A summer of discontent

So we had the floods - now we have foot and mouth. Thankfully not in the West country but the very fact that there has been a new outbreak has seriously impacted our local farmers, butchers, market traders and others. Walking through the market in Newton Abbot and speaking to local farmers, the picture is bleak. One farmer who specialises in sausages told me he had just two days left before he would have to stop trading - fresh meat supplies require freshly slaughtered meat which in turn requires animal movement. Pork supplies have been particularly hard hit. While Gordon Brown executed a master media coup, breaking his holiday to return to sort the crisis - it isn't yet sorted. Indeed how much progress has been made on the real issue, to vaccinate or not. The argument centres on the impact vaccination would have on our export market - I think I am more concerned about our own domestic market which vaccination would help not hinder.



Summer always brings with it traffic chaos as holiday makers and the rest of us struggle to get north and south on the A380. Devon County Council decided to take the initiative and push forward its plans to build a bypass through Kingskerswell. Among other things it sought to gain compulsory purchase orders over the sites required for the development. All the media coverage seemed to indicate that this was a good thing - rubbish! I am as eager as the next pedestrian and motorist to sort out the traffic problems but this bypass is not the answer. First it will cost £130million to built - is that a sensible use of funds - indeed if it had been it would have been built years ago at a significantly lower cost. Second will concreting over more than 100 acres of Devon countryside, almost the size of Kingskerswell solve the traffic problem - the evidence so far is that it will not. Third there are many cheaper and therefore more achievable solutions which will solve the traffic problem and preserve our countryside - a flyover at Penn Inn, a pedestrian bridge over the A380 at Kingskerswell, filter lanes on key junctions and a third "tidal flow" lane would improve traffic flow in months rather than years at a fraction of the cost. But the thing which annoys me most is that this is not really about traffic flow but about housing. If Devon County Council want to open up land for development, please will they be honest and say so - green field development is a very different issue.



My daily case load grows with more individuals coming to me or being referred to me for help. Someone once said to me: " why would they come to you? - you have no voice or position of authority" . The reason is very simple I understand the system and can get through the red tape and with my Conservative councillor colleagues get a result. We are a good team and are persistent and creative in looking at ways of solving problems. You won't read much about what I am doing in the press - no-one wants to be used as a political football - what people want is a result. I have one lady who is facing extreme difficulties trying to exchange her housing association accomodation which is now innappropriate given her deteriorating health - I am working with the housing association and the local councillors to find a solution. There are inevitably a number of planning related matters - Mile End Road development plans and the annex to the existing Holcombe village hall being just two. The local Liberal Democrat councillors have not been prepared to help resolve the former and I am working with the local action group to see what we can do. While Richard Younger Ross has spoken up in the media in support of the Holcombe annex which I welcome, he has not been able to secure any change in the revenue's position - something I am working with the residents to achieve. The revenue wish to charge VAT on the building work despite compliance with all the conditions in their booklet on the part of the parish which should result in a zero rate of tax.

Maybe we can still look forward to an Indian summer, some sun - and some good news!