http://futuresforumvgs.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/knowle-relocation-project-analysis-of.html
Monthly Archives: October 2014
Political devolution
http://www.thenortheastparty.org.uk/
Maybe we can get even more local in East Devon …..
Act for Nature
Wildlife Trusts, Natural England, RSPB join together to press for wildlife conservation:
EDDC canvassers now out trying to find the missing 6,000 plus electors
After boasting to the Parliamentary Select Committee on voter engagement that his way of tracking down missing voters was far superior to the required door to door canvassing done everywhere else (by telephoning missing voters instead – always assuming you know their landline or mobile numbers) Mark Williams has now recruited a large team of canvassers to do the job.
Wonder what caused the change …..!
Knowle relocation documents withheld by EDDC ..latest update
Cabinet agenda 5 November 2014 5.30 pm
Click to access 051114-cabinet-combined-agenda-public-version.pdf
Summary: Lots of secret items and lots of money to be thrown at increasing the size of Cranbrook and lots of words but not much action in Seaton and Exmouth
Gunpowder, treason and plot?
Knowle relocation: Deputy Chief Executive’s “update”
… which raises many more questions than it answers:
and simply “noting” this report at an Overview and Scrutiny meeting is disgraceful.
Our Overview and Scrutiny Committee – not so much a toothless tiger as a toothless teddy bear.
Large retail park near Cranbrook names stores
… which leaves one wondering which stores will feel the need to be in Cranbrook too when they will be a short car/bus ride away
Devon Clinical Care Commissioning – explaining the deficit – some questions councillors might ask
Devon CCG says that community hospitals must be closed because they are in deficit.
A look at their annual report for 2014 is illuminating. Whereas salaries appear reasonable (e.g. Chief Executive £130-135,000 per year when perks are added in it is a different story (see page 29 of cited report)
Chief Executive: salary £130,000 – £135,000
With pension etc £275,000 – £280,000
Chairman: salary £80,000 – £85,000
With benefits: £200,000 – £205,000
Locality Managing Directors: salary £100,000 – £105,000
With benefits: £145,000 – £150,000
In a world where most employees get minimal contributions towards their pensions how on earth can doubling up on salary be justified?
Using the government’s own workplace pension contribution calculator a salary of £135,000 shows an employer contribution of £36,000.
Click to access CCG_Annual_Report_2013-2014.pdf
https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/tools/workplace-pension-contribution-calculator
Appeal Court to rule on when Environmental Impact Assessments are required
Newton Poppleford planning decisions “contradictory”
Yes, most of us have realised that. Why was it ok for one developer and not for another?
Of course, a re-convening of the EDDC wokring group that was supposed to look into the relationship between the council and the East Devon Business Forum might well have answered such questions ….. yet another reason why it remains in the long grass …
Hugo Swire votes against sacking MPs
Here’s the e-mail sent on Tuesday this week (27 October), to an EDA correspondent, from the 38 degrees team:
‘Last night (Monday 27 Oct) your MP, Hugo Swire voted the wrong way. [1]
Yesterday, MPs voted on whether to give voters the power to sack misbehaving MPs. [2] The majority voted no, choosing to stick with the government’s recall law that takes this power out of our hands.
Days like these can be pretty disheartening. They remind us there’s a huge gap between the political system we want and the political system we have.
This won’t be the last opportunity MPs have to vote on this. It could technically be possible to get the changes we want. But, to be honest, it’s pretty unlikely. Not enough MPs are convinced that voters should decide when and why an MP gets sacked.
If you’d like to email your MP, Hugo Swire, and ask him why he voted against giving voters more power, please click here:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/real-recall-wrong-way
If you email your MP, you’ll notice that the candidates standing against them at the next election (if they have any yet!) will be copied in. This is important because it’ll show them the sort of things that voters in your area care about.
There are several options for next steps on our campaign. But for today, it feels right to pause and take stock of how far we’ve come. Together, we’ve convinced a huge chunk of MPs that voters should have the power over whether to sack MPs. Sadly, this time it wasn’t enough.
We’ve come along way on this campaign. But if there’s one thing this vote shows us, it’s that we’ve got a hell of a job to do! Although it’s an uphill struggle sometimes, this one vote isn’t enough to stop us.’
PS: If you’d like to read more about the vote, and take part in the discussions about what 38degrees does next, please click here:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/recall-next-steps
‘I have never experienced a stranger council than EDDC!’
In a long letter in today’s edition of Pullman’s View from Sidmouth , an Axminster resident, berates EDDC for the strange way in which it operates. In a phrase echoing one by Clive Aslet in his Daily Telegraph article ‘Sidmouth Mans the Barricades, the author of the letter, Michael Blagrove, says, “I am glad that I am not alone in detecting a nasty smell emanating from The Knowle… the unmistakable whiff of aloofness and unaccountability.” Mr Blagrove goes on to explain why in his experience, “the officers of the council seem to be under the impression that they are rather too grand to act as “public servants” in the accepted manner..” He is particularly scathing about the Chief Executive’s dual role in South Somerset and East Devon, commenting that ” He may well consider himself to be a jack of all trades, but clearly he is master of none.”
The letter can be viewed in full at http://www.viewfromonline, Tues Oct 28th 2014.
Clive Aslet, Editor-at-Large of Country Life, made some similar observations after a visit to Sidmouth two years ago. See final paragraph of his report at this link http://saveoursidmouth.com/2012/10/23/save-our-sidmouth-reaches-the-daily-telegraph/
Clinton Devon Estates plans for River Otter flood relief
Exmouth seafront traders given one season notice
Exmouth seafront traders have now been given notice by landlord EDDC prior to redevelopment. Some are planning to close shortly.
Tesco selling Seaton hotel site to retirement developer McCarthy & Stone
As the article says, a double blow for Seaton as EDDC has already agreed to drop all the affordable housing – set originally at 40%.
Knowle relocation: secret uncosted cart preceding secret uncosted horse?
Some links that Wainhomes would probably prefer you not to click on!
A few stories gleaned from the last 12 months:
http://www.cornishguardian.co.uk/Developer-urged-talk-angry-locals/story-20099876-detail/story.html
http://www.broadlaneaction.co.uk/index.php/7-news/281-wainhomes-development-breaks-the-rules
http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/news/local/will-lorry-talks-end-outcry-1-6627731
http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/10931459.Bid_to_build_on_eco_area/?ref=rss
and a few entries on their Twitter account that probably were NOT posted by their PR department:
East Devon District Council invests in “reputation management” software
It has been noticed that recent press releases from EDDC have a new internet address:
devon.vuelio.uk.com
This is apparently specialist software used by (presumably) Devon County Council and other district councils in the area (Teignbridge seems to have the same address).
In its advertising blurb, the company which produces the software says:
Proactive stakeholder engagements, powerful media and parliamentary contacts, in-depth monitoring of coverage and outcomes, and other features makes Vuelio the most comprehensive solution for managing the media and other stakeholder relationships that are critical to your organisation.
Vuelio ensures your communications teams have easy access to all the intelligence – briefing papers, strategy documents, and lines to take – on all of the issues affecting their organisation. They are ready to react to queries from any stakeholder group and are armed with all the information they need to ensure that they address these stakeholder interactions in a personalised manner and deliver a consistent message to avoid dangerous discrepancies.
Source:http://www.aimediacomms.com/vuelio/
And it goes on to say:
Capture key details of all your stakeholders, the organisations to which they are affiliated, their power and influence and relationships between them. Includes the most comprehensive journalist and parliamentary database for finding the right contacts for your message.
Source: http://www.aimediacomms.com/vuelio/key-features/
It also appears that it can be used for computer-generated monitoring of Freedom of Information complaints:
Vuelio CM transforms the normally labour intensive management of FOI requests and complaints into an automated, efficient electronic process. It also allows users to easily capture, store, and process requests in line with legislative requirements.
With Vuelio CM, you will never miss a deadline; alerts and reminders keep you posted when action is required. Powerful searching helps with the identification of precedents and similar enquiries increasing response times and reducing duplication of effort. Easy access to management reports enables the monitoring of workloads, and prioritisation of resources.
Here are details of one of the reputation management seminars they have hostedd:
Setting aside the dreadful jargon – why exactly does a Press Office require such software and how much is it costing US to manage THEIR reputation. Or is our Press Office now a robot!
East Devon Watch 