Daily Archives: 13 Oct 2015

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13 Oct 2015

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EDDC, Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation

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EDDC opens consultation on implications of HQ location – after the decision to move!

“13 October 2015
Council asks residents for their views on delivery of services

Moving and Improving consultation will give households across East Devon the chance to have their say on how and where council services will be delivered

Having made the decision to relocate its offices from Sidmouth to Honiton and Exmouth, East Devon District Council has launched its Moving and Improving public consultation, as part of its ongoing commitment to providing excellent services to the local community.

The council is carrying out the consultation to help inform decision making about how and where services should be provided so it is keen to hear back from as many East Devon residents as possible. This consultation will help inform decision making regarding where and how council services are delivered following the move to Honiton and Exmouth.

As part of the consultation process, 3,000 households throughout East Devon were recently selected to receive a copy of the Moving and Improving consultation questionnaire in the post.

However, the consultation is also open to all other East Devon residents, who can have their say by going online and completing the questionnaire at:

http://www.eastdevon.gov.uk/consultation-and-surveys/moving-and-improving

Residents participating in the consultation can enter a prize draw for vouchers worth £100 and can also sign up to receive the results.

A separate consultation questionnaire is also being sent to town and parish councillors, representatives of voluntary and community groups, and representatives of local businesses, as their opinion is also valued and will help inform the way council services are delivered.

The closing date for the Moving and Improving consultation is Thursday 12 November 2015.

Commenting on the consultation, Councillor Paul Diviani, Leader of East Devon District Council, said: “As a public authority, it is our duty to make sure that everyone can access the services they need and that our services represent great value.

“The council offices are old, expensive to run and need ongoing repairs. The public spaces are not very welcoming and the offices are not fit for purpose for a modern 21st century organisation such as ours. Quite simply, moving is a cheaper option for East Devon than staying put.

“Our vision for service delivery is that you will be able to do business with the council when, where and how you want to. This means that not only will we operate from offices in Honiton and Exmouth, but we will continue to have a presence in main towns through surgeries and we will continue to develop better online self service options for you.

“It’s really important that you have your say about how and where you want our services to be delivered in the future, as this will help us decide how to provide our services when we move.”

Contact details below are for media only and not for publication
For more information, contact:
Richenda Oldham, Communications Officer 01395 517559, ROldham@eastdevon.gov.uk”

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13 Oct 2015

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Environment (local), Planning System

Judge quashes Wiltshire planning application due to councillor bias

“Irwin Mitchell solicitor Alex Peebles, who acted for the claimant, said: ““The quashing of planning permission for these homes is a fantastic result for those members of the community who feel very strongly that the area would have been negatively impacted by their construction. They want to protect the site of special scientific interest and the local listed buildings.”

http://localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=24685:high-court-judge-quashes-planning-permission-over-appearance-of-bias&catid=63&Itemid=31

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13 Oct 2015

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Seaton/ Colyford / Colyton

Seaton Heights – further delay

Anyone else not entirely convinced by the information from the latest set of owners of this site as reported in this week’s View from Seaton?

“Lyme Bay Leisure stresses that the Seaton Heights holiday and leisure project is moving forward despite a delay in getting on site.

It was in early June that company bosses said they hoped to start work on site in September, which didn’t happen.
A number of concerned residents have contacted Pulman’s View, asking if the project is going ahead.

One resident, Roy Newman, said: “The most recent news was that in September, after many setbacks, work would commence. Now we are one day away from October with no news being imminent.”

Lyme Bay Leisure Ltd MD James Hetherington responded by telling Pulman’s View: “We are continuing to make progress towards developing the site at Seaton. There have been delays in planning and ecology, in particular protecting the bat flightpath.

“The matter has been further delayed by the difficulty and complexity of funding the site as a majority of funders are very reluctant to even part-fund projects with a significant leisure element.

“Lyme Bay Leisure have always recognised the need and importance of the leisure facilities to the local people and have as such decided to take the necessary time required to put in place a facility that will deliver the leisure facilities to the residents of Seaton and the surrounding area at the same time as the properties come to market.
“The delays so far have caused Lyme Bay Leisure to delay a start on site this summer, but they are still hoping to make a start this year, ideally before Christmas, by addressing ecology matters and addressing the pre-conditions set by East Devon District Council before getting in to full scale development early next year.”

The complex will comprise a two-storey 12-bedroom hotel, 38 holiday accommodation units, a central amenities building to house a restaurant and leisure club, plus parking and access.

It is to be called The Seaton Gatehouse Hotel, Spa and Leisure Resort.

Mr Hetherington added: “Individuals who would like more information about the project including the revised layout of the leisure facilities or who would like to show their support for the project are encouraged to contact Lyme Bay Leisure direct by emailing info@lymebayleisure. co.uk where they can receive a regular monthly update.”

Perhaps Seatonians might wish to take up this offer, though they might possibly wait to show support until things are much clearer.

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13 Oct 2015

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Environment (local)

Jurassic Coast Environmental Survey – views requested

“The Jurassic Coast’s Environmental Economy: your help needed

We are currently working with our partners at East Devon District Council and in Dorset to find out the economic Impact of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site designation.

Results are looking good so far, but now we need your help,

If you are an East Devon resident we would be grateful if you can spend 5 minutes to answer our residents survey:

https://www.snapsurveys.com/wh/s.asp?k=144463952637

We will be publishing the outcomes of the study in November, so watch this space.

Many thanks

Sam Rose
Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site Manager
s.rose@jurassiccoast.org
01305 228656”

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13 Oct 2015

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EDDC, Hugo Swire

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Working Together

EDDC recently held an event to publicise the many ways it “works together” with local organisations:

elson

 

http://eastdevon.gov.uk/news/2015/10/local-mps-hugo-swire-and-neil-parish-support-east-devon-working-together-event/

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13 Oct 2015

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EDDC, Local Plan, Teignbridge

Why did David Cameron choose Teignbridge to talk about housing numbers?

David Cameron chose Newton Abbot over the weekend to launch his policy on more housebuilding and the threat to impose numbers on Local Authorities which do not have a Local Plan.

This seems a strange venue. Teignbridge adopted its Local Plan in 2014. In it, it choose not to adopt the “supporting high economic growth” target that EDDC prefers.

Based on the lower demographic, Teignbridge had a target of 620 houses a year. If EDDC had gone down this route, its equivalent would be 584 houses a year (10,512 over 18 years).

Teignbridge with its lower target gets the PM’s praise, EDDC gets nothing.

Strange that …

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13 Oct 2015

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AONB, EDDC, Environment (local), Local Plan, Natural England

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EDDC, Natural England and the Local Plan: it appears the room wasn’t dark enough

The list of responses to the latest iteration of the Local Plan can be found below – many from developers, of course.

http://eastdevon.gov.uk/planning/planning-policy/emerging-plans-and-policies/inspector-and-programme-officer/inspector-and-council-correspondence-since-2014-examination-hearings/

Amongst them is this one from Natural England

Natural England 30 Sept 2015

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!

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13 Oct 2015

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Ottery St Mary

New parish council for West Hill? If so, it will take until 2017 to get one!

“East Devon District Council is to begin asking local residents for their views on whether West Hill should have its own parish council separate from Ottery St Mary Town Council. A first period of public consultation – part of a ‘Community Governance Review’- is due to start 12 October 2015 and will conclude on 12 January 2016. A leaflet and questionnaire, together with a map showing the possible West Hill Parish Council boundary, will be sent out to all households and interested parties in the Ottery St Mary area.

If supported, a second period of consultation will run from March to June in 2016 and a decision on the consultations will take place within 12 months.”

http://eastdevon.gov.uk/news/2015/10/should-west-hill-have-its-own-parish-council/

“Within 12 months” and TWO consultations, taking two years in all?

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13 Oct 2015

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EDDC, Sidmouth/ Sidford/ Sidbury

Development at Mill Street Car Park Sidmouth

A correspondent writes:

Councillor Twiss fires off another patronising fusillade at the newly elected Independent councillors who represent Sidmouth at EDDC as reported in last week’s Herald. “These new boys and girls just don’t understand the way things are done around here” seems to be the tenor of his comments. Cllr Gardner is accused of “Making political capital out of the vital issue of providing homes for Sidmouth’s young families”.

“The proposal to build social housing on the Mill Street car park at the cost of the existing residents around it losing vital car parking spaces is another case of using pious words to cover up previous mistakes.

We remind Cllr Twiss that in February 2011 the ruling Tory group approved a planning application for a site less than two hundred yards away which was for 12 homes at market rates exclusively for 55 year olds and upwards which have only very recently been completed! Then known as Parsons Yard it is now called Mill Gardens. Where are the homes for Sidmouth’s young families there? Perhaps they don’t generate the Council Tax revenue that these new ones do!”

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13 Oct 2015

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Exmouth

Higher Marley Road Exmouth planning group news

From the Higher Marley Road action group:

PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT ON HIGHER MARLEY ROAD

Dear Supporter,

This is just a brief note to update you on what is happening with regard to the planning application to build 98 houses on Higher Marley Road.

First and foremost we’re sorry to say that it has not gone away! Despite the fact that the application has not yet been considered by the EDDC Development Committee the developers are clearly still pushing it forward and we anticipate that if may well go to committee either on the meeting scheduled for 2nd November or 8th December.

What’s happening with the EDDC Local Plan?
The EDDC Local Plan is the overall planning document that guides the development of housing in the district. The latest version of this plan sets out the number of houses that are needed in the next 5 years and the sites that will be used to meet this need and the good news is that the site at Higher Marley Road is not among them. The bad news is that the Local Plan as submitted by EDDC needs to be approved by a central government inspector and he is yet to give his view (it is expected this will happen in the next 2-3 weeks). If he approves the plan then this will be very helpful and will make it much more likely that the site on Higher Marley Road will be refused permission. If not then it’s still possible to block the development but it will be tougher.

What have the developers been doing?
We cannot see everything that goes on but they have clearly had discussions with Devon County Highways Authority (CHA) and EDDC’s Tree officer in an attempt to have these bodies withdraw/reduce their earlier objections. As a result Devon CHA have now said that in principle they will not object to access being granted although we disagree with much of their logic (see below). The developers have also written to the government inspector who is reviewing the EDDC Local Plan saying they believe the area needs more sites to be made available and that Higher Marley Road should be one of them!

What are we doing?
We have been monitoring what has been happening and keeping our local councillors informed (who continue to be very supportive).

A number of our group met with a representative of Devon CHA and Devon Constabulary during a site visit in September to discuss the safety issues resulting from the Traffic on Higher Marley Road. Given the comments that were made during the visit we were very disappointed by the eventual submission that was made by Devon Highways and have written a response pointing out inconsistencies in the submission and suggesting other work that needs to be carried out before any access for the new development is granted
.

Whether the application goes before the November or December EDDC Development Committee we are geared up and ready to submit our final objection letter in the run up to the meeting and to speak on the day. We believe we have a very strong case why the Higher Marley Road site should not be developed (even if the Inspector says that more sites are needed) and we will make sure it is heard.

Due to the cost of printing and the lack of any dramatic news we will not be producing a “letter box drop” version on this occasion so do please pass on the contents of this email to anyone else you believe maybe interested.

We’ll continue to keep you posted of any developments but if you have any questions or comments in the meantime then please let us know.

The Marley Planning Group