The district council’s relocation plans can resume after an effort by residents to safeguard parts of Knowle from development was turned down.

Devon County Council decision-makers have today rejected a Town and Village Green (TVG) application that was lodged by the Knowle Residents’ Association.

The move had halted East Devon District Council bosses’ (EDDC) marketing of the site as they looked to sell it to move its HQ to SkyPark.

An EDDC spokesman said: “The attempt to derail plans to relocate our HQ and sell the existing developed parts of the site, while offering the park to the town council as a gift to Sidmouth has failed. The TVG added time and cost to our relocation planning but the outcome has given us the clarity needed to ensure we can market parts of Knowle designated within the draft Local Plan for residential use.”

See more in next Friday’s Herald.