Daily Archives: 6 Feb 2016

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6 Feb 2016

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Corruption, Democracy, Lobbying, Local Enterprise Partnership, Transparency

Lobbying: OK if you are a mega/non-taxpaying multinational or Tory donor but not if you are a charity

Charities have said new rules on how they spend government grants amount to making them take a vow of silence.

From May, charities and organisations will no longer be allowed to spend taxpayers’ money on lobbying ministers.

The Cabinet Office said the new clause in grants would mean funds go to good causes, not political campaigns.

Sir Stuart Etherington, chief executive of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations, said it was an “insane policy” that would not work in reality.

“Take a service charity funded to run a helpline. They may well be dealing with ex-servicemen, there will be policy issues that emerge from that. They’re not allowed to tell the government?” he told the BBC.

“The other reason is, if you’ve got mixed funding, how are you going to know which is the government’s and somebody else’s?”

The “draconian” move was “tantamount to making charities take a vow of silence”, he added.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35509117

SO, AS LOCAL ENTERPRISE PARTNERSHIPS GET GRANTS FROM GOVERNMENT WILL THEY ALSO BE BANNED FROM LOBBYING – WHAT DO YOU THINK, OF COURSE NOT!

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6 Feb 2016

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Clyst St Mary, Neighbourhood Plans

Clyst St Mary: Neighbourhood Plan meetings

Neighbourhood Plan
The Neighbour Plan which will protect the village itself is now in its final pre-submission Consultation phase (16 Jan – 1 March 2016). A copy of the draft Plan can be found on the Bishops Clyst Planning website at: http://www.planning.bishopsclyst.co.uk or you can go along to one of the open sessions as listed below:

– Clyst St Mary Village Hall Saturday 6th February 1pm-6pm
– Sowton Village Hall Saturday 13th February 1pm-6pm
– Cat and Fiddle Inn Wednesday 10th February 10am – 1pm

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6 Feb 2016

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Coastal erosion, Environment (local), Exmouth, Flooding, Moirai Exmouth project

Flooding and sandstorm – Exmouth seafront road video

And take a look at the video of a drive on Exmouth seafront road this morning on the Facebook Exmouth Splash (in every sense of the word!) public discussion site.

Exmouth Splash – Public Opinion & Discussion Page

And if anyone says the development doesn’t need an environmental impact assessment – show this to them!

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6 Feb 2016

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Cranbrook, Flooding

Flooding: an observation from Cranbrook

From a correspondent:

I attempted to go to Countrywide today (which used to be described as ‘Countrywide at Broadclyst’, but I guess it is now very much at Cranbrook).

The lane that used to lead there was closed a few months ago when the Cranbrook Educational Campus opened. Today I took the rerouted road and came across a torrent of water flowing across the road, several centimetres in depth.

This never to my knowledge happened on the old lane, and I don’t doubt that the run off from a newly built school will have contributed to this.

I imagine Countrywide are not too happy about the loss of custom, I am sure I am not the only one to have to turn back.

Exemplar of bad planning really! I also noticed the so-called ‘Country Park’ was completely flooded. I do feel sorry for those who live there, they are not responsible for bad planning decisions, but have to live with the consequences now.

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6 Feb 2016

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Asset Management Group, Asset sweating, Beer, EDDC, Transparency

Beer to take over beach management, tourist area. open spaces and car park announces Councillor Pook

“Councillor Geoff Pook (pictured) unveiled proposals to take over the management of the beach, Charlie’s Yard, Jubilee Gardens, the cliff-top car park and a number of open spaces around the village at a parish council meeting on Tuesday.

http://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/if_we_own_it_we_can_shape_our_future_1_4406343

No doubt the news that Exmouth, Budleigh Salterton, Branscombe and Seaton will be taking over beach management, tourist spots, car parks and open spaces will soon follow, as Beer seems to have no unique or special qualifications to take over such lucrative assets.

“Independent” Councillor Pook is Chairman of EDDC’s Asset Management Forum – a currently secretive EDDC group which has only recently been forced to publish its agendas and minutes but does not allow public scrutiny by open meeting.

It was responsible for the initial idea to sell short-term leases on beach huts (which got thrown out after massive public outcry) and for the recommendation on new huge price increases that followed.

In his capacity as a member of Beer Parish Council, Councillor Pook stated that Beer was uniquely placed to take over management of EDDC-owned sites.

Watch this space.

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6 Feb 2016

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Mark Williams CEO EDDC, Voting

Electoral Registration: a report on reform

A long but accessible and easily readable report by the Law Commission which our own Electoral Registration Officer will no doubt be reading closely in order to avoid the problems our district has encountered in the recent past.

Click to access electoral_law_interim_report.pdf

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6 Feb 2016

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Development Management Committee, EDDC, Mark Williams CEO EDDC, Sidmouth/ Sidford/ Sidbury

What you say you said can be very different from what you did say!

“Sid Valley representatives raised concerns that further evidence to support the removal of the site had not been submitted by EDDC to the inspector.

Councillor Marianne Rixson, a ward member for Sidmouth/Sidford, said: “I would like to describe the whole shambolic process of the inclusion of the Sidford employment land as the hokey-cokey. First it was in, then it was out, then it was in because it was never really out at all.”

Mark Williams, chief executive of EDDC, said: “The inspector had already heard all the arguments for and against the inclusion or deletion of Sidford. My advice was it wasn’t actually legally permissible to take the site out at that time.”

http://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/anger_over_hokey_cokey_employment_land_saga_1_4406347

What he actually said at that meeting according to the audio report was:

“The inspector has already heard everything we have said and is yet to tell us what his view is on that part of the application. He may recommend that this site is not suitable and should be removed. It’s his decision now, not yours.

“It’s your funeral if you want to take it out.”

https://eastdevonwatch.org/2015/04/11/sidford-business-park/

No mention of illegality, no obvious advice that it was already too late – indeed “if you want to take it out” sounds like there is a choice, so the DMC decided to attempt to get it removed.

Advice? Hmmm.