With every day that dawns, the powers that be allow thousands of people to settle in UK, many  who have no previous link to the United Kingdom.  Don’t you consider that it is wrong that Gordon Brown’s Labour Government refuses to make room for the few thousand Gurkha ex - servicemen who have been refused permission to live here? Is this  the proper way to treat  these allies who have fought alongside ‘Our Boys’ showing nothing but loyalty to our armed forces and this country? I do wonder where we are going in this madcap  world and have to admit to more than a hint of shame at what is being done in my name! My only consolation is that I didn’t vote Labour!!!

The Royal Gurkha Rifles
Cap badge of the Royal Gurkha Rifles
Active	1 July 1994-Present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Rifles

I’ve had! It’s not my usual post, but it may explain why I haven’t been updating. My PC was invaded by a Trojan virus, resulting in a loss of passwords and other vital statistics, so I couldn’t get in to my own site. At last that’s all remedied. I have also been grounded with an almighty head cold (not the head that was almighty, but the cold) and laryngitis, so I couldn’t speak (which pleased some people more than it should have!)

Anyway, I’m back now, so follow me to the next post, as soon as I’ve caught up on my emails and reports.

If you see waste or fly-tipping or graffiti, please report it to MDC Grimebusters Squad on 01623 463463 or email grimebusters@mansfield.gov.uk. You will be surprised by how quickly they spring into action and clear the offending articles. The pictures here are just one example of their speedy response. If you have any household rubbish, other than that which is processed via the Green, Blue or Brown Bin System, please use one of the Waste Recycling Sites at Oakfield Lane, Warsop or at Kestrel Road, off Hermitage Lane, Mansfield. These sites are open every day, with the exception of Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years day. For bulky, unmanageable items,such as sofas, fridges, etc MDC provides a collection service. For further details of charges for this service, contact 01623 463463 

…and compost at home. Latest figures show that around a third of the contents of an average refuse bin is organic waste which could be composted. It is proven that composting at home is a great way to prevent this waste going to landfill, where it releases methane, a major greenhouse gas.

Composting at home will give you  free, nutrient-rich plant food for your garden, so if you wish to have a more hands on approach to recycling, compost bins are now being offered at discounted rates within the Nottinghamshire District. Home Composting gives you the opportunity to recycle garden and organic kitchen waste without transporting the waste from where it has arisen. Mansfield District Council is working in partnership with Nottinghamshire Local Authorities and WRAP (the Waste and Resources Action Programme) to sell home compost bins at a significantly reduced price.

Please contact the Recycling Helpline on 01623 463463 for more information or ring 0845 073 2001 or visit www.recyclenow.com/compost to place your order.

Ok, I know they are fragile, but do we really need so much packaging on our Easter eggs? The Easter Bunnies arrive safely, despite having only a minimal amount of wrapping. Do chocolate manufacturers not CARE about the Great Waste Debate?
There has been almost no change in the amount of packaging on Easter eggs despite manufactuers’ pledge to reduce the amount of card, plastic and foil they use. Some eggs on offer are so over-packaged that the chocolate makes up less than 10 per cent of the volume of the wrapping.

….and get walking. Fewer school-run car journeys means less pollution, less congestion and fewer road deaths. Children walking or cycling to school also get fitter – but the journey must be safe.

Let us all encourage  schemes  such as ‘Safe Routes to School’ with calmed traffic, safe pavements, good lighting and adults on hand to conduct ‘walking buses’. . . This will benefit adults as well as children. Some of our local schools have initiatives in place, so ask your teaching staff for details. If your child’s school doesn’t have any schemes in place, perhaps you could move the idea forward. It’s worth a try!

Ward Councillors are allocated a small amount of money each year to be spent on small projects within our ward that will be of benefit to the community.  If you have any ideas that you think would benefit the people in Leeming Ward, please contact me in person, by telephone, or by e mail. There are certain criteria which must be met, but all ideas will be considered, so don’t hesitate to get in touch. Remember, we are working for you all year round.

We met at the Mansfield Library, we members of Select Commission 1, who have the task of conducting a consultation about the St John Street toilets closure. Along with June Stendall, Chair of SC1, I stood  in the driving wind   until my fingers were numb and I could barely write; we approached shoppers and residents as they hurried down Westgate towards town, catching them as they waited for the ‘Green man’ on the crossing. In the main people were keen to sign the forms, giving their opinion on whether or not the toilets should close. The general consensus among those that I questioned was that these toilets should be kept open; a lot of people said they would be prepared to pay to use them, if they had an attendant to keep the place clean and free from the ‘undesirables’ that give the place a bad name. Of the 80+ that I spoke to, only 3 wanted them to be closed. Elderly people taking prescribed ’water tablets’ had a particular need, as did mothers with young children. We shall have to await results of this consultation, so watch this space.

ASBO CHANGES AIM TO HELP AT-RISK TEENS
Children as young as ten will face compulsory programmes to tackle drug use and other offences under government plans to overhaul the Asbo system. Children’s Secretary Ed Balls’ plan is designed to tackle the root causes of bad behaviour and so reduce the number of Asbos being issued. (Story taken from The Observer)

We know that children are not ‘born bad’ and that life experiences and peer pressure are at the root of a lot of problems; our youngsters need as much help as we can give them. The poor behaviour of a few is a misrepresentation of the vast majority of youngsters who are law-abiding and who will go on to become good citizens

I and my fellow members of Select Commission 1 are to consult with the public about this prospective closure, next  Tuesday  from 11 am, under the canopy outside the Mansfield Library. We hope to get a  good idea of the number of people who use these toilets and find out their opinion on  the condition of the toilets and what they feel about the prospective closure of the facilities. If you are in town on Tuesday and have any comments to make, please stop and answer a few questions

Cases of whooping cough in England and Wales have almost trebled since 2003, according to figures released in response to a Parliamentary Question from the Liberal Democrats. Other infectious diseases have also seen big rises since 2003, including a 52% rise in cholera and 17% rise in both tuberculosis (TB) and typhoid.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, Norman Lamb said: “People will be shocked to hear that diseases which belonged to a bygone era are making a comeback.  Prevention is often a case of a simple vaccine. The NHS is failing in its duty to prevent easily avoidable disease. Many of these infections are connected to the kind of poverty which is at the root of the growing health inequality since Labour came to power. Public health schemes are failing to reach the people who need them most.”

………to go to Mansfield town centre and show our troops the strength of your support? As the soldiers marched down Westgate towards the Market Place, we who were waiting at the Old Town Hall could hear the applause from the crowds who were there to watch a battalion of the Mercian regiment avail themselves of the Freedom  of Mansfield, bestowed upon them by Mayor Egginton in December last year.  The soldiers proudly followed their colours into the market place where they first received the salute from the Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire and  then were inspected by the Mayor. The party then moved off to the Civic Centre for the cutting of the cake and the photocall. It was a memorable occasion which  brought a tear to my eye, particularly when tribute was paid to the boys who had been lost in battle. Thank you, Mansfield for supporting ‘our boys’ 

 Click on the pics to see an enlarged image

Tuesday brings a real treat to Mansfield Town centre. A battalion of 80 soldiers of the Mercian Regiment will exercise their Freedom in Mansfield. At 3.00pm the Salute will be taken, followed by inspection of the troops and speeches by the Lord Lieutenant of Nottingham, Executive Mayor, Tony Egginton and the Commanding Officer. It is a proud day for Mansfield and I hope you will be out in great numbers to give your tribute to Our Boys.

The Government has called on councils to adopt pioneering new approaches to increase access to public toilets after the number of conveniences fell from a high of 15,000 to only 5,500 now.

We all have visited tourist towns and been happy to pay 20p for the privilege of using toilet facilities which  are regularly cleaned, have a welcoming attendant on site and often with the sweet aroma of fresh flowers on show. The presence of an attendant can also result in a lessening of graffiti and vandalism. Although local councils do not have a  statutory obligation to provide toilet facilities, we all at some time rely upon this service. It remains to be seen how MDC will approach this problem, so watch this space! 

Latest figures obtained by the Lib Dems show that 4 in 10 women under the age of 35 in England are not attending for their smear tests…in fact, onlt 63.9% of women aged 25-34 are having tests every three and a half years as recommended. This could equate to 120 women every year contracting cervical cancer, without even realising it until it’s too late, according to Cancer Research UK.

I understand it’s not the most pleasant way to spend your time, but having regular tests could just save your life and spare your partner and children having to adapt to life without you.

Liberal democrat spokesperson for Children & Families, Annette Brooke has said: “The government has achieved less than spectaculer results in meeting the target tackling the high number of teenage pregnancies. At the current rate of improvement the Government will be twenty years behind its target to halve the number of teenage pregnancies.  Furthermore , ministers should show some real leadership and ensure that all children receive quality sex & relationship education.

Almost 100 children aged under eight have been admitted to A&E nationwide over the past year for alcohol related problems.These figures come just days after the Government review of 24-hour licensing  and show that the number of girls under eighteen admitted to A&E has risen by almost 50% in the last 5 years, with almost 25% more boys under eighteen being admitted in the same period.

These are shocking figures which show that binge drinking could well be out of control. Problems with health may be a consequence of this binge drinking and we all must help to reverse this trend, by recognising the scale of the problem.  Cracking down on pubs and shops that sell alcohol to underage youngsters must be a priority, but parents too must be aware of the problem and help to stem the rising tide of youngsters who cannot wait to try alcohol.

A study by Birkbeck, University of London found children behaved better and were more independent under Sure Start. Their parents provided a better home learning environment than in areas without such Sure Start centres. Sure Start Children’s Centres are places where children under 5 years old and their families can receive seamless integrated services and information, and where they can access help from multi-disciplinary teams of professionals. Their services bring together universal, free, early education and more and better childcare. Sure Start does this with greater support where there is greater need through children’s tax credit, children’s centres and Sure Start local programmes. We are lucky to have a Sure Start centre in Mansfield Woodhouse, situated on Swan Lane, which you can contact by Telephone: 01623 666370 or email lisa.buxton@notts.gov.uk or by clicking on the link to the left, which will bring up the addresses of local centres.

CRACKDOWN ON OFF-LICENSES
In order to tackle the massive problem of binge drinking, off-licenses selling alcohol to under 18s have been warned that they will lose their licence. Gordon Brown will be implementing a ‘two strikes and you’re out’ rule against shops caught selling booze to minors. 

We are all concerned about the effects that alcohol has on our youngsters and this can only be seen as a good move; we shall have to await results and see  whether our youngsters continue to acquire alcohol from local shops.