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.