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Comment by arpinum | Hacker News Reader

We do need to build and maintain the existing reservoirs that provide water for much of Devon, otherwise we will be shipping it in from Norway. Communities that live in Dartmoor may want to upgrade to more comfortable houses and experience less poverty. A community like Postbridge or Princetown would be severely isolated by 20mph speed limits.

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Princetown to the city centre of Plymouth is 15 miles. If the entire way was 20mph then it would be 45 minutes rather than the 30 minutes if it was 30mph. But that's under ideal conditions where you're driving at a constant speed from point to point. In the real world I bet much of that difference would be eaten away by junctions and other traffic etc. as you hit the outskirts of Plymouth. The hyperbole of "severely isolated" really does your argument no favours.

"severely isolated by 20mph speed limits"

Really?

If you work in Exeter you've probably already got an hour's commute each way. It's not unreasonable to consider making that two hours a hardship for many people, whether or not you consider that a worthwhile trade-off.

Surely their hardship stems from their decision to live so far from where they work? I don't think we should hasten the extinction of species just to fit in with making someone's poor decision less onerous.

Sure, and as I understand it anyone living in these places is probably doing reasonably well as the leaseholds are too short to get a mortgage. But as a country we're not doing particularly well building quality housing in cities either, so you can see why it's an emotive subject for some people.

Yes, we do have a big problem with housing (I'm in Bristol which seems to be the most expensive city for housing/rent outside of London). It just strikes me as entitled behaviour for someone to choose a remote place to live and then to complain about it being remote. There's a host of issues with trying to allow people to spend so much time driving at speed (or not as the case may be) just so that they can enjoy living in a remote area - traffic congestion, pollution from fuel, tyres and brakes, danger to pedestrians and animals.

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