Hustings in Sidmouth: East Devon District Council election Meet the candidates >>> more reports

The Vision Group held the first of three 'meet the candidate' sessions this week: 
Futures Forum: East Devon District Council elections: Meet the candidates: Hustings in Sidmouth >>> 7.30pm Wednesday 15th April >>> and further reports

Among the issues debated, the question of whether or not there will actually be a District Council in existence in a few years was raised. This has also been the subject of on-going debate on-line:
Streetlife | Why do we need a district council?

Here is a report on the event from today's Herald:

Breaking news & sport in Sidmouth | Sidmouth Herald

And this is from the East Devon Watch blog:

VIGOROUS AND OPTIMISTIC PUBLIC MEETING WITH CANDIDATES

16th April 2015

Congratulations to Vision Group for Sidmouth (VgS) for organising last night’s hustings, in a particularly civil atmosphere, thanks to the VgS Chair, Dave Bramley.

All candidates standing in Sidmouth and Sidford Wards, for election to East Devon District Council, had been invited. ONLY ONE current District Councillor, Christine Drew, turned up, making the absence of all the others appear all the more reprehensible.

Candidates who did take this opportunity to engage with the public were: Dawn Manley (East Devon Alliance Independent, iEDA, Sidford Ward); Matt Booth (iEDA, Sidmouth Town Ward);Cathy Gardner (iEDA, Sidmouth Town); Marianne Rixson (iEDA, Sidford); Christine Drew (Conservative, Sidmouth Rural); David Barratt (Independent, Sidmouth Rural); John Dyson (Independent, Sidmouth Town).

A broad range of topics were raised, including affordable housing; interaction between Town/ District/ and County Councils; current EDDC management style: neighbourhood plans, etc. All were thoughtfully addressed.

Hats off to the iEDA Independents,for their positive message of how together they could improve the way things are done at District Council. Their pooled knowledge of local issues, and individual expertise in such things as sources for grants; tourism and marketing; and most urgently, how to do a neighbourhood plan, was impressive.

Next VgS hustings, for Sidmouth Town Council candidates, is at Sidmouth College, 6pm, on Tuesday 21 April. Wonder how many candidates will take advantage of this pre-election platform offered to them? We’ll see.

Vigorous and optimistic public meeting with candidates | East Devon Watch

The question about there being a possible 'coalition' after the election has been posed:
Futures Forum: Coalition government - at District Council level

Here is a rather more rigorous interpretation:
Real Zorro: Zorro predicts end of EDDC Conservative Party rule thanks to Cull Coalition
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