Category Archives: Exmouth

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6 Jan 2017

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Accountability, Coastal communities, Consultation, Developers/ Development, EDDC, Exmouth, Philip Skinner, Regeneration

The “Exmouth Vision Group”: “access” deconstructed

In an earlier post Owl deconstructed the “Vision” of the purported “Exmouth Vision Group”:

https://eastdevonwatch.org/2017/01/06/the-exmouth-creative-group-vision-deconstructed/

Now let us turn to the second part of the document headed “Access”.

Actually, what Owl thinks it covers (and this is subjective) is MUCH more than access.

Broadly and in summary it sets a goal of replacing “low culture” with “high culture” and ensuring that those of “high culture” can cycle from their suburban homes to the seafront or from the seafront to pretty woodlands on their “sit up and beg” bikes during the day and enjoy a “scene” in the evenings!

Here are Owl’s thoughts on the deconstructed points

o How do we draw people into the town when there is a lack of parking?
Especially from the ‘suburbs’ of Exmouth who live on the surrounding hill which is too far away to walk to the town/seafront. If travelling by car, most will just go straight to Exeter.

What Owl thinks most surprising about this point is that this group thinks it can solve the problems of a spread-out, city-commuter town all on its own – which no group anywhere seems to have cracked! IF they could crack it IN A SUSTAINABLE AND INEXPENSIVE WAY they will be in great demand – and might have to move from Exmouth!

o Join together the town, seafront, train station and marina etc.
See above! Of course, what you need is a pedestrian/cycling route – but where will the money come from to build and maintain it? Or maybe a “land train” – though that is “low culture” (see below).

• Bring together the fragmented community groups.
Good luck on that one, guys when, if you exist at all (about which Owl has doubts) you don’t identify yourselves, meet in secret, and (possibly) meet in secret with someone or someones from EDDC!

• Exmouth’s culture is either ‘low end’ or just well hidden.
Which makes you wonder why these “creatives” choose to live in the town! This is highly insulting to Exmouthians, who by implication, appear to be dismissed as largely low end “chavs”. Perhaps this group is just miffed it couldn’t afford to live in Budleigh Salterton (though maybe some do!).

• Create something for all of the age groups.
Yeah, pensioner polo or teenage carriage driving should up culture to the “high end”.

• There is little decent employment and opportunities within the town: the young are leaving the town due to lack of opportunities.
The young are leaving because, like lots of young people, they go to university, travel, meet new people and put down new roots elsewhere, often in vibrant cities – leaving Exmouth, perhaps, to “high end cultured” people and the low-end chavs!

• Exmouth is too small to have a close knit community; but too large to have a ‘scene’.
Oh, God, can you imagine a “scene” in Exmouth – with all those trainee Marines, chavs and cultured people! A concert hall, perhaps, or a polo field (or whatever they call them – see above).

Chukkas away!

There is no problem adding culture to the seaside – eg the art gallery at Margate):
https://www.turnercontemporary.org/

but equally you CAN add a funfair as at Southend:
http://adventureisland.co.uk/

They are NOT mutually exclusive. And the key is:

TOTAL COMMUNITY CONSULTATION and
LISTENING AND ACTING ON TOTAL COMMUNITY CONSULTATION

not consulting with one elitist group (WHICH INCLUDES VESTED-INTEREST DEVELOPERS) at the expense of everyone else.

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6 Jan 2017

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Art and Culture, EDDC, Exmouth, Exmouth Creative Group, Philip Skinner, Regeneration

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The “Exmouth Creative Group” vision deconstructed

The existence of the group was first mooted here:
https://eastdevonwatch.org/2017/01/04/exmouth-regeneration-board-chief-threatens-to-ignore-key-community-group/

and later further (unverified) information was offered here along with its terms of reference:
https://eastdevonwatch.org/2017/01/06/exmouth-creative-group-and-eddc-curioser-and-curioser/

So, let’s look at its “creative vision” point by point:

“the creative vision” must:

• Put Exmouth on the map
This is an utterly useless point. Whatever anyone does on the seafront they will claim that it has put Exmouth ” on the map” – i.e. made it more popular, though, of corse, Exmouth appears on maps already!

• Be unique but ‘true’
Yet again an utterly useless point. It would be the only one in Exmouth, so unique. And, if it wasn’t true, it would be untrue!

• Be high quality, intelligent and cultural
Jesus – how arty pretentious!

• Not be a ‘one off’ attraction but be something that encourages repeat visits
So, just like the Seaton Visitor Centre then – ah, we seem to be getting somewhere now!

• Be of value to the local population and attract visitors all year round
Yep, another Visitor Centre!

• Financially and ‘footfall’ viable and sustainable
Most definitely a Visitor Centre!

• Main target audience is ‘National Trust’ but also can’t ignore the youth?
A visitor centre with a skateboard park? Or linked to a “key stage for school trips with bored teenagers? Or next to a watersports centre?

• Be appropriate to Exmouth’s history
And the opposite of this is – to be inappropriate to Exmouth’s history – duh. And, yes, it definitely sounds like a visitor centre! But, of course, an upmarket, trendy, creative visitor centre.

• Enhance our natural assets (ANOB, SSSI estuary, Jurassic Coast, sea front)
A visitor centre! (And it’s AONB by the way).

• Be low impact so it doesn’t detract from the natural environment and maintain the ‘open’ feel of the town and seafront
EVERY tourist attraction these days must make these claims to be “right on” or whatever the current “creative” phrase is these days (is “wicked, bro” already passe?)

• Inspire a wider vision for Exmouth and other developments
Translation: it must make money and be linked to other things that make money – a visitor centre next to a bowling alley or a watersports centre for example?

• Turn ‘locals’ into advocates and inspire them to contribute to the vision
It must have a coffee shop and/or restaurant facing the sea and should be staffed mostly by unpaid local volunteers – just like Seaton!

• Bring employment to the town
Four cheap apprentices, a newly qualified cook and a highly paid manager, plus free volunteers.

• Encourage year round ‘holiday’ trade
Open 365 days a year – with just volunteers in quiet times.

• It must be achievable and sustainable
Cheap.

• Involve local craftspeople
Have a little area in the gift shop for local wares.

• Create a ‘culture’ in Exmouth
Er, pass! Though it is rather arrogant to assume that without this group there is no ‘culture’.

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6 Jan 2017

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EDDC, Exmouth, Regeneration

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“Exmouth Creative Group” and EDDC – curioser and curioser

In The Exmouth Journal today an EDDC spokesperson said they are not aware of the Exmouth Creative Group or this group having been approached. Readers will recall that it was recently mentioned by supporters of seafront development protesters as having met with EDDC.

Now a contact has passed to Owl what purports to be a document produced by the “Exmouth Creative Group”. Owl cannot verify this document and therefore cannot vouch for its veracity or its authorship and it is shown below for information only.

What IS clear is SOMEONE appears to have produced this document for some reason and it further appears that the implication is offered up that EDDC or someone on behalf of EDDC has approached this group with a brief to design a vision for Exmouth – or it may be a complete “fake news” fabrication.

Readers must decide for themselves.

THE DOCUMENT

“Exmouth Creative Group: Brief

Background:

We are a small group of experienced and professional ‘creatives’ who live and work in Exmouth (similar to: http://assemblestudio.co.uk). We consist of designers, artists, writers, architects and developers. We are passionate about the town we live and work in. Add names here… [no names are shown in the document provided to Owl].

Key deliverables:

We have been asked by [a member of] East Devon District Council [who is named in the document] to:

1. Create a vision for Exmouth
2. Develop outline proposals that will deliver this creative vision through any number of creative developments/projects within Exmouth (e.g. iconic sculptures/buildings/etc.)

This is a unique, ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity to realise the future prosperity of Exmouth.

Therefore the creative vision must:

• Put Exmouth on the map
• Be unique but ‘true’
• Be high quality, intelligent and cultural
• Not be a ‘one off’ attraction but be something that encourages repeat visits
• Be of value to the local population and attract visitors all year round
• Financially and ‘footfall’ viable and sustainable
• Main target audience is ‘National Trust’ but also can’t ignore the youth?
• Be appropriate to Exmouth’s history
• Enhance our natural assets (ANOB, SSSI estuary, Jurassic Coast, sea front)
• Be low impact so it doesn’t detract from the natural environment and maintain the ‘open’ feel of the town and seafront
• Inspire a wider vision for Exmouth and other developments
• Turn ‘locals’ into advocates and inspire them to contribute to the vision
• Bring employment to the town
• Encourage year round ‘holiday’ trade
• It must be achievable and sustainable
• Involve local craftspeople
• Create a ‘culture’ in Exmouth

Challenges:

• Access:
o How do we draw people into the town when there is a lack of parking? Especially from the ‘suburbs’ of Exmouth who live on the surrounding hill which is too far away to walk to the town/seafront. If travelling by car, most will just go straight to Exeter
o Join together the town, seafront, train station and marina etc.
• Bring together the fragmented community groups
• Exmouth’s culture is either ‘low end’ or just well hidden
• Create something for all of the age groups
• There is little decent employment and opportunities within the town: the young are leaving the town due to lack of opportunities
• Exmouth is too small to have a close knit community; but too large to have a ‘scene’ “

Anyone think, like Owl, that the whole thing is VERY odd indeed!

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4 Jan 2017

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Accountability, Coastal communities, Consultation, Democracy, EDDC, Exmouth, Philip Skinner, Regeneration, Scrutiny, Transparency

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“Exmouth regeneration board chief threatens to ignore key community group”

A press release from “Save Exmouth Seafront”:

“Councillor Skinner’s initiative with the previously unknown ‘Exmouth Creative Group’

Councillor Skinner, Chair of the secretive Exmouth Regeneration Board has threatened to ignore both the Save Exmouth Seafront (SES) Group and the Exmouth public as he goes to a previously unheard of group of elites for their opinion on the seafront.

In recent months Cllr Skinner has repeatedly avoided engaging with the Exmouth public. He has been avoiding a public Q&A meeting and stated at the East Devon District Council (EDDC) Full Council meeting of 21/12/16 that independent consultation with the public, as requested in the Town Poll, will not happen.

It has now come to light that while Cllr Skinner consistently refuses to engage with the Exmouth public he has meanwhile been in contact with the previously unheard of ‘Exmouth Creative Group’ and asked them to ‘create a vision for Exmouth’, and ‘develop proposals to deliver this vision’. Spokesperson for SES, Louise MacAllister reacted to this news:

“When I heard that Cllr Skinner was seeking the opinion of Exmouth residents regarding the future of the Exmouth Seafront I was really pleased. This is exactly what SES have been requesting through an open and independent consultation.

However I soon learned that Cllr Skinner is liaising only with a group called the ‘Exmouth Creative Group’. There are many established community groups in Exmouth with an interest in the seafront who have not been asked for their opinion.

The ‘Exmouth Community Group’ does not appear to pre-exist Cllr Skinner’s contact with the group. This is concerning as the Exmouth public made themselves very clear through the Town Poll that they want to be consulted, and yet the public are now being ignored in favour of this unknown group.

It is an incredibly disappointing stance from the Chair of the Exmouth Regeneration Board who consistently ignores my emails and fails to live up to the responsibility of his role”.

SES asked the following questions of Cllr Skinner with regards to the Exmouth Creative Group:

– What criteria did you use when selecting potential groups to communicate with?
– Why does this one group get to play a role when you are so dismissive of majority opinion?
– Who is in this group and how does one become a member?
– Why did you select a previously unknown group for this important task?
– With whom in the ‘Exmouth Creative Group’ did you broker your links?

In response Cllr Skinner rudely dismissed the questions posed with the bizarre statement that he is:

“Not a delegate, I am a councillor and am certainly not in the business of responding to you within your time scales or even at all if I so choose.”

So just as Cllr Skinner has dismissed the opinions of the wider Exmouth public, he has made it clear he will respond to a key community group only if he so chooses, and in doing so makes it clear that he does not value the group, or the wider public that SES strive to represent. Meanwhile, he has gone to an unknown group with a brief to design a vision for Exmouth Seafront.

SES strongly welcome the opportunity for the people of Exmouth to feed into ideas on the future of the seafront but not when it is conducted behind closed doors and solely with a previously unknown group who are seemingly as secretive as the Exmouth Regeneration Board members themselves.”

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31 Dec 2016

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Accountability, Consultation, DCC, Democracy, Devolution, EDDC, Exeter City Council, Exmouth, Golden Triangle LEP, Greater Exeter, Local Enterprise Partnership, Scrutiny, Somerset

“Musical Council Boundaries”

“When the music stops, your local council leader will be here to tell you a story [1]

First, there was “devolution” for the Heart of the South West, which wasn’t devolution at all because it would have sucked powers upwards from localities to a vast “combined authority” covering all of Devon and Somerset, including Plymouth and Torbay [2].

Then came the idea for a Greater Exeter Growth and Development Board (the GEGDB), which would be a joint strategic authority made up of Exeter, East Devon, Mid Devon and Teignbridge Councils [3]. Joint authorities are in practice run by their officers, not councillors, because the officers negotiate a common acceptable position on a given issue and then serve it up the councillors as the only available option that the four councils will agree on.

Finally (or perhaps not), proposals for a “South Devon” unitary council leaked out last week. This would be an all-purpose council covering East Devon, Exeter, Teignbridge, Torbay and Plymouth and, possibly, South Hams (sorry, Mid Devon, you’re out), discharging all existing district council functions plus those of Devon County Council within the new unitary area. Such evidence as is there is suggests the prime movers appear to be Exeter and Plymouth, if only because they refused to back further moves to support the “devolution” proposals.

The Exeter Green Party has written to the leader of Exeter City Council asking the following questions:

What mandate does the City Council have from the residents it serves to:
(a) attempt to reorganise local government decision-making structures?

(b) propose arrangements which would suck key decisions upwards from the elected representatives

of the people of Exeter to a new superior authority – the GEGDB – which would not be directly elected?

(c) propose a strategic authority – the GEGDB – which on the evidence of the 8 November paper would focus solely on economic growth to the exclusion of social and environmental considerations?

When does the City Council plan to publicise its thinking and actively consult residents and businesses on whether they actually want new local government arrangements and, if so, on the form they should take and how any new body might be fully accountable to local people?

It seems clear that the option favoured by Exeter and Plymouth is the South Devon unitary authority. Central government is believed to be offering £1 billion if the unitary is established, complete with an elected mayor. We don’t know what the money would be targeted at – improving public services, infrastructure, or grants to businesses? But a bribe’s a bribe.

A directly elected authority – which is what the unitary would be – is certainly preferable in democratic terms to the other options. But it would be a huge area, currently represented by 237 councillors elected by 105 wards (and that’s without South Hams). So a workable sized council will require a massive cull of elected members (no wonder the leaderships have been playing their cards close to their chests), leading to a weakening of the links between people and their councillors. On present ward boundaries, based on the most recent election results, 123 of the councillors would be Tories – a small majority, which gives pause for thought as to why Labour-run Exeter is so keen on the idea? Of course the new council could be a pathfinder, to be elected by proportional representation, which would change the political balance considerably. Look it’s a pig up there.

Many, many more questions. And meanwhile energy is being diverted away from service improvements into a potentially massive reorganisation. It still feels like the “old politics”. For the time being, we have to await the answers to the Green Party’s highly pertinent questions.

NOTES

[1] You have to have been an aficionado of BBC Radio Children’s Hour in the 1950s to understand the reference!

[2] See my post https://petercleasby.com/2016/09/30/devolution-is-not-control/

[3] The proposals adopted by Exeter City Council’s Executive are at http://committees.exeter.gov.uk/documents/g4903/Public%20reports%20pack%2008th-Nov-2016%2017.30%20Executive.pdf?T=10, page 73.”

https://agreeninexeter.com/2016/12/14/musical-council-boundaries/

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29 Dec 2016

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Accountability, Consultation, EDDC, Exmouth, Moirai Exmouth project, Philip Skinner, Regeneration, Scrutiny, Spin, Transparency

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Bay FM interview: Skinner (EDDC) v MacAllister (SES)

Louise MacAllister, Spokesperson, Save Exmouth Seafront gives her view on the contest. Owl will be happy to publish Councillor Skinner’s riposte if received:

  • SES’s core aim is for independent public consultation before any further work goes ahead on the seafront.
  • EDDC’s consultations have been inadequate.
  • Cllr Megan Armstrong’s survey that SES supported showed that a majority do not want to see wholesale development on the seafront.
  • EDDC’s incompetence around the project has led to the seafront becoming derelict.
  • The spiralling costs of the project further demonstrate the incompetence of the Exmouth Regeneration Board.
  • That the Regeneration Board meet in secret only increases frustration and as such Ms MacAllister has been trying to arrange a Q&A session with Cllr Skinner, the chair of the Exmouth Regeneration Board.
  • Cllr Skinner gatecrashed a SES meeting, this is not public engagement.

Cllr Skinner, Chair, Exmouth Regeneration Board:

  • It is a three-phase development, it’s very exciting, we should be excited!
  • Phase three is ‘open for consultation’ we may even have a hotel?!
  • Existing tenants are blamed for delays.
  • It is REALLY, REALLY EXCITING!
  • Skinner thinks they have consulted extensively but – he doesn’t know the numbers.
  • This is a SERIOUS investment (thank god it’s not a joke investment!).
  • Correction – the ‘recent consultation’ with over 1000 participants that Howard Witts mentioned is in fact the seafront survey undertaken by independent Cllr Megan Armstrong, and which the regeneration board have resolutely ignored.
  • [Seems Skinner finds it amusing that the regeneration board meets in secret as he can be heard laughing while Howard is asking him about this].
  • The Premier Inn and Ocean are apparently architecturally superior and successful, ‘raising the bar in architecture’.

Other points:

  • Everything Skinner claims about his gatecrashing of an SES meeting is untrue, he was unwelcome and people made it clear he was unwelcome. Unfortunately the meeting was not chaired well and so he was enabled to carry on despite this. He was certainly not thanked or clapped as he claims in the interview.
  • The post-march SES meeting was not an open public meeting nor was it advertised as such, it was advertised as a meeting for SES supporters.
  • Cllr Skinner does not think it is Ms MacAllister’s responsibility as SES spokesperson to say that he should hold an open public meeting. SHE AGREES! It is HIS responsibility and he alone should be held accountable for his lack of public engagement she says. As someone who represents a group seeking transparency and openness she will continue to press for this even though it is not her responsibility.

Listen to Louise MacAllister

Listen to Cllr Skinner’s Response

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28 Dec 2016

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Accountability, Audit (EDDC), Austerity cuts, Councillor Cathy Gardner EDA, Developers/ Development, East Devon Alliance, EDDC, Exmouth, Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation, PegasusLife, Scrutiny, Spin

East Devon Alliance: EDDC relocation “at any cost”

“East Devon District Council (EDDC) is leaving Sidmouth for new premises in Honiton and a renovated Exmouth Town Hall.

The latter is now vacant, but it will need work including a new boiler, rewiring and the removal of asbestos – renovations now estimated at £1,669,000, up from £1million in March 2015. [Mostly caused by EDDC doing their estimates and announcing projected estimated costs before commissioning a full structural survey which revealed nuerous expensive essential upgrades such as wiring, heating and insulation]

EDDC cabinet members last week agreed to accelerate the refurbishment so some key staff can relocate as early as November 2017.

Councillor Cathy Gardner told the Herald: “This truly is relocation at any price, because council tax payers will pick up the bill.”

The cabinet meeting heard that a new planning application to redevelop EDDC’s current HQ Knowle could be six months away or more after it refused PegasusLife’s bid for a 113-home retirement community earlier this month. The developer is yet to reveal if it will appeal the decision but the £7.5million it offered was intended to help fund the authority’s £9.2million [at the last estimate] relocation project.

Cllr Gardner said the project was initially sold to councillors as ‘cost neutral’ but is now costing taxpayers ‘over £2million and counting’ and cash will have to be borrowed. [This does not take into account building new offices for the EDDC Estates Department at Sidmouth’s Manstone Depot]

She added: “Proceeding with the refurbishment of Exmouth Town Hall weakens the bargaining position of the council with any purchaser of the Knowle – they know that the council is desperate to secure a sale.

“The cabinet approved this extra cost for Exmouth Town Hall without seeing an up-to-date report on the budget for the project overall. They have approved an increase in ignorance of the total costs.”

An EDDC spokeswoman said: “The council remains committed to relocating the rest of its staff into fit-for-purpose offices as soon as possible, despite the recent planning application for Knowle being rejected. The current budget and income projections for the overall project – taking into account both Exmouth and Heathpark – remain balanced. The council has a continued and reasonable expectation that relocation from Knowle will show significant savings compared to remaining in Sidmouth.

“The financial case will be tested again, as it was in March 2015 when the council decided to relocate.”

The decision was ratified at a full council meeting on Wednesday.”

http://www.eastdevonalliance.org.uk/in-the-press/20161228/sidmouth-herald-claims-eddc-is-relocating-from-sidmouth-at-any-cost/

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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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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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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), 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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20 Dec 2016

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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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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”.

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13 Dec 2016

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Accountability, Audit (EDDC), Developers/ Development, EDDC, Exmouth, Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation, PegasusLife, Sustainability

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Knowle relocation: our construction expert writes … another £2 million down the drain?

The tender price index for British construction has risen 15% since EDDC announced the cost of the Honiton new build in March 2015.

Yet EDDC claim that the £669,000 increase in the cost of Exmouth can be absorbed within the overall budget of £9.2 million. We know that Exmouth was budgeted to cost £1 million, so the budget for Honiton was £8.2 million. We know that Exmouth has been subject to a 67% increase.

What can we expect for Honiton? Assuming that the costs will rise in line with the tender price index, the new cost will be £8.2 million, plus 15%. Which means another £1.23 million, totalling £9.43 million. It will, of course, probably go a lot higher.

Costs have therefore risen by £2 million since March 2015, but anticipated receipts from the sale of Knowle are unchanged. We appear to have lost £2 million – and we haven’t even started!

Will any of this figure in the debate? Probably not – our Tory councillors don’t enjoy discussing numbers that they don’t like!

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13 Dec 2016

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Knowle relocation: more public statements come back to bite councillors on their …

This passage didn’t get much noticed at the time, in a report to Cabinet March 2015:

‘The market value of the Honiton new build is estimated to be £3.25m in 2017 and Exmouth Town Hall had a site value estimated in 2013 as £0.9m. The sites are determined primarily on the basis that they make better financial sense than the Knowle and are located for operational rather than investment purposes.’

This appears to confirm that the value of the new build is much less than the cost of its construction. Way less. Only £3.25 million, forward dated to 2017. So about £8 million less than the cost of build. Plus, don’t forget that the Honiton site, with or without the Business Centre, is worth at least £0.75 million, so the added value arising from construction, costing £11 million, is £3.25 – 0.75 million. Just £2.5 million. What a terrible investment.

Moreover, the sentence, presumably composed by Richard Cohen, seems to suggest that the Town Hall will not receive any benefit from the refurbishment, as it is deemed to have only ‘site value’ at £0.9 million.

Councillors … wool … eyes … pulled over?

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10 Dec 2016

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Those relocation numbers STILL don’t add up (bigly) EDDC!

25 March 2015 extraordinary Meeting regarding Relocation:

‘Councillor Moulding emphasised the cost savings that would be achieved and highlighted key figures:

• The Knowle Site offer price agreed is £7-8m • Exmouth Town Hall modernisation will cost in the region of £1m • New Offices at Honiton will cost in the region of £7m • The Council will secure relocation in total for under £10m’

So it’s a £669,000 increase, not £408,000.

A 69% increase in costs in less than two years, without a brick being laid!

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What goes around comes around …. in EDDC la-la land

One of the reasons given for increased costs at Exmouth Town Hall – finding asbestos in the building.

One reason given for moving from Knowle – you guessed it – asbestos in the building.

Yes, Minister!

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Who counts the pennies at EDDC?

£1.6 million (minimum) overspend on Queen’s Drive, Exmouth
£400,000 (minimum) underestimate on Exmouth Town Hall refurbishment
£300,000 (minimum) not collected in Section 106 payments

£2 million … and still a quarter of the financial year to go.

Hello, KPMG, hello …..

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9 Dec 2016

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Extra £408,000 needed for Exmouth Town Hall refurbishment – estimate did not include things like rewiring and new boiler!

This report asks members to approve the refurbishment of Exmouth Town Hall before Gateway 7 is reached in relation to planning permission on the Knowle site. The request is for a budget of £1.669m, this is an increase of £0.408m for this part of the project but overall net costs are expected to still be within the overall relocation budget.

It is a members’ decision whether to decide to proceed and approve the expenditure of £1.669m on Exmouth Town Hall refurbishment for the operational reasons outlined in this report. This decision needs to be under the clear understanding of the financial risk involved; a worst case position of no capital receipt from the Knowle to offset capital costs and no certainty of the associated savings obtained from operating from a new building in Honiton.

The borrowing impact on the Council should no receipt be forthcoming at all would be a £1.669m loan requiring an annual payment of £69,000 over 40 years to fully cover off both the loan sum and interest.

Mitigation against this financial risk is that the Knowle site has been allocated in the Local Plan for housing thereby giving some certainty of a capital receipt, if not now but in the future. Refusal of planning permission for the Pegasus Life proposal will add delay to the project but the Knowle retains a continued Local Plan allocation and capital value as a brownfield site for residential development. On this basis a more reasonable assumption at this point would be the requirement of short-term financing until a receipt is forthcoming. On that basis assuming a 3 year period of short-term financing this would incur an annual cost of £18,000 a year being interest only, if alternatively internal funds were used this would result in a loss of interest equating to £14,000 a year. …

AND THESE ARE COSTS EDDC DID NOT FACTOR IN TO EXMOUTH REFURBISHMENT COSTS:

…  The previous figure was an estimated cost without full survey and confirmed contractor figures. The refined cost reflects the detailed building investigations, requirements of the planning authority and the actual price negotiated with the contractor.

The Town Hall is an old building combining different extensions over time. Costing the works on an existing building is less predictable than new build.

Expectations that some existing services could be retained have not been met and detailed surveys and investigations of the building have shown it to be in need of full services replacement alongside repair, redecoration and structural improvements.

Key additional cost elements are:

o Full rewiring
o Replacement of central heating and boiler system.
o Improved hot water provision
o Additional kitchen facilities on first floor
o Provision of mechanical ventilation
o Improvement of natural ventilation,
o Removal of asbestos and dealing with lead paint.
o Improved security provision.
o Better access within the building.
o Improved signage
o ETH will be refurbished to a high standard. It will be decorated and equipped in the same way as the new HQ. The reception areas in particular will have a similar look and range of facilities for our customers.

Click to access item-14-relocation-report.pdf