Filming and reporting of Council meetings will now have much greater transparency, thanks to a newly-issued  government guide. See Councillors shouldn’t be shy,  today, 14th June, at http://sidmouthindependentnews.wordpress.com

The  number of Freedom of Information requests received by EDDC has apparently become  burdensome. (See Should Freedom of Information be Free? 5th June post at http://sidmouthindependentnews.wordpress.com) One way round this problem is suggested under the heading Open Data  on p. 24 at this link http://socialmedia.21st.cc/wp-content/uploads/connected_councillors.pdf

In an interview this evening for Spotlight TV,  Sid Vale Association Chair Alan Darrant, of Save Our Sidmouth,  made the following comparison. For National Parks, he said, the first priority is the countryside, whereas ” EDDC’s stated first priority is development”.

Representatives of Sidmouth’s Chamber of Commerce, Hospitality Association and Vision Group for Sidmouth (all part of SOS), have also variously expressed enthusiasm.  And senior local Councillors are interested in assessing the economic and environmental  benefits of a possible new National Park spanning East Devon and Dorset. (More information at http://futuresforumvgs.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=National+Park)

Due to present EDDC  and Government policy, East Devon’s AONB is steadily shrinking, and irreplaceable agricultural land is being sacrificed to developers. Perhaps it is time to consider whether  ‘economic and environmental benefits’ are not mutually exclusive?