Posts from — May 2010

Parents whose kids receive free school transport on faith grounds are angered at County plans to charge the same as other pupils…

It’s tough because it is always difficult to start charging for something which has historically been free. But is it fair that in Staffordshire if you attend a Catholic or C of E Collegiate School on faith grounds you get for free what other children have to pay for?

Staffordshire, like every other part of the UK, must make its contribution towards paying down the massive national debt and so we are looking at ways to find £70million annual cost reductions by 2012 whilst maintaining our determination to keep council tax rises to inflation or lower.

And two of the fundamental values in our Manifesto last June were fairness and equity. That’s why from an equitable point of view this needs addressing. Over 15,000 youngsters get transported to school each day because they either live more than walking distance from their catchment school or choose to go to a different one.

Unless from a family on low income or outside the catchment walking distance everyone pays for their school bus seat if they want one. Not the same, however, for the students going to faith schools on religious belief grounds who travel for free. Faith schools and the choice they bring are important and should be supported but the £1.3million annual cost to Staffordshire council tax payers for those 1800 youngsters who receive free travel is not equitable to all or fair.

So we propose to level the playing field after the many years of dithering by the previous County administration around this and alongside the other authorities that have already taken a similar view.

It’s a serious and, some say, controversial proposal which discriminates against the Catholic Faith. Controversial it might be but discriminatory it’s not. The current rules benefit one group of pupils over others and I’ve thought long and hard about the fact that even if I were still in opposition I’d have great difficulty arguing against this change. But there is a big campaign starting to leave things as they are.

A major consultation was launched by the County a few weeks ago on this issue and whether a council tax payer, you pay for your child’s seat already or you are someone affected directly by these proposals you can have your say at the consultation web page or write to the County with your views by 25th June.

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Heartlands Bus Company or heartless operator. Many older people in Tamworth villages say the latter…

A round trip cost of £22 for people without their own transport in rural villages around Tamworth and Lichfield to take their pet to the vet.

That’s the taxi cost now that Heartlands Buses have stopped people using the only public transport service available if their pets are with them.

Actually it’s not just the vets. Over the last ten months I’ve met lots of older people whose only friend in their lives is a dog or other pet. In many cases it’s that relationship which helps stave off lonliness and greater vulnerability.

And just like going out with your best human friend, many enjoy a shopping trip or a day out with mans’ best friend. So it’s sad that Heartlands won’t reconsider their ban despite pleas from older residents in villages where transport is in short supply and taxis are costly.

I think it is heartless and hope they will change their minds. I’m unlikely to support renewal of tax payer funded subsidised routes with this stance, and ban, in place.

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The planning application for four massive ones near to Haunton was due to be lodged last February…

But nothing. No application and no contact from Prowind, the German company behind the development plans.

Lichfield District Council haven’t heard anything either. They are the local planning authority that will make the decision if and when an application is made. They recently turned down an application for a single slightly smaller wind turbine at Curborough on the outskirts of Lichfield.

That site is probably less sensitive than the one between Clifton Campville and Haunton where Prowind want to build. So it bodes well for the growing number of people who oppose the plans for four 400ft turbines. 

But if the application does come, and I still believe it will, the campaign to oppose is ready to go again as are the near 500 people registered on my website for updates on the proposals. You can read about the strength of feeling here.

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A welcome helping hand from BT will see village plans come to life earlier…

Plans by villagers in Wigginton to formally remember the second recipient of the Victoria Cross as well as service men and women who have lost their lives in more modern conflicts are full steam ahead.

The BT phone box, which is rarely used, wouldn’t do the memorial justice if it stayed where it is so final agreement from BT to move it is great news

The idea of a formal war memorial for the village was hatched in a phone call to me last year from Bob Bird who lives in Wigginton and had been reading about the heroism of local lad from 200 years ago, Samuel Parkes. He was keen to see some sort of recognition and I encouraged him to do a village consultation to gain support and wider interest.

From my point of view it was also a chance for the village to ‘up’ its community activities. Wigginton is attractive but, I understand, historically hasn’t had quite the village networking and, I suppose, community spirit one might expect, particularly since the village hall was closed down a few years ago.

It was a lovely idea and a central project and focal point built on pride in the village could spark things off. So I was happy to help out if I could.

And spark interest… it has! The consultation saw a committee of a dozen formed to take things forward. That committee of a dozen grew into a wider group who were happy to help and that has grown into the village school playing a part and the wider community organising fund raising events from a Christmas Fayre to an ABBA night to name a couple.

So all was going well until the issue of the BT phone box on the ’size challenged’ Wigginton village green came into focus. Beautiful memorial proposed in white granite but questionable whether the BT box would detract from it.

Well, the answer was it certainly would. Initial contact by the group with BT suggested significant bureacracy and many thousands of pounds to move it meaning the project, although still viable, would take much longer to deliver due to that extra cost. 

But now BT have come on board. After I had a couple of conversations with the right people there they were happy to assist with such an important community project. The process of removal cut to a minimum and absolutely no charge to the memorial project. Problem solved and the memorial will become a reality much sooner… as early as next June.

Oh, and by the way, just to be clear the phone box hadn’t been used in a very very long time.

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