Jeremy Moulton

Labour Needs to Come Clean Over Their Extra Cuts to Council Services

2012-01-30T13:42:00.002Z

The cost of Labour's deal with union bosses in Southampton has become a little clearer today. Labour have announced that they will introduce a Summer mini budget if they take power at the City Council elections in May.

Labour have already said that they will be giving pay rises to council staff and that the price for this will be hundreds of extra job cuts and cuts to council services. It is already clear that non statutory services like libraries and SureStarts will be first to be in the firing line if Labour win in May. However this news that Labour cuts could start as early as the Summer is very worrying. Labour needs to be clear which services will be hit by their extra cuts and as the election approaches they need to be honest and upfront with voters.

Southampton Schools Move Up The League Tables

2012-01-26T16:32:00.004Z

At a visit to Mayfield Academy earlier today. Mayfield's results showed a huge improvement last year and their new school building is due to open next month.

The Department of Education today published its GCSE league tables for 2011 and the figures are hugely encouraging for Southampton. Schools and colleges in Southampton completed a clean sweep of the best ever results at GCSE, Key Stage 2, and A Level in 2011. This will reassure parents that education in the city is improving across the board and will provide the city’s children and young people with the opportunities they need and deserve. In 2011 Southampton achieved a 9% increase in 5+ GCSEs A*-C, and a 4.2% increase in 5+ GCSEs A*-C, including English and Maths.

I would like to offer my congratulations and to the pupils who have worked so hard to achieve these results and wish them every success in what they choose to do next. I’d also like to thank the city’s fantastic headteachers for their leadership and dedication, as well as all the committed and talented teaching and support staff for everything they do.

The City Council will continue to work alongside the city’s schools to keep up the momentum and build on this success. We are fortunate to have some of the best headteachers in the country working within the city and this can only be good for the education of Southampton’s children and young people.

We are not complacent and there is still work to do, but these results move us closer to achieving our goals.

Banister School Rebuild Given the Green Light

2012-01-24T15:56:00.000Z

Freemantle Councillor, Michael Ball in Archers Road, outside Banister School

I am delighted to report that the City Council will be investing in a complete rebuild for Banister School. Conservative Councillors have been pushing for this for some time.

A number of schools in the city are expanding to meet the growing demand for primary places. The greatest demand is in the central part of the city and in Freemantle Ward. All of the Junior and Infant schools in the ward are going to become 'all though' primary schools and this includes Banister School from September 2013.The current Banister buildings are very old and in need of replacement and now with the need to grow the school, a complete rebuild is the only sensible option to pursue.

At the end of last year the City Council was successful in winning additional capital money from the government to help deal us fund our ambitious local primary school expansion programme. The council was awarded £3.1M. As a result I am pleased to report that we are now in a position to commit to the Banister School rebuild.

We will be able to produce a fantastic, state of the art new building, which will not only be excellent quality but superb value for money. The new build will be completed for September 2013 and so this will be the fastest school build that the city council has ever done.

Southampton Conservatives Launch 2012 Manifesto

2012-01-24T15:21:00.000Z

Southampton’s Conservative Councillors today launched our Manifesto for the local elections in May 2012. We have published the document on our website, (CLICK HERE) and you can also download the document as a pdf. We hope that this will be of interest to you and we would welcome any comments or thoughts that you have. You can feedback to us on this email or via the website.

This election will be crucial for Southampton and residents will have a clear choice about what sort of council they want and what sort of political leadership they want for the city.

Despite the enormous challenge of having to find £75m of savings between 2010 and 2014, Southampton Conservatives are committed to doing everything possible to protect front line services, to keep costs down for local residents and to continue to move the city forward and bring in business and jobs.

We are ensuring that important front line services are maintained, keeping OPEN all our Sure Start centres, libraries and leisure centres and protecting the weekly bin collections and budgets for looking after vulnerable residents and repairing the roads and pavements.

We will freeze Council Tax for a second year running and avoid hiking up charges for council services like parking charges and adult social care charges.

We are continuing to invest in the city’s public realm and infrastructure and despite the gloomy financial outlook nationally we are attracting businesses and jobs to the city.

We are cutting out waste in the council and reducing back office costs. We have cut the numbers of directors at the council in half and have reduced the numbers of senior managers by a quarter. At the same time we are protecting jobs at the front line so they can deliver important services to the public.

The Conservatives have been in office in Southampton since 2008 (with a period of minority administration in 2007) and we have stuck to ALL the promises we made to Southampton residents. We have done what we said we would do, we have been honest with residents and we have dealt with the significant challenges the city faces in a responsible and robust way. We have not made promises we could not keep and we do not intend to do so now. However with key elections in May it is important that we set out our new commitments to the city as we ask residents to vote for us again, to run the city until the next set of local elections in 2014. This document is a manifesto for 2012 – 2014 and it is Our Contract with Southampton.

Southampton Conservatives Launch Campaign to Save Our Libraries From Labour Cuts

2012-01-17T10:51:00.000Z

Labour in Southampton have made it clear that they will cut up to 1500 council jobs, and vital services such as Libraries & SureStart will be first in the firing line if they gain control of Southampton City Council in May 2012.

We can't let this happen! Southampton's Save Our Libraries campaign needs your support.

2012 Will Be Another Amazing Year for Southampton Schools

2012-01-06T12:47:00.000Z

Southampton’s schools made tremendous progress in 2011.

GCSE results were up again, our improvement outstripping the national average, with a 4.5% jump in 5 GCSEs including English and Maths – our largest ever single increase. Our A-Level and Key Stage 2 results were the best ever too. In the last couple of years Southampton has shot up the national league tables for SATs.

We have some fantastic head teachers with real leadership and dedication, as well as committed and talented teaching and support staff. We are fortunate to have some of the best head teachers in the country working within the city and this is really bearing fruit locally.

2011 saw the first year of the new Pupil Premium; additional money for schools to support disadvantaged children. In 2011, on average, Southampton schools received an extra 3.4% in funding from government and this included more than £2.7m extra in the form of the new Pupil Premium.

This year Southampton’s Pupil Premium from government will rise to an incredible £5.7m. This is great news and we are already seeing the benefits, with some schools taking on additional teachers.

The city council has in place a major investment programme for the city’s schools, with £4.5m allocated last year for repairs and improvement works to secondary schools and over £14m allocated for primary schools, to help meet the demand for extra places from the growing number of primary school children in the city.

We have also installed solar panels on the roofs of Bassett Green, Beechwood, Tanners Brook and Shirley Warren schools so that these schools will have cheaper energy and the council will benefit from the government’s ‘Feed In Tariff.’

All the evidence shows that a good start in life has the biggest impact on a child’s education and so I am delighted that the current council has made a cast iron commitment to keep open all the city’s SureStart centres and to support the ongoing good work that they do.

Schools are taking advantage of new freedoms available to them with a number of schools opting for academy status or applying to convert in 2012. We even have our first successful free school application.

Parents value choice and diversity in local schools and it is important that over the coming years we meet the needs of local children and parents and that attainment continues to progress at the incredible rate we have seen in the last year. I have every confidence that this will happen and that 2012 will be another amazing year for Southampton schools.

Houses in Multiple Occupation Consultation

2012-01-03T11:26:00.000Z

In the past, a large number of people have written to us regarding the issue of Houses in Multiple Occupation throughout Freemantle Ward, raising a number of issues and concerns on the topic.

As you may know the council will be bringing in new planning rules (called an Article 4 Direction) on 23rd March 2012, that will make it necessary for planning permission to be obtained before existing family homes can be turned into houses of multiple occupation (HMOs). These are rented properties with 3 - 6 unrelated people living there. Larger HMOs (6+ residents) have always required planning permission.

Over recent months the council has had a number of meetings with some residents associations, about having a policy to sit along side this new planning requirement, to help planners determine in which instances to give and refuse planning permission for HMOs. These meetings have been very helpful and we are grateful for all the input that has been have received from local people.

We want to bring to your attention that on 22nd December the council launched its formal consultation on the new planning policy. The details can be found online at: http://www.southampton.gov.uk/s-environment/policy/planningdocuments/hmo-spd.aspx.

If you have comments please submit these before the consultation close date, which is 5pm on 1st February.

In short the policy suggests that there should be a maximum threshold of HMOs in a given area. It is proposed that for Freemantle Ward this threshold be set at 20%. New applications for an HMO that would take the number over 20%, or in an area that already exceeds 20%, would generally be refused. The percentage threshold will apply to a 40m radius (or a minimum of the closest 10 properties) from the property in question.

In addition to this, as your local councillors, we have been fighting hard to tackle issues rightly brought to our attention by local residents:

1. Improved parking standards for HMO’s. Under the new policy, if adequate parking is not provided this will also be grounds for refusal. New parking standards for planning application for flats and houses (non HMOs) came into effect on 26th September 2011 and this should also help prevent parking problems in the area from getting much worse, as new developments are built.

2. More purpose built accommodation for students. I am pleased that Southampton University is now looking to provide more purpose built student accommodation in the city, as this will also do a great deal to protect existing family housing in Freemantle Ward.

3. Extra resources for planning enforcement. An extra planning enforcement officer will be included as part of the February council budget. Extra resources into planning enforcement will help to ensure that developers who flout planning rules are brought to task.

We would urge you to have a look at the council’s consultation and if you have any questions please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.

Councillors Jeremy Moulton, Michael Ball & Brian Parnell.

Boost to Pupil Premium will mean more funding for local schools

2011-12-23T17:45:00.000Z

The government’s Pupil Premium to support disadvantaged children will mean a big boost to the funding of local schools. Next year the pupil premium is set to rise to £600 for each Free School Meals eligible pupil.

Taking pupil numbers for January 2011 this means that Freemantle schools will receive the following Pupil Premium next year, over and above their normal school budgets.

Regents Park Community College: £174,600
Banister Infant School: £21,000
Foundry Lane Primary School: £59,400
Freemantle Academy: £25,200
St Mark’s CofE Primary School: £77,400

The Pupil Premium is great news for Southampton Schools and the evidence is that many heads and governors are using this funding to support disadvantaged children, for instance by employing extra teachers.

Southampton Pushes Ahead With Solar Energy Plans

2011-11-17T08:26:00.004Z

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.

Launch of Southampton's Junior Road Safety Officer Scheme

2011-11-16T21:26:00.005Z

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.

Rosewood School to Become Southampton's First Free School

2011-11-14T16:51:00.003Z

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.

Save Our Sure Starts

2011-11-13T18:17:00.004Z

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!

Southern Water's £26M Upgrade to Millbrook Water Works in Western Docks

2011-11-10T17:36:00.004Z

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.

New Southampton Conservatives Website

2011-11-01T22:01:00.005Z

We Need to do More to Improve Adoptions

2011-11-01T21:24:00.001Z

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.

Houses In Multiple Occupation Decision

2011-10-24T12:31:00.006Z

The Council’s Cabinet today confirmed a decision to implement planning rules which will give the council more control over the number and spread of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs). This decision follows several months of consultation with residents groups, landlords and the universities. The rules which come into force on 23rd March 2012 will mean that family homes in Southampton will require planning permission before being able to be converted into HMOs. This is called an Article 4 direction.

Between now and 23rd March further work and consultation take place, looking at a suitable planning policy to sit alongside the Article 4 direction. This policy will also come into effect on 23rd March and will set out when it is suitable and not suitable for HMOs to be given planning permission. Areas like Freemantle are likely to have more protection as there are already large numbers of HMOs in the ward.

Hypocritical Labour Shut Local Facilities But Say Don't Blame Us

2011-10-16T16:41:00.005Z

The hypocrisy of Southampton's Labour Party over the closure of Portswood and Shirley police stations is absolutely incredible. It also offers a very clear picture of the approach they would take if they ever run Southampton City Council.

Southampton has two representatives on the Hampshire Police Authority; myself a Conservative and Cllr Jacqui Rayment, the Labour representative and Chairman.

At every recent Authority meeting I have spoken out against the loss of our community police stations. I spoke out against it at the public meeting at St Georges School along with 11 other Southampton Conservative Councillors. I have fought for future replacements to have front desks that are open to the public. I have suggested numerous ways to keep front desks, such as sharing facilities with Southampton City Council and the use of police volunteers. I voted AGAINST the closures.
Labour's Chairman voted FOR the closures, and has repeatedly defended the decisions in meetings, saying that our local police stations don't need to be open to the public in an age when people have the internet and telephones.

Now for Labour to say that they shouldn't close is not just hypocritical it is utterly deceitful. Their excuse? Don't blame us, blame the government. This is exactly the same excuse Labour in Manchester and Liverpool are using as they close libraries and Sure Start centres. Don't blame us they say when they close the local facilities, blame the government. Don't blame us for wrecking the country's finances, blame the banks, blame the Americans, blame anyone other than us.

They will do exactly the same in Southampton if Labour run the City Council. They will close our libraries, our Sure Start centres and leisure centres, cut the weekly bin collections and hike up council tax. And they will say don't blame us, blame the government. However it doesn't have to be like that. Southampton Conservatives will keep open ALL our libraries, Sure Start centres and leisure centres and we want community police stations that are open to the public and we will fight to keep them!

Conservative Budget Will focus on Protecting Council Services

2011-10-14T18:14:00.005Z

Today the council released its draft budget for 2012/13. The council's financial situation is extremely challenging and next year £15M must be saved to balance the books.

Conservative Councillors are focused on ensuring that front line services are protected. This means keeping all our Sure Start Centres, leisure centres, libraries and other community facilities open. It means protecting the road and pavement repairs budget and protecting the vital bus routes that the council supports. And it means ensuring more support for the most vulnerable children in the city. I am very pleased that in my area of responsibility, Childrens' Services and Learning, there are no service reductions planned.

It is important that in these difficult times we keep costs down for local people. We have committed to freezing the council tax again and are keeping the 10% discount for pensioner households. We are ensuring that other charges like parking charges are frozen.

An important priority for Conservatives on the council is keeping front line council staff in work, delivering the services that residents pay their taxes for. We recently changed staff terms and conditions and this saw some pay cuts for higher paid staff. This was done to protect jobs and services and we are sticking to our commitment to protect 400 council jobs. Next year's budget will keep compulsory redundancies as low as possible, likely to be less than 50.

This is all in stark contrast to Labour in Southampton, who have said that their plans involve big increases in council tax, of at least 4.5%, the axing of 1,500 council jobs and the serious damage this would mean to front line council services.

Letter from No Southampton Biomass to Helius

2011-10-09T17:49:00.003Z

Below is the text of a letter sent today to Helius Energy concerning their plans to develop a biomass power station in the Western Docks.

Dear Helius,

As the representatives of the public you are supposed to be consulting with, we are yet again politely requesting that you demonstrate some recognition of the fact that what is purely 'business' to you is actually impacting the lives of Southampton residents in a very negative way – we are the very same people that you continually say you want to work with and provide something which will be of great benefit to us all.

We still feel you are choosing to ignore the inadequacy of your application to date and we will summarise our reasons once again for your consideration:

· The original public consultation had to be extended after questions of its adequacy and timings were raised by residents and Southampton City Council who felt your efforts fell short of what they should have been.
· The consultation was then extended to include additional public exhibitions, but as previously detailed to you, as a community we felt that the public exhibitions fell short on a number of grounds. These failings prevented the community from fully understanding your project proposal and therefore gave rise to our calls of inadequacy as you failed to meet your statutory obligations with regards to the public consultation.
· Instead of submitting your application to the IPC after the completion of the public consultation, you chose to add an additional phase of consultations based on revisions to the scale and siting of the project. To us, that meant the project was changing so drastically that it could no longer be regarded as an extension but should form a completely new application for avoidance of confusion on what exactly this project is.
· You originally stated a summer consultation for this additional phase; we requested you delayed this until Sept/Oct time to prevent any issues with the (School) summer holiday period. You refused this request and stated that was why it was planned as a 10 week consultation period.
· No direct contact was made with any of the parties that had registered an interest in this project to alert them to the new timetable. You advertised only through press releases and your own website.
· Then, four weeks later, during the very week when the planned consultation was supposed to start, you announced – via a Press Release – that you were delaying until Autumn for the benefit of the residents.
· Again there was no direct contact with any of the registered interested parties. To state your reasons as being for the benefit of the residents is laughable and, to cite the cliché, effectively added insult to injury. Your press release claiming your actions were for the benefit of the residents could be assessed as the most ill-advised piece of copy writing to date!
· By refusing to listen to and work with the community you affected peoples holiday plans and caused great distress and inconvenience.
· We waited throughout September for details of the Autumn consultation. Nothing was announced.

We now discover via an update to the IPC website that the expected application date has moved to April/May 2012. This indicates that there have been discussions between Helius and the IPC, yet nothing has appeared on the official site or the main Helius site.
The community feel that your previous actions to date have led to a complete mistrust and a feeling that you purposely plan things to go "under the radar" and co-incide with the worst possible times for the residents! We are also aware that there are legislation changes that could affect your business plans/investment chances and as such we are now asking for answers to the following questions:

1. Do you now have a definite time plan for the additional public consultation period that will enable you to submit an application in April/May 2012?
2. If you do not have the answer to the above could we have a definite statement of "not before this date" so that people can go about planning their lives without the fear and threat of missing something important from you?
3. In light of the unknowns, the obvious delays to your plans and the fact the consultation to date has been so inadequate, we ask once again whether you could abandon this proposal and come back when you have a project that is acceptable both to you as a business proposition and to us as a community?

In doing the above your company could create a project proposal in a timescale that fitted entirely with your company’s plans and with no pressure from a waiting community. This fully complete application could then be promoted by yourselves using the feedback received by the public and statutory bodies on the current inadequate application, to ensure that the new, changed project had the level of community involvement needed to adequately consult with us in explaining and presenting your new plans. The whole point of the IPC process was to provide speedy applications and decisions yet Helius seem to want to slow down the application at every point - In our opinion this in itself leads to mis-understanding and confusion with the public, as people ask why a developer would want to do the very thing the IPC was set up to prevent happening to developers?

As a community we would also benefit from having a well thought out project, one that is also fully organised and would then concisely and coherently be presented to us for our engagement and feedback. This would allow any new project to be judged purely on its merits, unlike the current project that is dogged by the ongoing mis-information conveyed by your poorly expressed plans and mis-management of the consultation process to date.

The advantages of your doing what we suggest is that your actions would immediately cease to have any negative affects on our community - in fact your company could benefit from being shown to have actually listened and worked with a community, allowing future plans to be accepted under a more welcoming banner than the response your company currently receives within our community due to the problems (outlined above) over your previous interactions with us.

Yours Sincerely,

Steven Galton

On Behalf of the No Southampton Biomass Group

Conservatives to Freeze Council Tax for a Second Year

2011-10-03T19:12:00.003Z

Residents in Southampton will have no increase in council tax next year. This will be the second year running that council tax has been frozen.

The Conservatives went into the last election saying we would freeze council tax for two years and I am delighted that we are keeping to this commitment. We are all feeling the pinch at the moment and this will definitely help.

The Conservative freeze in council tax in Southampton is in stark contrast to Labour's last term in office locally. Few will forget their 19% increase in their last year. Labour have made it very clear that if they run the council again residents will face big increases in their council tax bill. Labour have also pledged to scrap the council tax discount for city pensioners, meaning even bigger rises for pensioner households.

Parking Requirements for New Developments

2011-09-30T11:30:00.002Z

On Monday the city council approved revised parking requirements for new developments. In the past, the Labour government planning rules meant new developments were prevented from having proper parking and this led to blocks of flats being built with little or in some cases no parking. This has caused massive problems for local residents. The new government rules now allow councils to set their own local parking standards for developers.

On Monday we brought in changes that will mean at least one space can be provided per one bed flat and more parking for larger flats and houses.
The full details can be found HERE.

Helping Out in Ranelagh Gardens

2011-09-27T20:10:00.003Z

I was very pleased to help out residents in Ranelagh Gardens in Banister Park on Sunday morning.

A big team was out to clear the community open space by the side of the close and help tidy up the local area. As well us picking up litter in Ranelagh Gardens we did a good job on Archers Road too.

Foundry Lane Litter Pick

2011-09-25T20:40:00.004Z

Thank you to everyone who helped out with the Foundry Lane litter pick on Saturday.

We collected 25 bin bags full of rubbish and fly tipped material.

We cleaned up Lakelands Park, Foundry Lane, Testwood Road and made a good start on the alleyway behind it. Not bad for an hour's work!

Discussing the Strikes on the Politics Show

2011-09-23T06:57:00.001Z

On the Politics show last Sunday discussing industrial action in Southampton:

Freemantle Academy's New Website

2011-09-22T20:22:00.001Z

Freemantle Academy has launched its new website: http://www.freemantleacademy.com/

Meeting on Police Station Closures

2011-09-10T19:22:00.005Z

There is a Public meeting on Police Station Closures this coming Tuesday.

Tuesday 13th September 2011

St Georges School between 19.00 - 21.00.

The Assistant Chief Constable will be present to answer questions, along with representatives from the Safer Neighbourhood Team.

Your Freemantle Councillors are very concerned about the planned closure of Shirley and Portswood Police Stations. We are fighting for alternative police buildings in the community where the beat police are based. These should be accessible to residents so people can continue to report crimes locally.

Click HERE for more information.

Police Commissioners Delay

2011-09-10T17:28:00.000Z

I was disappointed to hear this week that plans to elect new police commissioners will be delay until at least November 2012. The elections had been scheduled to coincide with the local elections in May in order to cut costs and boost voter turn out. Click HERE for the story on the Echo website.

Educational Support for Deaf Children

2011-09-03T18:27:00.000Z

Following the recent coverage on educational support for deaf children and young people in Southampton, I want to take this opportunity to restate Southampton City Council’s commitment to this service.

Most importantly there has been no cut in the service this year. Nor is there any question of the service being axed – and therefore in need of being ‘saved’.

In fact, we have plans to increase provision in the new school year.

The 165 children and their families who accessed the service last year will receive the same service this year if they need it. If there was any question at all of any child not getting the support they needed and were entitled to we would act immediately.

It should be made clear that the ratio quoted by the National Society for Deaf Children (NSDC) of specialist teachers to children in no way takes into account the quality of the service available to children and young people with hearing impairments in Southampton – as well as the excellent support available to their families.

Reports have neglected to mention the support the council provides which is above and beyond anything offered by many other councils. As well as the Specialist Teacher Adviser Team, the council continues to fund additional provision at a number of schools, in addition to funding a specialist technician to support this provision across the city.

Of course this is a highly emotive subject and sometimes facts can get lost in all the noise – and the most important fact is that we are not cutting this service. Every deaf child who needs help will get that help.

I have said all along that I would welcome the NSDC to Southampton, to show them the service we provide – including the extra support that we offer – and hear any views they have on the specifics of our service.

The council’s goal is that Southampton is seen as a city with learning at its heart, achieving excellence in education for all our children and young people, whatever their needs.

Well Done Hampshire Constabulary

2011-09-01T10:11:00.005Z

Well done to Hampshire Constabulary for their involvement in dealing with the mob violence that took place in London and other cities in August.

Not only did Hampshire provide invaluable support to the Met police, they did a fantastic job in reassuring residents across the County and in Southampton and in ensuring that those minded to cause similar acts of criminality locally were swiftly dealt with.

The extra police on the streets were very noticeable and very much welcomed by the community.

Stop Liverpool using taxpayers' money to grow its cruise business

2011-08-30T20:15:00.006Z

I am urging people to sign the petition organised by local suppliers to Southampton's cruise industry to stop Liverpool using taxpayers' money to grow its cruise business. Click HERE for the petition.

On 15th September the Shipping Minister decides whether or not cruise ships will be allowed to start and end their cruises from Liverpool Cruise Terminal, taking advantage of a £20m taxpayer subsidy and allowing them to compete unfairly with Southampton.

If Liverpool is to compete with Southampton it should be on a level playing field and the subsidy should be repaid.

This decision is vitally important as thousands of local jobs depend on our local cruise industry. Sign today! Click HERE for more information.

Well Done Southampton Schools

2011-08-30T19:28:00.006Z

Southampton schools are continuing to make fantastic progress! GCSE results this month show a 4.5% increase in pupils getting 5 A-C GCSEs including English and Maths. The figures mean that the city has met its target for 2011, with 52% of pupils hitting this standard.

There has been a step change in educational attainment in the city in recent years, with Southampton persistently out stripping the national average improvement in performance. Since 2007, on average, schools have improved by 13%; the most improved school being Upper Shirley High, which has improved by 26% over that period.

Standards need to keep going up. The government is quite rightly raising the bar for minimum standards in schools and with the improvements in performance we are seeing in our local schools I am very confident we will continue to push up results.

Click HERE for further details.

Update on Helius Consultation

2011-08-09T13:09:00.003Z

Last month I wrote to Helius Energy seeking more information on their planned consultation in the Autumn. Whilst I wasn't able to get much more detail, their reply did provide some new information.

The consultation will last a minimum of 10 weeks. Helius plan to give at least 4 weeks notice of exhibition venues, dates and timings. It is planned that these exhibitions will be staggered over a 4 week period to maximum the opportunities for people to attend. I will post an update if further information comes to light.

Social Worker Strike Is A Step To Far

2011-07-27T18:52:00.002Z

Today's announcement by union leaders that children and adult social workers in Southampton will strike next week is totally unacceptable. It is not right to put vulnerable people at risk.

Vulnerable children and adults must be kept safe and looked after. I will be asking the trade unions to ensure that key services are exempted from the strike action.

I hope that the trade union leaders do the right thing and allow those who work in key safeguarding roles to come into work so that our vulnerable residents are kept safe.

If the trade unions refuse these exemptions I will do everything I can to ensure that emergency measures are put in place to ensure that the welfare of vulnerable people is not jeopardised by the actions of the unions.

Opening of Townhill Park Community Centre

2011-07-25T11:28:00.003Z

On Saturday I was delighted to attend the official opening of the new £1m Townhill Park Community Centre by the Mayor of Southampton. It's a fantastic new facility and I know it will be well used by local people. This is good news for the area and part of the council's wider commitment to regenerating Townhill Park.

Helius Energy Delay Consultation to 'Autumn'

2011-07-18T19:08:00.002Z

Helius have delayed their new consultation on their plans for a biomass power station until the 'Autumn'. The consultation was due to start in July. Further information can be found HERE.

Can We Help? Advice Surgery

2011-07-12T06:35:00.003Z

Your councillors are holding an advice surgery for local people at the Freemantle Community Centre, in Randoplh Street, on -

SATURDAY 16th JULY between 10am – 12pm.

Please come along if you need our help or want to discuss anything. There is no need to make an appointment. If you can’t make it please get in touch and we can arrange a home visit.

Cllr Jeremy Moulton
07940 766286 (mobile)
023 8083 3237 (office)
Email councillor.j.moulton@southampton.gov.uk

Cllr Michael Ball
023 8083 1788
Email councillor.m.ball@southampton.gov.uk

Cllr Brian Parnell
023 8079 0094
Email councillor.b.parnell@southampton.gov.uk

Audio Interview on Southampton Strikes

2011-07-07T21:02:00.007Z

Interview with Portswood.info on industrial action (recorded Saturday 2nd July). Click HERE to see the full article on Portswood.info.

Podcast Powered By Podbean

School Strikes on 30th June

2011-06-27T21:04:00.002Z

Details of which Southampton schools will be open on Thursday and which will be closed as result of the national schools strike can be found HERE.

Well done to all those schools that are able to stay open. I know many schools are thinking creatively about how best to manage the school day and how to make curriculum changes to deal with some staff striking.

It is important that the impact on children and their families is minimised by the action.

Striking Staff Offered A Payrise

2011-06-27T20:55:00.002Z

In a bid to end industrial action in Southampton the City Council last week offered to exempt all staff earning £22,000 or less from pay cuts and ensure a £250 payrise for those earning £21,000 or less.

The offer forms part of a 10 point plan put to the unions. Sadly the unions bosses have refused to put the proposals to their members, despite claiming that 7 out of the 10 proposals were their ideas!

Union bosses seem more interested in striking for political reasons rather than seeking the best deal for staff and their members in difficult financial times.

Questions & Answers On Southampton's Bin Strikes

2011-06-12T15:15:00.001Z

A useful website with Questions and Answers for residents on the current strikes in Southampton.

Local Residents Should Not Be Put In The Front Line Of A National Trade Union Campaign

2011-06-12T11:40:00.008Z

As Southampton enters a fourth week of union strike action, every effort must be made to resolve the dispute and get services back to normal.

This coming Thursday will see a fifth negotiation meeting between the City Council and trade unions. Compromise is needed from both sides and the focus has to be on protecting front line services to residents and protecting jobs.

With the unions set to hold a major rally in city tomorrow it is important not to let national disagreements cloud the debate. We have to sort out our problems here in Southampton and putting local residents in the front line of a national dispute between trade unions and the government is not fair.

Debating with the trade unions on the Politics Show

We Need Local Police Stations in Southampton

2011-06-11T17:07:00.003Z

Hampshire Constabulary are looking to close Portswood and Shirley police stations within the next 2 years. The closures are part of a wider programme to reduce the number of police buildings across the county, which might also see the police offices in Hulse Road close. The changes also reflect the fact that Southampton’s new city centre police HQ has recently opened.

I am campaigning to keep local police stations in our districts. It’s vitally important that local beat police are based in the area and that people can report crimes locally.

I was pleased to be able to secure a commitment from the Chief Constable that alternative local police stations would be put in place before any closures and that local beat police and PCSOs would be based there. These police stations need front desks too and I am fighting for a cast iron commitment from the police on this issue.

Impact of Industrial Action on Southampton

2011-06-06T22:23:00.000Z

Save our Heart Unit

2011-06-03T13:23:00.003Z

Like the majority of residents from Southampton I was extremely concerned to learn that the children’s heart surgery unit at Southampton General Hospital could close.

Losing the Ocean Ward would be a terrible loss to Southampton. It would mean that patients from Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands would have to travel to either London or Bristol for treatment; creating extra financial pressure on families, at a time that is already extremely emotional and stressful.

In a recent independent report by Sir Ian Kennedy, Southampton’s Heart ward was ranked second best in the country. It performs first class life saving procedures for hundreds of young children and babies in the South of England every year. Losing this ward could have huge consequences for those parents and children who depend on the dedication and expertise the Ocean Ward provides to their family.

Four options have been proposed by the NHS, three of which put Southampton’s Heart Unit in danger of being closed.

The Safe and Sustainable review itself says that option which includes Southampton (Option B):

- is the best option for retaining centres ranked highest for quality;
- includes the centres that are best for research and innovation;
- Would also protect vital intensive care services.

It’s quite simple; I, like you believe that patients deserve nothing less then very best in care. The ward is a leading centre for specialised treatment and is rated 2nd best in the country in its field. It makes absolutely no sense to close this much needed service. I would urge everyone to support the campaign to help keep the Ocean Ward open.

This campaign certainly has Southampton City Council’s support.

Register your view

The consultation survey is the only official way for the public to have their say and save our heart unit.

The survey can be completed online or you can request a paper copy by calling 020 7025 7520 or emailing nhsspecialisedservices@grayling.com

For help filling in the survey, see these guidance notes.

On Twitter

2011-05-14T10:40:00.005Z

Last week I set up a twitter account @Cllr_JMoulton where I will post updates from my experiences of Southampton politics and my work on the city council.

Helius To Extend Consultation on Power Station

2011-05-09T16:41:00.003Z

Helius Energy have announced that they intend to amend their Biomass scheme. They are now intending undertake further public consultation in the Summer.

I reported to residents in a recent newsletter that the city Council's Planning Panel would be meeting to discuss their scheme on Tuesday 24th May.

In light of Helius's statement the council has decided to defer the item from the Council’s Planning Panel. When a new date is determined I will update residents. It is my intention when the matter does finally come before the panel, for comment, to speak against the scheme.

Freemantle Councillors Formally Object to Biomass Plant

2011-05-09T15:28:00.002Z

Below is the Freemantle Councillors' submission to Helius as a formal response to their consultation on their planned biomass plant in the Western Docks.

Dear Sir

We are writing as local councillors for the Freemantle Ward to put on record our formal objection to your plans for a Power Station proposed for the Western Docks.

Over recent weeks we have been inundated with correspondence from constituents objecting to the scheme and we have attended a number of packed local public meetings where residents were unanimously against the plans.

Location

The proposed site is directly opposite a residential area. Roads like Lakelands Drive and Foundry Lane are just 125m from the site. Due to the site’s close proximity to housing the proposed power plant will undoubtedly have a serious detrimental impact on the lives of local residents. Anecdotally we have been advised that your plans are already beginning to blight the area with residents struggling to sell their properties or finding that their properties are being significantly devalued.

Cllr Moulton is a governor of the local school, Freemantle Academy. Hence we know first hand from many parents in the area how they are worried about the impact of the power station on their community. The worry is that families will not want to bring up children in an area over shadowed by an enormous power station and will start to move away or not move into the area. This will have a profound knock on effect on the school.

A number of residents have asked whether other sites in the Docks have been examined; bearing in mind that the docks are an expansive area with the majority of the area sited much further away from housing. We are not aware that any alternative sites have been considered.

Size

The proposed scale of the plant is far too large and out of context with its surrounding structures. Indeed it will be the biggest building on the city skyline, dwarfing the terraced housing opposite. The chimney at 100m tall is three times the height of cranes in the docks. Its sheer size and mass is out of character with the area. It will dominate the view of those coming into the city by road or rail from the west, the residential areas across Southampton water bordering the New Forest and the 1.4m cruise ship passengers travelling up and down Southampton water. The new police building in Southern Road, that opened this year, was meant to be a landmark gateway building. However all people will see when approaching from the west will be the power station.

Some residents have suggested to us that if the power station was of a much smaller, perhaps more on the scale of the District Energy Scheme in the city centre then proposals for the site would be more acceptable. However, other concerns would need to be addressed. Observations have been made that perhaps the only reason you opted for such a large scale site of 100MW capacity was not because they planned to operate at this capacity, but felt that a more favourable result would entail if they bypassed the local planning process in order to submit to the IPC. Hence it is important that local views are not disenfranchised to effect an unfair advantage to the applicant.

Economic Impact

Neighbouring the development is the premier shopping development of West Quay with the new £150m luxury shopping development of Watermark Westquay due to open in 2013. On the waterfront is the proposed £450m development of Royal Pier by Morgan Sindell. The economic revival of Southampton will be placed in jeopardy, as developers will struggle to find tenants to occupy these premier sites with a huge eyesore dominating the surrounding skyline. Southampton is one of the most deprived urban areas in the South East and is fundamental that inward investment is secured to enable job creation in the area. There are thousands of new jobs now in jeopardy.

Design

The proposed design of the scheme is dreadful. It is functional and lacks any architectural merit. It is completely out of keeping with the Victorian terraced houses and docker cottages bordering the site or the nearby attractive 1934 Solent flour mill that greets workers and visitors entering Dock Gate 10 to the port along West Bay Road. It has been suggested that this might not be the final design. However, what guarantees are there that you will present a more appealing design and proceed to build this and not revert to the cheaper functional form already presented. Indeed can the design be changed if you get IPC approval with your current submission? What guarantees are there that you would not sell your planning approval to another company that might then proceed to develop something very different in appearance?

Pollution

A major concern of residents is the adverse impact on air quality. The area already has very low air quality with all the nearby industry and traffic. The power station will further reduce the air quality. The aim should be to improve air quality. The suggestion that it might be within particular standards, if true, does not change the fact that the air quality will be worse and this will have a heath impact on local residents. One only has to walk around the area to see the build up of soot on cars and window ledges. The city centre location is densely packed being home to thousands of people and with the local Freemantle primary school being close by. One can imagine people with asthma and other health problems will be adversely affected. To the North East of the area are the central parks of Southampton Common, a site of Special Scientific Interest with a fragile habitat with the largest population of the internationally rare great crested newt.

Noise

The power station will operate 24 hours a day and local residents will be subject to continuous noise pollution. It is not necessarily the operating noise of the facility itself but the conveyors carrying the fuel source onto the site and loading into the burners. To site it further away from houses would help alleviate its impact. This is then an argument for looking for an alternative site and/or downscaling the power station so that it doesn’t impact on the community. There is already considerable noise pollution and over many years we have had complaints from neighbours who are affected by it.

Traffic

If a power station is to be built in the docks, then all the materials should be shipped through the docks and not brought by road. When one considers that a single lorry movement equates to 30 tonnes of load then when the proposal is for 800,000 tonne capacity, then the road impact could be enormous if limits were not put in place. There are no such guarantees in the current submissions we have seen. The Millbrook roundabout and Millbrook Road West are already very congested. The link road into the city is recognised as one of the key roads in the country yet it remains the responsibility of the Council to maintain something that it can ill-afford. The new City Depot being built off Dock Gate 4 will add further traffic pressure to the area. This route is the main entry point into the city for tens of thousands of daily shoppers to West Quay and IKEA, commuters and visiting football fans. Your plans include no measures to mitigate the impact of traffic on the community. There are no suggestions to have a separate docks road off the M271. Measures like this would help should you bring materials by lorry.

Consultation

The feeling in the community is that your consultation has been flawed. Your staff have been unable to provide good quality answers to residents’ questions at drop in sessions. Very people recall receiving leaflets from you and the design of the leaflets did not attract the eye. Indeed we understand that many fliers were distributed via the free weekly Southampton Advertiser and hence any literature will have been mistaken for the usual marketing leaflets and binned. It was only when pictures of the proposed design came to light in the online consultation document that residents began to become aware of the proposal and appreciate the enormous impact it would have on the community. Letters from you have been restricted to residents associations, councillors, MPs and the like and limited effort has been made to directly engage the residents who live near by.

You have suggested in a recent press release that following the public response to your scheme that you would look again at the size of the scheme. However no detail has been forthcoming. If you intend to make material changes then you should restart the consultation. If the changes are not material then clearly they won’t address the concerns that residents have. From discussions with Southampton City Council planners they have grave concerns about the lack of detail in your submission. Despite numerous requests for more detailed specifications to expand on "not significant" they have yet to receive adequate responses. This lack of open and honest engagement is deeply concerning.

Fuel Source

We have considerable doubts that wood bio mass on this scale is sustainable. The amount of fuel proposed is enormous in comparison to the UK output of wood. Indeed from research we understand that there is no spare capacity to meet the plant’s proposed requirements. Inevitably the vast quantity of wood will be sourced from abroad. Hence the so called green credentials of this technology are dubious to say the least. The impact on carbon emissions of transporting it from around the world will be considerable. A more locally sustainable, smaller, power station using waste wood and local coppicing would surely be more environmentally friendly. What guarantees can you provide that all your wood will come from an accredited source, indefinitely? What steps have you taken to secure viable quantities of fuel?

Will food be the only fuel source or might other material be burned? What guarantees can you make in this regard? What will be the impact of burning non-virgin wood which has been treated with chemicals (paint and varnish)? Has an assessment been made of burning these complex chemical compounds?

Heat and CO2

No provision has been made to recycle the heat produced from the burning of the fuel. Nor has thought been given to the release of the CO2. Hence these by-products of the combustion are being wasted. Combined heat and power plants are now common place in large glass house nurseries around the UK such as Thanet in Kent and Isle of Wight, where the green credentials of burning fuel are well known and documented with heat used to warm the glasshouses and CO2 provided to the plants.

Whilst this is by no means an exhaustive list of arguments to oppose this application, we do consider that the concerns we have raised are real and warrant that this application be rejected. The first area that must be considered is the adequacy of consultation. We consider that this first stage has not been satisfied and you should be required to return the drawing board.

Community Benefit

Once the construction phase has ceased, which no doubt be undertaken by specialist workers from outside the city there will only be 40 jobs created by operating the plant. Hence there will be limited economic benefit to the city outside of the income earned by ABP for leasing the site and cheap power source provided. For such a major multi-million pound development, you have not offered any planning monies to benefit the local community, facilities or infrastructure improvements to the key arterial M271/Millbrook Road route into the city. This is incredibly surprising and demonstrates a complete disregard for your corporate social responsibility.

Yours faithfully

Jeremy Moulton
Brian Parnell
Michael Ball
Councillors for Freemantle Ward

Congratulations Brian!

2011-05-06T09:57:00.005Z

Local councillor Brian Parnell was re-elected last night.

It was a close fought campaign in Freemantle with a higher turn out than ususal with the Alternative Vote refurendum on the same day.

Brian's re-election will mean that this new municipal year will be Brian's 25th year on Southampton City Council and his 21st for Freemantle Ward.

Well done Brian!

Vote NO to AV on 5th May

2011-04-11T09:27:00.001Z

Good Luck Freemantle Academy

2011-04-03T19:49:00.006Z

On Friday, Freemantle School officially became an Academy. This is fantastic news for the school and I have every confidence that with its new status and freedoms Freemantle will go from strength to strength.

It was great to join governors and teachers on Friday evening to celebrate the school's success and toast its bright future.

HELP STOP THE POWER STATION!

2011-04-03T19:32:00.008Z

Following the public meeting at Holy Trinity Church on Wednesday evening, we thought it would be helpful, as your local Councillors, to write and set out how we understand the decision on the Helius power station will be taken, and most importantly WHAT WE ALL CAN DO TO STOP IT. Since the meeting we have spoken with the Infrastructure Planning Commission, the Department for Energy and Climate Change and the City Council to confirm some of these key facts.

Who makes the decision and how does the process work?

The current situation is that the decision is taken by the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC), a body set up by the last government to make big decisions of the this nature.

The City Council is not the decision maker but will submit its comments to the IPC along with local residents and councillors. It is likely that if Helius do decide to push ahead with their scheme that the final decision will not be made for another year or more.

There are a number of different stages and points where people can object to the application:

• Pre Application Stage – this is the stage we are in now and anyone can comment to Helius on their proposals. It also makes sense to send your comments to Southampton City Council and IPC.

• Application Stage – Helius makes a formal application to the IPC.

• Acceptance Stage – The IPC has 28 days to decide to accept the application or not. One factor that may mean that the application is not accepted is if the public consultation has been inadequate.

• Pre Examination Stage – we can all comment on the scheme. First you must register by filling in a form. This then allows you to make a comment. This stage normally takes 3 months. Anyone who registers will be invited to a preliminary IPC meeting.

• Examination Stage – anyone who registered in the Pre Examination Stage is invited to submit their detailed comments in writing and they may also get the chance to speak at IPC meetings in Southampton. This stage can take up to 6 months.

• Decision Stage – a decision is made and reasons given – this could take up to 3 months

• Post Decision Stage – there are 6 weeks to appeal. Appeals take the form of a Judicial Review.

The Localism Bill

Many people are rightly upset that the last government placed the decision with an unelected, unaccountable body, taking it out of the democratic process.

The new Coalition government is changing the process and is in the process of passing a new law called the Localism Bill. If this law is enacted before the decision on the Helius scheme, then the decision will be referred to Chris Huhne, the Secretary of State, for his decision.

When can we object?

There are 2 immediate deadlines when people must get their comments in by.

1. The closing date for objection to Helius at the current Pre Application Stage is 21st April. Please make sure that you get your comments to Helius by then and we also suggest that you copy your correspondence to the City Council and the IPC for good measure.

2. The closing date for comments to the City council so that they can be taken into account by the council’s planning panel is 28th April. If you get your comments in by then they will be put before the panel on their meeting on 24th May and this will help the panel with its response to Helius, at this first Pre Application Stage.

What are the contact details we need?

IPC Contact Details

Tel: 0303 4445000

Email: Portofsouthampton@infrastructure.gsi.gov.uk

Post: IPC, Temple Quay House, Temple Quay, Bristol, BS1 6PN

Web: www.independent.gov.uk/infrastructure

Helius Contact Details

Post: Helius Energy plc, 242 Marylebone Road, London NW1 6JL

Web: www.southamptonbiomasspower.com

City Council Contact Details

Steve Harrison, Planning Officer Team Leader

Tel: 023 8091 7568.

Email: stephen.harrison@southampton.gov.uk

Post: Southampton City Council Civic Centre Southampton SO14 7LS

As your local Councillors we are doing everything we can to fight this monstrous scheme. Please contact us if you need our help or have any questions for us. We will support the community every step of the way.

BY WORKING TOGETHER WE CAN STOP THIS!

A Budget To Fuel Growth

2011-03-24T09:35:00.010Z

Yesterday the Chancellor, George Osborne, set out his 2nd budget with plans to reform the economy, to create jobs and support families.

This Budget will put fuel back in the tank of Britain's economy.

Help for families:

- An immediate cut in fuel duty by 1 pence per litre and a delay of April's inflation rise in duty to next January. This means fuel duty is 6 pence lower than it would be under Labour. We are paying for this by putting up taxes on the oil companies while the oil price is high to create a Fair Fuel Stabiliser.
- An increase in the personal allowance from £6,500 to £8,100 over the next two years. This will mean £326 extra for working people and it will lift over a million low paid people out of tax altogether.
- £250 million to help 10,000 first time buyers get on the housing ladder.
- A freeze in Air Passenger Duty this year.
- Money for councils so virtually every council in England will freeze council tax next month.
- A new scheme to allow Gift Aid to be claimed on the contents of charities' collecting tins and street buckets, and support for largest donations with radical reforms to Inheritance Tax - if you leave 10 per cent or more of your estate to charity, then the Government will take 10 per cent off your inheritance tax bill.
- As well as helping in the short term we need to reform our economy to create growth and jobs in the future. The hard truth is that Britain has lost ground in the world economy.

Under Labour manufacturing halved, and growth depended on unsustainable public spending, debt and financial services. We need a new model of growth based on investment, manufacturing and exports - a Britain that makes things again. This Budget started that process, with measures that include:

- An additional 1p cut in corporation tax. In April this year corporation tax will fall from 28% to 26%. It will continue to fall by 1% in each of the following three years reaching 23%. Britain will be competitive again.
- Doubling Entrepreneurs Relief to £10m and sweeping changes to the generosity, simplicity and reach of the Enterprise Investment Scheme, with an increase in the income tax relief available from 20% to 30%.
- An extension of the small business rate relief holiday for another year.
- An additional £100m for new science facilities and more generous tax credits for small business research and development.
- 21 new Enterprise Zones with business rate cuts and new broadband to promote growth across the country.
- A review of the revenue raised by the temporary 50p rate of income tax
- 50,000 additional apprenticeships and 100,000 work placements for young people.
- £3bn for a Green Investment Bank, which will generate an additional £15 billion in private sector investment in green projects and low carbon energy.

Fluoride Decision Must Be A Local One

2011-03-24T09:22:00.008Z

I am appalled at the arrogance of bureaucrats at the Strategic Health Authority. This unelected Quango is set to be abolished in April 2012, yet it still intends to push through its plans to add fluoride to our local water supply.

These sorts of controversial decisions should be taken locally and not by unaccountable bureaucrats. In April next year the SHA is being scrapped and decisions like fluoride will pass to local authorities. This makes their decision to push ahead even more perverse.

I am objecting to this in the strongest possible terms. They should put the decision on hold and then local people can decide the issue in due course.

Union Militants Will Damage Southampton

2011-03-16T07:52:00.002Z

The union bosses say that they will mount a legal challenge against Southampton City Council over terms and condition changes and that they will hold crippling strikes. What is it really they are hoping to achieve?

By making these changes the council is ensuring that front line services are protected as best they can be. That’s why in Southampton all our leisure centres, our libraries and sure start centres will stay open, and why we will keep important services like weekly bin collections and can invest more in safeguarding vulnerable children. Compulsory job losses are being kept to the absolute minimum.

There simply isn’t the money there to fund the pay rises that the union bosses are demanding and at the same time properly protect our front line services.

So if the unions succeed, what are the consequences? Southampton will go the way of Labour Manchester, with cuts to services and the closure of libraries and sure start centres and the like. Cuts to services will also mean the loss of hundreds of council jobs. Council tax will go through the roof.

Throughout the process the union bosses made it crystal clear that they weren’t interested in reaching an agreement. They offered no solutions and even went as far as stopping the Labour Party producing an alternative set of budget proposals for the city.

They want a fight pure and simple. They know if they win the cuts they will cause to front line services and the job losses that will mean. They don’t care because for the union militants this is purely about partisan politics.

Shame on them! And shame on our Labour councillors and Labour MPs for backing them!

Council Leader Says 'No Thanks!'

2011-03-14T09:48:00.004Z

The Daily Echo front page today carries the story that Conservative Council Leader, Royston Smith has vowed to oppose the proposed Power Station in the Western Docks. This is a tremendous boost for the campaign to stop the Helius application.

No to Power Station!

2011-03-12T17:45:00.007Z

As your local ward councillors, Brian Parnell, Michael Ball, and I will do all we can to fight the proposed Helius power station in the Western Docks.

The Conservatives on the city council will be objecting to Helius, the city council’s planning department and the Infrastructure Planning Commission (the decision makers).

We will be raising residents’ concerns of about:

- The size and mass of the proposed building and its impact on the community
- Noise levels
- Air quality
- Pollution
- The fuel source
- Traffic consequences during both construction and operation

We will also do everything we can to raise awareness in the local community.

If would like to speak with us about this issue or any other matter please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Backing the Have a Heart Campaign

2011-03-11T15:43:00.008Z

This afternoon I am visiting Southampton General Hospital to see the work being done at the specialist children's heart centre.

Despite being rated as the 2nd highest performing of 11 centres in England, it is under threat from closure, with the number of such centres around the country being reduced.

A consultation is now taking place and I have written to the Health Secretary Andrew Lansley urging him put pressure on the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts to keep this excellent facility.

UPDATE 14/03/11 - Visit to the unit was extremely productive. We managed to have some very detailed dicussions with some of the surgeons and staff. We also saw the excellent work being done to support families by the charity Wessex Heartbeat.

Cllr Leader Royston Smith and I have pledged to lobby the Prime Minister to support the unit and the great work being done there.

Funding Boost for Local Children

2011-03-07T14:02:00.002Z

The Coalition government is keeping its promise to spend more on schools and to target extra funding towards the most deprived parts of the country.

The details of the funding settlement for Southampton schools has now been announced. On average Southampton schools will receive an extra 3.4% in funding in this coming year and this includes more than £2.7m extra in the form of the new Pupil Premium.

The Pupil Premium means that extra funding is targeted to support children who receive Free School Meals and to children whose parents serve in the Armed Forces.

This is fantastic news for Freemantle Ward with many local schools set to benefit from the Pupil Premium:

Banister Infant School + £13,760
Foundry Lane Primary School + £32,650
Freemantle C Of E Infant School + £10,750
St Mark'S C Of E Junior School + £37,840
Regents Park Community College + £80,380

Locally Conservative Councillors are protecting funding for the city’s Sure Start Centres so that, despite the tough financial times we ensure that all these valuable facilities remain assessable for local families.

Meetings Regarding Proposed Power Station

2011-03-07T13:40:00.003Z

The Infrastructure Planning Commission is holding two further consultation meeting regarding the application by Helius for a bio mass power station in the Western Docks.

Please get in touch if you want to raise anything with Brian, Michael or me on this matter.

Labour Are To Blame For Britain's Debts

2011-03-05T21:12:00.007Z

Labour are very keen to blame the banks for the country’s financial problems.

Whilst the banks have a great deal to answer, for we shouldn’t forget that Gordon Brown’s reckless spending and borrowing from 2001 onwards is for the most part the reason for the Britain’s huge debts and budget deficit.

Despite this apalling legacy Labour still refuse to apologise.

There is no apology for the longest recession amongst the world’s biggest economies.

There is no apology for the deepest economic contraction in Britain’s history.

And there is no apology for the biggest deficit in the developed world.

Local Advice Surgery

2011-02-22T19:33:00.001Z

As your local Councillors we hold regular advice surgeries at the Freemantle Community Centre in Randolph Street. If you would like help with anything please come along or get in touch with us.

The next surgery date is:

Saturday 9th April from 10am – 12pm.

Local Crime Data Online

2011-02-22T19:24:00.001Z

A new police website (www.police.uk) is now up and running, giving details of local crime information. From April it will be possible to receive text updates for your area and to use the website to pass on information to the police.

Your Views on Power Station

2011-02-22T19:23:00.001Z

Energy firm Helius is now consulting on its proposals for a wood chip powered biomass power station in the Western Docks, ahead of submitting a formal planning application.

The deadline for responses has been extended to 21st April and details can be found at www.southamptonbiomasspower.com

There is another chance to view the plans on 21st and 22nd March between 2pm and 7.30pm at Thompson Memorial Hall, Millbrook Baptist Church, Testwood Road.

Labour Plans Huge Council Tax Rise for Southampton

2011-02-22T16:03:00.001Z

Labour run Manchester council are slashing front line services and closing community facilities like libraries and swimming pools. They are taking advantage of the financial crisis to make unpopular decisions and then blame the coalition government to score political points.

In Southampton the Labour Party refused to say what their plans would be if they ran the city. But we can be sure that they too would pursue the same cynical tactics; closing facilities and making the cuts as painful as possible.

In the last year that Labour ran Southampton City Council they hiked up council tax by a massive 18.5% and they have made it clear, that if they win the council elections in May, they will hike up council tax again; meaning rises of £300 or more a year.

By contrast, despite facing the toughest set of finances ever, Conservative run Southampton City Council is doing its utmost to protect front lines services and keep costs down for local residents.

In Southampton council tax will be frozen for the first time ever and care charges and parking charges won’t go up at all.All our swimming pools, leisure centres, Sure Start centres and libraries will stay open. In fact we will even be opening a new Library in the middle of the Millbrook estate.

More money will be spent repairing roads and pavements and looking after vulnerable children. This is all possible because we are tackling bureaucracy, stripping out layers of top management and getting better deals from suppliers.

We are also asking higher paid council staff to take a small pay cut whilst ensuring a pay rise for the lower paid. Those earning the most will have to take the biggest reduction. Labour instead want pay rises for those earning £70,000, £80,000 and even £100,000 a year and want big council tax rises, in particular on pensioner households, to pay for it. Some households could face over £400 more in council tax next year under Labour.

There is a clear choice at the local elections the May; a Conservative Party determined to protect services, keep council tax down and get the city through these tough times and a cynical Labour party dominated by the union bosses and hell bent on service cuts and crippling council tax rises to make their political points.

Managing Houses of Multiple Occupation

2011-02-21T19:36:00.000Z

Southampton’s Conservative Council has taken the lead in embracing new planning powers (called an Article 4 Direction) which allow the council to manage Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs) more effectively. In future, planning permission will be required for new HMOs. A formal decision will be taken by the council at its Cabinet on 14th March.

Conservatives Freeze Council Tax

2011-02-16T21:22:00.001Z

Today Conservative Councillors took the decision to freeze council tax in Southampton, for the coming year, ensuring that for the first time ever, residents will face no increase in council tax.

Civil Service Ground Progress

2011-01-19T13:56:00.001Z

Yesterday the Council’s planning panel unanimously approved official open space status for the Civil Service Ground. This is a key step towards the council acquiring the site for school and public use, later this year. Your Freemantle councillors all wrote in support of the application.

Freemantle Ward Surgery

2011-01-19T13:55:00.001Z

Your councillors are holding an advice surgery for local people at the Freemantle Community Centre on February 5th between 10am – 12pm.

Please come along if you need our help. There is no need to make an appointment. If you can’t make it please get in touch and we can arrange a home visit.

Cllr Jeremy Moulton
07940 766286 (mobile)
023 8083 3237 (office)
Email councillor.j.moulton@southampton.gov.uk

Cllr Michael Ball
023 8083 1788
Email councillor.m.ball@southampton.gov.uk

Cllr Brian Parnell
023 8079 0094
Email councillor.b.parnell@southampton.gov.uk

Tackling Anti Social Behaviour in Freemantle

2010-12-16T14:46:00.003Z

The City Council has received a number of complaints from residents regarding street drinking and associated anti-social behaviour in Shirley Road.

Southampton City Council and the Police have taken a range of actions to tackle anti-social behaviour in the area. Having been informed of the problems, this is what the council did:

- Increased police patrols in the area and used powers to seize alcohol.
- Identified those responsible for the problems and warned them about their behaviour.
- Removed a bench they were using a place to congregate.
- Visited local off licences and asked them not to serve to the main instigators of the problems in the area.

The council will continue to monitor the situation and take further action to deal with any further concerns that are raised.

If you have any questions about what has been done or would like to speak to someone about this or any other issues that are affecting you, please do not hesitate to contact us in the Safer Communities Team on 023 8083 2013.

To report a new or un-related problem of anti-social behaviour:

Call: 0845 045 45 45 Hampshire Constabulary
101 Non-emergency Police number

Go online: www.southampton.gov.uk
www.hampshire.police.uk

Civil Service Ground Update

2010-12-14T19:13:00.003Z

Progress is being made by the City Council to acquire the former Civil Service Sports Ground, behind Malmesbury Road. The council received approval earlier this year from the Secretary of State for Education to Compulsory Purchase the land.

The Council intends that the land is used as playing fields for local schools, including neighbouring St Marks School, as well as community use.

As part of the process the council has submitted a planning application to register the land as open space. The decision will be taken by the council's planning panel early in the New Year at a panel meeting in either January or February.

As your local councillors, Brian Parnell, Michael Ball and I have written formal letters of support. I also intend to speak at the panel meeting.

Bovis Homes and Stonechat (the development arm of the Civil Service Sports Club) have both objected and are arguing that at least some of the site should be developed for housing. We have been resisting these attempts to develop the site for many years and I will arguing strongly at the panel meeting that their submissions are rejected.

I am pleased to report that we have gained the formal support of Sport England who have unequivocally stated that in their view the whole site should be regarded as open space. I am very confident that the council will approve the application and that this will be an important step towards finally acquiring the land next year.

Her Majesty's Guide to the Country's Debt

2010-12-03T07:14:00.001Z

A tongue in cheek but very accurate guide to the county's national debt...

New Powers to Manage Multi Occupation Homes

2010-12-02T15:51:00.006Z

Southampton City Council is taking advantage of new powers made available by the government to better manage Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs).

As a port city with 2 universities, Southampton has areas with large concentrations of HMOs, leading to parking problems and other difficulties.

New planning powers, called an Article 4 Direction will allow the council to require planning permission for new HMOs and will mean it is possible to refuse applications where they are inappropriate or set sensible conditions on the applicants.

The council has announced that it will implement an Article 4 Direction as soon as possible and on Tuesday I headed a delegation from Southampton and Bournemouth to meet with Civil Servants in London from the Communities and Local Government Department to discuss how the new powers will work.

New Allotments for Brickfield Road

2010-11-16T18:31:00.005Z

Raf Persaud, Chairman of Northcote, Brickfield, Somerset and Portswood Road Residents Association with Conservative Councillor Vincenzo Capozzoli

I am delighted at the decision by the city council to protect the unused land at the corner of Brickfield Road, in Portswood from development.

A decision was taken back in 2006 by the Lib Dem council Administration at the time to sell the land for housing and when this came to light last year there was strong opposition, led by the local community group (NBSP).

In particular I would like to thank Raf Persaud for his tireless campaigning on behalf of the community.

Portswood Councillor Vincenzo Capozzoli and I have been working for the past 12 months to keep the site green and to protect the land for the local community.

Following the public meeting of local residents last year we have been working hard behind the scenes to reach an agreement with the University that will see the site converted to allotments. Using the site for allotments was a suggestion put forward at the residents meeting last year and I am pleased that the council has listened to local people and found a way to achieve this.

Mountbatten Way CREW

2010-11-16T17:19:00.002Z

My Colleague, Cllr Brian Parnell in Saxon Road

A major clear up of Mountbatten Way and nearby roads started today as part of Crime Reduction and Environment Week in Freemantle.

Offenders under the Community Payback scheme are working to tidy up rubbish that had been fly tipped in the area. Work will also include cutting back bushes, filling pot holes, erecting neighbourhood watch signs.

Lighting repairs on the bridge have been reported to Network Rail.

The clear up follows a request by the local neighbourhood watch for Saxon Road the Cracknore Road.

Southampton set to embrace new housing powers

2010-11-16T17:12:00.002Z

Southampton City Council is set to embrace new powers which will allow it to protect family homes and control where excessive concentrations of houses of multiple occupancy (HMOs) spring up in the city.

Last week the council received government guidance on new ways to control HMOs – rented homes where three or more unrelated people live.

The council is now looking at the best way to use these new powers, named Article 4, which means it will be able to refuse new HMOs in Southampton, where they are appropriate.

Article 4 powers allow local authorities to implement strict planning rules in specific areas. The rules require landlords to attain planning permission before turning homes into rented HMOs.

These powers would allow us to look carefully at areas in the city where there are problems or issues with houses of multiple occupancy. We can also look at areas where there are concerns from residents about protecting where they live in the future.

It means we can insist that landlords apply for planning permission if they change the use of a house into a HMO.

As well as exploring how it will use Article 4, the council is also working with communities and organisations to make sure plenty of houses remain as family homes in Southampton.

We want to embrace diversity in Southampton and make sure we cater for all. However we must protect family homes and make sure Southampton is a place where families can live and enjoy. To do that we need to make sure there are lots of family homes for our residents to choose from. That is why as well as looking at these new powers, we are also working with people like private landlords and the University of Southampton, who we are supporting with their accommodations strategy.

Well Done Southampton Schools!

2010-08-31T16:49:00.002Z

Results from Southampton Schools have been superb this year.

At Key Stage One the city is now above the national average, shooting up the local authority league tables.

At GCSE we have had our largest increase in our history at 4.1%, closing the gap significantly with national average.

The improvements reflect the hard work put in by teachers and pupils across the city. In addition the city council has worked with struggling schools, partnering them with good schools and investing in teacher training programmes.

Schools in the west of the city have done particularly well with big improvements in GCSE results:

Lord’s Hill Academy (+13%)
Upper Shirley High School (+5%)
Redbridge Community College (+17%)
Regents Park Community College (+10%)

The One Big Community Festival

2010-08-09T14:42:00.006Z

A free community festival is being held at Portswood Recreation Ground on Saturday 11th September. The festival has been arranged by local residents and includes live performances and interactive workshops.

For further details contact 07766 144373 or email nbspcommunity@hotmail.co.uk.

Local Conservative Councillors will be there during the day holding a surgery to help with local issues and problems.

The Keys are Handed over for No. 1 Guildhall Square

2010-08-09T14:17:00.005Z

Last week the keys were offically handed over for the new council office, No. 1 Guildhall Square. The new £25m building will house council and Capita staff. It is part of the wider regeneration of the Northern Above Bar quarter of the city, which will feature a new arts complex, heritage centre and include a refurbished Guildhall Square.

The city council is reducing its central buildings from 7 to 3 with the aim of saving money and improving working conditions for staff. Overall this rationalisation of buildings will save the local taxpayer about £700,000 per year.

The ground floor of One Guildhall Square will house Gateway, the council’s customer services centre which is set to open on 23rd August.

Avenue Improvements

2010-08-09T13:49:00.005Z

New bollards and cycle stands have been installed on the pavement outside the shops at Stag Gates on the Avenue. These are designed to restrict vehicle movements on and access to the footways. This action follows complaints by local residents about cars parking on the cyle and footpaths.

Further up the road work has begun on a new scheme to improve safety on the Avenue.

Two new traffic islands are being constructed to aid the right turns from The Avenue into Winn Road and Northlands Road. There will be some new hatched areas painted on the road to compliment the revised layout.

This area has proved something of an accident black spot over the years and this new layout is designed to reduce the likelihood of cars turning right being involved in accidents at these junctions.

Details of the scheme can be seen by clicking on the image below:

£35m Boost for Southampton's Academies

2010-08-06T16:40:00.003Z

Fantastic news! We have heard this afternoon that the new Coalition government has signed off the £35m for the rebuild of Southampton's two city academies.

Funding for the schools had been on hold because of a government review being undertaken of capital funding for schools across the country.

Building work for the Oasis Academy Mayfield starts in October and Lord's Hill Academy construction starts in January 2011.

Fighting for our local Schools

2010-07-15T15:59:00.003Z

How the new Lord's Hill Academy might look

Local Conservative Councillors yesterday announced that £13m of local council capital funding previously earmarked for Southampton's Building Schools for Future (BSF) programme would be protected.

This money will be combined with the new national national funding that we hope Southampton will receive when the government announces its replacement capital programme for schools.

The money will help to ensure that the city meets future demands for school places and that all Southampton's schools are brought up to a decent state of repair.

As well as lobbying for new government money and fighting to retain the £35m that local Conservatives secured for the city's two academies, we are pressing government to refund the £2.4m in aborted costs that the city council has incurred in preparing for the BSF scheme.

It is shameful that in these difficult economic times, when public sector funding is extremely tight, that local Labour Councillors are maintaining their opposition to the city's two academies and the additional funds to improve the schools, preferring for ideological reasons to see them split across two sites in out of date buildings.

Tackling Anti Social Behaviour in Freemantle

2010-06-18T17:05:00.004Z

Councillors Brian Parnell and Jeremy Moulton in Shirley Road

Your local councillors have been working with the City Council, the Police and the Probation Service to tackle fly tipping and anti social behaviour in the cutways between Stafford Road and the back of Poveys Dance Centre in Shirley Road.

Community Payback has been used to clear the litter. Signs in both Polish and English have been put up to discourage drinking. The council will also be consulting local people about whether some routes should be blocked off with gates, to discourage congregations of drinkers.

Thank You To Everyone Who Supported Me Thursday

2010-05-10T08:01:00.004Z

I am very grateful to everyone who supported me on Thursday at the General Election. I was very touched by the number of good luck messages I received in the run up to the elections and all the notes I have received since.

I am very proud of my team who worked tremendously hard across the constituency for several years, knocking doors and helping local people with their concerns. I am also very proud of the excellent, positive campaign that we fought.

We made a considerable dent in Labour's majority in Southampton Test and saw a huge rise in the Conservative vote. Next time we will win this seat I am sure.

The Southampton Test results were as follows:

Labour: 17,001
Conservative: 14,588
Lib Dem: 9,865
UKIP: 1,726
Green: 881

Majority: 2,413

I was very pleased to be re elected as Freemantle Ward Councillor with a decent majority. I will continue to work hard as a councillor, representing the area and ensuring that local people have a strong voice. The Conservatives have strengthened our position on the city council with two gains, one at the expense of Labour and the other the Lib Dems. We will continue to deliver a sound, responsible administration for Southampton.

The Freemantle Ward results were as follows:

Conservative: 2,490
Labour: 2,111
Lib Dem: 1,985

Majority: 379

On the national stage, I am delighted that Gordon Brown is finally on his way out. David Cameron now offers us fresh hope for the future and I am sure that he will put the nation first and work in the interests of Britain, putting partisan party politics aside.

Vote Conservative Today!

2010-05-06T08:42:00.002Z

Polling stations are open between 7am and 10pm.

If you need a lift to the polls please call us on 023 8022 5353.

Weekly Political Roundup

2010-04-26T20:33:00.004Z

Monday 19th April
- Interview with Radio Solent about Sheltered Housing Wardens
- Knocking doors in Millbrook

Tuesday 20th April
- Knocking doors in Regents Park

Wednesday 21st April
- Knocking doors in Regents Park

Thursday 22nd April
- Council meetings at the Civic Centre
- Constituency correspondence
- Politics Q+A session with Girl Guides at Freemantle United Reform Church

Friday 23rd April
- Taking part in year 8 democracy classes at Redbridge Community School
- Southampton Students Union Election debate
- Meeting wih University students
- Door knocking in Shirley

Saturday 24th April
- Door knocking in Shirley

Sunday 25th April
- Interview with Highfield Church
- Meeting with Inner Avnue Residents at the Avenue Pub Sunday Breakfast

Five Of My Local Priorities As Your Member Of Parliament

2010-04-18T20:23:00.002Z

1. A Better Deal for Southampton
I want a better deal for Southampton from government and I will be the city’s champion in Westminster. Labour has neglected the city for years, instead favouring areas in the North. I want to end the scandal whereby every year our tenants hand over millions of pounds of rent money to government for them to spend in the North of England.

2. Improvements to Local Schools
I am passionate about improving our local schools. I will fight to secure the rebuilding of 7 secondary schools in the city. I want to see parents put in the driving seat and to have a choice of good local schools.

3. Planning Reforms
I want to see Conservative reforms to planning laws, so that local people are protected against bad developments. I welcome our plans to restrict retrospective planning permission, to put decision making in the hands of local councils and to stop appeals to unelected planning inspectors. I back the rules that will limit excessive numbers of multiple occupation homes being concentrated in one area.

4. Fluoride Vote
Local people should have a say on fluoridation of water. I will fight for a local referendum and to stop the Labour government forcing fluoridation on the city’s residents without their consent.

5. Port and Jobs
I will do everything I can to protect and create local jobs. The port in particular is a huge direct and indirect employer and is a vital part of the city’s economy. I will fight to scrap Labour’s extra port taxes which threaten the port’s competitiveness.

Tory petrol plans might see fuel cut by 10p a litre.

2010-04-12T08:26:00.001Z

Petrol prices have now reached ridiculous levels, hitting families when times are tough anyway and making us all even more conscious of the amount of tax we have to pay every time we fill up at the pump.

Two years ago the Conservatives proposed a 'fuel stabiliser' policy. Effectively tax on fuel would fall when prices are high and rise again when they fall, thus avoiding huge spikes in fuel costs. Local Labour MPs poured scorn on it at the time but with petrol now a staggering £1.20 a litre, this policy would be a welcome relieve for families, perhaps saving as much as 10p a litre.

I Will Fight For Local Schools and Colleges

2010-04-11T21:55:00.001Z

As your Member of Parliament I will fight hard to improve our local schools and colleges.

I am pleased that I have been able to secure millions of pounds of funds for our primary schools. I am also delighted that we are pushing ahead with the rebuilding of two city academies. As a local councillor I helped secure £35m for these schools – money that Southampton Labour Councillors and MPs would have turned down.

We have 5 new secondary school building projects in the pipeline. The only thing holding back approval for these new schools is government sign off. As soon as the government gives the go ahead the city council will enter procurement to build the new schools. My concern is that our local Labour MPs are delaying the projects for political reasons, during the election campaign.

Our Labour MPs have already let the city’s young people down once, by refusing millions of pounds of promised funds to rebuild Taunton’s and Itchen college. It would be shameful for them to put our new secondary schools at risk too.

This Week

2010-03-25T19:12:00.002Z

Monday 22nd March
- Council Meetings
- Meeting residents in Millbrook

Tuesday 23rd March
- Council Meetings
- Meeting residents in Millbrook

Wednesday 24th March
- Meeting residents in Millbrook

Thursday 25th March
- Speaking at the Yacht Club in Ocean Village
- Constituency casework

Friday 26th March
- Launch of the new self service system at Lordshill Library
- Meeting young people at Fairbridge to discuss voting and the election
- Meeting residents in Freemantle and Millbrook

Labour have run out of ideas and run out of our money

2010-03-24T15:20:00.001Z

Labour inherited a healthy, growing economy and will leave office with the public finances in tatters. They have more than doubled the national debt and are set to double it again in the next 4 years. We are now spending more on debt interest than on educating our children.

Labour have failed to outline a credible plan to tackle the deficit and by delaying the spending review until beyond the election Labour are deliberately hiding the truth from the public.

The Chancellor promised no new tax rises but is freezing the personal allowance for income tax, a stealth tax on the lowest paid.

There is no fresh thinking and the best ideas are ones pinched from the Conservatives, like plans for a green investment bank and axing stamp duty below £250,000 for first time home buyers.

Labour have run out of ideas and run out of our money.

Conservative Councillors Run for Sport Relief

2010-03-21T17:42:00.002Z

Today a team of Conservative Councillors joined thousands of other runners for Southampton's Sport Relief run, round the city centre.

Visit to Central Sure Start

2010-03-19T07:39:00.004Z

On Monday I accompanied Maria Miller MP, Shadow Minister for Familes and the MP for Basingstoke to the Central Sure Start in Clovelly Road. We met with staff and parents to discuss their experience of the service and Conservative plans to help families.

David Cameron has made it clear that he wants Britain to become the most family friendly country in Europe and improving Sure Start is central to that vision. If the Conservatives form the next government we plan to recruit an extra 4,200 health visitors nationwide and have greater emphasis on health outcomes.

Maria commented during the visit that she was impressed by how closely Southampton City Council and the city's Primary Care Trust worked.

The Conservatives Will Overhaul Labour's Failed Planning System

2010-03-18T17:38:00.012Z

Today I met with Shadow Housing Minister, Grant Shapps to discuss the new Conservative Green Paper on planning.

Our broken planning system is in desperate need of an overhaul and local communities need to be put in the driving seat.

I am particularly pleased by two key changes an incoming Conservative Government would make.

Stopping Retrospective Planning Applications

Firstly, we would extend permitted development rights so that simple changes to residential properties would not need planning permission. We would at the same time seriously restrict retrospective planning applications, allowing them only where genuine mistakes are made. This would have two effects. It would mean that simple, non controversial planning matters would not have to go through the rigmarole of the planning process, thereby freeing up money and resources which could be better spent on enforcement. It would mean that rogue developers would no longer be able to bypass local planning authorities, developing properties and then only applying for planning permission when challenged or when threatened with enforcement action. I come across this sort of abuse on a regular basis in my role as a councillor and it is of huge concern to local people.

Reforming the Planning Appeals Process

Secondly, we would reform the planning appeals process, which currently undermines democratic decision making by local council planning panels and which allows developers to run rings around planning officers. We would limit the grounds for planning appeals to where correct procedures were not followed and where decisions contravene local planning rules.

For far too long rogue developers have 'played the system' using a bureaucratic and centrist planning system to run roughshod over local people and to get around local planning decisions.

Give Us A Vote!

2010-03-18T08:01:00.003Z

On Wednesday I was delighted to support a motion to the City Council, calling for a public refurendum on whether fluoride should be added to the local water.

The council debate was about fluoride but not about the merit of fluoride or the concerns of those who oppose it. It was instead about Democracy.

It is clear that an overwhelming majority of residents in Southampton do not wish to have fluoride added to their water.The NHS’ initial consultation attracted 10,000 responses, with 72 per cent against. In a separate and later phone poll of 2,000 residents, 38 per cent opposed fluoridation compared to 32 per cent in favour. Whichever way you cut it, to date, local people have made it clear that they don’t want fluoride.

In a democratic, free country we should respect the views of majority. Labour’s unelected quango, the South Central NHS are however pushing ahead with their plans.

I feel that on such an important issue you shouldn’t ride roughshod over residents’ views. On Wednesaday I called for a referendum to determine finally and without doubt the views of local people. I would expect the NHS and the Government to respect the outcome of that referendum.

I was delighted that the motion was carried, albeit without the support of Labour or the Lib Dems.

On Wednesday we voted on the motion and made our views as a council known. However it is important to note that the Conservative Party nationally support local people having their say and a referendum. David Cameron and Andrew Lansley MP have both put this view on the public record when speaking recently in Hampshire.

Out and About in the Community

2010-03-13T20:02:00.005Z

I am having a series of surgeries across the Southampton Test constituency.

This is an opportunity for me and the Conservative candidates for the city council elections to meet people and answer questions about politics or help with their concerns.

In January I met with Newtown residents at the Argyle Centre and in February I met residents at St Denys Community Centre. Today I held a surgery at Highfield Church. Amongst the issues we discussed were Houses of Multiple Occupation and Conservative Party policies on schools and higher education.

Next Saturday I am holding a surgery at the MP3 Mansel Park Pavilion in Evenlode Road, Millbrook. I will be there with local councillor Paul Holmes and Chris Webb the Conservative candidate for Redbridge Ward. Tea and coffee will be served!

My Contract With Southampton Test

2010-03-13T19:56:00.003Z

I really believe we need to change the way we do politics. I am committed to fighting a positive and honest election campaign, and that’s the way I will conduct myself if elected as a Member of Parliament. I have set out 10 pledges as part of my contract with Southampton Test.

If elected as a Member of Parliament for Southampton Test, I Jeremy Moulton will:

1. Continue to live in Southampton.

2. Represent local people with regular surgeries around the constituency.

3. Publish online details of any personal expenses incurred as your Member of Parliament.

4. Publish online details of any office expenses incurred as your Member of Parliament.

5. Open up my unedited expenses claims to local newspapers at the end of every financial year.

6. Never claim for food.

7. Never claim for furniture or household goods.

8. Meet my own tax liabilities - such as stamp duty - without claiming them from the taxpayer.

9. Not claim the £10,400pa Communications Allowance to produce MP leaflets.

10. Fight for a fairer deal for Southampton.

Closing the Student Visa Security Loophole

2010-03-13T19:33:00.002Z

The student visa system has been the biggest hole in our border controls for a decade under this Government. Conservatives would make it a priority to crack down on bogus colleges and illegal working. I recently spoke to Solent University Student, Adam Worthington about the issue.

5 More Years of Gordon Brown or Change with the Conservatives

2010-03-13T14:33:00.000Z

Southampton Special Constables to be exempt from Council Tax

2010-02-20T21:03:00.003Z

I am pleased that last week the City Council approved a new scheme to help the Police recruit more Special Constables in the city. From April residents who live in Southampton and who volunteer as Specials to help police the local streets will be exempt from playing council tax.

I am delighted that after a three year long campaign the scheme will be up and running in a few months time.

When I knock on doors and meet people, time and time again I am told that we need more police on the streets. The numbers of Special Constables has halved since 1997 and it is hoped that this new initiative will double number in Southampton.

Low Council Tax and Better Roads and Pavements

2010-02-20T17:42:00.002Z

That’s what local people tell me they want the City Council to Focus on.

- Local Conservatives have achieved a below inflation council tax increase at 2.5% - the lowest in the city’s history.

- The roads budget inherited from the Lib Dems has been doubled and a further £700,000 has been allocated to tackle the damage from the winter weather.

- £6m of efficiency savings have been indentified, including saving hundreds of thousands of pounds in council communications.

The impact of the recession and chronic under funding of the city by government makes it very difficult for the council to make ends meet. However many people are struggling at the moment and we need to ensure that we keep taxes down while still protecting services.