Saturday, June 25, 2005

Foundation Class Approved For Local Schools 

At least there now seems a glimmer of hope for Woodseaves and Ranton Schools as the County Council have decided to allow them to establish a shared foundation class. Having spoken a couple of times to Rob Simpson, the County Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services it became obvious the message was getting across that without the Foundation Class the schools would be doomed. I was really pleased to be told by Rob that he had put an amendment to the original proposal to the Cabinet that would allow the schools to share the class. While I certainly support this move I still don’t think it goes far enough and that if both schools are to survive in the long term both schools must be allowed to open their own classes. I am really concerned that where ever the class is based will be advantaged, as once parents gets use to their children attending that particular school they will not want to transfer their children to the other school when they are ready to move to the reception class.

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

Town Centre Plan Approved 

It was no surprise that tonight the Borough Council approved the plan to build a shopping, cinema, and housing complex on the old Riverside site. The meeting lasted for almost two hours but in the end the massed ranks of the conservatives voted it through. The building will be larger than anything else in the town and in some parts will be nine stories high. It was obvious from the start that the plan would go through although it was good to see one Conservative Councillor voting to reject it.

As a Staffordian I was saddened with the result as I truly believe the building is too big for the site and is poorly designed. This application was the biggest thing to happen to Stafford for a generation and when built will be part of the town for generations to come. Despite this fact it does appear the majority of the Conservatives were prepared to allow it to go ahead because it was half of the package that would mean the town will get a new leisure centre. The town has been sold short because of this, and I for-one are not happy with the outcome. Was the decision taken because of party locality? No one can say for sure, but the question has to be asked. Why did only one Tory vote against the plan and one abstain when all the others supported it. Only the Tory councillors themselves know the answer to that question but I’m sure no one is going to tell! The only hope now is that John Pescott will call in the application and reject it!

Sunday, June 19, 2005

South Staffs Election 

This weekend I've been helping deliver leaflets as part of the delayed General Election in South Staffordshire. The election was postponed in May because of the death of our candidate - Jo Harrison - just days before the poll was to take place. This time round local Lib Dem Jo Crotty has been chosen to fight the seat. On Friday night I delivered some leaflets in Cheslyn Hay and on Saturday moved on to Featherstone. I have to say this is a strange election as most people I spoke to did not seem interested or indeed intended to vote. It certainly does not have the excitement of a by-election and is being held so close to the general election that many people feel their vote is irrelevant. In 2001 Sir Patrick Cormack easily won with a majority of 6881 so it would be a something of a shock if he was beaten this time round. However regardless of local people view the poll it has certainly attracted a wide range of candidates including the Green Party and UKIP has well as the less well known Clause 28, Children's Protection Christian Democrats, the English Democrats, and the Freedom Party. However it is clear that South Staffordshire is certainly a strange Constituency in its layout as it stretches from Cheslyn Hay in the north to Kinver in the south. Such a spread means that it is impossible to find a local issues which effects everyone. In the south it is the proposed Wolverhampton City Airport and in the north the proposed new M6 Toll Motorway. Perhaps this fact has been overlooked by the person who wrote the newspaper I was delivering as the main story was the new airport - a headline catcher for residents living in Cheslyn Hay or Featherstone.

Thursday, June 16, 2005

Blow To Village Schools 

It’s unbelievable that the County Council have decided not to allow Ranton and Woodseaves schools to start a foundation class. These small Village schools need all the help they can get if they are survive. If the County Council insist on sticking to their guns and not let then have the foundation class it will almost certainly mean that their numbers will fall. It’s clear that many parents will keep their children at the school they attend as a nursery child. As a Governor at Haughton School I know just how important getting children through the door at the earliest opportunity is. I’ve already spoken to Diana Richardson – the headteacher at Ranton – and have offered her my full support in fighting the decision. As a start I am trying to arrange a meeting with the County Council’s Cabinet Leader for Education to discuss the reasoning behind this move.

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

Gnosall Library Gets Go Ahead 

The County Council have confirmed that they intend to go ahead with their plan to convert an unused classroom in St Lawrence’s School, Gnosall into a mini library. This is good news for the Village and something I’ve been campaigning on for sometime. However I was worried that Gnosall Parish Council would object to the plan and refuse to give it their support but luckily this was not the case. I was also pleased that the County Council have agreed to keep the library van in the Village. This is especially good news for the elderly residents who live at the other end of the Village and who I know were worried that once the new library opened they would not be able to use it as it was too far to walk. Once the new room is open it is imperative that local residents use it as I firmly believe this new facility should only be seen as the first step in getting a new purpose built library for the Village.

Friday, June 10, 2005

Good News For Old Barn Close 

At least it looks as if something will be done to investigate the uneven road surface in Old Barn Close in Gnosall. Paul Boss the County Council’s Area Highways Engineer has told me he has visited the road and cannot understand why it has started to “ripple”. He has also confirmed that the situation appears ti be getting worse. He has however agreed to get the Highway’s Laboratory to take some core samples to see if these show what the problem is. Once he knows what is causing the problem he has promised he will get the road repaired. In the meantime he has agrred to put up some warning signs, although I would think that anyone who drives along the road and doesn’t notice there is a problem must be blind.

Thursday, June 09, 2005

The Future Of British Farming 

This morning I visited King Edward VI High School to keep along standing invitation to meet with a group of fifth formers who wanted to follow careers in agriculture or similar occupations. I’d received the invitation during the General Election campaign but this was the earliest date I could make. The group was nearly all boys, but the few girls that did turn up soon showed they had no interest in the countryside and made their excuses and left.

The boys were mainly from the rural areas and all seemed interested in working on farms when they left school. At least three of them already had some experience as they had part-time jobs on their local farm. What was interesting was they all realised just how hard the work would be and just how little they would get in return. It was quite refreshing to see they had a true understanding of the state of British farming and were not under the misimpression that many town people have that farming is easy and that farmers make a great deal of money. At least one of then saw his future in the contracting industry and described in some detail how that was the sector of agriculture that was making a profit and that contractors would always be needed as farm machinery got more and more expensive to such an extent that the majority of small farmers could not afford to buy their own. It was refreshing to talk to these boys who knew that the future would be difficult but even so was prepared to work hard to make a living.

Wednesday, June 08, 2005

Is Planning Un-Policitical? 

To-nights planning meeting once again left many of us just wondering how un-political the meetings really are. On the agenda was the new Stafford sports centre and the plans for the buildings on the site of the old Riverside. Not being a member of the committee I was there as a guest to speak on another application. Also there watching the event was the Leader of the Council and three other members of the Cabinet – at least one I have to admit also there to speak on an application.

I’d not seen the plans for the replacement buildings on the old Riverside site before the meeting so was amazed when I did see them. The site will contain a large cinema complex, shops, and 300 apartments, and to fit all that in will be seven stories high in some places. I had to agree with some of the committee members that this did seen rather too large for Stafford and did little to enhance the river side environment. It was also interesting to listen to the officer’s presentation which did seem rather one sided and aimed at getting the committee to agree to their recommendation of approval. As one member of the committee mentioned it did seem strange that given the importance of this development that a number of the major consultation responses had not been printed in the papers for the meeting but were reported verbally by the planning officer. Also the plans which were projected for the planning committee to look at and the artist impressions left a lot to be desired. Like a number of committee members I certainly thought that for such a major development the applicant might have provided a scale model.

When it came to the discussion only three of the Conservative members said anything. One said he was initially against it and then changed his mind. One thought it was a good idea and that the buildings were not out of scale with the surroundings, and one thought the plan was awful but even so was going to support it. None of the other Conservatives said anything. The three Labour Councillors and the lone Liberal Democrat question the scheme and raised a number of relevant points. When it came to the vote all the Conservatives voted for it and the opposition Councillors against. Thankfully three Councillors then moved that the plan should be decided by the next meeting of the full Council. This will give all Councillors the opportunity of looking at the proposal and taking part in the decision. I will be watching, and no doubt others will as well , how members vote and if they divide along party lines!

Caravan Planning Turned Down 

To-day I’ve been told by the planning officers that the proposed caravan storage area at the old Fosters Nursery site in Bradley is to be refused. I’d called this application in so that it could finally be determined by the Planning Committee but having been given the news I’ve withdrawn this “call-in” so the officer can refuse it under his delegated powers. I know that many residents in Bradley will be pleased with this news. Had the plan been approved the traffic in the Village would have been awful. Bradley was never designed to cope with cars and caravans so this is certainly the right decision.

Thursday, June 02, 2005

Haughton and Gnosall Still Waiting! 

I’m still unclear why the County Council have not done any work following the A518 route strategy which was published twelve months ago. One of the suggestions was the installation of vehicle activated signs in both Haughton and Gnosall, but even these have disappeared from the scene. Things have been made worse by recent press publicity on the installation of these signs in Weston and Eccleshall. My colleague Bredan McKeown started the ball rolling by telling me he had been photographed by the Express and Star with the new sign in Weston which he had only been told might be installed a couple of days before it was. Having seen the picture I rang the County Council to ask why Weston and Eccleshall had been made a priority only to be told the signs had been funded from a different budget and that Haughton and Gnosall did not appear on the list. When I pointed out the A518 route strategy said that VASs should be installed the officer I was talking to said he was not aware of that fact and would look into it and get back to me. I just wonder how long I’ll have to wait??

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