Welcome!

This blog is aimed at the Clinton Devon Estate team to let everyone know what the Estate Director is up to... By popular demand! Let me have your feedback...

Wednesday 30 November 2011

YouTube video

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


www.YouTube.com/user/ClintonDevonEstates

Tuesday 29 November 2011

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...

Monday 21 November 2011

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.

Tuesday 15 November 2011

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

Sunday 13 November 2011

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!

Thursday 10 November 2011

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.

Colaton Raleigh Parish Council Briefing

Held a useful briefing and update session with Colaton Raleigh PC earlier in week.  Topics covered Solar PV at a brown field site and an update on the Clinton Farms dirty water system and lagoon which will help further reduce any possibility of diffuse pollution and excessive nitrates in the soil at the wrong time of the year. Being an organic farm a lot has been done already to improve soil fertility and conditions for wildlife, however, there is always more to be done.  We also gave an outline of a future planning application to erect a building to enable a second organic herd to be established at Otter, which would result in the calving unit moving elsewhere and a new road being established taking all farm traffic off Church Road.

Hope to hold sessions like this every six months or so with all parishes.

Littleham Podcast

Finished a 5 minute "podcast" of me being interviewed on the Estate's position regarding Plumb Park - our counter proposal to the Town Council's 190 allocation in the Littleham site.  Should be on Youtube in next 36 hours.  More details when live.

Wednesday 9 November 2011

18th November

18th November is an important date for Exmouth.  It is the day of the Development Management Committee Meeting where a decision will be taken regarding Littleham 190 houses or Plumb Park 350.  We hope for Exmouth's sake it is the latter...  more affordable homes and more real benefits for local people...

Meeting residents of Exmouth

In past few weeks it has proven remarkably difficult to meet with and engage with the Town Council about the LDF process.  So, we are now engaging direct with residents.

We have been to the AGMs of Littleham Residents Association and TARA (Avenues).  I enjoyed both.  Real people with real issues. I want to do more of this and we are working up a comprehensive engagement and consultation plan for the coming weeks.  On Monday 14th November we hope to meet for an information session with some Town Councillors and representatives from resident's associations.  We will talk about the Estate, our strategy and approach to Liverton Business Park and the LDF in respect of Littleham.  Hopefully the start of a wider engagement?

Feedback indicates that local people would like to see something done about the industrial site.  We are working on engaging with the stakeholders there to see if we can exercise some influence.  If we can deliver our Plumb Park 350 proposal then we may well have resources to do something quite exciting as well as open up a large open access park around "Donkey Hill".  Affordable housing is the message we keep getting and we intend to respond to this...

We need to talk to Sandy Bay re traffic and we will do this over the coming weeks.

Exmouth

Interesting times...  nearly ten years of work evaluating our Littleham housing site in Exmouth it was dismissed at the stroke of Cllr Mike Allen's pen on 11th October as unsuitable!  It was recognised by professional urban planners as THE most sustainable site in Exmouth for up to 500 homes.  No evidence presented other than councillors didn't like it!  Planning officers, consultants and Estate property team amazed at the cavalier approach.  But then, a counter proposal by the Town Council for 190 dwellings on a sub set of our site...

In two weeks we developed our response which is called Plumb Park - 350 houses on a site slightly larger than the Town Council's allowing lower density, much better landscaping, much more affordable housing and infrastructure...  yet this too rejected on 25th October and 190 confirmed on 1st November.  A lot of grandstanding which we found frankly inappropriate when you consider this is people's homes being talked about.  Over 3,000 on housing waiting list - we wonder what is behind all this...

There comes a point when you say OK lets now go into battle for what we believe in.  This is what we are doing.  We want to build a community not a high density housing estate.  See www.clintondevon.com for more details of our proposals.  Podcast will be launched in next 24 hours - details will be here.

On a brighter note the development at Liverton is proceeding well, despite the bad weather.  The fact we have started work has begun to attract a number of high profile tenants.  We hope to sign one or two heads of terms in coming weeks.  It is all VERY exciting and such a contrast to the comedy show over the LDF for housing...  My occasional trips to London and elsewhere on non executive business are a welcome relief and safety valve...   If we are to help unlock Exmouth and take on tenants such as Stage Coach and Jewsons they had better hurry up as we may not have room for them the way interest is taking off for LBP2.  Our emerging thoughts for LBP3 are including quality office use...  we await and see what the Town thinks...

A lot going on...

Attended quite a number of interesting meetings over past few weeks.  Environment Agency Board Meeting in Cardiff with a tour of the Welsh Assembly - remarkable building and facilities.  Chance to talk to those involved in bringing together Forestry Commission, CCW and EA Wales into one body...

Forestry Panel Meeting in London - minutes will be out shortly.  Progress is being made.

Nature Improvement Area judging Panel at Defra, London - getting 79 to 20 was not easy - some amazing applications. I am looking forward to having the privilege of judging the final few to get to 12!

At the Estate the key meeting has been our Board Meeting - this time in Devon with video links back to London to get up to date reports on the economy and global markets.  A great meeting, a lot to discuss about progress on the delivery of year one of our ten year strategy.  We are making progress on a number of fronts but in one or two areas it is quite frustrating - more in another post!