Another act of defiant anti democratic working

has been put up as a change to the Town Councils working arrangements, could be written into Standing Orders.
The ruling tory party, don't forget that they hold 14 seats and the Lib Dem's 11, are proposing that the make up of all Town Council working parties and Committee's shall in future be made up of a proportion of members according to their parties representation non the council.
The Lib Dem's have been advocating the proportional representation idea for years If this had been in situ at the last election the council would have been made up of 13 to 12, much closer than now.
the idea that a parish council should be run on such severe party lines is absurd, local people want to have the best people working together not against each other to improve the town.
This is certainly not democracy as I understand it.

The wheels keep on turning

In a democracy the effort put into a project must equal the effort returned. To this aim the excellent community panel projects proposed terms of reference were discussed at the RAGPC meeting of the council last night. Discussed is a loose term in the circumstances. Mark Williamson who moved the motion to proceed with preliminary meetings with the towns organisations, had obviously done his home work, but sadly the Chairman of the committee failed to grasp adequately the terms of the project. The Chairman allowed the meeting descended into what could best be compared to a rehearsal for the Vicar of Dibley (parish Council) The whole episode was conducted as if it were a tea party on the village green.
Some of the more rational members of the council raised several very good and valid points but were submerged under the inane chatter which dominated the proceedings.
One of these is the doubt that many have about the role of this panel, will there be a direct link with the Regeneration board or even the Town plan WP? If there is none and the three groups continue to meet and act as separate working parties then it would look like another good idea which falls down in the process because it becomes a new talking shop. i have written before about the size of the panel and its need to be kept as flexible as possible but able to respond to the circumstances as they pop up. too big and the whole thing becomes unwieldy, run as a WP of the council and the pressure from above will stifle the input from the community groups.
a very delicate balance is needed, the councillors are there or should be there to listen and not impose or else we will see a resurgence of the opposition like the mood which invaded the town after the Regeneration of Exmouth exercise.

Dog Bins etc.

The continuing saga of dog bins is getting beyond a joke in some parts. People who live in those residential parts of Exmouth where there are certain favoured dog walking areas have been finding that an outbreak of dog poo bag chucking has broken out, not to be confused with the noble sport of wellie chucking. This is as one might expect becoming an issue when a person finds that in the morning his hedge or garden contains a number of poo bags, used of course which have mysteriously flown in overnight. Poo should be bagged and taken away (home) but dogs can't read this so owners take note, you take it home and bin it there. Alternatively could we just bag up the owners and let the dogs take them home or bin them?
Until the Council, yes Sara's Council, installs more bins this is the only way for us to keep the place clean and tidy. I am told that it costs £36 to provide a bin and £160 a year to empty it. Asking for one gets no response from the council because evidently this has to be done by a member of the council.
OK so where can the average Joe locate a councillor?
Never mind there is an election looming so they will soon be knocking on doors asking for a vote. That is the time to bite back and say no bins no votes!!

Loo's or not to Loo's?

For all of us who live in East Devon the impending threat of loo closures is always a problem. There is a web site that is devoted to the hopefully getting down to the root of the problem by raising public awareness and getting the message to EDDC that with regard to the impending loo closures we will not let it happen without a fight.

The link printed here will take you to the site, please go there and fill in the petition on line.

If Sara had not spent the councils (our) cash in the high court all of the toilets would have been saved for at least 5 years.

http://www.saveourloos.org.uk/

This consultation with the Towns groups

At the Town meeting the setting up of a consultation process that involves the various groups in Exmouth was agreed as being beneficial to the well being of Exmouth. The way that this is done will be the problem.
If the working party that has this task takes on board a true cross party line then it may well work well, but if it is dominated by one party then there are sure to be some problems. The groups that were mentioned at the meeting as possibles are all non politically aligned and so would probably not take kindly to being considered, by implication, as having become joined to either of the three main political groups although only two are active in Exmouth and East Devon's political arena's.
It is important that the council adheres to this as its main and extremely important factor when putting the whole package together.
Size and make up are other things to consider. two reps from each of the main groups in town would give 12 members with say two councillors that makes it 14. What about the WI's, Brixington Ladies Getaway club and the schools, scouts etc which could add many more to the list making it an overpoweringly large number to try to reach a consensus on anything, but if they are left out then a decidedly big opposition group is formed.
God bless whoever is to work that out!

Agenda for the anual Town meeting on monday 16th March

If any one has downloaded the Agenda for the Town meeting next week has it struck you that the council is taking over complete control of the night. We will be given an opportunity to hear the annual report and then will be expected to break off into groups to discuss different items. Then we will be asked what we didn't like this year and what have we liked, about the council's actions. Then at the end a questions session.
I thought that the annual meeting being a statutory requirement, was about the council listening to the people but it definitely looks as if, to me at any rate, the council is hell bent on controlling the proceedings.
Can we influence this I wonder? If a group were to, at the start of the meeting voice their opinion that the proposed agenda is not acceptable would the council be able to overrule them? We should remember that this is not a council meeting and so the councillors who may be there have no vote other than that as a member of the electorate. A delicate question, but it could be a way to bring the meeting under the control of the people.

The page address for the agenda is included below.

http://www.exmouth.gov.uk/CoreContent/PageInPages/PageInPages.aspx?Id=12&sId=15&pId=198

So it is happening in Sidmouth too!

Having always assumed, wrongly as it transpires, that Sidmouth was defended from the ravages and plundering of their assets by Sara and her blue shirts, I am sad to say that I have been proved wrong!
The cutting posted below, which was printed in last weeks Sidmouth Herald, shows that Sidmothians are not immune from her resolove to sell all of East Devon's jewels as quickly as she can, to make sure that at election time she is shown as fronting a council that is, for party political reasons, not raising its tax this year.
Electors everywhere in East Devon must take note and send Sara a message that you will not stand any more of her nonsense.

Pasted article in full follows thus:-...

07 March 2009
THE redevelopment of The Ham's Port Royal- "the jewel in Sidmouth's crown- has been left in limbo after cash-strapped council bosses admitted they are "desperate" to sell the site.

Members of East Devon District Council's (EDDC) executive board said at a meeting on Wednesday that it does not have the money or manpower to further the project, which will be reviewed again in six months time.

Stunned Sidmouth residents had turned out to issue a passionate plea for members to commission a planning brief for the site which was "promised" to them more than a year ago.

However, EDDC leader Sara Randall Johnson said this would only happen if an outside party stumped up an estimated £30,000 to cover its cost and added: "We are desperate for someone to buy this site and to give us good money for it."

EDDC owns several "interests" along the stretch including its Lifeboat Station, Sailing Club and public toilets.

A surprised Richard Eley, Chairman of Sidmouth's Chamber of Commerce, expressed disappointment at the delay and has called for an "urgent explanation" over the council leader's comments.

He said: "To off load a site that represents such a key opportunity to underpin the local economy and re structure some of the town's most important functions is surely premature.

"I very much doubt this is the wisest course of action at this stage.

"The redevelopment of The Ham area is a vital component of any plans over Sidmouth's future.

"We need to start now so a plan is in place when economic conditions improve."

Sidmouth councillor Stuart Hughes said the six-month hiatus "makes sense". He said: "We would all like to see something happen to Port Royal. But we have to look at it in context with town-centre pedestrian and traffic management plans. Also we have always maintained work on Pennington 'Cove' has to be our first priority- there no point in doing work there (Port Royal) and then see it all fall into the sea.

"This is the right approach- a vision for Sidmouth has to be what we all want- lets hold back and look at things a whole. It is not time for a piece meal approach."

Present at the meeting Peter Hand, Chairman of Salcombe Residents Association said: "Currently the jewel in the crown of Sidmouth only has two toilets and some lobster pots to show for itself.

"It belittles the council that it has taken so long to do anything. There is an Importance to the whole town to develop this part of Sidmouth- It is a shame that for yet another summer people will flock to our town and look at that area and know nothing is going to happen."

"I hope next month when Pennington Point and Salcombe's cliffs are discussed we don't have a similar situation - another review in six months."

Robert Crick, chairman of The Vision Group For Sidmouth bemoaned the "appalling state" of the sea front and said to councillors: "if you need help we will give it".

He said after the meeting the group felt hamstrung in its efforts to progress the bid, adding: "I'm dubious about their (EDDC) determination to secure our legacy."

Group secretary Jeremy Woodward added: "The resounding voice from the people of Sidmouth is something has to be done- we are asking for a planning brief so there is something in place for people to see."

"This planning blight is not helping local economy."

Earlier in the meeting EDDC corporate director Karime Hassan blamed the current economic climate for the council's decision and said it was "not a sellers' market".

- This week an EDDC spokesman told the Herald that the council gave planning permission for £90,000 extension to the town's lifeboat station along with landlord's consent for changes, but no financial support.

He said: "From an EDDC perspective, any regeneration plans would need to take account of not just the lifeboat building but also the sailing club, both of whom have a legitimate interest in being considered as part of any future redevelopment. Negotiations are ongoing regards the drill hall.

Copied from Sidmouth Herald web page.

Elizabeth hall

The Elizabeth Hall will be a part of the discussion that takes place tonight at Sidmouth. EDDC Exec will have to consider several options regarding the covenants on the sea front (In closes session no doubt). This all leads on to the viability of the hall, its future prospects and life expectancy. We are still no further forward that we were 5 years ago, EDDC still determined to strip its asset value from the town and still not being able to. the covenants issue which is again just to allow EDDC to be able to continue asset stripping will hopefully be resolved by a refusal to lift them unless there is a strong case put forward for each variation.
At a meeting last evening Clr Jill Elson who is a member of the exec was sort of pressured into agreeing to speak up in the meeting for an acceptance that any bookings for next year (2010) would be firm and not conditional in any way.
What are the odds that she sits on her derier and reneges on her word?

East Devon tory infighting

It is good news that the tory councillors are fighting amongst themselves for power in East Devon.
For once in my life I have to say that the torys are right, but only in this case by resisting the opportunity to install an incomer as their leader, even if it allows Sara to continue for another year!
Too often incomers, after moving in, want to change things to suit their own agenda's. If they don't like what we have then they can push off back where they came from, get the message!
And don't buy a home next to a fish processing factory either.

What now pussycat?

As the ASDA development on the estuary site has gone away for a while and our friend has deserted his blog for a rest, is it fair game for all on the development of that site?

There are still some who would like to see a smaller (20/26k sq ft) supermarket built on there, located on the roundabout near to "Kant find the chicken!" with the road diverted round the rear of the sports hall. This was the preferred option of the old democratic Town council back in dark days of the Regeneration of Exmouth plans were first published by EDDC. They thought it to be the best option for growth and the least damaging to the town centre's economy. Times and councils change and so the "new Town council" acting as a poodle for its EDDC masters probably will claim this idea to be far less than they want, probably because the planning gain (bribe) would not be big enough to fund even more disastrous schemes to protect their own interests.
Building a multi story on the London Inn site is now their goal. Why? Because it will bring in more income from parking charges, the increased shopping potential was the second and less publicly stated reason for building it, that is if it is beneficial for shoppers and increases the footfall which I doubt.
This project was carefully placed inside a package that included the Stand enhancement support funding. EDDC tory members flatly refused to split out these two items in their budget and it would be very cynical to think it was to force a Lib Dem vote against the Strand development which the people want to happen, whilst at protecting their multi story which the people do not want. The other thing, and probably one that has not failed to enter into their thoughts is that as we are running towards an election in June to say that the Lib Dems are voting against the Strand development strengthens their hand in setting the pattern for election issues.. Spin. Spin. Spin.

EDDC's tory's will not be forgotten by the residents of Exmouth and we must make sure that this is their death wish.
May they not Rest in Peace, but rot in that other place.