Save Our Sidmouth


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Councillors’ “fundamental responsibility to be impartial when deciding planning matters” glossed over by CEO?

A suggested New Year’s Resolution for EDDC Leadership is to ensure that DMC members and council officers behave with complete probity, and that Chairs are adequately trained to know what that entails.

The current conduct of some old-school DMC members,  and the attitude of the Chief Executive Officer, Mark Williams, are indicated in the following question from a member of the public.

Question to CEO Council Meeting, 21 December 2016
‘I would like to ask the Chief Executive two questions concerning comments made at the Development Management Committee DMC meeting on December 6th which are clearly audible on the recording.
I attended the meeting, and would congratulate most members of the Committee on a thorough and fair discussion of the issues and on a decision that was clearly justified by the evidence.
But, in my opinion, comments by a veteran member of the committee were unacceptable.
Councillors are expected to be completely impartial in their consideration of a planning application, especially where a council has a vested interest in that application.
As in this case where a refusal might “stymie” the relocation project.
Therefore, the Council’s wish to relocate was not a material planning consideration for the Pegasus Life proposal. Any mention of it should have been completely taboo at this meeting.
So it was shocking that a member of the committee considered it appropriate to declare that the current Knowle buildings were “not fit for purpose,” digressing at some length to tell what he said was a joke about lost souls wandering for years in the labyrinth of the old hotel.
A councillor who spends some minutes rehearsing one of the Council’s main arguments for selling the Knowle, and goes on to vote against refusal, is bound to appear biased!
Does the CEO agree with me that the council’s relocation project was not a material planning consideration in the Pegasus Life Application?

Will he therefore remind committee members that that in any future DMC meeting to determine a proposal to develop the site, reference to the council’s project should be strictly avoided?

Tony Green, East Devon Alliance (EDA) ‘

This and other clearly expressed concerns raised at public question time,  and the CEO’s response to them, can be heard in the recording on the EDDC website, at this link:

http://eastdevon.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/committees-and-meetings/council/council-minutes/

from 06:48 Sally Galsworthy, Exmouth (on £3m+ ‘road to nowhere’)

from 09:15 Laura Freeman, Exmouth (calling for Independent public consultation before further planning applications, and a rethink of the whole project, with genuine public engagement)

from 13:00 Alec Huett, Exmouth (Reviewing 7 years of costly Masterplan changes, and calling for priority of town centre, rather than seafront, development )

from 14:43 Richard Thurlow, Sidmouth (relocation budget a ‘dodgy deal’ )

from 17:15 Tony Green , Sidmouth ( Some DMC members allowed to display bias at planning decision meetings)

from 20:29 to 21:05 CEO Mark Williams responds to (5 x3 = 15 minutes of public question time).


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Turning our backs on 2016. Raising a glass to the New Year!

As the New Year approaches, some seasonal left-overs require some imagination. For SOS they include the turkey of EDDC’s relocation project, and the mincemeat that was made of the relocation budget, for its uncertainty and overspends, by Opposition Councillors and members of the public*, at the final Full Council meeting of 2016. That meeting (21 Dec, at Knowle) is pictured below, viewed  from near the microphone stand used for public question time. (See link  below**, for comments on this seating / speaking/ arrangement.)

fullsizerender

With seasonal irony, Sidmouth Town Ward  Member, Cathy Gardner (Leader of East Devon Alliance), spoke of a revelation by Deputy EDDC Leader, Andrew Moulding as “a miracle”.  She was drawing attention to  Cllr  Moulding’s surprise statement a few days earlier, (rather oddly included in a press release on Sidmouth’s beach management plan), that the District Council’s relocation project is “cost-neutral”.  Cllr Moulding, looking serious and possibly flustered, did not respond, and disappointingly was not asked to do so by the Chair, Stuart Hughes. But councillors and the public alike will presumably want to know what change has brought about this new “cost-neutral” stance.

No doubt all will become clear as 2017 unfolds..

Happy New Year to all who have contributed to the Save Our Sidmouth campaign (There’s a reminder of actions and progress timetabled on the OUR CAMPAIGN page). 2016 has seen curtailed two major developments planned for the Sid Valley : a large Sidford Business Park on a floodplain, with highways problems; and at Knowle, a change from major employment land to restricted (over 60’s) residential use.  The outcome may result in a more appropriate type and scale of development to secure Sidmouth’s  future as a unique, balanced community and tourist town. But SOS is very aware that the Port Royal and seafront ‘regeneration’, in EDDC’s hands, will be key.

So let’s raise a New Year glass to continued active public support for our new EDDC local representatives; to the Neighbourhood Plan Team born of the refreshed Town Council http://www.sidmouth.gov.uk/index.php/neighbourhood-plan ; and to all other Voluntary Groups, notably the  Sid Vale Association http://sidvaleassociation.org.uk and Vision Group for Sidmouth http://futuresforumvgs.blogspot.co.uk  , and the recently established Sid Valley Residents’  group https://www.facebook.com/sayNOtoSidfordBusinessPark/.  All contribute to ensuring that those responsible for re-shaping the Sid Valley, led by Cllr Andrew Moulding, and Deputy CEO Richard Cohen, will get things right.

*https://saveoursidmouth.com/2016/12/22/eddc-relocation-has-hallmarks-of-a-dodgy-project-full-council-is-advised/

**https://saveoursidmouth.com/2016/12/22/eddc-majority-turn-their-backs-on-the-public-yet-again/


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EDDC relocation has hallmarks of a “dodgy project”, Full Council is advised.

Richard Thurlow, who Chaired Save Our Sidmouth from the beginning, and is currently Chair of the Sid Vale Association’s Environment and Planning  Committee, gave this speech to Full Council last night. He received no response to the issues he raised. Along with those of other speakers, they were neatly brushed under the carpet by the Mark Williams. Although all wrapped up in time for Christmas,  so to say, these issues will inevitably be reopened and on view throughout the New Year.

This is what Richard Thurlow said:

” The first cost estimate for Exmouth Town Hall (ETH) in March 2015 was £0.96m. The report to council said “The proposal to refurbish ETH has been tested and supported by independent analysis”!!

The second cost estimate was £ 1.261m

The latest cost is £1.669m.

Thus in 18months the cost has risen by about £700k, a rise of 70% over the original estimate, and it is now more than the cost for the refurbishment of the Knowle which was £1.566m

To the estimate of £1.669m must be added, fitting out, moving costs,  staff reimbursement for travel and inconvenience, ( for three years),  etc, probably nearer £2m.

Your Deputy Chief Executive has persuaded Cabinet to underwrite a spend of £1.669m without adequate rationale; there are NO reasons given in his Report other than a wish to occupy ETH more quickly; no economic breakdown, no total cost, no assessments of the advantages and disadvantages of the proposal which would have enabled you to base your decision on facts.

The project is out of control.

I say this based on my experience over 40 years on projects worldwide in a major Building and Civil Engineering Consultancy. I have seen a few dodgy projects in that time and this is one of them!

If you support the proposal, I have to say that this will come back to haunt you!

Happy Christmas