Merry Christmas

I would like to wish all readers of this blog a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Click here for the e-card.

I would just like to apologise for the lack of posts over December which has been for a number of different reason including holiday and work commitments. I hope to resume a more normal service, including more local news in 2008.

Indecision Clegg

New lib dem leader Nick Clegg has a hard act to follow, wth Vince Cable having been surprisingly effective over the past weeks. However while he might need all the help he can get, it does seem a little over the top to appoint half his MPs party to front bench positions. It looks like either he can't identify who is good enough to be in his top team, or else he fears alienating any of them.

New Local Core (Planning) Strategy

The main agenda item on tonight's meeting of the TDC Planning and Environment Committee was the draft submission on the Core Strategy. This document is the key part of the new Local Development Framework, which will govern how planning policies and development decisions are formulated and decided over the next ten years or so. It was therefore key that we got it right. The strategy has therefore been long in drafting, and all Councillors present paid tribute to the hard work of the officers in putting together such a high quality product which we decided with some minor amendments will now be sent to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for an inspector to rule on its soundness (this will take around a year or so).

Unfortunately because of the strong level of central control the result will still not be what either local residents, Council officers or Councillors would ideally want. Despite the fact this document has been put together following consultation and approval by democratically elected councillors, the controlling tendency of Government Ministers mean that national policies can and will override the wishes of local people and if there is just one aspect that the inspector doesn't like he will declare the whole thing unsound and we will be back to square one.

I think what was approved tonight was a good document (and the best the officers could be expected to produce), but the only way for a truly excellent Core Strategy would be for Central Government to respect that local decisions made by local people, for local people, will have the most legitimacy and in the long term willbe the only way to restore any faith in the electoral process. For an unelected inspector to (regardless of his or her qualities) to be able to hold so much sway over local decision making should not occur in modern Britain.

Anti Social Behaviour

On my walk to the station this morning, I spotted that someone had again driven across the Village Green. Given the very wet weather they have churned up the grass to leave a scar in the surface. No doubt it will be there for some months. Perhaps this was their intention, perhaps they just wanted to make a short cut without using the road, who knows. In other parts of Oxted South the grass verges by the side of roads are often turned to mud by people parking inconsiderately in wet conditions - something a lot of us are probably guilty of occasionally. These are both examples, however far down the spectrum of how anti social behaviour by a small minority in the community can negatively impact the lives of many.

However there are things we as individuals, but also collectively, can do about it.

In this season of goodwill to all men we can of all moderate our own behaviour to make sure that we consider the lasting effects of parking on that bit of grass in the wet. We can also report criminal anti social behaviour to the Police on 999 or if less urgent on 0845 125 2222

We can act as community; for instance following some trouble a couple of months back around the Pollards Oak Road shops, local residents have set up a petition to get better lighting and a CCTV camera installed; Tandridge District Council and Surrey Police have both responded and protecting residents there is a priority for the local crime reduction partnership.

And your council the Police and other public bodies can act with authority - as Tandridge District Council did last month in being awarded its first ASBO on a Council House Tenant.

If we act together it is possible to strike back against anti-social behaviour.

Incompetence or Corruption?

The events of recent days have shown this current Government to clearly be incompetant, but much more worryingly the appearence of what may be corrupt practices within the Labour party really must undermine everything the Prime Minister claimed he stands for. Following on from the cash for honours scandal it appears that a Labour government that promised to be whiter than white is now both morally and politically bankrupt. With no vision for the future and lacking the competence to govern, surely Mr Brown is now regretting his decision not to go to the country when he had a fighting chance of winning.
I think that therefore the country is in for a period of drift and mismanagement while the government turns in on itself.

Housing Cock-up or Conspiracy

Is the Government trying to complete kill the housing market? Because it seems to be. The imposition of HIPS on all properties by the year end is just thing to stop all activity. Things are slow enough as it is but without people being willing to sell flats and small houses (for which HIPS will be a proportionately greater cost) then there will be fewer buyers for other properties. With 67% of agents already reporting a fall of properties coming onto the market, it is appears likely that the market will be near stagnant before Christmas.

Resign!

Tonight following a terrible error of judgement and the poor performance of those working for him, there will be a call for the resignation of a public figure - Steve McClaren the England Football manager. He might not go tonight, but following England's failure to qualify for the European Championship, following a very poor performance, it is inconceivable that he will still be in place for the next major competition.

This should be a lesson for all those in public life - those in positions of responsibility must in the end be accountable for their actions and those who work for them. When they get it very wrong they have to go. In the week that the Government has lost the confidential details of millions of people perhaps the Chancellor and Prime Minister should be considering their positions rather than pinning the blame squarely on the actions of a junior employee (who has now himself resigned).

Labour Free Zone

Last week, Caterham Valley Councillor Peter Longhurst resigned from the Labour Party. He cited personal differences with national policies covering Health, Education, Iraq, Local Government, Housing and Planning as the reason behind his decision.

To those of us who serve with him on the council Councillor Longhurst's decision isn't too surprising as he has been an especially vocal critic of the Government's approach especially on Planning and Housing matters.

Councillor Longhurst's move means that the Labour Party no longer has any councillors in Tandridge.

Rumours of Sexual Assult in Hurst Green

Local residents may be interested in the following from Surrey Police:

'PC Dave Every, PCSO Lisa Cobby and PCSO Stephen Winch are aware of rumours circulating throughout Hurst Green regarding alleged sexual assaults. These rumours are obviously causing some concern for local residents. However these rumours of Sexual assaults appear to be fictitious. Investigations by PC Every and the PCSOs has so far identified one victim of an assault that was not sexual. Surrey Police has no information to suggest that these kinds of offences has taken place in Hurst Green or Oxted and records show no offence has been reported to Police. However if you have been the victim of a sexual assault or any other crime please report it to Surrey Police immediately. Oxted and Hurst Green still remains a very safe Police to live and Surrey Police will take all reports of this nature extremely seriously. Anyone with information that can assist Surrey Police is urged to contact myself, PC Dave Every, or Surrey Police on 0845 125 2222, or Crime stoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111'

Tandridge voted into top 40 by Residents

The results of a recent government survey show Tandridge District Council residents continue to be among the most satisfied in England.

Every three years, all councils have to carry out satisfaction surveys.The key result of the general survey shows the percentage of respondents expressing overall satisfaction with the Council is 62%, which keeps Tandridge in the top 40 of all councils in England for the past six years. And even better, 82% of residents satisfied with the area as a place to live and 84% of council tenants are satisfied with their accommodation.

It is good to know that by and large people are happy with both Tandridge and the Council, but that is no reason to rest on our laurels and so we will continue to try to improve both the services the Council provides and the environement in which we live.

In Touch

Oxted South Conservatives regularly produce an 'In Touch' newsletter, distributed to every house in the ward. The Winter 2007 edition can be accessed via this link.

Council Report

At the quarterly meeting of the full Council last Thursday the two overriding messages should have been 1. unity at how well the Council (and especially its officers) does at meeting the needs of local residents given the financial constraints put upon it by central government; and 2. a common protest at the interference by unelected government inspectors in overturning the democratic decisions of elected councillors on planning matters which have been taken in accordance with plans already approved by the government!

I say should have been, as while many fellow councillors made with the points outlined above it was a shame that not everyone united to vote for a stand to be taken against the current centralising, Gordon Brown knows best, government.

That said, there was general appreciation expressed all round about the success in extending weekly recycling, including for plastics to Oxted South.

Queens Speech - Plannning Reform

One of the key measures annouced in Tuesday's Queen's Speech was a Planing Reform Bill. The main purpose is to 'streamline' the procedures for gaining planning permission for major infrastucture projects (Motorways, Nuclear Power Plants etc). While it is clear that the current system can lead to a very long and drawn out process which the Government are right to target for reform, it does unfortunately appear that the role of local communities in making planning decisions will be further diminished, with Central Government taking an even tighter grip over the decisions that impact our lives.

Oxted Station Access.

As Oxted residents (and those travelling to Oxted by train) will be very aware, the southbound platforms are currently only accessible via a steep set of steps making it impossible for the disabled, and those pushing buggies (not to mention anyone with a lot of luggage) to manage.

It is therefore very good news that Network Rail are to install lift access next summer. It will make the lives of many just that little bit easier and hopefully help reduce car journeys too.

Ajax approved

At last Thursday night's Development Control Committee, Tandridge Councillors approved the plans to redevelop the Ajax site on the Holland Road to provide a nursing home, medical centre, light industrial units and some office space.

While most councillors present were concerned what that would mean for traffic movements along Woodhurst Lane, Hurst Green and Holland Road (and also for parking on the highway outside the site) the general feeling was that this was as good a proposal as were likely to get, combining job opportunities, a vital contribution to local infrastructure and a traffic volumes some 76% lower than they might otherwise have been.

Could Europe Finish Brown?

It used to be commonly accepted wisdom that there were no votes to be won on the issue of Europe only votes to be lost.

Brown appears to be proving the latter bit right. In my mind his decision not to call a referendum over the 'reform treaty' is helping to contribute to perceptions that he is deceitful and running scared. It can be no conincidence that an opinion poll in today's Independent gives the Conservatives an 8% lead over Labour, a week after he signed up to the treaty.

Also reported today is that the former French president Valry Giscard d'Estaing has ststed that key parts of the European constitution remain "practically unchanged" in
the new EU Reform Treaty, M. Giscard d'Estaing, one of the architects of the EU constitution, said that the central proposals of the rejected document had been retained in the new treaty.

We need a referendum on this treaty, and if Brown doesn't listen it looks like he will pay with his job (although possibly not until 2010)

East Surrey Hospital: Critical Condition.

For a good summary on the appalling state of East Surrey Hospital's management I recommend you look at the front page graphic of yesterday's Surrey Mirror.

The sooner local people can get more control from unaccountable quangos, the better.

Third Place not good enough for third party

Big words from Nick Clegg the Lib Dem leadership contender, who intends to come at least 2nd in the next General Election.

Given the Libs are currently polling at around 12% this seems to be fantasy land and in terms of managing expecations of his party an odd strategy. The main question is which of the main parties does he think they'll replace. Our local Liberal opposition certainly doesn't appear to have any realistic alternative proposals for running the council - assuming the national party is no different I can't see them managing to create clear yellow water between either the Conservatives or Labour Parties.

2 Years to fix a light

And counting.

There is a footbridge near my house which runs over the railway line. At night is is very dark and there are a lot of obstacles. According to one local resident, who asked me to take up the case, it has been broken for between 2 and 3 years. In that time he has been corresponding with the County Council to no avail. On his behalf I have tried to find out what is happening, but it still seems that it will take the County Council contractor and EDF Energy to be on site at the same time and seemingly that is an impossible task. A date has yet to be found.

Local residents will wait with interest to see if anything happens, but I for one am not holding my breath.

Hurst Green - What Concerns Us

So what are the main issues in Hurst Green at the moment? This was a question I was asked yesterday afternoon by a journalist new to one of the local papers.

Good Question. I didn't think that there was one overall answer but I said that the following are all subjects of interest to some local people:

The Ajax Fire and the proposals for redevelopment of that site are of interest, both to those living by the site and more generally as additional heavy traffic goods traffic along the Hurst Green and Holland Roads would be unwelcome.

Crime and anti-social behavior isn't too much of an issue, but big groups of kids hanging around on street corners can be intimidating and the riding of mini-motos on roads and in public spaces by a small minority is an accident waiting to happen.

Back garden developments continue to be an issue for those directly affected and the building of more and more homes without an consequent improvement to local infrastructure concerns many.

The extension of weekly recycling from the beginning of the month which now includes plastics has been positively received.

However, in terms of comments I am given, probably the biggest issue and this is common across the whole of East Surrey is the state of our local roads. Popes Lane remains a disgrace. It is an example that even when work is done the quality is sometimes substandard.

Ming Decides

You know when your party has become increasingly irrelevant when your leader resigns and it doesn't even make the front page of the Times. I feel sorry for the Lib Dems, but with the Iraq war no longer a big issue and resurrgent support for the Conservatives - there currently seems little point to a second left wing party in British politics and this is refelcted in their poll ratings 11-12% down from 23% in 2005. Perhaps a new leader will make a difference and give them a new direction.

Protecting Children from Harm

This was the reason Surrey Trading Standards gave for asking Tandridge District Council to add additional conditions to the Liquor licence held by Sainsbury's at Warlingham.

This followed a number of reports of children buying alcohol there, followed up by a Trading Standards 'sting' on the store when a volunteer under-age teenager was sent in to try to buy booze. The teenager was served.

We clearly need to protect our children from abusing alcohol, but reading the decision of the committee I was please to see the balance that was struck. Instead of taking away or suspending their licence the firm was forced to introduce a training programme to ensure staff know what to do - with proof required to be produced that the training has been completed. Hopefully this step will stop the under-aged sales without impacting on those who are old enough to buy it.

If local residents want to alert Surrey Trading Standards to any other shops that sell to children they can call 01372 371700

100 Day Premiership

Only with some distance from the events of Tuesday has it really dawned on me - Gordon Brown has no new ideas of his own and absolutely no new direction for the country. Tuesday's Comprehensive Spending Review should have been the opportunity to set out the strategic vision for the rest of his premiership (or at least for the next 5 years) - it being the result of a couple of years work in HMT and 10 years or brooding. Instead the main focus appeared to be on stealing Conservatives ideas on inheritance tax outlined only days before. The rest of it was just tinkering at the edges.

At the end of his first 100 days it looks like the Prime Minister has run out of steam. Labour look to be on catch-up for the rest of this Parliament with the Conservative Party setting the agenda.

The non-election fiasco was a mistake for Brown, but he would have recovered. In retrospect I think Tuesday's non-event CSR will be marked as the beginning of the end of his premiership.

Tandridge Council Tax Payers to Pay for Brown's Mismanagement

Buried within the documents produced by the Treasury this afternoon are some figures for local government spending. Despite giving councils more responsibilities, such as paying for free Bus passes for the elderly, Government grant will only go up by 1% (and that is in total). For councils like Tandridge where Government settlements have normally been worse than the average, we are looking at real reductions in Government funding - which will have to be met with higher taxes locally, cuts to services (or even more efficiency savings).

I think the - non-partisan- local government association put it best:
”This is the worst settlement for local government in a decade. Councils will continue to work hard for the people they serve but they face tough choices. The Chancellor’s announcement will mean above inflation rises in bills for council taxpayers and businesses, and there remains a black hole in funding for the care of the elderly.”

We are now all paying the price for the Prime Minister's profligate spending when the economy was doing well.

New Chancellor - Stolen Ideas

Two of the Chancellor's big pre-budget ideas were stolen from the Conservatives. The idea of taxing flights rather than passengers come straight from the Quality of Life Report while the move to increase the inheritance tax limit (albeit for married couples only) seems particularly hypocritical given Labour's reaction to George Osborne's more ambitious proposal last week.

Rockfield Road Flats - Appeal Dismissed

Local residents will be interested to know that an appeal by a developer who wished to build 20 flats on the site of West Heath on Rockfield Road has been dismissed.

While clearly the owners of West Heath will be disappointed with the result, I am sure that most of its neighbours will agree with the planning inspector's findings that the proposal was too large to be appropriate to the surrounding area and would adversely impact on quality of life of its immediate neighbours.

This is a good result, with an inappropriate back garden development being prevented form harming the character of Oxted and Hurst Green.

End to Brown Bounce

With the conference season over, and the PM's humiliating climbdown (see his interview with Andrew Marr) on the timing of the General Election we now seem to have seen a return to business as usual. With the News of the World reporting a Conservative lead of 6% in marginal seats and today's Sunday Times reporting a 3% lead overall, Labour's post Brown poll lead has evaporated. The Conservative Party are again setting the political agenda

With May 2009 likely (in my view) to be the date of the next election, I am now sure that this will be accompanied with a change in Prime Minister.

Fire 2

I called the Fire Brigade myself earlier this afternoon, but fire was out before they arrived!

Having taken my daughters to the playground off Mill Lane in Hurst Green we spotted smoke billowing from near the skateboard park on the King George Playing Fields. On investigating I found a bin was alight and some kids playing nearby on the skate ramp although they reported that it had been some older boys who had done the deed. At that point the bin was hot and smoking so I thought the only responsible thing to do was to call for help. Of course as soon I had done so the smoke started to subside so much that by the time the engine arrived complete with lights and two-tone horns there was not much to see.

In retrospect I still think I did the safe thing - even though it was a waste of time for all concerned. Should I have done any differently?

Fire 1

It was good to see reports that someone has been charged over the fire that destroyed the Ajax Factory in Hurst Green on June 17.

A 17 year old from Battersea has been sent by Redhill Magistrates for a Crown Court hearing. I hope this sends a cear message that those committing Arson will be caught.

Broken Promises

By announcing a cut in UK troop numbers deployed in Iraq, Gordon Brown has already broken one of his promises on becoming PM - to announce major policy decisions to Parliament before briefing the press.

You wouldn't have to be too much of a cynic to conclude that the timing - drawing the Conservative Party conference wasn't coincidental. An autumn election appears to draw ever closer.

The Fightback Begins Now

So said David Cameron yesterday at the start of the Conservative Party conference in Blackpool. And it wasn't just empty words - today George Osborne annouced that under a Conservative Government the threshhold for Inheritance Tax will increase to £1mn and first time buyers will not have to pay stamp duty on homes worth under £250,000.

I hope this will start to answer those critics who say that the current Conservative Party has no policies and is not Conservative enough.

Back to School

Weekly recycling in Oxted and Hurst Green starts tomorrow and as part of an awareness campaign Tandridge DC's recycling officer is touring local schools and talking to their pupils. I, along with other local councillors, was lucky to see him in action this morning at Hurst Green school where he took the assembly- together with two volunteers, dressed as Tandridge Ted and Tandridge Pete, who managed to be very energetic despite the warm costumes. The children appeared to love it, especially when they got to put into practice squashing plastic bottles to ensure that they could all fit in the blue bag.

Hopefully this new generation will help encourage their parents to get involved.

Any Tandridge resident who doesn't have a Green Box (for cans and glass bottles and jars) or a Blue Bag (for paper, card and plastic bottles), or would like an extra one, should contact Amenity Services on 01883 732988 or 01883 732982, e-mail Amenityservices@tandridge.gov.uk.

Warning - Distraction Burglars about

Oxted South residents should make sure that they do not let unexpected callers in unless they are very sure of their identities. Last week an elderly woman in Holland Road was burgled by two me posing as Water Board employees. When faced by a stranger on the doorstep always ask for ID, double check their authenticity with their employers and if in doubt refuse entry.

Boris 4 Mayor - Official

It has been announced that Boris Johnson has been elected as Conservative Candidate to be Mayor of London by an overwhelming majority. Boris got 75% of the 20,019 votes cast.

In my view this is great news for Londoners as they now have the chance to vote for a credible talented and enthusiastic candidate to replace Ken Livingstone.

Well Done Boris.

Brown's Speech/Autumn Election

The thing that struck me about Brown's speech is that he thinks he can continue to get away with re-heating previous spending committments(or announcing new unfunded ones) time after time. I am sure that he realises very well that when his 'Brown Bounce' finally wears off (as it will - even not this year) that British voters will twig that this is a continuation of the spin seen in the Blair-Brown years. Given this - what is he playing at?

Perhaps the public finance figures, also published yesterday, provide the answer. These show a worsening in the public sector deficit, worse that projected in the last Budget which was already forcing Brown as Chancellor to reign in on spending. This therefore is not good news for the Government.

It would therefore not be unreasonable for Brown to seek his own mandate from the country while people are feeling wealthy and are still willing to belive his promises rather than examining his record.

If I were him thats exactly what I would do - the polls suggest he would score a clear victory, Labour activists are buoyed and would campaign with enthusiasm. However, Brown is a cautious politician and he won't want to throw away the job he has wanted for so long.

The press today say he will wait until after the Conservative Conference before making a decision, but in my view the odds are now in favour of a General Election this year.

Police Raid Londis on Hurst Green Road

For the record, readers may be interested in the following Surrey Mirror article by Ben Anderson:

POLICE arrested five people after raiding a village shop they suspect is the hub of a credit card scam.

Ten officers stormed the Londis store, in Hurst Green Road, at 9am last Friday, seizing equipment from the shop before arresting three men aged 18, 24, and 37, and a 32-year-old woman from Oxted.

They also arrested a 23-year-old man from London and questioned all five in connection with fraud during the weekend before releasing them on bail while the investigation continues.

Officers spent Friday scouring the shop for evidence,turning away puzzled villagers approaching the store for groceries, and a group of refuse collectors who came to clear the rubbish.

For the full article see:

http://icsurreyonline.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200surreyheadlines/tm_headline=police-raid-corner-shop-in-credit-card-scam-operation&method=full&objectid=19815132&siteid=50101-name_page.html

Weekly Recycling in Oxted South from October

I wrote last month that weekly doorstep recycling, including for plastic bottles would soon be coming to Oxted and Hurst Green.

Well I can now confirm that on Tuesday 2 October, Tandridge District Council, in partnership with Biffa Waste Services, will roll out a weekly recycling service to 5,500 households in Hurst Green and Oxted. Recycling will be picked up on the usual collection day, but every week instead of fortnightly and includes the collection of plastic bottles.

In parts of Lingfield, Warlingham, Caterham Valley, Dormansland and Whyteleafe who have had the service since last summer weekly collections have increased the number of households taking part in recycling and the overall recycling rate to over 26%. By extending the service, the Council hopes even more households will recycle and reduce the amount of household waste sent to landfill.

Oxted in the News

For readers who would like to know when Oxted comes into the news Google operate a News Alerts service (for free) and will email you whenever it picks up a story with Oxted in the title.

To set-up an alert follow this link

Thanks to Roger Adcock for pointing this out to me.

Reassuring words

I refer not to anything that might be coming from 11 Downing Street but to Michael Bond, the creator of Paddington Bear.

After wild rumours that Paddington has stopped eating Marmalade in favour of Marmite, Mr Bond has had to deliver a reassuring statement promising that Paddington has not deserted the orange sandwich filling. According to the BBC website he stated "It would require a good deal more than the combined current withdrawals from Northern Rock to wean him off marmalade".

I can now sleep soundly again.

I am on holiday for the next couple of days so apologies if there is a gap until the next entry.

Village Life

In contrast to this morning's cold start, Saturday was sunny and warm - absolutely perfect for the Hurst Green Village Fair. It was great to see the event so well supported with stalls publicising and raising money for a variety of local causes and organisations. Among the many there included the Rotary & Inner Wheel, Hurst green Scouts - running a very satisfying crockery smashing stall -, three of the Churches (St John's, Pains Hill Chapel and the Evangelical Church), Oxted One World Group, a couple of the play groups, the Hurst Green Society and many more all to the backdrop of music from the Oxted Band and refreshments served by the Aggies on the Green group.

It was great to bump into so many people from the local area (literally in some cases as it was so busy). And to top it all I managed to win a prize on the tombola! An enjoyable way to pass the last Saturday of the Summer.

Housing in Tandridge Good News/Bad News

As local residents might have noticed in the press Government Inspectors have said that Tandridge will need to make provision for 2,500 new houses over the next 20 years. In one way we are very fortunate. The 125 dwellings per annum we have been told we need is the joint second lowest in the whole of the south east and is substantially below the current rate of building in the district.

However this doesn't tell the whole story.

* This is a minimum, not a target. The Council has been told it cannot ration planning permissions.

* At current rates of building, the district would meet this target on 'windfall' sites alone - a windfall site is one not identified in the Local Development Framework (currently known as the local plan) and usually these are redevelopments of existing residential and industrial sites (including the notorious back garden developments). The Labour Government have told us that we have to ignore this and provide new sites for building anyway.

*As I have mentioned before the vast majority of Tandridge is Green Belt. New building will have to take place within the urban areas Caterham/Warlingham/Whyleafe, Woldingham and Oxted/Hurst Green. This will have to be achieved by 1) more back garden development, 2) The loss of green space or commercial sites in the towns 3) Loss of Green Belt. Either way these areas are going to get more built up.

Oh, and of course Hazel Blears, the Secretary of State and Yvette Cooper the Housing Ministers, could ignore all of this and make us build far more anyway

No More Smoke Filled Rooms

At last night's planning and environment committee we agreed to allow council officers to issue fixed penalty notices for those persistently flouting the smoking bans.

We did so after hearing from the officers that by and large the ban has enforced itself with very few reported transgressions and in most of these cases an informal warning was all that was needed. Granting the power to issue notices will allow the Tandridge to deal with the very small number who refuse to play ball without going through the courts..

More on Brown

I try to set the right balance between coverage of local issues and national politics. So apologies if this is too much like the last post in nature.

In this morning's Times Peter Riddell says the following 'As often with Mr. Brown, the doubt is not over the analysis, but over the myriad initiatives. He seems to believe that the appearance of activity is an answer.'

This I believe sets out a key difference in philosophy between this Brown Government and Cameron's Conservatives. While Conservatives believe in enabling society to develop a framework in which people can live their own lives, Labour believes in using the power of the state to regulate, cajole and control. But as we see time after time (e.g. Tax Credits, Sure Start Scheme, the dozens of unimplemented Criminal Justice Acts)these are often just expensive failures. A new approach is needed.

Taxing Times

I was amused (but not surprised) to see that the most authoritative annual guide to UK Taxes - Tolley's Tax Guide - has had to reduce the typeface size used in printing, to keep it from spilling over 10,000 pages. In 2001 it was less than 6,000 pages.

On a serious point, the added complexity of the tax system has been caused by PM Brown, when as Chancellor he raised taxes by stealth to avoid big number increases in income tax and VAT. The result is that we have a very confusing and bureaucratic system which hits our international competitiveness and is often unfairest on the poorest in society.

Whatever the level of taxation we have, it would be an unambiguously good thing too have a simpler more straight forward system

Gordon's latest Gimmick - Citizens Juries

The Prime Minister says that the days of making policy in Whitehall are over and that Citizens Juries are the way forward.

Unfortunately I don't think it is possible to take that statement at face value - Who are these citizens, who do they represent, how will they come up with decisions and how will these be implemented? In short I believe that these 'Juries' are no more than grandiosely titled focus groups, which will come up with a few ideas which will then go into the normal civil service policy making process.

It looks like Mr Brown is carrying on with the same old Labour Spin.

What we need are real powers being transferred back from central government and unelected quangos to local people to make decisions that affect their parish, their district and their county, not gimmicks designed to win headlines for a couple of days.

Tandridge Leisure pool re-open

I am a bit slow off the mark on this one...

But it is great to report that the Swimming Pool at Tandridge Leisure Centre reopened yesterday. Permanent repair work will take place over the next few months, but Tandridge Leisure are hopeful that this will not prove too disruptive.

Bring it on Gordon

Last night the Executive of the East Surrey Conservative Association re-adopted Peter Ainsworth as our candidate for Parliament at the next General Election. As a local party we are now ready for an election at any time the Prime Minister would like to call one.

Today however it looks less likely that one will be called, in the near future at least, as the polls are showing that the Brown bounce has started to subside and we are now running neck and neck with Labour in terms of popular support (albeit that unfortunately that applied to the House of Commons the result would still be a small majority for Labour in seats given the mechanics of our electoral system).

Given the Prime Minister has waited so long to get his hands on the levers of power, he would be a brave man to go the country at this stage, and given Mr Brown's cautious nature my feeling is that we still have some time to wait.

Plastic Recycling is Coming to Oxted and Hurst Green

I am happy to announce that it looks like one of the pledges I made in my election address is shortly to be fulfilled. The Community Services committee is due to meet next Thursday to endorse the decision to extend the weekly recycling scheme, which has been operating in Warlingham and Lingfield (including for plastics) over the past two years to Hurst Green and Oxted.

In parts of the District where weekly recycling already occurs the proportion of households participating has risen from 55% to 75% and so this is a major step forward. This decision will make it even easier for Oxted South residents to reduce the amount of their waste going to landfill.

Telehone Mast To Go Ahead

Despite representations from my fellow war member Liz Parker and myself, the Councillors sitting on the Development Control committee could not be persuaded that siting another mast on Greenhurst Lane was sufficiently detrimental to the local area for them to object to the permitted development. This will now go ahead.

I think this is a great shame as it shows a lack of willingness among the mobile phone operators to mast share in order to minimise the impact of their admittedly necessary developments on local communities. I only hope we have more success in future.

Education & Crime

The Times reported today that the Government's £3 billion series of policies designed to boost the achievements of pre-school children has had no effect on the development levels of those entering primary school. Although there have been big changes in early years education, children’s vocabulary and their ability to count and to recognise letters, shapes and rhymes are no different now than they were six years ago.

I was particularly sad to note that this included the Sure Start Scheme, which is aimed at increasing the educational achievements of those in deprived areas. The tragic murder of Rhys Jones, shows just how important it is to improve the achievements and aspirations of young people living in deprived inner city areas. As a country we need to be tough on crime, tough on criminals, and be tough on its causes - poor educational achievement, indiscipline in schools, family breakdown, welfare dependency & gang culture. And to do this we need to take a long term approach and be honest that it may take a generation to fix.

Carton Recycling

More good news on the recycling front: TDC have annouced a new drinks carton recycling to give residents the opportunity to recycle even more of their household rubbish. While the cartons are at present excluded from the Green Box scheme they can now be dropped off at a special bin in Ellice Road Car Park

Each year, UK beverage carton manufacturers produce approximately 55,000 tonnes of paper-based cartons for milk, juice, sauces and other liquid foods/drinks. This equates to around 2.3kg of cartons per household which could be recycled instead of thrown in the rubbish bin. In response, Tandridge District Council is working with Tetra Pak and the Alliance for Beverage Carton and the Environment (ACE UK) to establish carton collection points. Once collected they are taken away to be baled and then transported to a recycling mill. They are recycled into a number of different products, ranging from plasterboard liner to high-strength paper bags and envelopes.

Leisure Centre Update - Pool to reopen by end of August

Tandridge Leisure have annouced that they are aiming to reopen the pool at the end of this week following the completion of all temporary repair work. Permanent repair work on the pool will be undertaken over the next 2-3 months and this is expected to cause very little disruption to service as it can be done overnight, however we are anticipating a very short closure period prior to completion of works. For full details see their website.

Scandal of Adoption Targets

I blogged last month about two children being forcibly adopted when parents were wrongly suspected of abuse. As a father, that case made my blood run cold.

Today's Times carry's an even more worrying report alleging that there are more than 100 of these 'wrongful adoption' cases every month and it appears that Government targets are to blame. Each year some 1,300 babies under a month old are placed in care before adoption, compared with 500 when the Government came to power.

The worst thing about all this is that the Courts will not reverse cases where children are wrongfully adopted, even when social services admit they have made a mistake. This should just not happen in a civilised society. Government needs to act to change this.

NHS madness

The recent debate about which Hospitals may or may not be under threat has drawn attention away from the issue. That is that while creating regional centres of excellence may make sense for the treatment of ailments that do not require an emergency response, but to do the same for Accident and Emergency and Maternity services is madness.

In Oxted, we used to have a local district hospital but now, in common with vast swathes of East Surrey and Mid Sussex, the nearest A&E is in Redhill. Now if traffic is fine (ie no problem on the nearby M25) then the journey will take around 20-25 minutes, but when problems flare up (which they do frequently) then the journey will take much much longer. In a life threatening situation where every minute counts, this is just too far and when combined with the withdrawal of locally based out of hours GP cover then it really does increase the risk that residents will not receive vital treatment in time.

What we need is a return to locally based care. As a first step the Government could at least reassure us that existing provision (like Worthing Hospital, which was recently rebuilt at a huge cost) will not be closed in some bureaucratically dictated move to centralise 'care'.

August Police Neighbourhood Panel Meeting

Last Thursday I attended the bi-monthly Surrey Police Neighbourhood Panel in Hurst Green. Luckily crime rates in Surrey are low but some localised anti-social behaviour by a small minority can make life a misery for some. The Police response to some incidents on Pollards Oak Road were discussed and the Neighbourhood Policing team committed to keep an eye on gatherings of sometimes large groups of teenagers on Holland and Hurst Green Roads.

However perhaps the topic that most concerned those present was one which isn't really the responsibility of the Police, that of the increasing number of very large continental European HGV lorries using Woodhurst lane to access the Fairview industrial estate on Holland Road. Quite often this results in blockages on the road and dangerous debris being knocked off the overhanging trees, which residents are having to remove from the road to prevent an accident occurring. According to some of those present there used to be signage on the A25 instructing lorries to use Wolfs Hill as the appropriate access Hurst Green and those at the meeting felt it would be beneficial if these were restored.

All these points will be followed up and the Police will report back at the next Panel Meeting in October.

Startling Facts about Quangos

Did you know that there are 883 executive agencies, monitoring bodies and advisory groups funded by central government? 200 of these have been created in the last two years. Now for the staggering fact - they cost £168bn a year to run (up from a 'mere' £24bn in 1998 - £30bn in 2007 money) and £127bn of that comes directly from tax revenues.

While I am sure most are beneficial to society, it is questionable whether the likes of the Milk Development Council, the Tote or Design Council etc need to be funded at all by the taxpayer (or if they do to such an extent).

If Government were to only half the amount spent (to £84bn - which would still be more than 2 1/2 times spent when they came to office) they could abolish VAT and still have some left over for inheritance tax!

Ajax Update

Regular readers may remember I blogged some months ago about the fire at the former Ajax Factory in Hurst Green.

While Police investigations into the fire continue, the new owners of the site have submitted a planning application to redevelop it. Instead of another factory, a mixed development is proposed with a Nursing Home, medical (dental of veterinary) facility, offices and some small light industry/warehouse units being planned. The developers also plan to re-site the access road to make it easier for lorries to access without blocking the whole of Holland Road.

My first reaction is that this is a positive development for Hurst Green as it will hopefully provide employment opportunities without a step increase in heavy goods vehicle using the Woodhurst Lane/Hurst Green Road/Holland Road route. However I would be interested in views from local residents. To view the plans see Tandridge District Council's Planning Interactive website. The application number is 2007/1142.

Mobile Mast Madness

T mobile have applied for a mobile phone mast on Hurstlands, on the bridge by Hurst Green Station. Now I don't dispute that coverage for that network needs to be improved, or that from a technical perspective that Hurstlands is a good site. But there are already three mobile phone masts (plus a Network Rail mast) on that same site.

Government policy is for mobile operators to mast share where that is practical. In this case T mobile claim it is not, but this to me shows a lack of imagination. A fourth mast will start to make that area look very congested.

Oxted South residents have until 30 August to make their views know to the Council's Planning department.

BBC Bias

I have always regarded stories that the BBC is biased with a large pinch of salt, but I think the corporations behaviour over the past few days does demonstrate a subconscious tendency to be hostile to 'right wing' political positions. For the BBC right wing appears to be a term of abuse, at best an uncaring attitude to society, with at worst imagery of neo nazis brought to mind. They never however seem to equate left wing with the equally abhorrent extremes, such as Zimbabwe's current government or China's poor human rights record.

The idea that an in depth study taking a couple of years should be headlined a way which the story is seen purely through the prism of a Government Ministers groundless attack that the Conservative party has lurched to the right and then illustrated with a 14 year old picture of a politician's most embarrassing public moment indicates where some news editors affiliations lie.

And for a Blue Peter presenter to share a podium with Ken Livingstone also shows a lack of judgement (albeit on her part and not the BBC management's).

Update on Tandridge Leisure Centre

It looks like the Leisure Centre (excluding the pool) will be back open tomorrow, as two temporary generators have now been put in place, with the Pool reopening in the near future once some essential repairs have taken place. For full details - see the Tandridge Leisure website.

Yes to Scottish Vote on Independence.

As a good Conservative and Unionist I am a strong supporter of the United Kingdom, however as a localist I support local people making decisions on local issues.

Therefore I think it is fully right and proper if the Scots want to have a referendum on independence that they should have one, albeit one I would hope that results in a vote for a continued UK. I am also very open to the Scots being given even more power to decide on domestic issues, with one rather large caveat, that the same powers be given to English voters.

The current position is fundamentally undemocratic, with Scottish MPs being able to vote on English issues, but not vice versa. Devolution to Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales opens up the possibility of moving to a much more federated structure, although there is no need to create even more elected posts. Similar powers in England should be given to the Cities and Counties where feasible and to English MPs where not.

End State Sponsored Childhood Obesity

Currently the growth charts used to plot how babies are developing are based upon bottle fed babies. Bottle fed babies tend to put on weight a lot quicker than their breast fed counterparts. Therefore the average baby should actually weighs less than the chart shows. However given it doesn't and given the natural urge amongst parents to have a 'normal' baby - whatever one of those is, then some mothers are pressured to give up breast feeding and those who are bottle feeding may try to feed their baby up.

Clearly being overweight from the word go isn't going to help prevent obesity as the children get older. Therefore it is encouraging that new WHO charts have been backed in a report by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. I hope the government takes this on board and an early switch to these new charts occurs.

Tandridge Leisure Centre Update

While some of the centre may be open again by early next week it looks like the swimming pool may be out of action for some time. For more details see the Tandridge Leisure website.

Its at least some comfort that the de Stafford pool in Caterham has recently reopened, but the timing of this closure in the middle of the school holidays couldn't be worse.

Breaking News - Tandridge Leisure Centre

I've been informed that Tandridge Leisure Centre is closed and coordoned off this morning. I will update this Blog when I know more as to why and when it will reopen.

10am Update: There has been a small electrical fire in the plant room at Tandridge Leisure Centre in Oxted which has been extinguished and no-one was hurt. As a result all the electrics are down, so the centre is closed today. Tandridge Leisure are hoping to provide more information following a meeting at 12pm today.

Popes Lane

A number of residents have contacted me about the poor state of Popes Lane road surface. This problem has been rumbling on for some time but my fellow ward councillors (as well as local County Councillors) have been keeping up pressure on the County Council and their contractor Carrillion. They have committed to making it good, we are now waiting for it to happen, though two deadlines have now been missed due to the poor weather in July.

In response to a question from a County Councillor Surrey Council Officers have given this explanation:

'Popes Lane and Fairchildes Road (which is suffering from a smiliar problem) are relatively lightly trafficked rural roads that had poor road profile and SCC considered them ideal for the retread process which has been used successfully in Surrey and across the country generally. The roads were 'retreaded' during March 2006, within the right weather conditions but quickly it became apparent that "fat" excess bitumen binder was present on the finished surface. This was creating a slippery surface for road users. SCC asked for a dressing of stone chips to absorb the excess binder and create a good surface for vehicle to break safely.
However, in the last few months it is clear that the issue has re-occurred and that the 'retread' process has not worked at these two sites. A new brief is currently being prepared for the sites. Alongside this we are going to commission an independent review to understand what has happened to date and what we need to learn for the future. Staff are also reviewing the need for any potential road closures and what can be done to minimise the problems in the short term'.

Where's our Referendum

William Hague has today published a plain english guide to the new EU treaty which shows that it is just a reworked version of the constitution going under another name. Its worth a quick look, to do so click here.

Labour promised a referendum in their 2005 manifesto. Why won't they let us have one now?

House Price Boom?

This morning's press were reporting analysis carried out on behalf of the National Housing Federation (a social housing pressure group) that unless the government's promised 70,000 new social homes are built a year prices could rise by 40% by 2012, (the average home would cost £393,000) in Southern England.

Now, I strongly support the idea we need new social housing, but where it is needed and I do not think that central Government is best placed to tell us where. One key fact that often appears to be overlooked in this debate is that we are not looking at one housing market, but many - one bedroom flats are not likely to be appropriate in rural farmland, nor 5 bed houses in city centres.

Not all homes are the same and not all areas need the same mix of homes. But the effect of the Government's central planning (of the type the Soviet Union used to employ) has been to define targets for local areas. This is a a highly bureaucratic and undemocratic process. Please Mr Brown give power to local people to determine what is needed in their communities.

While on the housing topic, as of last Wednesday HIPS, are now mandatory for four bedroom houses. I doubt there can be many more over engineered, expensive, ineffective and bureaucratic solutions than this.

They
1 will not tackle gazumping
2 will destabilise the housing market
3 are not comprehensive enough to be trusted by buyers
4 are gold plating an EU regulation
5 are avoidable by clever marketing ( claiming you have 3 bedrooms plus a study/spare room)
6 are a way for Government to revalue Council Tax liability by stealth.

Summer is here

At least for the next day or so. Having packed the car full of waterproofs for the journey to the Lake District it was great not to have to make much use of them, so I have returned after a relaxing and spiritually refreshing time (or as relaxing a time you can have with a two year old and a two month old) in Keswick, including a slightly sporadic attendance at the Keswick Convention .

However, it is worrying to see that the threat of Foot and Mouth has returned to Surrey. Hopefully the authorities have caught it in time to stop it spreading; but it is sure to come as yet another blow for livestock farmers following the problems caused by BSE in the 1990s and Foot and Mouth in 2001.

Floods and Holidays

The floods go on. Fellow residents have been in touch to report their experiences and while not on the scale of those seen in he west of England and along the Thames corridor, it still is distressing for those impacted, especially when resources have to be focused on those most affected.

But to me the main lesson appears to be that we are not able to quickly deal with any prolonged and widespread impact on our infrastructure. If, as the scientific advice indicates, we are to experience more of these extreme weather events over the next thirty years as part of the climate change process we will need to adapt and invest in our crisis management infrastructure. This will need to be done at both a national and a local level. Flexibility will be required

I am going on holiday tomorrow to the Lake District for a week, road conditions allowing, so please excuse the lack of posts.

The summer is here

I don't mean the fact that we have had one day's respite from the rain, rather than things have the sense of winding down and desks are being cleared ahead of people going off on holiday.

Good examples of this are yesterday's announcement of the Housing Green Paper and today's announcement on future railway investment. I admit I haven't read either in much depth, but at first sight it looks like both are little more than rehashes of previous initiatives. But (on the Green Paper at least) I will suspend my cynicism and give it a read over the next couple of weeks to see if it will do anything to give power back to Tandridge residents to set local priorities.

Floods

Luckily there have been none around in Oxted South (to my knowledge at any rate - please correct me if anyone knows better), but unfotunately other parts of Tandridge have been more affected.

But it does show the importance of planning for these less frequent but high-impact events. I hope the post crisis analysis demonstrates that these crisis are best avoided by joined up planning (ie house building decisions being properly informed by flood risks) and properly funded defences and local preparedness. Perhaps it is time to return responsibility for local flood defence work to local authorities, leaving DEFRA and the Environment Agency to focus on national strategy.

Half-right (well sort of)

The Ealing and Sedgfield results were definitely signs of a continued Brown bounce and were not a good night for my party - but while the Lib Dems defied my predictions and did OK on the night, the opinion polls in the Sunday papers still show their vote being squeezed on a national basis.

So going into the summer (?) break it looks like Labour have the most to crow about with both other parties needing to do some work. The lesson for my party muct be to turn the proposals from the Conservative policy groups which are now reporting into concrete policies with which to fight any Spring 2008 election.

Brown Bounce or Tory Triumph

Late today we will see the results of the Ealing Southall and Sedgefield by-elections. These will give us some better insight into how the parties are being percived by the voters at large.It is hard to predict what the precise result will be, all I would dare to suggest is that the Lib-Dem vote will be low.E

Fire, Fire, Pour on Water

Given the recent fire at the Ajax site in Hurst Green I was please to see today two initiatives from Surrey County Council to reduce the risk to Oxted South residents.

A brand new state of the art fire engine has just been delivered to the Surrey Fire and Rescuse Service at Godstone. The new appliance boasts new technology which is both more effective at fighting fires, uses less water, causes less water damage and is better for the environment.

The County Council have also lauched an anti arson campaign at teenagers. I think it is vital that this message gets across. Last month's fire mercifully involved no injuries, but so easily could have done, if the gas cyclinders found on site had not been old and empty So well done Surrey for working to deal with these risks.

Boris has decided

And now it is the turn of London. I am delighted that Boris Johnson has thrown his hat into the ring and am sure that he will win both the Conservative nomination and the mayoralty itself.

Fornightly Refuse Collections Slammed

Today's coverage of report by MPs into the shift by a significant number of local councils to fortnightly waste collections, a move supported by the Government.

The idea that it will promote recycling without posing a health hazard doesn't appear to be backed with sufficient evidence and the MPs found that it is more likely to lead to fly tipping.

Clearly we need to recycle more. But the best way of doing so will be to make recycling easier and more attractive for people to do. Just reducing the frequency waste collections without resident being provided with alternatives is short sighted. That is why Tandridge has chosen not to go down this route.

However there are things that we can do now to reduce landfill from food waste - e.g. by promoting home composting. And the most effective way of reducing unwanted waste must be to look at the source by reducing unnecessary packaging of products.

State Abuse of Power

Iain Dale's blog drew my attention to a Sunday Telegraph article which has made my blood run cold. Two young children, a new baby and a two-year old, were taken into care when a doctor suspected abuse. While the parents have now been cleared of any wrong doing, social services have told them that their children are never going to be given back and they will lose all communication with them - they are to be adopted by a childless couple - and there is nothing the parents can do about it.

That is clearly wrong and just shows how much the state can do in certain circumstances without any form of redress for those affected.

Healthy Tandridge

I received yesterday the 2007 Health Profile for Tandridge, which makes interesting reading.

The good news, and it is mostly good news, is that life expectancy is above the average for England and it is increasing. Early deaths from cancer, strokes and heart disease is lower and people tend to live healthier lifestyles than on average.

However there are still challenges. The proportion of the over 65s is greater than elsewhere, 1 in 5 adults are classed as obsese and 1 in 7 binge drink. And it is still the case that 4,100 people live in low income households. This includes 1,300 children.

Looking specifically at Oxted South, life expectancy is 81 for men, 83 for women and the number of low income households about average for the district.

Click here if you'd like to read more details.

What about the Green Belt?

Most of Tandridge is Green Belt land, so yesterday's annoucement by Hazel Blears that house building will take priority over environmental concerns clearly raises the prospect of a significant change in the character of our local area, one which will be seen as negative by a majority of residents.

While Brown's spokesman has since denied that the Green Belt is at significant risk, what he cannot deny is that current government 'guidance' to planners states that they have to identify new sites for housing for the next 15 years, regardless as to whether they would actually be needed. There is no expection made for districts like ours where this will in practice mean building on the Green Belt.

Whatever the actual outcome it seems clear that Brown's Government remains as committed to imposing its own will on local areas as Blair's was. Local people are still not going to be able to take the decisions that matter most to them. Tandridge needs new housing, but local experience has shown that we are able to provide this without having to resort to green belt building.

The Grand Tour

I attended my 'new member' induction at the council offices yesterday. After an introductory talk by the Chief Exec the five of us new boys and girls got a tour round the various departments where we were given more details on what goes on behind the scenes.

And for those of you out there who think the life of a Councillor is nothing but freebies and expenses paid junkets I should record for the record that I am now the proud owner of a pencil made from a recycled coffee cup. I knew there was a reason I wanted to be elected....

Boris 4 Mayor

Although outside of London I and many fellow residents in Oxted South have a very real interest in who governs the capital. Many of us work there and Croydon and Bromley both border Tandridge's northern boundary.

So today this blog comes out in favour of Boris Johnson for London's next Mayor.

Boris is a clever, popular and effective Conservative. His buffoonish image masks a great intellect, but he is an effective manager and communicator. What's more he would be a substantial rival for Ken Livingstone, who after nearly approaching 8 years in the job is tired and increasingly ineffective.

All that's needed now is for him to be convinced that he should stand.

29 Years 364 Days

Today is the last day of my 20s. Apart from feeling old and maudlin (something I didn't expect to experience until tomorrow) it has prompted me to look back on my last decade and consider the milestones.

Graduated
Started Work in London
Bought first Flat in Bermondsey
Became Politically Active
Bought Second Flat in Rotherhithe
Found God
Bought House in Oxted,
Married Helen
Eldest Daughter Born
Joined St John's Church PCC
Elected to Tandridge District Council
Youngest Daughter Born

In retrospect I doubt any future decade will be anywhere near as momentous. They say age brings wisdom, but it appears clear to me now that you make your most important decisions early in life.

All Washed Out

Watching a bit of Channel 4 News a few minutes ago made me really feel for those poor families who are still flooded out of their homes. Thankfully no-one local to me is impacted, but it does again show that we can be very under prepared as a nation for some of these natural tragedies. And if climate change continues to bring more of this dramatic weather interspersed with long dry spells then investment in our physical infrastructure and preparations for crises needs to increase.

While some of that is an issue for government - most will be for the private sector; households and businesses. For that to happen I feel that the media coverage of environmental issues needs to change, from being purely focused on encouraging us all to act altruistically for the sake of the planet and future generations, by recycling and using less energy, to also bringing home that we may need to prepare to make changes to our homes and the way we live to cope with the climate change that is already happening.

This was brought home to me at a breakfast briefing I attended a couple of weeks back, where one of the speakers, an Oxford Professor, made it very clear that the next thirty years of climate change has already been determined one way or another, there is nothing we can do to reverse it and we need to react now to the challenges that will bring or face the consequences of doing nothing.

Where's the radicalism Mr Brown?

The new PM's statement on the constitution, while containing some good proposals to limit the use of Prerogative Powers and increase scrutiny over key public appointments has done little to answer the biggest questions facing our constitution. His appointment of regional ministers makes clear that he is not committed to local democracy, but quite the reverse, entrenching the power of central government over local issues.

So I have two questions

1. Why did he not attempt to complete the devolution settlement? Limiting discussion of English issues to English MPs is the only fair and practical solution to Scottish and Welsh devolution.

2. Why did he not return the powers held by the regions to local communities? That together with giving local people real powers over planning, local quangos like NHS PCTs and the police would do more to reengage people with politics than gimmicks like citizens juries.

Not Balls

There aren't many professions where after 24 hours in the job you are expected to be an expert, but being a Government Minister is one.

So my hat goes off to Kitty Ussher , Ed Balls' successor as Economic Secretary to HM Treasury, who this morning had to give the opening address at a conference I attended. She made a creditable attempt at putting into her own words a summary she had probably little time to read let alone understand.

Residents' Station Parking Concerns Recognised by County Council

At last a solution appears to be in sight for the problems faced by residents of Mill Lane and Hallsland Way.

For those who don't know the area, every morning a large number of cars are parked on Mill Lane at the junction with Hurst Green road. This situation is treacherous for local residents as cars have to enter and exit the road 'blind' to oncoming traffic and for pedestrians it is even more dangerous, with the lack of footpath forcing parents with buggies to walk in the road where they are not seen by approaching vehicles.

Following campaigning by local Conservatives, especially by former Tandridge Council Chairman Barry Compton, Surrey County Council now plan to place parking restrictions between 7.30 and 9.30 am each weekday morning to prevent a build up of cars at this busy junction,and one on Hallsland Way to prevent the problem spreading.

However it is likely to be a number of months before this is implemented and with a full station car park, it is clear that this is a far from ideal state of affairs for commuters, and it is clear that a longer term solution is needed for the ever growing numbers of commuters who use Hurst Green station.

Two last thoughts on the reshuffle

What message is Gordon giving to world about the quality of his own parliamentary party if he is having to appoint so many outsiders. Are there not any Labour MPs and Peers good enough to do those jobs?

And what does this mean for the reform of the House of Lords? Appointing five new peers in the first week to do Ministerial jobs is hardly consistent with supporting an elected upper house.

What does this all mean?

I didn't blog yesterday because I was trying to work out what the implications of Brown's Cabinet changes were. My intitial conclusions are :

1. Its not so much change as rotation - the same old people, different jobs.

2. Brown's 'administration of all the talents' is distinctly mixed. The appoinment of the former Deputy UN Secretary General as Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN may well be inspired, but that of Tory defector Shan Woodward as Northern Ireland Secretary appears to be driven by getting another Cabinet Minister for free (as he will not be paid a Ministerial salary) and to make up for failing to net Lord Ashdown.

3. Despite the hyped headlines (and the new name for the DTI) there is only one significant change and that is splitting education in two. Only time will tell whether that is effective at giving more focus to its constituent parts, or whether it will be a bureaucratic nightmare.

4. Lack of Deputy PM is relatively irrelevant - Ed Balls is his true deputy.

Goodbye Mr Blair

So that's it then.

I remember very well the night Blair came to power. I was a student and, as a Conservative supporter, was distinctly in the minority as I watched the results rolled in at an Election Night party to the many cheers of those around me. Even so it was hard not to feel some of the optimism of those fellow party goers - the Conservative Government was tired and a change was needed. Ten years on, and I have spent the whole of my working life to date under a Labour Government. Looking back it could have been worse, and I expect under other Labour leaders it would have been, (but then again any other Labour leader probably wouldn't have lasted so long) and Blair has some successes to his name especially ending the terror in Northern Ireland. But today I again feel optimistic, as the countdown to the next Conservative government has started. Mr Brown may have some more surprises lined up, but fundamentally his is a tired government heading to the end of its natural life.

Blair was undoubtedly one of the most successful British politicians, and his reforming of the Labour Party to make them electable is perhaps his lasting legacy, but I suspect his record as a Prime Minister will be judged as a time of wasted opportunity and government by gimmick.

Quentin Davies MP has defected to Labour

How very odd. I don't know Mr Davies, nor much about him or his politics (other than that he is a pro-European) but I am at a loss to understand how anyone who holds Conservative beliefs could view a Brown led Labour party as preferable to a Blair led one. If Mr Davies had wanted to defect, why not when he might have made a difference to that party?

Any suggestions?

Harriet's first U turn

Less than 24 hours after being elected Deputy Leader of the Labour Party Harriet Harman has performed her first U-turn

During the deputy leadership camaign she said "I agree" when Jon Cruddas told Newsnight that the Labour Party should "say sorry". However on this morning's edition of the Today programme she said "I've never said the government should apologise."

Brown's 'clunking fist' has clearly made an early impression!

What does localism mean in practice?

Well as far as local government goes I think Lord Heseltine's Cities Taskforce Report makes a good stab at defining the principles that underlay it:

• The ultimate decision making body should be the most local possible unit of Government

• Authority and control should rest with democratically elected representatives, not with unelected Quangos. Elected Leaders may choose to use Quangos to deliver, but the elected body should determine the allocation of its funds.

• There should be a clear and simple structure, so that everyone knows who is in charge and who is responsible

• If Local Government is charged with leading the renaissance of our Cities, they must be able to attract consistently people of the highest calibre into leadership roles

• Local Government should be genuinely empowered

Now clearly Heseltine's remit was the regeneration of our cities, however most of these principles can be applied to the Shire Counties and Districts as well. In my view by adapting the Taskforce's conclusion the following four prescriptions would be a good way forward outside the cities:

1. Decision making should be democratic and local. Powers that are currently held by Quangos and the Regional Assemblies should be devolved to Unitary or County Councils. Powers over local decision making like local roads and schools should be devolved to District (or Unitary) Councils. Decisions on truly local issues - like residential planning decision should go to the lowest level (Ward Councillors - perhaps sitting with Parish Councillors).

2. The primary role of the council is that of a decision making and commissioning body for service provision. However Councils should be free to go beyond this. If local preference is for councils (of any tier) to deliver services themseves that benefit their community they should be able to. Councils should be able to work together where they feel it is beneficial, and should have freedom to do so across county or regional boundaries.

3. Councils need strong, dynamic and full-time paid leadership. I feel that full-time elected chief executives would be best placed to lead councils (either directly elected mayors or a cabinet system) with other (part-time) councillors acting as scrutineers. To ask individuals to do this part-time on a modest allowance restricts the pool of talent available. However this again should be decided locally. One size does not fit all - and it maybe that the committee structure would continue to work well for some councils.

4. The precise structure of the councils should also be decided by local people. Councils should be the right size to deliver for the population they serve. This may mean the preservation of district and county split; it could be a local preference for a unitary authority, or it could be some other 2 tier arrangement, whereby through joint working various district councils join together to take forward the more strategic issues. Police and Fire Services should continue to be subject to local democratic oversight , and local NHS Primary Care trusts should also be subject to a similar regime.

I should conclude by making very clear that this is my personal view and certainly not that of the Tandridge Conservative Group.

New Labour Leaders?

Gordon Brown is now the leader of the Labour Party and we know now who is the new deputy leader of the Labour Party - Harriet Harman. For an ex Cabinet-Minister, sacked in 1998 for arguing in public with her deputy it is a bit of a comeback.

So on Wednesday the fight for the next election will start for real. Cameron versus Brown. While the polls may show that Labour now has a three point lead - a bounce for the the incomming PM; this is the froth which I would expect to accompany an uncontested six week crowning of Brown (admittedly ably abetted by the Tory Grammer School debate). Compared to the 15 plus point jump in Conservatve fortunes following Major's assumption of the Conservative leadership from Thatcher in 1990, the recovery in Labour's rating is very modest and easily reversable.

What I expect the next year to show is that Brown and Harman have nothing new of substance to offer. Both have been associated with New Labour since its beginning and Brown has 'previous' at reheating existing policies as new announcements. In my view it will be the Conservatives, with the policy groups setting reporting over the summer, who will be best placed to adopt and articulate the policies that the country needs. Today's election of old New Labour leaders must therefore be a victory for Conservatives.

Mobile Phone Masts

Good news for residents of Greenhurst Lane. Tandridge District Council's decision to refuse permission for a 17 1/2 meter high mobile phone mast has been upheld by the Planning Inspectorate.

Childcare to continue at Tandridge Leisure Centre

Following concerns expressed by local residents that the Crèche at the Tandridge Leisure Centre would close, Tandridge Leisure Limited (TLL) has confirmed that it to continue to provide some childcare service at the Leisure Centre by targeting the most popular times for customers requiring this service.

TLL is looking to make the best use of the crèche space, which has been operating at just over a third of capacity for some time. TLL do not think this is sustainable. Their decision to focus the crèche on times pf peak demand this will enable the Centre to extend its services to the public by also using the space for other activities such as additional group exercise classes, as a training venue and for private hire.

While it is clearly disappointing for Crèche users that Tandridge Leisure has decided to restrict the times that childcare will be available, it is good that they have recognised that there is a continuing need for to provide a facility.

Hurst Green Fire - 3 Arrests Made

Surrey Police have announced that following Sunday's fire at the Ajax building 3 young men have been arrested, two aged 17 and one aged 16.

Surrey police are keen to speak to witnesses in relation to the matter.Particularly if you saw people at the industrial estate on Sunday 17th June between 12.00pm and 3.00pm. If you have any information please call 0845 125 2222 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Oxted Car Parking Changes

From 2 July new parking rules come into force in Tandridge District Council's car parks. The changes are occuring to remedy the fact that currently car parks designed for use by shoppers are full of longer term users who are tending to leave their cars all day during the week.

Following the changes there will still be free parking in Ellice Road car park for Oxted shoppers and, while limited to four hours, this benefit will apply even before 9.30am. But the biggest change is that even though motorists do not need to pay, they must now get a pay and display ticket and put it in their windscreen.

The Johnsdale Road car park will now be for permit holders only, freeing up space in the Ellice Road facility.

Citizens Advice Bureau - The Experts

Last night I attended the AGM of the Oxted CAB. From what I saw last night it appeared to be a very well run, and very well used service which delivers real improvements to peoples lives - a good example where the so-called 'third-sector' is able to fill a gap that would otherwise exist.

During the course of the meeting it was made very clear that despite the voluntary status of the advisors, the quality of the advice given was highly professional. And it is reassuring that with a number of new advisors currently undergoing training, the future of this service seems secure.

The CAB and organisations like it are living proof of David Cameron's maxim that 'there is such a thing as society, it is just not the same thing as the state'.

Popes Lane

As some local residents may be aware Popes Lane was recently resurfaced by Surrey County Council (SCC) contractor Carillion. Unfortunately the new surface wasn't a success with pot holes already appearing and tar leaking through and sticking to tyres on warm days. The good news is that a solution has been identifyed by SCC and a another new (and hopefully much more effective) surface will be applied shortly.

Warren Lane

Residents who live near the Warren Lane recycling centre may be interested to know that the Environment Agency are to carry out a noise assessment, following complaints from local people about the activity levels at the site. I'll update when I know any more.

Hurst Green Fire Update:

According to the BBC website, 21 families were evacuated from Barnfield Way to St Agatha's Hall after a gas cylinder exploded in the fire. [I am not sure what happened to them all, as Aggies looked all shut up as I walked past it to the station this morning.]

However the BBC reports that an exclusion zone remains in place around the old Ajax factory, in Holland Road, to allow other gas cylinders to cool. Firefighters used ground monitors to cool the gas cylinders and are keeping a "watching brief" as it is still unsafe to enter the building. Police said Barnfield Way and Holland Road would remain closed to traffic and residents until the area was declared safe, which is expected to be this afternoon at the earliest.

Fire investigators and police are looking into the cause of the fire. Fortunately it appears that no-one was injured in the fire.

Breaking News - Fire

There is some excitement for Hurst Green residents this afternoon as a large fire has taken hold in the former Ajax Magnethermic building on the Holland Rd. The road is currently closed as around 10 fire appliances from acoss Surrey and Kent try to tackle the fire in the abandoned factory building.

On a serious note, there are apparently some unexploded gas cannisters inside the building - if this is arson (hard to think what else might have caused it) - it was a highly reckless thing to do.

International Exposure

Planning enforcement proceedings against unauthorised advertisments aren't necessarily the most exciting of subjects, but for once a threat of legal action by TDC has got widespread attention. The reason - the advert in question is 100,000 sq ft large and is depicting a a silhouette of a naked lap dancer. A marketing agency have painted the advert for a lap dancing website on a farmer's field under the Gatwick flight path without planning permission and TDC is now taking action to get them to remove it.

I suspect my weekly council news cuttings will be a bit thicker than normal this week as the story is being covered by newspapers as far a afield (pardon the pun) as Texas and Australia.

National Cycle Week

National Bike Week takes place from Saturday 16 June until Sunday 24 June, to celebrate the benefits of cycling. If you want to make your bike more secure then free security marker pens and ‘steer clear of cycle theft’ leaflets are available from the reception at the Council Offices, Oxted.


I'm sorry to say that my bike has been sitting unriden for the past couple of years. Hopefully as my daughters get a bit older that will change.

But for those of you who have the energy a Tandridge Cycle Ride is being held on Sunday 1 July, starting at 2pm from Hurst Green Station car park travelling to Lingfield and back on a circular route. If you are interested in taking part in the cycle ride please contact Trish Bloxham on 01883 732974, e-mail tbloxham@tandridge.gov.uk.

Dictat not Democracy

I attended my first Planning and Environment Committee meeting last night.

If any proof were needed that this Labour Government is committed to the centralization of power and decision making at the expense of local democracy then I saw it clearly demonstrated last night. Government 'guidance' notes are leading to remote planning inspectors, based in Bristol, overturning decisions made by elected Councillors based on local plans that have been adopted following public consultation and previously approved by Ministers.

The most concerning aspect is not that the planning inspectorate is ensuring that local authorities take decisions in accordance with the rules - which in my view is the role for an inspector should take - but over issues of housing design and character. Surely local councillors, who live and understand their localities are better able to decide what is in keeping with their communities and what isn't, than the individual prejudices of an unelected individual.

Summer Jams

Living in a village (even a large village like Hurst Green) does mean that there isn't an awful lot for teenagers to do.

The one facility that they do have is a skate park. The Tandridge Community Safety Partnership is currently running a series of Summer Jams are to promote the legitimate use of public skate parks and surrounding open spaces in Tandridge. The one in Hurst Green will take place on 28 July where there will be a range of activities and interests including the BMX, Skateboarding and In-Line competitions, sports, art and music. Young people will be organising and contributing to competitions, performing live music and acting as stewards.

This is a positive initiative and I do hope they are well attended.

Spin Over Substance

The Prime Minister has given an interesting speech today making the point that the relationship between today's (national) media and politicians is damaged and is of need of repair. Mr Blair said relations had always been fraught, but now threatened politicians' "capacity to take the right decisions for the country". He said people in public life, from politics to business, sport, the military and charities, found that "a vast aspect" of their job now was coping with the media, "its sheer scale, weight and constant hyperactivity. At points it literally overwhelms".

It is certainly possible to argue what has caused this. In my opinion the focus of Labour, and especially Alastair Campbell, on satisfying the media's needs for activity and proposals above that of good Government has contributed to this result. But to be fair it is also true that following the development firstly of rolling news channels and then more recently of the internet the rules of the game changed substantially. Stories are now broken in real time (by both mainstream news outlets and increasingly by 'amateur' bloggers) and so maintream media have reacted to changing market place.

And on this I agree with the PM - for the sake of a healthy democracy and proper debate, there is a need for more focus on reporting the facts (and the detail), not just on commenatary. Hopefully the recent changes to how the internet is used will actually help matters, with blogs filling the gaps that mainstream press, radio and television neglect.

Not a million miles away

Oxted South is about 20 miles from central London, which makes it a very convenient place to live for commuters like myself, but once you get home of an evening it feels a world away from the busy, vibrant but sometimes dangerous place that is the Capital. When I moved out of London, I thought was moving away from aspects of life like the big yellow Metropolitan Police signs that not infrequently adorned the Old Kent Road saying 'Murder' - Any information please help.

Oxted is positioned in the far eastern corner of Surrey. To the north is Bromley and Croydon , to the east and south east Kent, to the south Sussex and to the West the rest of Surrey. Therefore going eastwards the next largish town is Sevenoaks, similarly a commuter town into London. So the news that yesterday Police shot dead a woman in Sevenoaks, does bring home the fact that although Surrey is a very safe place to live, the darker side of life isn't restricted to London.

Waste not, Want not

Some fascinating facts about waste.
Each UK household produces over 1 tonne of rubbish annually, amounting to about 31 million tonnes for the UK each year

Every year, the average dustbin contains enough unrealised energy for 500 baths, 3500 showers or 5,000 hours of television.

On average every person in the UK throws away their own body weight in rubbish every 7 weeks

Every 8 months the UK produces enough waste to fill Lake Windermere (the largest lake in England)

In less than 2 hours the UK produces enough waste to fill the Albert Hall

The cost of managing the municipal waste produced in England is around £1.6 million per year

For some more facts and info see www.recyclenow.org.uk

Four Weeks Paternity Leave!

I wish....

Labour Minister Beverley Hughes has been slapped down by the DTI for proposing that new Fathers be given 4 weeks off.

While I would have loved an additional two weeks at home I don't seriously think that there is a good reason justify extending the two-weeks statutory leave men are now entitled too.

The aim paternity leave should be to help look after the mother and any existing children in the immediate aftermath of the new baby's arrival. However fathers have to return to work at some point and in my view the balance between helping families and imposing an additional burden on businesses (especially small business) is now about right. We already have the right to request take additional unpaid leave in the child's first seven years.

The rationale for Ms Hughes' proposal was that research shows children with an actively involved father have better behaviour and improved attainment at school. While I don't doubt that this is the case, in my view no amount of additional government sponsored time-off can guarantee this. If a father wants to be actively involved with his children he will be, and good community role models are more likely to change the behaviour of some feckless fathers than government dictat.

Seeing Double

Oxted Place has been an address in Broadham Green since the 17th Century, but now there is another. A developer of a block of flats in Eastlands Way, Oxted has also decided to name his property Oxted Place. So there are now two Oxted Places in Oxted.

A recipe for confusion? Let's hope not.

Power to the People

I am still trying to catch up with things from the last couple of weeks and I finally got around to reading Direct Democracy's first 'Localist Paper' 'Open Politics' on how we might restore our democracy, which includes a number of measures to restore power to the people and repair our constitution.

Having had a think - here's my eight (some of which I have borrowed from them):

1. Devolve the power the Scots Parliament has in Scotland to Councils in England with the principle that power goes to the lowest sensible level
2. Reform council governance - allow local people to determine the structure of council that best suits their needs.
3. Bring all quangos under democratic control (whether that be Parliament, or better still for bodies such as NHS primary care trusts to county and district councils)
4. Allow local people to choose (via the ballot box) what services their council provides and how they do it (including how they charge for it)
5. Referenda should be held on all constitutional changes (Europe, Devolution etc)
6. End the Crown Prerogative for senior appointments and hold confirmation hearings in parliament
7. Reformed House of Lords should be a Chamber of the Regions, with councillors representing the counties, cities, boroughs and districts
8. Introduce a new Bill of Rights

Any views?

How to effectively recycle

Today's Sunday Times talks about the dumping of waste intended for recycling in landfill. This is caused by recycling getting jumbled together at the collection stage which leads to some being contaminated or poorly sorted before heading to the processing firms, who are then forced to dump the whole load. The article makes clear that council schemes which force an element of sorting at the point of collection (as Tandridge's does), while more onerous for the householder and for the collectors is actually much more successful at meeting its goals.

Thank You

We today had a small thank you celebration for those unsung workers who made my election victory possible. Ten years ago my ward had three Labour Councillors and precious few activists, following my election we now have three Conservative Councillors and a small army of deliverers and canvassers. It is their hard work over the past seven years which made the result in May possible. The celebration was held in the lovely garden of my ward Chairman and his wife, Iain and Jennifer Slater. Their repeated hospitality, together with a lot of hard work marshalling and organizing really stands behind this success.

Hypocrisy

In yesterday's post, I was talking about importance of clarity of message and went straight on to post a very unpolished entry.

For anyone who read the first version, my apologies, but I blame my 12 day old daughter who started to make herself known quite forcefully while I was trying to finish it (thats my excuse and like any politician I'm sticking to it!)

Echos of the 1990s, but still a long way to go.

I read George Osborne's speech to Policy Exchange earlier. It started with a contrast between the Conservative leadership contest of two years ago against the non-contest for Labour now.
The result has been sewn up for Brown for some years now, but the lack of contest, as Obsorne makes clear still means we have no idea of what he stands for.

However, without exception the 6 candidates for the Deputy's job all stand for the same thing - a lurch to the left. Even arch Blairite Hazel Blears is saying we need more public ownership. As Obsorne says, 'Labour is retreating into its left-wing comfort zone'. Today's attempt by the Brown camp getting a slap-down in is clearly an effort close the lid on this genie, but as we saw with a succession of Tory leaders, once a party decides to leaves the centre ground in order to shore up its core support it is very difficult for a leader to resist or reverse.

If Labour continue along this path then it will surely lose the next election, however that won't be enough for a Conservative victory.

I believe that for that to be assured three things are required.
1- Clarity over policy. i.e. a local choice over schooling, should be a genuine local choice;
2- Professionalism in conveying policy. Messages should be clear and free of spin;
3- Unity of purpose. An end to division.

The past fortnight has been an example in how not to do the first- as long as the lesson is learnt, the party should be able to move forward. Today's appointment of a professional Director of Communications will help achieve the second. On the third the party has been broadly united since Howard took over the leadership, however the ease in which division came is worrying.

The Grammer School issue must be a one-off for the party to win next time.

Grammar Schools and Social Mobility

I have finally got around to reading fully the speech by David Willetts which has caused so much controversy in the national press.

While standing by my earlier comments that I believe that the number and type of schools an area has should be decided by local people, I actually think that many of the arguments Willetts makes against both reintroducing selection and against the comprehensive system are sound and it is a shame that much of the subsequent debate has been focussed on his comments on selection.

Grammar Schools were an effective solution to the problems faced between the 1940s and 1970s. This (still newish) century requires a different answer, because the situation is no longer the same.

Willetts makes the case that one (and perhaps the most important) reason why education matters is to provide social mobility, allowing the brightest working class pupils to do as well as their middle class peers - true equality of opportunity. This is what the Grammar schools used to help achieve. While people played by the rules of the Grammar/Secondary Modern game then all was OK, but following the introduction of Comprehensive Schools social mobility started to break down. Middle class parents increasingly used money (directly, by funding private education or private tuition, or indirectly, via moving house to be closer to a popular school and by funding after school activities), or their own educational advantages by helping at home. All schools (including the remaining Grammars) then tended to entrench advantage rather than promote mobility. Willetts backs this up with a wealth of evidence.

The case against introducing new Grammar schools today is that selection at 11 is now likely to be too late to help those from poorer backgrounds succeed and not be popular with the parents of the 80% of children that don't get a place there. There are better ways of raising standards - better discipline, streaming within schools , good management and leadership - all of which should make for better teaching. And only once there are enough good education options for all children will education outcomes by improved for all children (not just those of middle class parents).

How then do we proceed? Willetts (and I agree with this) says that 'supply side' reform is needed. However well designed no admissions system will provide a decent opportunity for every child unless parents have a genuine choice of schools, and outside of London and the bigger towns and cities, it also means a choice between schools which are locally accessible.

In my view this means that over-subscribed schools need to be able to expand and successful schools take over unsuccessful schools. And new schools need to be allowed to be opened, by local government, by groups or parents, charities, educational trusts and businesses. All schools need to have more freedom in how they are run and how they are structured and where they get their services (especially non-teaching - e.g., finance, maintenance) from. This will require a less centralised and bureaucratic approach and more local accountability. The roles for central government would be to set minimum standards (not detailed criteria) and local government would be as a service provider (including where there is demand, of schools) and a commissioner of services in the case of market failure.

However this is much easier to say than to implement - the challenges facing the next Conservative Government is to make all this happen, without introducing too much bureaucracy. Continuing with City Technology Colleges and City Academies are only one option, there are others, including if there were to be demand, Grammar Schools!