East Devon District Council released their latest version of the Local Plan for consultation a few weeks ago. You can find their invitation to comment here:

Click to access final-edlp-consultation-instruction-from-eddc-ver02.pdf

and you can find the Sidmouth chapter of the revised LP here:

Click to access psd2015a-local-plan-tracked-changes-consultation-apr-2015.pdf

EDDC continued their proposals to allow up to 50 dwellings at the Knowle, 20 at Manstone, and 30 at Port Royal as in their last version.

They did omit the Employment land at Sidford. But in doing so they said that there may be a need to consider “a new Employment site on the northern edge of Sidmouth”: a location undefined by them.

The Inspector has said that any replies MUST be related to the changes in the Local Plan by EDDC, and that he will not consider other comments. He has also said very significantly for SOS that as EDDC submitted their original Local Plan with the Sidford site included, they cannot now remove it and he will be the one to decide whether it is omitted.

If you are interested in making a Representation, then please note the above. THE SIDFORD SITE IS MOST IMPORTANT and we do need comments that add to the need to exclude it.
These are:

• Devon Wildlife Trust has issued a Report that says that the water quality of the Sid is reasonable, it is very fragile and additional discharges will pollute it.
• Any proposals to build at Sidford will need raising of the ground by about 2 metres to preclude flooding. This will mean vastly increased Visual Intrusion.
• The existing Alexandria Road Industrial Estate now has increased capacity since the National Grid site was purchased by a current employer on this Industrial Estate. Consequently, there is even less need now for a new site elsewhere.
• Sidmouth does not need a new Employment site for 1400 new workers, as proposed.

Richard Thurlow
Chair, Save Our Sidmouth