Dawlish Discussion

This link should take you to the latest version of the Dawlish Parish Neighbourhood Plan.

http://www.teignbridge.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=33259&p=0

It is the version that will be going to the independent examiner next month for his, non-binding, comments.

As with previous drafts we are able to comment.

If you sent TDC comments on the first draft plan that was out for public consultation last September and/or you sent in comments on the TDC wide preferred options core strategy that was out for consultation in February then you should have received through the post a letter from TDC telling you all about the dates and times of when this independent examination will take place and how you can, if you so wish, speak at that examination or, if you have no wish to speak, how to let the examiner have your comments.

I say "you should have received" because although I know some have received that letter from TDC I, for one, have not. I don't know why this is as I sent in comments on both the September and February consultations. If you are like me and have not received official notification from TDC about this latest version of the plan and details of the public examination, then I suggest you contact the following and let him know as I believe it is his name on the letter that has been sent out.

Tristan.Peat@Teignbridge.gov.uk

I received the letter a couple of days ago.

@Lynne

I understand your frustration that not all the paperwork has reached you, but TDC officers have had to redraft the Dawlish Parish Neighbourhood Plan (DPNP) at very short order following the last Steering Group meeting when (I think it does not break confidence to say it) the SG insisted on certain changes even though the DPNP will now be at odds with some aspects of the Core Strategy Preferred Options.

TDC has to issue the complete documentation to a strict timetable in order to keep to the Examination dates of 23 and 24 April and I think they may have worked through the night to do it.

Some copies of the new plan have been distributed to Dawlish and should be in the Library if you can't find one anywhere else.

Be aware that if you wish to speak at the Examination on any subject you must fill in the notification and return it by next Thursday 5th April. There 's point in speaking in suppport as well as to object, and I am sure that potential developers won't be slow to ask to speak and make their case, especially in light of today's announcement.

Bob

@ Bob,

Like Neilh it seems that other people received those letters a couple of days ago. Had I not been 'in the loop' I would have known nothing about it or its contents given that I didn't receive one when other people did and I have still not received one as I type this. Others may be in the same situation as me but maybe blissfully unaware that they have not received this letter from TDC telling them about the date of the public examination and that they can participate if they so wish etc.

I appreciate that TDC officers may have had extra work but that does that explain why I didn't receive a letter? Maybe it got lost in the post. I don't know. All I know is that I haven't received one and that it may be the case that others haven't either.

Yes, I understand that the changes that the Steering Group insisted on being made now means that the plan going forward to the independent examiner (that's the one that you can access via the link in my first posting above) is different from the plan for Dawlish as put out for consultation by TDC in February in its preferred option core strategy.

As you say, I am sure developers who now find (according to the SG's version of the Dawlish Local Plan) that their ambitions might now be thwarted will be only to quick and able to make their point to the independent examiner about how 'correct' TDC's core strategy version for Dawlish is compared to the steering group's version.

Will it be planners and developers who win (preferred options TDC core strategy) or the Dawlish people via their representatives on the steering group?

It will be interesting to see the outcome.

If I can get my hands on a copy of that letter I'll put details of times, dates, deadlines etc on here just in case, as I say, others who are interested in all of this have also not received any official notification.

@Lynne. one point of order. it's not a case of planners/developers versus dawlishians!!! as you well know, there are plenty of people who live in the town and nearby hamlets who are in favour of the plans. please do not do your campaign a disservice by claiming that our favouring is being 'anti-dawlish'. thanks.

@Nelson, if you, or others in dawlish, disagree with what those on the steering group are suggesting on behalf of the towns people then your argument is with them not with me.

What I am saying is, that even if, just for the sake of argument, every single person in Dawlish parish agreed with the steering group's version for the future of Dawlish and that therefore every single person in Dawlish parish also disagreed with the version for Dawlish as put forward by TDC in its preferred option strategy - it may well be, for all sorts of reasons, that it will be the version as put forward by the planners and developers (TDC core strategfy) that will come out tops in the end.

Extract from letter re Dawlish Neighbourhood Plan Examination:

1. The Hearing Sessions (independent examination) will be held on Monday 23rd April 2012 and Tuesday 24th April 2012 at the Strand Church. Members of the public are welcome to attend and listen to the discussions.

2. The Monday session will run from 2.00pm -5.00pm, the Tuesday session will run from 11.00am -8.30pm.

3.The Inspector is providing individuals/organisations with the opportuntity to speak at the hearing. If you wish to do so you must make a request in writing by completing and returning the attached form as soon as possible but no later than Thursday 5th April 2012.

4. You will also need to submit a statement on one or all of the issues being explored. Your statement is strictly limited to 1000 words per issue. You can also submit a written statement even if you do not wish to speak. Your statement should be received by no later than 5.00pm on Thursday 12th April 2012.

5. Based on the statements received the Inspector wil decide who will be invited to speak. If you have been chosen you will be advised by telephone or email by Wednesday 18th April 2012.

6. If you do not want to speak at the hearing sessins there will be an opportunity for individuals to raise matters relevant to the Plan during the evening session on Tuesday 24th April 2012 between 6.00pm and 8.30pm

Agenda for the informal examination of the Dawlish Plan as put forward by the Steering Group.

Monday 23rd April 2012

2.00pm - 2.15pm Opening Remarks by the Inspector

2.15pm - 2.30pm Statement from the Neighbourhood Planning Steering Group

2.30pm - 5.00pm Structured discussion on housing growth

Tuesday 24th April 2012

11.00am - 1.00pm Structured discussion on the balance between housing and jobs

2.00pm - 4.00pm Structrured discussion on protecting the environment

6.00pm - 8.30pm Opportunity for individuals to raise other matters relevant to the plan

I was going to spend some time today comparing and contrasting the future plans for Dawlish as per the TDC preferred core strategy document that was put out for consultation in Feb. and the future plans for Dawlish as per that put forward and just made public by the Dawlish N'bourhood Plan Steering Group. However, as I see there is an article in today's Gazette about all of this (see page 2) I'll quote from that article instead

"Despite matching the Teignbridge draft Core Strategy, the district wide plan, in terms of housing numbers and aspirations for the area, the Dawlish Plan differs over two areas of land use.

The Dawlish steering group has recommended that a field south of Shutterton should not be used for housing as is suggested in the Core Strategy and three hectares of employment land adjacent to Langdon Hospital in the draft Core Strategy, is moved to the east of the A379, next to Sainsbury's, in the Dawlish plan".

(and if anyone from the steering group should read this posting and would like to inform us about any other changes, if there are any, I'm sure we would be only to pleased to have your input).

@Lynne. the point is that it's not, as you put it, "planners v. people of dawlish", and it would be highly disingenuous of anyone to suggest/spin that it is.

@Nelson: i've lost count of the number of times over the years that i've heard councillors, and councillors from different political parties and who are, or have been, councillors of different local authorities say " planners and planning policies decide what happens. not councillors." and for the purposes of this discussion i'll add in the word 'citizens' to the "not councillors".

Just had an e-mail in from TDC to say that they have now checked their records re the 'missing' letter and it does indeed seem to be the case that they didn't send one out to me and about 20 other people as well.

Letters, by 1st class post, are now on their way to all who were left out.