Food Traffic Waste Globalisation Housing Climate Planning
Campaign Updates : Click on any of the buttons above

Housing

New Towns

In December 1998, at a hastily arranged meeting, Devon County Council agreed to a figure of 75,800 new homes in Devon until the year 2011. Implicit in this figure was the fact that two new towns would be required - One near Ivybridge in South Hams and another near Broadclyst in East Devon.
This decision ...
  • failed to take into account new figures on inward migration,
  • failed to heed trends indicated in the new South West Regional Strategy
  • failed to comply with PPG13 guidance on the sustainable size and location of New Communities,
  • failed to take into account the new approach to housing location in John Prescott's February 1998 statement on greenfield housing,
  • and failed to appreciate the enormous weight of public feeling against New Towns.
Time will establish that this was a cowardly and controversial decision. Devon has been meekly handed over to the housebuilders.
If a sustainable and supportable figure of 60,000 homes was selected, then there would be no requirement for New Towns.

This decision, however, is not the final hurdle that housebuilders have to leap over to desecrate our countryside. This is only the Structure Plan stage.

Local Plans
East Devon and South Hams now have to agree their Local Plan which has to be in "general conformity" to the Structure Plan. Since the Local Plan takes precedence over the Structure Plan, it is reasonable to assume that a Local Plan should take into account more up-to-date thinking on Housing.

Two recent events indicate that East Devon and South Hams must consider a path of non conformity with an out-of-date Structure Plan...

  • The new draft PPG3 housing guidance envisages giving Local Authorities greater powers to stop Greenfield Housing, including a sequential test which forces developers to use brownfield land first.
  • The announcement that the national housing requirement to year 2021 is to drop to 3.8 million homes (from 4.4 million by the year 2016).
There is an overpowering case for a Local Plan with no New Towns. If District Authorities cave in like Devon County Council, then it will be up to the people of Devon to take direct action "in the public interest".

New SaveDevon website

To coincide with the 2001 Devon County Council Elections, a website has been setup to help people vote for candidates that will stop the damage to Devon's countryside caused by New Towns and housing sprawl. Candidates supporting the Sustainable Housing Declaration are listed.

Click on the SaveDevon website

Empty Homes Campaign


Exeter Friends of the Earth campaigners were out-and-about in Exeter on the 24th April 1999 campaigning against Devon's Empty Homes scandal. Click here for details
We held up banners in front of the Old Eye Infirmary in Magdalen Street (empty - but eminently suitable for housing), and then marched up and down the High St with our banners. Click here for pictures

Name and Shame

The following are those 34 County Councillors who FAILED to vote against the Structure Plan provision for 75,800 houses.
  • Brian Greenslade - Lib Dem leader (Barnstaple North)
  • Rod Ruffle - Lib Dem (Exeter - Alphington and St Thomas)
  • Lesley Whittaker - Lib Dem (Ashburton and Buckfastleigh)
  • Ivan Pollard - Lib Dem (Barnstaple South)
  • Brian Berman - Lib Dem (Belvedere)
  • Mervyn Lane - Lib Dem (Bideford)
  • Nolan Clarke - Lib Dem (Bovey)
  • Derrick Spear - Lib Dem (Braunton North)
  • Kate Bulley - Lib Dem (Cullompton Rural)
  • John Glanvill - Lib Dem (Clyst Vale)
  • Mike Knight - Lib Dem (Combe Martin Rural)
  • Jean Palk - Lib Dem (Crediton Rural)
  • Bill Buckle - Lib Dem (Dawlish)
  • Andrew Siantonas - Lab (Exeter Exwick and Cowick)
  • Jill Owen - Lab (Rougemont and St Leonards)
  • Graham Oakes - Lib Dem (Exeter St Davids and Pennsylvania)
  • Richard Westlake - Lab (Exeter Stoke Hill and Polsloe)
  • Saxon Spence - Lab (Exeter Pinhoe and Whipton)
  • Ken Turner - Lib Dem (Exmouth Withycombe)
  • Reg Cane - Lib Dem (Fremlington Rural)
  • Des Shadrick - Lib Dem (Holsworthy Rural)
  • John Smith - Lib Dem (Kingsteignton)
  • Graham Wickham - Lib Dem (Newton Abbot East)
  • Fred Symons - Lib Dem (Newton Abbot West)
  • Frank Elliott - Lib Dem (Northam Rural)
  • Colleen Herriman - Lib Dem (Okehampton Rural)
  • Margaret Rogers - Lib Dem (Seaton Rural)
  • Francis Venner - Lib Dem (South Molton Rural)
  • Roy Cook - Lib Dem (Tavistock)
  • Mary Strudwick (Teignmouth)
  • Phil Cook - Lib Dem (Teignbridge South)
  • Rena Hobson - Lib Dem (Tiverton East)
  • Bill Brook - Lib Dem (Torrington Rural)
  • Gretta Madigan - Lib Dem (Yelverton)

Email List

Join our mailing list
Latest Update:
May 2001
Web page updated by Maurice Spurway - Exeter Friends of the Earth
email: with any comments
Have Your Say