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Stand Up For Seaton (SU4S)

Community Action for Seaton's Regeneration Area, 80% owned by Tesco - a floodplain on a World Heritage site bordered by nature reserves, tidal river, the sea and the unspoilt town. SU4S is a state of mind - no members, no structure, no politics. SU4S has objected to 2 planning applications by Tesco, including one for a massive superstore/dot com distribution centre which led to the recent closure on the site of 400 tourist beds with the loss of 150 jobs,a gym and pool - all used by locals.

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Why doesn't someone do another wrap around View from Seaton?

Marilyn (see comment below) asks the sensible question: Why doesn't Stand Up 4 Seaton or some other group do a similar wrap around to the one Terry Dinham did on View from Seaton?

Well, Marilyn, we are doing our best but our limited funds mean that we have been able to afford only one half page black-and-white ad in this week's View (2 January) as that was all we could afford with our limited funds - Terry Dinham has literally millions of pounds to play with and a wrap around is a drop in the ocean for him and his backers.

We are having thousands of leaflets printed at the moment so that one goes to each home in Seaton and also to surrounding areas (hopefully: volunteer to deliver by contacting us at:axevalleyrocks@yahoo.co.uk) before our two days of information and advice at the Town Hall on 9 and 10 January 2007. These have only been possible thanks to various donations we have received - including Seaton Licensees Association and a number of people who wish to remain anonymous - including local business people.

However, the local tradespeople should surely be getting together and doing SOMETHING that's for sure. But here we come to the problem that within the last couple of years the local Chamber of Commerce was expelled from the national group and split into no less than three new groups (or possibly even more - I've lost count). Many traders were disenchanted and refused to join any of the new groups. None of the groups seems to have the membership or the "oomph" to do anything and Liatris is exploiting this weakness.

Many of these traders will lose business either when the holiday camp closes (and don't underestimate the value of these tourists to the town - they spend a lot of money in Seaton) or when the supermarket and DIY store open within a year or two of planning permission being granted and when new coffee shops, restaurants or cafes open on the new site.

Some I have spoken to are totally unconcerned and seem to be of the opinion that nothing much will change and they will be able to carry on as usual. They say "Well, there will be a new housing estate and that will bring us business" - no, it won't - it will have the supermarket and the DIY store on its doorstep and unless we can find upwards of 1,000 jobs in and around Seaton for these people they will be retired or second homers and will make little impact on the "old" town - and we will have lost the long-stay tourists.

Few seem to have understood just what a really hard time Seaton is in for if this plan is accepted when, for two or three years we will have NO holiday village, NO tramway (whilst it is rerouted), NO Visitors Centre, NO parking, a huge building site and 60-90 lorries coming through Seaton 10 hours per day six hours per week for 2-3 years with infill and 1-2 years with construction materials. And after that when we have only day trippers and "shopping as leisure" (as long as you stay less than 3 hours in the supermarket car park). Traders should be gearing up to fight back NOW.

And, by the way, who is buying the empty shops in Seaton and why are they not open? If this is a thriving town that won't suffer if a big supermarket and DIY store come here surely some of them should be selling something by now - unless the developer has bought them!

11 Comments:

At 1:19 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

You might find that someone is doing just that. Sponsors have been found for most of the cost but, also ensuring that delivery goes to every household in Seaton is important and much of that is worked out too.

 
At 1:27 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

"However, the local tradespeople should surely be getting together and doing SOMETHING that's for sure. But here we come to the problem that within the last couple of years the local Chamber of Commerce was expelled from the national group and split into no less than three new groups (or possibly even more - I've lost count). Many traders were disenchanted and refused to join any of the new groups. None of the groups seems to have the membership or the "oomph" to do anything and Liatris is exploiting this weakness"

Really?

Maybe your right, or it might be you have not looked :)

Try this link for starters

http://www.seatonbusinessforum.co.uk

 
At 1:45 pm, Blogger Fighting for East Devon's future said...

I have to say this site had no postings between about July and December and has only just been reactivated.

The land train idea in not really new - it has been discussed at various Seaton Gateway Towns meetings over the last 18 months and was discussed and publicised by several groups, such as Seaton Sustainable Living Group who included it as part of their "Green Travel Plan" which accompanied the Jurassic Coast lottery bid but they linked it up with the Tramway and a biodiesel bus from Axminster Station to Colyton and Colyford to meet up with the tram as a sustainable way of getting people into and out of Seaton.

Don't forget we did have a London Transport Routemaster bus doing the same route on Sundays during the season and going all the way up to Pecorama and I haven't see it all that full. We need much more than this to see us through the hard times, though I commend the people prepared to give it a go - we need the entrepreneurial spirit.

I can see some problems with a land train though. If this development goes ahead - what will people be visiting and who will it be carrying during the 5 years of construction?. I can see Seaton people wanting to go to Beer but I can imagine the disappointment on the faces of the people coming from Beer to Seaton if all they have to see is a building site! And how is this land train going to get up the steep hills between here and Beer? If it is electric there is a problem with range and power, if it's not, it isn't green which isn't popular these days, and when it's raining or windy people might prefer a bus.

 
At 2:12 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

If their website would let me, then I would leave my comments on it over there.

Wow, Seaton Business Forum - that is new to me. I have been living in the area for 3 years and running a business and I've NEVER heard of it.

Why?

The really stupid thing is, even if I wanted to join it, I couldn't. Why? Because my customers are in London.

Yes, thats right, I take money OUT OF LONDON and use it here in Seaton where I live, yet I can't join. Stupid stupid stupid. I'm sure I have much to contribute and care just as much about business in the area.

Seaton Business Forum - its about time you looked a little wider......

 
At 2:32 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sandra

It had no postings between July & December [4 months] because the site owners have been busy putting action plans together (and running two businesses). The Seaton Town Strategy Forum, Seaton Business Forum and the Seaton Licencees Association have ALL been active for quite some time [Well before your Blog's arrival].

However, the point of this is that there is a Business/Traders Group out there with £1,000 of sponsored funds to put out positive press on Lyme Bay and other projects that are deserving of yours and others support.

It is easy for you and secretive groups that profess to speak for Seaton to say that you have already discussed these things like the LandTrain idea but, the Seaton Business Forum [and it's members] are actually DOING something about it which is exactly what your followers want.

Whether it is a success or not, depends entirely on people like yourself putting your weight behind it.

Your action group is very vocal and extremely successful and we all support your activities [anonymously or otherwise] but, it seeks to defeat Liatris with purely negative press whilst not [actively] promoting alternative plans that might convince planners, developers and townspeople alike that there are OTHER options.

The Esplanade, the Landtrain and other worthy aspects of our 'joined-up' town plan may not be fully documented and costed but, are workable and we ARE "working" on them.

It IS up to you and your group to support these projects that we have begun and the overall success for Seaton will ultimately be measured by the degree we change the developers plans to something more akin to our [town's]needs.

More power to your elbow Sandra, but also lend support to those that fight the fight on behalf of the economy of this town without which this town would have nothing to fight for, or with.

Les Kinch
Seaton Business Forum & Members
Seaton Town Strategy Forum
Community On-Line Ltd
SEATONNET Broadband For Devon
The PCPro-Seaton Ltd

[All of the above [financially or physically] support this town]

 
At 3:28 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

to anonymous..

Your contribution as a member would be welcome your right to be a member comes from having a seaton based business, if that business is you, then your membership is desirable.

The reason we DON'T have members from outside Seaton is it wouldn't then be a Seaton Business Forum would it?

However, I don't wish to hijack Sandra's Blog, I expect she can put this up then delete yours and mine after I inform you that you can contact me directly via the contacts page which comes directly to my inbox. [it's the second option on the menu]

regards

Les Kinch

 
At 7:05 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

its good to see people doing something for Seaton. The Land train is a nice idea and I hope it works out.

Seaton businesses will be greatly threatened by the Liatris proposals. First they have to survive years of building work. Then people visiting the new retail outlets will not want to cross very busy roads (remember all the cars will be using the underfleet) to get to the existing town shops. They will have little need to do so since stores of the size proposed will leave few gaps in the market. There will be cafes in both visitor centre and supermarket so no need to eat anywhere else.

I belive Seaton residents can get together and work up better alternatives to these proposals - but we have to get these rejected first.

 
At 7:11 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Les
Not wishing to get into an argument about Seaton Business Forum either, as that is beside the point.
Stand Up for Seaton has a clearly stated set of aims on the front of the blog. It isn't a case of negative press, but a drive to get the difference between the local plan/development brief into people's minds. The Liatris plan, we believe, deviates from that plan.
The reason we're focussed on that is simply the local plan came about due to public and business involvement. The other "driver" is that the deadline for objecting to the planning application is the 26th January. Which isn't long!
So yes, we're interested in alternate plans, with proper public consultation (something the Liatris plan did not have), but like yourself, we're busy people. So what we're about is raising the profile of the immediate situation, to give breathing space to what the people of Seaton might want. This whole project was not for factions, followers or whatever, it was for all the people to think and air their views on the Liatris application, before their view doesn't matter.

Hope this helps.

Mel
StandUp4Seaton

 
At 9:37 am, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sandra

Thanks for the re-clarification of your objectives.

Mine are simply that, to defeat an enemy such as Liatris you have to divert the course of public opinion away from their plan.

Many people in Seaton will not be affected by the Liatris plan and have no opinion either way.

They feel that the Liatris plan is the only one on the table therefore to go with that is better than the continued decline of the Harbour Road area.

Further debate and argument will only [in their mind] delay the inevitable.

Whilst your objectives are to stop the plan your arguments against it would carry considerably more weight if it was attached to an alternative scenario that encompasses the towns aims and ambitions.

The Seaton Town Strategy Forum was designed to achieve just that but, faltered due to the continued opposition to working together that prevails in this town.

When the end of January comes and your objectives are achieved with your momentum still running, where will you go then?

At that point you might consider the Seaton Town Strategy Forum which encompasses all of the groups in the town as well as all the people, businesses and traders within the parish.

Your involvement might ensure the lonterm success of your aims and ours.

This is my last post on your blog which I honestly did not intend to hijack - if you are interested in participating in the STSF you can contact me through the SBF website. Regardless you will continue to have my full support and respect.

Good luck and kindest regards

Les Kinch

 
At 10:57 am, Blogger Fighting for East Devon's future said...

No thanks - I will definitely not be taking up invitations to join any other group when this saga ends. I have been (and remain) a member of the Development Trust and that's enough for me.

 
At 6:57 am, Anonymous Anonymous said...

to comment on the empty shops - Liatris's own retail assessment stated that the level of vacancy in Seaton was below that in town centres generally.

Perhaps having seen how much potential there is in Seaton they are now buying up the rest of the Town!

 

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