WHILE waiting outside my friend’s café in Devon Square the other morning at around 9.30am a lady walked up the road, produced her phone and took a photograph, she then got in her car and went off, a few minutes later and lady drove round the corner from Queen Street into Devon Square and she didn’t see it until too late and it is lucky her car had good suspension and she wasn’t going at any speed, what was it you ask? 

Guess, yes spot on, I knew you’d guess straight away they are everywhere, main streets, lanes, side roads, dual carriageway yes folks POT HOLES lots of big ones little ones, and TDC what are you going to do about it, oh it’s Devon Highways, it’s raining, freezing weather, in other words every excuse under the sun to do absolutely nothing until it suits you.

You know the Government gave TDC money to regenerate the town, and a time limit, well that is now very close and what has the Council done, nothing but waffle, walk through town there are empty shops in every street, and they have been empty not for a few weeks, but months and yes years, why?

Is it because potential business see the endless eateries, or offices taking over the main streets and little or no encouragement for a variety of new shops, the regeneration, well, all these businesses see is it is causing dissent amongst the traders and people of the town, and no alternative coming from TDC, it offers a 4-screen cinema in Market Walk but surely TDC aren’t paying for that? and cut off the top part of Queen Street to traffic, why?

We already have a 4 screen cinema so why does TDC and Scott Cinemas want to move it, well we all know why, they say the cattle market isn’t being used like it use to, we could sell it, oh yes, heard that one before and I shouted with many others, NO YOU DON’T the cattle market, multi storey car park, Sherbourne Road car park and the Alexandra Cinema were destined to be sold to a developer about 20 years ago but the fuss made at the time forced TDC to shelve that idea, now they think they can bring it out again. 

Oh boy my fingers are going to be working overtime on this keyboard.

Teignbridge District Council, when the Government made the funds available for the regeneration of the town it wasn’t meant for tearing down and putting unwanted ideas into action what you have been suggesting doesn’t cost millions like you claim you have for the regeneration, so what else is in the pipeline, what are you going to use it for?

The regeneration of the town, needs new shops, clothes, furniture, soft furnishing, books, toys, fitted kitchens and bedrooms, but, what we need is encouragement to bring these businesses into town, reduced business rates, car parking charges and make it easier to pay those charges, I have said on many occasions we need the market days back Wednesday and Saturday we may not have a cattle market but the stalls oh yes, back in the 70s when you came into being that councillor who said you needed to bring the town into the 21st century kicking and screaming if necessary oh yes you did that alright TDC brought Newton Abbot into the 21st Century kicking and screaming for it to stop and leave Newton Abbot to be what it has always been – a historical market town.