Hello all,

And welcome to this month's catch-up on news,  views and events

Wildlife:

The Sid Valley Biodiversity Group has just launched its own SVBG website and SVBG Facebook pages.

And amongst all the surveys it's been conducting, it's just published one on attitudes to allowing wildlife into parts of the Sidmouth Cemetery.

The question has to be, though: “Where do we want those wild areas?” across the Sid Valley. We could always start 'rewilding' in our homes and gardens...

The Economy:

The Sid Valley relies very much on tourism: the launch of the new Visit Sidmouth website is really quite 'superb'. The site is now hosted on Visit Devon.

But the local economy might be changing – as more of us Work From Home, which could actually see a revival in town life as people move into the countryside.

Energy and Transport Initiatives:

The County Council has put together a solar panel group-buying scheme if you'd like to join in.

The initiative to introduce an e-trike service – transporting deliveries and passengers – has attracted a fair amount of media attention.

Planning:

The big news is that the District Council will not be working with its neighbours on a Greater Exeter Strategic Plan – which created quite a response.

Now as the District Council gears itself up to producing a new Local Plan, it might be useful to consider a short history of planning in East Devon

Looking at planning in a time of Covid, we have to be thinking about how we design our spaces and how the environment shapes our health.

And perhaps some of the old ways are the better ways: as a new report out by Historic England suggests, old buildings are “durable, versatile and adaptable”.

Beach Management Plan:

The massive project to supposedly protect the cliffs and seafront of Sidmouth has received its finance – but many consider the costs of over-engineering as prohibitive and unnecessary.

Moreover, as questions around the sea wall (aka 'splash barrier') and revetment of the cliffs at Pennington Point still rage months and months on – the question that really begs is whether the BMP is on hold or not...

Meanshile, a trip down the Jurassic Coast to West Bay in Dorset reveals that buried rock armour has been approved at their East Beach – which is not the case at Sidmouth's...

Events:

The Farmers' Market was to have returned to Sidmouth, on Saturday 12th September – outside on the lawns at Kennaway House, but will instead be rebranded as the Community Market (as it was when it started up a decade ago) and will start on 10th October.

We need to be supporting our local farmers in these times – and to be looking towards developing a sustainable food system.

Biodiversity again takes centre stage with two Café Scientifique sessions – one on 15th September looking at the Arboretum's Sid Valley Hedge Survey, the other on 29th September taking on the whole question of Surveying the Sid Valley.

And don't forget the Science Festival itself, taking place online 9th to 18th October

Finally, details are to be confirmed, but also returning is the Sidmouth Repair Café, on Saturday 26th September.

Check out the VGS news pages for more items.

And if you'd like to learn more about any of these initiatives or would like to get involved, just get in touch.

Keep safe and keep well.

All the best, The VGS team.