Every fortnight Kevin writes a "Kev's Column" for the Herald Express and you can read the latest edition (Published on Wednesday 2nd September 2020) below:
School Restarts
This week Parliament and our local schools returned from their summer recess.
I can understand some parents and grandparents will be nervous, yet the impact of not attending school is greatest on the most vulnerable members of our local community. Many school staff and Torbay Council’s teams have worked hard to support this return to class and I am grateful for their efforts.
Nothing can be risk free, including the journey to school by car or crossing the road to get there, yet the risk of Covid-19 to children is now far below the guaranteed impact of not being able to learn and thrive at school.
Herald Express readers will have their own memories of their school days, some good, some not so good. Yet we will all recognise how being at school helped us to develop not just academic knowledge, but many skills and friendships which have lasted a lifetime. Hence it is vital we get our bay’s next generation back to school.
Change Ahead?
Over recent months many council teams have worked hard to support their local communities, with credit due to Torbay Council’s workforce for their efforts dealing with some of the most challenging circumstances to face our bay since the end of World War 2.
The recent events have though brought into focus the structure of Local Government across England. A new report suggesting significant amounts of money could be saved has restarted the debate about reforming the two-tier system of District and County Councils which still covers many areas, including Devon.
Torbay & Plymouth became Unitary Councils in 1998, with Cornwall following a decade later. Somerset County Council has recently voted to move to a Unitary system and Dorset County Council was abolished last year. This means Devon may soon be the only two-tier area left west of Bristol.
The two-tier system does not have a long-term future. We will therefore need to decide how a Unitary system would look across the old county of Devonshire, potentially including the creation of a South Devon Unitary Council which includes Torbay.
This is a debate we should be part of, rather than seek to continue solely on the basis of the boundaries drawn up back in 1998.
Torquay Cyborg
I get to meet many people in my role, but the most inspirational was Dr Peter Scott Morgan.
Faced with a diagnosis of Motor Neurone Disease which would leave him “locked in” he responded with an enthusiastic quest to use himself as an experiment for surgical and robotic techniques which could transform his and others lives.
It was great to see his inspiring story and his amazingly supportive husband Francis get some well-deserved national attention.
Surgery Times
Following recent changes in public health guidance I have restarted my regular advice surgeries, although they must be by appointment only.
My next surgeries will be on Saturday 5th September from 10am till 12noon at St Martin’s Church, Barton Hill Road, TQ2 8JA and Saturday 12th September from 11am till 1pm at 5-7 East St, Torquay, TQ2 5SD. Social distancing measures will be in place and please bring a face covering unless you have a medical condition which means you cannot wear one.
To book an appointment you can email me at [email protected] or telephone 01803 214989.
