All good things must come to an end: thank you and goodbye from the Futures Forum blog

We seem to have reached a certain point where we are very much looking to new futures, new starts and a lot of anticipation.

We have a substantially new Town Council in place - which met last night and voted for continuity but with renewed vigour:
Sidmouth Town Council appoints chair and vice-chair | Latest Sidmouth and Ottery News - Sidmouth Herald
Futures Forum: Sidmouth Annual Town Meeting > Monday 20th May > challenges and opportunities

The District Council is now dominated by Independents:
Futures Forum: District Council elections: "Independents deliver blow to the Conservatives'" > further reports

And will be meeting tomorrow:
WEDNESDAY crunch day for Indies at EDDC … and us | East Devon Watch
Futures Forum: As Independents seek to create a working coalition, the District Council meets for the first time since local elections > Wednesday 22nd May

The EU parliamentary elections will be happening on Thursday - and will be having a profound effect on life in the West Country:
European Elections 2019: Why should you vote? | Latest Sidmouth and Ottery News - Sidmouth Herald
Futures Forum: Brexit: and the EU elections: the latest South West poll results
Futures Forum: Brexit: and the EU elections: Democratic Audit looks at what will happen in the South West

Back here in Sidmouth, not only do we have well-established festivals looking forward to the summer: 
The Sidmouth Folk Festival – 2nd – 9th August 2019
Paul Taylor-Mills returns to Sidmouth with Summer Play Festival 2019 | Latest Sidmouth and Ottery News - Sidmouth Herald

But we have thriving relatively new ones:
Sidmouth Sea Fest delivers diversity and creativity | Latest Sidmouth and Ottery News - Sidmouth Herald
Futures Forum: Sidmouth Sea Fest > staging 'Fish out of Water', a new play on the life of Stephen Reynolds

As far as this blog is concerned, it started six years ago with Port Royal:
Futures Forum: Port Royal future: ‘Let’s get the community on board’

And we seem to have sorted at least the Drill Hall for the moment:
Futures Forum: Plans for Port Royal: selling the Drill Hall, rather than producing a masterplan > East Devon's MP calls for a "masterplan for the Port Royal and Ham car park in Sidmouth"

A less successful end-game has been the struggle over Knowle, which began here:
Futures Forum: Save Our Sidmouth

And has ended here:
Futures Forum: Knowle relocation project: parkland transfer to Town Council > latest
Futures Forum: Knowle relocation project: an overspend on loans
Futures Forum: Knowle relocation project: or, how a new HQ costing £8.7m is valued at £3.5m

It seems the right moment, then, to allow fresh blood onto the Sidmouth scene and to make this the last - but the blog itself will remain online as a resource.

Meanwhile, here's a list of other news sources to dip into:
BBC Local News: Sidmouth
ITV Local News: Sidmouth
Sidmouth Nub News

Also:

News from Sidmouth Town Council
Latest News from Sid Valley Help

And of course:
Sidmouth Herald
Devon Live: Sidmouth

Local News - Radio Exe

Plus the excellent and provocative:

East Devon Watch

And there is a lively local social media page:
Sidmouth Community public group | Facebook

Finally, there are of course the Vision Group's very own daily news pages: 



Recent News - Vision Group for Sidmouth
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Brexit: and the EU elections: starting in the South West

We now know that the elections for the EU parliament will be going ahead:
Brexit fury as ministers confirm EU elections will go ahead – and cost taxpayers £150m | Politics | News | Express.co.uk

Here are the candidates for the South West:
The candidates standing in the European Parliament election for the South West - Plymouth Live

This week, the Brexit Party launched its South West campaign:
Nigel Farage in Plymouth on Brexit Party election campaign - live updates - Plymouth Live
Ann Widdecombe: Former Tory MP to stand for Brexit Party - BBC News

With a bus tour: 

Nigel Farage says 'I'm completely pro-Europe - in a sense' after Trago Mills trip with Ann Widdecombe

Keith Rossiter
17:06, 2 MAY 2019

Nigel Farage launched his South West campaign for the European Parliament elections in Devon this week with an admission that he would like to break up the EU.

Mr Farage and former Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe visited Plymouth Hoe and Trago Mills , where they were welcomed by a small group of local supporters. Ms Widdecombe, who lives near Haytor on Dartmoor, is the leading candidate in the South West for Mr Farage’s Brexit Party.

The region will send six Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to Brussels in the elections, which take place on May 23. Each party has put up a list of six candidates, but the system of proportional representation used means that only those in the top places are likely to be elected.

“We think this election is not so much about the European Union. It’s about democracy,” Mr Farage said.

Nigel Farage says 'I'm completely pro-Europe - in a sense' after Trago Mills trip with Ann Widdecombe - Devon Live

The Greens launched their campaign last month: 

SW Greens launch ‘re-elect Molly’ European election campaign

THURSDAY, APRIL 11, 2019 BY PRSD

The Green Party in the South West are to launch their European election campaign today. The Party will push for the re-election of Molly Scott Cato, who has a strong track record of achievement in the European parliament and is a leading and well-respected voice of opposition to Brexit both within the South West region and nationally.

Green MEP since 2014

Molly, who has been Green MEP for the region since 2014 and is Green Party Brexit spokesperson, tops a list of six high profile candidates selected by party members. The second candidate on the list is the out-going Bristol Lord mayor, Cleo Lake, a champion of diversity, inclusion and cohesion who made headlines for removing pictures from her office which celebrated Bristol’s role in the slave trade.

Critical of approach to Brexit

Molly has been highly critical of the government’s approach to Brexit. She took the government to court over their refusal to release economic impact studies on Brexit and has sought to expose the individuals and organisations that pushed the Leave campaign. She has consistently cautioned of the impacts of Brexit on manufacturing industry – warning that companies like Honda would quit the UK; raised concerns about the impacts of leaving the single market on farmers and has pursued the government over its failure to agree how to replace EU funds that support Cornwall.

SW Greens launch ‘re-elect Molly’ European election campaign - the PRSD
South West Green Party | Home

The Lib Dems are on a high:
Best EVER local election results

And are looking forward to the EU election:
Vote for the Lib Dems to stop Brexit (Central Devon Liberal Democrats)
+++European Election candidate lists announced for England and Wales

As is Change UK - who launched their campaign in Bristol
Rachel Johnson and Gavin Esler to stand for Change UK | World news | The Guardian
What we learned at the Change UK campaign launch including candidates - Bristol Live

Labour is split and would rather not be having this election:
The Labour Party's candidates for the European elections
Statement: For a radical Labour campaign in the European elections – Labour for a Socialist Europe
Majority of Labour’s top MEP slots go to backers of a People’s Vote - People's Vote

As would the Conservatives:
We need a People's Vote on Brexit | Hugo Swire
Exclusive. The full list of Conservative MEP candidates. | Conservative Home
Conservative grandee Ann Widdecombe quits Tories to stand for Nigel Farage's Brexit Party | PoliticsHome.com
South West | Region | Conservative MEPs
'I am not allowed not to agree': Julie Girling on being a remain Tory MEP | Politics | The Guardian
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Climate change: "it is possible to reduce emissions while also growing the economy”

System change?
Futures Forum: Climate change: the book 'Losing Earth' ends with a full-throated, fire-and-brimstone indictment of the carbon lobby and its ongoing denial and delaying tactics

Or being entrepreneurial?
Futures Forum: Cutting CO2 vs "Make Cars Great Again"
Futures Forum: "How doing business sustainably can actually improve the bottom line."

It is after all a matter of how you see things:
Futures Forum: Are we running out of resources?
Futures Forum: Are things actually getting better?

Hugo Swire, MP for East Devon, thinks we can get through this with a little more ingenuity:
Climate change answer is in the markets and human ingenuity | Hugo Swire

Here is his piece in the Herald:

'Climate change answer is in the markets and human ingenuity'

PUBLISHED: 17:25 29 April 2019

Daniel Wilkins

Extinction rebellion protestors are right, but the solution is in ‘cleverly’ regulated markets, according to East Devon’s MP.

In his latest column, Sir Hugo Swire agrees with activists about the reality of climate change but says it is up to 'human ingenuity' in the markets to make modern industry 'part of the equation'.

He said: “The extinction rebellion protests are telling us some inconvenient truths, which of course we already know, the reality of climate change.

“But to meet their demands would involve a mobilisation of people and resources on an unprecedented scale. It would require the state to ration air travel, replace every gas boiler in the land and borrow vast sums of money to invest in wind and solar power as well as new technologies to capture what remaining carbon we would produce.

“Where I depart with the Extinction Rebellion protesters is trying to turn the clock back on technology and asking people to stop living modern lives.

“For us to solve this crisis, it is more realistic to make modern industry part of the equation. Of course Government intervention and raising awareness has a role to play but the vital component has to be human ingenuity fostered within markets regulated cleverly by the state. And it is only in healthy, entrepreneurial economies that inventions can be made – the electric vehicles, smart electricity grids, revolutionised batteries.

“Shell, for example, has spruced up its act and is now one of the biggest investors in renewable energy in the world, spending billions on solar research and development. We need to see other big corporations following suit and to meet UN targets by 2030 or 2050 the real change has to come from industry in China, India and USA.

“Although there is still so much more to do I am proud that more than £52 billion has been invested in renewable energy in the UK, and thanks to this investment and our reforms, greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by a quarter since 2010, proving the point that it is possible to reduce emissions while also growing the economy.”

Climate change: East Devon MP says the answer is in the markets and 'human ingenuity' | Latest Sidmouth and Ottery News - Sidmouth Herald
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Calls for the UK parliament to declare a 'climate emergency'

Tomorrow, Parliament will be debating a rather serious motion:
Jeremy Corbyn calls for MPs to declare climate emergency - i newspaper

The wider public thinks this is serious:
Two-thirds of Britons agree planet is in a climate emergency | Environment | The Guardian

The 38 Degrees group is campaigning for constituents to contact their MP:

If we don’t act to stop the climate crisis now, our world will change beyond recognition. [1] For far too long politicians have ignored the facts, and failed to put our bees, hills, and fields first. Now time is running out. [2] But on Wednesday, an urgent debate is taking place in Parliament. MPs will be asked to vote to declare a ‘climate emergency’ and force Parliament to take action to stop runaway climate change from devastating our planet. [3] It could be huge. MPs would have to put their words into action and commit to setting an example to the whole world to stop climate change. But it will only happen if MPs turn up and vote for it. Climate change isn’t a done-deal. We can stop it. [4] But we need politicians to sit up and listen. If your MP - Hugo Swire - hears from thousands of us today, the pressure could force them to vote the right way. Last time climate change was debated in Parliament, hardly any MPs turned up. [5] There were empty benches and nothing was decided. But thanks to the huge wave of pressure over the past few weeks - from school children striking, to city-wide protests - MPs are feeling the heat to act. [6] Thousands of messages from constituents like us, demanding they vote to declare a climate emergency, could force them to vote, and take the necessary steps to stop climate change - now. Will you write to your MP and tell them to vote to declare a climate emergency on Wednesday? Email your MP about the climate crisis - with your own text Email your MP about the climate crisis - with a pre-filled text Thanks, Holly, Gordon, Stewart, Molly, Charlotte, Ryan and the 38 Degrees team NOTES: [1] NASA: Climate Change: How Do We Know?: https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/ The Guardian: Extreme global weather is 'the face of climate change' says leading scientist: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jul/27/extreme-global-weather-climate-change-michael-mann National Geographic: Sea level rise, explained: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/sea-level-rise/ [2] BBC News: Final call to save the world from 'climate catastrophe': https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-45775309 The Guardian: We have 12 years to limit climate change catastrophe, warns UN: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/08/global-warming-must-not-exceed-15c-warns-landmark-un-report [3] Sky News: Labour forces Commons vote to declare a 'climate emergency': https://news.sky.com/story/labour-forces-commons-vote-to-declare-a-climate-emergency-11705744 [4] See note [2]  [5] The Independent: Climate change debate attended by just handful of Tory MPs two days after UK's hottest ever winter day: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/climate-change-debate-parliament-commons-global-warming-a8803291.html [6] The Guardian: School climate strikes: 1.4 million people took part, say campaigners: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/mar/19/school-climate-strikes-more-than-1-million-took-part-say-campaigners-greta-thunberg BBC News: Climate protestors in "Dippy die in" at Glasgow's Kelvingrove museum: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-48078039 BBC News: Extinction Rebellion: Climate protesters march on Parliament: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-48023800

Home - 38 Degrees
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“Devon’s New Housing Need - A Government and Local Authority Perspective” > Housing Minister addresses CPRE seminar in Exeter > full report

The Campaign to Protect Rural England put on a very well-attended conference last month:
Futures Forum: “Devon’s New Housing Need - A Government and Local Authority Perspective” > CPRE seminar in Exeter > video report
Futures Forum: “Devon’s New Housing Need - A Government and Local Authority Perspective” > Housing Minister to address CPRE seminar in Exeter > Thursday 21st March

Devon Live has an account of the Minister's speech at the event:

Minister urges developers to build beauty for Devon's new build estates

However, Kit Malthouse MP was criticised for not reading CPRE report on housing need

Lewis Clarke
4 APR 2019

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CPRE KIT MALTHOUSE IN DEVON

Housing Minister Kit Malthouse has called on developers and local authorities to build beauty across the nation.

The MP spoke to the Devon branch of the CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England) at Sandy Park in Exeter on Thursday, March 21. The event was CPRE Devon’s biggest yet, drawing 230 people from across Devon as well as neighbouring counties.

Mr Malthouse MP discussed the Government’s target of building 300,000 new homes a year in England.

He said: “We promise to future generations that their lives will be better than ours, that we will start the businesses, find the cures, plant the trees and build the houses that mean future generations have a better life than we do.

“That’s fundamentally what binds us together and means my children – I own a 20-year-old and a couple of younger twins - will pay to look after me when I’m sick and elderly, and the deal is that I will provide for them in the future.

READ MORE
Villagers furious at plans to dump thousands of tonnes of soil at farmland near Exeter 

“We have to acknowledge that in the last 40 years a particular part of that contract, the housing part, has broken down. Governments of all stripes over the past three or four decades have failed to build the houses the country needs, and the crash in 2007 exacerbated that. Just before the crash, we built around 231,000 new homes in this country, after the crash that dropped down to about 124,000. That coincided with enormous changes in demographics, people living much longer, but also living alone much longer, younger people also living alone in single unit households and growing population alongside it as well. It meant that we saw some important indicators in this country start to fall, not least home ownership amongst the young.

“My predecessors and back in the days of the coalition decided that we needed to do something about this and to start to ramp up and push as hard as we could on the housing production numbers to try and restore people to where they were before. I’ve been given this enormous target or hitting 300,000 homes a year. I hope there is nobody who thinks we don’t need to build any more houses and I certainly hope nobody thinks we need to build new houses but just not in Devon.

“This is a national mission for all of us and a national obligation for all of us to the next generation.”

Mr Malthouse accepted that it was a “particularly difficult conundrum” to solve in the “beautiful” county of Devon but encouraged local debate to answer questions of how many, where and what type of housing was needed locally.



(Image: CPRE)

He added: “We are putting enormous emphasis on the desire for local authorities to think about beauty. If we’re going to get to 300,000, it is an enormous ramp up from where we are, and it means that hardly any part of the country that is untouched by development.

“In my experience 80 per cent of people’s concern about development is what it’s going to look like. The phrase I hear most from people is that it will spoil their area, and yet if we get design right, make it beautiful, and if it fits and takes part in the context of where it is place, it can enhance things.

“The charge I put down to the development community is twofold; I’ve said to them to think not just of building homes, but building neighbourhoods, and how they will live, the soul and the heart. Secondly, they need to consider if they are building the conservation area of the future. Is what they are building going to last the centuries or is it likely to bulldozed in the next forty years as so much of what was built in the 60s and 70s is now.

READ MORE
Housing minister to address special CPRE Devon seminar amidst growing concerns over the impact of new homes developments

“I hope that in four decades they will turn up with a preservation notice to the stuff we’re going to build rather than bulldoze them. I admit we’re not achieving that now, and the large builders are building the same thing whether it’s in Devon, Doncaster, Canterbury or Carlisle. It all looks the same, it doesn’t fit, they’re not using local vernacular, they’re not using detailing it’s all blank ubiquity.

“We won’t get to the 300,000 target because residents will be hostile to development, thinking it’s going to spoil areas. It’s critical that local authorities and developers make space for beauty. We’re trying hard to push the idea that if we’re building beautiful stuff, then we will be much more likely to make progress”.

However, the minister has been lambasted by Devon residents for not addressing concerns about the impact of new homes in the countryside.

CPRE Devon has produced a hard-hitting video in the wake of the Housing Minister’s address to a seminar in Exeter on the issue of the number of new homes in Devon’s countryside.

The local conservation charity is campaigning to protect Devon’s precious countryside and green spaces. Last year, it commissioned an independent report by a leading research company, which showed that more new homes are being built in Devon than are needed and that too few of them are affordable or sustainable.

The Minister was expected to respond to this evidence and people’s concerns about the scale, design and quality of new housing. In fact, he admitted on camera that he hadn’t even read the report, produced six months ago, before coming to Devon to deliver his keynote speech.

Many attendees said they were disappointed and frustrated by what they heard from the Minister, including his failure to address key concerns about the lack of investment in corresponding infrastructure such as transport links, employment, schools and health facilities.

Rebecca Bartleet, Chair of CPRE Devon said: “Kit Malthouse does not come out of this well. He failed to read our report in advance. So why come all this way on the pretence of answering the questions raised in the report?

“He did not come to hear our concerns, based on hard evidence. He came to peddle his policies and basically tell us we are wrong to disagree with them. By contrast, the presentation by Mid Devon District Council’s CEO, Stephen Wolford, added real substance to the new homes debate.”

READ MORE
Culm Valley Garden Village £300k cash boost welcomed

Penny Mills, Director of CPRE Devon, added: “We are grateful to the Minister for coming to Devon and to Sir Hugo Swire for arranging the visit. Our event was packed with over two hundred people interested to hear what Mr Malthouse had to say. Unfortunately, he neither addressed the key findings of our report nor the fact that the government has used an outdated and flawed methodology in calculating new housing figures. We will, therefore, be writing to Mr Malthouse with the questions people want answered. We will continue our campaign to challenge the number of homes the government claims need to be built in Devon and to protect Devon’s precious asset - its countryside.”

Six months after Opinion Research Services (ORS) published the report, DEVON HOUSING NEEDS EVIDENCE, Local Planning Authorities appear to be responding to pressure to take note of the evidence. East Devon District Council and Exeter City Council are commissioning their own studies to take a fresh look at the justification for continuing to build the number of new homes planned.

Latest figures released nationally by CPRE show how much brownfield land is available for development before more countryside is lost. The figures show that across Devon there are currently 337 brownfield sites, totalling over 400 hectares of available land with a minimum capacity of 14,405 homes.

Minister urges developers to build beauty for Devon's new build estates - Devon Live
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Good news from East Devon as it prepares for local elections

There'll be local elections on 2nd May:

26 March 2019 - Make sure you’re registered to vote in time for the East Devon district, town and parish elections this May - East Devon

Today, we are entering that phase called purdah, when councils are no longer allowed to 'buy votes'...
What purdah means in practice | Local Government Association

However, beforehand, there seemed to be plenty of activity:
“Pork Barrel politics”: why ‘good news’ always comes just before elections | East Devon Watch
Beware politicians bearing gifts – just in time for local elections! | East Devon Watch

This in turn seems to be spurring new 'independent' voices to come forward in Sidmouth:
Sid Valley Democracy launches to find candidates for town council election | Latest Sidmouth and Ottery News - Sidmouth Herald

And in the wider County:
Futures Forum: Independent candidates standing for council seats across Devon say they are "fed-up of being ignored by ruling political parties"

And beyond - for example, in Somerset:
Portishead Independents - Home | Facebook
Portishead Independents - Home

Meanwhile, there's lots of good news from the local MP:
News | Hugo Swire

And counter-campaigning from the East Devon Alliance:
Is the East Devon Conservatives election questionnaire breaking Data Protection rules? | East Devon Watch
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Plans for Port Royal: selling the Drill Hall, rather than producing a masterplan > East Devon's MP calls for a "masterplan for the Port Royal and Ham car park in Sidmouth"

Before the preferred market bidder for the Drill Hall was announced, there were suggestions that certain monies could have been made available earlier: 
Futures Forum: Plans for Port Royal: Were Fortfield Hotel developers' funds withheld from enabling a community bid for the Drill Hall?
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...

Furthermore, it had been suggested that the marketing of the Drill Hall had itself been a way to avoid the complication of putting together a 'master plan' for the larger area of Port Royal:
Futures Forum: Plans for Port Royal: selling the Drill Hall, rather than producing a masterplan

Perhaps the redevelopment of the Drill Hall is better than a block of flats at Port Royal - but the wider context has not been considered - despite a commitment three years ago from the planning authorities:
Futures Forum: Plans for Port Royal: anticipating a Regeneration Board >>> ‘Scoping Report for the eastern end of Sidmouth’ to be presented to Cabinet >>> Wednesday 6th January

Sidmouth's MP is now suggesting we should indeed consider this bigger picture: 

Hugo calls for masterplan for the Port Royal and Ham car park in Sidmouth

Wednesday, 6 March, 2019

East Devon's MP Sir Hugo Swire has written to Sidmouth Town Council and East Devon District Council to ask if they can set aside money received from the sale of the Sanditon apartments in order to commission a masterplan for the Port Royal and the Ham car park.

Hugo calls for masterplan for the Port Royal and Ham car park in Sidmouth | Hugo Swire

Sir Hugo has called for imaginative responses:
Futures Forum: Plans for Port Royal: "a missed opportunity ... It requires an ambitious approach."
Futures Forum: Plans for Port Royal and the Eastern Town >>> "a wrap-around car park, weaved between starter flats"
Futures Forum: Plans for Port Royal: anticipating a Regeneration Board >>> 'a clever design that incorporates multi-storey parking and residential homes with affordable housing'
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“Devon’s New Housing Need - A Government and Local Authority Perspective” > Housing Minister to address CPRE seminar in Exeter > Thursday 21st March

East Devon's MP has put together a meeting happening this coming Thursday: 

I have organised a key seminar with the Campaign to Protect Rural England to bring Kit Malthouse MP, Minister of State for Housing, to talk to us about Devon's new housing need, on Thursday 21st March 11:00-15:00 at Sandy Park in Exeter. The Minister will join us at 1.30pm.

You are warmly invited to attend and can sign up for the few tickets remaining through Eventbrite here.

Hugo Swire MP's E-Bulletin - March 2019 | Hugo Swire

The CPRE reports here on their event:
Seminar: Devon's New Housing Need – A Government & Local Authority Perspective. 21st March 2019 | Devon Planning Applications | CPRE Devon

The local media is very interested:
Housing minister to address special CPRE Devon seminar amidst growing concerns over the impact of new homes developments - Devon Live 

With a few more details here: 

Housing minister to address special CPRE Devon seminar amidst new homes development concerns

Friday, 15 March 2019 - Local People
by Alan Quick - Editorial Manager/Photojournalist

THE Minister for Housing and Planning, Kit Malthouse MP, will be coming to Devon on March 21 as the keynote speaker at a special seminar in Exeter, organised by the Devon branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England.

The event will address growing concerns amongst local people about the scale and appropriateness of new homes developments across the county.

At the opening of CPRE Devon’s housing seminar in Tavistock last month, delegates were told that - as a result of the charity’s work to shine a spotlight on the impact of housing developments across Devon and with the support of East Devon MP, Hugo Swire - the Housing Minister has agreed to address the charity’s next seminar on the issue at Sandy Park.

Also speaking at the event will be Stephen Walford, Chief Executive Officer, Mid Devon District Council and Dr Phillip Bratby, CPRE Devon.

February’s event at the Bedford Hotel in Tavistock attracted around 120 members of the public. More are expected to turn out to hear the Minister.

The seminar is entitled: “Devon’s New Housing Need - A Government and Local Authority Perspective”.

Key topics of concern include:

• enforcement of Section 106 planning conditions

• the lack of infrastructure to support large-scale housing developments

• the affordability of new homes, particularly in places with low-paid jobs and a lack of employment opportunities

• the failure of developers to use eco-friendly building techniques and incorporate sustainable features into new builds

• our “broken” planning system

• the number of greenfield sites being built on

• worries that the county is being ruined by insensitive development.

The event, which will run from 11am to 3pm, is free to attend for CPRE members and costs £5 admission for non-members.

Places must be booked in advance through Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/devons-new-housing-need-a-government-local-authority-perspective-tickets-57377917897 .

For full details, visit: www.cpredevon.org.uk

Housing minister to address special CPRE Devon seminar amidst new homes development concerns | News | Crediton Country Courier
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Brexit: and the precarious position of East Devon's MP

There have been mixed messages from the MP for East Devon over Brexit:

It has been 'no deal is better that a bad deal':
Futures Forum: Brexit: and East Devon's MP saying 'we should get on with it'

But it has also been 'let's tweak the deal':
Futures Forum: Brexit: and East Devon's MP's amendment
Futures Forum: Brexit: and East Devon's MP's amendment as damage limitation

And writing a fortnight ago, Sir Hugo declared that "the EU should make concessions":
Hugo Swire writes about Brexit | Latest Exmouth News - Exmouth Journal

It is not clear who this message is intended for - but probably for members of his own party:
Futures Forum: Brexit: and two-thirds of Conservative Party members opting for "no-deal rather than a bad deal"

... rather than the wider electorate of East Devon - and certainly Sir Hugo's main rival for his parliamentary seat thinks so:
Futures Forum: Brexit: and a response from East Devon to delaying the vote in parliament

Because increasingly, voters in this part of the UK want a second referendum:
Devon voters now want to Remain in Europe, major new survey reveals - Devon Live (April 2018)
BREXIT LATEST: REMAIN could WIN second referendum - vote will turn UGLY warns May deputy | Politics | News | Express.co.uk (November 2018)
53% of voters in the South West would now vote Remain, Channel 4 poll reveals - Devon for Europe (November 2018)Half of Devon wants a second vote on Brexit - and most would vote remain - Devon Live (December 2018)

The polls do keep going up and down though, with all of rather confused, according to this one last month:
What you REALLY think about Brexit, no-deal and our MPs' behaviour - Devon Live

And yet in another poll conducted at the same time it was 'stop Brexit':

Tiverton Brexit-ometer reveals town wants an end to Brexit chaos - Devon Live

Meanwhile in Sidmouth, a similar poll conducted in the Market Square yesterday had very similar results. Which poses the question of how precarious the position of the current MP for East Devon is - that is, someone who voted Remain but now backs Brexit, in a constituency which in June 2016 was split 50/50:

Tories would lose Devon seat but win election if vote was called this month

One Devon MP would find themselves out of a job, according to the latest research

COMMENTS

Neil Shaw Head Of Digital, Live And Trending For PlymouthLive, DevonLive And CornwallLive
06:23, 12 FEB 2019

The Conservatives would win a working majority if a general election was held now, according to YouGov modelling.

Theresa May's party was forecast to win 321 seats - up from 317 at the last election - while Labour would lose 12 seats, the research for The Times suggested.

The SNP and the Liberal Democrats were each predicted to gain four seats, while Ukip would again win nothing.

But the market research company, which correctly forecast the 2017 result, predicted the Tories would see a fall in their estimated vote share, from 43.4% in 2017 to 39.4%, if an election was called this month.

Jeremy Corbyn's party would also see a drop, from 41% to 34.2%, while the Liberal Democrats and Ukip were forecast to see a rise in vote share.

YouGov polled 40,119 people between February 2 and 7.

The pollsters found Labour was most likely to lose Sheffield Hallam - Nick Clegg's old seat which was won by Jared O'Mara in the last election - as well as disgraced ex-Labour MP Fiona Onasanya's Peterborough seat.

The Conservatives would lose Zac Goldsmith's Richmond Park seat and Sir Hugo Swire's East Devon, according to the research.

Tories would lose Devon seat but win election if vote was called this month - Devon Live
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Beach Management Plan: businesses oppose seawall and stakeholders demand clarity

There is still no consensus about how to protect Sidmouth's coastline - and still not enough cash to pay for whatever solution is finally decided on:
Futures Forum: Beach Management Plan: still a funding gap of £3.3million

The latest Herald carried a piece which will have emanated from the District Council - and which sought to give the impression that a clear direction has been decided on:
Sidmouth sea defences could cost double the £9m expected as part of the Sidmouth and East Beach Management Scheme | Latest Sidmouth and Ottery News - Sidmouth Herald

However, the last press release from the District Council was in September last year:
21st September 2017 - 'Council’s new coastal erosion and flooding consultants introduced to Sidmouth BMP steering group'

Although the link is actually dead: 

Press releases about the Sidmouth and East Beach Management Plan - East Devon

The last piece of news from the District Council was a year ago, when that figure of £3.3 million appeared - to be paid by "Sidmouth businesses who profit from tourism in the town, or residents who would be better protected from flood or erosion":

East Devon has allocated a further £300,000 towards the future scheme costs, however it would put an unacceptable burden on Council tax payers across the district to provide the remainder of the £3.3 million funding alone. Sidmouth BMP’s £300,000 is included in the Capital programme draft budget...

So in order to help the scheme move beyond summer 2018, when the Outline Business Case (OBC) is expected to be completed, East Devon will shortly be writing to all the residents, businesses and infrastructure owners who will benefit from the scheme. For example, this could be Sidmouth businesses who profit from tourism in the town, or residents who would be better protected from flood or erosion.

15 January 2018 - Sidmouth BMP steering group receives progress update from East Devon’s consultants Royal HaskoningDHV - East Devon

However, things have moved on since then - with the only remaining members of the Steering Group who are not statutory bodies being:  Cliff Road Action Group, Vision Group for Sidmouth, Sid Vale Association, Sidmouth Sailing Club, Local Fishermen and Sidmouth Lifeboat:
Steering Group - East Devon

Meanwhile, most of these feel their perspectives and concerns have not been taken into consideration - to the extent that the Chamber of Commerce and ward District Councillors have resigned:
Futures Forum: Beach Management Plan: "There is widespread scepticism of the process and little regard shown to the local understanding of what the real issues might be."

There are two specific proposals which cause concern:

RAISING THE SEAWALL:

The District Council is pushing for a very obtrusive seawall:
Futures Forum: Beach Management Plan: a 'preferred option' is an extra half-a-metre high wall along Sidmouth's promenade

Whilst sea levels are indeed rising due to climate change:
Futures Forum: Waves are getting higher, threatening coastal residents

... local businesses have made it very clear that they do not see the solution in raising the seawall:

Do you believe that a seawall along the Esplanade would be positive or detrimental to the town?

Positive – 4 (8.9%)
Detrimental – 37 (82.2%)
Unsure – 4 (8.9%)

Futures Forum: How to revive the health of Sidmouth's high street >>> East Devon MP's survey results

BREAKWATERS VS GROYNES:

According to the latest Herald: 

At a recent steering group committee, additional offshore breakwaters were discussed and it was explained again that although the breakwaters may present a more robust solution technically, they would come at almost double the cost.

The cost has been re-examined recently by consultants Royal HaskoningDHV and they have confirmed that the previous costings as part of the Beach Management Plan were correct.

Sidmouth sea defences could cost double the £9m expected as part of the Sidmouth and East Beach Management Scheme | Latest Sidmouth and Ottery News - Sidmouth Herald

It is not clear exactly which scheme for additional breakwaters was re-examined by consultants Royal HaskoningDHV.

Either the over-engineered option 4 of groynes (from Halcrow and the District Council's 'preferred option'): 

Or option 4b of rock islands (preferred by the non-statutory bodies):

Futures Forum: Beach Management Plan: breakwaters rather than groins/groynes

In particular, it is not clear if the new estimate included the re-use of the rocks from the existing rock groynes:

Futures Forum: Beach Management Plan: "In the long-term, we need to build more offshore breakwaters across the front and these could be semi-submerged so that they would not be visible for most of the time."

At a Steering Group meeting last year, a report was presented detailing possibly significant errors in engineers Halcrow's measurements of the erosion rate at Pennington Point - with the consultants Royal HaskoningDHV committing to check the impact of any such errors on the project.

Watch this space...

See also:

Futures Forum: Beach Management Plan: Local stakeholders welcome project consultant's report >>> Options S4 and S4b "technically preferred"
Futures Forum: Beach Management Plan: 'technically favoured' option or 'preferred' option - and 'preferred' by whom?
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