Study to look at whether Exeter needs new entertainment venue

Media release | For immediate release

Study to look at whether Exeter needs new entertainment venue

Work to assess whether Exeter needs a new entertainment venue in the city is about to begin.

Exeter City Council is inviting external advisers to carry out a needs assessment for a new 1,000 minimum capacity venue.

The Council currently runs the Exeter Corn Exchange, which has a capacity of just 500. However, leases on the Corn Exchange and surrounding properties are set to end in 2020 and last year the local authority announced that it would be carrying out a review of South Street and the Corn Exchange block.

The City Council is open minded about the future of the area and wants to examine its options.

A New Entertainment Venue Advisory Group has been set up and now the Council is inviting companies to pitch for carrying out a review.

Among the areas that the needs assessment will look at are:
• Reviewing current performance venues in Exeter
• Evaluating current and likely future demand for a new large-scale entertainment venue (minimum 1,000 capacity)
• Identifying the constraints of a new venue, including costs, locations and competitors
• Engaging with funding partners including Arts Council England, about the likelihood of support.

Cllr Rosie Denham, Lead Councillor for Economy, said: “This is just the beginning and it’s really important that we carry out a thorough assessment of what we have, what we need and the costs and other factors associated with providing a new entertainment for Exeter.

Peter Goodwin, of the Theatre for Exeter Group, said “We’re pleased to be working closely with the City Council and aim to play an important part in the consultation process so that the views of our supporters are made known.

“Our research over the last few years and our report published in February 2014 will be made available to the consultants when they are appointed.

“We will study the results of the appraisal and make detailed comments on the recommendations put forward by the consultants.”

2017 can be better – here’s how

After a year of turmoil in politics across the World, the Co-operative Party has a simple message:

2017 can be better – but only if we work together.

Read our New Year’s message and spread the word

2016 was a year in which old certainties were swept away, with no consensus about what replaces them. Our country is divided, and the march of political, social, and economic progress no longer feels inevitable.

Today marks the start of a new year, our Centenary year. And it’s up to all of us to decide what this milestone means.

It can either be simply the 100th birthday of the ‘best kept secret in British politics’, or it can be something much larger: the beginning of the fight back.

That’s up to you, and it starts today with three simple asks:

1. SHARE – Share our page at www.2017canbetter.uk to help spread the word:
   Share on Facebook | Tweet about it | Email a friend

2. LIKE – Make sure you’re following us on social media to keep up to date with our work throughout the Centenary year:
Like us on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter

3. FOLLOW – If you’re not already a member, join the Party:
Click here to join the Party for the special centenary rate of £19.17

Events of 2016 show that people across the World are craving an alternative to the broken political and economic status quo.

Over a Century, our Party has seen a lot of change. But one thing hasn’t changed: our faith in the power of people working together.

We believe that the only way forward is an economy and society based on:

• Us all having a share in the things we produce and consume, and a say in the decisions that affect our lives.
• The idea that when people like one another and work together, they can achieve more than they would alone.
• That the co-operative values and principles – now almost 150 years old – give us template to follow for transforming our economy and society

Across the World, and across Britain, hundreds of thousands of co-operatives, with billions of members, know that an alternative isn’t just a dream – it’s already out there, and it works.

2017 can be better. But only if we stand together and spread the word.
www.2017canbebetter.uk

With very best wishes for the New Year from myself and the whole Co-operative Party staff team,

Claire McCarthy
General Secretary

Jeremy Corbyn’s New Year message

Jeremy Corbyn’s New Year message

In his New Year message, Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labour Party, takes stock of “a year that will live long in all of our memories.”

Jeremy will say: “2016 will be defined in history by the referendum on our EU membership”, before adding: “people didn’t trust politicians and they didn’t trust the European Union.”

“I understand that. I’ve spent over 40 years in politics campaigning for a better way of doing things, standing up for people, taking on the establishment, and opposing decisions that would make us worse off.”

Looking back over the year, Jeremy says that “decisions made in Westminster are making people’s lives harder”, referencing rising homelessness, increased waiting times in A&Es, a creaking social care system and an explosion in low pay and zero hours contracts.

In looking forward to the challenges of the year ahead, Jeremy says: “Labour was founded to stand up for people and we founded the institutions that do that day in, and day out, like our NHS. We are the party that listens to you and makes Britain better. Let’s do that, together, in 2017.”

Ends

Jeremy Corbyn New Year message full transcript

I think it’s fair to say, that 2016 is a year that will live long in all our memories.

It saw 12 months of enormous change not just in Britain but the world.

But the New Year gives all the opportunity to start afresh.

One of the best things about my job as Leader of the Labour Party is meeting some fantastic people all over the country.

But every day I see the political system letting down the people of this country; how decisions made in Westminster are making people’s lives harder.

Whether that’s elderly people not receiving the care at home they deserve, putting huge strain on them and their family, or whether it’s the people waiting longer in A&E or on trolleys because our National Health Service and social care system is at breaking point, despite the best efforts of the wonderful and dedicated staff.

Whether it’s the homeless families who are being priced out of a housing market that only works for the few. This Christmas, 120,000 children didn’t have a home to call their own. That’s scandalous. And it’s damaging those young people’s formative years. Our children also need a first class education for everyone, not just for a privileged few.

As well as insecure housing there is massive insecurity at work too. Millions of people can’t plan their lives because whether on temporary or zero hours contracts they don’t know what job or what hours they’ll have from day to day, week to week or month to month. And for many, pay is so low that it doesn’t make ends meet.

2016 will be defined in history by the referendum on our EU membership. People didn’t trust politicians and they didn’t trust the European Union.

I understand that. I’ve spent over 40 years in politics campaigning for a better way of doing things, standing up for people, taking on the establishment, and opposing decisions that would make us worse off.

We now have the chance to do things differently. To build an economy that invests and works for everyone across all our nations and regions.

Labour accepts and respects the result of the referendum. We won’t be blocking our leaving the European Union, but we won’t stand by.

Those in charge today have put the jobs market, housing, the NHS and social care in crisis. We can’t let them mess this up. It’s about everyone’s future.

A Brexit that protects the bankers in the City and continues to give corporate handouts to the biggest companies is not good enough.

Labour was founded to stand up for people, and we founded the institutions that do that day in, and day out, like our NHS. We are the party that listens to you and makes Britain better. Let’s do that, together, in 2017.

Fairer funding for schools in #EXEStThomas?

I – and my fellow Labour colleagues in St Thomas – are very worried about the financial future of our local schools.

Yesterday the National Audit Office [NAO] published a report on the Financial Sustainability of Schools which concluded that the Department of Education [DfE]’s approach to managing the risks to schools’ financial sustainability cannot be judged to be effective or providing value for money until more progress is made, according to the National Audit Office.

The DfE’s overall schools budget is protected in real terms but does not provide for funding per pupil to increase in line with inflation. In the 2015 Spending Review, the government increased the schools budget by 7.7% from £39.6 billion in 2015-16 to £42.6 billion in 2019-20. While this increase protects the total budget from forecast inflation, the Department estimates that the number of pupils will rise over the same period, by 3.9% (174,000) in primary schools and by 10.3% (284,000) in secondary schools. Therefore, funding per pupil will, on average, rise only from £5,447 in 2015-16 to £5,519 in 2019-20, a real-terms reduction once inflation is taken into account.

In the accompanying  press release, Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Office, said:“Mainstream schools have to make £3.0 billion in efficiency savings by 2019-20 against a background of growing pupil numbers and a real-terms reduction in funding per pupil. The Department is looking to schools to finance high standards by making savings and operating more efficiently but has not yet completed its work to help schools secure crucial procurement and workforce savings. Based on our experience in other parts of government, this approach involves significant risks that need to be actively managed. Schools could make the ‘desirable’ efficiencies that the Department judges feasible or could make spending choices that put educational outcomes at risk. The Department, therefore, needs effective oversight arrangements that give early warning of problems, and it needs to be ready to intervene quickly where problems do arise.”

This report reflects some of the concerns raised by 2 of the teaching unions – National Union of Teachers [NUT] and Association of Teachers & Lecturers [ATL] – when they launched their interactive map at the beginning of November.

In March 2016, the DFE have released plans for a Fairer Funding Formula by which existing school budgets – without any increase – will be redistributed from HM Treasury. An increase in costs for schools and inflation have not been taken into account meaning that the majority of schools are left with a real terms financial cut.

The infographics below show what is expected to happen to local schools in and around  St Thomas if, under the guise of this *fairer funding*, Theresa May and education secretary Justine Greening intend only to shift the already inadequate overall school funding around the country, rather than do the right thing – which is to increase it and ensure the most disadvantaged benefit.

For many years, Devon has been one of the lowest funded Local Education Authorities in England. In 2016/17, Devon received a Schools Block Unit of Funding [SBUF] of £4,346 per pupil compared with a national average of  £4,636 – a shortfall of  £290 per pupil, which is equivalent to £25.5m across the Local Education Authority’s for their 88,065 pupils.

The NUT/ATL calculations show that  schools in Devon could be facing additional cuts of 5%, on average a cut of £205 per child.

The three primary schools serving  St Thomas primaries will lose between £62,456 and £169,462. In the case of Montgomery Primary School this is predicted to be £132,805 or £350 per child, and the equivalent of 4 qualified teachers. This is totally unacceptable – education budgets must adequately reflect the invaluable work of local schools and teachers.

But it isn’t only me that is concerned – recently the Devon Association of Primary Headteachers [DAPH] and Devon Association of Secondary Heads [DASH] wrote jointly to MPs [including this one to Ben Bradshaw MP] and local councillors on behalf of primary and secondary schools collectively, drawing attention to a Devon wide campaign to raise awareness of the funding crisis in Devon schools.

As well as the Fairer Funding Formula, the letter covers the pressures of rising costs, the effect of the Apprenticeship Levy, the change to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities [SEND] Code of Practice putting additional pressure on the High Needs Block Funding [HNBF], and anticipated falls in contingency reserves.

The letter concludes: “Put simply, this translates into a very real probability that schools can longer longer continue to sustain high quality provision of education and essential support for every pupil without the urgent necessity to take some very undesirable, as well as far-reaching, decisions to reduce costs in order to balance the finite resources available. Sadly, the implications of these decisions will undoubtably impact upon the children in our care, including those  from some of our most vulnerable families, and these will ultimately manifest further into the wider community.”

Further reading:
House of Commons Library: Briefing Paper SN06702  School funding in England. Current system and proposals for ‘fairer school funding’ [21 November 2016]

National Audit Office: Financial sustainability of schools – Executive Summary [14 December 2016]

Devon & Cornwall Police | FoI Request 5648/16 – Section 35

Devon & Cornwall Police

Freedom of Information Act Request No: 5648/16

Devon & Cornwall Police

Q1. How many section 35 Dispersal Orders were issued in Exeter for the calender year 2015?

The Performance & Analysis Department have provided the following information:

From data supplied [by Section 35 Dispersal Data Licensing Department] , there have been 19 section 35 dispersals issued in Exeter town for the period reviewed.

Devon County Council | FOI request 5440099 – Cost of RPZ in Exeter

 

 

 

 

 

Freedom of Information Act 2000 
Information Request: 5440099 

Date of Request: 14/11/2016
Date of Disclosure: 12/12/2016 

Request 

At the meeting of Exeter HATOC held on 19 April 2016, the Committee approved the implementation of a Residents’ Parking Scheme across a wide section of Exeter. The report details suggest that a budget of around £250k is needed to progress the scheme.

Could you provide a breakdown of costs, including if possible:
– officer time to draw up the proposals
– costs of public consultation
– legal costs for advertising the relevant TROs
– cost of signage
– cost of painting relevant boxes on the highway
– cost of installing parking meters
– any other relevant costs

Devon County Council Response

This information is not held by Devon County Council.

The figure of £249,000 was budgeted in 2014/15 when further review of residents parking was agreed with Exeter HATOC, as the scheme has been developed the budgetary allocation was “rolled-over” for use in the subsequent financial years.

The figure was not derived from a detailed analysis of costs, nor an assessment of the final scheme, the scope of works was flexible. The figure was based on professional judgement and past experience of similar schemes. The allocation is sufficient to cover, design, consultation, legal, and implementation costs, any unspent monies will be returned to the On Street Parking account.

Devon County Council | FOI request 5436296 – PCNs for parking contraventions inin #EXEStThomas

 

 

 

 

 

Freedom of Information Act 2000 
Information Request: 5436296 

Date of Request: 13/11/2016 
Date of Disclosure: 9/12/2016 

Request 

I would like to know how many Penalty Charge Notices were issued during the calendar year 2015 for parking contraventions in Residents’ Parking Zones in Exeter St Thomas.

Devon County Council Response 

The total number of PCN’s issued between 01/01/2015 and 31/12/2015 for the roads defined in our Appendix A* as being Residents Zone B – St Thomas Area = 367.

– Disabled Parking Bay Contraventions = 12

– Loading Bay Contraventions = 10

– Dropped/Raised Kerb Contraventions = 4

– Limited Waiting Overstay Contraventions = 49

– Yellow line Contraventions = 40

– Resident Permit Holder Only contraventions = 252

*Appendix A is included in the Articles for Devon County Council (Traffic Regulation & On-Street Parking Places) Consolidation Order 2014, which can found on DCC’s website covering Parking TROs.

Car parking charges in Exeter

It’s that time of year when the RAC Foundation release their annual report showing that local authorities make a *profit* from parking operations after income was deducted from overheads – in 2015-16 this surplus was £756m.

Councils across Devon made over £22m from parking charges and fines in the last year – and there has been a big jump in surpluses over the past 5 years.

Devon County Council – as the Local Highways Authority – is responsible for all on-street parking and Residents’ Parking Zones across the county.

Any profit generated by unitary and upper-tier councils from on-street parking must by law [Section 55 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984] be spent on transport-related activities.

In Devon, money generated by the parking service is typically spent on enforcing parking restrictions, maintaining equipment such as pay and display machines, public transport and improving parking areas. The way money is spent is agreed annually by the Cabinet and is published in the annual County Road Highway Maintenance Revenue Budget and On-street Parking Account.

DCC On-street parking account 2016-17

Following lobbying from members sitting on the Exeter Highways and Traffic Orders Committee [HATOC] and others, DCC has set up  the HATOC Waiting Restriction Project  – a managed process to deliver an annual programme of works to deal with the requests for waiting restrictions to be introduced or amended that the County Council regularly receives.a Exeter Highways and Traffic Orders Committee. Just this week, DCC advertised a new TRO, 5555 Devon County Council (Various Roads, Exeter) (Control of Waiting & Loading) Amendment Order.

For the current year, DCC achieved a surplus of £2.6m from parking activities – up from £594k 5 years ago.

When parking was decriminalised in 2008, and DCC took over parking enforcement from Devon & Cornwall Police’s Traffic Wardens, on-street enforcement [by Civil Enforcement Officers] and back office administration was provided by the district councils and Exeter City Council working under agency agreements. It was originally anticipated that the enforcement element of the on-street service would operate at or around a zero (‘net nil’) budget with the cost of enforcement being offset by the income from Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) after a period of ‘bedding in’. In reality the cost of enforcement significantly exceeded the income from PCNs, resulting in an annual deficit of £795,160 in 2011/12.

Following a decision by DCC’s Cabinet in December 2013, since April 2014 Devon County Council has provided the on-street service in-house, and it is possible to download how the service has performed during the first two years of operation here:

• Devon County Council Civil Parking Enforcement Service Annual Report 2015/2016
• Devon County Council Civil Parking Enforcement Service Annual Report 2014/2015

District councils are responsible for their own local car parks – Exeter City Council has some 29 car parks across the city.

The RAC Foundation report shows that ECC’s surplus for the year 2015/16 was £4.6m [and ranked 39 of the 353 local authorities in England] , up from £3.4m in 2912/13.

Since ECChas not made any wholesale changes to parking tariffs since January 2012, this rise in surplus can be due only to increased usage of the city’s car parks.

The City Council has a net budget of £15m – made up of Council Tax, Government Revenue Support Grant and income from car parking and property.

On a Band D Council Tax bill of £1,600.49, Exeter City Council receives £140.05 [of the balance, DCC= £1,184.39; Adult Social Care = £23.23; Devon & Cornwall Police = £172.84; and Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service = £79.98]. A 1% rise in Council Tax would bring into ECC an additional £90,000 and so to replace the income from car parking would require car parking  charges rise by 51%, or £71 per year.

ECC launched a Parking Strategy in March 2016, and followed this with a revised tariff structure that will come into operation from 2017.

The  proposed tariff structure should provide a more gradual rise in price with a clearer ‘per hour’ rationale. 

The new structure also tried to strike a careful balance between supporting the local economy and making sure that people are not encouraged to favour car use over other more forms of sustainable transport – walking, cycling and public transport.

Futher reading:
DCC Cabinet: County Road Highway Maintenance Revenue Budget and On-street Parking Account 2016/17 [13 April 2016]

Exeter HATOC: Proposals for the delivery of an annual local Waiting Restrictions Programme [19 April 2016]

ECC Scrutiny Committee – Economy: Officer’s Report on Parking Strategy 2016 – 2026 [03 March 2016]

ECC Scrutiny Committee – Economy: A New Strategy for Parking 2016 – 2026 [03 March 2016]

ECC Place Scrutiny Committee: Delivering the Parking Strategy: Tariffs, Designations and Permits  [08 September 2016]

 

 

Devon County Council (Various Roads, Exeter) (Control of Waiting & Loading) Amendment Order

Devon County Council has advertised a Traffic Regulation Order containing a number of new parking restriction across Exeter – with the snappy title Devon County Council (Various Roads, Exeter) (Control of Waiting & Loading) Amendment Order

Statement of reasons
The restrictions are being proposed to resolve minor local issues that have been reported to the Council and considered as part of the Exeter Highways and Traffic Orders Committee annual local waiting restrictions programme. Specific details of what is proposed at each location can be found within the deposit documents.

The restrictions are proposed to avoid danger to persons or other traffic using the road or for preventing the likelihood of any such danger arising, for facilitating the passage on the road or any other road of any class of traffic (including pedestrians) and to preserve/improving the amenities of the area through which the roads run.

Draft order, plans & statement of reasons may be seen during usual office hours at the address below in main reception & Exeter City Council Customer Service Centre, Paris Street. Draft order, order being amended & statement of reasons at http://www.devon.gov.uk/traffic-orders from 08 December until 05 January.

Objections & other comments specifying the proposal & the grounds on which they are made must be in writing to the address below or via http://www.devon.gov.uk/traffic-orders to arrive by 05 January 2017. Receipt of submissions may not be acknowledged but those received will be considered. A reply will be sent to objectors if the proposal goes ahead. If you make a submission this will form part of a public record which may be made publicly available.

08 December 2016
Reference IMR/B13560-5555
County Solicitor, County Hall, Topsham Road, Exeter EX2 4QD

In West Exe, the plans affect the following streets:

Alphington & Cowick
Introduction of No Waiting At Any Time in specified lengths of: Aldens Road, Barley Farm Road, Barley Lane, Berkshire Drive, Bowhay Lane, Buddle Lane, Corn Mill Crescent Spur leading to numbers 8-20, Corn Mill Crescent Spur leading to numbers 9-25, Corn Mill Crescent, Courtenay Gardens, Courtenay Road, Cotfield Street, Eton Walk, Fairfield Road, Fortescue Road, Gabriels Wharf, Hatherleigh Road, Marsh Green Road North, Percy Road, Southport Avenue, Water Lane and Wheatsheaf Way.

Exwick & St Thomas
Introduction of No Waiting At Any Time in specified lengths of: Addison Close, Ashleigh Mount Road, Barton Road, Brentor Close, Burrator Drive, Church Path Road, Cleve Road, Coventry Road, Cowick Lane, Exwick Road, Farm Hill, Garland Close, Gloucester Road, Guildford Close, Hayes Barton Court, Kinnerton Way, Larch Road, Maple Road, Meadowbrook Close, Medley Court, Moorland Way, Princes Street North Access Road between numbers 14 & 16, Redhills, Rowan Way, Stafford Road, Wardrew Road and Winchester Avenue;

Introduction of Residents Parking At Any Time Zone B in a specified length of Beaufort Road.

More detailed plans for St Thomas

Schedule 1.001 No Waiting At Any Time

Barley Farm Road, Exeter
(i) both sides from its junction with Barley Lane for a distance of 9 metres in an easterly direction

(ii) the north side from its junction with Berkshire Drive for a distance of 8 metres in a westerly direction

(iii) the south side from its junction with Berkshire Drive for a distance of 11 metres in a westerly direction

Barley Lane, Exeter
(i) the east side from a point 8 metres north of its junction with Barley Farm Road to a point 8 metres south of that junction

(ii) the south-west side from its junction with Eton Walk for a distance of 15 metres in a north-westerly direction

(iii) the south-west side from its junction with Eton Walk for a distance of 13 metres in a south-easterly direction

Buddle Lane, Exeter
The north-west side from a point 140 metres south-east of its junction with Newman Road in a southerly direction to a point 4 metres north of its extended northern building line of number 50 Buddle Lane including the eastern side of the traffic island

Beaufort Road, Exeter
The north-east side from its junction with Queens Road for a distance of 7 metres in a north-westerly direction

Berkshire Drive, Exeter
(i) the east side from a point 3 metres north of the boundary of Nos. 28/30 Berkshire Drive for a distance of 15 metres in a northerly direction

(ii) the west side from a point 8 metres south of its junction with Barley Farm Road to a point 7 metres north-east of that junction

Bowhay Lane, Exeter
The north-east side from a point 8 metres south-east of its junction with Kerswill Road toa point 6 metres north-west of that junction

Buddle Lane, Exeter
The north-west side from a point 140 metres south-east of its junction with Newman Road in a southerly direction to a point 4 metres north of its extended northern building line of number 50 Buddle Lane including the eastern side of the traffic island

Church Path Road, Exeter
(i) the north-west side from its junction with Barton Road for a distance of 3 metres in a south-westerly direction

(ii) the south side from its junction with Cowick Lane for a distance of 8 metres in an easterly direction

(iii) the south side from its junction with Larch Road for a distance of 3 metres in a westerly direction

Cowick Lane, Exeter
The south-east side from a point 11 metres north of its junction with Parkhouse Road to a point 10 metres south of its junction with Church Path Road

Eton Walk, Exeter
(i) the north-west side from its junction with Barley Lane for a distance of 75 metres in a south-westerly direction

(ii) the south side from its junction with Barley Lane to a point 30 metres west and south-west of its junction with Furze Court

Kerswill Road, Exeter
(i) the north-east side from a point 1 metres south-east of the south-eastern boundary wall of 21 Kerswill Road for a distance of 32 metres in a north-westerly direction

(ii) the south-east side from its junction with Bowhay Lane for a distance of 3 metres in a north-easterly direction

(iii) the south-east side from a point 26 metres north-east of its junction with Bowhay Lane for a distance of 23 metres in a south-easterly and north-easterly direction

Maple Road, Exeter
Both sides from its junction with Wardrew Road for a distance of 5 metres in an easterly direction

Princes Street North Access Road Between Numbers 14 & 16, Exeter
Both sides from its junction with Princes Street North for the entire length of public highway

Stafford Road, Exeter
Both sides from its junction with Wardrew Road for a distance of 4 metres in a westerly direction

Wardrew Road, Exeter
(i) the east side from a point 5 metres north of its junction with Maple Road to a point 5 metres south of that junction

(ii) the west side from a point 4 metres north of its junction with Stafford Road to a point 4 metres south of that junction

Schedule 6.007 Residents Parking At Any Time Zone B

Beaufort Road, Exeter
The north-east side from a point 7 metres north-west of its junction with Queens Road for a distance of 52 metres in a north-westerly direction

Devon & Cornwall Police | FoI Request 5417/16 – Penalty Notices for Disorder

Devon & Cornwall Police

Freedom of Information Act Request No: 5417/16

Q1. How many Penalty Notices for Disorder [PND] were issued between 01 August 2015 and 31 July 2016?

The Central Ticket Unit have provided the following information:

Notice Issued between 8/1/2015 and 7/31/2016

 

Q2. How many offenders were given the option of attending an education course?

Of the above Devon & Cornwall Police offered 94 opportunities to attend a diversion course.

Q3. How many offenders asked to attend a course where a PND with an education option is given?

26 opted to attend and completed a course. 

Q4. How many offenders requested a trial in front of a magistrate?

No requests were made for a court hearing  

Q5. How many PND were unpaid within the 21 day time limit

 The reminder either paid the fine or if they failed to pay the fine then registered to the court.