Definition of “holistic”:
“concerned with wholes rather than analysis or separation of its parts”
… bit like the draft local plan then!
Category Archives: Exmouth
Cabinet agenda 5 November 2014 5.30 pm
Click to access 051114-cabinet-combined-agenda-public-version.pdf
Summary: Lots of secret items and lots of money to be thrown at increasing the size of Cranbrook and lots of words but not much action in Seaton and Exmouth
Gunpowder, treason and plot?
Exmouth seafront traders given one season notice
Exmouth seafront traders have now been given notice by landlord EDDC prior to redevelopment. Some are planning to close shortly.
Coastal communities: will they change their voting patterns in the next election?
If the things that are currently happening in Exmouth (selling the seafront to the highest bidders, knocking down Elizabeth Hall), Budleigh (the Longboat, inappropriate development), Sidmouth (coastal erosion and job losses) and Seaton (strange statues in the wrong olaces and more retirement homes) it seems a good possibility!
Exmouth seafront traders: EDDC still will not tell them whether they have a future
Most new jobs are consultancy or self- employment
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that 1.1 million jobs have been created since the start of 2008.
But of those, 732,000 are accounted for by the self-employed, a category of worker that tends to earn roughly half the wages of those in staff jobs.
Construction remains the single biggest sector for self employment.
Source:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-28866302
The mystery is that, if most are in construction (outdoors and not needing much office space)and many self-employed people work from home or at small business hubs (like the East Devon Business Centre that is being demolished to pay for Skypark relocation) why are we building smaller houses and more and more big industrial sheds in East Devon?
Tourism is our biggest industry and our biggest earner – where is the stimulus for it from our district council (apart from flogging the family silver in Exmouth).
EDDC “Tourism Champion” – hello, anyone out there?
Democratic deficit still rife at EDDC
Evidence of this can be heard in the recording of the Full Council meeting (23rd July), available on the EDDC website.
There is more in the letter below, which has just been published in the Exmouth Journal.
‘Dear Sir,
I refer to Cllr Tim Wood’s letter (Investing in town- Journal 24th July) in which he bemoans the inaccuracies, amongst local political opponents, in matters relating to the town’s so-called ‘development’.
Having listened to Cllr Wood’s comments, at an EDDC meeting on 23rd July, about local people backing the likes of the Premier Inn development on the Elizabeth Hall site, it is clear that he is not above putting political spin before fact himself.
What was breathtaking is that whilst he mentioned a few people supporting the development, he made not a single reference to the 12,000 who signed a petition against it. He, and others, portrayed the developments as something that was broadly welcomed by the town. Journal letters are testament to the contrary.
When he and his colleagues are seeking votes they will tell you that they will represent all electors. A single visit to any council meeting, and especially one to EDDC, is likely to demonstrate very quickly how cheap such words are and how little representation, with very few notable exceptions, is given to views that do not match those of a ruling party councillor.
Cllr Wood’s opponents are not against development, they simply want development to be appropriate and arrived at through genuine and democratic means and not involving biased, unscientific and unreliable ‘consultations’ or secretive deals (seafront covenants) and the like. Many of we non-party-political residents would wish to see local level politics free from party politics.
The mindset at EDDC was betrayed at the above meeting, by a comment from a very senior officer who suggested in answer to an unrelated matter, that the journey is not as important as the destination. I would suggest that, in a democracy, a philosophy of ‘the end justifies the means’ is utterly out of place.
Yours sincerely
Tim Todd’
Plans for Mamhead slipway (Exmouth) submitted
Exmouth seafront traders fear for their future as EDDC ignores their concerns
A seafront trader whose family-run attraction faces closure after 40 years has blasted council bosses for not considering his plans to develop his business.
East Devon District Council wants to transform part of the seafront into the Queens Drive Leisure Area – and say it will be the last season for the attractions. But Chris Wright, whose family run Exmouth Fun Park, the Arnold Palmer Putting Course, and Jungle Fun, says he has submitted detailed proposals to improve his business, writes David Beasley. For 10 years he has urged the district council to grant him a longer lease so he can invest.
Outline permission for a water sports centre, hotel, gardens, indoor leisure, restaurant, shops and car park has been granted. Mr Wright told the Journal: “They said that they would work with the existing tenants and opportunities would exist for those who submitted suitable proposals.
“We submitted our own detailed proposals. Indeed, elements of the outline design are based on our suggestions. “Regrettably, we have heard nothing substantive from the council, save that it will be delivered by developers, rather than local existing businesses.
“It is disappointing for me that my suggestions have been adopted but I am not being considered. It is also very disappointing for the town that local businesses are not being given the opportunity to participate in the new development.”
He said businesses had not been kept up to date and information had been ‘vague’, adding: “It is extremely distressing to the traders, staff and their families whose livelihoods are at stake.”
Mr Wright called for a meeting with the project manager, and said: “Our lease has not ended, and does not end this year. We will continue to operate and entertain visitors and residents alike.”
A council spokeswoman confirmed it had received proposals from Mr Wright and others. “All discussions are ongoing and, clearly, confidential due to commercial sensitivity. “We have always said that we would like to include some opportunities within the new development for local businesses such as shops, cafes and leisure activity provision. “Further details of these will evolve throughout the development process.”
She added that they had been in regular contact with their tenants: “Negotiations for developments of this size take time so we can ensure the best possible outcome for the residents of and visitors to Exmouth.”
There are two responses to the article:
Transition Town Exmouth, is keen that the development on Queen’s Drive is to the highest standards of sustainability and hope that the EDDC chiefs in their closed-door negotiations are making the same point to the potential developers and not assuring them that the cheapest options will suffice. Experience shows that investment for quality at the design stage is repaid over the long life of the facilities. Adrian Toole Interim Chair
And from”Cecil”:
I cannot beleive we are losing all those brilliant outside activitys down the sea front,we spend hours at the beach park,it’s ideal for my 3 year old and 6 year old,hours of fun Why we need another restaurant to sit empty 10 months of the year and more indoor attractions is beyond me We have indoor attractions,there’s going to be nothing for the under 5s down the sea front A splash water zone is great for half an hour but then kids get cold ,it’s also to busy for my 3 year old They built one of these further up the road and closed it due to many complications! The beach park is brilliant hours of fun,this town hardly listens to the peoples views,rolle college,Elizabeth hall,the strand,we are always being told it was wanted but I haven’t met any one who wants the beach park etc to go,but no doubt it will and the town will spend a fortune on something un used and parents and children will go else where for what the children really like!
http://www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/news/give_us_seafront_traders_a_look_in_1_3666233
Exmouth and Development: an elector’s view
Councillor Tim Wood asks “Why so negative?” in his letter of June 26. Perhaps I can enlighten him, since he is a member of a Tory group which stumbles around in the dark about how to “redevelop” our town.
Rolle is empty. The opportunities to develop it for public use are great, but this is not Tory policy – they want it sold and to reap the income for EDDC coffers.
They must be rubbing their hands with glee at the extra community charge EDDC now gets from all of the halls of residence which have been converted into flats.
Use of the old college library to relocate and expand the existing sounds logical, yet Pauline Stott thinks that Exebank would be a good location! Ridiculous! It is too far from the centre of population.
The Tory group think the rugby ground is perfect for a supermarket to rival Tesco. Ridiculous, it is too far from the centre of population.
Some £450,000 was wasted at the end of Queens Drive, and what for? A flat spiral of paving which leads nowhere. Exactly what has been gained by it?
There are many examples of towns which have bucked the trend of blandness by developing individuality and encouraging small, independent businesses to open. Why can Exmouth not be one of them?
Yes, Mr Wood, there is a lot of negativity about, and the reason lies with your blinkered approach to “development”.
Nick Crane did a series on BBC2 called Town and it showed how towns could evolve in the 21st century.
I emailed Councillor Diviani and the other movers and shakers in EDDC over a year ago, and not one of them was polite enough to respond. Too busy sitting around a table no doubt, blue sky thinking!
Take off your blinkers and look around, and encourage your fellow councillors to do the same. We do not want what a Tory EDDC is offering, or what it has already given us!
Mike Fairclough
Exmouth: you want improvements? Then accept a supermarket on the rugby club grounds
It seems that these days we are being pressurised into believing that only supermarkets can fund ” improvements”. How did we do this before supermarkets existed? Surely there must be other ways of raising funds. And does everyone necessarily want “improvements” that they don’t get a say in anyway?
How have Exmouth, Axminster, Ottery and Seaton “improved” thanks to supermarkets?
“No punishment for Eileen” – Exmouth Town Council shows more common sense than EDDC
Under the heading of “No punishment for Eileen” today’s Express and Echo reports that, although the EDDC Standards Board had recommended that town and district councllor Eileen Wragg (Lib Dem) be censured by the town council, they unanimously decided to ignore the “advice” and to take no action against her. This included Tory members of the town council even though it was the town’s Conservative group that reported her in the first place!
She had been accused of “being extremely rude” to former Town Mayor John Humphreys at last year’s town meeting.
She refused to attend the EDDC Standards Board meeting, branding it “an appalling waste of taxpayers’ money” and saying she had “real life things” to do.
For two diametrically opposite views on this see:
http://www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/exmouth-life/if_you_can_t_take_criticism_resign_1_3609931
or
http://www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/exmouth-life/a_sorry_affair_1_3600292
Exmouth seafront traders face uncertain future as EDDC continues secret talks with developers
Launch of photo competition for new book on East Devon
The sheer variety and volume of writing inspired by our local area is behind the idea for a new book, Literature and Landscape in East Devon, to be published later this year.
As announced at last Friday’s hugely entertaining East Devon Writing event, original, relevant, high quality photographs are now being sought for inclusion in the book. Please see PHOTO COMPETITION on the EDA Home page, for precise information.
For a flavour of the forthcoming book, see the following list compiled by Mike Temple of Sidmouth (N.B. only some examples from the list will be included!) the-literature-of-east-devon-by-location . Another ‘taster’ is Robert Crick’s sharply humorous view on the Napoli shipwreck, Cargoes
East Devon Literature: from Exmouth to Axmouth
Although not an East Devon Alliance event, many members attended Michael Temple’s fascinating evening on the literature of our district last Friday in Ottery St Mary.
Many great writers have been inspired by our area: Coleridge, Conan Doyle, Defoe, Tennyson, C Day Lewis, Wells, Raleigh and Patricia Beer. In an hour and a half of readings, we heard from all of them, and from living local authors too.
Beautifully narrated by Michael, this ninety minute feast reminded us that our part of the world – from Exmouth to Axmouth – has as distinct an identity and a place in literature as any other part of the country.
Thanks were given to all who helped, including local libraries, bookshops and newspapers. Prizes were generously funded by the Sidmouth/ Ottery Herald. The prizewinners were warmly applauded. They were Philip Smith, for Beer Beach in January: ; and budding author Libby Dean (aged 12), for A Scene from Sidmouth Folk Festival .
(Please note that contrary to an earlier report,Harry Guest did not win a prize in the writing competition – his excellent poem, the Boyhood of Raleigh,pointing to things today which would be unfamiliar to a child of that time, was published back in 1997).
Organiser Michael Temple has added: “I should like to warmly thanks all the readers and living authors who read the extracts and poems so well. (I was the link-man.)”
New design of Mamhead Slipway in Exmouth meets mixed reaction
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.
East Devon Leisure to bail out Exmouth bowling alley?
Exmouth traders worried about seafront development
Dates for your diary this Easter weekend.
Saturday 19 April, The Strand, Exmouth, 10a.m -4 p.m . Click here for details: EDA Exmouth
Monday 21 April The Ham, Sidmouth 11a.m -5 p.m. Sidmouth’s first SeaFest…a community celebration of our coastal heritage. See http://futuresforumvgs.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/sidmouth-sea-fest-bank-holiday-monday.html
East Devon Watch 