“This level of increase is simply not a credible prediction and much less so a credible policy response when it comes to planning for housing… Read More »Calculating Devon’s housing need by algorithm

“Two rare Devon trees have been found growing in Sidmouth, and they are going to be joined by more of their kind.” . The new… Read More »The Devon Whitebeam and the Sid Valley

“We now have a once in a generation opportunity to re-think how we put the economy back together again.” . If we are going to… Read More »Build back better: a green recovery

“The message is that we need to find a way to transform ourselves from a representative into a participatory democracy… The Swiss have shown it… Read More »Participatory budgeting and participatory democracy

“Feedback from residents has been positive.” Looking at a more permanent scheme for 2021 . As a response to the Covid crisis, the Town Council… Read More »Part-pedestrianisation for Sidmouth town centre for 2021?

“Analysis of the government’s ‘Planning for the Future’ has revealed that the proposed reforms will increase the threat to nature in England and do little… Read More »Rewilding the planning system

“Many town centres are defined by their distinctive historic character which can play a crucial role in creating an attractive setting … particularly as a… Read More »Reviving the high street: getting the mix right

“Are the government’s plans for ‘garden communities’ as environmentally-friendly as they sound?” “How could developers be encouraged to build in a way which incorporates nature?”… Read More »Build back better: build back greener

The ‘rebound effect’ will not help us. Increased technological efficiency is reflected in lower prices, which leads to an expansion in demand. And so the… Read More »“There is no such thing as green growth”

“A commitment to reinvigorating our hedgerow stock” . This week saw an excellent talk delivered by Ed Dolphin on the Sid Valley hedge survey: Online:… Read More »Sid Valley Hedgerows: plans to halt their decline

“The research makes clear that this can be done – but only if the world immediately embraces bolder, more ambitious conservation efforts, and also makes… Read More »“Bending the curve” of biodiversity loss

“We need science, solidarity and solutions.” We must turn the recovery from the pandemic into a real opportunity to build a better future.” . During… Read More »Covid has had little impact on carbon emissions

“I believe it is now the time for us to restate what we want from the BMP, which is to provide protection against flooding for… Read More »Beach Management Plan: reframing the question

Latest questions on the Preferred Option . Over the years, schemes to ‘save’ the cliffs at the mouth of the River Sid have been considered… Read More »Beach Management Plan: Saving Pennington Point

— Extinction: the facts — “Things can and do bounce back – if we focus our efforts on conservation and restoration and fully appreciating the… Read More »Tackling biodiversity loss