It has set off the following thread on Streelife:
Lifeboat
Ann L in Sidmouth
Had a flier today about the new plans for the seafront including the loss of the lifeboat station. I bet the two young lads l saw today sitting in the Sidmouth lifeboat as it was being driven back to the Lifeboat station after rescuing them were glad it was there. I expect those engineering this latest plan to destroy Sidmouth andit's environs will have a suitably pat answer to all this.
Streetlife | Lifeboat
.
.
.
It is in the Local Plan and is the reason for the Scoping Exercise being carried out at moment by STC and EDDC.
They are going to demolish the Drill Hall, the toilets, the Sailing and Gig Club and the Lifeboat Station and build residential and retail units, according to the Local Plan.
So the area for rebuilding which is certain is right up to the road of the turning circle, taking the pavement on that side, and down across the parking by the swimming pool. This is why I can't understand when RS says the Sailing Club will be able to remain.
When the Scoping Exercise is complete it is possible it could end up also including the turning circle and the pavement on the Alma Bridge side and the whole of the Ham car park. Potentially even the swimming pool, we shall see.
This is the map from the Local Plan.
Would any residential venture in that highly desirable setting and the prices such residencies would command have residents who would be perfectly happy sharing the site with a fish shop, a sailing club and a lifeboat station?
It looks at what appears at present to be a fairly small site to accomodate all that.
To fit all that in we would probably need something 8 storeys high if the Sailing Club masts took the first two storeys.
Sorry I can't get the snipped bit to show properly as an attachment on the post but it is OK if you click on it.
Do you know who was handing it out? Does it look official or was it residents warning about what could be coming?
This is just the usual scaremongering from certain quarters, the whole area is shown so that you can look at all different options. And no decisions have been made except to go forward and look at different options, which of cause if they didn't, the same people would moan about that.
Given what EDDC have done / are attempting to do in Exmouth and Seaton I would be very wary of anything EDDC say. We must protect the Lifeboat (even if it's on a pier, which could be good) and Sailing Club and in my opinion the Drill Hall, plus the Swimming Pool and parking. That doesn't leave much space for 30 homes - some of which are supposed to be "affordable". Can you really see any developer wasting valuable seafront space on "affordable" housing? Whatever you want for Port Royal, take what EDDC say with a large pinch of salt - EDDC and trust don't sit well together in my mind.
It simply says what are the facts. This area is up for redevelopment, it is for housing and retail .... OK I was not accurate on that as I relied on my memory and so some bits weren't in; I should have checked.
I attach a copy.
I gave the sidmouthdrillhall.com website because that is where the news for that area comes from, I did not add the other places information can be found like the VGS and FuturesForum blog because I was trying to keep it simple.
None of the Directors of the Drill Hall Hub CIC were involved in any way, this was purely a one person effort to get people involved in thinking about what is coming up.
I am fed up with the fact that people don't connect the Scoping Exercise with what is in the Local Plan, if they even know what is in the local plan. I am fed up with the fact that all that corner is up for flattening as soon as the leases on the ground the Lifeboat Station and the Sailing Club stand on come to an end and there is nothing but whishy-washy statements about what will go there.
And I am fed up with people who want the Drill Hall knocked down being rude about those of us who want to save it. I have not been rude about those in the Sailing Club who are burying their heads in the sand and will likely find that things they expect will not materialise.
This is a prime site, and very important for Sidmouth's future. So we need to be extremely vigilant, and there needs to be a very open and healthy debate.
The big fear is that EDDC will simply want to asset-strip the site. We now from recent experience that they have little empathy for or interest in our town. And we also know that they do not have the knowledge or management skills to oversee a sensitive redevelopment of this kind. So the scoping exercise is ringing alarm bells throughout our community.
Whilst it is still early in the process, we need to remember the failure of the Town Council to get involved at an early stage with the Local Plan, which left us presented with a fait accompli. It is imperative in this instance that Sidmouth lays down some firm 'red lines' before EDDC starts telling us what they envisage. Once they announce their proposals, we know from experience that they are unlikely to change their mind or listen to anyone else.
Fortunately, in this instance, the Town Council and the County Council have to cooperate in any redevelopment, so EDDC will not have a free hand.
The site needs to be redeveloped: everyone agrees on that. I have an open mind about the Drill Hall - it is up to defenders of the building to make proposals that are workable and include it.
Some may choose to leave things to fate, I choose to try and make a difference.
Peter M I have posted a copy of the leaflet in an earlier post.
Sidmouth Town Council and East Devon District Council are working together in consultation with key local organisations to work out the best future for Sidmouth’s Port Royal and Eastern Town areas, which are widely acknowledged as significantly less attractive than the rest of the town.
“The two councils have been at pains to engage the organisations that matter in order to reflect the keen interest of the community in the regeneration of Port Royal and Eastern Town. Through proper council reporting and media communications we have made clear our shared intent to take forward a professional and successful renewal of Port Royal that meets the town’s expectations.
“Both authorities are therefore extremely disappointed to hear that an inaccurate and inflammatory leaflet has been circulated during Folk Week - one of the most important weeks of the year for Sidmouth’s wider reputation.
“Back in January 2016, the district council presented a report to Cabinet, who approved the council’s contribution to a shared scoping exercise for Port Royal. In that report we said:
“Some uses will wish to remain and need to be close to the sea and others are not so important. For example, maritime uses such as the lifeboat station and sailing club are important assets to the town and part of the seafront’s attractions.”
“Strategy 26 in East Devon’s recently adopted Local Plan allows for Port Royal to include up to 30 residential units, as well as a mixture of other uses. This will of course be factored into the scoping exercise, which is the first stage of a potentially lengthy planning process for regeneration and economic development of this vital area of the town. The full terms of reference of the scoping study have yet to be finalised and agreed by Sidmouth Town Council. The present users of Port Royal area will be involved throughout the study and their needs and future will be taken into account during the study; there will also be an opportunity for the Sid Valley public to get involved and to give their views on how this sensitive and vital area of Sidmouth should be redeveloped. The information and findings of the scoping study will also be used to provide evidence for the ongoing neighbourhood plan.
'imagining' the future of the area by some very talented and skilled people in surveys going back to 2006.
Thank you for providing the 'facts' rather than the, in my view the uniformed opinions (scaremongering) of the anti EDDC commentators on here, and before you jump up & down I do not agree with everything they do, but to put misinformation out there to residents and visitors is unacceptable.
I was present at that meeting and am positive that the only other group which was mentioned as one to be consulted was the Chamber of Commerce. Perhaps a little more transparency at that meeting would have been helpful.
I also remember that it was said that the issues involved were so complicated that it could not be handled by non-specialists and that a 'Design and Development' company would be commissioned to handle it, the exact company to be decided at a later date. Has the company been commissioned yet? If so can we have the name of it?
For Mary W T's own reassurance she might care to check the audio recording of the Cabinet meeting, to verify what I am saying is correct and not her version. Nothing could be more open or transparent!
Public speaking also records Town Council Chairman Jeff Turner talking about the scoping exercise.
The Sid Valley Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group achieved nearly 10% feedback from the first questionnaire, perhaps this and other issues close to the hearts of the people of Sidmouth will encourage at least 30% of the population to become engaged and complete the second residents' questionnaire due out in the latter part of October.
Achieving a satisfactory and creative outcome will require a rigorous harvesting of evidence along with a transparent delivery process.
At present the most effective means of achieving true “community involvement” on Port Royal is through the emerging Neighbourhood Plan.
I would also like the link to the recording of the meeting to see if it matches the one I made, or I can send you mine if you prefer?
I stated that I only knew what was said in the public part so to say that I am misleading is not quite accurate, it is not transparent if bits are left out even if it is later made available for those who know where to look. I thought the idea of transparency was that people had the information shared freely with them?
I was there for the speech by the head of STC so I know how pleased he was that EDDC would be working with them.
The minutes of the meeting are on East Devons website along with details how to access the audio