Andover Liberal Democrats have expressed concern over the government’s revised housing numbers for Andover. Government planning inspectors are seeking a further allocation of 1100 houses in the Andover area. I wonder whether the inspectors were aware of the pressure put on the town by such a large increase in numbers or they have any understanding of the town and its needs.

Andover has already seen an allocation of 3700 homes at East Anton and Picket Twenty. Further plans for building at Picket Piece and on other sites will bring the number of new homes in Alamein and St Mary’s wards to over 5000. If an additional 1100 are now added this would mean a 20% increase in the size of the town over the next 10 to 20 years. This cannot be achieved without a corresponding improvement in the town’s infrastructure – the roads bus and train services, the water and sewage systems, shops, leisure facilities, telephone services and schools. This investment must be made before or during the new building and cannot be funded only by local taxpayers or by the developers.

Liberal Democrat councillors will be seeking talks on improving Andover’s infrastructure before further building takes place and strongly opposing over-development in any one part of the town.

Your local Liberal Democrat Focus group believe in keeping you informed about what is happening in your area but even more so consulting you on what issues you think are important.

In the past we have consulted you through Focus newsletters and surveys and door to door visits. We are very conscious of the need to reduce our carbon footprint and reduce the amount of paper we push through your letter boxes so we are now investigating the use of email and web blogs to keep in touch with you.
In addition to this and other blogs we have, for the last three months,  also been distributing an e-Focus to Alamein ward residents. If you would like to receive this e-Focus please contact me on len.gates@andover.co.uk and we will add you to the email list. Your email address will not be passed on to any third party and will be removed from our list immediately if you wish to unsubscribe.

This evening I attended, as an observer, the bimonthly meeting of Smannell Parish Council. The agenda and program of activities shows what can be achieved by a local community when given control of their own affairs. Among items discussed were the Little London Playing Fields and the council’s palns to refurbish and upgrade them with developer (section 106) funding, actions to improve local roads and an ambitious Smannell Healthy Living Plan.

All of this can be undertaken by any parish or town council and I look forward to the day when residents of Andover (through their town council) can have the same freedom to control their neighbourhoods as do the residents of the parishes around the town.

Also on the agenda was the co-option of Stephen West of Little London on to the council.  My congratulations to him  on his appointment and to the council for proceding with his co-option despite unecessary objections and calls for a postponement of the decision  from a sole member of the public.

This morning I attended the graduation ceremony for Knights Enham Junior School at The Lights. I was impressed by the ceremony and the turnout and behaviour of all the children who attended. The school, Mrs Hughes, the head teacher, all the other teachers and staff, and of course their parents should be proud of them. Good luck to all of you graduates for the future.

This afternoon I joined the Amazing Alamein Environment Group with children from Roman Way school to carry out a litter pick around the school. Once again the behaviour was exemplary. Their showed a real pride in their area and a real commitment to cleaning it and keeping it clean. Over the two hour period we collected 38 sacks of rubbish. Well done to all the participants.

Having listened so often to criticism of local children I am pleased to report the criticisms are exaggerated and the future generation are and will be a credit to their community.

Local residents complained angrily this evening at the Andover Forum about charges for green waste collection in the borough. The current bag system was introduced after Test Valley decided the previously used wheely bins were not suitable for green waste.

When the bags were introduced the new system was intended to be self funding and assurances were given to the public that no costs would fall on non-participating residents. However the new system proved to be more expensive than expected and the annual cost for 2006/2007 was £3.99 for every household in the borough. The issue has been debated at the council’s scrutiny committee when I argued strongly that those residents using the green waste scheme should pay the full cost of the scheme. The majority group disagreed but did agree to increase charges by £1 per bag for the following year. It is expected that the scheme will cost £2.75 per household over the coming (2008/2009) year.

Defenders of the scheme argue that it makes a significant contribution of 5% to our overall recycling rate. While I accept that our recycling has improved I would prefer the council to spend money on real recycling and reducing the amount of waste sent to land fill rather than paying residents to collect grass cuttings to artificially massage recycling rates.

I and my Lib Dem colleagues will be raising the matter again next year when budgets are set and pushing strongly for a self financing scheme and a real increase of recycling of household waste.

A month after the Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s announcement of plans for a ‘Sports Revolution’ in England, Test Valley Tories are raising concerns about how this initiative will be funded.

Councillor Caroline Nokes, says: “Of course any proposals to encourage more children and over 60s to become more active are welcome, but the costs shouldn’t fall on local Council Taxpayers.  The scheme should be wholly funded by central government. It is regrettable that we are still waiting for the details to be released. As soon as we have confirmation that it will be fully funded, the Council will be taking it forward with enthusiasm.”

While I applaud Mrs Noakes concern not to spend TVBC money unecessarily her response seems more concerned with toe-ing party lines to not implement government policies than with seeking the best for local children.

It would help if she were tell us what the likely cost to us would be, after all the swimming pools are open and heated whether they are being used or not. It would also be appropriate if this sort of decision were discussed by the council as a whole before she issues a press release stating Test Valley councillors are concerned about the costs when she hasn’t actually consulted us.

Interest in Environmnetal issues in Andover is increasing. As previously reported here the next meeting of the Amazing Alamein group takes place this evening at 6:00pm at King Arthur’s Hall. Come along you will be amazed at what the local community can achieve.

Amazing Alamein also have a litter pick planned for next Tuesday (15th) at 3:00 - 5:30, meet outside Roman Way school. Further details tonight or contact me.

This coming Friday (11th July) the Andover Area Christian Ecology Link are holding an evening of information entitled “Climate Change - why we should care and what we can do”. 

The meeting, introduced by Rev Jill Bentall is at St Thomas’ Community Hall, Charlton and starts at 7:30pm. Speakers include Anton Page of Test Valley Friends of the Earth and Rebecca Windwood of the Envirnment Centre.

I’m not sure I can make this one myself but having attended previous talks by Anton I can recommend what I am sure will be an entertaining and informtive meeting.

The funfair will return to Smannell Road in September. Residents will remember that the fair planned for April was cancelled at the last minute because water board contractors ploughed up the area to lay mains for the new development at East Anton.

I have been in contact with the fair operators and Test Valley Leisure Department and confirmed the fair will be able to use the site on 11th to 13th September as originally planned. As reported previously on this website the operators have agreed (at my request) additional facilities for fairgoers and will be working closely with police and council wardens to deter trouble makers.

The site is currently still in a state of disrepair but contractors will be working on it to restore it to its previous standard (of grass rather than mud) as soon as possible.

As a chemist working in the food industry for the past 35 years I have always had doubts about the viability and morality of biofuels. To devote vast acreages of land to the generation of plants solely for the production of fuels for cars when millions do not have enough food to eat is both selfish and irresponsible.

It was interesting to read therefore on Friday that a World Bank report study has shown that biofuel production has forced world food prices up by 75%. The figure contradicts US government claims that biofuels contribute less than 3% to food price rises. But who believes a US government run by the oil industry and its puppet.

Robert Bailey, a policy adviser at Oxfam is quoted in the Guardian as saying “Political leaders seem intent on suppressing the strong evidence that biofuels are a major factor in recent food price rises.” The study has identified three ways in which biofuels have distorted the price of foods. First it has diverted grain away from food with over a third of US corn and half of EC vegetable oil used to produce biofuel. Second farmers are being encouraged to set aside land for fuel production and third it has sparked speculation in grain prices.

Reports today suggest prime minister Gordon Brown is setting himself up for a potential clash with US officials by calling for a moratorium on biofuel production at least from grain crops. This is of course too little to late from a government which has for too long been subservient to the US government and its oil industry.

What is needed is an alternative policy which encourages reduction of use of carbon based fuels all of which contribute to global warming and all of which are not in the long term economically or environmentally sustainable.