Protesters spell out Knowle fears

CAMPAIGNERS scattered more than 1,000 letters of objection spelling out SOS- Save Our Sidmouth – on lawns under threat of development at Knowle.

Protesters fear the area will be lost to housing if East Devon District Council (EDDC) approves its own outline planning application for the site.

They have calculated that 50 homes and a care facility will “destroy” 30 per cent of parkland, many mature trees, and 60 per cent of formal gardens.

SOS members Kelvin Dent, Keith Northover, Michael Temple and Peter Atkinson spelt out their message to EDDC on Monday with just a few of the 1,215 letters of objection signed by members of the public.

The group has now collected 4,345 signatures on a petition asking the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, to ‘call in’ the planning application.

This would mean that the proposal will be assessed by an independent authority rather than EDDC being both the applicant and the planning authority.