Gap in the market?

[aspenarb]

Just to recap J, you are looking for a 300hp 4x4 that`s two feet wide that can hit 100mph around country lanes on 25% inclines while legally towing a fully laden 3.5 ton  trailer, accommodate a Yeti in comfort and have radar so it can detect oncoming vehicles around these lanes and still achieve 30mpg. You are right, there is a gap in the market for a vehicle like that

 

Bob

[Big J]

18 minutes ago, aspenarb said:

Just to recap J, you are looking for a 300hp 4x4 that`s two feet wide that can hit 100mph around country lanes on 25% inclines while legally towing a fully laden 3.5 ton  trailer, accommodate a Yeti in comfort and have radar so it can detect oncoming vehicles around these lanes and still achieve 30mpg. You are right, there is a gap in the market for a vehicle like that

 

Bob

Is that too much to ask?! ?

[kevinjohnsonmbe]

1 hour ago, Big J said:

the relative ecological deserts that are modern farms. I've stated before that in the thread about planning that they are almost all unprofitable without subsidy, so in a situation where they are neither ecologically sound or economically sustainable, why is it that we are so protective of farmland? We wouldn't be reduced to relying on hedges for biodiversity if there was a larger forestry industry. 

Now here we find ourselves on common ground big fella ?

[LeeGray]

1 hour ago, aspenarb said:

Just to recap J, you are looking for a 300hp 4x4 that`s two feet wide that can hit 100mph around country lanes on 25% inclines while legally towing a fully laden 3.5 ton  trailer, accommodate a Yeti in comfort and have radar so it can detect oncoming vehicles around these lanes and still achieve 30mpg. You are right, there is a gap in the market for a vehicle like that

 

Bob

It should really be all electric and a fast charging point every 5 miles. Combustion engines are old hat now man Bob!

[Big J]

12 minutes ago, LeeGray said:

It should really be all electric and a fast charging point every 5 miles. Combustion engines are old hat now man Bob!

I can't wait for electric work vehicles. Just think of the torque! 

[Matthew Storrs]

1 hour ago, Big J said:

 

a) Productivity is a driver of employment and in order to improve living standards (which are depressed in some parts of the West Country), there needs to be better employment opportunities. Reducing inefficiency improves sustainability.

 

b) I disagree. Population pressure is not the issue in the West Country. 19 century roads are. Almost all modern lorries (which have been the same width for decades) and tractors scarcely fit and the companies that run them are the prime drivers of the economy in the area.

 

 

I accept that there is a cost, but as I said, just taking one hedge out rather than two would go some say to mitigate this. You highlighted the relative ecological deserts that are modern farms. I've stated before that in the thread about planning that they are almost all unprofitable without subsidy, so in a situation where they are neither ecologically sound or economically sustainable, why is it that we are so protective of farmland? We wouldn't be reduced to relying on hedges for biodiversity if there was a larger forestry industry. 

I wouldn’t say I’m protective of farmland as such (unless it’s going to be developed for housing) if someone wants to plant a load of trees on it then crack on, or a lake or any other change of use within reason. I agree that there is something wrong that farmers are reliant on grants too, but that’s another thread.ripping out hedgebanks and widening roads would change the entire landscape- it would have a knock on effect too as everything else would require upgrading to keep up with it, Incidentally you mention that Scotland’s roads are far better but would you really say their economy is booming as a direct result? Not that it really concerns me, but how would better road infrastructure improve Devon and Cornwall’s economy? What brings the most money into D&C is tourism and people want to come to an area that hasn’t been ruined by sprawling urbanisation (which bigger roads would undoubtedly lead to?)

 

[Big J]

1 minute ago, Matthew Storrs said:

I wouldn’t say I’m protective of farmland as such (unless it’s going to be developed for housing) if someone wants to plant a load of trees on it then crack on, or a lake or any other change of use within reason. I agree that there is something wrong that farmers are reliant on grants too, but that’s another thread.ripping out hedgebanks and widening roads would change the entire landscape- it would have a knock on effect too as everything else would require upgrading to keep up with it, Incidentally you mention that Scotland’s roads are far better but would you really say their economy is booming as a direct result? Not that it really concerns me, but how would better road infrastructure improve Devon and Cornwall’s economy? What brings the most money into D&C is tourism and people want to come to an area that hasn’t been ruined by sprawling urbanisation (which bigger roads would undoubtedly lead to?)

 

I don't see the correlation between improved infrastructure and negative impacts in terms of urbanisation, population increase and development. I refer back to my earlier comments regarding continental Europe and Scandinavia where they seem to manage to balance this. If you want to point fingers, square them up on the planners, who seem to think that allowing Class Q conversions of barns for rich yuppies who can afford to pay £250k for a ramshackle barn to convert into a swanky pad in the country, whilst making it genuinely hard for working people in rural industry to build their own places........as you say, that's another thread! 

 

Scotland's economy is hamstrung by other issues, including geographical distance and remoteness, social issues and land inequality (500 people own more than half of Scotland). 

 

Tourism would benefit hugely from improved transport connections. Devon and Cornwall could seamlessly absorb many more people with better infrastructure and the net effect would be that they were less noticed, as traffic jams would be fewer.

[Matthew Storrs]

Interesting point regarding Scandinavia; My wife is Swedish, her father lives in an area 4hrs from Stockholm- not much going on in fairness- it’s beautiful landscape for sure and perfect roads, so good balance? Well you’d think so, but the local economy is diabolical, no jobs, the local town is sad and  depressing and full of alcoholics and really the only people who can afford the nice little country houses are rich retired Germans and Norwegians- it’s not a healthy thriving economy at all. You could also argue that much of Sweden I have seen despite having a stunning natural landscape, you can drive for hours and really only see one type o scenery, it’s largely devoid of any of the sort of charm, variety and rural history that makes up Devon and Cornwall and in any case they never had the hedgebanks to rip out so comparison is pointless. 

 

Living down here often is a lifestyle choice/way of life , you either accept and embrace it, some people don’t get on with it at all and rightly so move to another area which better serves their needs. 

[AHPP]

We’re thinking about this the wrong way round. Ban cars completely. Let them get as far as a massive park and ride bicycle hire operation on the west side of Taunton. The day trippers would rarely make it past Tiverton. Agricultural and forestry vehicles could pinball down the lanes with their eyes shut without fear of meeting anyone.

[Big J]

9 hours ago, Matthew Storrs said:

Interesting point regarding Scandinavia; My wife is Swedish, her father lives in an area 4hrs from Stockholm- not much going on in fairness- it’s beautiful landscape for sure and perfect roads, so good balance? Well you’d think so, but the local economy is diabolical, no jobs, the local town is sad and  depressing and full of alcoholics and really the only people who can afford the nice little country houses are rich retired Germans and Norwegians- it’s not a healthy thriving economy at all. You could also argue that much of Sweden I have seen despite having a stunning natural landscape, you can drive for hours and really only see one type o scenery, it’s largely devoid of any of the sort of charm, variety and rural history that makes up Devon and Cornwall and in any case they never had the hedgebanks to rip out so comparison is pointless. 

 

Living down here often is a lifestyle choice/way of life , you either accept and embrace it, some people don’t get on with it at all and rightly so move to another area which better serves their needs. 

That hasn't been my experience of Sweden (not to cast aspertions as regards yours). My brother in law lives in Lidköping, about 2 hours north of Gothenburg and it's very nice around there. Lovely countryside, nice houses, friendly people who seems to be happy. 

 

I'm happy to be down here in Devon, but just because I'm fairly content and an incomer shouldn't mean that I am prohibited from pointing out what is an obvious flaw in the transport network. I don't buy the charm argument. There is nothing charming about driving down a narrow lane with 10ft high green walls on both sides, never with more than a 50-100m line of sight, constantly having to hover over the brake pedal ready to do an emergency stop. Or having the passenger side of your car scratched to hell as you have to bury the vehicle in the hedge to allow another car to pass. It is logically flawed and no argument about charm, character, history or heritage can override that.