Exe Estuary Cycle/Walk Way

 The Exe Estuary Cycle/Walk Way came under discussion at the Parish Council meeting once again.  This is a major development that will affect the village for many years to come.

 A fresh application for the section from Exton to Lympstone has been submitted.  This gave the Parish Council the opportunity to repeat concerns already made that the roads between the two sections of Cycle/Walk Way are unsuitable for this kind of use.  It can be expected that the Cycle Way will be used by those going to work, young people, pleasure cyclists including cycle clubs who often cycle in large groups.  There can be no certainty as to how many people will use the route but figures between 150,000 and 400,000 journeys each year have been mentioned.

 There was strong concern that there is the possibility of accidents between these users who may not be fully aware of conditions nor respect them and local pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, including commercial vehicle traffic.  The Parish Council has asked to see the Risk Assessment and Road Safety Audit for this section of the scheme to make sure that the scheme has been fully worked out.

 There is to be a ramp from the Cycle/Walk Way to Station Hill which is to be straight rather than have bends.  The Parish Council feel that this will encourage dangerous cycling and skateboarding behavior and as the ramp will lead straight onto the steep hill which leads down to the main street of the village, gives a potential to a high risk of accidents.  The Parish Council urges a redesign of this ramp including surface treatment and barriers that might be used to deter this kind of behavior.

 There is no extra parking or other facilities at either end of either section of the Cycle/Walk Way that will serve the village.  This will put pressure on the existing limited facilities.

   Clerk to the Council: A J Le Riche, DMS,  43 Salisbury Road, Exmouth, EX8 1SL, Tel 279665/ 07866 535580 lympstonepc@leriche6.wanadoo.co.uk

From The Editor

 PARISH COUNCIL DELAYED

Please note that as the May Parish Council is delayed until the 14^th of May by the elections on the 3^rd, the next Herald will not appear on the streets until the 19^th of May.

 POLICE REPORT

 In total in January and February this year the police received 13 calls from people in Lympstone. In March they received 35. Much of this increase was due to vandalism around the Cliff Field and Boat Shelter.

These crimes do not include the smashed glass on the Parish Notice Board at the bottom of Courtlands Lane and the smashed notice board at the top of Wotton Lane.  Both of these will have to be repaired at the expense of the parish Council ie our rates!  Many thanks to those who have reported this to the Clerk.

 At the same time, the Parish Council heard that the number of Police Neighbourhood Beat managers was being reduced so that the Beat Manager for Lympstone will cover all of the rural areas of 11 Parish Councils.

 VILLAGE HALL 

A number of improvements to the Village hall are being introduced and more are planned.  For example, 96 covers plus various extras like more glasses have been bought by the Village Hall Committee which should reduce the number of glasses which have to be borrowed from and returned to Tesco every time an organisation put on an event.   Other improvements, like more controllable lighting, are still being discussed.  Further improvement like extension of storage capacity, would probably require major grants. (See revised list of charges elsewhere)

 LYMPSTONE

CYCLE PATH

 There are not just seabirds to look at when on the path – an otter was seen recently at Sowden End going on to the marshy bit at the start of the path to Exmouth from Lympstone.

Another point to ponder - Rutland water had 600,000 users of it’s cycle path last year.

Editor: Chris Carter, Hillcrest, Greenhill Ave, Tel 274104. Copy editor – D Atkins

Distribution: Jill Newton, Two Jays, Burgmann’s Hill Tel 263809

Herald archive and Lympstone web site – www.lympstone.org

Copy deadline for next issue – Wednesday May 16th – 10 am

Copy by e-mail, please, to chriscarterathome@hotmail.com or to

The Editor at Hillcrest, Greenhill Ave, Lympstone EX8 5HW