Save Our Sidmouth

Category Archives: Sidford Fields – AONB or business park?


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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:

Slide39

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.

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The site is partly on a floodplain, which Environment Agency warns will get worse with climate disturbance.
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The Sidford-Sidbury country road already has traffic problems.

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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.


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Feedback from Public Open Meeting with Sidmouth District Councillors, called by Sid Vale Association

Knowle relocation, and the proposed Sidford Fields Business Park (Local Plan) were the topics for an exchange of views between District Council representatives for the Sidmouth area, and the public packed into the hall on Tuesday evening (9th Dec). Of the seven Councillors invited by organisers, Sid Vale Association, only one was unable to attend due to another engagement.
The meeting was diplomatically chaired by SVA Chair, Alan Darrant, who requested that the tone of the evening’s discussion should reflect “light rather than heat”. Councillors Christine Drew, Sheila Kerridge, Frances Newth,Peter Sullivan and Chris Wale, were invited to speak first. The many questions from the floor included some from Richard Thurlow, on behalf of Save our Sidmouth, challenging the financial and energy saving basis of the office relocation project; and one from Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for East Devon, Councillor Claire Wright, about spiralling costs and secrecy of the relocation plan process.

More detailed reports at these links:
http://eastdevonalliance.org/2014/12/10/last-nights-meeting-with-sidmouth-district-councillors/
http://eastdevonalliance.org/2014/12/11/the-excellent-move-to-knowle/
http://eastdevonalliance.org/2014/12/11/power-and-absolute-power/