Englishcombe Street Surgery

Gail Coleshill, Prospective Lib Dem MP, and local campaigner Louise Bray will be holding a street surgery in Englishcombe on Tuesday 5th January from 3.30pm.

Street surgeries are being increasingly used by Liberal Democrats all over the country to bring politics to local people. Gail said:

“It’s really important for politicians to take the time to visit people in their communities and listen to their concerns.”

Any residents of these streets who would like a visit can contact Gail on 01761 432923 or Louise on 01225 834673.

Street Surgery in Camerton

Street Surgery

Gail Coleshill, Prospective Lib Dem MP, and local campaigner Louise Bray will be holding a street surgery in Camerton on Tuesday 10th November from 3.30pm.

Street surgeries are being increasingly used by Liberal Democrats all over the country to bring politics to local people. Gail said:

“It’s really important for politicians to take the time to visit people in their communities and listen to their concerns.”

The Surgery will take place in The Daglands, Cambrook Close and Camerton Hill.

Any residents of these streets who would like a visit can contact Gail on 01761 432923 or Louise on 01225 834673.

Printed (hosted) by Google UK Ltd, 76 Buckingham Palace RoadLondon SW1W 9TQ. Published and promoted by Louise Bray on behalf of Gail Coleshill (Liberal Democrats) at 17 Waldegrave Terrace, Radstock, Bath, BA3 3EY, 01225 834673

Lib Dems Gail Coleshill and Louise Bray speak out against mass housing development

(Click on the image to watch the video)

Newton St Loe Conservation Group Public meeting

Gail Coleshill, Lib Dem spokesperson, is attending a public meeting on Tuesday November 3rd at 7.30pm in Corston Church, called by the Newton St Loe Conservation Group.

She said:

“Worried residents of Newton St Loe have discovered that neighbouring parishes of Saltford and Corston did not even know about the proposed allocation of housing development on land between the Globe Inn and Twerton. They are calling this meeting with a representative from B&NES planning department to find out more about the plans.”

The B&NES Core Strategy names land west of Twerton as the preferred option for the Government’s requirement of an extra 2000 houses on the edge of Bath. The landowner (Duchy of Cornwall) supports the proposal and has been having discussions with planners about moving forward.

(The photo above shows Gail, with Lib Dem campaigner Louise Bray, and Newton St Loe residents).

Say NO to 2,000 homes next to Newton St Loe

This week, North East Somerset Liberal Democrats have published a special edition of 'Focus' with reference to B&NES Council's plans to build 2,000 homes next to Newton St Loe.

To read it click here.
.

More work needed on land-use paper

B&NES Council has adopted a land-use policy paper setting out options for distribution of land for housing and jobs from 2011-2026.

Liberal Democrat Councillors voted to abstain on the paper citing concerns over the lack of preparation of the document. The Lib Dems have previously opposed the increased housing targets imposed by central government.

“We believe that our community should set housing needs targets, not the RDA or central government in London”, stated Councillor Paul Crossley (Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group and Councillor for Southdown).

“Whilst points in the recommendation before us tonight were in line with our policies on housing and land-use, we did not feel that the ‘spatial options’ paper was ready for publication.

“The Conservative administration of the Council has not allocated enough resources to the planning department to properly prepare the proposals – for example, we have been told that insufficient funds were available to carry out infrastructure modelling.

“However, we recognise that the Government requires this work to be done, even though the targets are undeliverable, so we did not vote against the proposals to ensure that local people would have their say and would be able to object once again to these unreasonable, centrally-imposed targets.

“A real consultation will show changes when the strategy comes back next year.“

North East Somerset Liberal Democrats

News Release – 28^th September 2009

Street Surgery

Gail Coleshill, Lib Dem Parliamentary Spokesperson for NE Somerset, and local campaigner Louise Bray, will be holding a street surgery in the village of Priston on Tuesday 6^th October from 3.30pm.

Street surgeries are being increasingly used by Liberal Democrats all over the country to bring politics to local people. Gail said:

“It’s really important for politicians to take the time to visit people in their communities and listen to their concerns.”

Any residents of Priston who would like a visit can contact Gail on 01761 432923 or Louise on 01225 834673.

ENDS

Contact: Gail Coleshill (01761 432923) or Louise Bray (01225 834673)

Nathan

Cllr Nathan Hartley

Campaign Manager

North East Somerset Liberal Democrats

"Standing up for local people"

Please feel free to forward this email to anyone who may be interested in our activities.

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For more information about what the Liberal Democrats are doing in your area and how to get involved visit www.nes-libdems.org.uk

Published and promoted by Gail Coleshill and North East Somerset Liberal Democrats, all at 17 Waldegrave Terrace, Radstock, Bath, BA3 3EY.

The Oddown Bus Lane saga continues...

“Conservative Council spends £1million on a 700 yard bus lane... and they can't even get the poles round the right way!” said Lib Dem Parliamentary hopeful Gail Coleshill.

Lib Dems have discovered another boob with the Odd Down bus lane which cost nearly a £1million. They have found that the light reflective poles are the wrong way round.

Gail and Louise next to the light reflective poles - positioned around the wrong way!

Gail Coleshill said:

“Not only are the Tories poles apart from local residents views on how their money should be spent but they have got the light reflective poles the wrong way round.”

Resident Louise Bray was passing one day and drew attention to the fault. She commented:

“I was thinking that the bus lane could easily be mistaken for a third lane and cause accidents – and then I noticed that the light reflective poles which should have the red side pointing towards the oncoming traffic actually didn’t!”

Cllr Nathan Hartley (Lib Dem, Peasedown) has contacted Highways managers asking them to correct the fault.

Mobile Library petition handed to deputy Chairman of Council

Gail Coleshill and Louise Bray, representing Mobile Library users across the district, handed in some of the petitions they have collected requesting that the Council retains the rural routes.

Seen here presenting the petition to acting Chair of Council Sarah Bevan, Gail and Louise are concerned many residents who use the mobile library are elderly, not car users, have young children or mobility problems.

In her statement Gail said these are the people about whom the Council should be most concerned in maintaining services in rural areas.

Gail presented the petition to the acting Chairman of Council at a Full Council meeting on 10th September saying that she had received signatures from villagers in Wellow, Bathford, Priston, Hunstrete, Compton Martin, and Hinton Charterhouse and had had messages from people including teachers in Shoscombe, Wellow, Combe Hay and Midford.

Gail said in reply to a question from a Councillor about numbers of users:

“The numbers of users at present may be below in some villages but that is no reason to exclude those villages from the service. More use could be made of the Mobile Library to provide other Council services and to make residents more aware of the visits by the mobile library.”

Louise Bray, who relied on the mobile library service after an eye operation, was pleased that the Cabinet member was now proposing to consult other options.

She said:

“I am sure that many residents are relieved to know that the consultation on the Mobile Library route review will now include more options than just scrapping the village routes. I hope the Council will make efforts to consult residents and parish councils in all the villages presently visited by the library.”

Sunday, 30 August 2009

Village Phone Boxes Under Threat Again

Under threat: Cllr Neil Butters, Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate Gail Coleshill, and residents in Monkton Combe next to the threatened village phone box.


Telephone boxes in 6 villages just outside Bath are once again under threat of removal by BT. Notices have been posted in the traditional, red boxes offering local communities the opportunity to ‘adopt’ the boxes without the telephone service so as to preserve them as a heritage feature. However if the box is adopted, the telephone service will be withdrawn. And if it is not adopted, they will press for closure anyway.

At a meeting of Monkton Combe Parish Council on 25th August 2009 several Parish Councillors expressed concerns about the move and pointed to the facts that there are 400 young people in the village, and that mobile phone coverage is in effect restricted to Vodaphone.

Councillor Neil Butters (Liberal Democrat, Bathavon South) said:

“Six out of seven telephone boxes in this area are now under threat – another local service at risk. This follows BT’s threatened removal of the service in Midford and Shoscombe last year which residents successfully saw off.

“I believe that there is a good case for retaining the telephone service to these kiosks given the poor mobile phone signal in the area and the fact that not everyone has access to a mobile phone. The geographical separation of the villages also means the service can be vital in an emergency situation.”

Bathavon West watch your telephone boxes!

Twenty is Plenty - support the Lib Dem campaign

Possible Massive New Development in Bathavon

News that Baker Associates have put in a planning application for over 9000 new homes south of Bristol before the RSS has been ratified have worried local residents in the three areas of search in B&NES. That is south of Whitchurch, Newton St Loe and South Stoke. The Government Regional Spatial Strategy has been put on hold while there is a legal wrangle but developers are already in discussion about building new homes. They are working on the draft strategy as if it had been ratified. Residents are advised to look out for planning applications in the above places so that they can object – or put forward design suggestions. For instance: energy efficiency measures; provision for allotments; play area; community halls; landscaping. Contact campaign group Save our Green Spaces for more information http://www.saveourgreenspaces.org/

Gail Coleshill spearheads campaign to save the village mobile library service

Gail Coleshill, Louise Bray, and Cllr Neil Butters with school children in Wellow next to the mobile library service that could be axed.




Local campaigners including a parish councillor attended Thursday’s Safer Stronger Communities Overview and Scrutiny Panel at the Guildhall in Bath, in order to express their concerns about the proposed review of the mobile library route.


Gail Coleshill representing the views of people living in the rural areas, said:


“I have been speaking to residents in the villages where there is shock and dismay at the proposals. Many users are elderly or have mobility problems and some parents with young children may not get the opportunity to take them to a library any other way.”


Local resident and campaigner Louise Bray told the committee how much she depended on the mobile library when she was unable to drive. She told the panel:


“It is no good relying on public transport to get you to the main library from Wellow village because there isn’t any. When I had an operation in my eye I could not drive and the mobile library was a Godsend for me. Staff were so helpful and were able to get me talking books.


There is an old English proverb that says a good book is the best of friends. For the people in the villages the mobile library is a friend, and a good friend is someone you might not see for a while, but is always there when you need them."


Gail has launched an online petition against the proposal to cut the service.

To sign visit: www.ourcampaign.org.uk/saveourlibraries



By signing, you will also be kept updated on the progress of the consultation and the campaign.



For a paper copy of the petition download one from the website, or contact Gail Coleshill on 01761 432923.

Lib Dems plea to Council “Leave the mobile library service alone”

News that the mobile library service is proposed for cuts in the very rural areas has caused consternation to villagers who rely on the library van’s regular visits.

Gail Coleshill, Parliamentary spokesperson, representing views from villages like Combe Hay, Priston and Wellow, said:

“I cannot believe that the Council is proposing to take away the mobile library from villages where it is already difficult to explain what they get for their council tax.

Surely rather than a consultation on cuts to the service we should be consulting on how to get more residents interested in using the mobile service and what they want and need from such a service.”

Local Lib Dem Louise Bray is very concerned that it will be young mums and the elderly who will suffer. She said:

“However short, the visit from the library in villages like Combe Hay and Priston is very important for people with young children and the elderly who cannot easily get to places like Timsbury or the main libraries.”

Cllr Neil Butters, Bathavon South ward, is annoyed that this is a cut too far.

He said:

“I am trying hard to get better transport for villages in my ward to save trips by car and then the Council Cabinet seems to do nothing but make it more and more necessary to make car journeys.

Villagers in places like Wellow are fed up with being sidelined by the Council. Creating sustainable communities will increasingly mean getting services to people and communities and not asking them to make lots of individual journeys to centralised locations.”

Gail and Louise will be attending the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Stronger Communities), at the Guildhall on Thursday 23at 10am to represent the views of people who want to keep the mobile library service. Cllr Neil Butters would be pleased to hear views from any residents.

Give power back to the people - by Gail Coleshill

I commend the Midsomer Norton Society for having acted rather than sat about moaning. They were unhappy about the activities – or lack of them – of the Norton Radstock Town Council and decided that having their own town council would be more effective. They have collected enough signatures to enable them to qualify for a Community Governance Review by B&NES.

Now I hear that Westfield is taking similar action and people in Writhlington also don’t want to be left out. If they all get their own parish council then Norton Radstock as a body will cease to exist. Instead there will be a number of smaller parish councils.

I would like to suggest a democratic solution which should satisfy local residents in Midsomer Norton, Radstock, Paulton, Peasedown and the surrounding villages. It is one which I have put before and which was supported by the Liberal Democrats on B&NES but not the Tories or Labour.

B&NES could set up an area committee in Midsomer Norton which would consist of the local Councillors and have given responsibilities for the locality. There could be a portfolio holder for the area and the local parish councils could also be given responsibilities, for example the river, playgrounds, footpaths as happens in other areas of the country. B&NES Officers would be brought out of Bath and be based in a revamped Victoria Hall or the Hollies and would carry on their present activities – but only for the villages and towns round here - on behalf of local residents.

An essential part of this would be frequent consultation with local residents and meetings where residents could speak. I believe this would lead to a much better connection with local people and thus more interest in what is happening in the Council.

Let's reconnect with the people and get our Council out of Bath .

Welcome

Welcome to the new online blog, exclusively for the Bathavon West area.

Covering the villages of Camerton, Combe Hay, Englishcombe, Dunkerton, Newton St Loe, Priston and Tunley, Bathavon West is one of the District Council wards in Bath and North East Somerset.

We hope you find this website helpful in finding out more about life and news in Bathavon West.

For past news visit: www.bathavonwest.nes-libdems.org.uk