Barry Stamps Political Diary

Stating the obvious!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Barry Stamp) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 23:58:00 +0000

The County Council must get this week's award for stating the obvious!

They recently updated the two road signs warning motorists that the bridge over Doxey Brook was to be close to show a new start date for the work. However while they changed the date they also added the words “Expect Delays”.

Well as the road will be closed for 13 weeks are they expecting people to wait around until it is reopened?

13 weeks is on almighty delay!!!

One rule for one - a different rule for another?

noreply@blogger.com (Barry Stamp) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 23:25:00 +0000

The heavy rain over the past few days as certainly caused a major amount of flooding both in this area and wider a field. Having been stopped from driving along Long Lane towards Derrington and then prevented getting into Seighford from Doxey last night I began to wonder just what was happening to the River Sow in Stafford.

This morning I took a quick tour round the town centre and although the water was not as high as it was last year there were still problems. Firstly Sainsbury’s car-park was closed as the entrance was underwater, but perhaps more worrying was that the river had burst its bank by the site of the old Riverside Centre and the old Tesco car-park. This really set me wondering why the proposed development on the old Riverside site had not meet with more opposition from the Environment Agency as the site is obviously in a floodplain. To make matters worse in the first application for the new shopping, cinema, and apartment complex the plans included an underground which would have been well underwater with today’s floods.

The Environment Agencies apparent lack of interest in this site must be compare with an application they objected to in Seighford. In this case the application was made by a private householder who wanted to build a small domestic extension. However because his house was next to the Millian Brook the Agency objected to the plan and said there was a chance the new building might flood. On this basis the Planning Offers were about to refused the application befire the owner withdrew his plan. However as the house stands on slight rise above the nearby village if this new extension flooded Seighford would be under many feet of water!

One has to ask why there appears to be different rules, or is it the fact that the application in Stafford is from a big developer and backed up to the hilt by the Council, while the domestic extension in Seighford is being made by an ordinary member of the public?

Bus passengers will suffer while Doxey Bridge is closed

noreply@blogger.com (Barry Stamp) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:49:00 +0000

The closure of the road bridge on the edge of Doxey Fields will certainly cause a few problems for some local residents.

The County Council say they have no alternative but to shut the bridge for around three months so a replacement can be built. However this plan will cause major disruptions.

I personally am worried on three counts.

Firstly emergency vehicles to Derrington and Seighford will be forced to use longer routes, which, as they are along main roads, can at certain times be heavily congested.

Secondly, emergency, breakdown, and maintenance vehicles trying to access the motorway service area at Doxey will again have to find alternative routes. As Seighford is already covered by a weight restriction this could mean more heavy traffic through Derrington.

Thirdly, passengers using the Ruralink bus service that travels over the bridge will be forced to walk between a new temporary bus stop by the entrance to the motorway depot to the bus-shelter near Doxey Church. At a recent meeting the County Councillor for the area said this wasn’t a problem as it was only six hundred yards, but I beg to differ! It may only be six hundred yards but that is quite a distance for many of the elderly passengers that use that service, especially if they are carrying full shopping bags. Also the land between the brook and the church rises steadily which makes the walk even more demanding. And if the weather we have experienced over the past few weeks continues I for one would certainly not want to walk that distance in the pouring rain.

What the County Council passenger transport team really need to do is reconsider this proposal and arrange for the Ruralink buses to be re-routed. I know this will mean a longer journey time which equates to more expense, and even perhaps the need to employ an extra vehicle but surely the wellfare and the well being of the passengers should be put first.

Gnosall Ruralink - R.I.P.

noreply@blogger.com (Barry Stamp) — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 01:36:00 +0000

Friday 29th August is a special day in more ways than one for Gnosall Ruralink – the community transport service which provides a public transport link to a number of small villages to the west of Stafford. On that day the organisation not only celebrates its 7th birthday but also runs its last service, as on the following Monday a new operator – ABC Coaches from Stoke-in-Trent takes over the routes.

Originally set up as a joint venture between the County Council, Gnosall Parish Council, and the surrounding communities Ruralink has provided a much need bus service to villages such as Church Eaton, Bradley, Morton and Ranton. Certainly new to this part of the world, the concept behind the service is underlined by part of its name, as the small minibus linked the rural communities it served to buses run by Arriva on mainline routes.

Over the seven years the service has relied on Government grants and subsidies from the County Council to keep running. However free handouts can not go on for ever and a few weeks ago the County Council went out to tender to see if they could get a better deal for the local Council Tax payer. The successful bidder for the work was, as already mention above, ABC Coaches who already run a similar service elsewhere in the County.

As one of the volunteer Directors of Ruralink I am sad to see the service moving away from direct community control, but at the end of the day it is the fact that the villages are still getting the public transport service they need that is far more important than who the service is run by. However as a Councillor, I will be monitoring the new service and will be the first to complain to the County Council if it deteriorates.

ABC Coaches takes over the Ruralink routes on the 1st September. Timetables and ticket prices will, for the time being, remain the same as those currently enjoyed.

Aircraft noise once again shatters Little Onn quiet

noreply@blogger.com (Barry Stamp) — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 23:04:00 +0000

Residents living near to the old Little Onn airfield are once again complaining about the noise of low flying aircraft. However this time it is not the drone of wartime Airspeed Oxford trainers that is shattering the peace and quiet of this part of Church Eaton Ward but rather the high pitch whine of model planes.

It appears that a model flying club are regularly using one of the old runways, and although the local residents are not against the club using the site it is the length of time that flying is taking place that is the problem. I’m told that on most Sundays the noise of small petrol engines can be heard from the middle of the morning until, on some occasions, late afternoon. Those affected tell me it is the constant whine of these engines that they object too.

I’ve already taken the matter up with the Council’s Planning Department who tell me that no planning permission is needed unless flying takes place for more than 28 days in any twelve months. To help gauge whether this rule is being broken residents have been asked to keep a diaries by the Council the content of which can be used as evidence if action needs to be taken.

However I do think that local residents should not have to put up with undue noise and my next step is to talk to the Council’s Environmental Health Department to see if they can monitor the noise levels and if these are found to be excessive if they can take immediate action to prevent further nuisance.

Doxey residents unite against drugs

noreply@blogger.com (Barry Stamp) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 02:42:00 +0000

Tonight’s public meeting in Doxey, arranged by the Parish Council and chaired by David Kidney, so that residents could discuss with a panel of representative from public bodies their concerns over crime and community issues was extremely well attended.

Surprisingly the bulk of the meeting was taken up with a discussion over the growing problem of drugs in the Doxey area. Time and time again local residents voiced their worries that a small number of drug users and dealers were congregating in the area and that on the face of it very little was being done to tackle the problem. It appears that certain places in the “Village” are renown as dealing spots and that the same people and cars are seen on a regular basis and that this information has been past to the police. Residents also reported that discarded syringes are also a common feature in some places and that unless removed promptly they caused a real danger to local children.

Frustration certainly was running high as the general tone of the residents was that both the police and the housing associations in the area were doing little to stamp down on the problem. This view was certainly not helped by the police representative who having said that things were happening but because of the way the police work to tackle drugs crime this would not be obvious to the general public then went onto to say he had listened to what was being said and would ensure action was taken to ensure the issue was addressed!

However what did become clear was that the drug scene in the area revolved around a very small number of people, some of whom obviously travel in from other areas, and in no way reflected the community in general.

Tackling drug crime is not an easy thing, and in many ways the answer lies in the hand of the community itself. Certainly the police must not only be made to take action but must also be seen to be doing it by the local community. However they can only act with the full backing of the community itself, something I’m sure Doxey residents are quite willing to give. Already the local Police Community Support Officer Helen Walker is making her mark and this surely must be the foundation on which to build future mutual co-operation.

A few individuals should not be allowed to tarnish the reputation of a community and everything must be done to ensure this doesn’t happen in Doxey.

Malthouse Lane dangers still unresolved

noreply@blogger.com (Barry Stamp) — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 01:56:00 +0000

I was really disappointed to hear at last night meeting of Church Eaton Parish Council that speeding traffic is once again causing a problem for residents in Malthouse Lane, Church Eaton.

As everyone in the Village knows Malthouse Lane, which is only single width, is used as a rat run by motorists travelling between Gnosall and Wheaton Aston and the A5 just to save a few extra yards over taking the wider and safer route along Wood Eaton Road and the High Street. While the lane is only a couple of hundred yards long it is extremely dangerous as there are no footpaths and the driveways to each house open out into the road from behind mature hedges.

Over the past few years I’ve raised the issue time and time again with the County Highways Department but there seems little willingness on their part to do anything to improve the situation. Along with the residents and the Parish Council I have suggested all manner of improvements including making the lane one way, putting a weight restriction on it, and even turning it into a cul-de-sac – all to no avail. It is extremely easy for the County Council to ignore the problem, but I do worry that it is only a matter of time before a serious accident does occur. Perhaps then they will take notice, but of course that will be the classic case of “shutting the stable door long after the horse has bolted”!

I certainly do not support that stance and have today written once again to the County Council urging them to take action now before someone is killed. I’ve also written to Staffordshire Police asking them to visit the lane during the morning and evening rush hour period with one of their speed “guns” in an attempt to slow the traffic down.

Using the number of serious and fatal accidents as the main criteria for deciding if a road should qualify for safety improvements is in my mind immoral and one which I cannot support!

Residents concerns grow over Seighford Airfield plans

noreply@blogger.com (Barry Stamp) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 02:50:00 +0000

While I was pleased to hear that at last nights Borough Council’s Development Control Meeting the committee had agreed with the Planning Officers recommendation that enforcement action should be taken against the company who are running the driving experience centre on Seighford airfield, I was disappointed they had decided to give them six months to comply with the order.

Unfortunately, as I have relatives that live in Seighford, I had to declare an interest in the item and left the meeting while the matter was discussed.

The development of the driving centre at Seighford has certainly met with plenty of opposition from residents not only in Seighford itself, but also from Ranton, Great Bridgeford and the surrounding rural areas.

A couple of months ago a planning application for a major development of the site which included amongst other items a couple of race tracks and a reception, office, and entertainment building, was withdrawn after the Planning Officers recommended that the plan should be refused. However the company had not only been using the airfield for some time without planning permission but have also made some minor alterations to enhance their business on the site. In an attempt to regularise the situation they applied for retrospective planning permission a few weeks before the major application which was also refused. However unperturbed they have carried on using the site – hence the enforcement action.

Speaking to a local resident after the meeting it is clear the objectors were not only annoyed that the major planning application was withdrawn before it could be formally refused but are also extremely worried that a new application will now be submitted which will attempt to answer all the concerns raised by the officers.

The resident also questioned why the Committee were allowing the Company six months to cease using the airfield, especially as there was little effort needed to return the site to its original condition. He told me that apparently the firm had taken booking for the next six months and the Planning Committee had felt they should be allowed to honour those before closing down. I have to say he wasn’t very pleased with this and he was going away to speak to some of the other objectors about what they could do next.

I have a feeling we will be hearing much more about this issue in the coming weeks!

Haughton Shop Set To Expand

noreply@blogger.com (Barry Stamp) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 02:06:00 +0000

At a time when hundreds of village stores across the Country are closing it is good to hear that the shop in Haughton is bucking the trend and is expanding.

For some time the Village Grocer shop in the centre of the village has been empty and Mel and Giles Cotterill, who run the Post Office and shop next door, have seen the opportunity and have arranged to take on the lease as long as the two shops were knocked into one.

This work has now largely been carried out and it is only a matter of time before the temporary wall is taken down and the new larger shop is opened.

Since taking over the village post office and shop Mel and Giles have developed the business to provide a much needed and valued service not only for Haughton, but also for the surrounding communities of Bradley, Church Eaton and Ranton. And now that the shop and Post Office in Derrington has closed many people from that village also use the shop in Haughton.

Mel and Giles hardwork has certainly paid off and this expansion is just the next logical step in the development of their business which proves that small village shops can survive and prosper in a world dominated by large supermarkets.

If you have not visited the shop in Haughton you really don’t know what you’ve missed. Although the sign above the door says "Haughton News" the shop is already established as an all round village store which sells everything from groceries to tubes of glue as well as all the normal goods you would expect to find in a newsagents!

Local shops and Post Offices rely on local people to stay in business, and as a regular user I know how lost I would be without the shop being in the village. The message is clear – use it or loose it! Congratulations Mel and Giles on having the foresight, business acumen, and courage to expand your shop and ensure this much needed facility is available for local residents.

Mad Dogs and Englishmen

noreply@blogger.com (Barry Stamp) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 01:42:00 +0000

By-elections always bring out the fringe parties and the one in Common Ward is no exception. While the seat left vacant by the untimely death of John Kennedy is being fought the four main stream parties – Lib Dems, Labour, Conservative and the Greens – the English Parliamentary Party as found its way onto the ballot paper.

It’s rather interesting if you put this name into Google as included in the results are a collection of more extreme right wing parties. It’s also interesting to read what other sites have to say about the organisation, which appears to have its national headquarters in rented office space in Stafford.

One site I found was called Berrocscir's Banner (http://berrocscirsblog.blogspot.com/2008/06/mad-dogs-and-englishmen.html) which under the title "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" wrote:

"I see that one of the waifs & strays of English nationalism, Parish Cllr Paul Gilbert, of the phantom England's Parliamentary Party is standing in a local by-election for Stafford Common ward on July 10th. I suppose it's part of being English that we get mavericks like this going it alone, and I wish him well, but if patriot political activists were really serious about their identity they'd throw their lot in with either the EDP or FEP. Still, having the word 'England' on the ballot paper is something I suppose."

Need I say more!

David Cameron - all spin and no substance!

noreply@blogger.com (Barry Stamp) — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 02:42:00 +0000

One of the main speakers at the LGA conference was David Cameron. Once again I sat and listened to what I can only describe as more spin than substance. While he was extremely fluent and came across as a likeable character but what did he actually say?

He made all the right noises on the relationship between Central and Local Government, regional quangos, and the family, points which were rigorously applauded by the Tory Councillors who were in the hall, however when he was asked difficult question he just pushed them aside.

One questioner, who was obviously not a member of David's party asked, given the experience in her area, whether the Conservatives were actually electable! Rather than answer the question David thanked her for reading out a press release and said he was sure her local newspaper would make a story of it.

As you might expect as we left the hall the Tories were saying what a wonderful leader he was and what a great prime minister he would make in a couple of years time. However over a cup of coffee a little later in the day I asked a Conservative Councillor I know from a Shropshire Authority what he thought was the main point David had made in his speech and I got the same cheesy smile and yet another Conservative none answer!

Underhand consultation on plans to scrap rural phone boxes

noreply@blogger.com (Barry Stamp) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 23:45:00 +0000

Yet another service in the rural areas is under threat – this time telephone boxes! I’ve been aware for a few weeks that the boxes in Church Eaton and Marston are likely to be removed, and I have already written to BT voicing my objection to the plan given that the area has such poor mobile phone coverage.

However on Saturday I received my copy of the Council’s Members Digest which contained a report from the Council’s Planning Manager setting out BT removal plans and saying that objections had to be returned by 12th July. This certainly set alarm bells ringing.

Firstly the list of telephone boxes down for removal was large, with the boxes at Haughton, Derrington, Knightly, Norbury, Outwoods, and Bromstead also included. In total 33 telephone boxes in the Borough area are down for removal!

Secondly the return date for objections given in the various boxes had already passed - 13th June and not the 12th July as was in the Council’s note. To make matters worse the notices in the box say objections should be sent to the Planning department at the Local Authority who will collate the returns. However BT don’t say who the Authority is or give the address!

So what exactly is happening? Well having now made more enquiries the whole consultation process seems to be little more than a farce! BT have given the public one set of dates and no address where the objections should be sent and the Council have completely different dates and are wondering why they have not received more that a handful of responses.

I for one just wonder whether this is complete incompetency on behalf of BT or just a cleaver scheme to insure there is little opposition the their plans!

A complete list of all the phone boxes in Stafford Borough which are under threat can be found else where on my web-site just follow this link http://www.barrystamp.co.uk/telephoneboxes.html

What is the true cost of the planning appeal process

noreply@blogger.com (Barry Stamp) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 01:32:00 +0000

Yesterday I had a telephone call from a reporter on a local newspaper asking about the appeal that has just been lodged against the Council’s decision to refuse planning permission to build a new dwelling on a piece of land in Church Eaton.

While an appeal is not really big news the difference with this one was that it is the fifth appeal on this particular site. The site in question is rather narrow but is even more constrained by the fact that a sewer and a culvert run through it and as such the other four appeals were all refused by the Planning Inspector for a variety of reasons.

The newspaper rang to talk about how much these appeals were costing the ratepayer, especially as the latest was going to be dealt with by way of a public hearing. Unfortunately I was not much help so I had to refer the caller to the Council’s Planning Department.

What is clear is that as the Planning laws stand the owner of any site can keep putting in planning applications so long as they are significantly different and if refused can keep going to appeal. While there will be little or no cost to the applicant the Council will have to pay for officers time to collect together the information the Planning Inspector wants, and as is the case with this latest appeal will have to pay for the officers to attend the hearing.

Of course the planning system is rather one-sided and had any of the applications on this site been approved the local residents who had objected to the proposal would not have had the same chance to appeal against the decision. So which ever way you look at it the local residents and council tax payers who come off worse in this appeal process.

Conservatives miss Post Office closure dead-line

noreply@blogger.com (Barry Stamp) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 22:49:00 +0000

Yet again Stafford Conservatives have shown just how inept they are when it comes to keeping to a dead-line.

In a blaze of local publicity Jeremy Lafroy proudly announced that accompanied by County Councillor Mark Winnington he was off to London to deliver a petition signed by local people opposed to post office closures.

Unfortunately what the Tories seemed to have forgotten was that the final date for public consultation on the closure plans was Monday 9th June. They made the journey to London on Tuesday 10th !

One local resident of Great Bridgeford has already asked me why Conservatives had failed to realise they were 24 hours late. Unfortunately I couldn’t give him an answer!

Roads melt in the hot weather

noreply@blogger.com (Barry Stamp) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:58:00 +0000

Last summer the roads between Haughton and Church Eaton and Haughton and Derrington were resurfaced, but for some inexplicable reason the new surface did not adhere to the out road correctly. As residents will know within days large amounts of loose chippings were damaging vehicles and smooth bald tarmac patches were appearing on most bends. Since that time the situation has got no better and I am contantly getting complaints.

However the really hot weather of the past few days has brought a new problem as the exposed tar melted! Driving along Long Lane was just like driving on treacle and I, like a lot of other residents have since been struggling to remove tar spots from my car

When I first raised the problem with the County Council last year they agreed there was a problem and they promised that remedial work would be carried out as part of this years road maintenance programme. They also told me that these two roads were not the only one in Staffordshire to be affected and that other local authorities across the Country were also having similar problems.

What is even more worrying is that no one seems willing to take responsibility for any damage that might be caused to vehicles. Only last week I heard from one resident who had tried to make an insurance claim against the Council only to have the details passed to the Contractors who carried out the work. They in turn said they were not responsible and he should pursue his claim through the Council!

This situation cannot continue and it really is time the County Council not only held their hands up and admitted they and their contractors were at fault and that they would pay for any damage but that they would also make resurfacing the two roads their top priority!

Residents worried about possible increase in heavy vehicle numbers

noreply@blogger.com (Barry Stamp) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 01:32:00 +0000

There is certainly growing unrest in Haughton and Gnosall over the possibility that once the new international rail freight terminal is open in Telford more heavy lorries will use the A518. This will have a devastating effect on the narrow stretch of road at the Coton end of Gnosall, where it is impossible for two heavy lorries to pass without one mounting the pavement. As well as this residents of Haughton are also worried about the added dangers and the prospect that traffic speeds through the Village might increase yet again! Action needs to be taken now, not when the extra traffic starts to use the road. The County Council must be made to think about how they are going to deal with this problem now and be allowed to sit back and pretend that everything will be OK. Arriving at a solution which will not only be beneficial to Haughton and Gnosall but will also not mean the problem and dangers are just pushed on to neighbouring communities will not be easy. However there is still time to look at all the options and not be forced to grab at the first one that comes to mind just because there is no time left to make a proper decision.

Does Tory panic show real commitment?

noreply@blogger.com (Barry Stamp) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 05:02:00 +0000

One really does have to ask just how committed the Conservatives on the Council are to trying to ensure Post Office services remain in those areas of the Borough that have been told their current Post Office is to close.

At the Council meeting in April it was unanimously agreed that a letter should be sent to the Government objecting to the Post Office closure plans and asking for more time to be given to allow proper consultation with the residents who would be affected. However despite all the harsh words that were spoken in the meeting that night and the plethora of press stories about the Tories local campaign to save those Post Offices under threat, it took a month before the letter was finally sent!

At the same meeting it was agreed to set-up an all party working group to look at ways of both fighting the closures and if necessary to try to find alternative ways of providing the service. Since that day I have asked time and time again when the first meeting of the group was going to be held. Well surprise, surprise – on Wednesday I received a letter say the meeting was taking place at 2.30pm on Thursday. Talk about last minute panic! However it seems that the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for resources had just discovered that the deadline for public comment on the Post Office closure plans ended next Monday, so if the meeting had not been called then it would have been too late for the Council to get their comments in!

New Post Office for Derrington

noreply@blogger.com (Barry Stamp) — Sun, 25 May 2008 17:53:00 +0000

I was really pleased to hear that despite all the political hype that followed the announcement that Derrington Post Office was to close after the current post master decided to retire, that a new part-time office is to open in the Village. In an earlier entry in this blog I’ve already criticized Derrington’s Tory Councillors for saying it was a disgrace the Post Office was to close their office in the Village and I pointed out that the Post Office were doing everything possible to find not only alternative premises but also someone to run the new facility (see my blog entry for Thursday 8th May)

Well now I can report that the Post Master from Haughton has agreed to take over the Derrington office and that this will be located in the Village Hall. The new post office will be open three mornings a week – Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

However there does appear to be a delay in moving to the Village Hall, as British Telecom are not able to install the new ISDN line which is needed to connect the portable post office computer to the national network, for a few weeks. This will mean that despite everyone’s best intention the Village will be without a Post Office for that time!

The worry is that some people will find an alternative post office to use and then will not return to the new one in Derrington when it finally opens. It’s unbelievable that BT cannot provide a quicker service when this much needed Village service is under threat. Using the new Post Office in Derrington is important if it is to remain open in any future service reviews. If you do have to use a different Post Office while the new one is being set-up please remember to return when it does finally open.

Also, as I'm a member of the Borough Council's new Post Office Closure Working Group, I will be urging the Council to look at the way a service has been provided to Derrington and to perhaps use this model to see if similar facilities cannot be opened in other communities threaten by post office closures.

Road users ignore danger in Dale Lane

noreply@blogger.com (Barry Stamp) — Sun, 25 May 2008 17:24:00 +0000

It’s surprising what some people ignore! Yesterday I had a telephone call from a resident in Haughton who was concerned that his son had nearly ridden his bicycle into an open road drain in Dale Lane. He was concerned that as the drain was a couple of foot in from the edge of this very narrow road it could cause a major accident.

As it was late on a Saturday afternoon, and also during a bank holiday weekend, I knew that it would be impossible to use the normal route of reporting the problem to the County Council. However I did have the out of hours emergency number, but before I made the call I thought I’d better pop down to Dale Lane to have a look ant the problem and make sure I knew exactly where the drain was. Imagine my surprise as when I drove down the lane I could see a wooden post with a plastic bag on top poking out of the open drain to warn motorists of the danger. I soon found out how this had happened as a few yards further on I meet another couple from the Village who explained they had borrowed the post and bag from a nearby farm. However they also discovered the drain top had been missing for a couple of days during which time dozens of cars must have driven past the spot.

After I called the out of hours number the County Council’s Highways on-call team came straight out and although they were unable to replaced the missing grid they errected a proper barrier around the hole with plenty of road signs to warn road users about the danger. They now have to return after the bank holiday, dig up the road, and install a new grid and mounting frame.

The person manning the County Council's out of hours emergemcy line told me that more and more drain tops were being stolen as the price of scrap metal continues to climb. He also confirmed no one else had reported the hole despite the real danger it posed to anyone using the road!

Another village shop to close!

noreply@blogger.com (Barry Stamp) — Tue, 20 May 2008 02:05:00 +0000

I had rather mixed feelings when I read the news that Harold Stewart was to retire from running Gnosall News especially as this announcement came just days after the owners of Derrington Stores also said they were intending to retire.

On the one hand I was pleased that after serving Gnosall for 14 years Harold had decided to retire and take a well earned rest. Being a local newsagent cannot be an easy job, as it involves plenty of early mornings! Also being self employed, and I should know, is no easy matter these days and unless you keep on the ball and don’t let the red tape get you down your business can easily hit the rocks! So I certainly wouldn’t want to stand in the way of anyone who wants to retire from such pressures.

On the other hand I was concerned to learn that the Co-op who runs the supermarket just yards away down the High Street had brought the shop. I’ve already been asked by a couple of Gnosall residents was the reason they made this move just purely to ensure they had no nearby competition for the own store? I had to say I didn’t know, but I suppose only time will tell when we see what the old newsagents shop is going to be used for?

What is clear is that once again local people are the ones who are going to loose out, as it appears the Co-op do not intend to continue with newspaper deliveries. Indeed a number of residents have even asked the newsagent in Haughton if he could deliver in Gnosall, but as you might expect this is a non-starter!

One is left wondering of the closure of this shop yet another nail in the coffin of small rural services and whether or not it heralds the day when a number of villages will have to rely on one supermarket to supply their needs?

At Long Last A Meeting About Bradley's Traffic Problems

noreply@blogger.com (Barry Stamp) — Wed, 14 May 2008 10:39:00 +0000

I was pleased to hear that Bradley Parish Council have finally managed to get an officer from the County Council’s Highways Department to visit the Village.

From what was said at Mondays Parish Council meeting the visit was very positive with the officer going away to look at various improvements to traffic signs and marking. When I was County Councillor for the Village four years ago I started the process of getting the Council to look at traffic problems in the Village. John Wakefield, the then Cabinet Member responsible for roads, meet with me and Ron Hilton – who incidentally is now the Council’s Chief Executive – to look at what could be done. They agreed to carryout a full review and present their finding to the Parish. Unfortunately a few weeks later I lost my seat and since then nothing has happened with the proposal. So four years later the fact that someone from the Highways Department has come to look at the problem is really worth mentioning!

However finding a solution will not be easy. It’s clear heavy vehicles, following their Sat Navs are cutting through Bradley from the A418 to the A449. These are not only causing damage to the narrow lanes and verges but are also proving a real danger. It’s also noticeable that more and more traffic is travelling far to fast and I sure it’s only a matter of time before there is a fatality. Perhaps then the County Council will take the problems the Village is facing seriously, but until then the residents of Bradley will just have to accept new signs and road markings.

At the very least they could look at taking positive action to stop the heavy vehicles using this "rat run" either by installing and getting the police to enforce a weight restriction, or by lobbying to get the route removed from Sat Nav information!

If, after four years, all they can do is come and look at the situation once again I'm not holding my breath that anything major will be done just yet!

New Technology in Bradley

noreply@blogger.com (Barry Stamp) — Mon, 12 May 2008 12:00:00 +0000

Dennis Foster is well known around the Bradley area as he built Fosters Garden Centre’s from a small business to a huge multi-site undertaking. A few years ago he sold out to a national operator but rather than sitting back and enjoying his early retirement he channelled his energies into other ventures.

Today I was lucky enough to see how one of these has developed. Dennis is passionate about developing and incorporating energy saving technology in to homes. He has just completed a marvellous upgrade to what for many years was a derelict farmhouse on the outskirts of the Village. From the outside you know the job is going to be impressive, but when you walk through the kitchen door you are blown away. The workmanship, the finish, and the design are flawless, but that’s not the end of it. Dennis is more proud of the energy saving features that have been included.

You might expect double glazing, insulated walls, and low energy lighting, but the real surprise is in what I can best be described as a small cellar. Here is the heart of the state of the art heating system.

Hidden almost from view on the roof is a bank of solar panels – old hat you might say, but these are linked to a geothermal heat exchange system which is located in a deep bore hole beneath the lawn. These two systems should provide all the heat and hot water the house will need and use little or no energy in the process – even in the cold and dark winter months!

However this house is just the start as Dennis is now ready to start work on his next conversion project which will use the same technology, but if Dennis gets his way will also include a wood pellet boiler and more interesting a wind turbine. This should generate enough electricity not only for the house and barn conversion Dennis is planning on the site but will hopefully feed some power back to national grid.

Taking these radical steps in reducing energy consumption is perhaps beyond the means of most people. I certainly know that having talked to Dennis and seen what he is achieving I was inspired. That just leaves the question how do we get that inspiration to a wider audience!

Blame Where Blame is Due!

noreply@blogger.com (Barry Stamp) — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:58:00 +0000

It’s very easy in politics to lay the blame at someone’s door if it helps to make a point even if the person or organisation has had nothing to do with the issue being discussed. This week the news that the owners of Derrington Village Stores were retiring broke in the press. To all intent and purposes this would have been a non-story had it not have been for two factors. Firstly the Village Stores is the only shop in Derrington and secondly the shop is also home to the village post office. This means that once the shop is closed the post office disappears as well.

I’d learnt about the closure a few days ago and had also discovered that the Post Office had already put in place plans to operate a part-time replacement post office from probably the Village Hall. So you can imagine my surprise to see the main front page article in Wednesdays Express and Star in which the two Conservative Councillors for the Village seemed to play down the fact the shop owner had decided to retire and instead attacked the Post Office for withdrawing the service. Both Councillors said they were so appalled at the way the Village had been treated they were writing to the Post Office to tell them what they thought of the plan.

To make matters worse I then opened an e-mail from the Borough Council that had been sent on Tuesday which had a copy of a letter which the Post Office had sent to the Council’s Chief Executive attached. This clear said how sorry the Post Office was that the current shopkeeper and his wife were retiring and that because of this the Post Office in the village also had to close. However they were doing everything in their power to find someone else to take on the Post Office and were asking the Borough Council to let them know if they had any ideas as to who might be suitable for the job. They also said they hoped the village would be without a Post Office for the shortest time possible.

Hardly the stance one might expect from an organisation that had just shut the Post Office themselves.

Interestingly, I understand, the e-mail had also been sent to the two Councillors for the Village! Why they choose to make a statement to the press that attacked the Post Office is beyond me and I have to say a number of people I have spoken to have also made the same comment. One hope they just made a genuine mistake and hadn’t understood the real reason the Post Office was closing.

Boris wins London!

noreply@blogger.com (Barry Stamp) — Sat, 03 May 2008 01:38:00 +0000

I’ve now seen everything – Boris Johnson has been elected as the new Mayor of London with a majority of just under 140,000 votes. As I don’t live in London it’s difficult ti understand how this could possible have happened. While I’m no supporter of Ken Livinstone I cannot see how Boris can be considered a better bet. Perhaps the BBC news web-site summed up Boris's win well. They say:-

“Dismissed by political opponents and many in the media as little more than a music hall turn, he (Boris Johnson) confounded his critics by running a gaffe-free election campaign.”

“During the campaign the tousle-haired Old Etonian was restrained and professional.”

“Has the old Boris gone forever? What happens if he returns? And what will it mean for David Cameron and the Conservatives? The Tory leader does not want to spend the two years in the run-up to the next general election having to defend, or distance himself from, the London Mayor.”

Only time will tell! But Boris Johnson’s election could be the best thing that’s happened to the Labour Party for months.

However what has to be remembered is that this is the first significant Tory political victory since 1992 and that Boris is the first Tory since John Major to wield significant political power.

So Much for Supporting the 'Boro

noreply@blogger.com (Barry Stamp) — Fri, 02 May 2008 20:55:00 +0000

I was interested to read Judith Dalgarno’s contribution in the “Politically Speaking” column in this week’s Newsletter. Surprisingly it concluded with a couple of paragraphs about Stafford Rangers who have just been relegated from the Blue Square Premier Division of non-league football.

Judith quite rightly said a few kind words about the club but then went on to say that she hoped Stafford residents would get behind the club and give it the support it deserved. That rich considering the Borough Council have not sponsored a match at Marston Road for the last couple of seasons. The official line is that they could not negotiate a suitable game with the rangers, but the more sceptical wonder if the lack of sponsorship had more to do with budget cuts rather than a lack of will on behalf of the club. All they managed this year was to sponsor the ball for one game!

It also surprising just how many Councillors support the club. I for one have been a season ticket holder for some years and meet Bill Simpson, Jack Kemp, and Chris Baron at the ground every home game. However the only time you see other members of the Council there is when they get in free as a sponsor, and then, apart from the Mayor who is there representing the town, the visitors are usually members of the Cabinet and the Council Leader!