comments on the Exmouth Masterplan!

Response to the Lda ExmouthTown cent re and Seafront Master plan

I have no option but to accept that many of the Aims are in principal acceptable but they are far too woolly to be fully acceptable; no one would not agree that an aim to protect the natural setting we have is a very important matter but when it is then progressed to improve the Imperial recreation grounds and the Estuary side by inserting things like offices and residential developments this is hardly protecting the natural setting rather it protects the desire of the District Councilors to strip out everything that we have in Exmouth and build build build. That satisfies their main supporters who give large sums to their election funds to get preferential treatment

Most of the people who come here to stay do so because they like the Town as is with its natural unspoiled setting We who live here do likewise we are not forced to live in Exmouth but we choose e to do so. How many times can we see incomers who have looked about the area and decided to settle in Exmouth then become very strong campaigners for changing the place?

Unlike many who live here I am not against another supermarket indeed I was sorry that ASA withdrew even if they were not my first choice (that would have been Morrison's) We desparatly need another option to the Tesco town that we have become but the need is for a store on the northern edge of Town that would be closer to the main residential areas of Exmouth.

In may places the consultants report says that there is an opportunity to provide an Iconic building, but they do not say what that building would be for. This is simply Pig in a poke situation if the public just accept the report without question.

The perception that Exmouth is a dying town is pushed very hard but one has only to recall the Swat analasis that was done by suiccessive Town Managers to see that we are considered to be the opposite and are a vibrant forward looking town tha has many atributes which are worth preseving but again we see a report that is obviously driven by a remote and at time vindictive District Council hell bent on destroying what we now have in the mistaken idea that we need to change to exist.

As a tourist destination it is true that we are not as bright and brassy as places like Blackpool, Weston Super Mare, Brighton or even Tor bay but the town is still one of the most liked and returned to holiday destinations in England even without the much touted attractions which the few say we should have, most of these are either incomers or have some vested interests.

A water splash replacing the Children's play park and boating lake will take the Jungle fun and golf sites with it leaving the proposed car park on the play park site, Will these consultants not realize that we have in that area three very well used and liked bulkinesses that will have to go loosing about 50 real local jobs in the passing? And wherever a water park has been built in the last 20 years in the West Country it has been done with private funding all are now closed and bankrupt, see Goodrington, Weston Super Mare and even the old outdoor pool site where Kieth Wakefield had a rent free Leese for five years but eventually folded because of lack of custom with extreme maintenance cost due to the salty atmosphere..

I am as I previously said not against proper and needed improvements to make Exmouth better but these must be to the benefit of the residents and not just for the sake of change or to satisfy the implied needs of a District Council which has little empathy with what we in Exmouth want in OUR TOWN>

An extremely important part of the holiday industry is now centered around pensioners and those with lower disposable income often with young children. These are not necessarily the ones who want to have interpretation centre, bowling alleys, more pubs and a new library but simply want a site on which to say for their holidays. A series of camping/touring caravan sites would bring in thousands of extra visitors each wee each family would then spend the local shops and use the existing attractions in the area. As this expanded then we would see just where the expansion was needed and private money would soon come to fill the gaps without having to have the maserplan which it is the wish of the District Council and very few others.

The proposed town square at the end of Marine way replacing the KFC roundabout will be a completed disaster. The idea that this would be pedestrial priority zone with a nartowed cariageway is simply jus unworkable. The idea that there is need for a grand entrance to the town will be negated by the traffic ques which are already here without narrowing the road at all. Traffic on the first saturday of the school holidays is backed up as far as the Shel, garage in Exeter Road, Hulham road is also backed up because cars cannot get oiut onto the main road. How long before Exmouth gets the reputation that it is one single traffic jam and visitors wont come to tnetown if these proposals are ever implemented. If the intention is to priovide an iconic entrance to exmouth from this route then the only way to do this is by diverting marine way and the railway to the Esturay side and linking up with the Royal Avenue as the first Transport and pedestrianisation report published by ECA described.

Summing up I want Exmouth to be left alone in most places although a deveplment in the London Inn are would be acceptable if they are of small shops in courtyards replaciong some

How can we hope to get anywhere when the District Council appoints an Exmouth Councilor who didn't even want to live here (but only came because he couldn't get anywhere in Sid mouth, who doesn't shop in Exmouth preferring Sid mouth) as our main spokesman and “Champion”

Exmouth is being led to the dogs who are ready and waiting to rip the meat from the town's bones with the complete backing of that District Council who are backing this masterplan to the hilt.

Saving Rolle

I attended the special town council meeting last night, with about 50 or so others. Having sat through a very well controlled meeting, orchestrated by the Town clerk and the Mayor, I came to the conclusion that much of what was said became window dressing
Many members of the public spoke and the councilors listened, or did they? I say that, because at the end of Public participation a strongly worded pre-prepared motion was put to the councillors and that was passed nem-con.
I have no beef with the councilors passing a motion as they did but what worries me is that it came pre-prepared as a package drafted before the public had their say and having no chance to either modify or even challenge what actions the council appear to be going to take on.
Democracy at work or what?

Exmouth Estuary site.

After 9 long years of protest, numerous meetings, petitions and the withdrawal of the ASDA/ASM plans for a supermarket on the site, plans are again being drawn up by EDDC, to pass to an outside company, who will oversee the "selling" of the site, by issuing a development brief, and arranging that developers can again enter into a bidding contest, probably for a supermarket.
Here we go again! EDDC exerting its clout in a deturmined bid to sell off the crown jewels that still exsist in Exmouth despite the views of the residents. No change there then!.
Every one needs to raise cane with their councillors about this and demand to have a view of the development brief BEFORE it gets pushed out to the developers.

The outcome of a presentation made to an EDDC committee by ASDA/ASM, only a couple of weeks ago, has resulted in a statement that ASDA/ASM are no longer considered to have preferred developer status!!

Rolle again

So DCC decided to set their pathway clearly and profoundly when their puppets on the scrutiny cte agreed to support the ruling of the Councils Directors not to support the purchase of the Rolle Col site for Exmouth's future educational needs. this was as stated by the leader oif the Council not something that he could authorise funding when there is no educational case for the purchase. Despite the evidence provided by many groups including the Principal of Exmouth Community Col. to the contrary.
Is this a sign of what we will be seeing from an incoming tory government after the spring elections (provided that they do win of course)?

Rolle etc.

I have been quite since the elections not because I am naturally quiet but because I have had so much on my plate that keeping this blog up together has become a very low priority. The situation has changing however, although still very busy I am danmned sure that if I don't start to write again I will burst. The politcal jerrymandering over will we won't we buy the College site for Exmouth has got beyond a joke. Since the Tory party took over DCC they have made it clear that they will not agree to paying out any more than they have to. Good for them in some respects, but to renage on an agreement made in good faith by the previous administration smacks of bitterness and a feeling of opposition to anything that may be seen as advantagious coming from that other party who earned a good report from the audit commision year on year.
The old tory way is now turning into the new way but the differences are hard to se with the naked eye. Still blinkered, bound by the party whip that transcends boundaries betwen councils all of whome now profess to be setting out to cut the costs of everything, no borrowing to make ends meet, or to fund essential causes. however there is one place where this is not so apparent. exmouth town Council has decided to see about borrowing money to fund a rival deal to te DCC offer to plymouth uni for the Rolle site.
Good on em! but hey wait a minute. the cost of doing tyhis is horrendus, £500K borrowed would have to be paid back for a start. The interest would be about £25k pa and if the loam were repaid in 10 yeras this would mean another £50k added to the bill. a bill that Exmouth residents will have to pay!! Now the £75k pa fails to incite too much interest untill you remember that this relatesd to an incrtease of about £5.50 on the local council precept or 20% if you look at it that way lasting for 10 years. Council taxes have never been known to go down always going up.

Yes I do want to see Rolle saved for Exmouth and used as atertciary college or six form centre but I think that DCC should use some of the Aurport funds for this. Exmouth has had nothing from either EDDC or DCC we deserve our share NOW!!

Kiss the babys' time is nigh.

This is the time in the election cycle when we are bombarded with paper from Councillors wishing to defend their places on high and are quite willing to, unlike some of, us forget the past.
Our "friend" Bernard Hughes has just circulated a letter extolling his attributes as a County Councillor, for too long ( 16years) telling us what a good job he has done. Listed is his chairmanship of the fire authority, first the Devon F&R.A. and latterly Devon and Somerset (D&SFRA). He also tells us that if we are silly enough, forgetting the past, to vote a Tory Council into power we will get better financial management of our affairs. What a load of bull from a man who was only two years ago extolling the virtues of a larger F&R authority based in Taunton and time has shown that the cost of which were to have been excessively under estimated. His D&SRFA precept which we have absolutely no control over has risen again to an unacceptable level due to the incompetence of people like him who have been on the gravy train for too long.
Is his wish to remain as the Chairman of that authority not also flying in the face of his glorious leaders statement that if they take over central government after an election to come soon some think that the Tory party will disassemble all quango's and joint ventures that join up into regional organisations. Is BH going to leave the tory party so that he can enjoy the freedom to continue spending our money unwisely, or more likely will he toe the party line and carry on as normal telling us that he didn't agree with the chages anyway!

Have I got news for you?

Interesting that this week one of the guests was the (tory) shadow leader of the House of Commons.
As is usual the conversation turned to topical political issues of the day, the latest being that thorny question of MP's pay and privileges. The topical question this week being on that very delicate subject, how MP's are to be reimbursed and especially the proposed attendance allowances?
Most people would have expected a tory MP to give a frivolous reply to this but the gentleman responded by saying that he did not agree with the allowance nor did the leader of his party. When pressed to find if he had any alternative suggestions he admitted that he would scrap the unpopular and open to abuse second home allowance and would advocate an increased fixed payment to MP's. Once again when pressed he stated that he would just simply put a couple of noughts at the end of the salary they already get.
D...r let me see present number is what about £80K? so that is £80,000 add 2 noughts that comes to £8,000,000! Where can I apply I am well qualified for that, I live away from London, need the money, could find something to spend it all on (visit other countries on fact finding trips...That means sitting on the beach!), Eight Million that would do for me, and my Wife and the Children, and the Grand Kids, I could give all of them jobs to do for that, walking around with a bit of paper in their hands. Oh yes it would have to be called research!

Is this something to look forward to if or when the tory machine takes over again? Last time they lost out because of sleaze, this time they have not changed much still looking out for their own ends!

I have suggestion. Scrap the MP's pay, introduce a payments by resuts scheme. They attend and work at their job in Parliament and get the pay for the job. Minimum pay is what about £7 an hour, I would be generous and pay £8, no travel allowances, no cheap booze or meals, just a simple canteen fare something like the old National restaurants used to serve up back in the late 40's and early 50's. No outside, or part time, jobs, hours of work 5 1/2 days a week from 8 to 5 with a break for lunch 45 hours. I would be very generous ang let them have a Holiday entitlement 2 days per month to be taken on bank holidays and in the first two weeks in August.

On another tack they (tories) are putting a lot of the blame on the other parties for not looking after the economy and failing to ensure that our financial system was working for us etc, etc.
Who put us in this state in the first place? If my memory serves me the start of our problems came when the jewels were sold off by the tory government to balance their books and to encourage free enterprise!!
There is a long list of privatisations by those tories who virtually all had an interest in the sell offs and that encouraged share holding in the once state owned companies like, the Railways, bus companies, electricity, water, gas, car and lorry manufacturing, even banks (remember the TSB?) .Many of these companies have now passed into outside ownership, the country is now owned by France, Japan, USA, Germany and many others who have an interest. that is why we are loosing our manufacturing facilities to Europe (or what is left of them) whilst still expected to pay our way.
Going back into the very dark days years ago when the tory party was in power a certain MP who was the Minister of Transport changed the face of England for ever. He built the first motorway, sorry he didn't build it himself but who was the contractor? Marple Engineering was it not? His name Ernest Marple, a member of the family that owned the company outright and which went on to build more and more roads whilst Ernie closed down huge sections of railway and his henchman Dr Beeching got the blame.
Problem is that now we just ain't got anything more to sell, what they didn't sell the New Labour government has just given away, Scotland, Wales, our Fishing industry and more.
It was my birthday yesterday, I may have a few more left in the pipe line and when my time comes I just hope that because of my protestations someone has taken on board what I have been cracking on about for years and sets about doing something to try at least to get some sense ownership back into this Great Country of ours.

Still the programme WAS funny.