“Chair of Planning to explore convening a meeting of representatives of the main towns together with Devon County Council, East Devon District Council and local MPs – to discuss the strain on local services and infrastructure which the proposed housing allocation would only exacerbate.”
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The District Council met up last week to look at its plans for housing:
‘Large’ housing allocation for Sidmouth – Vision Group for Sidmouth
Agenda for Strategic Planning Committee on Tuesday, 6th September, 2022, 9.30 am – East Devon
Here’s a press report from that meeting:
East Devon: Lack of access to schools and healthcare among the concerns raised during talks to agree sites for new homes in Exmouth, Sidmouth and Honiton
Talks have been held to identify fresh sites for new homes in East Devon when the district council this week met to agree potential locations in Exmouth, Honiton and Sidmouth.
East Devon is pressing ahead with its local plan 2020-2040 with recommendations to endorse the sites suggested for development, despite protests from several strategic planning committee members, writes local democracy reporter Georgia Cornish.
On Tuesday (September 6) the committee at East Devon District Council (EDDC) discussed a report outlining a number of preferred and “second best” sites for what they call tier one and two settlements around the district that may be suitable for development. The tier system references a hierarchy of settlements being discussed, with tier one indicating places in Exmouth, tier two being Honiton and Sidmouth…
East Devon: Concerns raised at talks to agree sites for new homes
Ottery Town Council doesn’t think much of these proposals:
Town council resists ‘absurd’ plan for new housing developments | Sidmouth Herald
Nor does Sidmouth Town Council:
‘Large’ housing allocation for Sidmouth: initial report – Vision Group for Sidmouth
With the minutes from last week’s town council meeting here:
61.1 Planning Working Group Reports
a) Councillor Dent, Chair of the Planning Working Group, presented the reports of the Planning Working Group meetings held on Wednesdays 10 and 24 August 2022. RESOLVED: That the Planning Working Group reports be noted.
b) Councillor Dent, Chair of the Planning Working Group, presented the report of an Informal Meeting of Sidmouth Town Council’s Planning Working Group meeting held on Wednesday 17 August 2022. RESOLVED: 1) That the informal meeting of the Planning Working Group meeting report be noted. 2) That because of the effect on the landscape and the strain on local services, the Council would continue to resist the allocation of housing on the sites proposed. 3) That the Chair of Planning would explore convening a meeting of representatives of the main towns together with Devon County Council, East Devon District Council and local MPs to discuss the strain on local services and infrastructure which the proposed housing allocation would only exacerbate.
Town Council (5 September 2022) – Sidmouth Town Council
The wider public very much shares these concerns:
‘Large’ housing allocation for Sidmouth: initial reaction – Vision Group for Sidmouth