Poor decisions in extending prison lease, MPs say
A £4m-a-year lease for a prison that has been empty for 18 months has been a “needless waste of taxpayers’ money”, a report from MPs found.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said the lease agreed with the Duchy of Cornwall for HMP Dartmoor was signed by HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) in March 2022 despite it being known the site had high levels of radon gas two years earlier.
The prison in Princetown, Devon, was closed in July 2024 after the government found levels of the radioactive gas were up to 10 times higher than the safe limit.
PAC said it did not accept HMPPS’ excuse that the lease needed to be signed due to a prison capacity crisis.
Missing sea swimmers have ‘struck heart’ of town
People in a coastal town said they remain in shock a fortnight after two men went missing during a Christmas Day sea swim.
Residents of Budleigh Salterton in Devon said it was all some people had spoken about and there had been a sense of the community rallying together to support each other.
The two men – one of whom has been named as local antique shop owner Matthew Upham – are still missing despite a large scale search operation on Christmas Day.
Sarah Giles, a local sea swimmer, said there was an “immense feeling of shock” that had “struck the heart of the community”.
Tamar crossing charges ‘critical’ for commuters
MPs are calling for a rethink to a proposed 150% increase in the monthly fee for the discounted toll and ferry scheme over the Tamar.
The proposal would see the Tamar Tag admin cost rise from 80p to £2 a month for the service which costs between £15m and £18m a year to run.
South East Cornwall MP Anna Gelderd said the increase proposed by the Tamar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee would affect “predominantly local people” and wanted to see them pay cheaper tolls.
Speaking ahead of a debate about the proposal at Plymouth City Council on Monday 12 January she said a solution needed to consider “critical growth” in Devon and Cornwall.
Police and crime commissioner quits Conservatives
The Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall has quit the Conservative Party.
Alison Hernandez was first elected in 2016 as a Conservative to take up the role overseeing Devon and Cornwall Police and was re-elected in May 2024 with a majority of almost 24,000 over her Labour rival.
The government announced the abolition of all police and crime commissioners (PCC) in November with the roles due to come to an end in May 2028.
Hernandez said she would continue in the role as an independent and had no plans to join any other party.
‘Older people suffer’ as gas cut hits thousands
A secondary school was forced to close and 4,600 properties were affected by a major gas outage.
More than 100 Wales and West Utilities engineers responded to help restore supplies in the Kingsbridge, Malborough and Salcombe area of the South Hams in Devon following damage to a mains pipe on Saturday.
Kingsbridge Community College said the school would be closed with lessons continuing online while the South Hams Minor Injury Unit had also shut.
Salcombe resident Carrington Marshall, who was catching a bus to Plymouth to spend the night with a friend, said older people in the block of flats he lived in were “suffering”. “I’m not spending another cold evening in the flat,” he said.
Disruption as snow and ice hit region
There were partial and complete closures of schools across Devon and Cornwall on Tuesday amid a yellow weather warning for snow and ice.
The Met Office advised people travelling in Cornwall, Devon, Plymouth and Torbay to allow for extra time for their journeys and to plan ahead.
South West Water advised people protect their homes against burst pipes as a result of the cold weather.
Lifeline cargo vessel repairs to take two months
Repairs to the cargo vessel that supplies the Isles of Scilly will take at least eight weeks.
The windlass, or winch, which winds the anchor and tightens moorings was damaged on Gry Maritha while at St Mary’s harbour in heavy winds on 12 December.
The ship was built in 1982 and will still be able to operate but only when winds are below force five on the Beaufort scale, which is categorised as a fresh breeze.
Operators the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group said it would be using additional landing craft, planes and the passenger ferry Scillonian III to maintain supplies of fresh food to islanders.
