Daily Archives: 23 May 2016

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23 May 2016

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EU Referendum, Voting

Political purdah starts on 27 May

“The flurry of officially backed statements warning about the dangers of Brexit will come to an end on Friday, when Treasury officials enter a four-week “purdah” that prevents any activity that could be perceived as an attempt to sway the outcome of the 23 June vote.

Civil servants will no longer be able to publish reports such as the Treasury analysis on Monday that stated that in the event of a vote to leave the EU, output would fall up to 6%, house prices would tumble and half a million jobs would be lost. …

…

Election law and business

The Political Parties, Elections and Referendum Act 2000 covers activities by companies and individuals that are purposefully promoting a particular outcome from an election or referendum. The rules have been in place for every general election since 2001 although are being subject to greater scrutiny in the City as the referendum on EU membership is such a rare event. A breach of the law could lead to fines and even imprisonment.”

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

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23 May 2016

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Cranbrook, Environment (local), Paul Diviani, Sustainability

Flytipping in Utopia (aka Cranbrook)

Cranbrook Town Council Facebook page – not quite Councillor Diviani’s perfect sustainable town (see earlier post)

“LET’S WORK TOGETHER TO STAMP OUT FLY TIPPING

Fly tipping is beginning to be a problem in the Cranbrook area. In a number of recent cases, however, East Devon District Council has been successful in catching the offenders and serving fixed penalties (to cover the clear up costs) which were an average of £150 in each case. Obviously it is in everybody’s interests that we avoid unsightly and potentially hazardous views like this one, so please click for information about what to do if you see incidents of fly tipping or need advice on how to dispose of your rubbish responsibly.”

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23 May 2016

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Devolution, Local Enterprise Partnership

Why aren’ women running for mega-mayor jobs?

Could it be that jobs-for-the-boys really IS jobs for the boys?

“Although Manchester city council now has more female councillors than men for the first time in its history, nine out of 10 leaders in Greater Manchester’s constituent councils are men. The lonely woman is Jean Stretton, who took over Oldham in January. She is the first Labour leader of a Greater Manchester council since Baroness Bev Hughes ran Trafford for two years in the 90s.

“I think it does matter that no women seem to want to be mayor,” she said, while ruling herself out on the grounds that she has only just got her dream job. “I suppose we still might get someone putting herself forward, but it’s very late in the day [nominations for Labour in Greater Manchester close on 10 June]. I think that, while we do have some very good women MPs in Greater Manchester, they are mostly quite new to their seats and perhaps feel their futures lie in Westminster.”

In the 2015 general election, 191 women MPs were elected, 29% of all MPs and a record high. As of 2013, 32% of local authority councillors in England were women.

Stretton is optimistic that change is afoot. “When I first became a councillor in 2003, frequently the only other woman at a meeting would be taking the minutes. Now, my cabinet is fairly evenly split on gender. I’ve actually been criticised in the local paper for relying on an ‘old girls’ network’. Things are definitely changing for the better. It will just take time for those changes to filter up to the top.”

http://gu.com/p/4jfp5

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23 May 2016

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Asset Management Group, Austerity cuts, EDDC

Councils bleeding residents dry with residential parking permit prices

“UK councils have increased the cost of resident parking permits by an average of 51% since 2011, research has found.

An investigation by car insurance firm esure also revealed that more than half of local authorities have expanded the number of parking zones which require payment in the past two years.

The study revealed that the average cost of an annual permit is £64, but some motorists pay more than 10 times that amount. However the Local Government Association (LGA) insisted that councils are “on the side of motorists” and have to balance the requirements of residents and commuters.”

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

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23 May 2016

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Cranbrook, EDDC, Environment (local), Neighbourhood Plans

Cranbrook Development Plan, neighbourhood plans and fairy dust …

Owl rarely sleeps and decided accordingly to look at the DMC agenda for 31 May:

Click to access 310516-combined-eo-dmc-agenda.pdf

Owl was particularly interested to see what EDDC has planned for Cranbrook, and for its growth from its present 1250 houses to 8000 by 2031.

A few points came up on reading the “Cranbrook Development Plan: Issues and Options Report, May 2016”.

· Page 21 mentions the need to deliver confidence for stakeholders, which basically means developers. (DMC papers are open about Cranbrook needing to succeed if the Local Plan is not to fail; and at present EDDC is sitting on planning approaches from developers for 4260 houses. And yes, none of us can afford for either the town or the LP to fail – going back to the EDDC drawing board is not an option).

· Page 24 notes that “A number of Neighbourhood Plans are being prepared by the communities around Cranbrook. The District Council is working with these communities to ensure that they develop plans for their future that build on the opportunity presented by Cranbrook.”

No pressure, then – Owl would be very worried if Neighbourhood Plans had to be revised just to suit Cranbrook.

· Page 34: “People are excited by Cranbrook because they want to know what it means to be in a ‘Sustainable New Town’. Looking and feeling like any other new development is not enough”.

Really? The papers for DMC admit that 57% of Cranbrook residents don’t think they know enough about what is being planned! And, unfortunately, Cranbrook already looks and feels like every other similar development in the country. And as for sustainable – well, they had to drop the eco from eco-town, which says it all.

· Page 35: the section entitled ‘Vision’ confirms Owl’s long-held suspicion that Councillor Diviani, who has given his name to the Foreword, may have been overindulging in happy-making recreational substances – perhaps at the Deer Park hotel:

– “What is it like to live in a healthy, happy town? It is where you are able to socialise and know your neighbours, have ready access to a rewarding career on your doorstep, enjoy good health and feel safe … When you travel down your street to work you meet and chat with your neighbours along the way. Spaces along streets are welcoming, inviting you to pause on your journey …”

– … “It is where you live in complete peace and harmony with your fellow-man, in a Utopian dream and where where fairy-dust is sprinkled over the rooftops by flying unicorns and which also teach the world to sing in perfect harmony …”.

Actually Owl made that last bit up, but it could just as easily have been in this vacuous passage.

Incidentally, on page 23 it says that anyone can comment on the Plan. Many may wish to do so.

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23 May 2016

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Clyst St Mary

“Save Clyst St Mary” News

Friends Life site

We are delighted to be able to inform you that the planning for the four of the applications at Friends Provident have been refused. There has been approval given for the Listed Building Consent (which basically means there is permission to alter the Grade II listed properties, but East Devon District Council has refused to allow the owners to alter them according to the proposed plans).

At the time of writing, not all the reasons for refusals have been given, but we believe: the designs failed to meet the requirements stated by English Heritage; Sport England objected to the loss of the sports facilities; Natural England did not agree with the building on the Green Fields; and the proposals were outside of the East Devon Local Plan and the emerging Bishops Clyst Neighbourhood Plan.

Inevitably the developers will come back with a revised plan in the future, but for the moment, this is fantastic news for our village and puts us in a strong position moving forward. We must remain united and as a group, we would like to personally thank each and every person for all your support, letter writing and help over the past two years.

Clyst Meadows Footpath

We have received an email from EDDC regarding the consultation for this footpath. As a result, the Parish Council needs more people to get in touch and give ‘evidence of use’ (although it is really well used, apparently there are not enough evidence forms logged from locals at present – email alison.h.smith@devon.gov.uk). Please draw the route you have used on a blank map. I will happily take completed forms to EDDC if you drop them through our letter box (11 Clyst Valley Road). The completed forms need to be returned before 3rd June 2016.