Thursday, December 29, 2005
Anti Skid Surfacing laid in Raymond Road
Just noticed on my way home from work that the Council has put down the anti skid surfacing on the bend in Raymond Road. It looks pretty good and its just in time for the snow!
Government plans to reinvigorate local democracy are a sham
The front page of today's Guardian carries a story about Government plans to reinvigorate local government. http://politics.guardian.co.uk/localgovernment/story/0,9061,1674724,00.html
Reading between the lines and drawing on experience of this Government's attitude towards local councils, I am deeply sceptical of their motives.
David Miliband MP, the communities and local government minister talks about devolving power and giving more power to local people and neighbourhoods.
He talks of empowering "people through a national neighbourhoods framework, local neighbourhood charters, a rules of the road for local behaviour, and a range of options for neighbourhood action". I am not really sure what this means but I suspect it means more quangos, more pointless partnerships, more bureaucracy, more sidelining of locally elected politicians and more confusion amongst the electorate about who is in fact responsible for the delivery of local services.
What is needed is devolution of power from Westminster to local councils and less targets and less ring fenced funding. Also the Government needs to address the funding of local councils. Currently 3 quarters of funding comes from Government and only 1 quarter is raised locally. This balance needs reversing. This way local politicians can truly be accountable for local services and it will be seen as worthwhile for the majority of people to bother to vote.
Unfortunately I think what lies behind the Governments proposals is an agenda to further weaken and sideline local government. The Government aim is to break up the County Councils (most of which are Tory controlled). Hampshire and Kent (two excellent Conservative controlled Shires) are surely to be the first to be attacked.
I can't imagine that this Government that has gone more to micro manage from Whitehall every aspect of life in this country, that has done all it can to weaken the democratic role of Parliament, that has politicised the civil service and done all it can to castrate local democracy, is now having a change of heart.
Reading between the lines and drawing on experience of this Government's attitude towards local councils, I am deeply sceptical of their motives.
David Miliband MP, the communities and local government minister talks about devolving power and giving more power to local people and neighbourhoods.
He talks of empowering "people through a national neighbourhoods framework, local neighbourhood charters, a rules of the road for local behaviour, and a range of options for neighbourhood action". I am not really sure what this means but I suspect it means more quangos, more pointless partnerships, more bureaucracy, more sidelining of locally elected politicians and more confusion amongst the electorate about who is in fact responsible for the delivery of local services.
What is needed is devolution of power from Westminster to local councils and less targets and less ring fenced funding. Also the Government needs to address the funding of local councils. Currently 3 quarters of funding comes from Government and only 1 quarter is raised locally. This balance needs reversing. This way local politicians can truly be accountable for local services and it will be seen as worthwhile for the majority of people to bother to vote.
Unfortunately I think what lies behind the Governments proposals is an agenda to further weaken and sideline local government. The Government aim is to break up the County Councils (most of which are Tory controlled). Hampshire and Kent (two excellent Conservative controlled Shires) are surely to be the first to be attacked.
I can't imagine that this Government that has gone more to micro manage from Whitehall every aspect of life in this country, that has done all it can to weaken the democratic role of Parliament, that has politicised the civil service and done all it can to castrate local democracy, is now having a change of heart.
New Eco-loo a waste of money
The Daily Echo carried an article on 28th December about the new £300,000 eco-loo that the Council has built on Weston Shore. It strikes me that £300,000 is rather a lot of money to spend on a toilet, however nice it might be. It does seem odd given all the other areas that need investment in the City, for example the poor state of some of our Council housing or the terrible state of our roads and pavements. I wonder if our Council has its priorities right.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Civil Service Sports Ground Update
I thought i'd post an update on this as i've received a few questions by email.
The land has been bought by Bovis who are a property developer. They will want to build houses/flats on the land.
The Council's position is that the land is 100% green space and should remain so. The Council has produced a document called the open space audit and it's local planning plan is due for publication in the next few weeks. These documents clearly set out the Council's planning position.
Various discussions are being had about the land by the local residents association, the City Council and St Marks school.
The Council has set aside £110,000 in its stratgic reserves to spend on the land. The Conservative budget proposals will include this money next year and I would be very suprised if it doesn't stay in next year's budget.
The land has been bought by Bovis who are a property developer. They will want to build houses/flats on the land.
The Council's position is that the land is 100% green space and should remain so. The Council has produced a document called the open space audit and it's local planning plan is due for publication in the next few weeks. These documents clearly set out the Council's planning position.
Various discussions are being had about the land by the local residents association, the City Council and St Marks school.
The Council has set aside £110,000 in its stratgic reserves to spend on the land. The Conservative budget proposals will include this money next year and I would be very suprised if it doesn't stay in next year's budget.
Residents Parking
Southampton Conservatives want to see more residents parking schemes around the City where they are requested by residents. Areas where there are particular problems are round the hospitals, ordanance survey, univeristy etc.
In Freemantle ward I am continuing to push for a scheme for Cawte Road and will be raising the matter again with the Council at a meeting on Monday. I am also looking at a number of other roads where people have contacted me about schemes being introduced.
Parking is a huge problem in Freemantle Ward and all 3 of your Councillors are really pushing for measures to improve things.
In Freemantle ward I am continuing to push for a scheme for Cawte Road and will be raising the matter again with the Council at a meeting on Monday. I am also looking at a number of other roads where people have contacted me about schemes being introduced.
Parking is a huge problem in Freemantle Ward and all 3 of your Councillors are really pushing for measures to improve things.
Various Updates...
I haven't had a chance to update the blog with anything meaningful for a while. Here are few things i've been up to:
2nd December - went to a dinner at the football club to celebrate the contributions that fosters carers make. Really interesting evening. Had a chance to talk to a few couples about their experiences.
5th December - Freemantle Community Centre AGM. This was the first time I have been to their AGM. Everyone there is really nice and very dedicated. The local community warden came along and talked about the work he was doing to improve they area. There was also an update from the Council about Social Service's plans to build onto the centre. I'll do a posting on this soon. It's rather complicated.
12th December - Resources Scrutiny Panel Meeting. We looked at various financial matters including plans for the Council to work in partnership with private sector firms to deliver improved customer services.
w/c 12th and w/c 19th - Budget meetings. The Council will set its annual budget in February next year. I have been working on the Conservative Group budget which we will present in February. This will include where we will spend money. Our priorities are improved social services, education, waste collection and recycling, and reducing crime. Our budget will include a variety of proposals to improve these things.
14th December (tonight) - Southampton Test constituency Christmas dinner. This is being held at the municpal golf club and should be excellent fun.
2nd December - went to a dinner at the football club to celebrate the contributions that fosters carers make. Really interesting evening. Had a chance to talk to a few couples about their experiences.
5th December - Freemantle Community Centre AGM. This was the first time I have been to their AGM. Everyone there is really nice and very dedicated. The local community warden came along and talked about the work he was doing to improve they area. There was also an update from the Council about Social Service's plans to build onto the centre. I'll do a posting on this soon. It's rather complicated.
12th December - Resources Scrutiny Panel Meeting. We looked at various financial matters including plans for the Council to work in partnership with private sector firms to deliver improved customer services.
w/c 12th and w/c 19th - Budget meetings. The Council will set its annual budget in February next year. I have been working on the Conservative Group budget which we will present in February. This will include where we will spend money. Our priorities are improved social services, education, waste collection and recycling, and reducing crime. Our budget will include a variety of proposals to improve these things.
14th December (tonight) - Southampton Test constituency Christmas dinner. This is being held at the municpal golf club and should be excellent fun.
Free Bus Passes
Next year the Council will be introducing free bus passes for pensioners. This follows the Government's announcement at the last budget. Conservatives nationally backed the proposal at the General Election. Locally we have been calling for free bus passes in Southampton for years and are delighted it's now going to happen.
Conservatives had the free bus pass when we last ran the Council (which was back in the early 1980s). Since then the concessionary fares have been slowly eaten away.
Extra Government money will mean their reintroduction. On the face of it the extra funding the City Council receives may be enough, however it will all depend on what the take up is by bus users as to whether it impacts the Council Tax payer.
Conservatives had the free bus pass when we last ran the Council (which was back in the early 1980s). Since then the concessionary fares have been slowly eaten away.
Extra Government money will mean their reintroduction. On the face of it the extra funding the City Council receives may be enough, however it will all depend on what the take up is by bus users as to whether it impacts the Council Tax payer.
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Friday, December 02, 2005
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