How reliable is the "East Devon Local Plan"?

The East Devon Local Plan to 2011 is supposed to be the “bible” for what is allowed/not allowed, encouraged/not encouraged, wanted/not wanted as regards planning in East Devon. If you live in Seaton this is a document to make you want to weep. It is an important document which, in theory, has a strong legal backing - well, let's all have a laugh about that!

The policy on the Seaton Regeneration Area says:

Local Policy LSE 1 (Seaton Regeneration Area)

Within the Seaton Regeneration Area, as defined on the Proposals Map, mixed use development proposals will be permitted. Individual proposals will need to accord with the principles established for a comprehensive scheme in the Interim Supplementary Planning Guidance for the Seaton Regeneration Area, to include the following:

1. Enhanced pedestrian and cycle access to and through the Regeneration Area, including linkages between the town centre, Seaton Marshes, sea front, Axe riverside and harbour;

2. Enhancement of community, leisure, tourism and recreation facilities, including the Seaton Tramway and Holiday Village;

3. Promotion of the harbour area as a distinctive gateway to Seaton;

4. Retail and commercial frontage development along Harbour Road and The Underfleet, complementing town centre facilities;

5. Employment floorspace within the mixed-use areas;

6. Residential development, involving a variety of dwelling types and sizes, to accommodate approximately 400 units;

7. Flood management measures for land currently within indicative floodplain;

8. Measures to retain nature conservation interest within the northern area of the regeneration area and to enhance neighbouring areas of conservation importance.

We are, of course, getting none of the above except (6) and (7) - where we are getting not 400 units but at least 650 (384 in the current planning application, up to 116 more on land owned by Liatris but not yet developed and around 150 on the "Racal" site, also not yet developed and one million tons of infill as "flood management" to raise the site by up to 2 metres.

The Local Plan also says,

“Planning permission for individual schemes will be granted provided mechanisms are in place that will achieve the delivery of a comprehensive regeneration scheme for this area. Necessary and reasonable developer contributions towards infrastructure, affordable housing, public realm, visitor and community facilities will be a priority for the delivery of regeneration”

There will be no contribution towards infrastructure, almost nothing towards affordable housing, the public realm will be money spent on a visitor centre and purchase of more acres of wetland (about which we have never been consulted) and there will be no replacement community facilities except those to be contained in a room 30m x 30m which must be either a gym or a nursery or a "community room".

and

“The proposals seek to improve linkages between the holiday village and the rest of the town, and to promote greater use of the publicly accessible facilities at this site. A strategy for upgrading the holiday village visitor facilities, accommodation and the associated environment will be prepared in consultation with the operator, which should include improved pedestrian routes through the site.”

This is, of course, not going to happen - the holiday village is to be demolished under the current planning application.

and

“Residential development, involving a variety of dwelling types and sizes, to accommodate approximately 400 units”.

See above - at least 650 dwellings.

The Local Plan will be replaced eventually by something called the “Local Development Framework” (LDF). All councils will have to create one of these and they must be unique to their area – they cannot just copy the bits of someone else’s plan that they like the look of. It will set out “how the planning system will shape the local community”.

The LDF MUST contain something called a “Statement of Community Involvement” (SCI). This MUST show how and when planning authorities intend to consult local communities and other stakeholders when preparing documents. A key outcome of the SCI will be to encourage 'front loading' - meaning that consultation must begin at the earliest stages of each document's development so that communities are given the fullest opportunity to participate in plan making and to make a difference. Every Statement of Community Involvement must provide open access to information, actively encourage the contribution of ideas and representations from the community and provide regular and timely feedback on progress.

Why bother to replace the Local Plan with a Local Development Framework. The Local Plan isn't worth the paper it is written on. Save us a lot of money, EDDC, and just carry on doing what you want when you want, ignoring the Local Plan - why change a winning formula?