Agenda and draft minutes

The minutes of the previous meeting were agreed as a true and accurate record.

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

There were none.

Information on public speaking is available online.

No members of the public had registered to speak.

Information on matters of urgency is available online.

There were no matters of urgency.

To agree any items to be dealt with after the public (including press) have been excluded. There are no items that officers recommend should be dealt with in this way.

There were no confidential/exempt items.

The Assistant Director – Countryside, Environment & Ecology introduced this report which informed members of the existence and value of three Landscape Recovery Programmes in East Devon - Three Rivers (National Trust, Killerton); Luppitt Landscape Partnership (Luppitt Valley, Blackdown Hills); and Clinton Devon Estate’s (Heaths to Sea, Lower Otter), which aligned with a number of Council plans and objectives.

The report provided details of the Heaths to Sea and Luppitt Projects and requested in-principle support for their objectives. 

The Assistant Director introduced and welcomed Ms Beth Humphrey and Ms Kendal Archer of Clinton Devon Estates and Mr Gavin Saunders of Luppitt Landscape Partnership who delivered presentations to the Committee and answered questions.

Discussion and clarification included the following points:

·         A reason for delivering landscape recovery is the hope that the activities being carried out will help to improve the health of the River Otter over the next 20 years. 

·         Clinton Devon Estates has committed to an Environmental Management Plan as part of their agreement with the Environment Agency, and a Ranger carries out monitoring across the Lower Otter Estuary looking at a range of species, along with ongoing monitoring through Citizen Science to ensure that the estuary is a healthy environment and habitat.

·         The goal is to have a joined up landscape scale approach which would need Defra backing and funding; however, there are different sections of the project that could be continued in isolation if Defra funding is withdrawn and other funding is sought elsewhere on a smaller scale. 

·         Approximately 98% of the land within the project area is owned by Clinton Devon Estates; not all of it is managed by Clinton Devon Estates and there are different management partners on the National Nature Reserve.  Additionally, there are two individual land owners who are not connected to the National Nature Reserve and who are part of the project.

·         One of the good features of this scheme compared with previous schemes is that Defra requires that a baseline of data is put in place in order that change can be measured over time.

·         Luppitt Landscape Partnership is looking to consolidate and improve existing open access on the commons.

·         Clinton Devon Estates has a dedicated website for their project – www.heathstosea.com – which is the starting point for their public engagement.  They also use the Clinton Devon Estates and Pebblebed Heaths Conservation Trust social media as well as local parish newsletters and posters, to keep the public informed. 

The Overview Committee noted the report and supported the nature recovery ambitions of the Heaths to Sea and Luppitt Landscape Partnership (LLP) Landscape Recovery Projects (with the caveat that where required planning and other approvals would need to be secured).

The Chair thanked the representatives of Clinton Devon Estates and Luppitt Landscape Partnership for their attendance and contribution.

i)              To receive the Overview Committee Work Programme 2025 – 2026

ii)             To consider the Cabinet Forward Plan; would the Committee wish to receive a report on key decisions prior to Cabinet?

iii)           To consider a proposal form submitted by Cllr Charlotte FitzGerald: Introducing policy to support the temporary placement and trading of privately-managed mobile saunas on EDDC-owned / -leased beaches or adjacent land.

Members received and noted the Overview Committee’s Work Programme for 2025-2026.  It was noted that a proposal submitted by Cllr Charlotte FitzGerald for the Committee’s consideration was currently being progressed offline by officers in consultation with Cllr FitzGerald.