…..Here is the test to find whether your mission on Earth is finished; if you are alive, it isn’t!

The new Area Partnership needs the input of the local community, so if you can be at Thursday’s meeting you will find it very rewarding. We meet at 6.30pm for tea/coffee and biscuits and the meeting proper begins at 7pm. I hope to see you there.

……….for Mansfield North and Mansfield Woodhouse is to be held on Thursday evening of this week (6.30 for 7.00)and I am hopeful that we shall have a good turnout for the inaugural meeting.

The Area Partnership takes the place of the previous Area Assembly and we elected Councillors are counting on more community involvement. There will be the opportunity to put in bids for funding to move on or start up new community ventures in the partnership’s district, which covers the wards, Leeming, Priory, Robin Hood and Sherwood.

The Steering Group had its first full meeting at which the full team were introduced, including members of the community, chosen by ballot from the nominees put forward by the community groups and organisations from the four wards.

This scheme is new to Mansfield and has been proven to work in other regions, so do please make the effort to attend. If you arrive early you can enjoy tea/coffee and biscuits.

….today’s Local Government Association carries a story about a less than conscientious Councillor.

‘A Conservative Councillor risks being sacked from Kennet District Council after attending only two meetings in 15 months.’

I am happy to tell you that since being elected in May 2007 I have attended 92% of my allotted meetings and in addition make every effort to attend all training sessions.

The whole idea of being a Councillor, in my view, is to attend meetings and do your best for your ward and the whole district. The financial rewards are not huge, but the feel good factor is massive.

If you have any issues that you wish me to address, please get in touch and I shall endeavour to help.

…there is to be a delay on account of a holdup by the Office of Fair Trading, concerning the Co-op’s take over of some Somerfield stores.

As a result, the Co-op will continue trading in Mansfield Woodhouse for the foreseeable future.

…for four weeks for re-furbishment by Morrisons, who have taken over the lease. The Co-op has been the vibrant hub of Mansfield Woodhouse for approximately 20 years and I shall be sorry to see its demise.

They have a huge customer base that walks to the store, many being without transport. How will they cope during this four week closure? I suppose many will take to travelling to ASDA by way of the free bus service, but equally many will use their local shops, so it’s not all bad news!

I wonder, will the free parking currently enjoyed by shoppers in Mansfield Woodhouse be continued or will Morrisons levy a charge to park in their car park? This car park is central to M/W and is used not only by Co-op shoppers but by visitors to other shops in the village. Will they lose custom? It’s a concern that must be addressed.

 A survey by the Liberal  Democrats has revealed that tens of thousands of council house tenants are paying their bills by credit cards. This practice goes to prove that tenants are struggling with their finances. They will pay monthly interest on these cards which makes a mockery of the low rents enjoyed by tenants, compared to privately rented homes. Surely paying by debit card would be a better option. Who advises tenants? The best advice is available at local Citizen Advice Bureaux, who can be found in almost every town

………..where there is no vision, the people perish.

Do you have the vision to change the present and as a consequence, the future? We Liberal democrats have vision and the desire to change the present and the future. If you are like-minded, then do join us.

It is really easy - just click on the link to the left of this column, or call me. You won’t regret it.

………..He has taken an executive decision to extend the recent car parking concession until March 29th. It will be free to park at Walkden Street and Four Seasons car parks from Monday to Saturday (max stay four hours) Parking at other car parks in town will revert to normal charges.

In addition, Mayor Egginton has announced a reduction of £5 in charges for market stall rental.

….Kensington and Chelsea borough Council are to give £50 rebate to every Councuil Tax payer, as they have managed to trim £5.4M from their budget.

Wouldn’t it be lovely……..will Mansfield be giving back rebates? We shall have to wait for the final budget to be announced, but in these tight times, I expect it is a pipe-dream.

…bankrupting people over non-payment of Council Tax. A story from the Local Government Association reports that numerous councils have filed for the bankruptcy of non-paying residents. I have checked the figures given on a parliamentary email I received today and Mansfield have not gone down this route in order to claim unpaid Council Tax. Mansfield have the interests of residents at heart.

Following quote from LGA

Thousands of vulnerable people are being made bankrupt as town halls increasingly resort to bringing bankruptcy proceedings against those who refuse to pay their council tax, show new figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats. Bailiffs were used in 1.2 million cases to recover council tax arrears last year, and 2.5 million households received courts summonses. Sir Jeremy Beecham is quoted: “People struggling to pay bills are given as much leeway as possible. Councils have a duty to all council taxpayers in their area. Were collection rates to dip, it would mean that council tax would have to rise for everyone simply because a few didn’t pay.”

….My quote for the week has been ‘resting’ but it’s high time to give a rebirth to the Sunday quotation…

…The man who never alters his opinion is like standing water and breeds reptiles of the mind.

Isn’t it time you altered your opinion and joined the Liberal Democrats? You can join by clicking on the link to the left of column or just pick up the phone and give me a call. I look forward to hearing from you.

……..when it makes little difference to their pocket?  Elderly pensioners in state run care homes are to be given a spending money increase of just 75p a week. This means that vulnerable elderly people will have less spending money than prisoners in jail. Any income they receive - normally a state or private pension - must be handed over to help fund their care. The spending allowance is the only part of their money a pensioner can keep. So no extra pampering treats or chocs.  I say again….why bother?

………Offenders face public vote on punishment
The public may be able to vote for what form of punishment is handed out to convicted criminals in their neighbourhood under plans being drawn up by ministers. The government is preparing a green paper which will look at giving the public a greater say in the handling of low level crimes such as disorderly conduct, possibly through local votes on punishments such as clearing graffiti.

(LGA website)

We are currently suffering from a spate of theft and burning of wheelie-bins and it would be interesting to hear what form of punishment would be considered appropriate to suit this crime! Burning at the stake, perhaps? Or burning in a wheelie-bin? Bit harsh? Maybe they could be made to scrape up the remains of the burned bins and re-shape them into paper cups or wheelie-bins……

….Local authorities are given a settlement by Central government, which helps to offset rises in authorities’ running costs. Of late the Labour government has taken to giving a less than generous allowance, which often results in higher Council Tax to cover the shortfall. The influx of immigrant workers has put rather a strain on resources; although they are keen to earn and work diligently to do so, local services such as schools and GPs, to name but two, struggle to meet the increased demand put upon them.

The following item is from the Local Government Association website: 

Council tax rise to exceed inflation
Council tax bills are likely to rise faster than inflation for the 12th year in a row, according to early estimates by the Local Government Association. The LGA said yesterday it would not be surprised by an average increase during 2009 of 3.5 per cent or over. This would be in excess of inflation.