Factory Future Meeting Minutes

Factory Future Working Group

Meeting on 02/07/08 at Normandy House

Minutes

Present: Peter Faithfull, Phil Foggitt, Nick Graham, TC Cllr Ian Holmes, Diana Jones (minutes), Anna Roderick

Apologies: Clare Brewster, Jill Dixon, Jan Thatcher, Shirley-Ann Williams

Action from minutes of last meeting.

1. Leat.

We have been told that EDDC are the owners of the leat – relevant department Street Scene, present contact Martyn Jarvis.

2. Development brief.

Phil tabled Kate Little's reply to his letter (previously circulated). KL is Deputy Head of Planning & Countryside Services at EDDC.

She said EDDC had not issued a brief, but had been negotiating with the owners “on a number of fronts to ensure that development of the site meets a number of objectives, including benefiting the community”. She confirmed that pre-application negotiations are confidential. She referred to Churchill's consultation exercise of three years ago (erroneously stated to be eighteen months ago), and listed the proposals as “a new library with flats above in the main mill building, a small supermarket in the corner of the site, sheltered housing on the car park adjoining and a residential development on the land on the opposite side of the road. Some of the smaller mill buildings may also be made available for individual community uses as and when suitable proposals are put forward”. She said she would be happy to meet with us.

It was observed that this did not meet our objective of sustainable employment, and we certainly don't want another shopping area created in Ottery. We should maintain there should be a development brief.

It was agreed to ask for a meeting. Phil and Nick will represent us. It was suggested that Tom Grove's thesis might be a useful document to bring to the meeting, and Diana agreed to phone Sheila Walker to see if we could get hold of it again. It was noted that Diana has photocopied some of the pages in the thesis. ACTION Diana, Phil, Nick.

3. Steve Bendle's discussion paper.

It was agreed to continue with the objective to secure the existing employment designation on the site.

We need to clarify with Steve whether our method is a planning application. There are also a number of miscellaneous amendments needing to be made to the paper. Phil undertook to contact Steve. ACTION Phil.

4. Next meeting.

To be arranged.

PLEASE NOTE.
This was Diana's last meeting. Apart from producing the minutes for this meeting, and the action minuted, her 'secretarial' activity for Factory Future now ceases. Best wishes to everyone