The election result announced yesterday was of course a disappointment to us. Although our share of the vote in Hanover and Elm Grove did increase slightly, the Greens did win resoundingly and we congratulate them for that, and for their performance across the city.
I for one have really enjoyed the last six months worth of campaigning. I've really got to know the ward and come to appreciate even more its positives, in particular the sense of community, and the thoughtfulness with which many people in this area approach politics. I've had some really interesting conversations and heard a great variety of views which will stay with me.
I've also appreciated some of the challenges the area faces, in particular with managing the large number of houses of multiple occupancy, rubbish in the streets, parking, and traffic/cycling on the Lewes Road. My biggest regret at not being elected is that I can't help to tackle some of these issues in the same way that an elected councillor would. But I will continue to take an interest. The elected Green councillors have promised action on all of these things, and Labour will be taking a keen interest to see what they will deliver. In Hanover and Elm Grove, as in much of central Brighton, Labour is the main opposition to the Greens and we will be scrutinising their performance in exactly the same way that they would do to us. Every elected party that holds power should be held to account, and a robust opposition is an important part of that accountability.
As Labour Group leader Gill Mitchell said yesterday, Labour will not disappear from any corner of the city, and this ward is no exception. I hope to see you in the ward soon, and thanks to those of you who supported us.
Tracey Hill
Saturday 7 May 2011
Sunday 1 May 2011
AV -- Leo Barraclough: a personal statement
On May 5th voters will have a chance to bring in a new system of electing their MPs, and I, personally, am in favour of it.
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| Leo Barraclough (right) with Chris Huhne MP, and Tory candidate Maria Hutchings. |
Last year, I stood as the Labour Party's parliamentary candidate for Eastleigh in Hampshire. I didn't have a realistic chance of winning, but in past elections Labour had got as many as 15,000 votes in the town, so the Labour vote mattered.
The seat was a marginal between the Tories and Liberals, and many Labour supporters voted Liberal to keep the Tory out. They elected Liberal Chris Huhne, and then what happened… he's now a minister in a Tory-led administration.
The AV system would have allowed those Labour supporters to vote Labour, while still keeping the Tories out. Their vote would not have been wasted, and the MP would have had the backing of the majority of the town's voters.
The same would be true in constituencies across Sussex
AV allows voters to be honest about their intentions, be engaged with the political system, and will force politicians to listen to the majority of their voters, not just the party faithful.
Best regards,
Leo Barraclough
Friday 22 April 2011
More rubbish in the streets - The Argus April 21st
There was a featured letter in the Argus yesterday from a resident of Lincoln Street, together with a photo of rubbish strewn all over the street in front of someone's doorway. This very much reflects what many people have been saying to us, that it's a growing problem and is letting the area down.
The issue is in large part caused by people leaving their ordinary refuse (not recycling) outside the house all week rather than inside the house or in the back garden, and only putting it out on collection day, which is by law what you are supposed to do. In a street like Washington or Coleman where there is no space outside the front of the house, the refuse is essentially blocking the pavement, and, as the weather gets better, becoming smelly and unhygienic. When the seagulls get hold of it that's when it ends up everywhere.
I've spoken at length to CityClean staff about what is being done, and it really is not an easy problem. However, I do think that by focussing on the problem and bringing people together to deal with it, the situation can be improved. Labour's manifesto includes a commitment to re-introduce Grime-Fighter days, where council officers, police, parking attendants, trading standards officers, graffiti busters and others got together to sort out problems in particular areas. I think that idea would be of real benefit in this ward.
Aside from that, I think we'd get results simply from more persistence in dealing with the problem, following through with people and making sure everyone knows what they are supposed to be doing. And being prepared to follow that up with warning letters and fines where necessary.
It must be remembered that CityClean's budget this year has been cut, and this has affected the number of street cleaners. This doesn't bode well for getting the streets cleaner, but it does make it more important that we try to prevent rubbish being strewn everywhere in the first place.
Tracey Hill
The issue is in large part caused by people leaving their ordinary refuse (not recycling) outside the house all week rather than inside the house or in the back garden, and only putting it out on collection day, which is by law what you are supposed to do. In a street like Washington or Coleman where there is no space outside the front of the house, the refuse is essentially blocking the pavement, and, as the weather gets better, becoming smelly and unhygienic. When the seagulls get hold of it that's when it ends up everywhere.
I've spoken at length to CityClean staff about what is being done, and it really is not an easy problem. However, I do think that by focussing on the problem and bringing people together to deal with it, the situation can be improved. Labour's manifesto includes a commitment to re-introduce Grime-Fighter days, where council officers, police, parking attendants, trading standards officers, graffiti busters and others got together to sort out problems in particular areas. I think that idea would be of real benefit in this ward.
Aside from that, I think we'd get results simply from more persistence in dealing with the problem, following through with people and making sure everyone knows what they are supposed to be doing. And being prepared to follow that up with warning letters and fines where necessary.
It must be remembered that CityClean's budget this year has been cut, and this has affected the number of street cleaners. This doesn't bode well for getting the streets cleaner, but it does make it more important that we try to prevent rubbish being strewn everywhere in the first place.
Tracey Hill
Wednesday 20 April 2011
Election fatigue already?!
The sign on this front door made us all smile the other day. I'm not sure it had the desired effect, as we all got our cameras out to take a snap!
Monday 18 April 2011
Leo Barraclough: Varndean and academies
A number of parents have asked me to set out my views on whether I think Varndean School should apply for academy status.Leo Barraclough, parent governor, Varndean School; governor in charge of liaison with the parents' association, Varndean Links; deputy chair of the Student Management committee at Varndean; Labour Party candidate for Hanover and Elm Grove ward, Brighton.
They are as follows:
-- I do not believe that academy status would be beneficial for the school, its staff, the students and their parents, nor for the wider community of Brighton and Hove.
-- I believe the school, and other successful schools like it, would do better to stay within the local education authority.
So, should the proposal be made, I will oppose it.
If we enter a consultative period, I will propose that we have a ballot of all parents, and that the views of parents of those children who may wish to come to the school in the future should be considered too.
With regards to the minutes of the recent full governors meeting, I have informed my fellow governors that I wish them to be published in full immediately.
As the Labour Party states in its manifesto for Brighton and Hove, while we do accept that academy status with real additional resources and fresh thinking could be a way to revive a failing school, we do not agree with the coalition government's approach of virtually forcing all successful schools to become academies, while LEAs are dismantled and other schools are under funded in order to pay for the socially divisive 'free schools'.
18 April 2011
Sunday 17 April 2011
Hanover Day is going ahead - June 12th
It was great to hear recently that after some difficulties mainly caused by poor weather, Hanover Day will be happening this year on 12th June. That's not far off, and there is loads to do, so if anyone is able to help, the organisers would love to hear from you via Hanoverdayassociation@gmail.com
Tracey
Tracey
Wednesday 13 April 2011
Former Lib Dem Candidate now helping Labour
See our article: Ellen Woolley (left), previously a Lib Dem candidate in Hanover and Elm Grove, is now supporting Labour. Many Lib Dem voters all over the ward have expressed the same disappointment as Ellen. Labour is the only party that can stop this coalition government. Please support us!
Some familiar faces in Hanover and on the Patch
Our fantastic 2010 parliamentary candidate, Nancy Platts, joined us in the ward on Sunday together with her partner Steve, as we appeared to jump suddenly from winter to summer! It was great to see them out and about again, and it's impressive how well known Nancy still is, having done so much in the ward.
Sunday was a busy day in the city with the Marathon, the food festival, and Spring in the Patch, which we dropped in on too. Not enough time to do it all!
Thursday 7 April 2011
Rubbish in the streets - reclaiming the pavements
I spoke to a resident of Islingword Street a few weeks ago, who said that in decades of living in Hanover, there had never been more rubbish in the street than now. Narrow pavements and binvelopes together with other bags piled up sometimes mean that it's impossible to walk along two abreast. On Jersey Street I saw a man with a buggy, who had to stop and move someone's binvelope out of the way to get down the pavement.
The problems have been mentioned by numerous people, and if elected we would definitely be focusing on it. The narrow streets are too small for conventional flip-top bins, which is the origin of the problem. However, they haven't got narrower over the years! So if it wasn't a problem in days gone by it must be resolvable.
We would work with CityClean and aim to come out with a street-by-street plan for clearing the rubbish and keeping the pavements clear. This would involve a number of different things including raising awareness of what residents' responsibilities are, and of what can be recycled, and making sure action is taken when rubbish is left outside on the wrong day, etc.
As the resident said to me: never mind reclaiming the streets - let's get the pavements back first!
Tracey Hill
The problems have been mentioned by numerous people, and if elected we would definitely be focusing on it. The narrow streets are too small for conventional flip-top bins, which is the origin of the problem. However, they haven't got narrower over the years! So if it wasn't a problem in days gone by it must be resolvable.
We would work with CityClean and aim to come out with a street-by-street plan for clearing the rubbish and keeping the pavements clear. This would involve a number of different things including raising awareness of what residents' responsibilities are, and of what can be recycled, and making sure action is taken when rubbish is left outside on the wrong day, etc.
As the resident said to me: never mind reclaiming the streets - let's get the pavements back first!
Tracey Hill
Big Lemon: a Social Enterprise which the city should support
In 2008, the Council published a strategy to support social enterprises. A social enterprise is a business which has a clear social or environmental purpose above and beyond economic performance. The Big Lemon is an example, because it runs on used cooking oil instead of petrol or diesel, and because of its community values. It has won awards, and fulfils one of the wider benefits of social enterprises, namely raising the bar for other companies.However, it does not have the easiest of business models, and is currently under threat because of price changes on the main Brighton to Falmer route meaning that it has seen a loss of revenue.
The Council and the Brighton and Hove Bus Company do work closely together, and in addition to that the Council has a strategy to support and promote social enterprises. I've written to Cllr Geoffrey Thobald, Cabinet member for the Environment, asking him to consider ways in which the Council can support the Big Lemon so that it can continue operating.
Many residents of Hanover and Elm Grove are students, or work at the Falmer campuses, and many of them use Big Lemon services. The more public transport options are available along the Lewes Road the better, as they encourage people to use alternatives to cars: that's beneficial for air quality, the climate, and parking in local streets.
Big Lemon clearly offers a service that's valued by the city, and one that deserves some support.
Tracey Hill
Wednesday 30 March 2011
A Manifesto that CAN be implemented
On first reading, there are two things that struck me about the Green Party manifesto for the local elections. The first is this comment in the introduction:
"We realise many of our Manifesto plans cannot be implemented immediately because the city is starved of cash. But we will not abandon our aspirations, because they offer practical solutions to the challenges the city faces."
This suggests that little attention has been paid to whether or not the ideas in the manifesto could actually be carried out, even if the Green Party were to control the Council. This makes little sense to me. Why produce a manifesto you freely admit you wouldn't be able to put into practice, even if you did gain control? What value does it have, other than simply as a wish list?
Labour's manifesto has been costed out, based on what we know we have in the next budget year, and what we think we will have after that. We're proposing genuine options for the future, and are ready to deliver.
From a ward perspective, the other thing that strikes me is how little is said about one of the biggest issues in Hanover and Elm Grove, the growing numbers of student households. Mention is made of the council enquiry which produced a number of recommendations in 2009. But the picture I have got from talking to residents is that those measures are simply not going to be adequate to deal with the problem, and we must look towards legislation to give communities some control.
Of course there is a need for student housing in the city, as it's a great benefit that we have two large universities. I haven't spoken to anyone I would describe as anti-student. But there are people who are concerned about the concentration of student housing in small areas, and the fact that it changes the local community and creates other issues.
The Labour manifesto contains a commitment to campaign for the reinstatement of planning permission for conversion to HMO's, and to using the existing HMO licensing legislation to introduce tougher controls. This seems to me to speak much more to the immediate and pressing concerns in the neighbourhood - and are specific, practical things that can actually be done.
Tracey Hill
"We realise many of our Manifesto plans cannot be implemented immediately because the city is starved of cash. But we will not abandon our aspirations, because they offer practical solutions to the challenges the city faces."
This suggests that little attention has been paid to whether or not the ideas in the manifesto could actually be carried out, even if the Green Party were to control the Council. This makes little sense to me. Why produce a manifesto you freely admit you wouldn't be able to put into practice, even if you did gain control? What value does it have, other than simply as a wish list?
Labour's manifesto has been costed out, based on what we know we have in the next budget year, and what we think we will have after that. We're proposing genuine options for the future, and are ready to deliver.
From a ward perspective, the other thing that strikes me is how little is said about one of the biggest issues in Hanover and Elm Grove, the growing numbers of student households. Mention is made of the council enquiry which produced a number of recommendations in 2009. But the picture I have got from talking to residents is that those measures are simply not going to be adequate to deal with the problem, and we must look towards legislation to give communities some control.
Of course there is a need for student housing in the city, as it's a great benefit that we have two large universities. I haven't spoken to anyone I would describe as anti-student. But there are people who are concerned about the concentration of student housing in small areas, and the fact that it changes the local community and creates other issues.
The Labour manifesto contains a commitment to campaign for the reinstatement of planning permission for conversion to HMO's, and to using the existing HMO licensing legislation to introduce tougher controls. This seems to me to speak much more to the immediate and pressing concerns in the neighbourhood - and are specific, practical things that can actually be done.
Tracey Hill
Monday 28 March 2011
Varndean parents against Academy move
At a meeting last night at the Hanover pub, over 20 Varndean parents gathered to start a campaign opposing any move for Varndean towards academy status. The idea was discussed at a Governing Body meeting, but clearly it was controversial and not all the details have been released.
It was Labour which introduced the idea of Academies and it has always been controversial, particularly the involvement of private finance and the option of opting out of local authority control. However, Labour's legislation was only ever targeted at schools which were struggling under the existing system. Widening the legislation to include schools which are rated as good or outstanding is an attack on the system itself, and moves us ever further away from being able to offer a good education to every child.
Varndean is the latest school in Brighton and Hove to express an interest in academy status since the coalition government introduced its new legislation, and in my view is a negative step which will adversely affect education in the city.
Tracey Hill
It was Labour which introduced the idea of Academies and it has always been controversial, particularly the involvement of private finance and the option of opting out of local authority control. However, Labour's legislation was only ever targeted at schools which were struggling under the existing system. Widening the legislation to include schools which are rated as good or outstanding is an attack on the system itself, and moves us ever further away from being able to offer a good education to every child.
Varndean is the latest school in Brighton and Hove to express an interest in academy status since the coalition government introduced its new legislation, and in my view is a negative step which will adversely affect education in the city.
Tracey Hill
Saturday 26 March 2011
Marching for the Alternative
We must keep exposing the government's argument that these cuts are necessary. They are not: they are too deep and too fast, and motivated by ideology not economic necessity. The economy was improving already under Labour, but now we are facing increasing living costs and youth unemployment. The damage proposed to the NHS and our education system is long term and not easily undone. We must keep marching!
Labour's Manifesto
Our manifesto is now on our website. We have plenty of positive ideas for the city despite the economic difficulties. Do take a look!
We gathered to launch the manifesto yesterday on Brighton beach: here's a picture of different generations of the Fitch family, Harris and Brian, both candidates in the upcoming elections.
We gathered to launch the manifesto yesterday on Brighton beach: here's a picture of different generations of the Fitch family, Harris and Brian, both candidates in the upcoming elections.
Wednesday 23 March 2011
Talking Waste
I went along to a Community Waste Forum this evening, organised by the Council and CityClean and chaired by the University of Brighton. Waste may not be an exciting topic to many, but this was actually a really interesting couple of hours.
The purpose of the group is to allow communities more input into how we deal with waste in the city. This includes refuse, recycling and composting as well as initiatives to reduce waste in the first place.
We reviewed a list of eleven possible ideas for community projects which had come out of the previous meeting and been reviewed. CityClean is proposing moving the majority of them forward. They include amongst others a community composting proposal from residents of Beaufort Terrace which CityClean will help with in terms of trying to identify a site, and places for the compost to be used. The residents' job would be to manage the composting area and get people using it right.
Many people came along with plenty of ideas already which came out in the subsequent discussion. I like the idea of dealing with student end-of-term detritus in a constructive way. Apparently duvets often get thrown out at the end of the academic year. One suggestion was to see if there was any interest from dogs' homes for these. One person's junk may be of value somewhere else, and forums like this help to make these connections.
Tracey Hill
The purpose of the group is to allow communities more input into how we deal with waste in the city. This includes refuse, recycling and composting as well as initiatives to reduce waste in the first place.
We reviewed a list of eleven possible ideas for community projects which had come out of the previous meeting and been reviewed. CityClean is proposing moving the majority of them forward. They include amongst others a community composting proposal from residents of Beaufort Terrace which CityClean will help with in terms of trying to identify a site, and places for the compost to be used. The residents' job would be to manage the composting area and get people using it right.
Many people came along with plenty of ideas already which came out in the subsequent discussion. I like the idea of dealing with student end-of-term detritus in a constructive way. Apparently duvets often get thrown out at the end of the academic year. One suggestion was to see if there was any interest from dogs' homes for these. One person's junk may be of value somewhere else, and forums like this help to make these connections.
Tracey Hill
Monday 21 March 2011
The Level: I chose Option One
I've just completed the Council's consultation on the Level. They are asking for public views on two different options. The main difference is the location of the planned new skatepark. In Option One, it's roughly where it is now. In Option Two, it would be moved north of Rose Walk and would occupy one of the grassy quadrants in the north part.
Many people, including almost everyone at the Friends of the Level meeting I attended last month, say that they are against losing any of the grassy space at the northern end, as they really value this open space. Having looked at the plans, I agree: it's great to have an open area where people can just sit and relax, especially right in the middle of the city, and the proposed new location of the skatepark would eat into that area quite substantially.
The skatepark would be the same size in either of the two options, and my understanding is that while some skaters would prefer the new park to be moved, more are either happy with it where it is, or don't have a strong view about the location as long as it's at least an equivalent size to what they have currently.
Option Two does provide more space for the childrens' play area in the southern end, but I believe Option One is more acceptable to the broad range of users of the space, so that is the Option I chose.
To have your say on the consultation, visit the Council's website .
Tracey Hill
Many people, including almost everyone at the Friends of the Level meeting I attended last month, say that they are against losing any of the grassy space at the northern end, as they really value this open space. Having looked at the plans, I agree: it's great to have an open area where people can just sit and relax, especially right in the middle of the city, and the proposed new location of the skatepark would eat into that area quite substantially.
The skatepark would be the same size in either of the two options, and my understanding is that while some skaters would prefer the new park to be moved, more are either happy with it where it is, or don't have a strong view about the location as long as it's at least an equivalent size to what they have currently.
Option Two does provide more space for the childrens' play area in the southern end, but I believe Option One is more acceptable to the broad range of users of the space, so that is the Option I chose.
To have your say on the consultation, visit the Council's website .
Tracey Hill
Monday 7 March 2011
The City's Budget for next year has been finalised
Next year’s budget for the city will be £2.5m more generous thanks to opposition amendments which were approved at the Council’s budget meeting last week.
The additional money comes from the reversal of the minority Tory Council’s proposal to reduce Council tax by 1%. Instead, Council tax next year will be frozen, providing over £1m in additional funding. The Conservatives have also agreed not to go ahead with scrapping a cycle lane in Hove, which would have cost £1.1m.
The additional funds will be used for:
And we also put money back into reserves, giving us more options for future years.
The amendments, which took over five hours to be passed, were finalized when the Conservatives voted in favour of the amended budget and Labour abstained. The Greens voted against the budget, which means that they voted against all the above amendments as well, many of which were jointly proposed by them. If all opposition parties had voted against, all the amendments would have been lost and we would have been left with no budget and only a week to go before the deadine by which Councils are legally required to pass a budget.
Cuts to local government funding - imposed nationally by the coalition government -means that the city will face difficult times next year. But Labour Councillors will continue to work hard to minimize the effects of these cuts on the city and on the most vulnerable people. The budget amendments are an example of this in practice.
The additional money comes from the reversal of the minority Tory Council’s proposal to reduce Council tax by 1%. Instead, Council tax next year will be frozen, providing over £1m in additional funding. The Conservatives have also agreed not to go ahead with scrapping a cycle lane in Hove, which would have cost £1.1m.
The additional funds will be used for:
- drug and alcohol abuse prevention work, youth offending - keeping more young people out of the criminal justice system
- older people's personal care
- community development and support that will benefit 24 separate neighbourhoods across the city
- more money for school budgets
- additional money for the Connexions careers advice and guidance service
- maintaining the anti-bulling and equality work with schools that focuses on discrimination
- funding to keep subsidized bus routes going for another year
- running a food waste collection pilot
- preventing the 30% cut to the council's music service
- funding for a citywide debt advice, anti-loan shark financial inclusion strategy that includes additional support for the Credit Union and existing money advice services.
And we also put money back into reserves, giving us more options for future years.
The amendments, which took over five hours to be passed, were finalized when the Conservatives voted in favour of the amended budget and Labour abstained. The Greens voted against the budget, which means that they voted against all the above amendments as well, many of which were jointly proposed by them. If all opposition parties had voted against, all the amendments would have been lost and we would have been left with no budget and only a week to go before the deadine by which Councils are legally required to pass a budget.
Cuts to local government funding - imposed nationally by the coalition government -means that the city will face difficult times next year. But Labour Councillors will continue to work hard to minimize the effects of these cuts on the city and on the most vulnerable people. The budget amendments are an example of this in practice.
Our thoughts on Studentification
(Photo: some of the hazards of high concentrations of multi-occupancy households)
Many people we have spoken to over the past few months have mentioned issues caused by rising numbers of multi-occupancy households.The majority of such households provide accommodation for students, and the positive contribution of our two thriving universities to the city is often mentioned. Access to higher education expanded under the previous Labour government, giving many more people the valuable opportunity to go to university.
However, it does also need to be recognised that large numbers of multiple occupancy households do put a strain on a neighbourhood, if they are clustered together into a small area. Parking space, rubbish collection and noise at night were the three issues most often mentioned.
The Council issued a scrutiny report on the subject in 2009, with actions covering those three issues. However, from talking to residents we get the impression that we are yet to see positive results. We think that more needs to be done, and that the causes need to be addressed as well as the symptoms.
The Labour Government introduced changes to planning law requiring a conversion to multi-occupancy houses (HMOs) to be granted planning permission. This would have allowed the local community some say in whether a conversion should be allowed. Unfortunately, the Coalition government has already overturned that change within six months of gaining power.
Labour also brought in legislation which strengthened the requirement for HMOs to be licensed, and gave local councils more control over HMO licensing. In parts of central Brighton and Hove including this ward, the council is consulting on extending the type of house requiring a licence to include smaller houses of two storeys or more, with three or more occupants.
Licensing and planning is not the whole answer, but we would support tighter controls on HMOs so that local areas can have some influence on the balance of accommodation, and to protect occupants by ensuring conversions are carried out to sufficiently high quality. We would campaign for this if elected as Councillors.
It is important to work with universities, and ensure that they recognise the role that they can play in contributing positively to the community, and that those small numbers of students who are persistently anti-social are held to account. In the longer term, the city needs to take responsibility for ensuring that there is adequate accommodation for students, and that this is factored into our long term planning.
Other towns and cities, for example Leeds, Nottingham, Loughborough and many more, have similar issues with growing numbers of HMOs, and have put in place different measures. We would look outward at other places to see what we can learn from them, and what new ideas we can bring to our city. We would also work closely with the whole community to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard.
We feel that this is one of the biggest issues facing the ward at the moment. It is very important to manage change so that Hanover and Elm Grove remains a pleasant and welcoming place for people of all ages and lifestyles who want to live here.
Wednesday 23 February 2011
Does it matter our MP lives in Brussels?
The Argus article which reveals that Caroline Lucas' family home is still in Brussels nine months after she was elected MP for Brighton Pavilion has, understandably, attracted a large number of comments. Many are along the lines of whether the role she is playing is really that of a constituency MP. Some of course are supportive that she is getting involved in a lot of national and international issues, but others feel that this is moving her away from her first responsibility, that of being a constituency MP for the people of Brighton.
Supporters say it doesn't matter where her family home is, if she is doing a good job. I understand this view, but I do think that when it comes to matters like these, the same rules should apply regardless of party and political viewpoint. Would these same people be equally understanding if a Conservative or Labour MP had their main home abroad?
I also struggle to see how it fits with the Green Party's policy of localism - reducing the need for travel by planning so that what you need is closer to home. I do think that there is a serious point here: if Caroline Lucas is finding it difficult to live and work locally, how realistic are these policies for people generally? In fact, many people find that clashes between work and family commitments mean that they travel a long way to work.
I'm concerned about the small number of comments accusing the Argus of "sloppy journalism" or criticising them for running the article at all. Of course people are interested in knowing where their MP is based. No-one should expect a Green MP to be less subject to scrutiny than MPs of other parties. The Argus article seems pretty well balanced to me, and I'm glad they raised this important issue.
Tracey Hill
Supporters say it doesn't matter where her family home is, if she is doing a good job. I understand this view, but I do think that when it comes to matters like these, the same rules should apply regardless of party and political viewpoint. Would these same people be equally understanding if a Conservative or Labour MP had their main home abroad?
I also struggle to see how it fits with the Green Party's policy of localism - reducing the need for travel by planning so that what you need is closer to home. I do think that there is a serious point here: if Caroline Lucas is finding it difficult to live and work locally, how realistic are these policies for people generally? In fact, many people find that clashes between work and family commitments mean that they travel a long way to work.
I'm concerned about the small number of comments accusing the Argus of "sloppy journalism" or criticising them for running the article at all. Of course people are interested in knowing where their MP is based. No-one should expect a Green MP to be less subject to scrutiny than MPs of other parties. The Argus article seems pretty well balanced to me, and I'm glad they raised this important issue.
Tracey Hill
Sunday 20 February 2011
In Hanover today with Steve Bassam
Issues coming up today with local residents: parking, particularly the impact of restrictions in nearby areas making it harder and harder to find a space, and once again some of the effects of the large number of student houses in these streets.
Friday 18 February 2011
Old Florist on Elm Grove could be a sandwich bar
Planning permission is being sought for the old florists at the bottom of Elm Grove to be turned into a sandwich bar/deli serving hot food. Local residents are being consulted on the idea. To make a comment on the planning application and see accompanying documents, visit the planning register on the Council's website.
Thursday 17 February 2011
Interview with David Speirs - Council candidate for Hanover and Elm Grove
The link to the above interview which took place on Brighton Community Radio is below:
http://www.archive.org/details/BrightonHoveCommunityRadio-talkingBrighton12-davidSpeirs-12.02.11
Please feel free comment on any aspect of it by repling to this blog site.
thanks
http://www.archive.org/details/BrightonHoveCommunityRadio-talkingBrighton12-davidSpeirs-12.02.11
Please feel free comment on any aspect of it by repling to this blog site.
thanks
Friday 11 February 2011
Brighton Community Radio
On Saturday February 12th at 3.00pm Brighton Community Radio is featuring an interview with council candidate David Speirs. Listen on-line by following link below.
http://www.bhcr.org.uk/
Brighton Community Radio is a great local network for local issues. It provides advice and information on a wide variety of speakers and subjects.
http://www.bhcr.org.uk/
Brighton Community Radio is a great local network for local issues. It provides advice and information on a wide variety of speakers and subjects.
Thursday 10 February 2011
Praise for Fairlight Primary
I was pleased to see reported in the Argus that the latest Ofsted report for Fairlight Primary and Nursery school gives it an improved "good" rating.
We were outside the school last week meeting parents at going-home time, and were delighted to meet the headmaster Damian Jordan. He'd come outside to say goodbye himself to the children as they left for the weekend, and was at hand to chat to parents as well. He seemed to know the names of most of the children, which is really impressive, and showed a personal touch which I'm sure makes a difference to the children's experience of the school.
We were outside the school last week meeting parents at going-home time, and were delighted to meet the headmaster Damian Jordan. He'd come outside to say goodbye himself to the children as they left for the weekend, and was at hand to chat to parents as well. He seemed to know the names of most of the children, which is really impressive, and showed a personal touch which I'm sure makes a difference to the children's experience of the school.
Safety concerns on Elm Grove
Several people have mentioned to me lately that they are concerned about vehicles driving on the pavement on Elm Grove. Given that there are schools on the road and plenty of pedestrians, it is a safety issue that cars, particularly on the north side where people are parking on the pavement parallel to the road, are driving between the parked cars and the houses in order to get into or out of spaces!
One person said that they had been tooted by a car driver to get out of their way when the car was actually driving down the pavement.
In some places, particularly directly opposite Elm Grove School, bollards have been put up where roads meet Elm Grove. Although this isn't failsafe, it does make it more difficult for cars to mount the pavement and could help the problem if they were installed on streets further down. If instead of bollards some of them were cycle racks, that would solve two problems at once, providing cycle parking as well as making the pavements safer.
One person said that they had been tooted by a car driver to get out of their way when the car was actually driving down the pavement.
In some places, particularly directly opposite Elm Grove School, bollards have been put up where roads meet Elm Grove. Although this isn't failsafe, it does make it more difficult for cars to mount the pavement and could help the problem if they were installed on streets further down. If instead of bollards some of them were cycle racks, that would solve two problems at once, providing cycle parking as well as making the pavements safer.
Thursday 27 January 2011
Transport: air quality and 20mph zones
I attended Transport 21's meeting at the Calvary Church on Thursday 20th January. The main focus was air quality, and we were given some good information from Council speakers and academics about where the air quality problems in the city are, and the contributory causes.
No surprises to learn that the worst air quality is along the main arterial routes, with the Lewes Road being particularly bad between Elm Grove and the gyratory. It was however surprising to find that a large proportion of the nitrogen oxide pollution comes from HGVs and buses, with a smaller proportion from cars.
It's positive in some ways that buses are high contributors, because solutions are easier, and there was mention (from a representative of Brighton and Hove buses) of trialling hybrid buses in the city soon. But one thing that was perhaps missing from the data was an idea of trends over time, particularly in car usage, which is continually on the increase, making it something that needs to be addressed from a congestion, as well as an air quality, point of view.
The speaker from Living Streets mentioned the recent campaign and Council scrutiny panel report about a 20mph zone across the whole city. The scrutiny panel's conclusions were positive about the benefits of 20mph zones, particularly in residential areas, and recommended moving forward with extending these zones and creating wider areas. However, it stopped short of recommending that the entire city be covered by default by a 20mph zone (with exceptions made for main arterial roads). One of the reasons is that the police have said that it would not be possible to enforce this. Another is the effect on the bus service and other key users of the roads.
The Greens have relaunched a petition to continue to support the "default" 20mph proposal that prompted the scrutiny panel in the first place. But I'm not convinced that they have done enough to explain why they disagree with the panel, and what they propose doing about the various problems that were highlighted. Their time might be better spent identifying specific areas which would be suitable for a 20mph speed limit, finding out what local residents and road users want, and, if there is support, campaigning to set them up.
The scrutiny panel also reported that the impact on air quality and emissions of a 20mph zone was unclear. Since the air quality hotspots are arterial roads, which would be exempt from the zone, I am unsure that the Lewes Road would be helped much by a default 20mph zone across the city. It may even be the case that drivers speed up along the arterial roads to make up for lost time elsewhere! This could actually make things worse along the Lewes Road for residents, cyclists and pedestrians.
Speakers:
1. Stephen Young B&H Living Streets / Senior Lecturer in Economics Brighton University
2. Dr Gary Fuller - Environmental Research Group, Kings College London
3. Mike Best - Operations Manager Brighton & Hove Buses
4. Andy Renaut - Head of Transport Planning & policy, BHCC
5. Tim Nichols / Sam Rouse - Head of Environmental Health / Senior Technical Officer Air Quality, BHCC
No surprises to learn that the worst air quality is along the main arterial routes, with the Lewes Road being particularly bad between Elm Grove and the gyratory. It was however surprising to find that a large proportion of the nitrogen oxide pollution comes from HGVs and buses, with a smaller proportion from cars.
It's positive in some ways that buses are high contributors, because solutions are easier, and there was mention (from a representative of Brighton and Hove buses) of trialling hybrid buses in the city soon. But one thing that was perhaps missing from the data was an idea of trends over time, particularly in car usage, which is continually on the increase, making it something that needs to be addressed from a congestion, as well as an air quality, point of view.
The speaker from Living Streets mentioned the recent campaign and Council scrutiny panel report about a 20mph zone across the whole city. The scrutiny panel's conclusions were positive about the benefits of 20mph zones, particularly in residential areas, and recommended moving forward with extending these zones and creating wider areas. However, it stopped short of recommending that the entire city be covered by default by a 20mph zone (with exceptions made for main arterial roads). One of the reasons is that the police have said that it would not be possible to enforce this. Another is the effect on the bus service and other key users of the roads.
The Greens have relaunched a petition to continue to support the "default" 20mph proposal that prompted the scrutiny panel in the first place. But I'm not convinced that they have done enough to explain why they disagree with the panel, and what they propose doing about the various problems that were highlighted. Their time might be better spent identifying specific areas which would be suitable for a 20mph speed limit, finding out what local residents and road users want, and, if there is support, campaigning to set them up.
The scrutiny panel also reported that the impact on air quality and emissions of a 20mph zone was unclear. Since the air quality hotspots are arterial roads, which would be exempt from the zone, I am unsure that the Lewes Road would be helped much by a default 20mph zone across the city. It may even be the case that drivers speed up along the arterial roads to make up for lost time elsewhere! This could actually make things worse along the Lewes Road for residents, cyclists and pedestrians.
Speakers:
1. Stephen Young B&H Living Streets / Senior Lecturer in Economics Brighton University
2. Dr Gary Fuller - Environmental Research Group, Kings College London
3. Mike Best - Operations Manager Brighton & Hove Buses
4. Andy Renaut - Head of Transport Planning & policy, BHCC
5. Tim Nichols / Sam Rouse - Head of Environmental Health / Senior Technical Officer Air Quality, BHCC
Catching the Sun event was a great success
HASL's solar energy event at the Hanover Centre on Friday night attracted around 40-50 people, and there was a real buzz to it. The best parts were hearing from local people. Clare talked about her experiences of installing solar PV, and it was great hearing about the pluses and minuses, and the exciting elements of it, like checking the meter every few hours exactly how much energy was being generated! Paul described the solar thermal system (hot water tubes on the roof) and that was fascinating. It was good to learn that your property does not have to be 100% perfect for an installation to work: Paul's solar thermal tubes lie horizontally on a flat roof, which is not the best position, but the system is still so efficient that they do not need to heat water by any other means for most of the summer.
We also heard from the Brighton and Hove Energy Co-operative about their plans to set up the first co-op to invest in solar energy. And some interesting info about buying renewable energy (Ecotricity etc). As ever, it's the participation of everyone that makes these events so interesting.
Several people were interested in the feed-in tariff scheme, and it would be really excellent if, as a result of this meeting, people were encouraged to get together and go ahead with it. We'll definitely be following it up and aiming to make this happen.
Tuesday 25 January 2011
Sally Gunnell supports our School Sports campaign
Support for for Labour's School Sports Partnership in the city was so great that enough signatures were collected (1,270) to trigger a debate in the next Council meeting, on Thursday January 27th (the meeting starts at 4.30pm and is at Hove Town Hall).
Sally Gunnell, along with many other top athletes, supported the campaign to save SSP's which have done so much to provide different sport and exercise activities in schools. Here she is handing in the petition to the Council along with Labour Councillors and supporters of the campaign, on Monday.
Monday 17 January 2011
London Road needs more than a Post Office
As the Co-operative announces that it no longer wants to host the Post Office in the old department store on London Road, local Green Councillors launch a campaign to stop it moving north onto Preston Road. I agree that it would be a pity for London Road to be without a Post Office. But this campaign should not disguise the fact that Green Councillors have presided over a long period of decline in the London Road which will take more than a Post Office to reverse.
I was involved in Another London Road, a campaign which started when Tesco expressed an interest in a major development at Preston Circus. This plan was wrong for the London Road (being a massive three-storey mall with huge car park) and I was pleased when Tesco pulled out. Throughout the campaign there was a lot of talk about offering real options for what the London Road needed instead. But a year or so down the line, we seem to be in exactly the same position.
There is talk of revamping the Open Market. But when? This has been on the drawing board for years. Plans for refurbishing New England House and attracting new small businesses - but no action. And aims to reduce traffic, but no no support for initiatives which might help, like a Park and Ride scheme for example.
The ward London Road is in (St Peter's and North Laine) has had Green Councillors for 13 years. What have they achieved in that time? It's fine being against things but you have to be for something also, and able to deliver on it.
Labour has a track record of delivering in Brighton and Hove. Attracting creative industries here and establishing the city as a digital media hub is one - leaving us much better positioned to weather the recession than other towns in the region. The New England Development has brought much-needed affordable housing to an area in dire need of regeneration. We support a Park and Ride scheme to free up our city centre streets. And we don't just talk - we have made it happen in the past and we can do so again.
I was involved in Another London Road, a campaign which started when Tesco expressed an interest in a major development at Preston Circus. This plan was wrong for the London Road (being a massive three-storey mall with huge car park) and I was pleased when Tesco pulled out. Throughout the campaign there was a lot of talk about offering real options for what the London Road needed instead. But a year or so down the line, we seem to be in exactly the same position.
There is talk of revamping the Open Market. But when? This has been on the drawing board for years. Plans for refurbishing New England House and attracting new small businesses - but no action. And aims to reduce traffic, but no no support for initiatives which might help, like a Park and Ride scheme for example.
The ward London Road is in (St Peter's and North Laine) has had Green Councillors for 13 years. What have they achieved in that time? It's fine being against things but you have to be for something also, and able to deliver on it.
Labour has a track record of delivering in Brighton and Hove. Attracting creative industries here and establishing the city as a digital media hub is one - leaving us much better positioned to weather the recession than other towns in the region. The New England Development has brought much-needed affordable housing to an area in dire need of regeneration. We support a Park and Ride scheme to free up our city centre streets. And we don't just talk - we have made it happen in the past and we can do so again.
Sunday 16 January 2011
"Catching the Sun" solar energy event on Fri 21st Jan
Hanover Action for Sustainable Living (HASL) formed just over a year ago as a spontaneous reaction to a showing of the film The Age of Stupid in Hanover. I feel it still has the spirit of "This is important, right what are we going to do about it?" which I love.
I suggested the idea of bringing solar energy installers together with local Hanover residents, to publicise the Labour government's feed-in-tariffs deal. Feed-in tariffs mean that if you install solar PV panels, you get paid for every unit of electricity they generate, even if you use it yourself, and if you generate surplus electricity it goes back into the grid. It's designed to offer a generous incentive to those home owners who are able to make the initial investment and willing to lead the way. What you generate will vary, but typically the return on investment is around 9% over the whole 25-year period you get the tariff. Crucially, if there are several people interested, they can work together with installers to get a good deal on the installation costs.
The idea of an event was taken up enthusiastically by HASL, and it has grown to include a presentation from Brighton and Hove Energy Co-operative, amongst other things, for those people who are interested in investing in FITs but don't happen to own a roof! It's all happening this coming Friday, Jan 21st, at 7.30pm at the Hanover Centre.
Tracey Hill
I suggested the idea of bringing solar energy installers together with local Hanover residents, to publicise the Labour government's feed-in-tariffs deal. Feed-in tariffs mean that if you install solar PV panels, you get paid for every unit of electricity they generate, even if you use it yourself, and if you generate surplus electricity it goes back into the grid. It's designed to offer a generous incentive to those home owners who are able to make the initial investment and willing to lead the way. What you generate will vary, but typically the return on investment is around 9% over the whole 25-year period you get the tariff. Crucially, if there are several people interested, they can work together with installers to get a good deal on the installation costs.
Tracey Hill
Friday 14 January 2011
Ed Miliband's approach is right for the party and the country
Listening to Ed Miliband's Q and A session in Hove this morning, I really felt that his approach at this time is right. Of course in the press, Labour can do nothing right, but Ed was elected leader on the basis that he would get back in touch with members of the party and with the broader public. And that takes time - sessions like the one today with hundreds of people of all political persuasions, listening to their concerns and feeding them in, allowing them to steer where we go next. It would be easy to wade in with policy ideas now and risk alienating voters and Labour loyalists all over again. We need to recognise what we got wrong, while at the same time appreciating what we did well, and that is absolutely what Ed is doing.
Ed really shows himself to be someone who cares about doing things right on issues I agree with - reducing inequality, combating climate change and ensuring that we have excellent public services. He is a great Leader of the Opposition for Brighton and Hove, and anyone who would like to see the back of this Coalition government should be right behind him.
Points raised were varied but included - what more can we do to address climate change, NHS funding and staffing, libraries, further education, police handling of protests, and attitudes to people on benefit. On this latter, I was struck by the experiences of someone who advises benefit claimants: we are always hearing about benefit cheats and of course that needs to be addressed, but there are many people out there who are under-claiming, and not getting what they need and are entitled to.
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