Every fortnight Kevin writes a "Kev's Column" for the Herald Express and you can read the latest edition (Published on Wednesday 25th July 2018) below:
Good Sport
Maidencombe Village, with its Thatched Tavern, is one of the gems of our bay.
Maidencombe has historic buildings, a beautiful beach and a real sense of community. On Sunday I visited the Village Fayre, organised by the Maidencombe Residents Association. There was lots of fun on offer and a chance to discuss their campaign to re-open the Beach Café.
Yet a highlight of the day was local Cllr Ray Hill being a good sport and taking his turn in the stocks to help raise money for charity. There were a few customers, but had he been the Councillor in charge of bin collection I suspect there would have been quite a queue given recent problems!!!
HMS Agincourt
For over a century our bay has had a close link with the Submarine Service, especially whilst HMS Torbay carried our name until her decommissioning last year
Now the link is set to be revived as our bay will be paired with HMS Agincourt, the seventh Astute hunter-killer submarine built for the Royal Navy. She will be the sixth vessel in the Royal Navy to be named after the Battle of Agincourt of 1415, when the humble Longbow made the vital difference.
HMS Agincourt is the 21st century equivalent of the Longbow, able to strike at depth against those who threaten our nation and its allies, ensuring we can not only respond to aggression, but deter it.
She is expected to be commissioned into service in 2024 and it will be great to welcome her to our bay.
Tense Moments
As key bills relating to Brexit made their way through the House of Commons two key votes were decided by a majority of six and two by only three.
There is a remarkable atmosphere in the House of Commons when such divisions (the formal name for recorded votes) take place. After the "division" is called there are eight minutes to get inside your chosen Lobby (Aye or Noe) to cast a vote before the entrance doors are locked. During this time many will look to see if MPs are heading into a lobby different to their party, indicating whether the vote will be tight or decided by some distance (Eg Opposition MPs voting with the Government).
The tensest moments are the following seven or eight minutes after the doors are locked as the final MPs leave the lobbies, having had their vote counted. Each journalist will be desperate to know the “score” from each lobby before anyone else to get a scoop, particularly on crunch votes like the one on the Customs Union.
Once counts finish at both lobbies the four tellers line up in the chamber, with the successful side standing to the Speaker’s left. This means MPs can tell what the overall result was just before it is announced, hence the reaction you may hear in the chamber as the tellers line up.
Whatever view anyone takes on Brexit everyone can agree there will be more of these tense moments over the coming months.
Town Deal For Torbay
Securing a Town Deal for Torbay would be a major boost for our area bringing together different streams of Government Funding to tackle longstanding issues.
A Coastal Enterprise Zone is a key part of this suggestion Coastal Enterprise Zone which would help upgrade infrastructure, develop skills and support businesses across the bay as part of a wider “Town Deal”, similar to the one recently agreed for Grimsby which will see over £60m invested there. I recently questioned the Minister for Business and Industry, about the prospect of including this in a Torbay deal. I am pleased to say the response was very positive.
The next stage is a meeting I am facilitating between the Torbay Together Partnership and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to look at the prospect in more depth.
A united team in our bay is now working together to deliver results and set out a vision for our bay.
Torquay Pavilion
Just as the regeneration of Torwood Street is about to get underway, news arrives indicating the controversial development proposed for the Torquay Pavilion will not.
The confirmation Torbay Council would not oppose a Judicial Review of the Planning Permission (If raised on a particular point) means the developers would have to apply again if they wished to continue.
Given it has been six years since the debate about this development started it appears likely an alternative will need to be sought. The alternative of just leaving the site to rot is not an option.
Surgery Times
My next surgeries will be on Saturday 4th August from 11am till 1pm at The Acorn Centre, Lummaton Cross, Torquay TQ2 8ET and Saturday 11th August from 12noon till 2pm at 5-7 East St, Torquay, TQ2 5SD.
Just call 01803 214 989 or e-mail me at [email protected] to book a slot. You can drop in, but appointments are recommended to avoid a long wait or disappointment. My team also run drop in surgery sessions Mon to Friday 10am -1pm at 5-7 East St, Torquay, TQ2 5SD.