Post Offices across Torbay have been safeguarded for the future by Liberal Democrat Postal Services Minister, Ed Davey.

After ending Labour’s Post Office closure programme, which saw more than 7100 Post Offices disappear in their 13 years in office, Ed Davey has announced a ten-year deal between the Post Office and the Royal Mail has been reached.

The deal gives certainty to subpostmasters across the UK and covers the full range of Royal Mail products available at post offices.

Commenting, Torbay MP Adrian Sanders said:

“After years of Post Office closures under the last Government, including over 40 in Devon, it is excellent news that the Coalition is doing the right thing by ensuring that the Post Office has a sustainable future ahead of it.

“Post Offices are a vital part of our communities and are the lynchpin of our towns and villages. More than 20m people visit a Post Office every week and hundreds of thousands of pensioners rely on them every day for their pensions.

“The signs are extremely encouraging for the future of the Post Office.”

Commenting further, Ed Davey said:

“A year ago I set out a radical plan to transform Post Office’s future, with £1.34bn of Government support and investment but without any closure programmes.

“Since then the Post Office has made good progress to become more competitive, building on its strengths.

“While it will take several years to turn round the Post Office’s finances, it’s increasingly clear the reforms are beginning to work.

“The 10-year deal struck between Royal Mail and the Post Office will give subpostmasters and others greater confidence. “

Lib Dem Bay MP Adrian Sanders has thanked campaigners locally and nationally for their support and hard work in obtaining funding for the Kingskerswell Bypass.

After decades of inaction by successive Governments, the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition has finally given approval for the bypass to be built and has provided £76million to assist with construction as announced by the Chancellor in advance of his Autumn Statement.

The campaign to build the road has been backed by local MPs, councils and business organisations including local bus operator Stagecoach.  Once completed the bypass will improve Torbay and South Devon as a destination not only for tourists but also for investment in business as well as improving air quality in Kingskerswell.

Adrian commented:

“While we have been putting the case for the bypass for years, ultimately thanks must go to Nick Clegg’s pledge to prioritise and bring forward infrastructure projects.  Given the history of failure on the part of single party Governments, this proves the instrumental influence Lib Dems have in Government.”

“The Government’s decision is also a tremendous vote of confidence in South Devon.  This will be the basis for rebuilding the local economy, which has been overlooked for too long.”

Parents have started to receive letters from the Council informing them of dramatic increases in home to school transport for some students.

Information obtained by the Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Torbay Council, Councillor Steve Darling, shows that:

• Charges are to rocket from £245 to £490 for pupils whose parents are not in receipt of a qualifying benefit;
• Charges will increase from £315 to £490 for those students over 16 going to College (but not South Devon College) and whose parents are not in receipt of a qualifying benefit;
• For those students over 16 going to College (but not South Devon College) and whose parents do receive a qualifying benefit, charges will also increase from zero to £100.
• Students over the age of 16 going to South Devon College on a 3 day timetable will see charges go up from nothing to £250.

Commenting on the increased home to school charges Councillor Steve Darling said,

“The scale of the increase in charges is astonishing. I am also outraged that the letters from the Council advising Parents of the increase in charges have gone out later this year – so parents will have only found out after the local elections have been and gone. This is going to hit families’ hard throughout the Bay at a time of economic hardship.”

The cost of a by-election, due to the Conservative Mayor Gordon Oliver’s decision to stand for two positions at last week’s elections, has been branded ‘a waste of time and money’ and is to be raised at the Annual Council meeting on Tuesday 24^th May.

Liberal Democrat Council Group Leader Steve Darling has tabled the following written question to the new Conservative Mayor:

“Your ‘Intouch’ leaflet circulated during the local elections promised ‘Value for Money’.

A by-election will now have to be held in the Cockington with Chelston Ward due to your decision to stand for election to both the Mayoral and Councillor Positions despite it being illegal to hold both posts.

How will the Council fund this by-election in the current difficult financial climate?”

Commenting on his question Cllr Darling said, “The forthcoming by-election is a waste of time and money – Government legislation is quite clear that it is not possible for the same person to hold the posts of both Mayor and Ward Councillor. When the new Mayor stood for both positions he would have known that he would have had to resign from one of them if he was elected to both and that this would have caused a costly by-election.

“The by-election in the Cockington with Chelston Ward will cost local taxpayers thousands of pounds at a time when the Council has to make cuts to services due to a tough financial settlement from the Government because of the financial crisis.

“I trust that the new Mayor has identified where the money will come from to fund the new by-election – and that it will not come at the expense of frontline services.”

The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Steve Darling, has written to Conservative Mayor Nick Bye seeking clarification over the Council’s ‘Out of Hours’ Service.

Council Officers have advised Councillor Darling that the service has ceased with effect from the 1^st April – despite the mayor finding the money during the budget process to keep the service running for another year.

Councillor Darling’s letter says,

“Please find enclosed an extract from Report 13/2011 Revenue Budget proposals that went to Cabinet in February. The report clearly shows £10,000 being reinvested into the Out of Hours Service.

You can imagine my concern when Council Officers advised me that the Out of Hours service has been cut from 1^st April.

I would welcome your explanation”.

Commenting on his letter Councillor Darling said, “I was astonished to discover that the Out of Hours service has been stopped when Councillors were assured by the Mayor during the budget process that money had been found to pay for the scheme for another year. I have been contacted by local residents who have had their lives made a misery by noisy neighbours, and so the ending of this service would be outrageous. I have written to the Mayor seeking clarification on this issue.”