25 July 2012 - East Devon District Council
25 July 2012 - East Devon District Council
25 July 2012 - East Devon District Council
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28 Motion 2 – <strong>East</strong> <strong>Devon</strong> Business Forum (continued)<br />
27<br />
Meeting of the <strong>Council</strong>, <strong>25</strong> <strong>July</strong> <strong>2012</strong><br />
In proposing the motion, <strong>Council</strong>lor Claire Wright referred to the current shrinking<br />
economy; it was vital for businesses to retain their viability. She said that the<br />
Business Forum was dominated by landowners and developers who had undue<br />
influence on development within the district. She did not feel that the Forum was<br />
sufficiently representative of the local business community. The <strong>Council</strong> made a<br />
financial contribution to the Forum and provided administrative support. <strong>Council</strong>lor<br />
Wright said that this was inappropriate and should cease.<br />
In seconding the motion, <strong>Council</strong>lor Ben Ingham said that it was an important role<br />
for the <strong>Council</strong> to support local business and had a long record of doing so. He<br />
said that <strong>East</strong> <strong>Devon</strong> was a district of small businesses and the Forum was not<br />
sufficiently representative.<br />
Further comments from <strong>Council</strong>lors in support of the motion included the<br />
importance of public perception and that the public might believe the Forum to be<br />
dominated by major developers. It was suggested that the Forum should be<br />
separate from the <strong>Council</strong> and managed independently.<br />
The Leader outlined the history of the <strong>Council</strong>‟s support for business within the<br />
district with the aim of achieving a thriving economy. He said that the <strong>East</strong> <strong>Devon</strong><br />
Business Forum was an invaluable conduit for information exchange at very<br />
moderate cost and invited the Portfolio Holder – Economy to address the <strong>Council</strong>.<br />
<strong>Council</strong>lor Godbeer emphasised the importance of establishing a healthy dialogue<br />
with the business community and to help support a thriving economy. A strong<br />
business base within the district helped to attract further growth to the area.<br />
<strong>Council</strong>lor Graham Brown, Chairman of the Business Forum added that he was<br />
proud of the achievements of the Forum which was open to all businesses.<br />
<strong>Council</strong>lor Ray Bloxham, Portfolio Holder – Corporate Business said that there<br />
were no grounds for questioning the integrity of the Forum and if there were any<br />
concerns, then these should properly be referred to the Monitoring Officer.<br />
In summing up, <strong>Council</strong>lor Claire Wright said that her concerns had been an ongoing<br />
issue for some time and referred to employment land proposals accepted<br />
by the <strong>Council</strong> in 2008.<br />
The motion was put to the vote and lost.
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