Cllr Shaun McGall and Cllr Will Sandry

Bath MP Don Foster has said that the Chancellor’s pre-budget report will not help people that are most in need of assistance.  The report contains a temporary cut in VAT which will only help big spenders, and a National Insurance hike. 

What people in Bath who are struggling to make ends meet wanted to hear was help for them now.  Instead we have a VAT decrease which does not apply to basic items such as food.  What we should have seen was a cut in the basic rate of income tax to put money in these people’s pockets now. 

The Government has missed a golden opportunity to make the tax system permanently fairer which it could have done by cutting income taxes for those on low and middle incomes, paid for by getting rid of tax loopholes for the wealthy. 

The new 45p Income Tax rate is nothing more than a fig leaf to cover a £5bn tax hike which will hit millions of low earners and businesses.

On the day that the ATOC announced a 6% increase in the cost of regulated fares for January 2008, Bath MP Don Foster has joined calls demanding a freeze on rail fares and called for the planned rail fares increases for January to be abandoned. Liberal Democrats are calling for a 1 year freeze on rail fares to help people through the current economic crisis.  This will be paid for by cutting the budget for major road widening schemes. 

Don said that people, especially commuters, travelling from Bath to Paddington are already paying one of the highest prices per mile in the world.  With food and heating bills rising, another 6% on rail fares is not going to be a welcome late Christmas present.  Freezing fares would give a huge boost to many hard-pressed families. The cost of rail fares has risen above inflation by 6% since this Government came to power.  The Government has repeatedly frozen fuel duty for motorists in the light of external circumstances, despite the fact that under Labour the cost of motoring has actually fallen in real terms by 10%. 

It’s about time ministers showed the same consideration to train passengers as they have shown to motorists.

B&NES Council last week adopted a position on the sustainable growth of the district. 

Councillor Shaun McGall spoke in the debate and warned that the Universities are not planning to build adequate student accommodation to keep up with their intended growth in student numbers.  This could have a negative effect on the sustainability of growth in the district. 

I welcomed the development of a long term corporate position to deliver sustainable growth and the link to refreshing the community strategy. 

It is worthwhile noting the corporate priority to improve the availability of affordable housing. 

The ‘Future for Bath’ highlights the strength of our local education sector.  I know this first hand through working at the University of Bath and studying at Bath Spa University.  The Future for Bath vision includes the need for ‘appropriate provision for student accommodation’.  This is all to be welcomed, however history does not support the optimistic idea that either the Council or our Higher Education partners will be able to deliver this goal. 

Since 1990 there has been an increase of approximately 75% in the numbers of students at the Bath Spa University, but only a 67% increase in accommodation – this equates to an increase of 2500 students but only 300 beds.  Similarly the University of Bath, since 1990, has increased from around 4000 students to around 12000 today.  In its recent consultation on its draft Masterplan 2008-2020, the University of Bath stated an intended growth of between 2000 to 6000 students by 2020 but they only plan to build a maximum of around 2300 new bed spaces. 

These growth plans for our Higher Education partners are potentially NOT sustainable for our community especially if we are serious about increasing the number of affordable homes in the area. 

Purpose built student housing growth MUST outweigh and outgrow the growth in student numbers if we want balanced and sustainable communities.

Liberal Democrat Councillors have welcomed the adoption of their motion on the Sustainable Communities Act.  By adopting the motion B&NES Council has resolved to “use, to the full, its powers under the Act by preparing and submitting proposals to central government”. 

The Act became law in 2007 and gives Councils the opportunity to make proposals to make proposals to Government to encourage the improvement of the economic, social or environmental wellbeing of the local area. 

This Act empowers local communities to raise issues and get their voices heard.  It works on the principle that local people know best what is needed for their area. 

The Act can be used to address issues such as over-concentration of second homes or student houses, ‘clone cities’ and protection of post offices and local shopping areas. 

Now the Council needs to decide how it will advise and help communities develop proposals to be submitted to local government and how it will evaluate these proposals. 

This is a great opportunity for Councils to reverse the trend of removing services from local communities.  Under this act the Council should be able to make devolution and decentralisation into reality.

Liberal Democrats are campaigning for the rights of Gurkhas who are being denied citizenship and full pensions. 

It’s an ongoing disgrace: Gurkhas who retired from the British Army after 1997 can automatically stay in the UK, but those who retired earlier must apply, and many have been refused and face deportation.  Pension rights for years served by Gurkhas before 1997 count at only around a quarter of the level of years served after that time. 

On Tuesday 30th September, in a test case, the High Court ruled their treatment had been unlawful in terms of the right to live in the UK if they retired before 1997.  Following that decision, a huge campaign has been started to get the Government to change the law on how it treats Gurkhas. 

Now Liberal Democrats on Bath and North East Somerset Council are backing a motion calling for equal treatment for Gurkhas.  The Liberal Democrats have been firmly backing the Justice Campaign, and have consistently raised this issue in Parliament.  Our position is unequivocal: The government must allow all Gurkhas who risked their lives serving in our armed forces to become British citizens, and enjoy equal rights.  If someone is prepared to die for our country they should have the right to live in our country. 

I have signed the Gurkha Justice petition as have many of my Liberal Democrat colleagues here in B&NES. 

The motion coincides with a massive rally in London and the submission of a petition signed by 180,000 people to Number 10 Downing Street by Joanna Lumley.

Conservative Councillors in B&NES have come under fire tonight for refusing to consider an independent review of the Bath Transportation Package. 

The Liberal Democrat motion which was tabled at the November Full Council meeting was intended to permit a proper debate on the Package, which has caused so much controversy.  However the Conservative Group forced through an amendment, which was also backed by Labour and Independent Councillors, to maintain nothing more than the status quo. 

We are still not convinced that all the alternatives have been properly looked at and that there has been real and meaningful consultation.  Once again the Conservatives have shut their ears to the protests which have been raised by the very people who will be worst affected by the scheme. 

The Conservatives seem only to be concerned with quibbling about who voted for what and when in the past.  But residents care more about what is on the table right now.  It is clear that the other parties do not care about residents’ concerns. 

The present situation is different in many ways to that agreed in the local transport plan, so the Tories should listen to the electorate and agree to an independent review to show the people that they are listening.  But we suspects as usual they won’t listen yet again.