MID DEVON COUNCIL GOVERNANCE REVIEW.
Graeme Barnell, our MDDC councillor writes:- A number of people have recently expressed concerns to me about how democracy in Mid Devon Council works and how the Mid Devon District Council is run. Here's your chance to give your views.
Graeme Barnell, our MDDC councillor writes:- A number of people have recently expressed concerns to me about how democracy in Mid Devon Council works and how the Mid Devon District Council is run. Here's your chance to give your views.
New Housing Development
- What is it all about?
- What is it all about?
You may well have heard by now about proposals to build at least 1200 new homes in land around Sweetham and Newton St Cyres village. These proposals are contained in the first draft of the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan (GESP for short). Details of this plan are posted on the Parish Council Website https://www.middevonparish.co.uk/newtonstcyres/greater-exeter-strategic-plan/ and on my own Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/Graeme-Barnell-District-Councillor-476396543103535.
GESP is complicated and difficult to make sense of. As your Mid Devon District Councillor I have written this article to explain how GESP will work and to give you the understanding you will need to make up your own mind about the Plans.
You may know already that I am not at all happy with GESP and what it may mean both for Newton St Cyres and for Mid Devon. You should know that the Cabinet of Mid Devon, of which I am a member, will be asked to agree to the Draft GESP Plan going out to public consultation in September. The Meeting of Cabinet at which this will be discussed is 6th August at 6pm. It will be a remote meeting using the Zoom Platform that you can attend and observe if you want. You can also ask questions, though these will need to be submitted in advance.
I will be asking my Cabinet colleagues to agree that GESP should be referred to a meeting of the Full Council before it goes out for consultation in Mid Devon. It is much too important a subject to be decided on by Cabinet alone. If and when GESP comes to a Full Council meeting I will be speaking against continuing with GESP unless there are major changes to the way it works. I will be proposing that we either change the terms of our membership of the GESP club or we pull out completely.
What is GESP?
The GESP a co-operative planning scheme managed and staffed by five participating local authorities (including MDDC, Teignbridge DC, Exeter City Council, East Devon DC and Devon County Council ).
GESP has been set up to develop and then implement a statutory plan for all new housing and business development between the years 2020 and 2040, across the sub-regional area bounded by the three District councils and, of course, Exeter City Council.
Once adopted by the participating authorities the GESP will have statutory power within the GESP area and will determine and allocate housing supply allocations for each of the Councils involved in the Plan and also determine larger site for housing such as the one proposed for Newton St Cyres.
Once it has been adopted by the four local authorities, the strategic sites and associated infrastructure in GESP is likely to be implemented and delivered by separately constituted Development Corporation. A bid was made in February this year for capacity funding of £1.6m required to establish this body.
In its first phase GESP identifies a number of strategic site options for new development, including the site proposed for Newton St Cyres. These site options will determine the location and size of a number of large development sites across the GESP area. There are also a set of Planning Policies that will condition the style and approach to development as well as the way infrastructure should be developed.
The GESP central purpose is to plan for and to deliver the building of an additional 30,500 homes between 2020 and 2040 in the GESP area. This total is in addition to the 33,390 already accounted for in the Local Plans of the four local authorities taking part in the scheme. There are also additional targets for business and retailing sites.
GESP also has other ambitions. These include:-
As a statutory Planning Document GESP will need formal approval by the Govt Planning Inspectorate and adoption by each of the participating Local Authorities. It will also need to be the subject of formal processes of public consultation before these approvals can take place.
The first version of GESP will be submitted for public consultation in September 2020. This will last until February 2021. The key stages leading to adoption of GESP are:
In the past each Local Authority has relied on its own Local Plan to set out where development can take place and where it cannot. Until GESP each Local authority had been given its own housing supply target that is worked out by using a given Government formula. With GESP all this is about to change.
GESP stipulates that 18,500 homes within its target of 30,500 additional homes should be developed on larger “strategic” sites of more than 500 homes (100 homes in Exeter) identified and approved within GESP. The sites for the remaining 12,000 additional homes are intended to be identified and approved within the Local Plans of the participating Planning Authorities.
The GESP housing target numbers are based on an aggregated calculation of the combined housing supply targets of the three District Councils and Exeter City council over the period 2020-2040. The overall calculation for new homes (including existing commitments contained in Local Plans ) is a total of 53,260 . GESP has added a buffer or “headroom” of 20% to reach an overall figure of 63,890.
It is important to realise that the GESP project has a single boundary. The intention is that sites should be identified and approved on the basis of suitability and conformity with planning policies within the GESP area rather than with reference to local authority boundaries.
Because it is “boundary blind” there is no pre-existing housing supply quota or allocation by local authority area. In theory, all the additional GESP strategic sites delivering the target development of 18,500 new homes could be located in only one of the participating local authority areas.
It is also important to understand that the remaining 12,000 additional GESP target homes, intended for “non-strategic sites” within the new Local Plans, will also be apportioned and allocated by GESP between the four authorities.
In other words the GESP will subsume the pre-existing combined total housing supply targets for all four participating districts and reallocate these to each District on the basis of GESP considerations of site suitability and conformity with GESP planning policies. Any new Local Plan emerging after the adoption of GESP in 2023 will have tits housing supply targets, major planning policies and strategic site allocations determined by GESP.
It is therefore not possible to quantify the housing supply target that will be set by GESP for Mid Devon during the period 2020-2040. For comparison it is calculated that, without GESP, the Mid Devon housing target between 2020-2040 would, if separately calculated, be approximately 7260 (or 8752 with a 20% headroom added). This is just 8% of the total GESP area requirement.
The Mid Devon Local Plan (2013 to 2033) stipulates a revised housing target between 2020 and 2033 of approximately 5000 houses. Should Mid Devon not take part in GESP this would leave a target of approximately 2260 additional homes to be built under the aegis of a new local plan between 2033 and 2040. This will be more than achieved by the completion of the planned Culm Garden village near Cullompton.
GESP-The location and availability of development sites
The selection of development sites within GESP is, of course, determined by factors other than planning policy. Devon has an abundance of steep hills, coastline, estuaries and other areas prone to flood risk that seriously limit development options .
In addition the geography of Teignbridge and East Devon, in particular, is dominated by large areas where development is either prohibited or strictly proscribed. These include the Dartmoor National Park, World Heritage coastline, various SSIs and nature reserves, and AONBs.
Cllr Gordon Hook, the Leader of Teignbridge DC , has, for example, recently written an open letter to the Prime Minister complaining of the unfairness of their housing targets given the limitations and restrictions on the availability of development land in Teignbridge.
In Exeter the availability of sites is constrained by the very limited number of sizeable sites within the City boundaries and also by such factors as the cost of brown field remediation (e.g. Water Lane) and/or of relocating large and important business/ retailing areas to make way for housing (e.g. Marsh Barton). The City is therefore under considerable pressure to resolve the growing gap between its supply target and its capacity to deliver.
Exeter City Council, In an attempt to mitigate the shortfall in meeting its Government Housing Targets, attempted to include several thousand purpose build student housing units in meeting its target. However in 2015 the Planning Inspector found that she could not accept the Council's position that student accommodation should count towards delivery of the target. This decision was supported at a subsequent judicial review.
Given the serious constraints on the availability of sites elsewhere there is a high risk that a “boundary blind” approach will result in Mid Devon being asked to accept a disproportionate number of the additional homes because it has significantly fewer restrictions on the potential use of its land for development than its neighbours.
The GESP Strategic sites (Mid Devon)
The GESP draft strategic site options identifies sites that, if all were built out, would yield twice as many new homes (37,000 +) than required by the plan.
The following five sites have been identified within Mid Devon, in the first draft of the GESP Site options, as most suitable for large scale strategic developments
SITES
NO. OF HOUSES proposed
HELAA SITE POTENTIAL (max)
Comments
Culm Garden Village
5000
16120
Additional 1750 already identified in site allocation within emerging Local Plan
Sampford Peverell
2200
2772
Possible Garden Village?
Newton St Cyres
1200
4886
Exeter North Urban extension?
See also GESP sites proposed Cowley and Stoke Hill
Crediton South
750
1900
Urban extension?
Hartnoll Farm
950
2172
Extension of Tiverton EUE
TOTALS
10100
27850
Note:- Several other potential Mid Devon sites have also been identified by the GESP team but have not been put forward at this stage.
Apart from the Culm Garden Village the proposals for large scale development of these sites are completely new and are news to local communities. Each of the four sites is likely to engender considerable comment and opposition from local people.
Mid Devon Council is already committed to the development of the Culm Garden Village. There has already been a large amount of engagement and consultation with local communities about the development. Although some of the Culm Garden Village housing and site allocation is set out in the emerging MDDC Local plan, GESP will, when adopted, provide essential planning policy and site allocation framework for the larger part of this development.
Without GESP the build out of the Culm Garden village would , in addition to existing Local Plan commitments, enable Mid Devon Council to meet its own 2020 -2040 housing targets and potentially make a significant additional contribution of over 2500 homes towards addressing the pressures on its neighbours.
Apart from the Culm Garden Village, Newton St Cyres and Sampford Peverell sites the others are immediately adjacent to larger existing conurbations. They can, therefore, be viewed as having the size and locational characteristics of new urban extensions. It is hard, given their location, to envisage the sites becoming ~Garden Communities”
These extensions have in the past often added to the volume of suburbs to their neighbouring towns without costing a great deal in terms of transport, environmental or social infrastructure. They have therefore often tended to aggravate, rather than mitigate, dependence on the motor car and to produce rather soulless communities with monotonous bulk housing design and poor local services.
The northern suburbs of Exeter remain largely undeveloped, largely because the area has a very poor road network. GESP proposes strategic sites at Stoke Hill (Exeter CC), Cowley (East Devon DC) . Together these would form a de facto Exeter North Urban Extension.
It is envisaged by GESP that the Tarka Line requires significant improvements to both lines and stations to support the three proposed strategic developments; one within Crediton and two between Crediton and Exeter.
The main line running between Cullompton and Tiverton already has well supported plans for the reopening of the station at Cullompton together with a new local stopping services connecting several smaller towns with Exeter and Bristol. The new station will support the proposed Culm Garden Village Development and also other major new housing allocations around Cullompton.
Large new Strategic site proposed by GESP at Sampford Peverell would be serviced by the new local rail service stopping at the existing Tiverton Parkway Station.
In a “boundary blind” planning environment suburban style development along rail and major road routes like the A377 and A30 clearly present quicker and more cost effective opportunities to meet Exeter’s housing targets particularly if developments can avoid the cost and delays of major road improvements, for example by limiting such developments to those that can be “rail led”.
There is, of course, a distinct danger that, however laudable and attractive, the Garden Communities and “Rail Led” ideologies will be lost under the combined pressures of housing targets, restricted budgets and the profit expectations of Developers. The current GESP Policies are unlikely, in themselves be sufficient to prevent this.
Serious questions must be asked about whether a GESP Development Corporation will deliver on these ideals given the declared determination of the Government to “Build, Build, Build”.
GESP, Local Plans and democratic accountability
In Teignbridge It would seem that the new Teignbridge Local Plan (2020-2040) has been devised to synchronise as far as possible with GESP both in timetable and content. Teignbridge DC have explained that there is nothing in the draft GESP site allocation proposals that will not also be contained in their Local Plan Review. Some of the Strategic GESP sites in Teignbridge are already allocated and sit within their new 5 Year Land Supply trajectory. Teignbridge, therefore, see every reason to support GESP, given that it will contain nothing that is new to them and may well increase the opportunities of Government investment and support.
Exeter Council have replaced any attempt to produce a new Local Plan, based on meeting its housing supply target from within its own resources, by the delivery of GESP. In other words Exeter Council is reliant on GESP and the generosity of others for the delivery of its future housing supply targets and its site allocations.
East Devon Council have decided to deliberately delay the preparation of a new Local Plan to allow for GESP to set the parameters for this exercise both in terms of strategic site allocation and housing supply targets. It is not clear whether the new administration in East Devon is aware of the possible implications of this decision.
In Mid Devon Council there is a growing realisation of the potential consequences of GESP in terms of our having to accept large scale housing developments that would not otherwise be required. There is also a realisation that GESP represent a significant weakening of local democratic accountability and control.
This problem is not theoretical. Changes requested by Councillors have, in practice, proved difficult to achieve. Each authority has control over its participation in GESP. However influence over the substance is problematic.
Lack of control and influence is partly because each authority has an effective veto on content and , therefore, on any changes to that content. In addition the GESP process is led by a team of experienced Planning Officers who have both the vision and technical knowledge to counter many, if not most, of the suggestions and arguments put forward by elected members.
Conclusions
Newbrooke Ward
Mid Devon District Council
You may well have heard by now about proposals to build at least 1200 new homes in land around Sweetham and Newton St Cyres village. These proposals are contained in the first draft of the Greater Exeter Strategic Plan (GESP for short). Details of this plan are posted on the Parish Council Website https://www.middevonparish.co.uk/newtonstcyres/greater-exeter-strategic-plan/ and on my own Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/Graeme-Barnell-District-Councillor-476396543103535.
GESP is complicated and difficult to make sense of. As your Mid Devon District Councillor I have written this article to explain how GESP will work and to give you the understanding you will need to make up your own mind about the Plans.
You may know already that I am not at all happy with GESP and what it may mean both for Newton St Cyres and for Mid Devon. You should know that the Cabinet of Mid Devon, of which I am a member, will be asked to agree to the Draft GESP Plan going out to public consultation in September. The Meeting of Cabinet at which this will be discussed is 6th August at 6pm. It will be a remote meeting using the Zoom Platform that you can attend and observe if you want. You can also ask questions, though these will need to be submitted in advance.
I will be asking my Cabinet colleagues to agree that GESP should be referred to a meeting of the Full Council before it goes out for consultation in Mid Devon. It is much too important a subject to be decided on by Cabinet alone. If and when GESP comes to a Full Council meeting I will be speaking against continuing with GESP unless there are major changes to the way it works. I will be proposing that we either change the terms of our membership of the GESP club or we pull out completely.
What is GESP?
The GESP a co-operative planning scheme managed and staffed by five participating local authorities (including MDDC, Teignbridge DC, Exeter City Council, East Devon DC and Devon County Council ).
GESP has been set up to develop and then implement a statutory plan for all new housing and business development between the years 2020 and 2040, across the sub-regional area bounded by the three District councils and, of course, Exeter City Council.
Once adopted by the participating authorities the GESP will have statutory power within the GESP area and will determine and allocate housing supply allocations for each of the Councils involved in the Plan and also determine larger site for housing such as the one proposed for Newton St Cyres.
Once it has been adopted by the four local authorities, the strategic sites and associated infrastructure in GESP is likely to be implemented and delivered by separately constituted Development Corporation. A bid was made in February this year for capacity funding of £1.6m required to establish this body.
In its first phase GESP identifies a number of strategic site options for new development, including the site proposed for Newton St Cyres. These site options will determine the location and size of a number of large development sites across the GESP area. There are also a set of Planning Policies that will condition the style and approach to development as well as the way infrastructure should be developed.
The GESP central purpose is to plan for and to deliver the building of an additional 30,500 homes between 2020 and 2040 in the GESP area. This total is in addition to the 33,390 already accounted for in the Local Plans of the four local authorities taking part in the scheme. There are also additional targets for business and retailing sites.
GESP also has other ambitions. These include:-
- Delivering the transport and infrastructure improvements needed to support sustainable growth. These include park and ride, cycleways, schools etc.
- Economic growth and increased prosperity
- Conserving and protecting the environment
- Establishing planning policies that actively help to address climate change.
- A joined-up vision and development strategy for the area
As a statutory Planning Document GESP will need formal approval by the Govt Planning Inspectorate and adoption by each of the participating Local Authorities. It will also need to be the subject of formal processes of public consultation before these approvals can take place.
The first version of GESP will be submitted for public consultation in September 2020. This will last until February 2021. The key stages leading to adoption of GESP are:
- Site Options and Draft Policies Consultation – September 2020
- Draft Plan – March 2021
- Publication (Proposed Submission) – February 2022
- Formal Submission – July 2022
- Examination by Govt. Planning Inspector – September 2022
- Adoption by participating authorities – April 2023
In the past each Local Authority has relied on its own Local Plan to set out where development can take place and where it cannot. Until GESP each Local authority had been given its own housing supply target that is worked out by using a given Government formula. With GESP all this is about to change.
GESP stipulates that 18,500 homes within its target of 30,500 additional homes should be developed on larger “strategic” sites of more than 500 homes (100 homes in Exeter) identified and approved within GESP. The sites for the remaining 12,000 additional homes are intended to be identified and approved within the Local Plans of the participating Planning Authorities.
The GESP housing target numbers are based on an aggregated calculation of the combined housing supply targets of the three District Councils and Exeter City council over the period 2020-2040. The overall calculation for new homes (including existing commitments contained in Local Plans ) is a total of 53,260 . GESP has added a buffer or “headroom” of 20% to reach an overall figure of 63,890.
It is important to realise that the GESP project has a single boundary. The intention is that sites should be identified and approved on the basis of suitability and conformity with planning policies within the GESP area rather than with reference to local authority boundaries.
Because it is “boundary blind” there is no pre-existing housing supply quota or allocation by local authority area. In theory, all the additional GESP strategic sites delivering the target development of 18,500 new homes could be located in only one of the participating local authority areas.
It is also important to understand that the remaining 12,000 additional GESP target homes, intended for “non-strategic sites” within the new Local Plans, will also be apportioned and allocated by GESP between the four authorities.
In other words the GESP will subsume the pre-existing combined total housing supply targets for all four participating districts and reallocate these to each District on the basis of GESP considerations of site suitability and conformity with GESP planning policies. Any new Local Plan emerging after the adoption of GESP in 2023 will have tits housing supply targets, major planning policies and strategic site allocations determined by GESP.
It is therefore not possible to quantify the housing supply target that will be set by GESP for Mid Devon during the period 2020-2040. For comparison it is calculated that, without GESP, the Mid Devon housing target between 2020-2040 would, if separately calculated, be approximately 7260 (or 8752 with a 20% headroom added). This is just 8% of the total GESP area requirement.
The Mid Devon Local Plan (2013 to 2033) stipulates a revised housing target between 2020 and 2033 of approximately 5000 houses. Should Mid Devon not take part in GESP this would leave a target of approximately 2260 additional homes to be built under the aegis of a new local plan between 2033 and 2040. This will be more than achieved by the completion of the planned Culm Garden village near Cullompton.
GESP-The location and availability of development sites
The selection of development sites within GESP is, of course, determined by factors other than planning policy. Devon has an abundance of steep hills, coastline, estuaries and other areas prone to flood risk that seriously limit development options .
In addition the geography of Teignbridge and East Devon, in particular, is dominated by large areas where development is either prohibited or strictly proscribed. These include the Dartmoor National Park, World Heritage coastline, various SSIs and nature reserves, and AONBs.
Cllr Gordon Hook, the Leader of Teignbridge DC , has, for example, recently written an open letter to the Prime Minister complaining of the unfairness of their housing targets given the limitations and restrictions on the availability of development land in Teignbridge.
In Exeter the availability of sites is constrained by the very limited number of sizeable sites within the City boundaries and also by such factors as the cost of brown field remediation (e.g. Water Lane) and/or of relocating large and important business/ retailing areas to make way for housing (e.g. Marsh Barton). The City is therefore under considerable pressure to resolve the growing gap between its supply target and its capacity to deliver.
Exeter City Council, In an attempt to mitigate the shortfall in meeting its Government Housing Targets, attempted to include several thousand purpose build student housing units in meeting its target. However in 2015 the Planning Inspector found that she could not accept the Council's position that student accommodation should count towards delivery of the target. This decision was supported at a subsequent judicial review.
Given the serious constraints on the availability of sites elsewhere there is a high risk that a “boundary blind” approach will result in Mid Devon being asked to accept a disproportionate number of the additional homes because it has significantly fewer restrictions on the potential use of its land for development than its neighbours.
The GESP Strategic sites (Mid Devon)
The GESP draft strategic site options identifies sites that, if all were built out, would yield twice as many new homes (37,000 +) than required by the plan.
The following five sites have been identified within Mid Devon, in the first draft of the GESP Site options, as most suitable for large scale strategic developments
SITES
NO. OF HOUSES proposed
HELAA SITE POTENTIAL (max)
Comments
Culm Garden Village
5000
16120
Additional 1750 already identified in site allocation within emerging Local Plan
Sampford Peverell
2200
2772
Possible Garden Village?
Newton St Cyres
1200
4886
Exeter North Urban extension?
See also GESP sites proposed Cowley and Stoke Hill
Crediton South
750
1900
Urban extension?
Hartnoll Farm
950
2172
Extension of Tiverton EUE
TOTALS
10100
27850
Note:- Several other potential Mid Devon sites have also been identified by the GESP team but have not been put forward at this stage.
Apart from the Culm Garden Village the proposals for large scale development of these sites are completely new and are news to local communities. Each of the four sites is likely to engender considerable comment and opposition from local people.
Mid Devon Council is already committed to the development of the Culm Garden Village. There has already been a large amount of engagement and consultation with local communities about the development. Although some of the Culm Garden Village housing and site allocation is set out in the emerging MDDC Local plan, GESP will, when adopted, provide essential planning policy and site allocation framework for the larger part of this development.
Without GESP the build out of the Culm Garden village would , in addition to existing Local Plan commitments, enable Mid Devon Council to meet its own 2020 -2040 housing targets and potentially make a significant additional contribution of over 2500 homes towards addressing the pressures on its neighbours.
Apart from the Culm Garden Village, Newton St Cyres and Sampford Peverell sites the others are immediately adjacent to larger existing conurbations. They can, therefore, be viewed as having the size and locational characteristics of new urban extensions. It is hard, given their location, to envisage the sites becoming ~Garden Communities”
These extensions have in the past often added to the volume of suburbs to their neighbouring towns without costing a great deal in terms of transport, environmental or social infrastructure. They have therefore often tended to aggravate, rather than mitigate, dependence on the motor car and to produce rather soulless communities with monotonous bulk housing design and poor local services.
The northern suburbs of Exeter remain largely undeveloped, largely because the area has a very poor road network. GESP proposes strategic sites at Stoke Hill (Exeter CC), Cowley (East Devon DC) . Together these would form a de facto Exeter North Urban Extension.
It is envisaged by GESP that the Tarka Line requires significant improvements to both lines and stations to support the three proposed strategic developments; one within Crediton and two between Crediton and Exeter.
The main line running between Cullompton and Tiverton already has well supported plans for the reopening of the station at Cullompton together with a new local stopping services connecting several smaller towns with Exeter and Bristol. The new station will support the proposed Culm Garden Village Development and also other major new housing allocations around Cullompton.
Large new Strategic site proposed by GESP at Sampford Peverell would be serviced by the new local rail service stopping at the existing Tiverton Parkway Station.
In a “boundary blind” planning environment suburban style development along rail and major road routes like the A377 and A30 clearly present quicker and more cost effective opportunities to meet Exeter’s housing targets particularly if developments can avoid the cost and delays of major road improvements, for example by limiting such developments to those that can be “rail led”.
There is, of course, a distinct danger that, however laudable and attractive, the Garden Communities and “Rail Led” ideologies will be lost under the combined pressures of housing targets, restricted budgets and the profit expectations of Developers. The current GESP Policies are unlikely, in themselves be sufficient to prevent this.
Serious questions must be asked about whether a GESP Development Corporation will deliver on these ideals given the declared determination of the Government to “Build, Build, Build”.
GESP, Local Plans and democratic accountability
In Teignbridge It would seem that the new Teignbridge Local Plan (2020-2040) has been devised to synchronise as far as possible with GESP both in timetable and content. Teignbridge DC have explained that there is nothing in the draft GESP site allocation proposals that will not also be contained in their Local Plan Review. Some of the Strategic GESP sites in Teignbridge are already allocated and sit within their new 5 Year Land Supply trajectory. Teignbridge, therefore, see every reason to support GESP, given that it will contain nothing that is new to them and may well increase the opportunities of Government investment and support.
Exeter Council have replaced any attempt to produce a new Local Plan, based on meeting its housing supply target from within its own resources, by the delivery of GESP. In other words Exeter Council is reliant on GESP and the generosity of others for the delivery of its future housing supply targets and its site allocations.
East Devon Council have decided to deliberately delay the preparation of a new Local Plan to allow for GESP to set the parameters for this exercise both in terms of strategic site allocation and housing supply targets. It is not clear whether the new administration in East Devon is aware of the possible implications of this decision.
In Mid Devon Council there is a growing realisation of the potential consequences of GESP in terms of our having to accept large scale housing developments that would not otherwise be required. There is also a realisation that GESP represent a significant weakening of local democratic accountability and control.
This problem is not theoretical. Changes requested by Councillors have, in practice, proved difficult to achieve. Each authority has control over its participation in GESP. However influence over the substance is problematic.
Lack of control and influence is partly because each authority has an effective veto on content and , therefore, on any changes to that content. In addition the GESP process is led by a team of experienced Planning Officers who have both the vision and technical knowledge to counter many, if not most, of the suggestions and arguments put forward by elected members.
Conclusions
- GESP will remove our local control of local housing targets and development land allocations and replace this with a sub-regional Planning framework that will decide on sites and targets. There is likely to be a Development Corporation that will deliver large sites in our area and across the Greater Exeter region. This arrangement is unlikely to be either accountable or transparent.
- There is a clear a risk that , given the “boundary blind” nature of GESP, Mid Devon is exposing itself to an unquantifiable allocation of housing from its neighbours over and above what would otherwise be its own requirements and targets.
- We are exposing ourselves to large scale suburban style development in rural areas like Newton St Cyres at a time when we should be protecting our environment and rural heritage.
- There is a clear risk that such development will not be supported by the additional infrastructure (roads, schools etc) required to support large scale additional housing.
- Public concern about the new GESP site options is likely to generate considerable friction and opposition at a time when we should be focussing our energies and money on dealing with the aftermath of COVID-19.
- Large numbers of additional houses will be very hard to justify given that Mid Devon is on course to meet its existing housing targets from within allocations that have either been agreed within the emerging Local Plan or described within preliminary consultation about the Culm Garden Village.
- It is therefore difficult, at first sight, to see what Mid Devon has to gain from participating in GESP.
- GESP does however offer important benefits to Newton St Cyres and to Mid Devon:-
- The continuing goodwill and support of Homes England and other arms of Central Government in taking forward the Culm Garden Village and other significant projects (i.e. the Tiverton EUE). This includes very significant financial support for major infrastructure projects like road and rail improvements, and cycleways (like the Boniface Trail).
- A seat at the table in attracting and sharing inward investment in key sectors of the local Devon economy.
- A suite of up to date Planning Policies that provide significantly greater leverage over the environmental impact of development, and the design of homes and of place, than that afforded by our Emerging Local Plan.
- A statutory Planning allocation for the Culm Garden Village by early 2023. The alternative options involving supplements to the Local Plan are likely to take significantly longer to put in place.
- Finally if Mid Devon Council abandons GESP it will be more difficult to demonstrate that we are fulfilling our statutory duty to cooperate with other authorities in the delivery of Planning policies, allocations and targets. It is almost certain that the government will expect Mid Devon to pick up on some of the site availability and housing pressures of its neighbours.
Newbrooke Ward
Mid Devon District Council
Message to Councillors 3rd June 2020
I know many of you are involved, either directly or indirectly, with local charities who are doing amazing things supporting people at the moment. I thought you’d all want to be aware that charities can now apply for the below two funding pots:
Firstly, the Government and National Lottery’s Coronavirus Community Support Fund. This is a £200m fund primarily aimed at supporting charities working with vulnerable people. Funding will be prioritised for organisations supporting people and communities who experience disproportionate challenge and difficulty as a result of the COVID-19 crisis; and organisations providing services and support for vulnerable people, for which there will be increased demand as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/covid-19/learn-about-applying-for-emergency-funding-in-england
In addition, the Government’s Food Charities Grant Fund is available to support front-line not-for-profit organisations or charities that provide food to those who need it. The grant aims to provide immediate support for a limited period of time to help to feed those most vulnerable due to the economic impacts of COVID-19. The deadline for applications is 6 July 2020.https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-apply-for-the-food-charities-grant-fund
I know many of you are involved, either directly or indirectly, with local charities who are doing amazing things supporting people at the moment. I thought you’d all want to be aware that charities can now apply for the below two funding pots:
Firstly, the Government and National Lottery’s Coronavirus Community Support Fund. This is a £200m fund primarily aimed at supporting charities working with vulnerable people. Funding will be prioritised for organisations supporting people and communities who experience disproportionate challenge and difficulty as a result of the COVID-19 crisis; and organisations providing services and support for vulnerable people, for which there will be increased demand as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/funding/covid-19/learn-about-applying-for-emergency-funding-in-england
In addition, the Government’s Food Charities Grant Fund is available to support front-line not-for-profit organisations or charities that provide food to those who need it. The grant aims to provide immediate support for a limited period of time to help to feed those most vulnerable due to the economic impacts of COVID-19. The deadline for applications is 6 July 2020.https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-apply-for-the-food-charities-grant-fund
Devon councils launch new Discretionary Grant Fund to support businesses not eligible for the COVID-19 grant schemes
Posted On: 01-06-2020
Posted In: Business and economyA new Government Discretionary Grant aimed at supporting small businesses launches on 1st June and will be administered by local district councils.
Following further Government announcements, Devon councils have quickly organised to launch an additional package of funding aimed at helping small and micro businesses. Importantly, this includes all those that have not been eligible for any other grant, with the exception of the furloughed Job Retention Scheme and the self‐employed income support scheme, and who were trading on 11th March 2020.
One of the key criteria for eligibility is businesses who have high ongoing fixed property-related costs, and who can show that they have suffered a major fall in income due to the COVID-19 crisis.
Grants will range from £1,000 to £25,000 but it is expected that the vast majority of grants awarded will be below £10,000, as this is a much smaller scheme than the previous one. All businesses are required to meet the same evidence based tests of need and the following business types will be prioritised for funding support, in line with Government requirements:
- small businesses in shared offices or other flexible workspaces;
- regular market traders with fixed building costs, such as rent, who do not have their own business rates assessment;
- bed and breakfasts, which pay Council Tax instead of business rates, and;
- charity properties in receipt of Charitable Business Rates Relief, which would otherwise have been eligible for Small Business Rates Relief or Rural Rate Relief.
Those not eligible for funding under this scheme include:
- Small businesses with a turnover of more than £10.2 million, balance sheet of more than £5.1 million and more than 50 staff
- Micro businesses with a turnover of more than £632,000, balance sheet of more than £316,000 with more than 10 staff
- Businesses who were not trading on 11th March 2020
- Businesses currently in administration or insolvent
- Businesses whose property rent, mortgage payments and rateable value is above the threshold of £51,000
“The Council has already paid out more than £17 million in grant funding to local businesses and we hope this funding will support some of those who were not eligible under the first scheme. We want to pay the money as soon as practical, so please ensure that all information entered online is completed very carefully so that there’s no delays in the process.”Cabinet Member for Planning and Regeneration, Cllr Graeme Barnell, said:
“While this new scheme will not support every business, I’m pleased that it will help out many firms in Mid Devon which previously fell through the gaps of earlier funding packages. We want to support as many as our local businesses as we can to help them through this crisis and support the Mid Devon economy.”The councils are anticipating high demand for funding and therefore, to ensure the money is shared fairly, they will be accepting applications in three separate sections. Businesses which are not successful within each of the sections, will be rolled forward for another chance until all the funds have been allocated.
Applications are open on the councils’ website from Monday, 1st June, with the first grants being paid on the 15th June. The second and third segments will then follow at two weekly intervals.
The councils will be checking all claims against previously approved grants, data held on file and with HM Revenue and Customs records. Any business caught falsifying their records to gain grant money will face prosecution and any funding issued will be reclaimed.
If a business believes it fits the criteria stated, they can apply for funding via their council’s website.
It is advised that supporting documents are to hand before starting the application, including bank statement for March this year, latest set of accounts, HMRC Self-assessment with a cash flow forecast. If applicable, a Tenancy Agreement may also be required.
The councils’ grant teams will be working as quickly as possible to process the claims and will therefore not be able to respond to each business with individual updates. They ask for patience in advance and wish to assure businesses that they will get back to them as soon as possible.
Care should be taken when entering details, especially figures; incorrect information provided could significantly delay processing of a grant application. This includes entering bank account numbers – discretionary grants will not be paid twice due to incorrect bank details being provided and the grant may not be received at all if the original payment cannot be reclaimed.
If any businesses in Mid Devon think they fit the stated criteria, they can apply for funding via middevon.gov.uk/COVID19DiscretionaryGrantFund. Alternatively, they can email businessgrants@middevon.gov.uk.
News from Mid Devon District Council
Thurs 7th May 2020
Thurs 7th May 2020
Business Assistance
MDDC, has been working hard in processing Business Grants. To date nearly £16m of business grants have now been issued following 1,383 applications. Work continues with this including extensive cold calling to notify business who have yet to claim.
The Government recently announced the creation of Discretionary Business Grants. The Government considers that this will be essential for many small businesses, including market traders & B&Bs. The scheme cannot go live until the Government issues full guidance next week. This means that the subsequent application processes will need to be developed in partnership with neighbouring Districts once the national guidance is issued to ensure a consistent approach for the business community. This subsequent development of interpretation and assessment criteria will take a few days to complete following the publication of government guidance. As this scheme will require businesses to demonstrate how the pandemic has affected their businesses and the scale of their financial loss, this will result in a great deal of analysis from the GED team which inevitably will be time consuming.
Where businesses are not eligible for these funds the team are signposting them to the Growth Hub. In certain circumstances, where individuals are facing specific hardships, we are directing people to the community schemes set out below.
Community Support
A Shielding Hub has been set up to ensure that the extremely vulnerable are provided for. Whilst the government had set up food packages for the vulnerable, via local wholesalers, there is often a regular two week delay in these deliveries coming through. The District Council has been stepping in to assist to help with provisions during the time before supplies come through. The Shielding Hub has had 86 referrals and 72 emergency food packages have gone out. Of those that are having government food packages sent to them, there are 23 people in Mid Devon who need specialist food supplies which the shielding hub are also providing for. This work has been done in partnership with CHAT whose activities have increased fourfold in the last few weeks. For example on a single day last week they dealt with 61 deliveries. The GED team have led on coordinating the community response to vulnerable residents. This has also included organising the use of the Council’s own vehicles to assist.
The Mid Devon Covid 19 Support Fund (DCC funded £102, 700) is a hardship fund for essential crisis payments which has only recently been set up. To date there have been 15 applications received. It is for those individuals who are in considerable financial distress. It could potentially benefit those that are self-employed, those who are furloughed or have lost their jobs, or are on zero hour contracts and fall outside the scope of the business grants coming from the Government.
Demand is likely to increase in the coming months as some of the longer term economic impacts of lockdown kick in.
A link to our webpage can be found below:
https://www.middevon.gov.uk/residents/coronavirus-support-for-communities-and-businesses/
Recovery
The Government emergency assistance has cushioned the immediate economic effects of the pandemic; however there are significant concerns about business impacts going forward. As referred to above the team has been prioritising its resources to deal with emergency responses and will need to continue to do so; however the team has been embarking upon considering recovery measures and next steps. Given the likely scale of the challenge ahead we recognise that there will need to be increased emphasis on partnership working. Devon County Council has recently set up a Business and Economic Recovery Task Group with a range of organisations (inc. the Heart of the South West Local Economic Partnership, key sector/business representatives etc). We are actively involved with this group and the team continue to have discussions with a range of other partners during this time. We will update members as recovery measures start to become clearer over the coming weeks.
Cllr Graeme Barnell
Cabinet responsibility for Planning and Regeneration
Newbrooke Ward
Mid Devon District Council
01392 851308
07564541572
Facebook messaging:- https://www.facebook.com/Graeme-Barnell-District-Councillor-476396543103535/
Web Page:- https://www.newtonwonder.net/mid-devon-district-councillor.html
MDDC, has been working hard in processing Business Grants. To date nearly £16m of business grants have now been issued following 1,383 applications. Work continues with this including extensive cold calling to notify business who have yet to claim.
The Government recently announced the creation of Discretionary Business Grants. The Government considers that this will be essential for many small businesses, including market traders & B&Bs. The scheme cannot go live until the Government issues full guidance next week. This means that the subsequent application processes will need to be developed in partnership with neighbouring Districts once the national guidance is issued to ensure a consistent approach for the business community. This subsequent development of interpretation and assessment criteria will take a few days to complete following the publication of government guidance. As this scheme will require businesses to demonstrate how the pandemic has affected their businesses and the scale of their financial loss, this will result in a great deal of analysis from the GED team which inevitably will be time consuming.
Where businesses are not eligible for these funds the team are signposting them to the Growth Hub. In certain circumstances, where individuals are facing specific hardships, we are directing people to the community schemes set out below.
Community Support
A Shielding Hub has been set up to ensure that the extremely vulnerable are provided for. Whilst the government had set up food packages for the vulnerable, via local wholesalers, there is often a regular two week delay in these deliveries coming through. The District Council has been stepping in to assist to help with provisions during the time before supplies come through. The Shielding Hub has had 86 referrals and 72 emergency food packages have gone out. Of those that are having government food packages sent to them, there are 23 people in Mid Devon who need specialist food supplies which the shielding hub are also providing for. This work has been done in partnership with CHAT whose activities have increased fourfold in the last few weeks. For example on a single day last week they dealt with 61 deliveries. The GED team have led on coordinating the community response to vulnerable residents. This has also included organising the use of the Council’s own vehicles to assist.
The Mid Devon Covid 19 Support Fund (DCC funded £102, 700) is a hardship fund for essential crisis payments which has only recently been set up. To date there have been 15 applications received. It is for those individuals who are in considerable financial distress. It could potentially benefit those that are self-employed, those who are furloughed or have lost their jobs, or are on zero hour contracts and fall outside the scope of the business grants coming from the Government.
Demand is likely to increase in the coming months as some of the longer term economic impacts of lockdown kick in.
A link to our webpage can be found below:
https://www.middevon.gov.uk/residents/coronavirus-support-for-communities-and-businesses/
Recovery
The Government emergency assistance has cushioned the immediate economic effects of the pandemic; however there are significant concerns about business impacts going forward. As referred to above the team has been prioritising its resources to deal with emergency responses and will need to continue to do so; however the team has been embarking upon considering recovery measures and next steps. Given the likely scale of the challenge ahead we recognise that there will need to be increased emphasis on partnership working. Devon County Council has recently set up a Business and Economic Recovery Task Group with a range of organisations (inc. the Heart of the South West Local Economic Partnership, key sector/business representatives etc). We are actively involved with this group and the team continue to have discussions with a range of other partners during this time. We will update members as recovery measures start to become clearer over the coming weeks.
Cllr Graeme Barnell
Cabinet responsibility for Planning and Regeneration
Newbrooke Ward
Mid Devon District Council
01392 851308
07564541572
Facebook messaging:- https://www.facebook.com/Graeme-Barnell-District-Councillor-476396543103535/
Web Page:- https://www.newtonwonder.net/mid-devon-district-councillor.html
A377 Road Safety meeting
8th October 2019 NSC Parish Hall
8th October 2019 NSC Parish Hall
Attended
Cllr Margaret Squires (DCC), Cllr Roger Cashmore (Newton St Cyres PC) , Cllr Graeme Barnell (MDDC)
Jamie Hulland Transport Strategy and Road Safety Manager (DCC) , Tom Vaughan Neighbourhood Highways Manager (DCC), Ian Sorenson Highway Development Control Officer (DCC)
ROAD CROSSING NSC VILLAGE
The meeting focussed on the fourth and most recent proposal for a controlled crossing in the centre of NSC Village (OPTION D). DCC Officers reported that the original proposal had been worked up into preliminary drawings. These were shared with the meeting and various aspects of the design were discussed. it was agreed that the design is much simpler, more affordable and less invasive of public space and private land than the previous options. The meeting agreed that: -
CREDITON TO EXETER CYCLEWAY
JH had offered a meeting to the Boniface Trail Trustees at the beginning of November to discuss how best to support their work. However, it was not clear whether the Trustees would take up this offer. (In the event the Boniface Trustees declined the offer of a meeting.)
GB explained that, as well as making a big contribution to road safety and leisure the proposed cycleway is a key part of the “green infrastructure” required to address the targeted reduction in carbon emissions. Given that DCC have now included the cycleway as an ambition in their forward plan GB will be working with local district, parish and county councillors along the route to ensure the work is given the impetus and the resources it requires.
HALF MOON
RC and GB raised continuing concerns about road safety issues at Half Moon, especially the lack of pavement between the layby and the bus stop, the safety of the road crossing and the lack of pavement beyond PR Cars toward Exeter. DCC officers made is clear that they would not be able to support further expenditure in the Parish at this stage given the likely cost of the NSC Road Crossing. Cllr MS confirmed that, as County Councillor, she has other priorities for road safety measures in the much wider area that she serves.
GB and RC explained that the road safety issues at Half Moon remain pressing and cannot be ignored.
IS agreed to contact Hanlons Brewery to establish whether their planned holiday cottages development would go ahead.
NEXT MEETING
We agreed to meet again in the New Year.
GB 25/11/19
Cllr Margaret Squires (DCC), Cllr Roger Cashmore (Newton St Cyres PC) , Cllr Graeme Barnell (MDDC)
Jamie Hulland Transport Strategy and Road Safety Manager (DCC) , Tom Vaughan Neighbourhood Highways Manager (DCC), Ian Sorenson Highway Development Control Officer (DCC)
ROAD CROSSING NSC VILLAGE
The meeting focussed on the fourth and most recent proposal for a controlled crossing in the centre of NSC Village (OPTION D). DCC Officers reported that the original proposal had been worked up into preliminary drawings. These were shared with the meeting and various aspects of the design were discussed. it was agreed that the design is much simpler, more affordable and less invasive of public space and private land than the previous options. The meeting agreed that: -
- DCC should carry out more design work on this option
- A Stage 1 Road Safety Audit would then be carried out on the design.
- The DCC designer will then respond to any safety concerns or requirements for mitigations coming arising from the Audit.
- DCC will then formally consider the scheme for approval. If approved, it will go forward for implementation in the next financial year (20/21)
- Roger Cashmore (on behalf of the NSC PC) will post drawings of Option 4 on the PC Website and in the Newton Wonder.
- We would meet again in the New Year to review progress.
CREDITON TO EXETER CYCLEWAY
JH had offered a meeting to the Boniface Trail Trustees at the beginning of November to discuss how best to support their work. However, it was not clear whether the Trustees would take up this offer. (In the event the Boniface Trustees declined the offer of a meeting.)
GB explained that, as well as making a big contribution to road safety and leisure the proposed cycleway is a key part of the “green infrastructure” required to address the targeted reduction in carbon emissions. Given that DCC have now included the cycleway as an ambition in their forward plan GB will be working with local district, parish and county councillors along the route to ensure the work is given the impetus and the resources it requires.
HALF MOON
RC and GB raised continuing concerns about road safety issues at Half Moon, especially the lack of pavement between the layby and the bus stop, the safety of the road crossing and the lack of pavement beyond PR Cars toward Exeter. DCC officers made is clear that they would not be able to support further expenditure in the Parish at this stage given the likely cost of the NSC Road Crossing. Cllr MS confirmed that, as County Councillor, she has other priorities for road safety measures in the much wider area that she serves.
GB and RC explained that the road safety issues at Half Moon remain pressing and cannot be ignored.
IS agreed to contact Hanlons Brewery to establish whether their planned holiday cottages development would go ahead.
NEXT MEETING
We agreed to meet again in the New Year.
GB 25/11/19
Newbrooke Ward Report October 2019
Graeme Barnell Mid Devon District Councillor
Mid Devon estates
I am currently dealing with tenants’ requests for action about broken down vehicles being left on the Tytheing estate in NSC. The legal process required to take ownership of and remove vehicles is very time consuming. However Mid Devon Council is doing its best to sort out these problems.
Road and Cycle Way improvements
The A377 Road Safety Group had its second meeting on 8th October. The meeting was as usual attended by Cllrs Margaret Squires, Cashmore and myself together with officers from the County Council Highways Dept. A new option for a controlled (Toucan) crossing in the centre of Newton village was discussed. Unlike the previous options this plan has the merit of simplicity and will not involve either land purchase and/or taking a large piece of the Village Green. The Parish Council will be posting details on its own webpages and on the Newton Wonder Website for information and comment.
Devon County Council will now submit this plan for an independent Road Safety Audit. This is required by law. If all goes well the scheme could be then approved by the County Council for building work in the next financial year. We’ll be looking for good news after Christmas.
We also discussed the proposed dual use cycle/pedestrian path from Crediton to Exeter. We hope to hold a meeting in early November with the Trustees of the Boniface Trail who have been working to deliver this path. The aim is to provide the Trustees with better support from the statutory agencies.
Finally, we agreed that the next priority for the Group should be safe paths in Half Moon for people on foot. To get this work done we will need to identify some money as there is none available at the moment.
Twenty is Plenty in West Town
With the help of neighbours, I put letter out to 70 households from the A377 turn in NSC along West Town Lane and up to Sherwood seeking views on whether residents support or do not support a proposed: -
There will soon be a meeting with those who are offering help so we can work out a proposal to the PC for the cost and placement of informal signs and the application to DCC for a formal 20mph zone. It has been noted that in neighbouring communities Bramford Speke already has a formal 20mph zone along the main street through the village.
Shobrooke Parish Council are now asking me how they might take forward a similar scheme.
Langford Lorry Traffic
Residents of Langford are asking for action because their lives are being badly affected by a large volume of heavy lorry traffic through their village. I’ve been working with Devon County Councillor Margaret Squires to in an attempt improve matters. These matters are still ongoing.
Climate emergency
I am interested in setting up a local Climate Emergency Action Group across both NSC and Shobrooke. The idea is to bring local people together to: -
Mid Devon Planning and Regeneration
I have the lead role in Cabinet for Planning and Regeneration. This continues to involve me in a lot of work in and around Cullompton and Tiverton where there are major developments planned. At the moment there are no new developments planned in Newbrooke Ward. The Greater Exeter Strategic Plan (GESP) may have implications for our Parishes but this continues to be delayed
Graeme Barnell
District Councillor
Newbrooke Ward
Mid Devon District Council
Halses, West Town,
Newton St Cyres,
Devon,
EX5 5BS
Landline 01392 851308
Mobile 07564541572
Website Page https://www.newtonwonder.net/mid-devon-district-councillor.html
Facebook Page and Messages:- https://www.facebook.com/Graeme-Barnell-District-Councillor-476396543103535/
Mid Devon estates
I am currently dealing with tenants’ requests for action about broken down vehicles being left on the Tytheing estate in NSC. The legal process required to take ownership of and remove vehicles is very time consuming. However Mid Devon Council is doing its best to sort out these problems.
Road and Cycle Way improvements
The A377 Road Safety Group had its second meeting on 8th October. The meeting was as usual attended by Cllrs Margaret Squires, Cashmore and myself together with officers from the County Council Highways Dept. A new option for a controlled (Toucan) crossing in the centre of Newton village was discussed. Unlike the previous options this plan has the merit of simplicity and will not involve either land purchase and/or taking a large piece of the Village Green. The Parish Council will be posting details on its own webpages and on the Newton Wonder Website for information and comment.
Devon County Council will now submit this plan for an independent Road Safety Audit. This is required by law. If all goes well the scheme could be then approved by the County Council for building work in the next financial year. We’ll be looking for good news after Christmas.
We also discussed the proposed dual use cycle/pedestrian path from Crediton to Exeter. We hope to hold a meeting in early November with the Trustees of the Boniface Trail who have been working to deliver this path. The aim is to provide the Trustees with better support from the statutory agencies.
Finally, we agreed that the next priority for the Group should be safe paths in Half Moon for people on foot. To get this work done we will need to identify some money as there is none available at the moment.
Twenty is Plenty in West Town
With the help of neighbours, I put letter out to 70 households from the A377 turn in NSC along West Town Lane and up to Sherwood seeking views on whether residents support or do not support a proposed: -
- Official 20mph speed limit along West Town Lane.
- Informal interim “20 in Plenty” signs along West Town Lane.
There will soon be a meeting with those who are offering help so we can work out a proposal to the PC for the cost and placement of informal signs and the application to DCC for a formal 20mph zone. It has been noted that in neighbouring communities Bramford Speke already has a formal 20mph zone along the main street through the village.
Shobrooke Parish Council are now asking me how they might take forward a similar scheme.
Langford Lorry Traffic
Residents of Langford are asking for action because their lives are being badly affected by a large volume of heavy lorry traffic through their village. I’ve been working with Devon County Councillor Margaret Squires to in an attempt improve matters. These matters are still ongoing.
Climate emergency
I am interested in setting up a local Climate Emergency Action Group across both NSC and Shobrooke. The idea is to bring local people together to: -
- Share information about good practice and other local schemes aimed at reducing greenhouse gases.
- Plan local action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Engage with local authorities, businesses and local people to reduce carbon release.
Mid Devon Planning and Regeneration
I have the lead role in Cabinet for Planning and Regeneration. This continues to involve me in a lot of work in and around Cullompton and Tiverton where there are major developments planned. At the moment there are no new developments planned in Newbrooke Ward. The Greater Exeter Strategic Plan (GESP) may have implications for our Parishes but this continues to be delayed
Graeme Barnell
District Councillor
Newbrooke Ward
Mid Devon District Council
Halses, West Town,
Newton St Cyres,
Devon,
EX5 5BS
Landline 01392 851308
Mobile 07564541572
Website Page https://www.newtonwonder.net/mid-devon-district-councillor.html
Facebook Page and Messages:- https://www.facebook.com/Graeme-Barnell-District-Councillor-476396543103535/
Newbrooke Ward Report August 2019
Road and Cycle Way improvements
I’ve been continuing work to get improvements in road safety, include highway improvements along and adjacent to the A377 and to reduce the need for car use and journeys. Many local people share my belief that we cannot continue with road traffic dividing and dominating our communities in the way that it now does. We need safer road crossing points, more pavements, and dedicated cycle ways.
I am aiming to get a local highways and transport plan agreed by Devon County Council and the Parish Councils. I hope this will give us away forward with the large number of road and transport issues that have been waiting for progress. It should help the local authorities involved to respond to local people who are asking for action.
In July I met with Officers from Devon County Council and County Councillor Margaret Squires together with Roger Cashmore Newton St Cyres Parish Councillor. I am meeting them again in September to discuss how to get this plan done. Like all such plans it will need to be costed with a timetable for implementation. It will also need to be the subject of discussion and consultation with local people
I will be keeping local people informed and updated on progress. If you have views or proposals let me know.
Twenty is Plenty
Some residents along West Town Lane and in Sweetham have told me they want to see a change in speed limits in their locality. The are concerned that 30mph is too fast in narrow country lanes where people live, walk and where children play. The know that this takes time to achieve so they are also asking for informal “Twenty is Plenty” signs along the roads that are causing concern. I agree with this but, before I take this up, I need to ensure that it has the support of most people in these localities. starting in West Town Lane and West Town in September I will be putting a letter in our mailbox asking for your views. Please can you do our best to answer m questions and return this to me.
Langford Lorry Traffic
Residents of Langford are asking for action because their lives are being badly affected by a large volume of heavy lorry traffic through their village. I’ve been working with Devon County Councillor Margaret Squires to in an attempt improve matters.
Climate emergency
I am interested in setting up a local Climate Emergency Action Group. The idea is to bring local people together to: -
- Share information about good practice and other local schemes aimed at reducing greenhouse gases.
- Plan local action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Engage with local authorities, businesses and local people to reduce carbon release.
Graeme Barnell
District Councillor
Newbrooke Ward
Mid Devon District Council
Halses, West Town,
Newton St Cyres,
Devon,
EX5 5BS
Landline 01392 851308
Mobile 07564541572
Website Page https://www.newtonwonder.net/mid-devon-district-councillor.html
Facebook Page and Messages:- https://www.facebook.com/Graeme-Barnell-District-Councillor-476396543103535/
Climate Emergency and the local Parish Councils in Shobrooke and Newton St Cyres
Although the PCs have no premises and few assets they do support and sponsor a number of activities and organisations locally. They are also an important source of leadership in engaging with local businesses, schools and householders.
I hope that the PCs will pass their own climate change resolution along lines of that passed unanimously last week by Mid Devon Council. We need to achieve carbon neutral impact on our environment by 2030.
I would also hope the PCs might also set up their own local Climate Emergency Network and invite local businesses, schools (where there's one locally) , voluntary organisations and residents to join. The idea would be to share information about successes in reducing carbon emissions and examples of good practice both locally and in s imilar communities elsewhere.
Graeme Barnell
District Councillor
Although the PCs have no premises and few assets they do support and sponsor a number of activities and organisations locally. They are also an important source of leadership in engaging with local businesses, schools and householders.
I hope that the PCs will pass their own climate change resolution along lines of that passed unanimously last week by Mid Devon Council. We need to achieve carbon neutral impact on our environment by 2030.
I would also hope the PCs might also set up their own local Climate Emergency Network and invite local businesses, schools (where there's one locally) , voluntary organisations and residents to join. The idea would be to share information about successes in reducing carbon emissions and examples of good practice both locally and in s imilar communities elsewhere.
Graeme Barnell
District Councillor
From Graeme Barnell
Climate emergency—doing our bit
Climate emergency—doing our bit
Mid Devon District Council has vowed to be carbon neutral by 2030 and that all decisions will be considered in light of the climate crisis.
Councillors voted unanimously in favour of declaring a climate crisis and adopting the Devon Climate Change Declaration on Wednesday, June 26. Further to that, the Council has agreed to work to the Devon-wide target or new-zero emissions by 2050 but will aim for Mid Devon to be carbon neutral by 2030, an amendment on the original 2050 date as set out by county council.
The Council will also lobby the Government for the finances and powers to act effectively to undertake the necessary measures to ensure the climate crises can be limited to 1.5 degrees and be carbon neutral by 2030.
As District Counccillor for both Newton St Cyres and Shobrooke I will be reporting to these decsions to the Parish Councils and suggesting the suportthe Mid Devon intiative. we can work together with local peoplle to do out bit in meeting the climate challenge.
https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/decisions-consider-climate-crisis-mid-3035878
Graeme Barnell Newbrooke Ward Councillor Report June 2019
Since my election in May I’ve been busy finding out more about my new responsibilities. I’ve also tackling some of the issues that were raised with me during my campaign.
I have been asked to take on lead responsibility for Planning and Regeneration within the new governing Cabinet of Mid Devon Council. The Cabinet will soon be reviewing our responses to the Government on the Local Plan and our involvement in the Greater Exeter Plan.
At the moment I understand that the Parish is not identified by Mid Devon Council for additional housing. However, I will obviously be keeping a close eye on this and I will update if there is new information. I am committed to involving local people in early discussions about any new housing development plans in the Parish
Cllr Graeme Barnell
Newbrooke Ward
Mid Devon District Council
01392 851308
07564541572
Facebook messaging:- https://www.facebook.com/Graeme-Barnell-District-Councillor-476396543103535/
Web Page:- https://www.newtonwonder.net/mid-devon-district-councillor.html
I am very happy to arrange a private meeting either in your home or his if this is needed.
- Communal areas maintenance at Tytheing Close, Court Orchard, Shuttern Close, and New Estate Sweetham
- Road safety and the environment
- Safe(r) road crossing points across the A377 at Smallbrook (bus stop), Newton Village, Tytheing, and Half Moon.
- Pavements/pathways in Half Moon and along Station Rd (between the school and the Bridge).
- Cycle paths particularly the planned Boniface Trail.
- 20mph speed limits on roads where children play especially those without pavements.
- The safety of the crossroads in Newton Village (A377 junction with Church Lane and Station Rd).
- Extending the Park and Ride service in Crediton
- Speeding along the A377 including Newton Village and Half Moon (Average Speed Camera plans)
- Pollution levels in Newton Village
- Planning and Development
I have been asked to take on lead responsibility for Planning and Regeneration within the new governing Cabinet of Mid Devon Council. The Cabinet will soon be reviewing our responses to the Government on the Local Plan and our involvement in the Greater Exeter Plan.
At the moment I understand that the Parish is not identified by Mid Devon Council for additional housing. However, I will obviously be keeping a close eye on this and I will update if there is new information. I am committed to involving local people in early discussions about any new housing development plans in the Parish
- Contact
Cllr Graeme Barnell
Newbrooke Ward
Mid Devon District Council
01392 851308
07564541572
Facebook messaging:- https://www.facebook.com/Graeme-Barnell-District-Councillor-476396543103535/
Web Page:- https://www.newtonwonder.net/mid-devon-district-councillor.html
I am very happy to arrange a private meeting either in your home or his if this is needed.
2nd May Mid-Devon Council Election Results:
Graeme Barnell wins the election for the Newbrooke Ward with 274 votes
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Graeme Barnell, your new Mid Devon District Councillor, can be contacted on 01392 851308 or on his mobile number 07564541572.
Email: gbarnell@middevon.gov.uk He can also be contacted on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Graeme-Barnell-District-Councillor-476396543103535/ He will be providing details of regular surgeries in the near future. In the meantime please contact him if you need help. |
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TWENTY IS PLENTY -WEST TOWN LANE Newton St Cyres
Since my election as District Councillor for Newbrooke I've been asked by several residents who live along West Town Lane what can be done about speeding traffic along the Lane. This is a typical narrow village road with no pavements, housing abutting the road along its length, children playing on the street and people walking along the road to get to the bus stops and the village shop. Elderly people often cannot hear cars approaching.
In my view Twenty MPH is more than plenty but there are often cars, farm traffic and delivery vans driving much too fast down the lane.
I think we should be asking for an official 20mph limit or zone along the length of West Town Lane. In the meantime, it’s been suggested we put up our own unofficial "Twenty is Plenty" and also ""children playing" signs along the lane. Many villages have done this and have reported success in reducing speeding.
Are you a resident of West Town Lane, Woodlands, Meadowlands or Marsh Lane? What do you think about these ideas? Please let me know. If you think this is not a good idea let me know too. Do you have any other suggestions to make? Read more about Twenty is Plenty in different parts of the country and send me a message me on my District Councillor Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/Graeme-Barnell-District-Councillor-476396543103535/
You can also Email me at gbarnell@middevon.gov.uk, Alternatively call me on 01392-851308.
Graeme Barnell
District Councillor
In my view Twenty MPH is more than plenty but there are often cars, farm traffic and delivery vans driving much too fast down the lane.
I think we should be asking for an official 20mph limit or zone along the length of West Town Lane. In the meantime, it’s been suggested we put up our own unofficial "Twenty is Plenty" and also ""children playing" signs along the lane. Many villages have done this and have reported success in reducing speeding.
Are you a resident of West Town Lane, Woodlands, Meadowlands or Marsh Lane? What do you think about these ideas? Please let me know. If you think this is not a good idea let me know too. Do you have any other suggestions to make? Read more about Twenty is Plenty in different parts of the country and send me a message me on my District Councillor Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/Graeme-Barnell-District-Councillor-476396543103535/
You can also Email me at gbarnell@middevon.gov.uk, Alternatively call me on 01392-851308.
Graeme Barnell
District Councillor