Category Archives: Transport (local)

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16 Oct 2018

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Air pollution, EDDC, Fords of Sidmouth, Sidford Business Park, Transport (local)

Campaigners will press on with “Say No to Sidford Business Park” activity

Say NO To Sidford Business Park Campaign

Press Release – 16 October 2018

The Campaign is relieved for local residents that the District Council has, for the second time in as many years, refused a planning application to build a Business Park on agricultural AONB land at Sidford.

We are pleased that the views of local residents have been listened to once again. Over 250 residents submitted letters of objection, and 1,400 residents signed this Campaign’s petition objecting to the proposed Business Park.

The proposed Business Park is the wrong thing in the wrong place, and we urge the applicants to end the years of uncertainty and concern that has hung over local residents, particularly those in the immediate vicinity to the site, by publicly stating that they will not pursue this matter to appeal.

Whilst we are pleased that the District Council has refused to give planning permission for a Business Park we are disappointed that the Council has only done so on highways concerns. We believe that the refusal could, and should have been more wide ranging.

Until the applicants end their attempts to build a Business Park on this site the Campaign will continue to do all it can to reflect the clear views of local residents.

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15 Oct 2018

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Environment (local), Transport (local)

“Bus travel hits 12-year-low as prices rise and services are axed”

“… The latest figures from the show 1.2 billion local bus journeys were made across Britain between April and June – a 10 per cent decrease since the peak of 1.33 billion between July and September 2008.

The fall in journeys coincides with a 55 per cent hike in average fares over the past decade.

Demand for bus travel has not been this low since the beginning of 2006.

A recent CBT study found that funding for supported buses has almost halved in the last eight years, leaving many areas without public transport.

Local authority bus budgets in England and Wales were slashed by £20.5m last year – the eighth consecutive annual government cut.

“The falling number of passengers taking the bus is a consequence of continued cuts in funding to support services,” said Darren Shirley, CBT chief executive.

“Nationally and locally this is resulting in fewer services and higher fares. The statistics back up what our research has been showing for years: that buses are in crisis.”

Mr Shirley urged the government to use its upcoming budget to reverse the “trend of cutting support” for buses.

“They are vital for the economy and the environment but year-on-year, people – especially in rural areas – are losing their bus service, making it difficult to access jobs, education and other essential public services.”

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/bus-travel-numbers-price-rise-public-transport-a8584211.html

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15 Oct 2018

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Environment (local), Transport (local)

“‘I leave the car at home’: how free buses are revolutionising one French city”

“… One month ago, Dunkirk – with a metropolitan population of 200,000 – became the largest city in Europe to offer free public transport. There are no trams, trolleybuses or local commuter trains, but the hop-on-hop-off buses are accessible and free – requiring no tickets, passes or cards – for all passengers, even visitors.

The scheme took its inspiration from Tallinn in Estonia, which in 2013 became the first European capital to offer a fare-free service on buses, trams and trolleybuses, but only to residents who are registered with the municipality. They pay €2 for a “green card”, after which all journeys are free. The city has reported an increase of 25,000 in the number of registered residents – the number previously stood at 416,000 – for which the local authorities receives €1,000 of each resident’s income tax every year.

Free urban transport is spreading. In his research Wojciech Keblowski, an expert on urban research at Brussels Free University, found in 2016 there were 107 fare-free public transport networks around the world: 67 in Europe (30 in France), 25 in North America, 11 in South America, 3 in Asia and one in Australia. Many are smaller than Dunkirk and offer free transit limited to certain times, routes and people.

In February this year, Germany announced it was planning to trial free public transport in five cities – including the former capital Bonn and industrial cities Essen and Mannheim. In June this was downgraded to a slashing of public transport fares to persuade people to ditch cars.

The largest in the world is in Changning , in China’s Hunan province, where free transit has been in operation since 2008. Passenger numbers reportedly jumped by 60% on the day it was introduced.

A study into free public transport by online journal Metropolitics found an increase in mobility among older and younger people, and an increased sense of freedom.

… Vergriete believes this is all part of an erroneous received dogma. He admits free public transport may not work everywhere, but says that, as well as being good for the environment, it is a social measure, a gesture of “solidarity” and promotes a more egalitarian redistribution of wealth than tax cuts.

“We have been pragmatic: we looked at the advantages of free transport and weighed them against the disadvantages and decided €7m is not a lot to pay for all the benefits. If I can pass one message to other mayors it’s to fight the dogma. Put the advantages and disadvantages on the table and consider it realistically. It may be that the financial cost is too great, but don’t underestimate the social advantages. You can’t put a price on mobility and social justice.”

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/oct/15/i-leave-the-car-at-home-how-free-buses-are-revolutionising-one-french-city

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15 Oct 2018

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Austerity cuts, Cranbrook, EDDC, Transport (local)

“Near miss outside Cranbrook Education Campus prompts new road safety measures”

Owl says: the area around the campus looks an overgrown, desolate space and the campus itself does not seem to be wearing well; and one wonders how long the two cones will last:

“Dangerous parking on pavements outside Cranbrook Education Campus and a near-accident involving a child have prompted new safety measures.

Stone boulders are being put in place to stop vehicles driving on to the pavements.

The problems had been caused by parents parking on the pavements when picking up or dropping off their children.

The head teacher had written to parents asking them not to do it, but it was an incident at the end of a school day in mid-September that led to action being taken.

A car reversed off the pavement and narrowly missed a child.

No-one was hurt, but it led to the town council arranging a meeting with representatives of the school, the developers’ consortium, and a senior county highways officer.

It was agreed that the consortium would initially cone off the pavements, and then pay for the stone blocks to be installed in two places.

One is directly outside the driveway leading up to the campus building, the other alongside the entrance to the parking area behind the houses in Tillhouse Road, where cars have been driving up onto the pavement. It will not affect access to the parking area.

The two pedestrian crossings near the campus, both of which have worn-out road markings, will be repainted, and construction workers on the nearby development sites have been asked not to drive their vehicles near the campus at the start and end of the school day.

County Councillor Ray Bloxham said he was pleased to see the safety measures being put in place, but he thought they should not have been necessary.

“I’ve looked at what goes on there, and the people who’re complaining about the problem are the problem themselves,” he said. “They could at least stop 400 yards before they get to the school and let the children out there and walk. I actually saw people pulling up right outside the school, which is right on a road junction, on a bend, and stopping there and dropping their children off. Kids can walk 100 or 200 yards.

“I know people are rushed, they’ve got to get to work and all the rest of it, but if they just gave it a little bit more thought they’d solve their own problems really.”

http://www.midweekherald.co.uk/news/new-road-safety-measures-at-cranbrook-education-campus-1-5734784

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14 Oct 2018

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Accountability, Austerity cuts, Conflict of interest, Privatisation, Scrutiny, Transport (local)

Virgin and Stagecoach: more pigs, more snouts, more troughs

“Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin and Sir Brian Souter’s Stagecoach shared a payout of over £52m just months before the companies pulled out of the East Coast line, forcing a £2bn government bail out, it has emerged.

Virgin and Stagecoach received the pay out for the West Coast mainline which runs the route connecting London, Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, and Glasgow.

Virgin Rail owns 51 per cent of the West Coast mainline, with the remainder held by Stagecoach.

‘No surprise’

Shadow Transport Secretary Andy McDonald said Virgin Rail’s dividend increases came as “no surprise”.

“This is yet more evidence of a failing rail system which is costing taxpayers a fortune, lining the pockets of billionaires and making passengers feel like they’ve been mugged whenever they buy a ticket,” Mr McDonald told the Sunday Times.

“These vast payouts show exactly why we need to bring our railways back into public ownership.”

Virgin-Stagecoach bail out

The figures have come to light just four months after Virgin, run by Richard Branson and Stagecoach, run by Brian Souter, walked away from the East Coast main line franchise in June, three years into an eight-year deal.

The firms had agreed to pay the Government £3.3bn for the right to run the line, with the sum to be paid in instalments up until 2023.

Stagecoach had controlled 90 per cent of the franchise, compared to Virgin’s 10 per cent. Pulling out of the franchise early will allow Stagecoach and Virgin to avoid making Government payments of up to £2bn.

‘Virgin on the ridiculous’

One online critic described the situation as an “absolute laugh”, while another said: “They don’t even pretend not to be screwing over the taxpayers and the commuters anymore.

“Branson and chums make extortionate profits again while delivering nothing to rail users. It’s all Virgin on the ridiculous.”

Virgin Rail insisted its “industry-leading levels of customer satisfaction” warranted the dividends, with a spokeswoman pointing to company “innovations” such as automatic refunds for delays, free films and TV on board trains and mtickets (tickets you can buy and keep on your mobile phone).

“This drove a strong business performance which helped deliver a record payment to taxpayers,” the spokeswoman said.”

https://inews.co.uk/news/richard-branson-52m-virgin-rail-stagecoach-payout/

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12 Oct 2018

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Accountability, Developers/ Development, Development Management Committee, Fords of Sidmouth, Sidford Business Park, Transport (local)

Say No to Sidford Business Park meeting

Owl says: notable by his absence was District Councillor and DCC Transport supremo Stuart Hughes, who, it seems, may have preferred going to his gym than attending the meeting:

https://eastdevonwatch.org/2018/10/10/where-was-eddc-and-dcc-transport-councillor-during-the-say-no-to-sidford-business-park-meeting/

“The only way to ensure proposals like the Sidford Business Park and others like it stay in the dustbin of history is for the community to buy it themselves.

Those are the words of campaigners who would like to see the Two Bridges site, where the multi-million pound scheme is proposed, turned into an area for the good of the community – but it would only work if the plans were rejected and the landowners agreed to sell.

More than 100 people attended the latest No Sidford Business Park meeting on Wednesday at St Peter’s Church Hall, Sidford.

Permission is being sought to build 8,445sqm of employment floor space but among the concerns raised are flooding risks and the extra traffic, especially lorries, it could bring to the area’s ‘inadequate’ roads.

During the meeting, John Loudoun from the group, revealed they now had 1,379 signatures on their petition, which opposed the plans and was only carried out in Sidford and Sidbury. And by the time they present the petition to East Devon District Council’s (EDDC) Development and Management Committee, campaigners say it will have more than 1,400 names on it.

John said: “The call to you and everybody out there – and your friends, your family, your neighbours – is please come along on Tuesday, October 30, at 9.15am at The Knowle and be with us when we present the 1,400 signatures to the committee.

“Let’s try now and make sure that this is the second time that we actually kick this planning application and any others like it into the dustbin of history.”

Councillor Marianne Rixson said: “I really can’t see what has changed since last time.

“If we are lucky, it could be refused again, which would leave us potentially facing yet another revised application at some date in the future. But personally, I don’t relish the prospect of wading through another 500-plus pages of documents so I have a radical suggestion. How would you feel about trying to raise the money to buy this land. I can’t promise they would agree to sell but this is the only way we can guarantee that this development or something similar couldn’t happen. Once the Japanese knotweed on the site has been eradicated it could then be a community asset and used for the public good.”

Cllr Rixson said she believed the landowner, Tim Ford, paid around £402,000 for the site.”

http://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/nearly-1-400-residents-say-no-to-sidford-business-park-1-5733085

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10 Oct 2018

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Disability issues, Transport (local)

“Minicars” wow elderly in Tokyo

“TOKYO (Reuters) – When Honda Motor Co (7267.T) launched the latest version of its N-Box a year ago, it promoted features on the pint-sized minicar such as error-detecting pedals, automatic emergency braking and moveable seats, part of a push to market the vehicle to young families.

But a drastically different demographic has made the N-Box the country’s best-selling passenger vehicle: roughly half the owners of the most recent model are 50 or older.

Automakers had hoped high-tech options would attract younger buyers to minicars, or kei-cars, even as the number of Japanese drivers under 30 has slid nearly 40 percent since 2001.

Instead, with a price tag starting around $7,500 and low ownership taxes, minicars have gained a more loyal following among the rapidly growing population of Japanese elderly, many of whom are on fixed incomes.

“After their children are grown and leave home, more people are looking to downsize from larger family cars to more compact ones,” said Kiminori Murano, managing director at Tortoise, a dealership specializing in minicars in Yamato, Kanagawa prefecture, just south of Tokyo.

At Tortoise, seniors have overtaken young families as the biggest customer group in the past decade, making up more than 70 percent of its clientele.

Kei-cars represent nearly a third of all Japanese passenger car sales, and about one of every 20 cars sold this year has been an N-Box.

All of Japan’s major automakers sell the no-frills, fuel-sipping vehicles, almost exclusively for the domestic market. With their 660cc engines – a size more common in motorcycles than cars – minicars are considered too small for most overseas markets.

Many in the industry predict that eventually, automated cars, taxis and buses will keep the elderly mobile for longer.

Until that future arrives, demand for cheap, safe and easy-to-drive vehicles such as the N-Box is growing sharply among older Japanese in a country that is home to one the world’s most rapidly aging populations. The success of these cars could also provide a blueprint for marketing such vehicles to older drivers overseas.

When Yoshiyuki Imada’s car insurance expires early next year, the 68-year-old retired truck operator from Kagoshima Prefecture is planning to trade in the Toyota Mark II sedan he has been driving for nearly 20 years for a minicar.

“Smaller cars are easier to drive as you get older,” he said.”

https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-japan-ageing-driving/aging-japan-built-for-young-families-minicars-attract-a-huge-following-among-elderly-drivers-idUKKCN1MK0H5

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10 Oct 2018

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Air pollution, Fords of Sidmouth, Rural communities, Sidford Business Park, Transport (local)

“Air pollution linked to greater risk of mouth cancer, finds study”

“High levels of air pollution are linked to an increased risk of mouth cancer, new research has revealed.

Scientists have previously linked high air pollution to a host of health problems, from an increased risk of dementia to asthma and even changes in the structure of the heart, with recent research suggesting there is no “safe level” of air pollution.

Now researchers say that at very high levels of air pollution, the risk of developing mouth cancer appears to rise.

Writing in the Journal of Investigative Medicine, researchers in Taiwan describe how they discovered the association by looking at air pollution data from 66 air quality monitoring stations around the country collected in 2009, and combing this with data from the health records of more than 480,000 men aged 40 and over from 2012/13. In total, there were 1,1617 cases of mouth cancer among participants.

The team focused on tiny particulates of pollution known as PM2.5s, and took the men’s exposure to this air pollution as being based on where they lived. They then sorted the participants into four groups, from lowest to highest levels of exposure.

After taking into account factors including age, exposure to ozone, levels of other particulates, age, smoking status and whether the men chewed betel quid – a mixture of ingredients that includes areca nut and betel leaf and is known to increase the risk of mouth cancer – the researchers found that men exposed to the highest levels of PM2.5s had an increased risk of mouth cancer. …”

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/09/air-pollution-linked-to-greater-risk-of-mouth-cancer-finds-study

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7 Oct 2018

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Accountability, Air pollution, Developers/ Development, EDDC, Fords of Sidmouth, Sidford Business Park, Transport (local)

“Say No to Sidmouth Business Park” public meeting: 10 October, 7.30 pm, St Peter’s Church Hall

“The Say No to Sidford Business Park group is inviting residents to hear about the campaigns activities in recent months and its newest proposals.

The group is keeping tight-lipped until the meeting next Wednesday (October 10), but says the announcements will demonstrate the depth of local opposition.

John Loudoun from the group said: “I think it’s important to get a sense of what we have been doing over the past few months, in order to try and put it before councillors so they understand the depth of opposition there is to the planning application.

“This has now been going on for a number of months and it is not going anywhere particularly fast. We are going to be making an announcement as we have a proposal to put to the people.”

The meeting will start at 7pm, in St Peter’s Church Hall, Sidford, on Wednesday.”

http://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/say-no-to-sidford-business-park-campaigners-to-hold-another-public-meeting-1-5726601

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25 Sep 2018

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Accountability, Claire Wright, DCC, Ottery St Mary, Transport (local)

Claire Wright’s latest update on post-fire traffic problems in Ottery St Mary

http://www.claire-wright.org/index.php/post/ottery_road_closure_update1

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19 Sep 2018

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Cranbrook, DCC, Developers/ Development, Police (local), Transport (local)

“Police admit loophole stops speeding drivers from being prosecuted on roads in Cranbrook”

Cranbrook a NEW development? Some of the houses there are 4 or more years old!

“Drivers on some of new roads in Devon cannot be prosecuted for speeding, police have admitted.

Numerous roads running off London Road in Cranbrook are yet to be officially adopted by Devon County Council therefore leaving housing developers responsible for managing them.

This means that Devon and Cornwall Police is unable to enforce speeding restrictions around the town on roads that are unadopted and do not have street lights.

“For speed enforcement to occur, a valid Traffic Regulation Order needs to be in place,” said Ch Insp Leisk.

“This is prepared by the local authority post adoption. When conducting speed detection activity, we would always confirm the validity of the TRO.

“The other occasion where a road speed limit is always 30mph is when street lighting is present less than 200 metres apart. Unless posted otherwise, this is always a 30mph limit.

“A street layout would always be agreed with the local Highway Authority, in this case Devon County Council, prior to build as part of the planning process.”

Concerns were raised at a recent Cranbrook Town Council meeting with Cllr Ray Bloxham telling members that police would not enforce the 30mph limit on unadopted roads.

He added that the Devon County Council task group was looking at speeding on Devon’s roads.

Cllr Kevin Blakey, chairman of Cranbrook Town Council, told Devon Live that his understanding was that all aspects of the Road Traffic Act apply on all of the town’s roads.

He said: “It is true that the majority of the roads in Cranbrook have yet to be adopted, and this is usual for most new developments.

“However, the supposition that speed limits and other regulations do not apply is incorrect.

“The Road Traffic Act and associated regulations apply in full and without exception to all roads to which the public have access.”

However, Ch Insp Adrian Leisk clarified that while certain aspects of the act do apply – such as needing insurance and a valid licence – police are not in a position to be able to prosecute speeding.

He said: “Elements of the Road Traffic Act apply such as insurance, standards of driving, wearing seat belts and not using a mobile phone.

“These all are applicable as the offence is committed on a road – there is a legal definition of road.

“The setting of speed limits are always detailed in the TRO, the lack of which could be relied upon in an individual’s defence.”

A spokesperson for Devon County Council said: “Because the roads have not been adopted, and so are not managed by DCC, the responsibility rests with the Cranbrook Consortium for main roads that link with London Road, and the relevant housing development companies manage the roads in their sections of development that connect to the main Cranbrook roads.”

https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/police-admit-loophole-stops-speeding-2018242

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16 Sep 2018

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Austerity cuts, Axminster, East Devon economy, EDDC, Transport (local)

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Axminster by-pass – east or west?

East: developers of eastern extension to the town have to chip in = cheaper solution

West: no developer funding but solves the problem of Weycroft Mill bottleneck = more expensive solution.

Owl’s guess: no common sense or forward planning = cheapest wins

“Axminster Town Council has called a special meeting to discuss plans for the town’s long awaited north-south relief road.

It follows growing concerns about the current ‘preferred’ route and will take place on Thursday, September 27, at 7.30pm in The Guildhall. It will be open to the public.

Under present proposals the £20million scheme takes the road to the East of the town, emerging on the Lyme Road.

But campaigners are becoming increasingly worried that this will not solve the major problem of the Weycroft Bridge bottleneck.

And there are calls that the alternative route – to the west of the town – should be looked at again, despite its much higher cost.

* East Devon District Council has appointed consultants to produce a masterplan for the bypass and the associated housing development which will help to fund it, following its successful bid for £10 million government money towards the project.”

http://www.midweekherald.co.uk/news/campaigners-want-route-to-go-west-of-the-town-1-5695852

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6 Sep 2018

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Business Rates, High Street decline, Transport (local)

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“Every town centre should have free parking to encourage Brits to return to the high street, new report says”

“ALL town centres should have free parking in a dramatic intervention to help save the high street, a major report says today.

In a five-point strategy the Federation of Small Businesses also calls for urgent measures to halt thousands of ATM and bank branch closures that are crippling local firms and driving people away from town centres….”

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/7191097/every-town-centre-should-have-free-parking-to-encourage-brits-to-return-to-the-high-street-new-report-says/

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30 Aug 2018

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Cranbrook, Sidford Business Park, Sidmouth/ Sidford/ Sidbury, Transport (local)

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What will happen in Cranbrook and Sidford if pavement parking is made illegal?

“Motorists should be banned from parking on pavements to prevent pedestrians having to walk on the road, ministers have been told.

A coalition of charities is calling on the Department for Transport (DfT) to fast-track legislation designed to bar drivers from mounting the kerb.

In a letter to The Times, the groups criticise the government for “stalling” over the issue and say that action is needed to stop cars on congested streets spilling over on to the pavement.

The issue is particularly pressing for parents with prams, the elderly, those with disabilities and people who are blind and partially sighted, they say.

The letter is signed by 20 charities including the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, Living Streets, Age UK, British Cycling, Scope and The Ramblers. An open letter to the prime minister signed by 16,000 members of the public has also been delivered.

It follows a statement from the DfT this year that it was considering an overhaul of traffic laws to prevent vehicles from blocking paths. This would bring the rest of England into line with London, which has banned pavement parking, except where specifically allowed by councils, since 1974. Outside the capital, local authorities have long pushed for the change, saying it was a “nonsense” that those outside London were treated differently. It could allow councils to make it illegal to park on the kerb unless they expressly grant permission, potentially carrying fines of £50 or £70.

Almost three years ago the DfT suggested that a review of the law would be carried out as part of reforms designed to promote more cycling and walking, but it never materialised.

Today’s letter notes that it has been 1,000 days since ministers first proposed to take action. “Cars parked on the pavements force people into the road to face oncoming traffic, which is particularly dangerous for many, including blind and partially sighted people, parents with pushchairs and young children, wheelchair users and others who use mobility aids,” it says.

Xavier Brice, chief executive of Sustrans, the walking and cycling charity, said: “We strongly support a banning of pavement parking. It is particularly dangerous for those who are blind and partially sighted, other less able people and people with push chairs.”

The DfT said: “We recognise the importance of making sure that pavement parking doesn’t put pedestrians at risk, and believe councils are best placed to make decisions about local restrictions.

“Councils already have the powers to ban drivers from parking on pavements and we are considering whether more can be done to make it easier for them to tackle problem areas. It is important to get this right for all pavement users.”

Source: Times, pay wall

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19 Aug 2018

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Austerity cuts, Infrastructure, Transport (local)

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“Thousands of UK bridges are ‘sub-standard’, at risk of collapse and will cost almost £1billion to repair, experts warn after the tragedy in Genoa”

“The number of ‘sub-standard’ bridges in the UK has soared in recent years and would cost almost £1 billion to repair, according to alarming new findings.

A survey by the RAC Foundation revealed that almost 3,500 British bridges maintained by councils are not considered strong enough to bear 44-ton lorries – the heaviest vehicles permitted on our roads – placing them at risk of collapse if warning signs are ignored.

The figure – an increase of almost 45 per cent from the 2,375 recorded in 2015 – was correlated after the motoring research charity sent out Freedom of Information requests to all local authorities.”

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6074663/Thousands-UK-bridges-sub-standard-risk-collapse.html

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15 Aug 2018

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Greendale, Transport (local), Woodbury

Fire close to Greendale Business Park

“Firefighters are tackling a huge blaze involving “300 to 400” hay bales near Exeter.

Fire crews were called to a field near Greendale Business Park in Woodbury Salterton at about 04:45.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said “approximately 300 to 400 large straw bales” were on fire.

They remain at the scene and are trying to stop the blaze from spreading.

Appliances in the lanes surrounding so may be tricky driving around Woodbury/Woodbury Salterton.”

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-england-devon-45085272

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7 Aug 2018

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Austerity cuts, Economy, Greater Exeter, Inequality, Transport (local)

Don’t look to eastern East Devon for jobs unless you have a car

Following on from the post on an increase in buses and frequencies on the western side of East Devon (which has effectively become a commuting suburb of Exeter:

https://eastdevonwatch.org/2018/08/06/western-east-devon-profits-from-extra-buses-eastern-east-devon-gets-nothing-time-to-join-west-dorset/

comes this information:

“Bad buses ruin work chances

Unreliable buses that are too expensive are causing low-income families to miss out on jobs, according to a study by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Fewer services mean people are unable to travel long distances and guarantee punctuality, putting commuters at risk of losing their job. Since 2010 funding for buses has dropped £182 million, fares have risen 13 per cent above inflation and 3,347 routes have been cut.”

Source: Mirror page 25

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6 Aug 2018

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Accountability, Air pollution, AONB, Developers/ Development, Fords of Sidmouth, Hugo Swire, Planning System, Sidford Business Park, Sustainability, Transport (local)

Swire opposes Sidford Business Park

“Hundreds of people have lodged objections against the controversial application to create 8,445 sq m of employment floor space at the Two Bridges site.

The plans, which could create 250 jobs, represents 37 per cent of what was previously proposed and submitted to East Devon District Council (EDDC) in 2016.

Sir Hugo has hit out at the plans and raised concerns, slamming it as an ‘unwanted development in the wrong place’.

In a letter to East Devon District Council’s leader Councillor Ian Thomas, Sir Hugo said: “We have already seen Sidford absorbed by Sidmouth. It was because of this that I objected to a proposal for a cycle path between Sidford and Sidbury as I believed it would not be long before someone insisted on an illuminated path which could lead to gradual urbanisation between the two.

“Likewise, it seems to me to build a business park between Sidford and Sidbury, albeit nearer to Sidford, is an unwanted development in the wrong place.

“You will be familiar with the well-rehearsed arguments both for and against but I cannot see how this proposed development would do anything but detract from the area and to lead to more congestion and pollution on what is an already overused road.

“Equally I cannot see why the Alexandria Business Park could not be properly redeveloped to accommodate any need for new light industrial space.”

Sir Hugo then urged the council to turn the ‘unwanted’ planning application down.

Say No to Sidford Business Park campaigners held a protest last week that was attended by more than 80 people.

Petitioners have also been going door-to-door to gauge people’s views.

A Say No to Sidford Business Park spokesman said: “Obviously we welcome the position taken by Sir Hugo on what is a very important issue for local people. On this matter, we feel he has got it completely right.”

When the Herald went to press, EDDC had received 368 comments about the application, 254 of which were objections and 111 of which were in support.”

http://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/mp-sir-hugo-swire-opposes-plans-for-new-business-park-at-sidford-1-5637131

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1 Aug 2018

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Cranbrook, DCC, Stuart Hughes, Transport (local)

“Speeding in Cranbrook compounded by town’s unadopted roads”

Owl says: a headache for Sidmouth’s DCC Councillor Stuart Hughes – the transport supremo.

“Town councillors in Cranbrook have voiced their concerns over motorists travelling at speed on the town’s roads.

At a meeting last week, Councillor Matt Osborn said he saw vehicles using Court Royal – which runs from Cranberry Farm pub to Tillhouse Road – as a ‘drag strip’.

The problem of high speeds in Cranbrook has been further compounded by the fact police can only legally enforce a speed limit on an ‘adopted’ road.

No roads in Cranbrook have been adopted yet, meaning any police prosecutions for speeding offences would fail.

At a town council meeting last week, Cllr Ray Bloxham said: “The Road Traffic Act covers un-adopted roads, but the police do not see it that way.

“We have a dilemma and it has cropped up many times.

“Devon County Council (DCC) has set up a forum to tackle issues with speed because we are unhappy with the way speed is monitored.”

But chief inspector Adrian Leisk, head of roads policing, told the Herald that it was untrue that police were not enforcing the law in relation to the speed limit in Cranbrook – although it was a question of whether the law permitted them to do so.

He added: “To legally enforce a speed limit on a road, a valid and legal Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) needs to be produced and published.

“This will be done by the highway authority, which in this case will be Devon County Council, after the roads are formally handed over, or adopted.

“Any prosecutions for speeding offences will fail if the TRO is not valid or present. This will obviously be applicable after the road is adopted by the highway authority.”

Mr Leisk said the process of adoption ensured that the road was compliant with regulations, and all of the necessary design and technical specifications are met.

He added: “Prior to formal adoption, the responsibility for site safety rests with the developer, who still own the roads and are responsible for their upkeep.

“This should be risk assessed and addressed as all other safety considerations on a building site.

“This can include temporary measures to reduce residual speed on the site.

“Essentially, this road is not currently ‘in the hands of the police.’”

http://www.midweekherald.co.uk/news/speeding-in-cranbrook-compounded-by-town-s-unadopted-roads-1-5631114