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20 Mar 2015

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Electoral Commission, Mark Williams CEO EDDC

Missing voters: EDDC is doing nothing … again

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

Are they worried that the missing voters would vote them out?

Seems Mr Williams has taken none of the criticism he received from his enforced appearance at the Parliamentary Commission on Voter Engagement when he was rapped over the knuckles for doing nothing for years.

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East Devon Watch

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20 Mar 2015

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Democracy, EDDC, Transparency

The “transparency gap”

http://localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=22281:ico-calls-for-action-to-tackle-qtransparency-gapq-caused-by-outsourcing&catid=59&Itemid=27

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East Devon Watch

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20 Mar 2015

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East Devon Alliance, EDDC, EDDC HQ, Environment (local), General Election, Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation

Vision for East Devon …”superstore & factory” ?

Local literary links have inspired this poem, sent in by a correspondent:

A Vision

(with apologies to Coleridge)

In Honiton E.D.D.C.
Says its new offices shall be –
Far from the town where, as we know,
The office workers like to go.
No longer all Knowle’s greenery
But superstore and factory.
An Exmouth office, too, a place
Where few will find a parking space –
The building looks like an old barn,
Not like the “dome” in “Kubla Khan”.

But, Oh, the waste of public money –
The ratepayers don’t think it funny:
To build a glass and concrete shed
And trash the park and Knowle instead,
For “Our Great Leader” and his crew
Have no care for the public’s view;
Nor badger-setts, nor many a tree;
Nor office blocks, built ’83;
Nor Chambers, used by you and me;
Nor weekend tourist-parking, free;
Nor jobs and trade Sidmouth will lose;
Nor all the lovely parkland views –
All sold to builders for a fee –
And all for what? For vanity?
This Council, with no Local Plan,
Lets builders build where’er they can.

Yet in my crystal ball I see
A new look for E.D.D.C.:
Independents there will be
As councillors for you and me,
Come from every town and shire
With the Wright One to remove Swire,
Who all will cry: Please be aware:
We will not relocate somewhere
Based on false claims that there will be
“Big”(?) savings made in energy.
We come to bring Democracy,
And Probity, Transparency.
You all know there’s a better way –
It’s signposted by E.D.A.* ,
So, all you readers, lend a hand
And save our green and pleasant land.

(*EDA is East Devon Alliance)

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East Devon Watch

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20 Mar 2015

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Democracy, East Devon Alliance, East Devon Tories, EDDC, EDDC HQ, Environment (local), General Election, Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation, Latest news, Sidmouth/ Sidford/ Sidbury

Councillors “like puppets on a string” over Knowle sale

Mike Temple’s letter in today’s Sidmouth Herald blasts the “cracking good deal” myth put about by Honiton Cllr and Tory Whip,Phil Twiss.
Here’s the letter:

‘Popping up like puppets on cue, Cllr Diviani’s obedient cabinet, aided and abetted by Sidmouth’s own Tory District councillors, nodded through the sale of Knowle last night (March 11) in the latest stage of the long-running farce that is the office-relocation.

According to the puppets, Sidmouth will never have had it so good. It’s getting “a cracking good deal,” piped Cllr Twiss (he who’d rather stick “hot pins in his eyes” than engage in a public debate with an Independent candidate – a serious case of “frit” perhaps). After all, Sidmouth is gaining a retirement community and we all know we need more of them, especially the expensive second-homes we so desperately lack.

No matter about the loss of community assets like the fine chambers used for concerts, religious services, talks and wedding receptions. No matter about the loss of 150 parking places for weekend visitors to a tourist town. No matter about the loss of the best of its unique woodland park, namely its magnificent prospect, the loss of which will trash the rest of the gardens – which no doubt can be built on later.

What’s more, it was all the fault of a vocal Sidmouth minority (like the 4,000 on the march) who , according to Cllr Diviani, prevented the Council from getting £10 million for the Knowle when its own plan to build all over the park was refused.

Yes, it’s all Sidmouth’s fault and all Sidmouth’s “gain”. And what goodies are we next promised? Well, look forward to Sidford Business and Industrial Park and then a superstore at the Alexandria Road estate and even more empty shops in town to let…’

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East Devon Watch

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20 Mar 2015

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EDDC

PM says: Councils should ask themselves ” how can we be more businesslike?”

“Just like any business, you don’t make efficiencies and say ‘right, that’s it I’m finished’. Businesses are always asking ‘how can I be more efficient next year than last year’.

Abandon relocation and save LOTS of money?

http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/8216-Councils-business-like-spending-cuts-8217-PM/story-26202143-detail/story.html

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East Devon Watch

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19 Mar 2015

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AONB, Development Management Committee, EDDC, Environment (local), Land Supply, NPPF

Good quality agricultural land CAN be protected where there is no 5 year land supply

Pickles Introduces Pre-Election Presumption Against Loss of Countryside Policy in Osborne’s LPA

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East Devon Watch

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19 Mar 2015

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Democracy, Transparency

Local newspapers “vital for democracy”

The Budget document said: “Local newspapers are an important source of information for local communities and a vital part of a healthy democracy.

“To support them as they adapt to new technology and changing circumstances, the Government will consult on whether to introduce a business rates relief for local newspapers in England.”

http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Budget-2015-Local-newspapers-given-tax-break-8216/story-26196892-detail/story.html

Though some newspapers are better than others at this, of course.

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East Devon Watch

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19 Mar 2015

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Cranbrook

Cranbrook “to EXETER in less than 10 minutes” and cheap bus fares from Cranbrook to Exeter

Puff job for Cranbrook extols the benefit of the new (delayed) railway station saying commuters will get to Exeter ” in less than ten minutes”. It also mentions that Stagecoach now provides the town with cheaper bus fares, considering it part of “Greater Exeter”.

No mention of the same journey time to Honiton or a little more to Axminster.

LOCAL jobs?

And only seven shops in total for the expanded town?

“… The decision by Stagecoach to change the boundary of the day rider ticket for Exeter to incorporate Cranbrook, has also resulted in a 40% reduction in the price of travelling to Exeter.”

“… The train station is also under construction and will provide access to Exeter Central station in less than ten minutes.”

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/s-Cranbrook/story-26193646-detail/story.html

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East Devon Watch

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18 Mar 2015

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Affordable and Social Housing, Austerity cuts, East Devon Tories, Environment (local), General Election, Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation, Transparency

EDDC Tories promise more ….. of what exactly?

East Devon Conservatives have taken a half page advertisement in the local press this week (* see link below). In this advertisement they make claims for what they have achieved during the last 4 years.

Let’s take a look at these claims.

First though let’s look at what ISN’T in the advertisement:

No Local Plan – four years and still nowhere near completion, the lack of a Local Plan has allowed a development free-for-all throughout the entire district.

No Knowle relocation – the vanity project of the Leader and three of his Executive Board councillors (see blog of Councillor Ian Thomas:

Using the construction estimate of £2,439/m2, and a building size of 2,776m2, overall construction costs at Honiton are expected to be £6.77M. However, the market value of the resulting premises is estimated to be only £3.25M. From an investment point of view, this indicates that there is an immediate deficit on the project, of £3.52M.
https://eastdevonwatch.org/2015/03/14/tort-cabinet-member-notes-knowle-relocation-risks/

Those claims

A RECORD OF ACTION

Local homes for local people, building and buying homes for rent

Look at their latest press release dated 15th March 2015, which begins:

“Due to high house prices, relatively low incomes and a high need for affordable homes but limited existing stock, we have a major shortfall of affordable housing in East Devon. To overcome this shortfall, new residential development will need, in most cases to include some affordable housing.

http://eastdevon.gov.uk/housing/affordable-housing-in-east-devon/what-you-need-to-know-about-affordable-housing-if-youre-building-homes-in-east-devon/introduction-to-building-affordable-housing-in-east-devon/

However, recent developments have been allowed to cut their affordable proportion to NIL (e.g. Tesco site, Seaton) as house builders have pleaded poverty and EDDC has gone along with them. Saying you need affordable housing is not the same as getting it!

Waiting list cut from over 3 years to less than 1 year

In 2011, EDDC said that:

As at 17 January 2011 there are 2,800 people on the council’s housing register. There are currently 45 empty council owned properties in total. About a third of these are “long term voids” which are being re-developed, have serious structural problems or have suffered fire/flood damage.

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/affordable_housing_3

Many councils have cut their waiting lists by simply deciding that certain people will no longer qualify for social housing – e.g. people under 25. Where have all our housing waiting list applicants gone. Certainly not into affordable homes.

Community Development Workers to help local communities

Thriving communities do not need Community Development Workers – they are usually employed either in new towns (such as Cranbrook) or towns with multiple social problems or deprivation. Indeed at one time having a Community Development Worker was seen as a bad thing!

Cranbrook – a new town with employment opportunities close by

Well, yes, but have you been there and seen it! Tiny houses, tiny “gardens, narrow streets, very little parking, currently one shop (a pharmacy). Housing for Exeter people with Exeter jobs!

Supporting leisure opportunities, encouraging a healthy lifestyle

“Supporting” – such a useful word. Not “funding” – “supporting” – that’s all you really need to know!

Good development in the right places.

Now, that’s rich: in the last year we have had so much bad development in the wrong places, perhaps they have run out of wrong places! Just about every town, village and (currently) hamlet has its own “development horror story” and it is about to get even worse.

LOCAL ISSUES, LOCAL ACTION

Council Tax frozen for the 5th year

Sure, but many services have been stopped or charges raised, or they have been taken over by town and parish councils. It is simply the transfer of costs from EDDC to them which means an increase for us!

Supporting our local economy through regeneration projects

There are two: Exmouth and Seaton. Exmouth consists of a concrete jungle of paid-for “leisure facilities” and Seaton’s consists of a small Jurassic Coast Visitor Centre, a Tesco and over 200 high cost homes on the regeneration site (the developer having pleaded poverty and had 40% affordables reduced to 20% and then zero)

Improving recycling rates

Councils are penalised if they do not achieve certain recycling rates. EDDC still does not collect cardboard.

Conserving the Jurassic coastline, our nature reserves and AONB’s
One phrase: “Sidmouth’s beach management plan” – rather like the local plan – the promise of jam tomorrow, or maybe the day after, or maybe not.

Conservative East Devon offers “excellent value for money”*
*Independent auditors report
Ah, best not dwell on what this blog, others such as Sidmouth Independent News, and http://futuresforumvgs.blogspot.co.uk/ have said about this – just that a cosy relationship breeds contentment on both sides!

Here’s the EDDC ad. in question: Toryad17thMarch2015

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East Devon Watch

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18 Mar 2015

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Misc

” New high speed trains to the south west” means no further than Bristol!

“The Chancellor used his Budget to underline £7 billion being spent on transport in the region, and said a new rail contract will bring “new Inter-city Express trains and greatly improved rail services”.

But it later emerged Mr Osborne was only referring to existing discussions over awarding the Great Western franchise to First Group, which is scheduled to take place in 2019.

The Budget “red book” referred to “shortly setting out details” of a new deal, which would include “more frequent services and faster journey times” as well as new express trains.

It was already known that from 2017 the first of 50 new sets of modern high-speed trains will start running on the Great Western line as part of a £4.5 billion Government investment. However, none will travel on the “second” line from London to Penzance via Plymouth, but only the route to Bristol and Wales.

The new diesel-electric hybrid trains can not get to the peninsula, where not an inch of track is electrified, chiefly because they are not powerful enough to mount the hilly terrain.”

Presumably we are the Much Too Far Far South West!

http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Chancellor-hails-new-high-speed-trains-far-South/story-26196295-detail/story.html

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East Devon Watch

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18 Mar 2015

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DCC, Flooding, Sidmouth/ Sidford/ Sidbury

Sidmouth’s flood risk “plan” gets “council approval”

Except it isn’t a plan – it is a currently preferred option. And it hardly merits approval as there is as yet no money to fund it.

[Sidmouth DCC Councillor Stuart Hughes] said: “Future plans depend on what, if any, scheme can be promoted with a robust business case and justified cost benefit for national funding.

“Additional partnership funding will also need to be sourced.”

Can unfunded, aspirational ideas really be plans – or are they election “promises”?

http://www.devon24.co.uk/news/sidmouth_s_flood_risk_plan_gets_council_approval_1_3990483

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East Devon Watch

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18 Mar 2015

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EDDC, Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation

“Overly- optimistic savings”

The first NHS hospital to be made private was recently rated inadequate and the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee said:

“The Public Accounts Committee said in a report that in January 2013 the committee “expressed concerns that Circle’s bid to run Hinchingbrooke had not been properly risk assessed and was based on overly optimistic… savings projections …”.

“… Mrs Hodge said: “Despite our warnings about the risks, oversight of the contract by the various parties who had a role was poor and inadequate and no-one has been held accountable for the consequences.”

Now, where have we hard that before? Oh, yes, one of the major criticisms of EDDC’s relocation plans.

And who will take the consequences if the Honiton elephant turns out to be a white one?

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East Devon Watch

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17 Mar 2015

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COVOP, Environment (local), NPPF, Planning System

Community Voice on Planning National Day of Action 12 April 2015, 3 pm details of Sidmouth event

CoVoP invite you to a meeting in the park at Knowle, Sidmouth on 12 April at 3pm
to hear speeches on the National Planning Set-up from parliamentary candidates and others.
Free parking at Knowle (at least for now)

CoVoP Poster

listen to the voice

April 12 programme