Author Archives: transparencyforeastdevon
CPRE frustration with EDDC’ continual delays with the Local Plan
Another step on the road to “Greater Exeter “?
Please don’t take our external auditor away! Why? We like him and our CEO wants the same auditor at both councils where he works!
From the agenda of the next Audit and Governance Committee meeting taking place on 25 September 2014 at 2.30 pm at Knowle. You could not make this up – why would EDDC MEMBERS (councillors) complain that the auditor should not change because their CEO wants the same one in East Devon and South Somerset – how would they get that information and why would they think it was THEIR problem?
“The Council has been notified that the Audit Commission is intending to appoint KPMG LLP to audit the accounts of East Devon District Council from 2015/16 for two years. The appointment will start on 1 April 2015.
… Members were verbally updated of this situation at the last meeting and that the Audit Commission had a duty to consult local government bodies on the auditor appointment.
As requested by the Committee the Head of Finance did make contact with the Commission to determine the areas were a Council might consider an objection, however these did not really accord with members reasons for an objection, these being; the excellent relationship that had been formed particularly with Barrie Morris, acknowledgement of the help in improving the Council’s processes and practices and the link with South Somerset District Council who were to remain with Grant Thornton. In consultation with the Chief Executive and the Audit & Governance Chairman the Head of Finance did not make an objection to the change in auditor. ”
Source: http://eastdevon.gov.uk/250914_a_and_g_cttee_combined_agenda.pdf
Local hospital bed closures – consultation
Axminster and Ottery St Mary hospitals are set to lose all their beds and Sidmouth hospital will lose its minor injuries unit under the cost-cutting proposals.
12 weeks consultation on these plans start today.
Full Report here:
http://www.newdevonccg.nhs.uk/get-involved/get-involved/community-services/101039
The East Devon section is here:
http://www.newdevonccg.nhs.uk/file/?rid=105273&download=true
Just one problem: none of the recommendations (which should also include doing nothing as a costed option) have ANY numbers attached to them. So, we don’t know what things cost now, we don’t know what the new recommendations will cost, so there is no idea what savings, if any, may be made.
But no doubt our District Council will come to our aid …..
Update on Knowle sale and Freedom of Information Tribunal
Can you help East Devon AONB find new offices?
Their office at the East Devon Business Centre (along with many more) is being demolished to pay for Skypark and will be replaced by a supermarket.
Says it all really.
And they have to be out by the end of the year, though their notice period will be waived if necessary.
That’s nice of EDDC isn’t it.
EDDC limps on with only one Deputy Chief Exec.
“Grand Designs” presenter says rent, don’t buy
… because oroperty in this country is too expensive and much of it is badly designed and built:
“He told The Times: ‘It’s not to do with the amount, it’s to do with the quality. We have to build houses that people want to live in within communities that work for them and we have to ask the existing community what they think will work because they have more local knowledge than just about anyone else.
‘Until in this country we get the spaces between the buildings right, then every single housing scheme will fail.”
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2758730/Rent-don-t-buy-urges-TV-host-Grand-Designs-presenter-Kevin-McCloud-says-renting-way-forward.html#ixzz3DYvWltjh
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Free winter car parking for town residents
Alas, not here in East Devon – only in Lyme Regis, where the council has announced that two of its main car parks will be free to residents between 1 November 2014 and 27 March 2015 between the hours of 9.30 – 4.30 pm.
To get their free parking permits, residents have to provide a current council tax bill and a car registration document showing the same address within the town’ss boundary.
Think of all those people who will now “pop to the shops” in Lyme Regis and all that Christmas shopping that will now be done locally.
Chances of this happening in East Devon? Where residents parking in Sidmouth has just gone up 330%? Pass.
District councils object to centralisation of land charges – because “stakeholders” might suffer
Why? Well, because the computerisation might go wrong and “stakeholders” would worry about that? Who is/are these stakeholders: developers and the housing market!
Now, bear in mind when reading the extract below, that East Devon District Council is currently going ahead with a project to merge its IT systems with those of Plymouth and hasn’t the slightest worry that anything may go wrong!
“Of particular concern to us is the impact upon the operation of the property market if there are problems with the IT system being developed to support the centralised local land charges register and the transfer of data from local authorities.”
Cllr Clarke insisted that the network was not seeking the minister’s intervention for reasons of self-interest because local authorities currently maintained local land charges registers.
Instead, he said, “it is because we believe the damage that could be caused to the operation of the housing market and thus to the national economy is so substantial should there be technical problems with an as yet untried and untested IT system that the risk is too great to be acceptable.
“The DCN believes it would be failing in its public duty if it did not draw to your personal attention the consequences that could arise if technical problems occur. If you are not persuaded that the proposals should be set aside then we would urge you to at least delay implementation until you are satisfied that all technical issues have been resolved such that there will be no adverse consequences for the smooth operation of the housing market.”
Should we be calling the Minister’s attention to the EDDC/Plymouth merger for the same reasons?
Government gets “red card” on flooding and environment from its own MPs
Greenfield, brownfield – now “amberfield”!
Scots already get more per head than South West
Councillor vows to challenge Police Commissioner
The Chair of the EDDC Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Littleham Councillor Tim Wood, told his Committee on Thursday 11th September that he shares the widespread frustration and dismay at the failure of the Council to pursue an enquiry into the Business Forum.
He vowed to raise the issue with the Police Commissioner Tony Hogg at the earliest opportunity.
In answer to a public question, Councillor Wood said that he had been given “very firm legal advice” that the enquiry could not be permitted to reconvene until after the Devon and Cornwall Police had completed their investigations into alleged malpractice by ex-Councillor Graham Brown.
Sidmouth citizen Robert Crick advised Councillor Wood that 18 months after the Chief Executive Mark Williams had referred the case to the police, Mr Brown has still not been charged or even questioned, despite volunteering to meet the police.
Mr Crick claimed that Mr Brown was being used as a scapegoat to prevent inquiries into deep systemic problems in the way the Cabinet and Senior Officers had been operating. It seemed that Mr Brown had done nothing illegal and the case should now be closed.
Mr Crick suggested that the legal advice given to the chair might not be impartial or independent and that a second opinion might be needed to enable the formal enquiry into the Business Forum’s dealings to proceed.
“In the interest of fairness and justice, Graham Brown should be brought in from the wilderness, and given a chance to clear his name” asserted Mr Crick.
The fourth meeting of the Business “Task and Finish Forum” was postponed at short notice in early September 2013. This formal enquiry had been launched a year before to investigate public concerns about the possible abuse of power by the East Devon Business Forum and allegations of influence behind closed doors in the production of the now discredited Local Development Plan.
It had made little progress before it was suspended a year later.
Skypark “realising the full economic potential of Exeter” …
So says Alder King, the company marketing the site on Rightmove HERE
“The vision for the site is to realise the full economic potential of Exeter as a major regional centre, providing a range of employment opportunities and highlighting the area as a self-sufficient new urban community. A community offering people the ability to live in a much sought-after part of the country in close proximity to where the majority of new jobs will be provided.”
Three Dorset councils in merger talks
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-29205950
Skypark starts to make sense but only in strategic terms, not in terms of residents needs.
What is quite shocking is that, if mergers save so much money, why was the extra tier created in the first place.
One suspects the word “localism” would have been bandied about in the 70s when it was happening, but now the buzz phrase = “economic growth and efficiency” to explain why mergers are needed.
One might then conclude that you can’t have localism AND economic growth and efficiency!
South-West house prices higher than pre-recession peak
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-29218870
And the Catch-22: the more new, expensive houses we build the higher the figure climbs.
Greenfield sites, pretty locations in the countryside = high prices and little chance of affordable homes
Brownfield sites in urban areas = lower prices and greater chance of affordable homes
Developers prefer greenfield, bigger profits. No incentive to build on brownfield sites.
Recipe for disaster?
Fettering discretion in the planning process
EDDC current constitution page 196
Do be aware that you are likely to have fettered your discretion where the Council is the landowner, developer or applicant and you have acted as, or could be perceived as being, a chief advocate for the proposal. (This is more than a matter of membership of both the proposing and planning determination committees, but that through your significant personal involvement in preparing or advocating the proposal you will be, or perceived by the public as being, no longer able to act impartially or to determine the proposal purely on its planning merits.)
and page 197:
Don’t speak and vote on a proposal where you have fettered your discretion. You do not also have to withdraw, but you may prefer to do so for the sake of appearances.
Do explain that you do not intend to speak and vote because you have or you could reasonably be perceived as having judged (or reserve the right to judge) the matter elsewhere, so that this may be recorded in the minutes.
Do take the opportunity to exercise your separate speaking rights as a Ward/Local Member where you have represented your views or those of local electors and fettered your discretion, provided you do not have a disclosable pecuniary interest.. Where you do exercise these speaking rights:
– advise the proper officer or Chairman that you wish to speak in this capacity before commencement of the item;
– remove yourself from the Member seating area for the duration of that item; and
– ensure that your actions are recorded.
…..
Be aware that you should not speak or vote on any matter which you have discussed at Cabinet unless you have demonstrated there and can do so at the relevant planning meeting that you have not predetermined the application. …
…Do not take part in any planning meeting on a matter in which you may have been seen as advocating a proposal as a Cabinet Member.
So, we build more homes – who then buys them?
According to a report from the National Housing Federation, only an “exclusive members club” will be able to afford houses:
http://www.housing.org.uk/media/press-releases/homeownership-is-becoming-an-exclusive-members-club/
As for “affordable” homes, they should be no more than 80% of the cost of owning or renting a home on the open market.
If a home costs £200,000 and rents for £800 a nonth that would be £160,000 and £660 a month. But if a home costs £400,000 and rents for £2000 a month then that’s £ £320,000 and £1,600 a month. It is not based on what people can afford, just a simple mathematical formula.
So, why are we building more and more expensive properties in East Devon?
East Devon Watch 