Category Archives: EDDC

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26 Dec 2016

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Accountability, Developers/ Development, EDDC, Exmouth, Moirai Exmouth project

The Swindon connection: Torquay United, Gaming International – and Moirai Capital

Owl sees that south Devon football team Torquay United have been taken over by Gaming International, a Swindon-based company thought to be keen to extract value from the development of their ground, Plainmoor. The freehold is owned by the local authority.

Moirai Capital of Exmouth fame/notoriety are also Swindon based. And have some interesting links with Gaming International, including the ill-fated Milton Keynes Bowl:

http://www.mkdevelopmentpartnership.co.uk/news/2015/aug/removal-preferred-bidder-status-moirai/

http://totalmk.co.uk/news/regret-that-development-plans-for-the-national-bowl-have-stalled

It’s been a tough time for Torquay fans recently … and they have their worries about their new owners:

“Torquay supporters are aware of Gaming International’s record at Reading and Swindon with respect to stadium redevelopment. There have been several online discussions amongst our supporters, the most recent being:

​http://torquayfans.c….php?f=3&t=8858

http://ww​w.torquayfansforum.co.uk/thread/11946/tufc-takeover-bid-gaming-international”

and a fan notes:

The man behind this company Clarke Osborne has now set up a new company “Riviera Stadium Limited”.

Gaming International Limited was once known as Bristol Stadium PLC.

Clarke Osborne was a director of Bristol Stadium PLC when Bristol Rovers could no longer afford to pay them the rent in 1986. Rovers were forced to play in exile in Bath for ten years.

Osborne was Chief Executive of Bristol Stadium PLC when Eastville was sold to Ikea for £19m. There were promises that a new greyhound site would be found in Bristol – but it did not happen. I think Reading has suffered a similar fate.

I am sure that the new owners will lend the football club enough money to keep those fans who don’t look beyond the end of their nose happy for a couple of years. My fear is that the day will come when they will want everything they lend back plus a return on investment. They are not fans and they are not a charity.”

http://www.torquayfansforum.co.uk/thread/11946/tufc-takeover-bid-gaming-international

but surely such illustrious connections can only make things, er, better?

According to BBC website:

“There has been talk of the club leaving their Plainmoor home for a new ground on the outskirts of the town, a plan which the Torquay United Supporters’ Trust has questioned.

“With GI, our biggest concern is that they are a property developer, they have very little interest in football apparently and they have very little connection with Torquay as a place,” TUST spokesman Alan Robinson told BBC Sport.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38383226

Might we see Gaming International in Exmouth some time soon? Stranger things, much stranger things, have happened!

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24 Dec 2016

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Accountability, EDDC, Exeter City Council, Greater Exeter

CEO of Greater Exeter (and former Regeneration supremo for East Devon looks forward to 2017

Karime Hassan:

” … “2017 will see us continuing to try to achieve a growth deal for Exeter. In collaboration with partners we are also going to be consulting on a Greater Exeter Strategic Plan. For the first time this will see four local authorities coming together to help shape things for the benefit of all for the next 20 years. … “

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/2017-is-full-of-promise-read-exeter-city-council-chief-executive-s-christmas-message/story-30009328-detail/story.html

Oh dear.

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23 Dec 2016

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Accountability, Democracy, EDDC, Exmouth, Regeneration

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Exmouthians and the recent full council meeting – not happy …

Reports say …

Laura Freeman accused them of letting the people of Exmouth who voted in Town Poll and the March down. She promised they would see more action until they listened.

Sally Galsworthy said that East Devon strap line was “an area of outstanding natural beauty”. Yet they wanted to destroy the natural beauty of the Seafront. She said they ran the risk of building a road to nowhere that was now costing over £3m. She said they couldn’t be sure that Mark Dixon would stay the course. He was a rich man in his prime why would he want to be associated with incompetence, bad PR and spiralling costs? She said as someone who was born and bred in the town and whose parents and grandparents had businesses in the town she understood the temperament well. Exmouth likes to grumble but rarely takes action. She congratulated the council that they had managed to get nearly 5000 people to vote in the Poll and 400 to March. That they might well find if Dixon dropped out, they had built a road to nowhere.

Alex Huett reminded the Council when the Regeneration Board was set up in 2010 their main target was to regenerate the Town and the town was enthusiastic. Queens Drive was never mentioned.

Oh dear … and more than 2 years to go before people can show what they think by their votes …

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23 Dec 2016

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Accountability, Development Management Committee, EDDC, Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation

Lost at Knowle … are there bodies buried in the “old” building?

Word reaches Owl that at December 21’s meeting of EDDC, Sidmouth resident Tony Green quizzed Chief Executive Mark Williams about comments made by a member of the crucial planning committee on December 6th which narrowly refused permission for Pegasus Life’s application for 113 apartments on the Knowle site.

Mr Green said impartiality was essential when councillors considered planning applications, especially ones in which the council had a vested interest.

This was clearly the case on December 6th, as the progress of the Council’s relocation project depended on planning permission being granted. But the council’s wishes should not have been a material consideration at this meeting, argued Mr Green, and so should not have been mentioned.

He said he was “surprised” that a veteran member of the DMC (the finger of suspicion points at Tory Cllr Mark Williamson) had commented that the existing Knowle offices were “not fit for purpose” and had gone on to tell a joke about people getting lost for years in the old hotel building.

The comments, and the fact that the councillor went on to vote against refusal, created the impression of bias said Mr Green.

He then asked the CEO:

1. Did he agree that the relocation project was not a material planning consideration on December 6th?
2. Would Mr Williams agree to caution planning committee members not to refer to it at any future meeting to determine an application to develop the Knowle site?

Neither question was answered. The reply was that, in Mr Williams’ experience, councillors said many things in planning meetings, some of which were “germane”! This, of course, implies that some are not – in which case, why make such comments.

Surprise! Surprise!

P.S. Avid followers of the long and winding road of the relocation project may remember that Cllr Williamson was Chair of the planning committee of March 1 2013 which refused the Council’s own application to develop the Knowle with 50 luxury houses.

He was criticised at the time for making disobliging comments about Sidmouth’s “dependence” on Council jobs, and other hints that he was biased in favour of the application. He voted for it.

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23 Dec 2016

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Accountability, Andrew Moulding, Bovis, Cranbrook, Developers/ Development, EDDC

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Axminster and Cranbrook – slums of the future says Councillor Hull whilst Councillor Moulding says – nothing

At EDDC’s full Council Meeting on 21 December, venerable Axminster Lib Dem councillor Douglas Hull asked members to support a statement criticising the standards of the big national housebuilders.

He said the “little boxes” they were building in places like Axminster and Cranbrook were so appalling that they were creating “the slums of the future”

He circulated a local newspaper story of a young Axminster couple whose new purchase was so “ticky tacky” as to be virtually uninhabitable.

There was some tut tutting and the Chief Executive stepped in to say he would write to the offending companies, and Douglas was very grateful.

Interesting that Tory Axminster councillor Andrew Moulding had nothing to say about the problem.

But then he is a guiding light in Cloakham Lawns Social and Sports Club which has very cordial relations with Bovis!

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22 Dec 2016

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Accountability, EDDC, Exmouth, Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation, Mark Williams CEO EDDC, PegasusLife, Richard Cohen

Save our Sidmouth report on council flagrant and reckless overspending on relocation

“Richard Thurlow, who Chaired Save Our Sidmouth from the beginning, and is currently Chair of the Sid Vale Association’s Environment and Planning Committee, gave this speech to Full Council last night. He received no response to the issues he raised. Along with those of other speakers, they were neatly brushed under the carpet by the Mark Williams. Although all wrapped up in time for Christmas, so to say, these issues will inevitably be reopened and on view throughout the New Year.

This is what Richard Thurlow said:

” The first cost estimate for Exmouth Town Hall (ETH) in March 2015 was £0.96m. The report to council said “The proposal to refurbish ETH has been tested and supported by independent analysis”!!

The second cost estimate was £ 1.261m

The latest cost is £1.669m.

Thus in 18 months the cost has risen by about £700k, a rise of 70% over the original estimate, and it is now more than the cost for the refurbishment of the Knowle which was £1.566m.

To the estimate of £1.669m must be added, fitting out, moving costs, staff reimbursement for travel and inconvenience, (for three years), etc, probably nearer £2m.

Your Deputy Chief Executive has persuaded Cabinet to underwrite a spend of £1.669m without adequate rationale; there are NO reasons given in his Report other than a wish to occupy ETH more quickly; no economic breakdown, no total cost, no assessments of the advantages and disadvantages of the proposal which would have enabled you to base your decision on facts.
The project is out of control.

I say this based on my experience over 40 years on projects worldwide in a major Building and Civil Engineering Consultancy. I have seen a few dodgy projects in that time and this is one of them!

If you support the proposal, I have to say that this will come back to haunt you!”

EDDC relocation has hallmarks of a “dodgy project”, Full Council is advised.

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22 Dec 2016

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Accountability, Audit (EDDC), EDDC, Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation

A relocation cost swept under the carpet?

A planning application for brand new offices at EDDC’s Manstone Depot turns out to be brand new accommodation for the Estates department. EDDC will now have new or refurbished offices in Exmouth, Honiton and Sidmouth.

Surely this is yet another relocation cost and likely to go over budget, just like every other project this year – some of which have been 70-100% over budget.

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22 Dec 2016

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Accountability, Audit (EDDC), Council tax, EDDC, Exmouth, Independent Councillors, Scrutiny, Transparency

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Tory councillors refuse spending scrutiny role and trust (vastly overspent) officers

East Devon Alliance and other Independent councillors show their mettle – Tories show their inadequacy.

There was a distinct lack of seasonal goodwill last night at the full meeting of East Devon District Council which was well attended by the public.

Four speakers from Exmouth lambasted the council for the mega-shambles emerging over the development of Queen’s Drive.

There was anger that the wishes of local people for a town centre upgrade and a modest refurbishment of the seafront had been ignored. Replaced, without consultation, by a grandiose council project to commercialise the seafront with shops, a cinema and blocks of flats.

Two Sidmouth residents kept up the pressure. One questioned the financial competence of the Council with relocation costs spiralling: £600,000 more for Exmouth Town Hall, £400,000 more for Knowle.

Another asked the Chief Executive to warn planning committee councillors against bias in favour of any future application to develop the Knowle because it would advance the relocation project. This seemed to have happened at the December 6th DMC meeting, but the CEO was unconcerned.

When councillors came to quiz council leaders it was noticeable that not a single Conservative asked a question.

But there was a barrage from Independents and Lib Dems. The refrain was that the leadership never gave straight answers to questions about its accounting for public money; it was incompetent in keeping costs under control, and it kept councillors in the dark about what was happening.

East Devon Alliance Independent councillor Megan Armstrong prised out of Philip Skinner, Exmouth “regeneration” portfolio holder, the admission that there would be no independent public consultation on Queen’s Drive which over 4000 Exmouthians had voted for in a Town Poll.

Nonetheless, EDDC would be spending over £60000 to get renewed planning permission for the development.

East Devon Alliance Independent Councillor Cathy Gardner grew increasingly frustrated at Leader Paul Diviani’s failure to answer questions. Why was the contact with Pegasus life for the sale of the Knowle kept secret? Why was the project manager of the Queen’s Drive affair not sacked for “ineptitude”? And what action would be taken against the same officer who had publicly expressed personal frustration at the refusal of the Pegasus Life planning application for the Knowle?

Eileen Wragg (Lib Dem) questioned where the £3million to move the roadway in Queen’s Drive was coming from. She knew that County did not have funds ear-marked. The Chief Executive admitted that applications had gone out for funding, but nothing had been agreed yet.

Rob Longhurst (Independent) said the leadership seemed to think £600000 more on Exmouth Town Hall was “small money” that didn’t require detailed accounting. “I like to see numbers”, he added. Support came from fellow independent Roger Giles who quoted an earlier Council Leader Peter Halse who said when it came to costings it was not good enough for the council leaders to say “Just trust us”.

Finally, Cllr Longhurst, seconded by Independent Ben Ingham, proposed an amendment that councillors should be updated every six months with detailed costings of the council’s projects.

“Unnecessary!” chorused a succession of Tory councillors. They said leave it to the internal auditors Southwest Audit Partnership, forgetting, perhaps, that SWAP was strongly criticised in 2013 for an “anodyne” report on the governance implications of the Graham Brown affair which suggested it was in too cosy a relationship with Council leaders.

A vote on the amendment was lost with 30 Tory councillors voting in a block against it.

Bleating sounds could be heard coming from a member of the public!

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22 Dec 2016

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Accountability, Affordable and Social Housing, Council tax, Cranbrook, Developers/ Development, EDDC, Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation

Getting on your bike … and how that might affect the Knowle

Does anyone recall a government minister of the past (Norman Tebbit) telling young people that, if they wanted a job, they should “get on their bikes” and go to where the jobs were most prevalent?

What happens if you want to own your own home? Where do you go if you are on an average wage? The cheaper homes are largely in the north, but that is also where there are fewer well-paid jobs and, if you are from the West Country, that’s where family and friends are.

So, you rent where homes are expensive to buy, but where the jobs are and where your friends and family are. In this situation, not only will you never be able to own a home (unless you have a bank of mum and dad), you will also probably be paying nearly double in rent what you might have paid on a mortgage (see post below)!

Yet here in East Devon, and in the county as a whole, our housing policy is to build lots of bigger, more expensive houses in the most desirable and expensive places.

Ah, you say, but what about that wonderful new town of Cranbrook? Well, what about it? Cranbrook is turning out to be a mecca for buy to let landlords – perpetuating the high rent scenario that stops young people with low wages getting on the home ownership ladder, unless they are lucky or unlucky enough to be a two-wage childless couple with a bank of mum and dad.

How did we get here? By successive governments putting their faith in the free market and developers. And legislating for them in Local Plans (devised by those self-same developers!).

Social and truly affordable homes have been abandoned to greed.

EDDC could, if they had wished, have turned the Knowle over to a Community Land Trust which could have built affordable homes for local people. A CLT could have taken out a 40 year loan to pay back EDDC, the proceeds of which could have paid back THEIR 40 year loan for their new HQ. Instead EDDC is taking out a 40 year loan on a new HQ in Honiton which WE, the taxpayers, pay back and for which we get – nothing except mega-luxury retirement housing.

Though it is still not too late … with the PegasusLife planning application turned down, perhaps it is time for EDDC to do some of that “systems thinking” that they endlessly trumpet.

Don’t hold your breath.

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21 Dec 2016

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Accountability, EDDC, Spin

Government’s 32 advisers cost only 4 times more than those at EDDC

“The pay bill for the Conservative party’s special advisers will total an estimated £7.9 million this year, Government records show.

Theresa May will keep 32 advisers in Downing Street, the same number as David Cameron, but has reduced the number across Government from 95 to 83.

The lower number of “Spads” means the total bill for their salaries has fallen by £500,000 from its level of £8.4 million under David Cameron.”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/special-advisors-spads-pay-theresa-may-wages-bill-total-labour-a7489221.html

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21 Dec 2016

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Accountability, Audit (EDDC), Austerity cuts, Council tax, EDDC, Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation, Scrutiny, Transparency

EDDC expenditure on consultants and agency staff2015/16 almost £2 million

Consultants £1,430,867
Agency staff £477,119

Total £1,907,986

A full list of payees appears with the appendix. Relocation supremo Steve Pratten (Aecom) takes up a large chunk.

But what is the £11,000 paid to Monitoring Officer and Legal Officer Henry Gordon-Lennox as “Legal Services Retainer”? Surely he is not employed by an agency?

Click to access item-10-consultants-fees-with-appendices.pdf

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20 Dec 2016

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Accountability, Austerity cuts, East Devon Tories, EDDC, Paul Diviani, Spin

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EDDC Leader’s (post truth?) Christmas message

Owl will not be passing on Leader Diviani’s full-blown Christmas message, just the most choice ten phrases from it so you can add your own comments.

And this is the picture that the Communications Department chose to go with the press release, just in case anyone has forgotten what he looks like:

3619eb05-3b22-4bfa-90f2-959cf05d60d8-3741-0000032ccb274029_tmp

1. Relocation and evolution of efficient, innovative services remains a priority for district council …

2. Improving and we will continue to improve …

3. We will continue to face financial pressures …

4. How we can deliver our services in new and innovative ways.

5. We must evolve from being service providers and instead become enablers …

6. Support communities to come together so they can do more for themselves …

7. We will also be focusing on a more commercial approach to delivering our services …

8. We must deliver the £2.6m savings that central government require us to make …

9. Outstanding council, which works together with local people to create great value services and an outstanding community, economy and environment for East Devon, both now and for future generations.

10. Everything we do is aimed at making East Devon a place where people want to live and work, as well as a top destination for visitors.

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20 Dec 2016

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Accountability, Audit (EDDC), EDDC, Exmouth, Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation

Riddle: if it costs £1.95m to turn a small library into a community hub how much for Exmouth Town Hall refurbishment?

“Topsham Library is set to be converted into a multi-purpose community hub for Estuary League of Friends after the group was awarded a

£778,100 grant.

The charity, which works to improve the quality of life for the vulnerable in and around Topsham, has raised 85 per cent of the

£1.95million needed

to fund the development after receiving the grant from the Big Lottery Fund. …

… Estuary League of Friends’ home will be converted into a two-storey complex with a day room, community café and kitchens, fitness rooms, improved library facilities along with other rooms.”

http://www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/news/778_000_to_turn_library_into_community_hub_1_4821439

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20 Dec 2016

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DCC, Devolution, EDDC, Health and Social Care (local), NHS (local)

“The NHS is headed for a devolution iceberg – whilst MPs argue about deckchairs”

“…Under cover of Devolution, local authorities and Combined Authorities are gaining the freedom to take their own piece of the NHS pie and dish it out as they see fit. By 2020, there may be a patchwork of local health services, ushered in by local authorities, starting with the 10 Labour-controlled authorities in Greater Manchester’s Devo Manc deal, but potentially spreading across England. The real prospectus is a devolved, deregulated, local service, partly privatised, its social care component already 90% privatised, facing a meltdown in local authority finance, competing with other localities for patients and funds, with local pay and conditions for healthworkers, and all branded as “integrated”.

If so, those who want to rescue our National Health Service will need more than a repeal of the Health & Social Care Act (2012). The NHS will need renationalising in a truly integrated form, eliminating the internal market and restoring the legal responsibilities of the Secretary of State. The NHS Bill, backed by Jeremy Corbyn and Caroline Lucas but yet to win the endorsement of any major party, would do this. But there will be facts on the ground to confront as well. …”

https://www.opendemocracy.net/ournhs/greg-dropkin/nhs-is-headed-for-devolution-iceberg-whilst-mps-argue-about-deckchairs

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19 Dec 2016

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Accountability, Asset Management Group, Asset sweating, Audit (EDDC), Austerity cuts, Developers/ Development, Development Management Committee, EDDC, Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation, Richard Cohen, Sidmouth/ Sidford/ Sidbury, SWAP (EDDC internal audit), Transparency

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Is Mr Cohen up to his job?

Richard Cohen has not had a good year (well, actually he has, as he remains Deputy CEO and Relocation Manager for EDDC).

He came under fire last week for saying (twice) that the DMC had “stymied” relocation plans – though actually if anyone stymied anything it was PegasusLife putting in a planning application that was unfit for purpose.

Just so show this wasn’t a one-off, let us remind ourselves of this is transcript of part of a speech by a well-known Sidmouth businessman with experience of property development, made at a Sid Vale Association Meeting at the Unitarian Church, Sidmouth, 9th December 2014.

The speech begins with a discussion of Cohen’s estimate of total relocation costs at about £10 million.

“The numbers are completely, hopelessly and scandalously wrong. They are useless, they are terrible and have to be challenged vigorously and strenuously. These numbers are rubbish. They don’t include the green travel plan, they don’t include compensation for the staff, they don’t include the cost of the move itself, they don’t include the costs of hubs the other towns and, most importantly, they don’t include the cost of officer time and members time that is involved in all of this.

The expert, Mr Steve Pratten from Davis Langdon, he is going to cost £1million or more on his own. It doesn’t include the legal costs in all this. I say to the District Council that I have estimated the real costs to be £20million. That figure was not disputed – Richard Cohen did not say it was exaggerated – he said he didn’t recognize the number. What that means is that I was bang on the money.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are trusting Richard Cohen to mastermind this whole process and we are assuming that he’s accurate in the mathematical calculations. This is the same man who measured the Knowle 40% smaller than it turned out to be! He got it wrong by 40%. Robin Fuller had to write a paper, he was rubbished in the press and it turned out that he was correct. The Knowle is 40% bigger than Richard Cohen thought it was.

This is the same man who was responsible for four attempts to compose the economic impact assessments rejected by his own planning committee. He can’t get simple mathematics right. This same man tells us that energy prices are going to go ahead for the next 20 years at 10% over inflation. He is alone in the entire world in thinking this. Nobody else believes that including your energy companies who will fix your energy costs for the next four years. That instantly takes £1.5million out of all the savings that are supposed to be made by moving, so he hasn’t even bothered to explore that possibility.

He is also the man who shifted the southern boundary of the Knowle to include the second tier of parkland without telling anybody and in contradiction to the specific instructions of the Development Management Committee. I was told this would not be investigated because the Inspector would look at it, which he would not do because it was not in his remit. So that has never been investigated by anybody at the Knowle.

He did it without managing to record that process; without managing to record any conversation with any individual, without writing a single email, or keeping a single note or sending any kind of correspondence to any third party. Because I made a freedom of information request, and there was nothing there.

He did it unilaterally, on his own, secretly, and he didn’t tell a single soul, and I only found out by accident.

This is not the kind of person I would trust to do these calculations. Now when he says it is going to cost £15.9million to refurbish the Knowle, I would tell him that that’s a load of bunkum. This relates to the entire building, which nobody advocates retaining. Why is anybody working in a bathroom when the Knowle is two and a half times the size of the building EDDC says it needs? How can that be possible? Mr Cohen in his calculations also asserts that there is nil chance, not 1% chance of local government reform in the next 20 years.”

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19 Dec 2016

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Accountability, Consultation, Democracy, East Devon Tories, EDDC

EDDC fails “good boss” test

From a correspondent:

Eight things exceptional bosses tell their employees – applied to EDDC

1. I have total confidence in you – EDDC do NOT believe that the public knows best – they do not have confidence in us.

2. “This is what I want us to accomplish…” – EDDC keep most of their their agenda secret and do not inspire the public with a vision based on reality.

3. “What can we do better next time?” – EDDC are never willing to admit mistakes and so never learn lessons.

4. “I want to play to your strengths.” – EDDC do not put the best councillors up for each job regardless of party.

5. “What is your opinion?” – In other words, consultation. Need I say more.

6. “How can I better support you?” – I can’t imagine Mark Williams asking, say, Matt Dickins if he needs help – but who knows – stranger things may have happened.

7. “Let me know if you have any questions.” – Answering questions is not EDDC’s forte.

8. “Good work.” – Giving plaudits to others is a great trait – blowing your own trumpet on the vaguest premise of success or even the vaguest promise of success isn’t the same thing.

EDDC Score: 0/8

http://www.inc.com/elle-kaplan/8-things-exceptional-bosses-constantly-tell-their-employees.html

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18 Dec 2016

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Accountability, EDDC, Freedom of Information Act, Inequality, Transparency

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Life to get harder for (some) EDDC officers and (some) councillors?

“Every worker employed in public office will have to swear an oath of allegiance to British values under plans to defeat extremism.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said it was impossible for people to play a ‘positive role’ in public life unless they accepted basic values like democracy, equality and freedom of speech. …”

…Mr Javid’s loyalty pledge would be expected to cover elected officials, civil servants, and council workers. …

…The oath could include phrases such as ‘tolerating the views of others even if you disagree with them’, as well as ‘believing in freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from abuse … a belief in equality, democracy, and the democratic process’ and ‘respect for the law, even if you think the law is an ass’.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4045902/Everyone-employed-public-office-swear-oath-allegiance-British-values-plans-fight-extremism.html

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16 Dec 2016

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Accountability, Andrew Moulding, Audit (EDDC), Consultation, EDDC, KPMG, Section 106

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Tell EDDC what you want Section 106 money spent on so they can ignore you and spend it on what they want!

That is, of course, if they can be bothered to collect the money ( at least £200,000 due but not invoiced when external auditors KPMG did a spot check recently:)

“New document sets out what contributions will be required for roads, affordable housing, schools and play areas

Residents are being invited to have their say on how East Devon District Council (EDDC) will require developers to pay towards infrastructure such as roads, affordable housing, schools and play areas in the future.

The new Planning Obligations Supplementary Planning Document sets out what contributions will be required for, when they will be required and how much they are likely to be.

EDDC deputy leader Councillor Andrew Moulding said: “The document applies to a large range of people from major housebuilders to individual house owners who may want to develop part of their garden.”

To comment, email localplan@eastdevon.gov.uk by January 16.

http://www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/news/east_devon_residents_invited_to_have_a_say_on_how_developer_cash_is_spent_1_4819414

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16 Dec 2016

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Accountability, Austerity cuts, EDDC, Exmouth, Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation, PegasusLife, Richard Cohen

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“Relocation update: “We have been stymied twice”, officer reports to EDDC Cabinet”

As reported by Save our Sidmouth website.

Owl says: isn’t it time to draw horns in and manage – with creative ideas – with Exmouth and Sidmouth? Wouldn’t that be the most sensible choice now?

The Relocation lead officer, Richard Cohen, reporting last night to EDDC’s Cabinet meeting at Knowle, found himself roundly rebuked by Cllr Cathy Gardner (East Devon Alliance, EDA) for his subjective stance. Cllr Gardner was “shocked to hear Mr Cohen being scathing about the Development Management Committee (DMC) decision”, as these comments were wholly inappropriate for an officer’s report. She was certainly not the only one to think so.

Referring to the DMC’s refusal of the PegasusLife planning application for Knowle (6th December 2016) , “We have been stymied twice” was the turn of phrase chosen by Mr Cohen, who is also EDDC’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer. “You languish in old buildings’, he told councillors. He appeared to belittle the DMC’s decision, describing the refusal as “purely about planning”, “because of a listed curiosity”, and “arguments about Care Provision”.

The outcome of yesterday’s Cabinet meeting was an agreement to “decouple’ the twin aspirations to relocate to Exmouth and to Honiton. In a unanimous vote, it was decided to fast-track the refurbishment of Exmouth Town Hall (despite estimated costs having already increased by almost 70% , and borrowing being necessary) to provide a new ‘hub’ , accomodating 90 new desks for staff.

The mood was more muted about Honiton. Uncertainty about PegasusLife’s future intentions regarding Knowle, could continue, according to Richard Cohen, for around 6 months. In any case, delay in obtaining finance for newbuild offices at Heathpark is inevitable.

So the Council has turned its focus on how best to manage its office space at Knowle, acknowledging the site’s “potential capital appreciation”. The intention is to identify areas that “can be mothballed”, although Richard Cohen’s comment that Knowle’s “more modern buildings are in a more decrepit state ” than the former hotel, was somewhat surprising.

Next week’s Full Council Meeting (21 December, 6.30pm, Knowle) has the DMC report on its agenda. There are sure to be more, probing, questions to answer on this emerging relocation rejig.”

Relocation update: “We have been stymied twice”, officer reports to EDDC Cabinet

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15 Dec 2016

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Accountability, Audit (EDDC), Councillor Cathy Gardner EDA, Democracy, Economy, EDDC, Exmouth, Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation, Planning System, Richard Cohen

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Officers of the council are neutral – aren’t they?

Update: it seems that Mr Cohen does not think that the word “stymied” indicated a lack of neutrality on his part. We leave that to readers to decide. Owl only adds that Mr Cohen was appointed to lead regeneration AND relocation – so it is hardly surprising that any interference with either of those roles is difficult for him to handle.

However, fortunately, help is at hand for him in the shape of EDDC’s own Constitution, where, on page 212, it states:

“39. Officers have a contractual and legal duty to be impartial. They must not allow their professional judgment and advice to be influenced by their own personal views”

Click to access constitution-july-2016-web-version.pdf

Owl – always happy to help and advise.

As expected last night’s EDDC Cabinet meeting unanimously rubber stamped the decision to raise another half million or so of taxpayers’ money to fund the refurbishment of Exmouth Town Hall as part of their Relocation Plan.

But, in an extraordinary outburst, Deputy CEO Richard Cohen, in charge of relocation, made a scathing attack on last week’s Development Management Committee’s decision to refuse planning permission for Pegasus Life’s application to develop 113 “assisted living” apartments on the Knowle.

He said the Council’s “commitment” to sell its HQ had been “stymied by a decision of the committee, (taken) purely about planning” (sic!) It hadn’t considered “the future of the Council, nor the independently proven savings” of relocation but made its decision “only because of heights (of buildings), a listed curiosity and arguments about care provision.”

So much for the myth that EDDC leaders, pursuing the relocation agenda, will allow the planning committee to serenely make its decisions on planning grounds alone, and won’t try to pressure it!

East Devon Alliance councillor Cathy Gardner was shocked, and said it was “inappropriate” for a council officer to criticise a planning committee in such a way.

But then Richard Cohen has form when it comes to arrogance and a cavalier attitude to convention. He handled the Council’s appeal in 2014 against the Information Commissioner’s call to publish documents about secret aspects of relocation. The Tribunal described the Council’s failure to cooperate properly and its economies with the truth as “discourteous and unhelpful”.