Cllr Joe Harris

Land behind Cirencester Parish Church. Photo courtesy of Francesca Morley

Several residents have raised concern about the excessive parking on the public footpaths behind Cirencester Parish Church, by residents, builders and traders.

This is a concern that I share and this is a quick note to tell you about what’s happening and who’s responsible.

The area behind the church is owned/managed between the Church, Town Council and Gloucestershire County Council.

Cotswold District Council (CDC) enforce parking restrictions on behalf of Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) on the land they are responsible for.

In the area behind the church CDC enforcement officers issue penalty charge notices on the land owned and manged by GCC, which is mainly a strip adjacent to the road.

Any other areas are the responsibility of the Church and Cirencester Town Council.

This issue all started due to the extensive work being carried out on the Church and vehicles were essential to the project.

We have recently got to the point where the area could be seen as a free for all and this is now being dealt with.

Gloucestershire County Council/Highways are beginning to install new wooden bollards to stop vehicles from accessing the land and these will be in place within the fortnight.

Works to renovate the area around the Parish Church are on the table and soon this magnificent building will have a wonderful surrounding in which to rest.

I have submitted the following question to Cllr Carol Topple, the portfolio member for Hosing and Communities on Cotswold District Council, for the full Council meeting on Tuesday May 1st. It follows several reports in the local press regarding the living conditions of Bromford properties.

“Cllr Topple, I’m sure you are aware of the recent plight of Louise Robertson, a six-month pregnant woman, who was left with mouldy walls in her bedroom and a hole in her living room wall thanks to failings by Bromford Housing Group. Would you agree with me that to let the property deteriorate to this level is absolutely unacceptable, especially for a pregnant woman? Unfortunately this issue seems to common place among Bromford properties, I’ve had several residents contact me with similar problems. What is Cotswold District Council doing to keep tabs on these situations and will you ensure that this council will pressure Bromford Hosing Group into ensuring the highest standards in it’s properties, especially where large groups of vulnerable people are concerned?”

For more background click here.

Joe gained experience at the Cirencester Cyber Cafe

Today – Monday 2 April 2012 – the £1bn Youth Contract will start. The Youth
Contract was announced last year by Liberal Democrat Leader and Deputy
Prime Minister, Nick Clegg to tackle youth unemployment.

The Youth Contract aims to ensure that all jobless young people are earning or
learning again before long-term damage is done.

In the Cotswolds 225 18 to 24-year olds are currently in receipt of Jobseeker’s
Allowance and would stand to benefit from the Youth Contract.

The Youth Contract will provide at least 410,000 new work places for 18 to
24-year olds into work over the next three years. This includes 160,000 wage
subsidies and 250,000 new work experience placements.

A new programme will help 16 and 17-year olds who are not in employment,
education or training (NEETs).

This will help the most disengaged of the 8,000 young people who fall
into this category in the South West get back to school or college, onto an
apprenticeship or into a job with training.

In addition, there will be at least 20,000 more incentive payments to
encourage employers to take on young apprentices in England.

Commenting, Cllr Joe Harris (Park), who at 19 is the West’s youngest
councillor, said:

“In these difficult times Liberal Democrats are doing the right thing and making
sure we help those who need it most.

“If young people are out of work, the consequences of that will be felt for a
long time afterwards. We have to ensure that the young people of today do
not have a false start to their careers.

“The Youth Contract will help those who need it most through advice, support,
training and by giving people in the Cotswolds the experience necessary to be
successful in the work place.

“I volunteered for a number of years at the Cirencester Cyber Cafe and this
gave me leadership skills, experience of managing a service and helped me
meet lots of new people. I know therefore that the Coalition Government is
doing the right thing to prevent another lost generation.”

Commenting further, Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg said:

`“Youth unemployment is a slow-burn social disaster and an economic waste.

“We can’t lose the skills and talent of our young people – right when we need
them most. We need the next generation to help us build a new economy.

“The aim of the Youth Contract is to get every unemployed young person
earning or learning again before long-term damage is done, giving them the
skills for a lifetime of work.

“This is a £1bn package and it will get young people into proper, lasting jobs.”

Kerbside recycling is to be introduced in Park Ward

GREAT NEWS on the recycling front this week with the announcement that the local Lib Dem campaign to bring plastics recycling to the kerbside has been successful.

We’re delighted that the Council will be bringing in this service which people want – it is the best possible outcome for the environment. When we launched a petition accompanied by road shows around the Cotswolds four years ago, the resounding answer from local people was that they wanted this service.

This is an election pledge fulfilled! Thank you if you signed the petition and for the support you continue to show us!

The Park Ward community Group will next meet at the Waterloo Community Room (next to the Waterloo Car Park) on 18th April at 6.45pm

If you’ve got any issue you’d like to raise about life in Park Ward – Come and join us!

The following question I’ve submitted to Councillor Lynden Stowe to be answered at the Cotswold District Council meeting, on Tuesday 28th February at 10am.

Will the Leader agree that the cabinet system has been a disaster for this council and for the Conservative party locally?  Will he accept that he is almost certainly in the minority within his own group when he feels it is acceptable to have three members of the same media company serving in the cabinet? Will he assure the council, the taxpayer and some very unhappy members of his own political group that he will take immediate steps to reduce the representation of Cotswold Media Ltd in his cabinet?

Cllr Joe Harris leads the protest against 24/7 parking charges in the Brewery Car Park

Cirencester’s Brewery Car Park took place today, Sunday 8 January.

Cotswolds Liberal Democrats and local residents challenged the New Year parking hike by taking to the streets and alerting drivers to the new charges.

Cotswold District Council’s Lib Dem group have campaigned against recent price rises and attempts to extend parking charges to Sundays and night time in local authority car parks in Cirencester and other towns in the district.

Cllr Joe Harris (Park Ward), said: “There has been a spectacular lack of vision by the controlling Conservative group on the Council which has seen the motorist as an easy way of raising revenue without considering the drastic impact on local businesses that are already struggling because of the recession.

“We have been reminding motorists that the new charges started from 1 January and that all other car parks across the town are free on Sundays and evenings. If we can help people save a few pounds in the process by alerting them to free parking elsewhere it will be a job well done.”

“These charges also greatly affect the people who live near the car park without off street parking”

He believes that the CDC pilot scheme in the Brewery Car Park is ill advised, “They went ahead with price hikes at the start of last year and, although our campaign helped change their minds about Sunday and night-time charging, they have insisted on pressing ahead with these unwise charges at the Brewery Car Park in Cirencester.

“We are calling on the administration to think again about this extension of charges (and any others they might be considering) in order to help retailers and restaurants in our town centres.”

He said local businesses contributed significantly through business rates and deserved the full backing of the Council.

The Council’s Liberal Democrat councillors were joined at the protest by residents who are angry at the extra charges and are encouraging as many people as possible to boycott the Brewery Car Park and park elsewhere in the town.

Joe added, “Around 60 people joined us today. This is about people power and not caving into an idea which hasn’t been thought through. We have to stand up for our residents and businesses at a time when household income is going down.”

Park Ward schools have been allocated £40,000 as part of the pupil premium initiative, a manifesto commitment from the Liberal Democrats in government.

Both Park Ward schools are set to benefit from the pupil premium

The extra cash – amounting to nearly £500 per child under the Pupil Premium initiative – will be used to help children from less privileged backgrounds reach their full educational potential. All children receiving free school meals qualify and the money will be given to their school heads who can decide how to spend it on their behalf.

Both schools in Park Ward will benefit with Deer Park School receiving just over £32,000 and Powell’s Primary receiving £7,000.   A dozen schools across the district stand to benefit from the scheme.

Original plans for an extra £430 per pupil have now been boosted by £100m, pushing the amount paid per qualifying child to just under £500.

News of the extra money for the Cotswolds comes after, Liberal Democrat Children’s Minister, Sarah Teather recently announced that the total Pupil Premium funding for next year will rise to £1.25bn, double the amount in 2011-12. Thanks to Liberal Democrats, it will rise again each year until 2014-15 when it will be worth £2.5bn.

Liberal Democrat Councillors are encouraging all schools to ensure that every child who qualifies is registered for the scheme so that they receive the maximum funding.

Cllr Joe Harris, who at 18 is the West’s youngest district councillor, said he was encouraged by the extra cash for local schools.

“As someone who only recently finished education myself, I have made it my business to promote the welfare of young people in the district,” he said. “Though the Cotswolds is seen as an affluent playground for wealthy weekenders, the truth is that there are pockets of serious deprivation in the district, particularly in some parts of Cirencester.

“With low average wages and sky-high house prices, it is no wonder that so many children qualify for free school meals. This additional help for hard-pressed schools is extremely welcome.”

“It is shocking that, nationally, pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds are three times less likely to achieve five good GCSEs than their more well-off classmates. I see people struggling in my ward every day, including members of my own family. This extra money finally reverses this worrying trend which was allowed to continue under the previous government.”

The organisers of Cirencester Christmas market are looking for informal, visual or acoustic entertainment for shoppers at the Cirencester Christmas Market which will run from Friday 25th November until Sunday 11th December.

Cirencester at Christmas

Throughout the run, they are managing an entertainment programme which includes bands, choirs, school groups and theatre troupes which will perform in 20 minute slots. Days will run from 10am until 6pm (7 on Saturdays) and performances are planned to last just 20 minutes each.

I’m afraid there is no pay, but they don’t charge and performers are welcome to put out a hat or hand out marketing material if they wish.

Please pass this message on to any entertainers you may know or call Vicki Watson on 01453 872731 if you’d like to be involved.

http://www.christmasincirencester.org.uk/

The response to my question to Cllr Lynden Stowe for the Cotswold District Council Council meeting on Tuesday 18th October 2011

‘First, I am concerned that you do not yet appear to appreciate the difference between personal and prejudicial interests, or the reasons why Members are required to declare their interests.  I am suggesting to the Monitoring Officer that a further induction session for new Members might be appropriate – which you may like to attend.

Secondly, the approved minutes of the Cabinet meeting do not accord with your recollection.  The minimum number of Cabinet Members present for any item on the September Cabinet agenda was four, despite two Members of Cabinet being unable to be present.

As regards to grant funding provided by this Council, the outcomes are what matters and these are monitored and agreed with Council officers.  The Council’s grant is, of course, only a part of the income that those grant-aided organisations receive.  Those organisations have their own procurement policies and the Council has no control over who may be a supplier to those organisations.  If those organisations wish to use the services of local companies based in the Cotswolds that is their choice, but one which I’m sure we would all welcome.  Likewise I’m sure that any organisation who uses the services of any business which I am involved in – or indeed any other Member is involved in – will have done so on the basis that it quoted the best price in a competitive market-place.

You are also wrong to make an assumption that because I/my colleagues declare a prejudicial interest then it means we receive money from an organisation.  By way of example, the declarations of interest made in respect of Chipping Campden Tourist Information Centre were not made in respect of money we receive from them – to the contrary, the project we handle – publishing the Chipping Campden Town Guide – raises revenue for the Tourist Information Centre.

I would also refer you to previous answers that I have given to other Members of your group on the same subject at Council/Cabinet meetings on 5^th February, 20^th April and 9^th September 2010.  You will find copies on the Council’s website.’

A very patronizing answer to the youngest member of the Council, however he still hadn’t answered the question so I followed up with the following supplementary:

I’d like to thank Cllr Stowe for his response but does the Leader understand that, with answers like that, it is understandable why the young people of this country are turned off by politics and the conduct of politicians?  People of my age are constantly told to seek role models who they can look up to and emulate. But since arriving here I can see why so many young people don’t even bother to vote.

Campden VIC, Cotswold Conservation Board, CDC itself, Brewery Arts, Cotswold Water Park Society, West Oxfordshire District Council – all organisations that receive local taxpayers money, some of which eventually finds its way to companies owned by the Leader.

Will he accept that it may be perfectly legal and that all he and his Cotswold Media Colleagues need to do is to constantly jump up and nip out of the room ……….but it simply looks awful?

Nothing could have prepared members for the onslaught that followed. An immature rant about the merry bandwagon of Lib Dems on CDC.

“The situation is that I know that me and my colleagues have always declared proper personal and prejudicial interests in any item that has come before this Council. That is what is relevant. We have done everything by the book. So the same applies – put it ion the table. Let’s have your evidence before you again join the merry bandwagon of Liberal Democrats having a crack at us. Put it on the table. I want to put another perspective here. Do you know, businesses which I’m involved in – and let’s get this straight – I’m not the majority shareholder as there are other people who make decisions with regard to that business. It’s not for me to override them and put into the public domain that doesn’t need to be put into the public domain. We employ 23 people, those people have families, they are based in the Cotswolds. We are a Cotswolds business. Those people pay council tax. Right? They pay other taxes; income tax, VAT, other taxes. They pay part of your allowance, Councillor Harris. Those people want to know what’s the game? No – shut up! I’m doing this question. They want to know what’s the game? Why are they reading about attacks on their business?”

Unfortunately for the residents of the Cotswolds a significantly reduced majority for the Tories on CDC seems to have changed little. Looks like we’re going to have to work hard in 2015 to win Cotswold District Council and ensure fairness prevails!

Click here to view a video response about the meeting from myself and Cllr John Hughes (Beeches) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_g9ootiWzU&feature=related