Babergh members demand more say in planning policy

More say about these?

Planning is probably the most important single function that a District Council undertakes.  It is quite a responsibility to shape the built environment, not just for now, but for future generations.

However, it is sometimes difficult for a District Councillor to feel that he or she is fully engaged in the process of developing the Council’s planning policy.  There is a sense that  council officers would much prefer to tackle the issues, which are often difficult and complex, without interference from ‘time wasting’ representatives of the people.

At the very local level the situation has much improved in recent years.  Frank Lawrenson and I, as the two Waldingfield members, have for some time now been working with other local councillors and a succession of developers and council officers, on the Chilton Woods Development.   

Additionally there is now the scope for Parishes to develop Neighbourhood Plans, a process that is currently underway in Lavenham.

However, when it comes to making a real contribution to District wide policy creation, such as the recently developed Core Strategy,   Babergh members have for some time felt that their opinions have carried less weight than that of almost every other consultee.  Recently, frustration at lack of influence and involvement has been exacerbated by the very rapidly changing national planning environment and the new challenge of accommodating renewable energy projects such as wind turbines and solar plants.

Just before Christmas the issue of member involvement in planning policy appeared on the agenda for the Joint Babergh and Mid Suffolk Scrutiny Committee.

The meeting, which it was my turn to chair, was rather stormy; a relatively unusual occurrence for what is normally a rather staid affair.  This, I think was a measure of the strength of feeling among members from both councils on this topic.  The outcome of the discussion was a recommendation to the Strategy Committee that a panel of members be set up formally to work with officers on issues of planning policy in future.

I am pleased to say that at the Babergh Strategy Committee yesterday this idea was agreed in principal. Further work will now be done to see how the members' aspirations can become a reality.

Dead souls restored

F.I.Deryazhnyi. The Fascists are on the run

As some of you know I have, in the cause of education, enjoyed several extended periods living with Russian families.  It is never easy to spend a lot of time with people one barely knows, but life among the Russians rarely turns out in the end to be a difficult experience.  Although on the face of it reserved (Russians think that our constant smiling, for example, is ridiculous), in fact they are generally pragmatic and easy going, extremely hospitable, with a good sense of humour.  Most have the benefit of a large personal dose of the legendary ‘Russian Soul’.

The innate humanity of the ‘ordinary’ Russian was in evidence yesterday evening on BBC Radio Four.  Driving back from Parish Council Meetings  I caught a very moving and fascinating edition of the programme, Crossing Continents which concerned an interesting small corner of life in Russia today.

70 years after the event, it is still hard to escape the high level of attention given in Russia to what they call the Great Patriotic War, and what we call World War ll.

30 million people died on the Russian front, from every corner of the country, of whom some 4 million are still officially ‘missing in action’.  The Radio Four programme concerned the growing number of volunteers, who, armed with spades and metal detectors, are now searching for and identifying the lost soldiers.  Even after all these years they feel a compulsion to look for their remains. 

Although many of the soldiers’ contemporaries are no longer alive, it was clear from the programme that the discovery and identification of a loved father or grandfather brought real comfort and closure to many Russian families today.

This was a fascinating programme, which, if you are interested can be listened to here.

Opportunities for unemployed young people

Do you know a young person who is currently unemployed and who is interested in working in the media?

Suffolk County Council has secured a grant of nearly £200,000 to support apprenticeships and internships in the creative and media industries.  This will provide opportunities in areas such as production, printing, digital and social media, events management and arts administration.

Any young, unemployed person, who is interested in working in one of these areas, can find out more information by asking their local Job Centre Plus advisor or visiting

http://www.suffolkartlink.org.uk

At Gainsborough’s House we have taken on a number of interns over the years, and most have gone on to fulfilling and worthwhile jobs.  Sometimes this has not been in the arts world, but nonetheless the work experience has proved to be worthwhile, and has helped to secure full-time work.

Lock your sheds!

A new year starts and I have been attending the first Parish Council meetings of 2014.

Quite often a police representative comes along to these meeting to present a Police Report. We are lucky in that we live in a relatively crime free area, and often no offenses are reported, but at present this is not the case.

 In the last few months South Suffolk has been suffering from a small epidemic of break-ins.  Sheds and garages have been the main targets,  but there have been some house burglaries too.

The Police are always happy to advise householders on how to prevent this sort of crime.  You can find contact details on how to contact your local Safer Neighbourhood Team here.

On the subject of community safety, the next Safer Neighbourhood Priority Setting Meeting will be at Assington Village Hall  this Tuesday between 11 a.m. and 12 noon.

This is a chance to meet the police face to face and to express concerns about any aspect of safety in your community.   If those at the meeting consider that your particular issue should be a priority, the Safer Neighbourhood Team will give it special attention.  Even if your problem is not considered to be a priority because other issues are thought to be more pressing, some action is likely to be taken.   All agreed action is followed up by a report from officers at the next meeting some 2 months later.

Hair raising tales

There has been some excitement in the Press about the fact that David Cameron’s hairdresser received an MBE in the New Years Honours List.  I have to say that I am not sure why a hairdresser should receive such an honour for just doing their job, however illustrious the head of hair in question.

My mother, who sadly died many years ago, was very proud to receive an MBE for her service in the WAAF during the War, and I think she would probably be rather bemused to see what seems to many to be the steady devaluation of the honours system.

When I worked in the Fund Management industry some years ago now, I had my hair done at the salon just round the corner from our office in Cork Street, where Tony and Cherie Blair’s coiffeur, Andre Suard, had a 'station'.  Apparently he went along to No 10 Downing Street every morning to primp the First Couple up.  Often he was the first person there and then made himself useful by turning on the computers and so on!

For those interested in reading more about policians, their hair and the Honours List I recommend this article by Harry Wallop.

Council Tax hike at Mid Suffolk?

I am disturbed to read today that Mid Suffolk District Council is considering increasing Council Tax for the next financial year.

The reason that they wish to do this is not clear. The press release speaks of wanting to spend the money raised by the increase on ‘initiatives that will make a significant positive impact upon our communities’.   I view this with great suspicion.  In my view money is best left in people’s pockets to spend as they wish.  There is plenty of evidence that money spent by councils, and indeed by government generally,  is not money efficiently spent.

Were it necessary to raise money to protect frontline services that would be another matter, but I do not like the idea of picking the public’s pockets to fund unspecified ‘initiatives’.  I hope that Babergh is not going to do the same.  I for one would only vote for a tax increase if there were a real threat to front line services.

Suffolk County Council has already committed itself to a council tax freeze for four years.  In this we are listening to the public. On his blog today Colin Noble, the Cabinet Member for Finance quotes polling results that show that, were there to be more money in the system, people would want to see 1. A cut in Income Tax; 2. A cut in VAT and 3. A cut in Council Tax.

‘So’  Colin says ‘our promise and focus on protecting people's hard earned money by not putting up the Council Tax remains a clear priority as we balance what we have to spend on services and what we have to save.’