Category Archives: Budleigh Salterton

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28 Sep 2016

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Axminster, Budleigh Salterton, Exmouth, Honiton/ Gittisham, NHS (local), Seaton/ Colyford / Colyton, Sidmouth/ Sidford/ Sidbury

NHS bed closure ” consultation” to begin

“Consultation” – Owl really doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry!

“This afternoon NHS Northern, Eastern and Western (NEW) Devon Clinical Commissioning Group’s (CCG) governing body gathered for an extraordinary meeting at Exeter’s County Hall, following the announcement to close 72 community hospital beds in its eastern locality.

Details of the proposed consultation were discussed which will reduce the number of community bed units from seven to three.

The Your Future Consultation was approved by the governors signalling the start on the consultation on Friday, October 7.

It will run for 12 weeks and ultimately it will be NEW Devon CCG who decide which beds to close.

The four options being proposed in the consultation are…

A) 32 beds in Tiverton, 24 beds in Seaton and 16 beds in Exmouth.

B) 32 beds in Tiverton, 24 beds in Sidmouth and 16 beds in Exmouth.

C) 32 beds in Tiverton, 24 beds in Seaton and 16 beds in Whipton.

D) 32 beds in Tiverton, 24 in Sidmouth and 16 beds in Whipton.

In the options Tiverton hospital will definitely remain open. Honiton and Okehampton have not been included in the options so will close.”

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/devon-community-hospital-bed-closure-consultation-is-given-go-ahead/story-29760710-detail/story.html

YOUR COMMENT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE IN FAVOUR OF ONE OF THE ABOVE – IT CAN POINT OUT POOR OR MISSING OR MISLEADING INFORMATION AND/OR PUT FORWARD OTHER SUGGESTIONS.

The NHS is not overspent, it is underfunded!

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21 Aug 2016

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Beer, Budleigh Salterton, Exmouth, Seaton/ Colyford / Colyton, Sidmouth/ Sidford/ Sidbury

“The changing image of seaside towns”

A 2011 publication, but many relevant points:

“… Older resorts have suffered a lack of investment and political will, with a steadily decaying and inadequate infrastructure, whilst new arrivals are vulnerable to poor quality development.We see too many examples where design quality is sacrificed in a desperate bid to secure investment, reducing the chance of long-term success. …”

http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20110118095356/http:/www.cabe.org.uk/files/shifting-sands.pdff

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4 Aug 2016

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AONB, Budleigh Salterton, Clinton Devon Estates, EDDC

East Budleigh: Clinton Devon – 5 houses with FOURTEEN parking spaces in AONB on grade 1 agricultural land

5 houses with no less than FOURTEEN parking spaces, on grade 1 agricultural land in an AONB. Clinton Devon Estates surely you are having a laugh …

“Plans for five new homes at East Budleigh have attracted opposition from the parish council.

Clinton Devon Estates is seeking outline planning permission for five new homes, including three affordable homes, on land at Frogmore Road, east of Oak Hill.

The landowner has previously proposed a larger residential development on the site but those plans were withdrawn in the face of local opposition.
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A local housing needs survey report prepared for Clinton Devon Estates by chartered town planners Bell Cornwell identified a need for at least three to five units of affordable housing in the parish.

The site is on the edge of the village, to the north of Frogmore Road, within the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Clinton Devon Estates wants to build two four-bedroom houses for sale on the open market along with two three-bedroom and one two-bedroom affordable homes. The proposals include 14 car parking spaces.

In a planning statement supporting the application, Bell Cornwell said discussions with the parish council about the potential development of the site had been going on for some time. …

… The application was debated by East Budleigh with Bicton Parish Council on Tuesday, July 26. Councillors resolved to object to the plans on the grounds that the application does not provide a sufficient proportion of affordable dwellings relative to open-market housing.

The parish council also objects to building on Grade 1 agricultural land when lower grade agricultural land is available, and to building on what it described as “an environmentally sensitive site, adjacent to a flood zone and inconvenient for access to village facilities”.

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/east-budleigh-homes-plan-faces-parish-council-opposition/story-29565789-detail/story.html

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20 Jul 2016

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AONB, Budleigh Salterton, Consultation, Cranbrook, Environment (local), Infrastructure, Natural England, Rural communities, Transport (local)

Budleigh Salterton – onshore cable consultation to 5 September 2016 – questions to be answered

Here is the consultation letter and, below it, the maps showing the two possible routes that it might follow onshore.  Also details of where and when representatives of the project will be available for questioning.

Several points spring to mind:

How wide will trenches be?
Will roads need to be closed and, if so, for how long?
How big is the converter station?
Why are some of the cables put in fields, yet others are embedded in roads? Roads particularly affected are the B3178 disrupting Budleigh Salterton, East Budleigh and Colaton Raleigh and the B3184 to the airport, Many other key strategic routes will also be cut across and possibly interrupted, including the A30 and also the railway line.
The two routes out of Budleigh Salterton are very sensitive environmental areas – moleing underground was originally mentioned but seems to have been dropped

The consultation letter (followed by maps of alternative routes included with the letter)

I am writing to invite you to take part a public consultation on proposals to build a 220 kilometre underground and subsea electricity interconnector and converter station which will see power flowing between France, the Channel Island of Alderney, and East Devon.

The FAB Project has the approval of the UK energy regulator Ofgem to build the interconnector, linking the British electricity grid from the existing National Grid substation at Broadclyst to the French grid to help ensure the security of supply to both the UK and the continent. Alderney Renewable Energy (ARE) and Transmission Investment LLP formed a joint venture company, FAB Link, and FAB Link is working with the French grid company RTE – Reseau de Transport d’Electricite – to develop the FAB Project.

The project also intends to take advantage of proposed tidal generators in Alderney to provide reliable, sustainable and low-carbon electricity for consumers on both sides of the Channel, hence the FAB name, which stands for France-Alderney-Britain. It is also our intention to increase competition in electricity markets, cutting prices for consumers.

As shown in the enclosed maps, the cables would come ashore in Britain at Budleigh Salterton and thereafter would run underground between the coast and a new above-ground converter station.

The interconnector cables would run completely underground between the coast and a new above-ground converter station to be built near Exeter International Airport. From the converter station the high-voltage DC electricity transmitted through the interconnector would be converted to or from high-voltage AC current used by the National Grid. Further underground cables would then link up with the grid at Broadclyst. There will be no pylons associated with the FAB Project, and our intention is that we will leave the environment along the route exactly as we found it.

We are holding three public consultation events in East Devon and one public consultation event in Alderney where we will be able to explain our project in more detail. Each of the events is open to the public from 2pm to 8pm. They are:
• Tuesday, 26th July, 2016: Temple Methodist Church Hall, Budleigh Salterton;
• Wednesday, 27th July, 2016: Younghayes Centre, Cranbrook;
• Thursday, 28th July 2016: Woodbury Park Hotel, Woodbury;

The events will provide you with opportunities to express your views on the project. The opinions of all stakeholders will help to inform our proposals for the route of the interconnector and the construction of the converter station before the relevant planning applications are submitted to the relevant authorities at the end of 2016.

If you are not able to attend one of the events, please visit our website to learn more. Copies of the detailed plans, technical reports and environmental appraisals of the onshore and offshore proposals available at the public consultation events will also be available online at http://www.fablink.net from 25th July, and there will be opportunities to express your opinions via the website, phone or by post. The consultation will run until 5th September 2016.

If you do not have access to the internet the information will also be available to view at Budleigh Salterton Library in Station Road, Budleigh Salterton, EX9 6RH, from 25th July to 5th September during normal library opening hours, which are currently 09.30-18.00 on Mondays, 09.30-13.00 on Wednesdays, 09.30-17.30 on Thursdays, and 09.30-13.00 on Fridays and Saturdays. Please note the library is not open on Tuesdays or Sundays.

Route 1

8 x 10 in. (1)

Route 2:

8 x 10 in. (1)

 

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11 Jul 2016

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Budleigh Salterton, EU Referendum

Brexit: a desire to return to the old certainties of Budleigh Salterton!

A european academic writes:

“Last week’s referendum, in which middle-aged and elderly British citizens with a noticeably shaky grasp of economics, international affairs and foreign languages voted in large numbers for the UK to leave the European Union, represents a Quixotic collective impulse to return to the security and timeless certainties of Budleigh Salterton.

Britain, or at least the 52 per cent of voters who endorsed the call to quit the EU, is demanding a halt to the relentless march of modernity with its multiculturalism, its immigrants from Poland, Bulgaria and Romania, its Jihadi terrorists and its Brussels-based bureaucrats and politicians who have had the temerity to legislate for Englishmen and -women.”

https://www.socialeurope.eu/2016/06/budleigh-salterton-brexit-quest-mythic-england/

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17 Jun 2016

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Accountability, Budleigh Salterton, Health and Social Care (local), Transparency

Budleigh Hospital – the, somewhat hazy, future?

These are notes written by an attendee at the recent meeting about the future of Budleigh Hospital. It represents the attendee’s personal views.

The way in which ” rent” is being tackled is very novel but, as always, the devil is in the detail.

Owl hopes the League of Friends has access to good lawyers!

“Budleigh Hospital League of Friends AGM followed by Wellbeing Hub Q&A 16/06/16

Chair’s perspective

• According to Chair, Dr David Evans, Swire and Toby Williams have been ‘very helpful in ironing out problems’ – more info on this would be interesting – eg what has Swire actually done (probably just enabling the roll out of Tory ideological destruction of the NHS at a local level?!).

• Dr David Evans also reported that he thinks the wellbeing hub is a pioneering project, one that he believes will be a model of success that other community hospitals in Devon will want to follow. There was a confusing and bizarre message that we should be proud of what we have (an empty building?!). Perhaps he was referring to the work of the League of Friends who do seem to put a lot of work into something that must be very incredibly frustrating.

NHS Property Services

• A contract will be signed between the League of Friends and the RD&E FT that will allow the Wellbeing Hub to ‘overcome’ the commercial rent issue for charitable organisations.

• The League of Friends described this lease as a ‘compromise’. In practice all rent will still be commercial (as they kept saying, this is ‘a legal requirement’), however as the League of Friends has money (raised locally) that they want to invest into the building, they have agreed (verbally at this point), that the money invested by the League of Friends will be converted into a lease – so a £100,000 investment in the property will be translated into a reduction (% unclear) for charitable sector users.

Sustainability, administration, etc all unclear, my question was about clarifying what was initially just a mention of this lease/compromise, but the answer didn’t go far enough.

• However a local alternative therapies practitioner (eg I know of one who wanted to rent space) would probably be charged commercial rent and therefore unlikely to be feasible for them to work from/offer services from the wellbeing hub.

The wellbeing hub

• In September they hope to have some example services available. But then this was contradicted with no access to building until 2017.

• Building is still in reasonable condition and a report of the work done while closed has been issued to the League of Friends (cost of work maintaining the empty building could be an interesting FOI as the League of Friends did not specify).

• It was suggested that the closure has allowed time to consider and test what ideas will work for the hub. Not convinced by this logic – I am pretty sure the hospital demonstrated that.”

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30 May 2016

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Affordable and Social Housing, Budleigh Salterton

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Budleigh Salterton in top 10 most expensive seaside towns

At number 10 – average house price £360,984.

No doubt the developers will be beating a path to EDDC’s door so they can both find a way of building the social or affordable housing on a brownfield site that the town will need to keep its young people near home – if there are any young people left.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-36410720

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14 May 2016

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Budleigh Salterton, EDDC, Exmouth, Moirai Exmouth project, Seaton/ Colyford / Colyton, Sidmouth/ Sidford/ Sidbury

“Britain’s seaside towns bouncing back”

But not because of high rise second homes or high-priced plastic entertainment – because of nostalgia for old-fashioned things such as piers and donkey rides mixed with modern attractions such as art galleries. THEY get Tracey Emin and Watne Hemmingway in to meld old and new – we get Moirai Capital Investments [very] Limited.

Typical EDDC – let the developers give them what they want rather than giving us what we want.

“Perhaps we have also arrived at a greater appreciation of the pleasures of the classic British break. A blend of familiarity, simplicity and beauty makes our coastal resorts comforting and exciting. The Proustian rush of candyfloss and donkey dung, yes, but also the thrill of experiencing towns reinventing themselves for the 21st century. Margate’s 1920s Dreamland amusement park, given a retro makeover by the Red Or Dead designer Wayne Hemingway, is one example – the schlock of the old meets the shock of the new. Think, too, of Banksy’s Dismaland in Weston-super-Mare, and Butlins marking its 80th anniversary by remodelling their Minehead family chalets in consultation with users of Mumsnet. Shakespeare would have a phrase for all this: once more on to the beach.”

http://gu.com/p/4j65n?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

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24 Mar 2016

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Budleigh Salterton

Budleigh Salterton’s Longboat Cafe sold back to earlier owners

… who say they have no plans to activate the controversial planning permission gained by its previous owner.

image

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7 Mar 2016

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Budleigh Salterton, Clinton Devon Estates, NHS (local), Ottery St Mary, Sidmouth/ Sidford/ Sidbury

Community hospitals: NHS fighting itself – and hospitals must make profits

What a despicable state of affairs we have in East Devon, where our community hospitals are treated only as cash cows:

Sidmouth:
http://www.eastdevon24.co.uk/news/ownership_change_does_not_bode_well_for_future_of_sidmouth_victoria_hospital_1_4446907

Ottery:
http://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/fears_over_ottery_hospital_ownership_change_1_4446362

Budleigh:
http://www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/news/800k_wellbeing_hub_in_budleigh_has_ground_to_a_halt_1_4425934

The situation in Budleigh is complicated by the fact that if the in-fighting is not resolved the site will revert to Clinton Devon Estates, and we all know what that means.

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25 Feb 2016

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Budleigh Salterton, Hugo Swire, NHS (local)

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It is unusual for Hugo Swire to take such an active interest in constituency business (see below). Is the NHS becoming an “issue” so soon after the election in which we, the electorate, voted on the basis that it was safe in Tory hands?

“MP for hub talks
Journal 25 February 2016

“East Devon MP Hugo Swire says he is “deeply frustrated” by delays to the reopening of Budleigh Salterton Hospital.

The hospital, closed since last summer, had been due to reopen five months ago as a health and wellbeing hub, but this has been delayed due to an ownership dispute, with NHS Property Services said to be needing to generate a commercial rent for the building.

Mr Swire said: “I have always been a keen supporter of this project. Like many of my constituents in Budleigh and the wider area, I am deeply frustrated by this delay. It is my plan to set up a round table meeting with all of the stakeholders involved in this project in an effort to find a solution to this particular problem. I have already invited the Health Minister, Lord Prior* and hopefully he will be able to attend.”

*Lord Prior’s real title is: “Parliamentary Under-Secretaty of State for NHS Productivity” and he sits in the House of Lords, not the House of Commons. He formerly worked for Lehman Brothers as an investment banker.

“In April 2014 he [Lord Prior] had a hip replacement operation paid for by private insurance but was treated in a public ward at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust.”

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parliamentary_Under-Secretary_of_State

A couple of questions:

Will “stakeholders” include users and potential users of the hospital?

And don’t forget, everyone, Swire will not be able to bring the matter up in Parliament because he is a Minister.

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22 Feb 2016

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Budleigh Salterton, NHS (local)

Budleigh Hospital to remain closed while two parts of the NHS wrangle about who owns it and who can charge the other for it!

“The wait to reopen Budleigh Salterton Hospital as a multi-purpose health facility is set to continue for the unforeseeable future.

A dispute over ownership of the site means it is already five months behind schedule for when it was due to open its doors to the community again.

Nearly a year ago, NHS Northern, Eastern and Western (NEW) Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) approved an £800,000 transformation of the facility owned by the Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust.

The hospital closed last summer and was due to reopen in September. NEW Devon CCG is in discussions to hand over responsibility for East Devon’s community hospitals to the Royal Devon & Exeter hospital.

It would mean the ownership of Budleigh Hospital would be automatically transferred to NHS Property Services, which would need to generate a commercial rent from the hospital building.

As a result, the scheme for a wellbeing hub in Budleigh will have to be put on hold until issues surrounding the ownership of the site can be resolved. …”

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Budleigh-Salterton-Hospital-remains-closed/story-28784586-detail/story.html

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10 Feb 2016

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Budleigh Salterton, EDDC

“The Budleigh Boys” part 3

The enthusiasm of the Budleigh Boys to dismiss the importance of the AONB and give greater weight to the economics of Pooh Cottage was not shared by Budleigh Salterton Town Council of which all three district councillors are members. The Town Council had recommended refusal.

At their January meeting the Town’s mayor expressed his surprise that the application was approved. But he was told it was alright as Councillor Dent felt the Highways Report was wrong and more traffic movements would not be created. This was endorsed by Councillor Tom Wright who thinks the result is a good solution.

This is a worrying trend by Budleigh Salterton District Councillors who know better than the planners and statutory bodies and also their Town Council.

An application to demolish a house which makes a “positive contribution to the conservation area” (Historic England) is awaiting decision. It was recommended for refusal by the Town Council.

The EDDC Conservation Officer writes that “Advice given at the pre-application stage concluded that the principle of demolition would be unacceptable on account of the contribution that the existing house makes to the character and appearance of the conservation area.” He concludes that “the proposed demolition should be considered unacceptable and the application refused.” The Environment Agency also has reservations due to the history of flooding in the area.

So what does a Budleigh Boy write?

“I am pleased to see the design of the new build is very similar to the existing and the increase in foot print, in my view, is not over development. I consider the plans to be acceptable and will provide 9 small dwellings, convenient to the town “

Word also has it that the two other boys feel the same.

RIP AONB, RIP special character of Budleigh? “Small dwellings” at any price?

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9 Feb 2016

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AONB, Budleigh Salterton, EDBF, EDDC

The “Budleigh Boys” and the history of AONB incursion – part 2

Following our earlier on how the “Budleigh Boys” councillors view their local AONB:

https://eastdevonwatch.org/2016/02/07/the-budleigh-boys-and-their-take-on-aonb-changes-fine-if-it-benefits-the-lical-economy/

Owl has been surprised to receive quite a bit of correspondence on the subject and particularly about the AONB planning application that they so enthusiastically supported – at the caravan and camping site known as Pooh Cottage.

The site started life as a small cottage (2 bedrooms) on what was then called the Shortwood estate – in a very quiet and secluded rural setting which was purchased by a Ms Carter.

“Pooh Cottage”, as the house and site is now known, then began an expansion, some of it (see below) without benefit of any planning permission. It now comprises a large house, another building now split into two residential properties, a building erected as a horse’s stable and now a large bungalow, and three permanent “mobile homes”. A history of over 40 planning applications, retrospective application and enforcement orders, illustrate how the expansion continues.

The caravan site sprang up in the early 1990s. It started as a certificated site, with permission for 5 caravans on a stipulated number of days, but rapidly grew and grew in scope until in 2006, Ms Carter applied for a “Certificate of Lawfulness” for 47 caravans between 1st April until 31st October of each year, on the grounds that she had done so for 10 years, completely unhindered by any action from EDDC. This certificate was granted by EDDC – for a site considered by many to be entirely unsuitable and unsustainable to a large commercial enterprise.

Neighbours of the site, very concerned about how the site had grown and continued to grow, went to the Local Government Ombudsman, who found in their favour, and awarded them a large cash sum (from the pockets of the taxpayers of East Devon, of course) as “compensation” – though this was, of course, no help after the event. Unfortunately, the certificate cannot be rescinded without an Act of Parliament, which is obviously unfeasible.

The Ombudsman judged that EDDC had erroneously granted the Certificate of Lawfulness, and strongly censured their actions throughout the whole way in which they had handled the growth and expansion of Pooh Cottage “Holiday Park” and recommended that a very tight rein be kept on any planning excursions from Ms Carter in the future. This has not apparently happened, and the expansion continues, with repeated battles every season to limit the use of the site to the permitted terms. Councillors have supported expansion even after the Ombudsman’s remarks and when their officers have recommended refusal (see link above)

Throughout all these battles, the former “East Devon Business Forum” supported the owners of Pooh Cottage at every turn, saying that it brought jobs and prosperity to the area (though there seems to be little evidence of these jobs far).

A campaign was instituted some years ago by residents in the area to oust their then councillors, who both supported the business interests of the owners of the site throughout. Former councillors Florey and Franklin are no longer representives of the people of Budleigh Salterton.

However, the current councillors have continued to enthusiastically support expansion of the site with the exact same reasons former councillors used and which the Local Government Ombudsman criticised.

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7 Feb 2016

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AONB, Budleigh Salterton, Development Management Committee

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The “Budleigh Boys” and their take on AONB changes: fine if it “benefits the lical economy”

The councillors referred to themselves as “the Budleigh Boys” after they were re-elected after the last local elections. This was their take on an AONB development in 2012 which gives a good idea of their priorities, which over a period of three years appear to have totally changed.

Application 11/1531 (F Carter) refused for winter storage & refused by Inspectorate 15.05 2012

TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1990 GRANT OF CONDITIONAL PLANNING PERMISSION Applicant: Pooh Cottage Holiday Park Application No: 15/2136/FUL Address: Bear Lane Budleigh Salterton Date of Registration: 14 September 2015 Agent: ARA Architecture Date of Decision: 28 January 2016 Address: 39 Rolle Street Exmouth EX8 2SN Proposal: Proposed storage area for 47no touring caravans. Location: Pooh Cottage Holiday Site Bear Lane Budleigh Salterton

RECOMMENDATION: Refusal

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This application is before Committee having been referred from Chairman’s Delegation meeting. The application seeks permission for the use of an agricultural field for the winter storage of caravans. The use would be associated with an adjacent holiday touring caravan site which is in operation for the main holiday season only. While the applicant has sought to demonstrate the benefits of the scheme through additional income for the existing site, and continuity of service for clients (those staying on the site during the summer would be able to store their caravan on the adjacent field), the site lies within the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. In such an environment, which is given the highest level of landscape protection, development should be in the National Interest or have sufficient justification while still protecting and preserving the environment. While economic benefits can help to justify a scheme, they are not considered in this instance to outweigh the concerns regarding the visual impact from the proposal and highway safety concerns from additional vehicle and caravan movements on a single-width carriageway

Recommendation: THE HEAD OF PLANNING, TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENT, ON BEHALF OF DEVON COUNTY COUNCIL, AS LOCAL HIGHWAY AUTHORITY, RECOMMENDS THAT PERMISSION BE REFUSED FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS

1. The proposed development would be likely to result in an increase in the number of vehicle movements, particularly towing vehicles, using Bear Lane, a narrow road with limited passing facilities and no footways which will further prejudice highway safety and lead to additional interference and conflict with other highway users along the length of Bear Lane and its junction with B3178, including users of the national Cycle Network, contrary to Policy TO6 of the Devon County Structure Plan and Policy TA7 of the adopted East Devon District Local Plan Officer authorised to sign on behalf of the County Council 20 October 2015 DCC Flood Risk SuDS Consultation Thank you for referring the above application which was received on 23/09/2015

Budleigh – Cllr A Dent When a similar proposal came before us three years ago I supported the application on the following grounds: o The additional income from the winter storing of caravans would be of considerable benefit to the Pooh Cottage business. In addition there would be a some benefit to the local economy.

By not moving caravans seasonally in and out of the site, there would be less traffic movements in Bear Lane. The Inspector refused the application in support of the Highways comments as well as the detrimental effect there would be on the AONB. This application addresses the harm to the AONB by moving the proposed storage site further down the slope. The advantage to both traffic movements in Bear Lane as well as the benefit to the local economy remain.

On balance I feel the benefits outweigh any potential harm and I support this application. In the event that officers disagree with my position then I would like this application to be taken to committee.

Budleigh – Cllr S Hall I wish to express my support for this application. I believe that this revised location is much more acceptable in terms of visibility and impact on nearby residents. Traffic movements should be significantly reduced. Please advise of any future developments on this

Budleigh – Cllr T Wright I support this application. I was strongly opposed to the previous application as there would have been significant visual impact as the previous site was higher up the land. The new site is lower down the hillside and not so obtrusive. The reduction in the resulting movement of caravans is to be welcomed on a number of points, reduced traffic congestion, improved road safety and a lessening of carbon emissions. The business is a valuable contributor to the Budleigh and wider East Devon economy.

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3 Jan 2016

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Budleigh Salterton, Clinton Devon Estates, Environment (local), Exmouth

Clinton Devon attempts to reassure those who might be affected by its plans to ” restore” the lower River Otter

It definitely needs some careful reading between the lines – our compliments to the communications expert who drafted it! As always, what is NOT being said is probably much more important than what IS being said. Owl would not be at all happy if it lived in South Farm Road….

And the “reassurance” that it will conform to “guidance in force at the time of planning” doesn’t quite cut the mustard after Storm Frank.

http://www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/news/lower_otter_restoration_project_questions_answered_by_project_manager_1_4362486

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24 Nov 2015

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Budleigh Salterton, Neighbourhood Plans

Time running out to comment on Budleigh Neighbourhood Plan

“There are just 11 days to go until the Budleigh Salterton neighbourhood plan questionnaires must be returned. So far, around 360 completed surveys have been received.”

http://www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/news/last_chance_to_have_a_say_on_budleigh_salterton_neighbourhood_plan_1_4323004

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16 Nov 2015

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Budleigh Salterton, Dorset, East Devon economy, Exmouth, Seaton/ Colyford / Colyton, Sidmouth/ Sidford/ Sidbury

East Devon coastal sprawl could cost you a 27% drop in your house price if World Heritage status risked

” … the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site is formed from a massive slice of East Devon and Dorset.

This includes towns already well known to attract premium price tags such as Beer, Lyme Regis, Seaton and Sidmouth and Budleigh Salterton, which earlier this year was named among the most expensive places to buy in the Westcountry with average prices of £342,442.

According to Zoopla, while the average residential property is valued at £284,000, those near a site that holds Unesco status are valued at £362,000 – a difference of 27%.”

http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/World-heritage-status-means-West-homes-attract-78/story-28184478-detail/story.html

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16 Oct 2015

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Beach huts, Budleigh Salterton, EDDC, Transparency

Beach huts: a very messy “compromise”

Some reading between the lines needed here:

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Partial-victory-celebrated-East-Devon-beach-hut/story-27994867-detail/story.html

Auctioning leases has NOT been ruled out when 5 year leases are offered ( it is unclear if leases apply to all sites or just Budleigh Salterton and Seaton sites).

Taking out the word “significant” from the original phrase ” significant increase” means nothing.

“Market rents” will be charged.

A typical EDDC non-transparent fudge that only benefits one side: EDDC.

Tenants beware!

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21 Sep 2015

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Budleigh Salterton, Democracy

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Who do councillors represent – and why?

Yet another correspondent writes (thank you all: write to: eastdevonwatch@gmail.com if you have things to say – publication not guaranteed but always considered):


“EDDC councillors are consulted on planning applications in their patch and their comments carry weight. However, their comments should be confined to material planning considerations as with the rest of us.

Go to planning application 15/1881 and you will find that Councillor Tom Wright enjoys a cup of tea in bed with his wife in the morning enjoying a view of the sea. He then goes on to support a planning application involving demolition of an Arts and Crafts style house in a Conservation Area and an AONB in the heart of Budleigh Salterton.

There is no mention that this is contrary to the National Planning Policy Framework and planning permission should be refused in such designated areas except in exceptional circumstances where it can be demonstrated that they are in the public interest. He also does not support the local Budleigh Salterton Town Council which objects to this application and of which he is a member.

He will find if he reads other consultees’ comments that the Environment Agency objects on grounds of flooding, that Historic England considers that the potential loss of the structure and the proposed replacement would result in a harmful impact to the character and appearance of the conservation area and would be unable to support the application and the County Archaeologist advises that the EDDC Conservation Officer should be consulted on the demolition of a substantial dwelling built in the Arts and Crafts style within the town’s Conservation Area and the impact this may have upon it.

Who is Councillor Wright actually representing here?”