Christopher Pincher Praises Street Scene

Last night in Parliament, Tamworth’s MP, Christopher Pincher, praised the work of Conservative controlled Tamworth Borough Council’s Street Scene team during the Littering and Fly-Tipping debate.

Mr Pincher said, “I am grateful to the Minister for sweeping me up in his remarks.  He rightly says that public attitudes need to be changed.

“Does he agree that the flexible attitude of some councils to supporting volunteers is to be commended?  In my Tamworth constituency, Street scene, the street cleaners, offer volunteers bags, litter pickers and gloves, and come back at the end of the litter-picking exercise to take the bags away.  Is not that sort of positive flexibility to be commended?”

Richard Benyon (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) replied, “It certainly is.  I commend those sorts of schemes, which I have seen happening elsewhere.  There is also good partnership working to be had between parish councils, town councils and higher tiers of local authorities where equipment can be shared and know-how and guidance can be supplied to volunteer groups and communities that wish to carry out their own spring-cleans.  This is clearly to be welcomed.”

Tamworth’s Street Scene team can be contacted on 01827 709709 or by email @ streetscene@tamworth.gov.uk.

Stonnall Scoops £20,000 Government Funding

Minister for Decentralisation Rt.Hon. Greg Clark MP (centre) receives the Stonnall Draft Strategy from Cllr David Smith (right) and local MP Chris Pincher

Cllr David Smith and the residents of Stonnall are celebrating winning £20,000 of Government funding to be spent on developing the current local plan for Stonnall.

In June 2011, a public meeting in Stonnall was attended by over 100 residents.  10 challenges were set and from this formed a working group of 16.  In January of this year, the group reported back through the village newsletter explaining the strategy, which was subsequently endorsed by 90 residents who turned out to a further meeting.

Cllr David Smith said, “Of the 10 challenges, some are short-term early wins, some will take time and others will run for 10 years.  An easy win is to create a tree lined Jubilee Walk for which we now have sponsorship.  The challenge to address the shortage of trees by setting a target to plant a tree for every resident is progressing well.

“Our “Neighbourhood Watch” team successfully introduced a joint scheme with the police to make the village one of the first to be protected by “Smartwater” the invisible liquid that identifies house contents.  Support was also unanimous for our carbon reduction plan and we are looking to reduce energy bills with new insulation and solar panels at the Village Hall and also to reduce energy consumption at our second hall and the Church.

“Longer term, we are exploring a new concept for how we can reverse the decline in village shops.  Our transport and highway strategy to improve bus services and reduce rat running through the village will take time.”

Cllr Smith continued, “We put to residents the District Council’s Needs Analysis that identifies the shortage of affordable homes and sheltered accommodation and there was unanimous agreement that we should look for suitable sites within the village curtilage.  At Greg Clark’s suggestion, we successfully submitted a bid for assistance with funding under the Wave 5 of the neighbourhood planning front-runners opportunity and have and have been awarded £20,000.”

The spirit of the Act calls for local members of the planning authority to become community leaders on planning issues and the need to avoid a community plan just being placed on the shelf not to re-emerge.  The impact of the Localism Act and the power that passes to local members has not yet been fully realised and there must be recognition that to deliver the Bill there will need to be a redistribution of power within the Leader and Cabinet structure that frees up Councils to deliver services in a better way.

After all, this power is in the Act and it is up to all members to use it or lose it.

Mayor of Tamworth – 2012/13

The annual meeting of Tamworth Borough Council took place last night, Tuesday 15 May, in Tamworth’s Town Hall.

A packed room saw Conservative Cllr Tina Clements voted unanimously in as Mayor of Tamworth for 2012/13.  Former Mayor Cllr John Garner was elected Deputy Mayor and Cllr Danny Cook was re-elected as Leader of the Borough Council.

Cllr Clements was proposed by her friend and colleague Cllr Allan Lunn and was seconded by Labour Party Cllr Simon Peaple.  After the result was declared and Cllr Clements had changed into the Mayoral robes, she thanked all councillors for their backing.

Outgoing Mayor, Cllr Jeremy Oates, then gave a short speech wishing Tina well for her coming year and he thanked the officers of the Borough Council for their continued support to him during his year of office.

He also paid tribute to Ron Cook and Gerry Pinner, who both stood down from Tamworth Borough Council at the recent election, for their help and guidance throughout his 12 years on the Borough Council.

Youngest Mayor is a Conservative

The Mayor of Fazeley – Cllr Rebecca James

On Monday, 14 May, Conservative controlled Fazeley Town Council voted 21 year old Cllr Rebecca James in as Mayor for the coming year.

Rebecca is the youngest person to be the First Citizen of Fazeley and, at 21, it is believed that she is the youngest ever Mayor in the UK.

Rebecca has been an active member of the Conservative Party since she joined on her 16th birthday in 2006 and just 3 months after her 18th birthday she was co-opted on Fazeley Town Council in January 2009.

Rebecca became Deputy Mayor of Fazeley last year and she now joins her father Cllr Andrew James (2009-2011) in the list of Fazeley Mayors.

At Monday’s meeting Rebecca paid tribute to the Town’s outgoing Mayor and she thanked all councillors for their support in voting for her.

She said, “I would like to thank everyone for their support and also to thank the outgoing Mayor for his excellent term in office and I hope I can do Fazeley proud in my term of office.”

Also at the meeting, Cllr Simon Clements was voted as the Deputy Mayor for the coming year and Cllr Andrew James was re-elected as Leader of the Town Council.

Conservative’s Keep Control of Tamworth Borough Council

The 2012 Tamworth Borough Council election proved to be both a disappointing and successful day for the Conservative Party.

The Party went in defending nine of the ten seats (Amington, Belgrave, Castle, Glascote, Mercian, Spital, Stonydelph, Trinity and Wilnecote); unfortunately results did not go as planned and only four seats remained Conservative (Amington, Mercian, Spital, and Trinity).

The feedback from the various canvass and delivery sessions had looked to be very positive and  there was no criticism at all of the Conservative run Tamworth Borough Council.  Cllr Evelyn Rowe held her seat in Amington, Cllr Danny Cook won Trinity, Cllr Robert Pritchard won Spital and first time Conservative Party candidate Richard Kingstone won Mercian.

Despite losing 5 seats on the night, the Conservative Party had the last laugh.  When the last result was declared by the returning officer, the Conservative Party retained control of the Borough Council with a majority of six councillors.k

Click here to see the full results

Tamworth Conservatives 2012 Election Pledges – Vote Conservative Today

Today, Thursday 3rd May, you will be electing your new Tamworth Borough Councillor. They will represent you on Tamworth Borough Council.

We wanted to let you know what your local Conservative candidates are standing for and what they want to do for you.

Our manifesto provides a range of positive pledges, they are –

No cuts to front line services
CONSERVATIVE COUNCILLORS WILL FREEZE COUNCIL TAX AGAIN
£2.4m Redevelopment of Tamworth Assembly Rooms
Push for further outdoor events supporting our communities
Action at Ventura – second exit at Argos & right turn at Fazeley Road/River Drive
Promote usage of empty properties in our town centre
Further measures to tackle the issue of dog mess on our streets and parks
Further develop and grow Tamworth’s town centre markets
Tackle parking problems outside local schools
Work with the County Council to provide extra care to our senior citizens
Invest £750,000 to provide disabled adaptions to disabled residents
Investment in CCTV and further measures to prevent ASB in our communities
Create a heritage trail and ensure the Staffordshire Hoard comes to the town again
Campaign to further clean up litter from the A5

We believe these build on a list of local achievements and previous pledges we have fulfilled already, they include –

£1m investment in Tamworth Castle
Returned weekly food waste collections and ended Labour’s “Blue Box” scheme
Returned our outdoor events to the Castle Grounds
Launched “Tamworth in Bloom”, returning the colour to Tamworth
Conservative Councillors have frozen your council tax for 3 years running
Rebuilt play areas across Tamworth
Free Parking in the town centre at Christmas
Supported local groups with much needed funding
Reopened a bigger better tourist information office (TIC)
New BMX track for local children
Not cut any front line services
Delivered regular newsletters to you – so you know who your Conservative councilors are

We hope you can support us in the local council elections on Thursday May 3rd. We pledge to work hard for you on the local issues that matter.

15 Hours to Save Tamworth’s Outdoor Events

On Thursday 3 May, polling stations around Tamworth will open at 7am and close at 10pm (15 hours) and you and every other voter have a simple choice, if you want to see the outdoor events currently in place in Tamworth continue next year – Vote Conservative!

Conservative controlled Tamworth Borough Council is organising several outdoor events in 2012 and only a vote for YOUR Conservative Party candidate will guarantee these events continue next year.

The events programme for 2012, which is sponsored by Ankerside, includes:

• Sport Relief – Sunday March 25
• St George’s Day Event – Saturday April 21
• Queen’s Diamond Jubilee weekend – Saturday June 2 to Tuesday June 5
• Olympic Event – Saturday June 30
• Gate Gallop – Sunday July 1
• Children’s Festival – Wednesday July 25 to Sunday August 5
• Bandstand Concerts – Every weekend from July to September
• Tamworth Royal Pageant to select Tamworth’s Royal Family for 2012 – Saturday August 4
• Heritage Weekend Event, incorporating the Saxon Festival which was such a hit last year – Saturday September 1 and Sunday September 2
• Stars & Stripes – Saturday September 15
• Fireworks – Saturday November 3
• Christmas Lights Switch-On – Saturday November 17

If YOU want these events to continue in 2013

VOTE CONSERVATIVE on 3 May 2012!

Christopher Pincher Backs “Big Lunch” in Tamworth

Tamworth MP, Christopher Pincher, has given his backing to the “Big Jubilee Lunch” campaign to get local people to join together to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in the spirit of neighbourliness.

The Big Jubilee Lunch was launched at Westminster this week by England rugby legend Phil Vickery who was capped 73 times for his country in a playing career of over fifteen years.  Mr. Vickery said he was proud of his country, proud to be part of the Jubilee celebrations and proud too to be part of an effort to encourage neighbours to get to know one another.

As announced by Buckingham Palace, The Big Lunch will be part of the main programme of events over the Diamond Jubilee weekend in June.  Holding a Big Jubilee Lunch is a great way to bring neighbours together for an afternoon of food, friendship and fun and a record number of people are expected to take to the streets on Sunday 3rd June.

In 1977, some 10million people came out to street parties to celebrate the Silver Jubilee and organisers expect the same level of excitement in 2012.

Mr. Pincher said, “The Big Jubilee Lunch is an excellent initiative that I hope will be supported by the council, churches and charities.  I encourage local residents and local groups to get involved and organise community lunches.  It is a great way to make contact with your neighbours and check up on frail and vulnerable people that they are OK and also involved in the party.

“In the past people have been concerned about all the bureaucracy of holding street parties and some local authorities have been confused about the rules.  That is why I have asked Transport Minister Mike Penning to write to all councils explaining how to close a road for a street party and to ensure everything is made simple.  He has agreed to contact all councils as soon as possible.”

Actress Barbara Windsor, a Big Lunch Ambassador, said, “It is an absolute pleasure to champion The Big Jubilee Lunch.  To once again see communities and neighbours work together to create such special occasions is heart warming and just what we need.  I am so excited to be involved in what promises to be an exciting and historic year.”

For more information about The Big Lunch and how local residents can get involved call for a pack on 0845 850 8181, email info@thebiglunch.com or visit the website www.thebiglunch.com.

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Christopher Pincher Calls on Ministers for Wind Farm Rule Changes

Christopher Pincher MP has this week personally submitted letters from over 100 Clifton Campville residents calling for a rethink on the rules around wind farm development.

The call comes in the wake of a decision by German developer Pro Wind to re-apply to build two turbines on land near the historic village.

Residents have long campaigned against the proposals and last year Pro Wind withdrew its application to build four turbines in the area.  But now they have returned with an application to erect two turbines, both over 100 meters tall.  Other local authorities in North Warwickshire, South Derbyshire and North West Leicestershire are also facing applications for wind farm development.

The letter is signed by 157 residents to Dr Greg Clarke MP, the Planning Minister, at the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Mr. Pincher commented, “Local residents are concerned about proposals for wind farms in our local communities.  I along with local residents have been clear in opposing these proposals.  They are not only damaging to our environment but they are also uneconomical and produce hardly any power.

“These letters ask the Minister to take into consideration villagers’ concerns and award them more power so they have more say in what is built in their local communities.  That is the spirit of localism.

“I am pleased to learn from a letter I received from the Minister that the planning regulation has been strengthened.  He stated that the: “The Framework also makes clear our unswerving commitment to conserving the countryside, whether or not it is nationally designated, and promotes the redevelopment of previously developed ‘Brownfield’ land”

“I welcome this commitment and I encourage local planners to take this into account.”

Recently in an article in the Sunday Times the Energy Minister, Greg Barker, suggested that the government’s energy policy will shift the balance away from wind farms to other sources of energy: “Far from wanting thousands more, actually for most of the wind we need… they are either being built, being developed or in planning.  The notion that there’s some new wave of wind [farms] is somewhat exaggerated.

“There have been some installations in insensitive or unsuitable locations – too close to houses, or in an area of national beauty.”

Mr Pincher concluded, “I am pleased the Government is taking into account the economics of wind farms and is looking to redress the balance in favour of energy sources which are clean, predictable and do not scar the countryside.  If we are over-reliant on wind farms, we may not have enough energy when the wind fails to blow – so it is exactly right to consider other sources of power.

“I shall be bringing the Energy Minister’s comments to the attention of Lichfield District Council – and Pro Wind.”

County Councillor Bids Farewell to Popular Head Teacher

Head Teacher Jon Baker & County Councillor Matthew Ellis

County Councillor Matthew Ellis helped a village primary school near Tamworth say a fond farewell to its head teacher last week.

A special leaving assembly was held for Jon Baker who has been at Thomas Barnes in Hopwas since 2007.  He has now taken up a new position as head teacher in Wilnecote.

Matthew Ellis, the area’s County Councillor, was invited to speak at Mr Baker’s leaving ceremony, which took place at St Chad’s Church in the village.

Commenting on the event he said, “Jon has been a tremendous head teacher for Thomas Barnes.  He joined when the school was struggling and leaves it five years later in an excellent position.

“The leaving assembly was a real joy but also had plenty of tears from the children who clearly thought the world of Mr Baker.  Special songs and special memories were performed by youngsters as young as five years old and it was a genuine celebration of his time there.

“It really was super and Jon can be very proud of his time there.  The new school are exceptionally fortunate to have such an excellent and passionate man at the helm.  I wish him the best of luck.”