Save Our Sidmouth


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EDDC action on the Graham Brown affair

East Devon District Council have today clarified what is being done in the case of the Councillor who resigned last week, after allegations of impropriety.

This press release can be found at :  http://www.eastdevongov.uk

DEVON & Cornwall Police is looking into the issue surrounding an East Devon District Councillor who was filmed by a national newspaper apparently suggesting he could influence the planning process.

Former Councillor Graham Brown, who represented the Feniton and Buckerell Ward, has since resigned from the Council but denies any wrongdoing.

The Council’s Monitoring Officer contacted Police Headquarters at Middlemoor shortly after the matter was reported in the Daily Telegraph and was advised that the issue should be reported direct to Action Fraud, an agency appointed by the Home Office to make early enquiries before involving local officers.

The matter was referred to Action Fraud by telephone under the Bribery Act 2010 and EDDC’s own policy on Fraud, Theft and Anti-Corruption, with representatives promising to look in to the matter and get back to the council with updates.

Action Fraud has now referred the matter to the Head of the National Fraud Authority. Meanwhile, EDDC understands that a decision has now been taken by Devon & Cornwall Police to look into the matter.


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Response to Chief Executive’s reply to SOS Open Letter to EDDC

Richard Thurlow has today sent this e-mail to EDDC’s Chief Executive Officer, on behalf of Save Our Sidmouth and of the Sid Vale Association.  It is reproduced here, with Mr Thurlow’s  permission:

Dear Mr Williams,

 
Thank you for your letter.
 
In response to your comments about not understanding where the £0.5m came from that we quoted as being the cost of the abortive attempt to gain OPA, this is composed, (if you read our letter), of “Consultant’s costs plus Officer’s time”.
 
In the real world staff time is costed and taken into account in costing projects. Staff time on a project is costed at a multiplier, based on the costs of running the organisation. An approximation is about 2.5 times actual salary costs.
 
As you do not collect staff time sheets, (an omission in these days of public sector efficiency drives), we have made an estimate of EDDC staff input and costed it.Thus knowing that R Cohen and others spent significant time on the project, we estimate that the total costs to the public approximate to about £0.5m
 
If the project had not been pursued, then they presumably would have carried out more useful work elsewhere.
 
regards
Richard Thurlow
 
Chair SOS
Chair SVA Conservation and Planning Committee
EDDC’s full response to the SOS Open Letter is here:   open letter council response 21032013


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Daily Telegraph’s latest ‘sting’ catches Planning Minister, Nick Boles

The link to today’s article is : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/hands-off-our-land/9947318/Planning-ministers-war-on-the-countryside.html 

This is what tomorrow’s march at Feniton is all about! Organisers East Devon Alliance invite you to the ‘Black Day for the Countryside’ protest.     feniton-march-poster 23.03.13

Marchers will be wearing black mourning clothes and carrying black balloons and ribbons. Some will have Brown Envelopes and other banners.

EDA is calling for the postponement of the  deadline for the National Planning Policy Framework  (NPPF.. next Wednesday 27 March) , until Local Authorities have their 5-year Land Supply Plan in place.

Nick Boles has close links with East Devon. This recent report from another national newspaper has details:  http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/370412/Housing-land-grab-minister-warned-Don-t-come-home