" We are unequivocally in favour of the possibility of a Single Site"

So said Cllr Howard Martin at the Wyre Forest District Council Budget Meeting tonight.

He went on to add "Although my Stourport members would not agree. I personally have a lot of sympathy for the proposal put forward by Cllr Fran Oborski, that the Single Site should be situated at Clensmore"!.

Having failed to get their, financially not very sound, budget amendment passed Health Concern were the ONLY Council Group to abstain on the main budget vote. They therefore FAILED to support the much needed funding for a dedicated project officer for the Horsefair Broadwaters and Greenhill Partnership and also failed to support the £1000 per Councillor Community Leadership Budget which will allow Community Projects to be carried out in every ward of Wyre Forest in partnership with PACT groups. Both of these exciting new ventures had been proposed by the Liberal Group and had been accepted by the Tory Administration.

The Budget was agreed by 29 votes (Liberal, Liberal Democrat Independent and Tory) to 3 (Labour) with, 10 (Health Concern) abstentions.

Debenhams and Hotel coming to Weavers Wharf!

The news that Debenhams are to take part of Slingfield Mill, which has been largely unused since the closure of De Bradlei Mills, with the rest of the building being used as an hotel is really great news for Kidderminster.

A high quality department store is just what is needed.

Let's hope the planned "glass extension" doesn't hit planning problems as we really need this development!

Stourport Tesco Planning Application!

We have now been told that the Special Development Control Meeting to consider the Tesco application will be held on Tuesday March 4th at Stourport High School, starting at 6pm.

I spent 3 hours at the weekend looking at the application.

To an experienced but totally non-professionally qualified eye it LOOKS as though they have made major alterations which fit it with most of our objections from last time BUT we have yet to see the professional report on the application from a planning perspective AND, and most importantly, the County Council's Highways comments.

I will want to study those reports in very great detail as Tesco's are the sort of applicant who would not only go to appeal but would also want costs against the authority if Councillors went against firm professional advice.

Hopefully we will get the report in plenty of time in order to study it in depth.

I have sympathy for the Severn Rd. residents who complain on traffic grounds but since Discovery Rd. always was going to be used as a bypass access it must have shown on original plans for that development.

Northern Rock! After months of Government dithering, finally, a decision!

Just browsing through the internet when I came upon the announcment (strange for a Sunday pm) that the Chancellor will announce, tomorrow, the nationalisation of Northern Rock!

For once I really do agree with Vince Cable MP :

"Liberal Democrat treasury spokesman Vince Cable said that the right decision had been taken, though "belatedly", and that the government should have walked away from the prospect of a private takeover some time ago.

"The important thing now is to do the right thing and the government has got to immediately establish what the problems are with this bank."

Lea Castle site. How did we miss this?

We have known for ages that:

1. Wyre Forest DC have zoned the Lea Castle site for high tech employment uses

2. Most of the Lea Castle site, except those buildings still actively being used by the Coventry and Warwickshire Mental Health trust, was owned by English Properties

BUT, I had always assumed that none of the site would be available for redevelopment until the future of the whole site was determined.

I appear to have been WRONG!!

I have just been looking at the glossy Wyre Forest Business Directory - 2007/08

Pages 18 and 19 are headed Development and Regeneration Sites: on page 19 it says"Former Lea Castle Site"; On A449 Kidderminster to Wolverhampton Road. 14.82 acres (6 hectares) of Land available for development - managed by English Partnerships. It then gives the name and contact details for English Partnerships.

How can this part of the site be developed in isolation?

Pothole Patrol!

I've just got back from my regular "pothole patrol". I drive along every street in my County Division and District Ward, record the potholes and then "e"mail the locations to the local Highways Liaison Engineer.

The County won't pay out for damage to vehicles done by potholes unless the particular pothole has been reported so it really is an important job for me!

Apart from the regular potholes there's a very nasty, possibly serious subsidence dip on Blackwell St just as you approach the island coming from the Horsefair.

They have patched up Offmore Rd. lets hope the resurfacing which has been promised happens soon. I actually challeged the county to go out and find the road surface between Offmore Rd Railway Bridge and Chester Road North!

Notice of Motion to County Council on Siting of Radiotherapy Machine.

As Vice Chair of Health Overview and Scrutiny I was delighted to be given the opportunity to sign this motion which has been co-ordinated by Cllr Peter Pinfield (Labour):

"Worcestershire County Council welcomes the Three Counties Cancer Network's initiative to expand its Radiotherapy Service and anticipated Consultation on the siting of a 6th radiotherapy machine in the Three Counies Cancer Network Region.

Worcestershire County Council will give total support to the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee in doing its very best to get the radiotherapy machine together with the supporting service located in Worcestershire. The Chief Executive and Leader to be given authority to arrange a lobby of all those who would be able to influence the final decision!

The motion has been signed by 9 Labour, 5 Lib Dem and 1 Liberal members but STRANGELY Cllr Nigel Knowles, who made such a fuss about campaigning for the machine to be sited in Kidderminster has NOT signed the motion!

County Budget. Smoke and Mirrors!

Whatever the differences between the political groups, the Wyre Forest Budget process is, at least, open and transparent. ALL paprs will be presented to Cabinet and ALL members can see exactly what is going on.

By comparison, trying to get through the County Council budget is like swimming in treacle or knitting fog (choose your own metaphor!)

Back in December the County expected around £2.1Million from the Government and the Cabinet was planning a just over a 4.7% increase in the Council Tax with CUTS in Services to maintain healthy balances.

Surprisingly the Government has agreed that Worcestershire needed to spend more to maintain services and have given the county £900K more than expected. 

I think ALL the opposition councillors expected this Government windfall to be spent to prevent the cuts in services to vulnerable people, that was, after all presumably why the Government have given it.

But SURPRISE, SURPRISE!!! The Tory Administration is NOT restoring the planned cuts, they are boosting the Council's balances and CUTTING the council tax to an increase of just over 4.3%.

The bulk of the cuts will be in Adult and Community Services, services to vulnerable elderly and disabled people including closing a day centre for people with severe learning disabilities in Pershore and stopping support for luncheon clubs at Very Sheltered Housing Schemes for the most frail OAPs.

The saving to US, the Council Taxpayers will be less than 7 pence a week; the distress caused to vulnerable people and their families will be immeasurable!

There will also be even less mony spent on our already inadquate Youth Services!

Amazingly the Audit Commission has once again rated the County as a 4 Star Authority!

Horsefair Parking Petition!

As local County Councillor I've received a petition from Horsefair traders asking that, when the current Housing Company development is completed, the parking on the "triangle" should be restored.

At the moment the Planning Permission says that there is to be a piece of Public Art and an area of open space. The traders want parking instead of the open space.

I have asked the Managing Director of the Housing Company to arrange a meeting with the traders, the Company's development co-ordinator and the planners so that an amendment to the Planning Application can be submitted.

Keeping the shops viable is a vital part of the Horsefair Regeneration and they have suffered a horrendous loss of income during the building work.

When it comes to the Planning Committee I will have to declare an interest and leave the meeting as will all other Councillors on the Housing Company (Steve Williams and Helen Dyke).

Since all the local councillors agree that this parking is needed I'm hoping that Howard Martin and Ken Stokes will pilot it through Committee.

County Health Scrutiny. Kidderminster Urgent Care Doctor Service and Out of hours GP Services

Yesterday's Health Scrutiny Cttee was told that just over 600 patients have used the Kidderminster Hospital Urgent Care Service (the Doctor-led 9-5 emergency provision at the hospital). That's 600+ people who didnt need to go to the. Over 130 of them were taken to Kidderminster by ambulance. Worcester Royal Hospital.

One of the major problems highlighted by the committee is the lack of public knowledge about what can be treated at Kidderminster in the daytime.

If you are suffering fromchest pain related to injury, epilepsy, asthma, fractured wrist or really anything that is unkilely to need an overnight hospital stay it can be treated at the hospital; this is in addition to everything already treatable at the Minor Injuries Unit.

We have asked that, assuming that the Doctor led service is to continue, there should be a far greater level of publicity so that everyone knows when they do, and when they do NOT, need to go to Worcester.

We also had a presentation about the proposals for commissioning future Mental Health services and another about the future of "Out of Hours, GP Services".

Over the next few months we will get more information and I will keep everyone posted!

Lea Castle Consultation. Where exactly were the Health Concern councillors?

Around 80 members of the public, parents and staff crammed into the Corn Exchange tonight for the Public Consultation meeting about the future of Lea Castle Hospital.

Dr. Richard Taylor was there as were Mark Garnier, Tory PPC, Cllr Nigl Knowles, Labour County Councillor and PPC, Cllr Chris Nicholls, local Councillor for Cookley, Cllr Helen Dyke, Lib Dem Group Leader on WFDC, Cllr John Campion there as Chair of County Health Overview and Scrutiny and myself as Vice Chair. But where were the Health Concern District Councillors? Not a single, solitary one of them bothered to turn up. They claim to care but local residents needed to see their Councillors AS WELL as their MP. Making sure someone goes to this type of meeting is what being a Council Group is all about!

What was most worrying was that, whilst the Coventry and Warwickshire Trust deny having a planned closure date for Lea Castle, they openly admit that they are already helping the staff find alternate jobs! All this while the Chief Exec of the Worcestrshire Mental Health Partnership Trust says that she needs an 18 month lead in and is having to plan emergency short-term provision.

They were unable to deny my claim that they are already closing Care in the Community Residential provision and could NOT tell me where all the vitally important out patient services would be relocated to! They have promised to give me written answers; if I get them I will post them here!

They also couldn't immediately provide a plan of the site showing which bits they own and which bits belong to English Partnerships (the Government Property Developer).

Dr Taylor has a 4th alternative he wants considered which is for reduced services to be run from the Lea Castle sit for the, currently 20, Worcestershire clients who live there. A perfectly acceptable idea but have the Worcs Trust got the money?

County Health Overview and Scrutiny will discuss the plans on March 13th but it is really done and dusted what ever they say. John Campion and I need YOUR views for that meeting!

Single Site!

I am being challenged about changing our views on the siting of Single Site!

Yes w did vote enthusiastically for a commitment to single site on th prefrred option of Crossly Park BUT that was BEFORE last summer's floods!

ALL local authorities have to reappraise the risks of flood plain development as what were considered to be "once in a hundred years" risks now are assessed as having much shorter odds.

We also have to consider details of traffic impacts.

Sorry guys but anyone taking decisions about public expenditure has to consider emerging information and be mature enough to revise their initial views.

My only real regret is that we failed to build the Civic Centre with a parking stack! on Bromsgrove St back in 1976!

Special Planning Meeting, Tesco's Stouport Application

Last night we were told March 4th at Lickhill Community Centre, Civic Hall being in use!

Nigel Thomas and I both asked the officers to see if Stouport High School was free. I will post venue here as soon as I know it!

I intend to spend part of this weekend reading the application so please don't lobby me about the plans till I've read them!

Liberals call for Single Site Offices to be a key feature in Horsefair Redevelopment

I have just issued the following Press Statement:

Press Release: From; Cllr.Fran Oborski, Leader Liberal Group Wyre Forest District Council; Feb 11^th 2008. Contact Cllr Fran Oborski: 01562 823911/07973281552

Council urged to make “Single Site the key to the regeneration of The Horsefair area of Kidderminster

Wyre Forest District Council is being urged to drop plans to relocate its Offices to a “Single Site” at Crossley Park, Kidderminster and instead negotiate with it’s current landlord Kidderminster Property Investments to redevelop a “Civic Centre” on land off Churchfields Kidderminster, incorporating a new direct road access onto St.Mary’s RingWay (Kidderminster Ring Road) immediately adjacent to the Blackwell St Island.

Speaking today Cllr. Fran Oborski, Leader of the Council’s Liberal Group, said; “ Last Summer’s floods, coupled with increasing road congestion in the Crossley Park area must mean that the Council’s current preferred site, behind the Royal Mail Sorting Office, for its badly needed new Office development is no longer as viable as was at first thought.

With our major partner in the Wyre Forest Local Strategic Partnership (Wyre Forest Matters), the Community Housing Group already making major investments in The Horsefair and at Windsor Drive and Larkhill and potentially planning further investment in the Grasmere Close area of Hurcott Road,now is the time for the District Council to show its commitment to the regeneration of this part of Kidderminster by negotiating to takeover part of the Kidderminster Property Investments land and create a “state of the art” eco-friendly office development to bring all sections of the Council under one roof.

By coupling such an Office development with a new direct access onto the Ring Road we could at the same time make major improvements into the air quality in the top end of Blackwell St.; allowing it to possibly even be pedestrianised, greatly enhancing the local environment.”

Cllr. Oborski added, “ I want to make it very clear that it is the siting of the Office development that I want to see in the Churchfields area. The Liberal Group remains committed to seeking to develop a new shared depot site with the Community Housing Group and I am not pre-supposing any site for that new development.

A new Office development for the Council would bring major employment into a very run down area of Kidderminster which is acknowledged as being an important gateway into the town and would be a major vote of confidence in the work being done by the Horsefair, Broadwaters and Greenhill Partnership under the Chairmanship of Rev.Canon Owain Bell.

I am challenging the Leader of the Council, Cllr. John Paul Campion to have the courage to take up this wonderful opportunity for the Council to lead on a much needed opportunity for Urban Regeneration”. 

The Liberal Group is committed to saving the Council Taxpayer the huge amount of money, certainly in excess of £500K per year which the Council currently wastes on have a series of disconnected offices.

Since Redevelopment and Regeneration of The Horsefair area is a Council priority this is an ideal opportunity to show a lead!

Is it really a whole year?

Exactly a year ago today, February 11th 2007, Mike died of cancer.

I am having trouble getting my head round the fact that it is a whole year!

Yesterday evening there was a Mass in his memory at the Polish Catholic Church, Our Lady of Ostra Brama in Pitt St. This morning I went to the Cemetery and tonight a group of Liberal friends will drink a toast to him at the chinese New year Banquet at the Chung Ying. We went every year and I know it's what he'd want me to do!

Congratulations to "Friends of Broadwaters"!

Yesterday's super Chinese New Year Celebrations at Broadwaters Park were a great success due to the energy and commitment of the "Friends of Broadwaters". It was a lovely event with Chinese Lion Dancers, Lanterns made by school children and all culminating in a super firework display!

I was delighted to have been able to "direct" some County Council Positive Activities Grant money to them. Well done all of you!

County admit they were wrong!

The astute amongst you will have noticed that I have removed a posting from Jon Fraser a County Officer, in which he denied that they had resurfaced Grays Close and said it was either the Housing Company OR Wyre Forest Council.

I removed it because yesterday Jon admitted that I was RIGHT! County Contractors DID do the work and someone misled him when he rang the depot to check! Thanks Jon!