Save Our Sidmouth


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Sidmouth Arboretum Summer newsletter

Part of the Arboretum is in the Knowle parkland. This summer newsletter from the Arboretum Chairman will certainly be of interest to SOS followers:

Welcome to a quick summary of progress – hope to see you on 28th!

ANNUAL TREE DAY SATURDAY 28 JUNE

at Kennaway House. (this year it is a Tree Festival!)

From 0930 – Bring in leaf/twig for identification and join in silent auction

10 am Jon Stokes, Tree Council

“Making Trees Matter” – How tree conservation has changed over the past 40 years and some of the issues we face for the next 40.

11 am Dr Richard Jinks Forest Research,

“Forestry and Climate Change” – Finding trees for forestry and landscape in a changing climate”

12 noon Kevin Frediani, Bicton College, Head of Sustainable Land Use

“Trees and the view” – informing the selection and placement of trees in the civic green space”

2pm Hugh Angus guided walk. Tickets from Paragon Books, Sidmouth High Street. £7 to include tea by generous invitation of Littlecourt Cottages. Limited numbers.

Return to Kennaway House to pick up your auction successes!

TREE WALKS

The weekend of September 28/29 is shaping up to be busy for tree lovers. And coincides with Sidmouth Walking Festival.

There will be a tree hunt for families on October 12 as part of the Sidmouth Science Festival.

TREE TRAIL LEAFLETS

In May we launched the Tree Trail leaflet for Sidbury which has been much in demand. The Sidmouth Tree Trail leaflet continues to be popular.

A Tree Trail leaflet for Salcombe Regis is in preparation and should be out by the autumn.

A legacy leaflet is in preparation.

iTree – Tree survey

Under the leadership of Kenton Rogers, a dedicated team of volunteers are undertaking the iTree survey of 200 plots throughout the Sid Valley. We intend t complete our work by leaf fall this year. It is fascinating to visit some out of the way places, but hard work on steep slopes!

The results will give us an understanding of the structure of the urban forest such as canopy cover, species importance rankings, available planting space, species composition and age distribution. To know what we have got, so as to guide our future plans.

PLANTING PLANS – Michael Gordon-Lee and Richard Thurlow from our committee are drawing up plans for planting sites and suitable species.

Hugh Angus will recce some of these in September, and suggest what and where.

comments/queries to info@sidmoutharboretum.org.uk

Sidmouth Arboretum

Caring for the trees of the Sid Valley

sidmoutharboretum.org.uk


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No light cast on Knowle at last night’s Cabinet meeting

Deputy CEO,Richard Cohen, sped through what he termed his “holding report” on Knowle relocation, in well under five minutes. “You’ll have to wait” he told EDDC Cabinet members,squarely putting the blame on the Knowle Residents’ Association (KRA) for obliging the Council to spend “some time and money” in fighting KRA’s Town and Village Green Application for Knowle. No mention was made of the EDDC’s appeal lodged with a tribunal, nor of their reasons for so doing. Any reference to precise figures and expenses were glaringly omitted.

Cabinet members, seemed entirely sympathetic, summed up by Cllr Ray Bloxham’s comment , that “It’s a shame that we’re in the situation that we have to delay”.
And Cllr Andrew Moulding’s summary that “It doesn’t matter where we are, provided that we have a facility for dialogue with “the people that we serve”, rang a little hollow. The original “more central location” argument has been dropped, and EDDC’s record on public relations continues to be notoriously weak.
Cllr Cox was perhaps not entirely correct when he said that the Cabinet had been unfairly accused of “going headlong into the unknown”. If he does indeed know the exact calculations of relocation, could he kindly lay the cards on the table?

Sadly, no natural light nor fresh air is allowed to refresh debates in the Council Chamber.The net curtains stay drawn, and forty-odd light bulbs blaze away,however sunny it is outside. Indoors, stuffiness rules.
This council thus demonstrates little awareness of its surroundings. Knowle parkland in the rain, with its copper beech and birdsong was a treat for the senses, for those who took this shortcut to town after the meeting last night. Councillors mostly have a different exit, via the tarmacked car park…naturally.


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“We shouldn’t be surprised by such manoeuvres”, senior EDDC Officer tells Cabinet

Deputy Chief Executive, Richard Cohen, has once again showed complete disdain for the serious concerns of East Devon residents. Completely failing to comprehend the impact, particularly on Sidmouth, of the planned Knowle relocation, he resorted to insulting the Knowle Residents’ Association(KRA). KRA’s Town and Village Green application has delayed the marketing of the Knowle and other major sites required to fund the building of a new office at Skypark, which has not yet been publicly costed. Cohen told the Cabinet meeting last night that ,”We shouldn’t be surprised by such manoeuvres”.

More to follow….