Dear Friends,
As we approach the 4th Feb when all bids for the Drill Hall have to be submitted I had hoped to be able to give you some useful information, but I can't.
I have not heard any more about a Sidmouth Sunrise bid since I last wrote so I don't know if one will be put in.
I have been contacted by two other individuals who were considering bids but I do not know what their final decision was.
I contacted John Kinsey of JLL to ask if he could tell me his best estimate of how many bids might be submitted but he didn't feel he could do that. He did say there has been some interest and that he will ask EDDC after the 4th Feb if they will release the number of bids submitted.
The situation is therefore that we need to be ready to scrutinise any information released by EDDC before a planning application is submitted and to do the same at the planning stage. Of course, it was said at an EDDC council meeting that they reserve the right not to accept any bids so we need to bear that in mind too.
Since I last wrote there have been many instances around the country where Council assets have been transferred to different bodies with grants to assist them with repair and maintenance, one of the most recent is Stroud Assembly Rooms. There are also new Government initiatives providing funding that the EDDC could apply for in both Tourism and Heritage sectors. I have not heard that the EDDC are intending to do anything in response to these but one can always hope.
Kind regards, Mary
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