Gap in the market?

[Big J]

5 hours ago, Woodworks said:

A quick google says "Devon County Council is responsible for 8,000 miles of road - the longest network in the country" 

 

how much of that is narrow lanes? Say it's half and that seems conservative so 4000miles of habitat rich hedgerow to rip out . Can you imagine how many landowners would have to cooperate to make it happen of the sh1t storm of compulsory purchasing it all to then destroy centuries old hedgerows.  Sorry J but its cloud cuckoo land.

 

I know it would be a huge legislative/legal headache and I don't for a moment think that it would happen, but it would nevertheless be a benefit to the locality.

 

4 hours ago, nepia said:

Big J, that is a horribly cold way of looking at the issue.  Doing as you suggest would make the county not Devon any more; that fact alone outweighs any CO2/economic traffic etc argument for me.  Devon's a beautiful county; you'd wreck it for better mpg?!

 

I completely agree that Devon is a beautiful county. I don't regard the bloody hedges as part of that as you can drive for miles without ever getting a glimpse of anything but hedgerows, so deeply recessed are the lanes.

 

6 hours ago, doobin said:

Mate, with the ability to magic up 'statistics' like that, you should work for the government! ?

 

Any idea how much it costs a mile to widen a road? What about the Co2 emmissions of doing so? Your proposal is pie in the sky unless you are a third world shithole, in which case the EU will pay for it all!

 

Above all else- it's not broke, so don't fix it. Move to Milton Keynes if you want massive great roads connecting everything.

 

 

It's an expensive endevour, but the economic payback over a reasonable time frame would more than compensate.

 

7 hours ago, Conor Wright said:

Devils advocate here, would the hedgerows not take in a substantial amount of that co2? halving the amount of hedgerows to improve the road network will accommodate twice the amount of traffic (albeit at slightly better fuel economy). More vehicles  will add extra co2 emissions, leaving a higher carbon footprint due to the destruction of 50% of the nearest carbon absorbers.. never mind losing much of the aesthetic value of the area, habitat and heritage.

 

 

Possibly, but there is nothing to say that you can't replant the hedges. As I mentioned before, I don't think that the hedges add to the local aesthetic. If anything they mask it.

[Big J]

48 minutes ago, Spruce Pirate said:

By now you really should have learned that everything is better up here!!!

 

Haha! That's crazy talk! ?

[Big J]

I'm a big believer that the long term viability and sustainability of an economy hinges on good infrastructure. The capability to move goods and people efficiently from points A to B and so on is of crucial importance. The terrain present challenges down here, that is true, but far worse is overcome elsewhere in the world (and done so sympathetically - look at the mountainous areas in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and so on). 

 

Devon and Cornwall are empty, but only seem as busy as they are due to the terrible road network. Investing in it would mean that people could move around so much more efficiently, hugely diminishing the liklihood of jams. 

 

As I said before, I don't for a second think it'll change, but it doesn't stop me getting frustrated with it. One of my German uncles was over for my brother's wedding near Plymouth last month and he quite bluntly just asked me why they don't widen the roads? That kind of nonsense would never wash in Germany!! ? 

[LeeGray]

Do you not fancy moving to Germany? Got to be easier than widening 4000 miles of road or whatever?

[Paul in the woods]

26 minutes ago, Big J said:

It's an expensive endevour, but the economic payback over a reasonable time frame would more than compensate.

Would it? In this day and age it would cost billions. Just 4 days resurfacing work on the narrow Devon lane I live on cost over £25k and that was for 4 days work to fix some potholes.

 

As for safety, it would more than likely increase serious accidents, just look at the A361 death rate.

 

I quite like the Devon lane I live on, even if at this time of year even a horse might struggle to get down it as the hedges grow over from either side. (Mind you some of the people I've seen on horses down here really should have "Wide Load" across their rear end).

[Big J]

19 minutes ago, LeeGray said:

Do you not fancy moving to Germany? Got to be easier than widening 4000 miles of road or whatever?

That was the original plan but it wasn't workable for us. We should have done it before having kids. Besides, I really enjoy living here, but like anywhere, there are things that get on your nerves. The driving conditions are absolutely bananas.

 

3 minutes ago, Paul in the woods said:

Would it? In this day and age it would cost billions. Just 4 days resurfacing work on the narrow Devon lane I live on cost over £25k and that was for 4 days work to fix some potholes.

 

As for safety, it would more than likely increase serious accidents, just look at the A361 death rate.

 

I quite like the Devon lane I live on, even if at this time of year even a horse might struggle to get down it as the hedges grow over from either side. (Mind you some of the people I've seen on horses down here really should have "Wide Load" across their rear end).

 

Possibly. I'm not suggesting doing all the residential lanes, but for instance the main road from Cullompton to Tiverton is in many places single track. I've personally twice seen road blocking accidents there. The signage tries to take you up the motorway and then along the A361 but that's 12 miles as opposed to 4. 

 

If they just sorted the B roads it would transform the driving experience. Make hauling timber a hell of a lot easier too!

[eggsarascal]

4 hours ago, Big J said:

That was the original plan but it wasn't workable for us. We should have done it before having kids. Besides, I really enjoy living here, but like anywhere, there are things that get on your nerves. The driving conditions are absolutely bananas.

 

 

Possibly. I'm not suggesting doing all the residential lanes, but for instance the main road from Cullompton to Tiverton is in many places single track. I've personally twice seen road blocking accidents there. The signage tries to take you up the motorway and then along the A361 but that's 12 miles as opposed to 4. 

 

If they just sorted the B roads it would transform the driving experience. Make hauling timber a hell of a lot easier too!

Motorway! Try Norfolk. The Suffolk/Essex border isn't much better. A mile of road, (motorway, 3 lanes) cost about £25/million when I was on the roads in the mid late 90's, get real.

[Big J]

4 hours ago, eggsarascal said:

Motorway! Try Norfolk. The Suffolk/Essex border isn't much better. A mile of road, (motorway, 3 lanes) cost about £25/million when I was on the roads in the mid late 90's, get real.

As I said, I'm under no illusion that the road system will ever improve here, but it doesn't mean that I can't point out that it's stupid. I've driven a fair bit in Germany, Sweden and Poland and the contrast is stark. 

[monkeybusiness]

These roads are too NARROW!!!

These roads must be STRAIGHTER!

WE MUST IMPROVE EFFICIENCY!!!

There is empty land where we can house more people!

We must build on it everywhere!

Massive areas of this county are totally empty!

This is such a beautiful part of the country...

[difflock]

There definately must be sommat in that Germanic/Teutonic/Aryan breeding  .  .  .

 

Edited August 13, 2019 by difflock