….because of legal restraints. So said EDDC’s Chief Executive at tonight’s first meeting of the Task and Finish Forum at Knowle. This advice was accepted by TAFF Chairman, Cllr Troman, who had noted with some disappointment that two members of the committee (of 6) were unfortunately absent. He also remarked on the ‘record number’ of members of the public present.
Here’s a brief resume. (More to follow in the next few days. Comments also at http://sidmouthindependentnews.com )
Independent Councillor Claire Wright’s motion that TAFF should look at the Business Forum’s influence on planning policy was not seconded.
The Chairman was ‘disappointed’ that the Honorary Secretary of the Business Forum, Nigel Harrison, had not provided him with a full copy of the EDBF official constitution, for reference at this meeting.
Cllr Mike Allen asked the Chief Executive “What is the current legal relationship between EDDC and the Business Forum?” After some hesitation, Mark Williams’s answer was, ” a type of joint body”.
Save Our Sidmouth 
December 12, 2012 at 12:29 pm
“A type of joint body” Not a great clarification of the link between EDDC and EDBF, but very worrying in that it implies a lobbying relationship that might be described as nepotistic and potentially non democratic
December 12, 2012 at 12:46 pm
“A type of joint body”? i.e. Divi’s panto donkey with EDBF as head and EDDC as tail, perhaps?
December 13, 2012 at 4:21 pm
But WHAT TYPE of joint body? “Joint body” means only that two or more groups are involved, it is an utterly meaningless phrase in anyone’s book.
December 15, 2012 at 8:22 pm
Where did EDBF come from? Nigel Harrison told us “it emerged.” So if we seek to replace it with a body that really represents business development in East Devon, looking at training and apprenticeships, tourist promotion, raising the standards of care-homes and extending care provision, opening job shops with wi-fi connections for the local unemployed, and of course developing brownfield sites for housing, and identifying greenfield sites that need to be concreted over for the sake of the community. how can this be started up? Must it “emerge” or could it be established formally by those whom the people of East Devon pay to take care of our assets?
December 15, 2012 at 8:42 pm
In the absence of other councillors (boycotting the event perhaps?) the event was a duel between Cllr Mike Allen and Cllr Claire Wright, who, at one point proposed engaging with local residents and small businesses. Cllr Allen could not get his head around these concepts. What, he asked, have council tax payers and electors got to do with business development? And how, he wondered, could Chambers of Commerce represent businesses too big to join the Chambers? He was stunned by the suggestion that a reformed business forum could represent both large and small businesses.
Even the BBC can see the need to consult the CBI as well as the IoD and local trades councils.
December 15, 2012 at 8:48 pm
70 years ago leading Conservatives recognised “if we don’t give them reform they will give us revolution”. Since EDDC refuse to reform the EDBF we have only one alternative.