Anyone else finding that EDDC’s “new” website is very thin on content and almost impossible to navigate and search, particularly in the Planning section?
For example, can anyone tell us where the Local Plan Programme Officer’s web page (with all the Documents scrutinised by the Planning Inspector and all the correspondence before and after the examination) has gone to, its former link no longer seeming to work?
Recall the Inspector suggested October 2014 as a suitable date for EDDC to deliver an amended Draft Local Plan to him for re-examination. Now even October 2015 is looking unlikely.
And contrast the figure of £172,000 spent so far on this project with the £700,000 spent on HQ relocation plans – much of it on the abortive attempt to relocate to Skypark.
Just half of the money spent on Skypark, if redirected to resources to finalise the Local Plan, could almost certainly have had us protected from rapacious developers. A hidden cost of relocation.
Conservative majority EDDC chose to prioritise relocation of its offices over the Local Plan. Remember this at the May 2015 district elections.
“The UK is currently 68% self-sufficient in foods which can be produced here. There has been a steady decline in this level over the last 20 years. While there is no optimal level of self-sufficiency, and a diversity of supply is important for spreading risks, the Government should monitor this level. Levels of self-sufficiency in fruit and vegetables have fallen the most, and farmers should seek to extend the seasonal production of fresh fruit and vegetables in coordination with the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board.”
If you look at the summary and conclusions, There is NO mention of the loss of high grade agricultural land to development of such land and solar farms.
Perhaps our Government thinks that the NPPF protects such land (snort!).
Association of British Insurers has launched this campaign.
A summary:
INVEST. By 2025 £1 billion per year to be spent managing flood risk in order to keep pace with climate change.
ADAPT. A zero tolerance of inappropriate new developments in areas at risk of flooding.
PLAN. Cross party consensus on ambitious long term solutions that manage all types of flood risk.
Did you see that there under “ADAPT” EDDC – anyone listening?
Feniton? Sidford? Anywhere near a river or the sea? Hello? Hello?
https://www.abi.org.uk/News/News-releases/2015/01/Launch-of-the-campaign-for-Flood-Free-Homes
‘Why Democracy?’ was discussed in a wide-ranging and perceptive debate led by Professor Michael Sandel, on Radio 4’s ‘Public Philosopher’ programme this morning.
The current changing mood of the electorate was one of the main topics that arose. Among possible reasons given for this change, were the failure of government to react to public views; a feeling of disempowerment; and the erosion of public spaces (in all senses). Here’s the link to what was said: http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/r4sandel
The importance of proper scrutiny was implied. When EDDC’s Overview & Scrutiny Committee next meet this Thursday (6.30pm at Knowle) they will no doubt bear this in mind.
In her capacity as Tree Champion, Cllr Claire Wright will be giving a Talk on ‘The battle to save our trees and biodiversity–a councillor’s perspective’, by invitation of the National Trust Sidmouth Centre. All welcome. Admission ( £3 NT members, £4 non-NT members) includes tea/coffee and biscuits afterwards.
BISHOPS CLYST PARISH COUNCIL WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO:
AN EXTRAORDINARY MEETING OF THE PARISH COUNCIL
Tuesday 20 January 2015
Clyst St Mary Village Hall starting at 7.30 pm
Items on the Agenda:-
To consider and agree representations in connection with the following planning applications submitted by Friends Provident at Winslade Park, Clyst St Mary:-
14/2637/OUT Demolition of Brook House and Clyst House and outline application (seeking to discharge means of access only) for up to 237 new dwellings, 1805 sq metres of B1(A) and D1 commercial floorspace, together with replacement sports facilities comprising two football pitches, a cricket pitch and sports pavilion, and associated development including parking and access
14/2638/LBC Renovation works to secure the continued use of the building for B1(a) purposes. Removal of the modern bridge link between the Manor House and Winslade House.
14/2640/MFUL Conversion of the building from current B1(a) office use to 61 (C3) residential units including the removal and making good of the bridge link between Winslade Manor and Winslade House and provision of basement car park.
14/2641/LBC Conversion of Winslade House from B1(a) office to 61 (C3) residential units including the removal and making good of the bridge link between Winslade Manor and Winslade House and provision of basement car park.
14/2642/FUL Demolition of modern extensions and conversion of the former Stable Block form D2 Leisure Use to 6 residential units
14/2643/LBC Demolition of modern extensions and conversion of the former Stable Block form D2 Leisure Use to 6 residential units
14/2644/MFUL Change of use from Agricultural Land to Community Park including the provision of footpaths, new landscaping and changes to levels
To consider and agree representations in connection with the following planning application submitted by The Turnstone Group at Land to North of A3052 between Cat & Fiddle and Devon County Showground, Sidmouth Road, Clyst St Mary:-
14/2237/MOUT
(amendment) Outline application with some matters reserved for the construction of up to 93 dwellings and new access and associated open space (access to be considered)
To consider and agree representations in connection with the following planning application submitted by Solstice Renewables Ltd at land surrounding Walnut Cottages, Oil Mill Lane, Clyst St Mary
14/2952/MFUL Installation of ground mounted photovoltaic solar arrays together with power inverter systems; transformer stations; internal access tracks; landscaping; CCTV; security fencing and associated access gate.
Sunday strollers along the esplanade this weekend were no doubt impressed by the shingle-shifting project currently in progress.
The work does not extend to the eastern end of the beach, as disgruntled residents of Cliff Road well know.
Our earlier post describes the situation https://eastdevonwatch.org/2015/01/19/may-election-leaves-pennington-point-sidmouth-hanging-in-the-air-literally/
http://www.devon24.co.uk/news/delays_cost_beach_its_political_punch_1_3919489
Beach Management Plan, Local Plan: both sacrificed to relocation plans. Priorities, priorities ….
Article in today’s Times (firewall does not allow link) intriguingly says Greg Clark, Cities Minister, is holding talks about combining “counties with districts” for greater devolved powers.
How this differs from unitary councils will be interesting to see and calls into question whether joint arrangements between EDDC, Exeter and Teignbridge were premature.
The Society of Local Council website adds:
“The aim is to boost growth in both the cities and counties outside London, by building up rival power bases led by a series of new town hall heroes. “In time there will be big possibilities for counties and places outside the big cities,” Mr Clark told the Times. “If some of our counties and districts come together they have the potential to have greater powers, which can be exercised locally,” he said. “There are some very well run counties with good cordial relations with their unitaries authorities and districts. There is an opportunity for them to negotiate powers to be devolved from the centre.”
http://www.slcc.co.uk/news-item/rural-areas-able-to-bid-for-new-powers/942/
As decided by the Full Council (17 Dec 2014), EDDC’s office relocation project is to have much more thorough scrutiny than it has had to date. Both the internal and external auditors are already in the process of producing new reports (by late February 2015) with as much content as possible to be in the public domain, as agreed at January’s Audit & Governance Committee.
This week’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee, charged with the close scrutiny of other aspects of the relocation project, may find helpful the maps and comment at this link: http://futuresforumvgs.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/knowle-relocation-project-and-politics.html
Information Commissioner v. East Devon District Council at Exeter Magistrates Court in August 2014.
We were told that the judgment in this case (about whether EDDC should be forced to disclose reports on relocation) is due this month – we shall see.
In the meantime this “blast from the past” – what EDDC called its “stakeholder consultation” should give us all a good laugh:
https://sidmouthindependentnews.wordpress.com/2013/07/26/from-our-correspondent-1-fly-me/
The Clinton Devon Estates’ Liverton Solar Park, was mentioned in a comment (copied below) recently left on the East Devon Watch blog. An observer has subsequently sent in these photos of the solar farm in question (which lies just outside the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) taken from the AONB, south of the B3178. The pictures may shed more light on the issue.
‘By coincidence, having driven past the solar farm at Liverton Farm and seen just what an impact on the ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ the solar park has, I have been looking again at the application (13/2202/MFUL) https://planning.eastdevon.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=externalDocuments&keyVal=MU6J9QGH3A000 made by the agents of Clinton Devon Estates.
It takes an enormous amount of plodding through, something still in progress, but it seems clear that , let’s say ‘ much of what was claimed is open to serious challenge’. Start with looking at what the CPRE had to say about some of Clinton Devon’s agent’s claims.
Not far away is Liverton Park 2, and industrial and business park complex adjacent to Liverton Park (1). It struck me that the massive sheds on Liverton Park 2 might well have had solar panels built into their roofs if CDE were really green for greens sake- but it seems not. But you do get a view of the solar panels from LP2!
The message seems clear, you cannot take a developer’s word. Check, check and check again. Oh, and see what subsidies the development attracts and wonder if that might be what makes solar panels the preferred choice when other more appropriate schemes may be better suited.’
Source: https://eastdevonwatch.org/2015/01/15/save-clyst-st-mary-campaign-new-proposals-and-important-meeting/comment-page-1/#comment-9681
So, there you are: it’s EDDC’s fault but they will put it right “very soon” and we should all be glad we have a roof over our heads and grit our teeth.
Then back on the train to his first or second home in London.
There is a report in today’s Sidmouth Herald about complaints made against councillors – page 11. It says that most (7) have resulted in a “no case to answer” result which would appear to cast complainers in the “silly nuisance” category.
However, the article neglects to say there are at least four potentially serious complaints yet to be adjudicated by this officer according to the agenda of the Standards Committee.
Should the Monitoring Officer not make a decision on these four (or now maybe more)cases before the NEXT and last meeting meeting of this current council scheduled in March 2015, no-one will know how serious they are before the next election or which councillor or councillors were involved.
Just to give an example of how toothless a tiger a local Monitoring Officer now is can be is seen in this astonishing story of a councillor in Wigan who cannot be barred because there is no mechanism to do this under current monitoring arrangements:
“A councillor has been branded the ‘most expensive’ in Britain after running up a £2,500 phone bill calling sex chatlines [on his council mobile] and using his mobile to send ‘inappropriate’ and sexist messages. …
“… Robert Bleakley, who has an £11,000 allowance as a representative of Tyldesley in Wigan, Greater Manchester, also used a work computer to watch pornography and did not bother attending a meeting in five months and was found to have sent a message saying: ‘Aren’t they [women] f*****g idiots. No wonder women are just cooking and washing material.”
In 2004 Mr Bleakley was disqualified for three years after he verbally abused a female cleaner at Wigan town hall and threatening to get the sack after a minor traffic accident.
The Standards Board of England, which oversees councillors conduct [should read: oversaw at that time, the national Standards Board was abolished by this government in favour of local Monitoring Officers] investigated him and ruled that he was ‘aggressive, domineering and intimidating’.
He stood as the Lib Dem’s parliamentary candidate for Worsley, Greater Manchester, in the 1997 and 2001 general elections. At the time of the 2004 investigation he was leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Wigan Council.
He was suspended again for six months in 2010 after being accused of bullying an ex-policewoman who got a job as a community safety officer and branding her ‘that woman’ during meetings.
He had also been investigated by police over accusations of misconduct in a public office but was told he would face no criminal charges.”
Why are we (ALL councils that is) employing a senior officer who can basically do nothing?
To see Wigan Monitoring Officer’s futile attempts to discipline this councillor, see
Click to access Z385967688485-and-99-(Sanctions)-Councillor-R-Brierley.pdf
East Devon Watch 