We are writing on behalf of the East Devon Alliance, a non-party-political campaigning group concerned with matters of planning and related transparency of government in our district. Our membership is drawn from across East Devon and our Charter and purpose are stated clearly on our website, which may be found at http://www.eastdevonalliance.org.

The key issues of Planning and Transparent Government intersect most significantly at the monthly meetings of EDDC’s Development Management Committee (DMC). Planning applications may come before this body of councillors, rather than being determined on the delegated decision of a Planning Officer, and that is right and proper. Particularly in cases where applications may be for development in a sensitive location and/or involving large scale destruction of open countryside.

Applications which come before the DMC will have an appropriate recommendation from the experts in EDDC’s planning office, i.e. to approve (with or without conditions) or to refuse. On a number of occasions, however, public contributions on the day have contributed to open debate to the extent that officer recommendations have been overturned. That is not to say that the recommendations were flawed in the first instance. Rather it is the sign of a healthy democracy that the public voice may be heard, and may inform intelligently the outcomes of what are, in many cases, both contentious and large-scale proposed development. The cost of such democracy in action is small: hitherto members of the public have been allowed but three minutes in which to present their views on the day.

The East Devon Alliance has watched with increasing concern as even that small price to pay, an allocation of 180 seconds (always carefully timed!) in which a member of public may express an opinion, is now threatened. The desire to strip the public of the right to speak on specific planning proposals or planning policy has worked its way through various EDDC sub-committees, and will finally reach a full meeting of Council for a decision on July 23rd.

We respectfully request that all councillors, of whatever political persuasion, consider deeply the principle and issues at stake. We propose accordingly not the introduction of new or complicated practices as far as public speaking is concerned, but the entirely reasonable practice of simply leaving public speaking arrangements as they are. This seems to us a not unreasonable request that would do much to restore public trust and confidence in a Council which, for many, has much to prove; not least in respect of its inability to deliver on time a Local Plan.

Yours faithfully
P Arnott and J Withrington
Chairman and Vice-Chairman, East Devon Alliance

No apologies for publishing this again:

Wednesday 23rd July 2014

EDDC full Council to vote on curtailment of public right to speak at EDDC meetings –

EDDC’s Executive Board has already voted for the curtailment of the rights of the public to speak at its meeting but it needs the rubber stamp of the full Council which will meet on 23 July 2014.

It is not too late to get this decision reversed. Write to your local councillor asking how he or she is planning to vote and why, and turn up on the day to show your support in preventing the erosion of democracy in East Devon.

(Contact details for your local Councillor can be found here, Wards and Councillors. Simply scroll down the list to find the Councillor for your ward and click on the orange highlighted name to bring up the details.)

A motion challenging what the Independent Councillors see as a clampdown on free speech, is proposed by Cllr Claire Wright and seconded by Cllr Ben Ingham. Cllrs Roger Giles, Trevor Cope and Susie Bond have also signed up to it. Below is an extract from Cllr Wright’s blog on the issue: “The motion will be debated at the full council meeting of Wednesday 23 July, which starts at 6.30 pm. It reads: “This council believes wholeheartedly in democracy and the fundamental right of its citizens to be fully represented by their elected members. This council also believes in the democratic process and commits to do everything within its power to enhance the role of the elected member.””

EDDC has recently sought to place a number of restrictions on the freedom of speech including: – 1) Recommendations to dramatically reduce public speaking at planning committee meetings. (Also to be decided on the 23rd). 2) Restrictions on public speaking at all committees. 3) An agreement that, “any motion not immediately relevant to the business of the council will be referred to a council committee first.”

Whilst everyone agrees the meetings can be long, especially when issues of public local concern are being discussed, if these restrictions are passed they will betray the key principles of Localism, designed to improve and encourage local authority engagement with the community. If EDDC wants to make meetings more time efficient, they should instead refrain from self-congratulation, nor raise issues of national policy over which they have no control; e.g. the recent half hour presentation and subsequent debate on the evils of illegal highs.

We very much hope you will take the time to contact your EDDC Councillor and urge them to vote against this reduction in the level of transparency, accountability and democracy at East Devon District Council. We also hope you will be able to show your support for those objecting by attending the meeting at the Knowle in Sidmouth on Wednesday, 23rd July from 6.30 pm.

Please feel free to pass this invitation onto your family, friends and neighbours, since this vote directly affects the right to be heard of everyone living in the East Devon area.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Nicky King
(Hon) Secretary
East Devon Alliance

Website – http://eastdevonalliance.org/
FaceBook – https://www.facebook.com/eastdevonalliance
Twitter – https://twitter.com/EDevonAlliance