Author: Martin

Categories
Planning

Planning and facilities in King’s Worthy

Another doorstep conversation about planning today – this time in King’s Worthy.

Unsurprisingly, the first item to come up was the Elan development. I remember once when Michaela and I were driving through King’s Worthy saying to her – ‘There’s been quite a controversial development here – see if you can spot it!’ It didn’t prove too difficult. I’m a great believer in the importance of design and, if selected, would want to work closely with Liberal Democrat councillors on both councils, and the public, both to achieve high quality design for our towns and villages, and to campaign with them against inappropriate development.

Elan development

The other topic we talked about was the need for extra facilities to go alongside new developments. The member I was talking to explained that while the population of King’s Worthy had doubled over the last 20 years, the available facilities and infrastructure hadn’t.

Unfortunately, this is all too common in rural areas of Hampshire and a clear consequence of the shift of powers away from local communities and local authorities and the restriction in their ability to have a true say in how their areas are run.

Categories
Environment

Climate change and energy

I had a very energising conversation last night with a local member about the need for action on the environment. We were throwing about all kinds of ideas as to what we would want to do at a national, local government, campaigning and, importantly, personal level to reduce our impact on the environment and tackle climate change.

One idea that we both agreed to pursue was getting ‘green tips’ into our leaflets. Many people want to do more to reduce their impact on the environment, but don’t know where to start or what negative impact they might be inadvertently having. Simple advice on things to do and how these might help seems like an excellent step we could take to bring to life our environmental commitment in Focus!

Categories
Housing Planning

Déjà vu

I was going along Bodycoats Road in Chandler’s Ford today when I had a sudden attack of déjà vu. I was sure I had been there before.

Bodycoats Road

It couldn’t have been from the 2005 election, since most of our work in Romsey during the 2005 General Election was in Palestine, up in the north of the constituency, and in Romsey itself.

It then struck me that it must have been from the by-election in 2000, since on one Sunday a team I’d brought from Ealing Acton & Shepherds Bush was sent out to Chandler’s Ford. This was confirmed when I visited someone who I remembered canvassing!

My main memory of the Romsey by-election (aside from the result) was being so infuriated by William Hague’s speech about asylum speakers shortly before the election that the next morning, I called my boss, booked a day’s holiday for election day and then, on election day, went and pounded the streets until the polls closed.

As in Winchester, several of the people I met in Chandler’s Ford mentioned planning as an issue. On the one hand, young families who were born and grew up in the area are forced out by high house prices. Many couples who now live outside the area bring their children back to be christened in St Boniface because they still feel that Chandler’s Ford is home. On the other, no-one wants to see over-development and too much stress put on local services and infrastructure. As is so often the case, Government centralisation has a lot to do with the frustration that people feel in this area. Councillors are too often forced to act as an arm of government, rather than advocates of their local area. Everyone locally, including local councillors, ends up feeling that no-one is listening. Pushing true and full decision-making down to a more local level has to be the way forward to help release this tension.

Finally to the US elections. It all seems very much as the Democrats were predicting when I went to meet them back in June. My brother has just taken American citizenship and lives in the marginal state of Virginia, where they appear to be having the closest senate race. If the Democrats win Virginia by one vote, I will be very proud.

Categories
Dean Garnier Pavements

Gardens and pavements

I needed a break from working on leaflets and websites, and Michaela wanted a break as well, and so we decided to pop into Winchester to take a look at Dean Garnier’s garden in the cathedral close.

As well as being a campaigner for a sewage system in Winchester, Dean Garnier was a founding member of the Hampshire Horticultural Society.

Dean Garnier's GardenDean Garnier's GardenDean Garnier's Garden

After a very pleasant half-hour taking a few photographs and looking at the plants, we decanted to the cathedral refectory for coffees and conversation (and, in my case, a homemade sticky bun).

On the way back, I’m afraid to say that my political instincts took over. Several local people had mentioned to me the poor maintenance by the County Council of the paving stones in the centre of Winchester, and the campaign being run by the local party on the issue, so I couldn’t resist the temptation to go and see for myself.

Cracked Paving StoneCracked Paving Stone

Yet another area where the Conservative-run County Council is badly letting down local people.

Categories
20s plenty City Council Confirmation Hearings County Council Speeding

Tories divided amongst themselves

After three back-to-back meetings in Westminster, down to Winchester to a full meeting of the city council.

It was particularly interesting to see the Tories tieing themselves in knots about establishment of 20 mph traffic zones. HomeZone logoWhile most of those that spoke appeared to be in favour of these (although some , while sounding positive, appeared to want to push them into bureaucratic long grass), it turned out that the biggest obstacle to their introduction was…. the Conservative administration of Hampshire County Council. The introduction of Homezones and 20 mph speed limits in residential areas turn out to be yet another area where the Conservatives running the county council are not listening to local people – not even their own local people!

I’ve been a big fan of Home Zones since I saw them in action when living in Germany in the 1990s. One of the country’s first home zones, the Five Roads Home Zone, was just outside the constituency I fought in 2001. They’re safer for children, better for the environment and rebalance the roads more in favour of pedestrians and cyclists. While obviously they shouldn’t be introduced without the support of local people, where there is that support, I’d like to see them introduced as widely and quickly as possible.

The other item of interest was the appointment of Cllr. Wood to take over the planning portfolio on the cabinet following the high profile resignation of Cllr. Lipscomb.

What was striking here was the desire of those present (both Conservative and Liberal Democrat) to be able to ask a series of questions of Cllr. Wood about his background and experience, but the inability of the standing orders to allow them to do so.

It struck me that this might be a suitable opportunity for US-style public confirmation hearings – perhaps organised via the scrutiny committee?

I would like see a greater role for confirmation hearings in both local and national government. It’s a greater need in national government where the link between quangos and the public often appears weaker than the link between quangos and their associated minister. My view of quangos for some time is that they should either be abolished, or elected, or the people on them confirmed in public hearings. The current situation where they are appointed by ministers with relatively little scrutiny is not adequate for a modern democratic society.