QUEEN STREET

16 June 2023

We had high hopes starting this new administration that the new Lib Dem administration might be a change from the last four years. It felt that opportunity might have been dropped at the Highways and Traffic Orders Committee (HATOC) meeting on the 1st June. This meeting was set up to discuss and debate the controversial plans to redevelop Queen Street in Newton Abbot. Though we all recognise that there is probably a scheme to improve Queen Street and the whole town centre, the scheme proposed is not one favoured by the retailers, Town Centre Manager or Town Council. Consultation carried out by SDA's Cllr Mullone and Bradford, where many retailers shared concerns they would be closed down by the plans, has been ignored. The South Devon Alliance had the strongest presence and voice at the meeting, but were again ignored, with Cllr Phil Bullivant, TDC Tory Leader and Devon County Councillor and Cllr Alan Connett (yesterday's man with yesterday's plan) former TDC Lib Dem Leader and also still a Devon County Councillor proposing and seconding the plans. These Councillors demonstrated the Lib Dem and Tory party ability to collaborate and dump plans on Newton Abbot that have little to no public backing. This was not before Cllr Connett had told the Town Council and anyone who didn't like the plans to 'suck it up', a statement he was forced to withdraw. But it marked out the amount of respect the former leader and his acolytes had and still hold for any reasoned opposition.

Below are the reports by Cllr Jane Taylor and Cllr Alex Hall, both whom spoke against the proposal to adopt the plans as they stand. As a Devon County Councillor, Cllr Janet Bradford was the only vote against the proposal which was passed 7-1.

Cllr Jane Taylor wrote:
Unbelievable is probably the word best used to describe my first experience of attending the DCC Highways and traffic orders committee, (HATOC). Actually disgusted and disbelieving may be better. If this is how decisions are made, that significantly affect people's livelihoods, then as my Granny May would have said, “I’ll go t’foot of our stairs’. Actually I’m more likely to throw myself down them.
I’m getting slightly ahead of myself so let’s start at the beginning. Today the HATOC meeting was being held at Forde House, in the TDC Chamber. The Committee is made up of select Councillors, mainly Lib Dems and as of today chaired by the TDC Lib Dem Leader, Councillor Martin Wrigley. The subject for debate and approval was the Pedestrianisation of Queen Street and associated Traffic Orders etc.
To remind you, if you are not aware, this is a Lib Dem project, led by the ex-leader of the Libdems, Councillor Alan Connett, he did not stand for TDC this time but still sits on this committee in his capacity as a DCC. Councillor. I hope you are keeping up?
As a TDC Councillor, I am allowed to speak for 5 minutes but not take any other active part, other than raising my eyebrows or other non verbal communication and neither do I have voting rights, that is left to our SDA County Councillor, Janet Bradford. Myself, Councillors Hall, Ryan and Joyce all spoke on the matter. It was Councillor Alex Hall who stole the show delivering a particularly passionate plea on behalf of local people and traders, whose voices had been ignored. They were not against improvement but they were against this proposal.
Newton Abbot Town Council, had consulted for almost 2 years, since this was first muted. They had consulted, consulted and consulted with residents, face to face, at meetings, at information stalls, set up to make residents aware and they listened to them. It was blatantly clear, they did not want this scheme. Councillor Connett’s response was ‘The Town Council need to suck it up.” Unfortunately, I was not witness to that outburst as I’d already walked out as a result of the previous one.
I raised the issue of the Consultation: in total the consultation period was less than 3 months, a month in 2020 and two last year. Torbay Council, consulted for 6 months on the Paignton Pedestrianisation, which has now been overturned and will be consulting again for another 6 months to try and get it right. How much will that cost the taxpayer? I asked if anyone had contacted Torbay, after all we wouldn’t want to make the same mistake. That didn’t get a response.
There was no face to face Consultation, it was done mainly online and the addition of an unmanned table in the library, displaying information. They seemed quite proud that they had sent 1000 letters to residents, I had to remind them that they had missed some, as there are roughly 132,884 residents in Teignbridge!
It's just not good enough, even our small parish of Kingskerswell did better. When TDC refused to do anything other than an online Consultation for the Local Plan, we had printed and hand delivered 3,000 leaflets to our parishioners to make them aware of it , so they could have their say and they did!
They hadn’t even listened to what Sally Henley had to say. Sally’s the Town Centre Manager, the clues in the name for goodness sake! They’ve ignored the Town Council and their own councillors, Cllrs Liam Mullone and Janet Bradford but then they would because they are ex Newton Says No and South Devon Alliance members. Councillor Connett made it very clear what he thought of Newton Says No to everything and proceeded to spew forth his obvious hatred for the party and all it stands for. He could barely contain himself and spilled over into shouting abuse. At that point I had enough and stood up, told the Chair he should be ashamed of himself and left the chamber.
The proposal was voted through with only one vote against, or should I say one vote FOR the people, thank you SDA Councillor Janet Bradford. Although I did feel slightly sorry for Councillor Ron Peart, who stated he had gone there with an open mind, so not predetermined like the rest of them, and was clearly uncomfortable with the ‘goings on’ but had to vote with the whip, he should have joined the SDA!  

Cllr Alex Hall wrote:
I attended the HATOC (Highways and Traffic Orders Committee) meeting which was held at Teignbridge District Council. The purpose of the meeting was to determine the future of Queen Street.
Whilst I do not sit on the committee, being a District and Town Councillor, I was allowed to attend and raise my thoughts and concerns within a five minute time constraint.
To say I am disappointed in the decision today is an understatement. More to the point, not only do I feel disregarded, I found certain members of the committee to be rude. Some were blatantly scrolling through their phones during the meeting whilst myself and others were making our points. To me, this proves only one thing, they had already pre-determined their vote.
I am angry and deeply saddened for the people of Newton Abbot, for whom the majority of, very clearly did not want this scheme.
Here is my speech to the HATOC committee ....
I simply ask you this .... "By the decisions YOU make, are YOU neglecting the people YOU serve?"
I am Councillor Alex Hall. I sit on Teignbridge District Council and Newton Abbot Town Council for Buckland and Milber.
Firstly …. Newton Abbot Town Council DID NOT support the proposals for the western part of Queen Street OR the Traffic Regulation Orders.
Teignbridge District Council and Devon County Council have UNBELIEVABLY only engaged public opinion ONLINE. Whereas we, as Town Councillors and staff of Newton Abbot Town Council, have spent the last TWO years speaking with business owners, local residents and visitors IN PERSON.
We have been out on the streets at our Town Centre Meetings gathering public opinion and quite frankly it is WHOLLY UNACCEPTABLE that the feedback we have been given from LOCAL PEOPLE has been so readily disregarded and ignored. 80% of those that replied to the consultation DO NOT want this scheme. Therefore, to go ahead with this scheme would be both undemocratic and arrogant. You CANNOT and you MUST NOT …. just assume that those that didn’t reply actually want this scheme. You must surely realise; this is not how democracy works! If you go ahead with the plans, the new administration at Teignbridge would be making one of the most undemocratic actions this town has ever seen.
Furthermore, Councillors Janet Bradford and Liam Mullone took actual REAL time to speak to individual businesses on Queen Street, as did our Town Development Manager, Sally Henley. They were met with overwhelming disapproval.
Newton Abbot has a high proportion of disabled and elderly shoppers, amongst others and welcomes visitors from a wide catchment area. And rightly so, Newton Abbot is amazing!
It is an extraordinary claim that Devon County and Teignbridge District Council are proposing reduced car use, especially given that public transport is poor.
Speaking personally, I take an elderly lady to Newton Abbot, and we use Queen Street regularly for coffee based upon ease of parking. Getting her from her own front door, to car, to coffee shop in as little steps as possible. Her mobility makes it near impossible for her to walk even from a car park. The ease of parking makes Queen Street unique. Torbay Road was similar and what a disaster it became after the Council went ahead with the pedestrianisation against public opinion, so much so, a U-turn is now on the cards!
Look at out of town shopping centres ... they get busier and busier - part of their success story is ease of access by car and crucially ease of nearby parking, especially the location of disabled bays right outside shop door fronts.
Therefore, is it not glaringly obvious, that as a Council, we should be listening to our local people? Ensuring easier access to our beloved Newton Abbot and not making it more difficult for both local businesses and shoppers alike! If it's not broken, why fix it!
The analysis of tickets purchased in Queen Street is a naïve exercise, which demonstrates nothing. It is interesting to note that producers of this document make no reference at all to the fact that both sides of the street are full of parked cars during the evening, when visitors access the evening economy and when the purchase of a ticket is not required. This is further evidence that this whole consultation has been a desktop exercise by Teignbridge District Council and Devon County Council.
Throughout the consultation process, there has been continual reference to enhancement. The definition of enhancement is an increase or improvement in quality, value or extent. I think we need to stop using this term for Queen Street. There has been no mention of the materials to be used during the consultation, but we have been told that the scheme will be solely in tarmac. If the expectation of the public is for a high-quality environment, with paving and seating - the low budget nature of the works reinforces our belief as a Town Council that this is anything but an enhancement scheme, but simply a traffic management engineering scheme with a few trees thrown in!
So going back to my opening question .... "By the decisions YOU make are YOU neglecting the people YOU serve?"
I ask ALL those that are in a position of decision making, can YOU do so with a clear conscience that YOU have listened to not only what is being said here today, but to the members of public that have elected you to your positions and stated they do not want this scheme.