Round up....

The past couple of months have been a whirlwind of activity.

Consultation document in for Plumb Park - which was at the same time as our request for a formal screening opinion from the Council on 350 homes if we were to put a planning application in.  There have been times when we felt that this was the only option - but we are now hoping that the LDF process will support our well considered plans to deliver the only re generation opportunity for Littleham in the next 20 years, plus significant numbers of affordable homes for Exmouth...  we shall see.

Our Solar PV site was delivered on time and is now live.  This will give us much experience in the technology and inform our thoughts about any future further roll out.

Expansion of Liverton Business Park in Exmouth continues, although slower than we had hoped due to very poor weather.  Still exciting times, a bit scary - investing c £3M without any tenants and committing a further £12M to build out all units...  all borrowed money but a real commitment to the Town and we are hopeful it will help wider regeneration plans and provide many new jobs.  The third phase of expansion is outlined in the Local Plan proposals and we hope it will result in high quality office and workspace for the Town.  But lets get Phase 2 finished first!

In Budleigh Salterton we have been working up our plans to deliver much needed affordable homes on the scheme in Greenway Lane which has outline planning permission.  We are already getting ready to prepare the enlarged allotment site and plans include a proper water main, paths and brand new sheds for each allotment holder.  The Estate will not simply sell this site off - we are committing to enter into a Joint Venture to ensure what we promised is delivered.  Interesting times.

Spending a lot of time looking into bio mass options for district heating systems in North Devon and at Plumb Park Exmouth (duel fuel with gas).  Again - cutting edge stuff and could deliver significant benefits to communities in terms of lower fuel prices, more consistent supplies and decentralised energy from local woodlands.

We have been involved in helping the County Council and Local Enterprise Partnership put a bid into Government for up to £1.5M of funding to help rural businesses across the county - should know result later this month - we are through to second stage which is exciting.  Our focus has been on supporting Family Business learning and thinking based on our close relationship with the Family Business Faculty at IMD in Lausanne.

Lots going on in the woods - much clear felling due to keeping ahead of the disease P. Ramorum which is devastating Larch.  Also, much new planting.  Including, later this year, a brand new Jubilee Wood on land next to Harpford Wood (Newton Poppleford / Harpford) - more details later.  It will be a true community accessible wood - even hope to encourage local children to help plant it...

On the Pebblebed Heaths our application to set up an enhanced grazing regime - to better manage the natural habitats and deliver the recovery in habitat conditions and species required by Natural England - was submitted before Christmas.  We await with eager anticipation the feedback...

For me personally - have completed my work on the judging panel for the Government's flagship Nature Improvement Areas Competition - a global first and a real privilege to be asked to sit on the Panel.  Our recommendations are now with the Secretary of State to make a final decision on the winning top 12.  My work on the Independent Forestry Panel set up by Government and chaired by the Bishop of Liverpool continues - we hope to publish our final report and recommendations later in Spring.  Our interim report is already out so do have a look.  My time on the Environment Agency Board is more and more focussed on water - this is going to be a very big issue for the next generation and we need to get mindsets (and policies) changed about water as a resource for both people and nature in the coming months and years.

So that is the catch up.  However, by far the most impressionable event for me in the past few months has been my visit to Littleham Primary School to talk about the pros and cons of developing the Plumb Park site next to the school.  I met around 60 pupils in two groups - Year 1/2 and Year 3/4.  I came away with three big takeaways:

1.  I am in awe of school teachers and their job - the ones I met were amazing, professional and passionate

2.  That children, even young children, are worth listening to.  They have no angle or baggage.  I took away new ideas and a real focus about what we should be doing to make our proposed development relevant to them

3.  The Estate, in terms of its stewardship for the next generation needs to find ways of engaging with young people across ALL our activities.  It is a real investment for the future.

YouTube video

See below URL for latest short intro video to the Estate:


www.YouTube.com/user/ClintonDevonEstates

CAP Reform and Rural Growth Networks

Attended a CAP Reform update seminar in London today - interesting and at the same time very concerning as the current proposals seem to be moving farming backwards and more reliant on subsidy rather than moving towards a more competitive industry less reliant on public funding.  Indeed the law of unintended consequences may well come into play if some of the proposals actually get agreed by the European Parliament in due course.  Negotiations continue till 2013 so there is time for sense to prevail yet I doubt if it will...  UK Government have their work cut out.

In the afternoon attended a briefing by the Secretary of State for Defra and her ministers on the outcome of the Chancellor's pre-budget statement specifically in terms of rural growth opportunities and of real interest to Clinton Devon - Rural Growth Networks.  Below is a url linking to a Defra presentation on the subject:

http://archive.defra.gov.uk/rural/documents/economy/rural-economic-growth-review-111129.pdf

I was involved as Chairman of the Estates Business Group - www.estatesbusinessgroup.co.uk -
Rural Committee in some of this work earlier in the year and it is fantastic that the Treasury are looking to fund some initiatives for rural areas from community broadband, affordable housing to Rural Growth Networks investment.  The funds are limited and subject to open competition between the Local Enterprise Partnerships.  We need to ensure that the Heart of the SW LEP gets engaged with the rural growth agenda and submits some bids ASAP otherwise the funds will go to other areas.  Clinton Devon will do what ever is necessary to help Devon get its fair share to encourage local jobs, increased productivity, income growth for local businesses and community infrastructure - but we need Local Authorities to lobby the LEP over the coming weeks.

Whilst the economy is in a pretty dire situation - we must do whatever we can to protect the UK's AAA rating - otherwise it will be game over.  In that respect it will be a private sector driven recovery - especially if the public sector is unable to deliver the necessary infrastructure investment.  We shall see...

CASE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING - DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE 18 NOVEMBER

My three minute presentation to EDDC Development Management Committee on Friday 18th November can be found at www.clintondevon.com - hopefully uploaded today.

I made the case:

That in the last 15 years Exmouth contributed 30% of the Districts’ houses, however, in the last 5 years it contributed 22%; all in line with the facts that:

It houses 25% of the population of the District; household sizes are reducing and, it’s getting harder to develop within the built up area boundary.

But the LDF Panel says that Exmouth should now only deliver 11% - 1,700 houses - and this figure includes:

• 482 already built and 391 under construction or with permission. Of those built only 32 were affordable and taking this pattern on, out of 873, ONLY 57 WOULD BE AFFORDABLE! That’s 6.5%!

• 137 houses that have “made progress”

• 150 dwellings for allocation

• 540 as strategic allocations (Littleham and Goodmores Farm); that is 3.5% of the overall total.

When you consider that provision of affordable and other housing for young families is the number one priority for Exmouth when demand is massive it is rather depressing that the politicians present (presumably who don't need affordable housing) can be so cavalier as to think that their plan will deliver it when the facts clearly show that they have no chance.  Only one or two individuals questioned whether Exmouth needed to look again at the numbers but they were swiftly silenced and the agenda moved on.

No one took any notice or challenged the figures so we go to consultation with 190.  We now need to decide how we approach the consultation.  We intend to engage with local people as well as those interested in improving infrastructure around Littleham and wider Exmouth.  We are particularly interested in hearing about community infrastructure and also from those interested in affordable housing provision.

A specific website will be launched shortly to help us with this engagement.

Plumb Park Podcast

Today we posted the 5 minute Podcast I made showing the interview about our proposed development near Littleham Exmouth.  It is about building a community - providing affordable housing for local people, infrastructure, landscaping, open space, woodland and orchards and new linear rights of access.  Our proposal enables much greater numbers of affordable housing to be built as well as a full planning obligations package.  We envisage improvements to public transport, the Pankhurst Industrial Estate, local infrastructure and housing provision.  We also believe that elements of the development nearer Douglas Avenue can reflect the Avenues Design Statement.  All in all a very exciting opportunity!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9z5hEpTFo4&feature=feedu

Employee Engagement

Amazing that I understand over 90% of Estate employees have responded to the "Employee Engagement" questionnaire being run by Best Companies.  We won't know the full results until early in the new year but this level of response is encouraging and should give us some useful feedback on which to base plans to improve the way we work.

As 2011 is year one of our ten year strategy I am keen that we start off on the journey with a truly engaged team!

Woodland Trust and Jubilee Woods

Met Woodland Trust this afternoon to discuss our management of Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS).  Overall we think they were impressed with our approach - we certainly enjoyed the engagement and opportunity to discuss what is a very topical subject.

Our plans for a new woodland extension at Harpford Wood was discussed and our plans to designate it free open access and a "Jubilee Wood" perhaps involving local people in its establishment.

Lord Clinton's Charitable Trust agreed recently to donate £500 to each Estate parish to support the recognition of the Queen's Jubilee in 2012.  We are talking to the Woodland Trust about any guidance they can give to planting hedgerow trees or small groups / specimens.  Once we have looked at this we will contact all parishes and town councils.