The Wetlands Centre - dates for your diary and questions you might like think about
As you know, the EDDC Rangers are presenting a "Everything (sic) you wanted to know about the Wetlands Centre but didn't dare ask" on
Wednesday 21 March 2007, 10 am - 3pm (Town Hall) and
Friday 23 March 2007, 10am - 3pm (Bird Hide)
It seems a shame that the 70% or 80% of people who have day jobs won't be able to go to either of these venues (the reason we had our Open Advice Days 10 am - 10 pm so everyone could attend) but if you can make it you might like to think up suitable questions, such as (in no particular order of priority):
Whose idea what it to purchase 250 acres of marshes to construct a Wetlands Centre?
When did they think of it and when did they start to discuss it internally and externally (remember the Freedom of Information Act and the Environmental Information Regulations will allow us to get this information eventually even if we can't get it at the moment).
How many discussions have they had with Liatris about this? What form have these discussions taken?
How much money has Liatris promised towards this?
How much have any other organisations or individuals promised towards it?
What sort of conditions were placed on these promised payments?
How much is EDDC paying Liatris for the land Liatris owns north of the tramway?
Why was there no public consultation about this project?
How advanced are these plans?
What will happen to these plans if the Liatris planning application is not successful?
Who will run the Wetlands Centre?
Is it planned that its interpretation will be part of the Jurassic Coast Visitor Centre or will it have its own facility?
If any profit is made from the Wetlands Centre, who will it go to?
What responsibilities will Seaton Town Council have for this project bearing in mind a large part is within the Seaton boundary?
How will it connect with the town - how much of its infrastructure will be in Colyford/Colyton and how much in Seaton?
If you have any other questions make sure you go, or if you can't write them here and we will ask them on your behalf.
What are you NOT telling us now that you know about which will come out later?
posted by Fighting for East Devon's future @ 11:07 pm
6 Comments:
There is a major question on access. As you hope this will attract more people to the marshes where will they park their cars/ bicycles. Will you show the location of suitable bus stops on your maps? Will the car parks be capable of taking the extra numbers that would arrive if a rare bird was sighted?
My view is that, if this is not being financed on the promise of 106 money from Liatris, then all well and good. Buit if it is, then the timing of this presentation stinks, seeing as the planning application that would finance it has not reached the committee stage.
Given that these people are eddc officers, that looks like "assume done deal boys".
I'd really like them to say "eddc, wwt and rspb are financing this from core funding" and not "eddc are funding this from the promise of 106 money off the loss of people facilities in Seaton"
If the finance is dependent on a s106 agreement from Liatris and the assumption is that the wetland centre will go ahead, then as I understand it,the EDDC councillors
who vote to approve the Liatris application will be acting illegally since they will not be deciding on the merits of the Liatrus development. By law they have to consider the Liatrus development on its own merits and in accordance with the evidence placed before them, but in this case they will be voting to finance the wetlands centre. Any lawyers out there?
EDDC staff are certainly saying - in writing - that the Seaton Youth Centre will be redveloped. They will only lease the building for one, or perhaps two, years as a result. Since the only planning application I am aware of is for the Liatris development EDDC staff have predetermined the application. And yes it is illegal. EDDC know how expensive legal challenges are - but that doesn't mean they will be safe from one.
Great shame, but I work during the week so am unable to attend either of the days. There are questions I would like to ask, so hope like minded people are able to attend!
Why only 10:00 to 15:00?
EDDC professional officers work 09:00 to 16:00 and they need hour at the start to wind up and an hour at the end to wind down
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