For a reminder of the issues, go to posts for 14th and 15th May on this SOS website.
More comment, on both East Devon District Council, and on Devon County Council Meetings scheduled for this week ( Weds 22nd, and Thurs. 23rd, respectively) at http://www.claire-wright.org , post on 21st May.
A new revised application has been submitted for an out-of-town veterinary centre at Sidford, on land next to the garden centre (Ref. OAP 13/0715/OUT).
The Sid Vale Association, has sent a formal objection, as follows: SVA objection re garden_centre on Sidford AONB__17.5.13
SOS, too, are concerned about the precedent this would set for further developments on Sidford’s Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, if the plans are accepted. Out of town centres inevitably mean increased car use and associated traffic flow problems. In this particular case, public transport is not an easy option, as the approach to the site proposed for the vets’ practice is near a bend in the road with no pavement, and with a steep slope up to the garden centre car park which it would share.
What possible alternative sites are there within the town boundary, which would be more convenient for sick animals and their owners (particularly pet-owners without cars)? See http://sidmouthindependentnews.wordpress.com today, for suggestions.
Councillor Stuart Hughes, currently side-lined by EDDC, has vociferously argued against development of a 12 acre business park on a Sidford floodplain in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (See SOS post yesterday, and Booted Off , front page headline in Sidmouth Herald 17 May). An SOS sleuth has also recently established that EDDC has erroneously described the site as Flood zone 2, in its Local Plan documents. when in fact the Environment Agency rates much of it as Flood zone 3b (entirely unsuitable for building on). EAFloodmapSidford
Save Our Sidmouth 