Alan Winter Lib Dem Blog

Please sign EDM 2538 supporting Crisis at Christmas

2012-01-22T15:43:00.001Z

Towards the end of last year, a homeless person knocked on my door on a Sunday morning, seeking help with being housed. He knew me to be a local councillor, but I hadn't received any information about homelessness, and I wasn't sure how to advise him. Unfortunately none of my colleagues on Central Bedfordshire Council were in to advise me. I managed to find a page on Central Bedfordshire Council web site that informed me of a duty person who I could ring. That person rang me back and spoke to the homeless person. But the advisor could not provide any shelter for that night in Central Bedfordshire. Instead he was directed to walk to a road in Luton where there *might* be a place for him.

Under the existing law single people are not usually considered a priority for housing and although they should get meaningful advice and assistance too often this doesn’t happen.

As the first place that many turn, councils are in a unique position to assist people out of homelessness. When they fail to do so, those in need of help can be left with nowhere to go and can quickly spiral deeper into homelessness, costing individuals and the state dear. With homelessness rising, we need action now.

Please add your voice to the Crisis campaign by signing this petition:

"40 years after the first Crisis at Christmas, there is a historic opportunity to make the reforms that single homeless people need. We the undersigned demand that:

The Government strengthens the law so that no one is forced to sleep rough.

All single homeless people have the right to receive written advice, real assistance and emergency accommodation when they need it."

http://e-activist.com/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=47&ea.campaign.id=12156&ea.tracking.id=web

WATCH MUSIC VIDEO - Daughtry "What About Now"

Bunny Club for some - While Others Slog On with the Work

2011-06-19T10:22:00.003+01:00

Mid-Bedforshire MP, Nadine Dorris, has been invited to join the Playboy Club according to her blog.

Is Anti-Social Behaviour Bothering You?

2011-03-08T18:33:00.002Z

From time to time situations arise in our community which are upsetting. It only takes a few anti-social families to wreck an area. And no matter how great the will of the community anti-socialable behaviour officers, or the police, or locally elected representative, nothing can be achieved without the co-operation of the wider community.

When asked to do so, please take time to keep a diary of anti-social behaviour. This is the only way that action can be taken through the courts to prevent the continuing nuisance.

Right now, I know of a situation in Tithe Farm. In order to try and obtain more information and witnesses, a letter drop was carried out in the entire area, but unfortunately, only two people came forward to help.

To take meaningful action the enforcement officers need the support of residents who are prepared to complete diary sheets and be witnesses. If you would like to participate in such an excercise because of a problem near you, please let me know in confidence and I will pass your details to the relevant authority.

If any residents come forward the meaningful collection of evidence can begin. With the communities help the responsible authority can take action.

2010-11-29T13:50:00.000Z

A letter to councillors at Central Bedfordshire:

I am a Town councillor for Parkside, Houghton Regis.

I am very concerned for the future of young people in Houghton Regis, and more widely throughout Central Bedfordshire. I am very disappointed to learn of the decision by Council to fully cease its Connexions Service by mid March 2011. And I am now bitterly concerned that the council may decide to fully close down the Youth Service. The authority really is not allowing for any transition periods to build up the voluntary sector. Further, I think it is just a pretence to create a commissioning team, since it will have no funds to commission.

I do fully recognise the current economic climate. But if you close down all key preventative support services to young people, this is going to lead to a failure of meeting young people’s needs, as well as an increase to more expensive specialist services. Additionally, there is a total failure to recognise the greater risk young people will have to involvement in crime, becoming NEET, or homeless.

The proposals are false economy. Initially this proposal will make a saving, but in the long term it actually will cost the authority more through the cost of expensive crisis services, such as social services or youth offending services, who will only get involved once problems have occurred. The estimated cost of a young person in the criminal justice system is £200,000 by the age of 16 and the estimated cost annually of each young person not in employment, education or training is £56,300.

You really should be setting up a working group to explore other options. These decisions by Central Bedfordshire Council could easily lead to young people actually needing more expensive specialist support services.

Stop protecting ‘back room’ corporate services, maintain the critical front line, challenge this naive and rash decision urgently.

I do hope to hear from you as soon as possible.

Take Away the Street Clutter, and Make a Shared Space?

2010-11-23T22:21:00.001Z

I went in a sceptic, and came out converted. That was how I would describe the presentation I attended at the Grove Theatre in Dunstable on Monday night. Central Bedfordshire put on the evening to allow parish and town councillors the opportunity to learn about shared space.

So what is shared space? Well, take the most unfriendly road junction you can think of in your locality, take away the sign posts, the traffic lights, the roundabouts, the yellow lines, the railings, and let the users of that space decide how they would like to use it. The result, we were enthused to agree with, is what happens when experienced skaters converge on a skating rink. Everyone takes it easy, avoids each other, and the whole thing moves along like magic. Only the speaker didn't call it magic, more he called it taking advantage of the human skills we all posess.

Well, I have to say, my mind was constantly turning towards the lights at Bedford Road/High Street junction in Houghton Regis. If a roundabout was tried in the past, and failed, and the lights are failing us now, maybe this "free-for-all" approach is worth a look?

Just as one town was persuaded to cover up its traffic lights for a couple of days, "to see what happens"; I was thinking "Yes, let's do the same here, and see what happens." And that town's people's, so we were told, would not let the officials take the bags off, because everything was working much more smoothly than ever it had before. Yes, please, I thought. Where do I sign?

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLfasxqhBNU

Footnote: still wondering how the blind and partially sighted cope with these arrangements, but am sure blind skating is a possibility... let me know.

Town's Leisure Centre - Is it Really Going to be Closed?

2010-11-21T12:14:00.002Z

While editing the Houghton Regis News Desk on facebook, I drew attention to the proposals by Central Bedfordshire Council for various cost cutting exercises. School crossing patrols, street lights, the manning of CCTV cameras, the closure of a resource facility for after school homework club, the closure of employment facilities for some of the most mentally and physically challenged people in society, not to mention the curtailment of fly-tipping response were all among the cuts proposed that will directly affect Houghton Regis. But the one thing that seems to have polarised public annoyance is the proposal to close the Houghton Regis Leisure Centre.

Action groups have sprung up; as of yesterday there were five "Save Houghon Regis Leisure Centre" pages or groups on facebook alone. An e-petition quickly raised over 200 signatures and was presented to the Central Bedfordshire Council at a committee stage last week. One of our Houghton Regis CBC councillors appeared on BBC Three Counties Radio. Spontaneous paper petitions sprung up and continue to run through the town in various shops. Someone has written to me as "Acting Chairman of Houghton Regis Leisure Centre Action Group" inviting me to a meeting.

This is a people's campaign. Not a Liberal Democrat campaign. Not a Conservative campaign. Not a Labour campaign. A unifying campaign of the people for the people. This is the sort of campaign that demands more media attention. It demands a public show of solidarity. And as one of our town councillor's dared to opine last week, it might even demand a public march.

I am sure that the intentions behind the cuts were that those most in need should not suffer; it's now up to those at Central Bedfordshire Council to see that they don't.
More information

BusWay - A Question over Contracts

2010-08-08T11:33:00.000+01:00

My MP, Andrew Selous, is apparently upset that Luton Borough Council won't give him contract details of the contract between them and BAM to build a £90 million busway between Luton and Houghton Regis.

If foul play is suspected over the timing of the signing of contracts, then I think Andrew Selous is right to pursue the issue. If the purpose is to get the contract cancelled in the hope that money saved will be directly shifted to constructing the A5-M1 link road, then I think the hope is naive.

Given that the busway construction has been funded, and is scheduled to be completed in 2012, I think we should accept it as a fait accompli. So, we should concentrate on doing what we can to promote the benefits of the scheme.

It will certainly be of use to people living in Houghton Regis, either directly, by improving journey times (and a smoother ride), or indirectly, by reducing congestion between Houghton Regis and other destinations during peak times.

The busway will, for the first time, be able to potentially offer Houghton Regis a direct bus service to Luton Airport.

I have FOI evidence from Luton Borough Council that 125,000 potential passengers will live within a 400m walk of one of the 250 bus stops that will be upgraded and will be served by a bus that will use the busway for some or all of their journey.

I accept that for many types of drivers it will be difficult for them to be persuaded to use the bus, but those extra that do, will reduce the travel times experienced by all users during present peak times.

But, I still need to be convinced that the bus operators are doing enough to understand the journeys that people currently make. I am sure they will want to maximise their passenger numbers and make their businesses succeed, and will undertake the necessary research to make that possible.

That Beechnut is Back Again!

2010-06-14T22:04:00.000+01:00

Letter to my fellow Lib Dem CBC councillors:
"The application for the "Beechnut" for Bedford Square came before the Houghton Regis Town Council planning committee this evening. (Download main application from Central Bedfordshire Council website at http://tinyurl.com/34gmwcb )

"The scheme is supposed to "help make Bedford Square a focus for community interaction and recreation". Yet people already interact in Bedford Square, and there have been many attempts over the years to make Bedford Square less of a recreational area. Surely the last thing to be encouraged is "recreational use"? A secondary aspiration of the project is to "enhance Bedford Square". I am of the opinion that this particular art work will be a carbuncle on Bedford Square; one which will have no recognisable connection to its proposed location, and one that will serve to distance the people of the town from its elected representatives, both locally, and at the heart of the decison making process.

"The scheme comes within economic.growth@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk Economic Growth and Regeneration Department of Central Bedfordshire Council, and yet there is a strong feeling about the town that this particular artwork is unwanted, that it is a waste of public money, and of no value in the regeneration of Houghton Regis.

"Has CBC got the guts to pull the money from this HAPPEN arts scheme, and thereby save the impression that public money is being squandered at a time when other public projects are being postponed and reviewed; and at a time when the public, in general, is being warned to expect further public cuts?"

Discuss this issue here

Time to Call Time on the Snoopers at the TPA

2010-05-24T22:54:00.002+01:00

The Tax Payers Alliance (TPA) has come in for criticism for its sinister and outrageous snooping attack on local councils.

Under the we-know-what-you-are-all-about website name, bigbrotherwatch.org, the TPA has poked its nose into the affairs of locally subsidised authorities. It has dared to publish information seeking to discredit the local authorities for carrying out their legitimate public services, like snooping on awful people who allow their dogs to deposit do-do's all over town, and disgraceful people who trim council hedges without council's permission.

In several startling cases the TPA has snooped in to discover that councils were simply trying to find the truth about allegations of unlicensed taxi drivers. The TPA snooping has even descended to the level of probing councils to discover if any penalties were handed out by the Courts.

Sir Hufton-Bufton, a man who wants to challenge the snoopers who snoop into councils that snoop on people who move through the shadows, said today "All this snooping by the TPA is costing the council tax payers a lot of money. It ties up council clerks time, keeps them busy on pointless and costly letter-writing, answering their drivelling questions, and is all together simply against the general public interest."

Hail Nick The Negotiator !

2010-05-12T08:01:00.003+01:00

Waking up to the news that 5 Lib Dems will be in the new coalition cabinet. This will be a government in business management style, and politics by personality, and I warmly welcome it.

The Right of the Conservatives, and the Left of the Lib Dems won't be quieted easily, but hey, we have to have a government. Ultimately the two wings of this forged two-party alliance will form the groundswell for future Conservative and Liberal Democrat policy, and those policies will be seen to be distinct come the time of the next General Election.

For now, we all wait to see if they can work well together. The sincerity of Clegg and Cameron shines through for me, and I'm sure it will work, if only the upset tufton-buftons and left-minded LibDems will allow it to work. There's a lot at stake for both parties if it doesn't.

This Week

2010-04-24T17:17:00.004+01:00

So, this week in Blighty we had the Leaders second debate. The day started with the Tory newspapers spreading muck and lies about Nick Clegg. It was such an obviously orchestrated campaign, that just about everyone of the readers probably saw right through the plot. What a bunch of Tory plotting losers! As if they think their newspapers can decide the winner. The people will vote. The people will decide. Not the newspapers and their financiers, Mr Murdoch.

Meanwhile, the Mail Online is running a poll. Who won the 2nd debate between Brown, Clegg, and Cameron? Being the Mail, they didn't report the outcome today. Clegg is getting 80% !!! LOL!! bit.ly/c2bXoD

This Week

2010-04-18T11:46:00.000+01:00

Monday: Annual Towns Meeting. No members of the public attended. A reporter came. And so did Cllr Sue Goodchild. The meeting lasted 12 minutes.
Tuesday. Lib Dem local Branch Executive meeting. 2 hours.
Thursday evening. Nick Clegg scores much credit over Cameron and Brown, boosts LibDems in ratings.
Friday. Helped NH in South Oxhey delivering leaflets.
Saturday. Walk over Dunstable Downs. Great weather. Great excuse for a coastline.

Murial Plans Postphoned

2010-01-28T20:34:00.001Z

Jon Boswell, Head of Stronger Communities, BRCC, has responded to the reaction of our town council saying "we have no wish to install a work that does not have the
backing of the Town Council." Well, that's a small win for consultation requests. He acknowledges that they should have built more public consultation into the overall project. He is hopeful that they will come back in May or June to engage possibly with a local school to create a new design for the wall frieze to go up in Bedford Square.

A Bit of a Rumpus over a Murial

2010-01-26T20:27:00.001Z

Last nights town council meeting was a productive affair, setting the year's increase in the parish precept up 1.92% for a Band D property, or an extra £2.43 a year. Plenty of value from the Lib Dem run council in a year that will see building of a new pavilion for the bowls club and footballers, and completion of two new playgrounds.

But the smallest item on the agenda produced possibly the biggest annoyance of the evening. Late last year we were told (i.e. not asked) that the town would be getting a giant beech nut (even though artistic licence is applied and it will actually look more like a horse chestnut), along with a murial to be hung on the side of the Tesco metro store in Bedford Square. Well, a picture of the murial was shown to us last night of what we would be getting (again, without any consultation) and this was tempered only by the fact that planning permission would be required, even if we aren't the planning authority. This murial features the local All Saints church. This could be construed as being divisive, as there are 3 churches in the town, besides which the placement of the murial will make it look as if commercial sponsorship is involved. Not only that but if one looks around the corner from where this is to be placed you would be able to see the real thing!

Okay, so the town isn't paying for it, it's coming from an Art fund, but people are going to think the Town council approved it. And the truth is we weren't even consulted.

'Snow Good, We Can't Duck The Issues

2009-12-22T13:27:00.006Z

Dorothy Thornhill, Mayor of Watford says of the snow: "This kind of weather is here to stay now and our current policy (as a nation) of gritting the main roads then expecting a thaw to take care of the side roads and pavements is no longer going to work!"

So, I say what do we do?
Deposit grit bins on every little slope that is likely to contribute to The Great Gridlock?
All live closer to where we work?
Buy 4x4's?
Close companies down for the winter?
Create more laybys so that abandoned cars have somewhere to be abandoned?
Or all of the above?

We Can't Duck The Issues

Add Your Caption

December 21st Snow-Locked

2009-12-22T00:12:00.000Z

A disastrous evening on the roads for local people just trying to get home from work. Arriva removed their buses from the roads, Luton and Stansted airports closed.
The roads around the Three Counties were gridlocked. And all because it snowed.

My own journey of an hour (tops) on a normal rush-hour took 5.25hours.

When I was coming home I think I saw 2 real problems at M1 Junction 10.
Firstly, traffic has to move up a slope from the spur road to get onto the roundabout above the M1. My car slipped lots. I almost didn't make it, and aftewr I got up there was quite a gap before the next one made it.
The slope contributes to a backlog all the way back down the airport road, and that in turn holds up the Lower Luton Road.
Secondly, the traffic coming off the M1 northbound, blocks the traffic on the J10 roundabout trying to turn off that roundabout to go onto north on the m1. The roundabout there should never have been built. They should have built flyovers.

Dunstable Northern Bypass

2009-12-15T19:17:00.000Z

An announcement was made last week about the "Northern Dunstable Bypass". The powers that be seem to think that a new road linking east to west and to the M1 will relieve the traffic running north-south through Dunstable's A5.
But here's the reality of the new road: Thousands of extra homes are expected to be built in the north of Houghton Regis parish. Clearly without the new "bypass" Poynters Road, Park Road North, and the High Street Houghton Regis, would be unable to cope with all the extra traffic. I'm not sure that even the Northern Bypass will actually relieve Houghton Regis of it's traffic jams every rush-hour.
Nevertheless, the news from the Highways Agency will be welcomed by many throughout South Bedfordshire. Clearly, for those who want to travel north south via the A5, nothing short of a Dunstable town-centre circumnavigation will be sort.

ACT now ... to Change the Law, and CAMPAIGN!

2009-11-25T22:15:00.001Z

I've just joined ACT, a Liberal Democrat "facebook" style Web site for people, members AND non members, to get involved in, to deal with the issues that anyone wants to deal with.
Here's my starting page.

Here's your starting page.

See you in a Liberal Democratic UK in the future?

X Factor Boycott - Change the Rules

2009-11-12T20:37:00.000Z

I just blogged ...

So the Central Beds want the parishes to do more...

2009-11-05T21:21:00.000Z

I went to Chicksands last night. Town and parishes conference. Seems to me that CBC expect to have their income cut next year, and strongly hinting that they want the parishes to pick up the tab and push up their part of the Council tax, even asking us to think about what services they want the parishes to take on. So, will it be grass cutting, footpath mending, litter picking, .... what ? And Con, Lab, and Libs all saying they want power devolved to the lowest level. So whoever wins, more power to the lower levels. But it's a fine balance deciding to put up a localities local precept to pay for these services if that locality is on the poor side. So, if the services are taken on from the central authority, the central authority must follow through with the funds. Come on, public, contact me!

Where Politics Meets the X Factor

2009-10-27T22:29:00.001Z

In my other blog I have been writing about the X Factor.

For me, being a Liberal Democrat is seeing that something is wrong, and seeking to intervene to make a change. So, here's where politics meets the X-Factor.
Each week is themed. The singers may be poor on one theme and good on another. But if they're poor one week, they could go out. And all the times people voted for them before, when they might have been much better, those votes won't help to save them.

I think the current voting system is wrong. The acts that leave should be the ones that have polled the lowest number of votes over ALL the weeks they have been on the live programme. It shouldn't be the ones that score the lowest in a particular week.

HRTC and Planning

2009-09-13T10:53:00.002+01:00

At a Special meeting of the Houghton Regis town council this week, councillors resolved to continue with the current arrangement of Planning and Licencing committee meetings approximately every three weeks. At these meetings parish councillors get to comment on local planning applications, and if they feel it necessary, can alert a Central Bedfordshire councillor to a particular application. In turn, that Central Beds councillor can "call it in" and the application will be looked at by a committee of Central Beds council. The Houghton Regis Town Council does not decide planning applications. Town councillors also resolved to ask the town clerk to put together a special Town Crier leaflet that would help to clarify the planning system.

Consultation Exercise: East of England

2009-09-13T10:53:00.000+01:00

During this week I was one of the Houghton Regis town councillors who attended a consultation meeting of East of England Regional Assembly (EERA).
The purpose of the meeting was to obtain views on how fast the region should grow and broadly where that growth should go. As the meeting was held at Chicksands, the questioners were by and large from Central Beds, and Luton areas.

There were appeals for the A5-M1 bypass to be built first (Cllr PeterWilliams, Houghton Regis), and for other infrastructure (roads, hospitals, schools etc. ) to be in place before building starts. General response: government short of money, EERA looking for section 106 money from developers to fund infrastructure, followed by a general sense of fustration from the assembled questioners. There were appeals for homes to be built for rent (Cllr Rita Egan, Houghton Regis), to make them affordable for local people. There was an appeal for electricity to be made available, as the region will face supply problems. There was a question about where water supplies will come from; and given that people need food, why is a farming region to be concreted over? Several questioners made the point that they didn't believe the government statistics on population growth : response from EERA, whatever statistics are used the population is growing and needs homes.

We Shall Fight Them on The Beaches

2009-09-01T18:44:00.000+01:00

Clicking the link below brings an interesting response! No one can now say that they don't know what people are saying in the House of Commons, because speeches back to 1935 are now available online.
We Shall Fight Them on The Beaches

Salmon Fishing in The Yemen

2009-08-29T17:46:00.000+01:00

This week I read Salmon Fishing in The Yemen by Paul Torday. Sprinkled with interesting facts about salmon, and fishing terms, the novel combines emails, newspaper reports, diary entries, and interviews to tell the story of why a government scientist is "put up" to see through an impossible project to introduce salmon fishing in the Yemen. The story gets behind the news to inform the reader about how government and diplomacy might work, and how the little man is easily walked over by those in the upper echilons. Peter Mandelsohn is easily parodied in the story as "Peter Maxwell", while Tony Blair finds his fiction self in "Jay Vent".

"Harry" cashes in, but are Council Chiefs just Creaming It?

2009-07-20T19:21:00.006+01:00

With Daniel Radcliffe said to be picking up £8.65m for his latest Harry Potter film, it has made be wonder what all the fuss was about with MPs expenses. Apparently there is no public outcry about actors. I guess that's all right, then?
We all come into this world with nought, and leave with nought. Something happens with money in the middle of all that.
What I want to know is, do you think £185,000 (minimum) a year is appropriate for a Chief Executive of Central Bedfordshire Council? The argument being that this salary sits between established unitary Councils of a comparable scale (between c£140k and c£160k), and larger new unitary Councils and London Boroughs (c£200k). Personally, I'd say the figure is far too high. No one needs that kind of income to live a decent life. They could all manage on £100,000 a year less.

Jacko Dead

2009-06-26T21:18:00.001+01:00

Well, that was a shock, last night. So now the world gorges itself on tv, radio, newspaper, and magazine on his life and times. I've never bought a MJ record, but I never didn’t like any of his stuff. As I write this, only 8 albums in the amazon.co.uk top 25 chart are NOT featuring Michael Jackson. Now that’s phenomenal!

No holes in this argument

2009-06-26T20:56:00.001+01:00

I’ve written to my MP about potholes on the Leighton Buzzard Rd, route into Hemel Hempstead; you have to do some serious dodging to avoid some nasty potholes here. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that someone has done some serious damage to tyres, or worse, on this road. Of course Herts Tory council are blaming the Labour government for under-funding them. Come the General Election, Tories will persuade the voters to vote Tory if they want potholes fixed.

I Dish the Dirt on our local Election Campaign!

2009-06-22T19:06:00.009+01:00

I have decided to publish an account of the events that took place during the local Election campaign during June 2009.
First off censored in the fashion of publishing true records in the House of Commons.

D R and P . Sue G y sad, indeed.
The first leaf printed by , confused , gypsy petition
The second leaf potholes why? Well, it was everyone should get .
Meanwhile, R . This was not .
Next, lovely and sunny.
Actually this meeting was dog barking even more signatures NP candidate.
Hemel . Thanks, Colin!
trees door knocking voting. litter . Slow, at first only . But by 6pm, grand old duke . so that was all right.
Counting started in secrecy.

Finally, I'd like to thank every one who voted, , , , and last but not least, who's financial help I found extremely rewarding, NOT! No, life as an unpaid local councillor certainly has it's rewards, not to mention it's and !

For full explanation see local MP, Andrew Selous.

Petition Date 23rd June

2009-06-16T18:46:00.003+01:00

I have been informed by Cllr David Jones that the new date for our petition to be presented is 23rd June, at the Executive Committee meeting of the new Central Bedfordshire Council. This is a change of date to what was originally announced here.
It is item 5 on the agenda. The meeting starts at 9.30 a.m, and will be held at Council Chamber, Priory House, Monks Walk, Shefford. (click headline for link)

MEMBERS OF THE PRESS AND PUBLIC ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND THIS MEETING, So if you can make it, why not get along?

Pot Holes In Herts

2009-06-14T21:39:00.006+01:00

People still complain about pot holes in Bedfordshire, but they are nothing compared to the mess that exists in Hertfordshire.
I am furious about the lack of work on the potholes on the Leighton Buzzard Rd, route into Hemel Hempstead, especially between Braden Lane and Pedley Hill. You have to do some serious dodging to avoid some nasty potholes here. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that someone has done some serious damage to tyres, or worse, at this spot.
Before June 4th Tory posters declared "Vote for Change" along this route. People voted for change and they somehow ended up with a Tory run Herts County Council again presiding over the same mess. How dare the farmers and others put up Vote for Change posters along this route while the potholes still exist?
If you go to the Hertfordshire Highways web page it says "If the fault is an immediate threat to life and limb please call the police." Well, perhaps I will.

Add your comment about this disaster area.

Gordon Brown's not all that bad

2009-06-07T20:50:00.003+01:00

Mandy stuck up for Gordon Brown on the Andrew Marr show this morning, and last week Gordon vented his own views. I think Mandy put it in the right terminology today, that the media are treating the whole political scene as a live reality show, with the poiticians as contestants, and the media circus treating the whole thing as a joke, goading the contestants on, in an effort to get rid of Brown. I always thought Gordon did a good job as Chancellor.
As Prime Minister, like Mandy said today, he is not a pop star, and why should he be expected to be? Lots of actions have been put into being, and the expenses of MPs will be sorted out, those MPs with immorally claims have gone from ministerial posts, or will be going - and don't forget Tories, and Labour put in what I'd call immoral claims. Yes, to a lesser extent, the Lib Dems, too. Anyway, a non-partisan team is being put together by Brown to sort out business and jobs. Give it 6 months, I think his leadership (if he can hold on) will prove to have been right on the button.

EURO ELECTION

2009-06-07T20:45:00.001+01:00

Just come in from the Euro count taking place in Dunstable. The estimated score there is 42% Tory (25,000 votes); 2nd UKIP 22%; 3rd Lib Dems 15%.

Massive Win For Lib Dems in Houghton Regis

2009-06-05T11:12:00.003+01:00

At 4.15am today the result of the Central Bedfordshire Elections for the Houghton Regis ward were announced:

Houghton Regis (31.4% turnout)
LD Susan Goodchild 1877 (elected)
LD Rita Egan 1650 (elected)
LD David Jones 1628 (elected)
LD Peter Williams 1553 (elected)
CON 998
CON 279 (that's what the returning officer declared !)
CON 799
CON 746
BNP 735
LAB 463
LAB 482
LAB 456
LAB 444

East of England - G & T Policy Changes

2009-06-02T21:56:00.003+01:00

Rita Egan tells me that the signatures on our handwritten petition (click for online version) are stacking up. Meanwhile, East of England "Consultation on Gypsy and Traveller Policy Proposed Changes" ended on 22 May 2009.
You can download the report and read comments made by others here:
http://goe-consult.limehouse.co.uk/portal/rss_gt_proposed_changes/gtproposedchanges?pointId=1238086088667
It is also interesting to read through comments made on the same page by
clicking on the "View Comments" tab.

Also interesting to see the response of Central Bedfordshire Council to the consultation, this was debated at the Executive Committee meeting held on 12th May, and may be found here:
http://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/modgov/ieListDocuments.asp?Cld=577&Mid=2983

Cllr David Jones urges us to sign "We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to change the current planning regime for travellers sites as it is unfairly biased against residents and council taxpayers:. ...etc" :
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/travellerssites/

Tories Are Doomed

2009-05-24T08:45:00.003+01:00

Last week's BBC interview with Tory MP Steen, blew the Tory strategy of pretending to be like ordinary people, right out of the water. The subject was the same subject matter of the past two weeks, that of MPs expenses. His interview was littered with things that Tories should only ever say to other Tories, and never within earshot of a reporter. His quotes included these gems:

"...do you know what it's about? Jealousy. I've got a very very large house. Some say it even looks like Balmoral. ... It just does me nicely."

"...as of this day I don't know what the fuss is about."

"... I took soundings from the constituents, and they are absolutely beside themselves with anger."

"... a wretched government here that has completely mucked up the system and caused resignation of me and many others, because it was this government that brought in the freedom of information act, ... actually caught me on the wrong foot, which, if I'd been cleverer, it wouldn't have done."

"...What right does the public have to interfere with my private life? None. "

Well, excuse me, (I say touching my forelock, and stooping so low that eyes meet the level of Steen's kneecaps), I'm so terribly sorry to question your expense claims on the public purse, So sorry sir, I won't do it again sir. (I wave my hand in a circular motion, grovel, grovel. grovel.) Please send an escort to take me back to my sticks and mud hovel in the woods, and I promise never, ever, ever to question again what the MPs of this country are doing with our peasants tax money.

Petition Off to Good Start

2009-05-18T19:11:00.002+01:00

On Saturday Lib Dems stood in showers to collect signatures for their petition against proposals by Tories to put 3 gypsy and traveller sites in Houghton Regis. It is very unfair how it has been decided where the sites should be. Neither travellers, gypsies, or the locally settled population has been consulted.

MPs Expenses Must Be Reformed

2009-05-18T18:42:00.005+01:00

Local Conservative MP, Andrew Selous needs to give very serious thought to explaining how he tops the league table in 2002/3 and 2004/5 for Additional Costs Allowances, with his constituency being only some 35 miles from London.
For over a week the Daily Telegraph has published the outrageous, the ridiculous, the extravagant, the weird, and the downright dishonest, expense claims of our MPs. To the punter in the street they all seem to have been "at it", regardless of party, at some point. Only a handful appear to come squeaky clean.

But doesn't it just show that our MPs are "only human"? I mean, the highway code says the speed limit on our motorways is 70mph. But as one speeds past you when you're on 70mph, just look how many others follow suit. One gets away with it, and plenty more think they'll try it on too. Stick average speed cameras on the route, and just look how they all slow!

I say that what parliament needs is a better system to police those claims. Government owned apartments for MPs who need to travel a fair distance to work. For those who prefer to travel in, perhaps a mileage allowance, but only on those days they need to travel in. As for Kit-Kats, hob knob biscuits, flower pots, and the like, they should buy their own. As for profits on 2nd homes (that's 2nd, not 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th!), pay it back to parliament; and if you are judged by your peers to have deliberately, systematically, "milked the system" over recent years, RESIGN!

Footnote: Just as Rita Egan says, as a local councillor I have never submitted any expenses, or even claimed petrol for 2 distance trips I took last year, or for a day unpaid off work I had to take to attend a training course on the new planning system.

SCANDAL OF MPs EXPENSES

2009-05-08T17:13:00.006+01:00

2-jags apparently claimed twice in two years for fixing a WC in his private house. Perhaps the reason he has had so many loo problems is that he's been shoving so much food - £400 a month on food expenses - down his greedy gob. I always thought he was full of cr*p.

Harriet Harman says the House of Commons authorities check that the expenses of MPS are within the rules. Well, clearly the rules need changing!

"I have only ever had 1 small flat at any one time in London" says Hazel Blears, swiftly ignoring the facts that the Torygraph today publishes information stating she claimed for three different properties in one year. I say she should resign.

And so the expenses come out. And most of them ARE NOT expenses in the course of doing a job. Farleys rusks, Mouse killer, a pizza wheel, a chocolate santa, cat food, potato peeler, X-rated movies... They are making money hand-over-fist on 2nd homes. It is scandulous what is being claimed on MPs expenses.

I just fear that MPs will now get the idea that the sh*t has really hit the fan. Watch them. They'll now be putting in expense claims for new fans, and specialist cleaning operatives! Not to worry, Gordon Brown knows just the cleaner they can employ. The Prime Minister paid his brother for cleaning, at a neat £10.50 per hour (and that's probably a lot more than this top executive at EDF energy pays his own cleaners!)

Parliament is clearly a gravy train. The authority that settles the claims needs to be brought to task, not the people lapping up the gravy "because every one else on the train is lapping up the gravy". If something is not a legitimate cost in the course of a performing a job, then "nothing doing".

While I discussed this little lot with work colleagues, a package arrived for me. "Watcha got, Al?" they enquired.
"Oh, that's a guillotine I ordered off E-bay".
** chuckles all round **

... So just ask the MPs to queue up at my desk, and place their heads ..."

27 Months For A Life

2009-04-20T12:58:00.003+01:00

Toby Cooke was due to go to Ghana to help build a children's hospital. Instead he ended up on the receiving end of Harrow's Graham Cahill's fist in a road-rage incident. Toby Cooke didn't recover from the knock down. He died from his injuries.

Cahill admitted manslaughter. Cahill got a pathetic 27 month prison sentence from the judge, oh and let's not forget the 18 month ban on driving. On this occasion it seems Mr Cooke was the driving menace, the type that probably would annoy me, too. It's an awfully light sentence, though, and I would expect this to be raised in the House of Commons in the near future.

Hammer and Nail

2009-04-14T18:29:00.000+01:00

If a nail is a problem, a hammer isn't the only solution.

No Reponse Yet

2009-04-13T11:53:00.007+01:00

Central Bedfordshire Council isn't working too well yet.

Started up on 1st April, their web site merely offers rudimentary suggestions to email customer services, basically for ANYTHING, or dial a central number. So I am still waiting for a reference number to acknowlege that faulty lights I reported over a week ago on Parkside are getting through to the right people who need to sort them out.

Meanwhile, in Firefox browser, their advertorial messages on their website don't look too brilliant:

Towns Annual Meeting

2009-04-06T20:54:00.003+01:00

Just got back from the Towns Annual Meeting for Parishioners. This must have been the shortest meeting I have ever attended at HRTC in the past 2 years!

The key chair people whipped through the activities of the year, and after 30 minutes we were asking the public for comments. The only questioner asked what are HRTC's views on gypsy and traveller sites? Our group leader David Jones, gave a potted history of things as he knew them, pointing out that SBDC's consultants certainly did not consult the town council, and expressing concern of the impact on the town's infrastructure (Schools, NHS, etc).

Cllr Rita Egan asserted that from her reading of the consultants report, she couldn't find any group or organisation that had been consulted. "So who was consulted?", she asked, and then answered her own question, "Not the Town Council! Not the people! I have grave, grave concern over the lack of consultation!"

Cllr Rita Egan went on to urge people to "raise it in the newspapers! raise it everywhere!"

The questioner urged that "As a town, we should come together, putting party politics aside."

I promised to find the questioner a link to the documents, apparently missing from a link given in a local newspaper, owing to the demise of SBDC website in favour of Central Beds. Here's the ACTIVE link for the documents. (active while I write, anyway!)

Central Beds Website

2009-04-05T20:12:00.003+01:00

Reported two lamposts on during the daytime in Parkside Drive, via Central Beds customer service email address. Cannot seem to locate an online form to report these type of problems, like we used to get with Bedfordshire County Council. In fact the old link takes me to a page that seems to be just for Bedford problems.

Also reported a fault with their web site. Can't read white text on a white background.

I'll be watching closely to see how they respond, and how quickly.

Updated my own votelibdem.com "Problems" web page to remove SBDC weblinks, and replace with Central Beds weblinks.

SORN - If Its Off Road Surely That's Enough?

2009-03-31T21:37:00.004+01:00

Tonight I received constituent complaint about SORN.

SORN leaflet SAYS:
A SORN will automatically end if the vehicle is
taxed, or there is a change of keeper, before the
12 months are up.

A SORN is valid for up to 12 months and must then
be renewed if the vehicle is still kept off the road.

Constituent wants to know: why should he need to renew? Why can't they just assume it is still off the road, and if he later takes it on the road and gets caught by police for not having road tax, then fair enough. He feels it's a con that DVLA are working to raise money every year from people who don't realise they have to renew a SORN.

SO, What Are The Liberal Democrats Doing?

2009-03-31T21:30:00.002+01:00

Out canvassing. People want to know what the Liberal Democrats are doing in Parliament. So here's a useful page.

http://www.libdems.org.uk/parliament/bills

Marine and Coastal Access Bill
Thu, 12 Mar 2009
Liberal Democrats who have long called for action fear this Bill will not commit the Secretarty of State to make things change

Vince Cable MP
Banking Bill
Thu, 12 Mar 2009
Lib Dems support the Bill but fear that more must be done

Lord Avebury
Borders, Immigration and Citizenship Bill
Thu, 12 Mar 2009
Lib Dems criticise Bill that typifies Government's failures on immigration

Chris Huhne
Policing and Crime Bill
Wed, 11 Mar 2009
Bill containing matters that are barely related was thrown together with no thought of purpose

Coroners and Justice Bill
Wed, 11 Mar 2009
A complete hotch-potch of a bill that fails to allow for proper scrutiny
David Howarth

Political Parties and Election Bill
Wed, 11 Mar 2009
Lib Dems oppose inadequate Bill that fails to take big money out of politics

Welfare Reform Bill 2008-09
Wed, 11 Mar 2009
Government masks the real problems in the welfare system

Sally Hamwee
Business Rates Supplements Bill 2009
Mon, 12 Jan 2009
Lib Dems concerned that cost for firms could rise

Traveller Sites - Update

2009-03-29T19:40:00.004+01:00

When Conservative run South Beds District Council announced traveller sites for Houghton Regis, even the 6 Lib Dem Councillors that represent Houghton Regis residents had to find out the news from the local newspapers.

The plans to establish new travellers sites were presented at Executive Committee on 13th January 2009, and quickly distributed to local newspapers. The announcement was swiftly followed by waves of angry phone calls from Houghton Regis residents to your Lib Dem councillors. The decision to make the announcement was made by a core of Conservative councillors who control the running of South Beds District Council. Lib Dem councillors have no say in these Executive decisions.

The chosen areas, include land off Sandringham Drive, Houghton Regis, Kingsland Former Community College, Sundon Road, and Thorn Turn, Thorn Road. View Map.

A group of Houghton Regis town councillors were invited along to a planning meeting at the S.B.D.C. offices on 17th February 2009. There we learnt that the decision was taken after paid consultants identified areas in South Bedfordshire District Council's region that would satisfy Central Government directives. Apparently South Beds is not providing sufficient sites for travellers, gypsies and showmen, and as a consequence of this, the S.B.D.C. officers complained that when they issue notices to remove travellers from illegally occupied sites, the courts determined that the S.B.D.C. was in contravention of regulations to provide sufficient sites for travellers.

Saskia Duncan, a spokesperson for the Joint Technical Unit S.B.D.C., told me "National and regional guidance was used to develop a set of criteria against which to evaluate potential sites and existing sites. All the sites brought forward from the various ‘calls for sites’ were subject to this assessment."

Of the survey undertaken by these paid consultants, (a heavy document was waved at us on our visit to the S.B.D.C. offices, as if the size of the document justified the expense), it has not escaped our attention that the only sites apparently available and chosen within South Bedfordshire are ones were Conservative support is poorest.

The Report to the Executive Committee is available online and provides a summary of the Study including the set of criteria used in assessing potential sites. The Report can be viewed on line at www.southbeds.gov.uk.

Saskia Duncan told me, "The Study will be subject to future public consultation later on in the year as part of the Local Development Framework process. Should you wish to be notified, your contact details can be added to our LDF database. "

Tell Us What You Think.

Council to charge more for wider graves

2009-03-03T19:53:00.003Z

There are lies, dammed lies, and the Daily Mirror.

The news on Monday that the town council I serve on is to charge more for wider plots in the cemetery must have found its place in the nationals due to it being a slow news day. Houghton Regis's Environment committee met on Monday 23rd, and it took until the following Monday (March 2nd) for the Mirror to report with this story.

So, let's take a look at this Mirror-reported story.
1. "Fat people are to cost more". This is factually incorrect. To use their word, "fat", this can mean many things. But the actual lines on the agenda for which approval was sought, reads "... in the last few months there have been two burials that have required wider graves, thereby encroaching into what, under normal circumstances, would have been the next plot. It is suggested that in such circumstances it would not be unreasonable to charge a higher fee..."

2. "A council is set to charge an extra £75 to bury the obese" ... Hold on the bell, Nelly. Someone at your newspaper cannot add up. What school did you go to? The actual item on the agenda, continues, "... raising the cost of interment from £129 to £194". That is an increase of £65.

3. "It is the first local authority in the country to vary burial fees". Not so. If the Mirror writer had read the whole of the item on the Houghton Regis Town Council Environment Committee agenda, the item states, "...to charge a higher fee, which is believed is the practice at The Vale Cemetery in Luton".

At neighbouring Labour-run Luton, The Vale Cemetery & General Cemetery - published online fees for Interment are currently £360 for an Adult, plus "Additional width fee charged for casket, large coffin or excavating for a walled grave or grave chamber" an extra £120.

4, "It is the first local authority in the country to vary burial fees according to the dead person's weight." Not so. It is not to be a measurement of weight, it is a measurement of the space required for the coffin of the deceased.

5. "Cllr Keith Wakefield, leader of the council's opposition Labour group, condemned the increases as "appaling". Well, I have already shown someone at the Mirror to be not very good at sums, now it is shown that someone there cannot spell, either. Pretty apalling for a publishing organisation. What government were you educated under? Anyway, that is bye-the-bye. In case anyone out there in the real world feels mislead into thinking Keith might be an opposition councillor in Houghton Regis, let me tell you he is not. In Houghton Regis, we wiped Labour out completely at the last set of local elections. We are now 100% Liberal Democrat.

So, what do I think? Well, I'm not on the Environment Committee (yes, that was another Mirror-lie. We don't have a "burial committee" per se) and I am sure that the committee had good reasons for agreeing an increase. The cemetery is almost full. Maybe the next cemetery will decide on a larger standard size. Who knows. However, I am looking very closely at the Liberal Democrat Preamble to the Federal Constitution, and may yet argue against the increase at Full Council.

Traveller Site(s) For Houghton Regis?

2009-01-31T17:12:00.000Z

3 potential sites for travellers have been identified in Houghton Regis. The news came as a complete shock to the HR town council, who were not consulted. Worse, the 6 LibDem District councillors for HR were not informed. They had to find the news out from the local newspapers, and answer their phones non-stop as worried residents rang them. South Beds District Council (Tory-run) ran the press release mid-month January. Here are the plans: View the plans on the SBDC website. And place your vote in the side column here. It Matters What You Think. Email via our web site.

OLD STUFF

2009-01-31T16:27:00.000Z

A collection of writings from my previous personal space

w/e 26/10/08
This week I was asked by letter from the Assistant Town Clerk to comment on shutters being provided for the Bedford Square Public Centre. I wrote back supporting shutters, as broken windows are an expense to public purse, not to mention the aggravation of out of hours working, and disruption to services if staff have to deal with broken window incidents. Sad, but it's a reality. I attended a meeting of Bedfordshire Town and Parish Councils in Henlow.

Labour Crash in May Local Elections
No election in Houghton Regis, but the presentation of incoming results left much to be desired. Labour might have crashed in the polls, but the crashing embarrassment of the night was this excruciating skit from Jeremy Vine on the BBC Poll Show. What was the point of this nonsense? For the record, Liberal Democrats had a bigger share of the overall vote than Labour.

Wall Fall Down?
13 March 08 Has anyone else had cause to wonder when the wall alongside Lower Harpenden Road will topple into the path of an oncoming vehicle? The wall is currently crumbling away rapidly. It can't be long before there is an accident caused. I would like to know what the authority responsible for it is going to do about it.

Its a Hard Life
12 March 08 I see the Chief Executive of Beds C. C. is scarpering off to a new post at Suffolk County Council, just 4 days after the announcement to abolish Beds C. C. was made. It must be hard living off her new salary reported at £220,000 p.a. I don't know how I'd meet ends meet. People like that just don't live in the same world as me.

Security Improvement?
8 March 08 Security Improvement? With the idea of blocking off some escape routes to would-be thieves, I've circulated several homes in the neighborhood with suggestions. The response has been about 25% positively in favour, and no one against. Presumably the others don't mind either way. It's a start. At least it's a better response to the surveys asking people for their views on local land developments, carried on by District Authorities (less than 1%).

Can't Spell, Don't Care
12 January 08 I have today reported dumped rubbish in the closed off section of Parkside Drive; and on the public footpath between the Painters estate and Bromley Gardens.

I have reported two potholes in Sundon Road, 1 opp. 45 Sundown Road, 1 outside Sundon Lodge.

I have taken photographs of graffitti at the southern end of Houghton Regis, near to Conway Close "Howton LU5" "D is lesbin with Jade X" and "ENTER AT OWN RISK HOUGHTON ..."

All taxpayers foot the bill for clearing up this mess. That's why our council taxes are as high as they are.Turning a blind eye to it won't do. It spells out to visitors, "Don't come here, we don't care, the schools are rubbish because we can't even spell, and if you actually buy a house here, don't expect to sell it easily when the time comes, because who would want to buy in fly-tipping zone, splattered with graffiti and ignorance? Everyone needs to take more care of this local environment, otherwise it hits us all in the wallet.

Litter Bugs Bug Me
16 December 07 Spent about an hour tidying up my car and lawn today, then decide to have a look around Westminster Gardens again. This time I actually picked the cans and bottles up, plucked from hedgerows, and under trees. It doesn't take much to do. If everyone spent 5 minutes a week, just tidying up beyond the actual boundaries of their own property, clearing up the mess left lying about by inconsiderate others, the world would be a much nicer place. I firmly believe that if a place is tidied up, it discourages others to drop litter there. If its left to accumulate, then accumulate it will.

SPAM and SPAMMERS
30 November 07 Received a fabulous email from the "official" spammer at work a couple of weeks ago. I say official, because he's the only one permitted to mass mail the entire company at my work location. As soon as I got it I was onto Sophos.com, and snopes.com to see if there was any truth in the story. Sure enough, the particular story was false, and I let the "suffering" official spammer know, whereupon he opted to send everyone another email saying it had been a hoax. Lo and behold, 2 weeks later I get the same email from a fellow councillor who in turn has received it from an official spammer at his workplace. Those websites again: Snopes.com and Sophos.com

FLY-TIPPING
30 Sept 07 Took another of my walks around the locality today, this time noting down 11 incidents of fly-tipping, mainly in pockets along a public footpath with bushes, which South Beds D.C. will have the pleasure of mulling over when they roll into work tomorrow.Tyres, old paint tins, cardboard boxes of clothes, an old armchair... this stuff won't go into bins provided. In you ask me, the D.C.'s barmy policies of insisting that people pay to have "non-collectable" rubbish collected, is one of the key reasons the lazies in society dump rubbish where they do.

Redevelopment
27 June07 With the elections now well behind us, I'm getting into the pattern of meetings at the HR Town Council.

Last week there was a Town Centre Growth meeting. Quite interesting. I was in the "public" seats. Halcrow gave a presentation with some options about how the town centre of HR could be. Those present, (included councillors and officers from District and County, Police, and HR and Dunstable town council reps, ) voted for the most radical realignment of the main road through HR, diverting it BEHIND the Co-op and THROUGH the buildings that are currently for sale. This would give converging roads a focus of HR Parish Church, and help people to realise they had "arrived" at the town centre, whereas at the moment, no matter which way you come in, you probably feel as if you have arrived at the back door. In turn, the road west of the HR town centre could be pedestrianised. The present Bedford Square could be redeveloped to have an inner courtyard for deliveries, with outward facing shops..

This is just a "suggestions" stage and gives Halcrow ideas about how to move forward with further proposals..

There was some mention of a skate board park possibily going down the side of the Village Green. Having previously Googled hybrid Maps and looked at HR from the air, I had already come to the conclusion that that could be the most likely place for such an operation. So I was personally pleased to hear that mentioned. Susan Goodchild spoke up for youth, and in favour of such a facility. Jack Goodchild, on the other hand felt there were already lots of other facilities that perhaps were not being taken up.

Burton Guard spoke about hoardings from Co-op work being taken down and used by youths as skateboard ramps. So, there is clearly a demand, and the kids are presently improvising to meet the current need. .

Of Poster Boards and campaigning...
24 April I'm learning to call at the back doors of certain roads in Parkside estate, because people don't answer or even use the front doors. Still picking up on the theme that people want to see more amenities and places for youths to meet up. And still hearing about the occaisional crime issue where the perception is that the issue itself isn't being taken too seriously by police. Certainly a common enough comment made about the lack of a police presence. Liberal Democrats would put more bobbies on the beat, and judging by a survey done by Liberal Democrats Focus Team in Bedford Square, Houghton Regis the other week, 94% of the public would agree with that policy.

We do our best around Houghton Regis to get a few poster boards up in strategic places. And they say a good poster campaign can win an election, but driving to work this week is a special delight to me at the moment. One village I drive through has 15 poster boards up at various houses for the Liberal Democrats. There were a few Tory poster boards too, but what amused me was that the Tories had TWO poster boards up in each of three gardens, presumably to try to even up the overall score, but failing miserably. The other thing that always amuses me, is the number of fields that have poster boards up in them for one party or another. The only thing that runs round my imagination when I see them is the thought of several cows or even walking crops turning up at a polling station to try to register their vote!

Around Parkside Estate
01 April 2007 I've been out and about around Parkside Estate, Houghton Regis. I've knocked on doors, heard opinions, met some folk at Parkside Voice, and observed. I find the daytime scene around my own neck of the woods, Westminster Gardens, a pleasant place to be. I've come across confidential problems. I've noted public problems, and I've probably noted problems that aren't even problems to most people. Yes - there is a parking problem - why else do people park on and churn up grass verges? Yes - bereavement can be a tough time for those on low incomes, and central government and its agencies need to train appropriately to be of proper assistance. Yes - sadly there is apathy among some. But there is also willingness to improve, and help others out in need. It's a great place to be, and I think that people on the estate can be inspired to take a pride in the their area.

M1 Widening and Houghton Regis
29 March 2007 The Highways Authority announced details for widening the M1 to four lanes between Junction 10 and 13 - the section running close to Houghton Regis.

* Highways Agency Plans

My Opinion Whenever there is a lane blocking incident in that stretch of M1, traffic overflows into our local residential roads, like the A5, Windsor Drive, Park Road North, and Bedford Road. When this happened one Monday evening in March 2007, it took me 2 hours to travel from M1 J9 along the A5, back to my home in Westminster Gardens, Houghton Regis. This is intolerable. Four lanes are required to meet current demands. If the whole section of M1 is closed, for some major accident, I dread to think of the traffic impact on our local roads. It's almost getting to the point when the M1 itself, needs a non-residential relief road.

So will the A5 bypass around Dunstable aimed at going through or very close to, Wickes, and Boscombe Road (next to Sainsbury, Pizza Hut et al, ) trading estate, ever become a reality? Do YOU want it to become a reality?

I agree with those who say we should use more public transport, but trains only go station to station, cars go wherever the roads go. Maglev trains would take up less land than traditional trains, go faster (267mph cruising speed), and thereby encourage more long distance journeys without cars. But they'll need a LOT of public investment to become a reality. In the future, I do believe Maglev trains will play a significant role in enabling people to travel long distances, but it's going to take a lot of political convincing that the investment will be worthwhile.