2022-12-31-accounts - The Devon Branch Of The Campaign To Protect Rural England CIO

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Devon Voice Newsletter - Summer 2023

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Photograph © Joe Ashworth
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Welcome to our Summer Newsletter

Although many of us, looking out of our windows may be wondering if it is indeed summer, we could hardly have a greater contrast with the long hot summer of 2022. The judges of the Devon’s Best Churchyard competition are pleased that they were able to complete all the visits in the fine weather we enjoyed in June, they are now busy deliberating on the winner of what will be a very close competition this year. There is also plenty of time for any promising young landscape artists to get out and about, we are waiting excitedly for the entries for this year’s competition (see details elsewhere in this newsletter).

Our campaigning work continues to focus on the proliferation of solar arrays covering up our farmland, and our campaign slogan remains Grass not Glass. Applications for more and more giant solar installations continue to be submitted all across the county, even in areas where the council planners admit that it is uncertain whether the local electricity infrastructure can actually cope with the extra energy which will be generated. The fact that many of the panels being installed are made in China using forced labour is beginning to be more widely recognised. Surely our net zero target can be met while still paying due regard to human rights?

In our last newsletter we drew attention to the fact that our water supply is not being upgraded to meet the extra demand put on it by the thousands of new homes being built. The rainfall we have been experiencing these last weeks should at least be helping to refill our reservoirs, but it may still not be enough to tide us through another period of drought. We will continue to campaign to ensure that the true impact

of new housebuilding on our communities and environment is taken fully into account, in spite of being accused of nimbyism. It is not nimbyism to raise legitimate concerns. You may have seen that National CPRE has a new CEO, Roger Mortlock. Devon branch had a very positive meeting with Roger in June. His previous work with the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust has provided him with a sound understanding of rural issues and we look forward to working more closely with him and with national office in the near future.

We need your help! We are asking for our members who live near solar arrays to report back to us about how the land under the PV panels is being managed. We know that most people believe that farming continues unhindered under these panels (because that's what the developers say!), but in our opinion, people are being misled on this issue. Remember that farmland is also being used to grow biofuel crops and biomass for anaerobic digesters. We believe it is vital that any loss of productive agricultural land must be accurately assessed before we risk facing serious food shortages.

Finally, despite the awful weather we enjoyed being at the North Devon Show and once again had a very good day at the Chagford Show. We are also pleased to say that we will be holding our AGM as a proper face to face event this year, details later in this newsletter. We hope that we will see you there. As always, please contact us with any local issues where you think we can help.

Rebecca Bartleet, Chairman

The views expressed in Devon Voice are not necessarily those of Devon CPRE, which welcom es independent com m ent.

Annual General Meeting

LOCAL EVENTS If you are aware of any events in your area which you think we could take part in, please do let us know.

All members are invited to our Annual General Meeting which this year will be held in the Garden Room, at RHS Rosemoor, Great Torrington on Thursday 12th October at 2.30pm.

This will be our first in person AGM since the pandemic and we do hope you will be able to join us. We are also delighted to welcome our guest speaker this year, Sir Geoffrey Cox KC MP (Torridge & West Devon). This will be a great opportunity to hear from Sir Geoffrey and to put your questions to him.

For catering purposes it would be helpful if you could let Penny know whether you will be able to join us. Please call 01392 966737 or email director@cpredevon.org.uk. See page 5 for full details.

North Devon and Chagford Shows

Despite the wet and windy weather and an awful lot of mud, we enjoyed being at the North Devon Show along with the Chagford Show, which is always such an enjoyable day.

KEEPING YOU INFORMED As a member, are you receiving our monthly eBulletin?

Our monthly eBulletins contain up to date news about our campaigns around

the county. If you are not currently receiving these, please drop Penny an email with your email address to info@cpredevon.org.uk.

You can of course unsubscribe at any time.

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April eBulletin
I am sure that many of you will have read the recent news affecting farmers on Dartmoor.
Natural England has come up with a set of proposals which not only have caused huge
concern amongst the farmers and commoners but risk the loss of an ancient tradition of land
management and even threatens the future of the Dartmoor pony. We have met with the
representatives of the Dartmoor farming community and have pledged our support to them.
We will be following this story with great interest and will report on any progress in this
matter. Giant solar installations continue to be another major concern, and we have to report that the
decision for one of the current applications has been deferred.
Meanwhile, in spite of the uncertain spring weather, our judges have started their annual
Welcome to our
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Welcome to our
June eBulletin
As things continue to get back to normal following the after-effects of lockdown, Devon CPRE is busier than ever
as our members ask us for help. We are seeing planning applications for even more housing development as
every day we read that the new housing supply is failing to meet government targets. However, in Devon that
target has been met, and over-delivered in some cases. We will continue to question the need for more houses
in the wrong places and to fight poor planning which puts so much extra pressure on our failing infrastructure.
New applications for giant solar installations on farmland continue to be submitted, even though it is now openly
acknowledged that the National Grid in its current state cannot cope with the amount of intermittent renewable
systems being proposed also concern us, as experts continue to warn of the possible risks. energy already being produced, let alone that generated by even more installations. The giant battery storage
I am sure many of you will be dismayed by the realisation that both our two main political parties remain
committed to the target of reaching Net Zero by 2050 regardless of the cost and impact on the environment. We
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Bishop of Exeter Called on Government to Address Rural and Coastal Housing Crisis

The Bishop of Exeter has used his final speech in the House of Lords to ask the Government what its plans are to address the housing crisis in rural and coastal communities.

The Rt. Rev’d Robert Atwell is due to retire in September after nine years as Bishop of Exeter and two years in the House of Lords.

He addressed Parliament’s upper house during a debate.

The Diocese of Exeter covers the county of Devon and is one of the largest rural dioceses in England. With two coastlines, it also has a number of coastal communities.

In his speech, Bishop Robert accused the government of falling “woefully short” of its own affordable housing targets.

He listed second homes and Airbnb properties as among the reasons for the lack of housing for people on low incomes.

According to recent research by Middlemarch Team Devon, the amount

of rental properties listed as available in the county has fallen below 700.

According to Devon County Council, at the current rate, it will take 32 years to clear the backlog of people waiting for social housing.

Bishop Robert is calling for systemic change to address the problem.

He also says the Church has a “significant part to play,” as highlighted in the Coming Home report by the Archbishop’s Commission on Housing.

He said “Without partnership and systemic change, the spiral of deprivation will become more acute. We need cross-departmental working and cross-party agreement to forge a coherent long-term strategy that will secure good housing and the flourishing of our rural and coastal communities.”

Coming Home Report:

https://www.churchofengland.org/abou t/archbishops-commissions/housingchurch-and-community/about-cominghome

Rt. Rev’d Robert Atwell

This year's festival has over 60 events for all ages. A printed programme will be available from late August.

For the full list of events in date order, and how to book, visit Exmoor - Dark Skies Festival at: www.exmoornationalpark.gov.uk. Events include:

Guided Stargazing
Planetarium Sessions at Tiverton
and Dunster

YOUR VOICE in DEVON VOICE

We hope you enjoy our Summer newsletter, which contains news, updates and information on issues and campaigns from around the county, as well as articles from a variety of contributors, for which we are very grateful.

We welcome articles, letters, comments and photos for our newsletters.

Please email Penny Mills: info@cpredevon.org.uk

Astronomy Talks & Presentations
Ranger guided Night Walks
Nature and Nocturnal Wildlife Safaris
Stargazing Suppers
Well-being Sessions
Stargazing Hotel Breaks

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Competition
2023
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Who will be this year's winner? With all the entries now visited, the results will be announced in September.

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Photograph © Joe Ashworth
Devon Voice Newsletter - Summer 2023
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Devon Voice Newsletter - Spring 2023
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Photograph © Joe Ashworth
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ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

OF THE DEVON BRANCH OF THE CAMPAIGN TO PROTECT RURAL ENGLAND CIO

Thursday 12th October 2023 at 2.30pm at The Garden Room, RHS Rosemoor, Great Torrington, EX38 8PH

AGENDA

1. To receive apologies for absence.

2. To confirm and sign the minutes of the previous meeting held on 20th October 2022.

3. To receive and approve the Annual Report.

4. To receive the Annual Accounts for the year ending 31st December 2022.

5. To appoint the Independent Examiner.

6. Election of Officers (President and Vice President), Trustees/Executive Committee.

7. Any other business.

8. Guest Speaker: The Rt Hon Sir Geoffrey Cox KC MP (Torridge & West Devon).

Minutes of the AGM held on 20th October 2022 via Zoom

The Chairman, Rebecca Bartleet, opened the meeting with a warm welcome to our many members who had joined us on line and explained a few 'housekeeping' rules regarding Zoom meetings. She was pleased to note that as many members had joined us virtually as had previously attended our AGMs in person. Agenda Items

1 . Apologies for Absence. There were 3 apologies for absence.

2 . To confirm and sign the minutes of the previous meeting held on 30th September 2021. There being no questions, approval of the minutes was proposed by Ivan Buxton and seconded by Phillip Bratby and unanimously approved.

3 . To receive and approve the Annual Report. The report had been sent by post to all members and had also been posted on the website. There being no questions, approval was proposed by Dale Hall and seconded by Ivan Buxton and unanimously approved.

4 . To receive the Annual Accounts for the year ending 31st December 2021. The Hon Treasurer, Mike Best, gave a short presentation on the accounts and asked for any questions. There being none, acceptance was proposed by Steve Crowther and seconded by Phillip Bratby and unanimously approved.

5 . To appoint the Independent Examiner. The Hon Treasurer, Mike Best, proposed Ian Barrett FCA FCIE of Barretts, Newton Abbot as Independent Examiner. Seconded by Rebecca Bartleet and unanimously approved.

6 . Election of Officers - President, Vice President,Trustees/Executive Committee. The Chairman explained that we would seek to find a new President. She proposed for the election of Vice President, Robin Hogg, and for the election of the Trustees to be elected 'en bloc' - Rebecca Bartleet, Ivan Buxton, Phillip Bratby, Steve Crowther, Dale Hall, Mike Best. Proposed by Warwick Knowles and seconded by Sarah Coffin and unanimously approved.

7 . Any Other Business. Ed Parr Ferris from Devon Wildlife Trust gave a very interesting and detailed presentation regarding the Devon Nature Recovery Network Map. And he was able to answer several questions from members explaining the scope of the map.

The meeting closed with the Chairman thanking everybody who had managed to join us on line and was glad that the meeting had once again worked without any problems.

In accordance with the constitution, there was a brief online meeting of the Trustees in which Rebecca Bartleet was confirmed as Chairman.

THE DEVON BRANCH OF THE CAMPAIGN TO PROTECT RURAL ENGLAND CIO

CPRE DEVON CIO - Charity registered number 1175228 Administrative address: PO Box 26, Beaworthy, EX21 5XN

REPORT AND ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR

ENDED 31 DECEMBER 2022

The Trustees present their report and accounts for the year ended December 31, 2022.

Administrative information

The Trustees who served the Charity during the year were:

Rebecca Bartleet Chairman Michael Best Honorary Treasurer Phillip Bratby Ivan Buxton Stephen Crowther Dale Hall

Penny Mills undertook the day to day management of the Charity, as delegated by the Trustees.

The independent examiner of the accounts of the Charity is Mr Ian Barrett FCA FCIE of Barretts, 22, Union Street, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 2JS.

The Charity’s main bankers were the TSB.

The Charity has a web site www.cpredevon.org.uk which contains considerable information about its activities.

CPRE Devon CIO - Structure, Governance and Management

The board of Trustees of CPRE Devon CIO is drawn from interested individuals who are able to contribute their knowledge and expertise to carrying out the various activities of the Charity. New Trustees are appointed by the existing Trustees.

The Charity is managed by an Executive Committee which comprises the following officers; Chairman, Honorary Treasurer and Branch Director. The Trustees sit on the Executive Committee as well as the officers.

Objects and Activities

The objects of the Charity are “to promote and encourage for the benefit of the nation the improvement, protection and preservation of the countryside of Devon and its towns and villages and the better development of the rural environment”. The Charity fulfils its obligation to enjoy charitable status by delivering the following benefits to the various communities in Devon:

• By considering applications presented to the local planning authorities to ensure that the benefits are enjoyed by the wider community.

• By holding meetings at both District and Branch levels that are open to members, local government councillors or similar, and representatives of other relevant interest groups throughout the County.

• By being available to members as a source of advice on how to respond to proposed developments that might affect them.

• By providing the Charity’s website www.cpredevon.org.uk which has become a key enabler for the membership, the media and other visitors to the site to understand some of the key problem areas in Devon.

• The CPRE Devon website has thus become a repository of the work undertaken by the Charity where members can discover what may interest them and the wider implications for Devon as a whole.

• Funds bequeathed to the Charity are being used in accordance with the terms of the bequests; in 2013 for the further education of children of all ages in Devon on countryside matters of all types, and in 2017 for other projects exclusively in the county of Devon.

Financial Review

The Charity receives income from the National Office of CPRE (NCPRE) of approximately 50% of the subscriptions it receives from members resident in Devon. The Charity also receives grants, bequests, donations and gifts from supporters in Devon. In 2022 the Charity’s income includes the following:

NCPRE
Balance of the Mason bequest from NCPRE
Donations from supporters in Devon

£27,625 £ 4,872 £48,927

At the beginning of the year we set up a crowd funding campaign to fund legal action to prevent Devon farmland being covered in industrial-scale solar arrays. Although this particular appeal failed in The High Court we continue our campaign of ‘Grass not Glass’.

Reserves Policy

It is the policy of the Trustees to maintain unrestricted funds, which are free reserves, at a level sufficient to provide services and equipment in compliance with its objects for a period of at least 12 months. Restricted funds are set aside of such amounts as are appropriate to provide specialised services and equipment in accordance with the restrictions attached to the funds by the respective donors. It was agreed by the Trustees that the Mason bequest be treated as unrestricted funds.

The Trustees confirm, in accordance with the Charitable Incorporated Organisations (General) Regulations 2012, that at the year end the CIO did not have any outstanding guarantees to third parties nor any debts secured on assets of the CIO.

CPRE Devon Branch

CPRE Devon Branch will remain on the Charity Commission register as a “shell” charity with nominal assets purely as a precaution to preserve any future legacies that might otherwise fail.

CPRE Devon Branch was set up as a charity in April 1996 but, following the change of its charitable status, ceased functioning as a Charity in April 2018. It now has no members other than the remaining trustees. It will continue to prepare annual accounts and hold an Annual General Meeting in accordance with its constitution. The Branch maintains its bank account with Barclays which recorded donations received of £106 during the year ended December 31, 2022. The bank charged the account with commission which left a balance at the year-end of £403.

The report and accounts were approved by the Trustees on 11th July 2023 and signed on their behalf by;

Rebecca Bartleet, Chairman.

IndependeDt Examlner's Report to the Trustees of The Deion Braneh Of The Campaign To Protect Rural England CIO Charity number 1175228 I report to thc trSIC&S on my cxamlnalion of thc accowits of The Dcvon Branth of th¢ Campaign to ProtLXt Rurdl En8laniJ CIO for th¢ year end¢d 31. Decemb¢r 2022. RPonSIbIlIeS AndblS ofreporl As the charity tnte¢S you arc responsible for the preparation of the accoullts in accordance with the requirements of the Charities Act 2011 fthe Acff). I report in respect of my cxamination of the Charity's aCUnts Lxllied out under section 145 of the 2011 Act and in carrying out my examinatson I haTre followed all th¢ applicable DiT¢CtioThs given by th¢ Charity Commission un(kr ¢tion 145(5)Ib) ofthe ACL Independent eYa•iR¢r's srtalemenl I have completed my exarnination. I confirni that no material matters have come to my &ttention in cotll*ction with the examination gÉNing me cause to believe that ITh any materll respect: {1) Accounting recorts were Mt kcpt in spect of the CbaTity as required by section 130 of the ACL or {2) The accounts do nol accord with thosc records. I have no concerns and have comc across no other matters in nneCtiOn with the examination to which attcnlion should bL drdwn in this rqM)rt in order to enable a Proper utKl¢t3taoding of the aw)unts to be reache lan Batr¢tt FCA FCIE Barretts Chartucd Accounlants and Chartered Tax Advisers 22 Union Street Newton Ably)t TQ12 2JS Dated. I lth July 2023

FORENGLAN) AP4) WALES PROTECT RUK•LENOLAWO Ch) Rèceipts and paymènts accounts CC16a 1IlJJlLPMY Jl•lOECEIÈR T• Section A Receipts and paymonts IhY¢•trw•O fund tund Y(d Last 272$ ST.•)¢ 4.fJ• 47¥• *1 nt ¢wrnuTrle4ty kn¢uV •¢• X111 ,Jii 67,eÈ4 7,897 11Je• •4.1 137.5 119.OJ• 137.536 10

Sectson B Statement of 35tsets and liabilities at the end of the period RÈstrf¢tpO C41ggor B1 C&hful4 LX 21W13 Bl AsN•t• r•tsln•d lorth• Chartys u tt¢of 11thj 2013

Letters to The Editor

“

Dear Editor, May I congratulate Ivan Buxton on his excellent article in the Spring issue exposing SW Water’s and Devon County Council’s failure to address our current and future water requirements, needed more than ever due to the vast expansion of housing in the region.

management covering both farmland and moorland, requiring strategic tree planting, encouraging rough grazing, filling in upland drainage ditches and mild rewilding. This the CPRE should support. It is worth remembering that ever since humans returned to this land as the last ice age receded 15,000 years ago, we have been constantly changing it according to our requirements so that there is no such thing as a “traditional landscape”. In the 19th century Dartmoor would have been unrecognisable to us now with its many sites of mineral extraction, housing and even railways.

The situation is greatly exacerbated by our Local Planning Authorities’ love affair with solar farms which now cover hectares of once productive agricultural land equal, if not exceeding in area at least, one new town. The solar panels’ hard surfaces prevent valuable rainfall from penetrating the ground beneath them, preventing it from filtering down to replenish our aquifers and, at the same time, creating unnecessary run-off which causes flooding down stream.

We now have the opportunity, with careful management, to capture and preserve the rain that falls on our moorlands, reduce downstream flooding and restore our much depleted wildlife while retaining environmentally beneficial livestock grazing. Jeremy Jessel

The good news is that the Government has now followed the science with policies to retain our water supplies and discourage down stream flooding by land

I came across this report and thought it might be of interest:

"The Arctic Ocean is warming up, icebergs are growing scarcer and in some places, the seals are finding the water too hot according to a report to the Commerce Department yesterday from the Consulate at Bergen, Norway.

Reports from fishermen, seal hunters, and explorers all point to a radical change in climate conditions and hitherto unheard of temperatures in the Arctic zone.

Exploration expeditions report that scarcely any ice has been met as far north as 81 degrees 29 minutes.

Soundings to a depth of 3,100 meters showed the gulf stream still very warm. Great masses of ice have been replaced

by moraines of earth and stones, the report continued, while at many points well known glaciers have entirely disappeared.

Very few seals and no white fish are found in the eastern Arctic, while vast shoals of herring and smelts which have never before ventured so far north are being encountered in the old seal fishing grounds.

Within a few years, it is predicted that due to the ice melt the sea will rise and make most coast cities uninhabitable."

I must apologise. I neglected to mention that this report was from November 2, 1922, as reported by the Associated Press and published in The Washington Post almost 101 years ago. Ivan Buxton

Two Government Consultations

Two important consultations have just been launched by the Government:

1. Local plans and future plan-making. This consultation will last for 12 weeks from from 25 July to 18 October 2023.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/plan-making-reforms-consultationon-implementation/levelling-up-and-regeneration-bill-consultation-onimplementation-of-plan-making-reforms

2. A new Permitted Development consultation, which includes changes to certain permitted development rights that allow agricultural diversification and development on agricultural units (inc. reuse of agricultural buildings, Class Q, use of mixed use classes etc.) This consultation will run from 24 July 2023 to 25 September 2023.

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/permitted-development-rights

Devon’s Best Young Landscape Artist Competition 2023

Once again we are looking for budding young artists who can capture the beauty and variety of the county’s natural landscapes, from its wild moorlands to its sheltered river valleys. Young artists aged 18 and under have until the end of September to submit a painting, drawing, textile, collage, or mixed media artwork of a Devon view to win the coveted title of Devon’s Best Young Landscape Artist 2023. The landscape could be a favourite beach or beauty spot, a local park or green space, somewhere visited on a day out or even the artist’s back garden.

There are cash prizes for the winner of each category, and the best entries will go on exhibition at the Museum of Dartmoor Life in Okehampton.

We launched the competition two years ago with the support of Exeter-based landscape artist Kath Hadden, who helps choose the prize winners alongside our Director, Penny Mills. The two judges have consistently been impressed with the immense talent of the county’s young artists. They hope

to receive as many original submissions as they have in previous years depicting Devon’s stunning countryside and coastline.

Last year two Dartmoor scenes were chosen as the winning entries: 15-yearold Angelie Pickett’s accomplished painting of Ugborough stood out in the older age group, and a vibrant painting of Belstone River by 11-year-old Sophia Lopez Clarkson won in the younger age group.

Penny says, “ Kath and I really enjoy looking through all the artwork, and we are always amazed by the talent of the children and teenagers who enter. We love their depictions of Devon’s coast and countryside, and we look forward to seeing what 2023 will bring. No doubt, we will again have our work cut out deciding on this year’s winners. ”

The competition is simple to enter, with a cash prize of £100 for the winner of each age category. Full details of how to enter are on our website. The closing date for submissions is Saturday, 30 September 2023.

£1005< Devon's Best Young Landscape Artist Competition 2023 Are you aged 7-11 or 12-18? To celebrate the natural beauty of Devon's coast and countryside. Devon CPRE'S 'Best Young Landscape Artist, competition is inviting young artists to submit a paintin& drawing or mixed media artwork capturlng a landxape of thelr chtslce. Anythlng goes Js long as It's In Devon . a favourlte beach or beauty Spot. a local park or green space. somewhere visited on a day out or even the artist's own garden. PRIZES: £100 for the winning entry in each age category and £25 runner-up prizes. Closing date.. Saturday 30 September 2023 PLUSsom•ofthe btst ontrl*s wlll b• on dlsplay In Okehampton at The Museum of Dartmoor Lile. To enter, simply post us yourartwork which must be orA4 size, ciearty markingyour name. full contxtdetsils and ageto: Devon CPRE. PO Box 26. Beaworthy. EX215XN. seum of Dartmoor Life The Voice for Dn'S ccntrle www.cpredevon.org.uk 14

Rain and Forecasts - Christopher Darwin

Most rural dwellers are always interested in the weather; this year all of us noted the hot June and the wet July. Whether farmers or gardeners, rain matters. South West Water still has a hosepipe ban – see their website for details.

In 2020 I spent less than a tenner on a conical plastic rain gauge – this is attached to a nearby fencepost with a round rainwater downpipe bracket and inspected (and usually emptied) daily.

We live between Bude and Holsworthy and the annual rainfall is about 900 mms or 36ins.

In the month of July 2023 we had 152mms/ 6ins of rain – about twice the 2020 and 2021 figures and much more than the 14mms/ half an inch of 2022.

It was the wettest month since last November (197mms). Hot June had only 36mms, half of that fell on the 30th.

I am a bit of a weather nerd and frequently use the Met Office website www.metoffice.gov.uk daily.

Being a nerd, I look at ‘pressure charts’ first, which are published about three days ahead, and attempt my own forecast.

I then look at ‘weather and forecast’. Put in your nearest town and get the forecast for the next seven days; there

is room for three locations. The data includes wind direction and likelihood of rain - showers are hit or miss, so percentages are given. Note the visibility – if it is ‘P’ poor, expect low cloud/coastal fog. It also gives forecast max and min temperatures, times of sunrise and sunset (and high tide if by the sea).

The other useful website (also free) is www.netweather.tv/live-weather/radar. This shows the rain and its intensity. Put your location in the ‘Postcode Zoom’ box (it will be remembered) and your red dot will show when cloud returns cover the map. The ‘Anim On’ covers the last two hours, so the direction of travel of the rain is evident – whether that approaching shower will miss you.

A brief word about pressure charts. In our northern hemisphere the air mass goes anti-clockwise round low pressure, clockwise round high pressure. It is easy to see whether cold air from Iceland or Scandinavia is on its way, or warm air from the south. Incidentally, the Met Office is so sure that we are hot that the map of Europe on its video forecast is coloured either desert yellow or furnace red, occasionally green.

It used to be all green – and from my window still is.

Litter Pick - 15th September

We are delighted to be helping SW Norse once again with an annual litter pick on the Sowton Industrial Estate, Exeter, near their offices. Its always shocking how many bags of litter are collected.

Energy Issues - Phillip Bratby

The saga of the application for the proposal to construct an Anaerobic Digester (AD) plant at Bycott Farm, Halberton in Mid Devon continues. As part of our initial objection we provided the results of calculations which showed that the applicant's calculations of the output from the proposed AD were wrong and that the transport issues would be much worse than he was claiming. The applicant tried to rebuff our results. However, following further objections from us stating that the applicant appeared to be misleading the council and residents, the applicant was forced to come clean and re-issue the documentation with revised feedstock data. We have now submitted a final objection.

A very confusing planning application was made by the owner of the Red Linhay AD plant, also at Halberton in Mid Devon . Initially it was thought the application was to remove the planning condition which specifies the amount of feedstock. Finally it was clarified that the application was to remove a condition which limited the noise from the AD. We have objected to this proposal, and crucially the Mid Devon Environmental Health Officer objected

on the grounds that the noise must be limited to protect the amenity of local residents.

The proposed Rutton Farm solar farm near Whimple in East Devon was unanimously approved on 13th June by a new planning committee formed following the local council elections. No site visit was made by the new committee.

The appeal following the refusal of East Devon District Council for planning permission for the proposed Ford Oaks solar farm near Marsh Green will be decided following a public inquiry (APP/U1105/W/23/3320714). The local objectors, the Marsh Green Valley Protection Group, will be a Rule 6 party and will provide evidence at the inquiry, which will start on 12th September and probably last five days.

The proposed East Rightadown, Brandis Corner solar farm and the solar farm at Coldharbour Farm, Ashreigney in Torridge and the Two Tree solar farm near Willand in Mid Devon are all awaiting decisions. A consultation is underway for a proposed solar farm and BESS at Deptford Farm, High Bickington in Torridge .

The appeal made following the refusal of East Devon District Council for the proposed Pound Road BESS, at Hawkchurch (APP/U1105/W/23/ 3319803) will be decided following a public inquiry, to be held in September.

A planning application has been made to East Devon District Council to

construct a massive Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) on a greenfield site near Whimple . This would be the biggest BESS yet applied for in Devon, with 488 industrial containers containing batteries with a total capacity of 300MW and lots of other infrastructure. We have written to EDDC seeking missing information

about the proposal and in due course we will be submitting an objection.

A consultation has taken place for an even bigger BESS and substation, this one to be at Junction 27 of the M5. It is called an Energy Hub and would be 400MW in capacity. J27 seems to be the location of a huge number of

proposed developments on what are currently greenfield sites.

The Xlinks project - linking the UK to wind and solar farms in Morocco - has seen another round of consultation events take place locally in Alverdiscott, Huntshaw and Bideford.

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Developers Always Seem to Keep One Step Ahead! - Chris Hassall

I hope I’m not totally unrealistic in believing that the Government and Local Authorities try their best to produce a planning system that is both fair and practical in encouraging enterprise and accommodating those in housing need, while protecting the integrity of the countryside.

However the planning authorities are up against formidable forces with unlimited financial backing aimed at turning the English countryside into a source of financial profit through industrial and housing development. Furthermore, that profit is diverted ever increasingly into private overseas bank accounts from which the British economy makes little gain, while the English countryside suffers significant loss.

A prime example was the case of the CEO of a national building company who was retiring with a bonus of £100 million but was shamed into accepting a mere £75m when the figures were disclosed. Where did the profits come from? From building houses over vast areas of rural England.

Class Q Conversions

At the lowest end of the scale, the Government under David Cameron had introduced, in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), a rule that allowed redundant agricultural buildings in the countryside to be converted into low cost dwellings to provide inexpensive rural housing, primarily for local workers, with minimal planning restrictions. This is now called Class Q development and there are still several such applications in every week’s planning list, which the Local

Planning Authority (LPA) finds very hard to refuse without risk of being over-ruled on appeal.

The aim of Class Q is quite reasonable and should be of little detriment to the countryside but of course Planning Consultancies have homed in on this tiny loophole in the system and found ways for developers to profit from it. Every month there is a full page advertisement by such a consultancy in the NFU Countryside magazine offering their services to assist in making planning applications, often to upgrade a Class Q consent to a full-scale demolition and rebuild project. This can produce a luxury country house in a remote rural setting where no local workers could afford to live and which the normal planning policies to protect the countryside would never have allowed. The original Class Q conversion consent is quoted as a ‘fallback position’ which makes it hard for the LPA to uphold a refusal of consent for the enhanced development on appeal.

This course of procedure has become so commonplace of late that there are as many ‘enhanced’ applications with a Class Q fall-back as there are new Class Q applications themselves. The original NPPF intention of refurbishing redundant farm buildings to house rural workers has thus become another opportunity to cash in on the demand for executive dwellings and holiday lets.

Section 106 Payments

It is, of course, unthinkable that developers might employ bribery to obtain planning consent, and any such practice would be strictly stamped out

as illegal under British and international law.

However legislation allows for S106 payments to be made by mutual agreement to compensate LPAs for additional services required and for offsetting loss of biodiversity occasioned by new developments in the countryside.

Local Authorities routinely require substantial payments from developers under S106 agreements for provision of facilities such as school places, recreation grounds, public transport, road improvements etc., while contributions towards enhancement of biodiversity in nearby nature reserves, AONB and for example the Northern Devon Biosphere can amount to hundreds of thousands pounds for a sizeable housing development in the countryside.

Even Parish Councils can be offered S106 incentives such as improvements to the village playing field should a small housing development be approved. If the Parish Council are objecting to the application, perhaps this might influence their views, but somehow it does not amount to bribery. Other conditions can be agreed under S106, such as all the details of landscaping, tree planting (and protection and maintenance), but the LPA seldom has the facilities to supervise and enforce these conditions effectively.

The most important failing of an S106 agreement is that the developer can subsequently claim that changing circumstances result in the S106 provisions rendering the proposed development financially ‘unviable’, and the Government guidelines allow this as a valid reason to modify the S106 in the developer’s favour. The usual

application of this let-out is to reduce the proportion of ‘affordable dwellings’ in a housing development to well below the quantity defined in the Local Development Plan.

The developer must produce a ‘viability assessment’ by a qualified assessor of course, but everyone knows when an accountant is asked “How viable is this project?” the answer will be “How viable do you want it to be!?”.

Biodiversity Offsetting

At the latest iteration, planning policy requires development proposals to provide for at least 10% increase in Biodiversity. That means after development the site must provide an improvement of at least 10% on its predevelopment biodiversity. That surely must be a great environmental plus point! But how is biodiversity measured? - now there’s the rub!

The developer must engage the services of a qualified ecologist, member of the Chartered Institute of Ecological and Environmental Management (CIEEM), to conduct an ecological survey of the site prior to submitting a planning application, and this is paid for by the applicant - - so no conflict of interest there then! However it may well turn out that the site has been ‘tidied up’, within permitted limits of course, to facilitate the assessment.

Usually, where agricultural land is to be developed into a housing estate, it will turn out that the proposed houses and gardens, with the promise of new trees and hedges, nest boxes, bat bricks, swift holes, and hedgehog highways through garden fences, will easily provide the required biodiversity enhancement. Whether these will ever be enforced or monitored is another matter.

The biodiversity of the site before and after development is measured through a ‘Biodiversity Metric’ devised by boffins at Natural England using computer technology of a complexity that I cannot understand, let alone describe here.

Where the pre-development ecology of the site is so favourable that it cannot be adequately compensated for in the development itself, the ‘Metric’ will

allocate a financial value to the anticipated loss of biodiversity and this money will be allocated to provide improvements in the biodiversity of other sites in the parish, or the district, or the Biosphere. Whether the resident wildlife will appreciate this biodiversity offsetting may or may not be assessed in due course.

What’s in a View - John Collins

The fourth (and last) in a series of articles about how we appreciate landscapes.

Devon has much to offer by way of attractive scenery, and has escaped the worst ravages of industrialisation. But landscapes rarely ‘stand still’ for long periods, and the exercise of power, and perhaps ensuing conflicts, is evident in almost any view.

Traditionally, much of the power in rural England was represented by the church or manor house, whereas today its residence is more often out of sight. Changes in farming policy and practices, for instance, might result in significant landscape change. Close to Yelland, where I live, several miles of hedgerows were removed in the middle

decades of the last century, but fortunately many of the old field boundaries remain, together with patches of woodland. Such changes, however, can result in significant loss of amenity and wildlife, and lead to unwanted flooding.

Planning controls have largely determined how much our landscapes have broadly changed within living memory. Greater protections, such as afforded by AONB status, have prevented what would surely by now have been large scale despoilment in those areas. Locally, the parish of Braunton also provides examples of wildlife habitat-related designations.

My view from home across the lower Taw estuary illustrates some

unsuccessful campaigns to halt wind turbine and housing developments. Highly contentious has been the proposal for housing, etc on the former Yelland power station site, passed on appeal last year, never mind its polluted state and the disproportionate environmental cost of an appropriate remedy, its central riverside location on the floodplain of this beautiful wildliferich estuary, the imposition of intrusive tall buildings, and no provision of much needed ‘affordable’ housing.

In Philip Larkin’s early 1970s poem ‘Going, Going,’ which includes the line, ‘And that will be England gone,’ he makes particular reference to the enhanced financial return of building houses in estuaries!

My view from home speaks also of other kinds of power and conflict. The Chivenor military base is an obvious example. Braunton Burrows and their neighbouring waters and shores were used significantly for military training purposes during WW2, and to an extent that has continued to this day. In other respects, the use of the river by various interest groups, including fishing, gravel extraction, different pleasure craft and nature conservation, has needed management measures.

In Elizabethan times, the river Taw was plied by sailing vessels trading to and from Barnstaple. Today, the former Yelland power station jetty, built to receive coal between the 1950s and 1980s, is once again being used in the transportation of bulky materials.

I have glimpses of the Tarka Trail, along the course of the former Barnstaple to Bideford railway line, which is a much

valued recreational asset. I can’t see our main road, though it is barely a hundred yards from home, but the volume of traffic along it has been steadily increasing since a welcome reduction in 1989 when the North Devon Link Road opened. Fortunately, Yelland still quietens down by late evening, when bird calls from the riverside can be heard, as well as the incoming tide more than three miles away on Bideford bar.

The sky over our estuary is traversed by numerous flocks of birds as well as some aircraft, though the latter less so since the Chivenor base ceased to be RAF in the 1990s. There are now a number of sets of bright lights, including at a depot on the Yelland side of the river, but still none at all on Braunton Burrows - for which we can be thankful! - apart from a flashing red light on Crow Point.

There is far more to any landscape than simply what we see. And what is beyond the horizon – both literally and metaphorically – also affects how we see it.

In the seventeenth century, Robert Burton wrote, ‘A good prospect alone will ease melancholy.’ Despite ongoing adverse changes, I hope people will be able to continue to enjoy such views in Devon for many years to come.

The photo, which includes from left to right beyond the river, Braunton, Chivenor military base (behind the pylon), Heanton Punchardon (in front of woodland) and wind turbines on the fringes of Fullabrook Down, was taken last October from above Yelland.

Crisis Fatigue? - Ivan Buxton

With apologies to Sir Winston Churchill for the misappropriation but, “Never in the field of human conflict has a term been so over-used and liberally applied as the word, crisis.”

Put alternatively, and drawing again upon another recently historic character, former PM Jim Callaghan, said, “Crisis? What Crisis?”

Almost daily we are told about one crisis or another, mostly related to that other overworked aspect, “Climate Change.”

Repeat something often enough and it becomes a fact and whilst I would be pilloried for not accepting, “Houston, we have a problem,” with the pollution of the planet, we should treat the measurement of a crisis with a little respect.

Suzanne Vega once sang, “If language were liquid, it would be rushing in,” which is quite poetic, rather like saying, “language is king,” where the word king literally means invested in authority either extensive or limited.

The point I am labouring here is that over time the meaning or emphasis of a word changes to suit the

circumstances and that is precisely the problem with repeatedly chanting the expression, “crisis.”

Without delving deeply into the origin of the word it is simple to check a dictionary or thesaurus for the meaning. Chambers Etymological Dictionary printed in 1960 for example, defines crisis as: “A point or time for deciding anything. Decisive moment or turning point.”

Moving onto the Oxford Dictionary of 1985 the description becomes, “Turning point. Decisive moment. Time of acute danger or difficulty.” Six years later in 1991 a slight change is made by the same publication, truncating the final aspect to, “Time of acute danger,” by removing the word, “difficulty.” Presumably the assumption being any danger would self-evidently be difficult. Collins Thesaurus in 2001 described a crisis as, “Crucial stage. Turning point. Time of acute trouble,” and coming to the present online spell checker, a choice of alternative words is given including, “disaster, catastrophe, emergency, calamity and predicament.” Perversely in my opinion, it also

provides the word “crunch,” which if presented to the same spell checking software says it means chomp, chew, or munch. I rather like the idea of chomping my way through a changing climate.

Clearly the 21st Century interpretation promotes a crisis into a stage of cruciality, as opposed to the 20th Century when we were told by Michael Winner, to not, ”Make a drama out of a crisis!” Both expressions are somewhat removed from the source of derivation, which was the Greek word Krisis, meaning to decide. I suppose by deciding to change the meaning, society has enabled the word to evolve

so that it fits the mantra of the day.

Unfortunately, by insisting we have a, “Climate Crisis,” every time the wind blows strongly, it rains heavily or the sun shines brightly or referring to the, “Cost of Living Crisis,” in every news bulletin, cheapens the word.

Also, it does little or nothing to alleviate any perceived danger or difficulty and simply deflects from the need to decide because, with the 'cost of living crisis, nature crisis, climate crisis, environmental crisis, ecological crisis, housing crisis, energy crisis', etc etc, Are we are suffering from 'crisis' fatigue?

HOW YOU CAN HELP US TO PROTECT DEVON, LONG TERM

Our members are a special breed of people, who love Devon and want to see it preserved and protected for generations to come. That’s what we’re here for.

If you’d like to play your part, as well as being a member (and remaining a member even after that immediate threat to your locality has faded into history!) there are three key ways you can leave your mark permanently on the Devon landscape – by leaving it as it should be.

DONATIONS

Membership of Devon CPRE – which includes membership of the CPRE national charity – costs £3 to £5 a month. It’s much appreciated, but it doesn’t provide us with all the fighting funds we need to do the job we’re renowned for: fighting off inappropriate planning proposals and guarding the countryside against degradation.

So, if you can afford a little more per month, or have a little extra money you’d like to do something worthwhile with, please consider becoming a Devon CPRE Donor.

LEGACIES

Leaving Devon CPRE a legacy in your Will is a wonderful (and tax-efficient) way of leaving a gift to future generations by helping us preserve the county we love.

Just tell your solicitor or will-maker that you would like to leave something to ‘The Devon Branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England CIO’, charity number 1175228.

LAND

If you have a parcel of land – a meadow, a copse, a special place that gives you joy – that you would like to see protected in perpetuity, you could leave it in our care. We will provide a covenant to ensure that your special place is safe from development or despoliation, and used to provide rich habitats for wildlife and joy to future generations.

To find out more about how to To find out more about how to donate donate to Devon CPRE, please contact us at: to Devon CPRE, please contact us at: director@cpredevon.org.ukdirector@cpredevon.org.uk

Putting Nature First (Finally) - Penny Mills

There’s a new buzz word on the lips of the local planning authorities, conservationists and developers. Well, four words to be precise: Local Nature Recovery Strategies.

Devon supports an amazing diversity of landscapes that underpin every element of our lives, and it’s now (finally) being recognised that the health of our natural environment has deteriorated hugely in recent decades for a variety of reasons.

I recently heard all about the aims and objectives of these strategies, called LNRS for short, at a meeting for an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Local Nature Recovery Strategies are DEFRA’s latest approach to setting priorities for nature at a local level in England, and a new statutory requirement under the Environment Act 2021. Basically, they aim to stimulate discussion about wildlife and the natural environment to encourage action to stem further decline and, where possible, help nature to recover. So far, so good.

So, I asked, what do they mean in planning terms? How will they curb inappropriate development in Devon, and put the onus on developers to deliver the biodiversity net gains they so often promise in their planning applications (but, sadly, often don’t deliver on)? The answer was less than encouraging. In fact, it sounded distinctly limp. I was told the strategies would ‘have regard’ in the planning system. Regard to what, one might ask? I wanted to hear that the LNRS would have weight and teeth in the planning system.

It seems obvious to me that if we keep building on our green spaces then nature invariably pays the cost, and no strategy - however well intentioned - is going to help nature recover once it’s buried under feet of concrete.

We are often accused of ‘nimbyism’ for caring about the visual impact of developments and the lack of proper infrastructure for large new housing developments. That’s not by any means the whole picture. One of the reasons Devon CPRE and, of course, our members have been concerned at the rapid development of so much of our countryside is because we are concerned about, you guessed, the impact on nature!

I don’t think it’s unfair to say that Central Government, local planning authorities and planning inspectors are locking the gate after the horse has bolted by now asking us all to prioritise Nature. It's what we've been saying for years!

Wind turbines are known to kill birds and bats, and we have long opposed the development of onshore wind farms in Devon. If Labour wins the next election, there’s concern that more wind farms will be permitted. How does this fit with nature recovery? Solar farms on agricultural land are another case in point. High fencing means wildlife can't move about easily, it's been reported that bat activity is reduced, and the use of herbicides and pesticides to control weeds also impact soil quality. Every planning application that’s granted consent has some impact on Nature. The question is, when do we say enough is enough?

Our Response to the Latest Government Pledge Not to Concrete Over the Countryside for New Housing

We have campaigned for many years for the right type and number of new homes to be built in the right places at prices local people can afford.

commissioned an independent report into local housing needs. It showed that the Government’s annual housebuilding target far exceeded what was actually needed in this part of the country. Four years ago, we invited the then housing minister to attend our seminar in Exeter to discuss the findings of the report. No one listened, and the Government carried on allowing developers to build the wrong type of houses in the wrong places, more often than not without local support.

Responding to the latest announcements from PM Rishi Sunak and Housing Secretary Michael Gove, Devon CPRE Director Penny Mills says: “While it’s heartening to hear Mr Sunak promise not to continue to ‘concrete over the countryside’ and that Mr Gove wants to make it easier to convert empty city centre premises into flats and houses, let’s not forget that a General Election is looming!

With a General Election on the horizon, Rishi Sunak and Michael Gove have apparently seen the light! We believe actions speak louder than words. There have been decades of inaction as a merry-go-round of housing ministers has failed to deliver a sustainable longterm housing strategy. Let’s hope that this time around, they deliver on their promises.”

Our charity has long campaigned for the majority of new homes to be built on brownfield sites in urban areas and not on greenfield sites in open countryside. We have also consistently questioned the Government’s notional target of delivering 300,000 new homes a year. Five years ago, Devon CPRE

Temporary Recreational Campsites

The outcome of the recent government consultation on permitted development rights that included consideration of extending the permitted development time period for tented camping from 28 to 60 days (for up to 50 pitches) has been converted to law through enactment of The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development etc.) (England) (Amendment) Order 2023 https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/202 3/747/article/3/made and provisions in “Class BC – temporary recreational campsites”. This came into force on 26th July 2023.

The same provisions have changed the status of motorhomes/campervans to differentiate them from caravans, instead classing them as “a motor vehicle designed or adapted for human habitation” and enabling their use of Class BC temporary recreational campsites.

Unlike with Exempted Certified Sites, this new 60 day permitted development provision is accompanied by conditions (BC.2a-d of the order) a requirement to provide:

Toilet and waste disposal facilities.
Prior notification (each year) to the local planning authority.

Pylon Invasion? - Phillip Bratby

In 1938 the Council for the Preservation of Rural England, as CPRE was then known, made a short promotional film which was shown in cinemas throughout the UK. Not only was it advertising the charity, but the film was highlighting the need for this country to designate national parks and urging public support. One of the key aims was to protect the unspoilt countryside from pylons. To quote from the film:

Let us have the great open country. For country like this the CPRE has been fighting a battle for many years, fighting to preserve such unspoilt beauty as this, from unsightly pylons.

CPRE had indeed been battling to protect the countryside from unsightly pylons since it’s inception in 1926, with many eminent people joining the cause. The Times letters page from the 1920s and 30s would regularly feature

the issue. The matter was of great importance to CPRE.

But now, nearly 100 years later, and as we approach the centenary of CPRE itself, it appears that the countryside will be faced with more unsightly pylons, not because of the basic aim of enabling everybody in the country to have electricity, but this time because of the need to expand the grid as a result of the government's pledge to reach NetZero.

Today, new solid T-pylons are being introduced rather than continuing to use the existing lattice pylons, the ones with which we are all familiar. These T- pylons are very controversial, with local residents saying that they are noisier than their predecessors, interfere with WiFi, damage the value of their homes and have also resulted in the closure of some local tourist businesses. It is also

claimed that being solid structures, the T-Pylons are more of an eye-sore than the traditional lattice pylons.

In the early days of the use of electricity (the 1900s ) there were no common standards, and the supply of electricity was fragmented, with towns and cities having their own power stations and no standard voltages or frequencies. Construction of the national grid started in the 1930s, the aim being to link the power stations together and to ensure that electricity could be delivered across the whole country with common standards. It ultimately enabled the transfer of electricity from the big power stations in the Midlands and North of England (where there was plenty of coal and cooling water) to the London area where demand for electricity was highest. It used the design of lattice pylons that we are familiar with today. The national grid was a very efficient system and in the 1950s the maximum voltage grid lines were upgraded from 132kV, firstly to 275kV and then to 400kV. The national grid worked very well and reliably, with bigger and more efficient power stations being built closer to the demand centres, keeping transmission costs and electricity costs low.

However, the introduction of intermittent renewable energy generators, such as wind turbines, meant that a lot of electricity was generated remotely from the major demand locations. This resulted in the need for new grid lines, such as the sub-sea cables between Scotland and Wales or Scotland and Yorkshire. In addition, the intermittent nature of these

renewables means that they have low capacity factors, in other words the average power is much less than the installed capacity (the peak power). For example the average power of solar farms is about 10% of the peak power, the average power of onshore wind farms is about 20 to 25% of the peak power and the average power of offshore wind farms is about 30 to 40% of the peak power. A grid line connection to a solar farm has to have the capacity to deliver the peak power on a sunny day, but on average it only delivers 10% of the capacity. Thus in order to accommodate that short period when it is really sunny, the grid connection is 10 times bigger than necessary. Similarly, in order to accommodate the short periods when the wind is blowing strongly the grid connection to an onshore wind farm is about 4 to 5 times bigger and that to an offshore wind farm is about 3 times bigger than necessary. This results in more, bigger grid lines, which is damaging to the landscape, is very wasteful and is very costly to electricity consumers.

We now learn that the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) is devising sweeping planning reforms because the government is increasingly concerned that the growing demand for electricity (as households are forced to switch to electric cars and heat pumps) could outpace the capacity of the national grid. Simultaneously the government is also forcing a massive national expansion in both wind and solar power.

The planning reforms would reduce the time to gain planning consent for new grid lines (consisting of overhead cables and pylons) and mandate government-appointed Planning Inspectors to approve projects regardless of local opposition. Of course as we in Devon are all aware, the grid lines are all built in the countryside, not in cities, so just like with wind farms and solar farms, it is the countryside and people living in the countryside who are affected, whereas city-dwellers remain unaffected (except for bigger electricity bills).

National Grid is very keen on planning reforms which will enable them to build new grid lines wherever they chose. This is because National Grid's profits are tied to the amount of investment it makes in new infrastructure. National Grid has claimed that it will need to build about seven times as much infrastructure in the next seven or eight years as was built in the last 32 years. Big profits for National Grid then; what a surprise! The government is also very keen on planning reforms because without the new grid lines its plans for

NetZero by 2050 will fail miserably. But it would appear that the government does not care about the impact on the countryside and its landscape or on the people who live in the countryside. Local democracy is being cast aside in pursuit of its NetZero policy, which will inevitably fail as it is unaffordable and depends on technologies which currently do not exist.

So what can we do about the unfolding disaster for the countryside? We know that the main opposition parties are hell-bent on bringing forward even more drastic NetZero plans. So things will not improve after next year's general election, whatever the result. All parties are keen on closing reliable power stations and building more unreliable wind and solar farms. We know that building expensive battery storage facilities will not help - they are akin to putting a sticking plaster on an amputated limb. There are only two possible solutions. One is to convince a majority of MPs of the disaster that their policies will result in. The second is to see what happens if the coming winter is cold with a prolonged wind lull, resulting in widespread power rationing (rolling power cuts) or blackouts - something that we associate with developing countries. This situation would be a disaster, resulting in many deaths of the vulnerable, but it might bring politicians to their senses. At Devon CPRE we will be trying to educate our Devon MPs.

A Call for Help - Sir Geoffrey Cox KC MP

The Government is currently considering the conditions on which it will lift the effective moratorium on onshore wind turbine developments, which has been in place for over 8 years.

Many will remember the deeply disturbing proliferation of planning applications to build these gigantic and unsuitable machines in Torridge and West Devon under the Labour and the Coalition Governments. Commercial developers with deep pockets and the promise of huge returns were able to ride roughshod over the objections of the inhabitants of our villages and hamlets who felt powerless to stop them.

On the formation of the new Conservative Government in 2015, with my full support the moratorium was enacted by changes to the planning rules – changes the Liberal Democrats had vetoed while in coalition - at which time there were some 90 applications in the planning pipeline in Torridge

alone. By 2014, I had taken the view that the threat was so great to the fundamental character of our landscape that I was objecting to each proposed commercial wind turbine development in the constituency. I want to safeguard our rural villages and parishes from another onslaught of the type we then faced. I am afraid that the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats are committed to removing any serious constraint on future wind turbine development in areas such as ours.

Conservative policy is to permit the construction of commercial wind turbines only where local consent for the development is clearly demonstrated. However, how that consent will be demonstrated will be critical to effective democratic control by our local communities.

It would be immensely helpful to me in making representations to the Government, and show the extent of feeling on this subject, if local members of the CPRE would write to me with their views as to how this should be achieved. It is essential that the Government strongly entrenches this policy in the planning rules, and I am doing all I can to encourage it to do so. If you can help, please email me at tellgeoffrey@geoffreycox.co.uk.

Planning Applications and Appeals

We continue to be incredibly busy responding to a great many and a large variety of planning applications around the county, many of which our members have brought to our attention - thank you. We continue to keep our excellent planning consultant, Jo Widdecombe, very busy. If

you are concerned about a planning issue near you which you think might be of interest to us, please get in touch - drop Penny an email on info@cpredevon.org.uk - and remember to let us know the planning application reference number and please give us as much notice as possible!

Some of the recent applications we’ve submitted responses to include:

Solar Farm, Land east of Rutton Farm, Whimple, East Devon Permitted 150 dwellings, Hartnoll Farm, Tiverton (Public Inquiry September) At appeal Retail development, Whiddon Down At appeal Dwelling, Yelverton At appeal 161 dwellings, Fremington At appeal Hybrid application, Stonelands Cross, Rackenford At appeal 5 Dwellings, Parkham At appeal Solar Farm, Marsh Green, East Devon (Public Inquiry September) At appeal Solar Farm, Higher Hawkerland, Aylesbeare, East Devon Pending decision Solar Farm, East Rightadown,Brandis Corner, Torridge Pending decision Solar Farm, Coldharbour Farm, Ashreigney, Torridge Pending decision Solar Farm, Dean Hill Road, Willand, Mid Devon Pending decision Battery Energy Storage System, Whimple, East Devon Pending decision Battery Energy Storage System, Hawkchurch, East Devon Pending decision Removal of conditions, Red Linhay, Halberton Pending decision Anaerobic Digestion plant, Bycott Farm, Halberton Pending decision 450 dwellings, Brynsworthy, Barnstaple Pending decision 101 dwellings, Fremington Pending decision 22 lodges, Combe Martin Pending decision 105 dwellings, Woolacombe Pending decision Yelland - discharge condition Pending decision 5 dwellings, Atherington Pending decision 22 industrial units, Lake, Barnstaple Pending decision Hotel and Caravan Park, Holsworthy Pending decision 93 lodges, Dolton Pending decision Wolborough Barton link road Pending decision Dwelling, Penstone, Colebrooke Pending decision 130 dwellings, Seaton Pending decision 155 dwellings, Witheridge Pending decision 46 dwellings, Ilfracombe Pending decision 19 dwellings, Highampton Pending decision 77 dwellings, Brixham Pending decision Dwelling, Bradworthy Withdrawn 25 dwellings, Northlew Withdrawn

Devon CPRE - Who We Are

Robin Hogg, Vice President

Rebecca Bartleet, Chairman

Steve Crowther, Trustee Ivan Buxton, Trustee

Penny Mills, Director

Mike Best, Treasurer and Trustee

Phillip Bratby, Trustee Dale Hall, Trustee

Devon CPRE Membership

INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP ONLY £3 per month - £36 per annum

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Membership of the Devon branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England helps to protect the county and countryside we all love.

Devon CPRE is the only local, independent charity working to protect our precious countryside, green spaces and unique landscapes across Devon - for the benefit of all.

Once farmland and green spaces are built on, they’re lost forever.

We know that new homes and other developments are needed in Devon to maintain a vibrant economy, but should this be at the expense of our tranquil and beautiful environment or our food producing farmland?

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Devon CPRE membership makes a crucial contribution to our work saving the countryside.

As an independent charity, Devon CPRE relies solely on memberships, donations and legacies. Please consider a membership gift and help us to protect Devon’s precious countryside and green spaces, or ask a neighbour to join and help us.

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 Please treat as Gift Aid all donations and subscriptions I make from the date of this declaration, until I notify you otherwise.

I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations in that tax year it is my responsibility to pay any difference.

If your circumstances change, or you want to cancel your declaration, please contact us on 0800 163680.

Full name of taxpayer: .................................................

...................................................................................... Signature: .................................................................... Date: ............................................................................

Devon CPRE in The News

PO Box 26, Beaworthy, Devon EX21 5XN Telephone: 01392 966737 Email: info@cpredevon.org.uk Website: www.cpredevon.org.uk Twitter & Facebook: @cpredevon

Devon CPRE is a member of the CPRE network

The Devon Branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England CIO. A charitable incorporated organisation with registered charity number 1175228.

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