Living at Hillcrest on the Islip Road, we are experiencing what seems to be a significant increase in the volume of heavy goods vehicles coming through the village. I have been in contact with the highways agency with concerns about the fact that articulated lorries can use a village road which has speed humps on it and the danger of the bend at the end of the village by Manor Farm House. My concerns have apparently been noted with the reply that there is limited budget to erect the appropriate signs to discourage these vehicles. Our village is the victim, as is Kirtlington and Middleton Stoney, of satellite navigation on mainly foreign lorries making a cut through from the M40 & A34. Apart from the obvious safety issues in terms of pedestrians and the risk of collision we are experiencing bad vibrations to the road and surrounding verges which, in time, will undoubtedly cause ever lasting damage and erode the verges and walls in our community. One suggestion when I voiced the dangers with the Agency was that they could put traffic lights at the said danger bend! Maybe I missed something somewhere but how on earth does that restrict damage and increase safety. The other issue burning into me is that the road along this stretch through the village has been repaired twice in a twelve month period - surely at more of a cost than two road signs at either end of the initiating roads. I am aware of complaints to the same agency fom other village residents but feel it is time to really dig into these guys and get some results. We need to pull together as a community and stop the unnessary erosion of not only our verges and safety but or village peace and quiet. Anyone wishing to offer ideas and support is welcome to join me in instigating a formal campaign to stop our village being destroyed.

 Rob Johnson.

 

A maverick mayor elected after promising to slash council spending, clear the streets of yobs, and ditch politically correct services is the torchbearer for how towns should be run.

On his first morning as mayor of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, Peter Davies cut his salary from £73,000 to £30,000, then closed the council’s newspaper for “peddling politics on the rates.”

Now three weeks into his job, Mr. Davies is pressing ahead with plans he hopes will see the number of town councillors cut from 63 to just 21, saving taxpayers £800,000.

Mr. Davies said, “If 100 senators can run the United States of America, I can’t see how 63 councillors are needed to run Doncaster.”