At last, a Bishop who understands the need for welfare reform

Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, has written one of the most compelling explanations of the need to reform the welfare system in today’s Daily Mail.

There is little that I can add to his Lordship’s words, which quite clearly explain why it is socially and morally irresponsible to allow the continued creep of welfare dependency.  It is, of course, right that people on benefits should not have a higher income than those who are working hard to support their family, but even more importantly it is in the best interests of those in receipt of benefits to make sure that, where they can work, they do so.

As the Centre for Social Justice has demonstrated very clearly, long-term unemployment leads to increased mental health problems, higher rates of addiction, family breakdown and crime.  It is a fundamental plank of building a stronger society that everyone in that society must feel that have a valuable contribution to make to it – and a big part of that is being economically active.

The economic and fairness arguments in favour of the Government’s reforms are obvious but the social and moral imperatives for them are more subtle and I applaud Lord Carey for setting out the case so plainly.

Plans for anaerobic digester in Scottow

Scottow Row, where residents are concerned about possible traffic impacts.

A number of residents of Scottow Row have contacted me with concerns about the planning application for an anaerobic digester on Scottow Road.  You can see the planning application here.

An anaerobic digester is basically a hi-tech compost heap which traps gas from the rotting material (probably maize) and then uses the gas to generate electricity and/or heat.  The only bi-product is a fertiliser.  It is a sustainable form of renewable energy that has the added advantage of providing a new market for local farmers.

Following my meeting with Scottow Row residents I have been working with the planning department to get some answers to the questions that local people have.  I also understand that residents of Swanton Abbott share Scottow Row residents’ concerns about traffic impacts.

The good news is that the landowner has confirmed to me that he is willing to enter into a legal agreement to prevent traffic from using Scottow Row and to make sure that it avoids The Fairstead, using the Scottow Road junction with the B1150 by the rugby club instead.  I have asked the planning officers to get this agreement in place.

I await an answer on the other points of concern but, in the meantime, have exercised my right as the local Councillor to have the planning application decided by the planning committee instead of by the planning officers.  This will make sure that local people are able to express their views before the decision.

I’d welcome the views of other local people on this application – please drop me a line and let me know what you think or leave a comment below.

Zero tolerance approach to fly tipping and littering

North Norfolk is an attractive place to live and visit and it is a shame that not everyone respects it.  Fly tipping and littering can really blight an area making it unpleasant for local people and discouraging the visitors who are so important to our economy and jobs from coming back again.

That is why at the District Council we take a zero tolerance approach towards those who do not respect our community.  Two successful prosecutions, one for littering and one for fly tipping, have recently served as a clear warning to anyone tempted to commit these crimes that we will prosecute.

If you witnesses anyone fly tipping or littering please report it to the Council’s Environmental Protection Team on  01263 516085, making sure that you give them as much information as possible (vehicle registration numbers are always really helpful) to help the Council’s officers to find the perpetrators.

 

What about England’s future?

When Labour devolved power to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland they did not even consider, yet alone solve, the problem of what that meant for England, the so-called ‘West Lothian question’.

The problem is that while Westminster lost decision-making powers on certain issues in respect of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland those matters remain the responsibility of the Westminster parliament in relation to England.  This means that MPs representing the other three countries of the UK can vote on those matters as far as they affect England, but MPs representing England cannot influence those matters in the rest of the UK.

This unfair situation has caused increasing resentment within England since devolution and is a big part of the reason for the opinion poll result in the Sunday Telegraph today that shows that support for Scottish independence is higher in England than in Scotland.

I am a supporter of devolution and would even probably support further devolution for Scotland (what Alex Salmond calls ‘devo-max’) if that is what the Scottish people want.  I believe in local democracy and in empowering communities, which always requires decisions to be taken as close to the communities affected as possible.  But the time has come for resolution of the unfairness of Labour’s one-sided devolution.

I do not personally favour an English parliament, with more politicians, bureaucrats and no doubt an expensive new trophy building.  Instead I support the policy that was in the Conservative manifesto at the last General Election:  simply preventing MPs representing constituencies outside England voting on matters that only relate to England.

The Coalition Agreement was not as categorical, presumably because of Lib Dem reluctance, but it did include a commitment to set-up a commission to look at the issue.  At the end of last year the Government announced that the commission will be up and running by February and should report early next year.

The need for action is greater than ever as we all prepare for a year in which the question of Scottish independence is looking likely to run and run.  Until the West Lothian question is answered Alex Salmond is wrong to say that his ‘devo-max’ option is a question for Scotland alone.  I for one would oppose devolving further powers to Scotland without first addressing the unfairness in the current structure of devolution.

 

 

 

Delivering value for North Norfolk’s council taxpayers

A special session of the District Council last night gave unanimous support to the first stage of our plans to cut the size of the Council’s management.

Until now the Council has had a Chief Executive, Deputy Chief Executive and three Directors but as a result of our reforms that will shrink to just a Chief Executive and two Directors, which will save council taxpayers at least £150,000 a year.  Not a bad day’s work and proof that we are serious about reducing the size and cost of the council while maintaining key services.

 

 

Support for Cromer Crab Co Staff

While the fight to save the Cromer Crab Factory in Cromer goes on, it became clear last week that some redundancies at the factory are now inevitable and it was great to see North Norfolk District Council quickly swing into action, holding two advice sessions so far for affected staff.

These advice sessions on their own are not enough though and we needed to make sure that those who lose their jobs have access to one-to-one skills training to help them to find new jobs as quickly as possible.  We have asked Young’s Seafood, owners of the factory to contribute to the cost of this training and support for their staff but so far they have made no commitment to do so.  As the staff cannot afford to wait the District Council has stepped in and yesterday the Cabinet agreed to make available up to £25,000 to make sure staff get the support that they need.

This will make a real difference to those staff hit by news of the redundancies.  Hopefully Young’s will now be able to support us, as it is not fair that local council taxpayers are having to bear the social cost of the company’s decision to restructure its business.  We have also asked our local MP to step-in as a member of the Government and make sure that central government helps to shoulder the cost.

Senior Lib Dem accused of hypocrisy over North Walsham’s pigeon problem

Local Conservatives have attacked what they describe as hypocrisy and a failure to take responsibility after a North Walsham District Councillor blamed Council officers for failing to tackle the problem of pigeons in North Walsham.

Lib Dem Councillor, Eric Seward, described the Environmental Health Department as a laughing stock after it was revealed that ongoing attempts to reduce the town’s pigeon population had not resulted is a single bird being caught.

But now John Lee, Conservative Cabinet for Environmental Health has criticised Cllr Seward for trying to blame officers for his own policy:

“The current approach to dealing with pigeons has clearly failed,” Cllr Lee said, “But it is outrageous for Cllr Seward to try to lay the blame at the door of officers. He seems to have forgotten that at the time that the current approach to tackling the problem was agreed he was the Cabinet Member for Environmental Health and so signed it off.

“To now blame officers and try to wash his hands of the policy is unacceptable, although it is sadly typical of a party that was voted out of office in May because they failed to deliver on so many of their promises. Only a few weeks ago we were forced to listen to another of Cllr Seward’s colleagues trying to blame officers for Lib Dem failures during their time in office during the debate on the Council’s new corporate plan.

“The Lib Dems failed to deal with the pigeon problem and so we have invited local businesses and the Town Council to meet with us to discuss a new approach. This is a town problem rather than a District Council one and so everyone needs to come together to deal with the problem. That is far more likely to get results than petty point-scoring and refusing to take responsibility.”

Conservatives take action to tackle empty homes in North Norfolk

Just days after promising more action and less words on the issues that matter to North Norfolk, the new Conservative administration at North Norfolk District Council has announced a pilot project aimed at cracking down on the owners of empty homes in the District.

The pilot scheme would authorise the compulsory purchase of several eyesore properties in the District that have been empty for many years and have been the source of many complaints from local people.  The property owners will be given one last chance to deal with the problems but if they fail to do so, the Council will buy the properties with a view to selling them on in order to get them back into the market.

‘We have inherited a legacy of inaction on empty properties from the last administration, which is unforgivable bearing in mind the huge demand for housing in the District.  Often, the empty properties also pose a risk to public health and generally detract from the look of the area.  The owners of these particular properties have shown that nothing short of forcing them to sell the properties will make them tidy-up the properties up and bring them back into beneficial use.’ Said Cllr Keith Johnson, Cabinet Member for Housing.

Cllr Johnson confirmed that money had been identified to fund the initial pilot and that, if it was successful, the proceeds from the sale of the properties would be recycled to enable empty properties elsewhere in the District to be bought if their owners continued to ignore the Council’s requests for action.

Longtime campaigner and councillor, Trevor Ivory, welcomed the news saying, ‘Almost every town and village in the District has at least one longterm empty property that is an eyesore and so this is really good news.  This is an issues that is raised often by people on the doorstep who have become fed up with the reluctance of the Council to do more than talk.

‘I am delighted that the Conservatives are showing that they are prepared to do more than just talk about this important issue.  This is why local people voted for a Conservative District Council earlier this year and it is good to see people’s trust being repaid so quickly.’

Councillors to vote on the future of the Cromer Crab Co

As pressure continues to mount on the owners of the Cromer Crab Company to abandon their plans to close the iconic Cromer business and relocate the factory to Grimsby, North Norfolk District Councillors will have a chance to throw their support behind the work of the Conservative Cabinet at a meeting tonight.

Since the proposal was first announced, the Cabinet and Council officers have been working hard to try to safeguard the jobs of those employed in the factory and to prevent the factory’s owners from taking the iconic Cromer Crab brand away from the North Norfolk coast. Now other councillors are being urged to join the Cabinet in a show of cross-party support for the staff in a motion calling on the company to rethink its plans.

‘This issue is so important that all three political parties have been campaigning jointly to save the factory and to support the Claws Off campaign being run by the North Norfolk News and North Norfolk Radio. The Council has also been working hard behind the scenes; working with the factory’s owners to try to find a way to keep the factory open and also working to secure £250,000 to protect the Cromer Crab brand in the same way as Melton Mowbray has protected its pork pies and Cornwall has protected the pastie.’ Explained Cllr Trevor Ivory, who has been helping to helping to lead the campaign.

Cllr Tom Fitzpatrick, who is proposing the motion, added, ‘I hope that this motion will attract cross-party support to show the factory’s owners that the political consensus is as strong and determined inside the Council Chamber as it is outside. The District Council very much appreciates the way in which Youngs, the factory’s owner have worked with us in order to explore various options to try to ensure the retention of the core facility on the site. It is a chance for the whole of North Norfolk to come together to show that this is not just a Cromer issue and that, wherever we come from in the District, we support the fantastic campaign being run by the North Norfolk News and North Norfolk Radio.’

Conservatives promise action, not words

The new Conservative administration at North Norfolk District Council will tonight set out its priorities for the next four years, promising a clearer and more focused Council that does less talking and more doing.

Council Leader, Helen Eales, told the Cabinet that the new Corporate Plan, which sets out the Council’s agenda for the next four years, was a break with the past and would focus the Council on doing less but doing it better. Previous plans had been detailed glossy documents that were expensive to produce and whose targets had regularly been missed but the new administration would set realistic targets annually to achieve its priorities, she said.

‘Our Corporate Plan is the first step to honouring the pledges that we made to the people of North Norfolk in May. It is short and to the point, setting out how we shall deliver on the promises that the Conservative Party made to voters.’ Cllr Eales said early today.

‘In May the voters delivered their verdict on the previous Council and voted for the change that the Conservative Party offered locally. During that election and since people across the District have been telling us that they have heard enough empty words and want to see actions. The new Corporate Plan spells out clearly our determination to tackle the problem of empty homes, to focus on attracting new jobs to the District and to take the tough decisions needed to deliver value for money for council taxpayers.’ Added Cllr Trevor Ivory, Cabinet Member for Localism and the Big Society, who will be seconding the proposal to adopt the plan at a meeting of the Council tonight.