Call for 'crisis' talks on homes

Interesting article on the SW housing problem (it's long been recognised that there is a real problem over affordable housing in the region)
On the issue of "urban sprawl" there is this incisive remark...

>>There is a shortage of housing in the area, but any development needs to support our towns and villages, not destroy them

Julia Goldsworthy, MP<<

Full article here


ht:bbc

Thanks to everyone who supported SU4S at the two recent exhibitions

Just to say thank you to everyone who gave us their time and support at the two recent exhibitions by Tesco and Sainsburys. We counted in about 1,200 people at the Tesco exhibition and about 1,800 at the Sainsburys exhibition - a massive turnout when you think there are only around 7,000 people in the town. One of the exhibitors said that the most people they had ever had to an exhibition was around 1,000 - well, Seaton showed 'em!

Many, many people came to talk to us at Temptations restaurant when the Tesco exhibition took place and in the foyer of the Town Hall when the Sainsburys exhibition took place. It gave us the opportunity to hear from to SO many people, many, many of whom told us how much they supported the concept of "Standing Up for Seaton".

Early feedback from Tesco and Sainsbury exhibitions

Stand Up For Seaton volunteers counted in everyone who went to the Tesco exhibition and everyone who went to the Sainsbury exhibition.

The Tesco exhibition had (rounding up) 650 visitors on the first day and 550 visitors on the second day making a total of 1,200 in all.

Sainsburys had (rounding up) 1100 visitors on the first day and 700 visitors on the second day making a total of 1,800 in all.

Tesco have not given us the (verifiable by us) results of their visitor survey (we did not ask them to but would hope that they would let us know); Sainsburys have said they will give us their (verifiable by us) results within the next few days (we did not ask them, they volunteered to do this).

As soon as each supermarket can give us their (verifiable by us) for/against totals and (verifiable by us) number of papers handed in, we will post the results here. We will not post results that we are not able to verify to our satisfaction as this could be misleading.

SAINSBURY'S EXHIBITION THIS WEEK

This post will be "sticky" (at the top) until 4 pm Saturday 25th October 2008.
STAND UP FOR SEATON HAS BOOKED THE FOYER OF THE TOWN HALL FOR THE DURATION OF THE SAINSBURY'S EXHIBITION SO YOU CAN GIVE US FEEDBACK STRAIGHT AWAY

Sainsbury's are taking their turn to tell us what they have planned for Seaton this week. They will be exhibiting in the Town Hall on:

Friday 24th October from 10 am to 7 pm
and
Saturday 25th October 10 am to 4 pm

Please make every effort to attend - we need to weigh up the two alternatives and we need your evidence to back up our findings.

Is Sidmouth more upmarket than Seaton?

Sidmouth more upmarket than Seaton?

EDDC have sent out a press release about the granting of a licence to the old Dove pub for gaming machines. The press release says:

"The Sidmouth proposal had been vociferously opposed by some 36 objectors, who feared that the gaming centre would be more like an open-fronted, noisy amusement arcade such as those at seaside resorts that do not enjoy Sidmouth's up-market image."

Seaton, as you may all know, has a very small, open-fronted, not particularly noisy amusement arcade close to its seafront - a family-owned business which has been there for many, many years and as far as I can recall has caused no offence to anyone at all. Sidmouth now has a REALLY big (though closed-fronted), presumably slightly noisy amusement arcade close to its seafront.

Does that make us more up-market than Sidmouth, or the exactly the same market as them - we are certainly not less up-market now!

Is this blog anti-Tesco?

A recent commentator has said that this blog is anti-Tesco. We pointed out that Tesco has more supermarket stores than all the other big 4 supermarkets put together and that, much as we try to find topical posts about the other 3 store groups (Sainsburys, Asda, Morrison) there just isn't the same amount of stuff out there about them.

Also, let us be aware that Tesco is not just a supermarket company that wants to come to Seaton and build a shop. It owns as an investor 80% of the Seaton REGENERATION area and, as such, has to be responsible for 80% of the regeneration of the whole site.

However, it got us thinking and we have analysed all the postings for September 2008, which cover:

building swimming pools cheaply, supermarkets (all of them) selling sugary foods at discount prices, charity shops, Tesco chief says we must go green, tourism, Pink Floyd (?), delisting of world heritage sites, building on flood plains, Sheringham wins planning inquiry against Tesco, regeneration (general), EDDC's Swimathon (drawing attention to the fact that we are about to lose our pool), Pink Floyd (again!), insurance policies for people whose houses are built on flood plains, Tesco and Sainsburys exhibition dates, the Axe Riverside planning application, holiday camp profits soar, coastal erosion, the community art project, climate change, reminder about Tesco exhibition times.

So, there was one item that might be construed as "anti" Tesco (the Sheringham planning inquiry). Building on floodplains would apply to anyone who owns a floodplain site.

What we do bang on about, again and again, is that this is a REGENERATION site and not a DEVELOPMENT site and that Tesco knew this when they bought it.

WHAT IS REGENERATION?

To see ten definitions of what constitutes regeneration from 10 important people in the construction and related industries see here.

Basically these 10 different people, who come from all areas, say regeneration should include:

investment in social capital (e.g. facilities for the whole community, not just development), social, economic and physical action to help people in neighbourhoods experiencing multiple deprivation to reverse decline and create sustainable communities, not property development by another name, partnerships, creation of aspirational new environments that work both on an economic level and for the community as a whole, makes people feel good and makes them proud to be part of it, comprehensive and integrated vision and action that leads to the resolution of urban problems and which seeks to bring about a lasting improvement in the economic, physical, social and environmental condition of an area, no "one size fits all approach", responsive to local and market needs, social, economic and environmental benefits, good design, visually attractive buildings that will stand the test of time and make long term contributions to their surroundings, revitalising an area by attracting economic investment and new employment, a good quality of life for the people who live and work there, ensuring that everyone in the community benefits.

This is what ANY owner of the vast majority of the Seaton Regeneration area must expect to sign up to. None of it is new and anyone buying a regeneration site can expect these criteria to rule.

Fresher's Fair

Just to say a big thank-you to Councillor Graham Jones who put in so much effort with the Fresher's Fair yesterday. It was brilliant to see so many Seaton groups showing what they are doing in the town. The hall was also packed with people wanting to see what is going on and to volunteer for things - that's Seaton for you. The Stand Up For Seaton desk was busy all day - particulary with comments about the regeneration area - all of which are being fed into our report which will be available after the Sainsbury's meeting later this week.

Thanks also to Seaton Town Council for letting us all attend this event free of charge.

Tesco builds health centre to replace one they demolished

As part of the planning permission for a store in Failsworth, Tesco paid to rebuild the local health centre, which has a pharmacy next door, because the old one was demolished to make way for Tesco's petrol station.

So we can rest assured that Tesco will pay to rebuild holiday facilities on the Seaton regeneration site then because they will be demolished to make way for a ....... ah, I see the problem. Being demolished to make way for nothing at all ......

Still, surely Sainsbury's will pay to rebuild the youth and community centre .....

So where's my leaflet Tesco?

Tesco promised to send their regeneration leaflet to every home in Seaton? Have you received yours? And where's the result of the survey they did of the 1000 plus people who went to their exhibition. I think we should be told! (But I want to see ALL the reply cards for myself too).

Tesco buys Woolworths Store in Lyme Regis

The Woolworths store in Lyme Regis (near the Co-op) has been bought by Tesco. It will close in a few days and re-open as a Tesco. This will make a total of 13 Tesco stores within 25 miles of Seaton.

Nearest Sainsbury's is Exeter, nearest Morrison's is Bridport, nearest Asda store is Taunton.

The Tesco exhibition - feedback

Thank you to everyone who took the time to talk to us before and after they visited the Tesco exhibition at the Eyre Court Hotel yesterday (Friday) and today (Saturday) and thanks to Temptations for letting us have space in their restaurant for the 2 days.

Feedback on the comments made to SU4S during the Tesco exhibition will appear here after it ends as will feedback after the Sainsbury's exhibition at the end of the month.

You can hand in your questionnaire or leave comments over the next few days at Steve's Print and Byrne-Jones in Fore Street or the Starboard Pets in Queen Street.

Your feedback is just as important to us as it is to Tesco so please make contact with us, whether you are for or against or undecided by what you have seen. We will be making a report of feedback we have received both from Tesco and Sainsbury's which will be sent to Tesco, Sainsbury's, Seaton Town Council, East Devon District Council and others to keep them informed of what the people of Seaton are thinking - and expecting - from them.

VOLUNTEER TO HELP STAND UP FOR SEATON

This post is "sticky" until the 2nd Oct, so all new posts will appear below it until that time: hence the date. To read new messages, just scroll down past this one.

It seems that the future of the Seaton Regeneration area will probably become clearer in the next couple of months, with both Tesco and Sainsbury promising to hold exhibitions about their plans. After each of these exhibitions it is important that Stand Up For Seaton is able to let people know of any concerns that may be raised about the regeneration area and for the town as a whole. To be able to do this it needs the help of volunteers of all kinds and with all types of skills. The only requirement is that you have the best interests of Seaton at heart.

If you want to help Stand Up For Seaton to protect our town, please contact Lizzie on

07853 277 801

This is also the number to call if you are a journalist wanting more information about Stand Up For Seaton.