Information on public speaking is available online
Minutes:
Rachel Creasy, a resident of Budleigh Salterton spoke on the Designation of Green Wedges in the new Local Plan report, who along with local residents strongly objected to the removal of the Green Wedge for Area 3 and to any consequential development.
Concerns were raised that if the Green Wedge was removed from the west side of Budleigh Salterton and a high density development was positioned close by it would have an overbearing and intrusive effect on the area. In the assessment it was suggested that Site A would be obscured from public view – this was misleading as areas 3 and 5 are elevated and any development would be visible.
Areas 1, 3 and 4 would close the separation of the Green Wedge between Budleigh Salterton and Knowle and the proposed reduction would not be sufficient, Site A would generate additional traffic problems to an already bottleneck single land entry point.
An increase in housing would also put a strain on oversubscribed local facilities including the school, GP Practice and public transport.
The following statement on minute 65 – Designation of Green Wedges in the new Local Plan was read out on behalf of Carole Hooper.
I was one of the many who raised concerns during the last consultation, dated January 2023, as the consultation referred to potential development of the prime agricultural land that is behind our house in Knowle Rd – area 2 as per the Budleigh Salterton to Knowle Green Wedge Assessment. I now understand that that the council proposes to reduce the green wedges originally proposed even further, using the rationale that only a small green wedge is required to maintain the gap between Budleigh Salterton and Knowle village.
I consider the role of the green wedges to be much more than that of maintaining a divide between Budleigh Salterton and Knowle village. Green wedges provide an extra layer of protection against building development and help to maintain the landscape and wildlife in the area. Any proposal to reduce the existing green wedges by such a significant amount puts the land and its wildlife at risk. I cannot help distrusting the motives for reducing the green wedges so significantly.
My arguments against the proposal are:
Effectively the reduction of the green wedges between Budleigh Salterton and Knowle village results in a very small portion of land remaining. Rather dramatically Budleigh Salterton will become much closer to Knowle village – what is there to stop further reduction of this gap on the basis that the gap is too small to be worth maintaining?
There appears to be no discussion or awareness of the value that Knowle Rd brings to the AONB. By allowing such a development the beautiful rural nature of the road would be destroyed .
The countryside along Knowle Rd is beautiful with ancient Devon banks and hedgerows that support the local wildlife. On several occasions I have seen polecats and stoats and other creatures scurrying across the road from East to West, on their way to the area around Knowle Brook (area 9 as per the Budleigh Salterton to Knowle Green Wedge Assessment. Developing the land would result in the loss of this exceptional landscape and all that it represents for our wildlife and to our community.
I am not the only person who thinks in this way. Knowle Rd is a walkers’ paradise. Many people walk down the road every day, far exceeding the cars that use the road. It feeds their souls, as it does mine. To lose the unique quality of this road would be like losing a limb! It is a true social amenity and hundreds of Budleigh / Knowle residents would feel its loss acutely.
Knowle Rd is too narrow as it is to allow cars to overtake one another. Without major widening, the road would not be able to safely cope with the additional traffic resulting from development of 4 and 6 of the Budleigh Salterton to Knowle Green Wedge Assessment. Any development changing the road would represent a loss of the wonderful environment that I have already tried to convey to you.
Finally any further erosion of the green wedges between Knowle Village and Budleigh Salterton would represent pursuing the requirement to building new housing without considering the value of what would be lost in so doing. This is equivalent to knowing the cost of everything and the value of nothing.
The following statement was read out on behalf of Sylvia Meller.
Our green wedges are of massive importance not just for flora and fauna but also for us living here. We need some green spaces for our wellbeing as well as for absorbing rain water to avoid flooding. Reducing the area of green wedges and opening up the possibility of being built on will have a huge impact on the whole ecosystem and people living in the area.
I do understand the need for new housing, but we have a lot of derelict buildings as well as brownsites which can be used for new building sites. One thing we do NOT need are more expensive houses which the locals can't afford, without infrastructure - the current problems we have with
South West Water show clearly that they are already overwhelmed with the existing situation.
Please keep the green wedges intact and consider creating even more so not just our but also next generations have a chance to live in a place worth living in and with reduced risks of flooding.
The following statement was read out on behalf of Brian Webb.
Budleigh Salterton is within and forms an integral part of the East Devon AONB and includes the River Otter nature reserve an area of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
I object to the Green Wedges being removed, reduced or moved, they are just one of the Residents first lines of defence against the concreting over of our wonderful AONB countryside and coastline.
I and many of the local Residents are committed to ensuring that the status quo of the green wedges be maintained, that our environment is protected for the benefit of future generations of both people and animals and that we avoid development that cannot be supported by the existing infrastructure.
The following statement was read out on behalf of Kevin Bates.
I strongly object to any proposal to reduce
the size/location of these important areas.
As well as providing a haven for local wildlife the existing green
wedges provide for a distinction, and general separation, between
Knowle and Budleigh communities. Although the communities are not
100% separated today If the green wedge was to be reduced as
proposed, then the two communities would clearly be almost joined,
with no separate identity and just a very small physical
separation.
The proposed changes would presumably potentially enable future
development which would appear to be unsuitable for this area and
would certainly not protect the character of this part of the AONB,
which is of course a nationally important landscape designation.
Within, and around, the existing wedge are Grade 1 agricultural
land, areas prone to flooding each year, rural lanes, views and an ancient lane.
The following statement was read out on behalf of Councillor Ray Steer-Kemp for Bishops Clyst Parish Council.
Bishops Clyst Parish Council have recently been made aware of the fact that the Strategic Planning Committee is proposing to reduce the present area of ‘Green Wedge titled ‘East of Exeter and south of the A30’
The proposal is to reduce the ‘green wedge’ area with runs from south of Clyst St George up the Clyst Valley to Sowton and the A30 to the north and replace it with just the small area of flood plain between Clyst St Mary and the motorway. The existing area of green wedge is an essential buffer between the east of the district and Exeter and safeguards the River Clyst Regional Park.
At their meeting on 12 Feb the Parish Council expressed their strong objection to the proposal and their wish that the present ‘green wedge’ remains as existing.
The following statement was read out on behalf of Councillor Mike Galloway for Bishops Clyst Parish Council.
As the Parish Councillor for Sowton, I must on behalf of Sowton Village and Clyst St Mary lodge a strong objection to the proposed alteration to the existing Green Wedge shown on pages 47 & 48 in the Public Reports Pack.
The only reason for the alteration is to release the area of land designated Sowt 09 from the existing Green Wedge and perhaps this should be looked at as a separate issue with respect to Green Wedge.
Removal of the Green Wedge will remove the protection to Sowton and Clyst St Mary and logic for the proposal should be revisited and any decision should involve the views of the local population affected by the Emerging Local Plan.
Councillor Ian Balow, spoke as a member of the public on the current planning strategy and asked Members to consider whether the council can require officers to do the following on all major planning application:
· To include at least one local ward member and one member of the Planning Committee to attend any pre application meeting or discussions alongside officers; and
· To no longer accept comments from consultees who support applications if the comments clearly show they need to be challenged.
Councillor Geoff Jung speaking as Portfolio Holder for Coast, Countryside and Environment raised concerns about how the council was proposing to reduce over 70% of Green Wedges and drew Members attention to the fourth bullet point of the action plan for the Climate Change Strategy ‘Protecting and enhancing the natural environment’. Residents see Green Wedges as the ‘green lungs’ of our wildlife areas and by reducing the Green Wedges by this magnitude will send out the wrong message that this council does not care about environment protection. Our countryside is our number one asset.
Councillor Jung advised Members there was a vital need to produce a Green Infrastructure Strategy that could sit alongside the Local Plan as a Supplementary Planning Document but was advised this could not be undertaken due to resourcing issues and questioned how to tackle the reduction of our Green Wedges.