Many of the people who came to  Sidford Social Hall on Wednesday evening, had first hand experience of the flooding at nearby Sidford Fields. They know only too well the consequences of EDDC’s Local Plan for a 12 acre business park on this AONB floodplain site.

Other aspects of the Local Plan could have dire consequences for the whole Sid Valley, so people had come from Sidbury and Sidmouth to attend the meeting, despite foul weather and Christmas priorities. Richard Thurlow, SOS Chair, gave a presentation on the progress of the Campaign, and on the looming deadline for public response. He then joined a panel of four for questions from the audience. The other panel members were Alan Darrant representing the Sid Vale Association; Barry Curwen, for Sidmouth Chamber of Commerce; and Marianne Rixson, of Sidford W.I., representing SOS.

A member of the audience, Graham Cooper, writes:

‘Everyone was advised to comment on the Local Plan by noon 14^th January.

This morning I purchased a hard copy of the LP for £3 (+ £2 for A3 maps) from EDDC.’

A copy is also available online, and can be downloaded. Advice on how to respond will be on this SOS website from the first week in January 2013.

Meanwhile, for the interactive map of the New Local Plan (2006-2026) which is out for consultation at the moment go to: http://maps2.eastdevon.gov.uk/mapping/localplan2013/. This shows where EDDC are allocating development for the future. Assuming the plan is found sound at examination in late summer 2013, this plan will be adopted in early 2014.

(For comparison, the public can view the interactive map of the current (adopted) Local Plan (1995-2011), at http://maps2.eastdevon.gov.uk/mapping/localplan/.)