Thanks to an EDW correspondent for this exchange of views in a local edition of Streetlife:
Category Archives: EDDC
Local Government Transparency: a new House of Commons Briefing PPer
A House of Commons Briefing Paper on Local Government Transparency in England was published on 24 June 2015 – see link below.
Amongst other things it specified that the following MUST be provided to members of the public in a format that can be easily understood:
“The Code requires the publication of specified categories of data, and recommends the publication of additional data, under the headings below
Individual items of expenditure exceeding £500;
Data on the land and buildings held by the authority
Information on invitations to tender, and every contract or purchase order, with a value of over £5,000;
Details of every transaction on a Government Procurement Card used by the authority;
Grants to voluntary, community and social enterprise
organisations: dates made and amounts granted;
The authority’s organisation chart, covering the top three levels in
the organisation, including salary bands;
Details of trade union facility time: number of representatives and
spending upon them
The number of controlled parking spaces within their area;
Data on the value of the authority’s social housing stock;
Data on senior salaries (see section 3 below);
The pay multiple (see section 3 below);
The authority’s constitution;
Details of counter-fraud work;
Details of waste contracts;
Data on parking revenues.”
For more information, see
External auditors: worth their weight in …?
“One of the world’s leading auditors has been accused of negligence and incompetence after $1bn was siphoned out of Moldova from under its nose – a sum equivalent to 15% of the former Soviet republic’s GDP.
Grant Thornton, the UK based accountancy giant with local franchises in dozens of countries, was the auditor for three of Moldova’s largest banks through which the money was embezzled and spirited out of the country in complex financial transactions, some through UK companies.
As a result, the authorities had to rescue the three banks with a bailout equivalent to half the annual budget. The knock-on effect was a currency collapse and a plunge towards recession, ruining the economy almost overnight. Moldova is already Europe’s poorest country.”
Grant Thornton is EDDC’s current external auditor.
Gypsy and Travellers policy: 7 years and still we don’t have one (but EDW has the answer!)
Planning Inspector Mr Thickett comes to East Devon – again – next week to see if the Council’s Local Plan is yet fit for purpose.
One of his comments in March last year was that the district had no gypsy and traveller policy. Fifteen months later, and with the subject due to be investigated next week, we learn that we STILL don’t have a policy but we DO have half a million pounds set aside to try to come up with one:
http://www.devon24.co.uk/news/500_000_allocated_to_find_sites_for_gypsies_1_4126709
And, as Councillor Mike Allen so clearly puts it:
“This particular approach had been an absolute essential since around 2008, when we started looking at the proposals.
“I’m very disappointed that it’s taken six or seven years to bring forward any proposals because if the local plan fails, it’s due to lack of gypsy and traveller sites.
“I thoroughly endorse the proposal – it’s long overdue.”
The article goes on to say:
“Subject to approval by the local plan inspector, the council will put out a call for sites – areas, such as Cranbrook, on the western side of East Devon have been earmarked as potentially suitable.
As well as the proposed £500,000 budget for purchasing sites, the council is looking into other sources of finance available to it.”
Bet people in Cranbrook didn’t see that one coming!
Fear not councillors – East Devon Watch has the answer! Simply put the site next to EDDC’s new Headquarters at Heathpark, Honiton. That way, councillors get to keep an eye on the site and ensure that it works!
Then again, Skypark has a lot of empty space now, we hear!
Changes to the judicial review process
The (only, expensive) way of allowing members of the public to bring councils and developers to justice:
Four weeks for public to forensically examine EDDC’s accounts
If anyone is interested in specific projects and finds anything useful, please let us know.
EDDC in the electoral limelight again
From Electoral Commission reports below:
“In contrast, in East Devon, where the challenges are different, there has been an increase in the number of entries on the register. The ERO has attributed this to the success of making visits to non-responding properties and individuals, which were carried out across the area in 2014 for the first time since 2010.”
Many will recall the very successful East Devon Watch campaign that resulted in many, many extra voters being added to the electoral roll prior to the elections in May this year. Our CEO and Electoral Officer, Mark Williams was summonsed to Parliament in December 2014 to be grilled on why East Devon’s total electorate had falled spectacularly between 2010 and 2014.
Mr Williams maintained that it wasn’t so bad and that he had made the executive decision that simply telephoning potential voters was good enough, despite a ruling that all missing voters should receive personal household visits – now it seems from the above that he has done a complete about-turn! He memorably said that this would be much too dangerous in a dark and wintry East Devon – something which cut no ice at the hearing and must have been a bit puzzling to those canvassers out in Cumbria, Scotland and the like – not to mention London!
https://eastdevonwatch.org/2014/11/09/those-missing-voters-and-telephone-canvassing/
The Electoral Commission took a very keen interest in East Devon with the result that some 20 or so canvassers were hurriedly recruited in time for the elections, though little else by way of voter encouragement was offered, despite a large budget for election expenses.
Now the Electoral Commission has brought out reports on things as they were in December 2014 and East Devon is mentioned specifically several times (see quote at top of article).
It is noted that AFTER EDW’s campaign, EDDC’s Electoral Register jumped FIVE PER CENT! That’s 4,665 electors that Mr Williams appears not to have been able to contact by telephone between 2010 and 2014!
The Government wanted the Electoral Commission to end its work promoting voter registration by the end of 2015 [possibly due to the SNP effect it isn’t keen to see Scottish registration improve?] but, citing East Devon and other councils, the Electoral Commission says it is essential that it continues until the end of 2016. The report is HERE and cites report in justification HERE:
Best utilisation of council assets?
Is it perhaps time to sell leases on Knowle office car parking spaces – as with proposals for leases on beach hut
sites? It might only be for a year or two but it definitely would make a profit on the current charge to staff and councillors of – nothing!
They can then do it in Honiton and Exmouth and make a tidy profit!
“Improved recycling” = fewer collections!
EDDC believes that by including cardboard in recycling collections it can reduce collection of other waste from once a fortnight to once every three weeks. There is concern from families that this will be inadequate and the problem of build-up of disposable nappies will increase. In the past, East Devon has responded to this by suggesting parents change to terry cloth nappies and wash them instead:
http://eastdevon.gov.uk/news/2015/06/trials-announced-for-improved-recycling-collection-service/
Pending Neighbourhood Plans: developers lose court case
Dunkeswell – also suddenly has its built up area boundary changed to facilitate development
Dunkeswell is where former EDDC Conservative councillor Bob Buxton was “unselected” (the word favoured by Councillor Phil Twiss, who is NOT the EDDC Conservative Party whip) who then stood as an Independent candidatebut lost to new district councillor Colin Brown.
Here is an extract from Dunkeswell Parish Council minutes of 20 June 2015:
Clerk has circulated and sent a response objecting to Dunkeswell’s inclusion at the last minute with no consultation
and against the officers recommendations by the EDDC Development Management Committee. Dunkeswell was
included as our former ward member told the meeting that provision of a school was imminent in Dunkeswell, which is
not to our knowledge the case.
As agreed at the planning meeting on Monday 8th June 2015, response for ratification.
AGREED (full responseis attached) Cllr Clewer to pursue the issue further
The views of Councillor Brown are not yet on record (but if he would like to write to us at eastdevonwatch@gmail.com we will he happy to print his response). However, we do know that he lists in his EDDC register of interests:
Bell View Developments (Company Secretary) and Monckton Court Hotel
and details
Belle (sic) View, Axminster and Monckton Court Hotel as land or ownership where there is beneficial interest, as below:
Looks like Axminster and Chard could soon be a “supertown” and Dunkeswell a suburb of Honiton which will itself be a suburb of Exeter! Or maybe two new towns a la Cranbrook?
Chardstock – sustainable or unsustainable for Local Plan purposes? Decision changes within days!
Letter to Midweek Herald 28 June 2015
I am writing in response to the article in Axminster’s Pulman’s Weekly News, dated March 31st 2015
The article headline ” Amended Local Plan on its way to inspector” refers to the amendments to the plan that East Devon Councillors agreed to at a special meeting on Thursday 26th March, which included granting a “built-up-area Boundary ” for Chardstock, in order to facilitate sustainable development.
For the benefit of your readers, I would like to put this statement in context and point out how the the agreement to include this amendment would appear to have been reached. But firstly a bit of background information. Chardstock has always had a Built up Area Boundary ( BUAB) and the previous draft Local Plan allocated a quota of ten houses, which have subsequently been built. Since then planning permission has been granted for a further four dwellings. However, in December 2014 and February 2015, three planning applications, two of which went before the Development Management Committee ( DMC) were refused permission on the grounds that Chardstock was not considered to be sustainable.
This is the Planning Officers report :
The proposed development by reason of its location on the edge of a village in the countryside which has limited services to support growth, fails to accord with the definition of sustainable development, specifically the environmental role, found within the National Planning Policy Framework. In this case, the Local Planning Authority considers that the adverse impacts of this development in terms of unsustainable location with the occupiers of the dwellings having limited access to essential services and infrastructure (including public transport and access to it) significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits of providing these dwellings to meet the shortfall of housing within the district (5 year land supply) when assessed against the policies within the Framework as a whole.
During this period a DMC “Think-tank” along with planning officers were making a careful study of all the villages in East Devon, looking at their services and facilities as well as public transport and access to it. Chardstock is fortunate that it has an excellent local shop and Post Office, as well as a church, pub and primary school, but access to other essential services only found in Chard or Axminster necessitate a journey by car and are not realistically accessible by public transport, as the nearest bus stop is best part of a mile down a single track lane, with no lighting or pavements from the centre of the village. These facts therefore meant that under the latest draft of the Local Plan, Chardstock was one of the villages recommended to not have a BUAB.
This recommendation was upheld by the DMC at their special meeting on Monday 23rd March. But at the full Council meeting on 26th March, a member of the public, who isn’t actually a resident of East Devon, but happens to own a plot of land in Chardstock on which he has applied to build 5 houses, spoke and asked that Members also consider the inclusion of Chardstock in the list of sustainable villages.
Is it just coincidence, that what followed was a proposal from Cllr Andrew Moulding that Chardstock be added to the list of settlements to have a BUAB ? The minutes from this meeting also point out that,
- the village is not served by public transport,
- the views of the parish council had not been sought,
- it was more appropriate for the village to identify appropriate levels of development through a Neighbourhood Plan.
But the proposal was put to the vote and carried.
This decision and the way in which it was reached also demonstrates the lack of support from the Council for the Parish Council, the local community agenda and an apparent lack of engagement with Chardstock’s emerging Neighbourhood Plan, failing to consult with the Parish Council or local community over a major policy change, rather being led by the wishes of a local developer.
The issue of sustainability is one that the Parish Council and Neighbourhood Plan Team have been looking at very closely, and is an issue that has generated a lot of interest from the residents of Chardstock, who have been consulted on this and other subjects as part of the production of our Neighbourhood Plan.
It’s not just about not having a realistic bus service in the parish – less than 12% of the population have any sort of relatively easy access to the service, and the majority are anything from 1 to 4 miles from the nearest bus stop, as well as the fact that this is also a bus service that as of 12th April will be reduced from an hourly service to a 90 minute service, making access to Chard and Axminster even more difficult.
It is also about other aspects of our infrastructure, including poor roads, which with the cuts to services from Devon County Council will be receiving even less attention than they were before. So what is it that has made the Council decide that all of a sudden we are sustainable. Are there measures that are being put in place that we are unaware of ? Or is this indeed an example of the influence that developers have over the Council ?
Mary de Souza Chairman, Chardstock Parish Council and Neighbourhood Plan Team.
http://www.midweekherald.co.uk/council_s_decision_on_latest_draft_of_the_ed_local_plan_1_4024159
The Wise Old Owl returns to its territory … eyes bright, claws sharp
The old owl is rather like Hedwig in the Harry Potter books: always faithful to its master – in this case East Devon Watch readers – and has returned home to its roost and ready to keep its beady eye on its home territory of East Devon again.
And so much going on! Beach huts for rich people, rumblings in Chardstock and Dunkeswell, Budleigh Salterton and Feniton not to mention Cranbrook – and general dismay that things are already going very, very pear-shaped at Knowle.
Much to come in the next few months … and you, dear readers, can keep in touch by mailing the roost at
eastdevonwatch@gmail.com
discretion assured.
Straitgate Farm Quarry Application for 100 acre quarry, near Ottery
A planning application for a 100 acre quarry at Straitgate Farm, near Ottery St Mary has been made by Aggregate Industries to Devon County Council.
A separate application has been submitted for processing the sand and gravel at Blackhill Quarry on Woodbury Common, which would result in a minimum of 140 lorry movements each day along the B3180.
Residents now have until 2nd July to comment on the application, by Aggregate Industries.
Also, the draft minerals plan (long term strategic quarrying document), in which Straitgate Farm is a preferred site, will be considered by Devon County Council’s development management committee on Tuesday 15 July, before being consulted on for three months. It is vital that as many people attend this meeting as possible. It starts at 2pm.
For more information about the proposed quarry visit Straitgate Action Group
This is Claire Wright’s thoughts Cllr Claire Wright’s Blog
Cllr Rob Longhurst has posted his views Cllr Rob Longhurt’s Web site
Here’s the link to the documentation – Planning Applications – Devon County Council
Send your comments to planning@devon.gov.uk
If you want to add comments – please do – if you want to add links to more information – tell Owl
Owl says – These applications effect the whole of the West of East Devon – it is therefore a MAJOR EDW issue. Apart from the obvious environmental damage to our ancient heritage the impact on the B3180 is immense – this road is not wide enough in many sections to allow a large 40tonne articulated lorry and a car to pass – these lorries are not slow and meeting one is scarey in the extreme. Write to this blog or better still Devon County Council but oppose these applications.
Beach Huts
Exmouth beach huts could go to rich under highest bidder plans
(And Beer, Budleigh Salterton, Seaton & Sidmouth)
From: Exeter Express and Echo
By Anita Merritt
Hundreds of families could face losing beach huts they have enjoyed for years under plans to let them to the highest bidder.
East Devon District Council wants to scrap the current system for renting out huts and chalets in Exmouth, Budleigh Salterton, Sidmouth, Beer and Seaton.
Until now they have been hired by people who automatically get to rent them every year until they choose to give them up, when they are offered to those on a waiting list.
Instead, five-year leases on the sought-after huts and sites would in future be offered on the open market to the highest bidder – which could push up prices.
Under the proposed changes, non-domestic rates of up to £90 per year will also be paid by the
occupiers of the beach huts rather than by the council, which currently picks up this charge.
Concerns have been raised that the new system would allow those who can afford it to jump the queue, while pricing out people on lower incomes who have enjoyed using the beach huts for years.
Steve Gazzard, Liberal Democrat councillor for Exmouth Withycombe Raleigh ward, said: “Obviously I am very concerned. The beach huts have always been a vital part of Exmouth seafront. I’m one of those traditionalists where if the system isn’t broken, why change it? It has always appeared to work and it’s quite clear this new proposal is about generating more income, and I think it’s a backwards step.
“The rich will get in there first because they have the money. I don’t know how the council will administer it, but will anyone in the country be able to apply? I think the beach huts should be for local people. Some people do manage to hire them for the holidays which is fine, but I hope once people hear about the proposal they will partake in the consultation and give their views.”
The Tory-controlled district council is responsible for managing and maintaining 237 beach huts, 20 beach chalets and 241 beach hut sites in Budleigh Salterton, Seaton, Beer, Sidmouth and Exmouth. The huts are currently rented out for between £480 and £650 a season, with the Exmouth chalets costing £1,023 a season. Sites hired without huts are cheaper.
More than 300 people are on waiting lists for huts, chalets or sites.
Consultation has begun on the proposed changes, which would take effect next year if approved, with an online questionnaire open until Monday, July 13.
The council has said it is “looking for ways to enable more people to have a chance to lease a beach hut, chalet or beach hut site”.
But it also admitted it wants to generate more income in the face of government funding cuts.
A council spokeswoman said: “We think it is only fair that everyone – from East Devon residents to visitors – should have the opportunity to hire a beach hut, site or chalet. This consultation is a great opportunity for people to give us their views on the service they would like to receive from us.
“It’s time that this special service, which we offer, becomes a viable self-supporting asset and not a burden of luxury. We strongly believe that these changes are for the better.”
The spokeswoman added: “We have a responsibility to make sure that public money is spent in the best way possible. If we can collect more from this enterprise than it costs us to provide it, we can also improve our beach hut, chalet and beach hut site service. Any surplus funds would be re-invested in other council services.”
It is not yet clear how any auction of beach hut leases would work.
On the reasons for the proposed new system, the council has said: “The funding that we receive from Government to run all our services is reducing, so we need to find better ways to use the assets that we have.
“The beach huts, beach chalets and beach hut sites service is not something we have to provide.
However, it is a service that is valued by residents and visitors alike so we would like to keep
providing it.
“Currently some of the costs are absorbed by the local authority (council tax payers). These
expenses include the cost to the council of huts rented in Budleigh Salterton and Seaton being
dismantled by us, stored over each winter and re-erected each spring. We also pay the non-domestic rates of between £21 and £90 a year for each of the 498 beach huts and beach hut sites. We feel it is reasonable that users of the service pay these costs.”
In some locations, the council is proposing other changes. Where sites are leased without huts, it will be up to the person leasing the site to purchase and look after the hut.
The person leasing the site will also have to put up the hut at the beginning of the season and take it down and store it at the end of the season. Contractors are available to do this for about £220.
People leasing the sites that previously housed beach huts will be given the option of purchasing the existing hut for about £250.
An additional 70 beach hut sites are provided through formal leases with individuals, who then operate them as a business. These 70 sites will not be affected by these proposals.
People who already either hire or are on the waiting list to hire a beach hut, beach hut site or beach chalet will receive a copy of the proposals and questionnaire by post.
The questionnaire can be found at:
http://eastdevon.gov.uk/consultation-and-surveys/beach-huts-service/
The Owl says: Seeing as how quickly this policy has emerged fully fledged so soon after the election it looks like it has long been an EDDC intention. (Didn’t they try to hike the prices up in Budleigh by 50% a couple of years ago?) Don’t remember seeing it on any Tory election pledge!
Tories of East Devon – You just don’t get it, do you?
Wednesday 3rd June
The motion to delay the Knowle Sale by 6 months was placed before Full Council by Cllr Cathy Gardner and Cllr Matt Booth. They both presented very reasoned cases for the delay and were conciliatory in their approach. They stressed Transparency to the residents of East Devon and in particular Sidmouth. They did not oppose the move merely asked for more time to allow greater consultation to ensure that the Council made the right decision.
The reaction was set by Cllr Williamson who insisted that as the decision had already been validated by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee (with a set of “independent” auditors) there was no need to delay – in fact he maintained that there was a need for greater speed. Other speakers opposing the motion spoke of the need to move and how inappropriate the current building was.
Tories – you just don’t get it! It is recognised that the current buildings are not fit for purpose AND SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE – but what that is and how due process is applied is the central issue in this motion.
Previous Committees and Councils sanctioned a move to Sky Park – not a mention of that! Then a sudden concept of two premises – why the change?
The appeal to the Freedom of Information request was scathing of the Council – no acceptance of that or any explanation of what was so important within the papers that they could not be released – I doubt most Tory members had even read (or been able to read) them.
Reference to election results and other “facts” but no concept of the Perception of the public – they rightly feel marginalised.
Tories – you seem to have forgotten that you serve your community – these assets are not yours – they are not even EDDC’s – they are owned by the Council Tax Payers of East Devon – you merely act as temporary custodians in the passage of time. You MUST consult with your Community – you have failed to do this as on other occasions. You were given the opportunity last night to make a fresh start with Openness and Transparency – you rejected that offer with your customary arrogance.
The motion was defeated by a recorded vote – this may come back to bite you!
Owl
Council Accounts
We are approaching that time of year when the public have unlimited rights to examine the councils accounts for the previous twelve months. The exact dates that a twenty working day period starts is unknown, it is dependent upon when the accounts are ready.
If there are any lingering questions about what the council has spent, and with whom, etc, in the last twelve months then now is the time to prepare to go looking
A guide as to the rights we have in this matter may be found through a link at http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/about-us/contact-us/querying-council-accounts/council-accounts-a-guide-to-your-rights/ The rights under this act are considerable- NO COMMERCIAL CONFIDENTIALITY applies and the limited opportunity should not be missed.
Our new EDDC Chairman
Q: When is an EDDC Tory not a Tory?
A: When he is an ex Monster Raving Loony Party member.
Roger Giles (Ind) polls highest vote in District Council elections
We’ve had further feedback from today’s election of East Devon District Councillors, when Independents gained considerable ground. Here are some highlights:
– The voters’ favourite was Roger Giles, the seasoned Independent Councillor for Ottery St Mary Town Ward, with 2087 votes.
– Paul Diviani, Leader of the Council) retained his seat at Yarty. He received 776 votes. But votes against him totalled 795.
– Cabinet member, Ray Bloxham (525 votes) lost in Raleigh Ward to IEDA candidate, Geoff Jung (950 votes).
– IEDA Leader, Ben Ingham successfully held Woodbury & Lympstone, where he and IEDA colleague, Rob Longhurst, defeated David Atkins (Con).
– The most significant cull of Tory Councillors was in Sidmouth, with Independents now in control:
There was a surprise defeat for Graham Troman, who ironically has often stood up alone for Sidmouth, without the backing of the other local councillors.
Stuart Hughes is the sole remaining Conservative, sharing Sidmouth-Sidford with Dawn Manley and Marianne Rixson, both IEDA.
Sidmouth Town Ward is in the hands of Cathy Gardner (IEDA), Matt Booth(IEDA) and John Dyson (Independent).
The Sidmouth Herald reporters were quick to pick this up: http://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/election/eddc_independents_oust_tories_in_sidmouth_town_1_4066681
For complete election result information, go to http://eastdevon.gov.uk/elections-and-registering-to-vote/elections-2015/2015-district-council-elections-results/
If only …..
“Yesterday Sid Valley was represented at EDDC by 7 Conservative couoncillors. Today by just one, with six Independents! The three Sidmouth Town Independents gathered 71% of the votes cast in the ward. The former Vice Chairman of the Council was ousted from Sidford Rural.
If only the incumbents had taken the opportunity last December to vote for delay until after the election before pressing on with relocation and been seen to be speaking up for their electors.”
East Devon Watch 