Every fortnight Kevin writes a "Kev's Column" for the Herald Express and you can read the latest edition (Published on Wednesday 22nd May 2024) below:
Water
Last week’s Cryptosporidium outbreak saw me working alongside our local public health authorities and South West Water (SWW) to ensure it was dealt with and residents supported.
As supplies return to normal, the focus most turn to answering serious questions raised by the outbreak: 1. Why SWW initially stated water supplies were not the issue, but then changed its position after work by Torbay Council’s Public Health teams and the UK Health Security Agency? 2. How an air valve in a field came to be damaged to the point where it allowed the water supply to be contaminated? 3. How businesses affected will be able to quickly receive compensation based on their individual losses?
Alongside paying compensation to individual businesses, there also needs to be a package for our bay’s tourism industry paid for by SWW, to deal with the impact of the negative publicity this incident brought.
Levelling Up
Work to regenerate Oldway will be at the heart of the new Levelling Up Partnership (LUP) between Torbay Council and the Conservative Government, thanks to £8m of new funding for it.
The funding from the Government is not only about getting the first phase of the Oldway Masterplan delivered, but opening the door to securing other funding and investment into restoring and reviving what many call our bay’s crown jewel.
Oldway is not the only major project set to benefit from the new LUP, with £7m of funding also included towards delivering the ambitious plans for Paignton & Preston Seafront. The LUP is a welcome boost for our bay, which I have been delighted to work with Anthony Mangnall, Torbay Council and the Torbay Place Board to help secure.
Don’t Mention The Vote
Fate decreed it would happen in Asheldon Road, Torquay where the Gleneagles Hotel of Fawlty Towers fame once stood.
Torbay Conservatives & Torbay Labour separately deciding to campaign in the same road at the same time for the forthcoming Wellswood by-election, could have provided the perfect inspiration for an episode where our most infamous hotelier tries to keep both candidates happy as they knocked his door. Yet instead of heated arguments breaking out about Keynesianism versus Monetarism or whether Clement Attlee or Margaret Thatcher was the most significant post-war politician, we simply smiled, said hello and wished each other a sporting good luck.
The reason for this? Because whilst there are significant differences in our views and political beliefs, we each believe we have a positive case we wish to put forward. It is those who have so little to offer that they simply personally attack their opponents, who would find such a coming together much harder to cope with.
Surgery Times
My next surgeries are on: Friday 24th May 10am till 12Noon at 5-7 East St, Torquay, TQ2 5SD and Saturday 1st June 10am till 12Noon at St Martin’s Barton, Barton Hill Road, Torquay TQ2 8HT.
For an appointment you can either email me at [email protected] or leave a message on 01803 214989, surgeries are for personal queries from residents they would like me to help them with. There are also drop-in sessions at my office 5-7 East St, Torquay, TQ2 5SD between 10am & 1pm Monday to Friday where a member of my team will be available to help with any queries.
