…and the costs involved are, perhaps, not helping the incidence of fly-tipping in our district. All well and good to talk about Mansfield’s improved recycling rates, but at what cost to the environment?

The charges for removing large items are: £10.51p for up to 3 items to be collected at the same time, excluding fridges or freezers, which are £10.51p each on account of stringent statutory disposal rulings, which have to be adhered to by Councils.  More than 3 items can be collected at any one time, but are charged at multiples of £10.51. Items for collection must be available and accessible for collection.   (Garden gates need to be unlocked by 6.30a.m) Payment must be made in advance at Civic Centre reception or Housing Offices throughout the district, and upon payment, you will receive a date when the collection will be made.

If you are receiving Income Support, Pension Credit or Jobseeker’s Allowance you will receive a 50% discount.

 ….. Nick Clegg , yesterday attacked the Government for failing to tackle inequality in childcare and early years education. In a speech to the 4Children conference in central London, Nick called for the nation’s childcare strategy to be focused on quality and equality of access. He also criticised the Government for failing to plan for the effect on education of large numbers of extra pupils who do not speak English as a first language, calling for a greater emphasis on developing good English skills in the pre-school years.

I support Nick’s comments  - with the influx of immigrants from Eastern Europe the strain on local education delivery is becoming more onerous and we need a definitive strategy in order to address this situation.

 …..TWICE!

Labour MPs have now been fooled twice on the 10p rate. First they were fooled in March last year, when they cheered Gordon Brown’s budget and decided he was somebody they could place their faith in to lead their party

Then they were fooled again last week when the Prime Minister wobbled in the face of their threats and they thought they had achieved a victory, which has turned out to be built on sand.

The unanswered questions and get-outs in the Government’s promises include:

· What is going to be backdated in the compensation package? In Parliament yesterday the minister was specifically questioned on this and could not say.
· How do the Government expect people on below average incomes to pay today’s bills with money they won’t get for another six months?
· How long will the compensation package last for? Will it just last for one year, as some government measures do? Because the effect of the tax change will be permanent.
· What do the government mean when they talk about compensating ‘average’ losers? This implies people who lose more than the average will not be adequately compensated.

Labour MPs had an opportunity last night to show they had not been fooled by the concessions made last week, which will not achieve what the Government claim. Those Labour MPs who had expressed their concern by signing early day motions, giving media interviews and signing Frank Field’s amendment (later withdrawn) have been taken in by the Government.

Your local MP Alan Meale voted in favour of doubling the 10p Tax Rate.

….have reported their findings on  the classification of Cannabis to the Government and  Liberal Democrat Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Huhne said:

“The Government must stop playing politics and publish this advice as soon as possible.

“There should be nothing secret about the scientific advice being given to ministers on this important issue.”

There needs to be a clear, firm, definitive classification and if it is to be changed,   I agree that  there  should be as little delay as possible. Equally, if it is recomended that it remains in the same classification, let us know.

…took place   at the Sodexho Suite last night with the Chairman’s chosen charities benefitting from the generosity of those who attended, which included me and my husband. It was a wonderful evening, the food was well worth the money and the entertainment was provided by The Union Gap, of 60s fame.

I danced the night away and enjoyed it enormously, even without any alcohol intake.   The atmosphere was ‘electric’ and it was fun to get together with some of my fellow councillors at a social event. I am afraid to say that even without alcohol, I found it difficult to keep my feet during the energetic dancing and I went ’base over apex’ (aren’t I polite?) and cracked my head on the edge of the loudspeaker support. I blame the slippery floor …… but I have decided that if I attend future events, I shall have a drink, because then if I fall, I shan’t feel it!!! Putting aside that little mishap, I must say that the whole evening was a very worthwhile occasion and I say’ Well Done, to the Chairman of Mansfield District Council’

I picked up this piece of information and thought it worth sharing with you…

LIB DEMS TABLE 10p RATE AMENDMENT; CLEGG TARGETS LABOUR MPs

Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg has today written to Labour MPs urging them not to be bribed by the Government’s ‘last minute smoke and mirror promises’ and instead vote for the Liberal Democrat amendment against the plan to double the 10p rate of tax. The unspecified measures announced yesterday by the Government won’t come into effect until November at the earliest, and will not help all of the millions of people affected by the original change. The Lib Dem amendment comes after Labour MP Frank Field withdrew his. [BBC]

“I strongly hope that, for the benefit of many thousands of your constituents, you will join us in a cross-party effort to defeat this punitive tax change. There has still been no commitment to ensure that all people made worse off by this tax rise will be fully compensated. Regardless of whether the Treasury back-dates any future compensation payment, this will still mean low paid workers will be out of pocket for at least the next seven months. Parliament should send a clear message that we do not believe that the poor should be targeted to pay for tax cuts for the better off.” (Extract from Clegg letter to Labour MPs)

Monday was quite a busy day, with a meeting of Full Council ( 2.30)to discuss the proposed changes to Members’ Allowances.

This was followed  at 5pm by the regular Planning Committee meeting to discuss and either approve or refuse Planning Applications.

Tuesday meeting at Navi Saheli Asian Womens’ Group

Wednesday Select Commission 1 meeting, 4.30pm. Then it was on to the monthly meeting of Peafield Community Association, at Ludborough Walk, 7 - 9pm

Thursday  Mansfield North & Mansfield Woodhouse Area Assembly at Turner Hall, where matters ranging from Policing to Sherwood Colliery Half Wheels, to Christmas Tree Lights were discussed.

….and would it be fair? We all at some time have moaned about the problem of cars parked at school during the ’school run’. According to a news story in the Daily mail, parents driving “gas guzzlers” on the school run may be charged £75 a year. Those who use 4×4s and people carriers will be hardest hit. The fees will vary according to how “green” a car is, and those in smaller vehicles with lower emissions will pay nothing at all. The scheme is currently being tested in the London borough of Richmond Upon Thames.  

Campaign groups and motoring organisations yesterday reacted with fury to the plans. Margaret Morrissey, of the National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations, called the scheme “unfair and unrealistic”. She said: “Mums and small children are such an easy target for councils.  They should try offering some parking provisions and stop this nonsense. Many families have three or four children and they need the space to fit child seats.”

Drivers of low-polluting cars will escape any charge. In the trial, 13 schools will allow only parents with a permit to park for 15 minutes in a local bay.

The Local Government Association has already warned that the scheme will be rolled out across the country in the near future. 

..that our local schools are finding it extremely difficult to recruit teaching staff. I am a governor at The Manor School and during the short time I have been in post, I have been  impressed by the school’s attitudes towards the welfare of its pupils and the enthusiasm of the teaching staff. The school has received glowing reports from Ofsted and if you should ever have the opportunity to teach at Manor, please don’t turn it down. The school is situated close to local amenities and a ’stone’s throw’ from world-renowned Sherwood Forest. The cities of Nottingham, Sheffield, Derby and Lincoln are all within easy reach, the ‘natives’ are friendly and Mansfield Woodhouse is a thriving  ‘large village’.

….and about’ in the ward in the coming days, as we are calling on you to find out if you have any problems. We have found that the regular surgeries we hold in the community centres have not generated many visits from constituents. Of course, this may be because you don’t have any problems, but equally it may be that you don’t always have the time, or inclination, to come to the centres. On that basis, we have decided to come to you, in the fashion of Mohammed and the mountain! If you are out when we call we shall leave you a survey, which can be returned by Freepost.

…falls on Sunday, 21stApril. Let’s all raise a glass and shout ‘Happy Birthday Ma’am’ and may there be many more.

The Pound Coin was launched 22 years ago on Tuesday, 22nd April, 1986.

Abortion was legalised 40 years ago, on Sunday 27th April, 1968.

 St George’s Day is on  Wednesday, 23rd April.

Quite a mixed bag of ‘occasions’ - all momentous events that  affect us all in different ways, but as a staunch Monarchist and lover of England I shall be ‘Flying the Flag’ this week. I hope you will do the same.

Commenting on today’s admission by Alistair Darling that the Government needs to ’sharpen up’ Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said:

‘Many people will be staggered to learn that only now, six months into a financial crisis, the Chancellor is starting to admit there is a problem. Where on earth has the Chancellor been?

‘Yet even after the Nortern Rock disaster and bungled tax reforms, with mounting personal debt and a falling house market, the only thing the Chancellor feels is wrong is the need for improved communications.  This isn’t an economic strategy; this is a sketch from Yes Minister’

I must say that Gordon Brown made a better Chancellor than Mr Darling, but surely there has to be at least one member of the ruling party who is able to add 2 +2 and make less than 5 and more than 3!

….or is it the drivers at fault? Just lately there seems to be a large number of articulated lorries travelling along New Mill Lane destined for ASDA. We all know that New Mill Lane is beset with problems, no footpath along a good part of it and two dangerous bends to manoeuvre, so this is a far from satisfactory situation. I have spoken to the manager at ASDA Distribution Centre in Wakefield and asked him to direct any drivers to use Old Mill Lane.  The staff at ASDA were most helpful and will do their best to solve this problem. (Oh and they don’t use Sat Nav) I have checked and there are 7.5 ton restrictions on New Mill Lane, so these lorries should not be using it as a ’shortcut’ to ASDA.

…. and the Government’s refusal to allow them to settle in UK, the following story was recently on the BBC. ‘Ex-Gurkha soldiers have demonstrated outside a landmark immigration tribunal which could determine whether thousands of veterans can settle in the Uk. The test case will decide whether the Government acted legally when it refused settlement to 14 Gurkhas.’

Nick Clegg said it was ‘a national disgrace that Gurkhas who have loyally  served Britain are being denied the right to live here in retirement’ and I strongly agree with his statement.

….has changed the frequency of meetings and will no longer meet monthly. The following dates apply:

Wednesday, 2nd July

Wednesday, 1st October

Wednesday, 3rd December

All meetings will be held at Ludborough Walk Community Centre and all will start at 6.30 p.m. Please make a note in your diary.

…wrote about the budget changes and how the abolition of the 10p rate would affect those on low incomes. Well,  my Income Tax on my Councillor’s allowance/pension has doubled. This allowance, as you will be aware, is not a salary as such, but is paid to us  for our work for the community.  To make such massive changes to the system of taxation without a care for those with low incomes is something we might expect from a Tory government, but Labour can no longer call itself the  party with the following values:

.• social justice
• strong community and strong values
• reward for hard work
• decency
• rights matched by responsibilities

The Labour Party web page believes that ‘Britain is, without doubt, a better, more prosperous and fairer place.’ Fairer for whom? Better for whom? More prosperous for whom? There must be many hard-working low-waged people in UK struggling to make ends meet so I ask……

Is it now time to give the Liberal Democrats a turn in the driving seat?  

….is being reviewed by Councillor Kate Allsop, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration. Following the publishing of the report of Select Commission 1, chaired by Councillor June Stendall, the Council members voted in favour of the decision being referred back to Councillor Allsop, who told Council that she would ‘read the report thoroughly before making a final decision within a few weeks.’

We await her decision with ‘crossed legs’!

……was the venue for a meeting to discuss the Policing Priorities for Leeming Ward. There were 11 residents (including me and Cllr Jill Usher)and we met with our Beat Manager, PC Mick Colley and PCSO for Leeming, Sarah Gilbert.

We talked about the results of the questionairre put out earlier in the year and guided by these results we decided on the 3 priorities to be actioned. These vary from area to area within the ward but come under the headings: 1) Litter and dog fouling, 2) Criminal Damage and 3) Alcohol and drug related  ASB. I won’t say which problem is related to which area, because we must safeguard against the perpetrators being forewarned about Police activity. (I’m assuming that they might visit this site! You never know…..)

….and I was with a party of like-minded people, walking round the lake at Rufford Mill.

I  attended the meeting of The Greenwood Community Forest Forum, which is a collection of ‘Friends’ groups. From the Friends of Brierley Forest Park to Friends of Warsop Footpaths, we gathered to give our updates about what we are doing in our parks and local nature reserves. Some 30 people who care about the open spaces and woodland in the Notts region meet every 3 months at a different group’s venue. I am pleased to tell you that the next meeting on July 21st is to be held on our patch at Peafield Park, so if any of you fancy joining the Friends of Peafield Park and Hornby Plantation, just give me a call. We are making our 2nd attempt to secure Green Flag status for the park, so we have to make a concerted effort to ensure that our past hard work pays off.

… particularly among youngsters, but the latest research says that if they sleep just ONE hour extra at night, this may be the key to shedding excess weight and fighting obesity.

Whilst poor eating habits and lack of exercise are, of course, contributing factors 30 surveys carried out on wide population samples have underlined a link between lack of sleep and excess weight in both adults and children. Apparently, 2 hormones produced at night help to regulate appetite - one (Grehlin) makes you hungry and  slows the metabolism, making it harder to burn off excess fat and the other, appetite-lowering Leptin, regulates fat storage.

The research shows a clear association between sleep duration and the risk of being overweight or obese.  According to some research, it is recommended that children under five should have 11 hours sleep a day, minimum. Children aged 5 to 10 need 10 hours or more a day and children over 10 should have at least 9 hours a day.

So come on, parents, take away those Wii and PS2 and send your children to bed ‘early’.

This is  good news for adults too - just one extra hour a night could help you drop a few pounds. Almost as good as learning that chocolate is good for depression and doesn’t higher cholesterol!

…checking your watch against the ‘town hall’ clock on Woodhouse market place, now that it’s working again? It was out of action for some weeks - but all it took was a mention from Brian in Chellnut Foods, followed by a phone call from me to MDC and within 2 days, the clock was fixed, so now you can check to see that you are not late for your appointment at the Surgery or check to see how long before your bus arrives.

This is just a small  example of how we, your local councillors, can make a difference, but we need you to alert us to any problems. Bigger problems may take more than 2 days but rest assured, we will do our utmost to deliver a solution. 

….replaced by ‘outreach’ counters. Hundreds more outreach counters will be opened in libraries, churches and pubs to quell the fury over PO closures. Critics have condemned these so-called ‘Post Office Lite’ counters, saying that nothing can replace a proper local post office. However, Sir Simon Milton, chairman of the Local Government Association is quoted: ‘ It is a huge step in the right direction as for some time councils have been putting forward proposals to save some of their local branches. Many councils who have been trying to find innovative options have often been met with unhelpful stonewalling’. (This story appeared in  The Mail, Telegraph and The Mirror.)

I am unsure about future plans for the scheme of Post Offfice outreach facilities in the Mansfield area, but it is food for thought, isn’t it?

…the submission of the report of Select Commission 1, regarding the closure of Public Conveniences at St John Street in Mansfield. It remains to be seen whether the campaigning by local Pensioner Groups and the public consultation by SC1 will have any bearing on the decision; a lot of hard work has been put in by all SC1 members, but especially by the Chair, Councillor June Stendall, who has done a magnificent job in dealing with this call-in. It is thanks to June that I have learned a considerable amount about this procedure, during this 6 week review of the decision to close the toilets.

….children. Reports released today have shown that in excess of 35,ooo pints of beer have been confiscated from underage drinkers across England & Wales during a two-week campaign in February. Thirty-nine Police forces took part in the initiative, which was a response to the growing concerns about the ‘binge culture’ in Britain. In addition to the beer, there were over a thousand litres, of  each of the following: wine, spirits and alcopops.

Police and Community Support Officers acted on reports from the public, who are a vital link in this battle against under age drinking. Sadly, some of the youngsters, when questioned, said that they had got the booze from their parent - if true, this is a sad indictment of society today.  Our youngsters need us all to fight on their behalf to put an end to this loss of innocence and the attendant problems, fuelled by alcohol, such as teenage pregnancies, drug taking and aggression. Of course, not all youngsters fall into the alcohol trap, but for those that do, are you prepared to stand up and be counted, by reporting shops that sell to under age children?

 ….Navi Saheli, the Notts Asian Women’s Group of which I am an honorary member. Mrs Kamla Joashi is to retire from her long-term position as Chair of the group and has asked me to stand in as Interim Chair until the appointment of a permanent Chair. I have very little in the way of Hindi or Gujerati, but thankfully the lady members have good English and are so friendly that the prospect of chairing the meetings is far from daunting; indeed, I am looking forward to it. I have been unable to attend for the past two weeks on account of ill-health, but I went to the Luncheon Club today and was greeted with hugs from the members. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to stay and have lunch today, which was a shame, because the freshly cooked vegetarian food suits me down to the ground, being a veggie! I can definitely recommend it - at £2.50 it’s great value and very healthy. I joined the group after meeting Mr Joashi at the Holocaust Centre at Laxton in June of last year and when I met his wife, I just knew we would become firm friends.

I have so much respect for the group, which encourages integration and I look forward to cementing my friendship with the ladies who are my Navi Sahelis (New Friends)

…….give  shabby deal for soldiers.

Up to 66,000 armed forces personnel will be worse off from this week as a result of the abolition of the 10p income tax rate, according to research by the Liberal Democrats.
Members of the armed forces of private rank up to level 3, who have a starting salary of just £14,349, will be up to £90 a year worse off because of the change.
In total, up to a third of all armed forces personnel could find themselves paying more tax as a result of Gordon Brown’s tax changes.
Commenting, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Vince Cable said:

“This is a shabby deal from ministers who appear to care little about those who put their lives on the line for Britain.
“How can we be asking our hard-pressed personnel to pay more in tax when we pay them so little in the first place?
“This is a disgraceful way to reward our armed forces for the fighting they are doing in Afghanistan and Iraq at this Government’s behest.
“Once again Brown and Darling have shown that what they give with one hand they take away with the other.”

…..summer, 2008. This year there is to be a Children’s Carnival on Peafield Park and at the meeting today great strides were taken towards making this exciting project a reality. There are to be displays by the Fire Service, Army, Police horses and dog-training. We hope to have a dog show, model railways, animals from White Post Farm, Punch & Judy and oh, so many more attractions. There will be tents for dressing up, face painting, storyteller, a bouncy castle,  refreshments and  more.  The date we have settled on is Saturday, 23rd August. Keep an eye open for more details.

 LIBERAL Democrats in Mansfield are calling on the Government to protect pensioners from energy price rises. They have made the call after figures showed that recent increases in the cost of electricity and gas are set to wipe out pensioners’ winter fuel payment. Figures received by the Liberal Democrats from the House of Commons Library show that since 2004/5, and taking into account recently announced price rises:

For a typical pensioner household aged 65-74 with gas central heating, gas bills have gone up by £260pa and electricity by £160pa - a total of £420 

For a typical pensioner household aged over 75 gas bills are up £200pa and electricity bills up £150pa - a total of £350

The value of the Winter Fuel Payment per household for those aged 60-79 is £200, and £300 for those aged over 80

The £300 rate for the over 80s was introduced in the winter of 2003/04 and hasn’t risen since.

Elderly and disabled people are hardest hit by the fuel price hikes, which more than wipe out the value of the Winter Fuel Payment. This will leave many residents of Mansfield in a financially difficult position.

The Government must do far more to combat fuel poverty. The top priority must be to end the scandal where pensioners are paying a fortune to heat draughty houses where a lot of the heat is simply wasted. Many older people are currently paying to heat the great outdoors in addition to their own home. This is a waste of scarce cash and also makes no sense for the environment. In many other European countries with much colder weather, household energy bills are lower because homes are better insulated and heating is more energy-efficient.The Government needs to get its act together and make sure that our pensioners don’t have to make a choice between heating and eating on cold winter days.

…..that people who have chosen to live in sunny Spain (or elsewhere)  continue to receive Incapacity Benefit at a cost to the taxpayer of £1m per week? Since 1998 over 109,000 people have claimed IB while living abroad, according to new research revealed by the Liberal Democrats, at a cost to the taxpayer over the last 10 years of almost half a billion pounds.

Danny Alexander, LD spokeman on Works & Pensions said:

 ’It is issues such as this that leave  hard-working people feeling that the whole Benefits system is unjust. It completely goes against people’s sense of fairness that UK benefits are paid to those who move abroad and benefit from lower living costs at the expense of the taxpayer.’

These benefit claimants are immune from medical examinations, allegedly. What are your views on this?

 EDIT Jenny has posted a comment and I have to say she makes some valid points. There are indeed some people (and I number some amongst my nearest and dearest) who   genuinely, honestly merit the Incapacity Benefit payments that they receive. I don’t dispute that, but I am merely asking the question ‘Is it fair that some people…etc’. I did not intend to ‘tar all with the same brush’ and if this was how my post came over, then I shall have to watch my wording in future.

At the meeting on Wednesday night, it was decided to change the Constitution of Peafield Community Association  to allow four open meetings per year, rather than monthly as they are at the moment. This decision was taken to alleviate the workload of Committee members who also work hard on the two off-shoots of PCA -  the Friends of Peafield Park and Hornby Plantation and the Peafields Playscheme. It is always the same people that do all the work and if there is anyone out there who would be willing to give a couple of hours each month to help with these worthwhile initiatives, you would be welcomed with open arms. You can find the contact details in the panel to the left, under Community Groups.

I came to my position as District Councillor, by way of Peafield Community Association, having been secretary for almost 4 years and I can recommend volunteering in your community as a very fulfilling pastime. Please help if you can.

….that my Liberal Democrat colleague, Councillor Jill Usher, was fighting to keep Councillors’ allowances static for the rest of our term of office? 

I disagreed with her, feeling that our allowances should at least keep up with the rate of inflation.  In Council meetings we have the gift of freedom of speech and the ability to  air our views independently of each other. Regardless of the result of the debate, the mere fact that we are entitled to hold opinions contrary to the general consensus is one of the wonderful benefits of living in this Great country, unlike those people who live under oppressive regimes.  Aren’t we lucky?

How many in our district? I don’t think our roads are in too bad a state, but if you think otherwise, let me know. Nationwide, local councils spent £12million on handling claims for damage in 2007, compared to £52m on actually fixing holes in roads. Councils paid out £53m in compensation for damage caused by potholes and holes in roads.

The annual Asphalt Industry Alliance survey says there are 3.5million holes in the roads across England and Wales (now there’s a job I could do…counting potholes). About one million of these are naturally caused potholes, while 2.5million are the result of utility companies digging up roads. Why can’t they do a decent mend? Roads always seem to sink after a repair, so why not compensate for this by overfilling? Seems logical to me, but then I am no structural engineer!

………we all used to be responsible for cleaning the pavement in front of our properties? We all were proud to keep our frontages clean and I remember as a child, augmenting my pocket money by sweeping the pavement. Now though, we have to make our way through litter and dogs’ mess.

Would you believe that this morning I came across a whole boxful of latex ‘examination gloves’ strewn over a 10 sq. mt pleasant, green area of Leeming Ward. My immediate thought was: I’ll go home and call MDC Grimebusters to clear it up…..my next thought was: It’s ‘clean muck’- I’ll pick it up myself. So I went home, collected my litter-picker and picked them up, all bar 2 that had blown into a garden. It gave me a warm glow,  clearing that mess. If you want to enjoy that ‘warm glow’ please take care of your little patch of Leeming Ward.

April 3rd. I have been out and about in the ward and the amount of dog mess is appalling. I saw a gentleman on Litton Road who struggles to walk using two crutches and he picked up after his dog. He puts to shame those dog owners who ‘watch and walk’ as their dog fouls the pavement or grass verge.