The Scandal of Sid

It has taken me several days to write this blog on Sid, such has been my sadness and anger at our Council for doing such a thing.

Sid’s History
Sid the Sycamore was planted 72 years ago to celebrate Eastleigh becoming a borough. Sycamores are not particularly special trees but because of it’s historical significance and location this one is!

Sadly Sid was cut down by Eastleigh Borough Council on Easter Monday 24th March 2008.

The Point
The Point is Eastleigh’s dance centre. Last year Eastleigh Borough Council put in over £300,000 into the Centre. This year, on February 6th Eastleigh Borough Council Cabinet agreed to pump in a further £2,674,700 over the period of 2008 to 2010 to develop phase 3 of the Point. This development comes at the expense of the taxpayer and the Recreation Ground.

Council connivance
At the Council Cabinet meeting on March 6th Councillor House announced to the Cabinet that there had been a request for a judicial review on the proposed felling of Sid by a member of the public.
According to Wikipedia a Judicial review is the power of a court to review the actions of public sector bodies in terms of their legality or constitutionality. In some jurisdictions it is also possible to review the constitutionality of the law itself. A person who feels that an exercise of such power by, say,… the local council …., is unlawful, perhaps because it has violated his or her rights, may apply to the Administrative Court (a division of the High Court) for judicial review of the decision. If the application for judicial review is successful, the Court may set aside (quash) the unlawful act. In certain limited circumstances, the Claimant may be able to obtain damages. A court may also make a mandatory or prohibitory order or an injunction to compel the authority to act lawfully or to stop it from acting unlawfully .It is thus amazing that the Local Councillors of Eastleigh have allowed the felling of this tree given that they could be in contempt of court and referred to the standards committee.
Lib Dems look on
Lib. Dem. Councillor Chris Thomas, chair of the Local Area Committee, claimed that he had no specific knowledge that the tree was going to be cut down on Easter Monday, but strangely, members of the public saw fellow Lib.Dem Councillors Davies-Dear and Wayne Irish sitting in a car in a side street watching the whole process. In the photograph Lib.Dem councillor Andy Moore(left) looks down with shame and embarrasment when challenged by Conservative Robert Quane on the night before Sid's death..

A great loss
What most disappoints me is that part of the pretty Recreational ground is to be lost for a phase 3 extension for a dance centre. Time after time these councilors are chipping away at our green spaces, be they allotments, parks or greens and selling off the land or just building on it. And all the time it costs the Council tax payers more money - £3000 in this case, just for the destruction of one precious and historic tree.

Just as a man betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver and so condemned him to his death I feel betrayed by our Councillors who have unjustly and unlawfully condemned this tree to its death.

Building a vote loser?

I THOROUGHLY agree with Sam Snook's comments of Wednesday March 19 (Daily Echo Letters) about the tremendous amount of construction being permitted by the Liberal Democrat Council in Eastleigh.

Currently, I calculate that there are 1156 new dwellings in the process of construction or planning in the town of Eastleigh, not including smaller building projects of which there are scores. They are

432 new dwellings at South Street

27 flats on Old Service station, Southampton Road

161 flats at 68-96 Twyford Road

43 houses and flats on Magpie Lane

30 flats on Nightingale Avenue

63 flats and Offices in 8 storey building at Earth Night Club site

400 flats and houses on Prysmian site in Passfield Avenue.

Over the last 150 years the number of homes in Eastleigh has grown to around 10,500. In the next two years the numbers of homes are scheduled to grow by over 10 per cent more. However there will be no new main roads or sewers to cope with this demand.

Each dwelling will create an extra six traffic movements, that is another 7000 more traffic movements around Eastleigh a day. Travel will become a nightmare for commuters and the emergency services alike. Yet our Liberal Democrat council persist with this madness. Why? We have the chance to tell them "No more'', this May 1.

Referendum results and local views

The views of three Eastleigh people and the BBC.

Maria Hutchings, Eastleigh Conservative Candidate writes:
"The 2nd March 2008 will be recorded in history books as the day people demanded democracy."

"The results of the I Want A Referendum Poll in Eastleigh were announced: "

"20,361 people voted (more people than voted for Eastleigh's MP Chris Huhne, and than voted in the 2007 local elections and the European elections). 18,370 wanted a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. Over 90% were AGAINST agreeing the Lisbon Treaty which will give us less control over British affairs. "

"Only 10 constituencies in Great Britain were polled and Eastleigh came top in terms of wanting a referendum and not giving away more powers to Brussels. "

"I know that you care as passionately as I do about making sure we keep greater control over British policy. Anybody who says Eastleigh voters aren't that interested in the relationship between the EU and Britain couldn't be more wrong. "

"Chris Huhne promised you a referendum at the last general election but now he believes you should no longer have the right of a referendum. He has broken his promise. I am appalled by this and have urged him in the strongest terms do the honourable thing and vote for a referendum in Parliament."

"I am proud to British, proud of our traditions and of who we are and do NOT want to be controlled by Europe. I will continue the fight for the good of Britain, the people of Eastleigh and our children. "

Chris Rhodes, local Conservative writes:

"Mr Chris Huhne’s dismissal of the ‘I Want a referendum’ result in Eastleigh is breathtakingly arrogant and shows the contempt he has for his electorate. He also insults their intelligence by pretending that the Lisbon Treaty is not the same as the constitution, whilst other European leaders and the Foreign Affairs Committee, believe it to be virtually identical. "

"Mr Huhne quoted percentage of voter responses to justify his position but failed to mention the actual votes received. In the General election he polled 19, 316 votes yet on a pole, of about two thirds of the electorate, calling for a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty (EU Constitution) 20, 361 voted and of these 18, 370 called for a referendum."

"Huhne should remember that he is a servant of the people – not the other way round. His, apparent, intention to ignore this vote is yet another reason why politicians are so often held in contempt by their electorate."

The BBC website says:

"MPs have overwhelmingly rejected a Liberal Democrat attempt to force a debate on Britain's EU membership. MPs voted by 471 to 68 not to allow the debate. "

"The government and the Lib Dems say the treaty does not have constitutional implications, so a referendum on it is not needed."

"But the Conservatives, some Labour and Lib Dem MPs and the UK Independence Party, all say that it is effectively the constitution under a different name - so there should be a referendum.
Wednesday's vote in the House of Commons - expected in the early evening - is seen as the key vote in the EU treaty's progress through the UK Parliament. "

Conservative leader David Cameron says he hopes they can win - but said "a lot depends" on support from rebel Lib Dem MPs.

Kate Ross says:

"Chris Huhne and the other Liberal Democrats promised the electorate a referendum on the European Constitution. Tomorrow the debate on the Lisbon treaty concludes with a vote. Lib Dems should take the opportunity afforded to them at the end of the debate to vote with the Conservatives and others for a referendum on the Lisbon treaty."

What do you think? Send us your blog - see below.