“The current administration’s draft Local Plan is more imaginative and looks to sustainability as a guiding light.”
“And the flowering of the creative economy has been central to Sidmouth’s resurgence.” [comment]
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THE PROBLEMS WITH THE LOCAL PLAN
The unimaginative, heavy-handed and somewhat crass Local Plan coming out of the previous administration at East Devon a decade ago gave us housing in the wrong place [Persimmon, Sidmouth and “promoting well-designed housing that is sustainable and provides much-needed new housing…”], an industrial estate site nobody wanted [Sidford business park > Other sites are available] and very little else besides a rather nasty taste in the mouth [Ex-Cllr Graham Brown, the East Devon Business Forum and the District Council’s CEO’s pre-emptive strike against the Business TAFF].
Besides, the Local Plan was deeply flawed [East Devon draft Local Plan is rejected: more questions] on another, more fundamental basis. The one-job, one-home calculation was wrong for Sidmouth which has more people commuting out than in due to lack of well-paid jobs and very expensive housing. [Housing numbers in East Devon … and Five Year Land Supply in East Devon: CPRE].
So, what can be done? The current administration’s draft Local Plan is more imaginative and looks to sustainability as a guiding light. It isn’t beholden to local business families and landowners [VGS comment on Fords planning application 18/1094/MOUT >>> “there is no proven need for this particular business park”] but seems more enlightened [Draft Local Plan proposed zero-carbon housing and renewable energy].
However, as with every other local government administration, East Devon is bound by central government’s ways [Localism: The uses and abuses of power: “No politician willingly surrenders control downwards.”] – with local taxes, including business rates and VAT on whatever, and with housing numbers, which are imposed rather than negotiated [East Devon Local Plan: What is its housing target?].
SOME ‘SOLUTIONS’ TO LOCAL PLANNING
So, to what extent can the Sid Valley and East Devon create a vibrant community and resilient economy locally?
This issue has been pondered quite regularly [building a resilient local economy] and back in 2020 we looked at more spending into the local economy, local organisations seeking to counter the impact of budget cuts on local health and social services, and taking advantage of local branding. These ‘solutions’ still stand today – and are being built on.
Sidmouth is more than ever a ‘festival town’, which does bring in considerable amounts of visitors willing to spend [The ‘experience economy’ in the South West] And the flowering of the creative economy has been central to this resurgence, including the Jazz Festival and the Sidmouth School of Art [“It’s nice to develop that understanding of the value of art, making it and participating in it.”].
This is from a piece from May 2024 [Sidmouth is buzzing]:
There’s quite a buzz in Sidmouth – with its Sea Fest from just a few days ago hailed a success – and its second Jazz & Blues Fest this Bank Holiday weekend and its “world class acts”. And in a month’s time, we’ll be into the Folk Festival with tens of thousands in the streets. Regularly over the years, Sidmouth has been named as one of the ‘best places to live’. Certainly during the Folk Fest it’s “buzzing with music, dance and entertainment.” Generally speaking, according to the Express last year, it’s one of the Best UK places to live – with its “unspoilt open spaces and a buzzing town centre”...
All of this now shows that Sidmouth is ‘a hotspot for entrepreneurship’ – as reported on these pages yesterday morning. And now the rest of the UK media are catching up! According to the Express earlier today, Sidmouth the UK seaside town is booming as dozens of new businesses open. And the Mirror declared this afternoon that the picturesque UK seaside town is suddenly booming as new businesses flock to area…
And today? The excellent Sid Valley Help network provides solid guidance to essential services [Sid Valley Help > health and care support] and the new initiative from the Town Council to highlight our volunteers also builds on solid foundations [Celebrating Sidmouth’s many volunteers]. And this year’s Champions Awards will be looking to bring together local stakeholders to enhance our streets and neighbourhoods [Sustainable Sidmouth Champion Awards – Celebrating our sustainable community]: look out for more news later!
Certainly the Eco Hub will be continuing to bring challenge and promise this year [Eco Hub Sidmouth – Climate Awareness Partnership Sidmouth] and the CAPS project will be promoting the positive when it comes to local initiatives on the environment [New year: new-look CAPS newsletter!].
Above all, it’s surely good to be ‘visionary’ ]Visions for Sidmouth: the next twenty years] And the very active volunteer network, the vibrant festive scene and the enterprise culture in the Sid Valley – all this contributes to the current buzz and positive visions for the future [Future-proofing Sidmouth with realistic optimism – Sidmouth Solarpunk].
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