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The Bradworthy Wind Turbines
Councillor
Christie's Weblog
From your Torridge District Councillor Peter Christie
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4th November '07
One of the things I do at council meetings is to try and identify those items that seem so innocuous now yet will, almost certainly, come back to trouble councillors in the future. One very easy one to spot recently was the new policy being worked up in relation to TDC buildings used by community and voluntary groups and what level of grants should be awarded to them. The ideas are at an early stage so far but initial work has shown there to be a real patchwork of leases and tenancies that seem to have evolved over the years. A list of local groups that could be affected showed 33 in the Bideford/Northam/Appledore/Westward Ho! area ranging from the RNLI through the Bideford & Littleham Cricket Club to the Bideford Community Archive and the town Library. Each usage is to be looked at in order to see that they are ‘equitable, transparent, easily understood, effective and efficient in supporting the delivery of local services.’ Grants, some in the form of rent subsidies, will be linked to how well groups meet these targets. So far so good but I was slightly puzzled to see the new ‘Cultural Trust’ which will run the Burton along with the Ilfracombe Landmark and the Queen’s Hall in Barnstaple in the list for grants – if only because the Trust isn’t actually up and running yet – and I suspect some people thought that off-loading the Burton to a Trust would somehow mean Torridge wouldn’t be paying anything for the Art Gallery and Museum from now on. As I said at the start I am fairly sure this item will return to bite us.
Once again the future of the old Bridge could be in doubt. Readers may recall that Devon County Council after initial shock at the cost of the required repairs have once again gone out to tender whilst maintaining the current weight limit of just 3 tonnes. Over the period this has been going on, however, the Government has been looking at trialling longer and heavier lorries on Britain’s roads. The option favoured by the road freight industry is 25.5 metres long and 60 tonnes in weight – or 50% larger and over 30% heavier than at present. At some date the Bridge repairs will presumably be completed and the weight limit lifted – but will we see giant lorries trundling across the old structure – and will such strains put us all back where we started? Of course, with a working port at the heart of the town we would be well placed to receive cargoes by sea and thus help do away with the need for ever larger lorries – and help preserve our Bridge for another 700 years – or is all this too simple?
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