Categories
Civil Liberties ID cards

ID cards campaign: the secret watermark

Back in early 2004, getting infuriated at the Government’s ID cards project and because no campaign materials had then been produced by the federal party and NO2ID had yet to be formed (so they couldn’t help either), I decided to bang out a mock ID card to use for campaigning in North West Hampshire.

ID Cards - Expensive, Bureaucratic and Ineffective - with picture of Tony Blair

The ID cards project has now dragged on so long that, in total, I’ve produced versions with Charles Clarke, David Blunkett, Tony Blair and, most recently, Gordon Brown and Jacqui Smith. (I don’t know why I didn’t bother with John Reid).

Shrunk Blair ID cardClarke ID card - shrunkDavid Blunkett ID cardSmith ID card - shrunkGordon Brown ID card shrunk

For whatever reason, the party nationally decided they quite liked my card, and it still lives on, with a modified slogan, in the ID card campaign button

ID cards - expensive, intrusive and ineffective

What people may not know, unless they’ve seen the original, is that because I was spoofing the look of an ID card, I decided to give it a watermark, as follows:

ID cards watermark

“I am a Liberal and I am against this sort of thing”
Harry Willcock, December 1950.

I can’t remember where I found the exact quote, but I was originally inspired to investigate Harry Willcock by a small panel on the wall of the National Liberal Club which is probably best quoted in full.

THE MAN VERSUS THE STATE

National Liberal Club panel about Harry WillcockHARRY WILLCOCK, lifelong Liberal and a member of this Club, was, in 1951, the central figure in the historic “Identity Card” case. His refusal to produce his Identity Card to a police officer started a train of events that brought home to his fellow-citizens the curtailment their liberties. During the hearing of the case. the Lord Chief Justice and six other High Court Judges expressed strong disapproval of the continued use of Identity Cards under legislation intended only as a War-time emergency measure. Public opinion was aroused. Within a few months the Identity Card was abolished. On December 12, 1952, Harry Willcock died suddenly, while debating the case Liberalism against Socialism before the Eighty Club. The last word on his lips was “Freedom”.

As last words go, that’ll do!

Now, every time I see that campaign button, I think of the watermark, and I think of Harry Willcock.

If you would like an ID card of your own, you can download the latest version in PDF format here, sign the party’s online petition here and sign up to NO2ID here.

Categories
Alresford Housing LDF Littleton Planning Winchester

Finally… LDF consultation moved to a more suitable venue

After all our previous efforts, the council has finally moved the Winchester consultation meeting for the Local Development Framework to the Guildhall.

This means that there now spaces available on January 17th.

As mentioned previously, this is a hugely important paper for the future of the Winchester area setting out the strategy for major change across the District over the next twenty years – particularly in terms of planning and housing. It’s essential that anyone who is interested should be able to get a place in one of the consultation meetings.

There’s been an incredible level of interest. The meetings in Alresford, Winchester and Wickham have had to be moved to larger buildings and a new meeting has been set up in Littleton.

You can book a place at any of the remaining meetings via this online form.

Categories
Chandlers Ford Littleton Micheldever Post Office Shawford

Post Office Closures – despite all the hard work, almost all closures to go ahead

Well now we know…

After all the effort people made across Hampshire to argue for their local post offices, almost nothing has changed. Only one Post Office (Goodworth Clatford, near Andover) managed to get a reprieve. A branch in Whitbury which had been planned for outreach is being closed instead.

Here in the new Winchester constituency, all the efforts by local people have had some effect: the Littleton Post Office has managed to get a three month stay of execution until April 9th, 2008 to discuss whether some form of local funding could be arranged in order to keep the post office open. The Chandler’s Ford post office is being kept open until a replacement for the Fryern Hill post office has been found. The decision to replace Micheldever with an outreach service has gone to Postwatch for further discussion: we should see a plan shortly. Shawford will be closing within the next four weeks.

The fundamental issue remains the central Government decision to cut the national number of post offices by 2,500. As local people repeatedly made clear in their letters and submissions, these closures will have a serious impact on the elderly and vulnerable groups. It is very disappointing that all the input given by local people has had such a relatively small impact.

Full details of the closure decisions, as published on the Post Office website, are as follows:

Post Office® Chandler’s Ford branch

Respondents’ main concerns related to the impact of any change on the local community, particularly elderly people; the distance to alternative branches; the fact that the nearestalternative branch at Fryern Hill is currently closed, and proposals for future development in the area.
A review confirmed that there are two alternative branches within a mile of Chandlers Ford, the nearest alternative branch being Fryern Hill, which is temporarily closed – a situation that would be resolved before any closure of Chandlers Ford branch was undertaken. The second is Velmore.
While new developments are planned for the area, we still do not consider it feasible that three Post Office branches could be operated in a viable and therefore, sustainable way in the future.
Taking these and all other relevant factors into account, our decision is to proceed with the closure of Post Office® Chandlers Ford branch. No such closure will take place until a new Fryern Hill branch is in place.

Post Office® Littleton branch

During the local public consultation, the main comments received in respect of this branch related to vulnerable customer groups, the availability of parking at alternative branches and the ability of those branches to absorb additional customers. A proposal was also received from the local community regarding local funding for a service offering in the area.
We have carried out a further check on parking and can confirm that parking is available at both alternative branches. Service provision at those branches will also be revised where necessary.
Having considered this and all other relevant factors, Post Office Ltd has decided to confirm the closure of this branch. However, our view is that the proposal for local funding was sufficiently cogent that it is worth investigating further whether it may provide a viable basis for the provision of some form of local service in the area. Post Office Ltd will now consider further the proposal to assess its viability. In the meantime, to reduce disruption should a new locally funded service be established, Post Office Ltd has decided to delay the implementation of the closure of this branch by three months to 9th April 2008.

Post Office® Shawford branch

A relatively small amount of correspondence was received during the local public consultation period in relation to this branch.
A review has, nevertheless, been conducted and has confirmed, amongst other things, that customer levels at this branch are very low. Taking all relevant factors into consideration our final decision is to proceed with the closure of Post Office® Shawford branch.

Micheldever submitted for further review by Postwatch

Postwatch is working with Post Office Ltd and local communities throughout the programme to help secure the best possible outcome for customers.
Postwatch and Post Office Ltd have agreed a Memorandum of Understanding, which sets out in detail the role Postwatch will play in the Programme. Where Postwatch thinks Post Office Ltd’s proposals are unsatisfactory, it will work with local communities and Post Office Ltd to address these problems.
Where Postwatch can show, in respect of an individual branch, Post Office Ltd has not given due consideration to material evidence received during the public consultation in coming to its decision or where evidence emerges from the consultation that the proposal for that branch does not meet the Government’s policy requirements, there is an agreed review mechanism between Postwatch and Post Office Ltd. It is important to note that Postwatch does not have a power of veto on Post Office Ltd’s decisions.
We have made a decision in principle to proceed with the remaining eight Outreach proposals subject to final agreement with Postwatch. Post Office Ltd is now working on finalising the details of the specific solution that replaces each branch; this information will be published shortly.

  • Post Office® East Meon branch, East Meon Stores, High Street, East Meon, Petersfield, GU32 1NW
  • Post Office® East Tisted branch, Station Road, East Tisted, Alton, GU34 3QP
  • Post Office® Froxfield branch, 13 Dellfield, Froxfield, Petersfield, GU32 1EH
  • Post Office® Lockerley branch, Lockerley Green, Romsey, SO51 0JN
  • Post Office® Micheldever branch, Church Street, Micheldever, Winchester, SO21 3DB
  • Post Office® St Mary Bourne branch, Bourne Meadow, St Mary Bourne, Andover, SP11 6BE
  • Post Office® West Tytherley branch, West Tytherley, Salisbury, SP5 1NF
  • Post Office® West Meon branch, High Street, West Meon, Petersfield, GU32 1LJ
Categories
Alresford Housing LDF Littleton Planning Winchester

One step forward – two steps back

After all our pressure back in December, the good news is that there is now going to be an extra consultation workshop for the City Council’s Local Development Framework in Littleton Village Hall.

But the two other consultations in the new Winchester Constituency – in Alresford and Winchester’s Discovery Centre are already fully booked out – with 9 or more days to go before the meeting itself.

We still need at least one more consultation in the City itself. The Local Development Framework, while sounding boring, has huge implications for our city over the next 20 years.

As I said back in December:

The proposals on the table (including an effective assumption in favour of developing on Barton Farm, Abbots Barton and Pitt Manor, and including possible further expansion north and east of the current Barton Farm site, on Teg Down, on Bushfield Camp and further into Pitt Manor Farm) are going to be hugely controversial across the city and also have a potentially huge impact in areas outside the city, such as Oliver’s Battery, Badger Farm, Kings Worthy and Compton.

We urgently need more consultation meetings to ensure that local people’s voices are properly heard.

Categories
Environment Housing Micheldever Micheldever Station Eco-Town

Micheldever Eco-Town: not eco at all

The Dever Society has launched an online petition against the proposed Micheldever Station Eco-Town.

Despite the Town’s supposed environmental credentials, I’m also opposed and have signed the petition, primarily because the Town’s environmental credentials are a sham: the proposal is not environmental at all. By creating a new transport node equidistant between Basingstoke, Andover and Winchester, the new town will create a huge amount of extra journeys. As and when we require further housing, our priority needs to supporting sustainable lifestyles in our existing town centres – this plan does the exact opposite.

One element that takes a while to sink in is how completely enormous the proposed town is. Eagle Star (the owner) are proposing to have 12,500 new houses and close to 30,000 residents.

When I hear the word ‘market town’ in this part of the world, I tend to think of Alresford, Whitchurch or Wickham – but this proposal is bigger than Alresford, Whitchurch and Wickham added together! Compared to the 12,500 houses proposed for Micheldever Station, there are 2,300 houses in the town of New Alresford – around the same number in the town of Whitchurch, slightly fewer in Wickham and only 14,500 in the town wards of the city of Winchester. This is an absolutely huge development.

It’s important that as many people as possible sign up to back the petition. Anyone can sign up – details are at http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Micheldever/.

If you need to know more, the Dever Society has a very useful briefing, and extracts from the speech I made at their public meeting in Micheldever Station are below.

Continue reading “Micheldever Eco-Town: not eco at all”