Information on public speaking is available online
Minutes:
Nigel Humphrey addressed the Committee in relation to the draft Local Plan, reminding Members that, despite over 60 meetings and public discussions, the inconsistencies surrounding site allocation Exmo_20, remained unresolved. In particular, he highlighted the ongoing issue of the proposed restriction on development within 400 metres of the Pebblebed Heaths
He stated that residents are now being advised to raise their concerns at the Planning Inspector’s hearing, and that this would be followed by further representations being required at the planning application stage. Mr Humphrey also referred to a Freedom of Information request which revealed that Devon County Council had provided East Devon District Council with forecasts of vehicle flows on roads around the Pebblebed Heaths. These forecasts indicated a daily increase of over 2,500 vehicles on the B3179, and he suggested the majority of the increase was attributed to Exmo_20, based on the assumption that the primary access would be from this road. Mr Humprhey urged the Committee to reconsider its decision to include Exmo_20 in the draft Local Plan.
Nicola Wright addressed the Committee regarding the proposed development at Hayle Farm, which is accessed via the busy A35 trunk road and is located close to the listed Copper Castle and toll gates. She raised concerns that the development would have a harmful environmental impact, permanently damaging a valued landscape.
Ms Wright explained that the site lies on a steep slope, with a stream below flowing into the River Otter, which she stated has dangerously high bacteria levels. She noted that sections of the river have been classified by the Environment Agency as having poor ecological status, with elevated phosphate levels. She also referred to an article in the Herald Express reporting that councillors had unanimously blocked new housing developments until sewage concerns were resolved and the capacity of existing infrastructure had been assessed.
Ms Wright urged the Council to give careful consideration to any development on this site and the potential impact on Honiton, its residents, and its wildlife.
John Hamill addressed the Committee regarding the extended timeframe for completion of the draft Local Plan, which he described as both an opportunity and a risk. He noted that while it allowed additional time to finalise the essential supporting documents, he warned that the delay could encourage opportunistic development, referring to reports of residents near the Exmo_20 site being approached by a developer.
Mr Hamill urged the Committee to comply with the Gunning principles, which set the legal standards for fair and lawful public consultation, particularly the requirement that consultation responses be given conscientious consideration before decisions are made. He highlighted that nearly 2,800 comments were submitted in relation to Exmo_20, raising significant legal, environmental, and deliverability concerns, but stated these had been reduced by AI into generic bullet points.
He further referred to the 8 key pieces of outstanding work, including fundamental assessments, and emphasised that these must be completed and properly consulted on. Mr Hamill concluded by urging the Committee to insist on a third consultation in order to meet legal obligations and to act in the interests of residents, the environment, and future generations.
Philip Parsons addressed the Committee regarding the draft Local Plan and highlighted a legal change made in December 2023 to Section 85 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, which places a duty on public authorities to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of National Landscapes which he argued must be demonstrably met and open to scrutiny.
He raised serious concerns about proposed housing allocation at Sidm_34a/Sidm_34b (now Sidm_34) which lies wholly within the National Landscape. He noted that the Council had previously unanimously rejected Sidm_34b due to the harm it would cause on the landscape, but subsequently expanded the site at the developer’s request, on the basis that a larger, less dense scheme would reduce visual impact.
Mr Parsons argued that this approach contradicted the Council’s own policies and that no exceptional circumstances had been demonstrated to justify major development within a nationally protected landscape. He further stated that there is now an opportunity to correct this error by removing Sidm_34 concluding that doing so would support legal compliance with the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 and better align with the East Devon National Landscape Management Plan.
Thomas Shillitoe referred to the meeting held on 3 March and thanked the Monitoring Officer for acknowledging errors relating to the deletion of parts of the YouTube recording. He expressed concern that responses from two Regulation 19 consultations continued to be disregarded, contrary to the Planning Inspector’s guidance and stated that the Council should be undertaking a rigorous assessment of the plan to ensure it is both sound and legally compliant.
He drew attention to the absence of an agreed air quality mitigation strategy, arguing that mitigation could not be lawfully completed until all required assessments had been completed. He also urged the Council to reconsider the proposed housing numbers, highlighting recent significant reductions in standard method calculations and the increasing level of housing headroom, which he stated indicated that the Council were allocating more land than necessary.
Finally, he questioned whether the Council was fulfilling its duties as the competent authority under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulation 2017, highlighting site Exmo_20 as an example which he said undermines the viability of the plan. He concluded by calling on councillors to remove such sites in order to improve the soundness and deliverability of the Local Plan.
Margaret Evans spoke in relation to Honi_18 which adjoins the National Landscape with open views towards Dumpdon Hill. She stated that the late site allocation proposal was introduced at the Strategic Planning Committee meeting on 29 October 2025 which in her opinion limited the opportunity for proper scrutiny and resulted in its inclusion in the draft Local Plan which she considered an inconsistent decision-making approach.
Mrs Evans also referred to the Water Cycle Study and how the sewage treatment capacity was already under significant strain stating that the study advised against additional housing until capacity and phosphate levels were resolved and sought confirmation that the Council would adhere to these conclusions. She concluded that the proposal was being progressed without sufficient consideration of environmental impacts, infrastructure capacity or landscape harm.
Liz Lees representing Sidford residents raised serious concerns about the Green Wedge Policy and National Landscape Policy that were being overridden to allow development on site allocation Sidm_06a. Approving this development would set a dangerous precedent for further proposals such as Sidm_06b and would cause irreversible harm to the countryside. She referred to the erosion of the physical and visual separation between Sidford and Sidbury, leading to urban sprawl and would also result in harm to local heritage and biodiversity as the site lies close to Sidbury Castle, a scheduled monument and Brook Farm, a Grade II listed longhouse. For these reasons, she urged the Committee to reconsider these site allocations as they were unsound and legally non-compliant and for them to be removed from the draft Local Plan to protect the unique character of this area for future generations.
In response the Assistant Director – Planning Strategy and Development Services acknowledged the concerns raised in relation to a number of site allocations. He confirmed that these issues had been considered throughout the Local Plan process via meetings, consultations and published feedback reports. However, he advised that at this stage of the process any objections must be addressed through the examination, as the Plan cannot be materially amended without undertaking a further consultation exercise. He also advised that officers were using the extended timeframe to complete the remaining evidence gathering and assessment work as detailed in the report.
In response to the questions raised, the Assistant Director – Planning Strategy and Development Services provided the following advice:
Habitat Regulations Assessment – Work is ongoing with the Council’s consultants to resolve outstanding issues and ensure the Local Plan is legally compliant. At this stage, there is no intention to undertake further public consultations as part of the Plan process.
National Landscapes – Speakers were invited to refer to the topic paper available on the Council’s website entitled ‘Major Developments in National Landscapes’.
Honi_18 – In relation to concerns regarding sewage capacity, it was advised that the Plan includes measures to prevent development coming forward in areas with limited sewage infrastructure until sufficient capacity is available. Ongoing discussions are taking place with South West Water to support the delivery of additional capacity where required.