Two new images have been added to the photomontage page. They show the view from Chit Rocks, the proper name for the rockpools, back along the Esplanade and as usual one is the actual view and the other has the block of the proposed building shown on it.

We had a very interesting meeting last evening.

Amongst the items raised for discussion were the Exeter Book; Peak House as a hospital in WWI; and trending topics like Sidmouth Town Coat of Arms; and the Ham Playing Field, Charity No. 300967.

We looked at a copy of the Conveyance of ‘The Ham’ from John George Galloway Radford to Sidmouth Urban District Council in 1896 and the map which went with it. The transcribed version was a lot easier to read 🙂

It is 12.15 pm and already today my thoughts have been challenged.

One person has said, about the Port Royal proposals, ‘It gives people something to talk about, but there are always some proposals or other; they’ll be talking about it for years’. Another said ‘Why do they say it could be 3 storeys or 5 storeys?’

Apathy and confusion. We have to confront both.

The confusion is welcome, it makes us challenge what we know but haven’t had explicitly explained. The apathy plays right into the hands of ‘the powers that be’.

So to take the question.
Alison Hayward, Senior Manager, Regeneration & Economic Development EDDC ( the lady in control of the Exmouth redevelopment); was clear to everyone that it was neccessary to have three floors of apartments to fund the redevelopment.

So how can we end up with a 3 storey block? One easy answer would be to site the Lifeboat and Sailing elsewhere. It has already been suggested that the Lifeboat goes ‘somewhere’ in Western Town. See the report of the most recent Reference Group on the Futures Forum Blog.

Well of course I do, that is how I was introduced to the Drill Hall. How many others remember the sweaty summers of ’75 and ’76 in there? Dancing, Fancy Dress evenings, Los Jairas, ah yes, I remember it well. And I regret that we can no longer use it.

But it is worse than that isn’t it? Because now the actual plans have been produced which show how they propose to replace it with a soul-less block, and destroy Sidmouth Trawlers as well. Oh and the seating and toilets in the block at the turning circle too; so the wind and rain will funnel through down the Ham putting more strain on the marquee and making the displays at the Hub miserable for performers and audience alike!

Of course the shadow cast will not be that great in the first week in August, and they will have moved the boat park to avoid people and boats being damaged and litigation occurring … but even so …..

If you want to see what they are proposing their drawings are here and my exploration of the effects are here and here

Sidmouth loves and needs Folk Week, if Folk Week loves and needs Sidmouth then tell our Councillors we don’t want this!  (and follow me)

Sidmouth Drill Hall Rescue goes social !!!

As well as the newsletters (please sign up at https://drillhall-rescue.historic-sidmouth.uk/contact-me ) you can get real-time updates from https://www.facebook.com/Sidmouth-Drill-Hall-Rescue-100921483893511/   and  @HallRescue

Dear Friends,
With reference to the Port Royal Survey.
I have completed the two web pages with as much background as I can manage at the moment, and will now turn my attention to other things.
The web pages are
https://drillhall-rescue.historic-sidmouth.uk/port-royal-regeneration-consultation
and
https://drillhall-rescue.historic-sidmouth.uk/port-royal-regeneration-consultation-photomontages

I can not stress too strongly that we have to act NOW.

The first meeting of Sidmouth Town Council after the Survey closes is on the 14th of August. It is very likely that they will make their decision on the redevelopment at this meeting. Once the decision is made the ‘gateway’ closes and it will be extremely difficult to reconsider, it may even require a legal appeal. The terms for this Scoping Exercise were laid out very clearly and we would be fools not to take them seriously.
https://drillhall-rescue.historic-sidmouth.uk/scoping-exercise

The only positive is that if the decision is against the proposal then that will also be binding, or should be!

There seems to me no reason why the area could not be improved without resorting to a huge block containing apartments. There were many alternatives put forward in the Re-imagining Port Royal competition and I have a few myself, so why has the consultation only brought forward one option? And why does that option include use of the Ham whose Charity Trustee is Sidmouth Town Council and its Councillors? There is a clear conflict of interest.

As well as completing the Survey I urge you all to spread the word and encourage others to complete it too. The other very useful step we can all take is to let our Councillors know our opinions. For that purpose I list their email addresses, taken from the Council website, below. If you are not a resident of Sidmouth then please write to the Chairman.

If we do not tell them what we think then they have no way of knowing whether the town cares at all about their decision. They are there to represent us, and to only make decisions on their own if no strong feelings have been conveyed to them. If they do not choose to represent the wishes of their constituents then they can be replaced with people who will. I am sure our Councillors care about the town and don’t want to throw away all the good they can do by ignoring strong opinions in the town.

There is also the legal problem created by the conflict of interest over the Ham land, the Charity Commission will step in to block anything which goes against the Governing Document of the Charity if it is not in the interests of the beneficiaries. In this case the Governing Document is the Conveyance and the beneficiaries are the inhabitants of and visitors to Sidmouth.

If the Town Council should pass this proposal then we need to complain very loudly to the Charity Commission. There will then be no boat park on the Ham and the Sailing Club will be in extreme future difficulties.

Tell your Councillor what you expect for the Ham.

I am trying to arrange for a public meeting and other publicity, of which there will be more details soon.
Kind regards, Mary

Councillors
Chairman IAN MCKENZIE-EDWARDS, Sidford Ward,  ijsmck_ed@hotmail.co.uk
Deputy Chairman John Dyson, South Ward,  jdyson@eastdevon.gov.uk
Ian Barlow, Salcombe Regis Ward, wootans@aol.com
David Barratt, Salcombe Regis Ward, davidbarratt@btinternet.com
Sheila Kerridge, West Ward, martin.kerridge@btinternet.com
Jack Brokenshire, Sidford Ward, patandjack42@hotmail.co.uk
Louise Cole, West Ward, louisecolesidmouthtowncouncil@outlook.com
Kelvin Dent, South Ward, kelvinrdent@gmail.com
Michael Earthey, North Ward, michael.earthey@tesco.net
John Hollick, Sidbury Ward, john.hollick@uwclub.net
Stuart Hughes, North Ward, stuart.hughes@devon.gov.uk
Gareth Jones, Sidbury Ward, tgjones46@gmail.com
Marc Kilsbie, East Ward, marc-sidmouthtc@hotmail.com
Dawn Manley, North Ward, dawn.manleytownc@gmail.com
Frances Newth, East Ward, fnewth@icloud.com
Simon Pollentine, Primley Ward, simon_sheelagh_simon@tiscali.co.uk
John Rayson, West Ward, johnwrayson@btinternet.com
Jeff Turner, Primley Ward, jeffreyturner391@btinternet.com
Paul Wright, South Ward, paul_wright_sidmouth_town_council@hotmail.com

If you need to find out who your Councillor is then on this page go to the Councillors tab. Click on which Ward you think is most likely then on that page click the link to see what the Ward covers. You will get a list of streets in that Ward. I can not find a map to give the information.