Back from my hols.

My, hasn't  a lot been happening in the world this week?  We go away for five days and return to read that Greece is in  an even worse mess, that the UK government is making 'U-turns' and the Jeremiahs are focusing their attention on Rusthall Parish Council.

We enjoyed visiting Bridport, West Bay, Lyme Regis, Abbotsbury and Forde Abbey.  Enjoyed the Flowers and Tribute ales.  We stayed near Crewkerne and found an excellent establishment for our evening meals - the George in the centre of Crewkerne.  Spent some time  browsing in second hand bookshops and acquired a few tombs on railway history.

Racism: an abused word.

Let's get one matter out in the open.  My Facebook site is eclectic and by that I mean I publish posts and comments from a very wide spectrum of political and religious opinion.  Some of the material on my page is not politically correct (PC): indeed many of my opinions would not be regarded as PC by the PC brigade - an intolerant bunch masquerading as liberals.   But then I have always believed in calling a spade a spade - or is that non-PC and should I write shovel?

Racism, as was to be found in South Africa and the United States of America where people were (in the USA in some aspects still are) discriminated against solely on the colour of  their skin, has no place in a modern 21st century society and is to be fought against. Nor has discrimination based on class, faith beliefs or nationality.   In this regard I may be regarded by some as a weepy liberal, but for me the starting position is 'treat others as you would wish to be treated' and that I think is not far from the position taken by the vast majority of citizens in the UK.  We have a reputation for tolerance and calm under the severest provocation. Thousands died in the Second World War in defence of tolerant civilised society. The state in our country has not gone around murdering millions of its citizens or subjected peoples as happened with the USSR and Germany.

I do worry when I read reports in the press of the police being reluctant to act because they will be accused of racism.  The law should be applied without fear or favour, but unfortunately (to put it mildly) accusations of racism are hurled around and police action is tempered. If anything is likely to make racial tension worse it is a perception  that some in our society gain preferential treatment by playing the race card. 

However, we must not suppose that racism is not a problem in this country.  The issue is how to tackle it in a way which does not increase antagonism.  In order to do this we have to analyse the issues which raise tensions.  Racial tension is the symptom of underlying problems which have nothing to do with ethnicity, nationality or religious beliefs.  Until we tackle these issues the symptoms will persist.

The issues, in random order, include housing, employment, welfare benefits, over-stretched public services, multi-culturalism (in its widest sense) and immigration. Sadly debate on these issues is stifled often by playing the race card.  Until recently, it was almost impossible to discuss immigration without the epithet 'racist' being thrown round to stop debate. 

We need to debate these issues in a rational way, but it must not be used to threaten any individuals who have UK citizenship and settled expectations of a quiet life.  Until we have that debate the forces of intolerance will continue to flourish and spread their evil.

Worrying report on Tower Hamlets

I have written before on this blog concerning the sensationalist reporting by the Courier newspaper in Tunbridge Wells on the views expressed by a resident of Tunbridge Wells.

The resident's comments on the dangers posed by adherents of fundamentalist Islam were castigated as 'racist'.  The newspaper did not test the veracity of any of the resident's claims.  Since the item appeared in the paper articles have appeared in national newspapers (including one paper owned by the same organisation as the Courier) which support much of what the resident claimed.

The latest report is in today's Daily Telegraph.  Click here for the link to the report.

Pam Ayres

I enjoyed this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4oydSZTAns

The sage of Lamberhurst opines

Roy Bullock, the deposed Leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council and de-selected Conservative candidate, has broken cover and fired a salvo of shells at his opponents.  Welcome back Roy.

His subject matter is, as might be expected, the issues concerning the future of the civic complex. His letter, in today's Courier, takes careful aim at his opponents.

One target is the Aspic Brigade whom he describes as a vocal minority. His comment is scathing. The  M & N report on consultation on town centre sites has given publicity to more reasonable voices.....from a far wider age group. The Aspic Brigade does not represent a dominant view and no minority group should be able to wield a veto when the future of our borough is at stake.  The venom is palpable.

His second target is the current cabinet as he fears momentum could be lost.  The comments of Councillor Jukes, reported in my blog earlier today, do give the impression that matters are proceeding very slowly, hence my question: when?

His final shell is aimed at the new cabinet and the new leader: I just hope we have the leadership in place to see the scheme positively progressed in 2011.  Ouch.

Under Bullock's leadership the Council bungled the public information/consultation process, so much so that the economic arguments for redevelopment were lost in a welter of recrimination about process.   I see signs that the new leadership is committed to the economic objectives.  The consultation will be all the better for having a new Leader as it will be the issues that are discussed, rather than a consultation with the bear in the room.

I have been disappointed by the banal response of the Leader of the Liberal Democrats to the M & N report, describing it as a red-herring and a whitewash.  He criticises also  the report for not coming to a conclusion - how could it when there is such a diverse range of opinions?   I had hoped the Liberal Democrats would rise above political mud-slinging and engage in constructive dialogue about the economic future of the town. Their current tactic is to ally with the Aspic Brigade which I believe is misconceived.  the Aspic Brigade made the initial running and the Liberal Democrats jumped on the band-waggon. Unfortunately for the Liberal Democrats the N & M report does not show a predominance of support for the Aspic Brigade's view, hence the attempt by the Liberal Democrat Leader to rubbish the document.

Run-in with the planners

I was fortunate to be a councillor before the cabinet system was introduced. From time to time the planning committee would disagree with the recommendation of officers, quite rightly, as the committee does not exist simply to rubber-stamp the conclusion of officers. The chairman of the committee was 'a first amongst equals'  and in his/her role as chairman would hold meetings with the head of the council's planning department.

Since the introduction of the cabinet system we have now in Tunbridge Wells a cabinet member who holds the planning portfolio.  The relationship between the cabinet member and the planning department should be on strategic issues and not on individual applications.

The recent spat on a planning application in Pembury is disquieting. The application was to build on Green Belt and the argument was over whether or not to apply the special circumstances provisions to over-ride the presumption of no development on Green Belt land.

The planning committee decided to apply the special circumstances provisions and approve the application.  It is not clear what the recommendation of the planners was but the planners clearly did their duty in advising that special circumstances did permit development on Green Belt land.

Councillor Ransley is the cabinet member who holds the planning portfolio: the same person who had the barmy idea that some off-peak trains to London from Tunbridge Wells should terminate at Cannon Street.

It is a worrying state of affairs when the holder of the planning portfolio rails against officers giving impartial advice they are under an obligation to provide and against a decision of the planning committee having taken that advice into consideration.  Planning committees sit as 'quasi-judicial, bodies and have to consider each application on its merits in the context of planning law.

Councillor Ransley's claim that the 'matter of green belt must be the same for everyone' indicates a worrying ignorance of  planning law.  His notion that the decision in this application sets a dangerous precedent is ill-founded.  Previous decisions can be distinguished on the facts to neuter the effect of them on later ones and clearly the presumption against development on Green Belt land has to be overturned by the special circumstances of a particular application.

The inference I draw is that Councillor Ransley has attacked the impartiality and professionalism of the planners: now that is worrying.

Where's the dosh?

Rusthall residents believed that the newly formed Rusthall Parish Council would receive a loan of £40,000 from Tunbridge Wells Borough Council to tide it over the first year of operation, the reason being that no parish precept could be raised before the Council commenced functioning. Doubts as to this happening have surfaced.

It is reported that the Borough Council intends to make a 'gift' of £500 to the Parish Council instead of the loan,.

However a Borough Council officer is quoted as stating that the council had agreed to provide financial support to the parish council, to be repaid when the parish receives its precept instalment in April 2012

What I find surprising is that the parish council is intent on megaphone diplomacy, there is a meeting of the parish council next week.at which the matter will be discussed. Quite why this issue has been trailed through the local press before the position is explained at next week's meeting defeats me.

The confusion is worrying and hardly inspires confidence.  Time for the Leader of the Borough Council, who represents Rusthall, to bang a few heads together in the two councils.

It is important to remember that it is public money.  My concern is that Rusthall Parish Council does not see £40,000 as an amount it must spend.  Obviously it needs to expend money on administration, room hire etc, but spare us vanity schemes.

Town Hall Dynamism:

I publish a report in this week's local paper:

Cllr David Jukes, deputy leader of the council, said: "The new cabinet has been in post for four months and I have been in my role as property and major projects portfolio holder for only two weeks since completing my duties as mayor.

"The thoughts we have on the future shape of the town are different to the previous cabinet and once we have crystallised our ideas they will be put to the council and the public forum before any major action is taken."

When?

Localism: my opinions for what they are worth

The splendid MP for Tunbridge Wells, Greg Clark, is responsible for the government's localism agenda. This agenda is based on the idea that central government should devolve powers, duties etc down the chain to local government and communities. It is part of the mechanism for the 'Big Society', but is distinct from it.

Whilst I might have quibbles over some of the proposals, the general thrust is in the right direction.

Under Labour we have had a form of localism, the devolution of powers to governments in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. The unfinished business is how to deal with the West Lothian Question.  I favour the creation of an English Parliament. It is inequitable that the future arrangements of the NHS in England will be voted on by MPs from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. These MPs cannot vote on the NHS in their respective lands as health is a devolved matter. 

What could happen after the next general election is that a majority of English MPs vote on a purely English matter one way, but the vote is reversed when Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland  MPs votes are added. Of course, should Scotland gain independence (which I doubt will happen in the foreseeable future) then the problem is diminished but not resolved, as there will be still the Welsh and Northern Ireland MPs voting on English issues.

In Europe we have had the opposite of devolution. More and more power is gravitating to the European Union from member states.  The EU now has rights of representation at the United Nations and is opening 'embassies' across the world. There is talk of a president of the EU being directly elected.  These are the trappings of a state, to which may be added the pressure being brought to bear for a common fiscal policy across the EU.

The setting up of the eurozone had an inherent weakness in that there was a failure to establish a fiscal union. I am sure the mandarins in Brussels took the long view: it was a risk worth taking as it was a step along the road to greater union and the establishment of a European state.

So, let's have some real localism: establish an English parliament and take back powers ceded to the EU.

Further vindication of Adrian's opinions

My regular reader (hello) will recall that I have posted a number of blogs concerning Adrian who was the subject of  a three page 'expose' in the local newspaper including the whole of the front page.  He was accused of being racist.

The paper has continued to attack Adrian and claims that racial tension has risen in the area since it published the articles.  Obviously the paper does not see the irony that if had not published racial tension would not have risen.  Must say I have seen no signs of racial tension on my frequent visits to the area.

One of the points raised in the first article was Adrian's claim that an ethnic minority was grooming, or worse, young children. 

Below is a link to an item on the BBC today:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-13694250

I think Adrian should send it to the local paper with a demand for an apology.

Vanishing buildings

Some people come over all nostalgic about buildings and mount campaigns to save them from the demolition ball.  The campaigns have little to do with the intrinsic merit of the building to be demolished and the plans for re-development but have more to do with memories of activities in the building or a sense of loss at a feature of the landscape disappearing.

It is a shock to return to places and note that the landscape has changed.

On a visit to Coventry I discovered that one of my watering holes, The Alhambra,  had disappeared. Chesterfield FC's ground at Saltergate has closed and doubtless will soon be replaced by an housing development.  Roker Park, for a long time the home of Sunderland FC, is now an housing estate.

Railway stations bring back memories of journeys.  Many stations I used in my younger days have gone: Sheffield Victoria, Nottingham Victoria, Whittington Moor, Chesterfield Central, Manchester Exchange to name but a few.

The industrial landscape has changed beyond recognition in many parts of the country: steel and iron works have gone, pits have closed, heavy manufacturing has disappeared.  In some locations it is hard to imagine what was there before.

We like old and familiar surroundings and when things change feel a sense of loss but of itself it is no basis for opposition to change.  Opposition often is based on personal selfishness rather than consideration for the wider need.  It is the former which I believe is the driving force of the ancients  seeking to preserve the Tunbridge Wells civic complex. 

The former Tunbridge Wells Council offices in Cranbrook are in the process of demolition.  My memories of  the building go back to the 1999-2000 when I chaired appeal panels hearing cases brought by residents against the decisions of the Council on housing benefit.   I am not to be drawn into the spat in Cranbrook concerning community facilities, but I am not bereft as the demolition ball swings at the offices, nor shall I should the civic complex in Tunbridge Wells be demolished.

As parts of our personal  heritage disappear, we may pause and regret their passing, but not for long as wallowing in nostalgia, for what has been, is self-defeating.

Pumping more money into Sherwood

Over the years a lot of money has been pumped into Sherwood, Tunbridge Wells, both capital and revenue.  Capital expenditure on the Little Forest Children's Centre and the TN2 Community Centre are two of the major projects.  Now Town & County Housing Association, the major social housing landlord in the area, is pumping money in as part of the Sherwood Regeneration Project (SRP).

One does wonder what the social return on this investment will be. The SRP did not get off to an auspicious start, with accusations of secrecy and failure to consult with the local populace. When two borough councillors spilt the beans they were hauled over the coals by the chief executive of the council  (as I commented on last year in this blog).

I have become more cynical about the value of regeneration projects, community development initiatives and community engagement schemes as they are 'top-down' usually and do not engage with the causes of problems.  Instead, they provide sticking plasters to put over the symptoms.

The past sixteen years had seen me working in areas of deprivation in Kent and East London and my cynicism is borne of experience of seeing projects, initiatives and schemes fail as they do not engage with the real issues and certainly do not provide solutions.

One only has to look at the indices of deprivation in Thanet to realise that years of investment have failed to produce significant improvements. The same can be said of others parts of Kent and indeed nationwide.  Why is this?  Will the Big Society and Localism produce a step change in improving well-being in areas of deprivation?  I have my doubts

A visit to Sherwood.

No, not Sherwood Nottinghamshire, but Sherwood Tunbridge Wells.  A very warm day, unfortunately rather windy. Never mind, a call on the way at the Robin Hood public house put me in the right frame of mind to enjoy the Sherwood Carnival.

The highlight of the event was the procession.  The Tunbridge Wells town crier led the way, closely followed by a band of drummers which drowned out the crier's bell. Sandwiched between the two was the Deputy Mayor of Tunbridge Wells, John Smith and the Deputy Mayoress.  The Deputy Mayor wore his chain of office, but I did note that his jacket came off as the unremitting heat from the sun beat down on him and the rest of the procession.

Congratulations to John Smith for marching in the procession.  Just the thing I would expect of a man who was deselected by the Conservatives, stood as an Independent and beat comprehensively the Conservative candidate.

Apart from meeting long standing friends, my reason for the visit was to sniff the Sherwood air for signs of the racial tension which the local newspaper claims has risen following articles the paper published alleging that a couple of Sherwood residents were racists.  People of ethnic minority groups were circulating at the carnival and didn't give the impression of being tense, indeed everyone was very relaxed.  Now the paper would not claim that racial tensions were rising without any evidence would it?  Doubtless the evidence will be published, or won't it?

I commend the article that can be read by clicking on this link:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jun/03/poor-white-britons-discrimination-not-racial

When I commented on the local newspaper's first article I wrote:

The real issues relate to deprivation, not race, and unless tackled minority groups will continue to be the scapegoats. It is the message we should be concerned about, not vilifying one of the messengers.

Sherwood has serious problems of deprivation and in my experience residents have not scapegoated minority groups.

A strange decision

When I was a councillor on Tunbridge Wells Borough Council I attended  once a fortnight meetings of the Western Area Planning Committee.  The morning was spent travelling round on a mini-bus looking at sites which were the subject of planning applications.  In the afternoon the committee met to determine the applications.  It was a long day, particularly if there were contentious and/or complicated applications.  We met at the Town Hall in Royal Tunbridge Wells.

Eastern Area meetings were held at the Council's offices in Cranbrook.  Following closure of the Cranbrook offices the meetings moved to Hawkhurst.

The reason Eastern Area meetings were not held in Royal Tunbridge Wells was for convenience.  The parties to applications, objectors and councillors did not have to traipse into Royal Tunbridge Wells. The planners had staff at Cranbrook who moved to Tunbridge Wells when the Cranbrook offices closed.  It was far better for a few officers to travel a long way to meetings rather than everyone except the officers.

The Council has taken the strange decision to hold Eastern Area meetings at the Town Hall.  Cue for protests from parish councils that they have not been consulted.

It is rather strange that at the very time the buzz words are 'localism', community engagement' and 'civic participation' Tunbridge Wells Borough Council is centralising a service and making it more difficult and expensive for residents to attend meetings.

Shaping up nicely

The borough council elections are eleven months away but already the thoughts of the political parties will be turning to Rusthall.

UKIP won its first seat on the council last May, winning the seat from the Conservative incumbent in Rusthall.  UKIP delivered three leaflets and the candidate canvassed many electors as well as 'pressing the flesh' on the high street. 

The Conservative campaign did not take off.  There will be a vigorous campaign next May as the sitting councillor is the Leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.

The Liberal Democrats published the best election leaflet.  I thought they would win the seat repeating what happened in a by-election in Pembury where UKIP took votes from the Conservatives thus enabling the Lib Dems to win the seat from the Conservatives.  The Lib Dem candidate has been elected chairman of Rusthall Village Association and should he decide to stand next May will be in a far stronger position to win the seat.

Could be close and difficult to predict who might win.  The Labour Party may decide to contest the seat, after all the chairman of the parish council is a former Labour councillor on the Borough Council.

All this is good news for the residents of Rusthall as individuals and parties seek to gain support. Nothing like the prospect of a closely fought election to encourage the political parties to listen to the electorate and seek to gain its favour.

Rusthall Village Association news

Too often, candidates at local elections disappear after the election to be seen again only when the next election is pending.  Congratulations then to Tom Snook, the Liberal Democrat candidate in Rusthall for the borough council elections, for standing and being elected chairman of the Rusthall Village Association.

Congratulations also to Andy Richards on becoming Vice-Chairman, although the local newspaper is somewhat wide of the mark when it states he only 'just' failed to be elected to the parish council.

Quite flows the Don

From the Wicker Arches, through Attercliffe, Grimesthorpe, Brightside, Wincobank and Meadow Hall to Rotherham flows the River Don.  Along the valley ran competing railway systems, canals and tramways all to serve the steel industry and the communities huddled between the massive buildings producing steel.  If ever there were dark satanic steel mills they were to be found here.  And then it virtually all came to an end as global economic forces and government policies took effect.

I knew the area well. On a visit a few years ago I was stunned by the dereliction and decay.  Vistas that in my youth had seemed unchangeable had vanished.  Heavy industry and the support services it required had disappeared, almost.  Crossing the Tinsley viaduct the scene to left and right had been transformed.  Even the iconic cooling towers by the viaduct had been demolished.

Out of the ashes of heavy industry has sprung a cathedral to consumerism, the Meadowhall shopping centre: 1.4m sq. ft. and adjoining massive car parks.  Property developers have drawn up plans to turn Meadowhall into the UK's largest out-of-town shopping destination which will add 700,000 sq.ft of retail space, although not connected to the existing building.

The proposal has been driven, according to the Daily Telegraph, by the growing shift in retail expenditure from high streets to the internet and regional shopping centres.

How long before there is a proposed expansion of Bluewater?

The issue for towns in the catchment area of Bluewater has been always how to counter the competition and attract people to shop in the high streets. Maidstone has developed the Fremlin Centre, Ashford has  the new County Square complex, but what of Tunbridge Wells?  The Royal Victoria Place shopping centre has gone decidedly down market in recent years as the owners sweat the asset.

Royal Tunbridge Wells has two major eyesores: the empty supermarket opposite the railway station and the derelict cinema site opposite the town hall.  There are ideas for regeneration, policies, surveys and consultations.  The impression one gains is that the local council is beginning to tackle the regeneration issues with much more determination, but the fear is that the Aspic Brigade will dominate the debate and, should they win, sentence the town to slow economic decline. 

We need repeated the bold approach the council took to the development of the Royal Victoria Centre if we are to avert a significant decline in the town's economic prosperity.

More YUK

As my regular reader knows I have an aversion to competitions to name the 'volunteer of the year', 'charity of the year' etc.

I commend the wheeze being promoted by ITV1 as a classic example of YUK.

NOMINATE BRITAIN’S UNSUNG HEROES

A BRAND NEW ITV1 SHOW IS LOOKING TO RECOGNISE INSPIRATIONAL PEOPLE

Do you know an inspiring individual who has set up a small charity?

Do you know someone who has battled adversity but fundraises incessantly despite their own difficulties?

Is there someone who works tirelessly for others in your local community?

Would you like to reward a great volunteer in your local area?

Would you like to thank someone for an act of bravery or for saving someone’s life?

Do you know someone who has made great sacrifices to help others?

If you know someone who deserves to be recognised then please get in touch!

We ask that you do not tell the person or cause you have nominated as we would like this to be a surprise!

House of Lords Reform

The Parliament Acts have castrated the powers of the House of Lords. The Upper House can no longer delay finance bills and has limited powers to delay other bills. It is a revising chamber and whilst a bill may start its parliamentary journey in the House of Lords nevertheless the House of Commons has the final word.

The Commons is wholly elected, the Lords a mixture of the rump of hereditary peers, life peers plus a few bishops reflecting that the Church of England is a state church. 

The House of Lords was until  recently the highest court of appeal in legal cases.  However cases were heard by a committee comprised of judges known as Lords of Appeal.  No other peers could wander in and take part in a hearing.  An anomaly was the Lord Chancellor who could hear cases with Lords of Appeal, sat on the Woolsack as the 'speaker' of the Upper House and was a member of the government with a place in the cabinet.   The Lord Chancellor thus straddled the judiciary, the legislature and the executive. 

The key to the success of the House of Lords is its ability to understand the ramifications of proposed legislation from a position of expertise in the field covered by legislation in a way politicians in the Commons are unable to do.  As the Commons is filled more and more by professional politicians with little experience of the 'real' world it is imperative that proposed legislation is scrutinised by those with experience - not to stop the legislation, rather to propose changes which will make the legislation workable.  For such a role it was imperative to have life peers rather than rely on hereditary peers.  For this reason the move to reduce the number of hereditary peers and eventually dispense with them was essential.

My fear is that by having a wholly elected upper house the essential elements of expertise and experience will be lost, to be replaced by political place-men lacking the skills required for a revising chamber.

Some people promote the idea of a wholly elected upper house on the basis that that is what exists in other countries.  However, context is all important.  In the USA the Executive does not have seats in the House of Representatives, nor the Senate.  The President (and the staff he appoints) is the Executive.  In the UK members of the Executive sit in the Commons and the Lords.

Merely to tinker with the machinery of government in a limited way is not the way to travel, which should have been learned from  the devolution arrangements in the UK.

An elected upper chamber will soon become a threat to the supremacy of the House of Commons and threaten a political paralysis.

Raspberry Jam

We make our raspberry jam from home grown raspberries.  All organic.  2009 was a good year and we have finished this week the last jar we made that year - and we gave a lot away.

2010 was not a good year. The jam is fine, but the crop was very poor.   What will 2011 bring?  We don't have as many canes, but the ones we have should crop well. 

Red Lion, Rusthall

A few years ago residents living close to the Red Lion had much to complain about, so much so that objections were raised to the proposed premises licence. Residents turned out in force at the  meeting of the Licensing-Sub-Committee held on 25th August 2005.  Goodness me, was it that long ago?

The brewery, Shepherd-Neame, caved in and accepted the conditions proposed by the Environmental Health Department of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.

Below are the minutes of the meeting of the Sub-Committee.

For the most part the conditions have been adhered to, although this evening people were leaving the pub (and making a lot of noise) after midnight.

25th August 2005

APPLICATION FOR PREMISES’ LICENCE – RED LION, 82 LOWER GREEN ROAD, RUSTHALL

LSC17/05 Consideration was given to an application for a premises’ license at Red Lion, 82

Lower Green Road, Rusthall, which had been referred to the Licensing Sub-
Committee.

It was noted that Environmental Health had withdrawn their representation as the applicant had accepted the following conditions:

1. Music cease at 11pm;

2. No more than 2 music events per calendar month;

3. Acoustic baffles must be fitted to the windows when music is being played;

4. The door on Lower Green Road must be kept shut at all times whilst music is

being played;

5. A door person must man the door at all times during music events; and

6. All conditions must be enforced by the second appointed day (24 November

2005).

The Licensing Sub-Committee proceeded to hear the case following the adopted

procedure rules and all parties present at the hearing were invited to address the

Sub-Committee. After hearing the evidence from all the parties, the Licensing Sub-
Committee retired to take their decision with the Legal Advisor and Committee Clerk.

Members then deliberated the application which was determined having regard to the

four licensing objectives.

Upon reaching a decision the Members of the Sub-Committee returned to the

Committee Room to announce their decision in public. The Legal Advisor announced
the legal advice given to the Sub-Committee during the deliberations.

RESOLVED –

That the application for a premises’ licence in respect of Red Lion, 82

Lower Green Road, Rusthall be determined as shown at Appendix 1 attached.

Appendix 1

LICENSING SUB-COMMITTEE

LICENSING PREMISES APPLICATIONS – THURSDAY 25 AUGUST 2005

LICENSING PANEL DECISION NOTICE

NAME AND ADDRESS OF

PREMISES: Red Lion

82 Lower Green Road

Rusthall

Tunbridge Wells

Kent

TN4 8TW

NAME(S) OF APPLICANT:

Shepherd Neame Ltd

REASON(S) FOR

APPLICATIONS -

(REPRESENTATION):

Four representations were made regarding this application, as

follows:

(1) To prevent public nuisance

(2) To prevent crime and disorder and public nuisance

(3) To prevent a public nuisance as concerns over level of

amplification for films after 11pm (10.30pm Sundays) and impact

of this on nearby residents. Concerns about noise after 11pm

(10.30pm Sundays) generated from live music and the impact on

residential amenities. Concerns about the proposal that live

music on New Year’s Eve should continue to close of business

on New Year’s Day etc and the disturbance caused by the

recorded music to the neighbouring residential properties.

Concerns in particular about evenings that lead onto working

week days such as Bank Holiday Mondays and Valentine’s Day

etc and the disturbance caused by the recorded music to the

neighbouring residential properties. Concerns over extension of

hours, particularly during the week and on Sunday nights, as this

will undoubtedly cause a disturbance to residential amenities,

with noise of music and activities occurring within the premises

and the noise of people leaving the premises. This noise may

include slamming of car doors, engine noise, and people’s

voices, all of which will be particularly prominent late into the

night.

(4) Noise late at night carries further than in the daytime and it is not

unreasonable for people to try and get some sleep after 11pm in

the evening. The public house also has a powerful recorded

music system. The base notes thumping away are a constant

irritation which soundproofing alone do much to diminish.

(5) As a residential area we are concerned about extended trading

area for the following reasons-: loud music, late night noise and

traffic.

(6) This is a village pub and a very late opening time could very well

mean people leaving drunk and noisy and could damage

property, cars etc.

(7) Noise and rowdiness is unbelievable when it is turn out time

when there are

people shouting and name calling.

DECISION MADE:

The Licensing Sub-Committee considered the licensing objectives

and have decided to limit the supply of alcohol on Sundays to 23.00

and to limit the opening hours on Sundays to 23.30 hours.

In all other respects they were prepared to grant the licence in

accordance with the amendments to vary the licence proposed by

the applicant and as agreed with the Environmental Health Officer.

ADDITIONAL CONDITIONS:

N/A

REASONS FOR DECISION:

The Licensing-Sub Committee took into account the representations

from the interested parties to the relation to the licensing objectives.

April Fool

I was delighted to be informed  this week that one political party in Tunbridge Wells fell for my April Fool joke this year. 

Liberal Democrat Leader allies with the Aspic Brigade

The debate on the the regeneration of Tunbridge Wells town centre has commenced with the publication of a report setting out the response to a consultation undertaken by the Tunbridge Wells Regeneration Company. Some believe the questionnaire used for the consultation was flawed.  The key point though is that it is not the final word, doubtless there will be more consultation once specific plans are drawn up and then there is the planning approval process.

Reading the comments of the Leader of the Council it is clear that he believes  there is a  need for regeneration.  What we do not know is how radical a change he supports.

The Leader of the Liberal Democrat group has nailed his colours to the mast.  He opposes  any redevelopment which involves demolishing the civic complex. He supports improvements to the existing civic buildings.  This is the stance taken by the Aspic Brigade.  It will lead to the economic decline of the town.   However it was to be expected.

Rusthall Village Association: the future

A leaflet circulated in the village asks if the Association should change its name?  Why should it?  It is a known name and the fact a parish council has been formed is no reason of itself to change the name.

The Association is distinct from the parish council.

The Association is a private body, consisting of its members.  The parish council is a statutory body answerable to the electorate. It would be a big mistake to think that the Association should cease to have a campaigning function simply because the parish council will be campaigning also on behalf of the village.

There has been much talk of the parish council consulting on issues.  It is in this regard that there is an important role for the Association: to act as a conduit for consultation and to facilitate a forum for residents to discuss issues.  The government is encouraging localism, participation and civic engagement.  The formation of a parish council is a step along these paths, not an end in itself.  The council will have to be responsive to the views of residents (and I do not doubt will be).  Community engagement requires collaborative working between statutory and voluntary organisations and also ensuring people have confidence that their voices will be listened to.

The worst things that could happen would be for the Association to become the cheerleader for the parish council or to withdraw from a campaigning role.

A visit to Brighton

I had to visit Moulsecoomb, a suburb of Brighton , today to attend a conference of food co-operatives.  The journey by car took fifty minutes door to door.  The train service takes two hours from Tunbridge Wells station to Moulsecoomb station. 

The sooner the railway line between Uckfield and Lewes is re-opened the better. the regional hubs of West Kent and Brighton need much better public transport connections if we are to take traffic off the roads.

Civic Complex debate moves on to next stage.

The Royal Tunbridge Wells Civic Complex consultation report commissioned by the Tunbridge Wells Regeneration Company has been published. 

Follow the link below for the full report.

http://www.tunbridgewellsregenerationco.org/downloads/Civic_Complex_Consultation_Report_M&N.pdf

I look forward to the comments of the Aspic Brigade.

Delighted to read the positive statement by the leader of the Council published on the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council website:

“I welcome the report from M&N Communications on the Civic Complex.

“When I became Leader I was clear that I wanted to do two things: to understand the reasons for establishing the Regeneration Company and how it works and to listen to the views of local people on their aims and ambitions for Royal Tunbridge Wells and the wider borough.

“Having spent some considerable time looking at the issue, I am clear that the town does need to move forward and that the Regeneration Company offers significant potential to help with this. At the same time, we need to be clear about what residents want from the town and the report from M&N contains a huge amount of information from over 6,000 questionnaires and conversations with many hundreds of people as well as interest groups."

As he states the town does need to move forward, it does need to regenerate.  Maintaining the status quo is not an option.  Whilst it is important due weight is given to the consultation, it is just that: consultation.  Doubtless there will be compromises, but sight must not be lost of the objective: to ensure the economic well-being of the town.  Let us hope Councillor Atwood can take the Cabinet and the full Council with him to realise the objective.

The Romance of Steam

We like our heritage railways; Spa Valley, Bluebell,  Lavender, Kent & East Sussex, North Yorkshire Moors, the list is long.  We like even more steam engines, the smell, hissing steam and the roar from the chimney when moving at speed.

Many of my generation wanted to be engine drivers when we grew up. The phase soon passed.

Most railwaymen were pleased to see the demise of steam. A steam locomotive is a dirty beast. Ash has to emptied from the smokebox and ashpan, clinker removed from the firebox, coal loaded into the tender, water taken on board and parts of the motion, through which power is transmitted from the pistons to the wheels, oiled.  The steam locomotive is a greedy animal, tons of coal have to be shovelled into the firebox and water injected to the boiler. The cab for the driver and fireman only offers partial protection from the weather. 

Just think, a diesel or electric locomotive only has to be switched on and the driver has a warm cab in which he is fully protected from the elements.

Councillor Jukes takes up the reigns.

Last month the local newspaper quoted the Leader of Tunbridge Wells Council thus:

He (Councillor Atwood) said after scrutinising the detail of the Tunbridge Wells Regeneration Company...he was happy with its terms.

What has surprised me is that there has been no reaction to this comment. Councillor David Jukes resigned from the board of the company in a blaze of publicity. His resignation was another nail in the coffin for the then Leader, Roy Bullock.

Now Councillor Jukes is freed from the shackles of office of Mayor he will be taking up his position as Deputy Leader of the Council and his place in the Cabinet.

May we assume that Councillor Jukes is at one with the Leader and is happy with its terms?  Have the concerns which led him to resign been addressed? 

It has been my argument that the Council made a mess of informing the public about what was happening within the regeneration company, but so far no-one has produced a shred of evidence to support the contention that secret plans existed which were to be railroaded through with minimum  consultation.  Roy Bullock denied the plans existed and, whatever one thought of his leadership style, he was truthful.

Future meetings of Rusthall Parish Council

Future meetings will be held on the second Monday of each month at the United Reformed Church commencing at 7.30PM, so the next meeting is on 13th June.

By boat and tram to Blackpool

We had relatives who lived at Knott End-on-Sea, on the opposite side of the Wyre Estuary from Fleetwood.  The highlight of our visits was the trip to Blackpool.

We would use the ferry to cross the water to Fleetwood.  Lovely on a sunny calm day, rather a different proposition when it was raining and a howling gale blowing in off Morecambe Bay. Strong nerves and stomach required.  The Bourne Arms Hotel, a few yards from the Knott End jetty provided a welcoming haven for many a traveller before and after the crossing. 

I came across a website with many photographs of the ferry.  Click here for the link.

Fleetwood had a large trawler fleet and it was indeed a treat to have fish and chips,  the fish having been collected the same day from Fleetwood dock.

The tram was a short walk from the Fleetwood jetty.  What a bumpy journey.  In those days the standard of track maintenance was poor and the double-deck trams would lurch alarmingly between Cleveleys and Bispham.

Blackpool was as tatty and run-down then as it is now.  The railways still conveyed most of the holidaymakers to the resort. Blackpool Central, close to the Tower, was a huge station.  The other terminus in Blackpool, Blackpool North had lost its services to Fleetwood and was a much quieter and smaller station.  The Beeching Report did for Blackpool Central and it was bulldozed, trains being diverted  either to Blackpool North or Blackpool South which had been the first station out of Blackpool Central.

We are all in this together

One bright sunny morning I was standing on the station at Chesterfield waiting to catch a train to Nottingham. The train was a Sheffield-London express. The train was approaching the station rather faster than usual I thought.  Indeed it was, it shot through the station at full speed and we saw the rear carriage disappear round the curve beyond the station.

Consternation.  The next train to London, or Nottingham for that matter,  was not for a couple of hours. The following train from Sheffield did not stop at Chesterfield. Its next stop was Derby and thence to  Birmingham. This particular morning it was brought to a stop by the signals at Chesterfield and we boarded the train.

At Derby we transferred to a train for Trent and Nottingham.  Passengers for London changed at Trent.  On the journey from Derby to Trent I had sat across from me the MP for Chesterfield, Eric Varley who was a member of Harold Wilson's  Cabinet, Roy Mason, MP for  Barnsley, also a member of the Cabinet and the Labour MP for Derby South.

The three of them were trying to work out if Labour had retained control of Derbyshire County Council. In those days elections were every three years but matters were complicated by the existence of aldermen who  were elected by councillors for six years.  Half the aldermen came up for re-election every three years.  The party in control of the council would pack the aldermanic bench with its cronies.

I did wonder if it was Eric Varley's presence on the platform at Chesterfield that led to the Derby train being stopped and had he not been we would have had to kick our heels for a couple of hours.

The day I signed for an engine.

One morning I arrived at Chesterfield railway station to catch a train to Birmingham.  I was surprised to see the platform heaving with people. My heart sank when it was announced that the Master Cutler train to London had broken down, as I realised my train would be stuck behind it.

However my spirits were raised when I noticed a light engine positioned beyond the platform and was informed that The Cutler was slowly making its way to Chesterfield.  The train's engine would be put in the bay platform and the engine I could see would be attached.

In short time this duly happened and The Cutler was on its way.  My train was but minutes away and by the time it left Chesterfield was only twenty minutes late.

Some of my fellow passengers worked at Derby locomotive works and were looking at the failed locomotive stood in the bay. One pointed out to me that the problem was a broken oil sump and opined that the driver probably could have got the train to Leicester.

It was at this juncture as I was bent down looking at the engine that I felt a tap on the shoulder. Behind me was a man in a very clean pastel blue boiler suit carrying a folding clip-board.   What's up with it then? he enquired.  I regaled him with the information I had received: broken sump, could have gone on to Leicester.  Right then, sign here squire he said as he opened his clipboard and pointed to where he wanted me to sign. 

I duly obliged.  My train came in just as I signed the piece of paper and off we went.  Now, the man in blue obviously took me for a railway employee. In winter I wore a black coat and had been mistaken for a funeral director, a British rail employee and horror of horrors, an accountant.

A few days later I am standing on the platform at Chesterfield and am approached by the platform foreman, Don.  Were you here the day the Cutler failed? said he.  Strange question thought I, so gave a non-committal answer.  It transpired that after my train had left the man in the pastel blue boiler suit had decided the failed engine could be moved under its own power  along the goods lines where it had promptly locked up.  It had taken the best part of the rest of  the day to shift it.  Our man in blue had been cursing those b****rs from the works who think they know it all.

Getting the Mail through

At one time the railways carried most of the Post Office's mail which needed carting between towns and cities. Passenger trains were used for this and whilst mail bags would be carried in the guard's compartment, it was often the case that a  mail van the size of a passenger carriage was added to the front or rear of a passenger train. At major stations such as Birmingham and Derby huge quantities of mail were loaded and unloaded.

One evening my train was pulling out of Burton upon Trent when there was a blinding flash. A small fire broke out in the electrical wiring between the engine and the first carriage and we ground to a halt.  The driver put out the fire and we continued to Derby. 

At Derby it was announced that the fire had been caused by a failure of the electric carriage heating.  After much deliberation it was decided that the problem had been caused by the heating equipment on  a carriage in the middle of the train.  The simple solution would have been to divide the train leaving the defective carriage and the carriages behind it at Derby.  The problem was that the last vehicle was a van packed with mail and the mail had to get through.

More deliberation.  It was decided to use a shunting engine to detach the defective carriage and then join the train up again.  Once the train had been reassembled we were 90 minutes late. Off we went and within twenty yards another blinding flash and  again we ground to a halt.

By this stage some passengers were very irate as they realised they would miss connections for Doncaster and all points north and there were no other trains that night. 

It was decided to commandeer one of the then new high speed trains standing in the station and run it to Sheffield from whence a special train would be put on to take passengers onward to Doncaster.  Arrangements would be in place at Doncaster to ensure passengers were not stranded.

We left Derby two hours late.  In those days all trains were run by British Rail.  Now, with several  train operating companies it would be impossible to make the arrangements that were made that night in Derby.  Such is progress.

The Troop Train

For part of the year the railway ran a train on Fridays only from Portsmouth which wended its way via Oxford and Royal Leamington Spa to Coventry and thence to Birmingham and Leeds. The train was a boon to me as it stopped at Chesterfield.  No worries about connections. 

The train was packed always as far as Birmingham with soldiers and sailors on leave.  Vast quantities of alcohol were consumed..... and the smell, it was a travelling brewery.

The major disadvantage was the inability of the train to keep to the timetable.  Announcements at Coventry relating to the late running of the train were as rare as a virgin in a brothel. One knew the train was late when a Birmingham to Oxford train set off down the single line to Leamington Spa without waiting for the ex-Portsmouth train to arrive.

One evening I was astounded when an announcement was made. My train was running 61 minutes late. Cue for a visit to the Rocket public house, but on my way I called at the station manager's office to congratulate him on the precision of the information - not an hour late but 61 minutes late, followed by the mild suggestion that it was to be hoped the railway would get its finger out to ensure precision in keeping this particular train to its timetable.

STOP Notice

Some years ago I used to travel a lot between Coventry and Chesterfield by rail.  This involved a change at Birmingham New Street.  The connection at New Street was tight and on many occasions the train from Coventry would arrive in Birmingham as my connection was departing.  Sometimes I struck lucky and the train I was intending to board at New Street was running late.

I had no grounds for complaint if I missed my connection as it was not timetabled and circumstances would not permit me to catch an earlier train from Coventry.

It was my fate to kick my heels at New Street for an hour until the next Derby bound train arrived. Unfortunately this train was non stop between Derby and Sheffield, so I had to change at Derby and await the arrival of a train from London which went forward to Chesterfield and Sheffield. In Derby I found an interesting watering hole, the Vic, of which more will be revealed in a later post.

The time between trains at Derby was thirty minutes and on occasion the problem arose that my train from Birmingham was running late and I would miss my connection at Derby.  This called for action.

I would visit the Station Manager's office at New Street and explain the problem. See what we can do, I was informed. Usually it worked a treat and the station announcer would intone: The next train at platform 8 is the 18.50 for Burton, Derby, Sheffield, Rotherham, Wakefield and Leeds, calling additionally at Chesterfield.

One evening I secured an additional stop and when the train arrived at Derby the London-Sheffield train I would normally connect with was standing at the adjoining platform.  The station announcer intoned: The train at platform I is for Chesterfield and Sheffield. the train at Platform 2 is for Sheffield, Rotherham, Wakefield and Leeds.  No mention of the additional stop.

What to do?  Leg it over to platform 1 or stay put?  I chose not to move and shortly afterwards the train for Chesterfield and Sheffield pulled out.  The station announcer kept intoning that the train I was on would have Sheffield as its first stop.

Decisive action was called for.  As the platform staff starting blowing whistles for the train to leave I opened the door and steadfastly refused to close it.  Pandemonium broke out. Two platform staff were beside themselves and in no time the guard was hurrying up the platform and the British Transport Police were called.   Minutes passed.  The train driver came down the platform and in colourful language asked what was amiss. This bloke reckons you are stopping at Chesterfield the mob chorused.

Well I am, I have a special stop notice.  I have never seen railway staff melt away so fast.

The joys of the open road

Until the mid 1950s most people in England went on holiday by train. The summer timetable was packed with additional trains on Friday evenings and Saturdays during the height of the holiday season.  Trains were provided to cater for day-trippers as well as those spending a week (or possibly two) at their holiday destination. 

Football supporters would travel by special trains to 'away' matches.

The end of post war austerity in the 1950s, an increase in car ownership and the advent of package holidays to foreign lands had their effect on the numbers travelling by rail.  The swansong of mass rail travel to holiday destinations was 1963.

Our family acquired a car in the mid 1950s, a Ford Consul to be replaced after a few years by a Ford Zephyr Zodiac. Prior to obtaining a car my father had a Norton motorbike to which was attached a sidecar. For reasons not known to me this was replaced by a Velocette which I remember as being a souped up bicycle as distinct from a scooter.

Holidays by car included visits to Scotland. I recall staying at Strome Ferry, Inverness and Grantown-on-Spey, seeing the Forth Bridge (the railway one) and visiting Edinburgh and Aberdeen.  The journey to Scotland was always by way of the A1 to Scotch Corner and thence the A68.  We stopped overnight at Stirling.

Some years we would travel to the South West to either Paignton or St Mawgan for a caravan holiday.  I remember both well.  The site at St Mawgan was run by an RAF man based at St Mawgan and his wife.  On one occasion we had a tour of the aerodrome and were permitted to board an aircraft and look at the flight deck.

My abiding memory is the journey to the South West from Sheffield. It was always a 4.00AM start.  Down the A61 to Derby and then on the A38 if we were heading for Cornwall.  In those days most of the journey was on single carriage roads, very few dual carriageways, no by-passes and no motorways. Anything over 50 mph would put a strain on the car.  The important considerations were to get through Burton-on-Trent, notorious for the large number of level crossings of railway lines serving the breweries, before 6.00AM  and to cut across the Birmingham conurbation by 8.00AM.

Journeys to Devon were usually via the Fosse Way and the notorious Exeter bottleneck.

The great enemy was tiredness, particularly on the return journey when close to home on familiar roads. Every year road accidents resulting in deaths were reported in the Sheffield newspapers: people returning from the South West and having an accident within a few miles of their home.

More Railway Ramblings

Further to my previous post, I recall one journey home that was quite an adventure for us.  For some reason trains were not running via the Woodhead route.  How to get home? One way was to go to Manchester Central and catch  a train on the old Midland Railway route to Sheffield Midland via the Hope Valley and thence to Chesterfield Midland or from Manchester Central to Derby and thence to Chesterfield Midland.

Now, Manchester Central has been converted into the G-Mex centre and the line to Derby via Matlock has been closed. It is possible to travel from Manchester Piccadilly to Sheffield via the Hope Valley route.

For some reason, lost in the sands of time, my father decided we would head for Manchester Exchange and catch a train to Huddersfield, thence to Penistone and back to our original route.  However, enquiries at Huddersfield persuaded us to stay on the train from Manchester and go on to Leeds City.  At Leeds we crossed to Leeds Wellingborough and thence back to Chesterfield via Rotherham Masborough and Sheffield Midland.

Manchester Exchange has been demolished.  Its main claim to fame is that it was linked to Manchester Victoria by platform 11, the longest in the country, which ran from the eastern end of Manchester Exchange to the western end of Manchester Victoria.

Railway ramblings

My father gained Ph.D. from Sheffield University for a thesis on turnpikes and canals in North Derbyshire and the adjoining area of the West Riding of Yorkshire.  His research took him to many locations to pore over archives.

It is easy to forget that in those days there was no internet, nor e-mails and subscriber trunk dialing of telephone numbers was in its infancy.  Hence the need for visits to Manchester, York, Leeds and London.

Manchester was visited frequently and I was taken on the visits and left to fend for myself on arrival. Travel was by rail and we would catch a train at Chesterfield Central.  The train originated at Leicester Central and would take us to Manchester London Road (now named Piccadilly).

At Sheffield Victoria the steam locomotive (usually an A3) came off to be replaced by an electric locomotive.  The first stop after Sheffield was Penistone, a windswept place where the line from Wath joined.  The main reason the line had been electrified after the Second World War was to  improve the haulage of coal trains between the Yorkshire coalfield and Fiddlers Ferry power station.  At Penistone a line branches off on a massive viaduct for Huddersfield.  This was the route taken by The South Yorkshireman express as it travelled between Bradford Exchange and London Marylebone.

Our train continued via the Woodhead Tunnel into Lancashire and then on to Manchester. Manchester London Road had four platforms designated 'A', 'B', 'C' and 'D' for trains from the route we had travelled.  The remainder of the platforms were numbered and were used by trains heading south for Crewe and London Euston. Although the railways had been nationalised for a decade the platform arrangements harked back to the days of the London and North Eastern Railway and the London Midland and Scottish railway, indeed back to the pre-grouping of 1923 when Great Central and London and North Western trains used the station. On the LMS side of the station trains came from and departed to London, Birmingham and Bristol.

However, change was in the air, and our later visits coincided with the redevelopment  of London Road and the electrification of the route to London Euston.

Within a few years the train we caught from Chesterfield went no further than Sheffield.  In the early 1960s it was decided to run down the services on the former Great Central line. Passengers for Manchester had to endure an hour's wait at Sheffield for their onward train. At first staff at Sheffield would 'hold' a Manchester bound train for passengers from the Leicester train, but it was decreed that the train from Leicester had to arrive at the place vacated by the Manchester bound train.

It was not long before the Great Central line through Chesterfield was closed, closely followed by the closure of the Woodhead route, despite it being by far the fastest route between Sheffield and Manchester.

It is still possible to travel by train from Sheffield to Penistone, but the journey commences at Sheffield Midland and is routed via Barnsley.  From Penistone trains continue to run to Huddersfield.

Rusthall Parish Council: Congratulations

Congratulations to Jenny Blackburn on being elected the first chairman of Rusthall Parish Council. Well-deserved and recognition of her work in promoting the idea that Rusthall should have a parish council, her experience as a Tunbridge Wells councillor and her active role in local organisations.

I am delighted Chris Elwood has been elected as vice-chairman.  He ran a good election campaign.  As I suggested in a previous blog either he or  Kelly Watson  (who topped the poll) deserved the position.

Barry Edwards failed in his bid to be either chairman of vice-chairman.  Not been his month: lost his seat on the Borough Council as well.

My Facebook Page - a reader's guide

Anyone taking a cursory glance at my Facebook page will realise immediately that it is eclectic, by which I mean items are posted from a wide variety of sources, on a broad range of subjects and a wide range of opinions.  The page does not promote any 'party' line. I have a 'go' at them all!

My Facebook friends include people from the far left to the far right politically, of different faiths or none.  I never turn down a request to be a friend.

I have an open posting policy, anyone can post about anything.  The only restrictions I place on posting are that I will not tolerate persistent foul and abusive language, nor content which by implication, inference or explicitly could be classed as racist.

I have been posting voluminous amounts for a long time on the crisis within the eurozone as I believe the consequences of the failure of the currency will have a dramatic negative effect on the British economy.

From time to time I post 'quirky' items to provide relief from the tedium and despondency of much that is happening in the world.

The Brenchley Commitment

A major 'grot spot' in Tunbridge Wells is the former ABC cinema which has lain derelict for eleven years.  There has been a succession of false dawns: promises that work was to commence to clear the site and re-develop it.

At  a meeting at Brenchley the Leader of the Council  expressed his frustration at the delays in re-developing the site and raised the possibility of the Council seeking to compulsorily purchase the site.

Sounds positive. Councillor Atwood is quoted as saying:

If it is clear that any new owner is not going to develop it immediately, we will again have to consider compulsory purchase.

Fair enough, but why not be bold and say: we will go for compulsory purchase?

Start the clock and let's see how long it is before the builders move in.  I'll keep you posted.

Allegations of racism continue in The Courier

I have commented before on the attack by the local newspaper on Adrian Ratcliffe alleging he is racist. Ok, he pushed the 'Like' button on Facebook on a joke in poor taste, but no more so than the 'jokes' of some 'ironic comedians'.  He has opinions on fundamentalist Islam which are not to  everyone's taste and he has highlighted a number of disturbing  events. The Courier is part of the Daily Mail group and the Daily Mail has been publishing incendiary stories which back up Mr Ratcliffe's claims.

The Courier has returned to the fray today with a piece of tosh remarkable even by the Courier's abysmal standards.  The story is headed: 'Residents left reeling by web comments'. Link to story here. Really.  I cannot say I have noticed this as a major talking point on my visits to Sherwood, nor at the recent local elections.

It is planned to hold a festival of cultural diversity backed by the local housing association.  Good idea. However the nonsense is the statement that it is hoped the initiative will help soothe tensions arising in the community following the exposure of Ratcliffe last month.

What evidence is there that tensions have risen?  More pertinently if tensions have risen whose fault is it?   Point the finger at the Courier.  Why did they publish such sensationalist material?

Rusthall Election: High Turnout

A correspondent in the local newspaper gushes thus:

As a politics graduate of old, I would like to express delight at the hugely increased ward turnout to nearly 50% from 34% (2008) in support of all the candidates for the new Rusthall Parish Council.

Hmm.

Whilst the turnout for the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council election for Rusthall is recorded as 49.62%,  the percentage for the parish council election is recorded as 47.83%.

The percentages for the wards in the borough  elections are as follow: 

                                                                                            2008          2011

Benenden and Cranbrook                                                  38.65                47.18
Brenchley and Horsmonden                                              42.35                50.36
Culverden                                                                          31.50                42.38
Goudhurst and Lamberhurst                                             37.90                51.03
Hawkhurst and Sandhurst                                                 37.19                46.79
Park                                                                                   34.38                46.33
Pembury                                                                            40.06                48.54
Rusthall                                                                             34.27                49.62
Sherwood                                                                          28.93                35.38
Southborough East and High Brooms                              31.91                37.92
Speldhurst and Bidborough                                              40.37                53.69
St John's                                                                            35.81                44.02

Increased turnout in every ward. The reason being advanced for the increase is that people turned out to vote in the AV referendum.  Whilst there was undoubtedly a parish election factor in the increased turnout in Rusthall, voting in other wards suggests that other factors also were in play.

In wards where it is possible to make comparisons, the percentage vote in the parish election was higher than the borough ward election - except in Rusthall.

A New Secondary School for Edenbridge.

The publication in the Courier recently of information on the role being played by the Harris Federation and the School Action Group Edenbridge (SAGE) is welcomed. It has brought into the open what is happening and is a breath of fresh air after the distortions, incompetence and dithering we have witnessed.

I played a small part, in the background, to the story appearing in the press and I am delighted that the secrecy and conjecture has ended.

Big Day Today

Rosemary goes to the hospital today for tests to determine if her broken hip has mended fully.  Fingers crossed.

Tonight is the first meeting of Rusthall Parish Council. 

Cancer Cure? Is it this simple?

For what it is worth, may I draw your attention to the link below:

http://hubpages.com/hub/Scientists_cure_cancer__but_no_one_takes_notice

Blue Labour

Below is a link to the Guardian.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/may/17/ed-miliband-endorses-blue-labour-thinking

I have a feeling that this is a seminal document for the Labour Party and the beginning of a shift in the political tectonic plates. 

I doubt if it will be attractive to all Liberal Democrats as it is certainly 'conservative' as distinct from 'progressive'. I consider the word 'progressive' as in progressive policies' fatuous.

Blue Labour thinking has major supporters within the Labour Party, none more so than Jon Cruddas and Professor Jonathan Rutherford.  The ideas within the document will strike a chord with Labour moderates of the pre -New Labour era

See also: http://www.soundings.org.uk/

and: http://blue-labour.blogspot.com/

House of Lords Reform

Constitutional law was a compulsory subject when I studied for my law degree. When I suggested to my law lecturer that the House of Lords should be an elected body he commented that it would never happen.  His arguments were:

1.  The Lords is a revising chamber.
2.  It can only delay bills, it cannot stop them.  The Parliament Acts ensure the supremacy of the Commons over the Lords.
3.  The Commons would not countenance a rival elected body.

The proposal that a new upper chamber be elected by some form of proportional representation will give it legitimacy and inevitably will lead to conflict between the Commons and the new upper house.

I don't think the consequences of having a second democratically elected chamber have been worked out.  Comparisons with other countries are meaningless.

Kent County Council: Rail Action Plan

There is much to commend in the Rail Action Plan, but I feel it has not considered a number of issues.

1. The line between Tonbridge and Orpington is being used almost to its full capacity at peak times.  What will happen when demand exceeds capacity?

2. There is no mention of the problems of connections to major regional hubs outside Kent (except for London).  Services to Brighton are poor as are services to Croydon.

3. Poor north/south services within Kent.

The first issue above is the elephant in the room.  Whilst the high speed route from Ashford has taken some of the pressure off the Tonbridge-Orpington route, traffic growth from points west of Ashford will soon take up the slack.  It has been suggested (not in the Plan) that the line between Tunbridge Wells West Station and the Uckfield-Croydon line be re-opened to provide a Tunbridge Wells to London Bridge or Victoria service.  The problem is that the London-Brighton route is almost at full capacity, so this would involve merely transferring the problem rather than resolving it.

Issue 2 could be resolved by re-opening the Uckfield-Lewes line as far as links with Brighton are concerned.

Issue 3: The hourly service between Maidstone West and Paddock Wood acts as a disincentive to travel.  A line has to have a half-hourly service to be attractive. A service should be put on to connect with the proposed Ashford-Gatwick service. This latter service would double the current timetable on the Redhill-Tonbridge route and make it more attractive for passengers wishing to travel to Croydon via Redhill.