Primary School Results Announced

Tories Should Leave the EPP

David Cameron is right to say that the Conservative Party MEPs should leave the European Peoples Party grouping in the European Parliament. The EPP is a centralist, federalist grouping of European political parties which support the European Constitution. A Conservative party believing in a Europe of nation states controlling our own destiny and taking back powers to Westminister can't remain associated with a group like the EPP.

The Future is Cameron

I've cast my vote for David Cameron in the leadership election for the new leader of the Conservative Party.

I have really enjoyed the leadership campaign, from the beauty parade at conference through to the last few days. It has been like a political version of Big Brother. The involvement of all the members has meant that it has been a public debate and we've had a chance to get to know all the candidates.

Cameron has got better by the day. He was excellent at the SE Hustings in Frimley last week and came across really well on radio 4 the other day. He is talking about the sorts of issues that concern people, especially younger people who can't stand Blair and are looking for an in touch and effective opposition. He has talked a lot about the environment and climate change and also action on poverty in the third world.

I think he is going to make an excellent leader and the next few years are going to be really exciting.

I hope he uses all the talents on the Conservative benches when forming a Shadow Cabinet. It would fatastic to have William Hague back and hopefully Clarke will agree to serve in a senior role.

Keeping warm this Christmas

The Echo are running a campaign on keeping warm over the winter period.

This winter is expected to be one of the coldest since 1987.

Anyone worried about their winter fuel bill is urged to call the Keep Warm Keep Well helpline on 0800 085 7000 for information and advice about benefits and energy efficiency grants.

Age Concern Hampshire also runs a free helpline on 0800 328 7154.


http://www.thisissouthampton.co.uk/hampshire/southampton/campaigns/freeze.html

Conservativehome.com

This is an excellent political blog:

www.conservativehome.com

Conference Pics on Conservatives Website

Pictures from Conservative Party conference at Blackpool are finally on the Southampton Conservatives website.

http://www.southamptonconservatives.com

Its only taken six weeks and most of them seem to be at the pleasure beach.

Full Council Meeting

Yesterday the Council held is bi-monthly full Council meeting.

Parking Problems

A lengthy debate took place on parking in the City following a deputation from residents of Ocean Village.

The broad view amongst Councillors of all parties was that John Prescott's restrictive planning rules were causing huge parking problems in City. The Government sets maximum limits on numbers of car parking spaces that can be provided for new developments. The Council's local planning plan then gold plates these rules by restricting the numbers of places even further where developments are close to the City centre or on major bus routes.

This is why developments such as the new flats in Shirley Road provide about 10 spaces for fifty or sixty flats.

The objective is to try to drive people out of their cars. The reality however is that people will not give up their cars and park on the roads. It is now a major battle in parts of the City to park outside your own house.

Over the next 20 years over 16,000 new properties are planned to be built in the City and the problem will get worse and worse.

The Council has decided to have a enquiry (an enquiry was held last year, 50 people turned up and none of the actions have been taken up by the Administration!) This enquiry will I hope have more success. I made the point that Council needs to review it's planning plan to ensure that we require the maximum numbers of spaces for new developments.


Safety in the City Parks

I asked that the Council do more to improve safety in the City Centre parks. Lighting is terrible in the parks and needs improving. We could also install CCTV and have security patrols.

Unfortuately the Administration wouldn't agree to these things on grounds of cost. My own view from researching the costs is that big improvements could be made for relatively small sums of money.

We should be doing everything we can to keep people safe at night and I will come back to the matter when the Council sets its budget for next year.

Anti Skid Surfacing in Raymond Road

Anti skid surfacing will be put in along Raymond Road before the end of the year. The plan is to do it as soon after 21st November as possible, weather conditions permitting.

Freemantle Community Centre AGM cancelled

I only just discovered that this has been rescheduled (15 mins before it started). The new date is 5th December, at 7:30, at Freemantle Community Centre, Randolph Street. Apologies if anyone has been inconveienced. Cllr Brian Parnell has agreed to Chair the meeting.

Christmas is coming

As mentioned in a previous post the Council has approved £50,000 for Christmas Lights.
This year's display will be much better with the new pedestrian area on the upper High Street included in the Christmas Lighting Scheme.
Also The Southampton Youth Brass band will be playing carols at the Bargate on Thursday evenings, and the Saint Radio Station will put together a weekend of festive entertainment, featuring live bands in December.

Freemantle Community Centre AGM

The Freemantle Community Centre in Randoph Street is having its AGM at 7pm tomorrow (7th November). Brian Parnell and I will be going along.

More information is on the Council website:

http://www.southampton.gov.uk/community/community-services/community-centres/freemantle-community-centre.asp

Flooding in Archers Road

There was serious flooding at the junction of Archers Road and Silverdale Road today, causing traffic chaos. Evetually the stretch of road was closed off and a vehicle was brought down from Poole to pump out the water. Although it is all sorted now, many drivers and residents were seriously inconvenienced and some stuck in rush hour traffic for an hour.

The problem is largely caused by the dip in the road at the junction.

I have written to the Council to see if there is anything that can be done about it, as this stretch of road is regularly prone to flooding problems.

Money from the flat developments on old Dell site is being used to resurface Howard Road and the Hill Lane end of Archers Road. I wonder if the Council could flatten road or widen the drains as part of this work.

I have also asked the Council to be more vigilant in clearing the leaves in the area. The area is covered with fallen leaves which no doubt block the drains to some extent and make any flooding worse.

The Council also needs to respond to situations like this much quicker. Local police were on the scene to direct traffic but the Council wasn't able to act for many hours.

Action needed to stop city centre attacks

Southampton has a vibrant city centre nightlife enjoyed by local people. In addition it has two very popular universities, attracting thousands of young people to the city every year, many of whom will be living away from home for the first time.The city has a duty to ensure that people are safe at night. Reports of attacks in city centre parks require immediate action from the police and the city council. Better lighting in the parks, cctv and the need for a bigger uniformed presence (police or city patrol or both); these are things being talked about but what is needed is urgent action.

Farmers' market comes to Southampton

Hampshire Farmers’ Market will hold the first farmers’ market in Southampton on Saturday (15 October) from 10am until 2pm in Western Esplanade outside the West Quay shopping centre.

The Mayor of Southampton, Edwina Cooke, will be there to open the market.

All the produce at the market comes from Hampshire or within ten miles of the border. The range of produce on offer will include free-range meat and eggs, oven ready game, preserves and relishes, sauces and soups, a huge variety of cheeses, fresh and smoked fish, wines and ales, cider, fruit juice, freshly baked bread and cakes, seasonal fruit, vegetables and salads, lavender products, Hampshire honey, fudge, plants, and a variety of organic produce.

The next Hampshire Farmers’ Market in Southampton will take place on Saturday 17 December 2005.

Bureaucracy gone mad

The panel planning and rights of way panel at the City Council agreed last week to enforce the removal of the ramp outside the local shop in Park Road. The Council has given 6 months for it's removal. The Conservative on the panel spoke and voted against but the decision was reached my majority.

Bureaucracy gone mad.

Conservative Party Conference

I have recently got back from Party Conference in Blackpool. A big team of us from Southampton went up there and had a fantastic time.

We spent a day at Blackpool pleasure beach which was excellent. It has some excellent roller coasters if you like that sort of thing.

The atmosphere at the Conference was really positive and everyone felt that it was the best conference for years.

The backdrop of a leadership campaign for leader of the party made it very interesting as the party members will end up voting on the final two candidates in the next month or so.

All the leadership candidates were good and talked about working together whoever the eventual winner ends up being.

William Hague was brilliant. Michael Howard's final conference speech was very passionate and moving.

It really felt like the party was at a crucial turning point.

I managed to attend an interesting debates on the pensions crisis, the idea of a flat tax and on localism (devolving powers from the centre to local areas).

Went to an fun quiz night (MPs vs. journalists) with Boris Johnson. Saw Derek from big Brother.

I will put some photos on our local party website went I get a chance. www.southamptonconservatives.com

Park Road

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conservatives push up City Recycling

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

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

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

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

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

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

Christmas Lights

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

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

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

Tories win Bitterne Park By Election

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

The results were as follows:

Conservative 984

Labour 791
Lib Dem 785
Green 89
Turnout 25.8%

Conservative Clifford Coombes

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

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