The Sidford Fields employment site still appears in East Devon’s revised draft Local Plan, despite solid objections to it.
On Monday this week (23 March), three of the District Councillors representing Sidmouth attempted to get an amendment accepted. In it, Council Cllrs Stuart Hughes, Graham Troman and Peter Sullivan proposed Green Wedge status for the land between Sidford and Sidbury , and an alternative employment site north of the A3052 (near Sidmouth Garden Centre, although still on AONB).
The Development Management Committee (DMC) rejected the amendment, but agreed to send a note to the Inspector advising him of the of the unprecedented number of representations that had been received about the Sidford Fields site, and pointing out the lack of need and environmental concerns, particularly flooding and traffic issues.
Category Archives: EDDC
Employment land for Sid Valley …should EDDC’s Local Plan be amended? (DMC to consider, next Monday morning, 23 March)
Stuart Hughes’ ‘Hughes Report’ blog says that he has proposed an amendment to the Local Plan, seconded by Graham Troman. It refers to moving the employment allocation to north of the A3052, and designating the land between Sidford and Sidbury as a Green Wedge.
However, Cllrs Hughes and Troman, both representing Sidmouth, do not state how big they think the new site should be, nor precisely where it should be located. Presumably they want to leave those crucial matters for the Development Management Committee (DMC) to decide. At least two other Sidmouth representatives, Town and District Cllr Peter Sullivan, and Town Councillor Ian Barlow (owner of one potential new site), are likely to give some input when the DMC meets next Monday.
The DMC vote will probably be close, as it was with the Knowle application. This could be an ideal opportunity for the Committee to prove that it is independent-minded.
A large public presence at the meeting on Monday 23rd March, starting at 10a.m. in the Knowle Council Chamber, would doubtless be appreciated.
What EDDC’s revised Local Plan specifies for the Sid Valley
Here is the link to the revised Local Plan. http://eastdevon.gov.uk/media/990979/230315-sp-dmc-local-plan-with-changes-for-post-hearing-consultation-ver-04-march-2015.pdf
As in the previous version of the Local Plan, rejected by the Inspector, there are still 100 homes proposed, plus 50 windfall. AND the 5-hectare Sidford Business Park site is still in unamended.
The implications are illustrated below:
Proposal is for 12 acres of employment land, with 400 new parking spaces, close to residential housing. Sidmouth currently has a very low unemployment rate.
The site is partly on a floodplain, which Environment Agency warns will get worse with climate disturbance.
The Sidford-Sidbury country road already has traffic problems.
This example of a business park, just 15 minutes’ drive away (on A3052 towards Exeter) shows how the site in Sidford’s Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) could be transformed by EDDC’s Local Plan.
Save Our Sidmouth 