General Discussion
Take a look at page 25 of this week's Dawlish Post.
Various concessions being advertised by TDC including one for Coryton Cove.
"Expressions of interest are invited to provide mobile sales of refreshments and beach goods at Coryton Cove, Dawlish for the summer season".
Disgraceful news from TDC re. the cafe at Coryton:
https://www.facebook.com/rockpoolcafedawlish/posts/639083989547761
In a nutshell, TDC didn't get enough money from the insurance claim to enable them to rebuild the cafe.
No doubt Annother46 (or whatever he/she calls themself) will be delighted, but sadly the huge majority of Coryton Cove users will be massively disappointed.
In which TDC pot is the money from the insurance claim in ?, and what will it be used for it should NOT BE USED OUTSIDE OF DAWLISH.
You're being a bit shouty Brian. Will you be asking someone at TDC the same question, as it's actually really pertinent?
Bet it wouldn't have happened if it had been in Teignmouth, TDC care more about that place.
How short is the insurance money? Maybe the Town Council could divert the 5k they will otherwise flush down the Carnival toilet. Rock Pool Cafe presents Dawlish far more positively.
I wonder how much TDC paid the contractors to replace all the beach huts. They had them back time and time again on the 'snags'. Look closely at the paint job (especially the yellow ones) and you'll get an idea. After all that they're now spoiling the ship for a ha'porth of tar. (That's an idiom in case some of you don't know it).
Just been looking at the facebook link that JC posted. We're not happy bunnies here in Dawlish are we in terms of how TDC treats us (perhaps my use of the word 'treat' there is somewhat ironic).
One might be forgiven for thinking TDC has some kind of death wish when it comes to Dawlish businesses...........
So, is there anything we can actually do about this, especially to help the Holmans, rather than our having individual and collective moans about TDC (not that the moans aren't undeserved).
Well, why not? I thought that's what 'call me Dave' wants (or is it wanted? has he dropped the idea now?)
General, District and Town council elections coming up in May.
Bit of pressure?
Tony Watson is the Economy and Regeneration Maager at TDC, he's the man. It took them five months to reinstate the beach huts but it's taking them two years to figure out how to sort this one building? Last year it was because they want it to done properly, are they looking to build the Pompidou Centre or something? How about the Town Council putting a rocket up him.
Presumeably from "mobile sales" they mean a handcart as a few years ago Network Rail banned all vehicles from the sea wall to Coryton Cove.
Well, if you're right about NR banning vehicles, it doesn't seem to have stopped the previous owners - and of course it would be very difficult to run any sort of cafe down there without being able to bring supplies in by car. Maybe they agreed something with NR ?
TDC is trotting out the same excuse they gave last year - they want to replace the cafe with something 'bigger and better', with running water and electricity. That's obviously good however they've yet to figure out how to do it due to 'budgets' and 'staff shortages'. If they ever do figure it out it will no doubt be delayed even further by planning applications and NR access restrictions. The reality is it's just not enough of a priority for them.
So another summer goes by and the visitor offering from the mobile concession will no doubt stretch to a cheese roll in cling film and a can of coke from a cool box. Great stuff.
We have just been informed that this issue is a late item at the town council meeting tonight. Attend the meeting to find out what is proposed and what the issues are.
The question is not what the issues are but why they weren't resolved as originally promised. The insurance shortfall is a smokescreen, if the money was there they still couldn't do it because they haven't organised it properly. Not long after the fire I read that the Holmans were pleased with the new plans so what stopped TDC - why wasn't planning permission obtained and the work scheduled? They would have known they can't do any major works from Easter to October so have they kept quiet and allowed everyone to think it was all under control? No doubt they'll try to deflect blame on to Network Rail but this is down to TDC lack of will.
Perhaps our district councillors could find out what has been going on (or not!) at TDC and let us all know?
Please can one of the councillors give any feedback on this, and is the insurance pay out ring fenced for the rebuilding the cafe.
We were told that progress has been delayed by negotiations with insurers and Network Rail
TDC think the earliest practical date to start work is July, Town Council agreed it is more sensible to wait until after the summer season. We don't want time wasted though and asked for an outline planning application to be submitted ASAP so any access issues can be resolved
we saw the initial plan for the replacement cafe. We thought it dull and questioned the practicality of the design, so TDC have been asked to give that more thought (This shouldn't delay applying for outline permission)
Ring fencing of insurance money wasn't discussed. I will follow up and report back
@Brian
The reply I have had from Teignbridge is that they want to move ahead with a cafe at Coryton and are still trying to resolve access and funding issues. I can't say that there is an absolute guarantee in the response that insurance monies are ring fenced, which I can only assume is care not to box themselves in should the cost of building a decent cafe and resolving the access problems exceed whatever they can afford to put in to top up the insurance proceeds, which will be linked to the value of the old cafe hut.
I do hope they take the request of the Town Council to press ahead quickly with an outline application seriously as at least that wll mean that the planners can deal with any objections from Network Rail about access over the summer, even if actual building work has to wait.
According to the Gazette article (which since my earlier post I've now read in full) the Holmans are not interested in returning to the cafe. Once bitten
twice shy I would imagine.
And am I right in thinking that there was some debate on this website some time back about the origins of the fire? Some dispute over whether
or not it was arson?
Well, Arson is how the Gazette article describes the reason for the fire.