Monthly Archives: February 2016

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19 Feb 2016

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Affordable and Social Housing, Developers/ Development, Environment (local), Rural communities

“Cornwall for change” (70 town and parish councils) campaigns to protect countryside

“A group of town and parish councils has launched a campaign to protect “the green fields of Cornwall”.

The group Cornwall for Change, representing 70 town and parish councils, said there was great concern about the way planning was being executed in the Duchy.

And their fight won support from the House of Lords late last week.

Campaigners said that Cornwall Council has already given permission for nearly 30,000 new homes, most of which are to be built on green fields around existing towns.

“This will increase traffic, have a big (bad) visual impact and make little or no benefit to locals who need genuinely affordable homes,” the organisers said.

“We need to make much smarter use of existing sites in and around Cornwall’s town centres so they can flourish once again.”

Orlando Kimber, spokesman for the umbrella group, said: “We are seeing 52,000 new homes planned, and all over the place they are being built on the green fields of Cornwall.

“Using brownfield sites would reduce the pressure on transport, and increase housing density in towns, which Cornwall Chamber of Commerce is in favour of.

“We recognise that Cornwall Council is under pressure with its budget, and we feel that whatever money it does have, it should spend wisely.”

He has previously called for an audit of brownfield sites in the Duchy, and gave the example of two suitable brownfield sites in Bodmin – the Walker Lines industrial estate and the MPG book factory, which is now acquired by Ocean Housing. …”

http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Battle-save-Green-fields-Cornwall/story-28767974-detail/story.html

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19 Feb 2016

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AONB, Developers/ Development, EDDC

Alternative photographic competition.

For those of you who never read the “sticky” section at the top of the page and rush to see the latest post, this is duplicated for your benefit:

NEWS- PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION
The alternative East Devon Photographic Competition

EDDC, in its infinite wisdom, has decided to run a photographic competition. The intention is to offer a prize and to use the 12 best shots to make up an EDDC Countryside calendar:

http://www.midweekherald.co.uk/news/get_snapping_for_district_photo_contest_1_4422625

Entries by 30 April 2016.

Owl, in its flights over East Devon has been struck by an increasing absence of “countryside” – catching the vermin it needs to survive has become increasingly difficult!

So, Owl is running an Alternative East Devon Calendar Photo Competition:

THE EAST DEVON DISTRICT COUNTRYSIDE DESTRUCTION CALENDAR
PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION
All entries will be considered and entries will close on 30 April 2016.

The twelve winning entries will be published (that’s the prize) and, if you want to make a calendar from them, feel free!

Anonymous contributions will be allowed but please let us know when and where your entry was photographed.

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18 Feb 2016

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Asset sweating, EDDC

Would you call this a “Transformation Strategy”? Or “slash and burn”?

Look at pages 7, 8, 11 and 14 for example …

Click to access transformation-strategy.pdf

Privatise, reduce democratic input to committees, boot out small businesses from the Honiton Business Centre but keep our own nests nice and cosy.

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18 Feb 2016

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Corruption, Developers/ Development, Planning System

Choose your planning application processor: a recipe for corruption?

“Councils to compete to process planning applications under new proposals
Councils will compete to process planning applications and offer fast-track application services under new government proposals set out today.

The proposals will allow the government to pilot a scheme in a number of areas where planning applications can be made either to the local authority or to another ‘approved provider’.

Councils would also be able to offer a fast-track application service similar to a fast-track passport application, either through competition pilots or devolution deals.

Communities secretary Greg Clark MP said: “Council planning departments play a vital role in getting local housebuilding off the ground, but for too long they have had no incentive to get things done quickly or better, resulting in drawn out applications and local frustration.”

Other proposals include increasing planning fees by a proportionate amount which is linked to inflation and performance, separating decision-making on ‘in principle’ issues such as location from technical issues, and increasing rights to support the development of free schools.

The proposals, which relate to the Housing and Planning Bill, are open for consultation until 15 April.”

http://www.publicsectorexecutive.com/Public-Sector-News/councils-to-compete-to-process-planning-applications-under-new-proposals?utm_source=Public%20Sector%20Executive&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=6791173_PSE%20Bulletin%20Feb%2016%20wk%203&dm_i=IJU,41K3P,KSFJZ3,EMN6J,1

Owl can imagine planning consultants jockeying for the business – but “they won’t come cheap”.

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18 Feb 2016

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EDDC, Exmouth, Moirai Exmouth project, Public Open Space

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The privatisation of public spaces – a fast-growing threat

” … Our parks are in the midst of a funding crisis which will almost certainly see the commercial world take another step inside our public space. Despite the widely recognised benefits that parks provide – in terms of health and wellbeing, social cohesion and biodiversity, as well as protection against flooding and defence against pollution – there is no national body to protect them and no statutory requirement for councils to pay for them.

Local authorities have subsequently announced huge cuts to park budgets – 50% in Liverpool, and more than 60% in Newcastle. Others seek alternative sources of funding that threaten the integrity of public space, like Go Ape or Winter Wonderland. These range from the mildly irritating – the Chinook helicopter that hovered over my nearest park filming James Bond for several hours in the middle of the night last summer – to the potentially devastating, such as in Bexley, where the council is selling off at least four of its open spaces.

More will follow. Our parks are in the midst of a funding crisis which will almost certainly see the commercial world take another step inside our public space. Despite the widely recognised benefits that parks provide – in terms of health and wellbeing, social cohesion and biodiversity, as well as protection against flooding and defence against pollution – there is no national body to protect them and no statutory requirement for councils to pay for them.

Local authorities have subsequently announced huge cuts to park budgets – 50% in Liverpool, and more than 60% in Newcastle. Others seek alternative sources of funding that threaten the integrity of public space, like Go Ape or Winter Wonderland. These range from the mildly irritating – the Chinook helicopter that hovered over my nearest park filming James Bond for several hours in the middle of the night last summer – to the potentially devastating, such as in Bexley, where the council is selling off at least four of its open spaces. …”

http://gu.com/p/4gn3b

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18 Feb 2016

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Austerity cuts

Austerity not working

“The OECD has called for its rich-country members to ease up on austerity and collectively agree to spend more on infrastructure projects to boost flagging growth.

The Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development expressed concern about the state of the global economy as it cut growth forecasts made three months ago and warned that low interest rates and money creation by central banks were no longer enough for a lasting recovery.

Marking the latest stage in its shift away from support for austerity, the OECD criticised the over-reliance on monetary policy – low interest rates and the money-creation process known as quantitative easing – and urged that countries adopt a more balanced approach.

The OECD has in the past supported the deficit-reduction programme taken by the UK chancellor, George Osborne, but believes Britain should now join with other countries in spending more on public investment.

“A stronger collective policy response is needed to strengthen demand,” the OECD said in its interim economic outlook, which reduced growth estimates for every member of the G7 group of leading industrial nations – the US, the UK, Germany, Japan, Italy, France and Canada.

“Monetary policy cannot work alone. Fiscal policy is now contractionary in many major economies. Structural reform momentum has slowed.”

http://gu.com/p/4gpv4

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18 Feb 2016

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Colyton, Developers/ Development

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Attempt to very quietly close public footpaths in Colyton to aid development

From a correspondent:

“A group of landowners, Stubbings Group, are trying to close Footpath 8 Northleigh, 3 Farway, 6 Colyton and 10 Southleigh.

Colyton Parish Council have supported the closure contrary to an appeal by a former councillor September 2014.

The last proposal to agree the closures was dominated by Andrew Parr, proposed by Bob Collier and seconded by Colin Pady – all members of the Feoffees. The Stubbins Group have 4 members of the Hurford family – one of which was also a Feoffee for many many years.

There was going to be a public appeal in February 2015 in Northleigh but now it is going to be judged on paperwork only and submissions. The Ramblers have put in a large document.

The East Devon Way has had to go on road from the original route because of this and Devon County Council have 2 new bridges sitting in a depot because the land owners will not allow access over their land to erect them until this legal battle is decided.

However, if anyone wants to challenge the closure and make a comment it has to be in by Monday 22nd February 2015, which has not been publicised by Colyton Parish Council.

Chairman Andrew Parr told this correspondent following a meeting on Wednesday that it was too late to submit an appeal but this is not correct.

If you want to lodge your comments they must be there before Monday 22nd to:

Planning Inspectorate, Helen Sparks, Rights of Way section, Room 3/25, Hawk Wing, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Temple Quay, Bristol BS1 6PN

OR email:helen.sparks@pins.gsi.gov.uk

which if done any now from now over the weekend would get there.”

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18 Feb 2016

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AONB, NPPF, Planning System

District council wins appeal at Planning court which overules Inspector’s decision

“A district council has won a Planning Court appeal after an inspector granted outline permission for a 103-dwelling development.

Wealden District Council had refused to grant Knight Developments permission for the site at Steel Cross, north of Crowborough in East Sussex.

However on 16 July 2015 a planning inspector upheld the company’s appeal.
The council then applied under section 288 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 for that decision to be quashed.

In Wealden District Council v Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government & Anor [2016] EWHC 247 (Admin) the council advanced three grounds in the Planning Court. These related to:

i) Nitrogen deposition (through the additional traffic generated). The Inspector had erred in law when concluding that the proposals would have no significant effect on the Ashdown Forest Special Area of Conservation (SAC), pursuant to section 61 of the Habitats Regulations, in particular:

a) in finding that contributions to SAMMS (Strategic Access Management and Monitoring Strategy) would mitigate any such effect; or

b) by failing to have regard to evidence that proposed contributions to heathland management could not effectively mitigate any such effect.

ii) NPPF 116 & alternative sites. The Inspector had erred in his consideration of National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 116 when concluding that there were no alternative sites to meet the need for the proposed development, by failing to take into account relevant evidence or acting unreasonably.

iii) Inadequate reasons. The Inspector’s reasons for his findings on grounds (i) and (ii) above had fallen below the required standard.

Both defendants – the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and Knight Developments – submitted that the inspector’s decision did not disclose any error of law.” …

For remainder of summary see:
http://localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=26035:district-council-wins-planning-court-appeal-over-permission-for-103-dwelling-scheme&catid=63&Itemid=31

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17 Feb 2016

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Clyst St Mary

Clyst St Mary update – addendum

“It has been pointed out that in the previous email that you received that I stated the Sports and Recreation Club was set up by the Parish Council. In fact the Sports and Recreation Club was set up by Peter Cain and has two Parish Council members on it.”

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17 Feb 2016

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Coastal erosion, DCC, EDDC, Hugo Swire, Sidmouth/ Sidford/ Sidbury, Stuart Hughes

Sidmouth beach erosion: support – but no money

Everyone SEES the problem
Everyone KNOWS the solution
NOBODY has the money

And all Swire can say: nice to see a bit of progress since 2001 but don’t look at me – pay for it by flogging off Port Royal!

“After the recent wild weather, Councillor Stuart Hughes fears that the Ham’s sewage pumping station could be ‘overwhelmed’ and said it needs protecting – and now, writes Stephen Sumner.

East Devon’s MP Hugo Swire also says any necessary work will have his ‘full support’.

However, East Devon District Council (EDDC), which is leading a long-term plan to protect the beach, told the Herald that there is no government funding available for immediate intervention.

“If the sewage pumping station was affected, Sidmouth would close down,” said Cllr Hughes. “Where would all the sewage go? How can you have a holiday resort without a sewage system? We need to do something before it’s too late.”

South West Water (SWW) has played down any concerns.

EDDC is drawing up a beach management plan (BMP) for the town and a draft of it is expected in the autumn. However, the implementation of any protection scheme could take years.

Mr Swire said: “This is a prime example of why it is absolutely vital that we deal with the problem of cliff erosion at Pennington Point and improve Sidmouth’s flood defences. This has been an ongoing issue since I was first elected as MP in 2001, and I am pleased that progress is finally being made with the publication of the BMP. However, it is likely that the BMP will not be implemented for another five years, so interim measures might be needed. Any necessary measure will, of course, have my full support. Generally speaking, I believe that any solution which addresses the problem of cliff erosion and the Alma Bridge needs to be part of a wider redevelopment that includes Port Royal and the Ham.”

Sewage is pumped from The Ham up to the treatment works at Sidford and final effluent is discharged out to sea.

A spokeswoman for SWW said the ‘substantial reinforced concrete’ pumping station is not considered to be at ‘significant or immediate risk’ of structural damage by the sea. It has an overflow it can operate in the event of it becoming overwhelmed by surface water.

An EDDC spokeswoman said there is currently no government funding available for interim measures to protect the seafront while the BMP is being drafted and funding would need to be found elsewhere. She added that a repair project to stabilise the training wall and retaining wall at Port Royal is under way.

“The timeframe for work to start on the main scheme depends on the preferred option coming out of the BMP, but we are looking to complete the funding application to the Government as soon as practicable,” said the spokeswoman.

Among potential protection works being considered in the BMP are options to remove rock groynes from the main beach and raise the height of the sea wall. Other possibilities are the construction of new groynes off the east beach, a replacement promenade at Jacob’s Ladder and a continuation of shingle recycling.”

http://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/fears_for_sidmouth_seafront_do_something_before_it_s_too_late_1_4415417

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17 Feb 2016

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Local Enterprise Partnership, NHS (local)

HAVE YOU BOOKED FOR THE LEP ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2016?

“The 2016 LEP Annual Conference on 22 March is attracting some heavyweight thought leadership to give you a valuable insight into what LEPs can do for your business to generate economic growth and drive up UK productivity. They include the newly appointed Director-General of the CBI, Carolyn Fairbairn, the Chair of the Local Government Association, Lord Porter, Chief Economist and Director of Policy at the IoD, James Sproule, and Martin Donnelly, BIS Permanent Secretary.

If you want to know how to effectively engage with LEPs, what they can do for you, and how they can help your business boost growth, make sure you book your seat to join other leaders of Government, business and local government who are at the heart of economic policy.”

http://www.lepnetwork.net/

But if you don’t have a business that needs to boost growth or drive up UK productivity – beggar off!

(How do you get “health and wellbeing” to boost productivity? when our LEP takes it over? Get more people to die quicker? Then pay fewer carers less money, perhaps).

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17 Feb 2016

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Economy, EDDC, Local Enterprise Partnership

In 2014 our enterprise partnership had an income of £250,000 so how come it can now run Devon and Somerset?

Here is an interview the LEP CEO, Chris Garcia, gave in February 2014:

“We have core funding but we are not a Regional Development Agency. I get £250,000 as core funding per annum and there’s some money to pay for contractors so you can see that’s not a lot of money.”

http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Q-HotSW-LEP-chief-executive-Chris-Garcia/story-20658175-detail/story.html

Was this including salaries of Board Members and staff – we don’t know because they don’t publish accounts.

He then went in to say, in the same article:

… Partnership is fundamental to us. My view is that the LEP is there to facilitate and build those partnerships that will make a difference.

Q) That sounds like a public sector approach when the LEP is meant to be private sector-led. What’s your response to that?

A) Investment comes from two sources –the private sector and public sector. Our role is to maximise both so we can’t just say we’re only private sector. We have to recognise that the £200 billion that is out there is money controlled by the public sector and distributed by the public sector. If I’m to maximise the amount of money that comes into the South West, I have to satisfy the National Audit Office and government departments. We have to recognise that’s fundamental – but at the same time we need the flexibility to work however we wish. …”

However they wish – hmmm.

For anyone wanting to understand the history of LEPs (originally having taken over Regional Development Agency assets and tied in only with Enterprise Zones) this is useful reading:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2010-to-2015-government-policy-local-enterprise-partnerships-leps-and-enterprise-zones/2010-to-2015-government-policy-local-enterprise-partnerships-leps-and-enterprise-zones

How our LEP (secretive, unaccountable, non-transparent, politically-appointed business people whose only driver is “growth”) suddenly morphed into a group capable of taking control of millions and millions of pounds of our assets, potential grants and direct income from all of us in Devon and Somerset – as well taking responsibility for “health and well-being” AND directing where Housing IN ADDITION to that in neighbourhood and Local Plans should go, is not covered in that document and remains a mystery.

Whose idea WAS it to give this small group such a lot of power?

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17 Feb 2016

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Devolution, Economy, Local Enterprise Partnership

Hinkley Point decision: substance or spin?

“We have the intention to proceed rapidly with the investment decision for Hinkley Point,” EDF CEO Jean-Bernard Levy told reporters.

He added that EDF had not yet finalised talks with its Chinese partners before the Chinese New Year break. “Today we estimate this final decision is very close,” he said.

Levy said it would take about three years, possibly a bit more, of study and work with sub-contractors before EDF will begin building the first definitive structures on the Hinkley Point C site, though the company will do terracing and other preparatory work between now and then.”

http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-edf-results-britain-hinkley-idUKKCN0VP1TU

Er, not quite a decision then, more a bit of spin?

And, still, we need a BREXIT strategy … how much more will it cost if we are not EU members then?

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17 Feb 2016

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Austerity cuts, Economy

“Growth” and zero hours contract hell

When you read all those promises of 1,000 jobs to be created here and 500 jobs there, first realise that this is rarely the true number (in East Devon recently such promises led to only half the number of jobs originally promised at Premier Inn, Exmouth, for example) and the read this article on zero hours contracts – a favoured method of employment in many companies:

“Employers counter any criticisms of the use of zero-hours contracts by arguing that employees like the flexibility. The ONS findings, and discussion with those on the contracts, suggest otherwise. In Liverpool, a young mother with two children told me over a cup of tea how both she and her partner were on zero-hours contracts. He had originally planned to meet me at their house as well, but had been offered more hours and felt that the precarity of the contract meant that if he turned it down, he would deliberately be overlooked for future shifts. By the end of the week, he would have worked 70 hours.

The mother worked in a shop, alongside sales assistants on regular contracts. Her work ebbed and flowed with the seasons: more work at Christmas and over New Year, with sales and the festive run on gifts, and more shifts over the summer and Easter breaks, when the staff on regular contracts took their children on holiday. During school breaks, both rarely spent a whole day with their children, but the fear of the weeks where there was a shortfall in rent meant they’d never turned down a shift, even when sick. She told me that they were desperate for permanent contracts offering economic stability and a routine for their children, but were told they were lucky to have anything. …

… A Guardian investigation revealed appalling working conditions at a Sports Direct warehouse, where over 80% of the staff were employed on zero-hours contracts. The conditions included labyrinthine rules on uniforms, pay docked if staff were a minute late, and pay rates that were effectively below the minimum wage. It was able to get away with this because staff without guaranteed pay are effectively powerless, and have to operate at the whim of their employer. Parents who were too scared to take time off work told schools to keep children in when they were sick, rather than risk losing their job.

That’s the fear of zero-hours contracts: that one day, you find your hours have dropped to zero and you’ve effectively been sacked. You can’t challenge your employer over their decision, because effectively, contractually, they were doing you a favour by giving you any shifts at all. A man in his 40s in Redcar told me outside the jobcentre that he had been given no shifts by his construction firm for eight weeks. The jobcentre adviser insisted he was employed, so he wasn’t entitled to jobseeker’s allowance. If he left the job, he’d be deemed to have quit voluntarily … so wouldn’t be entitled to jobseeker’s allowance. This paradox is precisely why so many people are against zero-hours contracts: they make low-paid workers completely powerless, and let their bosses act with unaccountable impunity. Everyone deserves a fair wage for a fair day’s work, and to be able to depend upon it.”

http://gu.com/p/4gz27

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16 Feb 2016

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Misc

Swindon Council to fight decision by inspector to grant permission for 100-home


Swindon Borough Council is to bring a High Court challenge over a planning inspector’s decision to grant an appeal by a developer seeking to build up to 100 homes on a site.

Ainscough Strategic Land brought the appeal over the site at Berkeley Farm in Wroughton after Swindon’s planning committee refused its application. The appeal was heard over four days in November 2015.

The council has taken legal advice “from a leading planning QC” and will challenge the inspector’s decision under section 288 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

Swindon said its legal advice suggested that the inspector had erred in law in two respects:

He failed to properly apply the legal test under section 38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004, “which requires that planning decisions are made by having regard to a local authority’s Local Plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise”.

He misdirected himself in law “by suggesting in his report that the level of the shortfall in the council’s required five-year housing land supply is immaterial to his decision”.

Cllr Toby Elliott, Swindon Borough Council cabinet member for Communities and Strategic Planning, said: “The planning inspector’s decision is a disastrous one and we must stand up for local people and the integrity of the Local Plan process by challenging it. I am pleased that the legal advice we have been given supports this position.

“I hope this announcement gives the residents of Wroughton, who came together and produced a neighbourhood plan for their area, confidence that the council is doing everything it can to challenge the planning inspector’s decision.”

http://localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=26016:council-to-fight-decision-by-inspector-to-grant-permission-for-100-home-scheme&catid=63&Itemid=31

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16 Feb 2016

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Cranbrook

Anti-social behaviour and vandalism in Cranbrook when youth bus in town

“Concerns have been raised by Cranbrook Councillors following a spell of anti-social behaviour from youths in the town.

It was revealed at the town meeting on Monday 15, that anti-social behaviour and vandalism is becoming an issue for the residents of Cranbrook.

Councillor Kevin Blakey said that youth provision in the town currently isn’t working and action needs to be taken. He said: “We have had endless complaints from residents on for vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

“Bad behaviour seems to be escalating and we can’t sit on our hands a decision has to be made. It is becoming a focal point for some young people to misbehave and vandalising property as well.

It is not a massive rise but what has given us more concerns of anti-social behaviour was an incident where the railings by the primary school were damaged and a number of residents are rightly upset about it.

“What residents seem to be saying is that the behaviour seems to be worse on the youth bus days, which falls on Monday’s and Thursday’s.

“In the overall scheme of things it’s not a vast issue, it is not acceptable to anyone, especially the residents.”

The council made a proposal at the meeting to work with Devon Youth Services to further discuss how they can address the anti-social behaviour in Cranbrook.

“We did discuss as a council whether to suspend the youth bus, however we agreed that we are going to work with Devon Youth Services to try and find a solution of how we can make this work.

“What is going on at the moment is just not working and it is causing a lot of disruption to the town, and a lot of kids aren’t going because of fear of being bullied.

“We can’t be seen to close services for children when there is not enough as there is.

“We want to try to work more positively and look for more activities for younger people in Cranbrook.

“We need to recognise that there is an issue and we need look at how youth changes can be made in the town.

“As a council we want to be engaging in a lot of the youth, not just a handful of them.”

A spokesman from the Town Council said: “The County Council provides a mobile youth service (youth bus) to younger people in the area.

“It engages with about 70 young people with an average 15 to 20 people attending each of the two sessions each week.

“It’s an opportunity for young people to talk to trained youth workers for advice or assistance about things concerning them. It also gives the young people opportunity to get together to take part in activities. Each session runs for about 2.5 hours.

“The County Council is currently reviewing provision of the service in Cranbrook, with the Town Council and East Devon District Council, to look at what the service currently offers young people, what the community’s need for the service are, and where the best location for it might be.

“There is no evidence to support the notion that the act of vandalism which occurred on Thursday was connected to the provision of the youth bus on the same day.”

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Plans-tackle-anti-social-behaviour-Cranbrook/story-28745234-detail/story.html

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16 Feb 2016

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Misc

MEPs and an EU deal …

Owl isn’t hooting about its EU views but has to say that Dave saying MEPs agree with it (whatever it is) is hardly surprising:

they get hundreds of thousands of pounds in pay;

they get hundreds of thousands of pounds in allowances including €275,000 for assistants;

they get massive pensions and pay-offs.

Do you agree with Christmas, Santa Claus?

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16 Feb 2016

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Local Enterprise Partnership

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Hinkley Point update

“Dr Doug Parr, Greenpeace policy director, said: “EDF’s accounts show growing debts and falling earnings. EDF management and employees warn taking on further risk could easily spell disaster for the company. Hinkley is a bad investment and most people with an ounce of financial acumen have now come to realise this.”

Greenpeace is now putting pressure on Chancellor George Osborne to drop his support for the project.

“Hinkley will be one of the most expensive objects on earth,” Dr Parr said. “George Osborne is happy to force this year’s school-leavers to pay over the odds for it until they are about to draw their pensions.

“But wind and solar power could be subsidy free well before Hinkley could ever come on stream.”

http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/Doubts-18bn-Hinkley-Point-nuke-plant-EDF-profit/story-28744016-detail/story.html

Still awaiting the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership pres
take on this and its plans for if we do exit the European union …

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16 Feb 2016

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Colyton, Misc, Neighbourhood Plans

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Colyton Parish Council in trouble again

Honestly, with an ex parish councillor who is a district councillor and ex-chair of the EDDC Planning Committee (not to mention wife of the current Chair of Colyton Parish Council) you really would think they would have some expertise with a Neighbourhood Plan. On second thoughts … scrub that!

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Text:

THE development of Colyton Parish Neighbourhood Plan has got off to a rocky start with resignations and claims that the parish council, which is leading the project, has acted in a “threatening, aggressive and hostile” manner towards volunteers.

After a slow start on the plan, issues came to a head at last Monday’s council meeting, where volunteers complained that they had been accused of “having a shindig at the parish council’s expense” after suggesting that wine and nibbles would be available at a neighbourhood plan meeting.

Last year, Colyton Parish Council agreed to develop a neighbourhood plan, which will shape how the parish is developed in future years, and asked for volunteers to come forward to work on the project. Separate committees were set up in Colyton and Colyford, consisting of both councillors and volunteers, to deal with the individual issues which faced the two communities, as well as an overarching steering group to bring representatives from the two committees together.

The steering group met for the first time earlier this month, where it was agreed that an informal meeting would be held on February 24th for the two committees to get to know one another and potentially form working parties, and it was suggested that wine and nibbles would be available.

Parish clerk Liz Berry disagreed with the format of the meeting, saying that the council could not pay for wine and nibbles and that any neighbourhood plan meeting should follow official guidelines, which resulted in a number of emails being circulated between the clerk and volunteers.

Former Mayor of Colyford and chairman of the neighbourhood plan’s Colyford committee, Howard West, spoke in the public forum of last week’s parish council meeting, saying he was “offended” by comments made in the emails, which he described as “the last straw”.

The next day he announced his resignation from the neighbourhood plan committee, claiming that he and his wife had been threatened by a member of the parish council. But parish council chairman Andrew Parr claimed that Mr West had been fighting a “turf war” between Colyton and Colyford and said he now hoped to be able to move forward with the plan.

Frustrating

Speaking at the parish council meeting before his resignation, Mr West said: “Today, as far as I’m concerned, was the last straw. I have had 13 emails today and I’m quite offended that we’re being accused of having a ‘shindig’ at the parish council’s expense.

“It is so frustrating; everything we’re trying to do for the neighbourhood plan is for the good of the parish and we never had any intention of asking the parish council to fund what the parish clerk calls a ‘shindig’, which is isn’t, it’s a meeting of all the people involved in the two committees of the neighbourhood plan to get to know one another.

“Does the parish council really want us to do a neighbourhood plan, because every time we try to move forward we get pushed back a step? I’ve spent nearly all day today trying to deal with this problem and it’s not just me, a lot of other people are quite upset about the way we have been treated… we can’t just let it carry on like this.”

Fellow Colyford resident Diane Nason commented: “I second that. I went to a steering group meeting last week and I was quite apprehensive about it because what has been coming from the council has, it seems to me, been quite aggressive, hostile.”

Mrs Berry said: “Having got the message that there would be an informal meeting of the two committees potentially to form working groups, obviously decisions would be made at the meeting.

“Anything to do with the neighbourhood plan has to be a community engagement exercise, open to public, have an agenda, be minuted, and as a council we can’t fund a get together where there’s wine and nibbles, and I’ve been told by the chairman that the public would not be allowed to go to it. It’s not a meeting to form working groups, you can’t make decisions.

“As the responsible financial officer for the council’s money, which is indeed public money, we can’t fund a shindig, a party, a get together – call it what you like. We can fund a meeting that makes decisions. You don’t need wine and peanuts.”

Councillor Huntley Evans, who sits on the neighbourhood plan steering group, said: “Let’s not undo the good work that we did last week. In all innocence it was suggested that the two committees get together, mostly with the idea that, for the vast majority of things which affect this community, the two committees would be able to work as one.

“I propose that we carry on with our meeting of the two committees; we don’t need wine or nibbles, perhaps we’ll have a cup of tea or cake, and we’ll carry on as planned.”

Mrs Berry asked if the meeting would be open to the public. Councillor Evans said it would be, and that an agenda could be published in advance.

“That’s the way I suggest we go forward and diffuse this rather unnecessary spat,” he added.

Mr West added: “That’s exactly what it was all about but all these emails that were flying around today were totally uncalled for.”

Mrs Nason commented: “It’s not just today, it’s been the same for some time. There are other people involved in neighbourhood plans in other areas and they’re very happy groups but I have to say, if this is a neighbourhood plan there’s not been very much neighbourly about it. I’m getting quite upset about it.”

Later in the meeting Councillor Evans gave a full report on the steering group meeting held earlier this month. Members made no further comments on the matter, prompting Councillor Paul Dean to ask if the council was going to address concerns raised during the public forum.

“What’s the council’s views on what has been said? People are upset and we either need to allay their fears or not. We can’t just say, ‘OK, they’ve said their piece and we’re not even going to listen, discuss it or anything’,” he said.

Mrs Berry then explained the situation again, adding that there was “no way” that public money could be spent on drinks and nibbles. She said that after questioning the meeting she received a “flurry of emails” saying it was just a “get to know you” event.

“Working in working groups you’ll get to know each other,” she continued.
“If you’re having a meeting it has to be properly advertised, it has to have an agenda and minutes. If you’re going to make decisions then it all has to be open and transparent, open to the public.”

Councillor Evans said he would ensure that the meeting on February 24th was publicised.

Speaking to Pulman’s View later that week, Mr West announced that he was resigning from the neighbourhood plan committee and standing down from “involvement in all Colyford village affairs”. He reported that he and his wife Anne had been “accused of splitting the village in two”, had received verbal threats from a parish councillor, and another member of the Colyford committee had received similar threats and had also since resigned.

In his letter of resignation, Mr West said: “After attending the Colyton Parish Council meeting last night, and making an impassioned plea in public question time for the parish council to let us all get on with the neighbourhood plan, I came away totally demoralised and feeling intimidated by the parish council once more.

Mr West went on to explain the situation regarding the planned “social get together” and expressed disappointment that Councillor Evans was “forced to concede that it would not be a social evening”.

He added: “Councillor Evans cannot and should not be allowed or encouraged to arbitrarily alter what was agreed at the steering group meeting. This can only be democratically done at the next steering group meeting. “I therefore feel that there is no further point in me continuing as your elected chairman, and I resign with immediate effect. The treatment yesterday was in addition to the verbal threats given to my wife Anne and I a few weeks ago by a councillor. This has been followed by a resignation of a member of our Colyford neighbourhood plan ommittee, who has received similar threats also from a councillor.

“The continuous intimation from the parish council, its parish clerk and some councillors is totally unnecessary and should stop immediately. I do feel that I have let you all down, but enough is enough, let someone else have a go.

“I will now stand down from involvement in all Colyford village affairs and leave it to others, especially as Anne and I are accused of splitting the village of Colyford in two! Those who are against what we are trying to achieve have won. Let them get on with it! We have worked hard over the last 10 years or so with the sole aim of improving things in Colyford and the surrounding area.”