Planning application 14/0197/MFUL for a 5634 sq m parcel distribution centre including 130 car parking spaces,120 light goods vehicles/public carrier vehicles spaces and 16 heavy goods vehicle spaces
Officers were very unhappy at this development and from the link to the letter below seem to be taking the developer, St Modwyn, to task: lights too bright, not enough trees to screen the facility….
So, EDDC HQ surrounded by: an ambulance control centre, an energy plant, planes landing at the airport all day and now a parcel delivery centre. Not quite like sitting in the Knowle arboretum in your lunch break!
Still, if they need an ambulance or want to collect a parcel or go away for a weekend break it will be very useful – and probably quite warm!
Oh, and on page 5 note the developer’s point that they have had no other takers for the site in the last 4 years …..
Now, remind us, why did EDDC choose Skypark? Oh yes, they flogged the Honiton site off to a supermarket and officers weren’t asked if they wanted to stay at Knowle!
East Devon Watch 
Not to mention:
1. 4,500 extra miles commuting per year (10 miles x 2 x 5 x 45) = £2,000+ at the HMRC rate of 45p per mile.
2. And will take 200 hours per year additional commute time
(all assuming you live in Sidmouth and not on the Skypark).
It is not clear what compensation (if any) EDDC staff will get for this – but either it will be out of their own pocket / time or will be paid for by us, the EDDC electorate.
Do we have any idea what compensation is being offered and whether the costs have been factored into the business case?
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Oh dear – can you imagine anyone elderly or with a disability trying to get from the bus stop to EDDC with all those vehicles going in and out and all those people picking up parcels too! Surely an Equality issue to be consulted on!
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The developer’s letter referred to above gives so many games away.
The fifth page, as a digested read, says that nobody else has been interested in this site for the last four years, that you can’t stop us under the current planning framework, that you are saps who could not even manage to get your Local Plan adopted, so let’s all face facts and get the rubber stamp out. But to help you out PR-wise we’ll slip in a few more trees and think about the lighting, maybe.
And who can blame them? What a shambles. Can’t wait to see how EDDC spend my council tax on spinning this through the press. though.
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So basically, EDDC and DCC are in “partnership” with St Modwen on this site. They all spend 4 years trying to flog off bits of it and are almost totally unsuccessful -racking up quite a lot of costs one assumes.
So, the developer decides on a change of use which will likely be very popular: a parcel distribution centre at the bottom of the M5 and so very convenient for aircraft cargo distribution from Exeter Airport next door (which already has DHL and other cargo flights) and EDDC objects because it will be too bright and too “in your face” for their new HQ, (which was presumably agreed on after the 4 years of no takers to dig them all out of a hole). Bad move (excuse the pun) – hole bigger.
What about all those jobs such a big facility will bring – you usually bang on about that? Though, of course, it may take business from Greendale Business Park and Hill Barton (cf East Devon Business Forum) which currently host at least 2 or possibly more large delivery companies).
Seems to me there is one solution: stay at Knowle and save yourselves the trouble.
P.S If you do go to Skypark your building will need almost certainly need expensive air con (paid for by me and other electors) as you sure as heck won’t be able to open any windows!
Oh, and for anyone wondering about the scale of the dstribution centre – it will be exactly the same as the Tesco in Seaton!
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Still, at least nobody in a previous leadership role at EDDC was employed by a major company operating out of the airport.
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Er …..!
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