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.

See letter sent to the press, and posted today on eastdevonwatch.org, under the heading

‘EDDC AND KNOWLE – REASONS FOR REFUSAL OF PEGASUSLIFE PLANNING APPLICATION – BUT WILL A NEW HQ SWAY COUNCILLORS?’

Here’s a copy of the letter, from Michael Temple, Sidmouth (Founder member of East Devon Alliance, EDA*; trustee of the national group Community Voice on Planning, CoVoP**).

“Compare and Contrast

The highly controversial PegasusLife application for Knowle is to be decided at 10.30 am on Tuesday 6 December in the Council Chamber at Knowle, Sidmouth.

Readers might like to compare it with other recent PegasusLife applications:
1. Bath (assisted living): refused: “excessive and incongruous height”, “harmful impact upon surrounding heritage assets”, “nearby listed buildings undermined”, “the excessive tall building fails to respect its context”, “harmful impact on character and appearance of surrounding conservation area”.

Bristol (Nuffield Hospital site) – officers can’t support due to “excessive bulk and massing”, “doesn’t relate to surrounding context”, would “dominate the townscape”.

Wilmslow: refused: “too large, too high, no affordables”.

Harpenden (retirement flats) – refused due to “height (20.7 metres)”, “lack of privacy for neighbours”, “footprint 28 degrees greater than existing buildings”, “visually intrusive”, “residents’ parking would spill onto neighbouring roads”.

Knowle, Sidmouth (assisted living – or second homes?) – officers approve.

The East Devon District Council’s planning officer, departing from the Local Plan and its planning strategies, claims the the “benefits” to Sidmouth outweigh the harm to an English-Heritage listed building.

“Benefits”? Could he mean

the overbearing, intrusive impact on the park and neighbourhood of an excessively high, out-of-scale massed development?

the loss of heritage buildings and public assets like the Council Chamber where so many people met recently over the proposed hospital bed cuts?

the loss of weekend parking to this tourist town?

the loss of about 100 jobs?

the blot on Sidmouth’s skyline?

the loss to the public of the park’s fine lawn prospect?

the lack of a contribution towards affordable housing?

possible downtown drainage overflow during flash floods?”

*eastdevonalliance.org.uk

**covop.org

Development Management Committee will be voting on whether or not to approve the PegasusLife application for demolishing and replacing the existing building. Meeting starts at 10.30 a.m. Public are welcome.

Please pass the word.