Monthly Archives: April 2015

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15 Apr 2015

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East Devon Alliance, EDDC, General Election, Latest news, Voting

As election looms, only a week left to make sure you can vote

If you haven’t checked that you are registered to vote, time is running out!
The deadlines for registering, and for postal votes, are in this press release (14 April) from EDDC:

Last chance to join the register before polling on 7 May

Residents of East Devon are reminded that there’s just under a week left to
ensure you have registered as an elector and can vote on 7 May. The last day
for receipt of applications is Monday 20 April.

If you are already registered, but want to have a postal vote rather than
going to a polling station on election day, time is also running out. You
must apply by 5.00 p.m. on Tuesday 21 April to ensure you can vote by post.

Details of all the candidates in the Parliamentary election and for district
and parish council wards are now on EDDC’s website at:
http://www.eastdevon.gov.uk/elections-and-registering-to-vote/election-documents

The website also carries information about the opening times and locations
of polling stations around the district.

Register online

Don’t forget that under the new system of Individual Elector Registration
(IER) it is up to each individual to register, not the head of the household
as before. If you still haven’t registered to vote, you can do so online at:
http://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

To get help with registering to vote or to ask for a postal voting
application form, you can also contact the district council’s Electoral
Services team on 01395 517402, or email: electoralservices@eastdevon.gov.uk

With the General Election and local elections now less than a month away,
being registered as a voter is obviously necessary so you can have your say.
But there are other advantages too – like finding it easier to get a credit
card, take out a loan or even obtain a mobile phone.

Don’t delay. Do it today!

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15 Apr 2015

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Misc

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80% of southwest poorest households worse off than 4 years ago

Eight out of ten low income households in the South West are seeing no sign of improving finances, a study has revealed.

A new survey commissioned by the national charity Turn2us has found that, despite a recovering economy, 80% of low income households across the South West of England have seen no sign of their financial situation improving. …

Read more: http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Majority-South-West-low-income-households-seeing/story-26339363-detail/story.html

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15 Apr 2015

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Feniton/ Talaton, Torridge, Wainhomes

Wainhomes at it again … and again … and again

EDW ran a story earlier in the year entitled – Wainhomes at it again – and indeed they are at it YET again, this time in North Devon – in Westward Ho!

http://www.northdevonjournal.co.uk/Westward-Ho-residents-angry-building-work-begins/story-25911886-detail/story.html#ixzz3PeoJg2rW

Update at http://www.northdevonjournal.co.uk/Fury-residents-feel-let-132-homes-development/story-26200403-detail/story.html

Residents still feel that planning restrictions being ignored, incl foul drainage system plans supposed to be submitted before work starts. It all sounds VERY familiar to Feniton residents – indeed if you just changed the location and name it would be pretty much the same.

Torridge is where our old Chief Planner Kate Little rules the roost – so even THAT’S familiar!

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15 Apr 2015

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EDDC, Local Plan, Local Plan Inspector

Public consultation on latest version of Local Plan starts tomorrow until 12 June

A fresh public consultation on the future blueprint for planning in East Devon will be launched on Thursday 16 April and will run until Friday 12 June.

Planning Inspector Anthony Thickett has advised East Devon District Council of the matters that he wishes to see consulted upon, following the completion of extra work that planning officers were required to do to supplement the previously submitted draft Local Plan.

The Inspector has given the council a list of questions and these will be available for interested members of the public to view online, at Knowle and at libraries and town council offices* across the district for a period of eight weeks.

As before, it will be possible for people to submit comments online or on forms that may be emailed or sent through the post. These will be available on the council’s website and at the various access points around East Devon. The online documents can be accessed at:

http://eastdevon.gov.uk/planning/planning-policy/emerging-plans-and-policies/the-new-local-plan/examination-and-hearing-sessions/

In this final round of consultation, the council will be asking residents to comment only on revisions to the earlier version of the draft Local Plan.

The Inspector’s questions that are open for comment will be grouped together in four clusters, plus there will be a fifth section for comment on any proposed changes not covered by the Inspector’s questions.

The four specific clusters concern:

• Housing levels and development in the plan

• Gypsy and Traveller provision

• Site allocations

• Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL)

CIL supporting documents and forms for making comments can be viewed at: http://eastdevon.gov.uk/planning/planning-policy/community-infrastructure-levy-cil/cil-examination/

Each access point will have a package of information available, including guidance notes explaining what the Inspector wants to know and how to fill in the electronic forms or paper documents.

Comments must be received by 12 noon on Friday 12 June 2015 at the very latest. The responses received will be collated and sent on direct to the Inspector for his consideration. It is anticipated that the Inspector will be able to reconvene hearing sessions in July.

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/East-Devon-public-given-chance-comment-planning/story-26338840-detail/story.html

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15 Apr 2015

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EDDC, Tourism

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Purdah?

How can the Midweek Herald announce that it entered a voluntary period of purdah until after the General Election and then run (again) an item on the so-called EDDC Tourism Champion on the “possibility” of Jurassic Coast water- borne transport – a project ruled out last year by ALL partners involved because of the prohibitive cost and the difficulty of constructing appropriate jetties?

Where were the balanced comments of other potential town councillors on this already-buried project?

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14 Apr 2015

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Democracy, East Devon Alliance, EDDC, Latest news, Voting

REMINDER: Meet the Sidmouth Candidates for District Council, TODAY, Weds 15 April, St Francis Hall, Woolbrook

As you can see on our HOME page, several pre-election hustings are being organised by independent bodies around the District. This evening, there’s one in Sidmouth, where for the first time, every single District Councillor is being challenged by Independent candidates. So, tonight’s hustings is a particularly newsworthy event for the press, who will be there.

St Francis Hall, Woolbrook, will be open from 7.30pm, and the hustings will start at around 7.50pm. Questions in advance, please, to  Dave Bramley (VgS Chair) or submit them on arrival, to the organisers.
For details of the meeting, and to contact Dave Bramley, click here: https://www.visionforsidmouth.org/calendar/2015/april/district-council-hustings.aspx

The full list of Sidmouth Election Candidates is on the front page of the latest edition (14 April) of Pullman’s View from Sidmouth. You can’t miss the headline: ‘Independent alliance target Sidmouth’!

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14 Apr 2015

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Affordable and Social Housing, General Election

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Housing associations threaten to sue over “right to buy”

Unintended consequences?

Housing associations set to be crippled by Conservative plans to extend the right-to-buy policy will launch a legal challenge against the move, they have said.

The Tories announced today that they will force housing associations to sell off homes at a fraction of their value despite warnings that the policy could cause the not-for-profits to go bankrupt.

Tony Stacey, chair of a group of 100 housing associations and chief executive of South Yorkshire Housing Association, told trade publication Inside Housing when the policy was first mooted in March that he would “definitely” launch a challenge.

“I would definitely challenge it legally. This is so fundamentally critical to us. It would shoot up to the top of our risk map if it was confirmed. We are duty bound morally to fight it in any way we possibly can,” the Placeshapers chair told the publication.

Other housing association chief executives are quoted as saying they “would be surprised” if a legal challenge did not happen because the policy would risk the viability of the entire social housing sector.

Because housing associations are private not-for-profit businesses, forcing the sale of homes at below market value could potentially breach Article 1, Protocol 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which gives everyone the “right to the peaceful enjoyment of one’s possessions”.

Industry sources also say charity law would have to be changed to accommodate the move because charities, including many housing associations, are prohibited from selling off their assets at below market value.

Today’s move by the Conservatives was criticised by both the Chartered Institute of Housing and the National Housing Federation, which represent housing associations and the industry at large.

Ruth Davison, the Federation’s policy director, said: “We fully support the aspiration of homeownership but extending right-to-buy to housing associations is the wrong solution to our housing crisis.

“Following 40 years of successive governments’ failure to build the homes the country needs, soaring rents and house prices and the biggest baby boom since the 1950s, ensuring that there enough homes today and tomorrow must be our nation’s top priority.”

A spokesperson for the Federation said they would need to see the detail of the policy before they could say whether they would support a legal challenge.

CIH deputy chief executive Gavin Smart said he feared “the figures simply won’t stack up” for the extension.

“Right-to-buy has already had a huge impact on the supply of genuinely affordable homes, which is being cut at a time when more and more people are in need. The next government should be reviewing the way the policy currently works, not extending it,” he argued.

David Cameron officially announced the policy in a speech today, arguing that it could benefit 1.3 million families and turn Britain into a “property-owning democracy”.

“We are the party of working people, offering you security at every stage of your life,” he said.

John Healey, a former Labour housing minister, described the policy as a “cheap Thatcher tribute act” and said it would worsen Britain’s housing shortage.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/generalelection/housing-associations-say-theyll-sue-if-the-tories-force-them-to-sell-off-homes-under-right-to-buy-10175492.html

and more reasons why it is a poorly-thought out policy:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/generalelection/righttobuy-what-is-it–and-why-the-tories-are-doomed-to-repeat-the-mistakes-of-thatcher-10174767.html

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14 Apr 2015

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Claire Wright, EDDC, General Election, Hugo Swire, Independent Councillors

East Devon groundbreaking constituency for Independents for district council AND General Election

Press release from Claire Wright, Independent Parliamentary Candidate

Devon East, where the junior Foreign Office minister Hugo Swire was the local MP and who had a majority of 9,000 in 2010, is now a marginal seat according to the Electoral Reform Society.

Meanwhile Claire Wright, with substantial local government experience, and backed by hundreds of local helpers, is considered by Ladbrokes to be the Independent with the best chance of success in the general election of any Independents in the whole of the UK. The bookies confirm that Claire’s odds have improved further and faster than any genuine, non-local issue Independent for many years. Now considered to be the outstanding challenger to the previous incumbent, Claire continues to garner support and to attract financial contributions from individuals as she will not accept donations from big business.

The backing for Independents in East Devon is not confined to Claire Wright. It also applies at the level of district council. At present, the East Devon District Council is dominated by Conservatives, as it has been for many years.

Two months ago, the East Devon Alliance, previously a successful pressure group, announced that it would form an umbrella group to support candidates wishing to stand at the District council election. Of the 29 wards to be contested, 24 will be fought by Independent candidates. A total of 37 Independent candidates will be standing across the district and 22 will be “Independent East Devon Alliance” on the ballot papers and 15 will be Independent.

Other parties will be fielding 96 candidates but, for the first time ever, the number of Conservatives, at 57, will be overshadowed by the number of non-Conservatives, which is 76.

Paul Arnott, the chairman of the East Devon Alliance said that “taken with the unstoppable rise of the Independent Parliamentary candidate for East Devon, Claire Wright, this phenomenal offer by 37 Independents to the people of the district proves that East Devon better represents the desire for a change in democracy than anywhere else in the United Kingdom.”

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14 Apr 2015

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Clyst St Mary, Democracy, Development Management Committee, East Devon Alliance, EDDC, Environment (local), General Election, Latest news, West End: WestClyst BroadClyst/ Pinhoe

Urgent: Save Clyst St Mary public meeting 15th April re. Westpoint planning application

Westpoint has applied for an exemption to its planning permission to allow timed car trials on its site. Obviously this is a concern as it is likely to be very noisy and could potentially cause additional pollution to the area too..

This is the link to the planning application (15/0139/VAR):
https://planning.eastdevon.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=NIGLWSGHHHM00

Save Clyst St Mary spokesperson, Gaeron Kayley, says:
“Having spoken to The Parish Council, I can confirm there will be a public meeting in the School Hall on Wednesday 15th April Starting at 19.30″

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14 Apr 2015

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Claire Wright, General Election, Hugo Swire

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“True Blue” East Devon going very pale round the gills….

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Hugo-Swire-lose-East-Devon-rivals-fight-Tory/story-26324716-detail/story.html

New kid on the block making the Tories very worried …..

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13 Apr 2015

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EDDC

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You have until Monday to register to vote

Remember, the Electoral Officer fir East Devon is relying on national publicity only for registration – there will be no special push to enrol voters in East Devon specifically.

If you know someone who has not registered, or you want to do it yourself, it is easy and you can do it here:

https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

IT IS NOT TOO LATE TO REGISTER FOR A POSTAL VOTE

Make sure you return your postal vote so that it arrives by polling day, otherwise it will not be counted. A Freepost envelope is included in your postal ballot pack. But, if you are sending it from overseas, you will need to pay the postage.

If it is too late to send your vote back by post, you can hand it in on polling day to the returning officer at your local council, or drop it off at a polling station. For further information contact the Returning Officer.

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13 Apr 2015

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Sidmouth/ Sidford/ Sidbury

Sidmouth District Council Hustings Wednesday 15 April

Sidmouth: Wednesday 15 April

organised by Vision Group for Sidmouth

District Council Hustings. 7.30 pm for 7.50 start. St Francis Hall, Woolbrook EX10 9XH .

Questions in advance to info@visionforsidmouth.org

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13 Apr 2015

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Cranbrook

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East Devon Tories don’t want development in Cranbrook to be controlled by a “politically motivated” town council!

Reading between the lines it seems to suggest that people in Cranbrook will be left to find their own money for their own projects especially as

“The Economic Development Strategy recommends that we work with the community enterprise company [in Cranbrook], because it has greater access to funding, is able to conduct business and enterprise activity more freely than a town council and is not politically motivated.”

So, EDDC Conservatives don’t want development in Cranbrook controlled by a town council – interesting!  Seems that polling might have shown that many people in Cranbrook might well not vote Tory or think the East Devon Tory Way!

Or perhaps their strategy is that ALL town councils should be replaced by an “Economic Development Strategy” – maybe on the lines of the Local Plan’s concentration on “high economic growth”.

Source: http://www.theexeterdaily.co.uk/news/local-news/enterprise-development-strategy-cranbrook

 

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13 Apr 2015

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Claire Wright, Democracy, EDDC, Environment (local), Flooding, General Election, Hugo Swire, Latest news, National Planning Policy Framework, Neil Parish

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‘Peoples’ Voice on Planning’ event has support from all but one Party!

CoVoP crowd
About a hundred people from various parts of East Devon gathered on the lawn terraces at Knowle on Sunday afternoon 12th April to listen to speeches from parliamentary candidates and others about the national planning set-up.

The event was part of a nationwide Day of Action called for by Community Voice on Planning (Covop) and was organised by Covop trustees and Vision Group for Sidmouth.

Parliamentary candidates representing all parties, except the Conservatives ( from both the Honiton and Tiverton and the Devon East constituencies) gave their views on the national planning system and in particular the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

All of them promised reforms, mostly involving prioritising brownfield developments, protecting the countryside and building more affordable homes for local people. Conservative candidates were unable to attend and failed to respond to requests to send a written statement.

The first speaker was ex-judge Ian McKintosh, of East Devon Alliance and Covop. After reviewing the situation nationally and locally, he argued that local communities were being ignored in favour of developers.

Caroline Kolek, Labour candidate for Honiton and Tiverton, claimed that Labour would stop land-banking and prioritise brownfield sites. She shared her slot with Henry Brown, district councillor candidate for St Paul’s ward, Honiton,who made the case for more affordables for local young people.

Paul Edwards of the Green party and candidate for Tiverton and Honiton, said the countryside was our greatest resource and should be protected.

John Kelly, standing in for Andrew Chapman, UKIP parliamentary candidate for Devon East, who was indisposed, argued that the planning crisis was caused by EU regulations.

Stuart Mole, Liberal-Democrat candidate for Devon East, contended that the reforms recommended by the recent Communities and Local Government committtee should be immediately instated, for instance the proposal that all planning permissions be counted towards the 5-year land supply.

Claire Wright, Independent candidate for Devon East, put the blame for the massive increase in inappropriate development squarely on the government’s deregulation of the planning system and on the Local Council’s developer-bias and failure to produce a Local Plan.

Robert Crick, for Vision group of Sidmouth, read a litany of some of the inappropriate developments approved in the district in the past three years together with statistics provided by the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England. These included the prospect of about a thousand houses a year in East Devon until 2031.

A Covop petition, to be presented to the new government, was handed out along with a short guide to the planning system and suggested reforms. The petition is available online at https://you.38degrees.org.uk/p/covop2015

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12 Apr 2015

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NHS (local)

Supermarket workers claim £11 billion in benefits

More than enough to cover current losses in the NHS.

So, basically, we taxpayers subsidise the supermarkets, they reap bigger profits, their sharp accountants make sure there are lots of overseas accounts and minimise the taxes they pat.

Nice one – for the supermarkets!

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12 Apr 2015

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East Devon Tories, General Election, Misc

Conservative Party identity crisis: big business, cronies and morality

In today’s Observer leader, Tim Montgomerie, co-founder of lobby group The Good Right is quoted as saying his party is “going through an identity crisis with its association with individualism, cronyism and big business and “survival of the fittest”.

American philosopher Michael Sandel is also quoted: “Who does the economy serve?” he asks and “welcomes more discussion on morality in politics and public discourse”.

Well, there is plenty of talk in East Devon about Big Business, cronyism and morality in public life!

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12 Apr 2015

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Affordable and Social Housing, Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), EDDC, Environment (local), Local Infrastructure and CIL, Local Plan, Local Plan Inspector

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EDDC and the Case of the Mysterious Numbers

An article in ine of today’s newspapers is about health and the figures for Body Mass Index and cholesterol ( Sunday Times). It makes the point that figures for “healthy” BMI and cholesterol were picked arbitrarily and based on little firm evidence and may be quite wrong.

Rather like EDDC’s old AND new annual housing figures.

Several readers have made the point that they can find no evidence at all for the figure of 950 houses a year for the next 18 years in any of the latest Local Plan documents. All sorts of figures are mentioned for all sorts of scenarios but 950 does not seem to be one of them.

Perhaps this is why Mr Thickett, the Inspector who is usually so quick at responding to EDDC, has yet to reply to EDDC’s submission of the new draft which they sent to him on 18 March 2015 (with Community Infrastructure Levy rate information sent on 30 March). He usually replies witin a few days.

This new draft must be giving him much food for thought.

Surely not yet another enormous blunder that will allow a developer free-for-all to continue well beyond the life of this (currently) Conservative-controlled district council with its “economic growth” at all costs mantra?