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The Bradworthy Wind Turbines
Councillor
Christie's Weblog
From your Torridge District Councillor Peter Christie
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17th June '07
‘Affordable homes’ have become the buzz words at every council meeting I go to. Councillors spend hours discussing them – and if hot air could be used to build them we wouldn’t have a shortage today! The main problem is always the land; landowners obviously will not sell areas cheaply and its initial cost quickly pushes up the price of any building. Now, however, Bideford town council is hoping to develop a section of overgrown and derelict land adjoining Pollyfield at East the Water as affordable homes. Councillor Andy Powell suggested the idea and it was enthusiastically taken on board by fellow councillors even if I sounded a warning note about Building Societies being less than keen to advance money on some schemes. Before the idea can progress permission must be sought from the responsible Secretary of State to see if we can actually develop the land it being part of the town’s allotment holdings. Councillor Caroline Church asked if a consultation with local residents and the other allotment holders would be held prior to any construction starting and was assured this would be the case. Councillor Brian Lacey did point out that the state of the ground at the moment does provide an impenetrable barrier to would be thieves/vandals who might think of going to the currently cultivated allotments – and if we develop the site a replacement barrier will be required. Clearly there are a lot of outstanding details yet to be sorted out not the least being what is meant by the rather vague term ‘affordable’. I will keep you posted.
Over two years ago now I brought up the matter of reserved parking in Torridge’s car parks for members of the council – and as a result the number of such spaces was drastically cut on the basis that the town centre car parking is meant to bring shoppers into the town rather than save council employees from walking a few hundred yards. I was therefore rather surprised to hear that our new Mayor David Ratcliffe announce that he is applying for two reserved spaces in the Bridge Street car park – one for himself and one for the town clerk. This has been tried before with no success, and as Councillor Tony Inch wittily remarked Torridge will probably only say ‘On your bike Mr.Mayor’! At the council meeting where this came up he and I and one other voted against asking whilst ten voted in favour and one abstained.
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