Information on public speaking is available online
Minutes:
Councillor Ray Steer-Kemp spoke on behalf of Bishops Clyst Parish Council and addressed the prospect of traffic chaos and gridlock at Clyst St Mary. He advised following an investigation, interview surveys and resident questionnaire the parish council presented a report to Devon County Council in February which included recommendations for urgent safety measures along the A3052, a reduction in speed and urgent works to alleviate traffic congestion at the Clyst St Mary roundabout.
Councillor Steer-Kemp raised concerns that the proposed GESP plan would propose major development at Hill Barton, Greendale and Oil Mill Lane which were all along the A3052 causing more traffic congestion and suggested this could be alleviated by a proposed link from the A3052 to the A30 and a possible link from the A3052 to A376 Exmouth Road. The parish council urge that positive and funded proposals are submitted to relieve congestion on the A3052 and A376 roads before consideration of any major development.
Dr Nick Hodges spoke on behalf of Farringdon Parish Council and raised concerns on Policy 16 in relation to housing target and distribution on the suggested sites at Hill Barton, Greendale and Oil Mill Lane and addressed the inadequate bus and train links and that they are on entirely Greenfield Sites. Dr Hodges reminded members that the global vision of the GESP was to produce an economy that was carbon netural and productive, to celebrate the areas of beauty and to provide homes we need. Dr Hodges addressed the proposal for 14,000 houses in Farringdon when Farringdon does not have a local housing need. Farringdon should not be taking a proportion of the national housing need, it would lose a special natural and historic environment while supporting ecological devastation.
Mr David Daniel sought clarification of the GESP and referred to economic growth and referred to two House of Commons Briefing Papers that gave an average growth in the South West of 1.6% and a forecast of future growth to 2026 of 1.9% and that these figures were nowhere near the 3.2% assumptions of the GESP baseline and suggested these economic ambition were unrealistic, unsustainable and undeliverable. Mr Daniel highlighted these forecasts were now outdated due to Covid-19 and the new Permitted Development Rights which came in from September and urged members to pause to take stock and to rethink.
Mr Anthony Sayers spoke on behalf of Farringdon Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group Committee and advised members they had spent over 3 years producing a Neighbourhood Plan which had been approved by the parish council and submitted to East Devon District Council this week. This was a stark contrast to GESP which appeared to have a disproportionate influence by landowners and developers and sites have been proposed without any consultation with local communities.
Mr Sayers raised concerns for the historic listed buildings in his parish and also referred to tourism being vital to the East Devon economy and emphasised that GESP should be sustainability led and not site led which would lead to environmental damage to the rural environment.
A housing needs assessment identified there was no housing need in Farringdon other than a small number of single dwellings and emphasised that Cranbrook had plenty of affordable housing, a railway station and good infrastructure. Farringdon is completely inappropriate for a massive housing site.
The Vice Chairman read out a statement from the Devon Branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE Devon) which referred to the Government using outdated and incorrect projections from 2014 to force local authorities to plan for more houses than are needed. It also referred to projected growth rates over the next 10 years with East Devon having the highest growth rate of all at 15.9%.