Strategic Planning Committee, 30 September 2025

00:02:27Good morning, everyone. We're going to get started, please. First up, a health and safety announcement as usual. There's no fire alarm drill anticipated today, but in the event of a fire alarm sounding, please leave the building through the nearest fire exit and by following the green running man signs above the doors, make your way to the rear of the car park. If anyone needs assistance leaving the building in the event of an emergency evacuation, please let us know. The organiser of the meeting will then tell you when it is safe to return.

00:02:55Lastly, please make sure all phones are either muted or switched off. To start the meeting proper then, good morning everyone and welcome to this Strategic Planning Committee meeting on Tuesday 30th September 2025. I'm your Chair, Councillor Todd Olive, and to my right is Vice Chair, Councillor Mike Howe. Supporting officers present this morning are Ed Freeman, Assistant Director, Planning, Strategy and Development Management, Damian Hunter, Planning Solicitor, and Andrew Melhewish, Democratic Services Manager.

00:03:25Can I remind everyone present, please, that this meeting is recorded for publication on the Council's website, so please can members and officers making a contribution to the meeting use a microphone, or your comments will not be recorded. We're now going to start the meeting by doing a roll call of committee members and declaration of interests, please.

00:03:44Thank you very much, Chair. Good morning, Councillors. Councillor Olive, I'll start with you, please. Present and nothing to declare at this time. Thank you. Thank you. Councillor Howe. Present and nothing to declare at this time. Councillor Blakey. Present and no declarations. Councillor Davey. Present, no declarations. Councillor Hayward. Present, no declarations. Thank you. Councillor Ingham. Present, no declarations.

00:04:15Thank you. Councillor Jung. Councillor Ledger. Present, and no declarations. Thank you, and Councillor Parr. Okay, so I'll confirm Councillor Parr is present, no declarations.

00:04:46Thank you. Chair, I can confirm the meeting is important. Okay, thank you very much. That brings us then to Agenda Item 1, minutes of the previous meeting held on the 2nd of September 2025. Are there any comments on those minutes, please? Jeff? Sorry. Yes, I did pass on my apologies for the last meeting because I was away on holiday, but the message didn't get through. Okay, thank you, Councillor Jung.

00:05:22Subject to that revision, then, are there any further comments? Okay, thank you very much, members, then. As chair, then, and subject to that correction, I'd like to move those minutes as a true and accurate record of the meeting. Members, please raise your hand if you're in support. That's clearly carried.

00:05:41[Passage not reproduced here. It contains allegations or strong criticism of named people or the council, made at the meeting. We don't repeat allegations; you can hear the passage in the council's own recording by playing it from this point.]

00:07:13Inconsistent. You've voted for a site that includes this man's house. It's been raised time and again. HELAA confirmed availability, it turns out, as [member of the public] emailed, that they didn't actually do any checks. It was an unfounded false claim. Another resident is worried of being evicted from our house because of the incompetence on show regarding the site extents and cannot get any assurances this process is in the name of the planning and compulsory purchase act how's that look to a lay person house in allocation confirmed as available compulsory purchase act really not on again wrong side at the last meeting and you carry on regardless this is the message you send and Councillor Hayward your carry on regardless rhetoric you seem to champion your message to her is you just don't care if there's fundamental errors Councillors, you must challenge this incompetent behaviour.

00:08:12[Passage not reproduced here. It contains allegations or strong criticism of named people or the council, made at the meeting. We don't repeat allegations; you can hear the passage in the council's own recording by playing it from this point.]

00:09:29It means. Thank you. I do have a question. Does that have to be... That's your three minutes. Thank you, [member of the public]. [member of the public].

00:10:02Good morning, all. As you can see, we haven't gone away. Neither have the wrongs of EXMO20. But I'm sure you know that the privilege of speaking to you is contingent on speaking to an agenda item. So today I'm speaking to agenda item 7. I'm not going to talk about EXMO20. I'm not going to point out the failings in its allocation. I won't be mentioning it failed HELAA and site selection process, nor that it wasn't proposed by officers or wanted by members here. The objections of Devon wildlife, natural landscape, Natural England, historic England, the RSPB. That's an awful lot of things you're not mentioning, [member of the public]. I'm sorry. It's an awful lot of things you're not mentioning, [member of the public]. Oh, right. If we unwind now, the things I didn't mention, that I didn't mean to mention.

00:10:50Have I got more time? Thank you very much. I've lost my place now. Will not pass my lips. After all, at the last meeting, you accepted that as a site for development, the Eximo 20 is wrong, and you couldn't think of another way to hit [member of the public] numbers. So I looked up the council's website, how to become a councillor. I knew that would get a smile. It states clearly your job is to be a representative, a community leader, a policymaker, a scrutineer, a watchdog.

00:11:22It claims you make a positive difference for people. That's people like me. Apparently, fortunately, you don't need formal qualifications or experience. You must want to be involved and to help represent the interests of your local area. There's nothing about following government diktats. There's nothing about following the instructions of paid officers. During the last meeting, Councillor Hayward, you spoke to me directly and you said it is more difficult sitting there than being on the outside.

00:11:51I say to you this morning, not so, because you're elected to power and you will be judged on how you exercise that power. So today, as you consider the new settlement of Marlcombe, Agenda Item 7, my message to you is really simple. Don't repeat the errors of the March consultation. Get HELAA right. Make sure site selection is properly followed. Listen to the statutory respondees. Pay heed to the people you represent.

00:12:22So be a representative. Be a community leader. Be a policymaker. And above all, be a scrutineer. You have the opportunity to make a positive contribution and the opportunity to correct the error of EXMO20 by using the capacity at Malcom. In my opinion, the second consultation would be guaranteed 1,000 positive comments if EXM020 were dropped and the numbers incorporated into Malcom. The minutes of the last meeting record your sentiment that serving on this committee is incredibly hard.

00:12:55I think not. I think it's a privilege for you, a responsibility, an opportunity to do the right thing, not for government, not for the higher hands, but for East Devon its people and your conscience so today I challenge you remove EXMO20 from consultation 2 and use the opportunity of Marlcombe to make up the numbers if you have been listening thank you very much thank you [member of the public] sorry? I'm going to go through the speakers and then we'll see if Mr Freeman wants to add anything Councillor Ingham No. We're going to take [member of the public] next, please.

00:13:57Good morning. I will be covering two areas today and asking four questions. The first being Reg 19. In the run-up to Reg 19 consultation, we were told to submit any unanswered questions along with comments as part of our submissions to this consultation. This was done as advised. It's now six months since the consultation finished. and we have yet to receive any responses to the questions or comments that were submitted.

00:14:27Can you please tell us when responses to our comments will be published? The second area is the draft Local Plan. The EDDC have recently published all of the 3,500 comments, including documents that could not go on Commonplace. Within these documents, there are five from the developer relating to EXMO20. The developer's documentation is promoting development and access routes which directly contradicts the draft Local Plan which has been agreed by this committee.

00:15:04For example, the proposed development is not within the boundaries of the EXMO20 map nor the settlement boundary and is using the same map that Mr Freeman used in his presentation at the last SPC meeting, which was identified as old and out of date. So the question on that is, when will or should the developers' Reg 19 information or submissions align with the draft Local Plan? It has been mentioned that the draft Local Plan needs to be agreed so that ADDC can control and deliver the best possible developments for the communities.

00:15:42Taking into account that this plan is unlikely to be adopted until 2027, I have another two questions. One, can the developer submit a planning application for a site within the draft Local Plan and for it to be approved by ADDC before the draft Local Plan has been adopted? The second one, does a developer's submission or application have to align with the draft Local Plan now or only when the draft Local Plan is adopted?

00:16:16These are key things that show what could happen if this draft Local Plan is not either adhered to or taken forward properly.

00:16:29Thank you for your time. Thank you, [member of the public]. And [member of the public] made a note of those questions. We'll come back to them once we've concluded with the final public speaker, who is Councillor Roy Collins.

00:16:58Thank you, Chair. I'm a proud Devonian. Glorious Devon, the best place we live in, has been ruined by greedy planners carrying out government policies to provide homes for illegal immigrants. There are more vacant homes than homeless people worldwide. In this country, we have a million empty homes. A million empty homes. I hope you heard that. Birth rates are falling. Why do we need more homes? A report came out on the 9th of September saying that by 2050, nearly 25% of agricultural land in this country will disappear.

00:18:08Farmers cannot produce food for the nation if you keep concreting and tarmacking it all over. Devon grows the best grass in the country for producing milk, beef, lamb. How are you going to feed people with no land to grow crops and produce the produce? East Devon has done nothing to save agricultural land. As you well know, I attend all these meetings, the planning meetings, most of the council meetings, and I see nothing you've done to protect agricultural land.

00:19:02You could easily protect agricultural land by increasing housing numbers on the sites. We've heard EXMO20 this morning. That could be saved quite easily by increasing the numbers in other sites in Exmo. You wouldn't need that. The same with Malcom. You wouldn't need that at all. You should not be taking good land. There's still disasters happening in the world since I spoke last month. We've had typhoons in the Philippines which have destroyed crops and houses.

00:19:48I will finish now to keep you happy to be within the three minutes. I hope you've taken in what I've said. Thank you very much. I'm not going to say thank you, Councillor Collins, because the issue of immigration has nothing to do with why we need more houses. The fact that we have a crisis that's been manufactured by a government that refused to properly process asylum seekers or create safe and legal routes into this country is nothing to do with demographic change that is going on in this country.

00:20:31And it's beneath a sitting Councillor To make that assertion, in my view. That's my view, but you've brought it up in this chamber, so I'm going to make it and now we're going to move on. Mr. Freeman, there were a couple of questions there that I think merit an answer, please. Yes, thank you, Chair. So, yes, coming back to [member of the public] questions. I think the first one was about responses to questions and comments made through the first Reg 19 consultation.

00:20:59I mean, obviously, we received over 3,000 comments, so we won't be responding on a one-to-one basis. but obviously reports that have come through this committee and are coming through this committee respond to a lot of the comments that have been received. So obviously there was the report last time that you saw in relation to EXMO20 and other sites. There will obviously be reports and documents in the second Reg 19 consultation yet to come through the committee, which will also respond to comments received.

00:21:25So that's how we'll be responding is through that process. In terms of developers promoting additional development, obviously they're entitled to promote what they want to promote but the plan is is the plan that's what we think is is acceptable moving forward in terms of EXMO20 um so there's no reason there's no need for their plans to align with ours the key thing is that we are setting out in the Local Plan what we think is acceptable for EXMO20 they can make an application for something else if they want to doesn't mean it's going to be acceptable to us um but they are entitled to um and that can be considered ahead of the Local Plan and could potentially be approved ahead of the Local Plan there's no reason why that can't be the sequence of events obviously we would much rather see applications come forward after the plan has gone through and been adopted but the process allows them to make an application ahead of that and for that to be determined um I think that covers the questions um yeah nothing to add okay thank you mr Freeman

00:22:33Councillor Ingham then Councillor Hayward then Councillor Howe thank you very much just wanted to come in it's a great example this morning we've just had four speakers um two managed to speak within the three minutes whatever they said whether we agreed or didn't they managed to get very strong points across um my observation is when people go over three minutes can everyone be stopped on three minutes because I have noticed in the past some people go to four and some people are stopped immediately we must be fair and treat everyone that seeks to speak to this committee with the three minutes and councillors included who ramble over three myself included so I better stop now thank you very much chair thank you Councillor And indeed I did allow uh mr hamill to go on beyond his three minutes because I did interrupt him uh in fairness um but a fair comment well made Councillor Heywood thank you chair um in anticipation of today's meeting and it sort of comes from the speakers that have spoken um I was I suppose you

00:23:38Could only call it lobbied um by two people and was the recipient of a comment on a social media feed and it has parallels to what's been said because one person who commented lives in a gorgeous countryside cottage with acres of land and bemoans the fact that we're building a single house in East Devon because their family has lived here for generations and how dare we bespoil it but of course on the flip side we know we have 5,000 people on the waiting list who are desperate for houses and if I had my way I would say no to the government just build 5,000 build houses for the people who need houses now but we know that's not the way it works I have a question if I may with your forbearance chair to Mr Freeman because a comment has been made to me why doesn't East Devon just say no why don't we just say no we're not going to do it so for the public record it would be really helpful to once again put upon Mr. Freeman and explain and tell me,

00:24:45Has any planning authority in the UK successfully managed to say no? And if they have, how? And if they haven't, what would be the outcome if we did? I think I know the outcome, you know the outcome, but just for the absolute clarity to anyone who's watching to understand the pressure that this planning authority and every planning authority is under. But effectively, for everyone who doesn't want housing, and we've heard from the speakers today, you know, we have speakers saying build more density.

00:25:18Well, I've lived in a place with massive density and it's not very nice. Don't build at all. I've lived in a HMO. I've been crammed into a bedsit and I longed for a house of my own. Build elsewhere. Don't build here. Build there. Let them suffer. Let Axminster suffer. Let Honnerton suffer. Everyone wants housing somewhere else. And that's the challenge. That's the challenge we've always had ever since I first sat on this committee and for members who served long before me, what they've had to contend with.

00:25:50So you know I've been named twice in this that's the challenge of serving on this committee you know I have my views on housing but I also recognize the reality of the situation and if Mr Freeman could answer that question I'd be very grateful thank you chair thank you Councillor Hayward briefly please Mr Freeman as I don't want to spend too long in this rabbit hole thank you chair it's obviously a big question to answer briefly I think the quickest way is obviously I think I brought a report that's about last summer assessing our opportunities in terms of promoting a lower housing number uh and that report identified all of the risks and associated with that and nothing's really changed since then I'm not aware of any local authority that has successfully taken forward a plan at a significantly lower figure than the standard method set by government um and the consequences of not promoting a plan that achieves that is that we don't have a Local Plan we continue to not have an up-to-date

00:26:45Local Plan we therefore wouldn't have a five-year housing and supply and therefore we're vulnerable in terms of applications coming forward in locations that we don't want them um and having to grant them to boost the housing and supply position um and ultimately not meeting the housing needs that we want to meet the local people in in in a housing need who need affordable housing and other types of housing to meet their need um so so no the consequences of of not meeting the need are a loss of control, I suppose, in terms of planning and ultimately the government could come in and produce a Local Plan for East Devon over our heads, as it were, at that figure or an even higher one, given that their focus is on building new homes and delivering one and a half million homes in this parliament.

00:27:32So, hence my advice is to take control of the situation, deliver a Local Plan that meets the standard method housing need but have control over where that happens and how that happens in East Devon.

00:27:45Thank you, Mr. Freeman. I'm going to move on, if that's okay, Councillor Hayward. Councillor Howe. Yeah, thank you very much, Chair. My question is quite simple, and thank you to [member of the public] for asking this a while ago, and I'm sorry I didn't reply earlier from your last email you sent me, but I will get back to it at some future point. My question is quite simple. EXMO20 has been shown in our plan several times using two different maps, and that is one of the queries that has been raised again today is which map we are physically using because last time we were showing quite wrongly the wrong map is my understanding for my own certainty and the public certainty can we please define which map it is we are referring to for EXMO20 thank you yes so there was an error on the powerpoint slide at the last meeting which showed a slightly larger site than is actually proposed for allocation in the plan we will obviously be bringing a further version of the plan to you probably the next meeting in november

00:28:50Before the second Reg 19 consultation we will make sure that plan is absolutely correct and that's the plan that gets signed off for agreement in the plan and for consultation thank you mr Freeman two things that I just want to say briefly in closing on that section uh one I neglected to make a declaration of lobbying from residents on agenda item eight regarding coastal change management areas I should have done that so I'm doing it now uh Councillor Jung might want to make the same one as he knows which residents I'm thinking about um so if that could be recorded please andrew um and the the the last thing I want to do um before we move on from public speaking is just just to pick up on on two points really that some of the public speakers have raised. One, we hear a lot of criticism of [member of the public] competence from rather a number of speakers who attend this committee and I just want to take a moment to bat that back. Mr. Freeman has

00:29:52Been working in this industry for over two decades for, in his words, 26 or 27 years. He has two degrees in the subject. He's a subject matter expert. There's a reason he's our service lead for planning policy for development management for building control and that's because he knows his stuff um I I find it frankly rude but beyond that uncalled for to be questioning mr Freeman's personal competence to be doing his job um I I really don't don't think that's appropriate you can disagree with his conclusions uh maybe even disagree with his methods sometimes um but I'm really, really tired of hearing Mr Freeman challenged personally on that comment. I think it's out of order. The second thing I want to pick up on is the assertion that doing this job is easy. I get threats made against me in voicemails because of decisions that this committee has made. Sitting on this committee is the hardest job in this authority, and I won't hear otherwise. We're going to move on now to agenda item five, matters of urgency.

00:31:05To my knowledge, there are none. Thank you. And agenda item six, confidential or exempt items. Again, to my knowledge, there are none. Thank you. Which brings us then to agenda item seven, the report on the second new community at Malcombe. And before I take Mr. Freeman through that report, I'm going to apologise, committee, because there's a few words that I wanted to say just before we go into that, in light of some welcome, some good news in strategic planning for once that we've had over the weekend.

00:31:41It's quite rare that we get a report that comes before this committee or any others that makes me feel really genuinely proud to be a Councillor Of this authority. Pleased, yes. Exercised, yes. Sometimes. Green wedges, Mr Freeman. even confused on occasion on the old report from our Section 151 officer. But from memory in nearly two and a half years now of sitting on this authority, I can only really recall one other report that's been taken to a committee that made me feel really proud of any of the work that we do here at East Devon, the other one being Councillor Ledger's report on housing a few weeks ago.

00:32:22Over the weekend, as some members will know, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government released the final report and recommendations of the government's new towns task force which had been looking at locations and policy issues for the government's plan to turbocharge house building by designating a new wave of new towns in england after months of work long days late nights from our officers and from the wider team um our plans our vision for the new community that we've come to know as Malcombe, were put forward by the task force as one of 12 locations in England to receive a new town's designation. As the government's initial response to that report makes clear, that means meaningful capital and revenue funding support to help us deliver infrastructure earlier and in a more coordinated way. It means a dedicated front door to government to help us solve problems and move things forward, as well as bring other bodies, like our best friends at Southwest Water to the table through the serious convening power that government can bring to bear. And it means more options available to us with government backing to help

00:33:31Deliver our aspiration, as is set out in some of the papers before us today, of 40% affordable housing at Malcombe, with a significant proportion of social housing within that. Those things change the game for how we can bring Malcombe forward and deliver a genuinely outstanding new town that builds homes not just houses in a brilliant new community not just an out of town estate but they wouldn't have been possible without the groundwork that we East Devon more than ably supported by external partners led by CBRE who are with us today have put down that groundwork is what is here before us today in this agenda item seven the master plan foregone by previous administrations when planning for Cranbrook 20 years ago which sets out our vision for a well designed place and the infrastructure that it needs and I should apologize to members of the team who've heard me banging on about that one for at least the last 12 months now the transport vision building on the phased approach to delivering road improvements that

00:34:39And I'll come out and say it we actually got right at Cranbrook at least in the early years which will deliver the new roads and the improvements to existing junctions and public transport services needed to enable Malcombe to come forward and lastly and though it's more substantively for cabinet tomorrow evening the delivery vehicle a critical piece in the puzzle that will enable us to bring to bear far more than the limited powers of the planning system to make sure that Malcombe is delivered in line with our vision not the developers with early infrastructure and a robust placemaking approach that's why I'm proud of the report that's here before us at item seven members. We have before us, in my view, a fantastic piece of work that is the start, not the end, the start of a long and difficult journey delivering a new town that is part of our legacy to East Devon and its residents, present and future. But with this work behind us and the backing of government as announced over the weekend to help us deliver it, I hope and

00:35:40Indeed frankly I genuinely believe that that legacy will be like East Devon itself outstanding and now with that little bit of grandstanding done and apologies for that members but I think a lot of that needed to be said I'm going to go to Mr Freeman before I come then to members I have seen your hand Councillor On it we'll come to you later thank you Mr Freeman thank you chair Andrew, can we go to HCMI 2, please?

00:36:10Thank you. So I've prepared a few slides just to talk you through the documents that are on the agenda today. So members will obviously be aware that obviously Marlcombe is now the name of our new town that's coming forward through the new Local Plan. What this report seeks to do is talk you through some of the evidence documents that have been produced to support that allocation ahead of the next Regulation 19 consultation and amended wording in terms of the vision for the town and the policy that allocates the town in the Local Plan that would go forward into that consultation.

00:36:44So if I just flick through the first slide that's been mentioned and identified in the New Town's Task Force report, which is great news for taking this forward. One of the key documents on here today is this vision document which talks through the production of a master plan for Malcombe and touches on one of the many challenges with it. So obviously topography has been a big challenge.

00:37:09We all know that one of the things that makes East Devon such a beautiful and attractive place to live is the landscape, but it's not very flat, and that has been very challenging in terms of master planning Malcombe in terms of just across the area that makes up the town we've got quite significant changes in topography quite a few challenging issues in terms of where key routes such as roads key infrastructure such as schools etc go within that area and how to address that and and reduce the landscape impact in terms of the wider area there are a number of heritage constraints there's a relatively small number of listed buildings within the site itself but within the edges of the site and around the area there are a number of listed buildings and heritage constraints that have had to be taken into account.

00:38:01I've mentioned the landscape and protecting the landscape as a whole. There's also flooding issues, quite significant. There are two main watercourses through the site which have flood zones around them which have needed to be protected from development. Utilities issues, I think the Chair touched on southwest water and wastewater issues that we're all aware of in terms of the area But wider utilities in terms of delivering electricity and other infrastructure to a site like this is quite challenging in itself.

00:38:31So those issues are about to be considered. Noise and air quality issues. Obviously, we've got the airports to the north. We've got two main roads, the A13 and A3052, north and south. Issues in terms of noise and air quality arising from those having to be taken into account, as well as airport safeguarding, given the proximity to the airport. and lots of issues in terms of land control and different land ownerships within this area so there's been lots of challenges in terms of taking all of this forward members will probably be aware we reached a position last September of a consultation event that took place which is focused in a face-to-face event at West Point and then online consultation through Commonplace on two key scenarios for the layout of the town So each of these have three neighbourhoods with a centre and a school in each to provide day-to-day facilities and services locally.

00:39:23They each look at retention of the river corridor that I mentioned, creation of a sort of landscape heart at the centre of the town. So you can see green corridors sort of running through in a similar way to what we have achieved at Cranbrook in terms of the country park there. In this case, it's as an expansion of the Cliss Valley Regional Park, which surrounds the town on each side.

00:39:43So creating those links and corridors through the town using the river corridor as a focus for that so we've got provision of direct public transport and active travel routes from the A13 and A3052 you can see two options within these scenarios for the north south route through the town we've each has got a mixed use town centre designed to be at the heart of the community visible and accessible with a range of services and facilities so those are the big hearts or the bigger hearts uh shown on the plans you've then got two smaller hearts which are the neighborhood centers which would be focus points for those neighborhoods uh we've got new employment uses located at the A30 and on the A3052 so quite a lot of employment development shown in the sort of orangey colors um around Hill Barton Business Park but also to the north around the airport junction uh taking advantage of land that's that's otherwise um difficult to develop for housing because of noise constraints and issues there but also employment more within the town

00:40:46Obviously within the town center to make that a functioning town center we've got two park and ride facilities located north and south of the town picking up vehicle movements coming in from the east along the a30 and the a305 to into Exeter which also provide focus points for public transport routes for residents as well into the town retention of ancient woodlands in the Cliffs Valley Regional Park as I mentioned which creates an important feature through the town key changes within the process as we've refined the plan include provision of land for wastewater treatment facilities so that the town can provide its own solution potentially in terms of those issues material recycling facilities members may be aware that we need additional facilities to operate recycling services in the area we've also looked at balancing the employment land with an increase of employment land adjacent to the a30 to make this more self-contained as a settlement we've looked at different locations for the town center and how we incorporate things like ground mounted pv facilities renewable energy facilities that can can help in terms of the

00:42:03Sustainability credentials of the town and also potentially funding for community facilities so I mentioned the engagement that we did uh last summer um but engagement actually goes back to the issues and options consultation on the Local Plan we did in early 2021 we then obviously had the Reg 18 consultation the master plan consultation I mentioned and obviously the Reg 19 consultation earlier this year so we've gradually engaged as things have progressed um with the community and stakeholders on these issues members will be aware we've had regular updates for all members as we've gone through this process as well and you can see a number of the comments on the screen however you can read those but comments have come back specifically in relation to Marlcombe through those consultation events so things have gradually evolved as that work's gone on And we've been revising the vision for the town as we've gone forward as well.

00:43:06I don't think it is. Apologies, that's so small. But it is in the papers as well. We sought to revise the vision for the town that members previously agreed. The focus of the vision and what it says is basically the same as members have previously seen. What we've tried to do is make it more locally specific and updated it in relation to the work that's being developed.

00:43:35So you'll see there's lots more references rather to a second new community, but to Malcombe naming the place, but also references to specifics within the local landscape rather than just talking generally about the rolling landscape we're now talking about the cliss valley about the relationship with farrington and clissip maria's neighboring villages relationships with local sports clubs and facilities in the area to address a lot of the criticism that we've received in terms of this vision that it could be about anywhere and trying to make it very locally specific and very much specifically about Malcom so as all this works progressed we've now come to what we're calling a site allocation master plan so you'll see that this kind of zooms out a bit in terms of detail from from the previous iterations and looks at some of the key issues again it's very small on the screen apologies for that but it seeks to retain the principle of the three neighborhoods that you saw in the previous iterations the town centre has been located with visibility and prominence on key routes um so very much at the heart of the town on that main

00:44:42North south route um we've got this balance of employment spaces I mentioned north and south uh there's now a proposed key route which brings out the um access onto the a3052 um to the right and to the east of the cat and fiddle uh rather than the alternative option which which took it quite close to a woodland area we've got opportunities where we've tried to deal with the topography of the site there's still some challenges with that particularly in terms of location of the through school campus which is on quite a sloping site but we feel that location that we've identified for that is key to having that at the heart of the community and I think that that's key for that facility as I mentioned there's park and ride facilities both both north and south from the front of John to the A3052.

00:45:35So that's hopefully a quick overview of sort of the work that's gone into that work in terms of the master plan and the visioning work. You've got the full document in the agenda and happy to take questions when we come through to debate. Turning to the sort of transport vision work, the key features of this are around internalisation of trips through phased delivery of services and facilities alongside the housing.

00:46:00So ensuring that as the new homes are built, we're also building the employment spaces, the community facilities and infrastructure that the town needs so that we can internalise trips and minimise our commuting as much as possible and build in those sustainable travel movements from day one. So creating sort of 20-minute neighbourhoods where people can walk and cycle to the services and facilities they need and they're not reliant on travelling outwards and impacting on the wider road network, which we know has its challenges in terms of congestion at peak times.

00:46:37So the town has been designed to be very compact with 10 to 15-minute cycle routes from one end to the other, 20-mile-per-hour speed limits and segregated walking and cycling routes around the town. I mentioned park and ride facilities north and south they not only help to intercept trips coming into Exeter from from the east but also act as public transport corridors but there'd also be an internalized circular bus route around the town itself bringing people into the town center and neighborhood centers we've got proposals for high frequency and low emission services to the surrounding area integration with rail as well so we've obviously got Cranbrook rail station to the north and dig being south and to the west um so and and passing loops proposed uh to help to increase the frequency into the future um the intention is that every dwelling is within eight minutes walk of a mobility hub which will offer bike hire ev charging car club access parcel lockers and real-time travel information as well as travel plans and welcome packs going out to

00:47:41Residents as they occupy to to publicize those those options uh there will of course still need to be some improvements to the road network so junction improvements at the airport junction kiss it may round about in particular still having discussions with national highways but potential improvements in the longer term in terms of junctions 29 and 30 but that would be in the later phases of the development so really hopefully that's a useful oversight in terms of the transport vision work that's been going on and continues to go on to refine those proposals but centred around making the town compact self-contained and internalizing trips where we can just turning briefly to the strategic outline business case as the chair mentioned it's quite a key document in terms of the delivery of all of this obviously we're looking to deliver a town in a very different way to how we delivered Cranbrook which was very much a private sector led model in order to do that we need to establish a delivery vehicle and and secure central government

00:48:45Funding so this business case needs to set out the model for doing that it sets out a robust viability analysis which is also key for the Local Plan that defines key commercial success factors and the extent of central government funding that's needed to deliver this in the way that we envisage and meet our vision it sets out a clear pathway to a deliverable scheme options identified around land control policy requirements in terms of affordable housing viability metrics as you know demonstrating that this scheme is is deliverable and viable will be key to its allocation in in the Local Plan and defending that examination it looks at a credible funding strategy for all of this both the capacity funding in terms of our staff resource and how we fund consultants that are still needed to input into this work as it develops but also funding for infrastructure to ensure that we're delivering that infrastructure in step with the housing it talks about towns new towns placemaking principles and scenarios about how we've modeled that and the flex that's needed to ensure that it's affordable and deliverable

00:49:51Clear pathways to establishing a development corporation I think it's been mentioned the new towns program document that was published at the weekend really endorses development corporations as an approach delivering new towns that's very much in sync with the work that we've been doing uh to to make the business case for for delivering that um and it also considers a strategy that considers the project in its wider context so unifying Marlcombe Marlcombe sorry with existing activity in Cranbrook the enterprise zone next to airport which provides the basis to structure a wider civic proposition around that wider growth and development so um those are the key documents that's uh that are in the papers that are before you uh so turning to the recommendations members are asked to agree uh the vision statement for markham to be included in the Reg 19 consultation uh and the revised wording for strategic policy wso1 uh which is the allocation in the Local Plan now I realize subsequent to publication of the agenda that what you've got in the papers is the final wording and not attract changes version which

00:51:02I think is what it refers to in the agenda. So I have got here, I can bring up on the screen if members want to go through the wording of the policy as part of the debates, the changes that have taken place. Much of that is updating in terms of the further work that we've done to refine the infrastructure requirements that are needed to feed into that.

00:51:22But you will now see, I think it extends to like seven pages as a policy now. But I can bring up a track changes version if members want to see that. I mentioned the master plan vision as well. So that's another document that we would see going out with that consultation, along with the strategic outline business case. You've also got amended to the attached to the agenda as appendix to an emerging infrastructure delivery plan, which lists out some of the main infrastructure requirements for the town and how we prioritize those in terms of those coming forward.

00:51:58The intention is to work that up into a full infrastructure delivery plan for Markham, which will set out sort of costings and how these things would be delivered. But at this stage, we've just got a list of projects and the priorities that we put against them. What would be really useful at this stage is if members have any views on the prioritisation that's been given to those that can feed into that wider work as we develop that infrastructure delivery plan.

00:52:22Um I think that's the main issues I wanted to just draw members attention to um so yes make those recommendations for those documents to go forward as part of the upcoming second regulation 19 consultation thank you chair okay thank you mr Freeman as we normally do then at Strategic Planning Committee we will go to questions before we go to debate and we will start with those questions outside of committee before we come inside of committee.

00:52:52Just to flag for members' benefits, as well as Mr. Freeman with us today, we also have two members of our wonderful external team, Simon Phillips and Chris Knott, who are here to answer the difficult questions after [member of the public] had a crack at the easy questions, as things should be. So questions, please, from outside committee. And I had Councillor Arnott's hand earlier and then Councillor Faithfull, please. If you have a question, Councillor Arnott?

00:53:27It is a question. Please go ahead. I thought you said Councillor Arnott. No, no, Councillor Arnott. Yeah, this is a question. Hopefully come back in the debate with a comment later.

00:53:35Thank you, Chair. Yes, so with the involvement now of the Newtown project, I'd love to find out a bit more about the kind of likely quantum of what that involves and what kind of work that will enable us to do that it might have been very difficult not to do if we hadn't successfully applied into that fund.

00:53:58Thank you. Okay, thank you. Peter, do you want to ask your question? Then we'll come to the team. There's a few questions. Firstly, would I be right in assuming that the first part of the development will be around the north area, north of West Point, which is where you seem to be showing the main town center area also question the suggestion that we the Cranbrook is a good connection for rail when if we're assuming that people are wanting to get into Exeter it's actually it's the same distance to go from where there are town centre is proposed to be to Cranbrook as it is to Polslow bridge which sort of makes you question whether you really want to go all the way out to Cranbrook to go turn around and go all the way back into Exeter so I question the connects connectivity for that to make Cranbrook or any of those railway stations a viable proposal for connection there's also the comment the article I sent in reply to your email on Sunday questioning viability of development across the country and is it possible

00:55:35Any comment on that thank you chair Councillor Collins do you want to ask your question and then we'll come to mr Freeman please thank you chair regulation 19 the second round of consultation when is the date for that please uh thank you chair um if we go in reverse order in terms of rig 19 consultation I think the timeline I brought forward was um to launch that in october I think realistically it's probably more likely to be november now we're still waiting on a couple of key documents particularly the water cycle study and um the assessment of air quality issues on the pelvis um so I think I'm currently looking at um sticking to I think we've got a meeting scheduled on the 4th of November of using that meeting to agree the consultation materials in the final Reg 19 plan and then launching the consultation as soon as possible after that for a six-week period to end before Christmas. So that's the current timeline. Coming back to Council Faithful's comments, we're working on the phasing in terms of the build out. Certainly

00:56:59The intention is that we start the town centre early as part of a first phase of development so that's delivering some services and facilities but it's obviously going to be only part of that because it needs to build out in sequence with the town so I don't have any slides today in terms of the phasing that's something that's evolving as we're going but certainly key to ensure that you know certain things are delivered early phases things like the park and ride are quite key to the transport strategy in terms of intercepting those movements delivering part of the town centre to deliver those services and facilities at early doors is is quite key to that as well um so hopefully I'll have some more information in future in terms of phasing that's something that's that's evolving at the moment um in terms of connectivity um and take the point about Cranbrook I think what we're looking at really is in terms of linking into digby and out in railway station in terms of links into the city which is actually probably the easiest

00:58:00In terms of getting a bus to railway station to take people into the city in terms of catching rail in terms of Cranbrook that's an alternative option in terms of going to the city but obviously perhaps more convenient in terms of going east if people were coming to Honiton or Axminster or even go all the way up to london from there so it's making most of those linkages in both directions I think in terms of connectivity through rail but obviously looking to have priority bus routes into the city as well and bus routes that take people across the wider area so it's a combination of all of those public transport routes that will create excuse me that connectivity and efficient sustainable travel routes from the town and around the town in terms of viability that's something that's picked up in in quite some detail in the strategic outline business case so that's worth looking at um that document um I appreciate it's only the um technical summary but it does give a good outline of that obviously um we do need to ensure

00:59:06That this is is viable that there's lots of different variables in terms of that in terms of things like construction costs how we're delivering things who's delivering uh the site um what it does is model various scenarios in terms of affordable housing which unfortunately always ends up being the variable within this but our aspiration remains to deliver 40% affordable housing as is set out in the policy but we acknowledge that we will need grant funding from government to achieve that fundamentally without that it would be a significantly lower proportion but it probably brings me nicely to council Arnott's questions about government funding which is going to be key in terms of delivering this to our aspirations and as things stand we have little clarity in terms of exactly what it means in terms of the new towns program I think what's been clear from discussions with homes england though is is regardless what happens we can rely on their support um both uh in terms of professional support and and financial support in terms of of helping to deliver uh Cranbrook uh malcombe and um and Cranbrook to an extent

01:00:18Because, as I said, we talked about this wider civic proposition in terms of bringing forward Malcombe alongside the Cranbrook expansion areas and the wider enterprise zoning sites as well. So we've certainly got commitments to their support. What that actually means in terms of the bottom line, we still wait to hear as work and discussions progress. I think the New Towns Program report acknowledges that different proposals will need different support, so it will need to be tailored.

01:00:48So I think that's something that needs to come out in the further work that they're talking about doing over the next six months.

01:00:53Thank you, Chair. Just to flesh out Ed's answer on that last question for you, Councillor Arna, the government made specific reference to a number of things as possibilities. So firstly, the £39 billion social and affordable housing programme that they announced a few months ago, and whether there's a priority route for the new towns into that fund. looking at enhanced land value capture, so through the removing hope value powers that were introduced by the Leveling Up and Regeneration Act in 2023, as well as various other sort of slightly vaguer tools around the role of tax and various other things that are set out in the government's initial response.

01:01:38I will look to Simon if there's anything that I've missed there that you might want to add. No, shake your head. So some more details for you there, Paul. Peter, is it very quick? You have already, okay? It's just a question, how much control will we have on things like architectural style? can we I mean we do we have if we've got a housing shortage or housing target shortage we're likely to have to apply approve things even whether we like it or not almost isn't it so this is where I mean we didn't get much saying architectural style of Cranbrook we got what we're given yes um so there's two answers to that one that's why we need to get to a five-year housing land supply position as always that's a critical factor in being able to apply our policies but two there is a much much more work still to do in terms of developing a design code so a planning policy document that's much more specific about what we will and won't accept as part of the second

01:02:48New community you'll also see in the executive summary of the SOBC there's reference to a master to develop a position, which is a proposition that we have an entity who has more than just planning powers to control how things come forward, which would include looking at things like design. We will never have absolute control because the legislation doesn't allow us to have absolute control, but there are measures coming forward to enable us to have some really strong influence over that anything to add folks Simon yeah thanks chair thanks council I think I think that's a really important point just just to raise that that is an intrinsic part that comes out through the new towns report as well by the importance of design and the importance of local involvement in that and as the chair has said the further work they'll be undertaken then around sort of the master developer role and also the design code will help ensure that the local authority the district council has that continued involvement in that and that was one of the key lessons that have been taken forward from the experience of

01:03:59Cranbrook thank you thank you simon coming into committee then members questions please Councillor Davey then Councillor Blakey then council out thank you chair um I just want to say firstly I think this is a fantastically ambitious thorough well researched report and fantastic attention to detail like the freight strategy that I would never have considered is is I think exemplary and I really hope it comes to pass I may not live long enough to see it but especially the way we're going. But if it comes off, if it's actually delivered, I think it would be a fantastic place to live and I would want to live there. Maybe my grandchildren will.

01:04:57There's mention of growing and of it being a place where people can grow their own food, But I can't see any allocation for allotments. And if I've missed it, and there is a figure, how was that derived? Also, it's not in page 51, which has got the land budget. um page 135 there's a bit about parking requirements at workplaces which I know is derived from our standard Local Plan numbers it seems a little unambitious to me in terms of the amount of cycle parking versus the amount of car parking I think at one point you've got um I've lost the page now, but I think it was one car parking space for every 30 square meters, but only one bike space for every 1,000 square meters.

01:06:05And given that you can fit about six bikes into one car parking space, I just wonder if that's a little unambitious, particularly with regard to the kind of ambition of this, which is to include an awful lot more active travel. So if you could comment on allotment allocations and parking requirements of workplaces, that would be great. Okay, thank you, Councillor Davey. We'll take a few more questions before we come to Mr. Freeman.

01:06:38So Councillor Blakey, please. Thank you, Chair. I just want to ask whether there's been an error made in the transport revision document. I'm looking at pages 78 and 79 with regard to the... Sorry, Kevin, is that 78, 79 of the document itself or the agenda pack? The agenda back, in which if we go to the point regarding passing loops on the west, or a passing loop on the west of England railway line, which is point 2.11.21, something that obviously has been asked about and asked for for quite a considerable time now but has fallen on deaf ears bearing in mind that the government's emphasis on rail improvement all seems to be happening in the north of england and not elsewhere but if we then go down to the following page page 179 under 211 28 in the little orange box it refers to the Devon metro rail avocet line passing loop allowing increased frequency to uh to Axminster etc I presume that that is just a typo and that should say west of england line not the avocet line thank you

01:08:03Councillor Blakey it's no no no it's it's not a typo but we'll let mr Freeman expound on that in a minute uh Councillor Howe first please yeah I have some easier questions I suppose and relating to the questions posed by the public earlier who claimed we should be putting more development in this new town can we and I know we can but can we explain to the public in particular why the build rates are set as they are for this new town and particularly over the length of period we have for the new Local Plan to explain that it is really hard and it's not virtually impossible to up the rates we would need into a new town thank you okay thank you Councillor How that's a nice chunky set of essay questions for mr. Freeman to respond to so mr. Freeman please thank you chair yeah I was just trying to find the land budget to answer the question about allotments I'm sure allotments have been included within the wider land budget I'm not sure if they're listed in the land budget which is in

01:09:06The vision documents no they're not but they are definitely something that we have in mind as part of the open space I think yeah and it's in the idp so yes allotments are certainly something that we will be uh looking to include within um this I think it's difficult um to pick them out on quite a schematic master plan which is what we've got at the moment but obviously that master plan needs to be taken forward and worked up into more detail and then detailed design codes where we can start to pick out that level of detail and identify specific locations for things like allotments um but hard to pick them out on quite a high level master plan that is the stage we're at at this stage um but certainly as as with Cranbrook I think they're a key um community facility um key for um you know sustainability health and well-being uh and also key for community spirits as well so key that we have those allotments um and sufficient to meet demand throughout the town um I'm trying to read my handwriting on the next point um which was about

01:10:14Um I can't read my handwriting keep worrying yes um yes so I think what where we've got to at the moment is um that the transport vision simply refers to the policy that's uh in our emerging Local Plan there is no reason why we couldn't look for a specific policy um within Marlcombe I suppose if we wanted to go more ambitious than that uh within the town I think that's a question we need to tackle moving forward in terms of taking this work forward so obviously the allocation document seeks to set out requirements uh as we understand them at this point in time but I'm quite mindful that as the work progresses there may be uh of a more detailed policy points that we want to make which perhaps need to come through in a supplementary planning document of some description for the town where we could then prescribe more specific standards on things like that for the new town as the work progresses.

01:11:19At the moment, we've just gone with the standards that are in the wider plan. But if it becomes key to our emerging transport strategy, I see no reason why we couldn't seek to refine that in future work and future policy documents. In terms of Councillor Blakey's point about the passing loop, But I think there actually is an error, which was pointed out to me yesterday in there in terms of whatever page it was, in that it does refer to the passing leap on the Aviset line as improving train frequency between Exeter and Axminster in the table, whereas it should be referring to the passing leap on the west of England line.

01:11:58I think what's got confusing is that there's two passing loops in here. There's one on the Avocet line, which would improve frequency of services into the city. And then there's the wider improvements on the West of England line, which is what Cranbrook is waiting for in terms of improved services along there. That obviously has much wider implications in terms of the costs of delivering that passing loop and needs to be done as a wider national rail resilience project, I would suggest, given the scale of the investment that's needed.

01:12:31But we have worked that into the strategy because I think it does have a bearing on Marle Coombe as well as on Cranbrook for the later stages of development. But again, it's going to be reliant on significant government investment. In terms of Council House points about housing numbers. So I think there are lots of challenges in terms of just getting development away in a new town, as we've discovered at Cranbrook, in terms of the opening up costs and investment in infrastructure to even start something like this, and then build-out rates.

01:13:08We've been fairly conservative, I think, in terms of the build-out rates that we've included in the plan and in our trajectories as things stand because of the uncertainty in terms of when development might start and how quickly delivery rates might pick up. And they're dependent on quite a lot of different factors, including how many different developers and different outlets are delivering at the same time across the site of this scale and how that works alongside delivery at Cranbrook, which would still be ongoing at that point in time.

01:13:38So it's very hard to predict. So we've tried to be quite conservative in terms of our estimates. They could be higher than that. But equally, we need to be careful that we don't put all our eggs in one basket. And longstanding members of the council will recall that with Cranbrook, the commencement of development at Cranbrook was delayed quite significantly which had knock-on impacts in terms of our five-year housing land supply led to sites that had previously been rejected such as at Mosshane, Tive Barn, Old Park Farm, Pincourt Farm coming forward because we didn't have a five-year housing land supply position so we do need to strike this balance between obviously being ambitious in terms of what we're trying to deliver here being slightly conservative in terms of the delivery rates so that we're not completely dependent on Marlcombe in terms of maintaining a five-year housing land supply but you know we can obviously hope for higher delivery rates but in terms of the total quantum of development which I think was the point that was being raised you can only realistically predict a certain number of homes coming forward

01:14:45In this planned period bearing in mind the leading times in terms of actually opening up the site commencing development the variables in that and then what could actually be delivered in that plan period um so I don't think the solution that was suggested earlier of of you know deleting sites in the plan and just putting higher numbers that Marlcombe actually works in in reality um as much as that might be a convenient solution thank you chair okay thank you mr Freeman? Are there any further questions inside committee, please, before we move to debate? Councillor Jung and Councillor Ledger. Thank you. Thank you, Chair. Well, well done on getting this vision to be accepted by the government. Now, I've been involved in this for many, many years, and to get to this stage, I'm really pleased.

01:15:44Picking up on one of Councillor Collins' comments, I accept that the new town in this location will mean building on agricultural land, but unlike many councils, we don't have that advantage of having much brownfield development. Is this coming to a question, Councillor? Yes, it's coming to a question.

01:16:09Thank you. How do we go about protecting the countryside around this new town? Because that is going to be heavily disadvantaged with developers trying to pitch in on the new town and the new town expanding beyond the lines that we have specifically laid out. Okay, thank you, Councillor Jung. We got there in the end. Councillor Ledger. It's half and half, Chair, so you're going to have to stay with me.

01:16:49I'm quite happy with most of the things that are listed, just looking at the infrastructure delivery plan. There's only one thing with cemetery it's listed as desirable at the moment. can that be important? I want that on the same level as play areas and allotments, just with my clerk out on. It usually is forgotten and it's something that is really important. Any further questions before I come to Mr Freeman? Okay, Mr Freeman then please. Yes, thank you Chair. So I mean in terms of what's in the current plan in terms of the allocation of Marle Coombe, I think we've got some protection of the adjoining land in terms of it being designated Cliffs Valley Regional Park, which obviously seeks to retain in terms of its open this to a natural form for access and and all of that I think in the future we need to look at things like potentially a green wedge um but that's sensitive um but um you know there are policy options in in the future plans but you need to have something there to actually be um protecting in terms of separation distances but

01:18:04What we've tried to do in terms of the master plan is build in a sort of buffer areas, particularly in relation to Farringdon, to the eastern side, conscious that that village is quite close by, in terms of SANG's provision and the Cliss Valley Regional Park providing that kind of buffer around the edges of the town and protecting those areas. I would also say we've obviously got policies in the plan that protect high-grade agricultural land across the whole plan area.

01:18:32So I think there are adequate protections in place for this plan period, and say in future plan period when we get to a point where we've got development taking place and the community taking place at Markham it might be appropriate to consider things like green wedges and other options to create that longer term protection. Yes, in terms of cemeteries, yes, happy to take that away and feed that into our work in terms of need for cemeteries.

01:19:00Yeah, I can see an argument for making that at least important in terms of what's needed moving forward. I think it's this balancing act in terms of what can we deliver when and how do we prioritise that. It's certainly important that the town has a cemetery. Fair observation indeed, Councillor Ledger, particularly as according to what he said earlier, Ollie might need to go somewhere by the time we get around to this.

01:19:27Councillor Jung did you have another question that you forgot about um yes I've got another question um that is um I've seen questions um on facebook already how are we going to provide the sewage for this town uh because that is in everyone's mind at the moment thank you I told you so mr Freeman so I think the first thing to say is I'm having regular meetings with southwest water in terms of the work that they're doing to try and deliver increased infrastructure in this area and new treatment works to keep them up to date with the work that we're doing and I think there's some really helpful comments within the new towns program document about this issue and about water companies needing to take a longer term view of their infrastructure in relation to new towns and and how that's delivered and working closely with local authorities So I hope we will continue to work productively with South West Water in terms of how that can be delivered.

01:20:36What we've looked at in terms of the work that we've been doing through the master plan is how we can accommodate that in terms of potential land requirements. What we've ended up with in terms of the master plan that's before you today is various sites identified around the town to deliver package treatment works to serve the needs of the town, either as a short-term measure while southwest water deliver a wider wastewater treatment works for the wider area or it could even be a permanent solution but I think the key thing is to set aside suitable amounts of land in suitable locations such that we can meet the needs of Marlcombe in terms of wastewater infrastructure within the town if that's what we need to do but obviously we continue to work with southwest water on the wider solutions which may address Marlcombe at the same time Councillor Oh it was started by someone else I'll go enough to follow up it's all very good and I praise mr. Freeman for talking to Southwest water and when you talk it start to

01:21:40Talk about wastewater treatment plants package plants etc what about the environment agency because package plants invariably put out there clean water and I use that word very carefully into the rivers and the local runoffs and that involves the EA particularly where you need reed beds and large allocations of land to make sure it is purified to the extent that it needs to be so I just want to make sure we've got all bases covered not just a few yes so I know that Southwest water are talking to the environment agency in terms of improvements to their network and the system and obviously you're right there are discharge licenses that would be needed in terms of discharging into water courses whether that's a Southwest wastewater treatment works or package treatment plants within the site itself there's further work that's needed in terms of the package treatment plant solution in terms of understanding how that would work how that would discharge and those discussions with the environment agency I think at this point in the evolution of the master plan it's about setting aside the land

01:22:48To take in order to accommodate that as I said we're at a stage where the master plan needs to evolve further in terms of understanding those issues um and talking to the environment agency in terms of that's that's potential solution and and refining the master plan into future iterations and design codes and and more detailed guidance so that will come through with the further work that we're doing in in terms of understanding how that would work and and the discharge issues that arise from that um but we're certainly content that we set aside sufficient land to accommodate that solution should that be needed am I right in thinking please mr Freeman that a we know some existing properties in the area already use package treatment plants uh to treat sewage and b uh that the work program at the moment is looking at doing the feasibility work on precisely that issue?

01:23:47Yes, so working that into the work programme in terms of doing that feasibility work and yes, there will be there are homes across the whole district that are on private sewage treatment works and including in that area so it can be made to work with these things. There's always an engineering solution it's a matter of how that is made to work and what the cost implications are and the land take that's needed I think key at this stage as I say is having the land take we can work on the technicalities of what that solution is and how that works uh as the work evolves from here okay thank you mr I see no further hands for questions so I'll uh move us to is it a question kevin or are you in are you trying to get first in on debate it is a question I think oh I thought we were there Quickly, please, Kevin.

01:24:41It's a fact that this development at Markham will take place in tandem with the end of the development at Cranbrook. Whenever this gets going, there will be an overlap. Developers, left on their own devices, will build dwellings they're confident of selling in a fairly short period of time. and I'm concerned that the development of Marlcombe will I'm sorry to be parochial about this but it'll kill the the the later development at Cranbrook um how will we ensure that the Cranbrook experiment if you will despite its obvious flaws is actually completed so there is the question um thank you chair um I mean I think the answer lies in uh that we're exploring the role of a master developer in terms of overseeing a lot of this and coordinating development and the delivery of infrastructure across that wider geography so not just within Marlcombe but also within the Cranbrook expansion areas so it comes about making sure we're not competing with ourselves in effect isn't it in in delivering different products in different locations and ensuring Marlcombe's different delivering something different to the Cranbrook expansion

01:26:05Areas such that they're not in direct competition and I don't think it's dissimilar from having uh Cranbrook delivering alongside moss hayne dive barn old park farm pincock farm as we've had for the last 10 years in in effect there's always been other developments coming forward in those locations and there always will be I suspect um so I think we've shown that there's sufficient demand in the area to do that but they were doing that by delivering different types of products in different locations and that's what we need to do here and that's potentially part of a role for a master developer who's overseeing that and coordinating the delivery of infrastructure coordinating the phasing of of different parcels coming forward um and ensuring that we're um meeting what the market can deliver uh fundamentally and not scuppering ourselves in terms of delivery rates and by trying to deliver exactly the same product in two different locations such that they're not successful in terms of their delivery.

01:27:06So those are the kind of details we need to work through, but I think that's the bones of how we could see that working. You've got that pretty much spot on. I'm not surprised to hear it, but it is an excellent question. First units in Malcom will probably come on stream in 2031, one so we're a way away from having an overlap between product on both developments but it is a critical issue and it is an issue that correctly says will be coordinated by a master developer we have to be extremely careful with that because we can't control it otherwise we'll trip into competitive markets problem so it's very much a coordination problem one of the tricks will be to have different product on Marlcombe than on Cranbrook so whilst the two developments are complementary to each other there is a difference in in which case there's a different market appeal and with a fair wind we can maintain demand on both of them but we've had that point actually is a key risk area from the outset it's an excellent point okay thank you Chris

01:28:26This is my final call for questions. If you have a question put your hand up now or hold your peace.

01:28:36Thank you members. Debate then. Councillor Arnott has been waiting patiently and then Councillors Faithful and Collins as always want to have their input so in that order please.

01:28:48Thank you Chair and I will genuinely be brief. I might say more about this at Cabinet but just here now thank you to the committee, thank you to our consultants thank you specifically to our officers to you todd and those who fill the role of strategic planning portfolio holder who came before you as well this was something as you know that goes back the idea of doing it this way really into 2022 and earlier um two points only really one is uh around how crucial this development corporation is going to be this has been on the practical democratic side the big and insistent ask of this administration really pleased to see it's consistently respected, this is the piece we must never lose from this, there are always risks aren't there I think having the government involved will help us lock that into that process as well because it's always been the ideal we've been pursuing that in doing this new community we do it in a way that is different from the way that was done in Cranbrook which was developer

01:29:58Led not that I wish to do down Cranbrook at all because um in many ways there are some great achievements there as well my most substantive point really is now about cons um and I think probably there's always a risk that this committee officers associated portfolio holders get to a point of kind of exhaustion because obviously you have to look inside on all the granular detail we know don't we you know it's the truism that to communicate something to land with people you need to tell them it's six or seven times um East Devon put something out about this on facebook I've stopped looking but there are about 300 abusive comments underneath we can live with that that's that's always going to happen but in the specific areas which um Councillor How and others raised around sewage and proposed local solutions around transport around the promises we're making about affordability about local facilities including schools about the governments about the wider civic proposition with Cranbrook as well we now need to do a Q&A straightforward sheet um and get that out there so we've gone with the news because it is it is

01:31:16Good news and I have will do again have publicly thanked the prime minister for the initiative and indeed angela rayner you know you can say a lot of things about the labour government but this is something they have followed through on which our officers took um and todd took brilliant brilliant advantage of and move very swiftly but that's I suppose we have a new comms manager starting I think on Monday and I'd like to see this as the absolute top priority because I think it would be really sad for something that's so positive to get solid in the public mind because this now exists unfortunately in a fetid online environment where Cranbrook didn't and I think we need to be bold and truthful in explaining to people what actually this means not least by the way that nothing really happens until 2031 so that's that's my ask chair is that we try and think about how to do some uh collective comms work with people involved in planning I'm happy to be involved uh as well bring sarah jackson in too um as as one of the sort of uh wings of this

01:32:29Entire operation moving forward thank you thank you Councillor And I think that's a point that mr Freeman and I can take away definitely um councillors faithful then collins please thank you chair I'll try to make sure these aren't questions but I'm putting them as a suggestions um the conversation about passing loops can we please push for a second track at Exmouth because wherever you've got your loops you can only have the one train going all the way down to Exmouth and all the way back again if we've got a second track we've already got the platform there and we own the land to put the track on it's the edge of our car park the platform was all in place you just need a track put back and that would substantially increase the opportunity of improving the rail to Exmouth and all the way along that line and another suggestion would be um looking into alternative forms of transport like a alternative whether you call it metro or some sort of thing specifically for our new town to wherever we can

01:33:41Take it to because the road network we've got is atrocious anyway there you go thank you Councillor Faithfull I have been asking for a tram for quite a while so you know maybe chris can see if we've got any money left down the back of the sofa for it um but uh thank you peter Councillor Collins thank you chair literally horrifies me sat here listening to you and the committee and everybody else taking all this agricultural land you have a patchwork of fields if you notice some of the fields are brown. That means they're arable, they grow crops and corn. There's not a lot of land in East Ebene that will grow corn, but here you have exceptionally versatile land, which as a farmer, it horrifies me that you're taking away that land. You may recall the 5th of December 23 when you approved this plan, two councillors on the committee were brave enough to vote against it. I spoke against it here. I'm not at all happy about it. But I suppose I don't know how it can be stopped, whether it will go to public inquiry and there'll

01:35:12Be enough people there. We have to wait and see. But in 1960, there were 6 million cars in the UK. Now today, in 25, there are 34 million. 34 million cars. And Cranbrook has It's made no provision for the extra cars. They built it on 1960 ideas. And I don't see much difference with this. You've got the Sidmouth Road, A3052. I mean, that's had hardly any improvements whatsoever since 1960.

01:35:58And you're planning to put loads more cars up and down, more traffic. I feel a lot of it is badly planned the amount of land you're taking the density of the houses if you trebled the houses you wouldn't have problems in all these other towns in East Devon trying to make the numbers up but you need to treble the houses thank you Have you ever lived in student flats Roy?

01:36:35No, I live in a farmhouse. There's four adults, and we've all got four cars or vehicles we drive on the road. Same family, I imagine. Yes. Yeah. Four. Yeah. So you're going to have four people living in these houses. Where are the cars going to park? Okay.

01:36:54Thank you, Roy. I have lived in student flats. I was a student at university, like many of my generation, at the sort of density that you're talking about. If we'd trebled the density at Marlcombe, would I want to spend the rest of my life living in effectively a student flat with a shared bathroom, a shared kitchen? No, no, I wouldn't. Not not for another day, not for another week.

01:37:24Fine. At university, you know, have your fun, have your nights out, get drunk in the kitchen, do your Jager bombs, whatever. do I want to live the rest of my life at a density of student flats no no I don't on the agricultural land point we've heard it time and time again so after the last meeting I got fed up and I went and did some research less than two percent of this country of the land in this country actually has a building on it nine percent of this country is what we might call developed all of the land associated with land that has buildings on it 91% of this country is not developed more of this country is golf courses than has buildings on it 3% of this country is golf courses against 2% that have buildings on it I'm really really tired of people telling us that we should stop building houses which we have to do because we don't have enough of them because people can't afford them and unless we do something about it they never will be able to

01:38:34In favor of farmland it's not a trade-off the country will starve thank you roy there will be starvation do any other members outside of committee wish to speak inside a committee the first hand I've seeing is Councillor Davey thank you well we're going to talk about land use um I'm sure ed is already uh searching for the brown bits and that's where the allotments are going to go because if you put a one acre of allotments or hectares we're talking about now that will be far more productive than anything roy can grow um because it will grow vegetables rather than fodder for cattle and other animals it's a highly inefficient way to produce protein to raise animals on land if you want to use the land efficiently you grow crops on it, not animals I think that's my lot Thank you Councillor Davey The other thing I was going to say was Because even if we were to build out Malcom at a higher density, and I won't go down the route of student life, which is obviously reminiscence day to day, but you didn't mention lack of any outside space as well, which is again why allotments are so important if you are building out at that higher density.

01:40:15People need a bit of outside space, they need parks, gardens, allotments. But even if we were to build it out at a higher density, that housing would not arrive in time for us not to still need to allocate the number of houses we need to do within this Local Plan. And this is the point. Marlcombe is not a kind of magic bullet for avoiding development elsewhere.

01:40:45Thank you Councillor David councillors how then ledger well can I start with a question but a strained way it's how we're doing this there are four proposals in our on our sheet um I'm just wondering if we can take one two or three because I've got issues around four if you get my meaning how many of these can we knock off without going into long-winded debate and everything else and try and get down to the meat of the question okay that's fair point we'll take Councillor Ledger's point and then we'll see if anybody has anything to say about recommendation one. Councillor Ledger?

01:41:19We don't want to take your point. Are you sure? Okay, so I will ask then members hopefully you have the recommendations in front of you. Does anybody have any comments to make about recommendation one the revised vision statement for Malku? Does anybody have any comments on recommendation two the sorry I didn't genuinely didn't see a hand Ben, sorry. This is on all four. I still see the vision especially as flawed because I disagree with what some of the councillors said in that Marlcombe couldn't be bigger we could have started earlier and I believe it certainly could have been bigger and more coherent in its relationship with Cranbrook and I think that would have really satisfied this government's needs and in fact any government or any party that was in power I think would have been far happier with a 15,000 delivery rather than 10,000 within a controlled structure of supply which involved that coherent infrastructure which we hope to do here because I think 700 delivery is weak I think we could have done a thousand and we could

01:42:43Have started a few years ago but I appreciate um a lot of you are already convinced that this is the answer I don't believe so that's why I wouldn't support the vision okay thank you thank you Councillor Ingham and if you have thoughts about how Marlcombe and Cranbrook can be better joined up please do share them after the meeting because this is an evolving situation and if there's ideas there please believe me they will be heard um Councillor Ledger the only point on the the vision was the in the documents we say is 8 000 potentially rising by another 2 000 with further addition possible for the future but then in the vision we say delivering up to 10 000 and we set that as a definitive um and it's whether you want to leave a little bit of space open that that can increase in the future just a second Councillor Ledger thank you yes future just

01:44:10Looking at this so yes so the vision says up to 10 000 and then the policy says to accommodate at least 10 000 new homes so yeah I'm happy to take away an action to align the two I think at least 10 000 is probably best so we can incorporate that into the vision if members are happy with that okay thank you mr Freeman good spot Councillor Ledger any other comments on the vision please no okay Councillor Jung be faster next time yeah no take taking up um Councillor Ingham's point um we don't want to restrict ourselves to delivering anything earlier if at all possible so we need to make the wording sort of help us that if we can deliver earlier, then we shouldn't be having policies to restrict us to delivering earlier, if you see what I mean.

01:45:14I'd be grateful if either of you could point me to genuinely, if there is something in here that restricts our timeline, other than the horizon on the plan, then we'll get rid of it because the intent is not to constrain ourselves in terms of when we We'll deliver this as soon as we can is I think quite clearly the intent So if that is our intent that is fine and that covers Councillor Jung's point Thank you Councillor Jung Final call for comments on the vision Recommendation 2 Are there any comments on the policy which is in the substantive report that's in front of you that's uh in appendix one to that report sorry slight correction the blue text in the box no I see no comments coming forward um again Councillor I did comment before I see the overall vision yes wrong so therefore I don't agree okay thank you Councillor Ledger it's just incorporating the comment I made earlier about cemeteries and whether that could be included within wider infrastructure.

01:46:28Yeah, I think that's item four rather than two, isn't it? Or do you want it... Do you have a page number? Yep. Oh, you want to see cemeteries included in the wider infrastructure list. It is included. Item E. Service land of at least one hectare for a cemetery. Way ahead if you turn. Any other comments on that policy wording, please, members? Okay, in which case then, Agenda Item 3 is about, this is a long one, agreeing that the Master Plan Vision, the Transport Vision and the Executive Summary of the SOBC form part of the evidence base for the second Regulation 19 consultation.

01:47:20Any comments on that one? Again, subject to Councillor Ingham's comments from earlier. No? Okay. And then recommendation four, which is the infrastructure delivery plan set out at Appendix 2. Councillor Howe, I think you said you had some comments. I've got a few questions, yeah. I know this is really hard because we're looking at the future and everything else, but I am sat here looking at this on page 36, Appendix 2, and we're listing play areas as important.

01:47:57They're kind of critical. I know we're talking also and that's the issue is we are going to deliver them but they won't be delivered early on and the same goes for other outdoor play you know and also allotments and amenity green space they're only listed as important and I think it's a wording thing because we need to guarantee they'll be delivered it's just about when they'll be delivered in the scheme as I say it's just a wording thing that I'm picking up that um you know natural green sports pitches as well important um they're all important they're all actually a necessity they've got to be there but it's just trying to get that wording right does that make sense and a leisure center do you have a suggested amendment Councillor How or I don't because it applies to all the things and I'd rather one of our officers or or one of the larger team come up with the correct way of defining this because it just muddies the water and what I'm saying muddies the water but

01:48:59So, yeah, I think everyone understands what I'm saying. I'll come to Mr. Freeman first, please.

01:49:05Thank you, Chair. So, yeah, I fully understand the point. I think it comes back to how we're categorising the infrastructure because the ones we've identified as critical are ones where there is a statutory requirement to deliver these things. So, SANGs is obviously a requirement of Habitat Regulations, provide mitigation for bed heaves and the accessory by the rest and it gains the statutory requirement for the school places is a statutory requirement.

01:49:30Hence, those are critical. By saying others are important, we're not saying that there's any chance of us not delivering them. It's just that they're not absolutely critical in the sense they're not statutory requirements, but they will very much be delivered. Perhaps the bit that's missing from this is the definition of what we mean by critical, important and desirable. so apologies that that's not that's not included um in in the report but fully take the point that those things uh obviously will have to be delivered and that is the intention um I think it's only really the desirable ones which there's any danger of them not being delivered and that's where it's perhaps more critical for members input if they feel that some of those that are marked as desirable as has been raised by council ledger in terms of the cemetery should be upgraded to important and then we can take that away and look at how we can incorporate those in but obviously the viability implications of all of this in terms of you know as much as we want to deliver

01:50:34Absolutely everything there are some things that might not be possible Chris did you want to add to that before I come to other members just a lay observation well sort of lay observation I've almost be minded to remove the prioritization because all of these things are factored into our costs our viability fairly soon we're gonna have to make some choices so not all of these things will be deliverable not all of the transport probably will be delivered at least not in the early years so there's a balancing process here that we need to go through just saying some things are the critical or important doesn't really mean much at the moment we need to do more work to justify it thanks Chris that was really helpful members I've seen hands from councillors ledger and Hayward and I don't know what order it was I'm going to get a poll first on that basis chair can we just propose the the list in front of us removing the power head I assume the priorities were here to begin with for a reason yeah I mean I would say when producing an idp we use

01:51:57Well we do put priorities next to them and I think that is actually you know whether that's a requirement of any guidance I'm not sure but that is what we usually do so I I I hear what chris says and if members want to ignore the priorities that's fine but I think we will need to have some priorities in the idp ultimately um so if members have views but I I think it's mainly in terms of the ones that we've marked as desirable if there's some view that those should be rated higher then we can take that view away and factor it in but as chris says we are going to have to make some difficult decisions here um so um whether or not that's actually gonna lead to something being delivered that otherwise wouldn't be um it's difficult to say at this stage but if I may just just to hopefully help is all of these things we think are great things to do we've got for instance uh in my day job in clumpton there's a there's the northwest extension that's

01:53:00Currently getting built out there's a primary school site allocated on that that is critical it's been listed as the number one priority when it came to Devon county they said that they don't see it being coming to fruition for another 10 years after the site's been built out so whether we we regard it as a priority or not I I fully trust that the officers will take it forward as much as they uh as much as they can and prioritize it accordingly we've raised the cemetery I think we're going to get ourselves tied up in knots of going through each individual when really this should be a really simple thing of saying in broad terms we agree with this list they're on the right track um I don't think we need to add anything more so again I'm happy to propose to propose what Councillor Ledger the we we have we accept the list as is with um with the removal of the priorities I don't think we we need the officers have done a fair job they've taken our

01:54:00Comments on board with regards to the cemetery there's nothing really else in there that I I think that needs mentioning right now so so then why are we removing the priorities if you think they're broadly correct if you want to keep them in there I'm really not precious either way it's just whatever helps us move forward I think I'd observe as chair of the still working group as well that having those priorities in there when it comes to decisions about how we allocate very finite funding having priorities that have been set out in policy terms as a prior decision is quite helpful in that respect.

01:54:41Everybody wants to speak on this, so I'm going to come to Councillor Hayward, then Councillor Howe, and then I think Simon wants to weigh in, and then I probably need to come back to Ed. So we'll try and navigate this.

01:54:53Thank you, Chair. The first is a question that leads to then a suggestion. The three designations, critical, important, desirable, are they set out in statute? Are they three words that you would have to put into a report, or have we just chosen them would the inspector throw out our plan if we didn't have those three words in there I I think in terms of the idp we have to have a priority list and this is um you know good practice if not in guidance in terms of how we do that with all due respect sorry mr Freeman it was just the words are those the words we have to have in there I'm not not not the classification are those the exact words we have to have in no I don't think we have to have those exact words so may I make a suggestion on the basis that mr Freeman has said that the critical ones are statutory you just and taking on board council ledger's point what essentially what's between critical and important essential if you want to have those things they are essential that

01:55:58You have a cemetery they're essential that you have green uh play areas essential that you have allotments then essentially everything else that is tier three and then finally in tier four is your desirable things that have been pointed out will probably slide unless some extra money comes so it's really just and it's not trying to overly complicate it but critical is critical essential is exactly what it is does what it says on the tin important is then your third tier fourth tier is it would be lovely if there was lots of money thank you so through to yeah happy to take that away as a comment we can check whether or not there's anything in guidance but if there's not we're happy to change important to essential I would just point out something that damon's just pointed out to me obviously the recommendation is for members to consider and comment on it not necessarily agree it at this stage because we will be bringing the full infrastructure delivery plan to a future meeting anyway as I said earlier this is an evolving piece

01:57:04Of work so the comments are helpful and we'll take them away but don't actually have to agree it today right so you don't want us to move recommendation for you just want to take our comments away happy to do it that way if you just you know I just don't note it down the comments that you've made so I'm happy with that to be honest okay fine in which case then and I was going to wrap us up Simon but I'll give you special dispensation just once.

01:57:40Thank you, Chair. I was just going to hopefully try and help clarify, and I think we all need to remember this is an iterative process, that everything that we've identified alongside your officers today is things that we feel needs to be in the part of this new settlement at Marlcombe. The importance is being clear on the definitions, and the second point is that it will be under continued review and as your solicitor on the end made the valid point, this is a debate at the moment and it's for your input and decisions can be taken down the line when we've got clarity on what those terms mean so you as councillors can be clear and it will be under constant review.

01:58:29So hopefully that helps and doesn't muddy the water for the chair thank you thank you Simon um so I'm going to propose from the chair recommendations one through three because I don't think we need to propose and take a vote on recommendation four because we have indeed considered and commented on that do you want me to propose it as well Damien I don't okay fine I'm proposing recommendations one through three from the chair so no secondary is required does anybody have anything else to say before we move to a vote no okay in which case then can I ask please all members in favor okay that's six in favor

01:59:26Those against please I count one and those abstaining please I count two in which case then those recommendations are clearly carried thank you members um we've been going for two hours so we will take a seven minute break until five past twelve on the dot no later thank you members I guess I'm going to have to do push to talk very good yes clearly thank you and it is

02:09:52Indeed a sign that I should talk less and let mr Freeman talk more so without further ado we come And then to Agenda Item 8, the East Devon Local Plan Coastal Change Management Areas. Mr Freeman.

02:10:07Thank you, Chair. Yes, so this report is seeking members' agreement to some changes to coastal change management areas that are set out in the Local Plan. So members may recall the Coastal Change Management Area boundaries were defined in the first Regulation 19 plan, largely based on work undertaken by University of Plymouth. But there was some criticism of that approach. through the consultations um particularly in relation to uh cliff road in sydmouth where um we'd previously agreed through the committee to take a a slightly different route in terms of that area given the work that's ongoing with the coastal uh sorry the beach management plan in that area and coastal defense work that's got on going um so actually in the red 19 version of the plan we had um proposed the departure from the plymouth work in terms of using emerging work that was coming forward in terms of the 2023 work I think on the beach management plan which defined a boundary in terms of the coastal change management area that was was more seaward than the Plymouth work had shown but through the consultation that line has been

02:11:21Criticised because that work that it was based on is not in the public domain and not open to scrutiny as part of ongoing emerging work in terms of the beach management plan and the business case for the coastal defences there. Around the same time we did that consultation nationally the Environment Agency published what's called the National Coastal Erosion Risk Management Mapping or NSERM which shows a very similar line at Cliff Road to what we had previously shown based on the beach management plan work. So given the criticism of the beach management plan work and its or rather its availability shall we say for scrutiny the proposal is to now use the NSERM line in relation to cliff road and effectively we're using a hybrid now of the University of Plymouth work and the NSERM work in most cases to take the most landward line in terms of coastal defence so a precautionary approach the only place we're departing from that really is in terms of cliff road because of we know that the NSERM mapping is confirmed

02:12:25By the ongoing work that we've been doing in terms of the beach management plan um but also what we've sought to do is revise the wording of the policy um which is set out on page 300 and just scroll down um 326 in the agenda to take account of some other points which is one is about um taking account of emerging work because this is an emerging area of work and further work will no doubt be done in terms of coastal defence scheme speech management plans and those look in much greater finer grain than the NSERM work so the wording of the policy has been amended to ensure that consideration when dealing with applications is taken of the most up-to-date data available at that time so if there's more up-to-date NSERM data if there's more up-to-date University of Plymouth work or other work that's come forward through coastal management schemes and that should be had regard to in determining applications.

02:13:27And similarly, in terms of the time horizons, so we did have three different time horizons. We've now defined them rather than by years, but as short-term risk areas, medium-term risk areas, and long-term risk areas, which gives us greater flexibility in terms of emerging work and use of the NSERM data. I think the other thing that was a big criticism with previous public speakers at these meetings was about the arrangements in terms of house extensions with some criticism that it didn't allow for house extensions in the wording of the policy.

02:14:04So we now sort of clarify that and we're saying that in long-term risk areas, extensions to residential properties and household applications may be acceptable if it's demonstrated that they will not exacerbate rates of coastal erosion. The intention here is, obviously, we need to take clarity, even in the long-term risk areas, in terms of the extensions, that the actual construction of them doesn't cause harm in terms of coastal erosion rates, and that we're not putting lives at risk by virtue of those developments.

02:14:39So the intention is that alongside this policy we would do a supplementary planning document to explain what is quite a technical area in terms of how all of this will work and put a lot more detail in there is a topic paper appended to the report as well which sets us out in some more detail but we fully acknowledge that this is a complex area that will need some further text to explain that but those are the main changes within the policy and the reasons behind them So at this stage, asking members to agree those changes to the coastal change management areas to go forward into the next iteration of the Reg 19 plan and for consultation purposes.

02:15:19Thank you. Thank you, Mr Freeman. Questions, please. Councillor Ledger. Have any changes been made in regards to Seton in light of their beach management plan? not that I'm aware of but as I say in terms of the revised text it's a pardon the pun it's a fluid situation in terms of being able to have regard to that ongoing work as it emerges in terms of how we apply this policy and consideration of applications so that work can feed into the process as it as it emerges as we move forward I don't think we've made any further changes since previous um boundaries and policy in that regard as yet Councillor Ingham thank you mr Freeman um paper said maps to follow uh what risks are we taking by countenancing this without full consideration and appreciation of the maps so so the answer maps are all public and have been were published months ago and are out there um in terms of the maps that we're using there's a link in the executive summary to an interactive map for the committee which shows the various lines

02:16:44All that all that was in the topic papers was the extracts of those those maps and that's that's all we would do um so you have got the maps there um that they are available uh through that think okay debate then members please uh outside of committee first Councillor I've completely forgotten your surname ian barlow Councillor Barlow I obviously haven't spoken enough chair thank you very much um well done thank you I think this makes perfect sense um and and yeah well done if I was on the thing I would certainly be proposing thank you Councillor Barlow Councillor Jung um yeah thank you chair um I would like to thank the officers for reviewing uh and carefully considering the coastal change management areas uh plus looking at the mapping um using the um ea line rather than the plymouth study at east cliff makes perfect sense um the agreeing the wording of changing in the the wording of the policy is very welcome and I know it was in the original wording but minor works would be

02:18:12Allowed and now obviously we need to put some caveats into that because we can't put people's lives at risk when you're looking at flood plans and coastal protection areas it's not just the lives of the people that live there who choose to live there but also the rescue people who have to rescue them when there's an issue so it's not just the people to choose choose to live there will take those risks but also you've got to consider the fire brigade and the lifeboat people etc etc the I welcome the change with the wording with applications for development within the CCMA will be assessed in relation to the most up-to-date availability that's really great good because it will therefore take into account any changes that engineering outcomes that come forward and also further information during the life span of this plan because That's taking 15 years. As we learn about climate change and coast protections, things will change in the next 15 years.

02:19:51And we need to take those into account and we shouldn't be hampered by a definite line. There are going to be changes in those 15 years. So I welcome it and I would like to make a recommendation to support this. Are you proposing the recommendations as set out in the report? As written, yes. Okay, thank you, Councillor Jung. Was that a seconding, I heard, from Councillor Lau?

02:20:20Do you wish to speak no no nothing say okay thank you does anybody else wish to speak on this item please no okay in which case then can I ask please all those members in favor please raise your hand that's carried unanimously I believe okay thank you very much members uh last item for today then agenda item nine uh response to the Dorset Local Plan options consultation mr. Freeman thank you chair um yes so this is the first stage of consultation on dorset council's Local Plan um my understanding is they're intending to speed their plan through under the transitional arrangements of the NPPF um and this is their first consultation which is slightly hybrid consultation we obviously didn't issues and options consultation and then a draft plan consultation this they've had is an options consultation but it does include some opportunity sites as I understand it across Dorset that they're seeking comments on as well as the various higher level key issues which is what we picked up here so you'll see we've identified a number of key areas within

02:21:34The plan that affect East Devon mainly in relation to Lyme Regis you'll see that There are sites identified there as residential options, but over to the sort of northeastern side of the town rather than towards the boundary with East Devon. And then there's some general text in terms of policies in relation to national landscapes, Jurassic Coast. I think the main thing that causes concern was the flexible settlements policy.

02:22:01So it talks about a new policy to allow housing development of up to 30 dwellings adjacent to tier one to three settlements without relying on defined settlement boundaries, which could potentially lead to cumulative impacts on settlements near East Devon, such as Lyme Regis. Interestingly, in the policy, they've excluded green belts from where that policy can apply, but not the national landscape. So we've commented, you'll see in response to question 12, I think it is, that we feel that national landscape should also be excluded from the application of that policy because obviously it's our highest landscape designation very important that those are protected requirements further the purposes of national landscape in terms of the Delura Act and also obviously the area between Lyme Regis and Uplime and East Ebon Settlements is national landscape so it would remove the risk of developments of that nature coming forward within that area if it wasn't covered by those policies um so you'll see uh I think that's the key issue we've we've also provided some more general comments to a couple of other questions that are relevant but many much of the consultation

02:23:16Isn't particularly relevant for us to comment on so it's quite a light touch comment at this stage and obviously as the plan progresses we'll keep an eye on things and bring forward reports where there are more detailed proposals and comments to be made um otherwise I recommend the two recommendations to the committee thank you okay thank you mr. Freeman are there any questions on this paper no okay any comments please members no in which case then I'll propose the recommendation as set out in the papers from the chair all those in favor please thank you very much members that is carried unanimously and unless somebody's put something on the end of the agenda to surprise me which it appears they haven't so that means we are done for today thank you very much members see you in a few weeks or tomorrow depending if you're on cabinet