From eight very highly paid senior managers to five – well, it’s a start.
Whereas, in East Devon, after managing perfectly well on half a CEO when we shared him with South Somerset, we had to take him back full-time when they decided they could do without him.
“East Devon will be one of the last local areas in the UK to return their EU referendum result. The district will return their verdict at 5am on Friday morning.
Residents in Exeter, however, won’t have to wait as long. The city’s verdict is expected to be revealed at 3am.
South Hams are set to announce theirs 3.30am, Teignbridge at 4.30am, West Devon at 5am, Plymouth at 5am and Torridge between 4am and 6am.
http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/eu-referendum-east-devon-to-be-one-of-the-last-to-declare-result/story-29436536-detail/story.html
Exeter has many more voters than East Devon, so has Plymouth.
Explain.
From the good old days of the much-lamented Sidmouth Independent News on 25 July 2015:
“Cllr Graham Troman (Sidmouth) claimed there was “no justification” for an out-of-town business park which would damage the vibrancy of Sidmouth town centre. He was shocked by the dubious way in which this proposal had been inserted in the Local Plan without any proper discussion.
Cllr Christine Drew (Sidmouth) said that EDDC had ignored overwhelming public opposition to the site, and she was very suspicious of the recent “minor amendment” to add retail to the type of businesses proposed.
Stuart Hughes argued that adequate employment land could be provided for Sidmouth by realising the potential of the Alexandria Road site, and new access could be provided for half the cost of the £1 million pounds estimated by EDDC planners. And funding might be available for this from a variety of sources.
He also highlighted the acute flood risk at the Sidford site which was on a flood plain. The Council’s argument that the problem could be solved by a SUDS system was weak: a similar system at Woolbrook failed during recent flooding. He feared the impact that building at Sidford would have on flooding downstream.
As county councillor responsible for roads, he stressed the inadequacy of the main road which would serve the site which was subject to regular flooding.
Cllr Mike Allen (Honiton), former chair of the Local Plan Panel made a swingeing attack on the Sidford allocation.
It was “not compliant” with the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) which gave “great weight” to the protection of Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
There was no evidence that it was needed by Sidmouth. It would require people to commute into the town to work. It was “against the public interest”.
He was also suspicious of how the Built Up Area Boundary had been extended to the north of Sidford by officers without consultation.
It would be straightforward to remove the Sidford allocation from the Local Plan: failure to do so would risk the rejection of the whole plan by the Inspector. He seconded Cllr Troman’s motion that it should be deleted.
Chief Executive Mark Williams then advised that this would not be possible legally as it was not a minor amendment.
This provoked an extraordinary attack on Mr Williams by Cllr Allen. His advice was a “biased” view which showed ignorance of the NPPF. He did not have a “grip” on the legal situation, and had not taken account of all the legal considerations.
Tory Whip, Phil Twiss, jumped up to defend the CEO who must be right “because he is a solicitor” and Cllr Allen wasn’t!
Allen, who, in his day job is the Officer Responsible for Regeneration at South Somerset District Council, calmly replied that he had a considerable legal authority on his side – the NPPF.
A rather shell-shocked Council then proceeded to vote on the motion to delete Sidford. It was rejected.
The Tory majority – immune to argument- went on to approve all the “minor amendments” to the Local Plan which approves the Knowle and Sidford proposals.”
Today’s Express and Echo (page 3) reveals that, as late as 48 hours ago, CEO and Returning Officer Mark Williams was desperately tweeting to find presiding officers for the PCC elections in Lympstone and Exmouth.
The tweet, posted on May 3, at 3.19pm, said: “@eastdevon needs Presiding Officer for Woodbury Village Hall & Exmouth Littlemead Methodist Churchroom for Police election Thurs 5 May”.
The Express and Echo says: “The council came in for criticism in May last year after delays at the count for the General Election in Sidmouth. A representative said at the time that the expected announcement time of 2am was pushed back to 6 am ‘because of the sheer number of ballot papers’ ”
Hard to believe as the turnout was pretty similar to four years before.
And the article neglects to say that these problems are not new. The CEO was hauled before Parliament to explain how he “lost” six thousand voters from the electoral roll (because he decided that individual homes would not be canvassed but that officers would telephone people who need following up – though how he knew who to follow-up was never explained.
And, of course, there was the Case of the Misprinted Postal Ballot Papers in Sidmouth, that had to be withdrawn and resent as they had the wrong voting instructions on them.
It seems that the longer our CEO does the Electoral Officer and Returning Officer jobs (for which he is handsomely recompensed in addition to his CEO salary) the worse he gets at it.
Perhaps time to give up the day job(s)?
“A New York City Board of Elections official has been suspended after reports of voters being turned away and polling sites opening late in Brooklyn during Tuesday’s presidential primary election.
Brooklyn Chief Clerk Diane Haslet-Rudiano has been suspended without pay pending an internal probe into ‘the administration of the voter rolls’
Roughly eight percent of active voters in Brooklyn were removed from the voter-registration roll.
Haslett-Rudiano made an error that caused them to be removed during a periodical purging for voters who died or moved away. Other problems included some polling sites being opened late, training of poll workers and incorrect primary notifications were mailed out.”
Around 6 per cent of voters in East Devon disappeared from our electoral roll, postal voting papers had to be reissued because they were wrongly printed (blamed on inexperienced helpers) and our electoral officer decided not to send out election officials to visit homes where people were not registered and the officer was called to a parliamentary committee to explain himself.
Then? Nothing at all happened.
Recent comment on EDW:
“Please note that the man who claims to have “initiated the East Devon Business Forum” is on the HotSWLEP panel, together with his CEO, and that the former joined the LEP when the East Devon Business Forum disbanded following the exposure and [subsequent resignation of] fellow EDBF member Cllr G Brown in 2013.”
[And also note another member of the LEP is former EDDC Regeneration Supremo Karim Hassan, now CEO of Exeter City Council. Diviani and Hassan will be in charge of all the extra housing that the LEP says the two counties need – nearly 180,000 of them].
Just in case anyone doesn’t realise who the “public servant” is – it is Mark Williams, CEO of East Devon District Council. And maybe here, we should see what his “union” [aptly called SOLACE – Society of Local Authority Chief Executives] says about the role and contrast this with what is reported later on:
“At its most simple, the role has four principle aspects:
Managerial leadership of the organisation;
Providing and securing advice to the Council on strategy and policy;
Acting in an executive capacity by making decisions or ensuring a system is in place for other officers to make decisions, as authorised by the Council; and
Delivering probity, value for money and continuous improvement.”
Click to access SOLACE_response_CO_Pay_Inquiry_140130.pdf
Nowhere does it mention insulting members of the public or whole TOWNS!
THE LETTER TO THE PRESS:
“The conduct and comments of EDDC’s most senior officer at last week’s Extra Ordinary Council Meeting, continue to cause shock waves in the press.
The letter copied below, from Save Our Sidmouth member, Robert Crick, appears in Pullman’s View from Sidmouth (9th February, 2016).
‘On behalf of the Save Our Sidmouth campaign our widely respected neighbour Richard Eley read a short statement during public questions before last Thursday’s District Council meeting. The statement expressed regret at the problems the Local Plan process had caused over the past few years, and reminded members that residents regarded the proposal to build an industrial estate on the Sidford Flood Plain as an act of folly.
Mr Eley then stated that since this process has now come to an end, Save Our Sidmouth recommends a fresh start to rebuild trust between the authority and the town of Sidmouth.
After putting their questions, members of the public then witnessed a remarkable event.
A non-elected public servant appropriated elected councillors’ speaking privileges by rounding on the people of Sidmouth. He angrily blamed us for having delayed the process by daring to question the Council’s original proposals. He then denounced Mr Eley personally, claiming he had called Inspector Thickett “an idiot”.
Challenged by the meeting, he refused to acknowledge that he had misrepresented Mr Eley’s words. When forced to admit his error, he absolutely refused to apologise.
Councillor Stuart Hughes, Chair of the Council, finally gave a dignified apology, which allowed the elected members to proceed and adopt the Local Plan.
It was evident to all that the paid official has a deep-rooted and obsessive personal animosity to the town and people of the Sid valley, which must surely disqualify him from a continuing role as a servant of East Devon. Perhaps it is time for him to consider his position.‘
Public servant at centre of ‘remarkable event’ should ‘consider his position’
A long but accessible and easily readable report by the Law Commission which our own Electoral Registration Officer will no doubt be reading closely in order to avoid the problems our district has encountered in the recent past.
“Sid Valley representatives raised concerns that further evidence to support the removal of the site had not been submitted by EDDC to the inspector.
Councillor Marianne Rixson, a ward member for Sidmouth/Sidford, said: “I would like to describe the whole shambolic process of the inclusion of the Sidford employment land as the hokey-cokey. First it was in, then it was out, then it was in because it was never really out at all.”
Mark Williams, chief executive of EDDC, said: “The inspector had already heard all the arguments for and against the inclusion or deletion of Sidford. My advice was it wasn’t actually legally permissible to take the site out at that time.”
http://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/anger_over_hokey_cokey_employment_land_saga_1_4406347
What he actually said at that meeting according to the audio report was:
“The inspector has already heard everything we have said and is yet to tell us what his view is on that part of the application. He may recommend that this site is not suitable and should be removed. It’s his decision now, not yours.
“It’s your funeral if you want to take it out.”
https://eastdevonwatch.org/2015/04/11/sidford-business-park/
No mention of illegality, no obvious advice that it was already too late – indeed “if you want to take it out” sounds like there is a choice, so the DMC decided to attempt to get it removed.
Advice? Hmmm.
“Deputy leader Cllr Andrew Moulding added: “I think we have to trust our leader, supported by the chief executive, to work in our interest to get the best possible negotiated deal we can for devolution and localism in our area.”
http://www.midweekherald.co.uk/news/devolution_deal_moves_closer_despite_concern_1_4406297
Well, that’s us sorted then …
And which councillor has most power and influence to gain from the devolution deal? Councillor Diviani, who is currently slated to be responsible for housing expenditure in the whole of Devon and Somerset – along with his old pal Exeter CEO Karim Hassan (ex-EDDC).
Happy days.
Not the false start made by the first Local Development Framework group, which spent 2-plus years visiting sites of favoured developers.
Not the East Devon Business Forum and its Chairman disgraced ex-councillor Graham Brown which attempted to get an iron grip on it.
Not the officers and councillors who employed consultant after consultant until they found one they agreed with.
Not the same officers and councillors who had their drafts thrown out twice by the Planning Inspector.
NO! NO! NO! IT IS ALL THE FAULT OF – SIDMOUTH!!!
Sidmouth delayed the Local Plan! and Mark William’s loses it!
At a heated meeting of EDDC councillors tonight to approve the Local Plan, CEO Mark Williams lost control of himself in a big way.
In response to a fairly conciliatory speech from resident Richard Eley, on behalf of Save our Sidmouth, a furious Williams lambasted Sidmouth for delaying the Local Plan and increasing the number of houses in it!
“But for Sidmouth we would have had a local plan three years ago,” he ranted, adding that “the end result of all your objections is that we’ve ended up in the local plan with more houses than originally proposed.” (Gasps of astonishment from the public and cries of “rubbish” and “nonsense”.)
A few minutes later he rounded on Richard Eley again accusing him of “churlishly” calling the Inspector “idiotic”. Eley sprang to his feet and angrily denied he had used that word about the inspector, and demanded an apology – supported by more cries of “scandal” and “apologise” from the public.
He insisted on reading the offending part of his speech again which proved his point that the i-word was never used. In fact, he described the decision to include land at Sidford for a business park as “stupid”.
After more moments of mayhem and shouting from the public, a reluctant apology was extracted from the CEO.
Many observers were left wondering if Mr Williams might not need a long rest –as in retirement on a generous pension………
Leading up to the district council elections Councillor Stuart Hughes and (now ex) Councillor Troman made much of what they considered a successful effort to remove the Sidford Fields employment site from the Local Plan.
It was covered initially on this blog and here:
25 March 2015:
“The Development Management Committee (DMC) rejected the amendment, but agreed to send a note to the Inspector advising him of the of the unprecedented number of representations that had been received about the Sidford Fields site, and pointing out the lack of need and environmental concerns, particularly flooding and traffic issues.”
DMC refuses to amend Local Plan proposal for Sidford.
One day later, we read this:
“By a narrow margin of, we are told, 18 votes to 13, District Councillors at today’s Extra Ordinary meeting at Knowle, have decided to drop the controversial proposal for a 12 acre employment site at Sidford Fields.
Congratulations and thanks to Sidmouth Councillors Stuart Hughes and Graham Troman for proposing the amendment. As a recent commentator on this blog noted recently, Cllr Troman had already argued strongly at the Development Management Committee, that the Sidford site was not justified by the council’s own formulae.”
Proposed Sidford Business Park removed from Local Plan
However, CEO Mark Williams made his position clear here:
“The inspector has already heard everything we have said and is yet to tell us what his view is on that part of the application. He may recommend that this site is not suitable and should be removed. It’s his decision now, not yours.
“It’s your funeral if you want to take it out.”
https://eastdevonwatch.org/2015/04/11/sidford-business-park/
Hughes made this comment in his Devon Conservatives blog for 16 April 2015:
“There appears to be some excellent news for Sidmouth and Sidford in that the Sidford Business/Retail Park that Graham Troman and I were successful in getting removed from the draft plan on the 26th March isn’t included …”
http://www.devonconservative.org.uk/hughesreport.htm
On this basis – choosing to ignore the warning of Williams – people might have been prepared to vote for them on these comments alone.
QUESTIONS:
Did EDDC officers send (on behalf of the Development Management Committee) the extra information about the Sidford Fields site, pointing out the lack of need and environmental concerns, and flooding and traffic issue at the relevant time or at all?
As this is cited as a “main modification” can it still be challenged by EDDC before adoption of the Local Plan?
What would have been the outcome of elections if electors had realised that it was extremely unlikely that the site would actually be withdrawn, with or without additional information, in spite of the strong assurances put out by councillors Hughes and Troman?
In this week’s local ” View from …” papers there is a terrifically gross puff job from Mark Williams, CEO and Electoral Returning Officer at EDDC about his success in getting more people on the electoral roll this year.
He particularly mentions that 35 canvassers personally visited 5,116 homes after they did not return original forms.
Recall that, last year, Mr Williams was hauled before a Parliamentary Committee because he had “lost” more than 6,000 voters from an earlier electoral roll, despite numerous developments, including Cranbrook, having added many voters.
At the time he said that it was his personal preference NOT to send out canvassers (citing the danger of sending them out at night in rural areas). His preference was to telephone people, though he was rather hazy on how he got their telephone numbers.
It should also be noted that no figures ars given for the new total number on the electoral roll compared to last year.
See more comprehensive reports by Owl here:
New improved ways of working will make us a leaner and more efficient modern council says the Leader of East Devon District Council, Councillor Paul Diviani in his Christmas message
(translation: we know we have always been a bloated and inefficient council but this is the sort of thing our public relations people tell us we have to say)
“A friend of mine recently told me that when she first moved to East Devon to take up a new job, she thought she had died and gone to heaven. Even now, having lived here for 12 years, she says she still wakes up every morning thinking how unbelievably lucky she is to live and work in such a wonderful place.
There is almost NO doubt that this “friend” will be living in the Blackdown Hills where our Leader protects his backyard like no other).
“East Devon inspires this level of passion in people and no more so than in myself, my fellow councillors and the officers of East Devon District Council. We are all passionate about the work that we do and, above all, we want to ensure that East Devon remains a fantastic place for people like us to live in, work, visit and enjoy.
Why wouldn’t you say you are passionate when “people like you” get a lot of money so that you can live, work and enjoy your status whilst people like “us” get a lot less so that we can find our daily commute a nightmare, our work seasonal and low-paid and our enjoyment of council provided services something we remember from the distant past.
“So over the next four years we will be rising to meet the many challenges that reduced funding and increased demands on our services brings. In order to make necessary savings of £2.6m, we will be using new ways of working, involving systems thinking principles and our ‘WorkSmart‘ approach, which together harness the latest technology and modern working practices. Our move from Knowle to new accommodation in Honiton and Exmouth is part of this plan and will help us become a modern day council in every sense of the word.
Over the next four years we are going to have to do the darnedest to make you think that things are getting better whilst we slash services, increase costs for those that are left and hope like hell that we can keep the REAL cost of the move from Knowle under wraps. And presumably, “we” didn’t WorkSmart before but we will gloss over that.
“All of this will make us leaner, more efficient and better placed to deliver the kind of service that we know you, the residents of East Devon want. We are keen to keep improving and to help us do so, we will be listening to what you have to say in consultations and through our viewpoint surveys.
WE may be getting leaner, but our fat cats (particularly our developers) will be getting fatter and fatter. We’ve covered “more efficient and better” above – the repetition is getting a bit tedious now!
“Great services and great service, first time and every time is the standard that we have set for ourselves. To do that we need to be bold, creative, open and innovative, but above all we must pull together as one council. These are values that set us apart and make the council a place where people want to work – in fact, over 93% of our staff said they would recommend the council as a place to work!
Well, yes, you will get great service and great services if you are a developer. But, frankly, for the rest of us, if you turn out to be timid, hidebound, closed and backwards we will never hear about it from you. And they are NOT “great values that set you apart” – it is how ALL councils are supposed to be! And can we see that survey of the staff please – in its entirety as, so often, your so-called surveys leave a lot to be desired in terms of design.
Focus on four priorities
“To help us deliver these aspirations, we have developed our new council plan, which provides a constant focus on four main priorities:
(ALL councils focus on four or more priorities – this seems to be a public relations rule – but hope that everyone forgets what they were before a local election. East Devon Watch will NOT forget on your behalf.
“We will be encouraging our communities to be outstanding, by helping them to solve their local problems. We also want to encourage people to live healthier, more active lifestyles through sport and exercise and to make the most of the wonderful countryside that surrounds us.
Don’t come to us when you want money or help – do it yourself – and when it all gets too much take a LONG walk in what countryside remains after we have concreted over most of it.
“We will continue to promote East Devon as an outstanding place in which to do business and we will strengthen the local economy by attracting inward investment and supporting businesses.
Developers – we are still your bestest friend. Businesses that we approve of – we are the council that gave you the East Devon Business Forum and its leader Graham Brown and now give you (or rather they give to you via us) the Local Enterprise Partnership. Businesses that we don’t approve of – fend for yourselves.
“It is so important that our natural and built environment is protected and we will be working to reduce levels of waste produced in the district, as well as controlling levels of pollution through education and enforcement of environmental legislation.
Have to say, this one almost renders Owl speechless (or rather hootless) – they are going to reduce pollution by educating US! And “enforcement of environmental legislation” – remember that this government is attempting to water down environmental legislation to almost homeopathic levels and our council is slavishly behind this government in every respect.
“We will be prioritising a culture of openness and transparency by keeping our residents fully informed and we are fully committed to innovative ways of working and commercial thinking, including an improved digital service to give our customers the chance to self serve.
Ah, the culture of openness and transparency where, unless you own a computer, you will be cut off from the majority of council services. The same culture that keeps so many committees and think tanks secret behind closed doors. The culture that allows the majority party to have talks about privatising our services out to the Local Enterprise Partnership and wants to delegate the decision-making and agreement signing to the CEO and Leader without ANY councillor knowing what exactly either or both may be signing. Hmmm.
Pride in our achievements
“But as we draw near to the end of the year, it is only right that I mention with great pride, a few of the many significant achievements that this council has made during 2014/2015.
Quick, someone, gloss over all our omnishambles – look for something, anything that we can boast about!
“Top of the list of our accomplishments is housing. We have delivered a grand total of 388 homes for local people, which is our highest number of new affordable local homes in one year. It is our continuing aim to provide more good quality, local homes for local people.
Those would be the good quality homes that, in Cranbrook, the town with almost no shops. Homes which, if you get your way, will now be built on much-needed car parks! And what about all those affordable homes that developers refused to build and you allowed them to strike out (for example, Seaton Tesco land, where Tesco and the developer were “too poor” to provide any affordable homes). And let’s see how many Pegasuslife can provide at the Knowle!!!
“Homelessness in East Devon is extremely low thanks to our homeless prevention initiatives and we are working hard through our Empty Homes Plan to help owners of neglected empty properties in East Devon to bring their properties back into residential use, which will relieve pressure on the private and public housing sectors.
Homelessness in East Devon is characterised by two homeless people dying in the street in Sidmouth very recently and food banks in all major towns. And just how many “owners of neglected property” will you be working with and how?
“Finally, it gives me enormous pleasure to say that the finalisation of our Local Plan is now within sight and we are anticipating being able to adopt it early next year. This detailed and robust document will help us deliver the aspirations and housing needs of local people, as well as land for employment. It will also help protect our beautiful countryside from unwanted and inappropriate development.
Ah, finally – the Local Plan. The plan that was orchestrated for years by ex-Councillor Graham Brown (he of the front page of the Daily Telegraph sting and where originally all meetings were held in secret and with no minutes until Claire Wright forced publication) and the East Devon Business Forum. Which then had to be started all over again from scratch, was thrown out by the planning inspector once, thrown out again a second time and which the said planning inspector has now decided to complete himself! The one that left the whole district open to a development free-for-all. Omnishambles Number One for the past 5-7 years. Best keep this one for last and hope no-one notices.
“Exciting times lie ahead for us and we are looking forward to working with you all to achieve the greater good for East Devon.
You bet exciting times lie ahead, but not perhaps, exciting happy times. More and more development, not a hint of where the money for the accompanying infrastructure will come from, a vastly increased Cranbrook, small villages being forced to take extra development as their built-up boundaries are being dismantled, developers continuing to build high cost homes in high cost areas
“May I now wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.”
Enjoy it while you can – it can only get worse but, don’t worry, I will be at the helm ….. with my trusty cabinet …. and officers …. and the Blackdown Hills will be just fine!
Councillor Paul Diviani
Summary: “Just give me 500 Christmassy words of milksop basic council jargon will you please, officers and then I will leave you alone till this time next year. And, whatever you do, DO NOT MENTION EXMOUTH SPLASH!
Will Diviani and Williams go head-to-head on this one, or does Swire have it in the Santa sack already (presuming it isn’t too far beneath him)?
Before reading the report below, does anyone recall Kaa the Snake singing “Trussssst in me” to Mowgli in Jungle Book? Lyrics:
“Trust in me, just in me, Shut your eyes and trust in me, You can sleep safe and sound, Knowing I am around
Slip into silent slumber, Sail on a silver mist, Slowly and surely your senses, Will cease to resist
Trust in me, just in me, Shut your eyes and trust in me.”
The whole song is here on You Tube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1ILPl5FQaM
From a correspondent:
“This afternoon, EDDC Chief Executive, Mark Williams, gave a presentation on Devolution to a special session of the Combined Overview & Scrutiny Committees. The meeting, was apparently at the request of Cllr Roger Giles, who chaired the meeting, held at Knowle Council Chamber, Sidmouth.
Mr Williams introduced the Heart of the South West devolution bid, by using the analogy of a train journey just beginning. We are still “on a single track towards Exeter”, en route for London. The government had “opened conversations” about devolution, and the Heart of the South West (HOSW) is currently being led by Devon County, Somerset County, Plymouth City and Torbay.
“We shouldn’t kid ourselves” about what a low productivity region this is, the CEO cautioned, and listed the following key areas devolution would focus on:
1.Health,care & wellbeing ……Devon County is taking the lead, but EDDC says more can be done in e.g.housing & leisure.
2.Housing & Planning…..Constraints to attracting more businesses include the lack of readily available appropriate land; inadequacy of the A 303; Western Power supply constraints; and the issues around rural broadband. The “challenge of the lack of affordable housing” had to be tackled.
3.Employment & skills…Aim is to reduce to zero (‘Not in Education or Employment’) NEETs in the area. On-going career opportunities needed, with the increasing instability in the workplace.
4.Business support…..There should be more, and with better co-ordination. Aim to look for alternative, more lucrative, businesses than tourism & the care industries.
5.Governance ..Options might be e.g. elected mayor? Combined authority? EDDC favours Place Based Boards with local focus, such as Greater Exeter & Growth Point.
In conclusion, Mr Williams explained the devolution bid as “Our ask”. EDDC wants to work in partnerships, with Exeter, Teignbridge, Devon County Council & Exeter University. Meetings are held at the Science Park, seeking innovation and more investment. The ambition is for Exeter to become a centre for data sciences and analytics, with the possibility of a new Exeter Institute of Technology.
Some “golden opportunities” would be in marine-based developments (Plymouth);nuclear energy (from Chinese-funded power station proposed for Hinkley Point, and Bridgewater College now centre for nuclear studies); and environmental futures (e.g. the Met Office, Exeter Science Park).
A 30- year strategic labour & employment plan would be presented to central government, emphasising resilience of infrastructure, and resilience of “a population that is productive”.
A draft paper will be issued on Monday, said Mr Williams, and he “would be happy to circulate it to (Council) members”. He predicted that it probably “won’t depart from this presentation” .
Admitting that the time pressure to get the bid submitted meant that there was no possibility of “forensic scrutiny” , he acknowledged that had caused some frustration.
“There is no secrecy,” he declared. “And someone has to take responsibility”. That “someone”, recommended for HOTSW delegated powers in Mr Williams’ report, would be EDDC Leader, Paul Diviani.
In the ensuing debate, questions from councillors came thick and fast, asking for much more detail, particularly on the financial basis of the devolution bid. And Councillor Rob Longhurst (East Devon Alliance Independent ) told his colleagues “ I don’t think we should be asked to authorise someone to sign a document that we haven’t seen.”
“It’s a matter of trust”, retorted a Conservative colleague, hitting the nail squarely on the head.
(Report of the meeting to be continued…)
Not fiddling while Rome burns but piano- playing while East Devon gets concreted over. Time for playing when our Local Plan is in place, Mr williams – till then, shoulder to THAT wheel rather than an HGV.
Or maybe he’s up-skilling for his CV.
And we do hope he had appropriate Health and Safety instruction.
The London Evening Standard published this article today. Of course, we know all about this in East Devon, as our Electoral Returning Officer (EDDC CEO Mark Williams) “lost” around 6,000 local voters before the last elections in May 2015. Coincidentally, these were exactly the kind of voters referred to below – ” …young people, private sector tenants, ethnic minorities and those from more socially deprived communities — who traditionally are less likely to vote Conservative — are most likely to be affected.”
The full text of the article:
Tens of thousands of Londoners could disappear from the electoral roll and lose their right to vote in next year’s mayoral and London Assembly elections, it was claimed today.
Ministers were accused of a “shameful abuse of power” after they brought forwards changes to the electoral registration system which critics claim could undermine the democratic outcome of key elections in the capital.
The Liberal Democrats said that up to two million voters across the country could be effectively disenfranchised with Londoners particularly at risk since the capital has such a large and transient population. Young people, private sector tenants, ethnic minorities and those from more socially deprived communities — who traditionally are less likely to vote Conservative — are most likely to be affected.
The Government, however, has insisted it is focusing on cleaning up the register which under the old system included many “ghost” voters who should no longer be included.
Lib-Dem MP Tom Brake, who has tabled a rejection motion in the House of Commons, said: “This is clearly going to lead to a very large number of people being disenfranchised and it’s very hard not to believe that there’s some political motivation behind it because the people most likely to be affected are probably not Conservative supporters.”
Lib-Dem London Assembly member Caroline Pidgeon added: “The Government is blatantly ignoring the independent electoral commission in pursuit of narrow party advantage. It is a shameful abuse of power.
“Removing nearly two million UK voters will leave gaping holes in the electoral register, especially in many parts of London. It will undermine the democratic outcome of next year’s Mayor and London Assembly elections.”
The Government brought forward the new system by a year to December 2015, even though the electoral commission advised ministers to spend another year transferring voters on the old household-based register to the new individual register.
Critics have warned that as the cleaned-up register will form the basis of the boundary review of parliamentary seats due to begin next year it will also result in fewer inner-city seats, which would favour the Conservatives.
A Cabinet Office spokesman said: “The transition to Individual Electoral Registration has been a huge success. Now we need to remove up to two million entries on the electoral registers which are inaccurate or out of date.”
In a letter to The Guardian, Cabinet Office minister John Penrose said: “It is absolutely untrue that anyone will accidentally find themselves unable to vote because of the change to individual electoral registration. Completing the transition this December will mean that all boundaries are based on the most accurate registers.”
“I’m afraid that people who oppose this will make the voting registers less accurate, and elections less fair with higher risk of fraud. People will conclude that they’re trying try to hang on to the existing system simply because it gives them an inbuilt party-political advantage, and that they’re putting this ahead of what’s right and fair.”
“New regulations around how councils discipline and dismiss senior members of staff were brought in this May, with local authorities required to amend their standing orders no later than the first ordinary meeting of the authority falling after 11 May 2015.”
http://localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=23901:protecting-the-statutory-officers&catid=59&Itemid=27
Don’t recall this making the rounds of the council – can anyone point us to where it is – in location and/or time scale? And is our CEO taking charge of it – surely not !
East Devon Watch 