Edward Morello and Richard Foord MP meet residents in Uplyme
On Saturday 15th April, Richard Foord, Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton and Honiton, and recently re-selected Parliamentary candidate for West Dorset Edward Morello met with residents of Uplyme, Lyme Regis, and the surrounding areas in Uplyme Village Hall to discuss a range of local issues.
Residents expressed concerns about the appalling levels of sewage being discharged into the River Lym, the lack of affordable housing, jobs, parking in Lyme Regis, and the sad state of the local bus services.
Richard Foord MP stressed that nearly all the issues raised are cross-County border issues, saying “it is incredibly important that East Devon and West Dorset work together” and that “this May’s local elections in Devon and next years in Dorset are an opportunity to elect Liberal Democrat councillors who will work together to address these problems.”
Addressing the sewage issue directly, the MP for Tiverton and Honiton said “I recently took part in a debate at Westminster about the performance of South West Water and pointed out to the Chief Executive and others who were present for the debate that they need to clean up their act. Last year, the equivalent of 65 days’ worth of non-stop untreated sewage had been released into Lyme Bay, which is wholly unacceptable”.
Edward Morello, Parliamentary candidate for West Dorset, pointed out that many of the problems only existed because the Conservative government refused to address them, saying “West Dorset’s own MP voted against an amendment that would have hastened the end of the dumping of sewage in our rivers and on our beaches”.
In the room there was widespread support for policies to address the pollution of the Lym, including fining the bosses of the water companies responsible.
Many residents bemoaned the lack of parking in Lyme Regis, which coupled with the cuts to local bus services, meant many were put off going into the centre of town. One audience member suggested the introduction of a permanent year-round park-and-ride scheme which both Richard Foord and Edward Morello agreed warranted investigation.
Edward Morello said “it is difficult to balance the desire for a sustainable local economy with the environmental imperative to reduce car use. However we must recognise that Lyme Regis is a major tourist destination for visitors to West Dorset and East Devon, and that trade is vital to the town. Better bus links to the local area and even possibly a park-and-ride would help us address some of those concerns.”
Richard Foord added “as a keen bus user myself I know that nothing is more likely to force you back into your car than buses that don’t turn up or don’t go to where you need them to. I raised this exact problem with the Managing Director of Stagecoach South West when I met with him the other week”.