Of course, they voted against it – their first (maybe only) priority is to keep the Conservative Party in power.
Daily Archives: 12 Jun 2019
EDDC Development Management Committee agrees industrial expansion in Woodbury AONB
“Details of industrial business expansion plan for Woodbury Common site agreed.
he first phase of expansion plans for an industrial business at the former Blackhill Quarry in Woodbury Common has been approved.
Last year, East Devon District Council’s development management committee gave the go-ahead for outline plans for 35,000 sq ft of additional industrial floor space at the quarry, operated by Blackhill Engineering, in Woodbury.
Tuesday’s meeting saw the committee approve the details of the first of those buildings, which will become the first part of a four-building development for Blackhill Engineering Services.
The site lies in the open countryside, this part of which is designated as an AONB and lies adjacent to the Pebblebed Heaths SAC, where development should be strictly controlled.
Cllr Tom Wright proposed that the scheme be approved, saying that the buildings would be less intrusive than the cranes and the movements to and from the quarry beforehand.
He added: “We also have to take into account the CDE management of the pebblebed heaths and no other organisation is more committed to retaining the high quality wildlife.” …
Cllr Olly Davey said that the ecological measures go some way to mitigating the effect of this, but said it was such an incongruous place for such a development to actually be taking place and that it was unfortunate it is here.
Cllr Nick Hookway added that he also had a real problem with the application. He said: “I understand the need for jobs but I am at a loss as to how the outline permission was passed by the previous DMC as this doesn’t seem to fit in at all here.
But Cllr Wright said that Blackhill have been there for decades and there are time limits of when they can operate.
Councillors voted by nine votes to two, with two abstentions, to approve the scheme.
Outline permission was granted last year despite calls for the former quarry land to be returned to heathland.
Concerns had been raised by parish and district councillors in Woodbury and the Otter Valley Association about the continued industrial use of a site in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Outline permission was granted last year despite calls for the former quarry land to be returned to heathland.
Concerns had been raised by parish and district councillors in Woodbury and the Otter Valley Association about the continued industrial use of a site in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.”
https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/details-industrial-business-expansion-plan-2970387
Surfers Against Sewage warn bathers to avoid Exmouth and Budleigh Salterton after recent heavy rain
“Pollution Alert: Storm sewage has been discharged from a sewer overflow in this location [Exmouth and Budleigh Salterton] within the past 48 hours.
https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/urgent-warning-not-go-sea-2969102
(Former) EDDC accused of “corporate vandalism” – paint cliffs wrong shade of red!
“Sightseers and geologists have slammed a council for painting historic sandstone cliffs in a “weird” red.
Sidmouth rocks are a famous feature of the Devon coast, noted for their natural earthy colouring.
But the decision to paint a section in the “wrong red” during recent stabilisation work has left experts and tourists bemused.
A councillor said reinforcing concrete had been dyed to “help it blend in with the surrounding stone”.
During the works, completed at the end of April, large bolts set in concrete were installed into the cliff to stabilise a large piece of rock.
The work was completed at the end of April.
Geologist Dr Alasdair Bruce said he could only describe East Devon District Council’s effort as “corporate vandalism”.
“They have sprayed most of the cliff. It’s almost like an Eric Sykes film,” he said.
“I’ve seen councils do some strange things with cliffs but this clanger really is at the top of the pile.”
The cliffs at Sidmouth are thought to date back about 220 million years to the Triassic period, which came before the Jurassic period.
Bill Shaw, a metal sculptor from Bideford on holiday with his wife, Peach, said: “It’s a bit weird. It just looks fake.
“It’s the wrong red as well, it should be more of a terracotta colour or would be better just left as it was.”
Geoff Jung, the council’s portfolio holder for the environment, said: “The concrete was dyed to help it blend in with the surrounding stone as opposed to leaving it as a plain concrete finish.”
He said the stabilisation work allowed the council to keep the walkway under the cliffs open and the public safe.”
REAL independence in politics – when ALL independents are in one group
“… As with all the independents I meet, they insist that orthodox party divides have no relevance to politics at the most local level. “If you look at our 16 candidates, we have got leftwing people and we have got a supporter of the Brexit party,” says another DIG councillor, Ged Yardy. “We have not been elected on the basis of our previous politics. Party politics is not in the room.”.
BUT party politics IS in the room when, as in East Devon, Independents from one group appoint Conservatives into positions of power and/or influence in order to give that pairing a majority rather than appointing other independents whose origins differed from theirs.
Swire: obsessed by Raab and Brexit – no time for East Devon
And if you believe this, you will believe anything. Remember, Swire’s party (with Lib Dems and DUP support) has been in power for NINE years – they CREATED the problems they now say should be solved!
Is Swire getting too many column inches in our local press?
Midweek Herald today:
East Devon Watch 