Nick Bye: Local government can be a rollercoaster

There are three topics to include in this week's article if Mr Editor will allow.

First, I really must say a huge thank you to Anderton & Rowland & everyone else involved in putting together our Fair Play Day at Torre Abbey Meadow last week. For the first half hour or so I was thinking to myself "this is a bit quiet" not realising the first half of the morning was deliberately reserved for those very special children who might have struggled with a full on crowded experience.

Then at 11am Madam Mayor, Cllr Barbara Lewis, declared Fair Play Day well & truly open. A great crowd of special children, their families & carers then joined all the fun. It was great to see the smiles & laughter. Yours Truly even had a go on the dodgems.

It was fitting Fair Play Day took place the same week as Councillors discussed the recent Ofsted Area Inspection report on SEND (Special Educational Needs & Disabilities).

At last I really do believe we are beginning to make progress although of course there's a long way to go. I also accept some people will struggle with change.

In September our Primary Schools will start a "locality" pilot with health colleagues to support speech, language & communications, the basis of all learning.

We have new good quality provision for children who are EOTAS ... educated other than at school with most importantly proper assessment of progress. Nearly half the current cohort of EOTAS children will be returning to school with appropriate support which feels like a step forward to me.

Work is underway at New Parkfield to accommodate the Mayfield sixth form & further places have been commissioned at this highly regarded special school.

Capital investment to improve facilities for children with SEND is taking place in many of our mainstream schools. Hazel Foster & I were delighted to see this firsthand at the Warberries Primary School.

At last we are seeing an improvement in school attendance (no longer the second worst in the whole country) & a reduction in the number of children suspended or excluded.

It's really important we provide ALL children with the best possible start in life.

Secondly, it's great to see the Bay so busy & equally great to be getting such positive feedback about the state of the Bay from residents & visitors. There have been times when I have been out & about in all three towns feeling really proud to call this place "home" & equally proud to be a part of a team in the Town Hall determined to turn things around after recent years of neglect.

Of course you can't please everyone & it's fascinating to contrast those who are definitely glass half full types who take the trouble to write & say "thank you" for the many improvements & in particular the superb flower displays all around the Bay this year. 

Then there are those who can't resist a grumble & phone me up or send a text message every time (it seems) they are stuck in a traffic queue.

This is August, the Bay's the busiest it's been for years, the sun is shining (mostly) so it's hardly surprising you might have to wait an extra five minutes as you make your way around Torquay Harbour or along the Sea Front!

The Strand to my eyes is hugely improved, a much more pedestrian friendly space & the proof of the pudding is all the investment in new businesses which is taking place.

Finally, it's now clear which way the wind is blowing in terms of local government reorganisation in Devon & almost certainly time to consider a "Plan B" for Torbay.

Both Plymouth & Exeter, with Labour Councils & MPs (& therefore almost certainly the ear of government) have put forward plans for Unitary Councils of circa 300,000 population. In Plymouth's case it is a significant expansion into the South Hams ... like Torbay they are a unitary council already. In Exeter's case they would become a unitary council for the first time & include large areas of Teignbridge (bizarrely Dawlish but not Teignmouth), some of East Devon & a smaller area of Mid Devon. Both proposals suggest Torbay should become a part of a "Rest of Devon" (my words) Council which would stretch all the way up to North Devon & around to the bits of East Devon which Exeter doesn't want!

The dilemma is, I can see this coming to pass unless we get our act together. Unfortunately I don't see we are going to be allowed to stay as we are (which is what most colleagues in the Town Hall are asking for) so we had better accept this & plan for something else.

At the start of this process Government requested all Councils in Devon to work together & come up with proposals for new unitary councils with populations of 500,000 or more.

These proposals needed to cover ALL of Devon. So frankly to say "we just want to stay as we are" with a population of just a fraction of the required number simply doesn't answer the exam question, as my old headmaster might have put it.

The consensus at the Brixham public meeting, which included representatives from Brixham Town Council was also very much along those lines: the status quo is not a realistic option.

So we need to come up with a proposal which makes sense for Torbay as well as the rest of Devon.