Save Our Sidmouth

Category Archives: East Devon Alliance


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Knowle and the Local Plan: a brief summary of latest events, with comments.

Knowle

The Full Council decided on Wednesday24th July  to relocate from the Knowle. The destination is as yet unsure, but it won’t be  Sidmouth. At least one senior EDDC Councillor (notably Councillor Halse) has expressed concern about the financial risk, and it’s all still to play for.
A  meeting was held by EDDC last Friday (26th July) with selected ‘stakeholders’,  to discuss relocation.  Sidmouth Town Councillor Kelvin Dent asked (and this is believed to have been minuted, what steps EDDC intend to take to mitigate the economic impact of relocation (nearly 100 jobs over 10 years and £4.5million a year spend in Sidmouth).

Local Plan

As expected the Council adopted the latest minutes of the Development Management Committee. The allocation of Zones B, C and D for housing at the Knowle remain, as does the Sidford Industrial Estate, despite a vigorous debate. The Plan now goes forward for examination in public by an Inspector towards the end of this year, or beginning of 2014.

Footnote, from a member of Knowle Residents’Association:

The Leader, Councillor Diviani said the EDDC was investigating the possibility of borrowing (approximately) £4,800,000 to fund the move but that it would be at NO COST TO THE COUNCIL TAX PAYER . I wish I could borrow that amount at no cost !! I assume this borrowing would be a bridging  loan to enable construction to commence on their new H.Q and would eventually be repaid from the sale of zones B C and D which are likely  to be developed in stages.

Councillor Peter Halse’s comments clearly indicate that he is concerned about the possible financial risk involved in this strategy.  Councillor Diviani also stated that the project would remain “Cost
Neutral”.

It was mentioned at the Full Council  meeting that considerable  difficulty was encountered by staff during an evacuation of the Knowle following a fire alarm due to corridors being obstructed by
photocopiers. (Surely illegal to obstruct exit routes?). This is a little odd since the EDDC maintain the current  accommodation  is twice the size that is needed so surely the offending machines should have been placed in unused offices?!!

Members of the public were of course unable to comment on this paradox at the meeting, whilst councillors failed to address it.

Reports on the thorny issues of EDDC office relocation, the Local Plan, and this month’s related Council meetings (Cabinet, Development Management Committee, and Full Council) are in recent posts on the SOS website, and the SIN blog http://sidmouthindependentnews.wordpress.com   (e.g From our correspondent “Fly Me” , 26th July)

There is much more to come!


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EDDC’s relocation plans: notes on meeting with ’stakeholders’ (26th July 2013)

The meeting was held last Friday, at the Flybe office at Exeter Airport.

All EDDC Cabinet attended, plus senior officers. There were representatives from Parish and Town Councils and Chambers of Commerce, plus selected organisations termed ‘stakeholders’, including Save our Sidmouth, East Devon Alliance, Vision for Sidmouth’s Futures Forum, Knowle Residents’ Association and others.

Deputy Chief Executive,Richard Cohen, presented the case for moving. Leader,Paul Diviani,  supported him. Options include Cranbrook, Honiton, (2), or possibly Sky Park

Questions followed the presentation. One was from Kelvin Dent, newly elected Sidmouth Town Councillor. As Councillor Diviani had mentioned, for the second time, that relocation would have an impact on the economy of Sidmouth and that steps would be taken to try to mitigate the effect, Councillor Dent asked what those steps would be, bearing in mind the loss of nearly 100 jobs over 10 years and £4.5million of contracts and spend in Sidmouth. He did not receive an answer, but the question was minuted, and will presumably be addressed in due course.

Then several discussion groups were formed, to consider four questions ( quoted verbatim here):

  1. The services received, by residents and organisation; will they change when the office is relocated and could this impact on the organisation and/or people I represent?
  2. The way in which my colleagues and I work with or communicate with the council; how might that change?
  3. What other statutory provisions, government regulations or business activities and financial arrangements, (for example), that you are involved with do you think might be affected?
  4. What concerns, risk or opportunities do you perceive there to be, which would impact on the community that you represent, and it wellbeing(sic). vibrancy or economic effectiveness, or similar

 

Answers ranged from having a new large multi purpose council chamber to shared services with Exeter City Council ( and new methods of working using IT). 

(SOS has of course already given its strong views on question 4 . See  EDDC Cabinet to look at options for Knowle relocation…But is relocation itself an option? posted 16th July on this website.) .

SOS Chair, Richard Thurlow, commented, “It is clear that Honiton, (through the Chamber of Commerce) is very keen on getting EDDC in the town and is already planning for it (with bus services from the station ,etc…).”

“Not much will come of this or subsequent meetings”, he continued. “It was purely a public relations exercise.”

The SIN blog has a more detailed report of the meeting, From our correspondent “Fly Me”, posted 26th July at http://sidmouthindependentnews.wordpress.com

 


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Another Question to the Leader at Full Council, 24.07.13

Would you agree that the damage done to the reputation of this Council, by the ‘Councillors-for-Hire’ revelations in the Daily Telegraph in March, was severe and should be urgently addressed? If so, could you please explain why approval for a ban on councillors acting as agents for developers has been postponed until Full Council in October, whereas restrictions on councillors using social media has been fast-tracked for consideration this evening?

Shouldn’t the priority have been the other way round, as what brings a council into disrepute is what the council leadership does and has done, rather than comments by councillors pointing it out?

Jacqueline Green, an East Devon Alliance supporter, was obliged to pause in mid-question, to ask if the Chief Executive would do her “the courtesy of listening”. Councillor Diviani  avoided addressing the matters highlighted, by simply saying that he could not comment on the Telegraph article “as there is an on-going police inquiry”.

For Richard Thurlow’s representation on behalf of SOS, go to  our  post on 25th July