Campaigners against the relocation of East Devon district council's main offices from Sidmouth to Honiton have been celebrating.,after a planning application to redevelop the current site was dramatically rejected yesterday evening.
Councillors had been expected to approve the proposal to build 50 houses and a nursing home at Knowle, a former country house set in parkland, which is seen as a community asset.
But after legal advice, the committee were told that several councillors were unable to vote on the plan.. and in their absence the remaining members refused the proposal, mainly on the grounds of loss of public parkland, and the detrimental effect on the local economy.
The Save our Sidmouth group, who'd collected more than 3000 signatures against the redevelopment, cheered from the public gallery.
The decision marks an extraordinary defeat for East Devon District Council’s leadership, and has dealt a blow to their relocation plan which they hoped would be funded by the sale of the site.
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