“Controversial plans to allow industrial units in a Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty have been narrowly approved.
The site at Blackhill Quarry, near Woodbury, housed quarry processing works but was due to be returned to its natural heathland state.
There were almost 200 objections, including the local parish council and ward member, to Clinton Devon Estates’ plans for 35,000 square feet of industrial space.
East Devon District Council’s Development Management Committee was told there were “exceptional circumstances” and the proposal would create 71 highly-skilled engineering jobs.”
East Devon Watch 
1. The original PP was granted on the explicit condition that the site was returned to nature at the end of a specific period.
2. That return was delayed several times to allow further quarrying.
3. EDDC’s own policies say that it should return to nature.
So what exactly are these “exceptional circumstances”? Given the background they must be extremely exceptional to justify such a blatant exception. If there are indeed “exceptional circumstances” then in the interests of democracy they should be explicitly spelled out in detail not glossed over. Or are these “exceptional circumstances” a “donation” of funds to a “good cause” or perhaps a dodgy handshake from people with a shared membership in a secret society?
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And is this really “Clinton Devon Estates 1 – AONB 0” or is there previous history of Clinton Devon Estates getting “unusual” planning permission in an AONB?
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