• Maria Lawson: Launched Plymstock Speed Watch, met with local police, and planned upcoming community surgeries.

• Daniel Steel: Tackling anti-social behaviour and dangerous driving, backed new car park protections, and celebrated a win against fly tipping.

• John Stephens: Highlighted healthy living tips, NHS updates, and the importance of tackling misinformation for community wellbeing.

• Stefan Krizanac: Warned about road safety risks from unlit cyclists and e-scooters, flagged flood and drain issues, and promoted responsible parking.

The Plymstock Dunstone Councillor Team have had a busy month. We met with our new Police Inspector Emma Brimicombe, to discuss policing in the area and issues raised by residents and the EDRA committee (Elburton and District Residents Association).

We have a positive working relationship with our local policing team, and we are grateful to them for their support. We would like to personally thank Emma, PC Deana Rowe, PC Adam Bell and PCSO Darren Benfield. There will be another combined coffee with cops and councillor surgery in the library soon.

John, Stefan and I also had a meeting to plan surgeries in the forthcoming months and to discuss pressing issues in the area. We also discussed how we would be spending the rest of the community grant allocated annually to councillors.

The Plymstock Community Speed Watch Team is now up and running having completed our first official Speed Watch. We were recently on Stanborough Road. The event was successful having achieved the desired effect of cars slowing down.

There will be some drivers receiving a letter advising them of their speed, and the potential risks and consequences of their driving. Repeat offenders may receive a visit from the local police and evidence of continual excessive speeding will lead to more focused enforcement and criminal prosecutions.

Passing members of the public did ask questions about Speed Watch such as timing of the session and position on the road etc. Community Speed Watch volunteers are only able to conduct speed watch between sunrise and sunset. We operate only on sites that have been individually assessed by trained police staff to ensure it meets the safety standards for the location.

We wear high visibility jackets so that we are highly visible to passing motorists to encourage drivers to be more speed aware when driving through the designated location. We will be out and about in other locations on a regular basis.

A big thank you to the residents who were supportive of the event.

Sometimes I worry I sound like a broken record, but I’m not going to stop talking about tackling anti-social behaviour and dangerous driving until I see the improvements residents deserve.

As part of the Anti-Social Behaviour Case Review I triggered, I facilitated a community meeting in September between police, council officers, and residents. I want to thank residents for turning up and engaging so constructively. There was standing room only and it really gave the police a clear message, this issue is not going away and neither is our determination to see it tackled.

Progress has been made, but the police response still falls short of what’s needed. This is a resource issue for the local police team which they can’t solve without support from senior officers. I’ve requested a meeting with Councillor Sally Haydon, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, to explore what more can be done.

On a positive note, I welcome Sally’s recent decision to approve a Public Space Protection Order for the car parks at Jennycliff and Mount Batten. These locations have become gathering points for dangerous and nuisance drivers, and this order is a step in the right direction to reclaim those spaces for the community. I want to assure residents I will keep plugging away at this issue.

On a separate note, I’m delighted to report a win in our long-running battle against fly tipping at the Plymstock Broadway car park. I’ve been working on tackling the inconsiderate behaviour of some persistent fly tippers who were dumping rubbish around the glass bottle banks and charity bins. I visited the site recently and, for the first time in a long while, there was no fly tipping. While it’s unfortunate, I was able to have these bottle banks and charity bins removed and it has made a real difference.

This is a small but significant victory for our community. It shows that when we persist, we can make progress. I want to thank everyone who reports fly tipping and volunteers from groups like Clean Our Patch who tirelessly work to keep our area clean. It just shows that together, we’re all able to make Plymstock a better place to live.

Scan the QR code here to watch my video update on this win and see the difference for yourself. As always, I’ll keep fighting for our community and pushing for the changes we need.

I recently met with several doctors and discussed issues affecting the NHS. They recognised more people are getting timely appointments or treatment and welcomed the fact that the promise by the government to provide an additional two million appointments in their first year has turned out to be five million in reality.

It was recognised a lot more needs to be done to be a healthy nation. When I asked about their thoughts about hospital waiting lists, they explained that people’s lifestyles from an early age, can make it unavoidable they will be added to the list.

Taking in account genetic health or birth conditions, accidents, and natural aging processes, many of the people on a waiting list would not be there if they were able to adopt a lifestyle to promote good health, reported the doctors.

The key things to help avoid ending up on a hospital list were identified as:

• healthy pregnancies including no alcohol, smoking and drug,

• engagement with midwife, health visitor and children services.

• regular physical activity including include walking to school, accompanied or alone depending on age, and generally walking more instead of depending on a lift for journeys that can take up to 20 minutes (one and a half miles).

• good eating habits, with a diet including fresh fruit and vegetables and limited fast food and processed foods. One observation made was the increase in teenagers visiting local supermarkets to buy sugary cakes or fatty foods on their way to school.

• regular and taught tooth brushing, and dental care.

• taking part in clubs and activities with others to promote positive mental health. This might be guide and scout groups, sport activities, dance, music, craft clubs, library and museum visits, hobbies etc. The power of face to face interaction is far healthier than sitting in a bedroom looking at a screen.

• family engagement in community events and support session to help bring about significant health and economic benefits over time.

• avoiding vaping, smoking and drugs altogether and limiting alcohol intake.

The doctors and I recognised the many challenges that some children, young people and families face, such as family physical and mental health, cost of living, poverty, isolation factors and a lack of local NHS dentist capacity are obstacles to be tackled.

At the time of our discussion the US president made the controversial speech advising women to to avoid taking paracetamol during pregnancy as he claimed it risked causing autism to the new born. No reputable medical research has backed up this dangerous, irresponsible mistruth.

There was plenty of food for thought in this discussion and whatever our age, it is never too late to help avoid or delay being on a hospital waiting list some time.

Talking about dental care, I listened to a debate on the negative ways the public receive and believe misinformation deliberately spouted from public figures to incite intolerance and at worst hatred of others. A debate contributor described this as ‘TRUTH DECAY.’

Following recent events in our welcoming city, Plymouth City Council has updated its Fact Sheet about Immigration and Asylum Seekers. Here is the link I recommend you follow to learn and understand more. Just type into a search engine or go straight to Plymouth City Council’s website at www.plymouth.gov.uk/asylum-seekers

Just as the doctors and I resolved at the end of our discussion, both ‘TOOTH DECAY’ and ‘TRUTH DECAY’ encourages rot to set into a mouth or into our local or national society and risk long term damage.

The days are getting shorter and the nights longer and our public roads can be affected by this. Some individuals still believe the laws that govern us do not apply to them.

Particular issue are individuals on pushbikes or e-scooters when using them with no lights or any high visibility safety gear.

Only last year, my colleague Cllr. Stephens and I had a close encounter with a person blasting down the road in complete darkness with no safety gear. It was a pure miracle no one was injured. Please do not live with regrets for the rest of your life for not spending a tenner for your safety.

Several people contacted your local councillors about the impact of the August heavy downpour, when half a month’s rainfall fell in just over one hour resulting in some properties experiencing flooding.

On our walkabouts through the ward, we frequently find drains clogged with debris and report them to the council.

Cleaning them can be hindered by parked cars over the drains. If possible please avoid doing this and if you do spot a blocked drain, report it asap for it to be cleared. Details can be reported at www.plymouth.gov.uk/blocked-drains-and-sewers

In a recent news item, it was reported that 22,000 Blue Badge confiscations were carried out by local authorities in one year. Many are confiscated because of fraudulent use, but many also because they were not used in accordance with the Highway Code and law that applies to all drivers.

On the Government website it states:

Do not park where it would endanger, inconvenience or obstruct pedestrians or other road users. Examples of dangerous or obstructive parking include the following although there are others:

• School entrances, bus stops, on a bend, or near the brow of a hill or hump bridge

• Parking opposite or within 10 meters (32 feet) of junction, except in an authorise parking space

• Where it would make the road narrow, such as by traffic island or roadworks

• Where it would hold up traffic, such as in narrow stretches of road or blocking vehicle entrances

• Where emergency vehicle stop or go in and out, such as hospital entrances

• Where the kerb has been lowered or the road raised to help wheelchair users

• On a pavement, unless signs permit it

Whether you have a Blue Badge or not, let us be more considerate towards all road and pathway users and park responsibly.