Save Our Sidmouth

Category Archives: East Devon Business Forum


by Leave a comment

CPRE calls for a higher tax on second homes.

Sidmouth has a high number of second homes, but not enough houses that people on low or modest  incomes can afford. (More anonymous housing estates may not be the best solution)

SOS concerns about this situation are very much shared by The Campaign for Rural England, as Sir Andrew Motion’s statement today makes clear (  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21979039 ).

Lack of


by 1 Comment

Planning issues ARE within the scope of the Business TAFF

After months of being stalled by ‘legal advice’ that  it had no power to investigate planning matters concerning the controversial East Devon Business Forum, the Business TAFF can at last get on with its job.  
At their meeting yesterday,   the Overview and Scrutiny Committee agreed that the scope of the Business Task and Finish Forum with regard to the EDBF should include the consideration of planning issues in respect of employment land, but not in respect of any specific planned allocations and it should not delay the progress of the Local Plan.
The decision, with a ‘named vote’ , was 10 for and 9 against, as follows:

FOR= 10 votes

Graham Troman, Stuart Hughes, David Chapman, Sheila Kerridge,(Conservatives) = 4 votes

 Derek Button, Brenda Taylor, Eileen Wragg, Peter Burrows, (LibDems) = 4 votes

Roger Giles, Claire Wright (Independents)  =2 votes

AGAINST=9 votes

Mike Allen, Peter Bowden,Deborah Constance Baker,Vivien Duval Steer,Tony Howard,John Humphreys,David Key,Tim Wood, Tom Wright (Conservatives) =9 votes

One of the speeches from the public was by Barry Curwen of SOS. He has been promised a written reply. The speech is here:  Question to Overview and Scrutiny Committee 28.03.13

Another speaker from the floor was Dr Margaret  Hall  of the Campaign for Rural England. She pointed out that, as actual population increase had been much less than predicted by the Office of National Statistics (ONS),  far fewer houses than estimated, would in fact be needed.

The Minutes of this O&S Meeting will be well worth reading, particularly regarding issues of the  “Five Year Land Supply” .

For highlights from this meeting, go to http://sidmouthindependentnews.wordpress.com , 29 March post,  Planning planted firmly on the Business TAFF agenda


by Leave a comment

Planning CAN be on Task and Finish Forum agenda.

Tonight’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee at Knowle decided that  planning matters  WILL be part of the remit of the TAFF on Business. After a heated debate that lasted for more than two hours, the Chairman’s casting vote led to the decision being carried by 10 votes to 9. A fuller report will be posted on the SIN blog shortly.