What a waste devolution is!
Bideford East ✒ MY views on the Devon devoltuion deal. We already have far too many councils/ councillors who are supposed to do all these things but do them incredibly irresponsibly, incompetently and expensively.
What they say when they want to be elected is one thing, what they actually do is totally different.
The councillors we allegedly voted for don’t listen to voters and have absolutely no intention of doing so.
Do we need yet another needless council squandering our money? No.
Do we want another council with overpaid councillors that we already have? No.
The Conservatives promised they would cut the amount of councils, not increase them. We will certainly have far more than needed. We could halve the amount of councils instead, which would be a far better idea, plus save millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money, which could cut our yearly council tax bill and be spent on potholes for a start. The “council owned” lane where I live badly needs repairing; the council says its not bad enough.
Devon has built over and above the amount of housing that even the Government has targeted. Planning and councillors have allowed over 42% more houses than needed over the past several years, which our MP knows. The figures were by CPRE, a trustworthy organisation. By now it’s probably 50%. With the ones at Chivenor built on flood plains, there have been complaints about the houses, virtually the same with the other phases. Another new lot across the road are being built on land well known to flood, with huge mature old trees destroyed and wildlife affected. These are the very trees and hedges that helped to absorb flooding, plus they did support an immense amount of wildlife. Not any more though. All wildlife destroyed is never able to come back.
Are any houses environmentally friendly, do they have solar panels on their roofs? The answer of course is no.
Motorists are bypassing Braunton by using back roads and have been for some time now, going too fast using phones, clogging the roads which will get far worse.
Developers from all over the country come to Devon planning here, as they know councillors allow either no affordable or drop the legal amount. You only have to read the accounts in the local newspapers to know this.
Irresponsible decisions are being taken. They also do not prosecute for unlawful felling of trees or hedges done in the nesting season.
Do councillors listen to us? No, they don’t.
Does the ‘levelling up minister’ know this or will he even care? None of the councils/ councillors do. According to the levelling up minister they are supposed to take note of voters but instead they ignore us.
Look at the appalling planning of the A361, also the appalling planning at the Cedars Hotel, then there is to be alterations at the bus lane near the new bridge with all the islands being changed. Appalling planning yet again. Totally a waste of money when the lane where I live is lethal and has needed repairing for a long time. Potholes in main roads are highly dangerous.
I believe it’s not that (the council) hasn’t got the money, its that it squanders it on fads and overspend. You tend purposely to ignore or conveniently “forget” it is taxpayers’ money not Government money. That certainly will not change.
It also said it would protect places for peoples “health and wellbeing”– that isnt the case either. Breathing pollution every day is not healthy.
We do not need any more housing developments. We have trouble getting through all roads. They are also not environmentally friendly, just the opposite.
What is needed is at least double council tax on secondhomes, including static holiday caravans as they too are second homes. We the voters have wanted this for many years but the councillors we allegedly voted for will not do it. They much prefer to destroy wildlife and healthy areas and hiking council tax to subsidise alleged static holiday caravan sites and second homes.
Stop ignoring voters; double council tax now.
So with all these instances of council disasters, which these are only a few examples, no to this devolution and another wasteful council.
Mrs S Coleman
Barnstaple intimidation, threats planned acts of violence.”
The Tory party’s biggest donor, Frank Hester, stated that looking at Diane Abbott makes you “want to hate all black women” and that the MP “should be shot”. He continued that seeing her on TV meant “you just want to hate all black women because she’s there.”
Soon after, Devon MP Mel Stride was quoted saying it was time to “move on”.
Patently, not only were the comments racist and misogynistic, but following the murders of MPs Jo Cox and Sir David Amess, the comments were immensely dangerous.
It has been revealed that over the last year, Frank Hester has donated a staggering £15 million to the Conservative Party. This almost equates with the sum of money spent by the Tories at the last General Election.
We now know where their funding for the General Election later this year will come from. To paraphrase Mel Stride’s remarks, is it not now time for the whole Conservative Party to “move on”?
Mike Baldwin
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