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OUR ENVIRONMENT
Environment services
The greatest level of satisfaction was with refuse collection, with 98% (417) of those who gave their opinion seeing it as reasonable/good. Mains electricity came a close second with 97% (411). The lowest level of satisfaction was with mains gas, possibly because most of the parish does not have mains gas. Other services seen as poor, with low levels of satisfaction, are public toilets 26% (88), surface water drainage 36% (151) and community police 43% (175).
‘Water tables haven’t been cleared and way soil taken away since the parish lengthsman retired in 1955’
Recommendation: This information to be passed to the Parish Council.
Environmental Volunteer
There are a healthy number of people who wish to take action to care for the environment. 104 people responded that they would volunteer to do environmental work at least once a year. Of these, 15 would volunteer to do environmental work monthly and an additional 37 at least quarterly.
Recommendation: Set up an Environmental Group at the Public Meeting.
Environmental Protection
An overwhelming number of people (94%) definitely want to protect the environment in some way. Hedgerows were the highest importance for protection (94% of responses), followed by trees (88%), natural stone walling (87%), churches (78%) and ancient copses (76%). 59 people had other suggestions for protection. 78% (334 people) want overhead electricity cables put underground, ‘as economically as possible’.
Other items noted for protection include: natural quiet and beauty of burrator,
Meavy village, Bridlepaths, watercourses, Moorland and communal land.
Of those people who had an opinion to express, 101 (25%) find routes easy to follow and 190 (47%) consider routes are clearly signposted. However a significant proportion of people clearly believe there are specific problems that require investigating.
28% (113) 28% (113) 19% (77) 14% (56) 10% (39) 8% (31) 7% (29)
Here again we have a good number of people offering to give their time. 61 people would be willing to help maintain or manage the public rights of way network in the parish.
‘Dousland is fast losing its rural charm by the constant ripping up of trees and hedges’
‘Loose bulls and bullocks are a problem’
‘Very poor general maintenance’
Recommendation: Set up an Environmental Group at the Public Meeting to make environment volunteering a reality.
Footpath information
68% (283) people want footpath maps to be displayed or made available for viewing. But there was little agreement as to where or how; there being many different suggestions.
Countryside improvements
The greatest importance to people for improvement of the countryside is to remove litter with 93% viewing it to be important or worth doing. Of the next highest importance are:
As to how to manage verges, opinion was split evenly between keeping verges tidy and letting verges grow.
The option to close footpaths is held to be not necessary by 74%. Likewise removing signs was rejected as not necessary by 77% of responses.
Maps to be placed at:
Parish Council notice boards, post office, village hall, Royal Oak Inn, churches, bus stops, cross roads, Yelverton shops, burrator Dam, local library, at start and end of footpaths, village centres, at stiles and gates, information centres, car parks, burrator Lodge.Recommendation: This information to be passed to the Parish Council Footpaths Committee.
Countryside and Environment
The questions relating to countryside and environment prompted many additional comments. The most common theme was to leave the environs of burrator as they are and to protect our parish from future development. But not all comments were against change.
‘Keep countryside unspoilt’
‘I think it most important to protect the increasingly threatened and unique wildness of Dartmoor’
‘to keep this area’s beauty and appeal…we need to steer away from development and expansion’
‘The Parish council must use its influence and common sense to make the generally older residents understand that the increasing use of burrator Reservoir environs by the public and organised leisure activities make it essential the area is actively managed.’
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Page Created: January 2000
This Information was provided by Corporate Information Services
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