Leicestershire County Council Lib Dems

Liberal Democrats in Leicestershire have given their backing to plans for investment in green schemes that will make homes warmer, cut energy bills and improve public transport. The plans, called Green Road out of Recession, were announced on 18^th December by Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg MP.  The plans will cost £12.5bn, which would be paid for by scrapping the proposed VAT cut. The vast majority of that money will be spent immediately, making a real impact on the economy and people’s lives right away. 

• A five-year programme to insulate every school and hospital, with 20% completed in the first year
• Funding insulation and energy efficiency for a million homes, with a £1,000 subsidy for a million more
• Building 40,000 extra zero-carbon social houses
• Buying 700 new train carriages
• Installing energy and money saving smart meters in every home within five years

“The plans proposed by Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats will give an immediate boost to the economy here in Leicestershire,” said Bill Boulter County Councillor. “And by insulating people’s homes, it will help thousands of residents whose heating bills have gone through the roof in the past year. 

“Whilst Labour and the Conservatives are quietly dropping serious interest in tackling climate change and damage to the environment, Liberal Democrats believe that moving forward with green action on homes and transport will create jobs, cut energy bills, put money back into people’s pockets and protect the environment.” 

 Dear All,

Here is a copy of my latest press release on the eco town - the Halcro report was commissioned by the four local authorities (Harborough, Oadby & Wigston, City and County) to conduct a strategic assessment of the Co op plans.

______________________________________________________

“County Councilor and CASCET Vice-Chair, Simon Galton has welcomed the Halcro report as proving that the Co-Op plans for Pennbury are unworkable and lacking in detail – just as Liberal Democrats have consistently stated. The Halcro report was commissioned to conduct a ‘strategic assessment’ of the Co-op’s masterplan proposal for Pennbury.  Key finding are:

• ‘The Co op vision, Masterplan and stated aspiration are not matched by sufficiently detailed commitments and proposals to ensure that these objectives can actually be delivered.’

• The Co op has produced ‘no convincing evidence’ to demonstrate that Pennbury will create enough jobs without affecting other areas like, Oadby & Wigston and the City

• There is a concern that the off-site transport infrastructure [i.e the Tram] cannot be delivered, as much of the land needed is not owned by the developer, and the capacity of such scheme may not be enough to cope with traffic.

• The case for 15,000 homes is based upon ‘a number of questionable assumptions regarding migration and Leicestershire likely future share of future regional growth’

• ‘Pennbury would not be a freestanding settlement with its own identity’

• The Housing Strategy is clearly not founded on an analysis of local needs and opportunities.

Simon Galton has said: “this report is a real blow for the Co op and the government. For the Co op it highlights what I and my Liberal Democrats colleagues have been saying for months – there is no detail, no evidence and the proposals are just unworkable. For the government this has to be embarrassing because they have consistently let Pennbury progress and this must raise serious questions about the methods the government uses to assess these proposals.”

Another quick note of Best Wishes for the Muslim festival of Eid-ul-Adha,

 i hope the next three days are fun packed and enjoyable.

 Simon

Just a quick note to say a very Merry Christmas from myself and the other members of the Liberal Demcorat group.

Simon

Having seen the Prebudget report i thought i would post some helpful analysis of the situation. This is just an initial reaction - but basically it looks like Labour is going back to the 80’s with another suicide note - using limited unfunded solutions to long lasting problems. 

• Government borrowing and the fiscal rules – The entire basis of this Pre-Budget Report is that the Government can offer a fiscal stimulus funded by massive borrowing in this year and the next and that they will be able to start repaying this by 2010.  However, the Chancellor’s (and the Tories’) blithe assumption that, after a nasty recession next year, the economy will bounce back in 2010 is very worrying.  The Government’s assumptions on balancing the budget and returning to the fiscal rules are based on this flawed assumption.  Unlike previous recessions we have a profound banking crisis on top of a collapsing housing market, falling output and unemployment.  There is a serious risk of a prolonged slump in which the Government’s unfunded tax cuts, plus drastically reduced existing tax revenues, could leave us with a massive fiscal black hole further down the line. 
• National Insurance – The Government has announced that it will increase National Insurance for both employers and employees by 0.5% from 2011. This will raise an additional £5bn and mean that somebody earning £25,000 will be £30 worse off a year. Despite the Chancellor’s rhetoric that additional taxes should be raised from “those who have done best out of the growth of the last decade”. The majority of tax which will be raised will come from National Insurance which will affect the vast majority of people and all employers. 
• New top rate of tax -   The new top rate of tax of 45p on incomes over £150,000 is nothing more than a fig leaf to cover the regressive rise in NICs. It raises a mere £670m compared to the £5bn raised in National Insurance. If the Government actually wanted to make the tax system fairer they would have cut income taxes for those on low and middle incomes paid for by closing the tax loopholes which benefit the wealthy. The Liberal Democrats would, for example, tax capital gains as income and restrict tax relief on pensions to the basic rate. 
• VAT rate cut – Cutting VAT by 2.5% will cost the exchequer £12.4bn.  As VAT is not payable on essentials such as food and children’s clothes this measure is unlikely to benefit those struggling to keep their heads above water.  Instead this tax cut will help big spenders.  With a 2.5% cut in VAT amounting to £5 off a £200 TV or 60p off a £25 restaurant bill it is highly unlikely that this cut will offer the economy the stimulus it needs.  To make matters worse the Government admits that the re-pricing cost of the VAT reduction which will fall on already struggling businesses will be £50m.  The Government should be using borrowing to invest in capital projects such as building social housing, increasing building energy efficiency and improving public transport which will not only benefit our economy today but in the future as well. 
• Pensions - The Chancellor’s pledge to increase the Pension Credit to £130 is not a new measure as it was first announced in March 2007.  Equally the Government’s announcement that it would increase the Basic State Pension by inflation merely honours the commitment it made in 2004. 
• Small businesses - Instead of simply deferring increases in the small firms’ rate of Corporation Tax, the Chancellor should decrease Corporation Tax for the thousands of struggling small businesses. To make matters worse, from 2011 with the Government’s NICs increase businesses of all sizes will face a massive hike in their wage bills, at a time when they are struggling to meet their current pay-rolls.  
•  Housing – The Government’s measures to reduce repossessions are welcome as they where our ideas in the first place; however it has still failed to ensure that homes are only ever taken as a last resort. The three month deferral will do nothing to reduce repossessions of those who borrowed from smaller lenders, while the code of practice for lenders that came into force last week leaves the courts powerless to enforce it.  The Government must also ensure that any additional investment in social housing is available to local authorities as well as housing associations. With private building at a standstill, new social housing will stall unless the gap left by private funding is filled. Unless local authorities are freed from the constraints on housing finance, the Government will fail to rebuild the social housing safety net. 

Questions? Comments? Get in touch!

Reacting to announcements about the Prebudget Report, Simon Galton, Leader of the Lib Dem Group at County Hall has highlighted the situation local people in Leicestershire have endured this year with rocketting fuel, transport and food prices and many were still out of pocket following the government’s decision to double the starting rate of income tax. 

“Today, the Chancellor presents his Prebudget Report to Parliament,” said Simon Galton. “Liberal Democrats in the House of Commons will be pressing for permanent tax cuts for people on low and middle incomes. We will be looking for radical changes in the tax system which lock in lower rates of income tax for good. 

To make these tax cuts lasting, they have to be funded. That means shifting the tax burden onto pollution and ending the tax perks and loopholes enjoyed by the highest earners. We are worried that the Government will simply introduce temporary tax cuts, paid for by borrowing, that will disappear once we start to come out of recession. Now is the time for a genuine and radical change to the tax system. Liberal Democrats will be pressing for that and, having spoken to many residents, I know it is what people here want. 

I believe, however, that an area where borrowing should be allowed is investment in new buildings and facilities that are needed locally. I am very keen to see people’s homes properly insulated and more affordable homes built for people who need them. And the government should ensure that some of this money is given to local councils to help local people directly now.”

I have just learnt that the train fairs are going to go up by a massive increase (see below) your local Liberal Democrats will campaign hard on this issue as we believe that a better rail way system is needed but shouldn’t be limited to the rich. We believe that the government should ensure that people are able to get to work, thus allowing recovery from the recession. These increases hurt people who leave the car at home, they should be punished for doing the right thing for the environment and lower our countries dependance on Oil.

The Association of Train Operating Companies announced on 21^st November that regulated fares would increase by 6% from January 2009. The Liberal Democrats have demanded the increases be abandoned and rail fares frozen.

The increase in regulated fares, season tickets and saver tickets, takes place under a government regulation allowing rises up to inflation+1% (one per cent above the retail price index) and up to Inflation+3% on Southeastern and some Northern Rail trains. Unregulated fares will rise by a greater amount.  Individual train company fare increases are: 

COMPANY                            REGULATED                        UNREGULATED 

Cross Country                             6%                                                11% 

East Midlands Trains                6%                                                  7.%

Virgin Trains                               6%                                                  7%  

Just thought i would post a few facts about the Lib Dems work trying to salvage our economy after successive Conservative and Labour governments.  Let me know what you think.

Simon

The Liberal Democrats have consistently been ahead of the game on economic issues. Here is a list of ten things we called for first, and which have now either been implemented or taken on board by at least one of the other two main parties. 

Northern Rock nationalisation - it was clear to us that this was unavoidable in November last year. It took the Government until February to act. 

Independence of the Bank of England - longstanding Lib Dem policy. First Labour implemented it, over Tory opposition. Now even the Tories support it. 

Recapitalisation of the banks - Vince Cable was the first politician to call for this. Three days later the Chancellor announced that this would be going ahead. 

Tackling the bonus culture - in May we were the first party to put forward proposals for tackling the harmful bonus culture in the financial sector. By the autumn, ministers and the Tory leadership had realised the situation was indefensible and changed their tune.. 

Regulation of ’sale and rent back’ agreements - this was part of our ‘7 point plan’ for dealing with personal debt, launched in September 2003. The Government announced on 22nd October this year that they were finally looking into this. 

New court guidance to make repossession a ‘last resort’, obliging lenders to exhaust all alternatives first - another measure in the Government’s 22^ndOctober announcement that the Lib Dems had been calling for for more than six months. 

Changes to capital adequacy laws to require banks to hold more capital in periods of boom and less in recession - we called for this back in January 2003. Now the Conservatives back it too. 

Ban on short selling of financial stocks - Vince Cable urged this on September 16th (having also raised the issue in July). The Government did not act until three days later, once the Americans had announced restrictions. 

National network of financial advice centres - since 2003 we have been calling for a network of local and generic financial advice, particularly for those on lower incomes, funded by a levy on the financial services industry. Earlier this year the Tories announced their support for this too, using almost exactly the same language. 

Curbs on irresponsible lending - a commonplace sentiment now, but we called for “the publication by the Government of strict measures for responsible lending, which lenders must be required to observe” back in September 2003. 

Due to the amount of things going on with the Eco-town i have just updated the page.

The latest information and chagnes are online.

The Liberal Democrat Group at county hall has come out in support of the County Council’s plans to challenge the Local Development Framework currently going through consultation by Charnwood Borough Council.

The Liberal Democrat group has been conducting its own research into housing with the recent turmoil in the housing markets and has enlisted the support of Loughborough Councillor

The regional assembly (a unelected body that i am a member off - as it has so much influence over key areas) has been told to conduct a review of the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS). I am lead to believe that the government wants to increase the housing target number again.  

As a group we oppose the idea that the government can simply increase the targets before the ink is even dry on the previously agreed targets. We already have major concerns about the current target of 97,000 homes for Leicester and Leicestershire which will present the districts with huge challenges. Any further increase to these figures seems blind to the realities around us. I will be responding to the Regional Assemblies consultation on this review and as always i am willing to accept comments from readers on the matter.

Housing is a complex business, and targets simply don’t do anything without the means to see it through. The current turmoil in the economy has already caused a decline in land values and construction companies are simply not building. It seems crazy to me to have a target that risks allocating huge tracks of greenfield land for development when the future is so uncertain. What the government should be seeking is local solutions to the housing crisis – trying to find ways we can build more social houses and bring the huge numbers of empty homes in the City back into use. Targets and numbers don’t put roofs over people’s heads – we need action not further reviews.

Simon

Councillor Roger Wilson (Birstall) has just issued the following press release expressing his concner about the impacts of the credit crisis on the County Council’s capital investment programme. I think he raises a good point or two:

He Said: “I am concerned that the County Council’s capital programme is in a precarious state. People may not realize it but the capital program is essential as it provides the dedicated money to support construction. There is already concern being expressed that the Birstall Park & Ride is in trouble – I would guess because the developer has been unable to accumulate the necessary finance to meet planning requirements. The park & ride is something that I have supported, as I feel it will help limit the traffic through Birstall and this could alleviate congestion and improve the air quality. I hope that this situation can be resolved.   

But more widely if an established project like this is in danger, I am troubled about the possibility of other capital projects being delayed or stopped altogether. Although I accept that the delay could be due to the developers themselves I feel we need to clarify the impact of the current credit crisis on the capital program and I will be writing to the Director of Finance at County Hall for clarification.

Of further concern is that the county council will be unable to assist current projects being undertaken that could be suitable for investment as they benefit the local community. I fear that the Palmer Tomkinson Centre, in Birstall could miss out on valuable support from the county council if they have to focus priorities on a shortfall or lack of resources in other areas.”

I have just found out that the Leicester City Council Labour group has created a resolution to support the Ecotown for Pennbury.  

I just can’t quite bring myself to believe that they could undermine the collective actions of local councils like this. A process was agreed to develop a strategic assessment that is due to report on the 12^th December, the city council supported this and even contributed £20,000 of tax payers money. I just don’t understand how the city cabinet could undermine an independent process like this – especially when Pennbury has little to do with the City authority.  In a way I feel the Labour administration have let down those communities that will directly affected by Pennbury, but I think they have failed to appreciate just how much the communities in the city will be changed by this. Labour has put partisan political ideals ahead of the best interests of people. They have been bought off by the Coop’s flashy presentations and thinly developed ideas of a ‘tram’ and regeneration support. And I think they have raised questions about their independence firstly from the Labour government but also from the Co-operative party.

May i take this opportunity to wish a very happy Diwali to Leicestershire’s Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities on this very special day.

Hope you all have a fantastic day! Enjoy the fireworks!

Yours,

The Liberal Democrat County Councillors

Ok so there is alot of confusion in this world - sometimes words sound nicer than what they mean; because of this it is important to ensure that we as local politicians tell the truth and more importantly ensure what we say is clear - even at the risk of losing a bit of political credibility.

There are rumours that Leicestershire County Council is thinking of building an Incinerator to deal with the large volume of waste that is currently not recycled. However people will struggle to find that emotive word ‘incinerator’ in any public document the county council produces - instead the County prefers to use the term ‘Energy from Waste’ - which sounds so much better really.

However the reality is different, ‘Energy from Waste’ is not a technology it is a collection of processes that take waste and destroys it in a single process (see the wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_from_waste for more info). Broadly Energy from waste dosen’t necessarily mean incineration but neither does the County Councils use of it actually tell us what they mean.

What we do know is that the process the county is in favour of is the following “Energy from Waste with CHP”. CHP means Combined Heat and Power and is basically using the byproduct of thermotreatment (burning)  to produce electricity and heat. The theory goes that the use of CHP can offset the emissions produced by the technology with the added benefit of providing cheap heating and electricity locally (so long as you want heating all year round). However in order to make use of CHP you need to ‘burn’ a product.

So what does ‘energy from waste with CHP’ actually mean - well people need to ask the Conservative administration what it means - if i say incineration i will simply be told off! What i do know is that a technology hasn’t been selected yet and that the tendering process is along one.

However the county did have to conduct a study to apply for PFI money from the government which assumed the technology would be an incinerator and it will be against the results of this study that all offers (and other technologies) will be judged. Although the county hasn’t ‘picked’ a technology we can be pretty sure that competition needs a bit of grammar overhaul to start with we could ensure we talk honestly about Incineration as a type of Energy from Waste.

The latest government solution in meeting housing needs is to promise £13 Million to be used to buy surplus housing stock from developers and convert into affordable/social housing. As an idea this seems fine yet the detail suggests that this money will buy 335 homes across the entire country. Although i welcome any increase to the allocation of affordable housing by government i do wonder if the sentiment is the only positive thing about this.

Locally we have a real need for affordable housing to help people get on the housing ladder, buy equally we need social housing to help those that simply need somewhere to live. As a county councillor i feel that to some extent we need to change our attitude to housing, we need to accept that council houses are needed and we needed to deal with the ones we already have. Across Leicestershire there are approximalty 14,000 empty homes, local districts have powers to develop an ‘Empty homes strategy’ but most couldn’t afford to buy the vacant stock. Government should be supporting local councils in buying this empty stock as an interim measure until more can be built. And we should commit to a coordinated strategy to ensure that all developments have the right mix of houses - not as a selling feature but as right for local people.

My worry is that developers play into our fears about housing by offering a specific percentage of affordable housing - yet we have the capacity to do so much more. The proposed eco-town is sold as a solution to the housing problem (30% will affordable/social property) yet 30% of 15,000 is still significantly less than the total empty homes in the county, and is also less than the 30% of ALL developments the Regional Spatial Strategy calls for. I understand that people worry about the prospects of their children or even their own issues (with negative equity etc), and i beleive local councils should do more to protect all from the worst excesses of the housing bubble bursting and to use this time to rectify the mistakes of the past.

If the chancellor is planning to spend big to protectt our economy - we should at least see some of the money be used locally to ensure that all have access to homes.

I know its been awhile since my last post, but i thought i would present the latest information on the credit crisis and the solutions the Liberal Democrats have to try and deal with the impact.

Fortunately here in Leicestershire we do not have any money with any Icelandic Banks which is a relief, but more importantly is the efforts by local Lib Dems to try and ease the burden on households. Your Liberal Democrat councillors are working hard for you on this; but so to are the Liberal Democrats in parliament and Europe trying to get national economy back on track:

1. Cutting taxes for struggling families so you’ve got more money in your pocket The Liberal Democrats will cut taxes for people on low and middle incomes, raising them for the richest so the tax cuts are affordable.  We will fund this by ending upper rate tax relief on pensions, clamping down on tax avoidance, harmonising income and capital gains taxes, increasing green taxation and trimming overall central public spending. These proposals would not increase the government fiscal deficit; that means they are affordable now. This tax cut is now urgent to get money to people who are struggling the most, helping them to pay for essentials and keep spending money in the high street.

 2. Lowering energy bills so you can afford to keep warm this winter As wholesale fuel prices fall – they have dropped 28% since August – utility companies must lower people’s bills too. Millions of people face a winter unable to heat their homes: 4 out of 5 single pensioners will be in fuel poverty this winter. Energy companies must pass on wholesale price cuts. We’ll also change billing rules so the first units of energy you use are no longer the most expensive. Essential energy should be the cheapest, while bigger users pay more. This is fairer, and will help the environment. Finally, those energy companies that received a £9bn subsidy from the European Emissions Trading Scheme must invest in lower tariffs for vulnerable customers and providing comprehensive insulation for everyone. 

3. 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. 

4. 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

Liberal Democrat group leader Simon Galton has reacted to the announcement that Ms. Caroline Flint has been replaced in Gordon Brown’s Cabinet reshuffle with Margaret Beckett. Margaret Beckett who represents the Derby South constituency was a former holder of the Housing Minister position.

Simon Galton said: “I am relieved that Ms. Flint has been replaced as Housing Minister, this is a real chance to review some of her decisions and arguments and to take a fresh view of the entire Eco-town process.  I have always felt that strongly that Ms. Flint has consistently ignored the views and concerns of local communities, local councils and local elected representatives. I also believe that her refusal to acknowledge the critical views of key professional bodies such as the Local Government Association’s legal opinion undermined her credibility and her role.

The appointment of Margaret Beckett provides a wonderful opportunity to take stock of the whole eco town process –this is especially true considering that we are about to enter a crucial second stage of the eco-town consultation with a controversial Planning Policy Statement – I believe that local people need to be reassured that the new minister will listen to them and take appropriate action.”

Following the County Council’s press release announcing the allocation of £86 Million in PFI credits from government, the Liberal Democrat group Environment spokesman Bill Boulter has highlighted his ‘doubts and concerns’.  

He said: “we recognize that the allocation of funds is greater than was requested by the county council and I have concerns as to what this extra is for – especially as no technology has supposedly been selected it seems like a large allocation of extra money. I am particularly concerned as to whether this will result in an increased cost to the County council as I believed that the PFI would contribute a maximum of 50% of the costs – thus the administration needs to clarify whether the project has now increased from £130 Million to £168 Million without so much as a brick being laid?  

In my mind if the costs to establish a waste treatment facility are increasing there is a potential double impact to the people of Leicestershire – firstly in council tax increases to repay the loan for construction and secondly in paying the successful contractor for the waste to be treated.  

Let us not kid ourselves, Private companies need to make a profit and I remain concerned whether in the current economic climate these costs can be kept down and not passed on to hard working families.’

At the full council yesterday a Liberal Democrat motion on the sustainable communities act was successfully agreed with all party support.

Dr Sarah Hill, who proposed the motion, stated: ‘I am pleased that this motion was successful and i am grateful to all parties for the support and positive comments made. This motion shows our commitment to giving power back to people in a genuine way utilising government acts like this to make the maximum progress.’  

Dr Hill also explained the act: ‘The provisions of the Act allow local people, community groups and councils to work together to develop local solutions to local problems. For the first time, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) will be duty bound by law,  to take account of local views: be they organised pressure groups, local political parties, business or individuals. The DCLG must also take account the viewpoint of the national body which represents councils across the country, the Local Government Association (LGA).  This is a major departure from the current system which merely places a duty on ‘consultation’ rather than proper recognition of what ordinary people want.’

The motion  asked the council to firstly ’opt in’ to act and secondly requested establishment of a five member Scrutiny Panel to investigate the provisions of the SCA and the implications that it will have for LCC, including better ways of working with the District Councils, voluntary groups and with individual members of the local community.

Following an intensive campaign a local protest group in Warwickshire has successfully managed to have a judicial review enacted. The group called BARD received the ruling from Mr Justice Collins on 11^th September. The outcome is a review to be presented by the High Court before the year end which could potentially set the precedent that affects all eco-town proposals. In particular the judge made many comments about the role of the Ministry for Communities and Local Government in the process and how this could be seen to undermine the planning system. The judge wrote: “I note there must be concern that the defendant [Secretary of State for Communities & Local Government] may have disqualified herself from considering any planning application for an eco-town because of perceived bias in its favour. 

Simon Galton, whose seat comprises most of the area designated for development if Pennbury ecotown is allowed expressed his ‘delight and hope’ that this would start a proper scrutiny of the ecotown process.   He said: “I have said often that this entire process is unfair and simply side steps the local planning system. I am incredibly hopeful that the judicial review will highlight what I consider to be intrinsic flaws of the proposed ecotown’s selection process, including the bespoke planning policy statement and am delighted that a local pressure group has been able to get this far.” To see BARD’s press release go to: http://www.bardcampaign.com 

Liberal Democrat group leader Simon Galton has welcomed the passing of a motion at the Liberal Democrat conference in Bournemouth which commits the party to opposing the Eco-Town process. 

Simon Galton CC stated: “it was a good debate I am delighted that the party has committed itself in opposition to free standing eco-towns being imposed by government. I am pleased that the debate reinforced the fact that it is the Liberal Democrats that are the only party that consider sustainable development through local democratically accountable planning as the best way to create the homes. As a country we should do more to improve the existing housing stock and bring empty homes back into use for those without homes and those struggling to get on the housing ladder.  

Moreover the motion demonstrates how the Liberal Democrats oppose the crazy situation where a planning application rejected because it doesn’t meet the criteria of a local development framework or spatial strategy is simply allowed to apply to government to get a second chance. I offer my thanks to Cllr Sebastian Kindersley and Liberal Democrats in South Cambridgeshire for presenting this motion and setting our party as the only one that truly has the best interests of local communities at heart.”

Having waited patiently since 28^thJuly for a response from the Housing minister Ms. Caroline Flint to the questions he had presented, Cllr Simon Galton has highlighted the apparent lack of organization from the Minister. 

Cllr Galton stated: “As always seems to be the case with this Eco-Town process the local people are completely ignored – of course I am disappointed but I am not surprised. I had hoped to ask these questions formally at the minister’s visit to the proposed site but I was informed I could ask one and send the others in for a response in 7 to 10 days. Well I have waited exactly 28 working days and I haven’t yet had so much as a note to.”

He added: “The complete silence has annoyed me simply because it looks so unprofessional. I work alone to deal with issues and questions from constituents and I try as hard as I can to be transparent and efficient. How hard can it be to answer 9 questions when Ms Flint has an Army of Civil Servants? It’s a further evidence of how you cannot run a local housing beauty contest from Whitehall.”

The BBC have reported on a recent publication by a parliamentary select committee which states that the government needs to provide more support in the monitoring and management of PFI contracts to prevent costs spiralling: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7592179.stm

The Liberal Democrat group welcomes this report and hopes that it will encourage Local Authorities to ensure that they have robust measures in place to manage projects run alongside the private sector. This is particularly important considering the current County Council project looking in to PFI funding for a new waste treatment plant and the necessary investment of resources that this will entail.

A report is due before Leicestershire County Council’s Environment Scrutiny Committee on Thursday that will update on the progress of flood prevention work across the county. A large part of the  work that has been conducted is due to the specific allocation of £500,000 for road drainage work. This allocation was created and fought for by the Liberal Democrat group and was presented as an amendment in the February Full Council.

Bill Boulter, Liberal Democrat Spokesman for the Environment states: “This report goes to show that targeted resources can achieve real outcomes that improve the local people lives. The fact that our amendment has achieved this gives me and my fellow councillors a great deal of pride and i thank the other members of the county council for the cross party support the amendment received. I would like to say, however, that i am disappointed by the complete lack of recognition given to us by the Conservative cabinet member Nick Rushton.”

The distribution of the funds in the report for:

• £100,000 (over two years) for improved access to the Soar Valley during flood periods
• £75,000 for improved highway drainage in Butt lane Blackfordby (2008/09)
• £25,000 for Highway drainage on A47 Leicester Forest East (2008/09)
• £50,000 Improved highway drainage for A511 Flying horse roundabout (2008/09)
• £50,000 for Highway drainage on Coventry Road, Market Harborough (2008/09)
• £75,000 for Highway drainage on Fosse Way/High Street Syston (2009/10)
• £30,000 for drainage on South Churchill Road Cranoe (2009/10)
• £35,000 for highway drainage in Burton Overy (2009/10)
• £30,000 for Drainage on Mill Lane Smeaton Westerby (2009/10)
• £30,000 for drainage on Barton road, Congerstone (2009/10)

The liberal democrat group has become aware of the closure of a private sector care home  in Loughborough. Shelthorpe house was sold by the County council in 2004 and is due to close because the operator, Rushcliffe care, claims it cannot afford the refurbishment costs. With the County Council currently selling 6 other care homes the liberal democrats believe that current residents and their families will be concerned. Cllr Bailey Liberal Democrat Spokesman for Adult Social Care & Health has called for some clarification as to why this has happened.  

Cllr Bailey stated “ I am concerned by this news; it is unfortunate that this is the sort of risk associated with the private sector running care homes. In fact I raised this concern myself at meetings of the Scrutiny committee for Adult Social Care and Health as part of our reason for opposing the sale, however I do believe that the specific reasons for the closure of Shelthrope need to be identified before elected representatives start to make assumptions with little if any evidence. I will say in response to the claims made by Rushcliffe Care regarding their reason to close is that they must have known the state of the property when they bid for it in the first place and would hopefully have set aside plans to invest the necessary capital – yet the current financial crisis may have made that unworkable. Alongside this I hope the council will investigate to see if any capital value can be reclaimed if Rushcliffe Care sell the land.  

Primarily we should ensure that current round of sales of care homes will contain sufficient safeguards to protect our elderly residents and ensure suitable investment to keep the properties open. In addition I welcome Mr Sprason’s guarantee that this will not happen again but I hope to get some clarification from him as to how he can make such a guarantee as well as the reasons for the closure of Shelthorpe and what the council will do next.

It has been reported in the Financial Times yesterday that the government has hinted that the decision regarding eco-towns will be delayed till next year.

Simon Galton believes that this is an example of how local pressure has put pressure on the housing minister to carefully consider what the government intends to do:

“The obvious fact is that the governments assessments of proposals are taking longer than previously thought. This gives local people an opportunity to keep putting pressure and making their views known - the government should take this opportunity to review the undemocratic methods they are using and establish guarantee to ensure that local authorities truly have the last say on this”

Following the large scale flooding across the country in 2007 the County Council group successfully managed to have £500,000 allocated from the budget for flood prevention work on the counties highways. We stated at the time that flooding is a growing concern amongst local people and more needs to be done.

The overall need to inform the people  about flooding policy has led to the creation of a new website http://www.floodsim.com/ by a partnership between Norwich Union and PlayGen. The site allows people to play a game that gives them control over the flooding policy for the country - it is also an opportunity to contribute to the government’s ongoing consultation of flood policy and a chance to learn more.

Cllr. Boulter Spokesman for the Environment states: ‘this is a useful website to learn more about the issues around flooding, and further highlights the need for local authorities to plan for an uncertain future where climate change will come to affect our lives more directly. It also reinforces the need for local councillors to be prepared to look for solutions and preventative measures now.

Following a fierce campaign the local Liberal Democrats won a decisive victory in the Upland by-election.

County Council group chairman and local County Councillor Mike Griffiths stated: Recently we have seen lots in the national and local press about how the Conservatives are surging ahead and the Labour party is in decline. The result in Oadby shows that with all of this going on – Local liberal democrats continue to work tirelessly to improve local service and represent local communities better. Even though the Conservatives brought support in from outside Oadby – the result clearly shows the great work done by the Liberal Democrats in Oadby and further highlights our capacity to be the future opposition in the County next year.’

Result

Oadby Uplands Ward By Election - 31 July 2008

Anne Rosemary BOND (Conservative Party) 625 votes

Samia Zaffar HAQ (Liberal Democrats) 774 votes

Turn out was 40.3 percent.

Following an announcement on Radio 4 - the Liberal Democrats are unveiling a new crime strategy that aims to break the ‘cycle of crime’ that is slowly destroying a generation of young people.

The policy identifies the need for ‘restorative justice’ that includes a fair punishment for the crime but with the overall need to prevent re-offending. It includes the use of Community Panels that will allow those Children and Young People who commit crimes to apologies and encourage the community to decide upon the best way forward.

Home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne MP stated: “The old parties are falling over each other trying to be tough on crime, but nothing is being done do stop young people getting sucked in to a cycle of crime”.

Leicestershire County Council group welcomes this update on an already well respected policy to combat crime and feels that it puts the power and responsibility into the community to look at ways of dealing with youth crime early and effectively.

welcome to our new website - we are still putting things in palce but check in regularly to see the latest news, and information from the County Council Liberal Demcorats!

 Simon