Gordon Hook

Devon County Council is about to announce it’s budget for 2012 – 13.
The process is neither short nor simple. Since Christmas the various Scrutiny Committees ( I Chair the so called “Places Committee”…….formerly known and understood as “Environment, Economy and Culture”…..If I ever have any real authority again at County Hall we will return to names the public can understand!) have considered in some detail the original recommendations of the administration.
As a consequence of those deliberations suggestions were made to the administration and late last night I heard that the following had been added to this years “Places” budget proposals………£5,000,000 for Highways Maintenance of “C” roads and other “minor roads”.
£150,000 for animal welfare (Trading Standards budget head)
£100,000 for gulley maintenance.
£250,000 for improved highway drainage.
I welcome all of these, and indeed others made to other budget heads. I said so at this mornings Cabinet meeting.
I also asked that an assurance be given that the “C” road money would be for both rural and urban roads, and was assured it was.
I asked what investment was proposed for renewable energy, and was not given an answer.
I also appealed for support from the administration for a 2 lane fly over at Pen Inn when the South Devon Link Road is built in the next few years. We (DCC et al) need to lobby HM Treasury if we are to see any success with this common sense idea. (not of course that it is a new idea, it isn’t. The intention always was for a two lane fly over and the infra structure was originally put in place to that end.) No reply given.