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| February 24, 2011, 7:14pm |
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 blackdog |
| February 24, 2011, 8:09pm |
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Do any of the councillors reading this know whether the localism (what a horrible word) bill will actually enable people in, say, Wash Common to have a say in whether hundreds of new houses are built on their doorstep? Or is it actually eyewash, as I surmised?
The bill is available online but I found it impenetrable - but I believe they are aiming to encourage development, not prevent it. The encouragement will probably come in terms of financial reward - places that build lots of houses will get nice fat grants for infrastructure etc. |
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| richard.garvie |
| February 24, 2011, 8:26pm |
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Do any of the councillors reading this know whether the localism (what a horrible word) bill will actually enable people in, say, Wash Common to have a say in whether hundreds of new houses are built on their doorstep? Or is it actually eyewash, as I surmised?
I see that a jobsworth councillor from Theale or some similarly godforsaken place in that direction has written to the NWN fully supporting Sandleford and making snide comments about his coalition partners. Not surprising at all, is it? Of course he wants thousands of new homes built in Newbury. He's from Theale.
Alan Law represents Bucklebury I think, the most north easterly ward in the district!!! |
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| noobree |
| February 24, 2011, 10:59pm |
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Wherever he lives he presumably he supports his Supreme Commander's Big Society wheeze. I'm sure part of the scheme involved allowing local people to make decisions about their own community rather than have councillors like Mr Law do it for them. It would make no sense at all to have a localism bill but then not actually give any real powers to locals.
Unfair though it might be, many people are going to assume that the Conservative councillors are trying to rush this through so that it can't be stopped by a local vote. Who owns the land, I wonder, and do they have any conservative party connections?
Incidentally, talking of the Supreme Commander, wasn't it pathetic to see him apologising for cocking up the rescue mission to save UK expats in Libya? He should have had the courage of his convictions and told them that now that we have a Big Society it was up to them to rescue themselves. He and little Haig had much more important things on their minds this week: selling more British arms to other middle eastern despots. |
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| blackdog |
| February 25, 2011, 8:28am |
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Alan Law represents Bucklebury I think, the most north easterly ward in the district!!!
I guess geography is not your strongpoint - Pamela Bale, the leader of the Newbury Vision 2025, represents Pangbourne (to the north east of Bucklebury). |
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| blackdog |
| February 25, 2011, 8:36am |
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Incidentally, talking of the Supreme Commander, wasn't it pathetic to see him apologising for cocking up the rescue mission to save UK expats in Libya? He should have had the courage of his convictions and told them that now that we have a Big Society it was up to them to rescue themselves. He and little Haig had much more important things on their minds this week: selling more British arms to other middle eastern despots.
I find it refreshing to hear a politician apologising - when was the last time we heard one of our local councillors admitting they made a mistake or got it wrong? |
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| noobree |
| February 25, 2011, 9:58am |
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Yeah, I agree with you really. But I do think the whole Big Society thing is dire as well as being relevant to Sandleford. I'm sure they don't intend that ordinary people should have direct control over things like major housing developments. As Norman Tebbit points out, Dave seems to be very confused: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/n.....n-westminster-abbey/Anyone know where his mate Nick stands on this? Would he 'empower' local people or is he in favour of councils and Whitehall forcing developments like this on us? |
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| blackdog |
| February 25, 2011, 10:34am |
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Yeah, I agree with you really. But I do think the whole Big Society thing is dire as well as being relevant to Sandleford. I'm sure they don't intend that ordinary people should have direct control over things like major housing developments. As Norman Tebbit points out, Dave seems to be very confused: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/n.....n-westminster-abbey/Anyone know where his mate Nick stands on this? Would he 'empower' local people or is he in favour of councils and Whitehall forcing developments like this on us?
People in government probably view local councils as 'the people' - at best we can look forward to more power for parish councils and (I think this is in the localism bill) some form of local referenda. I cannot imagine that they will end up with a system that allows a couple of neighbours preventing reasonable development. If only it was easy to define reasonable. |
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| noobree |
| February 25, 2011, 11:08am |
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I'm sure you're right. Hey ho. If only Dave and Nick weren't so clever and busy and took time to read Dilbert they'd know that 'empowerment' is a rubbish idea.  Much more on that theme from the excellent Dilbert.com here: http://search.dilbert.com/comic/EmpowermentAnyone know if any good independents will be standing in the council elections? |
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| spartacus |
| February 25, 2011, 12:14pm |
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Alan Law represents Bucklebury I think, the most north easterly ward in the district!!!
Not sure whether geography is your weakness or if it's just your understanding of the local political map that lets you down, but Alan Law represents Aldworth, Basildon and Streatley. P Bale represents Pangbourne but that's not the most north easterly ward Did someone mentions NIMBYs?? |
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| 26 |
| February 25, 2011, 2:09pm |
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Anyone know if any good independents will be standing in the council elections?
Not getting cynical about politics are we? Welcome aboard. |
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| Muddler |
| February 25, 2011, 4:03pm |
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Unfair though it might be, many people are going to assume that the Conservative councillors are trying to rush this through so that it can't be stopped by a local vote. Who owns the land, I wonder, and do they have any conservative party connections?
I doubt even the local Tory would be that naive, but there's something fishy going on. Even this rival development are left wondering why there's no level playing field on where these houses go. http://www.beyondgreen.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Pincents_Hill_101025.pdf |
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| richard.garvie |
| February 26, 2011, 9:59am |
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Sorry, Alan Law does in fact represent Basildon, which is the North East ward on the map (above Pangborne). |
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| PaulaM |
| February 26, 2011, 11:20am |
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There seems to be more "political effort" being put into stopping this development, than the incincerators at Curridge ? Is this right ?? |
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| Greenham Common |
| February 26, 2011, 11:28am |
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It is probably because Sandleford affects more voters people. |
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