According to the police neighbourhood team website the South Molton policing team have received information regarding the flower shop vandalism and, in time honoured fashion, are pleased to say that a local male is assisting with enquiries.

A large number of people have complained to me about the speed of the traffic along Broad Street late at night and early in the morning, and the noise and vibration that results – particularly from the larger vehicles.

One solution would be to implement a 20mph limit in the whole of the town centre – and ensure that is enforced. That would take a long time to implement and the county council would doubtless say they haven’t got enough money to do it (couldn’t the Town Council  help out here?). There might be a quicker solution.

Whilst browsing the Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) on the county council website I came across one* which states that there is a maximum weight limit in operation along Broad Street. In the part of the TRO which lists roads where heavy commercial vehicles# are not permitted it says this:

“Broad Street – from a point approximately 100 metres east of its junction with Church Street to its junction with New Road”.

That’s more-or-less from the beginning of the Enhancement (near the sorting office) to New Road. Perhaps the police could enforce the existing regulations?

* The County of Devon (Various Streets, South Molton) (Traffic Regulation) (No 2) Order 1993

# “Heavy commercial vehicle” means any goods vehicle which has an operating weight exceeding 7.5 tonnes

If you’re reading this you’ll know that I’ve revamped the design of my website, along with some of its content. It should be much easier to read on mobile devices now and hopefully the menu bar has become less cluttered. The old Out and About is still here, but has been revamped as a ‘blog’.

Bizarre how the SMTC planning committee members knew so little about Abbeyfield. Surely they should have known that Abbeyfield is a charity and the reasons that they need to develop and sell Bidders Court? Abbeyfield can’t find people to go to Bidders Court anymore because there are no en-suite facilities. The money from the sale of Bidders Court would help modernise the facilities at Duffield House.

Had a great time at the Mayor’s Charity Ball last night. Good conversation, the wine flowed, and the food by the Garfield Girls was fabulous. I must be getting old, because although I thought the music was good, it was far too loud. and I’ve never been ‘into’ dancing.

The guest of honour, Sir Nick Harvey, made not a single political point in his speech, and apart from mentioning the Tesco fiasco, told only jokes – none of which I can remember!

We’ve had an abundance of pigeons and crows in our garden recently and have found several dismembered pigeons. We blamed our local cats, but this morning I saw a bird of prey flying low over the garden clutching a pigeon in its claws. It’s a shame that  they can’t ‘take out’ the crows as well.

Dire Straits – not the band but the state of the roads in Devon!

In  May 2014 Devon County Council produced a report called  “Extreme weather resilience report:  Devon” in which they highlight the problems caused by the severe weather of the last two years.

In essence the County Council don’t have enough money to get the roads into the condition they were in prior to 2012 – let alone improve their condition.

Here are some quotations from that report (my highlights):

“Devon [has] 13,000 kilometres of highway network, the biggest of any authority in the country. . . 52% of the network is unclassified roads connecting villages, hamlets and individual properties to the main [road] network. . .”

“[I]t is clear there is a need for a series of interventions including the decommissioning of some parts of the [road] network and bringing other parts up to a safe standard. . .

• Invite community self-help to maintain and repair the highway asset,
• Managing demand for the service by downgrading or stopping up parts of the network and by managing expectations and levels of service.”

“The unclassified road network needs to be reduced in size and the remaining network made safe with additional funding. This will involve a combination of new maintenance methods and greater community involvement.”

I’m wondering what form this “decommissioning” will take, which roads will be affected and what the “greater community involvement” will consist of. I’m also intrigued as to what “new maintenance methods” might be. It’s basically not good news at all.

I’ve been busy trying to create a new, revamped website and therefore haven’t been adding posts for a while. Hopefully I’ll start again shortly.

I’m using a new website creation tool and at the moment I’m struggling a bit to get to grips with it. I’m sure I’ll get there in the end.

A visit to the Civic Centre to deliver my filled-in election expenses to the returning officer (and no, we don’t get them reimbursed as some people seem to think). Then on to a meeting at the Barnstaple Hotel to learn about, and discuss, mooted changes to the way health care is delivered in North Devon – more about this on myCommunity Hospital page later. Whilst walking from the Civic Centre to the Barnstaple Hotel I decided to go to the top of Barnstaple Castle, something I’d never done before. Two thirds of the way up I encountered barrier tape strung across the path. It would appear that people on mountain bikes have been using the old castle as a course and have caused extensive damage. I presume that’s why the tape was there.  However, why not put a notice at the bottom if the path is closed?

I’m heartened by the very many messages of support I’ve had from various people following the by-election. The majority of whom told me that they were surprised that I didn’t get in – and hoped that I would stand again in the May elections next year.

It was exciting for me to obtain only 37 votes less than the leaders. All of this as a one man band: I created, ran and managed the whole of my campaign myself. I now know every nook and cranny of South Molton as I delivered my leaflets (printed at home) to each household in the parish!

This is in contrast to Tracey Lewis, who had the help of various councillors, as well as her partner, and all the resources of Printworkx. Jean Foster was supported by an enthusiastic and large team of Lib Dems, and had the advantage that the local MP, Nick Harvey, canvassed on her behalf in the centre of town two weeks in a row.