A Fair Deal For Council Tenants

It is widely accepted across the political spectrum that Southampton gets a rotten deal from the government. Each year the government in real terms cuts a large chunk out of the council's budget. The net effect of this after ten years of Labour is a council tax that has more than doubled.

The new Conservative council in Southampton is working hard to improve the city and to get a fair deal from the government. As well as investment in our roads, in our local schools and in making our streets safer we need greater investment in housing. We also need a to get a fair deal from government for our council tenants. You would imagine that the rents tenants pay would all be reinvested back into improvements to housing and related services. Sadly this is not the case and next year the government will take £5.8m out of the rents that our tenants in the city pay.

In effect the Labour government is making a profit out of our council tenants and they are denying the city the investment it needs to improve housing standards to the level that we would like. To add insult to injury, every year the government forces up the rents way above the rate of inflation. As I candidate for Parliament I am fighting for a fair deal for tenants and lobbying to get this money back. The new Conservative council is taking bold steps to improve housing in the city. For instance the extra £1.5m of investment into the Maybush and Millbrook Park estates and in the private rented sector, the extra £1.8m for free home insulation.

We could do so much more if we also got back that £5.8m of tenants' money. Southampton has 18,000 council homes. That's over £300 extra investment per property in just one year! This is money that could be spent on cleaning, painting and decorating, new kitchens, bathrooms, improved heating and security.

As well as more investment for council homes it would also mean more work locally. The city council is working hard to be more supportive of local firms who wish to bid for such work. This would mean more local jobs at a time when families and businesses are struggling with the backdrop of the recession.

At the moment Southampton is losing out and I will fight in Parliament to redress the balance and to get a fair deal for the city.

Now For Change

Conservative Action to Get Britain Working

Jeremy with Conservative Party Chairman, Caroline Spelman MP

A comprehensive programme to help get Britain's economy back on track was launched yetserday at Southampton Rose Bowl.

Conservative Party Chairman, Caroline Spelman MP and Southampton Parliamentary Candidate, Jeremy Moulton, were at the event to talk about the Conservative action plan to help businesses and families through the economic downturn and to listen to the views of Hampshire businesses.

£1.8m Package to Insulate Local Homes

In December I launched a new scheme with the Southampton City Council and the energy company E-ON to provide free insulation for all private rented homes in the city. The £1.8 million scheme will help insulate over 3,000 homes.

This is a huge investment that will make a real difference to thousands of residents, many of whom are vulnerable people struggling to heat their homes.

By insulating homes for free we will ensure that fuels bills are cut. As well as keeping people warm, it is great news for the environment.

Valetine's Day Skydive

I am taking part in the Valentine's Day Skydive to raise money for Rose Road.

The charity is based in Lordswood and works with over 200 children and young people with complex disabilities.

I am taking part in the 10,000 ft jump along with Cllrs Paul Holmes and Ben Walker and I hope to raise £1,000 for the charity.

Visit my Justgiving page to sponsor me.

Happy New Year!

I have been working hard as your Parliamentary Candidate for Southampton Test since being selected 12 months ago.

It's been a fantastic year, and I am proud to have made several changes in Southampton as a member of the new Conservative Cabinet on Southampton City Council.

- Doubling spending on repairing our roads.

- Securing £35m of funding for two new city academies.

- Boosting investment in our estates with an extra £1.5m for Millbrook and Maybush.

- Launching a new £1.8m package to insulate 3,000 rented homes.

I have also put a stop to the unpopular policies of the last administration, such as their plans to scrap the weekly bin collection and their plan to introduce extra charges for residents parking zones.

During 2009 I will be working with my council colleagues to do everything I can to support Southampton people through the tough economic times and get our city through the crisis.

- We are investing in key infrastructure projects in the city with our programme of works amounting to £80m over the coming 12 months.

- We will see continued investment in the city with IKEA opening in February, the redevelopment of Northern Above Bar, the opening of the new Carnival HQ and the planning application for Watermark West Quay, one of the biggest retail developments in the south.

- We will ensure council tax is kept as low as possible and will deliver on our commitment for a 10% discount for pensioners.

- We will help recruit more Special Constables by giving them a 100% discount on their council tax. We will also support the police in limiting the number of new pub and club licences in the city centre and Bevois Valley. Thousands of worn out street lights will be replaced.

- We will expand our new schools sports partnership with Solent University. 20 schools will be taking part in this hugely successful scheme in 2009.

I will keep local people updated throughout the year on what I’m doing. Last year I worked closely with many resident and tenant groups and met with representatives from a number of faith and voluntary groups in the city. I am keen to meet with and support many more local groups in 2009.

A happy and prosperous New Year to everyone!

Best Wishes


Cllr Jeremy Moulton

Parliamentary Candidate for Southampton Test

Redbridge Lane Housing Plans Delayed

I have been fighting plans to build 300 homes along Redbridge Lane, opposite Five Acre Field. The land falls under Test Valley and I have repeatedly voiced my concerns with the Leader of Test Valley Borough Council.

I am very worried about the loss of open space between Nursling and Southampton and about traffic problems from over development.

As a result of my lobbying and that of my colleague Cllr Paul Holmes (pictured above) we have secured a commitment that development along Redbridge Lane will not take place until at least 2023.

This is good news but it is not an end to our campaign to stop over development in Redbridge.

Brown's Borrowing Binge

The legacy of a decade of Labour and Gordon Brown is that Britain is worst placed amongst major economies to weather the economic storm.

Yesterday Labour embmarked on a massive borrowing binge which will leave the country more indebted that at any time in history. With national debt set to exceed a trillion pounds Brown will borrow more than Dennis Healey did before he went cap in hand to the IMF and more than Winston Churchill during the Second World War. Gordon Brown will next year alone borrow in excess of £100b and more than the entire NHS budget.

The country now faces huge unexploded tax bombshell with taxes set to rise dramatically in the future to pay off Brown's debt mountain; rises in national insurance, income tax and car tax.

The Coolest Place in Southampton!

With Cllr Royston Smith at the Launch of the Christmas Ice Rink

Southampton's Christmas Icerink was officially opened last Thursday night by City Mayor, Brian Parnell and ice skating star Robin Cousins.

Sited on the forecourt of the Civic Centre it is a fantastic location and its already proving extremely popular. Click HERE for more details.

Action to Curb Cycling on the Pavements

A campaign was launched in Shirley last week to stop cyclists riding dangerously on the pavements. I have been working with the city council and the police over the past few months to tackle the problem of dangerous cyclists. Large numbers of residents from Shirley and Freemantle have contacted me. They are concerned that the problem is getting worse.

New signs, like the one above, have been installed along Shirley High Street. Initially the plan is to persuade and educate people. However as a last resort the police can hand out £30 fines.

C&A Building Demolition Underway

The demolition of the former C&A building on Northern Above Bar has now begun, to make way for a new modern office block in two years time.

The new building will house Southampton City Council and Capita staff and will provide a new customer service centre on the ground floor, along with retail outlets and a restaurant.

The office block will be an important component of the Northern Above Bar regeneration project. I am really pleased that demolition of C&As is going ahead and that we are on course for the new building in 2010.

US Election Night

Tuesday was a late night at the University Students Union. I, along with several hundred politics enthuiasts gathered to watch the US election results as they started to come in during the early hours of the following morning. It was an historic night with America electing its first black president and voting overwhelmingly for change. I thought John McCain's concession speach was tremendous and was a testament the character of the man.

Connect2 Signing

Tuesday was the offical signing date for the new Connect2 cycle way which will connect up St Denys and Northam. The new £450,000 pedestrian and cycle route will run along the waterfront between Horseshoe Bridge and Northam Bridge. The project is a partnership between Southampton City Council, The Lottery and Sustrans (the cycle charity) and the money was awarded after Southampton won a national competition for lottery funding.

Community spirit is alive and well in Waltham Crescent

Congratulations to local residents in Waltham Crescent and to the members of the Four Walls Tenants and Residents Association who spent yesterday planting daffodil bulbs on the grass verges around the close.

I am looking forward to seeing the area in bloom come the spring!

Lottery Boost For St. James' Park

St. James' Park in Shirley

St. James' Park has received a £65,000 cash boost from the Heritage Lottery Fund. This will allow detailed plans to be drawn up for the full £1.5million park improvement scheme.

The lottery funding awarded will enable work on the detailed designs to progress over the next 6 months and is a key step towards converting the vision of park users into a reality.

The Friends of St James’ Park have been working with local people on ideas for the park. Plans for the park include:

- fully refurbishing the WW2 building with a café and community room,

- creating two new entrances to the park,

- refurbishing the tennis courts,

- improving play facilities with something for both young and old!

Lord's Hill Academy

At the launch of the Lord's Hill Academy

On Monday I went to the inaugural meeting of the council of the newly opened Lord's Hill Academy. I have just been appointed to the school council as the local authority's representative.

There have been some big improvements made to both the Oaklands and the Millbrook site, with the buildings freshly painted and with new signs. The new school has had to make huge changes in to prepare for the new term in a very short space of time and it is a tribute to the new headmaster and his team that everything has gone so smoothly.

A Two Year Council Tax Freeze

Southampton along with the rest of the South East is chronically underfunded by central Government, with a disproportionate amount of the taxes we pay being transferred to the North of England.

Locally whilst Southampton’s Labour MPs have defended the situation and refused to stand up to Gordon Brown, the Conservatives have campaigned for a fairer deal for the city.

Council Tax has more than doubled under Labour in the last 11 years. Locally we all remember the 18% hike of the last Labour City Council administration.

I was therefore delighted to hear the announcement at our October party conference, that an incoming Conservative government would freeze council tax for 2 years, saving families in Southampton around £200 and providing an extra £4m of government funding for the city.


Other Conservative policies to help with the rising cost of living:

HELP AT THE PUMPS
We will introduce a Fair Fuel Stabiliser - when fuel prices go up, fuel duty would fall.

HELP FOR FAMILIES
As we save money on wasteful welfare, we will abolish Labour's couple penalty in the tax credits sysetem - giving 1.8 million couples an extra £2,000 a year.

HELP FOR FIRST TIME-BUYERS
We will permanently abolish Stamp Duty for first-time buyers on purchases up to £250,000 - nine out of ten first-time buyers will pay no Stamp Duty at all, saving an average of £2,000 each.

HELP WITH YOUR BILLS
We will cut the energy and gas bills of up to four million people by £100 by reforming Post Office Accounts to allow families without bank accounts to access cheaper tariffs.

HELP FOR MOTORISTS
We will oppose Labour's new tax on family cars, which will hit 1 million owners of family cars bought up to 7 years ago with tax rises of up to £250.

Hill Lane Crossing Works Underway

Work on the junction of Hill Lane and Raymond Road is now well underway.

Southampton City Council is installing a new pedestrian and cycle crossing. The pavement has also been widened on Hill Lane to improve visibility for cars turning right from Raymond Road. Click HERE for further details.

Plan For Change

Back From Conference

I have just got back from Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham.

We have had an excellent few days, capped by David Cameron's leader's speech this afternoon. In his speech he pledged to rebuild our battered economy, renew our bureaucratised NHS and repair our broken society. David Cameron stressed that in these difficult times, Britain needs leadership, character and judgement.

I have attached the full speech below: