Once again confusion reigns because of EDDC refusal to come clean on their ambitions. The Splash or as it is now called the Queens Drive leisure area will be handed over to a partner who will be responsible for developing the attractions there. EDDC's Lisa Timberlake said in a briefing to the COLP meeting on Thursday,that the council will be seeking their partner soon and that the land will be transferred to them as either leasehold or freehold with outline planning permission, but that the partner is expected to work alongside the existing tenants to see if they can come forward with the cash and schemes to match the councils ambitions. This will certainly increase the costs that the businesses have to cover, and although the partner will be paying EDDC rent, ( but only if it is leasehold!) freehold it is lost forever. The tenant will of course have to pay extra to cover the partners profits so pushing up costs considerably.
All the time before this EDDC were saying that they would redevelop the area not letting on that as usual the land is to be sold, Who wants to guess which of the favorite developers will get the land. could it be a spin off benefit for the Rolle playing fields for the Sea front with permission to go ahead? OR else swapping to the Released Imperial ground for the EDDC backed supermarket and housing, when the Rugby club moves out?
And even more worrying will that open the flood gates for even more development along the seafront? the Maer will not be safe because EDDC will be opening up the can of worms which will eventually allow a spread of built up units and costly holiday attractions from Carlton Hill to Orcombe point An why would EDDC be concerned about that/ Simply they won't because the ruling group is based at Honiton, not Sidmouth where many think and are relatively fire proof because the tribal election system protects them from being thrown out at the next election, or does it? watch out for the next installment to follow fairly soon.
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