“Protect Ottery St Mary” is the banner for our group of residents concerned at imminent development proposals which will have a serious effect upon our town if they are allowed to go ahead by East Devon District Council (EDDC). We aimed to reach every Ottery household with our leaflets, which may have had an influence in the tremendous turn-out for the open meeting of the Town Council Planning Comm-ittee on January 9th.

Views expressed at that meeting showed that concern is wide-spread and we have been heartened by the response of other residents to our initiatives. Within a month the group has been strengthened by more than 50 supporters.

The Town Council resolved to re-iterate its stance to EDDC that, in the new Local Plan, development in Ottery should not exceed 300 houses in the period to 2026 and that all new housing should be on the west side of town. Further, brown-field sites (i.e. the factory site) should be developed before any greenfield sites. If accepted by EDDC this will be helpful in the longer term but there is still an urgent need to protect the town from unwelcome developments in the immediate future.

Butts Road Development   -  Planning application is imminent

Redrow Homes have indicated that they will submit their Planning Application for (up to) 140 homes on the fields at the end of Butts Road at the end of January 2012.   We think that there are very valid reasons for opposing this:

• The detrimental effect of extra traffic through Butts Road – presently a quiet residential road

• The increase of extra traffic into the town via North Street, Paternoster Row, Cornhill, Silver Street and the town centre itself adding to the existing congestion.

• The estate would be on a greenfield site of Grade 2 agricultural land.  If approved this would set a precedent and there is currently interest in developments off Chineway Road and Gerway Lane.

• The estate would be outside the present built-up area boundary of the town –this boundary is maintained in the draft new Local Plan.

• The estate would not meet the Town Council’s criteria to be incorporated in the future Local Plan as it is not on the west side of town.

We expect many residents will not welcome these proposals and, if so, it is important to make your formal objections in the very short timeframe available (only two or three weeks) from display of the notice. Objections can be lodged by post, email or on the EDDC website under a reference code shown on the notice. Don’t leave it to others - the number of people who object is a very important consideration for the Planning Authority (EDDC) and also you should cite the reasons for making the objection.

If you need any assistance or information - or if you wish to help -  please get in touch with any of us.
Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or phone 01404 813049
Helen Dickason, Andy Dickason, Richard North, Glenys North, Malcolm Macdonald.