Park Road

I was very angry to discover that the Council are proceeding to try and get an enforcement notice against the owner of the local shop in Park Road, trying to get him to remove his ramp. It is a slap in the face for a local businessman and the community.

This was the subject of a planning application back in January. I spoke in favour of the shop's planning application but the Planning panel rejected it. I should say some of the panel. Cllr Alec Samuels quite properly supported the application.

The ramp provides access to the shop for parents with pushchairs. It is impossible to reduce the gradient of the ramp as there is insufficient space at the front of the shop. Reducing the gradient would take the ramp into the road. Removing the ramp will worsen access to the shop. The ramp is used and appreciated by the local community who signed a petition in support of the planning application back in January.

I have formally objected to the enforcement notice as has Brian Parnell.

I hope the planning panel have the sense to throw this out.

The matter will be considered at the Civic Centre on Tuesday 4th October.

Conservatives push up City Recycling

At yesterday's Environment and Transport Scrutiny Panel meeting latest recycling figures and projected future recycling figures were reported on.

Last year the Council's Liberal Democract Administration suspended the roll out of the recycling bin in the City. This mean that Freemantle didn't receive its blue lidded bins until July this year.

Suspending the programme seriously put at risk Southampton achieving its recylcing targets.

However by adopting Conservative proposals back in February to collect green waste from homes for free, we are now back on track to reach these targets.

60,000 sacks were delivered to householders and collections began on 4th July. Current tonnages being collected average 100 a week whereas as under the previous chargeable scheme 30 tonnes a week was achieved.

The Council must reach a target of 26.4% (recycling and composting) by 2006. We are now on track to achieve 26.5%. If we make the target the Council is given a Reward Grant of £400k which we might want to spend on introducing doorstep glass collection. This will help us recycle even more.

Christmas Lights

I was really pleased to hear that the Council is now planning to have a proper Christmas lights display this year. The last few years have been disappointing despite the best efforts of local traders to do their bit.

I proposed back in February that the Council should do something with the Christmas lights and the Conservative opposition budget had an allocation of £30,000.

The Council is going to spent £50,000 on lights and that should enure that we outshine neighbouring Portsmouth. I am sure that the extra shoppers brought in will more than make up the cost and it will give us something to be proud of.

Tories win Bitterne Park By Election

There was a by election in Southampton in Bitterne Park Ward on Thursday (15th September).

The results were as follows:

Conservative 984

Labour 791
Lib Dem 785
Green 89
Turnout 25.8%

Conservative Clifford Coombes

This gives the Conservatives 16 Councillors, 1 behind the ruling Lib Dems and pushes Labour into 3rd place on the Council.

This a excellent result for Bitterne Park and for the Conservatives. It shows we have a real chance of being the largest party on the Council after the May elections year. Conservatives have been out of power in Southampton since 1984 and the opportunities to improve things in the City are huge.