To help you decide whether you want me on the council for another term,
here are some of the things I have done since you re-elected me in 1999.
I have:
Fought to restore the infamous Grenofen Gateway to two-way working. I achieved
the support of all but 3 of West Devon Borough Council's members, but was
blocked by the County Council, which, sadly, has the final say in highways
matters. In this process, I succeeded in becoming ...
Vice-chairman of the West Devon Partnership Committee, a joint committee
of Devon County Council and the Borough Council. Given my querulous approach
to some of County Highways schemes, this was quite an achievement. The
Partnership Committee has now been disbanded. I wonder why.
Served as Chairman of West Devon's Planning Committee. This is a very busy
task, and one that guarantees that I cannot please everyone. My aim has
been to ensure that everyone involved is given a fair hearing and that
decisions are made on a proper basis, even when they are locally unpopular.
I was especially pleased recently to have a letter from
someone whose planning application had been refused, thanking
me for ensuring that he had a fair hearing. That doesn't often
happen, but it is satisfying when it does.
West Devon has achieved a good record, losing no appeals against refusal in the
last reporting period, despite have a bigger than average refusal
rate. Click here to see an account of a controversial
planning issue.
Served on the Borough Council's Appeals Panel, which helps some of the
most needy people in West Devon to get the right Housing and Council Tax
Benefits and helps struggling businesses by awarding discretionary Rate
Reliefs. This was an important feature of the council's help to local businesses
during the Foot & Mouth crisis.
Served as a council-appointed Trustee Director of West Devon Homes, which
delivers the Housing Service for WDBC. For the first time since I became
a councillor, West Devon now has more social housing than it had at the
beginning of the civic year.