Save Our Sidmouth

Category Archives: Sidford Fields – AONB or business park?


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Sidmouth’s economy: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” , today’s EiP hearing told.

The Examination in Public(EiP) of EDDC’s new Local Plan, continued today, with the Sidmouth hearing. Having begun at 9.30 a.m, it was clear by mid-afternoon that the scheduled questions would not be covered in one day. Consequently,Inspector, Anthony Thickett, closed the meeting at 6.p.m. and declared that the Sidmouth hearing will resume on Wednesday, 12th March.

These questions were examined today:
1.Strategy 26 seeks to allocate sites for 100 new houses and makes provision for 50 more on windfall sites.
Strategy 1 and Policy E1 propose the allocation of 5.5ha of employment land. Is this level of development justified by robust evidence?

2. Are the proposed allocations suitable for the development for which they are proposed?
2a. Sidford Employment Allocation
Traffic
Landscape/Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Flooding
2b. Alexandra Industrial Estate

Questions still to be examined:

2c. The Knowle,Port Royal, Manstone Depot Residential Allocations
Loss of employment
Traffic
Impact on the character and appearance of the area
3.
Does Sidmouth have the infrastructure to support the level of new
development envisaged in the Local Plan?

Some ‘best quotes’ from today’s hearing:

– ‘B1’is “any office space which will not annoy the neighbours.” (Inspector, Anthony Thickett)

-“Sidmouth’s economic formula is successful with a broadly thriving strategy… Whilst diversification is desirable, it should not be at the expense of what is already there. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” (Richard Eley)

-“We can achieve some ecological improvement “ on the business park site . (Joseph Marchant, for Fords of Sidmouth)

-“We can’t say, ‘Here is a sequential study that we undertook, and here is a critique of them’ . We took the Jubb report as a steer.” (Matt Dickens, EDDC)

-“The Local Plan should supply a sequential flood risk assessment …it is not an option.” (Charlie Hopkins, for Save our Sidmouth)

Report on the hearing will be posted shortly on this website. For EiP programme, please see SIN blog Home page: http://sidmouthindependentnews.wordpress.com/


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“Sheer madness” if the employment land were given the go-ahead, says Sidford resident.

The Sidmouth Herald (21st February) had this quote from Kim Scratchley, in its front page article. Mr Scratchley says that the proposed 12 acre site for a business park at Sidford Fields would seriously exacerbate flooding problems. “When it rains heavily, water pours down Ottery Lane, bringing water down onto the main Sidford and Sidbury road.His views were echoed by Marianne Rixson, also of Sidford, who pointed out that flood prevention measures, such as those at nearby Woolbrook, have been shown not to work, with the road there closed twice due to continued flooding. She made the further point that a large-scale business park would destroy the ‘green wedge’ between Sidford and Sidbury.

Pictures of the flooding problems, and more cautionary comments, are at this link: https://saveoursidmouth.com/2014/02/14/access-road-to-planned-sidford-business-park/


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Sidmouth hearing next Tuesday, 25th February 2014, as Examination of Local Plan continues.

From EDDC website:

Examination of the New East Devon Local Plan 2006-26
Hearing 7
09:30
Tuesday 25 February2014
Sidmouth
The overall housing numbers and employment provision proposed in the Local Plan has been discussed in previous hearing sessions. The purpose of this session is to consider matters specific to Sidmouth.
East Devon District Council has resolved to relocate from The Knowle.That decision has been made and is not a matter for this examination.
1.Strategy 26 seeks to allocate sites for 100 new houses and makes provision for 50 more on windfall sites.
Strategy 1 and Policy E1 propose the allocation of 5.5ha of employment land. Is this level of development justified by robust evidence?

2. Are the proposed allocations suitable for the development for which they are proposed?
2a. Sidford Employment Allocation
Traffic
Landscape/Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Flooding
2b. Alexandra Industrial Estate
2c. The Knowle,Port Royal, Manstone Depot Residential Allocations
Loss of employment
Traffic
Impact on the character and appearance of the area
3.
Does Sidmouth have the infrastructure to support the level of new
development envisaged in the Local Plan?
*Persimmon Homes (SW) Ltd proposes the allocation of land for housing at Woolbrook Road.
Mr R Eley proposes the allocation of land east of Fortescue Rd for hotel use.
Participants
East Devon District Council
29 Sidmouth Chamber of Commerce
720 Futures Forum of the Vision Group for Sidmouth
1795 Mr Philip Wragg
1967 Mr Tim Ford
2062 Persimmon Homes (SW) Ltd
3248 Cliff Road Action Group
3496 Mr Keith Northover–
represented by Mrs Julia Harbour
3589 Knowle Residents Association–
Mr K Northover
3603 Mr K R Dent
3632 Mr Barry Curwen
3647 Mr Michael Temple
3747 Mr Graham Cooper
4019 Mr Richard Eley
6048 Mr Peter Whitfield
6139 Dr Stephen Wozniak
6184 Mrs Marianne Rixson
6225 Mrs Ann Jones
6314 S Mathews
6359 Mr Ian Davies
6361 Mr G W Nicholson
6397 Save our Sidmouth
6920 Mr David Addis
6922 Cllr Mike Allen

For ground already covered by the Examination in Public, please see http://eastdevonalliance.org/2014/02/21/examination-in-public-eip-of-eddcs-new-local-plan-summary-so-far/