Dance can help prevent fractures says Osteoporosis Society

Gail Coleshill, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate, is supporting Dance in North East Somerset as a health and social activity.
She said:
“I was surprised to find that dance is recommended by the National Osteoporosis Society to prevent fractures. I visited them recently with my colleague Louise Bray to hear about the work they are doing locally at the Mineral Hospital and nationally to help prevent the disease.”
Gail and Louise Bray visited the Headquarters of the national Osteoporosis Society, whose President is the Duchess of Cornwall, to see how they are addressing the very serious issue of fractures caused by thinning of the bones. Although Osteoporosis afflicts more women it can affect men too. The fractures caused by Osteoporosis need hospital care and can lead to ongoing care problems for the sufferer. The Society is working with local health authorities to identify people at risk and try to put in some preventative measures.
Louise said:
“The recent fracture suffered by the Duchess of Cornwall, although not directly related to osteoporosis, because of her family history and link with the Society serves to remind us that the ongoing care of fracture patients is a serious matter. Preventative measures are seen by the Society as a better way of dealing with the health problems of osteoporosis.”
Apart from dancing a diet rich in calcium is one of the preventative measures recommended for the mainly older women who are identified as being at risk. Beer has recently been recommended but apparently it is the silicon within the water which is the element to help prevent Osteoporosis.

Gail ready for election fight

After 18 months of uncertainty, the Prime Minister has finally called a General Election.
Here in North East Somerset, the Liberal Democrats have re-selected well respected political activist Gail Coleshill to contest the election, which will be fought under brand new parliamentary boundaries.

Gail, who has worked for ten years on community projects and initiatives in the area, said:

“A lot has changed here since the last General Election. Not just do we have new boundaries, but our Labour MP has become even more unpopular and the Conservatives have selected a candidate who has no track record of doing anything in our area.
I’m 100% ready for the election contest and hope the people of North East Somerset will elect me as their new MP.”

The new constituency, previously known as Wansdyke, will be losing the Bitton, Oldland Common area to the north of Keynsham – which has had a Labour MP for the last 13years.
New additions to the constituency include Batheaston, Bathampton, South Stoke and Freshford (a total area of around 7,000 voters) – which have all been served by the Lib Dem MP Don Foster for the last 18 years.

Today, Gail Coleshill has published her four pledges for election to Parliament:

1. Economy: I’ll work with Vince Cable to help working families by raising the individual tax free allowance to £10,000. We’ll cut out tax loopholes for the rich and reduce income tax by taxing pollution.
2. Environment:
· I will continue to campaign to protect the environment, particularly against plans to build thousands of houses on the greenbelt.
· We do need more low cost housing, so I want to bring empty homes back into use for affordable housing and increase the energy efficiency of all houses to save money and keep homes warmer.
· I’ll work with other Lib Dem MPs to push for planning decisions to be taken away from central government and decided locally.
· I would like to make buses and trains affordable and reliable so that people have a real choice on how to travel. Re-open railway lines and stations such as Bathampton, Saltford and Radstock to Bristol.
· I support the local Lib Dems plans’ to give all young people free bus passes so they have better access to services.

3. Education: I plan to give teachers more time in the classroom by cutting administration. Raise standards in every school with a pupil premium for every child. Reduce and eventually eliminate university tuition fees.
4. Democratic Reform: The expenses scandal in parliament has put people off politics. I want to change this by using local groups to bring democracy closer to the people, to give people the freedom to sack their MP, and introduce a fairer voting system where every vote counts.
Gail believes the contest locally is wide open:

“Our canvass results are looking very good, with Labour finishing in third place. Every week I am meeting new people on the doorstep, and they’re telling me they want a change from the old-style politics and break from the two older parties.

As we get closer to polling day, election fever is sure to heat up in North East Somerset.”

To watch Gail’s General Election Campaign video visit http://www.nes-libdems.org.uk/

Fears arise over future of Community Transport

Fears have arisen over the future of community transport in Bath and North East Somerset, following the news that the Council’s designated Community Transport Officer role is being scrapped.

For several years, B&NES has employed an officer to work directly work with community transport groups in Keynsham, Radstock, Bath and elsewhere to liaise on behalf of the authority and represent the views of the groups within the Transport Department.

Now, after years of successful work, Tory-run B&NES Council has decided to pull the plug on the role and leave many of the voluntary groups without this vital support.

Senior Lib Dem Gail Coleshill, who is standing at the next General Election has her party’s choice in North East Somerset, said:

“I was very worried to hear that the Council has decided to scrap this role. Every year, hundreds of volunteers work hard to provide a transport service to the elderly, the disabled, and anyone else who finds it difficult to use Public Transport.

In North East Somerset, groups such as the Norton-Radstock Ring & Ride, Keynsham Dial-a-Ride, Bath Community Transport and the Swan Advice Network play a vital role in offering a life-line to residents.

Many people use these services to do their weekly shop, to visit friends and get to important medical appointments.”

Last year, 14,000 passengers used the Ring and Ride service in Radstock and Midsomer Norton. B&NES currently gives £94,000 a year to support the service, but with severe government cuts on the way this funding could be under threat. Gail added:

“The current government has got its priorities wrong when it comes to using public finances to improve public and community transport. Instead of investing £millions on building bus lanes that no one wants, money should be going towards extending the community transport schemes in rural areas.

Also, if the Tories win the next election, they are telling us to expect big cuts to public services. I wonder if the Tory Candidate for North East Somerset will distance himself from his party’s actions locally and their plans nationally?

I believe that in rural areas such as North East Somerset we can’t under estimate the importance of community transport and I call on the Council to reinstate the Community Transport Officer role before it’s too late.”

Innovative transport designs

Local Lib Dems Gail Coleshill, Cllr Neil Butters and Tim Bray went on a fact finding visit to Stourbridge where there is a very successful light rail link between the station and the town.

The light rail car, or Parry’s People Mover, runs along rails on a 2 litre LPG diesel engine with a flywheel attachment to provide kinetic energy which saves fuel and carbon emissions.
Gail Coleshill was impressed by the possibilities of using such a low energy solution in Bath and North East Somerset.

She said “I can see the possibilities in a number of situations where the track beds of old railways still exist. It could be used in Bath along the old track instead of buses which use the same congested road space as cars. There are also the two tunnels track, the Radstock to Frome track, and maybe a branch line to Swindon.

Parry’s People Mover was first developed for use in the developing world but has been designed in Stourbridge to specifications from Network Rail.

The car which carries 60 people makes journeys every ten minutes along a disused branch line but the design of its body means that it can be extended to travel along tracks in or beside the road.

Gail was particularly impressed by its affordability. She added:

“LPG fuel makes it really cheap to run and the fuel is carried in a large tank within the vehicle. The car is light weight and the flywheel which stores up energy is what makes this such an innovative solution. I believe this could be a useful way to make a link between Bristol and Radstock along the old railway track which still exists most of the way.

Local resident and rail enthusiast Tim Bray thought there were practical applications within the Radstock area.

“I know there are public transport shortages between Farrington and Midsomer Norton and there is a track bed which is going to be an extension to the Greenway. I think this would be an ideal place to try out a pilot scheme for an ultra light railway.”

Why are we waiting?

Photo shows: Mike Rawlings, Louise Bray, Gail Coleshill, Rosemary Todd and residents in front of the Peasedown-bound bus stop.

Residents living in a small cul-de-sac in Dunkerton say they have been let down by Bath and North East Somerset Council after a broken promise five years ago.

The residents of Crossways Park do not have access to amenities or services in the village and rely on public transport to get them into Bath or Midsomer Norton.

Outside the cul-de-sac is a bus stop on the A367, bound for Peasedown St John. Unfortunately though, residents can rarely get to it because doing so means walking in the face of oncoming traffic at speeds of 50mph and more. Also there is a steep verge making it even more impossible if you are disabled.

Since 2005, residents have been asking B&NES Council to lay a small footpath leading to the bus stop – five years later though no action has been taken.

Frustrated resident Mike Rawlings says he and his neighbours were promised the footpath:

“The Council promised us five years ago a footpath, but despite years of waiting we have received nothing.

All we want is a small pathway that can get us safely out of our estate and to the bus stop.”

Prospective Lib Dem MP Gail Coleshill visited the affected residents recently to hear their concerns. She commented:

“It’s so frustrating that B&NES has promised to do something for these residents, but now they have been forgotten about because the Council doesn’t consider it a priority.

Why should these residents be treated any differently? They pay their Council Tax that is being wasted on transport projects elsewhere in the authority that no one wants.”

Local campaigner Louise Bray believes the Council has been wrong to have de-prioritised this scheme:

“It is a relatively small piece of work that would have a big impact on the lives of everybody living in this development.

Some of the residents are in poor health and two have died since this footpath was originally promised to them.

Once again this shows how the more vulnerable members of our rural communities are being sidelined. I am appealing to B&NES Council to take action on this before the financial year end.”

Gail Coleshill has written to the Traffic and Safety Department asking them to take action on this issue.

Street Surgery

Gail Coleshill, Prospective Lib Dem MP, and local campaigner Louise Bray will be holding a street surgery in Combe Hay on Tuesday 2nd February from 3.30pm.

Gail and Louise will be in the village to talk to residents, and help with any issues of concern.

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

Bring empty properties back into use!‏

Figures obtained by the Liberal Democrats show that there are almost 600 empty properties currently in the Bath and North East Somerset Council area.

The properties, which have been uninhabited for more than six months, are located in places all over the district from Keynsham to Batheaston, and from Midsomer Norton to Peasedown St John.

The news comes at the same time that Conservative controlled B&NES Council has revealed proposals that could see an extra 15,000 additional house built in the authority by the year 2026.

Gail Coleshill, the Prospective Lib Dem MP for North East Somerset, has been an active voice against the housing building plans – particularly on the green belt. She said:

“If the Council can bring some of these empty properties back into use that would be a benefit in tackling the housing needs we have. Let’s first use some of these properties that already exist for new homes before we even think of building anymore.”

The Lib Dems want the council to more to do more to bring some of the boarded up properties in B&NES back into use.

Local campaigner Louise Bray believes that we need to adopt the same approach as Mendip District Council whereby landlords are offered grants, professional guidance on lettings, rent deposit schemes and private sector leasing.

Louise commented:

“If B&NES Council were to adopt the same approach as our colleagues in Mendip, many of these 600 properties could be brought back into use which would be a great help in providing much needed social housing.”

The Lib Dems first raised their concerns about the number of empty properties in the authority in November 2008 when Peasedown Councillor Sarah Bevan highlighted the issue at a meeting of the B&NES Full Council.

Following this, in January 2009, the Cabinet Member for Housing confessed at a public meeting to Councillor Nathan Hartley that he had no idea of the number of empty properties in B&NES.

The above photo shows Lib Dems Gail Coleshill and Louise Bray outside the old St Nicholas Junior School in Radstock, with has been empty for years. Gail and Louise want to see empty properties like this used for social housing.

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.
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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 .