Harnham Election Result
Posted May 3, 2013 * Comments(0)

Thank you for the fantastic election result. I will do my best to serve all residents for the next four years and always put Harnham first.

To see the Wiltshire Council result click here.

For the City (parish) Council result click here.

Hollows Close Residents Canvass For Saxon Rd Scheme
Posted March 10, 2013 * Comments(0)

Many residents in Hollows Close have contacted me recently about parking at school times. Those that contacted me would like a permit scheme, as in Saxon Rd.

We formed a ‘residents committee’ and have had several meetings, two of which were attended by our local police. We suggested that Folkestone Rd should be included, if residents there wanted to be included in the scheme. I then canvassed Folkestone Rd to gauge their views.

I asked the Fire Brigade their thoughts and they sent a Fire Engine up Hollows Close three times in one day: morning, afternoon and evening. Only the afternoon caused them problems, when their Tender got stuck and was wedged between two double parked cars.

On Saturday 9th March, 10 residents and me, canvassed all Hollows Close to gauge support for such a scheme. We then fully canvassed Folkestone Rd for a second time.

Results are still being analysed, but two residents in Folkestone Rd and six residents in Hollows Close were not in favour of a permit scheme. At the moment there is overwhelming support for such a scheme to be introduced.

We will be calling another committee meeting after Easter. If you have any comments, please let me know.

Parsonage Green Plan Approved By Residents
Posted March 10, 2013 * Comments(0)

A plan consisting of single and double yellow lines for Parsonage Green has been approved by residents fronting the proposal. I visited all residents here and explained the proposal, which received 100% backing.

This section of the road gets clogged every school day and often results in the r5 bus getting stuck.

The plan can be seen here Parsonage Green Scheme FINAL

The scheme will be advertised soon and has the backing of Wilts & Dorset.

There will still be ample parking here for the school drop off, but the proposal will stop the double parking which is causing an obstruction to buses, a danger to children and nuisance to residents.

Coombe Rd – Another 40mph Speed Increase Proposal by Wiltshire Council. Let Your Views Be Known!
Posted March 10, 2013 * Comments(0)

Click to see their proposal: Indicative Plan – Coombe Road

Wiltshire Council has advertised their intention to increase the speed limit on Coombe Rd. Their consultation will run from March 14th to April 8th. They say this is in the interest of safety. The proposed 40mph increase is to commence at the Francis Way junction, click above to see the indicative plan.

As the Wiltshire Councillor for Harnham, I am gravely concerned at this proposal to increase the speed limit in a built up area.

I strongly encourage Residents to make their views known to the Council on this issue before April 8th.
Please write or email your comments, quoting reference LJB/TRO/LAFO to:

TRO Team
Sustainable Transport Group
Highways & Transport
County Hall
Bythesea Road
Trowbridge
Wiltshire
BA14 8JN

Or email: lianne.bartle@wiltshire.gov.uk

Remember to quote the reference in both instances and to submit by 8th April.

The Council is quoting safety as a matter of implementation. Many residents have suggested creating the 40mph ‘buffer zone’ (between 60mph and 30mph) further out near to where the Homington Rd & Old Shaftesbury Drove turns are. This is what I will be suggesting too during the public consultation.

Increasing speed on Coombe Rd is a backward step that I will not support. Traffic already speeds here.

Tories Road Spending Non Existent in Salisbury
Posted March 10, 2013 * Comments(0)

In a question to Full Council on February 26th, Wiltshire Council stated that it only spent £500,000 of a £14.1M budget for roads, in the Salisbury area in this financial year. This excludes pot holes.

See the question and answer here at 14(3)

This works out at 3.5% of the total budget, which is a total disgrace. The administration should be ashamed of itself.

This means that £13.6M was spent on roads outside of Salisbury and if you drive to the north of the county, it shows!

I will keep campaigning to get our roads in Harnham and Salisbury resurfaced.

Laws: More Money for Pupil Premium
Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013 by craigwhittall

LawsPodium500crop

The Coalition Government has today announced how much Pupil Premium money each school in England will receive in 2013/14.

The cash targets extra money to schools depending on the number of children from disadvantaged backgrounds they have. The Pupil Premium is a major Liberal Democrat priority that is being delivered by the Coalition Government.

The Pupil Premium will be worth a total of £1.65bn, or £900 per child, in 2013/14. It covers any primary or secondary school pupil that has been registered for Free School Meals in the past six years.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Schools Minister, David Laws said:

“Liberal Democrats are building a strong economy and a fair society where everyone can get ahead. Education is absolutely at the heart of that.

“The Pupil Premium is extra support for the children who need it the most, whether it is catch-up classes, one-to-one tuition, extra IT support – whatever the school thinks best.

“Helping the most disadvantaged children helps every child. Fewer children falling behind means less disruption in class and a better education for everyone.”

You can find details of how much each local school in England will gain from the Lib Dem Pupil Premium, by visiting this website: http://bit.ly/TyVK6D

Image Copyright: Flickr/Educationgovuk

 

Happy New Year!
Posted December 30, 2012 * Comments(0)

Wishing all Harnham Residents a very Happy New Year!

Welfare Reform – Benefits are changing
Posted December 14, 2012 * Comments(0)

Benefits are changing across the country which will affect Harnham residents.

Please spend 4 minutes to watch the video, prepared especially for Wiltshire, on how this may affect you. Click HERE

Salisbury Roads a total disgrace – Rest of Wiltshire ok?
Posted December 11, 2012 * Comments(0)

I hear this all the time now, that our roads in Salisbury City are a total disgrace, only equal to those in third world countries and i have to agree.

Well, as i drive to Trowbridge, Melksham, Devizes or Chippenham, as i often have to , the roads are very different. Drive north of Tilshead and see for yourself: nice new roads! Yes, miles of new resurfaced roads through:
The Lavingtons
Erlestoke
Approaching into Devizes
Almost the entire stretch from Bratton to West Ashton.
Oh and not to mention the nice new resurfaced road, right outside of County Hall!

These roads, i can assure you, were no-where near as bad as any of the roads in the centre of Salisbury (there are numerous roads here, but Brown Street keeps popping up), or even Essex Square, Norfolk Rd or Ravenscroft in Harnham.

I have raised this at full council, only to be lectured by the Conservatives that they are spending more money on Highways than ever before. Just not in Salisbury!

Wiltshire council, where everybody matters? Not here either I’m afraid.

I will keep fighting to get our roads resurfaced.

You can read the questions that i asked council back in July here

The full Agenda is here (questions are at Minute 71)

Local Mobile Surgery in Harnham
Posted December 11, 2012 * Comments(0)

I will be out and about in Harnham this week on another of the successful ‘Mobile Surgeries’ around Harnham.

I will be in several locations on Thursday 13th December, as shown on the latest Focus Newsletter and can be contacted on the day on: 0790 555 0154.

If you have an issue, then i want to help you resolve it. Please do come and see me. Alternatively, please contact me by email, letter or leave a phone message.

Previous