Save Our Sidmouth


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Access to Alexandria Road Industrial Estate

Following the first Sidmouth hearing, an important point was raised by Graham Cooper with the Local Plan Inspector, regarding the potential for fuller use of the existing employment land at the Alexandria Road Estate.

Here’s an aerial view of the site AlexRoadStudy

A suggested solution to improve the access (from Bulverton Road) is set out in this letter in the Sidmouth Herald (21st March):

‘Dear Editor

In respect to the Sidmouth section of the Local Plan there is a clear need for a new entrance to the Alexandria Industrial Estate. It is the potential deal with a major supermarket to purchase the Alexandria site which is underwriting the proposed industrial development in the Sidford AONB and is the generator of the EDDC’s redistribution of employment land in its ambition to relocate. Should this be allowed to proceed it will have a considerable impact on the economic vitality of the town centre and the rain run-off will contribute to flooding downstream at Port Royal. The Bulverton Road access to the industrial estate is therefore the lynchpin to the whole employment land solution in the resort.

The Alexandria estate has operated under capacity for many years, but with some modest reconfiguring such as an improved access it is capable of accommodating much more employment space. During the Local Plan discussions we were informed by the Ford’s agent that the access road was problematic because it would cost £1m to install and that the ransom strip was owned by 13 different parties. It appears however that it wasn’t a problem for Morrison’s who included just such an entrance location in their plans for their store and filling station. Can we rely on an agent’s representations or do we need an independent assessment?

Local professionals without a vested interest estimate the cost for a simple T junction to be more like £300K and this could be financed by building a series of business units along the strip. The number of owners is irrelevant as we are only interested in one particular section of the ransom strip. According to local knowledge nearly all this section of land belongs to a director and former co-director of the adjacent construction company. It is clearly a case of where there is a will to talk there is a way!

Consequently a cost benefit analysis of whether the access is viable would have to be compared with the cost to Sidmouth of further large scale out-of-town retail and commercial development. Currently Sidmouth has a well distributed and sustainable live-work balance but the proposed single zone of five hectares lacks evidence and has poor transport connectivity. On the other hand the more sensible calculations by consultants Roger Tyms of one hectare of employment land is achievable by refiguring the Alexandria estate and introducing mixed developments in Eastern Town and on brown field sites elsewhere.

Sincerely,
Graham Cooper

For more background, including a diagram of a new simple access, go to the Futures Forum blogspot.


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Deadline extended for Old Fore Street noticeboard appeal.

Please note: The deadline was 5th March, but has apparently now been extended to Tuesday 1st April 2014.
A reminder of how to send your own views, is on our original poster: appeal notice

Forty of the forty-one Representations which have so far been received, are in favour of keeping the the Community Noticeboard in Old Fore Street. None of the representations made are visible to others, so two samples sent are given below.

From Robert Crick: ‘I live ten minutes away from this noticeboard, which has been in use for over a year. I am one of those who occasionally tidy it up and remove out of date notices. I occasionally display notices of meetings or events on the board. I am the person responsible for another noticeboard at the northern end of the High Street at the Old Dissenting Meeting House. I am a member of several organisations in the town but am writing in a personal capacity.

The noticeboard on the blank wall at the northern end of Old Fore Street at the back of Pure Indulgence has been widely welcomed and used by many citizens and organisations including churches, town council, district council, AONB, County Council, Rotarians, sports clubs, musical events, campaign groups, small businesses and training organisations, Chamber of Commerce etc. Occasionally delivery vehicles or private vehicles pass by the noticeboard slowly.

Old Fore Street is a pedestrian-friendly precinct, opposite the entrance to the Health Food shop Ganesha. I shop there regularly and spend a few minutes checking the noticeboard three or four times each week. I have often seen town residents and visitors studying the noticeboards with interest. I have never seen any risk of collision or conflict at the noticeboard.

The noticeboard is professionally made, in good quality wood, and is enclosed by a wooden frame protecting it from the elements to a certain extent but with no glass or perspex cover, which makes it easily accessible for use by the wide range of groups mentioned above. During the extreme weather conditions of the past few months notices have occasionally been dislodged by the wind but there is a store of spare drawing pins available in the bottom of the frame. Dislodged drawing pins or flapping edges are quickly secured by public spirited passers by, such as myself.

I suspect that the allegation that this noticeboard is a risk to health ad safety has been made in bad faith by a small minority of citizens who object to the use of the noticeboard by popular campaigning groups “Save Our Sidmouth” and “East Devon Association” who have used the noticeboard to challenge some planning proposals from the District Council and to publicise exposes by the Daily Telegraph and other newspapers revealing apparent corruption, which is under investigation by the police but not yet “sub judice”.

There is no legal or rational basis for refusing permission for the continued existence of this noticeboard. Prior to its erection the blank wall where it was placed was, from time to time, covered in obscene graffiti, suspected to have been placed by a mentally disturbed resident. The noticeboard has significantly contributed positively to the look and feel of the town. The appeal should be upheld.’

From Marianne Rixson: Old Fore St noticeboard letter2