A new disabled parking space is to be created outside the pharmacy in Starcross.
Devon County Council have confirmed to local councillor Alan Connett that they intend to provide the space after he lobbied for it, as a result of approaches from residents.
In addition, parking in the bay outside Kenny’s fish and chips is to be limited to 10 minutes, say the county council.
Delivery lorries will arrive after 9am at the Tesco shop in Exminster in future.
Tesco boss Sir Terry Leahy wrote to local county councillor Alan Connett confirming the change after Alan explained the problems created in the village centre when the lorries arrived between 8am and 9am.
Alan said:” The centre of Exminster is always very busy with residents trying to get to work and children going to school. There have been a couple oif incidents and anything that can be done to reduce traffic problems is a help.
“I’m delighted Sir Terry has responded so positively and understands the issues in Exminster.”
Devon County Council is also finalising proposals on highways improvements for the village centre and will be consulting on these with residents before a final scheme is approved.
It seems Kenton and the neighbouring area have been missed in the national delivery of the swine flu leaflet from the Department of Health.
Initially two residents told local councillor Alan Connett they had not received the leaflet. Now more and more residents are confirming they have also not had the health information about swine flu.
Cllr Connett took this up with Devon Primary Care Trust. It says everyone should have had the leaflet by 19 May. Delivery was organised by the Department of Health.
Cllr Connett said: “I haven’t yet found a resident of Kenton who has received this leaflet. It looks as if the Department of Health has overlooked the village. Too many people are saying they haven’t had the leaflet delivered for it to look as though just one or two homes were missed.”
Cllr Connett is asking Devon Primary Care Trust to contact the Department of Health and arrange a door-to-door delivery in Kenton.
Alan Connett has kept his seat on devon County Council.
Alan won in a hard fought but positive campaign that saw him focus on local issues. He was first elected to the county council in November last year in a by election following the death of colleague Brian Berman.
Alan said: I am delighted to have held the seat. Since the by election I have been working with the local communities and parish councils on the issues that concern them. Progress has been made, but there is more to be done.”
The turnout in the Exminster and Kenton division was one of the highest in Devon at over 51% with Alan winning 1,663 votes.
The stile and steps at vthe end of Swan Road in Starcross have been replaced and repaired by Teignbridge Council, following complaints from residents, reports Alan Connett.
The steps do come out onto New Road, where there is no pavement so great care is needed when using them. However, it does mean people can easily get into Swan Road and off New Road.
I continue to chase Tesco about deliveries arriving at their store in Exminster during the busy time in the morning when children are going to school, writes Alan Connett.
Residents report that sometimes there is a lorry waiting up the road while one unloads. The road in the centre of Exminster is narrow and there is lots of traffic - both pedestrian and vehicles — for about half an hour from 8.15am.
I sent a letter to the chief executive of Tesco on May 11 because of a very poor response from the firms customer service team. My letter has been acknowledged and I hope for a reply soon.
Exminster Primary School, which is short of space and using ‘pensionable’ wooden buildings for classrooms has received a special visit.
The Leader of Devon County Council, Brian Greenslade, toured the school to see for himself the cramped conditions and why the ‘quart in a pint pot’ school urgently needs a new four classroom extension.The housing downturn is also affecting
He explained:” Exminster has seen significant house building over the past 20 years and the school has grown too from less than 100 pupils 15 years ago to over 300 now. Sadly, new school buildings have come along afterwards and in the meantime the space is cramped.
I invited Cllr Greenslade to come to Exminster and meet the head, Bob Foale, and governors, because I believe there is a real urgency for this school to be able to expand in readiness for the new housing and the number of children who want to attend.
The extension the school wants to provide is likely to cost around £800,000 – with £290,000 guaranteed from the new housing at Milbury Farm, when it is built. It would also mean that two pensionable wooden temporary classrooms could be removed and all of the school would be linked together,” added Cllr Connett.
Previously, children have been taught in the school hall at Exminster because of a shortage of space brought about by earlier development in the village. Cllr Greenslade saw how the school is very tight for space and utilises a wide corridor for the library and the computer suite is based in the foyer. “We have demonstrated the issues faced by staff and children at Exminster, and that a third of the money needed for an extension will come from the new housing given the green light by the Government. My hope now is that Exminster can go into the investment programme for its much needed extension ,” explained Cllr Connett.
Planning permission has been given for the Turf to Powderham section of the Exe Estuary Cycle Way. The new path will also include a bridge over the railway, roughly where the current pedestrian crossing point is, writes Alan Connett.
The final finish and appearance of the bridge has yet to be confirmed and Devon County Council has agreed that the chaid of the Powderham Parish Meeting and the locoal county councillor will be consulted as part of the process.
There’s also to be a traffic management scheme for the ‘avenue’ running towards St Clement’s Church and an improved traffic calming scheme along Estuary Road as part of the overall package, in support of the cycle path.
Local phone boxes in Teignbridge have won a reprieve from closure and removal after objections from residents, local parish and town councils and Teignbridge Council.Many of the 32 phone boxes which have been given a new, but temporary, lease of life, serve rural areas and the news will be a boost to many local communities.BT has told Teignbridge Council that the 32 phone boxes it objected to the company removing would be retained ‘for the time being’ – but a new consultation round will need to be gone through before any can be taken away in the future the council understands, says local councillor Alan Connett.Kenton with Starcross ward would have been left with no public call box after BT planned to take away the facility in Kenton, Starcross, Mamhead and Ashcombe.Now the four are safe, along with 28 others, including Shillingford Abbot, Dunchideock, Cockwood, Doddiscombsleigh, Dawlish, Teignmouth, Longdown and Newton Abbot.The three phone boxes in Kenton, Mamhead and Cockwood may also be listed for their architectural merit by English heritage. Application was made after Teignbridge Council considered the boxes, along with one in Coffinswell, met the strict criteria set down by the conservation body, added Cllr Connett.He said:” Teignbridge consulted town and parish councils before responding to BT to object to these phone boxes being removed. The threat hasn’t gone away completely but, for the time being at least, we have been able to hold onto these important local services, especially in rural areas.”
Exminster has been awarded £50,000 for a much needed scheme to ease traffic problems at the centre of the busy community.
Devon County Council has earmarked the funding for much sought after improvements after lobbying from local county councillor Alan Connett and Exminster Parish Council.
Conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles, traffic congestion and parking problems have all combined to make the need for a new scheme to try and sort out the problems a priority for the local community.
Cllr Connett explained:” Exminster has a very busy centre, with local shops, but the pavement is only on one side of the road and is also quite narrow. There have been incidents in the past couple of years with children being hit by wing mirrors, for example, and very many residents have been asking for improvements.
“Highways staff are currently developing a scheme to manage traffic better in the village centre and also stop some of the problems caused by parking in the wrong place, creating an obstruction and stopping traffic, including buses, from getting through”
When the design work is completed, Exminster Parish Council will be asked for its comments before a wider consultation is undertaken for village residents, added Cllr Connett.
“This is a very real step forward and I am delighted for local residents that the money has been approved by the county council. Volume and speed of traffic are two of the biggest concerns reported by the police following a recent survey of views they completed in Exminster,” continued Cllr Connett.
