Southampton City Council is pushing ahead with ambitious plans to install solar panels on schools, blocks of council flats and civic buildings.
This will mean cheaper energy for schools and ultimately the taxpayer, as well as being good news for the environment and a boost to business and jobs.
By installing solar PV we will also benefit by selling spare energy to the national grid and will earn money through the government's feed in tarrif (FiT), money that will help us meet the challenge of reduced council budgets and protect services to residents.
The decision to press ahead comes despite an announcement by government that they might bring forward the date at which they reduce the funding through the FiT, to 12th December from April as previously planned.
Because Southampton is ahead of schedule and through skillful procurement, we will be able to excelerate our scheme, with panels starting to go up as early as next week. This will mean we get the best return for our local investment possible.
Click HERE for further details.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Launch of Southampton's Junior Road Safety Officer Scheme
I was very pleased this morning to be part of the launch of Southampton's Junior Road Safety Officer scheme at the Saints football ground.
Southampton City council, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service and Hampshire Constabulary officers were joined by pupils and staff from Harefield, Oakwood, Bitterne Manor, St Swithun Wells and Bassett Green schools.
The scheme has been piloted over the last few months by 6 year 6 pupils from Harefield who have been engaged in projects to raise awareness of road safety, cycling and green travel amongst their classmates. They have been doing assemblies, running competitions and designing posters to communicate with children and their parents.
In January volunteers from a host of other schools will sign up to the new initiative and next Summer they will compete against schools from North and South Hampshire and Portsmouth in a Champion of Champions competition run by the fire service to determine which is the best school in the county at improving the safety of children travelling to and from school.
Southampton City council, Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service and Hampshire Constabulary officers were joined by pupils and staff from Harefield, Oakwood, Bitterne Manor, St Swithun Wells and Bassett Green schools.
The scheme has been piloted over the last few months by 6 year 6 pupils from Harefield who have been engaged in projects to raise awareness of road safety, cycling and green travel amongst their classmates. They have been doing assemblies, running competitions and designing posters to communicate with children and their parents.
In January volunteers from a host of other schools will sign up to the new initiative and next Summer they will compete against schools from North and South Hampshire and Portsmouth in a Champion of Champions competition run by the fire service to determine which is the best school in the county at improving the safety of children travelling to and from school.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Rosewood School to Become Southampton's First Free School
I was delighted to hear this afternoon that Rosewood special school (in Lordswood) has been successful in its application for free school status.
This is good news for Rosewood and a boost for parental choice and the diversity of education provision in Southampton.
The council worked closely with Rosewood on their application for free school status and the school will continue to have our support. Rosewood is a strong institution and will be well-placed to help the city manage the increasing demand for school places in the coming years.
This is good news for Rosewood and a boost for parental choice and the diversity of education provision in Southampton.
The council worked closely with Rosewood on their application for free school status and the school will continue to have our support. Rosewood is a strong institution and will be well-placed to help the city manage the increasing demand for school places in the coming years.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Save Our Sure Starts
This weekend Southampton Conservatives launched our campaign to protect all of Southampton's Sure Start children centres.Labour have made it clear that they will cut up to 1,500 council jobs, putting at risk vital local services such as SureStart and libraries if they gain control of Southampton City Council in May 2012. We can't let this happen!
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Southern Water's £26M Upgrade to Millbrook Water Works in Western Docks
I have received correspondence from Southern Water today, with details of new investment that they are putting into the Millbrook Wastewater Treatment Works in the Western Docks.
A £25.8M upgrade will involve rebuilding part of the site and enhancing the treatment process. New facilities will be built that will allow the removal of nutrients, such as nitrogen, from treated wastewater before it is recycled into the Solent.
Southern Water explained that when the levels of nutrients are too high, algal blooms can grow in coastal waters. These may reduce the amount of oxygen in the water and smother fish and other creatures. Southern Water say that the removal of these nutrients will ensure the water leaving the site is of the best possible quality and continues to meet tightening Environment Agency standards.
The work on the site is due to start in late 2011 and will be carried out by Southern Water's supplier 4Delivery. The project is due to be completed in the summer of 2014.
Our local Conservative team have been campaigning hard for improvements to the treatment works and in particular highlighting the concerns of local residents about the smells that occasionally emanate from the site. Click HERE for more details on our campaign.
A £25.8M upgrade will involve rebuilding part of the site and enhancing the treatment process. New facilities will be built that will allow the removal of nutrients, such as nitrogen, from treated wastewater before it is recycled into the Solent.
Southern Water explained that when the levels of nutrients are too high, algal blooms can grow in coastal waters. These may reduce the amount of oxygen in the water and smother fish and other creatures. Southern Water say that the removal of these nutrients will ensure the water leaving the site is of the best possible quality and continues to meet tightening Environment Agency standards.
The work on the site is due to start in late 2011 and will be carried out by Southern Water's supplier 4Delivery. The project is due to be completed in the summer of 2014.
Our local Conservative team have been campaigning hard for improvements to the treatment works and in particular highlighting the concerns of local residents about the smells that occasionally emanate from the site. Click HERE for more details on our campaign.
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
We Need to do More to Improve Adoptions
Adoption can make an extraordinary difference to a child's life. Adoption transforms the lives of some of the most neglected and abused children in the UK. Vulnerable children in our city need a loving home and we need to find adoptive parents to give them just that.
This week is National Adoption Week, which aims to raise awareness of adoption and to encourage more people to consider adopting. There is a national shortage of approved adopters which at the moment means the average time a child being taken into care and being successfully placed for adoption is two years and seven months.
Ofsted recently inspected Southampton City Council's adoption service and their judgement was that the service is performing to a good standard across the board and this a testament to the hard work of our staff. But we can always do more. We should be adopting more children and doing so faster and we should be careful not to discriminate against potential adopters.
As a council - and as a society - we need to step up to the challenge of improving the system to improve outcomes for children in care. We need processes to work more quickly for both prospective adopters and for the children who just want a warm, loving home.
We need to cut through the unnecessary red tape and make placements more quickly. We need a legal system that will work faster than it does at present. We need social workers to be able to allow white families to adopt black and mixed race children, and vice versa, and single people and older couples should not be discriminated against.
Of course, the debate surrounding this will continue. But I agree that it is a scandal that children remain in care when there are families out there who would love to take them in.
Every child deserves a loving family. Making space in your life for a child is an amazing thing to do. If you have ever considered adoption, there has never been a better time to get in touch.
This week is National Adoption Week, which aims to raise awareness of adoption and to encourage more people to consider adopting. There is a national shortage of approved adopters which at the moment means the average time a child being taken into care and being successfully placed for adoption is two years and seven months.
Ofsted recently inspected Southampton City Council's adoption service and their judgement was that the service is performing to a good standard across the board and this a testament to the hard work of our staff. But we can always do more. We should be adopting more children and doing so faster and we should be careful not to discriminate against potential adopters.
As a council - and as a society - we need to step up to the challenge of improving the system to improve outcomes for children in care. We need processes to work more quickly for both prospective adopters and for the children who just want a warm, loving home.
We need to cut through the unnecessary red tape and make placements more quickly. We need a legal system that will work faster than it does at present. We need social workers to be able to allow white families to adopt black and mixed race children, and vice versa, and single people and older couples should not be discriminated against.
Of course, the debate surrounding this will continue. But I agree that it is a scandal that children remain in care when there are families out there who would love to take them in.
Every child deserves a loving family. Making space in your life for a child is an amazing thing to do. If you have ever considered adoption, there has never been a better time to get in touch.
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