Sidmouth Town Council: first meeting following elections >>> reports >>> Neighbourhood Plan >>> Knowle Public Open Space

During the elections earlier this month, unusually, several Sidmouth Town Council wards were contested - for the first time in 20 years:
Futures Forum: Election hustings in Sidmouth - a roundup

Here are the results:

Sidmouth Town Council Elections

North Ward Results

East Ward (uncontested)

South Ward (uncontested)

West Ward Results

Primley Ward Results

Sidford Village Ward (uncontested)

Sidbury Ward (uncontested)

Salcombe Regis Ward (uncontested)

Home - Sidmouth Town Council

And here is the report from the Herald:

Revealed: Sidmouth’s new town councillors

09:40 11 May 2015 Stephen Sumner

The results of the Sidmouth Town Council election are in and three more new faces are among the representatives.

Social enterprise director Louise Cole and shop owner John Rayson have been elected in the West ward, alongside Graham Liverton, an incumbent with 30 years’ experience.

Michael Earthey, a former soldier, has joined Stuart Hughes and Dawn Manley in the North ward.

The electorate in the Primley ward have returned councillors Simon Pollentine and Jeff Turner, the council’s current vice chairman.

The remaining five wards were uncontested when the town went to the polling booth on Thursday.

Frances Newth returns as a councillor for the East ward, and is now joined by Marc Kilsbie, a shop owner.

Salcombe Regis councillors Ian Barlow and David Barratt have been returned unopposed, as have Jack Brokenshire and Ian McKenzie-Edwards in the Sidford ward.

In the Sidbury ward, town council chairman John Hollick is being joined by standing councillor David Addis, who moved from the Primley ward.

John Dyson and Kelvin Dent are again the South ward councillors and will be joined by a newcomer - website designer Paul Wright.

Revealed: Sidmouth’s new town councillors - Election - Sidmouth Herald

Here is the agenda of last Monday's first full Council meeting following the elections:
www.sidmouth.gov.uk/images/Agenda_STCAnnual-180515.pdf

And here are some sections from the minutes:

6 Public Open Question Time 
 Robert Crick asked whether it was time for the Town Council to adopt a Sidmouth Town Plan and whether the northern end of The Ham could be designated as an informal play area for teenagers. 
 Councillor Ian Barlow asked Sidmouth’s District Councillors to work hard on behalf of Sidmouth to obtain the £1.2 million S106 finance made available from the Fortfield redevelopment. 
 Councillor Louise Cole asked Sidmouth’s District Councillors to outline how they proposed to work jointly with the Sidmouth Town Councillors.

19: Knowle – Transfer of Public Open Space to Sidmouth Town Council 
The Town Clerk read a letter received from Richard Cohen, EDDC Deputy Chief Executive formally inviting the Town Council to commence detailed discussion on the District Council’s intention to transfer 3.516 hectares of Knowle Parkland and the lower car park to Sidmouth Town Council. A letter from Nick Wright, EDDC Economy Practice Manager reported that a recent nomination for land at Knowle Park to be registered as an Asset of Community Value had been unsuccessful. 
RESOLVED: That the Chairman, Vice Chairman and Town Clerk be authorised to commence negotiations with the District Council with a view to transfer Knowle Parkland to the Town Council.

Town Council Meetings - Sidmouth Town Council
www.sidmouth.gov.uk/images/Mins-STCAnnual-180515.pdf

These are the full questions submitted during public question time:

Questions for Sidmouth Town Council 18^th May 2015

1. East Devon Local Plan

Inspector Thickett recently stated that it is now too late for EDDC to revise its proposal to withdraw from the local plan the proposed 11 acre industrial estate with 500 car-parking spaces on the Sidford Flood Plan.

Is it not now time for this Town Council to adopt a Sidmouth Town Plan?

Can the Town Clerk confirm to those who have become people’s representatives in recent years, that Sidmouth Council, with the Sid Vale Association and the Chamber of Commerce, set up a Vision Group for Sidmouth to consult the people and draft such a plan to ensure the future health of the valley, ten years ago in 2005?

2. For the Ham Trustees

Can you designate the northern end of the public recreation space at the Ham, known as Weirfields, as the town’s official “edge-lands” to be preserved as the last remaining space for informal mucking around by teenagers, who need an assurance that there is no danger of any maintenance of planters or other municipal tidying up in the foreseeable future?

Robert Crick

Chair of the Vision Group for Sidmouth’s (now dormant) Futures Forum

Finally, some comment from Streetlife:
Streetlife | Sidmouth Herald New Councillors
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