Category Archives: Regeneration

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13 Jan 2017

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Coastal communities, Developers/ Development, EDDC, Exmouth, Philip Skinner, Regeneration, Richard Cohen

Exmouth seafront- another sorry tale involving EDDC

“An embittered disagreement has arisen between the owner of an Exmouth seafront attraction and the district council over whether he rejected an offer to be involved in its £18m redevelopment of the area.

East Devon District Council is pressing ahead with its ambitious but controversial redevelopment of a 3.6 hectare swathe of Queen’s Drive which has already resulted in the closure and demolition of several long-standing businesses including DJ’s Diner, the Arnold Palmer/Jungle Fun site, and the model railway.

Chris Wright and his family have been running Exmouth Fun Park for four decades. After months of negotiations, Mr Wright said the council made an offer to him involving a lease to run a golf operation, but this was subsequently withdrawn within weeks, without warning.

However, the council claims that Mr Wright rejected the offer before they withdrew it. Members were instructed of his rejection last April in a document entitled ‘Communicating about Queen’s Drive’. The spokesperson added that the council would have liked to reach a settlement with Mr Wright, “but he would not agree terms”.

This claim is vehemently refuted by Mr Wright who is adamant that he did not reject the offer made in September 2015.

A “costly” court battle then ensued regarding his tenancy, in which the council won the right to terminate the Mr Wright’s lease, “devastating” the family “financially and emotionally”.

In a Freedom of Information request (FOI) to the council, and a subsequent request for clarification after the response was only partially answered, the Echo asked for details about how Mr Wright rejected the offer, including the date and the means of rejection, such as verbally or in writing.

The council responded: “The offer was not accepted and was then withdrawn by EDDC on the 12th October 2015 prior to the trial commencing on the 2nd November 2015…there was no acceptance from Mr Wright and accordingly on the basis of legal principles relating to offer and acceptance, an offer that has not been accepted can be withdrawn by the party which made the offer,” the response continued: “There had been extensive negotiation between the parties’ legal representatives during the period between the offer and the date of withdrawal…”

In response to the Echo’s probing into whether the council took an absence of a reply as non-acceptance of the offer, and whether any effort was made to chase up the offer made, it responded: “…the offer was not accepted. There had been extensive negotiation between the parties’ legal representatives during the period between the offer and the date of withdrawal…”

Mr Wright, said: “On September 7, 2015, the council offered us a new 25 year lease on a subject to contract basis. We were happy with the terms of the offer and on the advice of our solicitors, we arranged to meet with council officials to clarify the details of the lease.

“On October 5, we met with an official to discuss the details. After the meeting the council’s solicitor wrote to our solicitors to confirm that an “understanding” had been reached. Our solicitors responded to confirm that if the concerns we raised were addressed, there was no reason an agreement couldn’t be reached imminently, as an understanding had been reached on other issues.

But the draft leases were not provided as the council had indicated they would be, and we received a letter from the council three days later saying they were taking further professional advice.”

Mr Wright said that he heard nothing further until the council wrote to his solicitors on October 12, saying: “It has now become apparent that there can be no agreement reached between the parties to settle the issues…The Council is unable to accommodate your client in the development at this time and therefore the Council is, as of today’s date, withdrawing from any further negotiations”.

As a result, Mr Wright took the council to court because under the Landlord and Tenant Act, he had the right to ask the court to grant a new tenancy, or a tenancy of a part of the new development. However, the council was entitled to oppose the grant of new tenancies on the grounds they intended to develop the land and that it would not be reasonable to carry out the development with us remaining in occupation. The court ruled in the council’s favour.

Mr Wright, said: “We spent a significant amount of time negotiating the terms for a new lease of a part of the development to avoid court proceedings. We were committed to being a part of the future of the seafront.”

He added: “Having traded on Exmouth Seafront as a family for some 40 years, far from being against investment, for over a decade we sought to do just that and submitted countless proposals to be part of the future. As a family this has been emotionally and financially devastating.”

A council spokesperson, added: “The council made a number of attempts, both formal/informal and in writing/face to face, to reach agreement with Mr Wright. This included an offer made in August 2015 by the council to Mr Wright for him to have a new and longer lease directly with the council and to stay on part of the site rather than leave. This offer was increased formally in a letter dated September 7, 2015 and remained on the table while further negotiations continued.

“By October 5, 2015, when a further meeting took place with Mr Wright, there was still no confirmed acceptance by him. During this period of negotiation his financial compensation expectations continued to increase as the trial date approached.

“Clearly negotiation was not working and the council needed to address the imminent court hearing. The council would have liked to reach a settlement with Mr Wright, but he would not agree terms, so the matter went to court and the council’s offer was withdrawn.”

Exmouth Fun Park will continue operating until August 31, 2017.”

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/east-devon-district-council-and-exmouth-fun-park-owners-in-dispute-over-seafront-development-offer/story-30055875-detail/story.html

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10 Jan 2017

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Accountability, Consultation, EDDC, Exmouth, Exmouth Creative Group, Independent Councillors, Regeneration

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“No ‘independent consultation’ to be held on Exmouth seafront plans”

READ PARTICULARLY THE LAST PARAGRAPH OF THE ARTICLE BELOW!

SPIN! SPIN! SPIN! Councillor Skinner must be dizzy!

Perhaps the “group of like-minded individuals” who are not the Exmouth Creative Group ( including any creative developers) would like to identify itself ….!

There will not be an ‘independent consultation’ on redeveloping Exmouth seafront, the man leading the project has said.

Councillor Philip Skinner made the comments at the most recent full East Devon District Council (EDDC) meeting, when asked by Councillor Megan Armstrong about the result of a town poll held last April.

The poll produced a 94.9 per cent vote for Exmouth Town Council writing to EDDC, which it subsequently did, asking that before any further planning applications were approved for Queen’s Drive, additional independent consultation should take place.

Cllr Armstrong said: “It seems as if you are going to ignore the poll and continue regardless. How are you going to explain to all the residents who voted that their views have been totally ignored?”

Responding, Cllr Skinner said: “What we are going to do is, the phase two [developer] is going to put their application in, there will be a consultation process for that, there will then be another consultation process which will take place through the planning process. Phase three is going to be absolutely a full consultation with the public, that’s what’s going to take place, that is quite clear.

“To answer the question about an independent consultation – no, that’s not going to take place. I’m sorry about that, but that’s the reality.”

Cllr Skinner has also been criticised by campaign group Save Exmouth Seafront, which said he had talked to an unknown Exmouth Creative Group in lieu of other consultation, though EDDC denied Cllr Skinner had spoken to a group of that name.

SES spokesperson Louise MacAllister said: “There are many established community groups in Exmouth with an interest in the seafront who have not been asked for their opinion. This is concerning as the public made themselves very clear through the poll that they want to be consulted, and yet the public are now being ignored in favour of this unknown group.”

An EDDC spokesperson said: “Cllr Skinner has met several groups and individuals about rejuvenating the town, including the seafront.

“He recently met a group of like-minded individuals who have some great ideas for the town and they were enthused by what the council is doing. We are unaware of a specifically named group called Exmouth Creative Group.”

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9 Jan 2017

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Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation, Regeneration

EDDC teaches the government a thing or two about reorganisation and relocation ?

Isn’t this rather like EDDC’s relocation and regeneration projects?

“Theresa May faces further criticism of her domestic policy in the face of Brexit pressures after it emerged that almost half of the staff in the newly created Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy admitted they did not know what the Whitehall office stands for.

The prime minister surprised many in Westminster when she combined business, energy and climate change to form BEIS. The move, one of several changes to the makeup of Whitehall, was aimed at bolstering the traditionally weak business department, and checking the dominance of the Treasury.

But as the business secretary, Greg Clark, prepares to launch the government’s industrial strategy later this month, it has emerged that almost half of his staff say they have no clear idea what BEIS stands for.

In a recent survey, carried out in the autumn, many of the staff based at two headquarters buildings in London showed little enthusiasm for the reorganisation.

About half (48%) of said they did not “have a clear understanding of BEIS’s purpose”; while 19% agreed that the organisational changes have been for the better. …”

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jan/09/may-faces-criticism-of-brexit-vote-whitehall-restructuring-staff-department-for-business-energy-and-industrial-strategy

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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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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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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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5 Dec 2016

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Accountability, EDDC, Exmouth, Philip Skinner, Regeneration, Spin

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Post-truth spin by Conservative Gatecrashers

Owl refuses to publish the EDDC press release that triggered the comment below. Owl considers it a brazen example of “post truth” spin. Suffice to say he tries to twist the situation where he and two other councillors gatecrashed a “Save our Seafront” meeting.

Here is an organiser’s response:

“Councillor Skinner’s press release of 05/12/16 is full of mistruths. In terms of clarification, the meeting Councillor Skinner [attended] was advertised as ‘all welcome’, however it was not advertised as a public meeting but as a Save Exmouth Seafront (SES) meeting in which we were welcoming along new supporters following the large numbers who attended our protest march. I don’t think that gives Cllr Skinner any legitimacy in his hijacking of the meeting – and hijack he did. If he wanted to attend a public meeting to genuinely engage, why did he arrive unannounced so no questions could be formulated ahead of the meeting? He attended and DISRUPTED what was a SES meeting, and judging by accounts of his behaviour – he had no intention to listen to those present anyway.

I have been trying since July to organise a public Q&A session with Cllr Skinner; the idea being for ALL members of the public to be able to attend and put questions to him, not only the supporters of SES. That he attended uninvited and unannounced and simply disrupted a SES meeting does NOT count as public engagement!

If Cllr Skinner was genuinely hoping to use this meeting as an opportunity to engage, the overriding question has to be, why did he not contact the organisers of the meeting, including myself, for I was emailing him in the preceding week asking him to clarify his intent ref the public Q&A? My emails of the preceding week would have been a perfect opportunity for him to tell me he intended to attend the SES meeting. Instead he utterly ambushed the meeting and acted rudely towards many who were in attendance, I therefore take serious issue with him now trying to paint this as a public engagement exercise.”

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2 Dec 2016

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Accountability, EDDC, Exmouth, Regeneration

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“Conservative Councillors Gatecrash Save Exmouth Seafront Meeting “

Interesting that Councillor Skinner feels he can bully his way into an SES meeting but does not allow anyone to attend (and listen) at an Exmouth Regeneration Board meeting! One law for him one law for others, it seems.

“An unexpected and uninvited band of Conservative councillors descended on the Harbour View cafe last night for the meeting of the Save Exmouth Seafront (SES) campaign group.

Councillor Philip Skinner, Chair of the Exmouth Regeneration Board was flanked by two Conservative Exmouth Town councillors, Fred Caygill and Richard Scott, when they arrived to the meeting of the campaign group. SES aims to push for independent consultation on the future of the seafront before any further work, including the submissions of additional planning applications. This is in sharp contrast to the Exmouth Regeneration Board who appear determined to press ahead with their development vision without consultation.

Councillor Skinner said he’d come to listen. People at the meeting were stunned but used the opportunity to question him. Laura Freeman, an SES member explained “I attended the meeting to help with SES’s campaign for independent consultation and the support of the existing seafront businesses. I was shocked to see Councillor Skinner, but like others, I tried to use the opportunity to ask him questions. However he rudely laughed at me as I tried to ask a question, which he then avoided answering. His presence at the meeting seemed to be more about disrupting SES than listening to what any of us had to say”.

SES spokesperson Louise MacAllister has been trying for some time to organise a public Q&A session with Councillor Skinner, and despite the negative feeling surrounding Councillor Skinner’s unexpected arrival at an SES meeting, hopes that this is a sign he is willing to engage with the wider public and ensure a Q&A session is organised as soon as possible. SES are not against meeting with external stakeholders but would rather they did not gate-crash their meetings. SES are now seeking an arranged meeting with Dr Mark Dixon the benefactor of the Watersport’s Centre.
—ENDS—

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2 Dec 2016

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Accountability, Democracy, Developers/ Development, EDDC, Exmouth, Regeneration, Spin, Transparency

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Exmouth: have councillors been misled – asks councillor

PRESS RELEASE
Have Councillors been misled?

East Devon District Council’s Cabinet “rubber stamped” the go ahead for a “full planning permission” on the redevelopment at Queen’s Drive, Exmouth which they were told needs to be submitted by the end of the year.

This is part of what the Cabinet recommended on the 9th November:
“To note that under delegated powers and an exemption to standing orders, officers have engaged planning and design services to take forward a reserved matters application for the continuance of the current planning approval of Queen’s Drive.”

This means that contrary to normal procedures officers engaged the planning and design services of a company to design and submit a full planning application proposal for the remainder of the Queen’s Drive Development.

Within the submitted papers presented to the Cabinet it explains officers drew up a proposal to hire consultants in September 2016 and gave details of the costs which are estimated at £65,000.

The document states it is “necessary to submit the application by the end of 2016.” It also claims to be a “technical exercise” simply to “sustain a planning application”.

Local Independent District Councillors believe that the advice given to the Cabinet members was misleading. Rather than a “technical exercise” the proposal to submit a “reserved matters application” would provide full planning permission which in theory would allow contractors to start development as soon as it is approved. The ‘reserved matters’ application does not need to be submitted until 24th January, when the current outline application expires.

Megan Armstrong, District Councillor for Exmouth said “Independent colleagues and I cannot understand why the Council has now decided to appoint a designer to submit a full planning application at vast expense when all that is required is to submit a further outline planning application to replace the present one.

The cost of a new outline application would be far less than the ‘reserved matters’ proposal.”

Councillor Armstrong added “If this goes ahead, it contradicts the recommendation that “the Council will give Exmouth people another opportunity to have their say on what happens on that site. The Council will bring in external expertise to carry out a review. This will involve full consultation that is neither developer nor Council led.”

“I believe the District Council should put in a fresh outline planning application for phases two & three, which could be done before the current one expires. Then we can have the full consultation, rather than setting out the ‘reserved matters’ details first, which seems to be putting the cart before the horse. We understand that these Cabinet decisions will be discussed further at the next Full Council meeting on 21st December.”

— ENDS —

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30 Nov 2016

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Accountability, Audit (EDDC), Developers/ Development, EDDC, Exeter City Council, Exmouth, KPMG, Philip Skinner, Regeneration

Exmouth regeneration costs – 6 times bigger than Exeter bus station!

It appears that Exeter City Council has spent “more than £500,000” on fees for its £26m bus station and leisure centre development and is getting some stick for this:

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/council-have-spent-over-590-000-on-st-sidwell-s-point-and-exeter-bus-station-already/story-29947204-detail/story.html

What’s the fuss? EDDC has already said its costs for Exmouth regeneration (officially supposed to be developer-led and funded) will be AT LEAST £3.2 million.

Should someone be patting Exeter City Council on the back and perhaps giving EDDC some stick? And perhaps querying why the Exmouth Regeneration Board (Chair: Councillor Philip Skinner) and EDDC’s Cabinet doesn’t seem to have a handle on the expenditure.

Maybe another elector should be contacting external auditor KPMG as that seemed to get some action on the S106 crisis.

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26 Nov 2016

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EDDC, Exmouth, Grenadier, Regeneration

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is this a mock-up of Grenadier’s Exmouth watersports centre?

Sent by a correspondent who says it has appeared on the Grenadier website:

img_1345

Owl thinks … well, no matter what Owl thinks … what do others think?

If it ISN’T a Grenadier mock-up, perhaps the company would confirm this and perhaps send us an image of their plans.

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22 Nov 2016

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

Exmouth Regeneration Board has not discussed council overspend

Strange that! You might think they would need to know what is happening, what has been spent so far and what is to be spent in future.

Yet no mention of funding changes at their last meeting in September

Click to access 150916erpbcombinedagenda.pdf

when officers and senior councillors were almost certainly aware of the problem. Or was that the ” more thoughtful approach” mentioned in the minutes!

Perhaps EDDC just has an open chequebook approach.

Here is what they DID report about Queen’s Drive:

“RC (Richard Cohen) gave an update on the Queens Drive development. It was noted that agreement had now been reached with tenants. There was a meeting next month with Grenadier and there was enthusiasm that the project was moving forward. It was hoped that planning permission would be in place for Phase 2 of the project by the end of the calendar year.

It was reported that a more thoughtful approach could be taken towards Phase 3 of the project and take steps to take this to the market. There was a need to go out to public consultation on Phase 3 o the works and also go out to tender.

Agreement had been reached with the tenants of Harbour View Cafe to end the formal lease and they were currently on licence until the end of September. A request had been made to leave the tenant in situ until the Council needed the site for redevelopment works. The Board members were keen that the building was not left vacant and the tenant remains in situ.
TW (Tim Wood) expressed his disappointment that a cafe/restaurant had not been established at Orcombe Point.

JME (Councillor Elson) raised the issue of having a Master Planning meeting of all /Exmouth District Councillors on Monday 12 September at 6.00pm.”

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21 Nov 2016

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Accountability, Audit (EDDC), Developers/ Development, EDDC, Exmouth, Philip Skinner, Regeneration, Transparency

Save Exmouth Seafront meeting – 1 December 2016, 7.30 pm Harbour Cafe

see:

https://www.eastdevonalliance.org.uk/event/save-exmouth-seafront-ses-meeting/

and Exmouth Splash Facebook page

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18 Nov 2016

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Accountability, Asset sweating, Coastal communities, EDDC, Exmouth, Phil Twiss, Philip Skinner, Regeneration

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Exmouth seafront cost increase – fantasy, incompetent, iconic or ironic!

“Calls have been made for the sacking of the ‘owner’ of the Exmouth Seafront Regeneration Project after costs spiralled from £1.5million to more than £3million.

However, East Devon District Council’s (EDDC) cabinet backed the plans with a majority vote, despite heavy criticism from some councillors.

http://www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/news/seafront_plans_backed_despite_soaring_costs_1_4780508

Rob Longhurst (Ind), Ben Ingham (Ind) and Eileen Wragg (LD) spoke against, saying that it was incompetence.

Ian Chubb said it was worth paying and he was happy paying the extra costs. Unclear whether he meant worth paying despite the increases or worth paying despite the incompetence, but nice of him to offer to fund the increased costs personally.

Phil Twiss said they had to proceed because to stop would be to go backwards. Of course only true because they have destroyed existing attractions before getting the plans right and before knowing the real costs – so they can’t go back.

Philip Skinner got his words mixed up when he said the plans were iconic but clearly he meant ironic, and thought it was good for Exmouth because they all like doing watersports.

Tom Wright obviously thought the debate was about football not water-sports because he kept referring to the premier league, and said that Exmouth residents should be grateful for the cost increases.

Honestly, Trump or EDDC Tories – not sure which are the greater fantasists!!”

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13 Nov 2016

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Accountability, Coastal communities, Consultation, EDDC, Exmouth, Moirai Exmouth project, Philip Skinner, Regeneration, Transparency

Laura Freeman’s speech at the Exmouth seafront march – Skinner where are you?

““In April this year, just over 4,500 Exmouth people voted yes in a Town Poll. We voted yes for independent, public consultation. This means that we told East Devon District Council – and anyone else listening – that we want to have a say in what happens on our seafront.

“We came out in huge numbers, despite none of the usual help that comes with a general or council election. We came out despite the fact that polling stations were only open for a very, small space of time. Some of us even went out prior to voting, to stand around town – in all weathers – to tell people about the poll, as many people didn’t even know what was going on.

“And what’s happened since the poll in April? Nothing. Why are we being ignored? Ignored by the very people we elect. Well, that’s just not good enough. Today, we have sent a message to East Devon District Council. We have said “We will not be ignored. Our views are important.” East Devon District Council, you need to listen to us.

“We live here. We work here. Some of us will have grown up in this town like generations before, and others will have moved here for a better life or opportunity. When people feel they are being ignored, they shout louder. And that’s what we are doing here today. We are shouting louder!

“Now for those who don’t know, there is a group of people at East Devon District Council who are responsible for the development of this site on the seafront. They are the ‘Exmouth Regeneration Board’. The Chair of this board is Councillor Philip Skinner. We asked Councillor Skinner to come today, along with all East Devon District Councillors and all Exmouth Town Councillors.

“Now, we’ve asked Councillor Skinner to meet with the public before, but this has proven a very tricky task. Actually, we’ve been asking him for months. But he just cannot seem to find any time for meeting with the public. Though, we will still keep trying!

“Councillor Skinner, we hope that you – as someone who can influence something that affects our lives so much – will still come and meet with the people of Exmouth, to answer questions we have, and discuss our ideas and concerns. But with the demolition of assets, closing of businesses and loss of jobs, I’m sure everyone here today will all agree with me, that this meeting with Councillor Skinner must happen soon. There is urgency in this situation.

“So, thank you all for coming here today, standing side-by-side with other members of your community.

“We have shown East Devon District Council that we will take to the streets when they refuse to listen to us through official platforms.

“In a few weeks’ times, on Thursday, December 1, we are having an SES meeting at 7.30pm in the Harbour View Cafe. I really hope many of you will be there. I know that together we can create some great ideas to sort through this situation, and help to protect, as well as enhance, this town we call home.

“Oh, and before I finish, please show your support for the businesses still trading on the proposed development site, The Crazy Golf Course is open today, so go and have a play! And also pop along to the Harbour View Cafe for a nice hot cup of tea and cake! Thank you so much!”

http://www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/news/save_exmouth_seafront_speech_by_laura_freeman_1_4773423

Well done, Laura!

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12 Nov 2016

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Coastal communities, Consultation, EDDC, Exmouth, Moirai Exmouth project, Philip Skinner, Regeneration, Transparency

Exmouth seafront demonstration: video

Just in case EDDC or a local newspaper tries to give the impression of only a handful of protesters today, here is a video which disproves it.

https://www.facebook.com/Exmouthsplash/?ref=br_rs

and here:
http://m.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/save-exmouth-seafront-campaigners-stage-protest-march-over-redevelopment-plans/story-29889839-detail/story.html

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12 Nov 2016

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Accountability, EDDC, Environment (local), Exmouth, Philip Skinner, Regeneration

Exmouth Save our Seafront rally

Campaigners in Exmouth staged a protest march calling for further consultation on controversial seafront redevelopment plans.

The Save Exmouth Seafront group organised the rally on Saturday morning.

It said the peaceful event was held “to express the public’s feelings that their Town Poll request for an independent consultation about the seafront is being ignored by East Devon District Council”. …

… Save Exmouth Seafront recently raised concerns about the escalating costs of the redevelopment, which the council argues will bring long term economic benefits.

Campaign spokeswoman Louise MacAllister said: “SES have been calling for over a year for an independent consultation on the future of the seafront, and have been previously told that it would be too costly.

“Now we hear that EDDC officers are asking cabinet to accept a more than doubling of projected costs for this contentious project from £1.5m, to over £3m. We call on the cabinet to represent the public as they were democratically elected to do so, and ensure that the assumptions and claims made in this report are scrutinised, and that this flawed project is considered in light of evidence rather than an officer’s report based on countless assumptions.”

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/save-exmouth-seafront-campaigners-stage-protest-march-over-redevelopment-plans/story-29889839-detail/story.html