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The Bradworthy Wind Turbines
Councillor
Christie's Weblog
From your Torridge District Councillor Peter Christie
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22nd February '09
I am Vice-Chairman of the Bideford Harbour Board and some months ago I suggested we might be able to expand our cargo throughput by exporting recyclable materials. Not only would this help our badly hit port income but it could also remove lorries from the roads and thus lower the carbon footprint of recycling in North Devon. Well I am very pleased to say that some hard work by the harbour master Captain Roger Hoad has made this very likely. He has contacted Recresco who currently hold the contract for carrying glass containers up to Bristol and Ellesmere Port and they have identified the possibility of sending 20,000 tonnes of glass through Bideford up to the latter port – an attractive route given that Bideford is better placed for this trade when compared to ports on the South coast from which ships have to round Land’s End. This will save some 20,000 miles of lorry movement with all the environmental benefits associated with such a change. Shipments could start as early as August 2009 and the increased income could be as high as £74,000 per annum. Needless to say the committee enthusiastically endorsed this idea and instructed Captain Hoad to push ahead as quickly as he could. Of course, if glass can be shipped this way then one could ask why not metal and plastics? This would obviate the short-sighted plan to burn the stuff in a North Devon incinerator so everyone would benefit. Incidentally Captain Hoad did point out that it only takes 7 weeks from collection of glass bottles in your ‘green boxes’ for them to be melted down, reformed and appear back on the shelves of the supermarket – now that’s what I call recycling!
About a year ago Bideford town council voted to support my proposition to hire another street cleaner for Bideford. They would not replace the district council cleaners but would supplement them in those areas that need more intensive cleaning. Sadly the idea has been scotched by the Finance Committee under councillor Andy Powell as apparently ‘it isn’t that straightforward just employing someone.’ I won’t comment on that but can tell you that the council will be including a phone number in our next Newsletter that you can use to contact Torridge and tell them when you see some litter – though unfortunately a lot of residents East-the-Water are not actually getting the Newsletter as the free sheet it is distributed with has decided to stop deliveries to some 1300 households in that area for reasons of economy.
Bideford 500 is now up and running. An informal group of like-minded people we are exploring ways of fostering interest and pride in the town’s heritage – with the aim of encouraging more British and foreign tourists to come here. Our energetic secretary Jane Whitaker has secured some funding and we are working with David Howell and the Chamber of Commerce to roll out a ‘Heritage Trail’ with associated plaques in the town. The plaques have been designed and although simple are very striking, and I have been working on as leaflet to accompany them. Sadly, as David was the first to admit, the Chamber, which is just about to send out renewal notices to its members, may well experience some ‘shrinkage’ in numbers owing to the economic recession. Given that two more shops have just closed and others are fairly ‘fragile’ I suspect this will be the case. The Chamber, however, still plans to push ahead using the slogan ‘Holiday at Home in Devon’ which is designed to attract people both from the rest of the U.K. and also, hopefully, to get people from South Devon to explore the North of the county. Some of the £100,000 fund set up by Asda to promote both themselves and Bideford will be used to produce some 100,000 leaflets promoting the town which are to be distributed all over the South West and possibly in the Midlands.
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