Row amplifies after public claims edited out of video of EDDC Strategic Planning Committee meeting

A dispute has arisen over a Devon council’s move to remove a resident’s claims about a controversial planning process. Officials are identifying sites for new housing across East Devon through to the early 2040s as part of drafting a new local plan.

A row has emerged over a Devon council’s decision to edit out claims made by a resident over a controversial planning process.
Decisionmakers are trying to identify the sites where new homes could be built across East Devon all the way out to the early 2040s as part of efforts to create a new local plan.
Opposition to one of the major proposed sites in Exmouth has been significant, but a handful of residents have routinely attended meetings of East Devon District Council’s strategic planning committee to raise other concerns.
Earlier this month, resident Thomas Shillitoe attended the committee to reiterate his main issues with the draft local plan, going so far as to allege maladministration by the authority.
During the meeting, his comments were rebutted as “wholly inappropriate” by the committee’s chair, Councillor Todd Olive (Liberal Democrat, Rockbeare and Whimple), who robustly defended the council, stating that formal complaints procedures existed for residents to report alleged wrongdoing.
But now the recording of the meeting, which is logged on the council’s YouTube page, has been edited, with some of Mr Shillitoe’s comments removed.
The edits are made more apparent by the fact that the public speaking timer in the corner of Mr Shillitoe’s speech jumps multiple times.
Mr Shillitoe’s statement about alleging maladministration remains, but some of the specifics have been removed, with the council stating some of the removed content contained “unsubstantiated allegations”.
The issue has been magnified by the involvement of the area’s MP, David Reed (Conservative, Exmouth and Exeter East), who wrote to the council’s chief executive, Tracy Hendren, about the removal of the video before the edited version was reinstated.
His letter said: “In the interests of transparency, I would like to know exactly why the video was removed, when it is due to be re-uploaded, and whether the public and I can be assured that it will not be edited in any way before being made available again, including in any way that could present the council or proceedings in a more favourable light.”
Mr Shillitoe said he had been trying to raise issues he felt were of “grave concern” and simply wanted East Devon to “engage with the public”.
The council said the edited footage removed “unsubstantiated allegations” made against a senior officer, but it was “dealing with the allegations in accordance with our formal complaints procedure”.
Mr Shillitoe said he, along with the local community, had been raising issues such as a lack of a supporting Habitats Regulation Assessment for the draft local plan, which he believes weakens the veracity of the document.
He also believes the site selection methodology had been “significantly revised” in the council’s evidence library after the site selection process was completed.
“Both these points should be of grave concern to EDDC and despite us doing everything in the public’s power; by submitting two rounds of Regulation 19 comments, repeatedly emailing the councillors on the strategic planning committee (SPC) as well as the planning officers, and speaking at many SPC meetings, we have had minimal engagement from EDDC regarding our concerns with the new site selection methodology,” he said.
“Now I find my public speaking comments have been redacted, I have a letter from EDDC’s solicitor and I have councillors stating on social media that my comments were defamatory.
“All we ask for is for EDDC to look at the evidence and engage with the public on this matter, as we find the evidence compelling.”
A spokesperson for East Devon District Council said the recording was initially removed due to there being “unsubstantiated allegations made against the conduct of a senior officer”.
“As we have a duty of care to our staff, we are taking these comments out of the public domain and [have released] an edited recording of the meeting,” the spokesperson said.
“We are dealing with the allegations in accordance with our formal complaints procedure.”
The spokesperson added a response to the claims would be issued by its director of place, Andrew Wood.
The edited version of the recording of the 3 March strategic planning meeting was reinstated on Friday 13 March, the council said.
“The council has reinstated an edited version of the video to remove inappropriate comments,” the spokesperson added.
“All other content from the meeting remains unedited.”
The strategic planning committee has endorsed the emerging local plan so far, and when it has been completed, it will be sent to the government for ratification.