The District Council's reputation on planning is described as 'an absolute disaster area'

Much of the ire directed towards the District Council is that their 'projects' are mere vanity:
Futures Forum: Of vanity projects and local government (February 2015)

If not heavy-handed:
Futures Forum: "Regeneration and economic development" in East Devon >>> looking beyond the conventional, the ideological and the heavy-handed (December 2015)

There are fears over Sidmouth's Port Royal - when compared to how things have panned out on Exmouth's seafront:
Futures Forum: Plans for Port Royal: anticipating a Regeneration Board >> and plans for Exmouth: When "nothing's been decided" means "something's been decided" (September 2017)

And if the Knowle relocation project is compared with the big project in Exeter....
Futures Forum: Knowle relocation project: and the Exeter bus station project >>> FOI on business case goes to Tribunal (March 2017)

... then it doesn't look very good at all:
Exeter's 'double whammy' as leisure centre and bus station also put on hold - Devon Live (September 2017)
“Greater Exeter”: severe warning sign that it’s not so great as Princesshay developer pulls plug | East Devon Watch (September 2017)

With comment from the East Devon Watch blog:


PETE’S POOL IN EXETER, PAUL’S FOLLY IN HONITON?

25 SEP 2017

Exeter City Council Leader Pete Edwards is known for having a dream of what has been dubbed “Pete’s Pool” on the site of the current Exeter Bus Station, despite warnings that Brexit could send it pear-shaped. And now, indeed, the pear has been shaped as both the Princesshay extension AND the pool plans have, at least for now, bitten the dust, with Brexit price rises cited as part of the problem.

Is there a lesson here for “Paul’s Folly” – the new EDDC HQ which could cost us anything from £3 million – £10 million (depending on whether EDDC can sell its current HQ to luxury-retirement home developer PegasusLife?

Pete’s pool in Exeter, Paul’s folly in Honiton? | East Devon Watch

As the EDW blog noted earlier in the year:

EDDC’S REPUTATION ON PLANNING DESCRIBED AS “DISASTER AREA”

28 JUN 2017

Express and Echo interview online with editor Patrick Phelvin had a brief mention of the reputation of East Devon (about 5 minutes into the interview on the video embedded within the article)

“being an absolute disaster area on matters like planning”

http://www.devonlive.com/east-devon-mp-hugo-swire/story-30382446-detail/story.html

EDDC’s reputation on planning described as “disaster area” | East Devon Watch

'Developing' stuff in East Devon - as in Exeter - makes even less sense if you haven't got the cash:
Futures Forum: Knowle relocation project: or, putting the cart before the horse >>> Building starts on a new HQ in Honiton, but with nothing to cover the £10m+ cost (September 2017)
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