Daily Archives: 4 Apr 2016

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4 Apr 2016

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Hugo Swire

Swire gives us his views on just about everything – except East Devon

To print it all here (all 2,600 words) would be mind-bogglingly irritating as Hugo puts the boot firmly into Iain Duncan Smith big time and says how incompetent he is/was (though Owl finds it hard to understand how George, Dave and Hugo let it all go on so long if they thought IDS wasn’t up to the job.)

He then covers bad Labour, bad Lib Dems, capitalism, Jeremy Corbyn, cuts, socialist traps, why it is ok for the rich to get richer, Europe, the “northern powerhouse”, tradition, the next leader of the party, and how blessed disabled people are – with help on housing, transport, employment and higher education – all, it seems created only by his party.j

He does admit to a ” patch of difficulty (!) in his own party but he seems confident that, somewhere in those 2,600 words is some sort of solution to its problems but poor Owl can’t work out exactly what that is!

If it were an essay written by an A level Politics exam, Owl would have given the rant a well-deserved FAIL!

http://www.hugoswire.org.uk/news/blog-resignation-iain-duncan-smith

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4 Apr 2016

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Axminster, Regeneration

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Axminster regeneration

A number of correspondents have pointed out that one part of Axminster that DOESN’T need regenerating is the 400 dwelling Millwey Rise estate, constructed by Bovis, built on land originally owned by Axminster Carpets and adjacent to Cloakham Lawns Sports Centre. Axminster Carpets was an enthusiastic member of the East Devon Business Forum.

Cloakham Lawns Sports Centre Ltd now pays a pappercorn rent to Bovis and benefits from sponsorship.

Directors of Cloakham Lawns Sports Centre Limited are:

Nicholas Alexander Yool
David Allan Pike
Andrew Timothy Moulding

There was a bitterly fight about the development, detailed here:
http://www.viewfrompublishing.co.uk/news_view/10297/21/1/axminster-the-big-cloakham-housing-debate

NOTE: AS PER THE COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE THIS IS NOT THE PAUL ARNOTT OF EAST DEVON ALLIANCE – IT IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PERSON WITH THE SAME NAME!

Here is how the pros and cons development were explained at the time (Owl has no idea how these panned out and would appreciate an update):

““Affordable housing will be provided at 40 per cent of the overall dwellings developed on the site, with 70 per cent will be rented and 30 per cent shared equity or similar intermediate housing unless otherwise agreed between the parties. The agreed mix of houses are: one bed dwellings 10 per cent; two bed dwellings 53 per cent; three bed dwellings 35 per cent; four bed dwellings two per cent.

• Each new resident at the proposed Cloakham Lawns site would receive a Travel Pack including a free two week taster ticket for local bus services and a £100 voucher to buy a bicycle.

• Axminster Primary School would face a shortfall of 83 places caused by the extra 100 primary aged pupils generated from the proposed 400 new houses. The extra 60 secondary aged pupils generated would mean The Axe Valley Community College, which in Autumn 2009 was already 17 pupils over capacity, would also be oversubscribed.

• A report confirmed there were some Roman archaeological features in the eastern part of the site, which lies in an Area of Archaeological Potential adjacent to the Roman Foss way.

• EDDC recommended the existing recreational facilities at the Cloakham Lawn Sports Club would be transferred to the Cloakham Lawns Association, with new occupants receiving 12 months free membership of the Cloakham Lawns Association.”

Details of the planning application are here:

http://www.cpredevon.org.uk/issue/cloakham-lawns-axminster-400-dwellings-permitted/

There is currently an acrimonious dispute with developer Bovis concerning a “temporary” footpath diversion in the area of the sports centre and the Bovis development.

http://www.axminster-today.co.uk/article.cfm?id=103216&headline=AXMINSTER%3A%20Developer%20promises%20to%20sort%20out%20footpath&sectionIs=news&searchyear=2016

Councillor Moulding declared a personal interest as President (and director) of Cloakham Lawns Sports Centre Limited.

So, now western Axminster and Cloakhan Lawns seems sorted (except for the footpath problems) councillors can turn their attention to other areas needing their input.

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4 Apr 2016

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Economy, Hinkley C, Local Enterprise Partnership

Our LEP needs you!

 

your

 

Much as it pains Owl, it must reluctantly attempt to do our LEP’s work for it – after all, it is Owl’s  money that is invested in this venture – though Owl, of course, had no say in the matter.

The LEP’s “business cafe” venture is currently woefully undersubscribed.

http://www.heartofswlep.co.uk/heart-south-west-pop-business-cafes-0

The one in Ivybridge tomorrow has 28 slots of which only 9 are so far taken
The one in Barnstaple for 12 April has 18 slots of which 2 have been taken
The one in Bideford on 13 April has 15 slots of which none are taken
The one for Tavistock on 18 or 19 April (it is hard to be sure as the heading says 19 April but the body of the page says 18 April though it is a Tuesday so probably 19 April) has 23 slots and 1 taken
The one originally advertised for 6 April in Exeter 2016 but now changed to 27 April without any explanation has 35 slots, none of which are taken

This is a total of 119 slots with only 12 taken – leaving around 90% of the slots to be booked up.

Come on, there are experts out there to be paid with our money – where are all those businesses that desperately need these (unnamed) experts to tell them what they should be doing and how they can link in to the exciting prospects available at Hinkley C – one day … maybe?

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4 Apr 2016

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Accountability, East Devon Alliance, Transparency

Reminder: Who cares what you think? conference

“One year on from the May 2015 elections, East Devon’s Independents are giving feedback to the general public on what they’ve been doing, and on the wider picture of big changes coming to the South West.

An open conference is being held at the Knowle (Sidmouth) on Saturday 23rd April 2016, in the Council Chamber, with speakers from the East Devon Alliance of Independents and colleagues from across the South West.

The morning session (11:00 – 12:30) will focus on East Devon issues such as flooding, rural broadband, and inappropriate development, with reports from some of the Independent Councillors now serving on EDDC.

The first afternoon session (13:30-14:15) is ‘Local Policing in crisis?’, with guest speaker Bob Spencer, the Police and Crime Commissioner candidate standing as an Independent in this May’s election.

The final session (14:30-16:15), looks at ‘Devolution- a democratic deficit?’, with guest speakers from across Devon, Cornwall, Somerset and Dorset.

Admission is free, but places limited, so please reserve by e-mail to conference@eastdevonalliance.org.uk. indicating if you’d like the light buffet lunch. (Small charge for the refreshments.)”

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4 Apr 2016

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Democracy

Stop complaining, residents of a Dorset town are told!

Residents in a Dorset town have been told to stop writing to their council about its decision to reduce a speed limit – because the complaints are ‘stressing out staff’.

Ferndown Town Council, Dorset, received an influx of letters and emails after residents in the neighbouring parish of Longham felt their views had been ignored about plans to reduce the limit on a stretch of main road which runs between the two communities.

In response, the council’s traffic working party chairman Cathy Lugg, wrote to residents to explain the decision but also asked them to stop writing to the town council and instead write to her directly as the volume of letters was ‘causing extra stress for staff’.

But the response left some residents feeling even more exasperated. Mandy Willis, from Longham, said: ‘It’s just ridiculous – our council tax rates are going up and yet as residents we are being told to stop hassling the council because the staff are stressed.

‘Surely the job of the town council is to communicate with residents who are there to hold them to account for its decisions.

‘If we can’t write to the town council where are we supposed to turn to get issues in the town sorted?’

In her letter to residents Councillor Lugg wrote: ‘The town council is working on a skeleton staff due to sickness and holiday at present and the large number of emails has caused extra stress for the staff.

‘If you wish to respond further, may I request that you contact me directly through the town council website.’

The town council employs six members of office staff – a town clerk, an assistant clerk, a part-time finance officer, an administration officer and two customer services assistants.

It is one of the largest Town Councils in Dorset and includes the main community of Ferndown, plus the distinct communities at Longham, Hampreston, Stapehill West and Tricketts Cross.

Residents were encouraged to write to the town council by East Dorset District councillor George Russell, asking it to resubmit the request to Dorset County Council to lower the speed limit along a further stretch of Ringwood Road through the village.

Councillor Russell even provided advice on how to make sure the letters had the ‘desired impact’, informing residents that ‘the town council is obliged to acknowledge your letter’.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3521986/Residents-Dorset-town-told-stop-writing-letters-local-council-causing-extra-stress-staff.html