The Liatris/Terry Dinham reply

Recall that Stand Up For Seaton, Seaton Development Trust and Seaton Town Council wrote jointly to Terry Dinham (Liatris's agent) to suggest a meeting (with or without EDDC). Here is the reply which was addressed only to the Chair of the Town Council:

"I would be very pleased to meet you [the Town Council] again to discuss our development proposals. If you feel that other unelected groups should also be represented then I have no objection to this, however, in the light of difficulties we experienced at last summer's meeting, I would only wish to attend such a meeting if it is limited in numbers and follows an agreed agenda.

I therefore suggest that your side is limited to a maximum of five attendees. I will bring my colleague George Newcombe and possibly one other colleague. I would be pleased if EDDC were represented, but you will need to agree this with them. I further suggest the agenda is based around your Council's formal objection to our planning application.

A 2pm start on a Friday afternoon would be best for me.

Terry Dinham FRICS."

The meeting referred to "last summer" was actually called by Terry Dinham to "explain" the masterplan that had been in the Town Hall for two days earlier. He had not set an agenda nor had he tried to control the type of people at the meeting, which was limited by the size of the small room upstairs at the Town Hall where it was held.

There were no difficulties at all, as far as I recall (I was there). They presented their masterplan and we all explained why it was not acceptable. They were very unhappy to hear that we did not like it (and bear in mind this was BEFORE we learned about the million tons of infill, the monsoon drain and the supermarket 6 times the size of the Co-op and the 650 homes) and got really very irate.

It was at that meeting that I (and others) brought up: the lack of community facilities, the enormity of the supermarket and the lack of overnight tourist accommodation. Mr Dinham said that there was no space for community buildings and we would have to buy land from the developer and find the money to build our own building, he said that "shopping is a leisure activity" and said that there would be a "small hotel" of about 30-40 beds on the Axe Riverside site (where he had absolutely no control over what would be built).

I find it more and more puzzling that these top notch businessmen are finding Seatonians so difficult to deal with. Surely, they all participate in the cut and thrust of commercial life? Surely they have come across people much more difficult than we simple townsfolk?

And where does this "Friday afternoon at 2 pm would suit me best" come from? Does he have a holiday home in Sidmouth!