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The Bradworthy Wind Turbines
Councillor
Christie's Weblog
From your Torridge District Councillor Peter Christie
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5th November '06
The tortuous story of the proposed two new supermarkets of Torrington rumbles on. Tescos have withdrawn their original application and substituted a new scheme that is 40% smaller – but is still on the same site – the football ground. Unfortunately it is the site rather than the size that was upsetting the people of Torrington so this new application seems to resolve nothing as far as the scheme’s opponents see it. Of more interest, at the moment, is the question as to why Torridge appear to be willing to defer Somerfield’s application. One can see that the two should be looked at together but Somerfield might be within their rights to go for legal action over the delay their application is experiencing whilst Tesco dither about and change their mind. If you wish to follow the whole story I would urge you to go to a website Michael Street has set up at ‘Tesco Turf Wars at Torrington’. This features the intriguing story of how Felix Gummer came to Torrington to represent Tesco’s views, he being the son of Tory minister John Gummer who first set up the checks on out-of-town superstores which have partly led to this whole debacle in the first place. In order to keep balance I will also mention the web site urging people to sign an online petition to ‘Build Tesco in Torrington’ which was set up in late August. Its preamble reads ‘We don’t just WANT a Tesco in Torrington, we NEED a Tesco in Torrington! We need freedom of choice from a decent supermarket….come on, join the fight for a community supermarket! SAY YES TO TESCO!’ So far it has attracted just 13 signatures. This whole debacle could well be repeated in Bideford if Tesco go ahead with their Marsh Farm application at the same time as Asda’s is still in the melting pot.
Mobile telephone masts rarely give rise to as much fuss as wind turbines – but the recent application by the Church of England to put one atop St.Mary’s in Bideford has led to a lot of discussion – and objections from the public. I first wrote about it some 6 weeks ago but since then it has come before Bideford town council planning committee who turned it down – not on grounds of health concerns as the Government says there are none – but because it was being put on top of a listed building in a Conservation Zone. It is, of course, to be ‘camouflaged’ but adding 21st century technological apparatus to a 14th century church tower however it is masked might strike one as not really acceptable in conservation terms. I also asked why the mast couldn’t be added to the existing one in Honestone Street – itself a pretty ugly thing. We will see what Torridge’s planning committee make of it when it comes before them for the final decision.
Ruth Kelly the ‘Communities Secretary’ (whatever that is) in the Government has this week announced plans to ‘transform local government’ by making it a rule that political leaders of councils are to remain in office for the whole term of a council i.e. 4 years. One can only wonder where this might have left Torridge given the findings of bullying against the last Lib-Dem leader? In the case of the present Leader it is probably true to say that no-one else on the council wants to do the job for the obvious reason that it is a pretty thankless task. I have said before that no-one ever joins the council to become popular – and in many cases there is a strong feeling almost of personal animosity directed against the incumbent – viz. ‘Stonehenge’ in Barnstaple and parking charges in Bideford! At the moment councillors can at least vote out an unpopular Leader at the annual Full Council meeting in May – but these new moves could see a failing Leader hanging on to the office long past their sell-by date. It strikes me as an ill-thought out idea from a lame-duck Prime Minister – never a good combination.
Sad to see the mural at Westward Ho! being vandalised – but tempers are running high in the resort over the latest massive block of flats – the oddly named Cobalt development. Just for the record I (and three other councillors) voted against the original planning application – at the time I reckoned it would see Westward Ho! becoming more like Torremolinos with the seafront being virtually privatised. Having walked along in front of it last week I haven’t changed my opinion. Yes it is bringing money and work into the community – but how many of these expensive flats will be bought by local people – very few I suggest. Indeed I will be interested in seeing how many end up as second homes. I am also wondering if the dispute over the road access ownership has been sorted out yet?
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