The “Greater Exeter” agreement in the words of EDDC Leader Diviani

It appears most EDDC councillors of all political persuasions were not aware of the signing of the agreement for joint working between East Devon, Teignbridge and Exeter.

Those councillors may wish to reflect on Mr Diviani’s acceptance speech when he was made Leader:

“Whilst the election results speak for themselves, we need to enable better lines of communication. The cynical view of the last Government – decide, consult, do it all anyway – is not my approach. Obviously, we won’t all agree on everything but my path is one of consensus and inclusivity.”

Whoops.

Greater Exeter – you read it here first! And here! And here!

To all those EDDC (and Teignbridge and Exeter City) councillors who didn’t see it coming – we did!

2 October 2014
http://eastdevonalliance.org/2014/10/02/today-manchester-tomorrow-greater-exeter-or-all-devon-maybe-councillor-potter-is-right-and-there-will-be-no-district-councils-soon/

29 September 2014
http://eastdevonalliance.org/2014/10/02/today-manchester-tomorrow-greater-exeter-or-all-devon-maybe-councillor-potter-is-right-and-there-will-be-no-district-councils-soon/

18 September 2014
http://eastdevonalliance.org/2014/09/18/another-step-on-the-road-to-greater-exeter/

15 September 2014
http://eastdevonalliance.org/2014/09/15/from-one-of-our-correspondents-greater-exeter/

but we can’t take all the credit, Sidmouth Independent News saw it coming in March 2014!

https://sidmouthindependentnews.wordpress.com/2014/03/15/exeter-bus-strategy-and-skypark/

oh, and here on yet another blog on 3 November 2014.

http://futuresforumvgs.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/knowle-relocation-project-and-longer.html

Greater Exeter part 2

Keep an eye on those “affordable home” “promises”!

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Pictured-Plans-900-new-homes-edge-Exeter-Science/story-24647276-detail/story.html

EDDC expects its councillors to debate merger AFTER agreement signed!

http://www.claire-wright.org/index.php/post/east_devon_district_council_to_form_partnership_with_teignbridge_and_exeter

Perhaps only Conservative councillors were informed in advance!

EDDC: the council that consults you AFTER the event!

“Greater Exeter” – just as EDA predicted months ago, weeks ago, days ago and hours ago!

Well, we did break this story long before the three councils deigned to tell us – perhaps we spooked them into bringing it into the public domain!

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Greater-Exeter-created-council-link/story-24643530-detail/story.html

Four questions:

How long have these talks between the three councils been going on?

Where are the agenda items/minutes where our EDDC councillors democratically voted and agreed on this?

Will this “Board” meet in secret? (We are fairly sure we know the answer to that one!)

How does this affect/change Knowle/Skypark relocation plans?

Maybe you have more questions?

CPRE says room for 1 million homes on brownfield sites

http://www.cpre.org.uk/media-centre/latest-news-releases/item/3784-england-has-space-for-at-least-1-million-homes-on-brownfield-land

Developers offering farmers “no win, no fee” for planning applications

….. “Gladman Developments, which has a turnover of £200million a year, targets councils that cannot demonstrate a five-year housing supply.

It offers to pay all the costs of obtaining planning permission – including the fees for lawyers and experts in the event of any appeal – which can exceed £300,000.

If the attempt to win permission is unsuccessful, the farmer does not have to pay anything. The firm recently took out adverts in the farming press calling for sites of up to 50 acres on the edge of a towns or villages. Its adverts boast: ‘We aim to never lose and have won 90 per cent of our housing planning applications.

‘You pay nothing, win or lose. We only get our percentage after you have sold your land to the highest bidding housebuilder.’

The firm has an astonishing success rate, having secured planning permission for rural sites in 41 out of its last 43 cases, despite substantial local opposition. …

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2846629/No-win-no-free-lawyers-ruining-countryside-bankroll-farmers-seeking-permission-build-fields.html