A flavour of the first day is reported here:

Anthony Thickett, the Government Inspector is now in Sidmouth, for the Examination in Public (EiP) of East Devon District Council’s new Local Plan. The first hearings took place on Tuesday (11th Feb), with the opening session on Procedure and Duty to Co-operate. Although the Deputy Chief Executive had prepared a presentation on Procedure, the Inspector swiftly said, “I don’t see the need”, and moved on to what he described as the “thorny issue” of “Duty to Co-operate”. “You have not been co-operating with Exeter, is one issue that has been raised”, he told Matt Dickens and Richard Cohen. And when EDDC’s spokesperson told him, “We have had meetings with West Dorset”, the Inspector reminded her that there had been “Only one”. To her following comment, “We don’t think this is a Duty to Co-operate matter”, he said, “You don’t. I might!”

More to follow on this website tomorrow….