Agenda item

The Service Lead – Planning Strategy and Development Management presented a report by the Green Infrastructure Project Manager on the Clyst Valley Regional Park Masterplan that Members had previously agreed to go out for public consultation at Committee on 20 October 2020.

Members’ noted the 241 responses received to the consultation were summarised in the appendices provided in the report as background links and had been addressed and incorporated into a final version of the document which was appended to the report.

The majority of comments were supportive of the work with the main concerns coming from a range of landowners and developers who were concerned about proposals that affect the boundary of the Clyst Valley Regional Park and indicative proposals for future expansions of the park.

The Service Lead – Planning Strategy and Development Management advised a number of amendments had been made to clarify the status of those projects that are outside the regional park boundary and that the recommendation shows that the masterplan would only be used as a guidance document on planning applications that lie within the boundary of the regional park.

The Chair welcomed Simon Bates, the Green Infrastructure Project Manager, to the meeting and opened up comments from non-Committee Members.

Councillor Geoff Jung, the Portfolio Holder Coast, Country and Environment spoke about the need to protect and enhance the countryside which was important for climate change and one of the main drivers for the Clyst Valley Regional Park.  He supported moving forward with the new Local Plan to recommend the expansion of the park in the areas that had been identified. 

He thanked all of the team for their work, with a special thank you to Naomi Harnett and Simon Bates for their hard work and dedication for this project to become a reality.

Comments made by Committee Members included:

·         Support was shown for the Portfolio Holder Coast, Countryside and Environment’s comments and a suggestion was made that his comments should be a starting point for the Local Plan.

·         Wholeheartedly supported.  If we are serious about wildlife and the environment we cannot keep these policy boundaries cutting across wildlife habitats as this would put a lot of wildlife in further jeopardy than it already is.

·         Councillor Arnott thanked all the Officers that had worked on the Masterplan including Councillor Geoff Jung and Councillor Mike Howe and said it was an extremely good report highlighting the emphasis on the history and cultural aspects.

·         Clarification sought on the timescales for infrastructure for the Clyst Valley Trail and developments in Broadclyst to link Cranbrook, Broadclyst Station and Exeter.  In response the Green Infrastructure Project Manager advised that a revised delivery plan would be presented to Committee in the summer to include an off-road trail.  He also advised that the link between Mosshayne and Westclyst would be the first to come forward at a cost of in the region of £2m which would link people in the new homes at Westclyst and Pinhoe with the Science Park and Skypark and would hopefully be completed within the next year.

·         Clarification sought on the timescales on linking Cranbrook with the Westside of Exeter.  In response the Green Infrastructure Project Manager advised that Devon County Council were working on a new link between Cranbrook and Exeter alongside the railway line with the planning coming forward this year.

In response to the comments made the Service Lead – Planning Strategy and Development Management reassured Members and confirmed it was important to look at the boundaries of the Clyst Valley Regional Park holistically through the Local Plan process.

RESOLVED:

That the Clyst Valley Regional Park Masterplan as a guidance document to inform the future delivery of the Regional Park and to support decision making on planning application within the policy boundary of the Regional Park be approved.