Reject Puxton Marsh planning application says Nigel Knowles

The Puxton Marsh saga continues. The latest application by Wyre Forest Community Housing is to build 71 dwellings and associated road works off Puxton Drive (and onto the Marsh). The site is of Special Scientific Interest and forms part of Puxton Marsh Nature Reserve.

The River Stour runs adjacent tot the proposed new dwellings, and the Marsh area constitutes Kidderminster’s anti-flooding facility, as well as providing habitat for many species of animals, birds, fish, trees, shrubs, rushes and grasses.
The fact is that the proposed development would be built on hundreds of tons of rubble and spoil, into which foundations would be constructed. Given that it is marsh, the land is naturally subject to flooding and movement.

Local residents have endured flooding to their gardens and areas in their houses when heavy rain has fallen. The new road works would introduce hazardous levels of traffic to and from the new dwellings, which would be detrimental to the health and safety of residents.

Government advice is not to build new settlements so near such a river and on a Flood Plain. I would strongly urge Planning Councillors to reject this application when it comes before Committee at sometime during the New Year.
I agree there is a need for new affordable housing. However, our community would be best served if Community Housing donated this contentious plot of land to the District Council so that it could facilitate using the land as an extension to the Puxton Marsh Nature Reserve.

I suggest that such an action would enhance the reputation of the Housing Company as a defender of the environment as well as a provider of new houses, naturally built on appropriate sites.

Yours sincerely,

Nigel Knowles
Former Labour Chairman of Planning at Town, District and County Council

Cuts to public services will not guarantee quality of service says Nigel Knowles.

The Conservative Government’s preference for scaled-down councils and public services will not guarantee quality of service and will certainly add to the ranks of the unemployed.

The voluntary sector does a good job in providing services for those in need, as do the charity organisations.

However, to assume that vital jobs in health, education, policing, libraries, welfare and home care can be performed by volunteers (not paid) is misjudged.

Mark Garnier MP is part of the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition that is intent on cutting jobs and services, instead of controlling the banking sector and stopping unwarranted bonuses for top bankers.

The credit crisis is being used as an excuse to cut Labour’s achievements in government – more money was spent on the NHS, education, the police etc.

The new political climate is grim in the extreme.

NIGEL KNOWLES Labour 2010 Parliamentary Candidate for Wyre Forest,

Closure of Kidderminster County court is Political Flannel say Wyre Forest Labour

Kidderminster County Court Axed

Kidderminster County Court will be closed as part of a Government move to axe 93 magistrates’ courts and 49 county courts.

Justice Minister, Jonathan Djanogly, said the reform of the court estate would “help deliver a modern, efficient justice system with victims and witnesses at its centre”. Her Majesty’s Courts Service currently operates out of 530 courts. According to the Government, many of these do not meet the needs of modern communities.

Mr Djanogly said: “Access to justice is not just about access to buildings. It is about the type of justice delivered, decent facilities for victims and witnesses and efficient use of the system.

‘We are closing the worst courts in the estate – so we can concentrate our limited resources on the best ones.”

Political flannel says Wyre Forest Labour. Kidderminster County court is located within a new state of the art building with modern facilities. The only possible reason for closure is to cut local services.

An estimated £41.5 million of savings for taxpayers in England and Wales will be realised across the spending period as a result of the closures, alongside a possible £38.5 million from the sale of assets.

Kidderminster Shuttle:

Kidderminster County Court to Close
Courts chop under Whitehall Cash Cuts

Tom King says join Labour for just One Penny and Give Young Britain a Voice

As this Conservative-led government continues its attack on young people, Labour is making a Christmas invitation: join the party for one penny and we will be your voice.

“This Tory-led Government have launched an unprecedented attack on young people which threatens to turn the hopes of the next generation to dust. This is a Government out of touch with what life is like for young people who have least but want to make a success of their lives. From early years to adulthood, they are systematically putting up barriers and attacking aspiration.” said Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, Andy Burnham.

Together with Ed Miliband, Andy Burnham announced his fightback for young people in the new year. Focusing on halting the scrapping of EMA by forcing a vote in Parliament, protecting SureStart centres in our communities and continuing to campaign against the unnecessary and unfair trebling of tuition fees, Labour will defend young people from this government’s brutal cuts.

It is clear that Cabinet Ministers will not stand up for young people, but Labour will. Join Labour today for just one penny and together we can fight for a better future.

Give Young Britain a Voice

Tom King
Wyre Forest Young Labour

Final Result Kidderminster Shuttle Online Poll – 82% say No to Tory Towers

Kidderminster Shuttle Result: 82% say No to ‘Tory Towers’

The final result is in, a massive 82% say No to Tory Controlled Wyre Forest District Council Plan to build new ‘Tory Towers’ Council Offices. Over 1000 voted in the Shuttle online Poll which finished on 21st December.

The coalition Tories, Liberals and Lib Dems are determined to press ahead despite a detailed paper from the Labour group which criticised the lack of Scrutiny of changed circumstances. Labour evidence predicts savings will be much less than claimed by the Tories and lead to expensive bridging loans and unsold empty council offices.

Now as well as losing over 5 million in Icelandic banks the Tories plan to spend £10.5 million on new offices at Finepoint.

A Labour Motion calling for the Project to be put on hold until detailed Scrutiny of changed circumstances was defeated at a recent Council meeting.

Kidderminster Shuttle single site poll

The Poll on 10th December.

Wyre Forest ‘Tory Towers’ projected savings plan is based on flawed evidence says Barry McFarland

‘Tory Towers’ Press Release from Wyre Forest Labour Party.

Lack of Scrutiny for projected savings for ‘Tory Towers’ is Dereliction of Duty.

The Local Government Act 2000 enshrined the concept of “Scrutiny”. The term means “detailed examination of proposals, decisions and their effects.” Wyre Forest District Council uses scrutiny effectively in much of its everyday municipal life. How strange, then, that Conservatives and Liberals should decline to scrutinise its biggest single item of expenditure, the £10.5m on the construction of its new offices.

On 1st December, a Labour motion questioned the £680,000-per-annum savings claimed for the new complex. The motion was supported by a paper showing detailed financial research, a copy of which was supplied to all councillors days before the meeting. The motion proposed scrutiny of the financial assumptions behind the project and showed how Labour had reached the conclusion that the savings would not be £680,000 per annum, but under £100,000.

One would have thought that financially prudent councillors would wish to establish whether a capital outlay of £11.5m was justified for a return of under £100,000 in revenue savings. Alas, no; Conservatives and Liberals voted the motion down. I believe they have made a serious error : I accuse them of dereliction of their public duty.

Vi Higgs
Wyre Forest Labour

Wyre Forest Students oppose rise in Tuition Fees

On Thursday 9th December, the day of the tuition fee vote, around 25 students from across Wyre Forest held a protest outside Kidderminster Town Hall in a last ditch attempt to persuade Mark Garnier MP to vote against the fee hike. Members of the public of all ages cheered us on throughout the day and we received a substantial amount of media coverage including a live broadcast on Midlands Today at lunchtime and making the front page of The Shuttle.

On behalf of all the students I would like to thank all of those who took time out of their day to come down and lend their support, it was greatly appreciated and a fantastic boost in the cold weather. I would also like to thank all of those who signed our petition to Mark Garnier.

Although we were unable to persuade Mark, or enough other MPs, to vote against the trebling of fees, the Government’s majority in the vote was slashed to 21 and I hope that we demonstrated that students in Wyre Forest, and elsewhere, aren’t as apathetic as many believe.

Tom King
Wyre Forest Young Labour

Tories will always be Tories but they can’t Cut without the support of the Lib Dems

Anti “Tory Towers” Campaign Gathers Momentum says Howard Martin

Howard Martin Working Hard for Wyre Forest

Howard Martin is Labour Spokesperson for Broadwaters

Our campaign to persuade the Tories to rethink their proposals for new Council offices at Finepoint on Stourport Road is, unsurprisingly, gaining support from the community at large. The Labour motion to Council in support of our report on the funding issues and financial risks evident in the scheme, on which all Labour Councillors spoke, was predictably defeated. However it has led to a welcome online poll organised by the Shuttle. At the time of writing over 80% of those voting were against the Tories continuing with the office project. A resounding endorsement of what we have been saying for a long time.
The Tory proposal (supported by both Liberal and Lib Dems) requires the Council to spend over £10.5 million of your money on offices that are smaller than they currently have so that all staff can be located on one site. Nearly £4m of this funding will have to come from the sale of existing offices, not easily achieved in these difficult times. However, to achieve this centralisation, over 150 members of staff are required to work from home! This begs the question – “if staff can work from home, why do the offices have to be on one site?”
We are now following up the campaign with a Petition asking, again, for the Tory run Council to suspend further progress on the project in view of the current economic climate, the inherent financial risks and the uncertainty of the available funding to complete the development. The Petition will run until the New Year and will be followed up with a Public Meeting. We strongly believe continuing with these offices could leave the Council in financial trouble for many years to the detriment of the community we represent. We must do all we can to stop that happening.

Howard Martin
Wyre Forest Labour

Tories will always be Tories but they can’t Cut without the support of the Lib Dems

Today is ‘Save EMA Day’. Please show your support for the Educational Maintenance Allowance by signing the petition.

Last week saw tuition fees treble to £9,000 but unfortunately the Government is not done with its attack on education. The ConDem Coaliton has announced it plans to scrap the Education Maintenance allowance, a payment of between £10 and £30 to support the most disadvantaged students through post-16 education. The allowance has proved invaluable in promoting social mobility and its removal would be a disaster for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The evidence of the policy’s success is overwhelming with research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies and Loughborough University demonstrating a 6.7% increase in post-16 participation due to the allowance. Other research by the IFS shows that since the introduction of EMAs, attainment at A Level has risen by between 5 and 7%. The success of EMA is perhaps best summed up by the conclusion of a report by RCU Market Research Services, which concluded “EMA is reducing Neet (those Not in Employment Education or Training) and also motivating learners to work harder.”The scrapping of EMA would undo all of this progress and research conducted by the National Union of Students in 2008 found that 61% of EMA recipients said they would not be able to continue their studies without the financial support.

The Government claims that EMA is “hugely expensive”, however, it costs only £500m and clearly delivers results in improving the life chances of the most disadvantaged. If paying to support the poorest amongst our students is considered an exorbitant expense, then perhaps it is true that the Government know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.

If you want to show your support please sign the EMA petition.

Tom King
Wyre Forest Young Labour

Tories will always be Tories but they can’t Cut without the support of the Lib Dems

Free Schools at what Cost? says Jamie Shaw

Jamie Shaw working hard for Stourport and Areley Kings

I cannot claim the article below to be all my own work. The original appeared in the Local Government Association’s “First” magazine of 4.12.10.

One Conservative policy to which the Liberal Democrats have subscribed as a price of coalition is Free Schools. To encourage them to be formed, the government proposes to exclude them from planning rules authorising a change of use.
In an outrageous consultation document, it is proposed that, without the need for planning approval, free schools may be located in premises formerly used as shops, warehouses, hairdressers, undertakers, travel agencies, post offices, pet shops, sandwich bars, showrooms, dry cleaners, estate agents, banks and building societies, offices, hotels, hospitals, cinemas, music and concert halls, bingo and dance halls, swimming baths, skating rinks and gymnasiums.
In addition to the preposterous improbability of the above locations, it is further proposed that the applicants should not have to produce a traffic impact assessment. Ponder for a moment the implication of the previous sentence………children’s safety on the public highway is not to be considered as a factor in the setting up a school.
These proposals sideline local democracy and are in flat contradiction to the Coalition Government’s claim to be committed to “Localism”. I challenge our Conservative MP to justify his government’s proposals.

Jamie Shaw

Tories will always be Tories but they can’t cut without the support of the Lib Dems.

Has John Campion, Leader of Wyre Forest District Council lost the plot.

Tory John Campion accuses Labour of refusing to nominate for Committee.

Not so says Derek Killingworth Health Concern Councillor who was at the same meeting. See Letter below:

I Read your article (in the Kidderminster Shuttle) about Cllr Campion stating that Cllr Kelly had not stated that Cllr Martin would be Labour Representative

I was at that meeting and addressed the same:

Cllr Kelly most certainly did say Cllr Martin would be Labour Representative – he was questioned as to having regard to fact Cllr Martin was not present if he had right to commit him – he confirmed there would be no problem and Cllr Martin would agree

I clearly remember because Cllr Kelly made one of the few statements that made sense when discussing the Parking issue when he said as far as he was concerned if something was not broken there was no need to fix it

Not sure if ths will help anyone but I do become tired of the Tory Party making this sort of statement and claiming they are responsible for things when they are not – I refer to Wyre Hill Play Area – and the fact every Tory voted to reject the finding and suggestions as to Parking of the Scrutiny Committee Chaired by Cllr Julian Phillips (Tory) and voted to a man to bring in the proposals currently accepted – it was only when the voting Public of Stourport voiced their dissatisfaction that 2 Tory Councillors with seats in Stourport became concerned they may lose their seats (and the generous allowances & expences that go with it) that it was suggested that a free hour with a 90 mins free on Sunday was put forward.

When I mentioned this to the Cabinet Member Marcus Hart he denied it was anything to do with the fact there are to be Elections next year !!!!

Cllr Derek Killingworth
Health Concern

Kidderminster Shuttle Tories blast Labour for panel snub

Can you ever Trust the Lib Dems again

Broken Promises - Nick Clegg with the Student Pledge.

Condems push through increase in Tuition Fees to £9000 with majority of 21. Students take to the streets in Nationwide Protest and despite the scenes in London lets not forget the thousands of Students who protested peacefully.

Tom King of Stourport Sixth Form’s Student Council and Wyre Forest Young Labour said:

“How can they justify students paying fees that are higher than their household income and having debts the size of mortgages? What sort of a start is that for us? Nothing about the plans is fair or progressive. The proposals would pull the rug from under the feet of young people from modest-income households.”

Kidderminster Shuttle Kidderminster Students Protest at Tuition Fees Hike

Tories will always be Tories but they can’t Cut without the support of the Lib Dems.

New Voting Arrangements Proposed for Areley Kings says Vi Higgs

A review of polling stations is being conducted by Wyre Forest District Council. In Areley Kings ward, the proposal is to reduce from three polling stations to one. Under the proposals, use all three current venues, the Walshes Community Centre, Areley Kings Methodist Church and the Old School, Abberley Avenue, would cease. Instead, all voting would take place at Areley Kings Village Hall.

“There can be no quarrel with the Methodist church and Old School proposals. The village hall is a better facility, in a central location. However, a move from the Walshes Community Centre will be wholeheartedly opposed by Labour. Such a move would be sure to reduce turnout. I know that the future of this hall is under question, but for as long as it is there, it should be used. Futhermore, if it were not to be available, I believe there would be a strong case for a temporary building to be erected Somewhere central on the Walshes. Surely, a responsible council wants to encourage people to vote, not discourage them!

Condem plans on Tuition Fees not necessary, not fair and not good for Further and Higher Education says Wyre Forest Labour

The ConDem Plans are not necessary, not fair and not good for Further and Higher Education says Mick Kelly and Barry McFarland

The Tories and LibDems are cutting the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) worth a maximum of £30 per week to 16 – 19 year olds staying in full time education at school or at college. The ConDems simply do not understand that many of our young people can only remain in full time education with the help of EMA – this is not pocket money, it is exactly as described, a maintenance allowance. Clearly the ConDems do not want our young people to have the same educational opportunities that they all had. Mind you with so many millionaires in Government, I don’t suppose they really care. Wonder what the local LibDems think?

The Tories and LibDems are cutting public money for university teaching by a staggering 80% when they are cutting other services much less. Graduates will have to pay the whole cost of most degrees – with fees nearly trebling – and pay off debts for 30 years; and let’s not forget that students have to pay rent and buy food etc to live – even more money to pay back.

The short-term need for deficit reduction does not justify these long-term changes which will be bad for schools, colleges and universities and not save the public any money.

The ConDem Government’s plans are not necessary, not fair and not good for Further and Higher Education.

Not necessary because the short-term need for deficit reduction does not justify a long-term change in Higher Education funding which will be bad for universities and not save any public money. Why has the ConDem Coalition chosen to cut the funding for Higher Education teaching by 80% when other public services are being cut by far less?

Not Fair because graduates will now have to pay the whole cost of their degrees (simply replacing the cut in funding) instead of sharing the cost with the state. Graduates will pay much more and pay for 30 years. Middle income graduates will be hardest hit.

Not Good for Higher Education. England’s world class university system has been built on public investment and trust in the professional and academic leadership of universities. This will be replaced by a market in higher education in which many students will be put off university.

Why do we care? We care because we value our teachers, doctors, nurses and all other graduates who contribute to our well-being, comfort and safety in our increasing complex and technical world.

Labour says

We should not make such a huge cut in Higher Education teaching grants, so high fees would not be needed to replace lost income.
Graduates should share the cost of higher education by moving towards a graduate tax in which higher earning graduates would make a fairer contribution.
Labour believes that universities should remain public institutions receiving sufficient public funding.

Last May when people voted for change, is this the change they voted for?

Wyre Forest ‘Tory Towers’ projected savings plan is based on flawed evidence says Barry McFarland

Barry McFarland is Labour Spokesperson for Habberley and Blakebrook

Tories and Lib Dems recklessly pursue single site without Scrutiny of financial risks.

On Wednesday 1st December I sat in the public gallery and witnessed our councillors at work. Our Labour group proposed and spoke elequently, robustly and with clear knowledge and understanding on their motion asking the Tory controlled District Council to suspend and put on hold the project to build a new £10.5 million council office block. This was simply to allow a full scrutiny exercise to take place into the funding and financial risks evident and highlighted by the Labour paper. Thus far our councillors have not been given the opportunity to fully discuss the financial details of this project. The Tories together with the Liberals and Liberal Democrats voted against the motion.So much for democracy. However congratulations to our Labour councillors led by Mick Kelly for standing up for local people with dignity and integrity.

The Tories consistantly used the arguement of value for money within the District and yet voted against the opportunity to evaluate this project in terms of value for money.The Liberals and Liberal Democrats just seemed to follow their Tory masters blindly.

The arguements against the motion were both interesting and spurious. They tried to turn the motion into a criticism of the Officers and their figures – it was not. The figures used by the administration and the Labour Group came from the same source. One Tory councillor argued that supporting this motion would amount to denying local suppliers and tradesmen opportunities to engage in this project and deny young people the opportunity of gaining apprenticeships. If the councillor and the ConDem government were really concerned with opportunities why did they scrap the infinitely larger project involving the rebuilding and refurbishment of our schools. One even referred to cost of living in rural areas! Many arguements quoted the “assumed” and “estimated” annual savings to the council of £688,000. Note the use of “assumed” and “estimated”. The Labour paper suggests the actual figure to be less than £100,000.

We are all well aware that nationally the Tories supported by the Liberal Democrats continue to support the bankers and financial gamblers who almost brought this country to its knees.It seems that locally they are intent on carrying on this tradition by exposing £10.5 million of our money to financial risk. The actions of this Tory led coalition on our District Council are based on flawed evidence and demonstrates gross irresponsibilitry in the current economic climate. Still itis easy to gamble with other peoples’ money – we will all have the opportunity to reward them at the ballot box next May.

Barry McFarland

Mark Garnier MP replies to my letter. “Dear Mr Ashcroft” – enough said says Barry McFarland.

Barry McFarland is Labour Spokesperson for Habberley and Blakebrook

I finally received a reply from our MP Mark Garnier re an e mail I sent to him many weeks ago re Condem Cuts .(reproduced below) It was headed “Dear Mr Ashcroft” – enough said. Perhaps he should have thanked me for the ‘offshore millions’ that helped fund the Tories pre election advertising campaign in Wyre Forest.

Mr Garnier claims he wants to spend more time responding to his constituents than waste time publishing details of his expenses online. Pity his office couldn’t even get the name right. Lord Ashcroft, if you have received a letter addressed to Barry McFarland you know why!!!

Kidderminster Shuttle Wyre Forest MP defends expenses claims decision

Letter to Mark Garnier re Condem Spending Cuts

Barry McFarland

Wyre Forest Tory MP, ‘Always Quick to Blame Others’ says Barry McFarland.

Barry McFarland is Labour Spokesperson for Habberley and Blakebrook

In the latest addition of the Wyre Forest Conservative ‘Sutton Park Matters’ I read with dismay that our MP refers to “the appalling legacy of Labour’s chronic mismanagement of our country’s finances”. He is in the habit of repeating this mantra ad nauseam. Does he not realise that when in opposition it is fair game to blame the ruling party for all ills and disasters and then to transfer blame of unpopular decisions made in government onto the previous administration.

However what passes as fair political comment while electioneering does not cut the mustard when in office and certainly cannot be used as serious argument. We have not forgotten how this present financial crisis began and where the blame lies. We are not the only country in the world to be suffering and we are in a better state than most thanks to swift and robust action taken by the previous Labour Government. Surely Mr Garnier is not suggesting that Gordon Brown was responsible for the world’s financial problem – would that he was so powerful!

The Tories sat quietly in the wings and paid lip service to condemning the bankers and financial gamblers and LibDems were still trying to work out what day of the week it was. Now of course the bankers are still being allowed to profit from their obscene bonuses and the public sector takes the blame and the rest of us suffer the consequences of the austerity package. So much for “ we are all this together”. Presumably the ‘we’ does not include millionaire cabinet members and bankers.

Barry McFarland

Letter sent to Kidderminster Shuttle – so far unpublished

Does Wyre Forest Lib Dem candidate back our students?

MORE than 100 Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidates have published an open letter urging “all the Liberal Democrat MPs to vote against any increase in tuition fees as pledged to the National Union of Students”.

Absent from the list of signatories was Wyre Forest’s Liberal Democrat candidate, Neville Farmer.

Mr Farmer was quick to congratulate Stourport’s students for taking a stand against the scrapping of Building Schools for the Future, but, on tuition fees, his support for students appears to have ebbed.

I hope that he will publicly state his opposition to the trebling of tuition fees and join students across the country in urging Liberal Democrat MPs to honour their pledge and vote against the fee hike.

Moreover, I hope that all Wyre Forest’s politicians will call on MP Mark Garnier to vote for the students in his constituency by opposing the Government’s plans.

TOM KING Wyre Forest Young Labour

Kidderminster Shuttle Letters Page

Bewdley Mayor, Paul Gittins asks for views on 20 mph zone

Paul Gittins Labour Spokesperson for Bewdley Town

At a recent Bewdley PACT meeting it was again suggested that a 20 MPH zone be created through the town centre as they already have in Cleobury Mortimer. The zone could include Stourport road and Wyre Hill where there are schools and High Street. please let me know what you think. tel 01299 404113.

Paul Gittins
Mayor of Bewdley