https://susiebond.wordpress.com/2015/03/06/hes-behind-you/
Shameful – politics before people, politics before common sense, politics before the safety of children.
How can you sleep at night, councillors?
Daily Archives: 6 Mar 2015
Is Hugo Swire piggy-backing on Claire Wright’s campaigns?
Hugo Swire’s web site lists the things he is most proud of having done in East Devon recently but it seems to mirror many of the campaigns that Claire Wright has been involved with in the four years since she has been an East Devon councillor and even before that. The full list is:
– My coffee morning at Kennaway House
(Conservative Party fundraiser)
– The opening of Culver House’s new garden room
(brief appearance and photo opportunity)
– Public meetings on planning
because he finally realised that his constituents are as mad as hell – Claire Wright has been pushing this issue for YEARS and almost certainly knows more about local planning issues than he ever will.
– The opening of the new premises of Sheds Direct Devon
(Swire says he got EDDC to reverse a planning decision (based in part on poor access) about this company in Whimple even though he has not spoken up about any other planning issues since he was elected in 2010 (e.g. massive overdevelopment) – which Claire Wright has done for YEARS and YEARS, even before she became a councillor.
– I call on EDDC to put their plans to relocate on hold
simply a press release – Claire Wright has been campaigning on this for years – in the face of massive EDDC Tory councillor opposition) – Hugo announced his view only AFTER EDDC Tories had taken the decision to relocate.
– I take the campaign to save Ottery Hospital’s beds straight to the Secretary of State for Health
because as a Minister he says he cannot speak about East Devon in Parliament so his meetings, if any, have to take place behind closed doors – Claire Wright has held many, many local (open and poblic) consultations and attended many meetings on this issue for MONTHS since hospital closures were mooted.
– I welcome the news that the beavers will remain on the River Otter
Claire Wright has campaigned tirelessly ever since they were identified and has liaised with DEFRA and Devon Wildlife Trust to ensure that they remain on the river.
– I welcome a cash boost for East Devon’s school buildings
buildings that have been allowed to deteriorate for years and for which Claire Wright continually points out are stretched to capacity because of over-development.
East Devon Alliance throws down gauntlet to East Devon Tories
For Chairman Paul Arnott’s challenge see:
‘Better use of facilities’ at Knowle than making it a retirement community!
EDDC’s announcement in today’s Sidmouth Herald, of its preferred buyer for Knowle, could have massive repercussions, not least at the May District Council election.The plan is to change this prime employment site, and shrink the surrounding historic parkland, to make a residential development exclusively not for young people. The purpose is to relocate the District Council offices, to a much older building (Exmouth Town Hall) requiring major refurbishment, and a not-yet-built office at Honiton.
Here’s just one local conversation on the topic https://www.streetlife.com/conversation/3h3lq15pbi7i/
Photo supplied by https://sidmouthindependentnews.wordpress.com
A different use for a Premier Inn or Travelodge
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-31756845
Seems nothing has changed since 2014:
Or even 2013:
About – turn! And when is an instruction not an instruction in EDDC-land?
So, the housing figures ARE to be published because our Planning Inspector says they are NOT politically sensitive:
In yesterday’s Express and Echo Leader of EDDC Paul Diviani is quoted as saying: “Mr Thickett [the Planning Inspector in charge of our Local Plan – the man who threw the last version out] did not specifically instruct the council to publish the figures before the election but, in response to a suggestion that the matter might end up being delayed by the elections, he said he expected the council to get on with it at the earliest opportunity.”
Just a few words were missing there. What Mr Thickett said was: “I will need to see evidence of any proposed changes [to the Local Plan, which includes the new housing figures] as soon as they have been agreed AND BY MID APRIL AT THE LATEST. Yours, etc …
Now, that sounds very much like an instruction to us!
East Devon Watch 