Sidford business park: "The council considered the allocation to be sound when the plan was submitted for examination and it defended the allocation at the hearing in February 2014. No new evidence has been submitted by the council to support its volte face."

Such is the controversy around the industrial estate in Sidford
Futures Forum: East Devon Local Plan >>> Sidford business park to remain >>> "pushing levels of development to their very limit" >>> “neither democratic nor sound”

... that this has been taken up by the national professional press:

Inspector refuses 'late' request to delete employment site from local plan

21 January 2016 by Jamie Carpenter , Be the First to Comment

A planning inspector has refused to accept a Devon authority's request to delete a controversial five-hectare employment site from its draft local plan.

Sidford: local plan proposals have sparked local controversy (picture by Alan Parkinson, Flickr)

In a report published this week, inspector Anthony Thickett endorsed East Devon District Council’s local plan, subject to a number of modifications.

Thicket’s report endorsed a revised housing target of 17,100 homes over the period 2013 to 2031, finding that the goal would meet the objectively assessed housing need for the district.

But the inspector said that he could not recommend the plan to be modified to accommodate a proposal by the council to delete an employment allocation at Sidford.

Thicket’s report said that the local plan proposes the allocation of five hectares of land on the northern edge of Sidford for employment use, but adds that the council resolved to delete this allocation from the plan at a council meeting in March 2015.

The report said: "The allocation was part of the plan submitted for examination and following submission for examination the council cannot make any further changes to the local plan.

"The council considered the allocation to be sound when the plan was submitted for examination and it defended the allocation at the hearing in February 2014. No new evidence has been submitted by the council to support its volte face."

The inspector’s report added: "It has been shown that there is neither a suitable site within Sidmouth nor a better one outside the town. I consider that any environmental impacts can be satisfactorily mitigated ... I consider the proposed allocation to be sound and I do not recommend its deletion."

In a separate report, Thickett backed the council’s Community Infrastructure Levy proposals. He recommended two modifications, including reducing the rate for retail development within Cranbrook to zero.

East Devon Council leader Paul Diviani said: "It is crucial that we have the right plan in place to ensure that our outstanding environment is conserved and enhanced, and that new development can provide homes that people need, places for them to work and social and community facilities to support them in leading healthy, active and fulfilling lives."

Inspector refuses 'late' request to delete employment site from local plan | Planning Resource
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