plained - An Update from Pru Maskell

As we head into the Christmas period and the end of another year, I wanted to give residents an update on what I have been doing as your County Councillor and representative at DCC. It has been a difficult year for everyone and balancing the budget for the county has been challenging. It is frustrating for residents when potholes and weeds aren’t dealt with and I am continually reporting these issues and chasing them up. Thank you to everyone who took part in the Big Winter Clean Up in October. It was a really nice community event.

The Access for All group which I am a part of, have spent the year getting government funding for a Changing Places Facility for Croyde beach, which is a hub for ability surfing and desperately needs this facility. We were really hoping to have this in place before Christmas but due to delays in planning applications, it will most likely be in the new year. I am delighted that the Knowle to Willingcott section of the Tarka Trail is well underway in different stages and as funding becomes available this will hopefully be completed in the near future.

In July I used some of my locality budget to fund an event for local pubs to attend a Stamp Out Spiking training day. The Exeter based charity do excellent work and offer accreditation to all establishments who attend their training. It teaches staff how to spot the signs of drink spiking and how to deal with it, making our area a safer place to enjoy a night out. Thanks to all of our local pubs for supporting the event.

We have had a really difficult year with our village pharmacy, thank you to everyone who completed the feedback on DCC’s Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment (the most they’ve ever received). The findings of the report were disappointing, based on the idea that everyone in the county is a maximum of 20 minutes drive from a pharmacy does not take super rural vulnerability into account and poor bus services in rural North Devon. I voiced these concerns to the Health & Wellbeing Board and asked for assurances that the new Integrated Care Board will be committed to a future strategy for staffing gaps and managing this vulnerability. The Adult Health Scrutiny Committee, which I sit on, has now embarked on a review of pharmacy services across Devon as a result. I have also been in regular contact with the regional manager of Lloyd’s and am pleased to report that they have made significant progress in improving their service in Braunton. Thanks to all of their staff who have had a tough year.

I have been looking at road schemes for the area and have asked for designs for crossings at Wrafton (William’s Arms) and Ashford (garden centre). Whilst funding isn’t currently available, it is good to have designs ready for when money does become available. We have also been working with Braunton Academy and Southmead School to look at road safety between the schools and hope to have a solution next year. The dangerous junction as Heddon Mills outside of Knowle is now going to have a reduced speed limit with camera enforcement in the new year, following the sad fatality last year.

My locality budget has all been allocated for this year, but please do get in touch for next year if you have a project you would like some help with. Pru.Maskell@devon.gov.uk.

Wishing everyone a peaceful Christmas and a happy new year.