District councillor
Cllr Mike Howe
Vice-Chair, Strategic Planning Committee; Councillor for Clyst Valley (Independent)
Independent councillor for Clyst Valley on East Devon District Council (council records list service since 2015). He is Vice-Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee.
Where they stand
?Position not clearSaid at SPC on 8 July 2025 that he did not like EXMO20 and 'it shouldn't have been there', but in the same speech warned against reopening it, and on 2 September 2025 suggested ways to improve its access rather than removing it.
not to say I like EXMO20 in any shape or form it shouldn't have been thereStrategic Planning Committee, 8 July 2025 · 03:19:57 ▶ · meeting page · Says he does not like EXMO20 ('expert 20' as transcribed) and it should not have been included.
that almost certainly would put EXMO20 back in the fray even if we ruled it out nowStrategic Planning Committee, 8 July 2025 · 03:19:15 ▶ · meeting page · Same speech: argued removing it now would likely bring it back later.
I do think we should try to look at all these issues to see if we can make this the very best we canStrategic Planning Committee, 2 September 2025 (morning) · 01:59:41 ▶ · meeting page · Later suggested improving EXMO20 access; mixed signals overall.
Everything they said about EXMO20 at the meetings
32 passages from the council recordings, in date order. Each time stamp plays the recording at that moment.
Strategic Planning Committee, 3 September 2024 – afternoon session (1)
I wish to pick up on Councillor Hall's actual point and that is should we be saying that actually we go back to the original of allocation 20 not splitting these two … if we allocate them separately they can come forward separately um so I have got that question for officers in particular we really want to do it as one allocation and be coherent and deliver the infrastructure that will hopefully come from it I'm not overly keen on allocating as a separate standalone choice00:22:53 ▶ · G. Consultation and procedure (Regulation 19, AI, objections, generic answers, advice, future decisions) (85)
Strategic Planning Committee, 3 September 2024 – morning session (3)
and I think in particular the appeal um where appeals have been made they've been on the current existing Local Plan we are redrawing a Local Plan which means a total change in emphasis for any appeal inspector01:20:47 ▶ · The council’s answers (rebuttals) – what officers and councillors said in EXMO20’s defence
with regard flooding and the water I get that I fully understand that but that is a issue for full planning application not to be considered at this stage02:21:46 ▶ · I. Admissions (24)
I recommend we accept this site, as everyone said. It's the least of the worst. They're all worst, but nevertheless, it's the least of the worst, I suppose.02:45:48 ▶ · I. Admissions (24)
Strategic Planning Committee, 11 September 2024 – afternoon session (1)
elsewhere we have housing numbers we've got to hit we're low on them already and we need to find sites so if you're going to take your reduced sites you have to find others in the approximately same area to say yes to00:48:16 ▶ · C. Reasonable alternatives (27)
Strategic Planning Committee, 11 September 2024 – morning session (1)
um we've heard excellent speakers as always as we do but virtually everything they've said relates to anywhere in Devon we have already allocated in xmas in national landscape because we have no choice and if we don't allocate here01:02:57 ▶ · I. Admissions (24)
Strategic Planning Committee, 20 September 2024 – morning session (1)
if we reject this and I'm not saying we should at all but if we reject this then we'll be looking at other sites in under the offices are rejected and they are solely in the um at national landscape and actually worst rated than these sites01:00:06 ▶ · I. Admissions (24)
Strategic Planning Committee, 23 September 2024 – morning session (1)
I suppose the third point is is very mindful is if we don't achieve this Local Plan our numbers grow by 200 a year and that's the big one under government instructions00:42:32 ▶ · The council’s answers (rebuttals) – what officers and councillors said in EXMO20’s defence
Strategic Planning Committee, 23 September 2024 – afternoon session (2)
unfortunately we really can't consider flooding because the planning application would and on the planning application for any site it has to make no detriment to water runoff02:48:41 ▶ · The council’s answers (rebuttals) – what officers and councillors said in EXMO20’s defence
I am minded to push this off to when we come back purely for the fact that I think we should have some sort of environmental health report on noise04:01:02 ▶ · 2. Outstanding pieces of work (HRA, Air Quality Mitigation report, etc.) – especially dates and promises (257)
Strategic Planning Committee, 29 October 2024 – afternoon session (2)
that's the struggle we are having is none of these sites virtually none of these sites are fully sustainable in any shape or form because we've eliminated all those sites already so we have to work out what is the least least harmful in totality00:45:14 ▶ · The council’s answers (rebuttals) – what officers and councillors said in EXMO20’s defence
I always get annoyed with this and Councillor Bailey will know where I'm coming from when proposals are made that are contrary to the statutory body's advice which is highways … we should not be we are evidence based we need to do it on evidence … Woodbury asked for a couple of other sites. They wanted them against officers' advice. Unfortunately, these are the sites that were recommended by officers, and we should still be considering, regretfully, because they are the better sites to deliver.05:14:12 ▶ · B. Site selection: HELAA, officer advice and why EXMO20 was included (“justified”) (93)
Strategic Planning Committee, 29 October 2024 – morning session (3)
We get that. But already we've allocated land in the national landscape at the other side of Exxon. A planning inspectorate, if we didn't allocate this land, would look at the other and go, well, excuse me, you know, one's worse than the other. You better not have that and we'll be in real trouble.01:55:26 ▶ · I. Admissions (24)
We are allocating 1,400 roughly homes. That's a tiny proportion compared to most of the other communities … Exmouth is the most sustainable location. And even with the outer limits we are pushing, it is still the most sustainable location.03:10:21 ▶ · The council’s answers (rebuttals) – what officers and councillors said in EXMO20’s defence
Show me a place that has a GTP surgery that has vacancies. It doesn't. Show me schools that aren't at capacity or near capacity. They don't. Devon County's got to solve that. The NHS has got to solve the GP surgeries.03:10:54 ▶ · D. Deliverability: access, sewage, water, infrastructure, viability (“effective”) (125)
Strategic Planning Committee, 11 December 2024 – afternoon session (3)
the worst thing we could possibly do now as we stand today is give a nut a massive sledgehammer … because then one of the other allocation sites where we've got residents up in arms about their allocations would quite rightly say you've made a wrong decision. … We cannot change it now. We can change it when it comes back to full council for its final reading, as we have done before.00:02:44 ▶ · 3. The second consultation – anything that could be classed as predeterminative (104)
We can change it when it comes back to full council for its final reading, as we have done before.00:03:22 ▶ · I. Admissions (24)
I won't be supporting it for the reason this hasn't been to consultation I know it will as part of regulation 1901:23:22 ▶ · 3. The second consultation – anything that could be classed as predeterminative (104)
Strategic Planning Committee, 11 December 2024 – morning session (2)
this is new policy to all of us, so we're reading it for the first time.02:56:09 ▶ · I. Admissions (24)
I'm actually going to pick up xmas 20 land at St John's I've read it a few times I'm not querying the allocation or anything else at this point but I do wish to raise as the public has we don't anywhere in this raise the issue of the purple beddies triple si and the 400 meters mitigation zone that we should not ideally be building in … the northern part of this site has its issues to overcome03:44:29 ▶ · A. Habitats Regulations, Pebble Bed Heaths, air quality and ecology (126)
Strategic Planning Committee, 4 February 2025 (1)
I'd rather publish now get the rest of the documents up behind we have a second Reg 19 consultation that hopefully and I'll look at mr Freeman this if we find issues we know there are issues but if we find issues that are unsurmountable because the HRA or anything else we can adjust and go through again in the second Reg 19 consultation01:35:38 ▶ · 3. The second consultation – anything that could be classed as predeterminative (104)
Strategic Planning Committee, 8 July 2025 (5)
I'm just getting worried about this conversation and partly this motion which is driving us further and work further away from having a regulation 19 consultation and driving us to more houses on a yearly basis an extra 200 homes per year we are gonna have to find03:18:44 ▶ · 3. The second consultation – anything that could be classed as predeterminative (104)
getting worried about this conversation and partly this motion which is driving us further and work further away from having a regulation 19 consultation and driving us to more houses on a yearly basis an extra 200 homes per year we are gonna have to find03:18:54 ▶ · The council’s answers (rebuttals) – what officers and councillors said in EXMO20’s defence
that almost certainly would put EXMO20 back in the fray even if we ruled it out now and did something else it would almost certainly have to come back next time if we have that higher number03:19:15 ▶ · I. Admissions (24)
a lot of the answers a lot of the statutory consultees when the reports come back will include that information we need to make a sensible decision on EXMO20 because that will be the information we need then I'm not entirely sure we're going to get the information now03:19:41 ▶ · 4. Councillors admitting EXMO20 should not have been allocated, or that allocating it was a mistake (30)
it worries me a great deal that's not to say I like EXMO20 in any shape or form it shouldn't have been there that's a different matter but nevertheless03:19:57 ▶ · 4. Councillors admitting EXMO20 should not have been allocated, or that allocating it was a mistake (30)
Strategic Planning Committee, 2 September 2025 – morning session (2)
Councillor Mr Freeman said about the no ability to access through Exmouth 18 um because of watercourse and various other bits and pieces now obviously you can access across any water course you just got to build a bridge easier said than done … I know it will hit affordable housing numbers because that's the only thing that ever moves these days01:59:16 ▶ · D. Deliverability: access, sewage, water, infrastructure, viability (“effective”) (125)
who should we be talking to about joining together experts 20 and 18 for access purposes only to provide a stable road down you know to get over a lot of these issues … I do think we should try to look at all these issues to see if we can make this the very best we can01:59:41 ▶ · I. Admissions (24)
Strategic Planning Committee, 30 September 2025 (2)
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 understanding00:28:05 ▶ · H. Heritage and other (51)
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 town01:08:09 ▶ · I. Admissions (24)
Strategic Planning Committee, 22 September 2026 (1)
and that's the issue you know we can allocate the land we can allocate as much land as they want none of us want it but nevertheless03:40:00 ▶ · 4. Councillors admitting EXMO20 should not have been allocated, or that allocating it was a mistake (30)
Full Council, 14 October 2026 (1)
But fundamentally, officers, like everyone in this world, makes mistakes. And committee has always been that sanity check for officers. And a number of times over the years, we've overturned officers' decisions, and we've been correct at appeal.01:12:27 ▶ · I. Admissions (24)
How we decide where someone stands: our method. Anything wrong? Tell us and we'll correct it.