General Discussion

There is a full town council meeting on Wednesday.

This is on the agenda.

10 Dawlish Lawn - To consider the creation of a working group to look at Dawlish’s wishes for the future of the Dawlish Lawn – particularly to re-examine the ideas for a play park and determine how to proceed. The working group to be led by the council and to include participation from a wide range of Dawlish interest groups

http://www.dawlish.gov.uk/edit/uploads/2305_1793179550.pdf

“A wide range of Dawlish interest groups”? Aren’t most of these dominated by retirees with loads of time on their hands?  Hopefully they’ll also decide to include representatives of local schools, children’s groups, and other local majority interest groups. 

@Diana Mond

"dominated by retirees with loads of time on their hands"

Isn't that a rather 'ageist' remark?

Not at all Calmari, it’s a factual remark. 

There is nothing wrong with The Lawn as it is, so leave it alone.

What is this fixation on building a ridiculously small playpark on The Lawn wasting over £100K when 1) we already have a better and bigger playpark at the Manor 2) there are more essential things the money needs to be spent on.

I’m genuinely interested to know what you would rather spend the £100K on. Bearing in mind the restrictions on where and when. A bandstand?

How about some more town centre signs? 

@Diana Mond - genuine and diana mond don't make me laugh.

Why should there be restrictions on where and when this money should be spent other than councillors itchy fingers?

"there was a sum of £202k provided as part of the Section 106 agreement for the Sainsburys’ supermarket planning approval which is for Town Centre projects and initiatives to improve the vitality and viability of the town centre,"

from https://sites.teignbridge.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=36148&p=0

Wasn't that money spent on the Strand improvements because there was an overspend on what DCC had set aside. As it is not and never will be part of my agenda, I thought I would put in two- penny worth for others to look into it.

I have no idea if what you say is correct or not but even if it were to be true if some of the S106 money was spent on the Strand improvements then how it was spent complies with the S106 requirement. (that the monies be spent on town centre projects).

Have now looked at the S106 Agreement dated 20th September 2010. This is what it says with regard to the Town Centre Contribution that Sainsbury's was required to make.

"Town Centre Contribution means - a financial contribution of £200,000 towards the cost of projects aimed at sustaining the vitality and viability of Dawlish Town Centre and including works to meet objectives outlined in the Dawlish Town Centre Masterplan dated April 2008 as published by the Dawlish Community Trust".  

and this link should take you to said Dawlish Town Centre Masterplan

https://sites.teignbridge.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=33319&p=0

So is there any money left in the coffers from the s106, or will it be new money from somewhere else that will have to fund it?

Precept, precept oh precept 

I expect budgets are being talked about, it's the time of the year.

What 'it' do you have in mind?

The town centre projects. Unless everything to do with the lawn, is going to be done for free. Is that possible? I don't know.

Why not spend the money on replacing the hideous bandstand we have put up with for years? And I do mean a BANDSTAND, not an awful out of place armadillo as was proposed in 2014. There are some excellent examples of tasteful bandstands, Exmouth and Dartmouth spring to mind. At least it would be used by every age group and actually enhance the lawn area. 

Ok, I’m now waiting for Mrs C to make her usual caustic comments! 

This link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW-sOdOmpA4&feature=youtu.be should take you to a recording of last night's town council meeting.

The agenda item concerning the lawn starts at 35 mins 25 seconds in. 

Worth watching not only to hear the discussion and what was decided but also to hear the comment made by Cllr Fenne (G) to and about the mayor and the reaction of the other councillors to his comment. 

Has anyone ever thought about expanding Sandy Lane play park? Plenty of car parking spaces which is more than you would get if the play park was built on the lawn. I think you will find that what they have there now is fully used everyday by lots of people with their children of all ages. Is that rocket science or what?

Thanks for the link Lynne, makes for interesting listening. Can you remember the timing for Councillor Fenne’s comments? 

Try 52 mins 30 seconds

Well said Cllr Fenne. The mock horror, “dear, oh dear, oh dear”, was priceless. 

From how Cllr Fenne (G) reacted to them, I got the impression that those in the public gallery were a bit taken aback by his comments as well.

Still, he did say that the issue he was raising could be discussed at a later date.

Where and when I wonder? And will it be held in public or behind closed doors?     

You do wonder they ever decide anything.

After previous discussions relating to the lawn and several FOI requests. Has anyone yet seen written evidence showing TDCs ownership of this piece of land. Appreciate that they may have a duty to maintain the lawn using council funds but thats not in question. Do they actually own the land?

Thanks Lynne, will have a listen tonight. 

Typical comment from Mrs C as she just needs a reaction! Quite sad really!!!!!!!!! Exclamation marks inappropriately used on this occasion, well, after the first one. 

Well said Flo, you are spot on. 

Welcome back Fred. Very good question and I do know someone who will have the answer. I’ll email them and get back to you. 

Margaret Swift. You’ve not watched the video, yet you decide to troll yet again. Give it a rest please, you’re being very tedious. People should be allowed to comment without you being so snidey. 

Here's a suggestion for how the Lawn could be utilized.

A post Brexit communal allotment.

Discuss. 

So what could we grow on this communal allotment of ours?

Some Brussels perhaps? 

and cucumbers (of any shape.....)

The other side of the coin all the produce that is dug back into the fields because it doesn't meet EU standards wrong shape etc we will be able to use again there's nowt wrong with a nobbly spud or carrot.

Do keep up to date Leatash!

That all stopped back in 2008.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7723808.stm

wonky looking vegetables have been available for some time now. It seems it is the great British public that have a problem with buying them.

 A lot of our fields are contracted out to the likes of Tesco, Sainsbury, Morrison's etc, and if they order a destruction of whatever crop, then it is destroyed, no question. Or dug back in as there is to much of one product on the market and destroying it keeps the price up. Everyone can dig deeper to find that out for themselves what goes on behind the scenes.

I remember many years ago when the then MofA would supposedly get the bigger growers to spray crops that had been harvested (potatoes) with a purple dye, those potatoes could only then be used for animal feed.

But after the officers had written out the cheques to cover the cost to the farmer and left the farm, guess what happened to the dye and the potatoes?

So nothing to do with the EU then?

Yes, because they pay to do it.

Potatoe quotas, milk quotas etc, where did all that come from?

Can you give us some examples please.

There’s no such thing as a potato quota. 

There is however a milk quota, designed to prevent “overproduction”, which was introduced by the EU in 1984. Farmers should welcome this, as prices paid by *most* supermarkets would otherwise be even lower if there was no limit. 

The milk quotas were scrapped in 2015.  Do keep up.

Thanks Burneside, no wonder dairy farmers are complaining then. 

and on the subject of farmers and quotas and subsidies and trade deals and, and, and............read this.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/862598/Brexit-news-EU-Donald-Trump-food-imports-quotas-British-farmers