Daily Archives: 19 Aug 2014
Persimmon profits up 57%, average house price now £265,000
Persimmon has a large number of sites locally. It has reported pre-tax profits for the half year up to £212.9 million. The Evening Standard website article also mentions that the average UK house price rose by 10.2% in the 12 months to June and reached a record high of £265,000 for the average house. However, the good news is that the Office of National Statistics had expected prices to rise 11.2% so we must be thankful for small mercies!
“Who dares gets battered” at Colyton Council says editor of local newspaper.
Four out of 13 members of Colyton Town Council represent the nearby village of Colyford and those four are becoming increasingly annoyed as Colyton appears to be grabbing all the goodies for the town rather than sharing them with the smaller village.
Editor of the View newspapers, Philip Evans, criticised Colyton Town Council for trying to stop reporters writing
” … on matters that the council would prefer not to be publicised, despite such matters being discussed in open council, the inference being that we should onbly report on the positives and never the negatives. That view, of course, is contrary to the basic prinnciples of democracy and we have resisted any attempt to stop us doing our job responsibly.
We really upset the council recently when we had the audacity to record their deliberations at a particularly controversial meeting, to ensure we got it exactly right. To do was contrary sto the council’s standing orders (rules). We had never been sent a copy of tose standing orders and they are not listed on the council’s website, at the library, on the council notice board or any other place.
The council threatened to report us to the Press Complaints Commission for contravening their rules but common sense prevailed and if we want to record their meetings in future, we have to seek permission, which, from time to time, we will do.
[The Editor is wrong in this matter: since 6 August 2014 it has been illegal for ANY council to stop anyone recording, tweeting or videoing their meetings as long as they are not causing an obstruction].
He continues: ” … But it was his [The Mayor of Colyford’s] democratic right to riase the matter and he should not be unnecessarily castigated because he did not toe [not tow as appears in the editorial} the party line.
“Town Up for Sale” says Honiton Mayor, EDDC Councillor (and former Chairman of EDDC) as he criticises his own council on the Knowle relocation
Councillor Peter Halse, Honiton Town Councillor, East Devon District Councillor and former Chairman of EDDC is quoted in the “View from Honiton” newspaper today. He says the town is being “put up for sale” by district councillors to fund their costly relocation project. The article is quoted below”
“He [Councillor Halse] says decisions were being made that were not in the interests of Honiton residents. Land at the Heathpark estate had been identified as a possible location for EDDC’s new office complex. But in a controversial move earlier this year, councillors opted to reject the Honiton site and build new headquarters at SkyPark on the outskirts of the district. The land [at Honiton] now looks likely to be sold for the development of a new supermarket.
And in a further blow to the local economy, the district’s business hub – currently based at Heathpark – has also been lined up for closure.
At a town counbcil meeting last week, former mayor Councillor Vernon Whitlock raised the issue of businesses being forced to relocate. And Councillor Halse admitted that he shared the concerns of businesses, councillors and residents, who feel the town is being stripped of its assets.
“I am a loggerheads with the (district) council on the way this has been done. I am disappointed that they will be demolishing a building that is of great use to the town and is not costing anything. Initially they told us another facility would be provided, but it turns out that they were thinking the private sector could replace it. The fact of the matter is that Honiton is being put up for sale and its assets are being razed in order for the district council to move to the outskirts of Exeter”.
East Devon Watch 