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22 Nov 2015

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EDBF, EDDC

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East Devon Business Forum RIP

Anyone remember this?

Planning planted firmly on the Business TAFF agenda

The Economic Development Manager (and Hon Sec of the East Devon Business Forum which dissolved after the Graham Brown affair), Nigel Harrison, has of course quietly moved on.

And now it is discreetly noted, amongst many other things in the minutes of the 3-hour-long Overview Committee (22 Sep 2015), that “The Business Taff was no longer considered to be required or the best way to improve communication with business in East Devon”.

(See last line on page 4, Item 12, Economic development, at this link http://eastdevon.gov.uk/media/1366334/171115-overview-agenda-combined.pdf )

So whatever was all the fuss about?

2 thoughts on “East Devon Business Forum RIP”

  1. It’s amazing isn’t it??

    There is a VERY embarrassing video exposé in the Daily Telegraph of the Chairman of the council’s Local Development Framework Panel who also happens to be the Chairman of the East Devon Business Forum which includes a large number of developers who have a vested interest in what is included in the Local Development Framework (now the Local Plan) offering to get planning permission for any developer (though he “wouldn’t do it for peanuts”). Leaving aside the exposé, it was a clear conflict of interest for him to hold both roles, something neither senior council members nor senior officers should have allowed to happen. In the heat of the publicity, the council promised an investigation.

    But first they prevaricate saying that they could not have their own investigation whilst it was subject to a police investigation (even though the council’s investigation would have been about conflicts of interest, whilst the police investigation was about corruption). Then when the police close the investigation (on the grounds of insufficient evidence to justify a prosecution), they prevaricate further, and then eventually quietly slip a small mention of dropping the inquiry into the small print of an Overview Committee meeting.

    When our council appears to be conspiring in a cover-up, and when they make such efforts to keep their real agendas secret, is it any wonder that many of us have real trust issues with the current council leadership?

    This is yet another disgrace to add to the long list of disgraceful behaviour from EDDC’s Tory leadership.

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  2. I wonder if the number of payments for binding confidentiality agreements has increased of late?

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