Good morning Sid Valley, welcome! Join us tonight at the Knowle!

Welcome to the “Sidmouth Independent News“!

This bl0g has been put together by people who are concerned about what is happening in the beautiful Sid Valley (not just Sidmouth) and who want to inform, energise and stimulate discussion about how we find ourselves in our current emergency situation and what WE can do to get out of it – with what WE want and not what people from far outside the area or those only with pound signs in their eyes want.

We will get going with your news, information and opinion over the coming weeks and months and hope to receive many contributions from local people throughout the Sid Valley but, for now, our most important post for today.

Meeting of the East Devon District Council Overview and Scrutiny Committee

at 6.30 p.m. this evening (Thursday 27 September 2012)

at the Knowle

to discuss EDDC’s relationship with the East Devon Business Forum.  This affects us because it seems that EDBF have had massive influence on getting the Sidford site accepted at the last minute for the Local Plan.  The Local Plan is a document that will influence planning in East Devon until 2026 – if we don’t get it right it could blight our area till then and beyond.

For those of you who don’t know what this EDDC committee does, it says on the EDDC website:

“It allows citizens to have a greater say in Council matters by holding public enquiries into matters of local concern. These lead to reports and recomendations which advise the Cabinet and Council as a whole on its policies, budget and service delivery.  It also monitors the decisions of the Cabinet.  It can call-in a decision which has been made by Cabinet or one of its members but not yet implemented.  It enables them to consider whether the decision is appropriate.  It may recommend that the Cabinet reconsider the decision.  It may also be consulted by the Cabinet or Council on forthcoming decisions and the development of policy.”

Now, this is not quite as good as it sounds but it is the ONLY place where those citizens and councillors who disagree with the powerful EDDC Cabinet, can have their say within EDDC’s hallowed walls!  It doesn’t mean, for example that the Cabinet WILL do as the Committee suggests – the Cabinet can still take no notice.  BUT controversial decisions are aired in public (and not, as sometimes seems to happen, behind closed doors at EDDC – but we will leave that for another post).

Tonight’s meeting promises to be a real humdinger and VERY important for us in the Sid Valley. Rather than overwhelm you with the detail about WHY it is important perhaps the best thing is for me to refer you to an excellent blog elsewhere on the subject here:

I know that a lot of SOS people have asked to speak tonight and SIN (Sidmouth Independent News) will definitely be in the audience to report on it tomorrow.  But we need bums on seats, people of the Sid Valley, so PLEASE get down there this evening and show them that THE SID VALLEY MEANS BUSINESS – AND NOT JUST EDBF BUSINESS !

I gather the meeting is already causing collywobbles in more than one district councillor’s tummy and that even national media may be involved!

Hope to see you there!