Many thanks to all of you that that replied to our traffic survey in Broadway, Parkway and Cowick Hill.
One or two respondents have replied, suggesting that we are actively campaigning for a one-way system.
Let me make myself absolutely clear of the matter - Cllr Heather Morris and myself have no view on the matter at present, we are consulting with you, the public, on a matter that has been brought to our suggestion. We are canvassing YOUR views and will reflect the outcome in how we proceed in this matter.
Results will be published here in due course.
Thursday 24 February 2011
Wednesday 23 February 2011
Localism made simple
| Jay Kennedy, DSC’s Head of Policy offers a light-hearted sketch on community empowerment and the proposed Right to Challenge in the Localism Bill, as well as a more considered analysis in an article for the Guardian. |
Telephone: ring ring…ring ring…ring ring…ring ring… ring ring… ring ring… ring ring… ring
Council Official 1: What do you want?
Citizen: Oh good morning, I’d like to exercise my right to challenge…
Council Official 1: your what?...sorry…it’s, ah, just that I’m the only one left in my unit and I’m a bit frazzled…you want to exercise? I’ll connect you with the leisure centre…
Citizen: no, no you misunderstand – I’m talking about the powers the Government have given us in the Localism Act 2012 – people are now allowed to take over services the council provides if we think we can do a better job.
Council Official 1: oh yes, I do remember hearing something about that…just a moment…(checks latest circular)…it says here you have to submit an Expression of Interest first…
Citizen: how do I do that?
Council Official 1: you’re supposed to go to www.communities.gov.uk and download it, then send it back to us – they’re in charge of all the regulations and guidance you see…
Citizen: but I don’t have internet access at home, and you just closed down my library…
Council Official 1: uh, well, OK, I’ll see if I can send you a hard copy in the post.
[several weeks pass…]
Telephone: ring ring…ring ring…ring ring…ring ring… ring ring… ring ring… ring ring… ring
Council Official 2: hello?
Citizen: hi yes, I spoke with a Mr Smith a couple of weeks ago about exercising my right to challenge...
Council Official 2: Uh, hmm, yes, I see…I think he may be on sick leave…stress…
Citizen: Oh dear, sorry about that, it’s just that I sent my Expression of Interest [EOI] in, but I’ve not heard anything back yet. We’re keen to get on with our project, can you chase it up please?
Council Official 2: I’ll do my best, but I’m just a temp…
Citizen: I guess I should explain - some people in my community aren’t happy with how you’re managing our local park, and we think we could do it better ourselves. The Government have said we’re now allowed to take it over.
Council Official 2: Oh right - is this something to do with all this Big Society stuff? Sounds like a good idea, we could do with all the help we can get to be honest…I’ll chase it up and get back to you.
[several months pass…]
Telephone: ring ring…
Council Executive: hello, may I speak with a Mrs Jones please? I’m calling regarding her recent Expression of Interest in running the park near Main Street.
Citizen: Oh yes, this is she, thank you for calling! I’ve been trying for months now to get a response – our community group is really keen to get going with this.
Council Executive: Apologies for the delay, but we had to have some important core strategic conversations at the highest levels with key stakeholders. But I’m pleased to say that the council has accepted your EOI, and as a result a tendering exercise will take place for a contract to run the park services. Deadline for submission of bids is four weeks from today.
Citizen: Eh, pardon me? I don’t understand…I just thought if our form was accepted we could start doing the work – there’s a lot of rubbish there you know, and the shrubs need pruning, and you know the kids spray graffiti on the benches, of course we’ll need a bit of financial hel—
Council Executive : the regulations state that if your EOI is accepted it triggers a tendering exercise – your group is strongly encouraged to bid. I should also advise you that we have decided to amend the EOI to cover all parks in the city.
Citizen: Oh, I see…but we just wanted to look after our own local park…I don’t think we would want to look after all of them…what am I supposed to do now?
Council Executive: I would suggest you may need to look at forming a consortium with other groups in your area. The guidance and criteria should be available from our website in a couple of weeks or so, good day [hangs up]
[several months pass…]
Telephone: ring ring…ring ring…ring ring…ring ring… ring ring… ring ring… ring ring… ring
Council Official 3: hello?
Citizen: Hi, yes, I wanted to lodge a complaint because I’m really unhap—
Council Official 3: sorry, that’s not my department…I’ll just transfer you now…
Answerphone:…if you would like to make a complaint, press 9. Organisations which applied under the recent procurement exercise for city parks maintenance are advised of the following statement:
‘The Council received a number of high quality applications to manage parks in the city, including from A4b, Jerco and Peolia. We are delighted to inform you that Jerco submitted the winning bid as it offered outstanding value for money and met all key performance indicators.’
‘The provision of our complaints service is currently out to tender. If you would like to submit an expression of interest. .
Monday 21 February 2011
Alphington Park & Ride
Since the STOP Alphington Park & Ride meeting last week, I've been doing a lot of research to compile a submission to the Planning Committee tonight.
Here is my response:
PLANNING APPLICATION NO.11/0050/26 - LAND ADJACENT A30/A377 JUNCTION, ALPHINGTON ROAD, EXETER, EX2 8SA
I understand that the above planning application will be considered at tonight's meeting, and can I ask you to put the following points to the committee for consideration
1) It is against the Exeter Local Plan
The Local Plan affords this area 3 levels of protection. This was acknowledged by Devon County Council's Development Mangement Committee on 02nd December 2009
It is the Alphin Brook Valley Park, a Conservation Area and a Site of Nature Conservation Importance. These 3 things are very dear to local residents and believed that it afforded the area a strong degree of protection against development.
It appears that when carrying out a consultation exercise in 2008 to split the Conservation Area into 2 separate chunks, Exeter City Council determined to retain the Conservation as a whole, in part to allay residents fears about future development in this area.
I have been unable to gain access to the Alphin Brook Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan [Feb 2009] to see what that says about the area. [Richard: I was unable to download this Plan from the website. Is it possible to email me a copy?]
2) The scheme will have NO affect on the quality of air in the Alphington Road area
Another reason given for rejection of the scheme by Devon County Council's Development Mangement Committee on 02nd December 2009 was that the proposal would not result in an improvement to air quality within the Alphington Air Quality Management Area
In 2005, the Alphington Road Corridor was designated as an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) for Nitrogen Dioxide.
Yet, all the literature produced by Devon County Council notes that "the detailed air quality assessment, undertaken as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), predicted that by 2012 pollutant concentrations will have decreased to within the recommended levels irrespective of whether the {Alphington Park & Ride] scheme is open due to the continuing improvement in vehicle and fuel technology. As a result of the proposed scheme, no significant changes to air quality are predicted."
Nothing has changed in the intervening 2 years that suggest a marked improvement to air quality would result from this scheme.
3) The proposal will do little to ease congestion along the Alphington Road approach to Exeter
P&R schemes can only work if they provide a convenient and efficient alternative route into the city. These proposals do not offer either as they do little to reduce congestion
800 cars removed from a constantly hourly flow of some 1100 into AND out of the city throughout there day.
Park & Ride buses will sit in traffic congestion both when full during peak rush hours into/out of the city AND as they return in the opposite direction. An efficient, reliable bus service cannot be guarenteed or maintained in these circumstances.
It seems from the figures for patronage presented by Devon County Council do not suggest that DCC think the scheme will be as successful as that at Matford. Currently Marton P&R runs at capacity and with a capacity of some 500 cars has a patronage of 229. Yet a patronage of 202 for a P&R scheme that offers space for 833 cars, when full capacity would suggest an expected patronage of approaching 400 on an admittedly congested route into Exeter does not offer recompense for the distress caused by this proposal.
I believe that if such a proposal came before Devon County Council's Highways Agency they would oppose it solely on the number of junctions they wish to build between the A30/A377 interchange at Ide and Alphington Cross.
In conclusion I believe that the positive advantages of this proposal have been over-estimated at the same time as the negative effects have been under-estimated.
I await the outcome of the deliberations of tonight's Planning Committee with interest.
Here is my response:
PLANNING APPLICATION NO.11/0050/26 - LAND ADJACENT A30/A377 JUNCTION, ALPHINGTON ROAD, EXETER, EX2 8SA
I understand that the above planning application will be considered at tonight's meeting, and can I ask you to put the following points to the committee for consideration
1) It is against the Exeter Local Plan
The Local Plan affords this area 3 levels of protection. This was acknowledged by Devon County Council's Development Mangement Committee on 02nd December 2009
It is the Alphin Brook Valley Park, a Conservation Area and a Site of Nature Conservation Importance. These 3 things are very dear to local residents and believed that it afforded the area a strong degree of protection against development.
It appears that when carrying out a consultation exercise in 2008 to split the Conservation Area into 2 separate chunks, Exeter City Council determined to retain the Conservation as a whole, in part to allay residents fears about future development in this area.
I have been unable to gain access to the Alphin Brook Conservation Area Appraisal and Management Plan [Feb 2009] to see what that says about the area. [Richard: I was unable to download this Plan from the website. Is it possible to email me a copy?]
2) The scheme will have NO affect on the quality of air in the Alphington Road area
Another reason given for rejection of the scheme by Devon County Council's Development Mangement Committee on 02nd December 2009 was that the proposal would not result in an improvement to air quality within the Alphington Air Quality Management Area
In 2005, the Alphington Road Corridor was designated as an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) for Nitrogen Dioxide.
Yet, all the literature produced by Devon County Council notes that "the detailed air quality assessment, undertaken as part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), predicted that by 2012 pollutant concentrations will have decreased to within the recommended levels irrespective of whether the {Alphington Park & Ride] scheme is open due to the continuing improvement in vehicle and fuel technology. As a result of the proposed scheme, no significant changes to air quality are predicted."
Nothing has changed in the intervening 2 years that suggest a marked improvement to air quality would result from this scheme.
3) The proposal will do little to ease congestion along the Alphington Road approach to Exeter
P&R schemes can only work if they provide a convenient and efficient alternative route into the city. These proposals do not offer either as they do little to reduce congestion
800 cars removed from a constantly hourly flow of some 1100 into AND out of the city throughout there day.
Park & Ride buses will sit in traffic congestion both when full during peak rush hours into/out of the city AND as they return in the opposite direction. An efficient, reliable bus service cannot be guarenteed or maintained in these circumstances.
It seems from the figures for patronage presented by Devon County Council do not suggest that DCC think the scheme will be as successful as that at Matford. Currently Marton P&R runs at capacity and with a capacity of some 500 cars has a patronage of 229. Yet a patronage of 202 for a P&R scheme that offers space for 833 cars, when full capacity would suggest an expected patronage of approaching 400 on an admittedly congested route into Exeter does not offer recompense for the distress caused by this proposal.
I believe that if such a proposal came before Devon County Council's Highways Agency they would oppose it solely on the number of junctions they wish to build between the A30/A377 interchange at Ide and Alphington Cross.
In conclusion I believe that the positive advantages of this proposal have been over-estimated at the same time as the negative effects have been under-estimated.
I await the outcome of the deliberations of tonight's Planning Committee with interest.
Sunday 20 February 2011
Councillors and Candidates Coffee Afternoon
The Alphington, Cowick, St Thomas and Exwick Labour teams would like to thank all residents who attended our recent Councillors and Candidates surgery on Saturday 19th February at the Buddle Lane Youth Centre.
Many issues and concerns were raised with us which we are now working on , and we will feed back to individuals separately, and report back generally in our regular local Rose newsletters.
Those who attended welcomed the fact that they could meet Councillors face to face, and also meet the candidates for the forthcoming City Council elections in May.
In addition to this we will be holding further surgeries in different locations across all four West Exe Wards ( Alphington, Cowick, St Thomas and Exwick ) so look out for your next Labour Rose newsletter.
Please continue to raise your problems and issues with us and we will do our best to resolve them for you.
Regards
Rachel Lyons
Cllr Rachel Sutton
Phil Bialyk
Cllr Heather Morris
Paul Bull
Cllr Adrian Hannaford
Margaret Clark
Cllr Rob Hannaford
West Exe Labour Team
Many issues and concerns were raised with us which we are now working on , and we will feed back to individuals separately, and report back generally in our regular local Rose newsletters.
Those who attended welcomed the fact that they could meet Councillors face to face, and also meet the candidates for the forthcoming City Council elections in May.
In addition to this we will be holding further surgeries in different locations across all four West Exe Wards ( Alphington, Cowick, St Thomas and Exwick ) so look out for your next Labour Rose newsletter.
Please continue to raise your problems and issues with us and we will do our best to resolve them for you.
Regards
Rachel Lyons
Cllr Rachel Sutton
Phil Bialyk
Cllr Heather Morris
Paul Bull
Cllr Adrian Hannaford
Margaret Clark
Cllr Rob Hannaford
West Exe Labour Team
Monday 14 February 2011
This coming Saturday, as Labour and Co-operative Party candidate I will join Labour Councillors representing wards West of the Exe [Cowick, Exwick and St Thomas], as well as other labour Candidates, for a Councillors's Surgery.A chance for an informal chat with your local representatives about issues affecting your and let them klnow about any concerns you may have.
Meet us between 2-4pm at Buddle Lane Youth Centre on Merrivale Road on Saturday 19th February.
Sunday 13 February 2011
Traffic in Cowick Hill - your views
Whether or not it's connected with the current workworks in Broadway, a couple of residents in Cowick Hill, Parkway and Broadway have mentioned traffic problems, especially parking
One or two of them have raise the issue of residents' parking or making the area on-way.
In consultation with current Labour Councillor, Heather Morris, we have decided to deliver a street letter to houses in these streets to find out what residents think.
Do let us know if you have a view
One or two of them have raise the issue of residents' parking or making the area on-way.
In consultation with current Labour Councillor, Heather Morris, we have decided to deliver a street letter to houses in these streets to find out what residents think.
Do let us know if you have a view
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