“If EDDC has responded in any way to DCC expressing a view about the choice of routes for the A30 that they are currently consulting on, can you please let me know what that view was and what planning policy guidance you had regard to when deciding what route to support and what the advice was from your planning officers (if any) that you obtained?”
Category Archives: Transport (local)
Potholed Devon
The Daily Mail reported the story, pushed by Stuart Hughes, that volunteers are being trained to filll potholes in their local areas.
The most popular comment on the story (131 likes) on the Daily Mail’s website reads:
“Cash strapped, yet they have the funds to pay their senior officers over £145,000 a year.”
EDDC parking meter overpayments
According to the response below “What is this excess revenue spent on? – This income is not separated from the total income received from car parking, which is used to fund the service itself and helps to fund a range of services provided by the Council.”
Er, what range of services? Income from parking is meant to be spent only on parking related projects and creaming-off the overpayments for “other services provided by the council” is very questionable to say the least and possibly illegal, though Owl will bow to the expertise of EDDC’s legal eagles on that point – and fortunately we do gave an expert councillor too – Chairman Hughes.
Let’s hope they follow correct procedure for using surplus funds, which is:
“Safer Parking:
In deciding how to spend their parking surplus, local authorities should have regard for the advice given in the Local Government Association’s Circular 535/00. This circular urges authorities to work towards Safer Parking Accreditation (Park Mark®), and to consider using parking surpluses to fund the necessary measures.
The circular refers to section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and argues that this Act together with the provisions of section 55 of the 1984 Act makes it both necessary and desirable for authorities to prioritise spending on crime prevention measures in car parks before consideration is given to spending parking surpluses in other areas.”
Click to access PPN1%20-%20Charging%20for%20Parking%20-%20Aug%202011.pdf
Here is the Freedom of Information request:
“Date submitted: 15 September 2016
Summary of request
• Over the past five financial years how much money has the council made through parking-overpayments from its meters i.e. “over-vend” in parking meters that do not give out change?
• What is this excess revenue spent on?
• How many of these parking meters do the council manage?
• Over the past five financial years how much money has the council made in total through car parking meters?
Summary of response
• Over the past five financial years how much money has the council made through parking-overpayments from its meters i.e. “over-vend” in parking meters that do not give out change? – There were no overpayments in the financial years up to and including 2013/14 as our machines were programmed then to give the appropriate time for the money inserted into ticket machines. Because we wanted to add more choice to the customer, from the 1st April 2014 we introduced 2, 3 and 4 day permits. This meant that the memory available in the current ticket machines did not allow for the previous increments and so we introduced 50p increments without the option to give change.
2014/15 – £16,946 Gross inc VAT ( NET £14,122); 2015/16 – £15,066 Gross inc VAT (NET £12,555)
• What is this excess revenue spent on? – This income is not separated from the total income received from car parking, which is used to fund the service itself and helps to fund a range of services provided by the Council.
• How many of these parking meters do the council manage? – Currently we have 61 ticket machines.
• Over the past five financial years how much money has the council made in total through car parking meters? – The figures below are the NET income (which is how we report in the accounts/budgets etc) for the respective years just for the ticket machine income and Parkmobile charges.
2011/12 – £2,401,376
2012/13 – £2,244,874
2013/14 – £2,346,703
2014/15 – £2,477,864
2015/16 – £2,554,583
Date responded: 23 September 2016
show details
http://eastdevon.gov.uk/access-to-information/freedom-of-information/freedom-of-information-published-requests/
Are rural bus users Labour voters? Is that why new transport bill is only for towns and cities?
“The government must amend the Bus Services Bill to include rural transport and ensure services outside urban centres are protected from cuts, the Campaign for Better Transport has said.
The bill, currently in the House of Lords, contains measures to improve buses in towns and cities but offers little help or opportunities to improve bus services outside urban centres.
Stephen Joseph, chief executive of the Campaign for Better Transport, highlighted that cuts to public transport can have a “devastating” impact on areas that are out of the way.
“If you don’t have access to a car, the chances are you’re reliant on buses to get you to school, to hospital, to friends or to the shops. If that bus service disappears, it can leave whole villages completely isolated.”
The campaign recommended several measures that should be included in the bill to get rural transport “on a proper long term footing”.
First, the campaign said, would be more funding and new powers for local authorities. Communities should also be given powers to require councils to protect important services from loss or change, as they already can do for land and buildings.
Local authorities should be required to carry out needs assessments for public transport in their areas to allow for better strategic, long-term planning.
Finally, the campaign said, councils, schools and hospitals should combine transport budgets and planning to achieve greater efficiencies.
“Those most likely to rely on public transport are older people, low income groups, disabled people and young people,” the campaign highlighted. “Supporting these groups helps facilitate access to education and jobs and services, and supports independent living and many other benefits.”
Sidmouth Town Council – change of venue for Sidfotd Business Park discussion on Wednesday 8 September 2016
“Sidmouth Town Council is set to consider Fords of Sidmouth’s revised application, which it submitted to offer ‘additional reassurance’.
More than 100 people attended the last meeting on the plans, when concerns included the impact on the roads, flooding and a lack of demand locally for employment land.
Wednesday’s meeting will be held in St Peter’s Church Hall from 6.30pm.
Fords’ revised documents have triggered a second consultation, so it means residents can have their say on the proposals until Friday, September 16, by visiting the district council website.”
http://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/second_meeting_to_discuss_sidford_business_park_plans_1_4680606
Cut crime and improve public transport – at the same time!
If well-off people suddenly lost their driving licenses and had to take public transport, imagine how quickly their collective pressure could improve it.
But the REALLY rich will just employ a chauffeur!
“People breaking the law in Germany might soon find themselves relying on public transport or going on foot: A new law is planned that would mean offenders – especially wealthy ones – could lose their driver’s licenses.
German Justice Minister Heiko Maas has said he intends to introduce a draft bill by the end of the year that envisages suspending the driver’s licenses of people who break the law.
“There are cases, such as with very wealthy offenders, in which a fine does not have an effect,” he told the German news magazine “Spiegel” in an interview published on Saturday.
“But suspension of a driver’s license would have tangible consequences,” he said, adding that courts would decide on whether to use the penalty on a case-by-case basis.
The planned penalty is contained in the coalition contract drawn up by Germany’s government, which consists of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative bloc and the leftist Social Democrats.
“To create an alternative penalty to prison sentences in the case of people where a fine does not represent a perceptible setback, we will introduce license suspension as an independent penalty in adult and juvenile law,” the relevant passage says. ”
http://www.dw.com/en/germany-plans-to-introduce-license-suspensions-for-wealthy-offenders/a-19452905
Oooh … a new road through the Blackdown Hills AONB!
Not IF there will be a new road, but which of two options is preferred:
“Devon County Council is developing route options for the scheme and will be holding a two month consultation, starting on Wednesday 3 August and running until Friday 30 September.
The Council is proposing to replace the existing narrow, substandard single carriageway in the Monkton area with around 8km (5 miles) of new road between the Honiton Bypass and Devonshire Inn (the junction of the A30 with the A303).
The scheme will comprise a wide carriageway with 3 lanes. It will be a laid out with two lanes in one direction and one lane in the other to enable overtaking in one direction, alternating along the route.”
Add that to the refusal by the government to fund faster broadband in the area and one wonders if the Blackdown Hills is finally taking its share of AONB intrusion in East Devon – at last!
Councillor, Leader Diviani’s view (he is DCC and EDDC Councillor for the area):
“I am delighted that Devon County Council is taking such a positive response to our section of the A30. It is such an important part of the region’s connectivity and the proposals will improve the quality of life for all users, whether on long or short distance journeys.”
Exhibitions will be held at the following venues:
Thursday 4 August, 8am-6pm – Honiton Show
Friday 5 August, 2pm-8pm – Upottery Village Hall
Saturday 6 August, 10am-6pm – Upottery Village Hall
Tuesday 16 August, 12pm-8pm – Monkton Court Hotel
Saturday 20 August, 10am-6pm – Mackarness Hall, Honiton
Saturday 10 September, 10am-6pm – Upottery Village Hall
Budleigh Salterton – onshore cable consultation to 5 September 2016 – questions to be answered
Here is the consultation letter and, below it, the maps showing the two possible routes that it might follow onshore. Also details of where and when representatives of the project will be available for questioning.
Several points spring to mind:
How wide will trenches be?
Will roads need to be closed and, if so, for how long?
How big is the converter station?
Why are some of the cables put in fields, yet others are embedded in roads? Roads particularly affected are the B3178 disrupting Budleigh Salterton, East Budleigh and Colaton Raleigh and the B3184 to the airport, Many other key strategic routes will also be cut across and possibly interrupted, including the A30 and also the railway line.
The two routes out of Budleigh Salterton are very sensitive environmental areas – moleing underground was originally mentioned but seems to have been dropped
The consultation letter (followed by maps of alternative routes included with the letter)
I am writing to invite you to take part a public consultation on proposals to build a 220 kilometre underground and subsea electricity interconnector and converter station which will see power flowing between France, the Channel Island of Alderney, and East Devon.
The FAB Project has the approval of the UK energy regulator Ofgem to build the interconnector, linking the British electricity grid from the existing National Grid substation at Broadclyst to the French grid to help ensure the security of supply to both the UK and the continent. Alderney Renewable Energy (ARE) and Transmission Investment LLP formed a joint venture company, FAB Link, and FAB Link is working with the French grid company RTE – Reseau de Transport d’Electricite – to develop the FAB Project.
The project also intends to take advantage of proposed tidal generators in Alderney to provide reliable, sustainable and low-carbon electricity for consumers on both sides of the Channel, hence the FAB name, which stands for France-Alderney-Britain. It is also our intention to increase competition in electricity markets, cutting prices for consumers.
As shown in the enclosed maps, the cables would come ashore in Britain at Budleigh Salterton and thereafter would run underground between the coast and a new above-ground converter station.
The interconnector cables would run completely underground between the coast and a new above-ground converter station to be built near Exeter International Airport. From the converter station the high-voltage DC electricity transmitted through the interconnector would be converted to or from high-voltage AC current used by the National Grid. Further underground cables would then link up with the grid at Broadclyst. There will be no pylons associated with the FAB Project, and our intention is that we will leave the environment along the route exactly as we found it.
We are holding three public consultation events in East Devon and one public consultation event in Alderney where we will be able to explain our project in more detail. Each of the events is open to the public from 2pm to 8pm. They are:
• Tuesday, 26th July, 2016: Temple Methodist Church Hall, Budleigh Salterton;
• Wednesday, 27th July, 2016: Younghayes Centre, Cranbrook;
• Thursday, 28th July 2016: Woodbury Park Hotel, Woodbury;
The events will provide you with opportunities to express your views on the project. The opinions of all stakeholders will help to inform our proposals for the route of the interconnector and the construction of the converter station before the relevant planning applications are submitted to the relevant authorities at the end of 2016.
If you are not able to attend one of the events, please visit our website to learn more. Copies of the detailed plans, technical reports and environmental appraisals of the onshore and offshore proposals available at the public consultation events will also be available online at http://www.fablink.net from 25th July, and there will be opportunities to express your opinions via the website, phone or by post. The consultation will run until 5th September 2016.
If you do not have access to the internet the information will also be available to view at Budleigh Salterton Library in Station Road, Budleigh Salterton, EX9 6RH, from 25th July to 5th September during normal library opening hours, which are currently 09.30-18.00 on Mondays, 09.30-13.00 on Wednesdays, 09.30-17.30 on Thursdays, and 09.30-13.00 on Fridays and Saturdays. Please note the library is not open on Tuesdays or Sundays.
Route 1
Route 2:
Consultation on upgrade of A30 near Honiton
“The Council is proposing to replace the existing narrow, substandard single carriageway in the Monkton area with around five miles of new road between the Honiton Bypass and Devonshire Inn – the junction of the A30 with the A303.
The scheme will comprise a wide carriageway with three lanes. It will be a laid out with two lanes in one direction and one lane in the other to enable overtaking in one direction, alternating along the route.
…
Exhibitions will be held at the following venues:
Thursday 4 August, 8am-6pm – Honiton Show
Friday 5 August, 2pm-8pm – Upottery Village Hall
Saturday 6 August, 10am-6pm – Upottery Village Hall
Tuesday 16 August, 12pm-8pm – Monkton Court Hotel
Saturday 20 August, 10am-6pm – Mackarness Hall, Honiton
Saturday 10 September, 10am-6pm – Upottery Village Hall”
Is this to make the road better for our councillors and officers to reach (or get away from) the forthcoming plush new offices in Honiton – centre of the EDDC universe?
Another railway station for Cranbrook?
Just how big is Cranbrook going to be?
Just how are other towns and villages going to benefit from development in the East Devon if Cranbrook gets all the funding?
Hold your breath in Sidford, the HGVs are coming
Imagine the increase in particulate discharge, particularly its effect on the health of the children of the village.and the integrity of the structure of those beautiful old houses on the route, most built with shallow foundations. And in a flood-prone area of an AONB. Wouldn’t happen in the Blackdown Hills!
“Campaigners have branded Sidford and Sidbury’s ‘bottleneck’ roads ‘too narrow’ to handle the increased transit of lorries.
Councillor Marianne Rixson said traffic is predicted to increase by a third along ‘pinch point’ roads if plans for a business park in Sidford go ahead.
She said the roads are already congested – particularly School Street, near Sidbury Mill and through Sidbury – and branded claims that the site ‘is well served by highway access’ as misleading.
Cllr Rixson, who represents the Sidmouth-Sidford ward on East Devon District Council, said: “The roads are too narrow yet they are predicting a 32 per cent increase in traffic through School Street if the development is approved – Sidbury, too, has various ‘pinch points’ where two vehicles cannot pass.” She added that there needed to be a ‘duty of care’ to pedestrians on roads where there are no pavements.
And with HGVs nearly three metres wide, Cllr Rixson fears two lorries could not pass each other in School Street – which is just 4.8 metres wide.
She said: “The A375 is an upgraded B road and is essentially still a B road. Already lorries drive on the pavement in School Street and, in Sidbury, there are stretches where there are no pavements at all.”
Devon County Council’s highways team is being consulted on the application and said it is considering its response.”
Rural roads need more money
“… A report published today by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) shows that half of all small firms believe this country’s road and public transport system has got worse over last few years.
The three biggest issues highlighted in the report by small companies operating in rural areas are congestion on local roads, potholes and the cost of fuel.
It also warns a lack of regional planning is hampering business growth, particularly in rural area and FSB has also called on the newly-formed combined authorities around the country to commit to spending more on rural transport infrastructure and give the matter a higher priority.
The FSB’s national chairman, Mike Cherry, said while the Government is investing in transport, the ‘lion’s share’ is being spent on ‘big flagship projects’.
‘Most small businesses mainly rely on their local roads and public transport, so there is a strong case to prioritise investment in these smaller projects which will help to alleviate congestion and bottlenecks,’ said Mr Cherry.
‘The current devolution agenda in England presents a real opportunity to make a positive difference to rural communities. Small businesses want to see more resources earmarked for rural transport.
‘This will help support rural small businesses as well as the UK tourism industry, which are both disproportionately affected when local bus networks and roads are left to deteriorate,’ he added.”
http://www.localgov.co.uk/Small-firms-demand-more-money-for-countryside-roads/40935
“Elected mayors could be as remote from the public as Whitehall”
“Most areas in England will soon have a directly elected mayor, but without proper scrutiny mayors alone won’t solve the local accountability problem.
Before too long, most people living in England will find they have a directly elected mayor in their area, making big decisions on transport, economic development, skills, further education, and possibly public health and policing. These mayors will sit at the heart of devolution deals, agreed between central government and local areas, which will see accountability and responsibility decentralised.
Beyond elections, there will be quite limited local mechanisms for holding these mayors to account. True, combined authorities – bodies made up of elected councillor leaders from across the area – will have a role in decision-making. These combined authorities in turn must establish overview and scrutiny committees of local councillors, to hold decision-makers to account – mirroring the arrangements which apply to most local authorities.
But the existence of these new structures is not in itself a guarantee of accountability. There needs to be an active effort by mayors and local councils to ensure these arrangements really work in the way intended.
Poor accountability will lead to services feeling and looking just as remote as they do when directed from London
Nationally, the systems for accountability seem, oddly, rather stronger. Devolution deals give government significant powers to hold local areas to account for their delivery under the deal.
Funding comes with strings attached and can be withheld if expectations are not met. Whitehall is keen to continue to assert its authority – and parliament is keen to support it. Recently, the Commons public accounts committee (PAC) placed devolution deals alongside major national schemes like e-borders in highlighting the risks of huge amounts of public money being spent without parliamentary oversight. But this fails to take account of the fact that effective oversight will work best if it works at local level. …
… What will happen if we fail to develop robust systems for accountability at local level? The first risk is that devolution will be anything but – a decentralisation of responsibility while power remains firmly at the centre. A tussle of power and responsibility between those at local and national level will only ever be won by Whitehall, which has the interest and the power to maintain the status quo.
The second is that devolution will fail to deliver the outcomes which have been promised. The only way that devolution will be a success is if local politicians are able to take more power to develop and implement creative, exciting ways to improve local people’s lives. Poor or non-existent accountability will lead to services feeling and looking just as remote as they have done when directed from London. …
… Areas with devolution deals in place will have to take it upon themselves to develop systems that will give local people confidence that deals will be implemented in their interests, and that they will have an opportunity to influence this implementation. …”
LEP grabs local transport
Jones and Ledbetter … again, now taking charge of local transport, including rail and road. Is there no pie these two people don’t now have their fingers in? Will all roads and rail end up at Hinkley Point? Will there be anything left for county and district councils to decide?
http://www.heartofswlep.co.uk/ltb-membership
Here is Jones’s Register of Interests:
Click to access ltb%20declaration%20of%20interesttj.pdf
Unfortunately the link to Ledbetter’s interests is not live and it took 10 minutes of digging through the DCC website to find this scrawled document:
http://democracy.devon.gov.uk/mgConvert2PDF.aspx?ID=159&T=6
Can people be too involved in too many things?
Tim Jones and Andrew Ledbetter get the wrong end of the stick
“Frustration is mounting about the lack of Government support for Devon and Cornwall rail improvements, as ministers pledge billions of pounds for schemes in London.
Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw accused ministers of having “absolutely no intention” to keep its promises to invest “record” amounts in the region’s rail.
While businessman Tim Jones warns South West firms are losing confidence in the Government’s ability to deliver. …
… Chairman of Devon and Cornwall Business Council, Tim Jones, added that local businesses are growing “frustrated” with the Government’s “regurgitated” assurances. “Business people are saying: we’ve read this all before, we’re bored of this… we do not have confidence,” he said.
The Peninsula Rail Task Force, which is overseeing the region’s bid for rail investment, has now published its draft consultation outlining proposals for the network. Chairman Andrew Leadbetter said the group has have been “pressing the point” that the South West has the lowest investment per head of all regions.
“But that in itself is not a compelling reason to invest. We have to demonstrate investment in the rail network will yield a return,” he said. “We are competing against other regions so I would urge everyone to support the Task Force in making the case and securing our rightful share of funding.”
Er, actually Tim and Andrew it’s YOU and your pals of the Local Enterprise Partnership we don’t have confidence in. You are just as guilty – perhaps more so – for having your cosy jobs for you (development and nuclear) pals and keeping everything you do, spend and acquire secret.
Criticising your pals further up the greasy pole ( or the old excuse that it’s all the previous government’s fault) doesn’t absolve you – you are just a bit lower down on that same pole and just as responsible for the mess we are in.
No bus improvements unless we get a Mayor (or they go nuclear perhaps!)
“Government plans to devolve responsibility for local bus services could mark the beginning of a new era for public transport in the South West.
The legislation, unveiled in today’s Queen’s speech, will lay the groundwork for local authorities taking control of franchising and timetabling of busses.
But while the new powers have been written into Cornwall’s devolution deal, it is unclear whether Devon and Somerset councils will get the same powers without electing a mayor.”
Guess our LEP with its nuclear interests could always run Supacat nuclear buses …
East Devon Watch 