After the disappointment at the preliminary findings of the Local Plan Inspector, and EDDC’s failure which leaves the district under threat from development for even longer, there was plenty of good news to cheer us all up this week.

Feniton celebrates as the Super Inquiry Inspector throws out 3 planning appeals totalling 200 homes – http://susiebond.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/appeal-decision-in-brief-feniton-super-inquiry/

Newton Poppleford residents are also hopeful, with the highly controversial King Alfred Way application now stalled, after their successful application for a Judicial Review – http://sidmouthindependentnews.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/more-errors-of-judgement-by-eddc-this-time-at-newton-poppleford/

300 Houses planned for Gittisham are currently on hold, as the DMC decided a site visit was essential, after being warned by EDDC’s solicitor that reasons for a refusal had to be defended at appeal -See post 03.04.2014, in monthly archives, on http://www.claire-wright.org

Last Wednesday, a vote on EDDC proposals to restrict public speaking at council meetings was postponed, and the matter referred to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee – https://eastdevonwatch.org/2014/04/10/you-are-going-to-get-a-backlash-full-council-is-warned/

There is evidently some cross-party agreement that councils who have not managed to produce a local plan should be held to account by their residents – https://eastdevonwatch.org/2014/04/13/tory-planning-minister-nick-boles-agrees-with-eddc-independent-councillor-roger-giles/

And last, but by no means least, Dame Helen Ghosh, Director General of the National Trust, in a rare move for such a high-profile civil servant, has also waded in to the debate about the adverse affects of the NPPF – http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/greenpolitics/planning/10763789/Local-authorities-hustled-into-passing-greenfield-planning-permissions.html

strong>DIARY DATES

Sat 19th April – EDA Easter Event in the Strand in Exmouth from 10 am – 5.30 pm – Poster gives details:EDA Exmouth
Fri 16th May – EDA Annual General Meeting at Colyford Memorial Hall from 6.30 – 9.00 pm. Details to follow.

COMPETITIONS

East Devon Writers are running a competition for original stories, up to 500 words long, about events or places in East Devon to win the opportunity to get published in a forthcoming book. See poster for full details: Writing competition Poster (1)

EDA online photography competition – coming soon.