Community News

Link Road work ‘downgraded’ due to rising costs and inflation

Parts of the £67 million A361 improvement scheme are set to be axed due to rising costs, say Devon County Council.

Inflation is being blamed for the increase in price of construction materials. Plans for an underpass at the Bishops Tawton roundabout have been scrapped, as well as a new section of overtaking lane and a footbridge between the Landkey and Portmore roundabouts.

A council spokesman said, “£67 million no longer buys as much in 2022 as it did in when the scheme was costed in 2019. Extra funding isn’t available from the Department

New junctions at West Buckland (pictured) and Borners Bridge will still be built of Transport, so we have to find savings within the existing project budget.”

All the planned improvements between South Molton and West Buckland will still go ahead, including the Borners Bridge junction.

“We’ve considered all options, not just by cost, but also considering road safety,” said Councillor Andrea Davis, cabinet member with responsibility for infrastructure. “It’s the reality of what’s happening in construction and other business sectors everywhere.”

“Removing the overtaking lane and the footbridge, and redesigning the junction at Bishops Tawton, will allow us to divert funding to the main work to meet the additional costs of construction.”

The council says the main project is still on track to be completed by the end of 2023, but the Bishops Tawton junction might be delayed until mid-2024.

Exmoor National Park Authority says visitor centres might have to close and some staff could face losing their jobs, as they try to find ways of coping with the current economic downturn.

The National Park says it receives £1 million less grant funding than it did in 2010, and will have to make a further £500,000 worth of cuts by 2025, to deal with the spending gap.

Sarah Bryan, Exmoor National Park’s chief executive says, “We risk having to close up to two of our three visitor centres, make redundancies right through the organisation, and no longer being able to manage 620 miles of paths.”

Land could also be sold off and charges increase. “This would be a huge disadvantage to people on low incomes who have found landscapes like this invaluable, particularly in the last few years during Covid,” continued Sarah.

Photos by Karolina Andreasova

Moving ceremonies were held across North Devon to remember all those fallen in combat. On Remembrance Sunday, November 13th, hundreds of people attended a special service in South Molton Pannier Market (above). Wreaths were laid in tribute to those who lost their lives. Similar events were held in other local communities. At West Buckland School on Armistice Day, November 11th, students were joined by young people displaced by the invasion of Ukraine, who spoke about how the current war in their country has affected their families.

A Christmas-themed fancy dress fun run is returning to North Devon in a brand-new location this December.

Santas on the Run (right), a highlight for many in the build up to Christmas, takes place at RMB Chivenor on December 11th.

The annual event raises thousands of pounds for Children’s Hospice South West, and organisers say this year’s event will be the perfect way to get people in the mood for Christmas. Information online: chsw.org. uk/event/santas-run-north-devon-2022

Meanwhile, Santas will be touring Devon on motorcycles on December 10th - stopping off in South Molton town centre at around 10.40am for about 30 minutes - also raising funds for Children’s Hospice South West.

Photo by Tim Lamerton

Cleared to fly

North Molton based North Devon Hawks are back in business, as falconry has been been cleared for flying under the new bird flu restrictions. It is now a legal requirement under the UK-wide Avian Flu Prevention Zone for all birds to be kept housed.

Shop and Post Office to close

E. Bulled & Sons, the much-loved shop and Post Office in North Molton, is closing on December 23rd as the owners Colin and Sue Wallis retire. It’s been for sale since late 2020 but a buyer hasn’t yet been found. It’s hoped a new Post Office service will start up soon.