Council forced to rethink country park proposal

CRITICS of a decision to set up a £1 million fund for a Devon nature reserve have forced a district council to reconsider the move.

- BRADLEY GERRARD

A total of £1.1 million was secured to help set up a 10 hectare country park in East Devon, with the idea being that the cash would be invested and the returns used to support annual maintenance costs.

The initial lump sum was set to come from a pot of cash built up by East Devon District Council (EDDC) from contributions it receives from housing developers who have secured planning permissions.

However, a group of five councillors have forced a so-called call-in of the decision, meaning the council's scrutiny committee will revisit it, and potentially propose a new recommendation for the council's cabinet to consider.

The rationale behind the call-in - led by the chair of the scrutiny committee, Cllr Mike Goodman (Conservative, Sidmouth Sidford) - relates to queries about the strength of the decision to support the £1.1 million funding and whether other uses could be found.