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 
So Sidmouth’s silver is to be sold off and Honiton’s, too. And do we really need more supermarkets?
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Well, Seaton didn’t have any assets – they had all been hoovered up by EDDC but Tesco got the regeneration area (and please they have NOT paid for the Visitor Centre, they paid for a perpetual right of way across EDDC land not on the regeneration site which will be their asset long after the shelf-life of the Visitor Centre).
Personally, I think there is a hidden agenda in moving to Skypark, hence the secrecy. It will be interesting to listen to the court case next week on that.
But, whatever, Seaton, Honiton, Ottery and Exmouth are all being asset-stripped where short-term income for Skypark development and its future debt-servicing is prioritised over long-term local assets including green spaces.
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It’s on the front page of Pulman’s View from Honiton today.
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