Owl says: Interestingly Hughes does not explain why the site was added at the very last minute and why officers and Tory councillors did not attempt to remove it BEFORE it went to the inspector when its inclusion had been highlighted by local people in time for remedial action ….. especially as Hughes is the area’s DCC councillor with responsibility for highways.
“Cllr Hughes said: “If the decision is appealed by the applicant then it will be considered by a planning inspector.
“It would however also allow representations to be made to the inspector on other elements such as flooding, AONB etc.”
Calls to change the Local Plan:
“Suggesting the land at Sidford should be taken out of the Local Plan is unrealistic, given the plan is already in place.
“A Local Plan inspector is not going to review a decision for an already ‘made plan’ that has been in effect for some time.
“By the time any refresh of the East Devon Local Plan is completed this matter will have most likely been decided and there should not be any false hope or expectation put forward that this will be any different.
“The simple truth is that the land allocation at Sidford should never have been included in the Local Plan.
“It came in as a late addition without full consideration of its suitability, particularly as other far more appropriate sites which were ‘brownfield’ should have been considered and were put forward at the early stages of the process of making the Local Plan.
“My personal suggested site would have been adjacent to the Garden Centre on the A3052. …”
East Devon Watch 