Wendy Sanders, of Broadway Avenue, Kingsteignton, writes:

Kingsteignton  has figured in my life since 1953, through visiting school friends that lived here, then my marrying a local lad and moving here permanently in 1970.

I,  like numerous others,  have seen a friendly village where virtually everyone knew everyone else turn into a 'town' with so many incomers  it has lost its  heart.

At no time during the past 60 years have I ever viewed the Fountain as a major shopping/meeting hub because our shops were spread the length of Gestridge and Exeter roads, from the Fountain to Tarrs Lane and along Chudleigh Road. All were thriving little shops  until the  relocation of Tesco to Kingsteignton.

No small shops can compete against supermarkets so we saw the closure  of our  butchers and greengrocers but luckily we still have  a very good baker in Chudleigh Road.

Our ex-mayor and present council have discussed making the Fountain the town's  hub with a cafe and outside seating somewhere in the immediate area. How can it ever be?

It's a very busy mini roundabout whose size cannot be made much smaller because of its daily use by large articulated lorries delivering to Lidl and Tesco and using the roundabout to turn.

Our ex-mayor comments on the age and suitability of some of our councillors. To a great degree I agree with him:  some have been on there far too long and unfortunately for the likes of me most of the influential ones live on the east side of Kingsteignton.   Hence, back in 2004 when people living on the west side, like myself, objected  to there being talks between Sibelco and Teignbridge over land being made available for approx 3,100 houses we were called Nimbys and we were accused of trying to stop essential social housing from being built. Yet our present council and our ex mayor recently launched an unsuccessful fight to try to stop social housing being built on a smallish plot of land at Greenhill Road.

Is that action not classified as 'Nimbyism'?  

If our council did  disband  who would take their place? Has it not dawned on him that  the reason he and his wife got onto the council so easily and why there has been a long-term vacancy is that Kingsteignton is no longer a close-knit village?  

it is now mainly a satellite town (especially all the newer estates in the north east quadrant ie Rydon Acres, Kingscombe, Belmont etc)  for people working in Exeter and  Torquay who have no real interest in what happens locally.

Unfortunately without the few groups of hard-working people trying to keep the 'village' traditions like the ram fair going, and interests such as the swimming pool, tennis courts etc alive apathy would completely  rule Kingsteignton.

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