East Devon Local Plan >>> "a disaster all round" >>> extraordinary council meeting: Thursday 28th January

Tomorrow night sees the full Council debate - and probably approve - the Local Plan:
Futures Forum: East Devon Local Plan >>> extraordinary council meeting: "to formally adopt the Plan": Thursday 28th January

Cranbrook features prominently - especially the promise of 'affordable housing':
Plans for more than 17,000 new East Devon homes backed by planning inspector | Exeter Express and Echo
Collaborative approach | Building Products
Futures Forum: Cranbrook wins 'Best Overall Development' and 'Affordable Housing' awards ... but what exactly is 'affordable'?

And development at Cranbrook would conveniently take the pressure off much of the rest of the District, as voiced a year ago:
East Devon MP voices concerns about prospect of Exeter – Exmouth “urban sprawl” | Exeter Express and Echo

But maybe not.

There has been lively debate on the Streetlife around figures for housing - and employment land - for the Sid Valley at the other end of the District.

This is the contribution from Save Our Sidmouth:

Save Our Sidmouth, (consisting of the SVA, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Futures Forum), put together sound, robust and well argued evidence against the Sidford site many times to EDDC and also at the Public Examination. Marianne Rixon was part of the team. We also carried out traffic surveys at Sidford which showed that the roads would be over congested rapidly and the existing lights would not work. Unfortunately Devon County C, Highways, where S Hughes is the Councillor responsible,  accepted Ford's argument that the traffic was OK and they approved it .The Environment Agency have never approved Ford's plan.

The Inspector rejected the withdrawal of the Sidford site because, a) EDDC supplied no evidence to show why they had, in the last stage, withdrawn it and b) because he had already said that the plan, once submitted could not be changed by anybody except himself.

SOS are amazed that all our evidence as to the lack of need, basic factual errors, has been ignored by the Inspector. We are also very disappointed that the earlier regime of Sidmouth District Councillors, did not have the guts or the desire, to object strongly at the first signs of inclusion of the site in the Local Plan.

A disaster all round.

Streetlife | Local Plan - Sidmouth Housing

With more from the SOS website:
Councillor slams decision to retain Sidford employment allocation, as “neither democratic nor sound”. | Save Our Sidmouth
Local Plan’s allocation of 125 homes for Sidmouth is a minimum number, which already looks set to be exceeded. | Save Our Sidmouth
Inspector’s recommendations for Sidmouth “a huge disappointment” . | Save Our Sidmouth
Some confusion over Sidford employment land? | Save Our Sidmouth
Key decisions about this region’s future, at EDDC special meeting at Knowle (Thursday, 28th January, 6.30pm). | Save Our Sidmouth
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