General Discussion
Lib Dem voters in Dawlish really ned to reflect on who they elect as Councillors.
Dawlish NE Councillor and Cockwood resident Martin Wrigley, who since May 2023 has been Leader of Teignbridge District Council continues his anti-democratic campaign of misinformation forcing changes on Newton Abbot's Queen St, that the vast majority of residents and traders do not want.
On Tues 27th February at Forde House Teigbridge HQ, despite protests from local people and traders, despite the likes of Austins dept. store and the Federation of Small Bussiness voicing their grave concerns about how it will impact not just Queen St, but Newton Abbot as a whole Wrigley's Lib Dem led District Council and their Conservative allies voted to continue with this disastrous plan voting 19 for and 9 against (with many abstentions). The 9 votes against were from the South Devon Alliance.
These 19 votes do not represent a majority - There are 46 District Councillors in total. Those abstaining are equally part of the problem.
A day later on 28th February Newton Abbot Town Council met for an Extraordinary General Meeting in response to the Queen St problem which is being forced upon the Town by Wrigley's Lib Dem run Teignbridge District Council and the Conservative controlled Devon County Council.
South Devon Alliance Cllrs Hall and Ryan called the meeting and with a of 9 for and 4 against (again with numerous abstentions) voted for the Queen St plan to be abandoned, calling on Teignbridge District Council and Devon County Council to do just this.
Unfortunately it looks like Wrigley and his Lib Dem arty and the Conservatives within Teignbridge and Dvon County Council will not be backing down. This is in spite of local people, traders, trade and commerce bodies and now Nwewton Abbot's own Town Council opposing the plan. The £1.45 milion could be better spent elsewhere.
On Tues 5th March it was reported that Devon County Council had abandoned it's parking meter plans for 8 Devon Towns - but why not Newton Abbot?
Below is an account from Rosemary Whitbread, part of the business community from Queen St, Newton Abbot and campaigner from the Save Queen St Campaign (https://www.facebook.com/groups/savequeenstreet)
On 4th May 2023, Councillor Martin Wrigley, now leader of the Teignbridge District Council, said in his victory speech at gaining the majority in that election
"There are great things to come,we're going to do some fantastic things for the residents of Teignbridge over the coming years".
So destroying Newton Abbot by: - forcing this pedestrianisation on Queen Street , against the wishes of the residents and traders of the town, The Town Council,the Federation of Small Businesses, and many people from other towns who shop here -destroying the businesses in Queen Street and elsewhere as nobody wants to come in to our town when it will be full of empty shops with no central parking area -creating a wasteland of the Market area, now full of empty shops - causing chaos with the traffic flow by making it all go down Albany Street (one of the narrowest junctions and roads in the town with very narrow pavements where people coming from Cricketfield car park will have to struggle to walk let alone use a buggy or wheelchair -mess up a traffic flow with Devon Square and Kings Street that works -destroy the Alex Theatre instead of protecting the heritage of our town Is what you were talking about ????
Read further down (see the Mid Devon Advertiser report above from March 5th above) about how many other towns have had these attempts to meddle when things are working, reversed by the DCC. Why is it that Teignbridge District Councillors who are Liberal Democrats are steadfastly refusing to listen to people of the town? Because they don't want to own up that this scheme will be bad for the town. They hide behind "we would like to have consulted more but we have to spend the money or lose it" (quoting Wrigley on BBC Spotlight) .Well it is your mismanagement that will lose this money: -Your incompetent so called "consultations" -Your lies about smelling the fumes -Your obsession with "pop and shop is dead" when obviously towns like Tavistock and other towns prove that it isn't -Your hatred of cars and statements about 'getting on your bikes" -Your lack of knowledge of this town (how often have your councillors actually come here and talked with people in the street and shop keepers) -Your inability to listen to people who know Frankly we would rather loose the bloody money than have these changes forced on our town as we know the bleak future if you go ahead with them- -fewer people wanting to shop here at all -no accessible parking for the people who do-and are then put off coming again -no traders who want to take those empty shops as they can see how this town won't be a 'go to for an experience'place -no lively restaurants in the centre of town In fact nothing here to attract people at all.
So thank you for your kind words "we are going to do some fantastic things". We will remember all this when the next election comes-and remember your words Mr Wriggly.
Rosemary Whitbread, like many Newton abbot residents and traders is justifiably angry.
Cllr Martin Wrigley's desire to become our next MP seems both stupidly audacious and deluded, not to mention insulting. People in Newton Abbot refer to him as the 'bloke in the yellow scarf', as 'Wriggly' in reference to his attempts to wriggle out of the mess he has created and this mud will and is sticking.
It would be unfair to pin this all on one deluded man lacking any leadership ability and integrity. Unfortunately 'like attracts like'.
Wrigley relies on the votes of the other 24 Lib Dem District Cllrs and sometimes the Tories too.
Out of their majority of 25 Lib Dems only 3 of them represent wards in Newton Abbot itself. Whereas the South Devon Alliance )who support and continue to raise the Queen Street Residents and Traders Associations concerns before Wrigley and his District Council) have 6 Newton Abbot District Cllrs and another 4 from surrounding Towns and Villages (Kingsteignton, Bshopsteignton and Kingskerwell)
The Tories who back Wrigley and co's Queen St plans have only 1 Newton Abbot Cllr.
The other Lib Dem and Conservative Cllrs making decisions negatively impacting Newton Abbot are, like Wrigley from Cockwood on the Exe Estuary are from elsewhere in Teignbridge; Ashburton, Bovey, the Teign Valley, Ide, Kenton and Dawlish...
Wrigley's act of civil violence toward Newton Abbot is only possible because of Dawlish Councillors like Goodman-Bradbury, A. James Foden and Dawson voting in support of their Leader Wrigley and his Executive. Goodman-Bradbury is part of that Executive and Foden is the local party Secretary. Abstaining from the vote is just as bad, given the Lib Dem majority and Tories voting with them. It's not possible to sit on the fence.
They are all part of the problem. As are those in Dawlish who vote for them.
The people of Newton Abbot cannot vote to remove Wrigley or Goodman-Bradbury from Teignbridge District Council - only the residents of Dawlish, Holcombe and Cockwood, etc can do that.
Cllr Dawson a former Mental Health Nurse and now a Wellness Industry Entrepreneur seemingly shows little regard for the mental health impact upon Newton Abbot traders losing their livelihoods, given her voting record in Teignbridge District Council.
If these Councillors had a moral compass and applied the Nolan Principles which they're supposedly meant to uphold they would vote against Wrigley's Queen St plan. They have a duty to everyone living in the District - not just the few hundred or so who vote for them in one half of Dawlish during dreadfully low turn-out elections once oevery 4 years.
If more people in Dawlish knew about the Lib Dems awful record in Teignbridge they'd see through the spin and PR Wrigley, Dawson Foden, etc flaunt in Dawlish. They'd see through the act. It's in Wrigley and the Lib Dems interests that people remain oblivious to what goes on in Forde House (TDC).
They just hope Dawlish people won't take an interest in matters beyond Secmaton and Holcombe.
Divide and rule, maintain political apathy, etc, pitch towns against each other, reducing it to NIMBYism, juts to ensure they get re-elected - on the back of people's individual fears and anxieties instead of a ollective positive vision for the future.
If you don't know who these Cllrs are please familiarize yourself;
Cllr Foden https://democracy.teignbridge.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=395
Cllr Dawson https://democracy.teignbridge.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=1186
Cllr Goodman-Bradbury https://democracy.teignbridge.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=390
Cllr M. James https://democracy.teignbridge.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=1187
Cllr Wrigley https://democracy.teignbridge.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=274
Cllr Wrigley is Leader of Teignbridge District Council, Leader of Teignbridge Lib Dems and Dawlish Town, Teignbridge District and Devon County Councillor (Whether holding these 3 posts simulataneously is democratic, ethical or logistically feasible is a conversation for another day).
Wrigley is also the Liberal Democrat Party Parliamentary candidate for our Constituency - He hopes to become our next MP and he is gearing up for the General Election this year. Be very concerned.
Queen St shows his judgement to be flawed and his unsuitability as our MP laid bare for all to see, This will cost him 1000’s of votes and he is too blind and ego-dominated to see it. He isn't fit to serve at any level of governement.
How would residents of Dawlish like it if Cllrs from the other side of the District made decisions that would negatively impact upon their town, their business, livelihoods, families, etc? If these Cllrs ignored Dawlish residents and traders and the Town Council? (were it not controlled by Wrigley and the Lib Dems i.e. were it run by decent human beings).
Why do some people in Dawlish vote for Wrigley, Goodman, Bradbury, Dawson, etc?
Newton Abbot, Dawlish and Teignbridge surely deserve better?
Or do we get the form if local government we deserve?
Stop wasting your votes on these charlatans and Cockwood's version of Trump.
Wake Up.
