Agenda item

To receive any questions relating to items on the agenda from members of the public and replies thereto.

Jo Webber speaking with regard to item 6 on the agenda stated that she had a business in Tiverton for 26 years. She provided the following 5 concerns with regard to the increase in car parking charges in the multi storey car park:

• The British Independent Retailer Association recently drew up a 5 point plan to save the high street, included in this was ‘give free car parking in town centres to increase footfall’.
• The multi storey car park is the gateway to Tiverton. It is often the first point of contact with our town.
• We need to encourage longer dwell times so people stay longer, buy from more than one shop or business.
• Tiverton needs to encourage people to work in the town centre and the tourists to visit.
• Our success is your success. Thriving business means full car parks and good revenue for Mid Devon. Let Tiverton be known as a vibrant exciting town. It takes teamwork and you have the key to make our town successful or empty. Let’s do the right thing

My question is: Where did you base your facts on to support the proposed 200% increase on car parking charges for visitors in the multi storey?

Hon Alderman David Nation referring to the Governance item stated  that I would ask you please if you will bear in mind when you consider this item that those of us who are advocating a serious review at the very least if not some changes thereafter do not wish to decrease the efficiency of the Council or anything of that nature. We are concerned about democracy, that means different things to different people and democracy doesn’t come cheap, somebody once said. But the reality is that most of us would say that a system where major issues are discussed, a small number, probably no more than your current Cabinet of 7 can overrule the wishes of the majority of the Council of 42. That is clearly not democracy. It is that we would like you to consider, a thorough review of the possibilities. I may remind you that this Council was forced to adopt the constitution and the governance it has now by the Blair Government, a Labour Government, it was then a Conservative Government some years later which allowed councils to deviate from that requirement if they wished and a good many, mostly Conservative Councils, up and down the country have since changed from a Cabinet system to either a modified committee system or something close to it. I think what matters most to people who are concerned about some of the issues that have arisen in this Council in recent years is that you look very carefully indeed at what changes might be worth considering.

Patrick Collier referring to the Governance item stated he had a question about the debate which would be taking take place tonight about possible changes to the Governance of the Council. As I understand it the Council as I see here consists of a Conservative Group, a Liberal Democrat Group and various independents. I would like to know whether either of the political groups have already decided their response to this debate before this meeting has taken place. When I attended a debate no so long ago about another matter, the debate was a farce because it was quite apparent that one of the groups had already decided their response before the debate had even taken place.

Steve Bush again referring to the Governance item stated that the Local Labour Party note the recommendation to the Council regarding future governance arrangements and that a politically balanced Governance Working Group be established. We would ask that other parties such as ourselves who do not currently have any seat be represented on the Working Group in order to ensure full political balance and input.

Ana Hendy referring to item 6 on the agenda stated that we in the Labour Party at Tiverton Town Council have noticed with some dismay the cost of parking in Tiverton is set to change quite considerably and that the multi storey car park in particular will become the most expensive car park in Mid Devon. We also note that a petition has been started by business owners in the town against these changes. We also question how these proposed changes will affect the town centre plan which has amongst it the ambition of attracting more visitors.

We are disappointed that MDDC have not consulted us at the Town Council on these changes and I in particular as Town Council representative for Central ward feel that before a final decision is made consultation with the Town Council would be appropriate so that the views of our constituents could be fairly represented and taken into consideration.

Judy Tucker spoke with regard to the Governance item and stated as one of the prime movers of a Campaign for Local Democracy in Mid Devon, she was delighted that the Council was considering this resolution to establish a full review into its governance arrangements. It’s never been the objective of this campaign to undermine the Councils efficiency, merely to try to ensure that efficiency is more democratically directed towards the needs and aspirations of all the citizens of Mid Devon than can be the case under the present arrangements. Don’t be misled by irrelevant scare stories from the past but look to a better future as the recommendation makes clear, there is time to get things done with careful thought and diligence. Will you keep the communities you represent and the future of all the citizens of Mid Devon foremost in you minds when you consider this issue and support the recommendation to have this review.

Miriam Hadcock referring to Motion 559 stated that she was glad to see the development of the Environment Policy Development Group and the progress made on this motion. She had been delighted to see the progress made by the Tiverton Tree Team. Since we last spoke in the region of £2k has been donated, 100+ local volunteers have given their time and 20 landlords have made offers of land for tree planting. Some of this has been private landowners making their land available for public access for community woodlands and orchards. 5 schools and nurseries have asked to be involved in planting seeds for next year’s tree planting which we hope to be going ahead. There has been a large media response. By the end of this week we would have planted 1500 trees and by the end of January we would have planted 3000 trees and 4000 by the end of March. This shows the high level of public popularity for a large scale approach to tree planting in this area. I understand and accept the amendments to the motion to ensure that land appropriate for tree planting is used and that suitable trees are planted there. I appreciate that much of the land is already used for very valuable community purposes which we would not wanted to detract from in any way.

This still leaves much land available which includes corners of parks, brownfield, road verges, roundabouts, and land prone to flooding or too steep for building, other areas considered includes waste land, hedgerows and private gardens etc. Can the Council expand on what would be included in appropriate land, what criteria will be used to assess that and how wide the net will be to ensure that as much land as possible will be made available and not excluded in meeting the necessary targets for a positive impact on climate, habitat and biodiversity and what the clear public demand for this.