Category Archives: Environment (local)

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25 Mar 2015

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Democracy, East Devon Alliance, EDDC, EDDC HQ, Environment (local), Exmouth, General Election, Honiton/ Gittisham, Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation, Latest news

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Relocation rolls on…

..and the money rolls out, thanks to a District Council which (as Seaton Cllr Peter Burrows put it) “may not be in existence when the loan expires.”
Yet no-one knows whether Pegasus Life Ltd will offer EDDC for the Knowle a figure nearer £7million or nearer £8million (the rough price-range agreed). But with no Heads of Terms yet fixed, councillors’ vote tonight to go ahead with relocation nonetheless, puts the ball firmly in Pegasus Life’s court.

As usual, questions from the public went unanswered.

Extracts from the meeting will be available on YouTube soon. The link, and more on tonight’s Extra Ordinary meeting, will be posted on EDWatch in due course.

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25 Mar 2015

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Democracy, East Devon Alliance, EDDC, EDDC HQ, Environment (local), Exmouth, General Election, Honiton/ Gittisham, Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation, Latest news, Sidmouth/ Sidford/ Sidbury

District Councillors may be left wondering what happened to “cost neutral?”

Rush, rush, rush! Councillors will have barely had time to read through and fully digest the minutes of the Special Development Management Committee meeting (on Monday 23 March), which have just been sent to them, before they are required to make a ‘final decision’ on relocation at this evening’s 6.30pm meeting.
Will all have opened their e-mails straightaway? And how many will have been able to collect well in time, the paper copy of the minutes available from their pigeon holes from 4pm today?

In a whirlwind week of Extra Ordinary meetings, some Councillors might be hardpressed to sufficiently absorb the latest information on a whole raft of extremely important decisions with long-term consequences. They are being inexplicably and unreasonably squeezed into a decision on the sale of Knowle, AND proposed changes to the revised Local Plan, in the same short period of time.

The links received (hopefully) by Councillors are:
http://eastdevon.gov.uk/media/1002849/260315-extra-ordinary-council-ag
> enda-local-plan.pdf
The previously circulated Special Development Management Committee
> agenda papers:
> Agenda –
> http://eastdevon.gov.uk/media/990985/230315-special-combined-dmc-agend
> a.pdf
> Draft schedule of proposed changes –
> http://eastdevon.gov.uk/media/990982/230315-sp-dmc-table-of-changes-to
> -local-plan-v3-march-15.pdf
Addendum report with proposed changes –
> http://eastdevon.gov.uk/media/1018372/230315-sp-dmc-addendum-report-it
> em-5.pdf
Revised Draft New East Devon Local Plan with tracked changes:
> http://eastdevon.gov.uk/media/990979/230315-sp-dmc-local-plan-with-cha
> nges-for-post-hearing-consultation-ver-04-march-2015.pdf

Councillors have a lot on their shoulders. The public speaking this evening would clearly like to share the load.

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25 Mar 2015

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AONB, Environment (local), Local Plan, NPPF

“We’re treating soil like dirt”

… The government’s deregulation bill, which has now almost completed its passage through parliament, will force regulators – including those charged with protecting the fabric of the land – to “have regard to the desirability of promoting economic growth”. But short-term growth at the expense of public protection compromises long-term survival. This “unambiguously pro-business agenda” is deregulating us to death.

There’s no longer even an appetite for studying the problem. Just one university – Aberdeen – now offers a degree in soil science. All the rest have been closed down.

This is what topples civilisations. War and pestilence might kill large numbers of people, but in most cases the population recovers. But lose the soil and everything goes with it.”

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25 Mar 2015

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Democracy, Development Management Committee, EDDC, EDDC HQ, Environment (local), General Election, Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation, Latest news

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Knowle Relocation …Will tonight’s ‘final decision’ leave poison chalice for East Devon?

Display 3What’s at stake tonight’s Extra Ordinary Council meeting? No less than our big money (a 20 year Council debt is proposed), and the re-shaping of one of East Devon’s loveliest towns.

So,once again, the public gallery will be full. Once again, Councillors may be seen to be pulled by the nose into making a huge decision, with possibly incomplete information at their disposal. EDDC may be obliged to release further ‘sensitive’ documents in just a few days’ time.

The meeting starts at 6.30pm this evening, at Knowle Council Chamber. Agenda on EDDC website, under ‘ Councillors and Democracy’.

Come early to get a seat..and enjoy a stroll in the whole park, while you still can!

P1030079

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25 Mar 2015

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Beer, Budleigh Salterton, Environment (local), Feniton/ Talaton, Flooding, Lympstone, Seaton/ Colyford / Colyton, Sidmouth/ Sidford/ Sidbury

Flood prevention cuts “a false economy” say MPs

http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Flood-defence-repair-cuts-false-economy-say-MPs/story-26224557-detail/story.html

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23 Mar 2015

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Claire Wright, Clyst St Mary, Democracy, Development Management Committee, East Devon Growth Point, EDDC, Environment (local), General Election, Latest news, Local Plan, Local Plan Inspector, National Planning Policy Framework, Neighbourhood Plans, NPPF, Planning System, West End: WestClyst BroadClyst/ Pinhoe

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Bad day for EDDC’s Local Plan officers. Good day for Clyst St Mary.

A barrage of questions from the public (no less than 17 people had pre-registered to speak) were fired at the DMC who were today considering the revised Local Plan. Several councillors firmly added their own particular concerns.

Seven speakers were from the Save Clyst St Mary Group. Campaign leader Gaeron Kayley has just circulated the news copied below:

As you will be aware, today was the day the Development Management Committee met at EDDC to discuss the Local Plan.

This had great significance for Clyst St Mary, given that it had been proposed that both the Winslade Park area and the green field owned by the Plymouth Brethren would be used for the village’s allocation of an additional 200 houses.

22 members of our group met last Monday and discussed our key arguments against this which were to be delivered at today’s meeting.

We are thrilled to announce that, following today’s Committee meeting, it was unanimously agreed by the 15 councillors present to reject the green field proposal and reduce the housing allocation for Winslade Park to 150 in total.

A massive thank you to everyone who attended last Monday’s meeting, including the seven brave souls who spoke so passionately and articulately today, as well as all those local residents who turned up simply to offer moral support. It really was greatly appreciated.

Whilst this was only a hearing for the Local Plan – not a hearing for the specific applications to which we have all objected – it does give us hope for the future. Things certainly appear now to be less bleak than they did ten days ago!

Rest assured, with your support, we will continue to fight in a dignified, professional and open manner to unite and preserve our village community.

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21 Mar 2015

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Affordable and Social Housing, COVOP, Environment (local)

Where can children play in our towns and cities?

” ... Throughout the country, they become prisoners of bad design, and so do adults. Without safe and engaging places in which they can come together, no tribe forms. So parents must play the games that children would otherwise play among themselves, and everyone is bored to tears.

The exclusion of children arises from the same pathology that denies us decent housing. In the name of market freedom, the volume housebuilders, sitting on their land banks, are free to preside over speculative chaos, while we are free to buy dog kennels priced like palaces in placeless estates so badly designed that community is dead on arrival. Many want to design and build their own homes, but almost no plots are available, as the big builders have seized them. …”

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jan/06/children-towns-and-cities-robbed-spaces-play

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21 Mar 2015

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East Devon Tories, EDDC, Environment (local)

Air pollution alert in the South West this week

..and a cautionary tale about the downside of development, from China.
(There’s no such thing as a cheap t-shirt) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6X2uwlQGQM

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20 Mar 2015

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East Devon Alliance, EDDC, EDDC HQ, Environment (local), General Election, Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation

Vision for East Devon …”superstore & factory” ?

Local literary links have inspired this poem, sent in by a correspondent:

A Vision

(with apologies to Coleridge)

In Honiton E.D.D.C.
Says its new offices shall be –
Far from the town where, as we know,
The office workers like to go.
No longer all Knowle’s greenery
But superstore and factory.
An Exmouth office, too, a place
Where few will find a parking space –
The building looks like an old barn,
Not like the “dome” in “Kubla Khan”.

But, Oh, the waste of public money –
The ratepayers don’t think it funny:
To build a glass and concrete shed
And trash the park and Knowle instead,
For “Our Great Leader” and his crew
Have no care for the public’s view;
Nor badger-setts, nor many a tree;
Nor office blocks, built ’83;
Nor Chambers, used by you and me;
Nor weekend tourist-parking, free;
Nor jobs and trade Sidmouth will lose;
Nor all the lovely parkland views –
All sold to builders for a fee –
And all for what? For vanity?
This Council, with no Local Plan,
Lets builders build where’er they can.

Yet in my crystal ball I see
A new look for E.D.D.C.:
Independents there will be
As councillors for you and me,
Come from every town and shire
With the Wright One to remove Swire,
Who all will cry: Please be aware:
We will not relocate somewhere
Based on false claims that there will be
“Big”(?) savings made in energy.
We come to bring Democracy,
And Probity, Transparency.
You all know there’s a better way –
It’s signposted by E.D.A.* ,
So, all you readers, lend a hand
And save our green and pleasant land.

(*EDA is East Devon Alliance)

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20 Mar 2015

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Democracy, East Devon Alliance, East Devon Tories, EDDC, EDDC HQ, Environment (local), General Election, Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation, Latest news, Sidmouth/ Sidford/ Sidbury

Councillors “like puppets on a string” over Knowle sale

Mike Temple’s letter in today’s Sidmouth Herald blasts the “cracking good deal” myth put about by Honiton Cllr and Tory Whip,Phil Twiss.
Here’s the letter:

‘Popping up like puppets on cue, Cllr Diviani’s obedient cabinet, aided and abetted by Sidmouth’s own Tory District councillors, nodded through the sale of Knowle last night (March 11) in the latest stage of the long-running farce that is the office-relocation.

According to the puppets, Sidmouth will never have had it so good. It’s getting “a cracking good deal,” piped Cllr Twiss (he who’d rather stick “hot pins in his eyes” than engage in a public debate with an Independent candidate – a serious case of “frit” perhaps). After all, Sidmouth is gaining a retirement community and we all know we need more of them, especially the expensive second-homes we so desperately lack.

No matter about the loss of community assets like the fine chambers used for concerts, religious services, talks and wedding receptions. No matter about the loss of 150 parking places for weekend visitors to a tourist town. No matter about the loss of the best of its unique woodland park, namely its magnificent prospect, the loss of which will trash the rest of the gardens – which no doubt can be built on later.

What’s more, it was all the fault of a vocal Sidmouth minority (like the 4,000 on the march) who , according to Cllr Diviani, prevented the Council from getting £10 million for the Knowle when its own plan to build all over the park was refused.

Yes, it’s all Sidmouth’s fault and all Sidmouth’s “gain”. And what goodies are we next promised? Well, look forward to Sidford Business and Industrial Park and then a superstore at the Alexandria Road estate and even more empty shops in town to let…’

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19 Mar 2015

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AONB, Development Management Committee, EDDC, Environment (local), Land Supply, NPPF

Good quality agricultural land CAN be protected where there is no 5 year land supply

Pickles Introduces Pre-Election Presumption Against Loss of Countryside Policy in Osborne’s LPA

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18 Mar 2015

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Affordable and Social Housing, Austerity cuts, East Devon Tories, Environment (local), General Election, Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation, Transparency

EDDC Tories promise more ….. of what exactly?

East Devon Conservatives have taken a half page advertisement in the local press this week (* see link below). In this advertisement they make claims for what they have achieved during the last 4 years.

Let’s take a look at these claims.

First though let’s look at what ISN’T in the advertisement:

No Local Plan – four years and still nowhere near completion, the lack of a Local Plan has allowed a development free-for-all throughout the entire district.

No Knowle relocation – the vanity project of the Leader and three of his Executive Board councillors (see blog of Councillor Ian Thomas:

Using the construction estimate of £2,439/m2, and a building size of 2,776m2, overall construction costs at Honiton are expected to be £6.77M. However, the market value of the resulting premises is estimated to be only £3.25M. From an investment point of view, this indicates that there is an immediate deficit on the project, of £3.52M.
https://eastdevonwatch.org/2015/03/14/tort-cabinet-member-notes-knowle-relocation-risks/

Those claims

A RECORD OF ACTION

Local homes for local people, building and buying homes for rent

Look at their latest press release dated 15th March 2015, which begins:

“Due to high house prices, relatively low incomes and a high need for affordable homes but limited existing stock, we have a major shortfall of affordable housing in East Devon. To overcome this shortfall, new residential development will need, in most cases to include some affordable housing.

http://eastdevon.gov.uk/housing/affordable-housing-in-east-devon/what-you-need-to-know-about-affordable-housing-if-youre-building-homes-in-east-devon/introduction-to-building-affordable-housing-in-east-devon/

However, recent developments have been allowed to cut their affordable proportion to NIL (e.g. Tesco site, Seaton) as house builders have pleaded poverty and EDDC has gone along with them.  Saying you need affordable housing is not the same as getting it!

Waiting list cut from over 3 years to less than 1 year

In 2011, EDDC said that:

As at 17 January 2011 there are 2,800 people on the council’s housing register. There are currently 45 empty council owned properties in total. About a third of these are “long term voids” which are being re-developed, have serious structural problems or have suffered fire/flood damage.

https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/affordable_housing_3

Many councils have cut their waiting lists by simply deciding that certain people will no longer qualify for social housing – e.g. people under 25. Where have all our housing waiting list applicants gone. Certainly not into affordable homes.

Community Development Workers to help local communities

Thriving communities do not need Community Development Workers – they are usually employed either in new towns (such as Cranbrook) or towns with multiple social problems or deprivation. Indeed at one time having a Community Development Worker was seen as a bad thing!

Cranbrook – a new town with employment opportunities close by

Well, yes, but have you been there and seen it! Tiny houses, tiny “gardens, narrow streets, very little parking, currently one shop (a pharmacy). Housing for Exeter people with Exeter jobs!

Supporting leisure opportunities, encouraging a healthy lifestyle

“Supporting” – such a useful word. Not “funding” – “supporting” – that’s all you really need to know!

Good development in the right places.

Now, that’s rich: in the last year we have had so much bad development in the wrong places, perhaps they have run out of wrong places!  Just about every town, village and (currently) hamlet has its own “development horror story” and it is about to get even worse.

LOCAL ISSUES, LOCAL ACTION

Council Tax frozen for the 5th year

Sure, but many services have been stopped or charges raised, or they have been taken over by town and parish councils. It is simply the transfer of costs from EDDC to them which means an increase for us!

Supporting our local economy through regeneration projects

There are two: Exmouth and Seaton. Exmouth consists of a concrete jungle of paid-for “leisure facilities” and Seaton’s consists of a small Jurassic Coast Visitor Centre, a Tesco and over 200 high cost homes on the regeneration site (the developer having pleaded poverty and had 40% affordables reduced to 20% and then zero)

Improving recycling rates

Councils are penalised if they do not achieve certain recycling rates. EDDC still does not collect cardboard.

Conserving the Jurassic coastline, our nature reserves and AONB’s
One phrase: “Sidmouth’s beach management plan” – rather like the local plan – the promise of jam tomorrow, or maybe the day after, or maybe not.

Conservative East Devon offers “excellent value for money”*
*Independent auditors report
Ah, best not dwell on what this blog, others such as Sidmouth Independent News, and http://futuresforumvgs.blogspot.co.uk/  have said about this – just that a cosy relationship breeds contentment on both sides!

Here’s the EDDC ad. in question: Toryad17thMarch2015

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17 Mar 2015

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COVOP, Environment (local), NPPF, Planning System

Community Voice on Planning National Day of Action 12 April 2015, 3 pm details of Sidmouth event

CoVoP invite you to a meeting in the park at Knowle, Sidmouth on 12 April at 3pm
to hear speeches on the National Planning Set-up from parliamentary candidates and others.
Free parking at Knowle (at least for now)

 

CoVoP Poster

listen to the voice

April 12 programme

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16 Mar 2015

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AONB, Democracy, East Devon Alliance, EDDC, Environment (local), Flooding, General Election, Latest news, Local Plan, National Planning Policy Framework, Planning System, Sidmouth/ Sidford/ Sidbury, Transparency

Can EDDC be serious, with revised Local Plan?

One example here: http://saveoursidmouth.com/2015/03/16/what-eddcs-revised-local-plan-specifies-for-the-sid-valley/

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15 Mar 2015

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Budleigh Salterton, Clinton Devon Estates, Democracy, East Devon Alliance, EDDC, Environment (local), General Election, Latest news, Local Plan, National Planning Policy Framework, NPPF

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More East Devon AONB under threat

Just heard from an EDWatcher, who says: “Did you know that Clinton Devon Estates are applying for 22 houses in East Budleigh AONB…? 14/2959/MOUT ”

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15 Mar 2015

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Clyst St Mary, Democracy, Development Management Committee, East Devon Alliance, EDDC, Environment (local), General Election, Land Supply, Local Plan, National Planning Policy Framework, Neighbourhood Plans

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EDDC Revised Plan- directly affects CLYST ST MARY

Gaeron Kayley, leading the Save Clyst St Mary campaign, urges you to read his message:

There has been a significant development regarding the Clyst St Mary planning applications of which you need to be aware.

We have been advised that East Devon District Council, in its amended Local Plan, has now stated that our village is to take an additional 200 new homes (on top of the 95 that we have already agreed to.) Moreover, the Friends Provident and Plymouth Brethren sites are the proposed locations of these new homes.

It is important to note that this news concerns East Devon’s Local Plan – it is not a result of the specific hearings for which we have all battled so hard to object to (these planning applications are still to be heard). This announcement is part of a totally separate decision where, for reasons we are not party to, our village seems to have become the exception to the apparent aim of preserving East Devon villages’ identity; it is believed it is due to our ‘proximity to Exeter’.

As you can imagine, having devoted a large part of our spare time to this campaign for several months, we feel, as you probably do, utterly devastated to hear this shocking news. There remain many questions unanswered and we would, in the longer term, be keen to hear your views regarding the group’s response and possible actions. In the first instance, we desperately need speakers at the meeting at the Council’s headquarters on Monday 23rd March at 10am. It is crucial our voice is heard. Would you be prepared to speak? If so, please respond to this email – or call 01392 969100 – as soon as possible. Anyone that is prepared to speak must have a booking made by mid day with EDDC. We are hoping to arrange a short get together for anyone prepared to speak on Tuesday evening.

To say that we are shocked at this development is an understatement; now, more than ever, we have to stay strong and united as a group and really hope that, despite how recent events appear to have manifested themselves, ultimately justice, transparency and equality shall still prevail.

Gaeron

Relevant links:

The agenda for the Special Development Management Committee to be held on Monday, 23 March at 10amcan now be viewed at: http://eastdevon.gov.uk/media/990985/230315-special-combined-dmc-agenda.pdf

The revised draft New East Devon Local Plan can be viewed here: http://eastdevon.gov.uk/media/990979/230315-sp-dmc-local-plan-with-changes-for-post-hearing-consultation-ver-04-march-2015.pdf

The draft schedule of proposed changes to the East Devon Local Plan can be viewed here:http://eastdevon.gov.uk/media/990982/230315-sp-dmc-table-of-changes-to-local-plan-v3-march-15.pdf

Paper copies of the agenda, revised draft Local Plan and schedule of proposed changes have been posted to those committee members that would normally receive a paper copy of the DMC agenda.

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13 Mar 2015

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Democracy, Development Management Committee, East Devon Alliance, East Devon Tories, EDDC, EDDC HQ, Environment (local), General Election, Grant Thornton, Knowle/Honiton/Exmouth relocation, Latest news, Local Plan, Local Plan Inspector

Cautions for Councillors voting on relocation

From SOS: http://saveoursidmouth.com/2015/03/13/auditors-reports-highly-dependent-on-quality-and-sufficiency-of-data-used/

Incursion into Knowle’s Public Open Space “has never been debated by councillors”

and from more than one senior Honiton Councillor, at various stages of EDDC’s ill-starred (jinxed?) ‘road to relocation’ project. Remember this SIN post, anyone? https://sidmouthindependentnews.wordpress.com/2014/02/17/watchdog-kennelled/

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13 Mar 2015

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COVOP, Democracy, East Devon Alliance, Environment (local), Flooding, General Election, Latest news, Local Plan, National Planning Policy Framework, Neighbourhood Plans

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Reminder: National Day of Action event at Knowle (12 April)

Details here: April 21 National Day of Action CoVoP Poster

The Knowle event is being organised by two East Devon Alliance members, Ian McKintosh and Mike Temple, who have joined the National Community Voice On Planning (CoVoP) as trustees.

CoVoP is constantly working for reforms in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), as this latest message shows:

‘Two letters from our members have appeared in the Telegraph this week – both were edited to remove references to CoVoP National Day of Action (12 April), but both expressed the key message that the Government is not listening to communities on planning. References to the 5 year plan supply have also been removed. The full text for both letters is here: letters to the Telegraph

Another member has written to Messers Betts, Pickles and Lewis expressing similar frustration.
“Dear Honourable Members
The NPPF is NOT working for local communities!
Further to the recent press release by the Communities & Local Government Select Committee on the operation of the NPPF I would like to draw your attention to further evidence that the NPPF is not protecting important local landscapes from inappropriate development and that Planning Officers appear to be ignoring sustainable planning principles outlined in the NPPF.
South Lakeland District Council (SLDC) planning officers regularly emphasise the ‘presumption in favour of development’ to their Planning Committee while failing to mention that all planning applications (even those for allocated sites in a Local Plan), must comply with core planning principles in the NPPF. These are outlined the NPPF (219 paragraphs) which also states (several times) that these sustainable planning principles are ‘material considerations’ when assessing planning applications.
At an SLDC Planning Committee meeting last December (attended by six out of 17 members), a planning application for a prime green field site, in the middle of Grange-over-Sands’ Conservation Areas, was granted. Committee members did not bother to discuss major infrastructure problems (drainage and roads), or the likely adverse impact on the town’s tourist economy. These problems had been raised at the meeting by local residents and Town Council representatives who also drew attention to the relevant paragraphs in the NPPF. No wonder people are losing faith in local planning procedures. This feels like a District Council dictatorship; not a local democracy.
We believe that District Councils are being ‘threatened’ with appeal cases by developers that they claim will be resolved in favour of granting planning permission. Also, we have evidence that our planning officers are also being pressurised into putting planning applications before the Planning Committee, due to perceived time constraints, even when the developer has not provided all the evidence needed to support their application such as an adequate flood risk assessment that considers the potential for flooding elsewhere.
We need more homes in areas where there are good employment prospects and good public transport links. We do not need them in areas with poor employment prospects, poor public transport links and inadequate infrastructure or where they will become second homes and have an adverse impact on Conservation Areas that are important to the local tourist economy.
I realise that you cannot do anything about specific issues raised above but I hope that the next Parliament will rectify some of the problems highlighted as a matter of urgency!
At the moment many of us do not know who to vote for at the next election because none of the main political parties have robust proposals for dealing with these serious planning inadequacies.
Yours sincerely”

We need to shout more loudly! Please demonstrate your frustration on 12 April.

Best wishes
Julie

Chairman of CoVoP
admin@covop.org

Community Voice on Planning
A National Alliance to provide communities with an effective voice on planning
http://www.covop.org’