Mr G J WARREN, of Newton Abbot, writes: I wish to comment on one aspect of the contractors' work on building Asda, and the concurrent road 'improvements' by Devon County Council in and about Newton Abbot. It is now much easier for the elderly and disabled to move around the town centre, now that the town apparently has become a no-go area for a great majority of shoppers and visitors. The difference now – and in accessing parking in the town car parks – is most evident. Except for the growing nuisance of the town being roamed by gangs of sixth-form college lads and ladettes, it is now much easier for the infirm to get around Newton, a town where badly-placed street furniture – flowerbeds, trees, posts, bollards, stanchions, services terminal boxes, and overflow signs and goods at shop doorways – has always caused great difficulty in pedestrians' movement. Unfortunately, yes, there is the reverse of this new-found benefit insomuch that Newton has lost its heart and soul, with now little community in its centre. So the infirm and disabled will use their free bus passes and parking permits to go to other Teignbridge towns – Teignmouth, Ashburton – and there join with other shoppers who have abandoned Newton. There, custom, trade and community isn't kept out of the towns by great traffic queues and one can easily access the towns upon the road and street network, with road signs prominent and well-placed to facilitate entrance to the town centre (ie quite the reverse of Newton where now little or no clue is given of directions by new or old road signs). Newton today looks to be a board game of Devon and Teignbridge councils in play of how not to design road junctions and town environment. Now its feng shui is completely wrong.
