https://www.gov.uk/government/news/coastal-community-teams-to-take-control-of-seaside-regeneration
Monthly Archives: July 2015
Planning Minister “will write local plans himself” if councils don’t buck up
He says he and his department will write up Local Plans “in consultation with local people” if any Local Plan is not finalised by early 2017.
Some voters might feel this is an innovation that may be worth waiting for, local people having had little or no influence on current Local Plans!
http://www.brownfieldbriefing.com/news/local-plan-seizure-threat-grows
Cabinet Minister Michael Gove’s wife complains about his treatment at Minor Injuries Unit and a nurse replies
A bone to pick with NHS
My husband tripped over a toy and banged his foot in the middle of the night on Saturday (as you do).
The next morning, I drove him to the nearest minor injuries unit, where a nurse said it was probably broken and required an X-ray. Except, being a Sunday, radiology was shut. She suggested he come back on Monday.
But his work diary was packed (he left home before 8am and returned after I was asleep); Tuesday’s, too. He is still hobbling around on crutches, chucking down painkillers and groaning melodramatically. The foot has not yet been X-rayed. Obviously it’s not life threatening. But it is very painful.Trouble is, like most people, he doesn’t have a spare half-day to sit around awaiting the pleasure of the hospital radiographer.
No one is suggesting NHS staff don’t work very hard and do an excellent job. Just that the service needs to be a 24/7 one. And that means all departments — not just acute emergency departments — need to be available at weekends.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3170220/SARAH-VINE-m-proof-nanny-make-worse-mum.html
A nurse replies
Dear Mr Cameron and Mr Gove,
The hits just keep on coming as they say.
I read with interest this article published in the Telegraph yesterday. It would appear that the practice of besmirching the reputation of the people that keep the NHS working (predominantly on the basis of goodwill alone I might add) is spreading within the Cabinet that governs this nation.
Perhaps I could enlighten you on a few issues that have been grossly misrepresented in this article.
1. The headline claims that Mr Gove was ” left on crutches after doctors were unable to see him over weekend”. Well if Mr Gove attends a nurse lead minor injuries unit why would he expect to see a doctor? Its likely Mr Gove would have known he was visiting a minor injuries unit and it also clearly stated on the hospital’s website that its nurse-lead. Surely it is not beyond the wit of a former Education Secretary to realise this and if indeed a doctors opinion was specifically required, why not make use of the out of hours service? Finally and perhaps most important, is it being implied that an experienced nurse is incapable of providing sound medical advice?
2. Mr Gove was unable to receive treatment because of a lack of “Sunday services”. Again if you visit a hospital with a minor injuries unit who’s main function is rehabilitation (see website) what do you expect? It cannot be claimed that such a small community hospital is representative of NHS acute services. I’m pretty sure that Mr Gove would have been redirected to a hospital with an A&E if it was clinically indicated. There I’m certain he would have found plenty of consultants and dare I say it radiographers too!
3. “NHS radiology departments are closed on Sundays”. On what planet?! Ask the thousands of people involved in road traffic accidents, the people attending hospitals over the weekend with chest complaints, the inpatients who need urgent scans, the patients suffering heart attacks that need cardiologists; the list goes on. Most importantly, ask the legion of radiographers and radiologists who perform and interpret the images 24 hours a day 365 days a year. How dare you tell such a bare faced lie Ms Vine?!
4. Ms Vine also states that Mr Gove “like most people, doesn’t have a spare half-day to sit around awaiting the pleasure of the hospital radiographer”.
What an incredibly offensive statement. This exemplifies the total lack of understanding this government has. If you want 7 day services, PAY FOR IT! If you cannot or don’t want to pay for it be honest, say so and stop LYING to the public.
Indeed on this particular point, it is claimed that Mr Gove was too busy to see a doctor during the week because of his busy schedule. I’m afraid it was Mr Gove’s decision to wait till the weekend when his condition and pain worsened before seeking medical attention. If you are ill, see a doctor promptly if its that bad; preferably when the medical services are better staffed and equipped to deal with your complaint. If you insist on using under resourced acute and emergency services to fit in with your working life, please do not complain when you have to wait to see the hardworking and dedicated professionals that are prioritising their time according to clinical need.
Finally Gentlemen, lets stop with the propaganda and political games. It is simply dangerous to continue having this steady drip of negative press, its not journalism. There are far bigger issues to deal with and these “stories” are divisive and ultimately dangerous especially when given any semblance of legitimacy by the national press. We healthcare professionals understand this danger which is why we will never give in. So please roll up your sleeves and do what you were elected to do, solve the problems of our nation and don’t allow the NHS to fall apart under your watch.
Anyone notice something about this press release for Exeter Science Park?
Answer: it is a non-story! At no point in the puff job is a potential tenant named!
EDDC us a partner in this project, along with Skypark, once touted as a suitable place for its new HQ and still with the majority of its space empty.
It seems all is not well at these so-called high-tech industrial areas on the outskirts of Exeter and Cranbrook. Yet thousands of houses are already being built for people supposed to be working in them. Recipe for disaster?
But still, a good exercise in making no news good news!
Perhaps our councillors should be scrutinising these projects and how much it is costing us to keep these sites ticking over and publicised.
Exeter Science Park was “topped out” in August 2014:
Skypark was supposed to provide 7,000 new jobs. Only three companies currently operate on the site: the E.ON energy centre for Cranbrook, ampn ambulance call centre and a locally-relocated parcel delivery service. It has proved impossible to find on the net just how many NEW jobs these three organisations have provided at Skypark.
East Devon District Council: happy-clappy Facebook and Twitter accounts
Did you know that EDDC has a Facebook account and at least three Twitter accounts?
They are all somewhat incestuously happy-clappy as you might expect (though would this be construed as political rather than informative?).
If you feel a burning need to give your feedback to EDDC in general or the recycling and procurement services in particular, here are the links:
https://www.facebook.com/eastdevon
https://mobile.twitter.com/eastdevon
https://mobile.twitter.com/eddcprocurement
https://mobile.twitter.com/recyclingeddc
and if you know of other EDDC social media accounts that we can utilise, please let us know!
Moirai: project at Milton Keynes waterpark bellyflops too
Moirai – the property company involved in Exmouth Water front development – a chequered past
The report below, together with the comments below it have in the public domain for a long time – certainly during the time that EDDC has been seeking a partner for the Exmouth waterfront development. And this is not (by far) the only case of EDDC choosing controversial partners.
The due diligence documentation will be interesting!
Labour Group Call for Termination of Oasis Agreement
Published 11th July 2014, Updated 12 months ago by JimGrant
The Swindon Labour Group Leader, Councillor Jim Grant, has called on Swindon Borough Council to terminate its Development Agreement with Moirai Capital Investments, following news that Moirai have breached its agreement with Swindon Borough Council.
The Labour Group Leader said he had obtained information that Moirai had breached its agreement with the Council by failing to obtain a planning application for its development master plan by the contractual deadline, March 13th 2014, and because of Moirai’s shell company, MW Contract Services Ltd (formerly Oasis Operations Ltd), going in to liquidation. Last month it was revealed that the shell company owed £850,000 to creditors at the time of its liquidation, including local small businesses like Storm Recruitment, based in Commercial Road, which is owed £4,721, and Carlton Services in Old Town, which is owed more than £2,000.
Councillor Grant said he had been told that if the agreement is terminated then the leases for phases 2, 3 and 4 (the former Clare’s site) of the proposed development will automatically terminate and the sites would then come back to the Council. However he’s been informed that the lease for the Oasis, which is phase 1, does not automatically terminate if the development agreement terminates, as this requires a fundamental breach of the agreement to happen.
The Swindon Labour Group Leader, Councillor Jim Grant, said:
“Following the recent revelations about Moirai’s handling of the Oasis development, I had asked Council Officers whether the company had breached its terms of agreement with the Council and I was told in no uncertain terms that they had. Morai have broken the terms of the agreement in different ways the most serious of which is that a shell company of theirs went into liquidation owing around £450k to HMRC and local companies.
When the development and long-term lease on the Oasis and surrounding area was proposed with Morai we did support the development because we felt regenerating the area in to a regional leisure destination was an exciting offer that the Swindon public would like to see and we had no reason to believe Moirai Capital Investments was anything other than a respectable company who would deliver on their commitments. However obviously new evidence has come to light that shows Moirai is not only failing to deliver on their commitments but also applying some questionable business practices which have affected local businesses in Swindon who have provided services to the Oasis and then have failed to be paid. We are standing up for those businesses as well as defending the interest of Swindon’s council-taxpayer.
It can’t be forgotten that the whole Oasis site is a hugely valuable site worth millions of pounds, so to give this site up for free to a company who have a track record in Swindon of failing to meet their commitments, doesn’t make sense to us in terms of delivering value for money to Swindon residents. And we think this decision will be supported by many those small businesses who are still owed money by Moirai’s shell company.”
– See more at: http://southswindonlabour.co.uk/south-swindon-constituency/2014/07/labour-group-call-termination-oasis-agreement#sthash.YyWfF1gy.dpuf
Outoftowner:
— Quote —What, as reliable as a WiFi IT Adventure, you mean?
— End quote —
I see a couple of blokes with a string of companies behind them, none of them successful and a few far from successful. Who does that remind us of? Why someone who SBC can put public trust and assets into the hands of obviously.
Yes, Tobes.
10 minutes on the https://www.duedil.com/web-site, a bus ticket to London and ask a question like, “Show me a previous successful business like you plan at The Oasis.”
Too much trouble to go to before giving away a public asset?
Terry Reynolds:
should be good at the cabinet meeting tonight…..
Weebleman:
— Quote from: Outoftowner on April 23, 2014, 03:10:05 PM —Moirai Capital Investments Limited – set up in 2009 and now Non Trading
Moirai Capital Investments (Swindon) Limited – set up in Jan 2012 has liabilities of over £200,000 more than it is worth.
Moirai Capital Investments (Torquay) Limited – set up in Nov 2012 and now Non Trading
Moirai Capital Investments (Milton Keynes) Limited set up in Dec 2013, has not reported yet.
Moirai Capital Investments (No 7) Limited – Operated for a few months in 2011 and then was dissolved.
All these companies have registered offices on the first floor of quite a nice terraced house, in Woodberry Grove, North Finchley, London.
Mr Sarju Rach and Mr Nicholas David Lewis are directors of all of the above companies as well as, Oasis Waterpark Limited and, Oasis Arena Limited.
To my untrained eye, all of the above looks about as solid and reliable as a few other companies that SBC have been dealing with in the recent past.
How much would it have cost to get the bus to London and knocked on the door of the “Registered Office” to see what these companies were about? :coffee:
— End quote —
Good hunting OOT, but you forgot to mention Oasis Ski Limited and Oasis Real Estate Limited — both of which were formed on the same date (30 June 2012) as the other “Oasis” companies. Just when did the council decide to give away the Oasis I wonder, and if it was after that date then who gave the “heads up” ?
Anyway, I don’t know what you’re worried about. Handing over your money to a Nicholas David Lewis must be a shrewd move, after all being an active director of 17 companies at the tender age of 22 must make him a real wizz kid….. not educated in Swindon, that’s for sure. Wonder if he knows there’s a vacancy on the board of the Brunel Nightclub? :coffee:
Outoftowner:
http://ww5.swindon.gov.uk/moderngov/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=47351
Please read the above SBC document to see what clauses have been removed from the Oasis lease. This is to help Oasis Water Parks Ltd. fund their refurbishment. This is not quite what was promised was it?
Now see what he same outfit promised Paignton and Milton Keynes local authorities less than 2 months ago. Surely they won’t want to alter any terms in those leases too would they?
650 jobs in £45million Paignton leisure park dream.
UK’s largest waterpark could be built at Milton Keynes National Bowl
It all reminds me of the time Dennis Grant was announcing big plans for the Cotswold Waterpark. I loved the one about creating a full size replica of Stonehenge. His stone supplier was someone whose largest stones are used to make stone jewellery!
Terry Reynolds:
Post cabinet report…. I reported the 5 moira investments that are either now not trading or dissolved or owing up to liabilities of over £200k, and the reply I received from Coun Williams, was that the company had been investigated in recent weeks and months and nothing toward was found and they had no debt problems, He didn’t reply about why they have sub let the Oasis to the GLL Group. But did say that the Oasis had a good future in front of it, Richard also asked questions about the group which I’m sure he will enlarge on.
I also asked about the 300k given to UK Broadband and was this the same road as the wifi fiasco. Mr McKellar, replied that the UK Broadband deal was a good one and they would return a good profit in the near future. He also did not reply to the question as to what we have to actually show for it now.
On another tack, this was the last cabinet meeting before the elections in May, and after public questions, councillors from all groups can ask questions on the subjects raised and take the cabinet to task. This evening, only one labour councillor and none from the lib dems came to the meeting, so apart from 2 or 3 points raised by Mr Moffat, they had a very easy ride.. Is that the oppositions role in life I wonder..
Which Health Care Commissioning group advertised its board meeting the day after in happened?
Yes, ours.
Board Meeting of the Eastern group which covers East Devon and now has no tenderers for its out-of-hours services advertised its latest board meeting in the Express and Echo which was published today (23 July) when the board meeting took place yesterday.
No wonder we are in an NHS nightmare.
Loved what it said though:
“Although the meeting will be [was] held in public, it is not a public meeting. You are invited to listen to the Board’s discussions, observe the decision-making process and have the opportunity to ask questions related to issues discussed at the invitation of the chairman of the locality board. Questions can be submitted to the Board 3 days in advance”
So, you can’t speak about what they say on the day, only on guess what you think they might say and submit a question that the Chairman may or may not allow!
Contract for urgent care in Devon has no bidders – with fewer community hospitals what next?
Devon Doctors has withdrawn its tender to provide out-of-hours services to the NHS Northern, Easters and Western Devon Commissioning Group, as the money offered to provide urgent care services is less than the service will cost. They will cease provision in March 2016.
They were the only bidder (and current providers) of out-of-hours GP services, dentistry and minor injury treatment.
“When asked what impact this would have a spokesperson said …”Clearly this uncertainty is not helpful and could have an unsettling effect on staff and clinicians”.
We must also assume that this is one of the services meant to enable people to have treatment that, where possible, would allow people to be cared for at home.
With Axminster and Ottery St Mary hospitals now closing how on earth can people be treated at home if a crucial part of the service is not available?
Anyone remember the antiquated Army “Green Goddess” fire engines that were used many years ago when firefighters went on strike? How long before we have army ambulances and army doctors in East Devon?
Source: Express and Echo “Setback for delivery of urgent care”, page 2, Anita Merritt (no web link found)
Are you being nudged? Do you care?
And can we nudge EDDC into behaving better? How?
The rise of nudge – the unit helping politicians to fathom human behaviour:
Pegasus senior officer has colourful (and expensive) local authority past
A perfect fit for East Devon! Perhaps they could also recruit him to build Diviani Towers as the new HQ in Honiton!
Committee stitch-ups: they happen everywhere
We know all about them in East Devon but they go all the way to the top!
“Heathrow opponents Justine Greening, Theresa May and Philip Hammond have been excluded from a Cabinet committee which will rule on expansion of airport capacity in the South East.”
Devon Police and Crime Commissioner “exremely concerned” about budget cuts
And there is diddly-squat he on his £85,000 plus expenses salary or his 30 plus staff at a cost of £300,000 plus can do about it:
Hogg salary:
http://www.devonandcornwall-pcc.gov.uk/about-us/the-police-and-crime-commissioner/about-tony/
Perhaps one of the 40% savings demanded by Mr Osborne could be these useless posts all over the country.
This is how you do coastal protection Councillor Moulding
http://www.midweekherald.co.uk/news/top_accolade_for_coastal_scheme_1_4162706
Compare with this “progress”:
http://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/progress_in_sidmouth_s_coastal_defence_project_1_4162256
Eat your hearts out Pennington Point residents.
“Housing ladder collapses for under 40s”
Generation rent: the housing ladder starts to collapse for the under-40s:
Cart before horse and jumping the gun at Knowle with Pegasus Life ?
Mention is made in today’s Midweek Herald that contracts have been exchanged with Pegasus Life for a residential and assisted living complex at Knowle, with a spa and restaurant which will be open to the public.
Isn’t there just the little problem of putting in a planning application and getting it approved first?
Or is this not the way things are done in East Devon?
Their 16 storey high-rise development in Sutton Coldfield wasn’t popular:
http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/business/business-news/sutton-coldfield-care-village-plans-7872196
Network Rail is VERY unhappy with them in Dawlish and said they could be committing an “act of nuisance”:
http://www.railnews.co.uk/news/2015/01/09-dawlish-plan-could-be-act.html
and their demolition of part of a Grade 2 listed mansion in Sevenoaks to provide a car park and kitchens wasn’t well received either:
A masterclass on how to turn bad news into no news into good news
To read this EDDC spin you would assume that the project on Sidmouth coastal defences has gone fantastically well. In reality it has dragged on, and on, and on. And reading between the lines, that is exactly how it will continue.
A particular masterpiece of spin that has us laughing out loud is this from Andrew Moulding:
“It is tremendously exciting to have reached the fourth stage of this long and technically challenging coastal defence project – we are now only a short step away from being in a position where we can actually start to produce the BMP itself and provide a detailed plan for the short, medium and long-term management of the beach and cliffs.”
http://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/progress_in_sidmouth_s_coastal_defence_project_1_4162256
A short step away from STARTING!
Oh, and they forget to mention that, with 25-40% cuts in government spending, the chances of anything happening are slim.
Contrast this with Lyme Regis where a £20m four-phase scheme was completed in one year in 2014 which consisted of a 390m (1,200ft) stretch of sea wall should last 50 years and will safeguard nearly 500 homes and access to the town.
Local Tory MPs agree with Claire Wright on tourism funding
We can recall not long ago Claire Wright being savaged by Leader Diviani and many of his cronies for daring to put forward a motion at EDDC for a cut in tourism VAT to bring it in line with other European countries:
As she wrote:
“I also asked for a recorded vote to take place. The conservatives voted against a recorded vote. … To much chuntering and heckling, the final vote was 23 votes against to 14 in favour. The conservatives voted largely as a block, with a few abstentions. Cllr Mike Howe DID vote in favour, however.”
Now it appears that South West Tory MPs agree with her:
Which just leaves East Devon District Council out of step … again.
Do we need a Police and Crime Commissioner when ours stands down in May?
He has more than 30 staff, a very expensive office building and appears to have achieved very little if anything (as with all Police and Crime Commissioners). Estimates of the cost of Police and Crime Commissioners so far (just over 3 years) is between £50 – £70 million.
He mentions that he won’t miss his commute from Helston to Exeter. Probably neither will we, as it is a 200 mile round trip for which we presumably pay his travel expenses.
Imagine how many police, doctors, nurses or teachers that could have funded.
Town councils becomes bigger town council to join consortium
The way of things to come? Not just districts joining together – towns joining together. Sidmouth and Budleigh? Axminster and Seaton? Cranbrook and Ottery? …
East Devon Watch 