Futures Forum: Plans for Port Royal: and wondering whether the just-released £300k of developer's cash could have been put towards refurbishing the Drill Hall...
The flats were built over five years ago:
Futures Forum: Fortfield Hotel ... to ... Sanditon apartments
Meanwhile, any opportunity for a community bid for the Drill Hall came ... and went:
Futures Forum: Plans for Port Royal: Drill Hall on the open market to 4th February
Futures Forum: Plans for Port Royal > where are we now with community and commercial bids for the Drill Hall?
It has now transpired that the Fortfield cash could have been put towards a community bid - but that this was not made clear at the time - as reported in the Herald:
Could tourism pot have been used towards community Drill Hall bid?
PUBLISHED: 07:03 01 March 2019
Clarissa Place
Cathy Gardner outside Sanditon. Ref shs 07 19TI 0237. Picture: Terry Ife
Money from a pot of £300,000 could have been available for a community bid for the Drill Hall, for which three commercial bidders competing.
Councillors have hit out at what they say is a lack of clarity over the use of the cash – part of an agreement when planning permission was given for the site of the former Fortfield Hotel, which burnt down in 2011.
Permission to build the Sanditon development included a contribution of £300,000 towards tourism in the town.
The district council says members have been aware since 2015 that the cash is available, but now two councillors say it was never made clear the cash could have formed part of a bid for the Drill Hall. Independent councillors Matt Booth and Cathy Gardner have become embroiled in exchanges with council chiefs, including CEO Mark Williams, now that bidding has closed for the Drill Hall.
In an email to Mr Williams on February 11, Cllr Gardener denied his claim that councillors were aware that the cash would have been available for a bid.
“Any bid that we might have put forward would have been judged on its merits,” she wrote. “The support that could have been achieved from other organisations with match funding should not be underestimated.”
She added said the money ‘would almost certainly have been a game changer for’ a bid.
Mr Williams replied that councillors knew about the money, but added community bidders ‘wouldn’t have been encouraged’ to factor the cash in a bid as, in his opinion, it would ‘throw doubt on the viability of their schemes’.
The council was asked by the Herald to clarify statements made during the dispute about what advice was given by council officers about the availability of the funds. A spokesman responded that the majority of the £1.5million total had been spent on affordable housing.
The spokesman added: “Focus will now turn to plans for this element and the town council will play a key role in determining how this money can be used to benefit the town.
“At a district level, councillors in Sidmouth have been aware since 2015 that this money is available and will no doubt want to be fully involved in working with Sidmouth Town Council to ensure this money is used to the best advantage of the town and its tourism.”
See Cllr Cathy Gardner's comments on the 3Rs Facebook page:
Retain Refurbish Reuse is with Suzanne Ellisson and Matt Booth.
14 hrs ·
This is a significant story that is not well explained here. It has emerged over the last couple of weeks that the s106 tourism money could have been released as long ago as 2017. The money is supposed to help compensate the town for the loss of the hotel, the town has had to wait too long to get this money: why? Who decided this and who knew and when did they know?
The CEO of EDDC holds the purse strings and we learnt that he only decided to release it once he was sure that 'there is no community bid for the Drill Hall'. Further emails exposed that he didn't want a community bid to be able to apply for it - thus severely affecting their chances of getting match funding.
The process of applying for s106 funds is run by the town council and should be clear, fair and strict. There was never a guarantee that any community bidders would have secured this money but by holding it back completely the CEO ensured that they could not even compete. It seems that some on the Town Council knew about this a while ago, which means that neither council were acting in the best interests of the town.
I was shocked when this came to light, as was Matt Booth, as we had asked questions about the s106 money in 2015 and Matt had been looking for funding sources. This whole sorry story needs more investigation. I will be pushing for transparency, accountability and democracy, which seem to have been lacking so far.
I'll add here that the news that Rockfish are likely to take on and refurbish the Drill Hall and bring exactly the kind of restaurant that many people wanted is brilliant - we're so pleased the building will be saved!
With further comment from Cllr Matt Booth:
Retain Refurbish Reuse
Aileen Hall Liadháin Smith believe us we tried. Since they applied to demolish it in 2011. Have not let up since to save and protect it and campaign for it to be given back to the community for 360 degree use - food & drink using all local produce, music, comedy, theatre, dances etc, community space for member use for those with community shares which could be anything from £1, space for start ups and small businesses, long tables to encourage community interaction rather than single bookings on small tables, and the basement as a new space for young people who can then mix with all members of community upstairs. All was drawn out by leading local architectural designer incl using existing old oak floorboards & original Victorian red brick walls. Terrace round the side of the building so could sit at the back in the evening and catch the sun over the Ham. Strong link to fishing heritage as we raised via EU funded TourFish project between 2011 & 2015 from which came the annual Sea Fest event. And thus it goes on. We had offers of big funding post TourFish plus help to deliver it by Head of Funding at Devon County Council and two leading regeneration consultants.
Retain Refurbish Reuse
Aileen Hall Liadháin Smith believe us we tried. Since they applied to demolish it in 2011. Have not let up since to save and protect it and campaign for it to be given back to the community for 360 degree use - food & drink using all local produce, music, comedy, theatre, dances etc, community space for member use for those with community shares which could be anything from £1, space for start ups and small businesses, long tables to encourage community interaction rather than single bookings on small tables, and the basement as a new space for young people who can then mix with all members of community upstairs. All was drawn out by leading local architectural designer incl using existing old oak floorboards & original Victorian red brick walls. Terrace round the side of the building so could sit at the back in the evening and catch the sun over the Ham. Strong link to fishing heritage as we raised via EU funded TourFish project between 2011 & 2015 from which came the annual Sea Fest event. And thus it goes on. We had offers of big funding post TourFish plus help to deliver it by Head of Funding at Devon County Council and two leading regeneration consultants.
But we needed some match funding to access bigger grants, which is difficult to get, and we just found out EDDC withheld £300,000 in S106 Tourism money due to Sidmouth at that time and part of that would have done it. All that aside, it needed energy from a lot more people in the town to get the building and I worked alone on it from 2011 until we we set up 3R's. So, no a restaurant with limited seating and a 9.30 curfew far from ideal, but not bad, and Sidmouth has to accept if they really want something they have to step up and not leave it to others. Sorry. Harsh to say I know but kind of true, as you will soon see when they destroy the Knowle. Better Rockfish there than a load of empty flats tho.. I guess
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Further questions about the possible witholding of monies to prevent any community bid will be posed at Sidmouth Town Council on Monday 4th March:
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