Get big money out of politics

✒ OUR MP Selaine Saxby has very bad luck when it comes to timing. Her glossy ‘magazine’ reached voters just before a major Conservative donor (£10m – or is it £15m?) was revealed to use violent and racist language.

It reminds me of when Ms Saxby gave a speech in the House of Commons (January 12, 2023), claiming that ‘South West Water has invested significantly in our region, resulting in all South West beaches achieving good or better bathing status for the first time in 2022, and Croyde’s water quality moving from “good” to “excellent”.’

On that very day Surfers Against Sewage reported a sewage dump into Croyde Bay.

Dirty water and now dirty money. It’s time to legislate big money out of our politics as part of a wider democratic upgrade.

Cllr Mark Haworth-Booth (Green Party) Swimbridge but he tells me it is not possible to change this on the council’s computer system.

I have been told that it is up to us (the village community) to inform the landowner and developer about our neighbourhood plan. But we are not in the room with them when discussions are started. We do not know what is planned until the plans land fully formed on our computer screens.

There have been no preplanning discussions, no engagement with the village, indeed no recognition at all of the vast amount of work and research the community has put into creating and then voting for our neighbourhood plan.

There then follows stormy meetings with the developers and landowner where the computer-generated design is pilloried for its greed, lack of vision, imagination, local distinctiveness and ecological awareness.

This is not a NIMBY objection. This land was approved for 55 houses; the shock is the upping this to 71 by getting rid of a woodland area.

Our district councillor Simon Newton MBE called in the latest major application in Winkleigh for 71 homes and upbraided the developers for failing to do their homework about our neighbourhood plan.

Members of Winkleigh Planning Group also objected.

Surely, Torridge planners, I believe you could do so much more to raise planning standards, promote local distinctiveness, ensure bio-diversity gain and sustainability by insisting that neighbourhood plans (which you have championed and financed) are consulted and referenced.

Penny Griffiths

Winkleigh