During the year we attend many various meetings and often members of our Town Council are present, all too often we hear them say “Dawlish is dying”. Unfortunately they are not alone, many other people say it. This is not what we want the world to hear – say it enough and people will believe it. DARE firmly believes Dawlish is not dying, it may need a little TLC but it is neither dead nor dying! Since our last Newsletter, two new retail outlets have opened, Geralds Convenience Store in Brunswick Place and Thornton’s in the Strand. We welcome them both and wish them success in the future, this type of new investment is just what Dawlish needs and we should congratulate them both. The Co-Op have recently confirmed they are expanding into the former Woolworths premises and we understand that at least two other new outlets may be taking over vacant shops/premises in the town. Now is the time to start “talking up” Dawlish. It is also the time to reflect over the last fourteen months on the various matters which have occurred in the Town and Parish. March 2010 saw the public referendum on the proposed sale of the Manor House. Do you remember sitting in St Gregory’s Church being called “activists” just because you did not want to see the Manor sold? Were you asked if the purchase of 34 Park Road (former Salvation Army Hall) was a good investment or the right place for temporary Council Offices? This building is still empty and it is alleged to have cost £250,000 of Council Tax payers money in the last year alone. Was the transfer of Assets from Teignbridge District Council, which includes the Lawn, Toilets, Crazy Golf, Museum and the CAB Building to name just a few, a wise move? These assets we feel will become liabilities in the future. On the 5 May 2011 you will have your opportunity to let Dawlish Town Council know what you think. Please use your Vote for the benefit of the Parish of Dawlish not for a political party. It is very important to remember, currently the Manor House still has no safe future. Perhaps we should now consider how and why Teignmouth has achieved so much recently with their regeneration of their Town. Examples of which we have shown below.

How did Teignmouth get it so Right and Dawlish so Wrong?

Dawlish Museum – building in need of repair	Teignmouth Museum – new modern building
Dawlish Skate Park – noisy, out of sight, full of litter and not inviting.	Teignmouth Skate Park – quiet, open to view and challenging
Dawlish Crazy Golf- Looks like a garage drive, no imagination and uninteresting	Teignmouth Crazy Golf – Astro turf, sand like  bunkers, water features and inviting.
Teignmouth parking meters that always accept 5p coins	Teignmouth 30 minutes Free Parking
Teignmouth – ample smart seating	Dawlish – is this the best Dawlish can manage, flower tubs full of weeds?

Strand Regeneration

Thank you to everyone whom submitted their comments on the Strand Regeneration. These have been submitted to Devon Council County for their consideration. Further consultation will take place late Spring or early Summer. We did supply a plan which incorporated pedestrianisation of the Strand with additional parking on the Shrub boarder below the existing wall, plus an alternative plan with a new car-park next to the Ugly Duckling Restaurant. It is possible both these suggestions were controversial, but it did offer a potential solution and it has certainly opened up further discussions. At the meeting where the plans were available for all attendees to see three of our Town Councillors dismissed the plan without even looking at what was on offer, nor were they prepared to engage in dialogue, only to say NO building on the Lawn! A small car-park area is hardly building on the lawn, unlike the proposal in the Regeneration Plan to build a Pavilion/Arts Café on this area which has the support of some of our Town Councillors. Confused? So are we.

Shutterton Recycling Centre

Devon County Council went ahead with closing this essential amenity against a very strong out cry from residents. No review is likely to be made regarding relocating such a facility in Dawlish until post 2016.

It remains to be seen if the access road to the Recycling Centre is used as a link road to the new Industrial Units that are proposed at the Sainsburys site. A link road was mentioned at an early display hosted by Sainsburys but the location was never identified. Perhaps there were other reasons for this site to close – only speculation, but who knows? Teignbridge District Council denies any knowledge of such a plan.

Dawlish Neighbourhood Planning Steering Group

DARE is taking part, along with other groups/organisations in Dawlish, in this pilot project. Dawlish has been selected as one of just 17 areas Nationwide. Teignbridge District Council has been awarded £20,000 towards Neighbourhood planning in Dawlish. No firm details are currently available regarding this process, but it would appear to be based upon the emerging Localism Bill. This Bill has not yet received Royal Assent.

So we started in 2001 with the Local Plan which was then altered to become the Local Development Framework and it now seems to be called the Local Development Plan. Confusing or have we gone full circle? Only time will tell! However, we do feel it is essential we all take part in the new venture, but realise there are going to be difficult and challenging times ahead. We do sincerely hope our members will continue to help with Consultations and support DARE through your annual subscriptions to ensure that we are able to continue to express your opinion and concerns.

Secmaton Lane – Bovis Cavanna & Secmaton Rise – Strongvox Homes

DARE are currently studying the revised Planning Applications for Bovis Cavanna & Strongvox Homes Developments at these locations. The combined development will bring a total of 375 new houses. We do have concerns regarding the proposed access routes and a reduction in affordable housing. We will submit a response to these Applications in the very near future.

Exe-Estuary Partnership

We were appalled to hear Dawlish Town Council has withdrawn their funding to the Exe-Estuary Partnership. The Estuary and Dawlish Warren are two very important resources and amenities which generate a huge income to the area. The Partnership not only monitor the usage and promote the facilities, they also engage with all users both recreational and businesses to ensure there are no conflicting issues. The Partnership is also engaged with the Environment Agency to investigate flood defences and Coastal Erosion. All these matters are of great concern to Dawlish and our Town Council has now lost its voice to input local issues for consideration to the partnership. We will request a review of this decision after the elections in May.

Article Contributed by Cofton Country Holidays

Pigs have been escaping from a make shift enclosure at Eastdon Plantation now for over two years, angry residents of the Cockwood area have been reporting to the police and environmental health with no avail. The Pig Farmer has not been held responsible for his negligence on countless occasions. These pigs have been damaging the property of many residents at Cockwood by breaking in and turning gardens and fields upside down. In the last week two people have been injured by an escaped sow defending her young whilst people stroll along a Devon County Council run right of way which passes through a church ground and private property.

A resident of Cockwood was walking when the sow ran out and pinned him to the ground biting his leg drawing blood and on Saturday evening young children on their holiday were chased and one boy 12 years of age was knocked down hitting his head of the floor and blacking out, he was bitten on the arm luckily only to be bruised by the bite.

Customers of a local Holiday Park and local residents are too scared to walk on the footpaths now and this is a public right of way which is dangerous to use.

Police comment that they have no power and there is no law and suggest that it is a civil matter.

So we have to put our hands in our own pocket and waste our time chasing a man who refuses to answer his phone, repair his property, and now tells the Police to speak to another farmer nearly two miles away on the other side of an ‘A’ road.

Even the local radio has informed people that the quiet road at the back of Cockwood has been closed due to escaped pigs. These pigs are of Wild Boar strain and should be licensed according to the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 as a hybrid of the wild boar. The Farmer should be held accountable for being the keeper of these animals. Not being a farmer by origin this business is a side line. It is clear that the welfare of these animals and the people that surround this area are affected by his negligence.

Pigs are roaming free inside the make shift compound around Eastdon Plantation, nothing else can survive in this woodland as the pigs are always turning the ground over looking for food. This is not sustainable farming and has an impact on the biodiversity of the area.

It seems a shame that such a beautiful area can be affected by one person’s actions.

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Happy Birthday - DARE celebrated its tenth year of operation in March. A huge thank you to all our members for their loyal support over these years, without you DARE would not exist.