Lib Dems call for action on food waste

Local Lib Dems are calling on the Conservative Council to begin a weekly collection of kitchen waste from April 2010. The Conservatives have repeatedly postponed the collection of kitchen waste from 2008 to the current implementation date of Autumn 2011.

Kitchen waste is soon to be collected weekly at kerbside across the old Avon area, except in B&NES. North Somerset Council has just decided to appoint May Gurney, the company that does B&NES’ recycling, to collect kitchen waste at kerbside.

Bath and North East Somerset is now the only old Avon authority not to collect kitchen waste. The Conservative administration here has deferred the start of kerbside collections from 2008 – the date originally planned by the Liberal Democrats – to Autumn 2011.

The budget for 2010/2011 has not yet been set, so there is still time to implement the collection of kitchen waste from April this year.

We used to be a leader nationally when it came to recycling, but even from a high base in 2004, it has lost ground over recent years to many other Councils through delaying the collection of kitchen waste.

This Conservative administration has had to be dragged kicking and screaming towards collecting kitchen waste and even then it will be a full three years later than was planned by the last administration.

Collecting kitchen waste is not only good for the environment, but it is cheaper than sending it to landfill, so in a Council which is making drastic cuts in its staff, surely there is a duty to make savings where it can.

Update on HMOs and Use Class Orders

Of course, this year has been dominated by the HMO Consultation. A report on the Consultation should have been published within three months of its ending in August, but it has still not appeared.

Apparently, the response was three times greater than expected – some 900 responses! Hopefully, the majority of these were from local residents, councillors and MPs in favour of changes to the current law and regulations – but landlords and students were also campaigning against these changes. The volume of responses has caused the delay (the government has only one part-time officer dealing with them – Cllr McGall spoke with her before Christmas and she told him that they hope to publish by the end of the year).

Meanwhile, we also have a new Minister for Housing & Planning, John Healey MP, who claims he is not well enough briefed as yet to make any decisions. Below is his reply to a question in the Commons, on 8 December 2009: –

Greg Mulholland (Leeds, North-West) (Lib Dem): Landlord licensing is one solution, but the use classes order is far more significant in many areas with concentrations of HMOs. Will the Minister give me an update on the progress of the Government’s examination of that? Does he agree that restrictions on the number of HMOs in such areas will increase the balance of the community and be in the interests of all?

John Healey: Indeed, and that is why our general policy is to promote mixed communities, as they tend to be better balanced and more stable. The hon. Gentleman asked for an update on our examination of whether changes to the use classes might help us pursue our objectives. At present, we are sifting the 900 or so responses that we have received to the consultation, and I hope to be able to update the House on this shortly.

See http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmhansrd/cm091208/debtext/91208-0002.htm#09120872000021

Several MPs, including our Don Foster, are lobbying the Minister to take action. The danger is that an early election will sabotage all the progress we have made. If you haven’t already done so, it would be invaluable if you could lobby Don Foster, and ask him to put what pressure he can on the Minister to move things along.

Meanwhile, in the hope of a positive outcome in due course – Season’s Greetings to one and all!

Action on “To Let” boards

We have just writing to all the estate agents and letting agencies in the city about the use of “To Let” boards.

We wrote reflecting many local residents’ general concerns including:

· The large number of signs are unsightly, they feel that most of the people you are marketing to will be looking online for properties in first instance.

· As you mainly market the properties to students, students will use the accommodation lists provided by University.

Please let us know of any road where letting agencies and estate agents are using excessive numbers of “To Let” boards.

Planning tomorrow today: Core Strategy events

Local residents have the chance to give their views on the major challenges facing the district over the next twenty years and the options to address them at a range of events over the coming fortnight. Some extra dates have been included due to the high number of people wanting to have their say.

• Keynsham drop-in session – 17th November 2009 3pm – 6pm Keynsham Town Council Offices;

• North Bath drop-in session – 20th November 2009 3.30pm- 7pm New Oriel Hall, Larkhall;

• Twerton drop -in session – 24th November 2009 3.30 pm – 7pm St Michael’s Primary School Twerton;

• Radstock drop-in session and presentation – 26th November 2009 5pm – 8.30pm Working man’s club Radstock (5-7 pm: drop-in session/display; 7-7:30pm: presentation by Council Officers; 7:30pm – 8:30pm: questions/discussion).

Residents can also read a four-page feature in the current Winter 2009 edition of Connect Magazine being delivered to homes across the district right now. This can also be accessed online at www.bathnes.gov.uk Residents have until 11th December 2009 to respond with their view on the tough challenges faced by the area, like the need to provide more affordable homes, improving the availability of modern flexible office accommodation, delivering necessary infrastructure and one of the biggest issues facing the planet – climate change and reducing the community carbon footprint.

People can long-on to www.bathnes.gov.uk/corestrategy or call 01225 477548 or write to Planning Policy Team, Trimbridge House, Trim Street, Bath BA1 2DP, or email planning_policy@bathnes.gov.uk to find out more. The document can also be read at all libraries in the district and at reception areas in Trmbridge House, Bath; Riverside, Keynsham; Hollies, Midsomer Norton.

Don urges Post Office to keep 1st December deadline on Weston

Bath MP Don Foster this morning [Monday 9th November] met with Tim Nickolls, Network Development Manager (South West) of Post Office Ltd, to discuss the current situation with the closed branch in Weston village.

Don has been in regular contact with Post Office Ltd since the branch closed unexpectedly in June. They are currently advertising for applications for the vacant branch, the deadline for applications being 1st December.

The Bath MP commented,

I had a positive meeting with Post Office Ltd this morning, who are committed to re-opening a post office branch in Weston. Although no formal applications have yet been received, there are active negotiations with four interested parties.

“Post Office Ltd have set a deadline of 1st December for applications to be in, and I am urging them to stick to this to make sure that a branch can be re-opened as soon as possible.

“The post office is an important part of the local community, and other shops suffer as a result of a post office closing, that is why it is important we get this branch open, and I am pleased Post Office Ltd are working hard to do that.”

Hunt on to find Melanie’s killer

Today, all councillors received this letter from the most Senior Police Officer in Bath & North East Somerset:

Dear Colleague

Total crime reduction -8.6% compared to last year
Crime detection 36.4%
Customer satisfaction 85.5%

The recent discovery of Melanie Hall’s body was a shock to us all and our heartfelt sympathy goes out to her family. I had reason to spend most of a day with Mr and Mrs Hall as we dealt with the press conferences that followed the discovery of remains on the slip road just off the M5. I was overwhelmed with the great dignity in which they managed the very difficult intrusion of the media into their world yet again. Their sense of purpose in ensuring that the right messages came out which stood the greatest chance of causing someone to make that one phone call necessary for a breakthrough in the case was self evident. I thought they both spoke with emotion and very eloquently in what must have been very difficult circumstances. I know the investigative team are working as hard as they can and the recent BBC Crimewatch programme focused heavily on the case. Our local attention has been a focus on the fact that someone still in the Bath area must know something and now is the time to come forward. The Bath Chronicle has had some excellent articles which have been very supportive of the investigation. Let us hope that the one piece of information needed emerges to enable us to find Melanie’s killer.

We also received notable publicity in relation to a case were it was alleged that 35 officers had attended a house and sprayed a large number of party goers with CS spray including a 12 yr old girl in order to arrest a man. We have received a complaint which unfortunately prevents us from putting our side of the story forward. This seems very unfair especially as the story printed was a long way from the truth and lacked a balanced perspective. I wish I had 35 officers to deploy all at once!!

On a better note we had an excellent result in relation to a distraction burglary. These crimes are particularly nasty as they prey on the vulnerability of the elder by usually pretending to be an official person gaining entry to a person’s house on a false pretence and then distracting that person whilst they or an accomplice steal. The act itself is often bad enough but the impact on elderly people’s lives can be significant. We fit what is called a ‘memo cam’ to the front doors of people who have been a victim to help to protect them from being a victim for a second time. These devices take a picture of people calling at the door. On this occasion a memo cam had been fitted on a victim’s home and a man came to the house and again tricked the elderly person and stole from them. The memo cam activated and as a result we had a good quality picture of the person who didn’t take too long to find and has now been charged and remanded in custody. Catching these unpleasant and nasty people is always a major success.

In Bath City centre we have commenced our build up to Christmas with a range of initiatives linking in with the shops/ pubs and clubs. This includes increased and more visible patrols on foot in the city centre. We will continue to use the CCTV to good effect. It is most helpful to see the Council running an initiative of putting ‘portaloos’ in key places over busy times. I know residents are very annoyed at the amount of urinating in doorways that goes on. Alongside this initiative we will crack down on anyone who doesn’t use the facilities provided.

Kind regards.

Yours sincerely

Gary Davies
Chief Superintendent
B&NES District Commander

Council administration put on the spot about ‘Twenty is Plenty’

The Conservative administration of B&NES Council is to be put on the spot about implementing 20 mph limits in residential areas at the meeting of the Council later this month. This follows a fact finding visit to Portsmouth, a city which has already implemented the scheme, in September.

Councillor Caroline Roberts (Newbridge) will ask the Cabinet member for Transport to accept that decisions to implement 20 mph limits in particular streets show that there is a need for a general speed limit in residential areas and that the piecemeal approach should be abandoned.

Councillor Roberts said:

“The Cabinet member should come out and admit that ‘Twenty is Plenty’ and get on with Liberal Democrats proposals to slash speeds in all our residential areas.

“By proposing a number of small scale 20mph limits recently, the Cabinet member is tacitly admitting that ‘Twenty is Plenty’. Liberal Democrats have been calling for the introduction of blanket 20 mph limits in residential areas for over 2 years, and there is a lot of support from residents for the idea. 20 mph speed limits would make walking and cycling safer and should result in fewer accidents.

“I recently went back to Portsmouth to hear about the progress in their 20 mph scheme which was implemented in 2007. The conclusions are positive; the limit is popular with residents and has resulted in some reduction in speed.

“B&NES Cabinet member for Transport also attended the briefing in Portsmouth and it is clear that a 20 mph scheme is of interest to the Council. I am calling on the Cabinet member to make the plans clear.”

“Twenty is Plenty” campaigns, run by Liberal Democrat Councillors, have shown support for 20 mph limits for residential streets in many areas including the villages south of Bath, Widcombe, Peasedown St John, Combe Down, and James St West.

Car crime on Monksdale Road

Between 7.30am on Tuesday November 3rd and 8am the following morning, unknown person(s) have caused damage to a motor vehicle by smashing off a front nearside wing mirror.

If you have any information regarding this incident, please contact the Police on 0845 456 7000. Alternatively you could contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

PACT meeting update

An Oldfield PACT Meeting took place on 4th November 2009 at St Alpheges Hall.
The following priorities agreed at that meeting:

1. Problems with residents of the flats on Poplar Close and Monksdale Road.
2. Street Cleansing, state of the pavements.
3.Speeding on First, Second and Third Avenues, Oldfield Lane, and King Edward Road. Potential implementation of a One Way system?

The Panel members will now work towards resolving these issues and will report back on their actions at the next PACT Meeting scheduled for 6.30pm on Wednesday 10th March 2010 at Moorlands Infants School.