 million of additional GVA per year in fishing and associated activities.
The Hi-Tech proposal within this bid will create 2,040m² of new production space and provide the infrastructure to unlock further space to enable the future development of approx. 3,700m² additional manufacturing space. The Electronics and Photonics Production Park will help create 57 new jobs initially and a further 87 new jobs in the medium term and £17.5 million in additional GVA.
This bid could make a big difference to our bay and would well compliment the £21.9m Torquay Town Deal and the £13.4m Paignton Future High Streets Fund.
Getting South Devon Cycleway on Track,
In this round of levelling up our bay can put forward 2 bids, one economic and on transport based, so I have also been pleased to see Torbay’s transport team work with their neighbours in Teignbridge on a bid for the South Devon Cycleway.
The plan is intended to make much better provision for cyclists between Newton Abbot and Torbay Hospital. A focus of the work is putting dedicated and high-quality cycleways through Kingskerswell, taking advantage of the opportunity provided by the wide road spaces which were created to deal with the much larger level of traffic passing through the village before the South Devon Link Road was built.
It was good to be briefed on the plan recently and to see the ambition for improving both the convenience and safety of cycling between the two towns. I was therefore pleased to support this bid alongside the efforts to secure support for the "Fish and Chips" initiative.
Highways Investment,
Earlier this year I reported how a campaign by the opposition Conservative Group of Councillors to secure an additional £600,000 for highways spending in our bay had been successful.
This week a report was published by Torbay Council setting out proposals for spending on road safety and it was encouraging to read some of the plans being put forward.
20 mph zones will be rolled out in a further 3 residential areas, including one where I have joined with the parents of a young girl killed in a collision on it in campaigning for better safety measures.
The approved programme which Torbay Council will be taken forward for implementation in 2022/23 are (In the priority order indicated by Torbay Council):
Fore Street, Barton,
Fisher Street Area, Paignton
Queensway, Chelston.
I am advised there may not be sufficient resources to implement all three of these schemes in a single financial year, however this will be reviewed as the schemes progress and may be supported by the Integrated Transport Block funding if budget allows. Given the fatal accident and the urgent need for safety measures it is disappointing to see the scheme listed third by the Council in priority terms. The budget for the 3 schemes is indicated as being £60K.
Another scheme included is the implementation of additional Traffic Regulation Orders to manage the issue of overnight encampments with the initial focus on Ilsham Marine Drive, Torquay where some locations are often used to park motorhomes for extended periods. Local Councillors are also being requested to identify other problem locations and these will also be investigated to propose and implement solutions. The budget for this is circa £15k.
Other works include replacement of signs which warn motorists they are driving over 30 MPH and of cameras at major junctions.
You can read the full list of works on Torbay Council’s website by clicking
here.
Cost of Living,
With bills rising and the increase in interest rates this week many local families are feeling the squeeze.
There are a range of measures in place to help those who are struggling, with the Government website having a handy summary of them available. You can find it by clicking
here.
Those living in a property in Band A-D of Council Tax are entitled to the £150 Council Tax rebate, which if you pay by Direct Debit should have been credited to your account already, those paying by other means will need to apply for it. You can find more details on Torbay Council’s website by clicking
here. (Second Homes and properties empty on 1 April 2022 do not qualify for this)
Those on key income related benefits will also receive the £650 cost of living payment, £326 from July and £324 from October.
All households will qualify for the £400 energy bill discount which will start being paid over 6 months starting from October.
Finally if you are over State Pension Age and struggling, you may also wish to check out the details of Pension Credit. Many who are entitled miss out on the support it could be providing to them simply due to not claiming it. You can find details of Pension Credit by clicking
here.
Paignton Traffic Change,
The transformation of Paignton town centre is underway as major changes start to take shape thanks to the £13.4m of investment being made by the Government via the Future High Streets Fund.
Projects in the Future High Streets programme including Torbay Road, Station Square, Crossways, Paignton Picture House and seafront public realm are well underway – with the community playing an important role in developing the plans. The fund is also supporting works to revitalise the Paignton Picture House, which recently received a further £3m of government funding.
A temporary scheme preparing for the full pedestrianisation of Torbay Road. The temporary scheme is due to go live in early September and will remain in place until the completion of works for the permanent scheme.
The temporary scheme has been designed to replicate the vehicle access and movement restrictions which are proposed to be introduced on Torbay Road and the adjacent streets as part of the permanent pedestrianisation scheme. Meaning that vehicles will generally not be permitted to drive along Torbay Road and will be limited to access, service, and other delivery vehicles at agreed times of days.
The section of Torbay Road over the level crossing and up to the junction with Hyde Road will be closed to motorised traffic at all times (excluding emergency vehicles). These changes will mean that subject to the appropriate licenses being given, businesses will benefit from additional space and pedestrians can experience a more pleasant environment. Putting the proposed structure in as a temporary measure will also give a chance to assess its impact and look for any unexpected consequences.
Finally the best news of all is after many years of being a total eyesore, work has started at the former Crossways Shopping Centre site. Contractors have begun a programme of survey work which will include safely removing and disposing of asbestos,
ready for full demolition to start in the autumn. Once the demolition work is completed, expected to be in the early part of 2023, work will begin to develop around 90 extra care and sheltered housing units.
This is one demolition job there would be plenty of volunteers to help with.
Call to Bay Landlords,
Torbay Council urgently needs properties for local families, couples and single people looking for permanent homes.
Many landlords in the Bay have properties available for rent – and the council is asking them to come forward and give people a secure home. They are looking for everything from rooms in shared houses to six-bed family homes.
Benefits for landlords include:
- Full control over who moves into the property
- A tenant suitability and affordability assessment
- A five-week deposit and one month’s rent in advance
- Legal guidance
- Ongoing support
- Minimal rental gaps
- Property assessments
- Tenancy reviews
If you’re a landlord or property agent with a suitable home, go to Torbay Council’s dedicated
landlord webpage for more details.
72 Extra Care Apartments Planned For Torre Marine,
A key part of dealing with our housing pressures is building new homes on brownfield sites.
After many years of standing derelict, it is great to see a planning application for homes on the final undeveloped part of Torre Marine coming forward. The plan follows the Government providing £415,000 of funding for groundworks to enable the development to come forward. It will provide 72 extra care apartments on the site, similar to the type of high quality housing provided at Whitley Court in Paignton and Dunboyne Court in St Marychurch.
You can read the full details and comment on the plans via Torbay Council’s website. Just click
here to be taken to the relevant section,
Hinkley Point B Powers Down,
After 46 years powering our region on Monday Hinkley Point B closed off its second reactor on Monday.
Hinkley Point B was first synchronised to the UK electricity grid in February 1976 and since then has generated 311 Terrawatt hours (TWh) of electricity - enough to meet the needs of every home in the South West for 33 years.
The plant had originally been scheduled to close in 2016, at the end of its planned 40 year life, but was extended for another 6 years. Teams at Hinkley Point B will now undertake major maintenance and improvement projects across the plant to get it ready for the next stage of its life, defueling. The process, expected to last around three to four years, involves removing the remaining nuclear fuel from the reactors and transporting it to Sellafield for storage. Once the work is complete, EDF will hand the station to the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority for decommissioning.
The site was also home to one of the first nuclear power stations in the UK, Hinkley Point A, which is being decommissioned next to it, with the massive new Hinkley Point C Power Plant being built next to it. It will start generating power for the grid in 2027. You can read more on Business Live by clicking
here.
When first elected 7 years ago, I strongly supported getting building work on Hinkley Point C underway and welcomed the announcement of a deal to build it in 2016 (You can read my comment
here). The decision was controversial at the time, yet in the light of rising energy prices and the use of essential gas supplies as a bargaining chip by Vladimir Putin it now seems the obvious step to have taken, as was the recent decision to give the go ahead for the new Sizewell C.
Increasing domestic supply is a core part of tackle the issue of rising energy prices and the need for long term energy security. Replacing and expanding our current fleet of nuclear reactors as part of this is more urgent than ever.
One in 2 Million Catch,
A Brixham fisherman has caught an extremely rare blue lobster which experts believe has a probability of 'one in two million'.
The rare lobster was caught by Tristan Northway, whilst he was out at sea on Saturday, July 30.
The blue lobster, which Tristan named MABLE (Marvellous Adela Blue Lobster Experience) is said to gain its colouring from a rare genetic defect that causes it to produce an excessive amount of a particular protein. You can read more and see a photo of the remarkable catch on Devon Live by clicking
here.
Preventative Measures Taken,
Work continues to prevent unauthorised encampments with a further £70,000 worth of investment by Torbay Council in securing local green spaces.
After a welcome U-turn by the Council Leadership on initial refusals to consider such work in response to request from residents and myself, several measures have already been put in place and more are in the pipeline to discourage unauthorised access to council land.
In 2021 preventative measures were put in place to secure various sites across Torbay in locations such as White Rock, Broadsands, Clennon Valley and Centenary Way at the Willows. These initial works included gate repairs and new concrete bollards.
In April and May of this year, the temporary measures already in place at Paignton Green were made permanent. This included new metal, lockable gates, and the creation of a hard standing at the gated access points.
To strengthen the existing security, metal boxes have been fitted around padlocks at White Rock and Clennon Valley to stop the padlocks from being broken with bolt cutters. I am advised this preventative measure has worked in the locations it has been applied to, so will now be rolled out to other public sites where appropriate.
In recent weeks, there have been several unauthorised encampments across the Bay, it is vital prompt action is taken, especially by the Council to ensure the Police can make full use of the new powers given to them under new legislation earlier this year.
Zoo Welcomes Tigers,
On the run up to World Tiger Day Paignton Zoo’s tigers were visited by four members of 814 Naval Air Squadron, known as “The Flying Tigers” due to their distinctive squadron crest.
The squadron, which is based in the Southwest, is very proud of its tiger heritage, with one of their aircraft painted in distinctive tiger stripes. During their visit the squadron were able to witness the tigers being fed which takes place before opening hours. As part of the feed, keepers had stuffed raw meat into a wooden deer covered in fur to prompt the tiger’s natural instinct to hunt.
You can read more about the visit and see some photos of the two groups of “tigers” on the Zoo’s website by clicking
here.
Kev’s Column: Lionesses
Every fortnight I write a “Kev’s Column” for the Herald Express and you can read the latest edition by following the link below:
https://www.kevinjfoster.com/news/kevs-column-lionesses
and finally……… Patrick the Pony Goes Global.
As mentioned above earlier this week the media had one big story from our bay they wished to cover, the attempt by Torbay Council to bar Patrick the Pony from his favourite pub.
Patrick is known to be fond of a Guinness or two after a busy day undertaking therapy work or attending an event in his (light-hearted) role as “Mayor of Cockington”, a humorous attempt to promote the village to visitors. Yet this week it was Torbay Council who decided to look the joke by taking a hard line on Patrick’s small wooden fence and using a tiny part of the large pub beer garden for “grazing”.
Having received a complaint, the council took a hard line, with the statement put out to the press in response to extensive public/media criticism confirming the jobsworth approach taken. As I reflected to the media many will be interested to note this zealous reaction compared to when other more serious local issues are raised by residents.
The one thing Torbay Council’s actions have ensured is making Patrick “Mayor” has certainly brought the village some publicity. You can read the Washington Post’s article by clicking
here.
That is all for this week and enjoy your weekend.
Best Wishes,
Kevin
