Bye Bye Knowle
Local Politics in Sidmouth
By the Byes
Unsurprisingly, the final decision has been made for EDDC to sell off the Knowle and divide it's operations between Exmouth and Honiton, despite massive opposition from the electorate.
Such arrogance deserves only one outcome - come the local elections, any councillor who voted for this monumental waste of OUR money must be given the boot.
http://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/eddc_relocation_given_the_green_light_1_4009758
Such arrogance deserves only one outcome - come the local elections, any councillor who voted for this monumental waste of OUR money must be given the boot.
http://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/eddc_relocation_given_the_green_light_1_4009758
Streetlife | Bye Bye Knowle
See also:
Streetlife | Why do we need a district council?
Streetlife | Rubbish in the street ............
Sidmouth | Streetlife
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The current estimate is that they'll be out of pocket for twenty years, (until the £11,000,000+ loan is repaid), after which it'll be plain sailing.
Of course, by this point it'll long since have become a Unitary Authority, and all the moving costs will never be reclaimed.
Keeping vital information a secret from us all can only lead us to draw our own conclusions about the real reasons for this sale.....
It would seem that he is claiming that there are lots of plastic windows in the Conservation area. That may be so but I can't think of any in such a prominent position.
This is a very important building on the High Street, which is almost as important for tourist impact as the Esplanade, we need to get it right. So many of the shop facades have already got it wrong.
The only priority in getting this building sorted out is to stop it causing injury to passers by should any more of the rendering fall off.
This project should not be singled out just because other facades have got it wrong - they went through the planning process didn't they?
Just like satellite dishes - 'plastic' window frames are not such an issue now as they were 30 odd years ago.
Most of the facades which are badly wrong, in my opinion, changed in the 70s and it would be wrong to make any new owners bear the burden of having to change them. So nothing can be done.
All I was suggesting was that he adhere to the standards which are in place now and not try to get away with a lower standard just because the building is in a desperate state. That seems like a sort of blackmail/holding to ransom.
To me satellite dishes etc are still an issue when they look out of place.
There are plenty of upvc windows and doors in the town centre and a suprising number on some of the (iconic) hotels along the seafront - including the apartments at Trinity Court. They do not look out of place and compliment the buildings when the main structures have had a lick of paint.
Upvc windows that I had installed on a town property in 1977 are still doing the job,of being energy efficient, look smart, are nearly 40 years old now and have required no maintenance.
Iconic? Really? The only things memorable about the SES building is that it's local name is derived from the fact that it was used to sell stationery from the late 70s, it has more recently been the subject of discussion at council meetings, made local newspaper headlines, has been fenced off with barriers on the pavement and pedestrians would speed up when they walked past for fear of being hit by falling masonry from this crumbling wreck.
I only made a brief search - apparently the town council have supported the application and there are no objections recorded. What's the fuss about?
Just for general information here is the link to the listed buildings page for Sidmouth, we should be proud of how many there are.
http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/england/devon/sidmouth
It's in everyones interests to protect the appearance of Sidmouth for both heritage and tourism reasons, but a little unfair to pillary the chap for doing what is essentially a business decision. As BB says, if he follows the detail of the application, there should be no cause for concern, and the town will gain from a newly finished, timber windowed shopfront.
Wow, I knew we had a lot of listed buildings but i never realised there were so many !
The whole point of it is to preserve the fabric and the 'feel' of the area.
However, I have no objection to him using them on the side where they really couldn't be seen. If he is going to push for that though I really should point out that he is getting away with making a huge change to the floor spanning window on that side already, which is a pretty major change.
It really is time that local councillors understood that they are elected to their positions to represent the view of the local people, and not to blindly follow a party line. There is no place for party politics at district council level.
We need to save the Knowle, we have all had the pleasure of the area, but our kids (and their kids) deserve that pleasure too.
What do we do now?
We don't want to throw out the ones who are trying and who also know the ropes in favour of people who may turn out not to be as good.
We have had contact at varying times with a lot of Sidmouth councillors who have been decidedly uninterested in stepping outside party lines and they deserve to go; for me Councillors Newth and Kerridge head the list; but on the other hand do we replace them with Matt Booth and Louise Cole who have done good work on the Sea Fest but have not seemed to push saving the Drill Hall in a high profile and inclusive way?
Other candidates give us even less to judge them on than Matt and Louise and I feel that we could be in danger of throwing the baby out with the bathwater if we just look for wholesale change.
I would also doubt that the job of a Town Cllr is exactly high profile or requires a high degree of knowledge or experience. It does require a sense of personal integrity and the will to change for the good. I am sure this is better achieved with any of the new candidates, including both Matt Booth and Louise Cole. I have spoken to both and can assure you that their respective brain is very alive and working, unlike some existing Cllrs who just do what they've always done for the last umpteenth years, i.e. nothing.
Recent letters in the Herald from an Independent candidate have highlighted the amount of 'puff and wind' that we've had to put up with simply over the issue of Alma Bridge. How long has that temporary 'mechano' structure been there now? Her idea to 'dog-leg' the bridge back inland away from falling soil, rock and vegetation is very good. Current plans to keep the eastern access to the bridge where it is, only feet away from collapsing hedgerows, soil and rock are simply stupid.
Drain the bath - wipe out the scum - and fill it up with fresh water. This will be the only chance we get for a good while.
I understand there is still hope of a legal challenge, this being fought around the sale of any of the parkland, which is a public amenity, and should also be a right of way. Without any grounds for use of future residents, I doubt Pegasus would be quite as interested.
I’d like to think it’s not over until the fat lady sings, at the moment, she’s only just stepped up to the mic. Perhaps instead of singing, she can be persuaded to pull the plug out of Bill’s metaphorical bathtub?
As our representatives on the District council, their record is not so impressive. Francis Newth was on the Knowle relocation panel, and voted for the move, although herself pointing out the air pollution problems at Honiton business park (where EDDC plans to spend "in the region of £7m " on newbuild offices). Stuart Hughes' attempt to start "an in-depth study" of the links between EDDC and the then East Devon Business Forum, was stifled, and he was removed as Chair of the Council's Scrutiny Committee. A furious Hughes called the EDDC leadership "spineless and arrogant" .
So that's why so many Independents (lots from the East Devon Alliance) are standing for District..and by the way, for Town Council too, Bob B. You can 'Meet the candidates' (for District Council) this Weds 15 April, at St Francis' Hall, Woolbrook , 7.30pm for 7.50pm start.
Town Council candidates will be at Sidmouth College, 6pm on Tues 21 April. Organisers are Vision Group for Sidmouth www.visionforsidmouth.org
On Dec 17th 2014, the Full Council block-voted to back the relocation project. The 'Meet the candidates' event this Wednesday evening 15 April (7.30pm, St Francis Hall, Woolbrook) will give a chance to ask Sidmouth representatives what did (or didn't) change their minds.
There where councillors from all parties who voted on those two important decisions 37 for relocation 13 against.The problem on the district council it's not just your Town that votes to keep the the Knowle but the whole council.
- The refusal to disclose documents, despite the orders of the information commissioner.
- The futility of such expenditure in light of the possibility/probability of this becoming a unitary authority - essentially ANY spending will be a complete waste, let alone borrowing £11,300,000
Until the undisclosed documents are in the public domain, there will always be suspicion surrounding the whole relocation project. The council could very easily have avoided this row had they simply done the decent thing and put all their cards on the table.I don't find it in the least surprising that the public are looking for scalps!
(remember the 12 acre Sidford business park, in Deputy Chair of the Council, Christine Drew's words, "sneaked on" to the Local Plan? In their bid to bring more Independents to the Town Council, candidates Marc Kilsbie (of 'Flo & Us'), Louise Cole , and Paul Wright could improve its performance...and add a more youthful inspiration to the Council's work. It's their future! (Meet the Candidates Tuesday 21st April 6pm, Sidmouth College. Town Council Hustings organised by Vision Group for Sidmouth (VgS) www.visionforsidmouth.org )
In the bigger picture, all our local District Councillors are being challenged by Independents (5 out of the seven, are with East Devon Alliance; the other 2 working closely with them) . Information on www.eastdevonalliance.org.uk , including links to candidates' profile on Youtube. (VgS District Council hustings, Weds 15th April, 7.30pm for 7.50pm start, St Francis Hall, Woolbrook)
One last point when Government came up with the idea of Neighborhood Plans they were for villages and not towns....Exmouth decided not to have one, however I feel that with three villages Sidbury, Sidford and Salcombe Regis coming under the Town/Parish Council it is right that we should have our own plan that is in line with the Local Plan.
At District level it is imperative that the Conservative candidates are not successful - each one that fails to secure a majority will see Dianani lose his leadership grip.
Claire Wright and the East Devon Alliance candidates are a breath of fresh air.
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Councillor Claire Wright proposed an amendment to the substantive motion. She asked that the relocation project be put on hold until the outcome of local authority reform was known. Following legal advice on the amendment, Councillor Wright gave a more specific timeframe as - following the outcome of the May 2015 elections.
The amendment was seconded by Councillor Susie Bond.
In proposing the amendment, Councillor Claire Wright advised that she was concerned about the costs incurred so far in the office relocation project and about projected costs, including borrowing, and lack of information being provided to the public. She said that in times of financial austerity, better use should be made of money earmarked to finance the project. The Knowle offices were in Energy Efficiency Band C – the same rating as for the Exmouth Town Hall offices – and therefore not a sound enough reason for the move. She said that the energy costs and predictions were inaccurate and the move was wrong in a period of local authority uncertainty. Councillor Wright supported the agreed checks and balances proposed by Councillor Troman.
During the subsequent debate, the following points were made:
The Knowle office buildings were not fit for purpose - the decision to move was made a year ago. The offices at Knowle could not adequately accommodate people with mobility problems. New offices would facilitate use of modern technology and mobile working. Costs would be fully scrutinised; the Council had a good reputation for financial prudence and effective and efficient use of budgets for the benefit of the whole of East Devon. Sidmouth was not the best geographical location for offices to serve East Devon. Exmouth was looking forward to an increased EDDC presence in the town. Concern was raised that despite finance workshops being offered to Councillors to explain background figures, this opportunity was not being taken up by many. The amount of information available to all Councillors was questioned. Significant changes were anticipated at the May 2015 elections and so a decision should be delayed until a new council was in place. Newly elected Councillors would rely on the advice already given. The future of local government was too uncertain for a decision on relocating the authority’s offices to be made now. The relocation budget should be used for other, more pressing and important projects. Negotiations in respect of contracts and exchanges were already taking place – the work involved plus the agreed checks and audits was likely to extend beyond May 2015.
Council 17 December 2014
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The interest of local people beyond the Sidmouth area was questioned.
Councillor Giles proposed a recorded vote – this was seconded by Councillor Ingham. When put to the vote, the proposal of a recorded vote was supported.
In summing up, Councillor Wright referred to the importance of two-way communications and local democracy. She highlighted costs already incurred by the project – including legal fees – and projected costs. The amendment to put the relocation project on hold until the new council was in place in May 2015 was put to the vote.
Results of the recorded vote:
Those in favour: Susie Bond, Peter Burrows, Trevor Cope, Roger Giles, Ben Ingham, Brenda Taylor, Claire Wright. (7)
Those against: Graham Godbeer, Christine Drew, Paul Diviani, Mike Allen, David Atkins, Ray Bloxham, Peter Bowden, David Chapman, Maddy Chapman, Iain Chubb, David Cox, Deborah Custance Baker, Vivien Duval Steer, Jill Elson, Steve Gazzard, Pat Graham, Steve Hall, Stuart Hughes, Douglas Hull, John Humphreys, John Jeffery, Stephanie Jones, Sheila Kerridge, David Key, Jim Knight, Andrew Moulding, Frances Newth, John O’Leary, Helen Parr, Pauline Stott, Peter Sullivan, Ian Thomas, Graham Troman, Phil Twiss, Chris Wale, Mark Williamson, Eileen Wragg, Steve Wragg, Tom Wright. (39)
The main Full Council meeting on the 25th March 2015 decided to relocate even though Stuart Hughes and I had put another amendment for the Knowle (new buildings) and Exmouth model supported by most of the Independants to cost this Model,but failed to gain support.
I believe Stuart H is incorrect about the importance attached to Neighbourhood Plans in the absence of a current Local Plan. There are some planning appeals where there is a NP but not a LP. In one case the Developer withdrew the application in the face of a likely judgement in favour of the Neighbourhood Plan and in another where the judge has found in favour of the Neighbourhood Plan. Once a Local Plan is in place, then I understand that overrules the Neighbourhood Plan if they are in conflict.
Green Close loss was loved by Sidmouth Community and well served/used by local people who were discharged from Hospital .......now we seem to have lost the caring attitude to wards service users..cost being the most emotive word.
I know it is a different Council but the money wasted by EDDC would have kept Green Close open for years.
I rather you concentrated on pot holes....last year as I found out there was a huge pot hole in the new part of Malden Road....Trow Hill...instead of watching the road it was becoming avoid the pot holes!
Driving to Exeter has been interesting.....
But thank you for replying.....
If you and the other Sidmouth Town Councillors had picked up and run with the recommendation to prepare a Community Flood Plan when the 2010 DEFRA Pathfinder project (and me) strongly recommended it to Peter Sullivan, Christine Drew, Frances Newth and yourself, then you wouldn't be called out at night to put out sandbags to prevent flooding: the flood wardens for the area would be doing it. Now your own Flood Prevention Department in County Council (which is under your control) is calling on you, in the Town Council, to prepare a Community Flood Plan. Perhaps you as County Councillor, will be more effective in getting you, as Town Councillor, to act on something that members of the community on the Pathfinder project could not.
Shame a lot of the existing candidates 'couldn't be there' wasn't it?
We await the next Hustings on tuesday.
However, this is what we'd expect from any good neighbour. When I hear on Twitter that the river is about to flood the houses near the Nissan garage in Sidford in the middle of the night, I put my wellies on and see if I can help. This has nothing to do with the function of a local politician in office. If any politician, including Stuart H, boasts about doing such stuff (and I m not saying Stuart did, I simply don't know) then I classify this as a PR stunt, nothing more.
Looking for instance at the chairman of the town council, his primary qualification or action is apparently to show up at suitable "events" in his chain of office and grin into the camera. He delivered a speech once to the Chamber of Commerce members. which was the most uninspiring waffle I have ever heard in my now rather long life so far. It was a patronising blurb about the trivial fact that his councils work is paid for by the taxpayer. Yawn. Can we get rid of him? No, he goes in again as his seat isn't even contested. Houston, we have a problem (with the election system).
[Blimey, this rant really reminds me of my hey-days in the senate, of Rome that is. I should really give ol Caligula a call to see how he's doing these days]
It is a strong recommendation that all communities have an emergency plan to ensure they have a local understanding of what to do during an incident. The building of local resilience is essential in ensuring they have the skills and potentially equipment to help them help themselves.