I AM writing to express deep concern about the news that Devon County Council are planning to increase council tax by up to 10%, in order to continue to provide the present level of services.
Having worked all my life I took early retirement and moved to Devon. My company pension provider has recently informed me that I will have a 1.5% pension increase in line with inflation. I do not yet qualify for a state pension or winter fuel allowances and, although I require daily medication, I pay full price for prescriptions, spectacles and dentistry. I also have to pay full fare on the county buses. I do not receive any state benefits of any kind.
With reference to the services provided by Devon County Council, I wish to make the following comments. The A3079 in this area is a disgrace, with a gang of road-workers employed on a near-continuous basis to patch it up, planned traffic calming measures and speed monitoring devices have not materialised; road sweeping is an annual event, hedge and tree trimming are only done when it becomes dangerous to both pedestrians and vehicles, the grass verges by the paths reach knee-height before being cut, the village has only one litter bin and no dog-litter bins.
The promised community constable has not been seen in the village, reported criminal acts go uninvestigated, emergency services take an unacceptably long time to reach this community — for example, up to four hours for police assistance, which came from Barnstaple, following a report of a house burglary, and a heart-condition person was eventually taken to hospital by a fire-engine after waiting for over four hours for an ambulance.
Devon County Council want to increase the council tax by 10% in order to 'maintain' this shoddy service. In view of the above facts, I feel that there should be no increases — indeed a 10% cut in our very high council tax would seem in order to maintain this inferior service.
Geoff Buxton
4 Luxton Close
Halwill Junction