Community Action Update 21st January

PHOTOSHOOT

Firstly remember the photoshoot tomorrow Sunday 22^nd January outside the chapel in Teignmouth Old Cemetery (Exeter Road) at 12 noon.  Please let friends know – I have attached a poster which you can circulate to friends.  The more people we can get the better so we can demonstrate the strength of community feeling about retaining the buildings in the cemetery for community use.

SECRET CHARITY

I said in my last update that I would be trying to track down the “secret charity” that was proposing to do something.  I’m not sure why it was so hush-hush but I have now confirmed that it is Teignmouth Eastcliff Company Limited.  This is a small company which manages the building in Eastcliff Carpark used as a music centre (“The Cave”).  The pressure we have been able to put on through this community action has led Teignbridge to ask this company to contact me.  That company will also be issuing a press release next week.

The Teignmouth Eastcliff Company Limited has three directors:  Paul Harrion, Roger Treweek and another company “Teignmouth First”.  In 2015 it had total funds of £4682.

Teignmouth First has three directors:  Terence Falcao (the mayor), Paul Johnson, and Tracy Scranage (Town development manager).  It was served a notice of strike-off from Companies House in August 2016, which was then discontinued.  In September 2015 it had no funds.  I had already written to Terence Falcao three times this week but received no acknowledgement from him about this company or its involvement in the dealings with Teignbridge.

I met with one of the directors, Tracy Scranage, of Teignmouth First yesterday.  We agreed that I could share the following information.  Their basic proposition is to move the music centre “The Cave” to the chapel buildings in Teignmouth Old Cemetery and create a broader centre for performing arts.  This seems a laudable community use but, because they have done this in isolation, they have ignored other potential community applications for the buildings.  I explained some of the proposals which you have made which essentially mean having a more general purpose “hall” available for such things as exhibitions, wedding services, humanist ceremonies, small-scale concerts etc.  I said that it would make much more sense if we could show a united community front to Teignbridge by creating such a general-purpose facility.  Tracy said that she would take our ideas back to her board and see if they would agree to meet with us.

I NEED HELP

So, some progress.  However, there is a lot of work involved here which I can’t do on my own so I’m looking for help for 3 things:

1. Setting up Friends of Teignmouth Cemetery
2. Putting together by Feb 6^th the Expression of Interest for community use of the buildings
3. Meeting with the Eastcliff Company Board – it would be wrong for me to meet them on my own.

If I can’t get this help then this community action will stop now.  So if any of you are able to give an input over the next 3-4 weeks please let me know as soon as possible and I will set up a meeting to agree how we take all of this forward.