Where do we currently stand with the Liatris Planning Application?

The story so far .....

1. Several weeks ago (around six weeks ago if my memory is correct, though it may have been a little longer) a joint letter signed by Stand Up For Seaton, Seaton Town Council and Seaton Development Trust went to the developer's agent (Terry Dinham) saying that there was obviously a problem with the planning application [nearly 900 letters of objection, 8 letters of support] and suggesting that we meet (with or without representatives from East Devon District Council who received a copy of the letter) to discuss possible ways forward. There has been no reply from the developer's agent to that letter to date.

2 Stand Up For Seaton and one of our current MEPs for the South West (Member of the European Parliament - Neil Parish - who will take over from Angela Browning as the adopted MP for the new constituency which will include Seaton at the next General Election) have each written to East Devon District Council asking them for details of the timetable for action on the decision about the Liatris planning application - or, in our case, an explanation of what is delaying a timetable if this is the case. Neither Stand Up For Seaton nor Mr Parish have received a reply from EDDC to date.

3. Stand Up for Seaton requested to know (a) how much Section 106 money is being expected of the developer (b) for what projects is it earmarked and (c) how much for each project. EDDC has said that it will not divulge this information until it has made it available to the EDDC Development Control Committee. There is no timetable for when this information will be available to that Committee or to us.

So, basically

(a) we (i.e. the people of Seaton) are not being told by EDDC what is happening (if anything) or, if nothing is happening, why not;

(b) neither we nor the SW MEP have been told if there is a timetable for hearing the application, (if there is one) or why there is no timetable (if there isn't one);

(c) we have been told that currently have no right to know anything at all about the financial deals which are being discussed between the developer and the officers of EDDC;

(d) the developer's agent refuses to communicate with us, the town council or Seaton Development Trust, though we know he is continuing to have talks and meetings with EDDC officers, although we are not allowed to know what they are about;

(e) it appears that EDDC are not prepared to act as intermediaries between us and the developers to get a meeting set up.