Deadline for Submissions Friday 26th Sep 2008!
If you have not yet made your views on the Boundary review for Devon known to the Boundary Ctte you can submit them on line at:
http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/boundary-reviews/open-consultations/online-submissions
The Society has made a response and this is shown below:
Boundary Committee for England structural review for Devon
South Hams Society does not want Devon to become a unitary authority.
Any possible savings made by Devon County Council as a result of such a change would be very unlikely to be of real benefit to the people living in the region. As importantly, or even more so, this county is much too big to be governed from one centre.
Your proposals suggested that Devon would become one of the largest unitary authorities in England. Given the significant reduction in councillors proposed (down to one for every 7400 residents), many more decisions would be taken by officials. Whether or not the headquarters of the new authority is located in Exeter, the authority would become much more remote if power were centralised like this.
The present two-tier system, with district councils such as South Hams District Council controlling services such as planning and rubbish collection, is a locally accountable system which works well enough for most of us in this area. It is also more democratic than the options proposed in your report. Devon County Council has produced questionable figures which suggest a unitary authority would bring considerable savings (and District Councils have been given very insufficient time to challenge these figures). But such perceived savings depend partly on Devon County Council acquiring the assets of the eight district councils and would be considerably less should Exeter be granted separate unitary status. The creation of a new Devon unitary authority would also be more expensive: a) in the structure the county would need in order to administer such a large area and b) in the transition itself, including the reshuffle of responsibilities (and power bases), and the refit of offices, computers and other equipment as well as redundancy payments etc. In your proposal, the period of five years is provided as the limit for the payment of transition costs, but without council tax being raised. How can this be possible, unless there is a reduction in overall council services or an increase in borrowing? We have learnt that other councils struggling with a change to unitary status have had to re-evaluate their projected savings and in some cases have had to face a serious deficit.
If Exeter became a separate unitary authority, would the headquarters of the new Devon authority remain there? Alternative locations currently being discussed are Barnstaple or Newton Abbott. If Exeter and Exmouth were separated, this proposal would seem to damage Devon economically. Furthermore, the concept of community boards - based in the market towns - seems like an ill-conceived idea with no helpful guidelines as to its implementation. We have also learnt that two counties in the north of the UK have abandoned their plans for community boards.
Devon County Council suggests that a unitary authority for the county would be simpler for them to run. Devon is a very large area and covers a number of varied localities, each with its specific needs. Centralising control and responsibility in this region runs the risk of provoking considerable long-term dissatisfaction, with issues facing each region never really being adequately addressed. For example, what kind of consideration would be given by an official based in Exeter (or Barnstaple) to the ever-pressing problem of developers buying up houses in the South Hams, knocking them down and throwing up ugly blocks of flats in their place? Would officials of a new Devon authority be more sympathetic to the recent wind turbine applications at Goveton? This present economic slump will eventually end and whatever curbs it might currently place on such developments will evaporate.
Even if the new Devon authority could manage to make financial savings – and this is, as argued above, very doubtful - democracy and acceptable levels of service to this community must still be prioritised. In the South Hams at least, we want the continuation of a local government structure that puts the specific needs and interests of rural communities at its heart.
The statement that Devon residents have no choice but to just put up with one of the changes you have suggested in your report is totally unacceptable. What kind of democracy is that? So we ask you very sincerely please to recommend to the government minister you report to at the end of this year that, as with Somerset (a smaller county than ours) Devon remains as it is.
Yours faithfully
John Chalmers
Chair, South Hams Society
Proposed Wind Farm at Goveton
The proposed development would have an unacceptable impact upon the character, natural beauty and special qualities of the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the local landscape, contrary to the adopted Local Development Framework Core Strategy Policy CS9; South Hams Local Plan Policy SHDC3; Devon County Structure Plan Policies CO1,CO3,CO4,and CO12.
The Society will be adding: -
The site is a mere few hundred metres outside the actual AONB boundary; but the development will be visible and dominate the views from a large proportion of the AONB. Approval of this development would be contrary to Core Policy CS9(1)specifically, which was adopted in December 2006.
Members may also wish to use some of the opinions expressed in the March 2008 Bulletin.
Many thanks for your help,
George Brownlee - South Hams Society
gbrownlee@toucansurf.com
Over-development of Salcombe – A Call to Arms -Again
Appeals against refusal of planning permission for Overcombe
The recent increase in property prices has generated a large number of building developments in Salcombe. Many of these involve demolition of family housing for residents and its replacement by high density new housing and apartments for wealthy second home buyers. These developments are to the detriment of the town’s character by destroying its open character, closing views and eliminating mature gardens, all of which are recognised as desirable in the local plan. They confer no benefits to the residents, raise the price of housing for the less well off who perform so many important tasks in a balanced community, place stress on the town’s infrastructure, its services and car parking.
We cannot nor should prevent change to meet changing needs but it should aim at improving the environment for every body. The sole achievement of these schemes is to yield gross profits to the developers who are not residents but who make millions out of one site – if they can obtain planning permission.
The developers who have purchased Overcombe, Devon Road having lost their appeal against refusal for three detached houses have now launched a second appeal against the refusal by SHDC to grant planning permission for 8 flats. This development is even more damaging than the last and involves demolition of Overcombe, tripling the density of building on the site and the destruction of trees and a mature garden and display all the undesirable features above. This development is contrary to the objectives of the Local Plan and the adopted LDF.
Appeals against
refusal of planning permission are heard and decided by the Planning Inspectorate
in Bristol. The appellant (i.e. the developer) has asked for a written representation.
The appointed inspector will read written evidence.
To help preserve the character of Salcombe the South Hams Society asks all Salcombe members to write to the Planning Inspectorate in support of the refusal. The Society believes that both developments are greedy attempts to maximise profits for the developer without any consideration for neighbours or benefits to the residents. The details of the appeals are given below.
Overcombe, Application 41/1357/07/F
The appeal is against the refusal of the application made for demolition of the existing family house and erection of 8 flats. The proposed flats have over double the footprint of the existing house and present a considerably increased bulk to Devon Road. In brief the proposals contravene the local plan that seeks to preserve the open character of the south side of the estuary with moderate sized houses in large mature gardens. You may imagine what the view from the water would be if all the houses in this area were demolished and the sites developed at this density.
Roger Davies who lives on the other side of Devon Road and is thus an interested party has given a comprehensive account of his objections complete with outlines of the developments superimposed on current photographs. His letter and photographs are attached to this email. Letters of objection to the Planning Inspectorate must be received by 23 April and quote reference K1128/A/08/2068146/NWF. This appeal is made on the basis of written representations and you will see from the Inspector’s report on the previous appeal, which is also attached, that the views of residents will influence the Inspector’s decision.
Information on SHDC Website
To find the original application and its drawings go to the SHDC web site www.southhams.gov.uk and select “Search for planning applications” on the left hand side. On obtaining the search form enter the application number above when information on the application(s) will be displayed and you can look at the application form, the drawings and the supporting information by selecting “View Plans and Documents”.
The information on the application also contains the status of the application – in these two cases refusals and an appeal. You can go to the Decision Notice which contains a statement of SHDC reasons for approval or refusal and any conditions imposed. If you select the “List of Planning Applicationa with Appeals” you get a list of all appeals, their nature and status.
For the appeal itself the appellant prepares grounds and a statement of appeal and SHDC will prepare the Council’s appeal statement. These will identify any special areas wished to be brought to the Inspector’s attention. Both will be available at SHDC’s offices in Follaton House, Plymouth Road, Totnes.
How to write to the Planning Inspectorate
The Planning Inspectorate’s address is:
Room 3/19A, Temple Quay House
2 The Square
Temple Quay
Bristol, BS1 6PN
The appropriate reference number given above must be quoted on letters. All comments to the Planning Inspectorate must be made in triplicate. Views will be disclosed to both parties and comments received after the deadline will be returned unseen.
Please copy your letters to the South Hams Society either by post or email. The addresses are:
John Chalmers
9 Croft Road
Salcombe TQ8 8DZ
Email: john@rathlyn.eclipse.co.uk
The Chairman of South Hams Society has submitted the following:
Overcombe, Devon Road, Salcombe, Devon
Your ref: APP/K1128/A/08/2068146/NWF
I am writing to express the South Hams Society’s strong objection to the planning application to demolish the existing house and build 8 flats on the site.
Overcombe is within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a Coastal Preservation Area. The Devon Structure Plan states that within an AONB development will only be permitted where it would foster social or economic well-being and is compatible with its conservation. Similar restrictions apply in the Coastal Zone. The provision of luxury flats, probably to be used as second homes, cannot fulfil these objectives in an area when low cost housing is stated to be the Government’s priority.
The 1995 Local Plan, which still has statutory authority, states that low densities and mature gardens should be preserved in Policy Area 2, in which Overcombe is situated. The LDFs have not reached such a concrete stage but contain policies that support a similar view. The application considerably increases the bulk of building on the site – the footprint is over twice as large as the existing house. The views from Devon Road, so important to the character of the area, are largely blocked and the appearance from the water and from the beaches on the opposite side of the harbour will be of large areas of glass that are foreign to the site.
This area has already been damaged by the development of Folly Hill to Monkstone Point as is clearly seen by using the geostore website for postcode TQ8 8HJ. If every house on this side of the estuary were to be developed in this manner the character of this area would be entirely lost.
This application is even more unsatisfactory than the previous one for three houses where an appeal against refusal was dismissed. If this appeal succeeds then is there consistency in planning decisions and what is the value of the Local Plan and the LDFs?
Become a member!
Membership of the South Hams Society is only £10 per year, and you can print out your application form and banker's order form from the 'Join' page
