Budget 2011: Devizes Guardians give Osborne two cheers

The Wiltshire town of Devizes is pleasant, the surrounding countryside beautiful and the shops, cafes and pubs welcoming. "But we are quite a long way from everywhere," says Tony Duck, who was born and bred in the town and for half a century ran a newsagent's here. "I think twice now about using the car. I used to think about saving time, now I think about saving fuel. So I'm glad the chancellor seems to be realising it's important not to keep hitting the motorist." Duck and fellow members of a small independent political party, the Devizes Guardians, are gathered in the bar of the Bear Hotel to watch the budget speech. They have views on many of the issues raised – changes to personal tax, water bills, potholes, the green investment bank – but in a market town like this, what George Osborne has to say about fuel is probably most important. Catching the bus just isn't an option, says town councillor Ted East. "Road transport is vital for this community. The motorist is hit every time and it's not just the fuel duty. There's the road tax and taxes on buying a car, and you have to find parking money," he says. Jeff Ody, a Wiltshire Council member, arrives on his bicycle and also wants to talk roads. There is no Devizes bypass – traffic has to go through the town. He would like to hear about new roads. "There's a lack of attention to road schemes," he says. "They've become unfashionable. Investment tends to focus on rail, which doesn't help us." The Guardians were founded 10 years ago in this Tory stronghold. At the local elections two years ago, they won all three Wiltshire council seats in the town – to the chagrin of the Conservatives. Their first focal point of the party a decade ago was the felling of a group of plane trees in the town centre. No wonder that The chancellor's announcements on planning and development particularly catch their attention. East is concerned about proposed changes to the planning system. "This town has suffered from extensive developments of the wrong sort," he says. New housing estates aimed at people on middle incomes have sprung up. "They haven't met the needs of poorly paid people but were designed to make profits for the developers." Nigel Carter, chairman of the Guardians and a chartered environmentalist, is pleased that people on relatively low incomes will benefit from changes to taxation. The announcement of more support for apprenticeships and new university technical colleges are also welcomed. "We welcome anything that helps local teenagers get more out of education," he says. To Tony Duck, the announcement sounds like a return to polytechnics. "That's a good thing. Fifty years ago we used to have all these things. Successive governments have ruined it. Abolishing polytechnics was a mistake. Not everyone is suited to university." Jane Burton, who served an apprenticeship before a long career in pharmacies, welcomed the idea too. "As long as they can make it financially attractive. People won't do it for nothing." But she is angry that smokers are being targeted while drinkers seem to get off. "It's always cigarettes that go up. You can go into the supermarket and get 18 cans for £6. That can't be right. Alcohol leads to obesity and anti-social behaviour. " Nigel Carter returns the subject to even more weighty matters: defence. He is disappointed that not more was said on the subject, an important one in these parts with the camps and training grounds of Salisbury Plain nearby, and RAF Lyneham, which is due to close.All in all, the Guardians seem just about satisfied with the budget. "There were some welcome elements, it's by no means a bad budget," says Carter. Coming from the fiercely independent Guardians, it sounds like an endorsement. Steven Morris