The District Council has received more amendments to the Planning Application (ref 16/0872/MFUL) for Knowle. They consist of Pegasus Life’s revised drainage and bat mitigation reports, together with amendments to the design and footprint of building E and the associated landscaping.

DEADLINE for COMMENTS is FRIDAY 11th NOVEMBER, 2016.

The plans and Design Access Statement show (a) that Building E is moved very slightly north with planting around it (not a major change) and (b) Pegasus are arguing that the summerhouse is already shrouded in vegetation (how has this occurred?) and that views from the south will remain largely unaffected. The revised Drainage and Bat statements are lengthy, requiring close attention.

Please note that the 28 new documents are proving slow to download from the EDDC website http://planning.eastdevon.gov.uk/online- applications/. Alternatives,and instructions for commenting, are given in this extract from the notification e-mail circulated by EDDC on 28 October 2016.(NB.Highlighting in bold added by SOS):

‘Alternatively, they can be seen at the Council Offices, Knowle, Sidmouth between 8.30am and 5.00pm Monday to Friday. If you wish to make any representations about the proposal, you can do so on the website or write to us at East Devon District Council Offices, Knowle, Sidmouth quoting the application no. 16/0872/MFUL by 11 November 2016. Please mark the letter for the attention of the Central Team and copy your letter to the relevant Parish or Town Council. You should be aware that any comments raised will become public knowledge.’

Contact for the planning team : planningcentral@eastdevon.gov.uk Tel: 01395 516551

Details just posted on http://www.futuresforumvgs.blogspot.co.uk .

EDDC has of course already clashed with the Information Commissioner. In 2015 EDDC not only lost its Appeal to keep certain Knowle documents secret, but was severely criticised for “at times discourteous and unhelpful” conduct.

The ‘SOS Press Release on Tribunal decision’,  dated 5th May 2015,  puts today’s breaking news into context. Here it is:

In 2013, Jeremy Woodward, (SOS, (Save Our Sidmouth)), asked East Devon District Council, (EDDC), to release reports prepared by their Project Manager relating to the Relocation of their Knowle Offices. The reports contained information about the costs, programme and background to EDDC’s “ambition” to relocate their offices.
EDDC refused our request, , saying that this information was confidential. We appealed to the Information Commissioner, who ruled in our favour, saying that as the reports were prepared by an external consultant they should be released.
EDDC appealed against this decision, and the case went to a legal Tribunal which heard oral evidence in August 2014. After much further correspondence from EDDC , the Judge leading the Tribunal, in a Decision letter dated 5th May has ruled in our favour, saying that the Information Commissioner was correct in his interpretation and that information must be released. He is still waiting though for further information from EDDC so that he may make a judgement on the full extent of the disclosures.
In his judgement the Judge, B Kennedy QC says, “This Tribunal takes the unusual and unfortunate step of commenting on the conduct of the appeal itself. We are unanimous in our view that this appeal has taken much longer than it should have done and the reason for this seems to be the failure on the part of the public authority, the appellant, to address itself with sufficient attention to the details of what information and documents it was supplying to the Commissioner and ultimately also to the Tribunal….Correspondence on behalf of the Council, rather than ensuring the Tribunal was assisted in its function, was at times discourteous and unhelpful…… We believe this appeal could and should have been dealt with completely at the hearing in August 2014 and the decision promulgated six months ago had the Council discharged its responsibilities properly.”
EDDC has spent over £11,000 of public money in fighting this case, money which could have been spent on much more worthwhile and productive activities.
Throughout our campaign against the relocation of the Knowle we have continually been battling against EDDC errors, deliberate obfuscations and a refusal to examine rational options. A decision to confirm the relocation was made by the Council in late March 2015, based on what we still believe are very doubtful foundations.
We fully endorse the Judge’s conclusions on EDDC’s behaviour not only related to this particular event. We believe that EDDC personnel involved should be considering their positions.
Richard Thurlow, Chair, Save our Sidmouth