Sidmouth Town Council Planning Committee (16th November), heard Michael Temple make the following speech. The issues raised will be amongst many to be considered next Tuesday (6th December) by the Development Management Committee (DMC).

‘The District Council’s Chief Planning Officer recommended that PegasusLife set Building E back to the existing office footprint. In response PegasusLife have moved it a few metres north of the Listed Summerhouse but on a higher level of lawn where the Chief Planning Officer has told me ground levels would be raised.

Diagrams* sent to you by Graham Cooper reveal the visual impact of this on the listed building and for those who use the park: currently the angle of vision to the old hotel building from the ground level of the Folly is 20 degrees – the distance between being over 30 metres. The angle of vision to the new siting of Building E would be 50 degrees. As measured by the Chief Planning Officer Building E would be 20.1 metres (66 feet) above the ground level of the Folly. This will destroy the setting of the listed building and impact seriously on the public park.

STC has opposed any building on the park lawns, which are seen as a key feature of this unique woodland park. The developer’s claim that Buildings E and D (the latter to be sited on the very edge of the lower lawn) will “tastefully ornament” the listed building is preposterous and the vegetation now encroaching on that public asset is the result of Council neglect.

PegasusLife’s intention to remove all the trees and bushes on the western side of the lawn terraces will also expose Building E – as well as the adjacent Building F which will be 7 metres higher that the current office building. These will dominate the skyline from the western side of Sidmouth. I am sure Sidmouth Councillors are aware of the gigantic scale and impact of this development.’

• Diagrams can be viewed on the eddc website in the COMMENT by  Graham Cooper, dated  11 November 2016, under Knowle planning application reference 16/08072/FUL

REMINDER: Decision on PegasusLife controversial plans for Knowle will be taken next week, by the Council’s Development Management Committee (DMC).  The meeting, on Tuesday 6th December, starts at 10.30 a.m. in the Council Chamber, Knowle, Sidmouth EX10 8HL.

PLEASE NOTE: EDDC now allows only five speakers for, and five against, such a planning application, despite its designation as ‘major’. SPEAKERS MUST REGISTER IN ADVANCE …See EDDC’s terms and conditions, copied here:

• ‘To speak on an application at Development Management Committee you must have submitted written documents during the consultation stage of the application. Please note that any representations received during the consultation stage will have been summarised and addressed in the Planning Officer’s report, and therefore the Committee members will be aware of the points raised.
• You can register your wish to speak on an application from 10am TODAY (Monday 28 Nov) up until 12 noon this Thursday (1st December ), by leaving a message on 01395 517525 or emailing planningpublicspeaking@eastdevon.gov.uk including the following details:

- name
- telephone number
- the reference number at the top of the email/letter sent to you

- the application number/address
- whether you wish to speak in support or against the application

- if you agree to your details being published on the website’

Full details  at this link: ufm41 ‘

Due to what many see as starkly threadbare reasoning in the Officers’ recommendation for approval of the application; the number of planning considerations it makes light of; and the controversial  issues at the heart of this major application, a high public presence is expected.