Category Archives: Democracy
Speak now or forever hold your peace …
EDDC tries to silence minority councillors
http://www.claire-wright.org/index.php/post/eddc_to_impose_restrictions_on_motions
Police try to silence blogger:
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/may/12/police-ask-blogger-remove-legitimate-tweet-ukip
Is there a pattern here?
And here is an American view on it:
Are our MPs value for votes?
… MPs sat for just 143 days last year prompting Margaret Hodge, chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, to say: “We’re not spending enough time in Westminster. The public would be forgiven for thinking that MPs are lazy and Parliament is failing to provide value for money.”
How to improve customer satisfaction: an article in the EDDC newspaper and lots of press releases!
In the council e-newsletter this week, the council mentions that they are repeating their “satisfaction survey” by asking 3,000 residents, randomly chosen, what they think.
They the mention last year’s survey and what they are doing about improving things.
Here is the extracy on planning.
Planning – residents said
49% of residents said the council doesn’t act on what residents say, mainly due to planning and development (stet – this doesn’t make any sense!)
16% said they were dissatisfied with planning services – the most common reason given was that the council doesn’t listen to what people say.
How the council has responded
They have:
Published an article in the summer edition of East Devon Connect setting out the planning process and use other communication channels to make residents aware
We are in the process of changing the letters sent out during the planning application process to help make them better understood and provide a better explanation why decisions are made
We have increased our communications about regeneration projects and developments particularly in Exmouth and Seaton.
So, there you are: EDDC is improving by: writing an article, simplifying paperwork for planning applications and, er, more press releases.
Anyone see the flaws in this? Do any if these things show that the council LISTENS?
A new political party in Eric Pickles’ back yard!
A couple of weeks ago the warm-up question for BBC’s Question Time was this: if Cornwall can now be afforded “European minority status”, why not the mighty province of York?
Yorkshire has a larger population than Scotland and an economy twice the size of Wales, but with the powers of neither.
EDA researchers have discovered that the Yorkshire Tykes took matters into their own hands ages ago prompted not by the change of status in Cornwall but by the Scottish vote on independence.
Frustrated by what they see is a political system oriented towards the South East they have created a political party called Yorkshire First of neither the right nor the left but with a regional agenda. Yorkshire First believe that it is important to
1. Engage folk as citizens to design, deliver and improve services
2. Seek new ways of connecting people with the decision making and policy development processes
3. Encourage new participation in the political process
4. Work to secure a regional growth strategy with any interested organisation
5. Work to equip the people of Yorkshire to succeed through a focus on skills development
6. Encourage recirculation of cash in the Yorkshire economy
. Encourage the use of local supply chains wherever possible
. Fight to ensure small business competes on a level playing field with large corporations
. We will focus on encouraging areas/sectors where Yorkshire has distinct economic challenges or advantages
. Shape legislation that will benefit the development of these sectors or areas of opportunity
Rather than independence, Yorkshire First are seeking greater devolution of powers through some sort of regional parliament. Candidates are standing in the European elections. They will do so operating as a collection of Independents, united by believing in the aims of Yorkshire First. The party will have no whips, and personal conscience will always trumps party consideration. Candidates will also endeavor to stick to the principles of governance formulated by the former independent MP, Martin Bell. You may recall in 1997 Martin Bell displaced Neil Hamilton, who was mired in sleaze allegations, from the “safe” seat of Tatton, overturning a conservative majority of 22,000.
The Bell Principles
• abide wholeheartedly by the spirit and letter of the Seven Principles of Public Life set out by Lord Nolan in 1995: selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership
• be guided by considered evidence, our real world experience and expertise, our constituencies and our consciences
• be free from the control of any political party, pressure group or whip
• be ethical, non-discriminatory, and committed to pluralism
• make decisions transparently and openly at every stage and level of the political process, enabling people to see how decisions are made and the evidence on which they are based
• listen, consulting our communities constantly and innovatively
• treat political opponents with courtesy and respect, challenging them when we believe they are wrong, and agreeing with them when we believe they are right
• resist abuses of power and patronage and promote democracy at every level
• work with other elected independents as a Group with a chosen spokesperson
• claim expenses, salaries and compensation openly so the public can judge the value for money of our activities
http://www.yorkshirefirst.org.uk/
Is this the beginning of a new trend towards regional rather than national based politics, and personal integrity versus self-interest?
King Alfred Way, Newton Poppleford: the fight continues
After the meeting where the DMC decided to ignore the effects of the planning application on the SSSI pebblebeds and hustle through planning permission, news reaches us that the fight is not yet over.
It is possible that a judicial review will be sought given that there seem to be numerous grounds for doing so. Should this happen, EDDC should be seriously worried as this application has been fraught with procedural ineptitude – to say the least.
The parish council has also not distinguished itself with its handling of a planning application from the biggest local landowner in the area and also faces greater scrutiny from local residents.
OK, EDDC, let’s see you talk your way out of this one!
NEW TRANSPARENCY CODE FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT JUST PUBLISHED
The link to the document is here
Click to access Local_Government_Transparency_Code_2014_Final.pdf
Local authorities must publish all information they hold unless there is a compelling reason not to, the Government has suggested.
That principle has been laid down by the Department for Communities and Local Government in its new Local Government Transparency Code, which said local authorities should see data as a valuable resource not only to themselves, but also their partners and local people.
“In principle all data held and managed by local authorities should be made available to local people unless there are specific sensitivities (eg. protecting vulnerable people or commercial and operational considerations) to doing so,” the code says.
The DCLG said three principles had guided the development of the code (which applies in England only):
Demand led: “there are growing expectations that new technologies and publication of data should support transparency and accountability. It is vital that public bodies recognise the value to the public of the data they hold, understand what they hold, what their communities want and then release it in a way that allows the public, developers and the media to use it”;
Open: “provision of public data should become integral to local authority engagement with local people so that it drives accountability to them. Its availability should be promoted and publicised so that residents know how to access it and how it can be used. Presentation should be helpful and accessible to local people and other interested persons”; and
Timely: “the timeliness of making public data available is often of vital importance. It should be made published as soon as possible following production even if it is not accompanied with detailed analysis.”
Part 2 of the code sets out information which must be published (and is “recommended practice for parish councils whose gross annual income or expenditure – whichever is the higher – does not exceed £6.5m”).
Quarterly publication is required for expenditure exceeding £500, for Government Procurement Card transactions and details of every invitation to tender for contracts to provide goods and/or services with a value that exceeds £5,000, together with any contract, commissioned activity, purchase order, framework agreement and any other legally enforceable agreement, also with a value that exceeds £5,000.
Annual publication is required for certain information in nine data sets, including local authority land, grants to voluntary bodies and senior salaries.
Part 3 of the code meanwhile sets out areas where the DCLG suggests local authorities should go beyond the minimum compulsory requirements set out and are recommended to make information public.
These cover data in relation to: expenditure, procurement, land, parking, grants, fraud and organisation chart.
The code includes an annex summarising, in a table, all information to be published.
Boles told to apologise to Tory MP who says he will lose his seat because of his planning policies
And he’s only worried about 150 houses! Here in East Devon we are already in the thousands.
Hugo Swire should be VERY worried – though he has hardly been in the UK recently because of his Foreign Office trips so maybe he hasn’t noticed much.
Whose tail wags which dog and why?
On. planning lawyer’s blog there is a rant about how difficult local authorities make it to have planning applications validated – with rigid checklists that do not always suit the type of application being made.
Be that as it may, one of the comments says it all for us poor proles trying to ensure that dodgy developers don’t shirk their responsibilities:
Dr Anton Lang MRTPI said…
Hear, hear. As the someone who actually stood up to this nonsense and ended up at a judicial review leading to the revised Guidance on Validation having to be issued, I applaud you for keeping this matter alive. The guidance has not gone far enough and local authorities still ask for a gamut of unnecessary supporting information they do not really need, nor understand. Roll back the actual legislation and make everything simpler and at the applicant’s discretion. The tail has been wagging the dog for too long. The lpas [local planning authorities] are there to serve the applicants and NOT the other way round.
So now we know!
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=8170718846507476773&postID=7411782539593349100&isPopup=true
And now developers could control land disputes
The plot Thicketts
So what has been EDDC’s response to Mr Thickett’damning criticism of a Local Plan that has been years in the making, and yet is still found to be “unsound”?
The answer lies in the papers for the Development Management Committee (DMC) meeting to be held on 8 May. It’s a disappointing read, studiously avoiding commitment to a target date for the delivery of a revised Local Plan.
The paper acknowledges the need to work closer with West Dorset, to ensure that housing needs are met cross-border. (Too bad it took Mr Thickett to point out that the draft Local Plan seemed to have forgotten to do this.) The paper also volunteers that East Devon will have to help solve the housing needs of Exeter City as well.
However, rather than defend its turf, the turf of a district of which about two-thirds is to be found in Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the paper makes no attempt to avoid being caught between the hammer of Exeter and the anvil of West Dorset.
Why is EDDC not fighting its corner? “There is some, though maybe limited scope, to question the appropriateness of continuation of accommodating part of Exeter generated development needs in East Devon and indeed to consider capacity constraints and limitations in the District overall”. Damn right, etc.
The paper continues, “it is not clear how such capacity limits could be modelled and established”. Has anyone tried? A Duty to Co-operate should not mean rolling over and giving away countryside to our neighbours.
Elsewhere there is more to worry about. The villages Development Plan Document is to be put on the back burner, and the methodology used to calculate growth in villages – a blanket 5%, dismissed as too crude a tool by Thickett – is to be re-evaluated. Villages of East Devon beware!
One might have thought that EDDC would be anxious to have monthly updates, a transparent assessment of how close it was hitting housing numbers. Not a bit of it – the best the paper can do is generously offer to review the position not annually, but twice a year. Why not for each meeting of the DMC? Given that EDDC recently approved c.750 houses in Pinhoe and 300 for Gittisham, how much further do we have to go before East Devon can breathe a sigh of relief?
There is one final issue which should give East Devon cause for concern, and that is Thickett’s observation that the Council did not have a Gypsy and Traveller plan in place. Nine sites will have to be found, and none have been put forward by landowners or agents. (Now there’s a surprise!)
While the DMC paper seemingly believes that reconvened hearing sessions for a revised draft could be complete by October – but this is only if significant changes are not required – the vagueness elsewhere in the paper, and the job of work to on the Gypsy and Traveller plan makes this aspiration look very optimistic indeed.
Police Commissioners “on probation”
And some pertinent comments that might also apply to local government:
Remind you of anyone?
This is what the Parliamentary Standards Committee said about disgraced ex-MP Patrick Mercer who took cash for questions as published in the Daily Telegraph:
The investigation found Mr Mercer was ‘willing to use his parliamentary position for his own gain’ and readily signed an agreement for consultancy services but failed to register it or declare his interest when tabling relevant parliamentary questions
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2617840/Ex-Tory-MP-Patrick-Mercer-tried-abuse-hie-position-gain-worst-case-seen-Commons-watchdog.html#ixzz30aIX9098
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and in The Guardian:
They reached this conclusion after finding he allowed payment to influence his actions in parliamentary proceedings, failed to declare his interests on appropriate occasions, failed to recognise that his actions were not in accordance with his expressed views on acceptable behaviour, repeatedly denigrated fellow MPs both individually and collectively, and used racially offensive language.
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/may/01/patrick-mercer-tory-mp-worst-ever-breaches-rules
Localism: the broken promises
Localism a broken promise?
“The time has come to disperse power more widely in Britain today.”
Do you remember the Localism Bill of 2011 launched with a great fanfare as a key part of the coalition agreement in 2011 with the blessing of the PM and deputy PM? Here are extracts from the introduction to the Governments Guide to Localism published by Rt Hon Greg Clark MP, Minister of State for Decentralisation in June 2011.
“There are, however, some significant flaws in the planning system as it stands. Planning does not give members of the public enough influence over decisions that make a big difference to their lives. Too often, power is exercised by people who are not directly affected by the decisions they are taking. This means, understandably, that people often resent what they see as decisions and plans being foisted on them. The result is a confrontational and adversarial system where many applications end up being fought over.
The Localism Bill contains proposals to make the planning system clearer, more democratic, and more effective.”
“I also hope to see a debate in the wider country – among councils, community groups, volunteers, social activists and many more people – about how they can seize the opportunities this historic Bill represents, and use the rights and freedoms it offers to make a difference in their community.”
These proposals included the following.
Neighbourhood planning
“Instead of local people being told what to do, the Government thinks that local communities should have genuine opportunities to influence the future of the places where they live.”
“Neighbourhood planning will allow communities to come together through a local parish council or neighbourhood forum and say where they think new houses, businesses and shops should go – and what they should look like.”
“These neighbourhood development plans could be very simple, or go into considerable detail where people want.”
Requirement to consult communities before submitting very large planning applications
“To further strengthen the role of local communities in planning, the [Localism] Bill will introduce a new requirement for developers to consult local communities before submitting planning applications for very large developments. This will give local people a chance to comment when there is still genuine scope to make changes to proposals.”
Strengthening enforcement rules
“For people to have a real sense that the planning system is working for them, they need to know that the rules they draw up will be respected. The Localism Bill will strengthen planning authorities’ powers to tackle abuses of the planning system, such as making deliberately misleading planning applications.”
Reform the way local plans are made
“Local planning authorities play a crucial role in local life, setting a vision, in consultation with local people, about what their area should look like in the future. The plans local authorities draw up set out where new buildings, shops, businesses and infrastructure need to go, and what they should look like.”
“The Government thinks it is important to give local planning authorities greater freedom to get on with this important job without undue interference from central government. The Localism Bill will limit the discretion of planning inspectors to insert their own wording into local plans. It will also ensure that rather than focussing on reporting progress in making plans to central government, authorities focus on reporting progress to local communities.”
Is it now a footnote in history?
If you conduct a word search for “localism” in the NPPF you will find it nowhere in the main text only in footnotes 4 and 41, and once each in Annexes 1, 2 and 3!
Norfolk County Council to ditch Cabinet model in favour or politically representative Committee method
Cllr Paul Smyth, chair of the committee governance steering group, said: “I strongly believe the proposals agreed will offer better governance for Norfolk. It will bring greater democracy, transparency and accountability to the council by giving councillors from all parties a much larger role in decision making.
“The proposals we have developed over time will provide us with a strong council, well defined delegations of authority and clear divisions of responsibility that should promote good governance in Norfolk. Each committee will contain a politically balanced mix of councillors, giving them a much stronger voice in future decision making, which can only be good for democracy. All parties will have a part to play in the decision-making cauldron.”
Cllr Smyth said the November review would act as a “safety net” in terms of how the new system was working. “If needs be, we can amend how things are working then, but I believe this new system will give the 84 elected councillors a bigger voice on issues which were previously only the preserve of the nine or ten members of Cabinet.”
Norfolk’s Leader George Nobbs said: “I would like to pay tribute to the ordinary members of the council who have worked tirelessly to come up with a new system of working for the council. I can’t praise the huge amount of work they have put in highly enough and I wish it well.”
Some councillors get away with blue murder, some don’t
This is the second time Councillor Wragg (Lib Dem) has been brought before EDDC’s Standards Board for comments that seem to be the sort of thing that councillors of another colour call “robust debate” when they make similar remarks and have no action taken against them
Click to access signed_decision_notice_240414_redacted_signature_pdf.pdf
and reported here
And recall that Eric Pickles himself has said that councillors should have broader shoulders than the general public.
One might see a pattern emerging here, in the year before EDDC elections are due. One hopes not.
How to whip – carrots and sticks
Youth Parliament stages march tomorrow (Saturday) Exeter 11am
The Youth Parliament will be staging a march to protest the £1 Million DCC cuts to their services.
The march begins at 11 am and leaves from the entrance to Princess Hay on the high street and will make its way down to the Devon County Council offices, where they will formally present their petition.
The Youth Parliament has members from all over East Devon and they will be joined by members from North, South and Mid Devon, Cornwall and Bristol.
Take notice of our young people – they are our future
An excellent You Tube video made in response to DCC’s planned cuts to its youth budget:
East Devon Watch 