CPRE News
COUNTRYSIDE ENTHUSIAST? Part Time Secretary wanted. Our East Devon group need someone to run a small committee and support the chairman. Dealing with minutes and general admin. A general knowledge of planning applications would be useful but not necessary. Lots of enthusiasm. Majority of work can be done from home and there are other committee members to help. Own transport needed and expenses will be reimbursed. 1-2 part days per week (Tuesdays and Thursdays), one evening per month and local meetings 6 times per year (2 hrs). For more information please contact Mrs Marion Trotter at info@cpredevon.org or 01395 597 405.
BATSWORTHY CROSS COMMITTEE MEETING POSTPONED. This was due to be held 2nd February but now is expected in 2-3 weeks time. For the official memo click here. See also the NDCC website and North Devon Journal.
THE LATEST NORTH DEVON NEWSLETTER HAS JUST BEEN PUBLISHED Click here to read it.
BEST KEPT VILLAGE AND PAM PARKER MAP COMPETITIONS 2009
Application forms are now available - Click here to go to the BKV page.
"GOODWILL PAYMENTS" - COMMUNITY FUNDS OR BRIBERY?
Payments are regularly made by wind turbine developers to local communities to ensure that the planning process runs smoothly. CPRE believes this should be banned as it adds considerable bias towards the application. Look on our campaigns page for more information.
BEST KEPT VILLAGE COMPETITION - RESULTS Please click here to go to the BKV page. Also on the BKV page the results of the PAM PARKER CHILDREN'S MAP COMPETITION.
RENEWABLE ENERGY OBLIGATIONS AND THE CLIMATE CHANGE LEVY. Our North Devon Chairman Bob Barfoot has been working with John Constable, Director of Policy and Research at the Renewable Energy Foundation to produce an explanation of RO. To read their paper click here.
DEN BROOK VALLEY WIND FARM - PLANNING PERMISSION QUASHED
As a result of the Den Brook Valley Judicial Review Team’s legal actions, the Secretary of State has quashed the
unlawful planning permission for the mid Devon wind farm. The application will now have to go back to the
Planning Inspectorate to determine the next step. To read the full press release click here.
DRAFT PROPOSAL ISSUED BY THE BOUNDARY COMMISSION
On 7th July the Commission released its draft proposal; that Plymouth and Torbay remain as unitary bodies and that the rest of Devon became another unitary body. A summary of the proposal as well as the full draft can be seen on the commission website or by clicking on the highlighted links. (The full proposal runs to 46 pages)
We believe that this is an undemocratic structure as the ability for local input, especially with regard to planning applications, will be lost. Currently the Local Authorities are responsible for planning, housing, leisure and recreation, waste collection, the environment and revenue collection. In areas outside Plymouth and Torbay these would become the responsiblity of a single body. We feel that the practical issues have not been thought through sufficiently and that in many areas the proposal would be unworkable.
Please read the documents and add your voice to the many who are already opposed to a single Devon unitary body. If sufficient people are against Concept A it is possible that one of the other Concepts will be proposed. To see an extract of the concepts click here. There is an on-line submission form on the Devon reorganisation page on the Commission website.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT REVIEW OF DEVON
On 6 February 2008 the Secretary of State requested the Boundary Committee for England to advise her on the unitary proposals made by Exeter City Council, Ipswich Borough Council and Norwich City Council. As a result of this the Boundary Committee is now looking at options to replace Devon County Council and the eight district councils in Devon with a single tier of unitary authorities. An Advice Note which sets out the procedure and the timetable is available at the Boundary Committee website.
North Devon District Council states in a letter to all parish councillors that:
"This review comes in light of Exeter City Council's failed bid to become a Unitary Council. In turning down the proposal the Government said it wanted to relook at Exeter in the context of options for unitary local government right across Devon"
CPRE has grave concerns over the way that this review will affect all of our lives. Tim Hale, Chairman of CPRE Devon, has written a letter to the Boundary Committee which sets out these concerns. This letter, along with the submissions made by all of the local authorities in Devon, local organisations, parish councils, and individuals, can be accessed from the Boundary Committee website by clicking here.
The Boundary Commission intends to publish its draft proposals on 7 July. There will then be a 12 week public consultation. It is vital that the public responds to this consultation if we are to influence these proposals which will affect our lives for generations to come. Please consider mking your views know to the Committee.
April 2008 CPRE Devon commission groundbreaking report in wind farm visualisations. Following questions raised about the accuracy of developer's photomontages of proposed wind farms CPRE Devon commissioned Architech Animation Studios Ltd to review them.To read a summary of the report click here.
Click here to see photos. (NB for those with dial up the file size is 3.5MB)
