Conservative Recycling not good enough

The Conservative’s picked up a top recycling commitment when they won the 2007 election. Won on the back of several campaigns of disinformation one of which was the fiction that we were planning to introduce Fortnightly waste collection. Since then the recycling has stalled and they have not significantly moved forward on the initiatives we left in place. In fact they have delayed and delayed on same day waste collection and they have kicked cooked food waste collection into the long grass. A Liberal Democrat Administration would have had these both in place by now and the Council pushing to be the top Unitary with a recycling rate of 60%.

Talking of Tory Dirty Tricks the latest leaflet from them claims that we are planning a bin tax. What gutter lies. First they are the administration and so we cannot implement such a plan and secondly we have no intention at all of such a policy. They are obviously flying kites in preparation for an unpopular move on recycling or waste. Will they be renaging on one of their election promises on waste? Looks increasingly likely.

Our press release:

For immediate release: Friday, 14 November 2008

Fourth Place is Not Good Enough on Recycling

The Conservative-run Cabinet of Bath and North East Somerset Council has become complacent about recycling and waste policies, according to opposition politicians.

Reacting to news that the Council has slipped to fourth in the recycling league, Councillor Roger Symonds (Combe Down) said:

“As the first Council to adopt a zero waste policy, under Liberal Democrat leadership, B&NES Council was seen as a trailblazer on recycling. However since the new Administration took over however the Council’s waste record is becoming a damp squib.

“The Cabinet are happy to congratulate themselves about Government statistics, but meanwhile they are once again considering delaying their promised introduction of kitchen waste collections – now saying this could be put off till 2011 – and same day collections of waste and recycling will now not come in till 2009. These measures would already have been in place under Liberal Democrat plans and local recycling rates would have been nearly 60% by the end of next year.”

Cllr Paul Crossley added:

“This latest boast from the Administration should really be an admission that recycling and global warming are not high on their agenda. 77% of B&NES residents recycle – residents clearly want to do their bit and want to start now.”

Post Office Card Account Victory

Here in Bath we saved 2 Post Offices from the last round of closures due to a concerted campaign by Don Foster MP and the local Lib Dem councillor group.

However Post Offices need services to offer so it was great that the Parliamentary party used an opportunity to debate the Post Office Card Account and the need to keep it with the Post Office. In the debate the Labour Party voted against the Liberal Democrat motion. A move that potentially threatened even more of the network.

So it was cheers all round when James Purnell decided to ignore his own Labour Party and take the advice from the Liberal Democrats and keep the POCA with the Post Office. In Bath and NES over 11,000 as at the end of 2005 were POCA users.

Housing crises

It is good to see Vince and his team leading the way on housing finances. People have been led up the Government cloud cuckoo path of economics of borrowing as though there was no tomorrow and now it is collapsing. It will be ordinary families that suffer from Gordon Brown’s calamitous stewardship of our economy.

Great YouTube comment here

As repossessions increase – and isn’t it a disgrace that Northern Rock is charging to front of eviction alley – it will be local government that is expected to pick up the pieces and support these families in distress. These will also result in bankruptcies and other business loosing out on outstanding loans.

Two key points are:

Keeping people in their homes, so you don’t need to fear unfair repossessions

We must ensure that banks only ever repossess people’s homes as a last resort. Liberal Democrats will instruct the courts to make sure banks don’t repossess unless they’ve already offered free independent financial advice, and pursued all alternatives like renegotiating the terms of the mortgage and offering a shared equity agreement.

We already have nearly two million families on housing waiting lists. We can help those families and prevent a homelessness crisis by allowing councils and housing associations to buy up unsold properties and land from building companies. This will replenish our social housing stock, stimulate the house building industry and provide homes now for people who need them.

Lower mortgage payments and cheaper business loans through big interest rate cuts

People and businesses need help paying off their mortgages and loans, so we need substantially lower interest rates. The UK still has higher official interest rates than the EU (4.5% compared to 3.75%) and dramatically higher rates than the US (1.5%). This makes it much harder for people to pay their mortgages, makes it harder for business to survive and slows the economy down. The Bank of England must remain independent, but at this time of emergency its remit must be changed to make interest rates fall dramatically and swiftly. This should be part of international action to cut rates across all major economies.

Great Result in Bristol

Over the last few weeks several of us from Bath and NESomerset have been helping at a by-election in Bristol. Labour are in trouble in Bristol and the Conservatives as elsewhere have policies and campaigns that are as substantial as a sub-prime mortgage. Added to which the Conservatives have been propping up Labour for two years now in Bristol.

At the Council House in Bristol tonight, it was declared that Liberal Democrat Tony Potter pulled off a stunning victory in St George West, after a hard fought campaign on local issues.

In his acceptance speech, Tony Potter declared that: “no longer will St George West be the backwater of Bristol.”

Barbara Janke said: “Tony Potter is an excellent local candidate who has already worked hard for the people of St George for very many years. He will be a hard working councillor that people have voted for and need.

“This is a wonderful result. We’re delighted that the people of St George West have agreed with our positive message of change. Once again, it has been shown that the Tories are going backwards in Bristol, and that the Liberal Democrats are the only alternative to the failed Labour administration. This is the first step to a majority next May.”

Final result:
Tony Potter (Liberal Democrat): 923
Labour: 816
Conservative: 509
Independent: 257
Green: 116
English Democrat: 93

This was one of the most intense elections fought by the 3 main parties ever in Bristol – each new what was at stake – and we won. Not only that the Conservatives slumped from a stong second position in May 08 to a distant third.

May 07 Oct 08

Lab 38% Lab 30%

Con 36% Con 19%

LD 25% LD 34%

Well done to Tony and the team.

Dyson project – going going gone?

James Dyson had a dream to build an exciting academy in Bath to specialise in design and technology. It was supported by the Liberal Democrats and all political parties in Bath. It was supported by the Tony Blair’s Labour Government that wanted these new schools. It was supported by Gordon Brown’s Labour Government.

The road was hard and rocky with false dawns and planning objections along the way. Eventually the Planning Committee passed a design. And then horror – the Government decided to call a planning inspection on the whole process at the behest of the environment agency. What a shambles this current government is – one arm detached from another arm. Complete disarray. Now we are in credit crunch territory and the Government has reviewed its financial commitment to the project. What a shambles.

Lets hope that James Dyson’s decison is not final and that a way can be found to bring this exciting school to fruition in the heart of Bath.

Our Conservative administration meanwhile just stayed quiet all along – difficult problems are easier to deal with if you have someone else to blame.

Two Tunnels must proceed

Last year Sustrans launched a campaign to win the Big National lottery prize for cycleways all over the UK under the Connect 2 banner. Here in Bath we had our own link with the Two Tunnels Scheme, from the centre of Bath with Midford going underneath Combe Down via two tunnels – one of which will be very long. It is a fantastic scheme but the Conservative administration have been dithering for months over making a meaningful committment to this exciting scheme.

By contrast the position of the Liberal Democrats is clear – support the project and enable the partners to get on and deliver. Sustrans first route many years ago was the Bath to Bristol route. This new project with its long tunnel will be a wonderful addition to the cycle network.

Two Tunnels backing from Council must be clear: Lib Dems

Councillor Paul Crossley, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on B&NES Council, has called on the Cabinet Member for Customer Services, Councillor Charles Gerrish, to make clear that the Council will back the Two Tunnels project properly and not leave their support up in the air.

The Cabinet member is free to make a decision this week on how the Council will help the Two Tunnels project to go ahead. Councillor Crossley has called on him to consider the following points before making the decision:

The Liberal Democrat Group fully supports the Two Tunnels cycle route project and the Council should do the same.
The Council is due to support the project with £100,000 a year for the next two years, but for the following two years the funding has not been confirmed – this leads to a lack of certainty for the project team and the funding should be made definite.
The Liberal Democrats support the proposal that the Council should act as ‘commissioner’ for the project to allow VAT to be reclaimed.
However the proposal that Sustrans and Two Tunnels should be responsible for “Relevant Council costs associated with the administration of its involvement with the project and documentation costs etc” should be changed.

Councillor Crossley commented:

“The Two Tunnels team is a small charity with willing volunteers engaged on one of the most exciting cycle projects in the country. It is great to have on board the UK‘s number one cycle charity as well in the form of Sustrans. However this paragraph, as written, gives no clue as to what the potential liabilities may be to the project. The Two Tunnels team has to embark on a big fundraising scheme to raise another £400K approximately and for them to take on a commitment to reimburse the Council for open-ended costs could put the project in jeopardy.

“The Council currently has large reserves and has recently granted £200K to the Holburne. Surely this project – which will help reduce congestion and will contribute to the Council’s own priorities – deserves equivalent support?”

Councillor Neil Butters (Bathavon South) added:

“The Two Tunnels project will bring communities closer together along a broad corridor. Cyclists, and also walkers, will get easy access out to local beauty spots such as Midford and Wellow and conversely people from Midford, Wellow, and beyond could cycle safely into Bath to work or for pleasure. It will encourage more people off the road.”

Councillor Crossley has urged that the relevant paragraph should be amended to read:

“The Council will set up a relevant and proportionate monitoring system to monitor the project and the potential costs of this will be agreed in advance with the Two Tunnels team and that the first £25K each year of Council costs will be borne in-house before any recharging takes place.”

Studentification

Bath has one of the highest concentrations of students of any city in England. On the one hand this brings vibrancy, jobs and prosperity into the City but on the other with the buy to let method of housing students whole swathes of affordable family housing has been taken over by students.

We have been camopaigning on several fronts.

1. To pursuade the two universities to build more student accomodation on campus

2. To pursuade the government on the need for better HMO class orders

3. To get the government to recognize that new student accomodation should at least partially count towards the RSS housing numbers. At present all student accomodation we build is completely ignored by government. How absurd is that when they are looking to cram ever more houses all over the place?

Anyway our campaigns are starting to win the arguement with government.

For immediate release: Tuesday, 30 September 2008

Government “finally” takes action on studentification

Liberal Democrats in Bath are welcoming news that the Government is finally to give Councils the tools to tackle the issue of high concentrations of student houses or ‘Houses in Multiple Occupation” (HMOs) in specific areas of their authorities.

Councillor Shaun McGall (Oldfield) has been campaigning on this issue for a long time. He commented:

“I’m really pleased that the Government is finally beginning to respond to the combined pressure from local residents, Councillors and MPs from across the country who have been lobbying for action to tackle ‘studentification’.

“Councils need the substantive tools to address the development and growth of large clusters of HMOs in University towns and cities – as in Oldfield Park in Bath for example – through the planning system. The Government’s suggestion of allowing local Councils to use planning restraint policies and ‘Use Class Orders’ to control concentrations of HMOs and to help create more balanced, sustainable communities is therefore to be welcomed

“The Government is also looking at a range of parallel strategies for Councils to address community issues such as parking and waste. Some of these are already in place in Bath – such as the landlord accreditation scheme – and some have been tried in the past. B&NES was ahead of its time in setting up the Student Liaison Committee in 2003 to work with the Universities and the student’s union to improve town and gown relations, although its public engagement meetings and budget were cut by the new administration.”

Bath MP Don Foster added:

“I would like to thank those local residents and residents’ associations from Bath who have worked with us and have responded to the Government’s review on privately rented housing. Without their persistence over the years we wouldn’t have got this far.

“As this report is only a first step on a road which could lead to legislative changes work needs to continue to persuade the Government to give Councils the real powers they need to address ‘studentification’. We look forward to seeing a Green Paper in due course.”

ENDS

Contacts:

Councillor Shaun McGall: 07917 414 382

Don Foster MP: 01225 338973

Notes to editors:

Press release from the Department of Communities and Local Government: http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/977551
Report on possible planning responses: http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/evidencegatheringresearch

Cameron makes a wrong call on CRB

Fairplayforchildren has slammed David Cameron’s cheap jibe against CRB checks and rightly so. CRB checks are needed because we need to protect children and not just for the sake of form-filling. Cameron shows a great lack of intelligence in making these sort of attacks and hiding behind some PC label.

David Cameron Speech: CRB Gibe Slammed

The National Secretary of a Charity formed in 1972 after two children died has slammed the comment of Conservative Leader DAVID CAMERON about CRB checks which he made in his Party Conference Speech today.

Mr Cameron, in a clip widely shown on national television, criticised requirements of parents hosting children and young people on Exchange Visits that they should have Enhanced CRB checks carried out.

Jan Cosgrove, National Secretary of Fair Play for Children, has condemned the Conservative Leader for what appears a populist misuse of his position. “The CRB checks are there where people are going to be in situations of substantial access to children and young people. This issue was highlighted some years ago in a Conference I attended hosted by one of the most pro-active Police Forces in the UK in terms of child protection. It was seen as a major, unprotected area, where many operators of such schemes were concerned to have people they use in these” schemes checked for previous convictions and police intelligence.”

Mr Cosgrove deplored any politician, however eminent, climbing on board a sensitive issue involving children’s safety in such an irresponsible manner. “I know it is becoming fashionable in some ideologically-motivated quarters to try to equate criminal records checks with some form of alleged ‘politically-correct’ philosophy. If the Leader of the Conservative Party actually believes this, he is far off the mark. The CRB and now the new Vetting and Barring Scheme, arose from actual tragedies, involving the deaths of children. His Party has given support to this progress. He needs to correct the appalling endorsement he gave today to the attacks on the CRB mounted in some media and ideological quarters.”

Mr Cosgrove said Mr Cameron and others should bear in mind the MMR controversy – now shown to be harmful to children because many parents failed to ensure their children were protected when they believed the claims made against MMR. “The consequence was not just a rise in measles statisticvs, it involved trauma and suffering for real live children.”

Zero Waste the way forward

Here in Bath&NES we were the first Council to adopt Zero Waste as our waste stratgey following a campaign and motion to Council from myself and Roger Symonds supported by the whole group. Upto May 2007 our recycling was improving year on year. However over the last two years the new Conservative administration has failed to introduce same day collection and failed to introduce food waste collection. Two moves that we would have done and by now our recycling rates would be approaching 60% and amongst the best in the country. We have had one victory though in convincing the Conservative administration not to join in with the insane PFI Incinerator bid being put together by Bristol, S Glos and N Somerset Councils.

A key goal to waste issue is not to generate it in the first place. This means looking at what you buy and actually generating less rubbish. We strated Zero Waste week several years ago and this year in the week just finished our household (4 adults currently living here) generated a total rubbish bag of 3lbs.

Press release put out on the 30th

For immediate release: Tuesday, 30 September 2008

Third Annual Zero Waste Week Challenge

Liberal Democrat Councillors in Bath are taking part once again in the Council’s Zero Waste Week Challenge. Councillors Paul Crossley (Southdown), Cherry Beath (Combe Down) and Ian Gilchrist (Widcombe) have all undertaken to attempt to produce no waste for one week (29.09.08 to 05.10.09.)

Councillor Beath commented:

“My family are keen on composting at home and I have recently purchased a kitchen composting gadget in which you put both cooked and raw food waste mixed with a bran-based organic fermented material which prevents the indoor compost bin becoming slimy and smelly. The resulting product is then added to our larger compost heap outside. It’s appalling to think of compostible waste going to land fill.”

Councillor Crossley added:

“Liberal Democrats are committed to making Bath and North East Somerset the number one recycling authority in the country.

“It is disappointing that the Conservative-run Council administration is delaying the introduction of the collection of kitchen waste for composting from B&NES residents. The Liberal Democrats intended to introduce kitchen waste collections this year, but now the Conservatives are dithering over when to introduce the service to residents.”

Councillor Gilchrist said:

“The Liberal Democrats introduced this Council’s Zero Waste policy which implies continual progress towards reducing waste. We believe kitchen waste collections should be introduced sooner rather than later.”

Traffic Congestion in Bath

The ruling Conservative administration is getting into a knot over traffic. For years in opposition they opposed all the measures the Liberal Democrats proposed to improve bus flows. The bus gate proved to be one of the best traffic decisions taken. It enabled buses to flow through the city and has given us 7 years of bus passenger growth and a good network in Bath. Going back further they opposed the bus only access across Pultney Bridge and since they took control they have started to use the bus gate as a fine-revenue-collecting system.

Now they are using a threat of Gridlock to bulldoze through an inappropriate solution on the west of Bath to put in a bus rapid transit system and use up a valuable greenway. The Liberal Democrats have proposed a better bus based system round the Lower and Upper Bristol Roads and to bring this greenway back into use as a cycle and pedestrian route.

Residents have started their own website to oppose this plan = see this link.

The Conservatives are resisting all opportunity for public debate and have put out this Council PR council

Stark warning over worsening congestion

A new website – www.bathnes.gov.uk/stopgridlock – launched by Bath and North East Somerset Council provides a stark warning about increasing levels of traffic congestion.

Residents already face considerable difficulties using the area’s road network – but new figures from the Council reveal that the number of cars travelling through central Bath at rush hour is set to increase by 14% in just ten years. Some 27,000 people travel in and out of Bath by car for work every day. The annual cost of traffic congestion in the area is £50 million. One-fifth of travelling time is currently spent at a standstill in the West of England area, which also includes Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset.

Councillor Malcolm Hanney, Deputy Leader of Bath and North East Somerset Council, said: “Tackling congestion is one of the most difficult challenges facing the area now and in the future. The fact rush hour traffic in Bath will increase so considerably in the next ten years shows how crucial it is that residents and local businesses understand this problem and the need for effective, long-term solutions. This is purpose of the website. Bath and North East Somerset Council has a vision priority of improving transport and the public realm. If the Council is serious about achieving this prioirty then doing nothing is not an option.”

The website – www.bathnes.gov.uk/stopgridlock – outlines the scale of the traffic problems faced today and the challenges posed by Government proposals for significant growth. Over the coming weeks it will explore the measures being implemented by the Council to meet these challenges to provide better public transport, better personal transport, and unclog the roads. Residents will be able to subscribe to updates, and give their views about the challenges and measures being implemented by the Council.

Traffic problems in the area are widely recognised with a recent website suggesting that Bath is the 5^th most congested Parliamentary Constituency in the country. The independent Audit Commission corporate assessment of Bath and North East Somerset Council published in September stated:

“…much more remains to be done to deliver transport improvements. Congestion remains acute in the Bath area as roads are close to capacity. Proposals to build significant numbers of new homes in the area places even greater pressure on the transport infrastructure.”