WHO says what?

You know as time goes on it becomes more and more like our Beloved TDC have their own agenda, and when people ask questions, do they get answers. No.

On my Facebook page a post showed up from the Newton Abbot and District Civic Society and it made me wonder what on earth is going on, it was about the Queen Street pedestrianisation, and those who voiced their concerns.

According to the post, the NADCS have met with TDC. They are one of two remaining objectors to the loss of parking and loading bays, it appears that three other objectors have had their concerns positively resolved and therefore withdrawn their objections.

Am I being a bit thick? I look at the post and it reads rather oddly so first let’s clear these anomalies.

When saying three of the objectors have had their concerns positively resolved and have withdrawn the objections, does it mean three individuals or three groups, in which case what groups? Who did they represent?

Were all their members in agreement and finally what concerns and how were they resolved?

The two remaining objectors NADCS and who else, none of it is really clear, and that photo of the top of Queen Street, showing the traffic and parked cars on a busy day last October. Ok let’s just look at the matter logically shall we.

First up from the Railway Station, past the memorial and all the way to Drum Clock turning right into Sherbourne Road. That is the main way through town.

Nearly 50 years ago we had two roads, at the Drum Clock junction left up through Courtenay Street and right through Sherbourne Road.

There was the bus station where Sherbourne House is now, and two way traffic. Then the newly formed TDC built Market Walk and closed down Courtenay Street, everything one way.

From East Street you came down Union street, round right past the Drum and out by Sherbourne Road, that has been the traffic system for 45-plus years and yes sometimes it gets heavy and traffic jams build up, but that was or is the main way through town, ok so now the powers that be, have decided in their infinite wisdom to change everything.

In your car, let's go up from the railway station end, we go across the junction by the Memorial, when the lights are in our favour, up Queen Street, now this is where it gets to be fun. From Weatherspoon’s up the road to the top of Hopkins Lane is closed to cars, so we get there and which way? Ok turn left up King Street, residential road but hey who worries about that?

Turn left or right into East Street, busy road at the best of times and there could be congestion if you want to turn right and go across the traffic flow to go to the top of town near Asda. Or you get to Weatherspoon’s / Lemon Jelli and want to turn right into Albany Street another residential road, across the bridge and up Cricketfield Road, to the traffic lights, now the increased traffic here would cause very heavy jams because you have cars coming and going into the car park. Or you could turn left by Albany Florist and go up that back road to the top Sherbourne Road junction but the traffic jams there would be even worse. With me so far?

Now, the pedestrian part of Queen Street has shops that need deliveries normal circumstances at the front for the left hand side but with the TDC scheme they would have to go up Hopkins Lane– big lorries or 7.5 lorries not very good, manoeuvring through a narrow lane and even narrower turning into the top of Queens Street near Drum Clock.

Yes I do know how difficult that road is. I lived in a flat over one of the shops and our entrance was in Hopkins Lane and we had a business in Hopkins Lane so I know first hand just how difficult it is for large vehicles accessing that particular lane.

But go up behind the shops on the right with your delivery lorry and you are held up by all the cars trying to get out onto Sherbourne Road.

Has TDC really given any thought to the traffic congestion their hair-brained stupid scheme will cause, the disruption to residential roads?

This is the $64,000 question, WHY?

What on earth is the benefit to closing a short distance of road to traffic, especially if you are going to cause total chaos in Albany Street and King Street.

One more thought. You have a vast increase in traffic going up two side roads, the traffic jams and chaos trying to get to East Street and Kingsteignton Road, in a time of environmental issues. What about the car fumes? The new traffic system will be considerably worse than the system as it is now.

I see TDC pushing this bizarre scheme through as quickly as it can before the local elections to spend the money it has been promised for the regeneration of the town.

This will not boost the town trade or whatever, it will just be a total and utter waste of valuable funds.

No, both this scheme and the Market Walk plans are ill thought out and not what the town wants or needs.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I REST MY CASE.