Christopher Pincher Questions Minister on Wind Farm Planning Applications

Yesterday in Parliament Christopher Pincher, MP for Tamworth, questioned the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the rights of the community in respect of planning applications for wind farms.

Mr. Pincher asked, “What steps he is taking to promote the take-up of the new community rights in the Localism Act 2011.”

The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Don Foster MP, said, “Community rights are being promoted through local, national, social and consumer media, ministerial visits, conferences, workshops, and external partners such as Locality, the Campaign for Real Ale and Supporters Direct.”

Christopher Pincher responded, “Will the Minister impress on local authorities the importance of their using their new powers and rights to resist unwanted wind farm developments such as the one at Relay Park and that in Kingsbury in North Warwickshire, which will tower over homes in Tamworth and cause property blight?”

Mr Foster replied, “As my hon. Friend knows, the Government recently announced that they will issue new planning policy guidance stating that the need for renewable energy does not automatically override environmental protections and the planning concerns of local communities.  We intend to make pre-application consultations with local communities compulsory for more significant wind applications.”

Prime Minister Supports Vote on In-Out Europe Referendum

Tomorrow, the Conservative Party will vote to give the British people their say on Europe and the Prime Minister is supporting the Private Members Bill.

Mr Cameron said, “As I made clear in my speech on Europe earlier this year, we want an In-Out referendum by the end of 2017.  And tomorrow Conservative MP James Wharton will propose a Bill that would write this commitment into law.

“The European Union (Referendum) Bill has my full support – and it has support from across the Parliamentary Party: Ministers and backbenchers; Conservatives of all views.  We are united behind it and together we will vote for it.

“The political picture here is a simple one.  Conservatives want to give people a choice on Europe.  Labour don’t, they’re refusing to back our Bill.  For decades, politicians have denied the British people a voice on Europe.  Tomorrow the Conservative Party will fight to give them one.  And let us all be proud of that.”

The vote will take place in Parliament after the reading and debate of the Bill.

Fazeley Councillor Slams “Sloppy and Heavy Handed” Car Parking Firm

The car park management firm appointed to run the car park at Sir Robert Peel Hospital has been described as “sloppy and heavy handed” by Fazeley District Councillor Doug Pullen.

Cllr Pullen said, “I have received numerous complaints about the heavy handed approach of ParkingEye Ltd.

“A severely disabled resident, who does not wish to be named, was slapped with a £70 charge for overstaying by 2 minutes, despite the fact that the disabled bays were cordoned off by contractors for re-painting.  I intervened on the resident’s behalf and successfully had the ticket cancelled, but ParkingEye made it clear this was a one off and were certainly not apologetic.”

Some confusion arises as the signs state that visitors have 20 minutes free parking.  Another sign states that additional time can be bought, starting at 80p for 0-30 minutes.  That could leave some visitors thinking they have 50 minutes in total for 80p, which is not the case.

The firm hides behind a PO Box Address and only publish a phone number for an automated message service, making it extremely difficult to challenge a parking ticket.

Whilst their website does not publish a telephone number to reach an actual human being, ParkingEye use it to name and shame those people who have been issued Parking Charge Notices.  By deploying these sloppy and heavy-handed practices, ParkingEye Ltd are raking in fees from across the country, posting a £4.5 million pound profit last year.

Cllr Pullen added, “If you are having problems and wish to challenge a parking ticket, I would recommend calling ParkingEye on 01772 450 970 or e-mail them directly at parking@parkingeye.co.uk.”

Christopher Pincher MP and councillors from across Tamworth and Lichfield are fighting against these charges.  To add your voice, please contact either Cllr Doug Pullen at Doug.Pullen@lichfielddc.gov.uk or Christopher Pincher MP at Christopher.Pincher.Mp@parliament.uk.

Christopher Pincher Votes against HS2 Paving Bill

Last week in Parliament Tamworth’s MP, Christopher Pincher, chose to vote against his own party line and against the HS2 Paving Bill when it was debated in the House of Commons.

The Paving Bill is designed to provide funds for the continuing development of HS2 as well as money for continued mitigation work and compensation for those affected.  It was the first time since the announcement of the plans in 2010 that the issue has been voted on in Parliament.  However, Mr Pincher felt that, in the absence of a Property Bond proposal to underwrite the pre-blight value of homes and restore confidence to the property market as well as better mitigation measures for Hints, Weeford and Drayton Bassett, he could not support the Bill.

Mr Pincher said, “I feel I must put my constituents first.  I understand that some feel the HS2 project is in the national interest but the concerned voices of those whose homes and communities are blighted, right now, by the proposals need to be heard.”

Mr Pincher was one of just 27 MPs who voted against the Bill, which took place on Wednesday 26th June.  An overwhelming majority of 330, from across the political spectrum, voted in favour.

Mr Pincher concluded, “With Labour, Lib Dem, Scottish Nationalist as well as Conservative MPs in favour of this project it seems clear that, in some shape or form, it is going to go ahead.  It is therefore important that we fight for the best possible mitigation for those villages affected and the best compensation package for people whose homes are blighted.

“And we must continue to fight Labour’s threat to move the planned marshalling yard out of Birmingham and drop it slap bang in the countryside near Middleton and Drayton Bassett.”

Poll Finds Voters Back George Osborne’s Welfare Crackdown

The welfare crackdown unveiled by George Osborne last week has won strong backing from voters in a new opinion poll.

The ICM survey for The Sunday Telegraph also shows that the public backs the Chancellor’s plans to leave the state pension out of an overall “cap” on welfare payments.  The findings come as Ministers prepare to announce measures this week to stop foreigners abusing free NHS treatment and curbs on rogue landlords who rent properties to illegal immigrants.

The poll, in which ICM Research interviewed a sample of 2,006 adults aged 18+ online on 26-28th June 2013, gives the Conservatives a boost because of the support for measures outlined by Mr Osborne in the Spending Review, last week.

David Cameron and Mr Osborne are viewed as the best team to manage the economy by 30 per cent of voters, comfortably ahead of Ed Miliband and Ed Balls on 23 per cent.  George Osborne wins the support of nearly two thirds of voters, 64 per cent, for his plan for an overall cap on benefits spending which would exclude the state pension.  Just 23 per cent say the cap should include the state pension, a move floated by the Labour Party.

A range of welfare measures announced by Mr Osborne last week wins high levels of support, with 87 per cent backing the cutting of benefits for jobless immigrants who refuse to take English lessons.

Conservative Party Co-Chairman, Grant Shapps MP, said, “This shows that the public overwhelmingly back the Conservative idea that people who want to work hard and get on in life should be given every opportunity.”

Proposal for Regiment Mascot to Get Freedom of the Borough Receives Support

The proposal from Cllr Robert Pritchard, Deputy Leader of Conservative controlled Tamworth Borough Council, to honour LCpl Watchman V (and his successors) with the “Freedom of the Borough of Tamworth” has received support from both local residents and the Mercian Regiment.

Two letters have been published in the latest edition of the Tamworth Herald praising the proposal and Brigadier Andrew P Williams OBE, Colonel of the Mercian Regiment, has sent his support to Cllr Pritchard.

Brigadier Williams said, “As Colonel of the Mercian Regiment I’m delighted that Tamworth has chosen to honour Watchman in this way.  Watchman and his predecessors were mascots to the Staffordshire Regiment for very many years, a relationship now surviving with the Regimental Association.

“He is in so many ways a vivid example of the close links that we have with the county, and of course with the Borough of Tamworth in particular.  The Mercian Regiment places great emphasis on its sense of family and on its links with the community from which it recruits, and this Freedom is a great honour for not only Watchman but the wider regimental family as well.”

In his letter to the Herald, Tamworth resident and former member of the North Staffs regiment, Chippy Lees, said, “Giving Watchman the Freedom of the Borough of Tamworth is a truly wonderful idea.”

A second letter from an unnamed resident also praised the proposal, the resident wrote, “Watchman is an important tradition of our county’s regiment that we need to protect.  This is a fantastic gesture on behalf of Tamworth Borough Council and I can see no reason why anyone should oppose it.”

Cllr Pritchard added, “I am really please with the support, it is a very very positive response to our proposal.”

Conservative Minister Bans Jargon in Education Department

Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Education, has ordered his civil servants to write in language their mums would understand in a drive to banish jargon from his department.

Mr Gove, known for his love of plain English, has written to civil servants with new “golden rules” to make their letters more comprehensible.  To get them writing “concise, polite and precise” correspondence, he suggested they should consider whether their mum, or his own, would understand each sentence.

The ten guidelines advised officials to read their letters aloud, cut out excessive adjectives and take inspiration from clear writers like George Orwell.  However, Mr Gove also wrote a longer guide containing his philosophy on the art of letter writing, starting with the claim that “concision is in itself a form of politeness.”

In this note, he gave several examples of where officials might have been going wrong, including the use of “inflated political rhetoric” or giving “general formulaic replies.”  Ordering them to “cut out unnecessary words”, he said: “Rather than writing “the policy that we are introducing is intended to drive a change in behaviours on the part of teachers with respect to the poorest and most disadvantaged children and young people” say “the policy will change how teachers behave towards poorer students”.

Mr Gove, a former journalist, who studied English at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University, said officials should introduce one idea per paragraph, use a sympathetic tone and make sure they spell the recipient’s name correctly.

He also cautioned against sounding self-important in a letter.  He wrote, “It does not require a writing style modelled on Leonard Sachs from The Good Old Days or Sir Humphrey in Yes, Minister.  Using inflated political rhetoric of the “first may I say how much I care about X” is not polite.  It is a time-wasting exercise in self-regarding pomposity.  So don’t even go there.  Instead use direct, clear and vigorous language.”

In the guidelines, he suggested officials should read “the greats”, including George Orwell, Jane Austen, George Eliot and Evelyn Waugh.  He also gave two more modern examples of clear prose writers: The Times write and former MP Matthew Parris and journalist Christopher Hitchens.

The senior Tory’s intervention comes after several attempts by Government ministers to improve the writing of their staff.  When she was the Transport Secretary, Justine Greening sent employees in her department a five-page essay on grammar in 2011.

Owen Paterson, the Environment Secretary, also drew up guidelines on how officials should use clauses and semi-colons after taking on the job last year.

Mr Gove’s guidelines suggest bureaucrats should:

1. If in doubt, cut it out
2. Read it out loud – if it sounds wrong, don’t send it
3. In letters, adjectives add little, adverbs even less
4. The more the letter reads like a political speech the less good it is as a letter
5.  Would your mum understand that word, phrase, or sentence?  Would mine?
6. Read the great writers to improve your own prose – George Orwell and Evelyn Waugh, Jane Austen and George Eliot, Matthew Parris and Christopher Hitchens
7. Always use concrete words and phrases in preference to abstractions
8. Gwynne’s Grammar is a brief guide to the best writing style
9. Simon Heffer’s Strictly English is a more comprehensive – and very entertaining – companion volume
10. Our written work should be the clearest, most elegant, and most enjoyable to read of any Whitehall department’s because the Department for Education has the best civil servants in Whitehall

Government to Unveil Crackdown on NHS ‘Health Tourists’

Doctors will have to check patients are not foreign “health tourists” under new plans due to be unveiled this week by the Conservative controlled coalition Government.

Secretary of State For Health, Jeremy Hunt MP, will call a halt to foreign patients wrongly getting free care, after putting the cost of the problem at up to £200 million a year.

Under the plans, doctors will be able to track a patient’s immigration status from the NHS number.  Ministers will also consider ways to make non-resident foreigners pay for GP care, either with their own money or by claiming back the money from other governments.

The Coalition is pushing ahead with the reforms, after David Cameron promised earlier this year to put a stop to foreigners “abusing” the NHS.

The Prime Minister said, “No one expects health workers to become immigration guards and we want to work alongside doctors to bring about improvements, but I’m clear we must all work together to protect the NHS from costly abuse.

“We want a system that is fair for the British taxpayer by ensuring that foreign nationals pay for their NHS treatment.  By looking at the scale of the problem and at where and how improvements can be made we will help ensure the NHS remains sustainable for many years to come.”

Government to Publish Plans for Marriage Tax Breaks Shortly

David Cameron has said the Government will bring forward proposals for a transferable tax allowance for married couples and civil partners “shortly.”

Mr Cameron has been under pressure to honour a pledge to introduce tax breaks made in his 2010 election manifesto.  Under plans being considered, wives and husbands who do not work and pay no income tax would be able to transfer part of their annual tax-free allowance to their spouse if their partner earns less than the higher rate of tax, which currently kicks in for people earning £41,451 or more.

In 2010, the Conservative Party said it would make four million married couples and civil partners £150 a year better off.

No detail is yet clear about the amount of transferable allowance proposed now, but it would only apply to basic rate taxpayers and may not be in force before the next election.  It is understood that the proposals could be unveiled to Parliament at the time of the Autumn Statement, around the end of November.

The 2010 Conservative Party election manifesto said recognising marriage and civil partnerships in the tax system would “send an important signal that we value couples and the commitment that people make when they get married.”

More Garage Sites to be Developed for Rented Homes by Conservative Council

Up to 45 new rented homes could be developed on disused garage sites across Tamworth, in the second phase of an ambitious project to create much-needed affordable housing in the borough.

Earlier this year, Conservative controlled Tamworth Borough Council approved plans to build 20 affordable rented homes on former garage sites in Leyfields, in partnership with Bromford Housing Group.  Another 19 are set to go before the planning committee later this summer.

Now, further sites in Gillway, Kettlebrook, Wilnecote and Glascote have been identified for the development of up to 45 affordable rented homes, this time in partnership with Waterloo Housing Association.

The latest plan is the second phase of a Tamworth Borough Council project to develop 26 underused garage sites across the borough.  In total, this is expected to provide up to 90 new affordable rented homes.

Cllr Michael Greatorex, Cabinet member for Public Housing & Vulnerable People, said, “The redevelopment of these under-used garage sites will allow us, working together with Waterloo Housing Association, to increase the supply of much-needed affordable rented housing in Tamworth.

“The demolition of the underused garages and building of new homes will also have a positive effect on the local environment, as well as freeing up resources to invest in the remaining garage sites across the borough and bringing more investment into Tamworth.”

As of May this year, there were 2,062 people on the Housing Register in Tamworth, while in the year 2012/2013; Tamworth Borough Council was able to make 303 allocations to rented homes from either the local authority of registered providers.

Further demand for the limited supply of affordable rented homes is likely to arise as a result of Welfare Benefit Reform, with an additional 139 households affected by the reforms seeking to move to smaller accommodation.