Elmfield Nursery Development

Jeremy and I have both written to the Planning Inspectorate and Exeter City Council.  The Planning Inspectorate has replied to each of us, making points like:

- Our file has been destroyed.  So we can't check.

- The Inspector accepts the accuracy of drawings in good faith.

- If he had spotted an error he would have said so.

- Once the appeal decision has been issued it can only be overturned by the High Court.

- Since the Secretary of State's decision was taken in 2005, we no longer have jurisdiction.

- Contact the Council about this.

Exeter City Council has not responded.

If you have written and had any response from any one, please let me know and I'll put it up.

Hemlock Gone

The hemlock has now been uprooted.  Thanks to all who helped.

Some seedlings may emerge next year, but we will have to wait to see if they are hemlock or cow parsley before we uproot them again.

Elmfield: The Chairman's Letter

Dear Sir

The attention of the Taddyforde Residents' Association has been drawn to the substantial inaccuracy of certain building heights in the plans submitted for the Elmfield Nursery Development (05/0551/03).

It is clear that the height of Streatham Lodge has been misrepresented on the plans and that this has led our members and all other interested parties to believe that the overall height of the development would be considerably lower than is in fact the case.  This of course explains why the emerging buildings appear much higher to us all than was expected.

We feel most strongly that we have been denied the opportunity to make objections at the planning stage on grounds of height because we have been misled.  We have all been effectively disenfranchised by the misrepresentation.

We also feel that Exeter City Council and the Planning Inspectorate have failed in their duty to scrutinise and review the planning application.  Misleading information was presented to the public.

The whole application process, as a result of these issues was, it is clear, flawed.  The approval should be set aside now and building work stopped immediately to allow the re-opening of the application.

Yours faithfully

Peter Cobbold (Chair, Taddyforde Residents' Association).

10.06.08

Elmfield Error

Elmfield Development (05/0551/03)

A neighbour in Streatham Rise has noticed that the plans for the development include a cross section drawing which misrepresents the height of Block C (on New North Road opposite Streatham Lodge) in relation to Streatham Lodge.  The Lodge is shown as being 4 metres lower than Block C.  It is actually 8 metres lower.  The same might apply to The Chalet in Taddyforde.  Obviously the two existing dwellings were included for purposes of comparison and give a false impression of the development's relationship to the environment.

The Council Planning Department has confirmed this, but claims that the development does conform to the plans approved for the site and they can, therefore, take no further action.  In any case Exeter City Council did not approve the application.  It was approved by the Secretary of State after and investigation by the Planning Inspectorate.

However, this misrepresentation means that people who would have objected on the grounds of height were denied the opportunity to do so.

Exeter City Council is guilty of maladministration by failing to check the drawings made available to the public.  The same might be said of the Planning Inspectorate.

The application should now be set aside and all work on the development suspended while this discrepancy is investigated and corrected.

The more letters both parties receive the more likely they are to take notice.

Please send your views to:

Mr. Richard Short

Head of Planning Services

Exeter City Council

Civic Centre

Paris Street

Exeter

EX1 1NN

And:

Mr. Peter Robottom

Director of Operations

The Planning Inspectorate

Temple Quay

Bristol

BS1 6PN

Hemlock

It has been pointed out that we have a lot of poison hemlock in Taddyforde and that it's well named (three alkaline poisons, in all parts of the plant: LD50 for mice is 12mg per kg for the most potent of them). It is, of course, what they used to kill Socrates. It's tall (up to 10 feet), has reddish-purple streaks and spots on the stems and flowers around now.

The proposal is that we cut it down before the seeds mature. It's a biennial, which means that the individual plants won't grow up again. Please let me know if you object.

In the mean time, don't eat it and tell your children not to.

Cow parsley

Cow parsley (which we also have) is much smaller, doesn't have the reddish bits on the stems and flowers a month earlier. It's now setting seed. Personally I quite like it so if no-one objects I will leave the cow parsley alone. Unlike hemlock it's quite harmless.

Jeremy Cushing

Hickling Cottage