14th October 2011

EAST DEVON: District pledge to deliver 'good future'

Planners focus on wishes of the villages

THE PANEL of councillors working on a planning blueprint for East Devon this week focused on the wishes of villages and towns before they discussed the final housing growth figures

Members heard how the challenge of providing development in villages to improve their viability fits into the wider planning picture for the district as part of their comprehensive research before a firm set of proposals is agreed this November.

The LDF Panel’s meeting at EDDC’s Sidmouth headquarters on Tuesday afternoon was the latest in a series designed to produce a planning guidance document running from 2011 for the next 15 years to 2026.

A presentation by EDDC’s Planning Policy Manager, Matt Dickens showed that some villages wanted to grow faster than the five per cent proposed by the district council. They also needed to provide affordable housing at a significantly greater rate than at present.

As a result the villages of Awliscombe, Aylesbeare, Beer, Clyst St. Mary and Newton Poppleford got their way and their proposals were adopted by the panel if Newton Poppleford Council confirm their plans within seven days. At the same time Colyton/Colyford acting together reduced their combined allocation by 20 homes

Following several position papers from Exmouth and Littleham councils it was agreed to drop proposals for homes in St. Johns and Maere Valley sites and instead to locate a 350 house development in the area of Goodmores Farm, with 294 in the Littleham area and 300 elsewhere in Exmouth with 391 already in the system, which means a big reduction from the original plan. The Lympstone Parish Council was well represented and it was agreed that any development into Lympstone would have to be discussed between Exmouth Town Council.

The Ottery St. Mary situation was confirmed at a growth of 350-400 mixed use development contrary to incorrect briefings from a local source, part to the west of town with King’s School and part at the Old Mill Factory or elsewhere inside the town’s boundaries

These results confirm East Devon District Council’s policy of listening and acting on local representations in this process – although not necessarily adopting every suggestion

West End Development

Following extensive discussions between panel members, local representatives and developers, the West End and Spatial Policy was put back two weeks for final clarification. A large number of development management policies was tabled for final review in two weeks. These detailed policies will determine the details upon which decisions will be made over the next 15 years

Big challenge

A paper by Roger Tym and Partners on employment and jobs arrived too late to be considered but a summary was made available and the full report will be put on the council’s website prior to final decisions on housing and employment land on October 25th

Speaking after the meeting, Councillor Mike Allen, Panel Chairman, said: “Forum members and councillors today faced a very big a challenge to balance the needs of providing homes for people on low incomes in an area of high house prices, with reduced support from Government, meeting local aspirations and maintaining a visionary policy to develop new high technology businesses near Cranbrook.

“Over the next two weeks we will bring this six year review to its final conclusions. Then we get on with the real job of delivering a good future for East Devon.

“It will take all our ingenuity and determination to make this happen, but make it happen we must. Our Planning Policy team will take account of all the latest data, plus Government guidance, in proposing the final draft Local Plan that helps us to deliver the future homes whilst protecting and enhancing the outstanding environment that we all cherish.”

EAST DEVON: District pledge to deliver 'good future'

Comments

Add new comment