Many thanks to all who assisted, encouraged or voted for me in the recent district elections. I was very happy to achieve a decent number of votes in not the easiest ward to cover.
Thanks also to all who read the leaflets and came on here, even if you placed your vote elsewhere or aren't in this ward. Please feel free to discuss and debate any issues raised.
Congratulations to Claire Wright for her overwhelming victory in the Ottery Rural ward. The extent of her achievement tends to have been overshadowed by the media focusing on the defeat in this ward of council leader Sara Randall Johnson. In reality the tories were nowhere, both over 500 votes behind in a ward where the electors had two votes.
Claire has shown what can be achieved by campaigning on issues that mean something to the community, an alien concept to the patronising clique that continue to run this authority. I would also suggest that the defenestrated leaderene may have marginally lost out to her tory colleague as a consequence of her attacks on the very popular winner.
Congratulations also to the other non establishment candidates who campaigned hard for encouraging, though not yet concrete results, and who had to struggle under the handicap of a local press who for some reason held their noses and ignored the election and its issues. Much more interesting to them to splash the word Paedo around the district at the start of the Easter holidays.
A big thumbs down to the Exmouth Journal and others in the Archant stable, who compounded their contempt for the voters with a rash of feel good stories, often featuring photos and quotes from retiring mayor Darryl Nicholas. They couldn't have done a better job of subliminally campaigning for the incumbents if they'd tried. We deserve a functioning local paper.
Saturday 14 May 2011
Tuesday 3 May 2011
The ASDA chronicles, or Tory claim 7.
'We told Asda that their supermarket proposal as it stood did not meet the standards and needs of the town and did not have a satisfactory transport interchange. Asda eventually decided they could not meet the local requirements and did not proceed with their proposals.'
Once again my memory must be playing tricks. I will set out events as I remember them, with transparent willingness to retract should I be proven incorrect.
Asda's initial attempt to build a superstore by the estuary was seen off with great fanfare with our MP presenting an 11,000 signature petition to Downing Street. Almost immediately EDDC was held up to ridicule in Private Eye magazine for trying to counter the etition with a 'survey' of schoolchildren.
A couple of years down the line back comes the Asda proposal, except that it is dressed up as one of a series of proposals from four different supermarket developers for one each of four different sites. Asda's was the preferred bidder and was given the go ahead, despite the fact that it involved unnecessary disruption and relocation of our transport and leisure facities.
People asked why fours groups on different sites? Why no level playing field? No satisfactory answer was given at the time, though I've recently been advised that Stagecoach had sold Asda the option on their bus station site. Presumably an alternative could have been built on another part of the larger footprint? Was this deal being allowed to take precedence over other regeneration ideas for the town? I believe Stagecoach sponsored the festival that year, a coincidence of course.
Then it transpired that these meetings were subject to 'commercial confidentiality, and had not been minuted. When people asked why this was, we were told that they were held under a particular set of rules whereby minuting was not required. Then a retired civil servant wrote to the Journal, pointing out that these rules were not appropriate for these meetings. To their abiding shame The Journal didn't pursue this, and as ever we were left not to find out.
As the recent financial crisis reared it's head, Asda tried to reduce it's planning gain commitments below what was previously agreed, and remarkably the council held firm. So Asda walked away.
Every now and then The Journal tells us a number of supermarkets are interested in coming to the town, and Asda is always listed, although an Asda source has told me emphatically that they are no longer keen. I wonder if they still hold the option?
Once again my memory must be playing tricks. I will set out events as I remember them, with transparent willingness to retract should I be proven incorrect.
Asda's initial attempt to build a superstore by the estuary was seen off with great fanfare with our MP presenting an 11,000 signature petition to Downing Street. Almost immediately EDDC was held up to ridicule in Private Eye magazine for trying to counter the etition with a 'survey' of schoolchildren.
A couple of years down the line back comes the Asda proposal, except that it is dressed up as one of a series of proposals from four different supermarket developers for one each of four different sites. Asda's was the preferred bidder and was given the go ahead, despite the fact that it involved unnecessary disruption and relocation of our transport and leisure facities.
People asked why fours groups on different sites? Why no level playing field? No satisfactory answer was given at the time, though I've recently been advised that Stagecoach had sold Asda the option on their bus station site. Presumably an alternative could have been built on another part of the larger footprint? Was this deal being allowed to take precedence over other regeneration ideas for the town? I believe Stagecoach sponsored the festival that year, a coincidence of course.
Then it transpired that these meetings were subject to 'commercial confidentiality, and had not been minuted. When people asked why this was, we were told that they were held under a particular set of rules whereby minuting was not required. Then a retired civil servant wrote to the Journal, pointing out that these rules were not appropriate for these meetings. To their abiding shame The Journal didn't pursue this, and as ever we were left not to find out.
As the recent financial crisis reared it's head, Asda tried to reduce it's planning gain commitments below what was previously agreed, and remarkably the council held firm. So Asda walked away.
Every now and then The Journal tells us a number of supermarkets are interested in coming to the town, and Asda is always listed, although an Asda source has told me emphatically that they are no longer keen. I wonder if they still hold the option?
Monday 2 May 2011
Manifesto cont.
The final day of campaigning for me, back to work tomorrow, so just got to wait and see what happens. All these bank holidays close together have been pretty disruptive and make it difficult to ask for extra time off.
I must say I've been welcomed as a candidate and encouraged by the representatives of the other parties that I have met. This is a useful reminder that the behaviour of institutions and groups may be different from that of the individuals within them. If elected I will go in with no preconceptions, just a clear set of priorities.
I am concerned at the effects of the cuts being imposed on us. This evening we had fish and chips near the new lifeboat station, and were struck by how high the beach was. I remembered reading that stopping beach maintenance was one of the proposed budgetary cuts. This was in about January with the decisive meeting in Feb. I am not aware of the decision being reported, but the work appears not to have been done. If left it will be detrimental to the tourist experience and will eventually need to be made good at greater cost than that saved in the short term. If that was the decision then why did neither the Journal or any of our representatives report it?
If I am elected I will report matters in which I participate briefly but clearly on this blog, including which way I vote. If confidentiality is requested then I will request justification point by point. Public service should be conducted openly, and there should be no place for blanket secrecy.
There were a number of dogs loose, of course we are now into the summer restriction period. They didn't pose a nuisance to anyone while we were there but were obviously with local people enjoying themselves in the surf. Dogs on the beach and other public spaces is still a contentious issue, one where it is important to bring both sides together to find a compromise.
I note that the police have taken up powers to break up small groups in the town centre, and of course there are alcohol restrictions in the area as well, despite a lack of will to limit the opening of off licenses. I am particularly concerned about the amount of glass left around or smashed in the town or on the public open spaces. I would be in favour of a total ban on using glass containers in this area or in public spaces, with powers to confiscate and fine. I would also expect any licensed premises that did not remove all broken glass from outside their premises by a reasonable time to receive a visit. Not prohibition, just reasonable behaviour and consumption.
Finally I would just like to say that I will be voting Yes to AV. It is not a fully proportional system but is rather fairer than the existing system. I find it most arrogant and hypocritical of Mr Cameron that he claims the public will not understand it, when he knows full well that it is simple enough to allow his colleagues to have chosen him as leader rather than the First Past The Post 'winner' David Davies.
Good luck to all, and I hope you all use your vote whoever it may be for.
Come back soon for The Asda Chronicles and reflections on the Maer play area.
I must say I've been welcomed as a candidate and encouraged by the representatives of the other parties that I have met. This is a useful reminder that the behaviour of institutions and groups may be different from that of the individuals within them. If elected I will go in with no preconceptions, just a clear set of priorities.
I am concerned at the effects of the cuts being imposed on us. This evening we had fish and chips near the new lifeboat station, and were struck by how high the beach was. I remembered reading that stopping beach maintenance was one of the proposed budgetary cuts. This was in about January with the decisive meeting in Feb. I am not aware of the decision being reported, but the work appears not to have been done. If left it will be detrimental to the tourist experience and will eventually need to be made good at greater cost than that saved in the short term. If that was the decision then why did neither the Journal or any of our representatives report it?
If I am elected I will report matters in which I participate briefly but clearly on this blog, including which way I vote. If confidentiality is requested then I will request justification point by point. Public service should be conducted openly, and there should be no place for blanket secrecy.
There were a number of dogs loose, of course we are now into the summer restriction period. They didn't pose a nuisance to anyone while we were there but were obviously with local people enjoying themselves in the surf. Dogs on the beach and other public spaces is still a contentious issue, one where it is important to bring both sides together to find a compromise.
I note that the police have taken up powers to break up small groups in the town centre, and of course there are alcohol restrictions in the area as well, despite a lack of will to limit the opening of off licenses. I am particularly concerned about the amount of glass left around or smashed in the town or on the public open spaces. I would be in favour of a total ban on using glass containers in this area or in public spaces, with powers to confiscate and fine. I would also expect any licensed premises that did not remove all broken glass from outside their premises by a reasonable time to receive a visit. Not prohibition, just reasonable behaviour and consumption.
Finally I would just like to say that I will be voting Yes to AV. It is not a fully proportional system but is rather fairer than the existing system. I find it most arrogant and hypocritical of Mr Cameron that he claims the public will not understand it, when he knows full well that it is simple enough to allow his colleagues to have chosen him as leader rather than the First Past The Post 'winner' David Davies.
Good luck to all, and I hope you all use your vote whoever it may be for.
Come back soon for The Asda Chronicles and reflections on the Maer play area.
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