News from Wealden LibDems
Tenants Incentive Scheme - funding problems
LibDem District Councillor for Uckfield North Paul Sparks is surprised to discover that funding for the Wealden District Concil Tenants Incentive Scheme has run out less than half way through the financial year. Paul says
"The availability of affordable family housing is a major issue in Wealden and one of the problems is that single tenants are remaining to live in family houses.
"As a result of this, Wealden District Council has been trying to encourage tenants under occupying accommodation to move to smaller properties so releasing their previous home for a family to move into.
"This policy was supported by the Tenants Incentive Programme which paid the tenant down-sizing a cash sum and financial help with the removal."
As a result of some case work undertaken by Paul Sparks in his ward, he was very surprised to hear that the funding for the Tenants Incentive Programme has run out less than half way through the financial year. Paul adds
"This is clearly going to be a difficulty in encouraging other tenants to move."
Paul will be following this up with Wealden to check on how well this budget was managed, why it has been spent so quickly and if there are other funds available for rest of year.
Aug 2010
Staggering £2 million spent - just on the plan!
LibDem District Councillor John Blake has uncovered the amount spent so far by Wealden District Council on preparing its Local Development Framework
In reply to John's question to full council as to how much had been spent - he was told £2 million had been spent to date. This included £500,000 spent on external consultants as well as that spent on public consultations and officer time. John says
"The previous Labour government's demands may have made some of this expenditure necessary and the newly elected coalition government's proposed changes to planning policy may mean that some of this money might not have been wasted."
But John points out that it is not clear whether or not the job could have been done for less. He adds
"It is a large sum of money and it may or may not be fully justified, but there didn't appear to be clear financial control. The financial process needs to be more accountable."
Aug 2010
"Government would have been a lot less liberal without our involvement" says Chris
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LibDem Parliamentary Spokesperson for Wealden Chris Bowers is backing local MP Norman Baker's support of the Lib Dems' role in the coalition government, welcoming the fact that in less than three months in office, the party has been able to deliver progress on several of its key manifesto commitments, including: |
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- Fairer taxes: the government has taken a huge step towards the Lib Dem goal of ensuring nobody pays income tax on the first £10,000 they earn by raising the income tax threshold by £1,000 and pledging to increase this each year during the current parliament.
- Reforming the banking system: the government has agreed to reform the banking system to ensure that banks lend to viable British businesses.
- The government has agreed to restore the earnings link to pensions, as the Lib Dems had pledged to do.
- A more liberal society: the government has adopted many of the Lib Dems' pledges to restore the civil liberties eroded under Labour, such as scrapping the unwanted ID card scheme and the repeal of unnecessary and unpopular laws.
- A fair start for children: in their manifesto, the Lib Dems promised to spend more on pupil premiums for disadvantaged children, a pledge that the coalition government has agreed to meet.
- Political reform: the government has announced that a referendum on reforming the electoral system, as proposed by the Lib Dems, will be held next year.
- The government has already agreed to implement fixed term parliaments, with elections held every five years.
- The government has also adopted various policies proposed by the Lib Dems which will help Britain to become a more environmentally friendly place, such as the creation of a high speed rail network, and measures to improve energy efficiency in homes and businesses.
Lib Dem ministers, including Transport Minister Norman Baker, are also playing a key role in helping to develop a more sustainable society. In less than three months in office, Norman Baker has begun to reform the transport system by pledging greater funding for car clubs and green buses, as well as many other initiatives. Norman comments
"I am pleased to have been part of a government which has achieved so much in such a short space of time. I believe that the Lib Dems ought to be very pleased with the huge influence we have had over setting the agenda for the government.
"We have begun to reverse Labour's erosion of our civil liberties, and have already started to make the tax system fairer, as well as introducing the political reforms that our broken system so badly needs.
"There is still a great deal of work ahead, but having achieved so much in less than three months of government, it is clear that the Lib Dems are playing a key role in making Britain a fairer, greener and more liberal society."
Chris adds
"It's clear the Liberal Democrats are having a major influence on government.
"This government would have been a lot less liberal without our involvement, and I hope everyone who appreciates the need for a fairer and kinder society is encouraged by the fact that a government tackling Britain's worst financial situation since the war has people of principle, conscience and progressive ideas like Nick Clegg, Vince Cable and Chris Huhne in it."
Aug 2010
Councillor Martin Prestage - a man of many talents
As well as being very active on local campaign issues, LibDem district councillor for Jarvis Brook, Martin Prestage has also, apart from his work, a life outside local campaigning - more of which below....
Martin is very plesed to report that the application made to East Sussex County Council for a Waste Transfer Station at the goods yard in Western Road has been refused. Martin was very active in bringing local residents' concerns about noise and extra lorry traffic which would result if the application had been granted. The outcome was that Wealden District Council objected to the application and East Sussex County Council, the planning authority for this type of application, has now refused it.
Details can be found on the Wealden DC Planning Applications site under application number WD/2010/6004 and on the East Sussex County Council Planning Applications site under application number WD/626. Martin adds
"Residents have won their battle but there is a bigger war about the rising levels of traffic in Western Road. That doesn't go away."
Away from his campaigning activities Martin will be appearing from 1st to 3rd July and from 8th to 10th July in the Groombridge Open Air Theatre production of 'The Country Wife'. Martin says
"In the play I am acting in it as one of the main characters - Pinchwife, who brings his country wife to town, where she gets lured into all sorts of temptations."
A leaflet about the production is available here and more information is on the Groombridge Arts website
May 2010
LibDem Parliamentary Candidate for Wealden Chris Bowers was the clear winner in mock elections held at Uckfield and Beacon (Crowborough) Community Colleges during the general election campaign.
At Uckfield, in a vote among all five Parliamentary Candidates involving students from years 12 and 13 plus staff the result was
| LibDem | 159 |
| Conservative | 46 |
| Labour | 20 |
| Green | 11 |
| UKIP | 10 |
At Crowborough the result was
| LibDem | 52 |
| Conservative | 24 |
| Labour | 5 |
| Green | 12 |
| Independent | 9 |
LibDem Group Leader on Wealden District Council Jane Clark reports
"At the Beacon Community College hustings there was a national candidate and a representative from the college who supported the Liberal Democrats, the Conservatives, the Labour Party and the Green Party. The event was hosted by a Beacon Student, Adam Drew. Lydia Donaldson stood as an Independent as she felt that there ought to have been more girls represented on the platform."
"Some questions were asked of the national and the student representatives and some asked only of the national candidates. All the students did really well and it was a lively and entertaining event."
"Happily Zach and Chris won for the Liberal Democrats!"
"But best of all democracy won and we hope that all the young people continue to have an interest in politics and participate in the future in our democratic institutions."
"Well done to everyone who took part."
May 2010
"Thank you - All Saints Church" says Jane
LibDem district councillor Jane Clark would like to thank All Saints Church, Crowborough for hosting a national election hustings. Jane says
"The response to Chris Bowers was fantastic. He showed real passion for his beliefs in the values of the Liberal Democrats.
"Chris explained that his grand father fled a state where people had become disillusioned with government thus letting in the Nazis, and though he acknowledged we were not at that point yet the cynicism of people to our governing organizations had made him think about his families past and want him to play a part in improving governance here before it is too late. He had strong words to say on fairness and the environment".
Chris will be up in Crowborough campaigning again this week.
May 2010
Brighton to Uckfield by train would be superb
Chris Bowers, seen here with Norman Baker at Isfield Station on the Lavender Line, has given a warm welcome to the Wealden Line's 'BML2' proposals for revitalising the campaign to re-open the Lewes-Uckfield railway line, but says they shouldn't really be necessary.
On 19 April the Wealden Line campaign is rebranding its efforts under the name 'Brighton-Mainline 2' or BML2. The plans envisage a shift of emphasis from simply re-opening the seven miles of line that were closed in 1969 to a second Brighton-to-London line via Uckfield, Oxted and Tunbridge Wells. Chris says
"What the Wealden Line Campaign, specifically Brian Hart, have drawn up is a fantastic plan which I hope will excite the railway industry. The campaign has taken the re-opening of the Lewes-Uckfield railway line and made it into a much bigger scheme that will benefit the whole of the south-east and will relieve pressure on the current Brighton Mainline, or 'BML1' as we might soon be calling it.
"The idea that trains could travel non-stop between Brighton and Uckfield is superb, and would revitalise the whole Lewes, Uckfield, Crowborough, Tunbridge Wells corridor. By making it a main line, it would also take away some of the concerns left over from the existing re-opening plans. For example, it would remove the concern that residents of Isfield have that a re-opened line might block off their village - under the BML2 plans there would be no blocked road and no level crossing."
But Chris is concerned that the BML2 plans shouldn't have been necessary. "I understand what the Wealden Line campaign is doing - it's worried that Lewes-Uckfield doesn't excite the rail industry, so it needs to spice up the potential for Lewes-Uckfield. That's fine, but the case for re-opening Lewes-Uckfield as both a local line and an alternative route from the coast to London is very strong, and stands on its own even without the exciting ideas contained in BML2."
Last November, Chris, who founded the Environmental Transport Association in 1990, used his contacts in the transport world to re-assess the business case for the Lewes-Uckfield line, and concluded the potential benefits were up to three times better than officially estimated.
Apr 2010
"Don't lose Community Centre Funding" warns Martin
LibDem district councillor for Jarvis Brook, Martin Prestage has warned that Crowborough's Community Centre project could be derailed by a last-minute problem raised by Wealden District Council.
The council is saying it will not sign the lease without assurances from the developer over potential disruption to council services at the Pine Grove site during construction work. Martin says
"Any delay could result in the loss of £300,000 and a potential further £175,000 from the Big Lottery Fund.
"An agreement has to be reached or we will lose the funding. This needs to be resolved within a week.
"These concerns should have been spotted much earlier".
You can see the plans for the Community Centre on the Wealden DC Planning Applications site under application number WD/2008/1314.
Apr 2010
Don't let our Town Centres die
LibDem Parliamentary Candidate for Wealden Chris Bowers has warned that town centres in Wealden must not be allowed to die. Chris says
"Research for the LibDems shows one in eight shops is now empty after the recession and it is obvious that in Crowborough, Hailsham and Uckfield the arctic winter we've just had has made things even worse.
"This is a warning - we mustn't let our high streets die".
Chris is backing 'Vibrant Local High Streets', the LibDem plan for
- Putting Post Offices at the heart of the Community by developing a PostBank and freeing the Post Office from Royal Mail
- Helping Local Businesses by reforming business rates, cutting employment taxes and reducing red tape
- Introducing a Local Competition Test for all planning applications for new retail developments - to establish a fairer balance between local independent stores and large supermarkets
- Establishing a system of Local Enterprise Funds and regional stock exchanges to ensure small businesses can gain access to cost-effective equity that meets their needs.
Chris adds
"Small independent shops form the fabric of towns like Crowborough, Hailsham and Uckfield, but the government's skewed planning system has seen supermarket giants squeeze the life out of towns like ours and now almost every high street in Britain is an identical collection of chain stores and coffee shops.
"We need thriving high streets in Wealden's towns - vibrant streets with real character which allow local businesses to thrive and grow."
LibDem Prty Leader Nick Clegg, with whom Chris worked on the Party's environment policy, adds
"Thriving high streets are at the heart of local communities, but they have borne the brunt of this recession, with boarded up shops scarring towns and villages across Britain.
"I believe people value the wide range of goods and services available locally and want to see their high streets thrive and prosper."
Mar 2010
LibDem Councillors will debate Policies - not waste Council Officers' time
Jane Clark, group leader of the Lib Dems on Wealden District Council, has criticised Tory councillor Norman Buck for implying that LibDem councillors should be wasting council officers' time. Explaining why the LibDem group did not participate in the budget discussion item at the full council meeting on 17 February Jane says
"The Liberal Democrat group consists of 13 members to the 33 conservatives. In the past the Liberal Democrat group has put forward an alternative budget which reflects our values. We are the only minority group to do this. As Councillor Buck states preparation of budgets requires a lot of work and the opposition party can not present an alternative budget without the advice of the Finance Officer.
"The Finance Officer had previously advised the Liberal Democrat group that they are currently implementing a new Financial Management System so resources are stretched. The Liberal Democrats have supported the purchase of this software so that expenditure can be better understood and more closely monitored.
"The Finance Portfolio holder has a prepared statement for Full Council which he reads out and which is then issued as a press release.
"No matter how well argued our case is, the Tories will, on a block vote defeat any alternative suggestions.
"Last year we proposed a Council Tax freeze as we believed there was enough waste in the system for a zero increase. We felt this would best benefit our community who were finding it so hard to cope with the recession. In fact the savings identified by the Tories since then have confirmed that our proposal to not increase our local taxes was costed correctly and could have been implemented.
"The combination of not wanting to waste officers time when our suggestions are always defeated by the Tory block vote made us decide some time ago that we would not participate in this item on the agenda.
"What a pity that Councillor Buck, after all his years attending Full Council does not understand the processes that are undertaken to participate in the democratic system? Is he really suggesting that we should behave irresponsibly and waste officers time to no avail?
"It is flattering that Councillor Buck missed the Liberal Democrat input this year, though I suspect he was peeved at missing out on our ideas which are so often later adopted by the Tories."
Jane adds "I do not intend to respond to the personal attack on our appearance. The Liberal Democrats prefer to participate in debate on policies. It is more grown up and better serves the community we represent."
Mar 2010
