Tyrannosaurus Exe still not listening. Franksy.
Category Archives: Regeneration
Franksy’s Thought For Today
There have been dolphin sightings over the years in the Exe estuary. We have something precious here and worth celebrating in its own right. Franksy.
Franksy returns to Exmouth!
Pictures with the following statement:
“Franksy represents a group of Exmouth residents who are concerned about further unsustainable overdevelopment of the seafront and loss of public facilities subsidised by taxpayers money.
Franksy will be back to gently express the value of green open spaces and free access to what is left of the uninterrupted seafront along with a concern for longstanding and much loved local businesses who have already lost jobs and been closed down. Franksy welcomes appropriate conservation and development and has the heart of the people. Franksy will be back .
Franksy came back on the front of the once popular closed down railway cafe next to Jungle Fun on Exmouth sea front.
Franksy asks “Is this the road to nowhere ?” as local residents have voiced concern over the proposed change of route of the road to make way for the planned water sports centre.
This would be a massive seafront development the size of a supermarket on the seafront side of the road. It could be a centre for kite surfing but does not seem to offer any water play for residents- no Lido pool, play fountains or paddling pools- and is sited directly opposite the red flag dangerous water area.
Popular local businesses have been closed down to make way for this dream which may never happen. More are to go in the Fun Park area. The email above is just an associate of the Franksy group and not Franksy’s own email but a contact address for this anonymous group.”
Moirai – not quite an Oasis in Swindon
We know from various FOIs that EDDC’s Alison Hayward (who has the terribly impressive title of “Strategic Lead – Organisational Development and Transformation) has had a number of meetings with Moirai, EDDC’s (previously??) erstwhile preferred partner for the Splash/Queens Drive development in Exmouth, and that she appears to have been only EDDC officer present at some such meetings.
We also know that six, as yet unidentified, Exmouth Town Councillors had a visit to the Swindon Oasis Leisure centre. This centre appears to have been portrayed as a model of what can be achieved in partnership with Moirai.
In an effort to keep councillors fully informed on all aspects of Moirai, may we draw attention to the latest Private Eye and its Rotten Boroughs column.
It reports:
HEALTH WARNING
Swimmers hoping to cool off in Swindon’s Oasis pool have been stricken with a nasty bug called cryptosporidiosis – aka “crypto” – which triggers diarrhoea, fever and nausea. Of some 30 recent cases in the town at least 10 have been positively linked to the Oasis, which is outsourced to Greenwich Leisure Ltd.
Yet the council and Greenwich Leisure kept the pool open for three weeks after being warned there was a problem with the water.
A mother alerted environmental health after her son became ill on 19th July, but the pool was not closed until 12th August.
Public Health England has confirmed that some of the reported cases of infection from the pool date back to May.
This is not unfamiliar ground for Greenwich Leisure. It runs Chesham Leisure Centre in Buckinghamshire on behalf of Chiltern District Council. Eleven children and four adults were hospitalised after swimming there in 2014. An investigation found they had been affected by the chemical content of the water, which Greenwich had failed to test. In the same year 800 residents of Reading signed a petition protesting at the “filthy” Greenwich-run Rivermead leisure centre in the town.
What the Private Eye story doesn’t say is that Moirai run the Oasis at Swindon and that they are still engaged in the possible development of another part of Swindon known as the North Star development.
They used to outsource the day to day management to a company created by two of their directors and called Oasis Operations Ltd.
The two Moirai directors ceased to be directors of Oasis Operations Ltd in February 2013. A Mr Wojeichowski became the sole director and later changed the name to MW Contract Services Ltd. That company went bust in January 2014. Greenwich Leisure subsequently took over the day to day running of Oasis.
Folkestone and Margate: a warning for East Devon’s seaside “regeneration” plans
” … The renovated pier is the first phase of a £337m redevelopment of the harbour, which will see 1,000 homes, restaurants, shops, sports centres and gardens built on the seafront over the next two decades. But experts on seaside regeneration warn that the project by local philanthropist and former Saga group tycoon Roger De Haan’s Folkestone Harbour Company risks a polarising gentrification of one of the town’s most deprived areas, with only 8% of the new homes classed as affordable.
James Kennell, a regeneration expert at Greenwich University, said: “It’s not a development for local people. All the primary benefits are for people moving in or for visitors.”
Over the past decade, De Haan’s Creative Foundation has transformed the town into an arts hub with a triennial art show, a new music and performance venue, a book festival and a public art collection featuring works by Tracey Emin, Mark Wallinger and Cornelia Parker.
Jonathan Ward, a sociology researcher at Leeds University, who recently published a report questioning the benefits of cultural regeneration in Folkestone and Margate, contends that the harbour development casts De Haan’s support for the arts in a different light. He said: “[It’s] a bit of cultural branding used to conceal what is basically a speculative property development aimed at elite consumers.”
Paul Sharp, senior branch manager at Ward & Partners estate agents in Folkestone, says there is a growing influx of wealthy out-of-town buyers, particularly from London, accounting for up to 40% of sales in the last 14 months. He expects the harbour development to bring local house prices more in line with Hythe, its more affluent neighbour, within five years. “We’re already seeing that with different people in the town,” he said. “Not so long ago I could walk down the street and bump into quite a few people I knew. That isn’t the case now.”
David Crump, director of the harbour development, said the homes on offer would range from “entry level apartments through to luxury detached beach houses”. He added that only 8% would be affordable housing due to the costs of converting the existing harbour, claiming the development was “utterly unattractive to a commercial developer”.
James Kennell said: “I’m quite positive about the harbour as a short-term intervention because of the jobs it will create in construction for local people. [But] 8% [affordable housing] is a clear statement of intent to gentrify an area of the town that has always been the most deprived. That brings it in line with controversial London housing developments such as those around the 02 or at the new Battersea power station site.”
He added that Folkestone was lucky to have a Victorian-style benefactor like De Haan but, despite the vast sums spent on cultural regeneration, the Office for National Statistics still rated the town as deprived. “It’s great to have a futuristic vision of the town being an entrepreneurial/creative hub with fantastic links to London but it’s all very outward-looking. Folkestone and Shepway have deeply entrenched social problems and the regeneration that takes place over the next 20 years has to bring those people in, otherwise what you’ll end up with is a very polarised town.”
Jonathan Ward said many low-earning artists who had been instrumental in the town’s cultural renaissance had been marginalised by the focus on attracting new consumers and investors.
Local artist Matt Rowe said: “Folkestone was on its knees before Roger’s money came in. The Creative Foundation does work. It’s now that there’s more demand that it is slightly different. The harbour arm and the housing development are going to bring in a much more mass culture audience. The people who come down are happy to spend £8 on a burger but they’re not happy to spend £20 on a print.” …
Exmouth regeneration: contact information for famous artist Banksy
“Franksy” artwork update
The reason given by the council for removal of the art work was “it didn’t seem particularly contentious ” but E.D.D.C. were “trying to create a positive vibe in the town.”
As the site was re-visited this morning in order to remove any staples left sticking out by the hasty removal, these photographs were taken of a ripped circus poster to the back of the building, there clearly dated July 13 to 17:
and various little piles of screws left around the base of the building:
The art work was much admired and had a Great Vibe. The torn poster and abandoned debris and weeds less so.
It seems that if it does not emanate from the Thelma Hulbert Gallery (heavily subsidised by EDDC) it isn’t art!
This shows Councillors Diviani, Chubb and O’Leary perhaps indicating their idea of portraiture.
http://www.midweekherald.co.uk/news/gallery_launches_competition_to_celebrate_new_signs_1_4167515
Exmouth’s (fleeting) answer to Banksy … not EDDC’s cup of tea
DJs café was temporarily wrapped with some ‘art’ work yesterday. ‘Franksy’, the artists, left a message and a mobile number clearly displayed in 3 places so that contact could be made for removal and stated that responsible residents would do that. Nothing was dangerous and no criminal damage was incurred. It may have been seen as slightly contentious. Political art can be!
This morning residents saw it had been removed. Stolen? The staples had been left sticking out dangerously. At least 2 hours later, the work was tracked down to a council’s rubbish depot in Camperduin. It’s removal had been ordered by ‘the powers that be.’
Nobody had contacted Franksy on the given mobile number.
Advice is being sought on what should now be done.
The “Exmouth Coastal Community Team”
This ISN’T the Regeneration Board but seems to have as its remit everything that ISN’T Queens Drive. Both are chaired by Councillor Skinner. It seems to duplicate items discussed by the Exmouth Regeneration Board but with a different group of councillors and officers.
At its last meeting
Click to access agenda-22-07-2016.pdf
this “Team” discussed:
Update on Coastal Communities Initiative – Coastal Communities Funding
Visitor Survey
Future Meetings – Next meeting – Friday, September 9th at 11.45, Exmouth Town Hall
The tourism season is already half over – does anyone know if there has been a “Visitor Survey”?
Also, no minutes have been produced for the last two meetings, only notes, with this note from a previous meeting in May 2016:
“LB [Lisa Bowman, Exmouth Town Council] outlined discussions with Clinton Devon Estates regarding joint marketing of investment opportunities in Exmouth.”
Click to access exmouth-coastal-community-team-notes-from-19-05-2016-approved.pdf
Can anyone on the council enlighten us about this one?
Top designer offers help with new Exmouth seafront ideas
“Wayne Hemingway is willing to visit Exmouth and share his thoughts on the Queens Drive development.
The East Devon District Council project is currently on hold after a shock announcement the site would be re-tendered because of a lack of progress on the part of original developer, Moirai Capital Investments.
Environmental community group Transition Exmouth contacted the noted designer following the decision. …
… As well as having a good record on community involvement, Wayne demonstrates a sensitivity to traditional seaside entertainments and locales which is why he would be the ideal person to involve in the consultation guiding the revised Masterplan for Exmouth.
He added: “Transition Exmouth calls on Cllr. Philip Skinner, Chair of Exmouth Regeneration Board and Chair of Exmouth Coastal Communities Team to demonstrate a willingness to listen to an outside expert and himself issue the invitation to Wayne Hemingway to visit our town.”
Hemingway has indicated that he is willing to visit Exmouth and has suggested a date, requesting only a formal invite.
The council has outline planning permission to develop the Queen’s Drive site to include a cafe and public open space, retail units, a hotel or holiday accommodation, car parking, and indoor and outdoor play facilities.
This includes the water sports centre at the front of the Queen’s Drive site, where the council has forged a partnership with Grenadier Estates for the proposed new £4 million community-owned centre.
This project is hoped to be under way early 2017.”
Exmouth seafront tenders – time for review?
In response to a Freedom of Information request (below) on 15 February 2016, EDDC refused to divulge any information about the Moirai tender bid for Exmouth seafront.
Owl thinks that now this process has been abandoned, EDDC must divulge this information and that other bidders have no right to keep their bids secret.
Anyone fancy another request?
“Q 1. What information do you hold about any/all organisation that made enquiries in response to JLL’s marketing exercise in respect of the proposals ?
I refer you back to our previous response dated 16th February and quote from this below:
You also asked for the names of the organisations who submitted a bid for this work having been provided already with the number of organisations involved. In considering your request we have contacted the other organisations who submitted a bid and they have confirmed our view that this detail, at this point in time, is commercially confidential to them. We are therefore withholding this detail under Regulation 12(5)(e) of the Environmental Information Regulations.
I confirm that this response still stands and is directly relevant to this question and questions 2, 3, and 4 below.
Q 2. Who were the two applicants who were not chosen at the final interview ?
See above
Q 3.Did any of the two unsuccessful developers include ‘residential’ elements in their proposals? If so details please/
See above
Q 4. Please supply fullest details of the proposals that the two unsuccessful applicants offered.
See above
Q 5. Please provide details of all persons who comprised the selection panel that chose Moirai.
The selection panel was made up of Cllr John Humphreys, Cllr Tim Wood, Cllr Andrew Moulding, Richard Cohen and Alison Hayward
Q.6. Can you kindly confirm that the number of organisations, out of the 4,000 plus that were contacted by JLL, who chose to submit themselves to the final selection process was only three?
4 were initially interviewed and then, in March 2015, we considered 3.
Q 7. Taking into account EDDC’s promise to the public on the non-inclusion of ‘residential’ on the Queen’s Drive site, did any member, officer or advisor ever consider that EDDC’s ‘offer’ to developers had failed to attract a suitable candidate for preferred developer? If so full details please.
No information held”
A lesson in political hypocrisy in Exmouth
Last night, Councillor Bill Nash spoke vehemently at an Exmouth Town Council meeting in favour of the demolition of play facilities in Exmouth to make way for “regeneration” – indeed there was a public spat with another Conservative councillor who was against it.
However, in his own interest he raised an objection to these plans:
The power of whipping?
Conservative councillors in Exmouth do not see eye to eye it seems
From a correspondent:
This evening, Exmouth Town Council met to discuss the planning application to demolish Jungle Fun and Crazy Golf.
There was a packed public gallery and councillors Fred Caygill (Conservative), Brenda Taylor (Liberal Democrat) and Tim Dumper (Liberal Democrat) did what they should do – spoke to represent the views of residents. Exmouth Town Council then voted 4 to 3 against the application. Councillors Caygill, Taylor, Dumper and Masding (Green) voted against.
However, one councillor – Conservative Bill Nash – caused quite a stir.
Councillor Nash was the first councillor to speak after public speaking ended, first requesting a recorded vote and then speaking in support of the application. He turned to the public gallery to speak in what seemed to be a very heated way, and appeared to have the erroneous idea that all the public were worried about was phase 3 (the final stages of development as planned). He seemed agitated and several people thought he spoke somewhat patronisingly, saying that it was “a straightforward demolition”. He did not seem amenable to any discussion with anyone who did not share this viewpoint.
After the recorded vote, and as the public left the gallery, councillor Nash turned to councillor Fred Caygill (who was sitting next to him) and appeared to say to him, in a very agitated and angry way, that he wanted a quiet word with him for a couple of minutes.
Cllr Caygill, to his credit, did not rise to this but – as Chair Councillor Lynn Elson became aware that members of the public were watching this exchange – she advised them to stop.
It was not clear from the exchange exactly what Councillor Nash wished to discuss with Councillor Caygill after the meeting.
What ‘Architects Journal’ has to say about Exmouth Splat remarketing!
“If you’re stuck in a sweltering office and need a professional reason for beachfront leisure to be at the forefront of your mind Exmouth could be the answer
East Devon Council is soon to be seeking ‘fresh ideas’ for the coastal town’s Queen’s Drive with £18 million plans by development partner Moirai Capital Investments expected to be cannonballed into the deep blue.
The sun baked site – just metres away from a sandy beach and the cooling waters of the English Channel – had been earmarked for new apartments, retail and a multi-screen cinema.
But after lengthy legal negotiations with site tenants the local authority has decided new concepts are in order and has announced it is considering to re-market the plot.
Now it’s your opportunity to dust off your contacts in the area – Moirai has already declared its intention to rebid – and let your imagination go wild.
Although before you commission a working model water slide or any mankini strewn renders it’s worth considering the brief. The council – seeking the predictable twin pillars of a ‘money making and vibrant’ solution – has in mind wet weather facilities catering for the many non-heatwave days of the year.
Furthermore the site already has outline planning permission for a café, retail units, play facilities and a hotel or holiday accommodation which the council prefers over any residential.”
Note to our LEP
… “The South West has more people living in villages, hamlets and isolated areas than in any other English region.” …
and a comment here in the same article by one of the LEP’s most gung-ho nuclear interest representatives – involved with creating the new town of Sherford near Plymouth:
Tim Jones, chairman of Devon and Cornwall Business Council, board member of the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership and a member of the Sherford project board said: “It is crucial that people have a variety of amenities and businesses on their doorstep.
This offers them not only a broad choice for leisure and retail, but it also provides local employment opportunities.
… “Part of the foundation for Sherford is to create a unique package where you can live and work in the same place, should you so wish.
“In the South West, we often suffer from the ‘brain drain’ of young, talented individuals moving away from the area, only to return at around 35 to 40 years old for the quality of life. “Retaining young adults is essential, as is enabling them to develop quality businesses.” …
http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/what-makes-us-happy/story-29577372-detail/story.html
Amazing what a change of hat can do … and Mr Jones has SO MANY hats for so many different purposes!
MD of Butlins warns of seaside degeneration and youth unemployment
“In her first speech as prime minister, Theresa May set out her goals to tackle the social injustices faced by many, including the working-class young. One to add to the list is that of young people who come from our coastal and seaside towns.
The UK’s coastline is 7,700 miles (12,400km) long and contributes hugely to our cultural wellbeing. Some 250 million visits are made to the coast each year but it is an inconvenient fact that if you come from our seaside towns you are more likely to be poorly educated, unemployed, unemployable, lacking in ambition, claiming benefits and living in multiple-occupation housing.
This is largely down to the long-term decline of fishing, agriculture and tourism — the industries that traditionally supported coastal communities. Tourism could arrest that decline if government helped to create the environment to allow businesses to do so. Although tourism is the UK’s sixth largest export earner and employs nearly 10 per cent of the working population, it could do better.
A recent survey found that more than half of the British public have not visited the seaside in the past three years, 30 per cent have not visited as an adult and 65 per cent believe the seaside is run down and in need of investment.
This is why the British Hospitality Association has come up with a plan to revive these communities. The first step is to appoint a seaside tsar, someone to co-ordinate government and local authority spending. This person, who needs to be strong enough to make a real difference, would oversee the creation of coastal enterprise zones to bring in investment and encourage businesses to move to the coast.
The second initiative is to create a tax environment that encourages people to visit and coastal businesses to invest in themselves. The obvious incentive for visitors is a reduction in tourism VAT — on accommodation and visitor attractions. UK visitors are taxed harder than almost everyone else in Europe for simply going on holiday. Our tourism VAT rate is a punitive 20 per cent while the average in Europe is half that.
If Mrs May is serious about rebalancing the economy, tourism is one industry that can deliver export growth by creating a seaside that is worth going back to.”
Dermot King is managing director of Butlins and chairman of the Cut Tourism VAT Campaign
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/comment/our-seaside-towns-need-a-serious-economic-boost-8n9550crk
EDDC – Exmouth: searching questions about relationship with former ” preferred partner”
“Dear East Devon District Council,
I make this request under the FOI Act and Environmental regs
We have learned from local press reports that EDDC has ended the status of Moirai Capital Investments as preferred partner in relation to the regeneration of Exmouth.
Has council made any payments to Moirai, or any agent on their behalf (JLL?) and if so, what are the details.
What meetings have been held with Moirai or any of it’s agents and what officer time or other costs have been incurred. Full details please , to include dates, place of meeting and officers/members meeting.
Is it correct that EDDC has been taking councillors (and any others e.g regeneration panel members) to view Moirai’s Swindon operation? Full details please.
When did EDDC decide to end it’s preferred partner relationship with Moirai and why? please supply full reasons and dates with copies of reports and decisions .
Please explain what has changed, other than the passage of time, that necessitates a rethink on regeneration proposals.
Please ensure that the fullest details are given in response together with copies of all relevant paperwork, emails etc.”
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/payments_to_moirai_capital_inves
Now Exmouth seafront is up for grabs again, what of Seaton Heights?
East Devon District Council really is having problems with regeneration in Exmouth and Seaton.
In Exmouth, the relationship with preferred developer Moirai Capital Investments (see many East Devon Watch posts) has spectacularly bitten the dust. And what of the development at the old motel site in Seaton – grandly marketed as Seaton Heights:
which continues to deteriorate badly, despite promises made (many times) to either finish or start construction in June 2016 (it varies a lot depending just which press release you read) having been broken (though the company website STILL touts the off-plan £1,000 deposits it has been marketing for years).
EDDC Deputy CEO Richard Cohen was brought in specially for his regeneration expertise in London but, alas, he seems to have spent the vast majority of his time spearheading the relocation of council offices to Honiton and mopping up development issues in Cranbrook.
Now we have no less than THREE of our major towns with regeneration committees, as Axminster has joined Exmouth and Seaton as being in need of major new investment. Perhaps to be followed by Sidmouth when it is deserted by EDDC and has its replacement influx of more pensioners and Ottery as it struggles with more housing without accompanying infrastructure.
Not really a very good track record, is it?
Still, perhaps our LocalEnterprise Partnership will pump funds into these deprived areas.
A business too far for Axminster regeneration!
The photo graph of the scale of the factory is amazing but perhaps not quite the entrepreneurial vision Axminster is seeking!
Philip Skinner now Chairman of Exmouth Regeneration Board – we await his Christmas card …
See page 36:
RESOLVED; that Councillor Phillip Skinner be elected Chairman of the Board for the ensuing year.
Click to access cabinet130716combinedagenda.pdf
Councillor Skinner is probably best remembered for “Christmas card gate” when he was fired from his post as EDDC’s rural ” champion” during the reign of former EDDC Leader Chairman Sarah Randall-Johnson for sending her an inappropriate greeting:
CONSERVATIVE councillor has been stripped of his role as rural champion after off-the-cuff remarks in a Christmas card offended the leader of a Devon authority.
Philip Skinner, who represents Talaton, near Ottery St Mary, sent the card to Sara Randall Johnson, leader of East Devon District Council and headed it “My greatest adversary”. Mr Skinner heaped praise on her at the expense of other members, boasting: “The rest I can demolish in my sleep, but you are in a class of your own.”
Mr Skinner signed off with two footnotes, the last of which stated: “If only things had turned out different, we’d have made one hell of a team.”
Unfortunately, we are not told what the first footnote was.
In the words of Tim Wannacott of Bargain Hunt: “Are you in charge of the sale today Philip? If so, we are in safe hands”.
East Devon Watch 