Agenda and minutes

Minutes of the meeting held on 15 May 2025.

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 19 May 2025 were confirmed as a true record.

Guidance is available online to Councillors and co-opted members on making declarations of interest

Minute 6. East Devon Local Plan - Consultation feedback, timetable and future workplan.

Councillor Dan Ledger, Affects Non-registerable Interest, Lives opposite a site allocation in Seaton.

Minute 6. East Devon Local Plan - Consultation feedback, timetable and future workplan.

Councillor Geoff Jung, Affects Non-registerable Interest, Chair of Beach Management Plans for several areas relating to CCMAs.

Minute 6. East Devon Local Plan - Consultation feedback, timetable and future workplan.

Councillor Jessica Bailey, Affects Non-registerable Interest, Devon County Councillor.

Minute 6. East Devon Local Plan - Consultation feedback, timetable and future workplan.

Councillor Olly Davey, Affects Non-registerable Interest, Exmouth Town Councillor.

Minute 6. East Devon Local Plan - Consultation feedback, timetable and future workplan.

Councillor Paul Hayward, Affects Non-registerable Interest, Devon County Councillor Axminster and an employee of Axminster Town Council.

Minute 6. East Devon Local Plan - Consultation feedback, timetable and future workplan.

The Chair, Councillor Todd Olive, declared an Affects Non-registerable Interest for the Committee Members that were also a Town or Parish Councillor.

Minute 6. East Devon Local Plan - Consultation feedback, timetable and future workplan.

In accordance with the Code of Good Practice for Councillors and Officer dealing with planning matters as set out in the Constitution, the Chair, Councillor Todd Olive, on behalf of the Committee advised lobbying on the site allocations in Exmouth.

Non-Committee Member

Minute 6. East Devon Local Plan - Consultation feedback, timetable and future workplan.

Councillor Aurora Bailey, Affects Non-registerable Interest, Ward Member for site allocation Exmo_20.

Minute 6. East Devon Local Plan - Consultation feedback, timetable and future workplan.

Councillor Nick Hookway, Affects Non-registerable Interest, Exmouth Town Councillor and Devon County Councillor for Exmouth & Budleigh Salterton Coastal Division.

Information on public speaking is available online

12 members of the public had registered to speak on minute 6 – East Devon Local Plan – Consultation feedback, timetable and future workplan.

Mr Thomas Shillitoe said that the Regulation 19 evidence demonstrated false statements and misleading evidence and that it was the responsibility for the Assistant Director – Planning Strategy and Development Manager to help the Committee to make informed decisions and not to mislead them.  He urged the Committee not to be talked out of reviewing some sites and referred them to Exmo_20 which he claimed missed core evidence that demonstrated that it was not a viable site.  He suggested that the reallocation sites should be restricted to sites that passed the HELAA process or were either first or second choice sites.

In response to Mr Shillitoe’s submitted question ‘can Mr Freeman confirm in his professional opinion if, on the 4th of February 2025 when advising Councillors at the Strategic Planning Committee, he believed that the Regulation 19 plan was sound and legally compliant?’.  The Assistant Director – Planning Strategy and Development Manager confirmed that he did believe that it was sound at that time but noted that there was some additional work that needed to be done and that he was confident that it will comply with all relevant legal tests by the time that it needs to be submitted for examination.

Mr Nigel Humphreys sought reassurance that the Regulation 18 process had been followed correctly in relation to site allocation Exmo_20.  He referred to various Strategic Planning Committee meetings which had discussed Exmo_20 and in particular the meeting of 6 September 2022 in which documentation had specifically confirmed that Exmo_46 was being promoted instead Exmo_20.  He also referred to two new sites Exmo_20a and Exmo_20b which had appeared in the report pack of the meeting on 1 November 2022 and advised that these two sites had not been mentioned or discussed.  Mr Humphrey sought clarification as to when the Committee had agreed to remove Exmo_46 and reinstate Exmo_20 and when the Committee had agreed the two new sites Exmo_20a and Exmo_20b.  In response the Assistant Director – Planning Strategy and Development Manager apologised for the confusion and confirmed that all the sites had been taken through the correct process advising that Exmo_46 was part of Exmo_20 which had been merged to create a larger site and then was divided up into Exmo_20a and Exmo_20b.  He acknowledged there had been a lot of response for Exmo_20, which would be taken into account when preparing a future report to the actions, if any, that are needed for that site.

Mr Paul Griew, representing Sidmouth’s Cliff Road Action Group addressed Policy AR03 – Coastal Change Management Areas (CCMAs) and suggested that this policy should either be dropped or amended as there was little evidence to support this policy nor does it appear to benefit any local purpose.  If the Committee were minded to amend the policy Mr Griew advised that householders should be allowed to extend or alter  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

Information on matters of urgency is available online

There is one late item that is recommended to be dealt with in this way.

Item 9 – Exmouth Rugby Club revised project and Community Infrastructure Levy Bid

There was one matter of urgency discussed under minute 276.

To agree any items to be dealt with after the public (including the Press) have been excluded. Thereare no itemswhich officersrecommendshould be dealtwithin thisway.

There were no confidential or exempt items.

This report sets the scene for future local plan production work.

The report presented by the Assistant Director Planning Strategy and Development Manager provided the Committee with feedback on the first stage of the Regulation 19 Consultation and provided an update on the timetable for the production of the Local Plan taking into account any consequential changes.

Out of the 3,510 comments received on the consultations from individuals and organisations the key issues included:

Ø  1,100 responses had been received for site Exmo_20 raising concerns on biodiversity, flood risk, infrastructure and procedural fairness.

Ø  Concerns had been raised by the housing development industry about the Council’s Housing Strategy

Ø  Concerns about under-classification of Feniton and Whimple.

Ø  Concerns about the under representation of Exmouth’s strategic role

Ø  Concerns raised about infrastructure delivery, in particular, healthcare, education and utilities.

Some other key issues raised by statutory consultees included:

Ø  Concerns about site allocations within a national landscape.

Ø  Potential impact of wind turbines on heritage assets.

Ø  There is a need for transport evidence for the West of East Devon.

Ø  Concerns raised about the absence of some detail for proposals for the new community.

Ø  Lack of capacity in primary health care in the West of East Devon.

Ø  There is a need for additional evidence on water quality to understand the potential impact of additional housing.

Ø  Impact to heritage assets needs to be addressed prior to any potential development.

Ø  The requirement of a Level 2 Strategic Flood Risk Assessment.

The Assistant Director – Planning Strategy and Development Manager drew the Committees attention to paragraph 4.2 of the report that provided clarification on the implications of two stage Regulation 19 process taking into account the new version of the NPPF. The Committee noted there was a need to be mindful about minimising any significant changes to the Local Plan to help keep within the transitional arrangements as this could have an impact on the housing numbers which could then be increased by a further 25%.

The Committee’s attention was also drawn to paragraph 6 of the report which addressed the ongoing evidence work.  The Assistant Director – Planning Strategy and Development Manager advised that he was confident that the outstanding evidence documents would be completed in time to support the Local Plan consultation and referred to the revised timetable to help get the submission of the Local Plan to examination.

These key steps included:

Ø  Ongoing study and assessment work to be done throughout the summer.

Ø  Committee to receive the first redraft of Local Plan in September/October 2025.  (The Committee noted that an additional meeting would be required).

Ø  The second round of Regulation 19 consultation to take into account the second new community and the outstanding evidence work to run from October to November 2025.

The Chair invited questions from Councillors which included:

·         Can more details be added to the agenda paper to help identify who is making the comments that had been received during the consultation?  The Assistant Director – Planning Strategy and Development Manager advised  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

This report sets out details of a proposed revised Local Development Scheme.

The report presented to the Committee set out the proposed revised Local Development Scheme in light of the proposed amendments to the Local Plan making timetable which now incorporated a second Regulation 19 consultation to address both the second new community and associated evidence.

RECOMMENDATION TO CABINET:

That Strategic Planning Committee recommend that Cabinet adopt the proposed new Local Development Scheme, at appendix 1.

The Assistant Director – presented the minutes of an additional meeting of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Working Party held on 3 July 2025 and asked the Committee to consider the revised CIL project from Exmouth Rugby Club for a revised CIL bid that Strategic Planning Committee had previously considered. 

The revised CIL bid of £100,000 was for the refurbishment of an existing building on the Rugby Club’s site to provide the new changing rooms due to issues with ground works for the original proposed location.

RESOLVED:

That £100,000 be awarded in principle to Exmouth Rugby Club, with this sum to be reduced to £67,000 if it can be evidenced that the VAT on the project can be reclaimed by the Club.