Stourport New Walshes Initiative

Jamie Shaw working hard for Stourport and Areley Kings.

Money provided by the Labour government, allocated by the Worcestership Partnership, to be spent on the Walshes estate by a locally-based group, is in the pipeline and should be available from March 2010.

The sum of money involved will be tens of thousands of £s. It will be available for a wide range of projects fitting into a broad definition of “social need”. I see the new Half-Crown Wood Children’s Centre as one potential site for positive community activities. I understand the money can also be spent on Community Safety, such as CCTV, and on environmental improvements.

Membership of the group is yet to be agreed. Wyre Forest District Council will be the monitoring agency.

Kidderminster Hospital Petition

Nigel Knowles Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Wyre Forest.

You can view further blogs at Nigel Knowles blog

In just one hour until noon today outside Kidderminster Town Hall, five Party members collected 90 signatures calling on the Worcestershire NHS Trusts to increase services at Kidderminster Hospital – a Birth Unit, Palliative Care Unit and Radiotherapy Unit. Over 10,000 people have now signed up, but it seems to me that now is the time for more ‘Democratic Accountability’ in the NHS. There is a potential storm brewing in Shropshire regarding the transference of A&E from Telford to Shrewsbury and inWorcestershire we could lose Cancer Head and Neck services to Gloucester. I say again that NHS service provision and location needs to have a democratic input! Let’s have elected NHS Boards now!!

Stourport Bye Election – Democracy?

Nigel Knowles Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Wyre Forest.

You can view further blogs at Nigel Knowles blog

I quite enjoyed the Stourport Bye-Election though the result was not good for Labour. A 24% turnout is also not good! Our team canvassed and delivered thousands of leaflets. Our spirit and moral remains very high. Given Dr Taylors declaration to stand again (if he ignores the 68% of Shuttle respondants who said he shouldn’t), I believe the next election will be crucial for politics in Wyre Forest. Whatever happens, if and when the Doc goes, that will be it for his party.

How about compulsary voting? I would vote for that. If Kabul or Baghdad had a 24% turn out, critics would complain that democracy wasn’t working. It is a citizens right not to vote and a politicians duty to analyse why they refuse to do so in such large numbers. We know the reasons why, but it doesn’t make it easier to tolerate such low turn outs. If electors across the country consider politicians to be corrupt or useless or both – we must address that issue and put it right.

Meet Nigel for coffee at Stourport Coop

Nigel Knowles Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Wyre Forest.

You can view further blogs at Nigel Knowles blog

Nigel is holding a coffee/meet the public event on

Thursday 10th September 2009 at 11.00 am – 1230 pm

at Stourport Coop Store in the café – have a coffee and a cake!

Nigel will be delighted to meet you, to say hello and chat about the Coop, the Coop Party, his books, social issues, Fair Trade and even politics.

Nigel Knowles 01299 402343 nigelknowlesbewdley@hotmail.com

See you there for a coffee and a bun.

Stourport Road Closures and essential works.

Jenny Knowles is the Labour Candidate for Lickhill.

Vale Rd, Gilgal, Worcester Rd & Mitton St 18th Sept – 22nd Nov 2009

Jenny says,

“There is no ideal time to carry out work of this nature. The work, laying new water pipes and electric cables, is essential. As your Lickhill councillor, I will monitor progress regularly, to satisfy myself that work is on schedule. We don’t want work to be carrying on into the Christmas period.”

Phase One : Closure of Vale Road between The Gilgal and Worcester Street

The work to replace the water mains pipe starts at 18.30hrs on Friday 18th September when Vale Road between the Gilgal and Worcester Street will be closed for a section of mains pipe to be installed towards the Gilgal. This will be completed and Vale Road re-opened by 07.00 hrs, Monday 21st September. Access to the Gilgal will still be available along Vale Road from Stourport town centre.

Phase Two : Closure of Gilgal

Work continues to replace the water mains pipe and the street lighting work starts at 07.00 hrs on Monday 21st September : at this point the Gilgal will be closed. The closure will last for five weeks until 18.00 hrs on 25th October. Access to properties along the Gilgal will be available, but there will be no through traffic.

This phase of work will also include a lane closure from Gilgal to the Worcester Road/Hartlebury Road island, also closing the junction with Baldwin Road. Traffic travelling towards Stourport town centre will still be able to use the existing route.

Phase Three : Remaining Works following the Gilgal Re-opening

The work to finish the water pipes renewal and the electricity cable work will start on Monday 26th October and last for four weeks until Sunday 22nd November. One of the two lanes will be closed to allow the work to be done.

The emergency services will have access through the roadworks at all times.

(Text amended from the information booklet prepared by Severn Trent on behalf of all the agencies involved.)

Future treatment of Head and Neck Cancer

Nigel Knowles Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Wyre Forest.

You can view further blogs at Nigel Knowles blog

Nigel Knowles condemns unelected Worcestershire Primary Care Trust Board decision to move Cancer services to Gloucester.

It has been proposed (decided) to remove some of the treatments for head and neck cancer away from Worcester Royal Hospital to Gloucester. I condemn this proposal (decision) and call for more cancer treatments to be based at Worcester and to introduce a Radiotherapy Unit at Kidderminster Hospital.
It is really intolerable that non-elected NHS Boards can take such decisions when all the indications are that local people need more local services, not less! I’m calling for a Radiotherapy Unit at Kidderminster- 10,000 people have signed my petition which I presented to the Worcestershire Primary Care Trust Board. We need Democracy in the NHS. I question the role of the Counties Cancer Network – another non-elected body that is far more powerful in these NHS decisions than local politicians! We need more local cancer services now!!

Air Pollution in Stourport High Street

Jenny Knowles is the Labour Candidate for Lickhill.

Air Pollution in Stourport High Street

I am pleased to be able to report developments on the above matter since its inclusion in my “Stourport Manifesto”. Labour pressure at Stourport Town Council level has resulted in a complete reversal in the council’s attitude : a refusal to second a Labour motion in August has become a unanimous expression of concern in September! At last night’s town council meeting, not only was that concern expressed to the district and county councils, but it was coupled with an invitation to Highways chiefs to meet local councillors face-to-face, to discuss traffic management measures which could alleviate the problem.

Labour will keep you informed of what we trust will be progress in the coming months via this website.

Wyre Forest has no say with Independent MP

Nigel Knowles Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Wyre Forest.

You can view further blogs at Nigel Knowles blog

Personally I am very content indeed that Dr Richard Taylor MP has declared his intention to stand again at the next General Election. Those of us who had already declared might yet be joined by more candidates, perhaps singularly of an altogether more sinister nature. It has to be said, that the Labour Party has endured the biggest political loss by Richard’s success. I fully realise that the Wyre Forest public has not forgiven Labour for the loss of Accident and Emergency Services at Kidderminster Hospital. I was a protester against that loss myself and distinctly remember the coach trip to our London Lobby and Demonstration. I said to Richard that although we were at one on the issue of retaining A&E, I would never vote for him. He returned the compliment and said he would never vote for me! On that basis, we in the Labour Party have always worked to increase hospital services and our Government provided the £26million Treatment Centre and other vital services. Richard knows that his own Medical Profession did not and would not support the retention of A&E services at Kidderminster Hospital. Last year someone started a Petition to return A&E ‘blue light’ services at Kidderminster and Richard signed it – I didn’t on principle that I know the return of A&E services is not possible. As to Richard’s contribution in the House of Commons, history will be the judge of that. But has he voted for Labour Government Budgets which doubled the amount of financial investment into the NHS, radically increased the number of doctors and nurses, and improved their salaries? I understand the protest vote. But as long as Richard represents us at Westminster, the people of Wyre Forest will have absolutely no say in directing Government policy of whatever political colour.

New Tory HQ is a Waste of Taxpayers’ Money

Jenny Knowles is the Labour Candidate for Lickhill.

Labour opposes Tory plans to build a “single site” district council headquarters. We have done so ever since the project was first mooted : we believe that there are even stronger grounds for doing so now.

At a time when the very viability of district councils is being questioned, it beggars belief that millions of taxpayers’ money is being reserved for new council offices.

Just look at the uncertain future faced by Wyre Forest District Council

District councils in Shropshire and Herefordshire scrapped
Under pressure to centralise services to save money : currently the district councils in Worcestershire are investigating amalgamation of their Environmental Health and Licensing functions with the county’s Trading Standards
The current WFDC chief executive post is a job share with the county council, suggesting top-flight officers don’t have enough to do at district level.

We believe the new HQ plans to be a waste of your money. As your Lickhill district councillor, I will oppose this irresponsible policy.

Riverside Gardens

Paul Gittins is Labour Spokesperson for Wribbenhall.

In contrast to the wonderfull floral displays in Kidderminster town centre which are funded by WFDC the post mounted flower baskets and tubs in Bewdley are funded by Bewdley Town Council and the flower beds are funded and maintained by WFDC. It was very disappointing to see that in order to save money WFDC have grassed over some of the towns flower beds and even more disappointing that the Town Council was not informed before the deed was done.