Friday 23 May 2008

Wow....What a Victory!

May 2008 will go down in the history books as a very special month. Local election results to die for and Boris elected as Mayor of London. And as if that was not enough, Crewe falling to the Conservatives by a landslide majority - a first in 30 years. I have had so many telephone calls of congratulations and sheer relief that things are changing. We have two years to go until the next election....and it seems both very far away and very close.

It has been a busy couple of months quite apart from my commitments as a school governor at Rydon and Knowles Hill, and now Secretary to the Newton Abbot Area of the Senior Council Senior Council for Devon:

April
  • launched Patrons Club
  • Attended Dawlish Civic Dinner at the invitation of the Mayor
  • Attended launch of Newton Abbot Community Plan - and won a bottle of fiz!
  • Attended CPRE Annual General Meeting - the energy and food supply issues were hotly debated
  • Issued press release on Newton Abbot Racecourse parking - picked up by Herald Express
  • Visited Newton Abbot Indoor Market to hear about traders issues
  • Palm Radio interview on the removal of coach parking at the racecourse
  • 4Networking meetings to invite local traders to work with local schools
  • Hosted coffee mornings in Mamhead, Starcross, Powderham and Kingsteignton
  • Entertained Mark Harper MP, Shadow Minister for Disability and visited Shopmobility
  • Joined Teignmouth Yacht Club and attended new members evening
  • Invited to attend Sea Cadet Presentation and Service at Teignmouth and a reception at Bitton House

May

  • Joined litter pick team at Dawlish Warren to clean the beach
  • Visited street traders and market stall holders
  • Met with local councillor and WBB re New Cross Development in Kingsteignton
  • Beat the Bounds at Ipplepen
  • Attended Teignmouth Town Council Annual Meeting
  • Attended Devon County Show with Conservative Future
  • Invited to County Show Reception organised by leading regional professional firms
  • Met with local haulage company with Anthony Steen MP to address unfair competition issues
  • Attended meetings with Holcombe residents to address proposed closure of the post office
  • Canvassing, survey delivery across the constituency
  • Met with national museums in London to explore local schools initiative in Devon
  • Talked with local kidney dialysis patients concerning their future treatment

The most significant chunk of time has however been spent working with the Seale Hayne Future Group. While of course we need houses, we also need agricultural and educational provision. Seale Hayne, as a leading agricultural college, had been a a key asset to Newton Abbot - a beacon and example of what is best. It also brought young people to the town, created jobs and stood out as an icon for the town. That all changed. Plymouth University acquired it in the 1990s since when it has gone from bad to worse with no investment in its future. Plymouth have now agreed to sell it to a Scottish housing developer expected to build some 1200 houses on the site, and if we are lucky maybe they will be required to build a primary school. On the table was a proposal for something much more interesting - a plan to build a truly sustainable community incorporating a university and bringing employment to the town. It could have been Devon's Eden Project....and it still might be. Watch this space.

But in the next few weeks we must focus on saving Holcombe Post Office - not just as an end in itself but because of all it represents in this community - and many others like it. If the Post Office are calling for more government funding nationally yet again, would you back a promise from this government that there will be no more post office closures in a years time - I don't think so!