Southampton's Recycling Highest Ever

The most up to date figures show a huge leap in city recycling over recent months.

In August residents recycled 31% of household waste, the most ever in Southampton and up from 26% in August last year.

This is fantastic news. A lot of hard work has been done by the city council recently and a range of further initiatives are planned by the new Conservative administration which will boost recycling even further.

For more details click HERE.

This news come after Southampton's new Conservative council was endorsed by Greenpeace for its energy efficiency vision for the city.

Further green initiatives being pursued by the council include improving recycling in city council building and action to improve water efficiency in civic buildings.

Brown Plans Raid On School Coffers

Brown is keen to get his hands on schools' money

Gordon Brown is planning to confiscate money from schools which have budgeted sensibly by taking 5% of any school surpluses. Click HERE to read more.

This is quite unfair and smacks of more top down control from Labour. The money belongs to the schools and the head teachers should decide how it is spent.

This news comes after recent warnings that the Government might be backing away from its plans to rebuild or rennovate schools across the country. Southampton has been promised funds under the Building Schools for the Future fund and there is deep concern that the city will be denied vital funds for improving local education. Click HERE to read more.

UPDATE 01/11/07 - Good news. The Government has backed down over its plans to raid the funds of prudent schools.

A Vision For Southampton

Southampton's new Conservative Administration has unveiled its political vision for Southampton. The vision sets out the key strategies and policies of the Conservative Council. It has been launched in conjunction with draft budget proposals for the city council.

Whilst Gordon Brown dithers and drifts, seeking to find a direction for his new Government, in Southampton, Conservatives are showing leadership and policy direction.

Click HERE to read the Vision in full.

Delivering On Our Promises

Southampton Conservatives today released their draft budget for the City Council.

Conservatives have broken with council tradition which is to keep budget plans under wraps until February and have launched their proposals early in order to consult with residents.

Southampton has suffered enormously over the last ten years as the Government has transferred vast resources from the city to fund its northern heartlands. This year Labour are set to cost local people millions of pounds of funding for public services.

Despite the background of chronic Government underfunding, Southampton's new Conservative Council Administration has made excellent progress.

Key highlights include:

1. Reaffirming commitment to keep Council Tax within inflation,
2. A 10% discount in Council Tax for pensioner households (where all occupants are over 65),
3. Scrapping Council Tax for local people who become Special Police Constables in Southampton,
4. An extra £1.7m a year into social services for vulnerable adults and children,
5. Another £3/4m a year into road repairs (part of a three year increase of £2.3m,
6. Over £5m of efficiency savings identified (£1m identified for each month the Conservatives have been in office),
7. An overall increase in money for Southampton schools. Earlier this year an extra £5m was given to secondary schools for improvements,
8. Bringing in free nationwide bus travel for seniors in April,
9. £300,000 extra for parks in the suburbs,
10. Investment into the city's heritage - money to refurbish Tudor House and to build a heritage centre at the civic centre.

Southampton Uni Conservatives Go from Strength to Strength

Last night I went back to my old university for the Southampton University Conservative Society's first social of the academic year.

The society at Southampton has always been really strong and the Conservatives have long been the biggest party on campus.

I was really amazed at just how many people came along.

I think now is a really good time to get involved in politics. The last couple of weeks have been really exciting. Conference season this year was really good, then there was the issue about whether or not Brown would call an election, then Cameron's come back speech and finally the knifing of Ming.

Southampton is also a great place to get stuck in politically. The Conservatives have just taken control of the city council for the first time in 23 years and one of the local Labour MPs has just become a government minister. Locally there is plenty of clear blue water between the parties, as Southampton's Labour party are the Labour party of old, the dinosaur left.

I am sure the university will get some great speakers down this year and will have some good socials. I hope that all those getting involved will have a fun time both in Southampton politics and also at the university.

Conservative Council wins praise from Government

What do the Government think of Southampton's Conservative Council.....? Well quite a lot actually.

Southampton has been praised for consistently performing well above what is expected. The council has also been praised for its ambition and its work on environmental and social matters.

Click HERE to read more.

Click HERE for the Audit Commission's review of the city council.

Did Ming fall on his sword or was he knifed?

With the Lib Dems reeling from their dreadful local election results in May and trailing in the polls on 11% it was inevitable that Sir Ming Campbell would go. I am suprised at just how quickly it has happened.

There were signs of obvious Lib Dem discontent, with Simon Hughes showing typical veiled disloyalty over the weekend, suggesting that Ming could "do better", and Vince Cable saying his position was "under discussion".

The two questions now being asked are 1) who wielded the knife and 2) who will be the new leader - the two front runners must be Nick Clegg or Eastleigh MP Chris Huhne.

Planning Meeting 9th October

Click HERE to see the list of planning applications being considered by the City Council's Planning and Rights of Way panel on next Tuesday.

Applications in Freemantle Ward being considered are:

117-123 Paynes Road - 41 flats

118 Waterloo Road - 12 flats

Update 09/10/07 - The Waterloo Road application was rejected by the panel. The Paynes Road application was approved. I am very please the Waterloo Road one was turned down as the design was awful.