Climate change: are new UK targets too tough or not tough enough?

Last week, MPs were urged to show they could act on climate change:
Futures Forum: Calls for the UK parliament to declare a 'climate emergency'

And so they did, with a resulting impressive coverage from the world's media:
British Parliament declares ′climate change emergency′ | News | DW | 01.05.2019
After protests, U.K. Parliament becomes first legislature to declare 'climate change emergency' | The Japan Times
After Protests, UK Parliament Declares a Symbolic Climate Change 'Emergency' - The Wire
British Parliament declares symbolic climate change ‘emergency’ - The Globe and Mail
After protests, Britain's parliament declares climate change 'emergency', Europe News & Top Stories - The Straits Times
UK becomes 1st nation to declare climate emergency; Opposition' Jeremy Corbyn calls for 'real action' - The Indian Wire
UK becomes first country to declare a 'climate emergency' - phys.org

Meanwhile, away from the public declarations, the government's advisers on climate change were also busy this week:
Net-Zero-The-UKs-contribution-to-stopping-global-warming.pdf
UK Declares "Climate Emergency" As Committee On Climate Change Urges Net-Zero | CleanTechnica
Climate change: UK 'can cut emissions to nearly zero' by 2050 - BBC News

Are these targets too difficult, though?
Reaching net-zero emissions will not be easy | Financial Times

Or actually not serious enough?
Ashden calls for "further and faster" climate action - Smart Cities World

This is from a helpful overview from Vox: 

The UK could achieve the most aggressive climate goal in the world
Lawmakers also declared a “climate emergency” this week.

By Umair Irfan May 4, 2019, 7:00am EDT

The UK government’s official climate adviser this week said that the country can zero out its contributions to climate change by the middle of the century.

If the target recommended by the Committee on Climate Change was officially adopted, it would put the UK on a more aggressive timetable than its current target of cutting emissions 80 percent by 2050 compared to 1990 levels, a goal enshrined in the 2008 Climate Change Act. The CCC’s target is “net-zero,” which doesn’t mean “no emissions at all” but that any carbon dioxide emitted has to be offset or removed.

“Ten years after the Climate Change Act became law, now is the right moment to set a more ambitious goal,” the CCC said in a statement. “The CCC’s recommended targets, which cover all sectors of the UK, Scottish and Welsh economies, are achievable with known technologies, alongside improvements in people’s lives, and should be put into law as soon as possible.”

It means that by 2035, all new cars must be electric. Forests must expand from covering 13 percent of land today to 17 percent by 2050. All buildings must be retrofitted and decarbonized. People must consume less meat. Thermostats in the winter should be set no higher than 19 degrees Celsius.

If the UK government adopts the recommendations, it would become the first G7 country to make such an ambitious commitment. It would also likely be the most comprehensive and ambitious climate target in the world, since the CCC’s recommendation encompasses the entire economy, and the country is starting from an inefficient, fossil fuel-heavy baseline.

It’s a much bigger shift than, say, Costa Rica, another country that’s committed to carbon neutrality. Costa Rica is a much smaller economy and already gets a much larger share of its energy from clean sources. The climate committee’s recommendation also reaches further than the net-zero by 2045 law in Sweden, which excludes international shipping and aviation totals.

The UK, the birthplace of the industrial revolution, also has a long history of greenhouse gases to take into account. It ranks seventh in the world in cumulative emissions since 1750.

The committee report came out just as a massive weeks-long climate protest in London by the activist group Extinction Rebellion was wind down. Protestors achieved one of their main objectives on Wednesday when the UK parliament declared a climate change emergency.

However, activists are still not satisfied and have said the recommendation is not aggressive enough.

Here are some things to know about the report.

The United Kingdom has already made significant progress in cutting greenhouse gas emissions

Carbon dioxide emissions in the UK have been trending downward since the 1970s as the country shifted away from burning coal. In 2017, UK greenhouse gas emissions fell to levels not seen since 1890:

Annual UK emissions have fallen below levels not seen since 1890. Carbon Brief

But the UK still has a long route to zero. Fossil fuels still provide the bulk of energy in the country, so there needs to be vastly more deployment of clean energy and wider electrification across the economy.

The United Kingdom still gets most of its energy from fossil fuels. Carbon Brief

Hitting zero net-emissions wouldn’t be any more expensive than the current target

The climate committee estimated that drawing down emissions in the United Kingdom would cost between 1 to 2 percent of the country’s gross domestic product each year until 2050. That’s the same cost bracket as the current UK goal.

“Falls in cost for some of the key zero-carbon technologies mean that achieving net-zero is now possible within the economic cost that Parliament originally accepted when it passed the Climate Change Act in 2008,” according to the report.

And the UK has experienced a growing divergence between its economy and its emissions over the past two decades, which likely means the UK economy will continue to grow even as it cuts its emissions.

The UK has experienced a divergence between its economy and its emissions over the past two decades. Committee on Climate Change

Activists think the new target still doesn’t go far enough

Extinction Rebellion activists described the recommendation as a “betrayal.”

Extinction Rebellion @ExtinctionR

The advice of @theCCCuk to the UK government is a betrayal of current & future generations made all the more shocking coming just hours after UK MPs passed a motion to declare an environment & climate emergency. #RebelForLife: https://rebellion.earth/ https://www.theccc.org.uk/2019/05/02/phase-out-greenhouse-gas-emissions-by-2050-to-end-uk-contribution-to-global-warming/ …

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2:00 AM - May 2, 2019

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Phase out greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 to end UK contribution to global warming - Committee on...

Phase out greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 to end UK contribution to global warming. The UK can end its contribution to global warming within 30 years by setting an ambitious new target to reduce its...

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“2050 condemns us to a bleak future,” said Lorna Greenwood of Extinction Rebellion, in a statement. “We may as well not have a target at all. Others are already dying around the world thanks to inaction and far off target setting.”

The group argues that the committee’s recommendation would only give the world a 50 percent chance of limiting temperature increases this century to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The fight over when to reach net-zero emissions mirrors a similar objections environmental groups raised in the United States this week when presidential contender Beto O’Rourke unveiled his plan to drawdown US emissions to zero by 2050.

Some researchers said the UK climate committee was too optimistic in its recommendation, presuming that many aspects of a modern energy-intensive lifestyle would go unchanged. The report also avoided tackling thorny questions, like who is justly required to pay for the transition to a cleaner economy.

“This generational transfer of responsibility enables the CCC to maintain a thriving aviation sector and leave unquestioned the huge inequality in who is responsible for most of UK emissions,” wrote Kevin Anderson, a professor at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of Manchester. “What’s not to like – business as usual, albeit with a sizeable green twist, and influential high-emitting groups left unencumbered by policies tailored towards their carbon-intensive lifestyles.”

The committee did call for electrifying transportation, one of the largest sources of emissions, as a critical tactic to fight climate change, but air travel has proved to be an extremely difficult sector to decarbonize and shows no signs of slowing down.
Climate change: UK committee recommends net-zero emissions by 2050 - Vox
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Independents set a trend for local elections

Before the local elections, pundits were saying it was a battle between Conservatives and Independents:
Futures Forum: Sidmouth Town and District council elections > tomorrow: Thursday 2nd May > "The local battle is largely between Conservatives and independents, so keep an eye on that."

And it's the Independents wot won, pretty much everywhere - with this BBC graphic showing a huge gain was from 'others':

England scoreboard

PARTY	COUNCILLORS	CHANGE +/-
Conservative	3561	-1335
Labour	2023	-82
Liberal Democrat	1351	+704
Green	265	+194
UKIP	31	-145
Others	1179	+662

Local elections: Results in maps and charts - BBC News

It's been quite something across the country:

In Guildford:
Guildford local election results 2019: Lib Dems and Independents hand Tories worst loss ever - Get Surrey

In Lincolnshire:
Election results: Tories lose control to independents - BBC News

In Morecombe and beyond: 

How Morecambe's independents set a trend for local elections

Polish couple running for council seats typify the town’s drift away from major parties that is now being mirrored across the country

Nazia Parveen North of England correspondent
Thu 2 May 2019

The couple have jettisoned the traditional parties to stand as Morecambe Bay Independents (MBI). The MBI was formed in 1987 after a group of local residents were ignored by the town’s mainly Tory councillors when they asked to discuss a way forward for the resort following its steady decline since the 1970s.

A similar story is unfolding across the country, from Lincolnshire to Cheshire East, where unprecedented numbers of independent candidates are standing.

“Nationally, Morecambe Bay Independents are viewed as a model of how you can get into the council and make things happen. You get a lot more influence on the council,” Knight said. “People have always belonged to a party – it’s very tribal. But a lot of time is taken up talking about issues which have nothing to do with Morecambe – it’s party politics. We have already shown what can be achieved when minority parties rule. During the four-year period we had control of the council, an awful lot was done. Politics was kept off the agenda.”

How Morecambe's independents set a trend for local elections | Politics | The Guardian

The Telegraph reports from Bolsover and Ashfield, Notts: 

Local elections: Bricklayer and former community centre manager among independents who stormed to victory

Phoebe Southworth

4 MAY 2019 • 3:48PM

A bricklayer incensed by his local council's destruction of a memorial tree and a former community centre manager inspired into politics by watching Question Time are among candidates who stormed the local elections as independents.

Labour councillors were ousted from their heartlands and Conservatives lost some 1,300 seats yesterday - the party's worst local election result since 1995.

More than 900 independent councillors were elected and six councils are now controlled by independents and other parties.

The Telegraph spoke to two politicians who secured big wins at the ballot box about what inspired them to take a stand.

The Labour heartland of Bolsover in Derbyshire was taken over by independent councillors in an unprecedented victory. Ross Walker is one of the newly-elected independents in the district, which has been a Labour stronghold for the past 40 years. The 48-year-old bricklayer got into politics after the council cut down a sycamore tree which had been planted as a tribute to his late grandfather. He was so outraged that he decided to stand as a councillor...

In Nottinghamshire, the Ashfield Independents - a party which didn't exist four years ago - took 30 of the 35 available seats, leaving just three Conservative and two Labour councillors in office. "People are incredibly annoyed and distrustful of the national parties now. I think we have been able to regain trust locally that has been lost nationally. We offered a positive alternative."

...

Local elections: Bricklayer and former community centre manager among independents who stormed to victory
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District Council elections: Lib Dems and Independents "make significant gains across Devon"

There has been an extraordinary set of results in East Devon:
Futures Forum: BREAKING NEWS: "Bad day" for the Tories as Independents in East Devon gain an overall majority of two
Futures Forum: District Council elections: "Independents deliver blow to the Conservatives'" > further reports 

As reported by Devon Live:
Full results as Conservatives lose control of East Devon District Council - Devon Live

And this has been duplicated across the County.

For example:
Exeter’s new Independent councilor Jemima Moore on Clifton Hill, climate change, and what she will do differently - Devon Live
Local Election 2019: Shocks aplenty in Exeter as Labour lose city centre control - Devon Live
Full results as Torbay Council ends up with no overall control after success for Lib-Dems - Devon Live 
Full results as Conservatives lose control of Torridge with the Independents the largest party - Devon Live
North Devon Lib Dem leader hails tremendous night as they take control of council - Devon Live
Full results as Liberal Democrats gain control of North Devon Council - Devon Live

Here's the county coverage from the BBC:
Election Results: Lib Dems make gains across Devon - BBC News

And from Devon Live: 

Conservatives pounded at Devon polls as they lose control of six of eight councils

Liberal Democrats and Independents made significant gains across Devon

Daniel Clark

Local Democracy Reporter
20:18, 3 MAY 2019

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ELECTION RESULTS FOR THE FRIDAY COUNTS

The Conservatives were given a pounding at the polls as they lost control of six of the eight councils in Devon they were in control of.

Residents instead cast their votes towards the Liberal Democrats, who gained control in Teignbridge and North Devon, and Independent candidates, who became the largest parties in Torridge and East Devon.

Only South Hams and West Devon remain under Conservative control, but they suffered heavy losses in both regions and retain control by one seat in both.

The leaders of Teignbridge and West Devon councils both lost their seats in the elections.

Conservative councillors who held their seats blasted the national situation and Theresa May’s leadership of the country for their collapse in votes, with Mid Devon District Council’s leader Clive Eginton, who won his seat in Taw Vale saying: “Without any shadow of a doubt it was blatantly obvious to anybody who was knocking on doors, the first question you had was ‘what on earth is going on in the country.’

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CLIVE EGINTON REACTS TO TORY PERFORMANCE IN MID DEVON

“The Brexit situation was prevalent throughout every discussion; it was only when you got into discussing the local situation and Mid Devon District Council, did you have a chance of getting people to turn out to vote.

“I would say to the Government and the Party in Westminster ‘what you have done, is destroy a number of hard-working councils across the entire country. Theresa May I do not believe is fit to govern, and in my opinion, she should be gone by the end of May.”

The Conservatives have lost more than 1,300 councillors nationally, with Labour losing almost 80 seats in the English local elections, in which it had been expected to make gains. The Lib Dems gained more than 670 seats and the Greens more than 180.

Teignbridge was held by the Conservatives, but the council flipped to the Liberal Democrats who gained control. Outgoing leader of Teignbridge Jeremy Christophers lost his seat, as did several members of the executive, while pressure group Newton Says No picked up three seats.

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GORDON HOOK REACTS TO THE TEIGNBRIDGE DISTRICT COUNCIL RESULTS

Liberal Democrat Group Leader Cllr Gordon Hook said: “I am absolutely awesomely enthusiastic and delighted and grateful for the people for giving us this opportunity to help people in a very real way in some the real problems that exists, including the lack of the genuinely affordable low cost housing for people to rent or to buy. We want to get people on the housing ladder, that is a huge ambitious of ours and we want to improve the environment and do our bit for climate change and to look very carefully at the existing Local Plan to mitigate the huge negative impacts that are accrued for the plan – all of which are high priorities for the first week.

“We identified with the genuine problems that the residents felt, particularly in Newton Abbot with the lack of infrastructure that is coming with all the building. The lack of houses that people want in the places they want them, and that is something we have to look at carefully. The environment has been neglected as there is so much rubbish and graffiti, and we are looking forward to doing our bit to tackle climate change.”

Mid Devon and Torbay saw the Conservatives remain as the largest party, but they lost overall control of the council.

In Torridge, the Independents fell just one seat short of taking control of the council from the Conservatives, but are the largest party.

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JEMIMA MOORE AND DIANA MOORE REACT TO THEIR STANDOUT ELECTION WINS IN EXETER

North Devon had been run by the Conservatives, in coalition with the South Molton Independents, but the Liberal Democrats gained temporary control of the council. They won 21 of the 41 contested seats – the 42 was countermanded following the death of a candidate – so hold control of the council until the by-election takes place in June.

The Liberal Democrats must win that seat to retain overall control, but would remain the largest party in North Devon regardless.

The Conservatives did manage to hang on to control of both South Hams and West Devon councils – but only by one seat – and in West Devon, the leader of the council Philip Sanders lost his seat.

Overnight saw Labour retain control of both Plymouth City and Exeter City councils – in both instances gaining one seat, although Exeter’s Labour party did suffer city centre losses in St David’s and Newton and St Leonard’s to the Green party and Independent Jemima Moore respectively.


Conservatives pounded at Devon polls as they lose control of six of eight councils - Devon Live
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BREAKING NEWS: Sidmouth shake-up

There has been a huge shake-up in East Devon:
Futures Forum: BREAKING NEWS: "Bad day" for the Tories as Independents in East Devon gain an overall majority of two
Futures Forum: District Council elections: "Independents deliver blow to the Conservatives'" > further reports

A similar 'out with the old' seems to have happened at the Town Council level - with results just in from the Herald, reporting from Exmouth Town Hall.

For Ottery: 

LIVE UPDATES: Election results for East Devon town and parish councils

PUBLISHED: 09:00 04 May 2019
Beth Sharp

Here is a recap of what happened in the Ottery Town Council elections this morning. There was a BIG shake-up after voters took the polls.

ELECTIONS: East Devon town and parish results | Election news | Midweek Herald 

And for Sidmouth: 

LIVE UPDATES: Sidmouth and Ottery town council election results

PUBLISHED: 09:00 04 May 2019
Beth Sharp

Sidmouth Town Council RESULTS:

Primley: Deirdre Hounsom (uncontested), Emma Murdoch (uncontested), Jeff Turner (uncontested); 

Sidbury: John Loudoun (uncontested); 

Sidmouth West: Louise Cole (uncontested); 

Salcombe Regis: Ian Barlow (277 votes) , David Barratt (321); 

Sidmouth East: Louise Thompson (166 votes); 

North: Charissa Evans (357 votes), Stuart Hughes (354 votes), Dawn Manley (404 votes), Jenny Ware (358 votes); 

Sidford Village: Jack Brokenshire (209 votes) and Marianne Rixson (328 votes);

South: Denise Bickley (790 votes), Kelvin Dent (914 votes), Christopher Lockyear (552 votes), John Rayson (329 votes) and Paul Wright (448 votes).

Sidmouth Town Council results

Sidmouth (South) – 5 seats
Denise Sarita Bickley - 790 ELECTED
Kelvin Richard Dent - 914 ELECTED
Nicholas James Diprose - 277
Christopher Francis Lockyear - 552 ELECTED
John William Rayson - 329 ELECTED
Paul Alan Wright - 448 ELECTED

Turn Out: 41.7 %
Rejected ballots: 30

Sidmouth (Sidford Village)

Peter Blackmore - 140
Jack Brokenshire - 209 ELECTED
Ian Mckenzie-Edwards - 126
Colin Mills - 56
Marianne Rixson - 328 ELECTED

Turn Out: 38.84%
Rejected ballots: 0

Sidmouth (North)

Charissa Jane Evans - 357 ELECTED
Stuart Hughes - 354 ELECTED
Sheila Kerridge - 164
Dawn Manley - 404 ELECTED
Andie Milne - 308
Jenny Ware - 358 ELECTED
Edward Fleming - 132

Turnout: 28.21%
Rejected ballots: 10

Sidmouth (East) – 1 seat

Marc Kilsbie - 115
Louise Thompson - 166 ELECTED

Turnout: 35%
Rejected ballots: 24

Sidmouth Salcombe Regis

Ian Barlow - 277 ELECTED
David Barratt - 321 ELECTED
Cathy Gardner - 235

Turnout: 46.7 %
Rejected ballots: 5

ELECTIONS: Sidmouth and Ottery town council election results | Election | Sidmouth Herald
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Climate change: and whole-life carbon in new-build

The construction/building/architects industries are getting serious about what they do:
Futures Forum: Climate change: and the built environment: "Why clients and law-makers need to wake up to climate emergency... and why they should ask architects what to do."
Futures Forum: What can be done to mitigate the huge impact of construction on climate change?
Futures Forum: Climate change > and getting buildings to 'net zero'

And one area is the 'whole-life carbon' impact of what they do:
Whole-life carbon: RIBA and RICS guidance | Features | Building
A bigger picture | Sustainability: whole life carbon | isurv

It can get quite technical:
Whole life carbon – a building case study

It's connected to the idea of 'embodied carbon':

Embodied Energy and Carbon | Institution of Civil Engineers

And 'net zero' buildings:

Advancing Net Zero - UKGBC - UK Green Building Council

Targeting Zero, Delivering a low carbon future

Here's an example: 

A whole life carbon approach identifies the overall best combined opportunities for reducing lifetime emissions, and also helps to avoid any unintended consequences of focusing on operational emissions alone, e.g. the embodied carbon burden of changing double glazing to triple can be greater than the operational benefit resulting from the additional pane. Therefore, whole life carbon needs to be effectively integrated in the sustainability agenda to achieve a lower carbon future. 

WLC_implementation_in_the_built_environment_PDF.pdf

The Architects' Journal looks at where we are now: 

The AJ asked experts in sustainable design why whole-life carbon is important for architects to think about in their day-to-day work

VIDEO: WHY DOES WHOLE-LIFE CARBON MATTER FOR ARCHITECTS?
Video: Why does whole-life carbon matter for architects? | News | Architects Journal

Featuring:
Duncan Baker-Brown, BBM Sustainable Design and senior lecturer, University of Brighton
Hero Bennett, sustainability consultant, Max Fordham
Michael Pawlyn, director, Exploration Architecture
Mina Hasman, SOM associate and member of RIBA commission on Ethics and Sustainable Development
Anthony Thistleton, founder and director, Waugh Thistleton Architects

Film by Edward Bishop of Stephenson/Bishop

VIDEO: WHY DOES WHOLE-LIFE CARBON MATTER FOR ARCHITECTS?

Video: What power do architects have to reduce whole-life carbon?

Video: What practical steps can architects take today to reduce whole-life carbon?


Video: Why does whole-life carbon matter for architects? | News | Architects Journal
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District Council elections: "Independents deliver blow to the Conservatives'" > further reports

The District Council has just released the full results of the election:
3 May 2019 - East Devon District Council election results 2019 - East Devon

With latest reports from the Herald:
How did Sidmouth and Ottery vote in East Devon elections 2019? | Election | Sidmouth Herald
Conservatives ousted from Ottery EDDC seats | Latest Sidmouth and Ottery News - Sidmouth Herald

This is from their summary: 

'East Devon District Council elections: Independents deliver blow to the Conservatives'

PUBLISHED: 19:06 03 May 2019 | UPDATED: 22:07 03 May 2019

Chris Carson

Tory defector and council leader Ian Thomas amongst the winners

It was Independents day as the East Devon District Council election results were announced today (Friday, May 3).

Candidates not affiliated to any of the main stream Parties recorded some significant victories, topping the poll in several wards. Both pure independents and members of the Independent East Devon Alliance did well.

Jenny Brown was one of the Conservative Party casualties – losing her bid to win a Honiton St Paul's ward seat, after switching from the St Michael's ward which she presented for four years. She ended just one vote behind fellow Tory and sitting member Dean Barrow – the voting was 385-384. Independent Tony McCollum topped the poll with 632.

EDDC leader Ian Thomas retained his Trinity Ward seat – despite his shock resignation from the Conservative Party shortly before the elections. He defeated his Labour Party rival Sarah Birnie by 635 votes to 249. Although still listed on the ballot paper as a Tory, Cllr Thomas said he had personally written to more than 2,000 electors in the ward to make it clear he would be serving as a independent councillor if elected. “I have done my best not to mislead anyone,” he stressed. Councillor Thomas will remain leader of the council until the annual meeting on May 22.

Cllr Iain Chubb, from Axminster, retained his seat on the Newbridges Ward for the Conservatives, defeating the Labour Party candidate George Neate by 617 votes to 216. There was a 42.6 per cent turnout. Cllr Chubb said: “I am pleased to be re-elected after serving for 12 years and working positively for the people in East Devon as a whole, helping to provide a good service efficiently.”

Independent Geoff Pook won the Beer and Branscombe seat, beating Labour Party candidate John Gregory by 601 votes to 106. He said: “I would like to thank everyone who voted and to John Gregory for making it a competition. I look forward to representing everyone in this extended ward now including West Seaton and hope that the people of West Seaton don't hesitate to contact me if they have any issues.”

Conservative Phil Twiss topped the poll in the Honiton St Michael's ward with 790 votes. Fellow Tory Mike Allen was second with 763 and Liberal Democrat Luke Jeffery took the third seat with 700 votes.

Cllr Allen said: “I am delighted Phil Twiss and I have been re-elected so we can continue to serve well as we have done for the past eight years or more. But clearly there has been a very strong protest vote nationally with the number of Conservative votes down. We will make sure the district council remains strongly orientated towards economic growth and good housing whilst protecting the environment.”

At Ottery St Mary Independents took all three seats. Vicky Johns topped the poll with 1,501 votes, with Geoff Pratt in second place with 1,044, followed by Peter Faithfull with 878. The turnout was 37.8 per cent Vicky Johns put her victory down to asking people what they wanted and listening to their answers. She also praised her campaign manager Roger Giles.

At Axminster Sarah Jackson, standing for the first time as an Independent East Devon Alliance candidate, topped the poll with 1,001 votes. Both sitting Conservatives, district council chairman Andrew Moulding and Ian Hall, with 818 and 740 votes respectively, were returned, but veteran Liberal Democrat Douglass Hull lost his long-held seat.

Speaking after her win Sarah Jackson, standing as the only independent candidate in the Axminster election, said: “I am absolutely elated and looking forward to it. I believe your local elected representatives should answer to the public, not their party. Axminster has so much to offer and potentially a great future…we can unlock Axminster's potential without destroying its unique charm.”

Another Independent East Devon Alliance candidate – Axminster town councillor and former mayor Paul Hayward - won the Yarty ward with 492 votes, ahead of Tory Alasdair Bruce on 296.

And at Seaton East Devon Independent Alliance candidates Dan Ledger and former mayor Jack Rowland were elected with 1,561 votes and 1,392 votes respectively The third seat was retained by Conservative Marcus Hartnell. Former mayor and sitting member Liberal Democrat Peter Burrows lost his seat.

...

Independents do well in EDDC poll | Honiton, Axminster and Seaton news - Midweek Herald

This is Devon Live's take on things - including a handy video: 

Full results as Conservatives lose control of East Devon District Council

Independent councillors as well as the East Devon Alliance made sweeping gains across the whole of the district, with leader of the EDA, Cllr Cathy Gardner saying it showed that the people want real change.

Daniel Clark

Local Democracy Reporter

19:34, 3 MAY 2019

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ELECTION RESULTS FOR THE FRIDAY COUNTS

For the first time since the council was created in 1974, the Conservatives have lost control of East Devon District Council.

Independent councillors as well as the East Devon Alliance made sweeping gains across the whole of the district, with leader of the EDA, Cllr Cathy Gardner saying it showed that the people want real change.

Heading into the election, the Conservatives had control of the council, with 34 seats. The Independent Group were the official opposition, with 14 councillors, while the Liberal Democrats hold seven seats with three further Independents, and one seat vacant, making up the 59 councillors.

Two Conservative councillors though, including the leader of the council, Ian Thomas, had since quit the party, with Cllr Thomas is standing and successfully being re-elected as an independent.

READ MORE
Council leader calls for "end of May" after disastrous day for Mid Devon Tories

Final results leave the Independents as the largest party on the council with 20 seats. The Conservatives suffered 15 losses to end on 19, while the East Devon Alliance gained seven seats to end on 11.

The Liberal Democrats hold eight seats, up one from where they started, while the Green Party gained two seats in Exmouth.

East Devon results

Between the East Devon Alliance and the Independents, they hold 31 seats, which would be enough to control the council and have a majority. But it not yet clear whether a coalition between them would be formed, and as the Independent councillors include the former leader of the council Ian Thomas, not all Independents would sit in the main group.

READ MORE
Full results as Conservatives lose overall control in Mid Devon

Cllr Ben Ingham, the leader of the Independent Group, and who retained his Woodbury and Lympstone seat, said that he was delighted with the results that showed it was very clear the voters do not want the Conservatives to run the council.

He said that discussions would begin as to how many of the 20 Independent councillors elected would be sitting in the Independent Group and what form of alliance of coalition with the various parties that the electorate voted for could be formed. He added: "The hard work that we put over the last four years has paid off though and I am delighted that the electorate backed our message."

East Devon Alliance leader Cllr Cathy Gardner, who was re-elected in the Sidmouth town ward, said that the results showed a real desire for change in East Devon.

She said: “I am delighted with how things have gone. I think the results are the result of four years of hard work by us – and even more – starting with what Claire Wright did prior to 2015. The people have seen what we are doing and that we have done a good job, and we placed in first place in a large number of wards. The people of East Devon want real change and we can give it to them. This is a historic day for the East Devon Alliance and Independents right across the district and for the losses the Conservatives have felt.”

She added that discussions as to who would lead the council had not yet taken place, although she said that she imagined not all of those Independent councillors elected would sit as part of the Independent Group, who themselves would have to have a vote on who their leader would be, with it currently being Ben Ingham.

Cllr Paul Arnott, chairman of the EDA, and who won a seat in Coly Valley, added: "We would like to thank the voters of East Devon for electing all 11 of our candidates. We will now spend the next week seeking to forge alliances with other councillors willing to work with us to continue to our fight for reform of local governance. We believe that in East Devon this result was not about Brexit but an expression of a hope for positive change to how things are done in our villages, towns and district. Our mission now will be to deliver that change with complete determination in the interests of all local people."

Gains made by Independents included the former owner of the Fun Park on Exmouth seafront Chris Wright, and Save Exmouth Seafront campaigner Nick Hookway taking seats in the Exmouth Littleham ward, while the East Devon Alliance topped the polls in all wards in the Axe Valley.

Losses for the Conservatives included the former leader of the council Paul Diviani finishing last in the Broadclyst ward he stood in.

READ MORE
Full results as Liberal Democrats take control in Teignbridge

The composition of the council currently is the Independents on 20, the Conservatives on 19, the East Devon Alliance on 11, the Liberal Democrats on eight and the Green Party on two.

It is unclear yet who would run the council which is currently under no overall control, although it is likely that the East Devon Alliance and a majority of the Independents could work together as the largest group to run a minority council.

Full results as Conservatives lose control of East Devon District Council - Devon Live
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Campaign to change the law to ensure every new house has 'Swift bricks' > encouraging results

Back in February, the 38 Degrees campaigning group put a petition out to encourage us all to do our bit to give swifts a home:
Futures Forum: Campaign to change the law to ensure every new house has 'Swift bricks'
Here's the latest email from Norman Pasley, who created the Save our Swifts campaign:

Dear friends,

Thank you for your responses to my email dated 16 April.

Since then about another thousand of you - increasing the total to over 128,000 - have signed up for the petition that the government legislates that all UK house builders shall install Swift bricks in all new-build homes, and give incentives for retrofitting nest boxes on older properties.

Your responses have been encouraging.

Bob Dickson from New Wortley (Leeds) writes: “Thanks for your email. At its last meeting, the Board of the New Wortley Housing Association agreed that swift bricks will be fitted to all properties in our current development, and our architects have enthusiastically taken this into the designs. Best wishes, Bob Dickson, Chair, NWHA”

Thanks Bob. What can be better than that? That’s evidence of the developer doing the right thing!

Has anyone else experienced a house builder agreeing to one swift brick per property?

Rose Parkhouse of Chepstow Swifts writes: “‘Great campaign Norman! We're a small Swift group in Chepstow, RSPB trained last year. We survey for nest sites in the town and have just written to Barratt’s, who are due to build a new estate here, about increasing the number of swift bricks in the new buildings.

“Barratt Homes do install some swift bricks but nothing like one in every building! For example, the plans for the Chepstow development show 29 swift bricks in 348 homes. This particular development is on a site where old factory buildings with known swift nests have been demolished (not by Barratt’s but by previous industrial owners) so it's a key site and we're going to push hard for a lot more swift bricks there.

“We've learnt masses about swifts in the last year since our training, and found nest sites around the town that we didn't know about before. The Glamorgan Swift Group have been a brilliant help and I've arranged for one of them, Alan Rosney to do a public talk for us through Gwent Wildlife Trust on 20th of this month - hoping to spread the word further locally!”

My question is: how costly can it be for Barratt’s to supply each house with a swift bricks? And how costly in reputational terms not to?

Sarah Hellings Smith in North Berwick writes: “In our local Tesco in North Berwick, as I was walking to the outside entrance, I heard cheeping, and looked up and saw several nests in the hollows created by the large size corrugated roofing overhanging the entrance . I spoke to customer services who were aware and seemed very happy about the birds. I was worried that somebody might complain about the possibility of droppings but that does not seem to be the case.

(I suggested that Tesco might advertise ‘Tesco looking after everybody’s families’.)

“It would seem that that the profile of this particular industrial large corrugated iron roof provides enough space in the dips to give the birds somewhere to nest : so this might be worth bearing in mind when asking companies to help - especially since it would involve no extra cost.”
Dick Newell set up and runs the blog called Action for Swifts. His blog is: http://actionforswifts.blogspot.com/ 

Edward Mayer runs the Swift-Conservation website which again has lots of useful information and links on it: https://swift-conservation.org/

Tim Norriss of Hampshire Swifts comments: “Well done with the petition. I would definitely send to Michael Gove. Urban biodiversity is in freefall due to current building regs and requirements for more air-tight homes to reduce CO2 emissions. The fixing of upvc fascias and soffits on older homes is also having a large effect. We need to be aiming for an average of one swift brick per property as proposed by the RIBA. There are lots of different types available but it’s best if they use one of the ones mentioned in Dick’s leaflet Swift Bricks V5 or his new Model S attached. Other species such as House Sparrows and smaller birds like blue tits, great tits and wrens will also use the boxes.

“Sarah Roberts has shown that house buyers are not negatively affected to buying if swift bricks are included in houses as house-builders would have you believe. This is purely a matter of economics ...“
Tim believes legislation is essential and that is what this campaign is about.

Some people are unhappy with plastic swift bricks. I agree most single-use plastic is a menace, bought today and thrown away tomorrow. However, I feel more tolerant of a designed bird box installed in a building that may do its job for swifts for 50 or 100 years.

Nest bricks are available in a variety of materials; see the Action for Swifts website for example (above). Some people have asked for a terracotta brick to be shown on the 38 Degrees website; I’m working on this.

Please continue with your personal and group campaigns to support Swifts, wherever you are. All of your stories will give extra weight to the petition. Where house builders are doing little or nothing for swifts, please put fingers to keyboards and ask them why. Ask them: why do you risk reputational damage for the cost of a swift box?

My new nest boxes, fitted last week, are ready for occupation. Hopefully my call player will attract new swifts to Warsash in the next few days!

Best wishes for now

Save our Swifts | Campaigns by You.
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