The list of responses to the latest iteration of the Local Plan can be found below – many from developers, of course.
Amongst them is this one from Natural England
Those who attended the last set of hearings before the Planning Inspector may recall the slightly worrying image when Mr Thickett suggested that Laura Horner (Natural England) and Ed Freeman (EDDC) should shut themselves in a darkened room until they arrived at a solution on the Habitat Regulation issue, without which the Local Plan cannot be signed off.
The letter from Natural England makes interesting reading – the complain of confusion over the drafting of the EDDC version of what should be in the Local Plan calling it “over-detailed and potentially unclear and requiring substantive rewriting”. They point out that words such as “endorsed by the council” imply greater status for the Masterplan than was intended and point out that they need to clarify their intentions towards Exmouth.
They further point out that the Beer Neighbourhood Plan cannot be progressed until EDDC makes its intentions more clear.
It appears from the letter than EDDC had only one meeting with Natural England on 23 July 2015 and that little appears to have been resolved at that meeting.
Clearly, the room wasn’t dark enough!
East Devon Watch 
I attended this phase of the Public Examination. It was quite clear to me that Inspector Thickett instructed EDDC to go away and gain agreement from Natural England to whatever detailed changes to the Local Plan were necessary to satisfy Natural England that the Plan was compliant with all the outstanding Habitat Regulation issues.
This is what Ed Freeman wrote in his covering letter to Mr Thickett when he lodged the revised Plan at the end of August:
“I would advise that the proposed plan changes are primarily in respect of evidence from refreshed Habitat Regulation Assessment. I would also advise that they have not been considered by any Committee of this authority and therefore they constitute officer opinion and recommendation only.”
“In arriving at these final papers we have had very constructive dialogue with Natural England and I have been advised that they should be in a position to offer a formal comment next week that we will forward on.”
Having a constructive dialogue falls a long way short of gaining agreement as everyone can now see.
Those who fail to answer the exam question seldom pass the exam!
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