COULD I please bring to the attention of the town and borough councils a subject that has been bugging me for the past ten years living in Okehampton.
Why is it that since living here the population has doubled? Every house that has been built has been off the Exeter Road. Yet to this day nobody has given any thought to the increase in children.
All these houses have been built without one thought of a recreation or playing field on this side of town. All these new families with children with nowhere to kick a football! I watch kids kicking a football about, nearly every day of the year across the road from me. The patch they use is no bigger than my allotment. Needless to say most of the time they are playing in the road.
Okay, I know it's all about money, an acre of ground is worth a million more if you put houses on it! But, please, can't we just get a few priorities right. Hundreds of more houses mean dozens of more children.
We keep reading about all these quirky health and safety rules every day. A farmer had to close his PYO strawberry farm because it didn't have hand-rails in the field. Kids can't play conkers without wearing goggles etc etc. Yet kids are still expected to play football in the road! Until one gets knocked over that is. Who will take the blame? The councils? I doubt it!
David Luckhurst
1 Crocken Tor Road
Okehampton