Town Council asks for comments by Monday – the Green Wedge Group’s views are below

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The Save the Green Wedge Group has sent me these comments about the Seaton-Colyton Green Wedge – they ask people to send in their views to the Town Council before its planning meeting on Monday (17th) and to EDDC by the 27th:

“Retention of the Green Wedge between Seaton and Colyford.  The current Local Plan states “Seaton’s outstanding natural environment is its most precious and defining asset, and policies for the conservation, enhancement and sensitive management of the landscape, heritage and wildlife of the area will be prominent.”  Seaton is the only East Devon town with such a designation, identity and protection through the Local Plan.  This Green Wedge is vital in preserving this unique natural environment and any reduction in its size to enable any house building on it would have a hugely detrimental effect on:

1.      the exceptional local natural environment; 

2.      the town’s tourism offer and future economy;

3.      its role of preserving the identity of the settlements of Seaton and Colyford which ensures that there is no coalescence of the two communities; 

4.      would increase the likelihood of urban sprawl;

5.      would, particularly importantly, irreparably destroy the current foraging and commuting habitats for a number of European Protected bat species, the grey long-eared being one of the rarest mammals in the UK and the rarest bat.  The preservation of this habitat is essential in maintaining the conservation status of this colony. Natural England states, in response to a proposal to build within the Seaton/Colyford Green Wedge, that it is not possible to ascertain that such a proposal would not result in adverse effects on site integrity.

6.      loss of biodiversity and rare wild life

7.      loss of prime agricultural land

8.      result in further flooding to surrounding housing and to the Wetlands which recently had to close because it became impassable to visitors.  

9.      impact on the ecology of the Wetlands, marshes and sea from increased discharge of sewage

10.   would be unsustainable because there is no access to the town centre from this site that can cope with increased traffic, and the site is beyond the accepted 800m norm for residents to access services.

As the land designated LSE2 has not been developed for over 25 years, it should be returned to Green Wedge.”

Housing

  1. Reinstatement in the emerging Plan of EDDC’s commitment to restrict any further significant housing developments beyond the existing Built-up Area boundary by locating the majority of the required 150 houses within the existing town.  The pressure to exchange Green Wedge space for housing should be resisted; this land can never be replaced. 
  1. Seaton has already delivered or received planning approval for in excess of 779 dwellings against its requirement in the current Local Plan to 2026 of 638 dwellings.  The town has therefore already contributed enormously to East Devon’s housing requirement and should not have to sacrifice its natural environment and therefore its identity and future tourist economy for yet further housing outside its built up area boundary.  

3. Reinstatement in the emerging Plan of EDDC’s acknowledgement that community facilities in Seaton  – school, health, social and cultural – are seen as borderline or inadequate with no capacity to serve additional residents.  Such infrastructure has declined even further over the last few years with more housing but loss of hospital facilities, reduced bus services and fewer NHS dentists.

    Town Centre

    To reinstate the commitment as stated in the adopted Plan that the priority for the town will be the enhancement of the environment and business opportunities within the town centre. 

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