From a press release earlier today, the District Council will be considering changes to the ‘development boundaries’ at Knowle
MINOR UPDATES PROPOSED FOR EAST DEVON LOCAL PLAN
Friday 05 July
CHANGES MOOTED TO KNOWLE
DEVELOPMENT ALLOCATION
A NUMBER of minor changes are being proposed to East Devon’s 15-year planning blueprint, following a final round of public consultation at the end of 2012.
The latest draft of the Local Plan document includes small but important amendments to proposed development boundaries at the Council’s Knowle HQ in Sidmouth, reducing the size of the proposed development area within the Knowle campus.
The latest version of the document follows months of analysis and revision in the light of feedback received during the consultation in November and December last year.
The proposed changes will be presented to the Council’s Development Management Committee (DMC) on Thursday 18 July. The committee will be asked for its recommendations, which will be put before Full Council on Wednesday 24 July.
The highest profile change to the Draft Local Plan is a move which will better protect parts of the Knowle campus from development. The amendment follows the refusal by EDDC’s Development Management Committee of permission for the Council’s own application for 50 homes and a graduated care home on the site earlier this year. Reasons for the refusal included concerns about the development of some parkland, impact on the site’s Grade 2 listed gatehouse, and the impact on parking provision.
The lower parkland (known as Zone E) and the lower car park and parkland (known as Zone A) are now no longer included in the proposed boundary for any future development of Knowle.
Councillor Paul Diviani, Leader of East Devon District Council, said:
“This Plan is – and always has been – about carefully controlling development around East Devon. This means accepting the reality of the area’s housing shortage and the astronomical gap between average wages and local house prices, but also doing our best to balance the needs of the environment and not creating a developers’ charter. It also means creating the right kind of employment to help retain more of our young people in the district, enabling them to live, work and play where they have been raised.
“The process has not been without controversy and we appreciate that planning issues stir deep and heartfelt emotions in many people. However, we have listened and I think we have responded reasonably to the concerns that have been raised about which parts of Knowle are suited to development.”
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To find out more about these changes and to see the arrangements for the meeting and for public speaking please visit the East Devon web site at:
http://www.eastdevon.gov.uk/combined_special_dmc_agenda_180713.pdf
or call the Democratic Services team on 01395 517542 or email HWhitfield@eastdevon.gov.uk.
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And from last week: