Welcome to another Hughes Report on Nub News and to start with I can confirm that an informal consultation is being held by Devon County Council on a permit scheme to manage work on the county's road network.

The Department for Transport (DfT) requires all local authorities to have a scheme in operation by April 2020.

Devon County Council is therefore planning a formal public consultation starting in September, but it's currently carrying out preliminary work to develop how the scheme will operate.

A number of information roadshows are being held in May and June. Although these events are only for companies working on the highway, the county council is inviting views from everyone.

A permit scheme would enable the county council to improve the management of work on the public highway and support our co-ordination of roadworks. This in turn would help minimise delays and disruption in order to reduce congestion, which would also lessen the impact on local communities.

Under the scheme, anyone wanting to carry out work on the public highway would have to apply for a permit, and the County Council would either approve or reject the application, or propose conditions on the work.

The aim is to introduce the permit scheme in January 2020 – initially for utility providers, and then for people carrying out other licenced work, such as the use of skips and scaffolds.

It was indeed a pleasant sight to see the reincarnation and relocation of one of Sidbury's former telephone kiosks along side the wall near the entrance to the church.

The kiosk will soon be officially opened as a book lending library which was the idea of the larger than life Sidbury resident Andy Webb who made a request to the town council asking if they would adopt the kiosk.

Which they agreed to do and it was then down to former Sidbury Council member John Hollick and myself to first of all find suitable sites for the relocation of the kiosk and to then carry out a local consultation with groups such as the WI and former district councillor David Barratt as a school governor sought the school's views.

Outside the church was the clear winner and I arranged the agreement from county for this to happen.

Andy Webb carried out the necessary renovation work and several local residents set about the relocation and task of levelling along with new concrete floor.

There's been no shortage of donations of books and it's going to be an asset to the village. So well done everyone and looking forward to the official opening.

Telephone kiosks are taking on various different guises around the country with a snug bar aptly named the Dog and Bone in Shepreth, an advent calendar box in Upper Hopton Yorkshire, a log store in Argylle and Bute, a cafe in Hampstead, North London, defibrillator in Thornford, Dorset, and even a disco kiosk in Kingsbridge complete with glitter ball.

Written by Stuart Hughes - Devon County Council member for Sidmouth

For more information on the permit scheme click the red button below.