Transport Minister

It was good to meet and talk to Transport Minister Norman Baker last night (Tuesday). Norman has supported 20 limits for residential streets and changed the rules to make easier to get bring in a speed limit. Norman introduced changes that reduce the costs for councils wanting to use 20 mph schemes, allowing them to act faster in response to the needs of local res

idents while still ensuring that drivers know what speed they should drive at. If local communities want to put in place 20 mph schemes on residential roads or use common-sense measures such as variable speed limits outside schools, then the county council should be able to do so without spending time and money satisfying unnecessary Whitehall diktats; but Devon County Council seems to want stay in the past and do nothing. Whilst Shaldon has a number of streets with 20 limits, the people of Kingsway and Inverteign Heights were denied a 20 limit last year when I tried to get the Highways Committee to support a 20 limit in West Teignmouth. http://cllrdavidcox.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/devon-county-council-area-highways.html

Want to Buy Your First Home

There is a new equity loan scheme to help first-time buyers in Teignbridge buy a home. People who want to own their own home in Teignbridge but have struggled to raise the deposit can apply for a loan under the Open Market HomeBuy scheme, which is being run by Teignbridge District Council and Sovereign Housing Association. Interested buyers must register with South West Homes, and be on the Teignbridge District Council housing list. To do so visit: www.southwesthomes.org.uk/ or contact 0300 100 0021

Boxing Day Dip

Went in for a Boxing Day dip in aid of the RNLI.

Politicisation of the Police

I always feared the politicisation of the police with the creation of Police and Crime Commissioners; however I never quite foresaw just how quickly the situation would become shambolic and downright disgraceful. Already we have stories of high farce, cronyism and arrogance. The Northamptonshire PCC, Adam Simmonds has raised a few eyebrows; Mr Simmonds worked in a “politically restricted role” (Local Government Officers (Political Restrictions) Regulations 1990) for the last few years. He was selected as the Conservative candidate for PCC in Northants in the summer. Now how you might ask, did he managed to go through a selection process whilst being paid by the public purse for a politically restricted job? That is an interesting question that has never been satisfactorily answered. Neither was the strange case of his pay-off – three months in lieu of notice even though he was leaving his politically restricted job because he was a political candidate so could not work the notice period! During the campaign Mr Simmonds refused to outline his plans for how he would run the police, saying that people would find out once he was elected. However he did join the criticism of a new job advertised at the police authority at £70k as “management madness”. So imagine the surprise a few days later when he appointed four assistant commissioners , yes FOUR at £65,000 each – (and you couldn’t make this up) one of whom was his election agent and another his press officer! Worse was to come as news leaked out of his seventeen person commission, an increase on the seven people working at the existing Police Authority. One of these jobs was promptly given to the existing Conservative Political Assistant at the County Council! Its little different in West Mercia, PCC Bill Longmore has appointed of his election agent Barrie Sheldon Deputy PCC at £50K a year, despite the West Mercia Police and Crime Panel refusing to back the appointment. http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/emergency-services/2012/12/18/shropshire-police-commissioner-bill-longmore-defends-50000-for-deputy/ The PCC in the West Midlands, Bob Jones, has appointed a councilor colleague Yvonne Mosquito, as his ‘Deputy Commissioner’. She is going to be paid a total of nearly £92,000 per annum, if you include her continuing pay as a Birmingham city councillor. So that’s £65,000 for being part-time Police Commissioner; the Birmingham City Council’s basic allowance of £16,267; and SRA as Ladywood District Chair of £10,574. Making a grand total of £91,841. How many PCSOs and PCs would that pay for?

Good News for Fish Quay

Back in 2008 my council colleague Chris Bray and I , managed to net a massive £450,000 grant for plans to help the Teign Estuary’s fishing and mariculture industries, with a refurbished Fish Quay. This money was needed as match funding in order to secure EU Fisheries funds.http://cllrdavidcox.blogspot.co.uk/2008/10/councillors-net-cash.html I got a phone call Tuesday from the Teign Fishermen and Waterm

en’s Association (TFWA) to tell me the EU money has been secured. The EU wants a few tweaks to the plan and there are a few more things to sort out over land ownership; this is really good news for all Teignmouth not just the fishing industry.

Winter Warmer

A simple idea from a Widecombe-in-the Moor mum, Emma Perrett will help protect the most vulnerable children in the district from the cold this winter. According to research by Save the Children, one in seven of the poorest children in Britain do not have a warm winter coat. Seeing a project in Brighton and Hove, where children’s coats are donated and distributed to children without a winter coat; Emma enlisted the support of her daughter’s primary school, in collecting coats. Widecombe-in-the-Moor Primary School enthusiastically supported Emma’s project and collected a large number of coats. Teignbridge District Councils Customer Excellence, offered to help Emma distribute the coats through CVS and local charities who work with families in need.

Anyone who has clean good-quality coats that will fit children up to 18 years of age, they wish to donate, can take them to the Teignbridge reception a Forde House, Newton Abbot.

Cold Winter

It's going to be a cold winter. If you know of any vulnerable or older people who need practical support to deal with the adverse effects of winter, please contact me. Support available includes advice and help with heating and insulation, benefits advice and help with changing energy suppliers. If necessary help can be given with emergency shopping, collecting prescriptions and essential heating repairs during the winter. Regarding rough sleepers, for the next few nights Teignbridge District Council are instigating the Extreme Weather Protocol. If you are aware of any Rough Sleepers please direct them to council services for possible booking in Emergency Accommodation. Please don’t hesitate to contact Steph Rixon (01626 215315) if you have any questions.