There are three environmental sites of European significance on either side of the Exe: Dawlish Warren; the Exe Estuary and the Pebblebed Heath. These sites are so special that local authorities have a legal duty to ensure no adverse effects occur from increased recreational demand as a result of new developments. Putting it crudely a way has to be found to stop members of the public visiting these site as frequently as they do as there will be a lot more people around. This concerns not just dog walkers, it includes recreational use of the Exe Estuary for activities like kite surfing!

A little known study called the South-east Devon European Site Mitigation Strategy was published in June 2013. It weighs in at 243 pages and can be found here:

http://www.eastdevon.gov.uk/plg_sedevoneuropeansitemitigationstrategy.pdf

Our correspondent has extracted the following salient points but no doubt there is more to be gleaned.

It is thought that around 30,000 new homes (this is last year so is probably an underestimate by now) are likely to be built close enough to affect these sites. The study looks at the suite of mitigation measures that will be necessary ranging from “soft” measures and “proactive” work with local resident to enforcement. In other words things like fencing and car park charging cannot be ruled out. While mitigation measures might seek to control or limit access in some areas, the overall aim is to enhance the existing recreation experience and provide opportunities such that access and nature conservation interests are not in conflict.

One of the main measures suggested in the report is the creation of Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) to divert visitors to somewhere less sensitive. The current guidance provided by Natural England is that SANGs may be created from:

• existing open space of SANGs quality with no existing public access or limited public access, which for the purposes of mitigation could be made fully accessible to the public
• existing open space which is already accessible but which could be changed in character so that it is more attractive to the specific group of visitors
• land in other uses which could be converted into a SANGs

EDDC have already put forward initial plans for expansion and enhancement of the Clyst Valley and in the “Valley Parks” around Exmouth. Two areas within the “Valley Parks” are considered which follow the Littleham and Withycombe Brooks but they also include links to the South West Coast Path and the surrounding countryside (including East Devon Way and proposed cycle way routes towards Budleigh Salterton).

However EDDC have now shot themselves in the foot as reported on page 121 of the report:

“At the time of finalising this report, it has transpired that planning permission for residential development has been given by East Devon District Council on land that forms part of the Exmouth Valley Parks. This matter requires urgent resolution with the identification of alternative SANGs provision for the Exmouth area to replace that now being lost to development. The alternative provision will need to be identified and costed in order to finalise the overall calculations for SANGs provision and the resultant tariff placed on new development.”

The Clyst Valley Park proposal remains but we are fast running out of greenspace in East Devon. So EDDC may have difficulty in fulfilling their legal obligations.

Indicative costs for mitigation, including what Teignbridge and Exeter will have to do, come to £20M. The suggestion is that this will in part have to be funded by a levy on all development within some 7km to 8km of each of these sites.

So maybe EDDC should not have dismissed out of hand last year’s proposal from Dorset to create a new National Park – see article for 5 June on SIN:

http://sidmouthindependentnews.wordpress.com/?s=national+park&submit=Search