Year: 2013

Out of the Frying Pan – April

Brian Riley Local Colour, Political - Local ,

Recently Babergh’s full  Council discussed and approved a proposal that a vacant piece of land in Lady Lane (just up from The Green) be transferred to a Registered Provider (of Social Housing) and that a four bedroom house be built possibly with a capital contribution from the Council.
At no time were we given an estimate of the land value. Nor were there figures to indicate the financial implications of the proposal.
I dislike giving approvals when I am not aware of the potential price tags. Similarly we were not told why the Council was ignoring its own policy which states that the greatest need in the housing market is for small (one and two bedroom) and medium  sized (three bedroom) houses.
If we built two two bedroom houses we could then relocate two families who no longer need their four bedroom houses – their children having flown the nests.
Joined up thinking was not in evidence that day. On the one hand we were being asked to approve a scheme for a four bedroom house. On the other long term Hadleigh residents are being encouraged to move from their “empty nests” to smaller housing elsewhere.
It is not the first time that policies have been pursued without regard to local needs.
One department is busy implementing under occupancy penalties and another does nothing constructive to reduce its incidence.
The paper presented never mentioned why the Council thought there was a need for more four bed room social housing accommodation in Hadleigh.  The Babergh Development Framework Core Strategy (2011- 2031) Submission Draft is quite clear as to perceived housing demand. What is the point of having policies and then ignoring them?
I have asked about the intended Registered Provider  and why it was so important that they are the recipient of this particular property.
National Mushroom Day is not until October, but I have the feeling that I am being kept in the dark and covered with opprobrium.

This post first appeared in the Hadleigh Community News for April 2013

In Touch

Brian Riley Canine Matters, Local Colour, Political - Local, Uncategorized ,

Hopefully there can be few people who are not aware that I am hoping to be elected County Councillor representing Hadleigh on May 2nd. The current weather situation has precluded me and my team of helpers from delivering leaflets. However with just over a month to go it’s time to crank up operations.
I enclose a link to my In Touch leaflet.  Can you help by displaying a poster for me and/or by delivering leaflets? Canvassing support on the doorstep is not everyone’s cup of tea but if you fancy that, please come and join me enjoying inter-action with the residents.
The leaflet includes an article on land in Cock’s (Cox’s) Park which is used by St. Mary’s school. I have had an interesting response by the Head of St. Mary’s School advising that the field is not ‘common land’ or public land.  The field is owned by Suffolk County Council, for the school (and has been in the County Council’s ownership since the 1960s).
The field is open to tCox's Park 1303he public out of school hours (evenings, weekends and holidays).   The pedestrian gates are always left unlocked, other than in exceptional circumstances, such as when the playgrounds are being resurfaced.  (The gates I saw locked were  the double gates for vehicles. These are always locked unless the County Council Grounds team are mowing the grass).   It is very uncommon for schools not to have a fence around their land.  This is for obvious safety reasons and I have some sympathy for the school in the way in which dogs foul the grounds.
 However, none of this moves us from the point that some time in the past, land which was part of Cock’s (Cox’s) Park was transferred from the town to the school via the County and we need to be vigilant that in future (for whatever reasons) green space is not given up without the full consent of the people.

No Dogs – Polite Notice autumn 2012

Supporting the High Street

Brian Riley HadCham, Local Colour, Money Matters, Political - Local , , ,

Hadleigh Loyalty CardMary Portas writes how people can be categorized as watchers and doers. Watchers watch (and criticize)
and doers do. There will always be  those happier about talking about the death of the High Street than actually doing something about it.
The Hadleigh Chamber of Commerce are only too aware of the situation of our High Street, especially now that Morrison’s have opened and new shopping habits are being  formed. The Chamber is working hard to create a High Street for the twenty first century.
Monday evening sees the second of a series of meetings (at Hadleigh Town Hall) with retailers to plan ways forward. Hadleigh now enjoys a population of 8,000 people which roughly equates to 4,000 families. If each family resolved to spend £25 a week in our High Street (and it’s not that difficult to find what you need at a price which is affordable) then we are looking to a boost of £100,000 coming into the High Street shops. We enjoy first class butchers, florists, farm fresh green grocery, wine merchant, bookshop, pet food shop, health food shop,delicatessen with artisan breads and cheeses, picture framer and decent and welcoming pubs. The High Street is one of the reasons why we chose to move here. For that reason alone we should support it vigorously. The High Street also brings social interaction, a chance to meet your neighbours and friends and to catch up on their news.
So tomorrow’s jobs include ordering the Easter lamb from the butcher and also a nice piece of brisket for slow cooking during the week.
Money has to go somewhere and if it doesn’t go in our neighbourhood then it goes somewhere else – not always to our benefit!

Three Cheers for Tendring

Brian Riley Local Colour, Money Matters, Nice Things, Political - Local ,

Mistley TowersYesterday’s East Anglia Daily Times reports  that Tendring District Council’s innovative free parking scheme is being hailed a success after businesses said they have seen a significant increase in footfall.  The Council is set to continue the popular initiative which allows people to use their car parks for 12 hours during the day completely free of charge. A survey carried out by the local authority on hundreds of businesses found that around 50% had noticed a higher footfall through their town centres since the free permits were issued to households. Approximately 30% of businesses said they noticed an increase in the number of customers coming through their doors. Tendring introduced the scheme at the end of July last year. Every council taxpaying household in the district was issued with a free parking permit for use at any of the council’s 25 car parks from 10 a.m. to midnight. Tendring District Council’s initiative has seen town centres buck the national trend, encouraging shoppers to visit their local retailers. Business leaders in Suffolk last night said the success of the scheme “bursts the balloon” of those who claim there is no correlation between free parking and increase in footfall. Mark Cordell, chief executive of town centre business improvement group Bid4Bury, said: “This scheme is a great example of the local authority listening to, and acting upon, the views of businesses. It is no surprise to me that it has been a huge success”.
Three cheers for a council that sees car parking as support for commercial well-being and not as some form of cash cow useful for balancing the cash flow deficit The full reports can be read on (http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/politics/tendring_free_parking_scheme_boosts_business_1_1951477

Habemus Papam (soon)

Brian Riley Church matters, Nice Things , ,

St Peter's BasilicaReuters today cited Christopher Bellitto, a Church historian at Kean University in New Jersey, who said that by citing health reasons for his decision, Benedict has also helped the Church by setting a modern precedent for resigning at a time when medical progress means the elderly can live far beyond their active years. Whilst the rules for election of a new Pope are continually under review, according to Morris West (Shoes of a Fisherman) nomination and election can also take place by acclamation. But one doesn’t have to be in the Conclave to be appointed to the triple crown. The precedent is set by Pope Fabian, who  was in Rome (236) immediately after the death of the forty day Pope Anterus. Whilst the names of several illustrious and noble persons were being considered, a dove suddenly descended upon the head of Fabian, who was not, at that time, being considered as a candidate. To the assembled brethren the sight recalled the Gospel scene of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Saviour, and so, divinely inspired, as it were, they chose Fabian with joyous unanimity and placed him in the Chair of Peter. Little is known of Fabian’s pontificate but during his reign of fourteen years there was a lull in the storm of persecutions.
Now I’m wondering that if I went to Rome and sprinkled bird seed on my head, could I organise a valid nomination to the ultimate job?
On the other hand it might be better to focus on the county election in May.

On the Buses (contd)

Brian Riley Local Colour, Nice Things, Political - Local , ,

Hadleigh Bus Station d

Last May I reported how together with three “partners in crime” we had persuaded Suffolk County Council to reinstate the evening and Sunday bus service between Hadleigh and Ipswich.
The service was restored on a pilot basis on the 20th August and since then we have encouraged everyone to use the service whether it be for the cinema, shopping, education or participating in the evening economy. On Friday we learned that the pilot has been successful and that the service will be reinstated until February 2014.
For the time being we can rest easy about the people of Hadleigh being connected to Ipswich and beyond. The service still needs to be used because as always it’s a case of use it or lose it.
Success can be seen in many ways. In addition to the “official purposes” the bus service enhances people’s lives in unexpected ways. One Sunday user told me that “…it lets me visit my mum in her Ipswich nursing home.” And one bus driver told recently that romance blooms as young swains can now get back from courting their  inamoratas.
The late evening and week end bus service is a success at so many levels.

 

Waking Up and Smelling the Coffee

Brian Riley Money Matters, Political - National and other , , ,

Coffee BeansDespite my previous promise to myself I have used Starbucks recently.
But in mitigation, there was no room in the nearby Costa.
For me. this is now the Starbucks’ advantage – they are the second choice.
Meanwhile Starbucks seem to be infected by the big girl’s blouse syndrome*
On the 26th January The Telegraph reported that Kris Engskov, the multinational’s UK managing director, demanded talks at Downing Street after the Prime Minister had said that tax-avoiding companies had to “wake up and smell the coffee”. Mr Cameron’s use of the phrase at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland was taken as a direct attack on Starbucks which has been criticised for not paying corporation tax in Britain.
(As if wake up and smell the coffee would make one think immediately of Starbucks – when did they copyright the words?)
Mr Engskov was so concerned about the “politicisation” of the tax issue that he asked for the talks at No 10, where he met officials last Friday.
Starbucks argues that it makes no profits in the UK and so is not required to pay the tax. The business turnover for the U.K. is not disclosed but if it is not making any profits why was it thinking of investing £100 million in new UK branches and why are sources close to the business saying that plans could be put on hold. Could the lack of confidence have anything to do with declining footfall and fortunes?
Meanwhile, whilst Starbucks are rattling their sabres, Lavazza have announced ambitious plans to open as many as 400 shops over the next decade.  
*From “he’s flapping like a big girl’s blouse”, which conjures up the twin ideas of a large garment flapping on a washing line and of a man flapping in the sense of panicking.

Being Mugged By Local Government

Brian Riley Local Colour, Political - Local , ,

Hadleigh High SchoolIn early November I blogged on the relationship of Hadleigh High School with its neighbours. (See:  Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?). Today the neighbouring residents got their day in front of Babergh’s Development Committee to challenge the erection of an amenity light. The specific  proposal was to  retain  one  amenity light  which was located on one of the columns which also carried one of the permitted floodlights. The amenity light to be retained overlooked the path from the school and car parking areas rather than the MUGA itself (Multi Use Games Area). Well, it was an interesting experience. First the Council’s own documentation contained errors – so much so that they recognised that there may have been invalidities. Additionally, the recommendation to the Committee referred to Lister Road as Lister Lane (according to Google to be found in Halifax and Bradford). The nearest property in Station Road is 50 metres from the light not 85.
The applicant had stated that the light was required to access the MUGA in a safe manner. However you do not need a 12 m high light for safety purposes unless you are running a lorry car park or similar. The Council officials pronounced MUGA as MUGGA. Which is just how the residents felt – mugged. The object in challenging the application was so that some of the previous decisions could be amended to correct past mistakes and unintended consequences. The Committee approved the application without giving the residents what they needed and ignored their entitlement to the peaceful enjoyment of their possessions. From my point of view – it was a sad day for justifying the democratic process. And a sad day for the residents.

The Lion and Lamb

Brian Riley Local Colour, Nice Things ,

Lion and LambYesterday was one of those days which worked out well once you realised that it was not profitable to try to run up hill through the mud.
We needed to meet the offspring at Stansted arriving from Salzburg – but the Austrian wing de-icer was either over worked or on a go slow – so arrival time was definitely a moveable feast.
Rather than wait in the arrivals’ lounge clocking up parking fees faster than a pay day loan in default, we looked for somewhere to eat close to the airport which is when we discovered the Lion and the Lamb, situated on the B1256 at Little Canfield.
It is less than three miles from the airport – which translates as ten minutes on the road – so collectees can call you on the mobile and summon you from the pub.
The lunch was just what we needed, the house red quite palatable and the coffee was freshly ground.
We left the pub, parked at the airport and met our travellers as they emerged into the public area.
So all in all, instead of problems, the delay gave us the opportunity to enjoy a very nice Essex pub.

The Morning(s) After

Brian Riley Local Colour, Nice Things, Political - Local

Magdelan Road Recycling 130101Hadleigh people certainly know how to party. On January 1st the town’s Magdelan Road recycling centre was overflowing with the evidence of very merry Christmases indeed! I informed Babergh District Council on the evening of the 1st January and by the afternoon of the 2nd the glass had been collected and the street care team had cleared all the bags and boxes left behind.
To be picky, leaving one’s rubbish by the bottle banks is littering at best and fly-tipping at worst.
Three cheers then for the Council and its teams for responding so quickly and so well.