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Tuesday 14 April 2015

Questions remain about the Sidford business park

The allocation of 12 acres employment land at Sidford has been removed from the draft Local Plan:
Futures Forum: Proposals for a business/retail park at Sidford are removed from the draft Local Plan >>> to be replaced by new proposals for 'green wedge' between Sidford and Sidbury?
Futures Forum: Employment land proposals for Sidmouth  >>> the latest draft Local Plan

However, there are still questions, as noted by the East Devon Watch blog:


SIDFORD BUSINESS PARK

11th April 2015

Whilst it is true that, at EDDC, it was Councillors Troman (in particular) and Hughes (in general) who helped to get the ridiculous Sidford Fields business park deleted from the draft local plan, it was the constant work of EDA members in Sidford, Sidmouth and beyond, that kept the issue at the forefront of the discussions and publicity that led to the change:
Victory in fight to see 12-acre Sidford business park ditched - News - Midweek Herald

The remarks of CEO Mark Williams about that change are mind- blowingly insulting. He said:

“The inspector has already heard everything we have said and is yet to tell us what his view is on that part of the application. He may recommend that this site is not suitable and should be removed. It’s his decision now, not yours.

“It’s your funeral if you want to take it out.”

What he did not add is that, entirely without consultation or reference to any committee, except the Development Management Committee on the day, FIVE extra business parks, closer to Exeter, had been added to the draft recently.

A massive number of changes have been made to the latest draft, yet this one amendment, made by democratic decision in a transparent way, is the only one Mr Williams was worried about.

The Sidford Fields site was added AFTER public consultation on the first draft local plan, with no explanation whatsoever for its inclusion, as noted in a letter in this week’s Sidmouth Herald.

Councillor Mike Allen, in the same article, laid the blame squarely on Councillor Andrew Moulding: "Cllr Moulding was accused by Cllr Mike Allen of being the person responsible for the allocation’s original inclusion in the plan."

Cllr Allen said: “There’s no demand, no economic case and it would damage the tourism industry in Sidmouth. There’s no justification for keeping it. Please could we get rid of this site once and for all.”

Anyone making a Freedom of Information request for correspondence or meetings about inclusion/exclusion of the site?


Sidford business park | East Devon Watch

Here is the complete piece from the Herald:


Victory in fight to see 12-acre Sidford business park ditched

06:30 06 April 2015 Stephen Sumner



Divisive plans for a 12-acre business park in Sidford are being scrapped after an eleventh-hour bid from Sid Valley representatives.


Sidford Valley. Photo by Terry Ife ref shs 2244-39-12TI

East Devon District Council (EDDC) voted 18 to 15 in favour of a motion to remove the employment land allocation from the draft Local Plan, its blueprint for development until 2031.

But the move could falter – with Mark Williams, the authority’s chief executive, warning ‘it’s your funeral’ to members who could face the wrath of a government inspector for pulling the allocation at such a late stage.

Speaking at last Thursday’s meeting, Councillor Stuart Hughes said: “The Sidford site has always been contentious, with many valid reasons to delete it from the draft plan – flooding, traffic, impact on the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), no proven need.” He said the ‘most disturbing game-changer’ was the removal of the word ‘ancillary’ in plans for the Sidford site – phrasing that was meant to prevent it becoming a retail park.

“It would appear to leave the door open to a mini Cribbs Causeway [Bristol’s out-of-town shopping centre] on our doorstep and which would put the final nail in the coffin of our town centre businesses,” said Cllr Hughes.

Cllr Graham Troman - who was also behind the motion - said that, by the council’s own measures, the 150 homes allocated to Sidmouth equates to 150 jobs – but using the calculations again, the 12-acre site would be expected to generate 1,250 jobs. He added that the 150 jobs would need just 1.5 acres – which could be delivered at the Alexandria Industrial Estate.

There are currently around 60 unemployed people in Sidmouth.

Cllr Andrew Moulding defended the Sidford allocation, and said: “There are probably 1,000 students at Sidmouth College. That’s probably 150 young people coming out every year looking for jobs. A number of those will go to college or university, but there must be those who perhaps aren’t so academic who will want jobs in some form of industrial application.”

Cllr Moulding was accused by Cllr Mike Allen of being the person responsible for the allocation’s original inclusion in the plan.

Cllr Allen said: “There’s no demand, no economic case and it would damage the tourism industry in Sidmouth. There’s no justification for keeping it. Please could we get rid of this site once and for all.”

EDDC chief executive Mr Williams told members: “The inspector has already heard everything we have said and is yet to tell us what his view is on that part of the application. He may recommend that this site is not suitable and should be removed. It’s his decision now, not yours.

“It’s your funeral if you want to take it out.”


Victory in fight to see 12-acre Sidford business park ditched - News - Midweek Herald
Green wedge is welcomed - News - Sidmouth Herald
Sidford business park removed from development blueprint - News - Sidmouth Herald
Bid to move 12-acre employment site - News - Sidmouth Herald

See also:
Proposed Sidford Business Park removed from Local Plan | Save Our Sidmouth
‘Sustainable development’ at Sidford Fields? | Save Our Sidmouth
From the archives – 2 – Sidford employment land | East Devon Watch
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