Derek Deedman

Nick was responding to David Cameron’s speech on the economy yesterday, in which he announced plans to scrap taxes paid by basic rate taxpayers’ on savings interest and raise the level of non-taxable income for pensioners by £2,000 a year, and to Gordon Brown’s interview on Sunday, in which he spoke about government plans to bring forward £10bn of spending on public works, digital technology and environmental projects, claiming the programme would create 100,000 jobs.

Nick said that, to be taken seriously, David Cameron would have to identify what cuts he would make in public spending to fund his proposed tax cuts.

First we have an expensive VAT cut that doesn’t help people and now the Prime Minister announces he will create 100,000 jobs without any idea of how.

David Cameron is now offering his own fake giveaway. Cutting savings tax will mean someone saving £100 will only get an extra 40p a year.

As Nick has said, “If David Cameron is going to be taken seriously he has to identify what cuts he will make. How many fewer police officers will there be on the street and who will have a smaller pension?

“The Liberal Democrats are the only party with a detailed plan on how to put Britain on a green road out of recession. We have set out how we would make big, permanent and fair tax cuts, giving £1,000 in income tax cuts to families on average incomes.”

Green Road out of Recession

Before Christmas, Nick Clegg set out Liberal Democrat plans to put Britain on a Green Road out of the Recession, creating jobs and leaving a legacy that will save energy, put money back into people’s pockets and fight climate change.

The plans will cost £12.5bn, which would be paid for by scrapping the VAT cut. The vast majority of that money will be spent immediately, making a real impact on the economy and people’s lives right away.

The Green Road out of the Recession proposals to create jobs include:

· A five-year programme to insulate every school and hospital, with 20% completed in the first year
· Funding insulation and energy efficiency for a million homes, with a £1,000 subsidy for a million more
· Building 40,000 extra zero-carbon social houses
· Buying 700 new train carriages
· Reopening old railway lines and stations, opening new ones, electrifying the Great Western and Midland mainlines and beginning the Liverpool light rail network
· Installing energy and money saving smart meters in every home within five years 

Download the plan: http://www.libdems.org.uk/assets/0001/0042/GreenRoadOutofRecession.pdf

Only the Liberal Democrats have the man (Vince Cable) to do the Chancellor of the Exchequer job, and the policies to really tackle the recession.  

Young people have asked for a Youth Club to be provided on Sundays – but according to a report to the Local Action Team meeting in November, although it has been provided young people have not used it.

This is a very sad situation as facilities and resources were made available and a grant was made by the Chanctonbury County Local Committee towards funding the equipment.

Youth Leader, Julie Chapman, is now trying to set up a locality youth committee with representatives from the local community which would meet once per term. Julie would like potential members to nominate themselves this month. Such a Committee would be better able to advise/organise on what youth facilities are needed in the Bramber, Steyning and Upper Beeding area. Can you help? Let Julie know at the Cuthman Centre (01903 815515).

In fact this seems to be getting worse. It is very noticeable on my regular walks in the area that many dogs have been allowed by their anti-social owners to foul the pavements in our area.

This matter was raised at the Local Action Team (LAT) meeting in November, when it was mentioned that the Horsham District Council Street Scene Team were doing early morning patrols in the area, speaking to dog walkers and providing bags. I was unable to attend the November meeting as I was at another meeting, but clearly the resources being allocated to resolve the current level of dog fouling is completely inadequate.

I will raise this matter again at the next LAT meeting; please let me know if your pavement is being fouled.

According to an article in the Times the Tories nationally are planning a shake-up of local government, with clusters of councils merging their frontline services and chief executives on the highest pay losing their jobs. Many chief executive posts could disappear, with the remainder running larger ‘economic areas’ covering several council areas that would take over extra responsibilities, such as Primary Care Trusts.

But the Tories locally in West Sussex could do this now! They control the County Council and all the district/borough councils in the County, and so they should be working on merging both frontline and backroom functions of all the councils, with the tremendous savings that would bring.

As a member of the County Fundamental Services Review Task Force I am continually making the point that the County Council should be working with all the districts/boroughs to bring about these organisational savings. But up to now they are not interested – it seems that Tory County/District/Borough Councillors are more concerned about retaining their own power bases than bringing their organisations together to improve services and at the same time considerably reduce the cost of Council Tax to local people.  

Following a further complaint from me before Christmas to the Local Highway Manager about the mud on this path where it goes in front of the field access beside the Rising Sun Public House, he has arranged for highways staff to chase the resolution of the problem.

The Local Highway Manager agrees that the mud on the path is pretty grim. He has said that if the culprit cannot be traced to get them to clean it up, and keep it clear, the Highway Contractor will be requested to do it as a matter of urgency and the cost recharged when they find out who is responsible.

In chasing up why this much needed facility had still not been provided, I have learned that the provision of this Park has been delayed due to problems with implementing the planning condition on how much of the hedgerow should be cut back to accommodate the ramps.

The landowner had been surprised by the planning condition as he never considered the woodland creep to be a hedge (it had crept forward 10m over 25 years and was starting to make the recreation ground very small).

As a consequence the Horsham District Council officer involved has reached a compromise solution with the landowner who has agreed that 4 metres of recreation ground be regained and a further 2 metres of woodland creep being managed by the Woodlanders under advice from the County Council.

Because this compromise will result in the ramp being moved 1 metre to the east, Horsham planners were compelled to re-consult with neighbours. The revised plan was sent to them on 25 November and hopefully the green light to proceed with the works should given by the planners soon.

The scheduling of the works, once the go-ahead is received, involves the cutting back of the woodland creep before the nesting season (i.e. preferably in January, but definitely by end of February), to manage the concerns of the County Council and the Woodlanders. Viridor Credits have agreed to hold over their grant for this scheme, and so Horsham officers are recommending that no ground-works should start until the ground has firmed up so as to minimise damage to the surrounding grass areas. It is therefore likely that the ground-works will not be started until May and the ramp completed for use by skateboarders by mid June.