Monthly Archives: February 2016

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10 Feb 2016

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EDDC, Exmouth, Moirai Exmouth project

Moirai expands further in Swindon – free skate park may be at risk

“Moirai Capital Investments are seeking approval for their 31 acre (12.5ha) leisure development which will be built adjacent to and around the newly refurbished Oasis Leisure Centre at North Star.

But although the outline plans mention a skate park – at the moment it is not clear whether it will be a free to use outdoor one to replace the current facility on the site or an indoor paid-for one.

A campaign to save the free outdoor facility has been launched by Diana Kirk of ATBSkate Warehouse at Hawksworth but she believes that their pleas are being ignored as it appears on the plans that it will be an indoor site. You can sign the petition, which so far has over 1,o00 signatures at:
http://www.bit.ly/oasis-skate …

… The plans submitted by Moirai include:

• Up to 50,000 square metres of mixed leisure including a cinema, 5,000 seat entertainment arena, ski centre and other leisure uses which could include a crazy golf centre, comedy club, laser tag and skate park;

• Up to 12,000sqm of restaurants and cafes

• Up to 12,000sqm retail space, with a minimum of 9,000sqm of sports retailing;

• Up to 9,000sqm for a hotel.

The vast £120 million leisure scheme will be one of the largest projects of its type in the UK.

Moirai chairman Martin Barber said: “This is a crucial step in the process of delivering this major development. Getting to this point has been complex, with consideration given to the best possible layout for the project, but also to address issues such as traffic management and the potential environmental impact of the development.”

Coun Garry Perkins, Swindon Cabinet Member for Economy, Regeneration & Skills said: “The application represents another step in this exciting project. I am satisfied that now Moirai have put together a proposal that matches the council’s ambitions; I look forward to hearing more as they get closer to turning these plans into a reality .

“These are only the outline plans and until we see the detailed ones it is difficult to say what form the skate park will take, but at least it is part of the plans at the moment.”

It is believed that many visitors to the facility will arrive by train, as Swindon’s station is only a short distance away. Forward Swindon has completed a feasibility study for a new pedestrian crossing over the mainline, adjacent to the station, connecting the north and south parts of the town centre. Seeking funding for the crossing is the next stage.

Chris Hitchings, director of development at Forward Swindon, said: “Swindon is well connected to a huge, affluent catchment. The arena and ski centre, for example, will provide Swindon with high profile destinations to compete with the likes of Cardiff, Bristol and Milton Keynes.”

Future of free skate park at Oasis in doubt. World’s skateboard legend Tony Hawk signs Swindon campaign petition

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10 Feb 2016

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EDDC, Exmouth, Moirai Exmouth project

How a contract between Swindon Borough Council and Moirai Capital Investments changed over time

An article about how a contract between Swindon Borough Council and Moirai Capital Investments for the development of the Oasis leisure facility changed over time

From a blog written in 2014:

“Given the importance of the Oasis example to the council’s plans for the future of the leisure centres, I think we should try to find out what is actually going on there. Here are some facts:

• The agreement between SBC and Moirai was signed in March 2012. In January 2013, the lease was varied at the request of Moirai. The revised terms included the following:

• Moirai’s obligation to provide a minimum area of development on the Oasis site was lifted.

• SBC gave up its option to purchase back the Oasis if no development takes place.

• Should recovery of debt be required as a result of loan default, the bank would be able to sell the lease into the open market.

• In January 2011 the Council invited expressions of interest to build a new leisure centre based on the former Clares site. The plan originally submitted by Moirai showed a ski centre, 7,500 seat arena and hotel on the Clares site.

However, in March 2013, Moirai presented a revised plan for the site, moving the arena (reduced to 6,500 seats) to the south side of the Oasis and apparently leaving half the Clares site vacant.

• Moirai said an application for outline planning application would be submitted in June 2013 (it had previously been expected in March that year).

• At the beginning of May 2014, the application had still not appeared on the council’s planning pages. An application for outline planning permission is now expected later in 2014.

• Oasis Operations Ltd, a management company set up by Moirai, was declared insolvent in 2013 (The London Gazette). The directors, who had resigned earlier in the year, are currently named by online data company Companycheck as directors of other Moirai companies.

• According to Companycheck, at the beginning of May 2014 two of the Moirai companies, Oasis Waterpark Ltd and Moirai Capital Investments (Swindon) Ltd, had recommended credit limits of £0.00. Companycheck could not assign them a risk score as it was too long since they filed audited accounts.

On 8 May 2014 Oasis Waterpark Ltd. had filed accounts and the credit limit has been raised to £25,000 with a credit score of 40 out of 100.

According to the lease variation referred to above, Oasis Waterpark Ltd is the company with the lease on the Oasis.

the time the agreement was signed in March 2012, Mr Martin Barber was described as the Chairman of Moirai. Mr Barber’s directorship of Moirai Capital Investments Ltd ended on 17 February 2014. (CompanyCheck)

• Mr Barber said in March 2012: “We are ready to press forward enthusiastically with the first phase, the refurbishment of the Oasis Leisure Centre. . . We have already plans in hand for the replacement of the Dome”.

…

I don’t know anything about finance, and I do not know what is going on at the Oasis. Clearly these little gobbets of information do not present anything like the whole picture, and they may well be misleading.

However, I question whether, as early as March 2013, when the Council report included the option of “an Oasis type deal”, the council should not have been keeping a closer eye on developments at the Oasis.

I question whether Swindon people should feel confident that the Oasis provides an encouraging model for the future of their leisure centres and golf courses.

In the light of the lease variation agreed in January 2013, I question whether Swindon people can have any confidence that the terms of a lease agreed with a private sector operator to take over the leisure centres and golf courses will not be altered in future at the request of the leaseholder.

And I question whether the Oasis model suggests that Swindon Borough Council is professionally equipped to make a deal with private sector operators over the future of the leisure centres and golf courses which will be to the advantage of the town.”

The Oasis, Swindon Leisure Centres & the Golf Courses


We also note that several other Moirai companies have appeared in the London Gazette notices of being struck off. Sometimes this is because compulsory information required of companies has not been filed within proper time limits, sometimes it isn’t.

It is usually considered preferable for a company’s reputation and the reputation of its directors to (a) file accounts on time and/or (b) voluntarily wind up a company rather than have it struck off.

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10 Feb 2016

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Austerity cuts, Democracy, Lobbying

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This year’s Tory Black and White Ball: a “glittering” guest list

Remember that, at the same time, the government is attempting to cut Labour Party donations and the money provided to smaller parties and independent parties in the UK.

“Standard” tables at the back of the room with a junior minister or MP were£5,000 each, “Premium” tables nearer to the PMs table with a senior minister £10,000, “Premium” table with a top Cabinet Minister or Boris Johnson AND a ” brush” with the PM £15,000.

Guests at the dinner and auction included

… “Access Industries — owned by Britain’s richest man, £13.17billion
oligarch Leonard Blavatnik — secured a prime spot as ministers including Jeremy Hunt and Michael Gove worked the room. Blavatnik has been criticised for his links to Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Jewellery tycoon Ranbir Singh Suri was also understood to have attended. He became embroiled in a “cash for peerages row” after he was made a Lord in 2014. Other guests included:

DEPARTMENT store owner Christopher Fenwick and Indian entrepreneur Ranjit Baxi, both caught up in a separate “cash for access” scandal after paying £50,000 to dine with the PM in 2014.

REAL-ESTATE brothers Eddie and Sol Zakay, worth £2.2billion through their Topland Group investment firm, who settled out of court with the Ministry of Justice in 2012 after allegedly extracting inflated rents from the Government.

SECRETIVE private members club United and Cecil, which has handed more than £500,000 to the party while taking advantage of a loophole in electoral laws which means its supporters can remain anonymous.”

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/politics/6921115/Inside-the-Prime-Minister-secretive-Black-and-White-fundraiser-party.html

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10 Feb 2016

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Democracy

MP who wants to drop Human Rights Act uses it as a reason to protect MPs who are arrested!

“TOP eurosceptic minister Chris Grayling was today branded a “hypocrite” for backing new rules that block arrested MPs’ names being published.

MPs say the change is needed because revealing their identities breaches their “right to privacy” under the European Convention of Human Rights.

Yet Mr Grayling, an outspoken critic of the Human Rights Act who has said it should be scrapped, will be the cabinet minister to propose the change to the Commons today.

Labour MP John Mann said: “What a hypocrite. He only wants the Human Rights Act to apply to himself, not to the rest of the country.”

Labour’s Mr Mann also warned it could mean MPs fighting an election while voters are unaware they have been arrested.”

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/electorate-has-a-right-to-know-the-names-of-mps-who-have-been-arrested-a3176931.html

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10 Feb 2016

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Budleigh Salterton, EDDC

“The Budleigh Boys” part 3

The enthusiasm of the Budleigh Boys to dismiss the importance of the AONB and give greater weight to the economics of Pooh Cottage was not shared by Budleigh Salterton Town Council of which all three district councillors are members. The Town Council had recommended refusal.

At their January meeting the Town’s mayor expressed his surprise that the application was approved. But he was told it was alright as Councillor Dent felt the Highways Report was wrong and more traffic movements would not be created. This was endorsed by Councillor Tom Wright who thinks the result is a good solution.

This is a worrying trend by Budleigh Salterton District Councillors who know better than the planners and statutory bodies and also their Town Council.

An application to demolish a house which makes a “positive contribution to the conservation area” (Historic England) is awaiting decision. It was recommended for refusal by the Town Council.

The EDDC Conservation Officer writes that “Advice given at the pre-application stage concluded that the principle of demolition would be unacceptable on account of the contribution that the existing house makes to the character and appearance of the conservation area.” He concludes that “the proposed demolition should be considered unacceptable and the application refused.” The Environment Agency also has reservations due to the history of flooding in the area.

So what does a Budleigh Boy write?

“I am pleased to see the design of the new build is very similar to the existing and the increase in foot print, in my view, is not over development. I consider the plans to be acceptable and will provide 9 small dwellings, convenient to the town “

Word also has it that the two other boys feel the same.

RIP AONB, RIP special character of Budleigh? “Small dwellings” at any price?

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10 Feb 2016

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MPs pay rises for second time in less than a year

MPs will see their salaries rise by almost £1,000 after the parliamentary pay watchdog signed off another increase. …

… The £952 rise comes just months after the body pushed through a controversial 10 per cent salary increase despite opposition from some MPs and trade unions. …

… It will take the basic wage for all 650 MPs to £74,962 a year, with ministers earning up to another £68,000 on top of that.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/12149835/MPs-pay-to-rise-by-another-1000-just-months-after-10-per-cent-salary-hike-signed-off.html

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10 Feb 2016

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Affordable and Social Housing

Government committee criticises housing association “right to buy”

… “the Communities and Local Government committee says the funding model it is using, which will force councils to compensate housing associations with the money raised from council house sales, is “extremely questionable” and is effectively a “levy” on councils.

It says the scheme should be funded by central government and questions how ministers are going to meet their target of replacing every property sold off with a new one. …

… Committee chairman Clive Betts said: “The fundamental success of this policy depends not just on whether more tenants come to own their home but on whether more homes are built.

“The government needs to set out in more detail how it will meet its target of at least one-for-one replacement of the sold homes, particularly given issues such as the availability of land, the capacity of the building industry and the uncertainty of income from council home sales.”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-35534463

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9 Feb 2016

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Austerity cuts

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“Relief fund” to benefit Tory shires including Devon and Dorset

“David Cameron has been accused of buying off Tory MPs threatening to block local government cuts, after it emerged that a new £300m relief fund will overwhelmingly help Conservative areas, including his own Oxfordshire council.”

http://gu.com/p/4gh6a

Surrey – £24.1m
Hampshire – £18.7m
Hertfordshire – £15.6m
Essex – £13.9m
West Sussex – £12.4m
Kent – £11.4m
Buckinghamshire – £9.2m
Oxfordshire – £8.9m
Leicestershire – £6.6m
Cambridgeshire – £6.4m
Wiltshire – £6m
Warwickshire – £6m
North Yorkshire – £6m
Cheshire East – £5.9m
Dorset – £5.9m
Richmond upon Thames – £5.8m
Devon – £5.6m
Staffordshire – £5.6m
East Sussex – 5.4
Worcestershire – £5m

Councils not to get any “transition” funding over the two years include: Carlisle, Barnsley, Barrow-in-Furness, Bassetlaw, Birmingham, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, Bolsover, Bolton, Bradford, Burnley, Darlington, Derby, Doncaster, Dudley, Durham, Gateshead, Hackney, Haringey, Hartlepool, Hounslow, Islington, Knowsley, Lambeth, Lancaster, Leeds, Leicester, Lewisham, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, North Tyneside, Oldham, Preston, Redcar and Cleveland, Rochdale, Rotherham, Salford, Sandwell, South Tyneside, Southwark, St Helens, Stockton-on-Tees, Stoke-on-Trent, Sunderland, Wakefield, Walsall, Waltham Forest, Wigan, Wirral and Wolverhampton.

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2016/02/09/tory-councils-south-north-funding-nothing-labour_n_9195108.html

If you have relatives in the Labour-run north of England, you might want to suggest they move in with you! But beware, £5.6 million doesn’t go very far – though further than nothing!

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9 Feb 2016

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EDDC, Exmouth, Moirai Exmouth project

Exmouth seafront: the battle continues – but who gagged whom and why?

“A gag on information regarding the Exmouth seafront development has been lifted.

East Devon District Council can now openly discuss the £18m project after winning a legal battle against two tenants.

Chris and Maureen Wright lost their court case against the district authority, as they fought to renew their expired leases. …”

… “The district authority refers to Exmouth’s under-performance and reliance on Exeter as reasons for carrying on with the project.

They hope it will attract families, couples on nights out, teenagers, water sports enthusiasts, rainy day and winter visitors and entice the ‘holiday park crowd’ into the town.

The redeveloped area would include eight eateries, including cafes, restaurants and bars.

There’s set to be three shops too, selling water sports clothes and equipment.

Councillor Andrew Moulding, deputy leader of the Council and Chairman of Exmouth Regeneration Board, said:

“This is an exciting time for the town and there are some great projects being brought forward by the council.

“We have an excellent track record of delivering good development for Exmouth and we are looking forward to re-energising the waterfront area with first rate leisure facilities for people of all ages to enjoy.”

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Gag-lifted-Exmouth-seafront-project-court-battle/story-28700398-detail/story.html

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9 Feb 2016

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Democracy, Transparency

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The government’s new consultation guidelines

In order that no-one gets their hopes up with these new guidelines, Owl publishes the last sentence of this document first. It reads:

“This document does not have legal force and is subject to statutory and other legal requirements.”

Consultation Principles 2016

Consultations should be clear and concise

Use plain English and avoid acronyms. Be clear what questions you are asking and limit the number of questions to those that are necessary. Make them easy to understand and easy to answer. Avoid lengthy documents when possible and consider merging those on related topics.

Consultations should have purpose

Do not consult for the sake of it. Ask departmental lawyers whether you have a legal duty to consult. Take consultation responses into account when taking policy forward. Consult about policies or implementation plans when the development of the policies or plans is at a formative stage. Do not ask questions about issues on which you already have a final view.

Consultations should be informative

Give enough information to ensure that those consulted understand the issues and can give informed responses. Include validated assessments of the costs and benefits of the options being considered when possible; this might be required where proposals have an impact on business or the voluntary sector.

Consultations are only part of a process of engagement

Consider whether informal iterative consultation is appropriate, using new digital tools and open, collaborative approaches. Consultation is not just about formal documents and responses. It is an on-going process.

Consultations should last for a proportionate amount of time

Judge the length of the consultation on the basis of legal advice and taking into account the nature and impact of the proposal. Consulting for too long will unnecessarily delay policy development. Consulting too quickly will not give enough time for consideration and will reduce the quality of responses.

Consultations should be targeted

Consider the full range of people, business and voluntary bodies affected by the policy, and whether representative groups exist. Consider targeting specific groups if appropriate. Ensure they are aware of the consultation and can access it. Consider how to tailor consultation to the needs and preferences of particular groups, such as older people, younger people or people with disabilities that may not respond to traditional consultation methods.

Consultations should take account of the groups being consulted

Consult stakeholders in a way that suits them. Charities may need more time to respond than businesses, for example. When the consultation spans all or part of a holiday period, consider how this may affect consultation and take appropriate mitigating action.

Consultations should be agreed before publication

Seek collective agreement before publishing a written consultation, particularly when consulting on new policy proposals. Consultations should be published on gov.uk.

Consultation should facilitate scrutiny

Publish any response on the same page on gov.uk as the original consultation, and ensure it is clear when the government has responded to the consultation. Explain the responses that have been received from consultees and how these have informed the policy. State how many responses have been received.

Government responses to consultations should be published in a timely fashion

Publish responses within 12 weeks of the consultation or provide an explanation why this is not possible. Where consultation concerns a statutory instrument publish responses before or at the same time as the instrument is laid, except in exceptional circumstances. Allow appropriate time between closing the consultation and implementing policy or legislation.

Consultation exercises should not generally be launched during local or national election periods.

If exceptional circumstances make a consultation absolutely essential (for example, for safeguarding public health), departments should seek advice from the Propriety and Ethics team in the Cabinet Office.

This document does not have legal force and is subject to statutory and other legal requirements.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/492132/20160111_Consultation_principles_final.pdf

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9 Feb 2016

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AONB, Budleigh Salterton, EDBF, EDDC

The “Budleigh Boys” and the history of AONB incursion – part 2

Following our earlier on how the “Budleigh Boys” councillors view their local AONB:

https://eastdevonwatch.org/2016/02/07/the-budleigh-boys-and-their-take-on-aonb-changes-fine-if-it-benefits-the-lical-economy/

Owl has been surprised to receive quite a bit of correspondence on the subject and particularly about the AONB planning application that they so enthusiastically supported – at the caravan and camping site known as Pooh Cottage.

The site started life as a small cottage (2 bedrooms) on what was then called the Shortwood estate – in a very quiet and secluded rural setting which was purchased by a Ms Carter.

“Pooh Cottage”, as the house and site is now known, then began an expansion, some of it (see below) without benefit of any planning permission. It now comprises a large house, another building now split into two residential properties, a building erected as a horse’s stable and now a large bungalow, and three permanent “mobile homes”. A history of over 40 planning applications, retrospective application and enforcement orders, illustrate how the expansion continues.

The caravan site sprang up in the early 1990s. It started as a certificated site, with permission for 5 caravans on a stipulated number of days, but rapidly grew and grew in scope until in 2006, Ms Carter applied for a “Certificate of Lawfulness” for 47 caravans between 1st April until 31st October of each year, on the grounds that she had done so for 10 years, completely unhindered by any action from EDDC. This certificate was granted by EDDC – for a site considered by many to be entirely unsuitable and unsustainable to a large commercial enterprise.

Neighbours of the site, very concerned about how the site had grown and continued to grow, went to the Local Government Ombudsman, who found in their favour, and awarded them a large cash sum (from the pockets of the taxpayers of East Devon, of course) as “compensation” – though this was, of course, no help after the event. Unfortunately, the certificate cannot be rescinded without an Act of Parliament, which is obviously unfeasible.

The Ombudsman judged that EDDC had erroneously granted the Certificate of Lawfulness, and strongly censured their actions throughout the whole way in which they had handled the growth and expansion of Pooh Cottage “Holiday Park” and recommended that a very tight rein be kept on any planning excursions from Ms Carter in the future. This has not apparently happened, and the expansion continues, with repeated battles every season to limit the use of the site to the permitted terms. Councillors have supported expansion even after the Ombudsman’s remarks and when their officers have recommended refusal (see link above)

Throughout all these battles, the former “East Devon Business Forum” supported the owners of Pooh Cottage at every turn, saying that it brought jobs and prosperity to the area (though there seems to be little evidence of these jobs far).

A campaign was instituted some years ago by residents in the area to oust their then councillors, who both supported the business interests of the owners of the site throughout. Former councillors Florey and Franklin are no longer representives of the people of Budleigh Salterton.

However, the current councillors have continued to enthusiastically support expansion of the site with the exact same reasons former councillors used and which the Local Government Ombudsman criticised.

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8 Feb 2016

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Austerity cuts

David Cameron’s mum fights Tory austerity cuts

“The Prime Minister’s mum Mary has signed a petition aimed at stopping Tory cuts.

Jill Huish, who runs the campaign that Mary backed, said: “It shows how deep austerity is cutting our most vulnerable when even David Cameron ’s mum has had enough.”

Mary, 81, signed a petition railing against Conservative cuts to “essential services”.

She put her name to the battle to save dozens of children’s centres that a Tory-run council is poised to close to save £8million.

Local authorities in England have had their government funding slashed by 40% since Mr Cameron entered Downing Street in 2010.””

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/david-camerons-mum-joins-fight-7334739

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8 Feb 2016

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EDDC, Sidmouth/ Sidford/ Sidbury, Stuart Hughes

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An unfortunate lapse of memory? And yet another instance of Councillors Hughes and Troman not following through

One reason that the Local Plan Inspector kept the Sidford Business park in the Local Plan was that he deemed the Alexandria Industrial Estate “not suitable”.

Although we are told that he did visit the site, he plainly put much emphasis on the very out-of-date evidence about it in the Employment Land Review 2014 sent by EDDC as evidence.

But at a full council meeting on 25 July 2012 it was “resolved” to undertake an exploration into the capacity for the expansion of the Alexandria Industrial Estate.

Our correspondent asked the council where the outcome of this exploration ordered by full council could be found:

Today, our correspondent received a reply:

““With regard to the exploration into the capacity for the expansion of the Alexandria Industrial Estate, I have found the recommendation in the Council Committee minutes dated 25th July 2012. Having spoken to the Planning Team there appears to be no information held on the outcome of this proposal.”

Well there’s a surprise! A full council meeting (not a Council Committee meeting as cited in the reply!) resolves to investigate better usage of Alexandria industrial Estate …. and nothing happens!

Here is the minute and resolution from that meeting:

“Minutes of Cabinet and Committees Arising from consideration of the minutes:-

Planning Policy – New East Devon Local Plan 2006 – 2026
Special Meeting of Development Management Committee (Minute 11) Proposed amendments (continued)

The amendment was seconded by Councillor Graham Troman who emphasised the need for an audit trail of decision making in respect of the Plan. He was concerned about some misinterpretation of what the towns had said in consultation.

Sidmouth Ward Members, Councillors Christine Drew and Stuart Hughes would welcome an opportunity to raise their concerns about the proposed allocation of employment land at Sidford and its potential impact.

Discussion included concern over the Local Plan process. Members were again reminded that there would be a further period of 6 weeks for consultation.

The proposal to hold an Extraordinary Council meeting to discuss the full Local Plan without delaying the Local Plan process was put to the vote and lost.

Councillor Hughes proposed that the capacity for expansion of the Alexandria Industrial Estate should be explored.

This amendment was seconded by Councillor Wale. The proposal was put to the vote and carried.

RESOLVED that the capacity for expansion of the Alexandria Industrial Estate be explored.”

Click to access council-mins-250712.pdf

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8 Feb 2016

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EDDC, Exmouth, Moirai Exmouth project

Exmouth: Queen’s Drive closed due to strong winds – and sand!

Can you imagine those coming second-home/holiday let potential owners getting hot-under-the-collar at not being able to reach their new, expensive homes – or being trapped in them.

Some great photos here:

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Exmouth-8217-s-Queens-Drive-closed-strong-winds/story-28693407-detail/story.html

and video here:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2014/feb/05/storms-exmouth-coast-video

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8 Feb 2016

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Democracy, Freedom of Information Act

Fettering of Information Act: why Labour ex-Cabinet Minister is Chairman

“Jack Straw’s ministries amongworst on freedom of information requests
Straw now sits on panel set up to review FoI act and expected to propose making some information harder to access

The former cabinet minister Jack Straw, who has been tasked with considering how to tighten up the Freedom of Information Act, led two of the Whitehall departments most likely to reject public requests for information.

Straw’s ministries never ranked higher than 15 out of 21 government departments in terms of releasing information in full, according to a Guardian analysis of government-wide figures.

In 2010, his final year as lord chancellor, the Ministry of Justice was the worst ranked government department, providing none of the information requested more often than any other ministry.

In the six years he was a secretary of state under the act, his departments ranked 16th, 17th, 15th, 20th, 21st and 21st out of between 21 and 23 ministries. Straw was foreign secretary until 2006, and then justice secretary until 2010.

… Straw now sits on an independent five-person panel set up to review FoI legislation. The panel is expected later this month to propose making some information harder to access for members of the public, journalists and campaigners. …

… Last month it emerged that before he stood down as an MP last May, Straw had given a corporation for which he was working as a £60,000-a-year paid adviser guidance on how to block the release of documents from the Foreign Office by citing an FoI exemption that allows information affecting commercial interests to be withheld.”

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/feb/08/jack-straw-ministries-among-worst-freedom-of-information

Just the man for the job!

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8 Feb 2016

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Asset sweating, EDDC, Transparency

When and how does £265,000 of savings become £400,000 of savings?

What does one make of this, on the agenda of the Joint Overview and Scrutiny meeting to be held on Tuesday 9 February 2016 at 6 pm from the agenda papers and talking of the potential savings to be made on a new refuse and recycling contract:

“The recommended Lot being proposed in the report does give a saving to the Council in the order of £0.265m along with providing an enhanced recycling service. The draft budget however assumed a saving of £0.400m in line with our Transformation Strategy thereby giving us a shortfall of £0.135m in our budget proposals should members wish to adopt the recommended option. This issue is dealt with the Revenue and Capital Estimates Report 2016/17 contained on this agenda on the assumption that members adopt
the recommendation”

Click to access 090216-joint-overview-and-scrutiny-agenda-combined-public.pdf

It seems to say: This contract will save us £265,000 but the draft budget assumed that it would save us £400,000 and we have found a way to make it come to £400,000 …. by some sort of wizardly accounting?

How many committee members will take the time and trouble to look at the Revenue and Capital Estimates Report 2016/17 to see exactly how this wonderful accounting is dealt with and reassure themselves that 265 really does mean 400?

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8 Feb 2016

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Claire Wright, Hugo Swire, Tax avoidance

Sidmouth (non?) Conservative Club, a tax protest and Swire’s take on it all

The photograph below is taken at Independent Councillor Claire Wright’s demonstration on fat cat tax avoidance outside (on the public pavement) the Sidmouth Conservative Club, which until recently had a rather scruffy and spider-infested pic of Hugo Swire on its notice board.

image

Apparently, a person from the club insisted that it is “non political” though it appears in a list of Conservative member clubs

http://www.toryclubs.co.uk/page/website-linkup

and was keen to persuade the protesters to move away from the vicinity of the club when they protested last week.

For Mr Swire’s views on tax evasion and avoidance (which he appears to confuse) see here:

http://www.hugoswire.org.uk/news/blog-tax-evasion-and-avoidance

where he states:

“” … Even though companies may avoid paying tax on their profits, they do contribute to the public purse in other ways. Their employees will pay Income Tax and National Insurance, as well as any additional taxes they may occur. In the UK – when you add up VAT, business rates, national insurance contributions, and so on – about 30% of tax revenues come from businesses, of which only eight per cent comes from corporation tax. …”

So, that’s ok then. As long as WE pay our 20-40 % taxes and pay 20% VAT when we spend what’s left, the mega-companies that employ us (which should pay 20% corporation tax) can happily 3-4% max! If we tried that we would be given hefty fines or prison sentences!

Reminds Owl of tales of the old British Empire where, in Africa, people got paid by mine companies – and could only spend the money in mine company owned shops!

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8 Feb 2016

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Asset Management Group, Asset sweating, Beach huts, EDDC

Beach hut site increased rents = £521,631 per acre per year!

On a Facebook site, a Seaton beach hut renter has plotted a graph of price increases against cost-of-living increases. Here is a comment on that post:

“£574.80 per year for 48 sq ft [of beach pebbles] = £521,631 per year per acre. To put this in context, the price for an acre of prime agricultural land is c. £5,000-£6,000, so the price for wasteland would be substantially lower and for pebbled beach lower still. So for what EDDC are charging in rent for wasteland, you can buy 100 times that area and keep it forever.

I would presume that EDDC’s justification is “market rates”, and so long as people keep paying these exorbitant amounts, then they can quite reasonably claim that these are “market rates”.

The real answer is that the council leadership, prompted by their pals in government, see themselves more as a capitalistic organisation that needs to be market driven and take local residents for every penny they can rather than a body elected by local residents to serve local residents to provide public services for their benefit.

The only ways I can see to get EDDC to change will be to:

a) Vote with your feet on Beach Huts – stop renting and show the council that their rates are much higher than the market will support; and

b) Use your vote at the next county and district local government elections to elect councillors who see their role as benefiting local residents rather than supporting central government policy.”

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8 Feb 2016

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Coastal erosion, Developers/ Development, Exmouth, Moirai Exmouth project

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The hunt for Queen’s Drive Exmouth!

Twitter awash with reports that Queen’s Drive, Exmouth has disappeared under a mass of beach sand …. it has even made The Guardian
#stormimogen

If you develop there, remember this and that global warming will only make it worse ….