Monthly Archives: March 2012

Parking Issues Tackled

March 28, 2012 in St James

Following representations by Labour county councillor Jill Owen, it has now been confirmed that parking on verges and pavements in Exeter is a civil parking offence. Motorists who do this will now face a fixed-penalty notice. This will be welcomed by pedestrians, particularly disabled people and parents with buggies, who have complained about being forced to walk on the road to get round vehicles on the pavement.

Until the end of January, this was a matter which could only be dealt with by the police, whereas responsibility for other parking offences had passed to the County Council. This only led to confusion and inaction. Now civil enforcement officers (‘traffic wardens’ to most people) will be able to deal with motorists who choose to park on the pavement.

On a separate issue, thanks to Jill Owen and her Labour colleague Richard Westlake, the County Council is having to re-think its bodged introduction of dispensation parking permits for trades people in Exeter. Without consulting county councillors or warning the public, the County Council introduced a new scheme requiring trades-people to apply at least 24 hours in advance for a permit to park in residents’ only zones, which has caused anger and confusion in many parts of Exeter. Under the previous arrangement, trades people were only required to display a note saying which address they were visiting.

The leader of Devon County Council has admitted that the implementation of the scheme could have been handled better, so the Council is now looking at ways of improving the scheme.

 

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Speeding in St James

March 28, 2012 in St James

One issue raised at last December’s St James ‘Have your say’ meeting was speeding motorists in Longbrook Street. As a response to this, the local police were (at the time of writing) preparing to carry out a speed check in Longbrook Street.

When Keith Owen called on residents of Howell Road recently, separate complaints were made to him about speeding vehicles at the Bury Meadow end of Howell Road. Keith has therefore arranged with local PCSO Helen Harvey for a speed check to be carried out there shortly.

 

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Exeter St James Forum Update

March 28, 2012 in St James

Good progress is being made on the formulation of a neighbourhood plan for St James. It is hoped that by November the Forum will have involved residents in discussing and agreeing a draft plan, secured the go-ahead from an independent inspector, and publicised the draft plan to residents and asked them to approve it in a referendum.

Dates to note are:

  • Tuesday 17 April, evening, at St Sidwell’s  School – a discussion workshop on the draft neighbourhood plan.
  • Saturday 9 June, afternoon, at St Sidwell’s School – the Forum’s first AGM and an open community event.

More information can be found on the Forum’s website: www.exeterstjamesforum.org

 

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A Message from PCSO Helen Harvey

March 28, 2012 in St James

Hello St James!

I have recently joined the St James neighbourhood policing team. I will be working alongside Neighbourhood beat officer PC Alex Kennedy. Prior to becoming the Police Community Support Officer for St James I worked in the control room for 3½ years. I hope to use that experience in my new role.

So far I have been really impressed by the community spirit and friendliness shown by the residents of St James. I hope to build upon this and I am keen to speak to people so if you see out on patrol please stop me and say hello. If you would like to contact me to discuss any community or police issues please call our non emergency number 101 or email helen.harvey2@devonandcornwall.pnn.police.uk .

PCSO Helen Harvey 30552

 

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Exeter Labour Party Manifesto 2012

March 15, 2012 in Campaigns, Latest, News

Under Labour, Exeter’s council tax rates have been consistently one of the lowest in the country. Just 8p out of every £1 that residents pay in council tax goes to Exeter City Council. This is a testament to the well run nature of a Council that has been under Labour control for the majority of the last 30 years.

We took the decision this year to freeze Council tax at last year’s rate. Our costed budget sets out how, over the coming year, we will be making £1 million savings while protecting the services which the citizens of Exeter need most.

We can no longer just manage our budgets better; we have to manage our business differently. We aim to streamline the council’s systems, a process which has already seen a £500,000 per year saving through reductions in senior management.

We are committed to getting the best value for taxpayers’ money while improving the delivery of our services and investing sustainably and strategically to secure the future of our city.

This Manifesto sets out our vision for Exeter.

Exeter: Housing our Communities

Our ambition is to build communities where everyone has a home. The housing problems we face across the city demand a range of measures to solve them so that everyone, regardless of income, has a safe and secure place to live.

We strive to provide 35% of all new build developments as social housing. This is our first priority and will continue to be while our city has a waiting list of over 7000 people. We are firmly committed to providing homes for rent that people can afford, and we will retain the current system of setting council rent.

We are dedicated to finding new and innovative solutions to Exeter’s housing needs and we will introduce a cooperative and mutual model of home ownership, where people are given stability and equity while retaining housing stocks.

Exeter: A City of Growth and Business

It was a Labour-run Council which had the vision to deliver Princesshay for Exeter. We will continue this vision as we redevelop the Bus Station site to include a swimming pool and new open spaces.

Our investment in the city centre has helped to support a strong high street against a difficult national picture. It is our priority to keep retail within the heart of the city as well as supporting our district shopping areas including Cowick Street, Fore Street Heavitree, Magadalen Road, Topsham, Pinhoe and Whipton Village Shops.

Under Labour, Exeter is open for business – the arrival of John Lewis shows business knows that our city is a good investment. This investment is key to our success; we will continue to work in partnership to deliver Exeter Science Park so high-tech businesses can locate here and thrive.

Creating opportunities and jobs, particularly for young people, is vital to our city’s continuing prosperity, but we must also ensure our residents are able to take advantage of these opportunities. We will continue to work closely with our partners in business and education to support local people, and we will lead by example through an Exeter City Council Apprenticeship Scheme, equipping people with skills and vital work experience. Investing in skills will also enable the city to attract a greater range of high quality jobs.

Exeter: Quality of Life

The network of parks across Exeter provides local people with a free, year round community resource. They also provide the backdrop to events throughout the year from Heavitree Fun Day in the Pleasure Grounds to the Food & Drink Festival in Northernhay Gardens.

We are committed to maintaining and improving play facilities across Exeter, including the water play facilities in Heavitree and St Thomas, which are so important to families in the city. We will also make much-needed refurbishments to the popular Flowerpot Skatepark.

This year, to commemorate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, we hope to rename the Wonford Playing Fields the ‘Queen Elizabeth II Playing Fields’ as part of a scheme to create a new trust, protecting this site against future development.

Exeter: A Sustainable City

Exeter is growing both economically and by population, but this must not be at the expense of our environment. We are dedicated to lowering the city’s carbon footprint through a range of initiatives and promoting a greener culture.

We will continue to roll out our solar panel scheme for council houses across Exeter. This deal with EON will see residents benefitting from the scheme save an average of £190 a year on their bills.

We all want to see fewer cars on our roads, which is why we support the Devon Metro initiative and its aim of making it easier for people to travel locally by train. We will work with partners to improve the bus service and we will continue to support the spread of cycling and walking routes in Exeter. But we also want to help drivers to make greener choices, so we plan to install charging points for electric cars in the city centre, initially in the refurbished John Lewis Car Park.

Exeter already has an excellent record for recycling rates; a record boosted through the introduction of the Pinbrook and Matford Recycling Centres. 35 tonnes of recyclable waste is collected from households every day, saving Exeter money by reducing the amount of waste being sent to the landfill. We remain committed to maintaining and improving this record.

We are also dedicated to our educational ‘Green Team’ initiative in schools across the city, extending the recycling message to the younger generations. With our partners in the Exeter Wild City project, we will work to protect our urban wildlife and we will aim to create green corridors as Exeter grows.

Exeter: Thriving communities

We are committed to working with all Exeter’s communities and empowering residents to have a greater say in how their public services are delivered.

We recognise the fantastic work that it is already done by local communities, and we will continue to work with voluntary, public and private sector partners to develop new community involvement throughout Exeter.

In all our work we remain committed to diversity and equality and continue to support the annual Respect Festival, which has fast become a highlight of the city’s vibrant cultural calendar.  We will also support initiatives like the Exeter Cultural Partnership in strengthening the artistic life of the city for the benefit of residents and visitors alike.

We are proud of Exeter’s Fairtrade City status and will continue to promote Fairtrade as an outward-looking, international city.

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Ben’s Column – Spring 2012

March 12, 2012 in Ben Bradshaw, Latest, News

These important city council elections are your chance to deliver a message to the Government.

Whether it’s the local police cuts, the damaging upheaval of the NHS, our stagnating economy or the soaring cost of fuel and food the Government in London needs telling its policies aren’t working.

Exeter’s Labour run council is doing a good job in difficult circumstances. Through good management it has made big savings while protecting the local services it provides. Once again Exeter has frozen its council tax – already one of the lowest in England – though overall our bills will rise because the Tory & Lib Dem dominated Fire Authority and the Police Authority took the decision to put their share of the council tax up.

Labour has a brilliant group of council candidates in these elections – people who will work hard for you all year round. Although Labour currently runs the city council we don’t hold a majority of the seats. We could do much more for the people of Exeter if we did, like build a long awaited new swimming pool as part of the exciting plans for the Bus Station site, and provide more affordable housing for rent for local people, which is so desperately need.

Every week when I’m out and about in Exeter people tell me they’re worried about their jobs, the cost of living and what sort of prospects their children can look forward to. Local long term youth unemployment has nearly trebled in the last year, while the abolition of Education Maintenance Allowance and the trebling of student fees have made it harder for young people to stay on in education.

Local people on modest and low incomes have seen their living standards squeezed while London bankers and others at the top still rake in their bonuses. Yet the Government still tries to claim “we’re all in this together.”

We could be doing so much better as a country. So I hope you will use your vote to elect a council that will fight hard for you and our city and tell the Government we need a change of course.

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North Whipton Forum

March 12, 2012 in Whipton Barton

The North Whipton Forum is a residents meeting that is held four times a year. It is attended by housing officers, police and local councillors, and discusses all issues within the North Whipton area. Meetings are held at Whipton Barton Junior School, Hill Lane, and at each meeting the Forum reviews the top priorities for the area and sets new ones if necessary.

The last meeting of the Forum was on 2 February. A wide range of council and policing issues were discussed and residents set the following priorities for the area:

  1. Dog fouling
  2. Speeding
  3. Anti-social behaviour

PCSO Justin Willis also reported that he is organising a Community Action Week during the Easter Holidays which will involve local children and their parents in activities to improve the neighbourhood.

If you would like to have a say on issues that affect you in the North Whipton area, please come along to the next meeting on Thursday 10th May 2012, 7.00pm at Whipton Barton Junior School.

For more information you can contact the resident involvement team on 03192 265738, email: tenant.participation@exeter.gov.uk or visit the website.

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Consultation Launched on Bus & Coach Station Redevelopment

March 12, 2012 in Latest, News

A consultation begins today on the Development Principles for the redevelopment of the Bus & Coach Station area.  Exeter’s Local Plan and Core Strategy have recognised the area, between Sidwell Street, Paris Steet and Cheeke Street, as an important site for future development. However, it is vital that any development meets the needs of the City and respects and enhances the rest of the City Centre area.

A set of draft Development Principles has been produced which aim to guide any future planning applications for the site. Labour-run Exeter City Council wants to know what you think of these principles. Should they be changed? Should principles be added or removed?

Cllr Rachel Sutton, Lead Councillor for Sustainable Development and Transport, said: “This is the first stage in a major exercise to regenerate this key part of the city in line with improvements to the city centre and Sidwell Street. The current Bus and Coach Station was built in 1963 and has become rather tired and dated and the long term plan is to smarten the area up and provide a mixed-use development including a new station. We would be very interested to find out what people think of these development principles to guide us through the next stage of the redevelopment.”

The consultation runs between 12 March and 23 April 2012.

Two public information events will be held in Paris Street:

  • Friday 16 March
  • Saturday 17 March

There will also be two stakeholder briefing events:

  • Friday 23 March
  • Monday 26 March

For more information on the consultation, to see the draft Development Principles, and to find out how to respond, click here.

You can also view the Principles in the Civic Centre Customer Service centre on Paris Street and in the Exeter Central Library Reference Section.

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National Award for Cllr Olwen Foggin

March 1, 2012 in Heavitree, Whipton Barton

Exeter Labour Party is proud to report that Devon County Councillor Olwen Foggin has won the Age UK Pride of Place Award at the 2012 C’llr Achievement Awards.

These national awards recognise councillors who have made significant contributions to local democracy and to their communities, and the Age UK prize is given to a councillor who has made a particular difference to older people.

Explaining the judges’ decision, co-organisers the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) said;

“Cllr Foggin has consistently championed the interests of older residents in Devon since being elected to the county council in 2005. She has demonstrated a clear commitment to engaging with local groups and listening to the concerns of older people, before ensuring that these concerns inform the council’s decisions at every level.”

This year alone Olwen has supported a range of projects and activities for older people, including Age UK’s Men in Sheds project, Heavitree Pop In Social Group, a Christmas event for residents of Whipton Barton House care home (pictured), Westbank’s Memory Cafes and the Whipton Community Hospital League of Friends. Exeter Labour Party would like to congratulate Olwen on her well-deserved win and for her ongoing efforts to promote the voice of older people in Exeter and to improve our communities for their older residents.

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