Articles for the past week:

Leader:  Police & Crime Commissioner Candidate – David Rogers

News this past week:

1.  Ash Tree Dieback: EU Must Act Faster
2.  Love West Sussex
3.  Manor Sports Ground – We Ask Residents Views

WORTHING LIBERAL DEMOCRATS WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
28TH OCTOBER TO 3RD NOVEMBER 2012

Lib Dems will keep Worthing’s services local

Lib Dems will get on with bringing our town into the 21st century – no more dither and delay

Lib Dems will ensure ‘We are all in it together’ – no more waste and high pay

Lib Dems are the only opposition in Worthing – Labour can’t win here

Lib Dems support 20 mph in Worthing’s residential roads

Leader:  Police & Crime Commissioner Candidate – David Rogers

David Rogers is the Sussex Liberal Democrat candidate in this month’s elections for Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).

Worthing Liberal Democrats asked David for his thoughts on issues raised by Worthing Residents:

“I’ve lived in Sussex for nearly 40 years, over 35 of them as an elected councillor. My children grew up here. It’s a great place to live. Now I want to make it even better and safer. I know and understand all parts of our diverse area, as during that time I’ve lived in Brighton & Hove, West Sussex and East Sussex.

It seems to me that anti-social behaviour by some drivers, whether it’s speeding or parking on pavements, is a key issue in Worthing.  Both the Police and Crime Commissioner and the county council as highways authority have a clear role to play here, which is not being given sufficient priority at the moment.

I am a firm supporter of local campaigns to have a 20mph limit in residential areas.  Indeed, I was there when a motion to make this Liberal Democrat policy was proposed at our recent Federal Conference in Brighton, by my colleague Cllr Sarah Osborne, a Lewes district councillor.  After a lively debate about whether this should be decided locally or imposed nationally, the principle was almost unanimously approved.  So in my view, Twenty is Plenty for streets where people live in Worthing.

There is no reason either why the police and the county council should not be more active in deterring inconsiderate parking on pavements or street corners.  There are existing powers available to deal with such anti-social behaviour, and a rigorous system of spot checks in different areas at different times should not be too difficult to achieve.  Good local publicity about the results of this action should also encourage people to change their ways.

I hope you will support me with your first choice vote on 15th November, and if elected as your PCC I shall be very interested to hear from readers of this newsletter in the future about local issues that matter.”

Worthing Liberal Democrats

NEWS FROM THE PAST WEEK

ASH TREE DIEBACK: EU MUST ACT FASTER

Thursday 1st November – Alert systems should be improved across the European Union to prevent spread of diseases such as Ash Tree Dieback, Catherine Bearder MEP has said.  It comes as the Government said 100,000 trees have been destroyed in an effort to prevent the spread of the disease. Meanwhile, a ban on importing Ash trees has also been introduced, as the UK battles to save its woodland from further outbreaks. The Chalara fraxinea fungus causes the disease which has already reportedly killed 90 per cent of Ash trees in Denmark. And a string of European Union member states have reported outbreaks, including Germany, Netherlands, Romania and Belgium. It appears the UK outbreak may have been as a result of spores carried by the wind from mainland Europe, or by movement of contaminated soil and plant material. The EU plant regime contains measures to prevent the introduction and spread within the EU of organisms harmful to plants. But Catherine has this week asked the Commission if there is anything which can be done to improve the body.
Catherine said: “There are millions of Ash trees in the UK, which are also home to a wide range of species. They are not something our environment can afford to lose. We are now in a race against time to make sure this disease is contained. We need to make sure there is improvement in the effectiveness of the EU plant health regime to make sure this doesn’t happen again. I have called on the Commission to introduce a Europe-wide alert system, which would trigger quicker action when outbreaks occur. The European Union is best-placed to share information to make sure the continent’s biodiversity is protected.”  (Catherine Beader MEP Press Release)

LOVE WEST SUSSEX

Thursday 1st November – Worthing Liberal Democrats have today welcomed the new smart phone app “Love West Sussex” created by West Sussex County Council.  “Love West Sussex” makes it easier for residents to report community concerns regarding the environment and the highway. This might include potholes, damaged, dirty or missing signs, cracked, broken or uneven paving slabs or weather related conditions such as fallen trees and flooding. The app is available for I-Phone, Android and Blackberry and can be downloaded here: http://www.westsussex.gov.uk/leisure/getting_around_west_sussex/roads_and_pathways/report_a_road_and_pathway_issu/how_to_report_an_issue.aspx
Avid enthusiast Lib Dem Worthing Borough Councillor Keith Sunderland said: “It is on my phone and it’s excellent”.

MANOR SPORTS GROUND – WE ASK RESIDENTS VIEWS

Saturday 3rd November – Saturdays are survey days for Worthing Lib Dems in Broadwater – last week we were out and about in the Upper Brighton Road asking residents views on the air quality.  Today it was the turn of Broadwater Road where we asked residents about a possible takeover of Manor Sports Ground by community groups. In the early sixties County Cricket was played at Manor Sports Ground in Broadwater Road and teenage boys used to climb over the fence to watch.  More recently an annual Hockey Festival took place on the same piece of ground. Both events attracted large numbers to Broadwater boosting our tourist industry and providing on the doorstep entertainment for residents. Sadly those days are gone and those teenage boys are now in their twilight years with just fond memories. Worthing Liberal Democrats think there is now an opportunity to bring back those days and regenerate Manor Sports Ground. Communities are being encouraged by Government to take power over their local areas and develop them in the way they want – not what the local suits in council want. We thought Worthing Borough Council would be resistant but the Cabinet recently confirmed they would smile on communities taking over their local green spaces. We asked Broadwater Road residents what they would you like to see on their local green space Manor Sports Ground – return of County Cricket, return of the Hockey Festival, classical concerts, children’s play equipment, a café, or picnic tables and chairs?   We are sure you have other ideas and we would welcome hearing them too.

DIARY

Monday 5th November – WSCC SACRE – County Hall, Chichester at 10.00 am
Wednesday 7th November – WSCC Policy and Resources Select Committee – County Hall, Chichester at 10.30 am
Wednesday 7th November – WSCC Children and Young People’s Select Committee – County Hall, Chichester at 1.30 pm
Wednesday 7th November – Lib Dem Northbrook/Durrington Ward Surgery – The Durrington Community Centre, New Road 7.30 to 8.30 pm
Thursday 8th November – ADC & WBC Joint Strategic Committee – Gordon Room, Town Hall at 6.30 pm
Saturday 10th November – Lib Dem Castle Ward Surgery – The Strand Shops 10.00 to 10.30 am
Saturday 10th November – Lib Dem Gaisford/Tarring Castle Wards Surgery – West Worthing Baptist Church, South Street, Tarring 10.30 am to 12.00 noon

FURTHER AHEAD

Tuesday 13th November – WSCC Planning Committee –  County Hall, Chichester at 10.30 am
Thursday 15th November – Police & Crime Commissioner Election
Thursday 15th November – WSCC Health and Adult Social Care Select Committee – County Hall, Chichester at 10.30 am
Wednesday 21st November – WSCC Environmental and Community Services Select Committee – County Hall, Chichester at 10.30 am
Thursday 22nd November – WSCC Shadow West Sussex Health and Wellbeing Board – County Hall, Chichester at 2.15 pm
Thursday 22nd November – ADC & WBC Joint Governance & Audit Committee – Gordon Room, Town Hall at 6.30 pm
Monday 26th November – WSCC Governance Committee – County Hall, Chichester at 2.15 pm
Tuesday 27th November – WSCC Cabinet –  County Hall, Chichester at 10.00 am
Wednesday 28th November – WSCC Children and Young People’s Select Committee – County Hall, Chichester at 10.00 am
Wednesday 28th November- WBC Planning Committee –  Gordon Room, Town Hall at 6.00 pm
Saturday 1st December – Lib Dem Central Ward Surgery – Sidney Walter Centre, Sussex Road 10.30 am to 12.00 noon
and every first Saturday of the month
Saturday 1st December – Lib Dem Broadwater Ward Surgery – The Community House, Dominion Road 3.00 pm to 4.00 pm
and every first Saturday of the month

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Published and promoted by Worthing Liberal Democrats, 18 Woodlea Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN13 1BN

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