Archive for March, 2010
Thursday, March 25th, 2010
After Alistair Darling finished his speech on Tuesday I spent some of the afternoon looking in detail at what he had said – and not said. The key thing I found was that this was a Budget empty of real ideas and full of political positioning. The Chancellor ducked dealing with the debt. He offered no serious plan to boost growth. He put off spending decisions until after the election, and concealed all his big tax rises in the small print. The government is not being straight with people. We need a fresh team with energy and determination to tackle the problems we face and be honest with voters. In about 40 days or so, we will all have a chance to choose that new team.
Thursday, March 25th, 2010
I would like to inform Mercury readers in Hints, Swinfen, Weeford and Canwell that I support Lichfield MP Michael Fabricant’s principled opposition to the present government’s proposed high speed rail route, revealed in last week’s paper. Their plan will drive straight through important local green spaces and cause major disruption to the lives of local residents. It is environmentally and socially unacceptable. And given that the high speed trains will not stop at Lichfield, there seems little economic benefit either to our local community. Indeed the plan may blight the value of many homes.
I am sure that a high speed link will be good for the country but this route is not good for our local community and along with Michael Fabricant I will not support it. We must lobby the Department for Transport for alternative routes and organise our opposition at the Planning Inquiry whenever it is convened.
Christopher Pincher
Parliamentary Spokesman, Hints, Swinfen & Tamworth
Monday, March 15th, 2010
Christopher Pincher says united front needed to ensure railway plans do not damage local communities
Following the announcement of government plans to build a high speed rail link between London and Birmingham, Shenstone, Stonnall and Elford’s Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman Christopher Pincher, said:
“Whilst the High Speed Link will clearly be good for the country, we must be careful to ensure it causes as little disruption to local communities as possible. Though the second phase of the project which will take the link north of Birmingham has yet to be scheduled, I will submit detailed questions to the Department for Transport so we discover as much as possible as soon as possible.”
The Department’s proposals state:
To the east of Birmingham, the line would cross the M6 south of Coleshill. The line would curve to avoid the village of Whitacre Heath, Shustoke Reservoirs and the SSSI of Whitacre Heath Nature Reserve, with speeds restricted to 300kph. The route would rejoin the WCML north west of Tamworth, avoiding the settlements of Middleton, Bangley and Mile Oak, as well as Drayton Manor Park and Hopwas Hays Wood.
Mr. Pincher continued: “However, there is no mention of any affect on Hints, Weeford or Swinfen nor Combeford. These communities have already had to deal with threats of more quarrying so the last thing they need is more uncertainty. The government needs to be clear what its plans mean for our community.”
“I agree with Michael Fabricant, MP for Lichfield, that we need to mount a united front to ensure that the least detrimental alternative is proposed to the Planning Enquiry whenever it is convened. Though the construction of the line is the best part of a decade away, we should begin the campaign soon.”
