Category Archives: Transport (local)

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

12 Apr 2017

Posted under

Accountability, Developers/ Development, Devolution, Economy, Housing (local), Inequality, Local Enterprise Partnership, Planning System, Transport (local)

What SHOULD super-Mayors (and LEPs) be doing?

This is what a think tank believes Mayors (and by extension Local Enterprise Partnerships) SHOULD be tackling.

Can anyone see any of these issues being given attention in our Devon and Somerset super-mayoral area?

“… Mayors are due to be elected in May in Greater Manchester, the West Midlands, Tees Valley, Liverpool City Region, Cambridgeshire/ Peterborough and West of England, the latter an area based around Bristol.

The IPPR said its evidence base showed mayors should deliver inclusive growth by using their transport policy to prioritise poor neighbourhoods, establishing development corporations and championing the living wage and higher employment standards.

They could improve infrastructure by integrating land use planning and working with central government on housing investment and seek to embed health in all public policy.

The IPPR also urged mayors to set up companies to pilot ‘invest-to-save’ models in employment support, and to collaborate with councils to tackle homelessness….”

http://localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=30775%3Athink-tank-urges-new-mayors-to-make-full-use-of-powers&catid=59&

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

31 Mar 2017

Posted under

Exmouth, Transport (local)

Exmouth: Dinan Way extension ok’d by Minister

” …The road had previously seemed set to proceed when it was approved by county planners in January. However, the National Trust then protested to the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) that the application should be ‘called in’.

Had it done so, a final decision on planning permission would have been made by the Secretary of State; however, DCLG has now decided to take no further action, which means the planning permission stands.

This does not mean construction is imminent, as Devon County Council (DCC) must first carry out further negotiations.

A DCC spokesman said: “Conditional planning consent has been granted for the scheme. The county council will now be looking to acquire the necessary land, and funding, but no delivery period has been identified as yet.”

The National Trust had opposed the scheme, citing the effect on the Grade One listed A la Ronde, in nearby Summer Lane.

In a statement following the DCLG decision, the National Trust said: “We hope that DCC will now redouble its efforts to work with Historic England and the National Trust to help ensure the long-term protection of A la Ronde and to pursue the safeguards they proposed during the planning consultation period.” …

http://www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/news/dinan_way_link_challenge_rejected_1_4953315

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

23 Mar 2017

Posted under

Accountability, Austerity cuts, Transport (local)

Fix old roads or overspend on new roads?

“Decisive action is needed after plans to upgrade England’s roadways went £841m over budget, a National Audit Office study found.

The National Audit Office (NAO) report, out yesterday, claims the speed at which Highways England’s Road Investment Strategy was put together has created risks to deliverability, affordability and value for money.

The £11.4bn programme already has 16 projects which could be scrapped because they do not provide value for taxpayers.

The Progress with the Road Investment Strategy report shows the road improvement scheme, which covers the period between April 2015 and March 2020, exceeded available funding for forecast capital costs by £841m.

The RIS was drawn up in the 17 months before the May General Election in 2015 and included plans which had not been tested for cost effectiveness.

Amyas Morse, head of the NAO, said: “The Department and Highways England need to agree a more realistic and affordable plan if they are to provide optimal value from the Road Investment Strategy.

“Highways England has been working to address the risks to deliverability, affordability and value for money that were present in 2015, but we are now nearly two years into the 5-year road investment period.

“Decisive action needs to be taken before the updated delivery plan is published in the summer if shortcomings in the current strategy are not to be carried over into future road investment periods.”

So far Highways England has completed six projects on or ahead of schedule and has started construction on a further 19, with 16 planned to be on or ahead of schedule.

According to Highways England these projects will be delivered 5% over budget.

Bridget Fox, sustainable transport campaigner at Campaign for Better Transport, said: “This report shows that the current emphasis on big road projects could waste a lot of public money and that some projects might not happen at all.

“Instead, we’d like to see the government focus on fixing the roads we have before spending billions on considering big new projects.”

She added: “The government should also look at the major road network as part of an overall transport policy rather than go after big road schemes in isolation.”

This report follows another out earlier this week from the Campaign to Protect Rural England, which claimed the government’s road investment strategy will provide little benefit to local communities.”

http://www.publicfinance.co.uk/news/2017/03/road-investment-strategy-goes-millions-pounds-over-budget

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

20 Mar 2017

Posted under

Environment (local), Transport (local)

Building new roads makes traffic worse, say campaigners and don ‘t boost economy”

“New roads in England not only fail to ease congestion and benefit local economies but worsen traffic, countryside campaigners warn.

Road-building also “obliterates” rural views and harms nature, the Campaign to Protect Rural England says.

Its study of 86 road schemes completed between 2002 and 2012 says the majority damaged the surrounding environment.

But Sir John Armitt, of the National Infrastructure Commission, said it was essential to increase road capacity.

The government will spend £1.2bn on building and maintaining roads in the next year, which it says will cut congestion and improve journey times while boosting businesses and jobs.

‘Depressing cycle’

Ralph Smyth, head of infrastructure at the CPRE, said road-building projects led to a “depressing, self-perpetuating cycle of more and more roads”.
Roads were not delivering the congestion relief promised, he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “They improve it for the first year or so, then traffic rapidly increases.”

The CPRE’s research drew on official evaluations of 86 road schemes, which Highways England carries out for road projects costing more than £10m.

It said 69 of these road schemes had had an “adverse impact” on the landscape, including obliterating views and destroying ancient woodland and mature hedgerows.

And each road project it looked at, excepting one, saw traffic grow “significantly faster” than other regional roads.

In addition, the CPRE examined 25 road schemes which the government promised would boost the local economy.

The CPRE said that in 15 of these cases there was only “thin and circumstantial to non-existent” evidence that this had happened. …”

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39328643

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

27 Feb 2017

Posted under

Accountability, DCC, Transport (local)

Speeding on the A3052 gets Stuart Hughes suddenly excited and now a councillor in Newton Abbott suddenly finds potholes interesting.

There wouldn’t be a DCC election coming up would there?

http://www.devonlive.com/newton-abbot-s-worst-road-will-finally-have-its-potholes-fixed/story-30165680-detail/story.html

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

27 Feb 2017

Posted under

Accountability, Affordable and Social Housing, Consultation, Developers/ Development, EDDC, Environment (local), Greater Exeter, Infrastructure, Land Supply, Local Plan, Planning System, Sustainability, Transparency, Transport (local)

Greater Exeter Strategic Plan consultation – only one public meeting to discuss implications for East Devon

NOTE THAT, UNLIKE THE EMAIL TO EDDC COUNCILLORS (see earlier post) WE ARE NOT BEING ASKED IF WE WANT TO PUT FORWARD SECRET LAND HOLDINGS – THOUGH NO DOUBT THE TAXMAN WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED IF YOU DID!

THE BIGGEST PLANNING ISSUE TO HIT EAST DEVON SINCE THE LOCAL PLAN AND YOU MUST TREK TO HONITON ON 8 MARCH IF YOU WANT TO HAVE YOUR SAY. THAT’S IT – ONE MEETING IN ONE PLACE.

DO YOU RECALL BEING ASKED IF YOU WANTED TO BE PART OF GREATER EXETER? OWL NEITHER!

“Greater Exeter Strategic Plan Consultation: Issues

The local authorities of East Devon, Exeter, Mid Devon and Teignbridge in partnership with Devon County Council are working together to prepare a Greater Exeter Strategic Plan (GESP). This formal statutory document will provide the overall spatial strategy and level of housing and employment land to be provided up to 2040. Please visit http://www.gesp.org.uk for more information.

Engagement with stakeholders and communities will be critical to the success of the Plan. At this first stage, the authorities are consulting on an initial ‘issues document’ which, after setting out some background information, looks to explain the scope and content of the plan as well as describing the key issues facing the Greater Exeter area. This early stage of consultation is designed to stimulate debate and the local planning authorities are seeking your views on the scope and content of the plan as well as the key issues facing your area.

A number of other associated documents are also being consulted on:

Draft Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report:

· The Draft Sustainability Appraisal Scoping Report is the first stage of work in undertaking the Sustainability Appraisal (SA) and Strategic Environment Assessment (SEA) for the plan. This process is used to assess the sustainability of the plan content as it develops.

Statement of Community Involvement:

· The joint Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) sets out the approach for consultation in the GESP. The SCI sets out the way in which we will be engaging with communities and other interested parties throughout the process.

The consultation will run from 27 February 2017 until 10 April 2017. To view the consultation material and to make your comments please visit http://www.gesp.org.uk/consultations/issues/.

Alternatively, paper copies of the consultation document are available to view at your local library and Council Office.

A series of exhibitions are being held during the consultation period in the following locations:

Honiton: Mackarness Hall, High Street, EX14 1PG – Wednesday 8 March 2017, 2pm-8pm

Tiverton: Mid Devon District Council Office, Phoenix House, Phoenix Lane, EX16 6PP – Wednesday 15 March 2017, 2-8pm
Exeter: The Guildhall, High Street, EX4 3EB – Thursday 16 March 2017, 2-8pm
Newton Abbot: Old Forde House, Brunel Road, TQ12 4XX – Thursday 23 March 2017, 2- 8pm

A ‘call for sites’ has also been arranged to run alongside the consultation. This is a technical exercise which allows interested parties to submit potential sites for development to the Local Authorities. The sites are then assessed to consider whether they are suitable for possible inclusion in the plan. Further information is http://gesp.org.uk/call-for-sites/.

If you need further information please visit the website, email GESP@devon.gov.uk or contact your Local Council using the phone numbers below:

East Devon: 01395 571533
Exeter: 01392 265615
Mid Devon: 01884 234221
Teignbridge: 01626 215735

As there are four Councils contacting their stakeholders for the consultation and call for sites, you may receive duplicate letters/emails. Please accept my apologies if this is the case.”

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

24 Feb 2017

Posted under

Accountability, DCC, Stuart Hughes, Transport (local), Voting

Is there a DCC election coming up? You bet!

How does Owl know? DCC Highways councillor Stuart Hughes takes a sudden interest in the A3052! Which apparently leads to Sidmouth and on to Seaton … funny, Owl thought it led direct to Lyme Regis … with Sidmouth and Seaton offshoots … B3176 leads to Sidmouth, B3052 to Seaton… or at least they did until today …

Expect more and more of this sort of stuff between now and purdah …

which must start on 27 March 2017:

http://www.local.gov.uk/documents/10180/6869714/L15-91+Unpacking+Purdah_04.pdf/c80978b9-dc0b-4eee-9f81-49bd47afeb2d

which states:

“Publicity [during purdah] is defined as “any communication, in whatever form, addressed to the public at large or to a section of the public.”

The first question to ask is ‘could a reasonable person conclude that you were spending public money to influence the outcome of the election?’ In other words it must pass the ‘is it reasonable’ test. When making your decision, you should consider the following:

You should not:

• produce publicity on matters which are politically controversial
• make references to individual politicians or groups in press releases
• arrange proactive media or events involving candidates
• issue photographs which include candidates
• supply council photographs or other materials to councillors or political group staff unless you have verified that they will not be used for campaigning purposes
• continue hosting third-party blogs or e-communications
• help with national political visits (as this would involve using public money to support a particular candidate or party). These should be organised by political parties with no cost or resource implications for the council.

You should also think carefully before you:

• Continue to run campaign material to support your own local campaigns. If the campaign is already running and is non-controversial (for example, on issues like recycling or foster care) and would be a waste of public money to cancel or postpone them, then continue. However, you should always think carefully if a campaign could be deemed likely to influence the outcome of the election and you should not use councillors in press releases and events in pre-election periods. In such cases you should stop or defer them. An example might be a campaign on an issue which has been subject of local political debate and/or disagreement.

• Launch any new consultations. Unless it is a statutory duty, don’t start any new consultations or publish report findings from consultation exercises, which could be politically sensitive.”

http://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/fears_over_speeding_on_sidmouth_s_main_access_route_prompt_calls_for_action_1_4903876

Just so everyone is clear!

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

6 Feb 2017

Posted under

Developers/ Development, Exmouth, Transport (local)

Exmouth: Will Dinan Way planning application be called in?

“The saga of the proposed completion of Dinan Way has taken another twist, after Whitehall chiefs stepped in to stop it being approved.

It had seemed the long wait for the new road was over, after Devon County Council’s development management committee voted to approve the scheme, for an 830m stretch of road linking Hulham Road and the A376, last week.
But the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has now issued a holding notice, while it considers if the Secretary of State should intervene to make the final decision.

This is understood to be due to a protest by the National Trust, which has opposed the scheme due to concerns about the effect on Grade One listed A la Ronde, in nearby Summer Lane.

A DCLG spokesman said: “We have received some representation, and the decision we have made is to put in a holding direction, which means we now have the time to consider whether to call it in or not. If it was called in it would be for the Secretary of State to decide.”

Development management committee member Councillor Eileen Wragg said she understood the National Trust had made the application.

The National Trust had not responded to a request for a comment at the time of going to press.

Exmouth councillors had told last week’s meeting the new road was long overdue.

Councillor Bernard Hughes, whose Halsdon and Woodbury ward includes the site of the new road, told the committee: “Much traffic [currently] passes Exmouth Community College, and a hospital and a very busy health centre. I have no doubt that, given the chance, an estimated 40 per cent of traffic would use this [proposed] road.”

Cllr Wragg said: “I have no hesitation in supporting this. “It would not redirect traffic from the A376, but it would reduce pressure on other roads running through residential areas.”

http://www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/news/plan_for_exmouth_s_dinan_way_hits_further_delay_1_4875160

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

6 Feb 2017

Posted under

Accountability, Developers/ Development, Persimmon, Transport (local)

Council takes out injunction against Persimmon for highways work not completed before house sales started

“In a statement made after the injunction was served but before agreement was reached, David Hammond, Housing and Planning Manager at Wychavon, said: “The highways issues relate to our concerns that construction traffic could meet other road traffic, cyclists and pedestrians on a road that is currently too narrow, unsuitable and unsafe for construction vehicles.

“By beginning development on site and selling homes, Persimmon is in breach of a planning condition that was imposed by the Secretary of State on 2 July 2014, a condition that clearly states that in the interests of public safety, the necessary highways work should have been completed before any development took place.”

http://localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=29915%3Acouncil-and-developer-reach-deal-after-injunction-served-over-highways-issues&catid=56&Itemid=24

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

16 Jan 2017

Posted under

Austerity cuts, Rural communities, Transport (local)

“Government’s double whammy for rural communities”

“RURAL communities face a double whammy of higher council tax bills and fewer public services, the Rural Services Network has warned.

The warning is contained in the network’s response to the government’s 2017-2018 provisional funding settlement for local authorities.

The proposed settlement risks “crippling public services in rural areas” and forcing local authorities to raise council tax to a significantly higher level than urban areas, said the network.

It added: “The government’s plans are likely to make life for people across rural England extremely difficult, hitting hardest those most in need of public services.”

Grant cuts had been difficult for all local councils over the last five years, said the network. But until now, the axe had fallen reasonably equitably across both rural and urban areas.

Under the recent four year final local government settlement, however, rural areas would lose over 31% of their central government funding, while urban areas would lose about 22%.

The network said: “The provisional settlement just announced seeks to implement the second year of the four year settlement and, in addition, makes it even worse.”

The situation followed the chronic underfunding of rural areas by successive governments, said the network.

Rural areas were getting a raw deal – despite acknowledgement of the higher cost of providing services to remote communities and the lower than average incomes of rural people.

The network also criticised the government’s core spending power figures.
It said the figures took for granted that rural residents would have to pay even more in council tax than their urban counterparts.

“That is a cynical miscalculation which, has undoubtedly contributed to the present disaffection between rural residents and Westminster,” it said.
The network said it “fundamentally disagreed” with changes to the methodology for calculating the government’s revenue support grant, which was introduced in the 2016/17 settlement.

The inclusion of council tax in the calculation of RSG reductions had resulted in significantly higher reductions for rural areas than for urban areas.

It appeared that the government was content for rural people to pay more council tax from lower incomes and to receive fewer services than their urban counterparts.

“This is manifestly unreasonable and grossly unfair,” it warned. “The Rural Services Network cannot accept this position.”

The network’s full response can be downloaded here:

Click to access Response2017-18ProvisionalSettlement.pdf

Source: http://www.rsnonline.org.uk/services/double-whammy-for-rural-communities

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

8 Dec 2016

Posted under

Ottery St Mary, Transport (local), West Hill, Woodbury

Straitgate Quarry traffic re-route sends loads through busy Ottery junction

“Aggregate Industries (AI) held an exhibition last Wednesday to outline its latest proposals to extract sand and gravel from Straitgate Farm.

In its revised plans, the company proposes to send material from Straitgate to Hillhead Quarry, near Uffculme, instead of going to Blackhill Quarry, near Woodbury, for processing and distribution.

John Penny, south west estates manager for AI, said: “Effectively, we would have two or three campaigns per year, of five to seven weeks, and once we have finished that campaign, we would withdraw from the site and go back later in the year.”

AI proposes to extract around 1.5million tonnes over a period of 10 to 12 years and carry out a ‘maximum’ of 86 deliveries a day during a campaign that would take place between March and November.

District councillor Roger Giles, who represents Ottery, said: “I cannot understand why AI is going to such great lengths, and spending so much time and effort for so little reward – less than one million tonnes of sand and gravel. It makes no economic sense. Yet it will have an exceedingly damaging impact.

“The idea of heavy slow-moving lorries making a right turn across Ottery’s busiest road, which is full of fast-moving traffic, is sheer madness.”

A St Mary’s Park resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said he was concerned about the average number of movements in each campaign using one of the town’s busiest roads.”

http://www.sidmouthherald.co.uk/news/traffic_caused_by_quarry_plans_dubbed_madness_1_4802103

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

7 Dec 2016

Posted under

Accountability, Consultation, Health and Social Care (local), NHS (local), Scrutiny, Sleaze, Spin, Transport (local)

“Save our Hospital Services” calls for abolitition of “Success Regime”

ON THE NATURE OF INDEPENDENCE AND IMPARTIALITY

The ‘Success Regime’/STP Team in Devon

Save Our Hospital Services Devon (SOHS) is today calling for the abolition of NHS England’s Sustainability and Transformation Plan (STP) for Wider Devon and the suspension of the so-called Success Regime for North, East and West Devon that is now an integral part.

“These two programmes are false, flawed and fraudulent,” says Dave Clinch, a spokesperson for SOHS in North Devon. “They are riddled with public-private, professional-personal conflicts of interest.”

SOHS Devon points out that the Case for Change document on which both the Success Regime and the STP are based was produced by a private-owned health service consultancy, Carnall Farrar. One of the consultancy’s founding partners, Dame Ruth Carnall, is now the ‘Independent’ Chair of the Success Regime pushing through the STP in Devon.

“SOHS Devon believes that there is a pre-determined agenda in Devon to cut services, limit access and reduce demand by redefining medical need to ensure that government cuts are carried out. How can Ms Carnall, who produced the blueprint for the STP, be considered remotely independent in assessing our needs or services to meet them?” asks Mr Clinch.

SOHS Devon points out that to push their agenda for cuts to NHS services and staff, the Success Regime/STP team will have been allocated £7.4 million between 2015 and 2017. Some of this funding has been used to recruit senior staff from those same services they plan to cut; for example, Andy Robinson, who left his role as Director of Finance at the Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust to join the Success Regime in Exeter. What is more, Mr Robinson happens to be the partner of the Chief Executive of the Trust, Alison Diamond.

“Professional or personal? How can this relationship avoid directly impacting on the life-and-death decisions now being made?” says Mr Clinch.

Meanwhile, the proposed relocation to Exeter of acute services based at North Devon District Hospital (NDDH) is being overseen by the Success Regime’s Lead Chief Executive Angela Pedder, the former CEO of the Royal Devon & Exeter Foundation Trust.

“How can she be considered unbiased given her former role?” says Mr Clinch. It’s no coincidence that RD&E needs to cover a much bigger deficit than NDDH in Barnstaple.”

On top of this, the two leads on the STP’s Acute Services Review programme are both from hospitals in South Devon, namely Derriford in Plymouth and Torbay in Torquay. SOHS Devon can find no evidence that they are talking to the clinicians working in acute services at NDDH. And the fact is, if the proposed acute services cuts go ahead, people here in North Devon will suffer and die.

ENDS

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

2 Dec 2016

Posted under

Accountability, Consultation, EDDC, Exmouth, Lympstone, Transport (local)

Lympestone has to suffer to “benefit” Exmouth

“Lympstone residents have accused Devon County Council (DCC) of ignoring the village during the Dinan Way extension consultation process.

Council officers were subjected to scrutiny by the public at an open meeting in the village over a proposed £12million extension, which will link Dinan Way to the A376.

Mary Truell, who has lived in the area for 88 years and currently resides in Wotton Lane, Lymsptone, said the council had taken no notice of where the road was due to be built.

She said: “I would like to know who put in the application for the road because it is erroneous.

“All the time it talks about Exmouth and Exmouth benefits, but the whole thing is in Lympstone.”

DCC’s chief engineer for highways, Rob Richard, responded by admitting it was a project for Exmouth.

He said: “I am not going to stand here and say this is a scheme for Lympstone because it clearly isn’t. I am not pretending it is something it isn’t.

“It was quite clear the strength of feeling about the south route. It was very much the preference, not only from residents and the community of Lympstone, but also Exmouth as well.

“Unfortunately, consultation for us goes wider than the community and residents and, unfortunately, it is not us that dictates the importance of listed buildings, it’s government policy.

“We don’t get on with the National Trust and English Heritage any better than you guys do.”

Mr Richards added: “Hopefully, the road will provide a long, feasible structure that is going to help move traffic in and around Exmouth.”

DCC has voted through a compromise third route for Dinan Way after two proposed routes – a ‘south’ route and ‘valley’ route – were rejected after consultation. Despite being more popular with the public, the south route, which passed near A la Ronde in Summer Lane, was opposed by the National Trust.

Lympstone district and parish councillor Rob Longhurst accused the county council of letting everyone down with the road extension.

He said: “We are talking about loss of homes, financial hardship and social trauma.

“I am afraid I consider Devon County Council has failed us on these consultations.

“I think £12million is a ridiculous amount. It ignores the views of the consultations, raises the prospects of flooding in Lympstone and puts transient traffic problems over and above the effects on residents here.”

http://www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/news/villagers_hit_out_at_dinan_way_extension_1_4800155

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

26 Nov 2016

Posted under

Devolution, Local Enterprise Partnership, Stuart Hughes, Tourism, Transport (local)

South-west Cross Country rail service “decimation: Newton Abbott services cut and more trains terminating at Exeter

No doubt our Local Enterprise Partnership is on the case. What, it isn’t? What a surprise! Wasn’t “connectivity” one of its responsibilities?

But perhaps it won’t be long before Hinkley C gets its own station to make up for such losses!

Will we be seeing DCC transport supremo Stuart Hughes commenting on this? Hhhmm …

http://www.torquayheraldexpress.co.uk/hands-off/story-29925191-detail/story.html

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

22 Nov 2016

Posted under

Accountability, Clyst St Mary, Consultation, EDDC, Environment (local), Flooding, Local Plan, Sustainability, Transport (local)

Save Clyst St Mary update – November 2016

PLANNING APPLICATIONS

A big thank you for all the emails of support that we have received in the last few days regarding the latest planning application for development proposals for the Friends Provident site. We are currently working our way through this latest planning application. Although we remain open minded to the eventual solution to the site, we currently have grave reservations regarding these proposals for Winslade Manor and the Stables because the developer hasn’t offered any solution to a number of key National Planning policies such as :

-The loss of the leisure facilities (Stables Club) that were closed down at the end of 2015

-The flooding that has continued to occur at the site and the proposals to build houses and industrial buildings in the areas that frequently flood. (As I am writing this email I have just been advised of the closure of the A376 due to flooding!)

-The fact that our village remains unsustainable for such a significant population increase, having only one shop and a pub

-Lack of public transport links and the scale of congestion that already occurs on a daily basis (set to be exacerbated by the poorly considered location to the entrance by our Village Hall)

-The proposed site sits outside of the current approved Built Up Area Boundary

These are just a few of the examples and valid reasons why the proposals won’t enhance our village; worryingly, the proposed scheme has many other areas where we have serious concerns.

We have started writing some template letters of objection which you may want to use. We hope to be able to email them to you within the next week. Moreover, we understand that the Parish Council may be arranging a Public Meeting at the beginning of December to further discuss the planning application. As soon as we get a date and time, you will be informed.

FOUL ODOUR

East Devon District Council’s Environment Department is currently conducting a survey of households within our neighbourhood regarding the odours that were omitted from Enfield Farm and the anaerobic digester. Hopefully, since the last major problem five weeks ago, things have considerably improved. We have been told that this should finally solve the ‘odour issue’ that has annoyed residents for so long.

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

8 Nov 2016

Posted under

Austerity cuts, Transport (local)

South-West to Paddington rail link upgrade shafted

The upgrade work was never going beyond Bristol but many of our local Tory MPs had lauded the decrease in travel time from the south-west that the upgrade was supposed to bring.

“Work to electrify key branch lines on rail routes to Oxford and Bristol has been suspended, the government has announced.

The troubled programme has been beset by delays and cost overruns, with its budget trebling to £2.8bn.

Although a review of the works by Network Rail in 2015 led to the project being replanned on a “more efficient footing”, on Tuesday the rail minister Paul Maynard announced that four parts of the programme would be indefinitely “deferred”. These are electrification of tracks between Oxford and Didcot Parkway, between Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads, between Bristol Temple Meads and the city’s Parkway station, and of the Thames Valley branch lines to Henley and Windsor.” …

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/nov/08/great-western-electrification-branch-lines-oxford-bristol

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

4 Nov 2016

Posted under

Rural communities, Transport (local)

“Bus services reduce social deprivation”

“A 10% improvement in bus services would lead to almost 10,000 more people in work in the poorest neighbourhoods in England, says the study.
Published by sustainable transport group Greener Journeys, the report involved researchers from KPMG and the Institute for Transport Studies at Leeds university.

The Value of the Bus to Society study sought to investigate and quantify the impact of bus services on tackling social deprivation.

It found that a 10% improvement in local bus services is linked to a 3.6% reduction in social deprivation across England, taking into account employment, income, life expectancy and skills.

It concludes that a 10% improvement in local bus services in England’s 10% most deprived neighbourhoods would result in 9,909 more jobs.

The report says better bus services would mean 22,647 people with increased income, the result of a 2.8% drop in income deprivation. …”

http://www.rsnonline.org.uk/services/bus-services-reduce-social-deprivation

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

2 Nov 2016

Posted under

Environment (local), Sidmouth/ Sidford/ Sidbury, Transport (local)

Comments

1 Comment

Don’ breathe in if you live near an industrial estate or on a busy road

“The government’s plan for tackling the UK’s air pollution crisis has been judged illegally poor at the high court, marking the second time in 18 months that ministers have lost in court on the issue.

The defeat is a humiliation for ministers who by law must cut the illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide suffered by dozens of towns and cities in the “shortest possible time”.

Legal NGO ClientEarth, which brought the case, argued that current plans ignore many measures that could help achieve this, placing too much weight on costs. On Wednesday Mr Justice Garnham agreed. He also said ministers knew that over-optimistic pollution modelling was being used, based on flawed lab tests of diesel vehicles rather than actual emissions on the road.

The government said it would not appeal against the decision and agreed in court to discuss with ClientEarth a new timetable for more realistic pollution modelling and the steps needed to bring pollution levels down to legal levels. The parties will return to court in a week but if agreement cannot be reached, the judge could impose a timetable upon the government.

Air pollution causes 50,000 early deaths and £27.5bn in costs every year, according to the government’s own estimates, and was called a “public health emergency” by MPs in April.

James Thornton, CEO of ClientEarth, said: “The time for legal action is over. I challenge Theresa May to take immediate action now to deal with illegal levels of pollution and prevent tens of thousands of additional early deaths in the UK. The high court has ruled that more urgent action must be taken. Britain is watching and waiting, prime minister.”

He said the increased action required would very likely include bigger and tougher clean air zones in more cities and other measure such as scrappage schemes for the dirtiest vehicles: “The government will have to be tougher on diesel.”…

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/nov/02/high-court-rules-uk-government-plans-to-tackle-air-pollution-are-illegal?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

24 Oct 2016

Posted under

Austerity cuts, Health and Social Care (local), Inequality, Rural communities, Transport (local)

“Buses make people healthier and wealthier”

Improving local bus services can boost employment and improve income, helping to reduce social deprivation, Greener Journeys has found.

It revealed that a 10% improvement in local bus services is linked to a 3.6% reduction in social deprivation across England, taking into account employment, income, life expectancy and skills.

Greener Journeys, a coalition of the UK’s leading public transport organisations, user groups and supporters, commissioned KPMG and the Institute for Transport Studies at the University of Leeds to carry out the research. It is the first to measure the impact of bus services on deprivation.

It found that if the bus services in the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods across England were improved by 10%, there would be significant, tangible improvements to that area.

In this case, the improvements as estimated in the report would be: 9,909 more jobs, as a consequence of a 2.7% fall in employment deprivation; increased income for more than 22,647 people, as a consequence of a 2.8% drop in income deprivation; and 2,596 fewer years of life lost.

Also, 7,313 more people would have adult skills and there would be an increase in post-16 education of around 0.7%.

The report, The Value of the Bus to Society, considered the impact that bus services have on the ability of households to participate in economic and social activities and, ultimately, on levels on economic, social and environmental deprivation. ….

http://www.publicfinance.co.uk/news/2016/10/buses-make-people-healthier-and-wealthier-research-finds