Diary of a Councillor age 40 and three quarters!

2009-04-10T18:37:00.002+01:00

£700,000 has been earmarked to change the layout of Colchester High Street. Could this mean pedestrianisation? I just hope that the Lib Dems don't make the same mistake as they did on the shrubs and 'forget' to ask the people of Colchester what they think. I have always found residents split on the issue:

We need a town square and miss out due to us not having a 'heart' to hold events and to congregate - would closing the High Street give us this.
How will businesses cope if buses and taxis are not allowed in the High Street?
Will the High Street due to its lack of 'big' names become empty if residents aren't even getting off the bus there?
How will businesses cope with their deliveries?

Let's ensure that nothing is forced upon the people of Colchester and we are all asked what we want. Ask for a consultation NOW.

Graffiti goes in Prettygate.

2009-04-10T18:28:00.002+01:00

We've had a crack down on graffiti in Prettygate and found nearly 50 sites with 'artwork'! Most have been tags which have all been photographed and reported to Police but one site the Council would not touch - that was an alleyway off Gainsborough Road near Philip Morant school. So we did it! Jeremy, me, Beverly and Wyn painted Prettygate blue and got rid of the mess last Saturday. We know it will be scrawled over again, so we will repaint it again and we will keep with this message until the vandals give up!

Primark and H&M in Colchester?

2009-04-10T18:12:00.001+01:00

We finally get some investment in our town centre with a revamped Lion Walk, after the Lib Dems pulled out of our new shopping centre at Vineyard Gate, and guess what....the MP does not like it. Will he ever speak positively about anything in this town? We need more shops - big names like Primark and H&M - which will bring in shoppers and stop them going to Ipswich or Lakeside. They, in turn, will use our car parks, our coffee shops, our small shops, even our art gallery when it opens, and bring much needed money to our town. The other shop keepers want it - we have asked them (shame the Lib Dems don't ask more) - so let's welcome investment in the town and not put it down again, and again, and again......I get more queries about Primark opening than anything else - let's revamp the town and please stop putting it down!

Shrub ended!

2009-03-11T17:13:00.002Z

Wow what a busy time! Whilst Prettygate is one of the quietest wards in Colchester - we keep ourselves busy. The latest threat to us is the removal of shrub beds by the Lib Dem/Labour Administration. To save a mean £20 per year in some places, they are prepared to dig up and turf over the beds. We only have 3 in Prettygate but in Shrub End they are losing all of theirs! No more Shrub End, more like Shrub Ended! They are not just pleasing to the eye but they also stop cars parking on verges and kids gathering outside houses causing a nuisance. We are doing all we can to stop this by informing the Chief Executive and the press so that the public are aware of what is happening. The residents who live around these beds need to make the decision.

Whoops! Where's our £4m gone!

2008-10-22T10:07:00.002+01:00

Finance and Audit Scrutiny Panel last night. We had an emergency item on the Icelandic Bank crisis. I chaired the meeting which was hard with the opposition trying at every point to blame us for what happened. The point was, it has happened. The warnings were out there that some authorities heard and some did not. We were one of the ones who did not. Perhaps Cllr Smith who is Portfolio Holder for Finance could have done more - the point is the Council are very unlikely to get their £4m back when it matures in December. We, as the Opposition, have got to ensure that this does not affect the residents and that it does not happen again.

Ghurkas

2008-10-22T10:02:00.003+01:00

I was very pleased to see in the papers that Gurkhas were to be given the right to stay in this country - I hope the Government follows this up! At conference this year, there were many of them working in security and I spoke to some of them on the day of the court case. They are the most dignified of men who have served our country so well. In the past they have been stationed in Colchester and I hope one day we have them back here. Good luck to them and they deserve our thanks.

Conservative Party Conference

2008-10-22T09:40:00.005+01:00

A Group from Colchester attended this year and it was very different from other times - business like, serious and corporate. Because of the financial crisis there was no time for frivolity and also as we drove back for the mayors funeral on the Monday, we were in no mood for hilarity.

For those who have never been to a party conference it is very different to what you see on the TV. There are hundreds of fringe meetings in other rooms around the site and it is here that you learn the most. I attended many on defence and health. One, with Bernard Jenkin MP, concentrated on what state our army is in and gave us valuable information on the condition our soldiers face, both at home and abroad. It was also attended by Winston Churchill and members of the UKNDA (UK National Defence Association) and I hope soon to set up a branch in Colchester.

I also attended a very good event on death with dignity with the shadow Health Minster. Due to the endless bureaucracy in our hospitals, if a patient is diagnosed as terminal, it can take weeks for a plan of care to be written. At the most traumatic time, this is not what a patient or their family needs. We also heard about the work of Marie Curie nurses and hospices. I asked about how volunteers are supported as the strain on them can be immense - because of my comments the Health Minister has offered to look into the support they receive. This is what conference is all about - learning from others but giving something back to Shadow Ministers so that they can go away and make things better too.

Allotment rents to double.

2008-09-09T12:50:00.003+01:00

Just when we are all being squeezed financially as tight as possible the Lib Dem/Labour/Ind coalition decide to double allotment rents. So those, like me, who like to work hard for their family in the open air, are being squeezed even further. Vicky was not happy and asked what she could do to help - we decided that she should tell the Council that she was not happy and she spoke at Cabinet last week. I was very proud of her - she was then interviewed on BBC Essex as well. I don't know if we can afford to keep the allotment on - doubling the rent is punishing those who work hard - just to prove that Labour are running the show again! Still hope I get some sprouts like last year!

Whoops again!

2008-08-27T18:36:00.000+01:00

Remind me next time to check my typing before I post a blog!

2008-08-27T18:29:00.003+01:00

ITFC V Colchester United 26/8/08.

A good match at Portman Road with ITFC the winners and I have to say they deserved it. Campo, the new signing looked good but not match fit. There was a biot of troible with the crowd at one stage but it was all pretty friendly - even Lisbie would not celebrate his goal! It took me a while to get home as well - makes you realise how lucky we are at the stadium in Colchester to have free or cheap buses.

Colchester United's First home game at the new Community Stadium.

2008-08-17T11:48:00.004+01:00

Went to the first match of the season at home for Colchester United on Saturday 16th August 2008. Although it was a nil-nil draw against Huddersfeild, it was really good to see the stadium and how it coped.

There were a few blips. I had to wait over an hour on the phone to get a ticket, the queues at the turnstiles were bad because it was a new system and some (like me) were finding it hard to work out how the ticket scanners worked. There were queues at the bars at half time and there were also queues for the shuttle buses afterwards.

However I am sure things will be sorted out. Once you know how the scanners work on the turnstiles then fans will get in quicker. They will ensure they get more staff to man the bars - however at any football match you have this 20 minute rush at half time. The shuttle bus that I went on was highly successful. They promised that it would leave at 5.15pm and it did with everyone on it. It arrived with no congestion back at Layer Road and it was free - I just cycled back home! Brilliant!

The fans I spoke to loved the new stadium and if the fans continue to use the shuttle buses then I am sure Col U will get more and more fans going - £26 is a lot of money for a ticket though and I think if they want to get more fans on a regular basis then they will have to reduce ticket prices. I will be going when I can afford it! Well done Col U!

Today

2008-08-14T19:50:00.002+01:00

We had a briefing meeting today for the Finance and Audit Scrutiny panel that I chair. It looks very run of the mill but there are so many points that emerge as you go through the amazingly large figures. I really feel that we can make a difference in how the Council is run in the future and that we can learn from the past.

Local Development Framework

2008-08-11T21:34:00.002+01:00

Attended the LDF tonight - it is one of the most important panels in the Council. This panel plans the future of the Borough for the next 20 - 50 years. We spoke about 'sustainability' and what that actually means. It is a word that is thrown about at many meetings but it was good to get a proper definition - "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". It is, of course, not as simple as that but it shows what the Council are aiming for. I also spoke to a lady from Mile End who has lived there for 52 years. She has seen it grow from a small village with tithe cottages linked to the hospital to almost a town in its own right. She does not want to see other areas of Colchester, as they develop in the future, going through the same infrastructure problems that Mile End is now seeing. It is a shame that our MP against Colchester, Bob Russell, has gone to the press announcing that he has got the money for the new A12 junction when he has not - this would have alleviated a lot of the problems of Mile End. He has again let the town down.

Weekend work

2008-08-11T21:29:00.003+01:00

Had a really good weekend - we had a lovely BBQ with the committee of the Friends of Westlands Country Park on Sunday. I set the Group up so that they could claim for funding for the park - we discused the signage and the benches. It is so exciting as the park is a blank canvass and it has been great to see how the residents and visitors have used it in the last year and how they want to use it in the future.

Whoops! Update-politics.

2008-08-03T18:18:00.004+01:00

Ok - I haven't kept up to date but I have been so busy but I am determined to update at least once a month now!

We had a good election here in Prettygate. Ron decided to step down as a Councillor - he had done what he vowed to do and turned all 3 Prettygate seats over to the Conservatives. He is still busy writing a couple of books.

Beverly Davies was elected and together with Wyn Foster who was elected in 2007 we keep Prettygate sorted. We still do a lot of litter picks, campaigns and visits to the local schools.

I am so lucky to work with a great group of people and together with the rest of the Prettygate Conservative Action team we will keep busy and continue working as hard as we can for the people of Prettygate - it is such a great place to live!

I am now Chairman of the Finance and Scrutiny Panel at the Town Hall and it is our job with other Councillors from all parties to scrutinise the finances of the Council. It is quite a task but we will ensure that the tax payers money is spent wisely - including that of Colchester Borough Homes. I am also Chairman of the Conservative Group of Councillors and Chairman of the Conservative Womens Organisation in Colchester.

I have done a lot of training in the past year and been to different conferences both on behalf of the Council and for the Conservatives. I met Sebastan Coe last year to promote Colchester as a base camp for the 2012 Olympics. We succeeded and hopefully we will get competitors from all over the world visiting the town and using the facilities of the University and the Garrison. Many residents do not realise the role of a Councillor - that to promote the town and if it was not for this we would not have new businesses bringing jobs, new stores such as Waitrose, and new facilities coming to Colchester.

I'm a Councillor...get me out of here

2007-10-22T21:42:00.000+01:00

Well, what can I say? Sometimes I did want to get out of there as the intimidation and bullying that went on towards these poor kids was disgusting! I have spent the last 2 weeks visiting schools, web chatting and answering questions from kids all over Colchester. It only goes to show how intelligent, articulate and wise the youngsters are. I have been proud to meet them and I will be proud to serve them over the next year as Youth Champion.

However the tactics that were used by some of the opposition made me furious and ashamed to be there. I can say that some was down to immaturity and over enthusiasm but I would not stoop to that level - it is patronising and against the whole idea of educating the youth of our town in democracy.

Some of the opposition are absolute sweeties - you know who you are - and I would be proud for them to represent the youth of Colchester regardless of the party they belong to.

However to promise kids things that could not be delivered was wrong. I think, in the end, the kids saw through it and saw who could help them and be honest to them, for the next year which is why I managed to win again.

I will always do what I can to help any young person in Colchester. I will always be honest. I will always listen.

So if any young person is reading this come and say hello. Come to a full Council meeting. Be heard. Be seen. Be part of the town. We are proud of you.

Young Essex Assembly

2007-10-11T09:34:00.000+01:00

The Young Essex Assembly (YEA) is an elected group of young people from across Essex. There are 75 members, similar to the number of County Councillors that we have. It gives young people in Essex a voice by Councillors working together with the youth members and youth organisations. 24,000 under 18s were asked what they wanted their YEA to concentrate on - environment, sex and relationship education, transport and leisure. 12 of the elected members were then elected to represent Essex on the UK Youth Parliament working with central government.

What we need to work on is why the kids from the local schools in Colchester have not heard of the YEA. Why did we not know (and this is me included) that nominations for new members had to be in by 30th September. I'm working on this now and will let you know how I get on.

Youth Mayor

2007-10-10T22:46:00.000+01:00

There has been a bit of talk about Colchester having a youth mayor since I have been visiting schools in the past few days. If that is what the under 18s want then that is what I shall campaign for. However for the past year I have visited loads of schools and colleges around the town and no one has asked about it - in fact one fellow Councillor has been asking for it because they wanted one of their kids to be the mayor!!!

If that is what the under 18s want then great. But let us do it democratically. Lets make sure the youth mayor is what the kids want and who the kids want - not a volunteer who is being pushed by a political party. Lets make sure that the youth mayor will truly speak for the youth of Colchester.

I do not think we need a mayor, but it does not matter what I think - I am not under 18. I think the elected Young Essex Assembly already speaks for the under 18s. Perhaps they need more publicity as the students who I spoke to today have not heard of it. I would rather spend time and money promoting what we have already which is working well - they meet regularly with the full Council Cabinet and the Leader to sort issues out. I know they do because I have been there!!! I also went on the radio earlier this year to promote the elections so they do already get good publicity but obviously not enough.

If you are under 18 and you are reading this then tell me what you think. Do you want a youth mayor? Have you heard of the Young Essex Assembly and what it does? Did you know you already have a voice in Colchester? Let me know what you think - and what YOU think - don't be bullied by a political party or an individual. Tell me what you think.

Conference at Blackpool 2007

2007-10-04T21:31:00.000+01:00

I go to Conference to learn - what can I do better as a Councillor and as a resident? Apart from the main hall, which you see on TV, there are literally hundreds of fringe meetings going on in hotels all over the place from subjects like Abortion, Green issues, Architecture, Discipline in schools, War and Obesity. You can sit and have coffee with other Conservatives and journalists from all over the world and learn what they have done to make their community better.

I went to one such meeting and met Lord Sebastian Coe who is in charge of the Olympics here in 2012. We want Colchester to have a training camp here which will bring lots of money and facilities to the town. We already have the Garrison and the University but if we can get a team from another country to use Colchester as its base then we could end up with a new swimming pool or athletics track.

I went to another meeting and met Damilola Taylors father - his son was stabbed and killed in London in 1998 age only 10. He is now campaigning against gun crime and gangs - so brave. The team told us what they have been doing to help kids today by giving them a father figure other than a gang leader to look up to. Inspirational!

The end speech by David Cameron is always the high point and he finished this years conference by speaking for 90 minutes with no notes, auto cue or text about what he wants to do for Britain - and he spoke from the heart. He wants to mend the broken society - enable parents to stay together to look after their children not live apart because they get more social money to do so. He wants to have stronger border controls so we know who is in our country. No one knows apart from Gordon Brown if we will have an election in November but when you look at what Labour have done in the last 10 years, it is time for change. When Labour were elected they had some good ideas but did not know how to make them work - the result being they have never become policy or if they did (like Home Information Packs for example) they have taken ages to introduce and do not work. We have taken our time asking the Country what they want and we are now revealing the Policies that have been well thought out and will therefore work! As David Cameron said about the election "BRING IT ON!!!"

Shopping in Colchester

2007-09-20T16:21:00.000+01:00

Ok so we are talking of a few years ahead (possibly 2012) but what about shops in Colchester like Primark, H & M, Zara, House of Fraser and smaller specialist shops with wierd and wonderful things that are unique to Colchester? Well, that is what is going to happen at Vineyard Gate - the new shopping centre where Vineyard Street car park is. There will also be a new bus station with the latest communications so the buses run better and quicker.

I have been very concerned that we have empty small shops in the town at the moment so the Council must ensure that we have the right size units - and they are! They are in the process of asking the shops who want to come to Colchester (and there are nearly 100) what size units they want. The new development can then be made to suit them so we have few empty shops and plenty of rooms for the bigger stores.

When I go out shopping with my mates we say Primark or H&M? That means are we going shopping in Ipswich or Chlemsford? We won't have to do that anymore 'cos we will have it all here! Another good job the Council is doing for Colchester!

Colchester United Community Stadium

2007-09-20T15:52:00.000+01:00

Taken on 24/9/07 - the first
seats of the West stand as
viewed from the pitch.

The new stadium that Colchester has been waiting for is finally arriving!

This is a picture taken at the beginning of September of the first steel structure for the west stand.

The foundations have also been laid and work is well on target.

The Council has had to balance the needs of Colchester United and all of the residents of Colchester without Council tax having to go up. But we have done it when other past Colchester Councils have not been able or willing to do so.

I hope to keep the site up to date with new photos and dates when events are happening. I can't wait until the opening game - what about Col Utd V Ipswich Town?

The start

2007-09-20T11:34:00.000+01:00

Well, welcome to my first diary of a Colchester Borough Council Councillor age 40 3/4! I have been told that if I add the names like Britney Spears or Paris Hilton I will get loads of hits but considering I am far more busy then them I think I will stick to my own rantings. I would love to hear from anyone about Colchester, Essex, Prettygate, the Conservatives, David Cameron or in fact anything interesting that is going on. I hope to let you know a bit more about what I do as a Borough Councillor and the jobs we are getting done in Prettygate ward. I will try and keep this as up to date as I can and answer anything honestly and promptly.