Following the successful outcome of pressure on Savills (managing agents for this site) to deal with this issue the steel gates at the entrance have been locked at 12 midnight from July 2011.This helped to resolve the problem after 12 but noise disturbance still exists uptil this time.

Following my meeting with the local police to discuss further measures which could be used I have now had positive feedback from my correspondence with Savills that they are looking into the possibility of installing automated number plate recognition cameras to record the time in and out as they wish to restrict the stay after 7pm to 1 hour. If exceeded drivers would receive a fixed penalty notice.

I have also contacted Exeter City council to request that a mobile CCTV camera is installed asap while the outcome of the negotiations with Savills are resolved.

During the last year a new tarmac access path has been constructed using money from developer contributions at the county ground off Cowick St for infrastructure improvements in the local area. This amount of £46,328,11 has been used for this path from the northern access gate to the park , planned new play equipment and improved new toilet facilities at the nearby Bowling Green.

Unfortunately the playing fields are often spoilt by rubbish left both generally and after football matches which has to be cleared by city council operatives at a cost to the ratepayer. This issue has been raised by many residents in Wellington Rd and following emails by Margaret to the Parks dept. it is being followed up to identify if any particular clubs/groups are causing this problem and then to take appropriate action. If you have any information that can help please let Margaret or Rob know (contact details below).

We have also received complaints about dog fouling and have received assurances from the dog warden that more patrols will take place. Fixed penalty fines of £75.00 can be imposed if the dog warden sees offenders not clearing up after their dog.

Pedestrian Crossing on Church Road

We have passed on the emails we have received from residents on this issue to the Head of Highways and Traffic Management at Devon County Council to request a Pelican Crossing be installed as it is a busy route for school children. This is still under consideration but it is likely a flashing “20mph” sign will be installed. Hopefully this sign will go some way to improving pedestrian safety by reminding motorists of the speed limit. We would still like to hear your experiences of this crossing in order to put more pressure on Devon County Council.

Improved Crossing on Alphington Road – Aldi/B&Q Junction

Following a site meeting in 2011 with Highway engineers Margaret pointed out the danger of this crossing to pedestrians. Improvements have now been made to enlarge the area at the middle island making it safer for parents with buggies, pedestrians and people with disabilities to ensure they have more space to stand while waiting for the traffic to stop.

West of Exe Labour County Councillor Rob Hannaford has been working closely with the local community to ensure that these county council funds are put to good long term use. He chose to spend some of the funding on AgeUK Exeter as this will help many people across the “West of Exe” including residents of Alphington.

He gave £4,000 towards the new expanded centre on Cowick Street to maintain and increase the important work already being done for local people. This centre is now open and the information and advice centre has now moved to be next to the main building. Margaret has found being a trustee and member of the board of AgeUK very interesting and is extremely impressed with the range of services and the dedication of staff and volunteers. Rob Crew recently ran the Exeter “Wrap Up and Run” 10km raising money for AgeUK.

Cllr Margaret Clark and Labour Candidate Rob Crew attended a packed meeting of local residents of Alphington School on 25^th February which had been organised by the newly formed Alphington Forum. The proposals for the area of land (35 acres) in Alphington which had been identified for housing development were outlined by Richard Short (Assistant Director – City Development).

Local residents at the meeting asked questions on a variety of concerns – density and design, community resources, school places, and employment opportunities. The biggest issue raised concerned the increased traffic and its inevitable impact on the village and on the surrounding roads such as Alphington Road which is already at capacity at peak times.

Margaret and Rob share residents’ concerns about this development and the affect that it will have on the village and would encourage people to register with Alphington Forum through their website to express their views and be involved.

Those at the meeting also expressed shock at finding out about the Exeter City development at the Teignbridge consultation on 31/1/12 for the first time. The consultation process was questioned and also why a consultation day had not been held in Alphington.

Margaret Clark, “I feel that the three Lib Dem ward councillors in summer 2010, when an eight weeks consultation commenced at the Civic Centre, should have informed residents of this proposal and that they could have insisted that a local consultation day was held in Alphington Village as part of this consultation exercise. Residents would then have felt they had an opportunity to find out more and expressed their views and concerns at the time. As increased traffic is the biggest issue raised by residents I have negotiated a meeting between the Director of Transport of Devon County Council,  Exeter city council officers and senior councillors.”

Labour Candidate Rob Crew, “This lack of local consultation in Alphington is even more telling when local events were organised in 2010 in Pinhoe and Whipton to deal with developments in the east of the City. I want to know why an event wasn’t organised in Alphington.”

Teignbridge Development Plans

The consultation period for the forward planning proposals for Teignbridge District Council up to 2033 closed on 2/3/2012. This scheme will take up a massive amount of green field land for 2000 houses and when completed will have a much bigger impact on increased traffic flowing in and around Alphington. This is only one of the issues, density, over use of local and city resources, the loss of identity of Alphington as a village have all been voiced to our Labour Team on the doorstep.

Though the initial consultation has closed the comments received will be considered and then a new version of the Plan will be published for further consultation this summer. A public hearing with an Independent Planning Inspector will follow and then the Plan will be finalised in early 2013 for adoption.

The proposed timetable for the Teignbridge Core Strategy is:

• May 2012 – Proposed Submission document for formal representations.

• June 2012 – Submission to Secretary of State.

• November 2012 – Examination by Independent Inspector.

• April 2013 – Adoption by Council.

For more information go to www.teignbridge.gov.uk/planteignbridge

Councillor Margaret Clark said, “As a local resident myself, I share all these concerns and have voted against this development on the online consultation. We will await the published results of the consultation and report back to you on this issue.”

Labour Candidate Rob Crew said, “I live just off Alphington Road and use the road every day to get to work so I know how congested it gets at times. This inevitable increase in traffic coming through Alphington will affect everyone who lives this side of the river. Exe Bridges is already full of jams and this will only worsen the situation.”

Building work has begun on a £5.6 million outdoor activity centre on Haven Banks, Exeter Quayside, which is a joint initiative between Exeter College, Devon County Council and other partners. The centre, due to be completed in April 2013, replaces an old activity centre and will offer training in activities such as sailing, canoeing and climbing.

The money has partly been raised by the sale of Exeter airport and will replace an existing site that currently trains around 25,000 people every year. It is hoped that the new state-of-the-art centre will be able to provide even more opportunities for people to learn and will become an educational hub for the city and beyond.

Labour candidate for Alphington, Rob Crew says, “We very much welcome the opportunities that this development will bring to residents in Alphington and the wider area, particularly for young people, and goes to show that when we invest in our community we can create opportunities and prosperity for all.”

The Tory/Lib-Dem government plan to close the DVLA office in Marsh Barton. The office provides an important service to both the public and to the local motor trade, and lead to the loss of nearly forty jobs.

Located amongst one of Europe’s largest concentrations of car dealerships and garages, it is vital for the prosperity of Exeter’s motor trade who could be required to travel as far as Swansea to access similar services in future, putting costs on their businesses that they can ill afford at present.

Labour candidate for Alphington, Rob Crew said “not only will the closure lose the local area an important public service and jobs, the knock-on effect could lead to further lay-offs in the private sector and damage growth in our local economy.”

As reported in our last newsletter Margaret and Rob are following up on issues surrounding the Cowick Barton Playing Fields. The issue of graffiti on the entrance sign which residents raised was reported and subsequently removed. Unfortunately it has now been replaced with more graffiti. It has been reported and will be cleaned soon.  Following residents concerns more litter bins have been requested to be placed closer to the football fields.

Other residents have raised the issue of dog mess being left on the fields. This has been reported to the dog warden who will continue to inspect the fields regularly.

Work has started on the new Exeter Energy from Waste plant at Grace Road, Marsh Barton with the plan being that it will begin processing waste in 2014. It will process 60,000 tonnes of rubbish each year from Exeter and its surrounding area to produce energy. At the moment, this waste goes to landfill. It will mean that Exeter’s waste will be managed locally in a much better environmental and sustainable way and the energy created from the waste will be fed into the National Grid.

Labour Councillor Margaret Clark, said, “This is potentially good news for the environment but we need to keep a close eye on the project. I will be part of a group monitoring the build throughout the next two years. Please get in touch with me with your thoughts on the scheme.”

For more details on the development of the plant go to the website: http://www.devon.gov.uk/energyfromwaste

On your behalf we have obtained this information about this scheme from Devon County Council Highways department:- “Following on from the current resurfacing works, work will be carried out to widen the section of carriageway between the Marsh Barton and Alphington Cross junctions. The road widening scheme will provide an additional outbound traffic lane which will help to improve outbound congestion and air quality along the Alphington Road corridor.

These works are scheduled to start on the 19 March for a period of approximately 13 weeks. Towards the end of these works, the section of road between the Marsh Barton and Alphington Cross junctions will be closed for approximately 5 nights and it is during this time that the Hatherleigh Road bollards will be temporarily removed overnight so that residents in Hatherleigh Road (East) retain safe access/egress to their properties.

The works should not affect traffic flows although the existing footway on the eastern (Sainsbury’s) side of the road will be closed. During this time, pedestrians will be diverted via the footway on the other side of the road from the existing signal controlled crossings.”

Rob Crew said, “Hopefully these improvements will allow traffic to flow more easily for people getting onto the A30 and the M5. If you have an issue while the work is on going please get in touch.”

A public meeting to discuss concerns about the proposed 500 new homes on the edge of Alphington has been organised by local residents. It will be held at Alphington Primary School on the 25th February at 2pm. More details can be found here.

The ward councillors as well as Cllr Rachel Sutton, current Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Development and Transport (which includes planning) will be attending to answer questions.

Margaret Clark, ward councillor for Alphington and an Alphington Village resident, has voiced residents concerns about the lack of consultation about the proposals in the City’s Core Strategy.

Speaking at the Full Council meeting on 21 February, Margaret said:

“Although I welcome the Core Strategy as an important document for the city I do wish to raise the concerns I have received and head on the doorstep from Alphington residents regarding the impact of the proposed housing development within the city boundary on the edge of Alphington.

The main concern of residents is the inevitable increase in local and through traffic in the village. They are also concern about the possible density of the developments on the available land, the impact on the current facilities, GP practice, school etc and the loos of the village identity.

As a local resident in the village I did not hear about the consultation period on these proposals and can sympathise with other residents who feel they were not given a proper opportunity to express their views. The 8 week consultation was held at the Civic Centre during June/July 2010. At this time there were 3 Lib Dem ward councillors , one of whom was Peter Wadham, who was Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Development i.e. the Core Strategy, who could have insisted that the planners organised a local consultation in Alphington to inform and consult with residents.

Would you agree that there was not adequate local consultation over these developments at the time and residents need to be listened to and involved from now on?”

Councillor Rachel Sutton, Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Development
and Transport, responded saying:

“Thank you for raising this important issue. I would like to reply as Portfolio Holder for Sustainable Development.

I realise that the consultations on the Exeter Core Strategy took place in summer 2010, well before Councillor Clark was elected. There may well be questions that could be asked of my predecessor as Portfolio Holder, also an Alphington councillor, Peter Wadham, as to why local people are only now becoming aware of the housing allocation in Alphington in the Core Strategy.

However, as part of the Localism Act local communities now have an opportunity to get involved in a positive way in discussions on how developments take place, where local facilities are sited, what play facilities are provided.

I would welcome the formation of an Alphington Neighbourhood Forum that includes local residents, ward councillors, developers and other partners so people can directly influence how the allocations included in the Core Strategy happen on the ground.

In addition there is an opportunity for Alphington to benefit from the contribution to Exeter City Council from the New Homes Bonus and an Alphington Neighbourhood Forum will be able to engage in discussions about how some of that money could be spent.”

Teignbridge District Council have published a Long Term Development Plan which includes proposals for a substantial urban development on the south west boundary of Exeter next to Alphington. These proposals, which are for a development of approximately 2000 houses, two primary schools, one secondary school and a park and ride scheme, will have to go through several stages of consultation and procedures. This is your opportunity to look at the plans and ask officers from Teignbridge Council questions and express your views.

Cllr Margaret Clark and Labour Candidate Rob Crew feel that it is essential that, like all developments, this new scheme has the appropriate infrastructure, including proper transport links, health centre, sports pitches and open space. It is vital that this development does not have an adverse effect on the roads and resources used by the existing Alphington residents.

Work began on 30 January on Alphington Road from Haven Road to the Marsh Barton junction. Subject to no unforeseen delays, the work is expected to take 6 weeks with the majority of the work being undertaken after 7pm. During the road closures, residents in Princes Street/Regent Street will have access via Cowick Street whilst residents in the Ebrington Road area will have access via the Ebrington Road/Retail Park Close link into Marsh Barton.

Although the work will take approximately six weeks, Alphington Road, itself will only be closed for 20 of those nights. On the nights it is closed traffic will be directed from Exe Bridges along Cowick Street and Cowick Lane, except for those residents and businesses with no alternative access. If you have any issues to do with the works then email customer@devon.gov.uk

Labour candidate for Alphington Rob Crew and Labour Cllr Margaret Clark found that many residents were concerned about the state of the road when canvassing in the area recently, including reports of poor drainage of the road in certain places.

Labour Candidate Rob Crew said, “Hopefully the improvements will sort out the problems which have plagued local residents. However we are keen to know from residents if any issues occur while the work is going on or remain after the work has been completed.

We have made enquiries to Devon county Council regarding plans to widen the road between Marsh Barton and Alphington Cross. Apparently this work is still in the pipeline, so watch this space.

Labour Candidate Rob Crew and Cllr Margaret Clark have been talking to residents who use the zebra crossing on Church Road to get to Mill Lane. Many feel that it is dangerous, particularly as it is used as the route to Alphington Primary School by many children.

A similar situation occurs at the crossing near the church which has also been highlighted to us as potentially dangerous due to it also being used by local children on their way to and from school.

Have you experienced cars failing to stop because they are driving too fast as they approach these crossings?

If you have had any problems, please let us know so we can then lobby Devon County Council to upgrade these crossings.

Margaret and Rob recognise that the issue of cars exceeding the 20mph speed limit in Alphington is high on residents list of concerns. Margaret recently met with P.C. Chris Conway and PCSO Kevin Davies to discuss what can be done by the police and residents.

The Police’s view is that the 20mph Alphington scheme can be enforced and they intend to continue the speeding operations that have already taken place in the Chudleigh and Church Road area. When Devon County Council introduced the 20mph limit the necessary traffic calming measures such as road humps, road narrowing measures and gateways were not put in place at the same time. Margaret has been in touch with Devon County Council to highlight this issue and request that money is allocated for traffic calming measures.

The Police wish to recruit more residents to join their “SpeedWatch” campaign to make drivers more aware of the speed limit. Please contact PCSO Kevin Davies at kevin.davies@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk if you would like to support the Police in reducing the speed of cars travelling through the village.

Tory controlled Devon County Council plan to cut funding for the disability support company ‘PLUSS’, based on the Marsh Barton trading estate.

The social enterprise provides a range of support to people with disabilities and long term health problems helping them to overcome barriers to gaining employment, and many of those who work for PLUSS have a disability themselves. Based in both Exeter and Torbay, PLUSS last year helped around 3,500 people find employment. These proposed cuts of £800,000 over four years could mean many staff being at risk of redundancy.

Labour Candidate Rob Crew says, “It seems strange that at a time when the Conservative led coalition government want more people with disabilities to find employment, Devon County Council plan to make cuts to this vital service which helps people with disabilities find work”.

We are pleased to say that Exeter City council have announced significant investment in the Cowick Barton playing fields children’s play area £46,000.

Residents living near the Cowick Barton playing fields have reported various problems including litter, dog fouling and graffiti in the area. The playing fields are a vital part of this community and should be enjoyed by all.

Cllr Margaret Clark and Labour Candidate Rob Crew have reported the graffiti to the Cleansing Department and requested more litter bins in the park.

Rob Crew and Councillor Margaret Clark have picked up a growing concern about limited space to park for residents around the streets just off Alphington Road, between the Marsh Barton junction and Cowick Barton playing fields. Many residents feel that commuters and visitors working in the area use the streets near the Marsh Barton trading estate for weekday parking, making it difficult for local people to park in their street.

Rob and Margaret would be interested to hear your views and ideas as to how you want us to take this issue forward.

Last summer we ran a successful campaign to ensure that Savills, the owner of Stone Lane Retail Park, paid for a security company to lock the security gates at midnight. The Police, in discussions with Margaret, said that although they have had far less callouts to this car park the late night noise and disturbance could move to a different area.

Unfortunately this is what has happened at the Lidl car park, where groups of “Boy Racers” have been meeting. However, following complaints from residents, local Police met with the manager of Lidl’s and gained permission to ban any cars causing problems. Information from the CCTV cameras enabled the Police to identify car registration numbers and send letters to the registered owners banning them from the car park. The Police then wrote to local residents in Powesland Road informing them of their action and giving a phone number to report any further disturbances.

Having spoken to residents in Powesland Road in the last 2 weeks we are pleased to report that there have been no issues of “Boy Racers” since this concerted Police action. We will continue to monitor the situation and alert the Police of any problems in car parks across Alphington.

We have received the following indication of the timescales, from the Anti-Park & Ride Campaign Group, for the process that will happen after Devon County Council has looked into the many questions which residents raised with them. The estimated timetable is:-

Early Spring 2012 – The additional information, to support the planning application that Devon County Council’s team have been putting together, is due to be submitted. Assuming this happens, the process will be:

Early March – Agenda item at the Development Management Committee. This will be for information only; no decision will be taken and a further site visit by the committee members may be recommended.

March – Second round of public consultation: Devon County Council should inform everyone who objected last time about the new information and give people around 30 days to get their comments on the information and any revised application material to the County Council.

Late March/Early April – Members’ site visit and site meeting.

June – Full Report at Development Management Committee for a decision on the planning permission application.

We are awaiting confirmation from Devon County Council for the exact timescale and we will report back when we know more.

Your local Labour Councillor, Margaret Clark was delighted that Alphington Community Association had been successful in their bid for a community funding grant for £500 for the village hall. The money will be used for a hot water dispenser and an instant water heater to improve the kitchen facilities. As an Alphington resident she attends the Association meetings and knows first-hand the work they do all year round.

A “Decorating Day” is planned by the Association at the Village Hall on Saturday 25th February to paint the hall with the help of volunteers. If you would like to help contact Shelley Ingram (Organiser) on 07962103045.

Margaret also regularly attends the Chatterbox Club on Friday mornings at the Village Hall and it is an opportunity to talk to her about local issues and concerns. Contact her on 428099 to arrange a date and time you would like to meet her there.

Alphington community policing team hold a regular event called “Have Your Say – Chatterbox”.

This event is held every Friday morning in the Village Hall in Ide Lane, between 9.30am and 12.30pm, and is a great opportunity to meet the local police and other residents.

You can find out more about the Alphington community policing team here.

Councillor Margaret Clark regularly attends the Chatterbox Club and it is an opportunity to talk to her about local issues and concerns. Contact her on 01392 428099 to arrange a date and time you would like to meet her there.

 

 

This year ward councillors have been able to consider grant applications from community groups to allocate in amounts of up to £300 for each project with a total of £1,500.00 for the year for Alphington.

To date we have agreed on the following projects:

• Alphington Community Association – £300 for costs towards the Party in the Park day on 10th September.
• Loram Maintenance Association – £300 towards the cost of maintaining open areas on the estate.
• Alpha-tots Group – £300 towards the cost of providing a covered outdoor shelter for buggies.
• Sea Scouts H.Q. in Haven Road – £150 towards the cost of refurbishing parts of the building.
• Age UK Exeter – ‘Men in Sheds project’ – £195 towards the costs of this project which helps reduce isolation for older men by them meeting together to refurbish garden tools.

These projects are all using this money to provide resources in Alphington for different groups in the community. We have a small amount of money left so please contact Dawn Rivers, Community Involvement Officer at the Civic Centre (Tel: 265531) if you feel your project/association could benefit.

Margaret at AgeUK Exeter

Margaret Clark has been recently nominated as a board/trustee member of Age UK Exeter as the representative for Exeter City Council. She attended an induction session and an away day with staff and was extremely impressed with the range of the 17 different services they provide to over 800 people to meet their needs in Exeter.

Margaret said, “I was very impressed with the level of experience, enthusiasm and dedication the staff bring to their roles and I am sure many residents in Alphington benefit from their services. I recently met Jessica Cohen at the Chatterbox club in Alphington Village Hall who was there to give information and advice to the local residents who were attending on that Friday morning about Age UK Exeter.”

If you feel you could also benefit, contact their centre in Cowick St (Tel: 202092) to talk to a friendly staff member about your needs.