Twenty Is Plenty!

The new Conservative Council Administration has announced plans to slow down traffic outside of Southampton's schools.

Signs encouraging drivers to slow down to 20mph will be installed around all the city's schools by the end of March next year.

This should have happened along time ago and I am really pleased this important issue is now being tackled.

Click HERE to read the Daily Echo report and HERE for Southampton City Council's press release.

IKEA Coming to Southampton

After a marathon planning meeting last night, city councillors finally gave approval for Swedish furniture giant, IKEA to build a superstore in Southampton.

The store will be built on the former Pirelli site in West Quay Road and will be a huge boost to the city economy creating 500 jobs.

This is fantastic news for Southampton and is one of a number of major city developments which will boost the city. Cruise giant Carnival are also to have their head office located in the area, on the West Quay Phase 3 site and this secures a further 900 jobs in Southampton. Plans to redevelop Northern Above Bar are also making progress.

The only hurdle in the way for IKEA remains the threat of the government over ruling Southampton's decision. This happened before and the secretary of state blocked a previous move from IKEA to come to the city. I am hopeful that this won't happen again.

Read more about the plans HERE.

New College Application Passed

Linden Homes' scheme for 200 flats and some offices on the New College site off the Avenue was given approval this evening. The Planning Panel was split 4-2 on the decision, which was taken at half past six, three and a half hours after the item was due to be considered on the planning agenda.

I along with a number of concerned residents spoke at the meeting. Concerns about parking, over development and design of the buildings (which resemble Lego bricks) were knocked back by councillors in the teeth of local opposition.

The development goes against the recently adopted council policy of providing more family housing. Despite councillors of all parties voting in September to ensure that at least 30% of new developments are family houses, Lib Dem and Labour councillors voted to approve the Linden scheme which includes 91% flats.

On the positive side Linden Homes agreed to put the new development on Combined Heat and Power.

Raymond Road

For a number of years the Council has been looking at some changes to the Raymond Road / Hill Lane junction.

There have been a few accidents over the years. Turning right from Raymond Road into Hill Lane has always been difficult because visibility on the corner is quite bad.

I have also relieved a number of letters asking if the Council could do something to help cyclists and pedestrians cross the road to access the Common entrance.

The Council's initial plans were to put in yet another set of traffic lights at the junction. I have been opposing this as it will mean more congestion and more cars using roads like Thornbury Avenue and Greville Road as rat runs to get into town.

Council officers are now working on an alternative proposal.

This is likely to include a Toucan crossing for pedestrians and cycles to be located just to the north of Raymond Road. The footways could be widened on either side of the crossing to allow for shared use by pedestrians and bicycles.

Also being investigated is the possibility of providing pedestrian islands in Raymond Road near to Hill Lane.

Planning Meeting - 6th November

Next Tuesday's planning panel meeting has some very important and controversial applications on the agenda, including the New College Linden Homes development and also IKEA. Click HERE for a full list of applications.

New College

This is a proposal for 200+ flats and commercial units on the old La Santa Union Site.

I have commented on this application previously and objected on a number of grounds.

I am very concerned about this proposed development which once again is flats, flats, flats and very little family housing. This is despite full council recently agreeing to new strict family housing planning policies.

Also I am concerned that only minimal efforts have been made to make the proposed development environmentally sound and sustainable. I would very much like to see any development on the site link into the city's combined heat and power (CHP) station or provide on site CHP and am very disappointed that Linden rejected this idea. Again this is despite the clear direction of the council to expand CHP across the city.

The New College Application will be heard on Tuesday at 3pm at the Civic Centre. Anyone can go along to the meeting.

Freight Plan Back on Track

Its been years in the waiting but finally its been announced that Southampton will get the long awaiting funding from Government to upgrade rail links with the West Midlands.

Years of lobbying by the city council and Associated British Ports has finally borne fruit and the £43m investment will be used to enlarge the tunnel which runs under the city centre allowing larger containers to be taken of the roads and put on the trains.

Not only will this provide economic benefits for the area it will also ease conditions on the city's roads and help the local environment.

Work will start in 2008 and is due to be complete in 2011.

Southampton's Recycling Highest Ever

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

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

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

For more details click HERE.

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

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

Brown Plans Raid On School Coffers

Brown is keen to get his hands on schools' money

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

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

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

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

A Vision For Southampton

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

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

Click HERE to read the Vision in full.

Delivering On Our Promises

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

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

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

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

Key highlights include:

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

Southampton Uni Conservatives Go from Strength to Strength

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

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

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

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

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

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

Conservative Council wins praise from Government

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

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

Click HERE to read more.

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

Did Ming fall on his sword or was he knifed?

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

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

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

Planning Meeting 9th October

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

Applications in Freemantle Ward being considered are:

117-123 Paynes Road - 41 flats

118 Waterloo Road - 12 flats

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

A Waste of Public Money

I have just read the front page of Today's Daily Echo. I have to say I am quite annoyed.

The Southampton Partnership is planning to £120k of tax payers' money on a replica foam model of Southampton which it would like stored underneath the stairs in the civic centre art gallery. They also plan to spend £25,000 on 13 roads signs around the city.

The first I heard about this plan was just now when I read it in the paper. From the sounds of it the city council wasn't consulted either. Given that the Southampton Partnership is supposed to be a "partnership" I am surprised by that.

Reading the comments on Echo's website the majority of people are scathing in their criticism and quite understandably think that the decision is the council's. It isn't. The Southampton Partnership is body which is unelected and unaccountable to the public.

I blame the Government largely. When they talk about improving local democracy and local decision making, its precisely this sort of thing that they have in mind - bodies which bypass locally elected representatives, making public expenditure decisions.

The money itself to pay for this comes from SEEDA, another unelected body.

The only hand the Council has had in this sorry saga has been to propose its own idea. The new Conservative Council argued that the money should be spent on a bronze replica of a spitfire plane on the roundabout by the DeVere. This suggestion as rejected by the Southampton Partnership as not being sufficiently exciting. Well, it received almost overwhelming public support and in my view would have become a symbol of the city.

When the spitfire proposal was rejected, I didn't really expect any alternatives to be proposed instead. The SEEDA money I expected would be lost, as it needs to spent next year. No, in a last minute, desperate attempt, a new proposal has come forward. In my view its an abuse of public money!

£26m Boost for Council Services

On Monday over 550 Southampton City Council staff will take up employment with Capita to help transform the level of service that the Council offers its customers.

A ten year contract was signed a few weeks ago with Capita to deliver a range of services including, customer services, HR, IT and property services, over the next ten years.

The new Conservative Council has set a joint goal with Capita to make a saving of at least £48m; £26 million of which is being invested in the services. £33m of this total has been guaranteed by Capita.

Lottery Grant for Tudor House

Southampton has been awarded over £334,000 for Tudor House. The award comes after the decision by the new Conservative Council to allocate £540,000 to support a project to reopen the building as a museum and herritage attraction. There is also a chance for Southampton City Council to be awarded with £3.5million.

Work is estimated to take two years to complete, opening its doors to the public in April 2011. It is aimed that Tudor House becomes an accessible and enjoyable experience for local people and visitors to the city. Lifts will be installed, along with a new café and displays will tell the fascinating stories of the building those who lived and worked there.

Alongside Tudor House, plans will be developed for King John’s Palace and the Tudor Merchants’ Hall to bring the full heritage of the old town back to life.

Click HERE for more news on Tudor House.

Greenpeace Welcomes the Conservative Energy Vision for Southampton

A week after Southampton's new Conservative Council Administration launched its green energy for the city, Greenpeace is teaming up with the City Council and energy company Utilicom to promote sustainable power and energy.

Tomorrow night the DeVere Grand Harbour will play host to over a hundred councillors, MPs and environmental experts who will be meeting to discuss how combined heat and power (CHP)schemes such as one in Southampton can be used to cut carbon emissions.

Councillor Gavin Dick (pictured above), Conservative Environment Cabinet Member said Councillor will be speaking at the event, promoting the work of Southampton City Council and encouraging others to back Southampton's green energy vision. He said: "Southampton is leading the way on sustainable energy thanks to the city`s CHP network, and we are delighted to be able to promote this success in the hope that other local authorities and businesses will learn from our own experiences."

Click HERE for Southampton City Council's press release on the subject.

Click HERE for coverage on environmental website Tenbees.

Celebrating Southampton's Heritage

RMS Titanic

Later this month Southampton's new Conservative led Council will push ahead with plans for a heritage centre in the West Wing of the Civic Centre, to celebrate and displaythe city's colourful history.


Southampton has a heritage offer of international standing. The Titanic, the Spitfire, Jane Austen, King Canute, Henry V and the departure to the battle of Agincourt, D-Day, and cruise liners such as the Queen Mary II are of worldwide interest. Of more local interest the Roman, Anglo-Saxon andmedieval history shapes the city of Southampton today.


On 17th September the council will agree to apply for lottery funding to renovate the Civic Centre's Wing Wing, a grade 2 listed building, which includes the old magistrates courts and the police headquarters. The police are due to vacant the building 2010.

The new heritage centre will be open by 2012, the 100th anniversary of the fateful sailing of RMS Titanic from Southampton.

Full details of the council report being considered on 17th September can be found by clicking HERE.

Plans Unveiled To Make Southampton Britain's Greenest City

At Springhill School, the new Conservative Council Administration today launched its integrated energy vision for Southampton.

The vision will see the expansion of energy efficient combined heat and power (CHP) technology throughout the city and better use of renewable energy such as biomass.

The biggest change will be to require as part of the planning process, large-scale developments in the city (such as new schools and colleges and large scale residential developments) to incorporate district energy such as CHP . These large developments will then act as hubs to link in smaller developments and existing dwellings.

At the moment, the city's CHP network already supplies around 40 businesses including the West Quay shopping centre, The Quays Swimming Complex and Southampton Solent University, while similar small-scale CHP plants are in use at Southampton General Hospital and Southampton University.

Planning development costs for households wanting to put up solar panels or install small-scale wind turbine generators will also be abolished.