A message for the Liberal Democrats Give us our money back!

Eastleigh Borough Council received £250,000 from developers of the Pirelli estate which has been earmarked for improving Grantham Green.

Where has it gone ?
£2,039 spent on internal staff time
£1,135 for Topographical survey
(Wait for it - it becomes worse) A whopping £17,030 for the Planning Policy Engineers time.
Now it becomes serious;
The cost of a small trampolinewas a staggering £12,847.

An email from the Council states, “Officer’s time is being spent working on a new scheme and further consultation is underway.”

“The nature of the scheme is still to be decided and it is hoped to take an initial report to Cabinet in April 2007. Costs incurred will be charged against the developers and it is estimated that to complete the design and consultation process will cost approximately £30,000”

We already pay our council staff out of the Council Tax, now we are being charged a second time for the same service!!

The conservatives want the money back.

“Give the people the power to decide what to do and let them manage the money to implement their plans.”

Elderly asked to move out

“Atlantic Housing Limited are pestering us to move out of our bungalows“ according to Dorothy Bell of Kent Road.

Dorothy is a sprightly 94 years young and has lived on the Velmore Estate for 42 years, twelve of them in Kent Road. But, both she and her neighbour have had several phone calls from the ominously named Resettlement Officer for Velmore.

Dorothy told us that the Resettlement Officer “phones now and again and keeps on about getting us out of the bungalows. She tries to get people to go to meetings. My neighbour is being pestered too. People who live in other parts of Eastleigh are worried sick that they will be the next.”

We understand that around 25 of the 123 bungalows have become vacant and will not receive new tenants as Atlantic Housing Limited awaits a determination on May 12th on whether they can demolish 123 bungalows and build 120 flats, 78 houses and just 37 two bedroomed bungalows.

Andrew Ross is the Conservative candidate for Eastleigh South. With your help on May 3rd he will begin a long tenure as your councillor and, amongst many important issues to be addressed, will work hard to effect a sensible housing policy within a coherent local plan.

Keith House refuses to listen to the people of Eastleigh

A couple of years ago 13 000 people in Eastleigh signed a petition opposing the taking away of allotments in Woodside and South Street from the people for more housing development. Since then we have been fighting the council and at times the Government over the land.

I have two allotments in Burns Close and I fear that they will soon be under attack from Councillors eager to sell off council land for further development. So I am supporting the fight to retain South Street and Woodside Allotments.

The following is an extract from Cllr. House’s budget speech to Full Council on Monday evening, 26 February 2007. Keith House is leader of the Liberal Democrats in Eastleigh Borough.
The full speech is available via a link on EBC’s home page: http://www.eastleigh.gov.uk/

Cllr. House said:

It has been a year of success for our communities.
But to be candid it has been a frustrating year too.
At the Swan Centre, a stack of legal and tender delays have held up our new cinema and bowling leisure scheme, such that work has still not yet started though the signs are still that it will before the spring is out.

And north of Lakeside, the Council’s proposal for new housing and a wide range of highway and leisure improvements cleared its final approvals from government, only to be immersed in a legal challenge to the Secretary of State’s decision that has still to finally be resolved. Justice moves slowly, not helped by the small number of people who are delaying the provision of major benefits for the town.

As I said last year:
“With consent for 432 new homes, of which 149 will be affordable rented, shared ownership and keyworker homes, we can make real progress in meeting housing need. Secondly, we will create, through high quality design, a clear and definable urban edge to the south of the town. And thirdly we will achieve investment in new walkways through housing areas to the Country Park, improvements to the Country Park itself, new play areas and cycle routes in the south of town, and a fund to stimulate urban regeneration in the town centre.”

There is a lot at stake.

It is everyone’s right to use the courts to further their own cause. And I acknowledge that this package has been controversial with some. But I really do wonder how a small number of people can sleep easily in their beds, knowing they are denying beds to those in greater need than themselves.

So yes, it has been a successful if a frustrating year.”

Tony Murrills, Secretary of Eastleigh Allotments Association says

Contrary to the impression given by Cllr. House, the principles being fought for by the allotments community are of great importance and the outcome of this case could seriously affect hundreds of thousands of allotment holders throughout the Country. It is a fundamental matter of upholding the law, not, as suggested, just a few difficult plot-holders holding up the Council's plans.

What do you think? Should our council be allowed to flout the law and build wherever they like? Or should existing residents have any say about what happens in their town? Post your comments below.