By a narrow margin of, we are told, 18 votes to 13, District Councillors at today’s Extra Ordinary meeting at Knowle, have decided to drop the controversial proposal for a 12 acre employment site at Sidford Fields.
Congratulations and thanks to Sidmouth Councillors Stuart Hughes and Graham Troman for proposing the amendment. As a recent commentator on this blog noted recently, Cllr Troman had already argued strongly at the Development Management Committee, that the Sidford site was not justified by the council’s own formulae.
And much credit must also be given to SOS member Marianne Rixson, whose extensive research on flooding and traffic issues was presented to the Inspector at the Examination-in-Public of the previous Local Plan. Her work has solidly informed the debate.
Save Our Sidmouth 
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March 27, 2015 at 7:23 am
Sense at last!
March 27, 2015 at 7:32 am
19 votes to 16 = 35. There are 59 councillors. Were the other 24 on a tea break?
March 27, 2015 at 9:44 am
Thank you, Peter. SOS has checked voting figures, which we are reliably informed were in fact 18 for, and 13 against. (Our text now edited) So it seems even fewer members were present.
Rather disturbing then that such a vital matter, for the whole of East Devon, as the revised Local Plan with its controversially high housing numbers, was accepted at this same meeting.
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