Response to – Courtlands Cross Again!

Response to – Courtlands Cross Again!

The Parish Council have been contacted by Strategic Land Partnerships concerning the post “Courtlands Cross Again” their e-mail is shown below in full and unedited. The Parish Council have turned down a private meeting with SLP as being not in the public interest but have offered them full representation at the meeting on Monday 7th October – they have currently declined but the offer has been left open.

Dear Sirs

We understand that there has been some confusion as to Strategic Land Partnerships response regarding discussion on the latest development proposals at Courtlands Cross. I have attached a copy of the email forwarded to Tony Leriche on 26 September 2013 which included the offer to meet Parish Council representatives if there are specific aspects of the scheme they wish to discuss.

In addition we are also aware that the local community have been urged to object to the proposals through the Lympstone Village website. The website contains information which SLP would like to correct as follows:-

 1. The development is on a considerably smaller scale than previously proposed – 33 units are being promoted which is approximately 1/5 of the size of the previously rejected proposals. The much reduced site area is not visible from many parts of Lympstone and the development proposals include comprehensive landscaping. For clarity access will be via the A376 with no link to Courtlands Lane.

2. The revised proposal responds to the comments made by the Planning Inspector at the previous appeal. This is the reason why housing development has been restricted to the field adjoining the A376.

3. Rather than being a threat to the Green Wedge allowing the scheme to go ahead would in fact reinforce the protection and separation the Parish Council seek. The land on the north side of the proposed housing area and the adjoining field in the north west are proposed for landscaping and/or open space use. Their use will be secured and safeguarded by a Section 106 legal agreement with East Devon District Council.

4. The land does not form part of the designated Coastal Protection Area (CPA) as has been suggested. There is a proposal to extend the CPA in the draft East Devon Local Plan but this has been objected to and its inclusion will be tested at the East Devon Local Plan Inquiry.

5. For clarity the Parish Neighbourhood Plan is a draft document yet to go through a further consultation process and cannot be finalised until East Devon’s Local Plan has been tested at Inquiry and adopted.

 Strategic Land Partnerships does not adopt a carte blanche approach to development as has also been suggested on the Village website. The development proposed has been carefully evaluated and assessed particularly having regard to the Inspector’s comments.

 The suggestion that should this application be allowed similar applications will follow we feel is scaremongering and being used to alarm local residents and encourage objection without provision of the correct information about the development.

 I attach a copy of the Master Plan layout for the proposed development. The application includes fixing of the layout in order to provide confidence with regard to how the scheme will look and the type of housing that is intended.

As previously stated we would be prepared to meet members of the Parish Council if there is a particular aspect of the scheme that they would like to discuss.

 Regards.

G W KEAY

pp STRATEGIC LAND PARTNERSHIPS

 

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