The Vision for Exmouth

WHAT IS THE SPEC THAT EDDC gave LDA to work to? I am not able to find this anywhere and until I am assured that EDDC are not playing their mind games I do not support the work that is being done by LDA as either in the interests of the town in general or will have the desired effect of making Exmouth a more attractive place to live in as far ahead as 2035. We must remember that Exmouth has evolved over the past 200 years into what e have now and this is after millions of years of environmental development. By indiscriminately building on every scrap of land that is not yet supporting a structure of some sort or another will ruin foe at latest the next 200 years the ambiance which we can all enjoy every day but a few self appointed thinking members of our society want it changed. My words to them are simple if you don't like our town then pack up and get out now before you spoil it for all of the rest of us.
The five options so far promoted by LDA are all spoiled by the obvious influence by EDDC in that we are still being told that a) we need another food supermarket in the ton and b)that the sites are either the bus station/ sports centre site or the rugby ground with residential development built in and a hotel motor camp site etc on hat is the jewel in our crown

There is much I support in your vision statement - I appreciate you have embraced the potential of the stunning natural environment surrounding Exmouth which gives it such a unique potential. What concerns me is that the ecological agenda is not fully integrated throughout this vision such that all buildings would be energy efficient, Exmouth would have a range of renewable energy projects making it self sufficient, a thriving local sustainable economy and be producing a large proportion of its food locally.
I also appreciated you recognising the need to 'join' exmouth up so that it becomes a coherent whole. You attended to this geographically but there are other levels where this fragmentation remains a difficulty. There is a little communication between the people who moved to Exmouth to retire, those who live here and commute for work and those Exmouthians that have a longer history with Exmouth. There is also no one decision-making body that brings together all the interested parties which are part of Exmouth - the Town Council, EDDC, DDC, community organisations, churches, police, health professional, town management, chamber of commerce, sports clubs, schools, Devon Wildlife, residents and many others. There is often little connection and communication between these different groups so the decisions and resultant development and actions taken seem piecemeal and disconnected. I'd like to see Exmouth 'joined-up' and these different groups learning to work together for Exmouth to fulfill it's amazing potential.

To attract people to the centre of Exmouth from 10 to 50 miles distant, on a regular basis, there are a number of ways. The current proposals do not do this.
One example is ICE SKATING. An Olympic Sport subject to Sport England Grants. Mr Quinn is doing this on the Sea Front. REGULAR REPEAT visits will be from a catchment area to the Dorset border and will include people from Honiton, Exeter, Tiverton, Cullompton, Axminster, Sidmouth, Seaton, Beer, Lyme Regis, Dawlish and so on. Had this been planned alongside the Town Centre it would have added to the town's economy. Whilst Supermarkets and additional retail units produce lateral damage, there are popular magnets that produce lateral (financial) improvements.

If we had a proper Sports Complex here, similar to the one described by Hugo Swire as a good productive suggestion, we'd have people from Southern England attending weekend rallies. They'd include, with the sport participants, families, coaches, managers, physio's, etc. What lateral advantages would this have? Apart from another boost to retail trade in the town, the year round demand on local b & b's would be enormous, local children would benefit and schools would use it. My detailed suggestions on this have gone to Hugh Robertson, via Hugo Swire, who is the Governments Sports Minister and to Dame Kelly Holmes.

It looks and feels good. The importance of our unique location and its international importance to the future of our town has been fully accepted- except for one thing. We are hoping that by 2035 Exmouth will also be on the map as one of the first eco-towns. Please can this issue be described earlier on in the Vision and made more of rather than leaving it as a couple of sentences until the penultimate paragraph. Thank you

I liked a lot about the Vision for Exmouth but I think it could be strengthened in considering the factors which will face Exmouth in 2035 and for which we should planning policy and building infrastructure for now. Although the last paragraph on green issues is good, with the undoubted significant rises in energy costs that can be expected and changes in the digital world that will depend on a secure energy supply we should be planning for these factors now and integrating the threats and opportunities that arise from them in our vision to ensure that Exmouth can prosper as a town and that its regeneration is sustained.
For example if Exmouth is to regenerate by encouraging entrepreneurs it needs to make sure it has secure energy supplies. Given that the grid is likely to run out of reserve by 2015 (House of Commons Select Committee report) Exmouth needs to ACTIVELY encouraging micro generation and pressing to make use of its natural tidal assets NOW, so it can market itself as a place where businesses can rely on a secure energy supply.
Similarly Lord Rolle was a pioneer in double skin houses - Exmouth should build on this tradition by ensuring that all its new buildings are carbon neutral NOW and work actively towards retro fitting to reduce the energy consumption of existing buildings so reducing residents and business costs, which again will be of considerable importance in attracting and retaining businesses and employment as energy costs rise.
Food security is likely to be a problem long before 2035 with rising energy prices. Exmouth should be actively encouraging local food production and be a beacon of excellence in terms of community gardens and allotments and planning for gardens that are big enough to grow food.
The integrated transport hub is a start but all areas of the town being well served by convenient cycle and pedestrian routes should be as central in planning as roads. Although the vision alludes to this, it doesn't underline the key significance that such networks are likely to have in the future as the nature of our car use changes.
With improvements in electronic networks it will be quite practical for people to live, work and shop locally without requiring them to travel or commute long distances. Therefore large offices will be a thing of the past. To take advantage of this Exmouth needs to ensure that it puts down the infrastructure now to enable this to happen. This will also provide jobs and indicate the requirements for local educational and training facilities
It is obviously very difficult to predict the future. 25 years ago mobile phones, let alone I Pods and broadband were largely unknown to the general public. However trends could be seen by those in the know.
It seems to me that the trends of higher energy costs, reduced or insecure energy supply, more volatile weather, and the increasing power of digital technology to change the way we live are all predictable and should be reflected in the centrality of the vision. Society will change so our vision must not be an essentially idealised form of the way society is now.

I liked a lot about the Vision for Exmouth, but I think it could be strengthened by considering the factors which will face Exmouth in 2035 and for which we should planning policy and building infrastructure for now. Although the last paragraph on green issues is good, with the undoubted significant rises in energy costs that can be expected and changes in the digital world that will require a secure energy supply, we should be planning for these factors now and integrating the threats and opportunities that arise from them in our vision to ensure that Exmouth can prosper as a town and that its regeneration is sustained into the 2020s and 2030s.
For example if Exmouth is to regenerate by encouraging entrepreneurs it needs to make sure it has secure energy supplies. Given that the grid is likely to run out of reserve by 2015 (House of Commons Select Committee report) Exmouth needs to be ACTIVELY encouraging micro generation and pressing to make use of its natural tidal assets NOW, so it can market itself as a place where businesses can rely on a secure energy supply.
Similarly Lord Rolle was a pioneer in double skin houses - Exmouth should build on this tradition by ensuring that all its new buildings are carbon neutral NOW and work actively towards retro fitting to reduce the energy consumption of existing buildings so reducing residents and business costs, which again will be of considerable importance in attracting and retaining businesses and employment as energy costs rise.
Food security is likely to be a problem long before 2035 with rising energy prices. Exmouth should be encouraging local food production and be a beacon of excellence in terms of community gardens and allotments and planning for gardens that are big enough to grow food.
The integrated transport hub is a start but all areas of the town being well served by convenient cycle and pedestrian routes should be as central in planning as roads. Although the vision alludes to this, it doesn't underline the key significance that such networks are likely to have in the future as the nature of our car use changes.
With improvements in electronic networks it will be quite practical for people to live, work and shop locally without requiring them to travel or commute long distances. Large offices will be a thing of the past. To take advantage of this Exmouth needs to ensure that it puts down the infrastructure now to enable this to happen. This will also provide jobs and indicate the requirements for local educational and training facilities
It is obviously very difficult to predict the future. 25 years ago mobile phones, let alone I Pods and broadband were largely unknown to the general public. However trends could be seen by those in the know.
It seems to me that the trends of higher energy costs, reduced or insecure energy supply, more volatile weather, and the increasing power of digital technology to change the way we live are all predictable and should be reflected in the centrality of the vision. Society will change so our vision must not be an essentially idealised form of the way society is now.