Government should be held to account over Totnes traffic chaos

I fully support all the concerns and fury that has been raised about the traffic chaos in the last few weeks that created havoc over the Easter bank holiday weekend. It was all so very badly managed.  There really is no excuse for this kind of disruption and lack of coordination.  I feel very sorry for those who have been badly affected by these works.

While it is appreciated that many people including myself, have contacted both Devon County Council and South Hams District Council about the problems with these installations, it is not really within their powers to have much influence.  This kind of infrastructure is approved by Government; our local Conservative MP, Anthony Mangnall should be asked to help sort out the problems and the government held to account over the chaos. 

DCC has little involvement over these broadband cable installations, just indicative timing of the works. Thanks to the national Infrastructure regulations, private companies are now appointed by government to install the fibre broadband with little or no need for planning permission or cooperation with local authorities and as such they can dig up the road pretty well when and how they consider they need to. 

This is the ‘free for all’ created by the privatisation of the system; it supports private companies but fails to take into account, the impact on local people who pay the price both with massive inconsiderate inconvenience, while all the time the public purse pays the costs...pretty much like the South Devon Freeport being given the go ahead at SHDC with the support of local Conservative and Lib Dem Councillors, another centrally led major development, invested in by South Hams District Council, that could also wreak the same kind of chaos and local people would also be paying for. Residents and businesses need to be involved and properly consulted about these works so that they cause far less disruption. It’s not rocket science. The Green Party has consistently voted against any regulations that undermine public services and remove public input and consultation. Government don’t always know best, often the people do.

Cllr Jacqi Hodgson,  

Devon County Councillor for Totnes & Dartington