Craig Card

As many of you will be aware the government has overidden local opinion about the Pyestock warehouse development and given approval for the plans to go ahead.  Despite hundreds of local people voicing disaproval to the scheme the govenment has not listened and a large depot will be operating 24/7 on our doorsteps.  Local Liberal Democrats raised many concerns with the plans including large lorries travelling to the site via our local road network, environmental damage, noise and light pollution.  The government reasons that the plans should go ahead because more jobs will be created.  We still believe most of these jobs will be from people travelling into the area to work not local people.

The Mayfield Partnership celebrated its 10th year of working together for the benefit of Mayfield Resident’s.

Over 250 children and parents attended the event at the play area in Water Lane. The Mayor of Rushmoor came to help things along.

Events taking place were:

Basketball and football in the new MUGA Pitch (Multi Use Games Area)

Bouncy Castle

Face Painting

Punch and Judy

Ballon Art

The Rotary Club came along and served Burgers and Hot Dogs.

Thanks go to all those who helped make the event a success including local PCSOs, partnership organisation, volunteers and Resident’s who work so well together to make the Partnership work.

Rushmoor Council has just published Councillor Allowances from June 2008 to May 2009. Last year the Majority Conservative Group on the Council voted to take an increase of up to 12% in allowances.

This increased the Basic allowance from £4665.00 to £4950.00 plus an increase in Special Responsibility Allowances which go to the Leader, Cabinet and Chairs of the Panels and the two opposition group Leaders.

The Liberal Democrat Group decided to not take the increase in view of the economic climate last year.

8 Liberal Democrat Councillors Basic allowances cost you £4665.00 per Councillor.

5 Labour Counclliors Basic allowances cost you £4779.97 per Councillor.

29 Conservative Councillors Basic Allowances cost you £4950.00 per Councillor.

Total basic Allowances cost you £204,939.88

Special Responsibility Allowances cost you £91,472.49

Travel Allowances cost you £3,398.69 of which was claimed by 10 councillors

Total cost to rate payers £299.811.06

The Liberal Democrat Councillors have again this year refused to take an incease in the current financial climate.

Last Fridays Farnborough News (7^th August) brought forward the proposals for

Frimley

Park to stopping afternoon visiting. This raised much concern locally and I received several phone calls on Thursday from senior residents saying they would have problems getting to see friends and relatives in the evenings. As the dark nights will be here soon and their fear of traveling late at night meant they would be unable to visit.

 I contacted the council and asked the Officers to make contact with

Frimley

Park

Hospital to find out what was going on and to put forward the concerns of Rushmoor’s Residents.

 The response from

Frimley

Park.

“In order to reduce the risk of infection and to ease some of the traffic congestion, the Board did suggest that we should review visiting times with a view to omitting routine afternoon visiting.  We consulted our Members on this proposal and received over 2,500 replies, the majority of which expressed support to extend visiting times during the weekend and change visiting in the weekday to 6.30 – 8.30pm.  This proposal was supported by the Council of Governors at its meeting in May and it was agreed to undertake a trial for three months.   I must stress that all visiting is at the discretion of the Ward Sister and if families indicate that there is a problem with visiting in the evening then we will make every effort to accommodate them elsewhere in the day. There have been two documented examples during last winter when Norovirus was introduced into the hospital by one of the visitors and clearly the Hospital Infection Control team feels that we should minimize this risk.  A number of hospitals in

England have adopted a very similar approach to visiting times.”                       I have asked the Director of environment to bring this issue to the Community Panel who deals with hospital issues. Hopefully this will happen at the September 17^th meeting.  

 The Mayor of Rushmoor will be officially opening the Multi Use Games Area on Saturday August 22^nd at 11.30 am.  He will also be celebrating the 10 years of the Mayfield Partnership. The Partnership has been working with residents, Councillors, agencies and the Police to get improvements to the area.                 

11.30              Mayor cuts ribbon opening MUGA.  

12 noon         BBQ/food and drink (Small charge)                                               

Other activities:                                               

 Face Painting                         Bouncy Castle

                        Punch & Judy

                        Balloon Modeling

                        Magic Show

Councillor Alistair Mackie and I visited the Nepali fete in Richmond,

Surrey on 8^th August. It was a very interesting event with displays of Music, Dance and martial arts. With a variety of stalls including traditional Nepali food to eat and buy, clothing and Jewelry as well as the Rushmoor’ British Gurkha Welfare Society stand promoting the campaign for equal rights for retired Gurkha Soldiers. There was also a stand that explained the history of the Gurkha regiment and those soldiers who won the VC.

 Last year, Rushmoor Conservative Councillors voted to give themselves an inflation-busting pay increase of up to 12% for some allowances. 

In view of the economic difficulties facing many local families at the time, Liberal Democrat Councillors voted against the increase and refused the extra allowances.  As the recession is now biting and inflation has fallen further, Liberal Democrat Councillors have again refused to take the increase this year.  With difficulties being faced by many families in Rushmoor, the steep rise in unemployment and families needing to claim benefits Liberal Democrats felt it was quite wrong to accept this increase.

Motion to council 

I have asked the council to consider at the next meeting on July 30 a motion about weed killing. 

This Council:

• Expresses its dismay at the appalling state of Rushmoor’s roads and footpaths, which have become overgrown by weeds;
• Notes that the quality of weed killing, has dropped considerably since the County Council took back these responsibilities some years ago;
• Calls on Hampshire County Council to review the policy management of weed killing from the centre rather than at borough/district level in terms of cost effectiveness, quality of service and level of accountability.

Since early May many Mayfield and Rushmoor Resident’s have mentioned to me the disgraceful state of our roads and pavements covered in weeds, almost every road and footpath in the borough. Some residents have said it looks more like an old deserted Wild West town than a modern 21^st century town. 

I asked Hampshire County Council who are responsible for roads and footpaths to sort out the problems back June and they said it would be at least six weeks before anything could be done, (that’s August) almost the end of the season. 

On Wednesday this week the Portfolio holder for the Environment (Conservative) told me he had asked the Environment Panel to consider setting up a task and finish group to look at the problem at the September meeting.

An event was held on Saturday 17^th July outside Farnborough Rugby Club to show young people the variety of activites that are available in Rushmoor.

Activities throughout the day included: Army Cadets, Football, Rugby, Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme.  Many other organizations took part and face painting, sumo wrestling, gladiator duels were also part of the fun on the day.

The event was to raise awareness with young people and their parents on the many options available.

Farnborough Main Railway Station is soon to receive a much needed upgrade.  Network Rail informed Councillors that improvements for rail users with disabilities will be taking place. Users will be able to access the platform for trains bound to London.Upgrades include: 

•         CCTV installation and PA upgrade (bridge only)

•         New 37m footbridge and two lifts and shafts

•         Removal of existing bridge and all making good

•         Approx 550m of tactile paving installation

•         Existing canopies to link up to new covered footbridge

•         Cycle facility relocation

Estimated completion date spring 2011