Reports back from consultees - and just when do the responses have to be back with EDDC?

With itss usual efficiency EDDC appears to have two dates for the final submissions of letters of support or objection for the Liatris planning application. Letters sent to everyone in Seaton say 26 January 2007. Official notices published in local newspapers this week say 31 January 2007. We have queried this. Unfortunately, the EDDC website has been out of operation since at least Friday afternoon and you can't download documents or see what is there at the moment.

Our view on the dates: both are much too soon. We need MUCH longer than 8 weeks to go into the documents - bearing that part of that time was between Christmas and New Year, the full documentation wasn't on the site for several days and now the EDDC problem with its web site. Also several of the documents have been updated at the request of consultees (particularly the Environment Agency which has formally asked for an extension of the consultation period because it appears that latest guidance has not been followed by the developers) and South West Water (which had not been informed of the TOTAL size of the development and had been doing calculations based only on the Liatris submission). They have asked that the developers make further reports - especially as it seems that a large water main goes through the site. Heaven knows the thought of digging through another 2 metres of infill to find it must be making them a little annoyed.

Even more worrying is that it also appears that some of the documents have already been updated at the request of consultees (we gather that the transport assessment has already been the focus of amendment) and although we have requested to have these documents as soon as they appear, nothing has come through so far.

We have said to EDDC that the fairest thing is to wait until all documents are revised and resubmitted and sent to consultees and THEN start counting a further 8 weeks so that we can see what changes have been made and what difference it makes to our submissions. We await their reply with interest.

We are therefore making our responses with incomplete information - surely not the point of the exercise and not best practice.