It would be lovely to have a discussion about parking without it descending into name calling from the Tories, but sadly not the case (we’ve been called Catwoman and The Riddler, which I didn’t actually mind, but Delboy and Rodney/Trigger was a bit unnecessary).

The Lib Dems were looking into changing the system to a one hour free parking offset with charges in the evenings. As far as I am concerned, an idea with legs which could have been piloted, but no, the Tories just want to take 20p off your parking charges for the first hour. and tinker about making it more expensive to stay longer. We have supported this now, because it was the only offer on the table and something is better than nothing, but I’m not sure this will bring people flying back into Brentwood, especially as out-of-towners will now be charged more!

Funny, when David Cameron became leader of the Tory Party he wanted an end to “Punch & Judy politics”. If he comes to Brentwood, he’d better make sure he’s stocked up on strings of sausages. So much for a “changed” Tory party and delivering promises.

According to some Tory councillors, parking isn’t an issue anyway and it’s just the fact that the Lib Dems keep raising the issue. I beg to differ!

Just reflecting on what a positive residents meeting I had in Firsgrove Cresent on Friday night.  We were all able to discuss some issues, about parking principally, and I left them with a number of options to consider.

Just a quick report back from last night’s meeting. I’m not on this committee, so confess I don’t routinely attend, but there were a few Brentwood West issues and others that I had an interest in so I went along.

Westbury Road Car Park: Some time ago, the possibility of this car park being available for overnight parking was discussed. Unfortunately, this had to be abandoned due to the high cost of lighting and new entrances. It is pleasing to learn, however, that the residents who did originally request this are entitled to on-street parking permits so it’s not all lost, although not ideal of course.

Town Hall Car Parking petition: This was finally discussed, eight months after I presented the 420-strong petition. However, it seems that the Conservatives are holding back on announcing their car parking charges - after all the fuss we’ve made there’s a chance we may have boxed them into a corner and a review of parking charges is taking place. If this happens, remember that if we hadn’t highlighted the issues, Lib Dems and residents together, then nothing would change.

10:10 Motion: Cllr David Kendall put in a motion which asked for the Tory controlled council to sign up to 10:10. We won’t be. Apparently we are doing it already. Fine and dandy, but this is a major campaign that seeks to unite every sector of British society behind one simple idea: that by working together we can achieve a 10% cut in the UK’s carbon emissions in 2010. However, as usual, they can’t see the sense in signing up to a formal campaign to encourage others to do the same through a simple umbrella campaign. I’ve signed up to 10:10 and you can too.

Winter Maintenance Programme: Please to see that the council now have a plan to help with the snow! I asked for Fairfield Road to be added as a key road due to the Job Centre Plus being there.

Disabled Spaces at Coptfold Road: The changes to Crown Street car park has meant the loss of some disabled spaces and, at last month’s planning meeting, there was an application to put them on the verge outside - concreting over the grass there. We deferred it as we did not have enough information to make the decision and I wasn’t happy in losing another piece of green or satisfied that this would not compromise the oak tree. At last night’s meeting, a lot of the questions from Planning were answered, which begs the question as to why those who sit on both those committees (including the Vice-Chair of the E&PM Panel) did not answer the questions at planning. I feel the application came through for rubber-stamping, with a lack of information.

What I didn’t expect was a note from Cllr David Tee trying to imply that we were trying to delay parking provision for disabled residents - apparently he was “flabagasted” (did he mean flabbergasted?) and attacked me, and another councillor, on our green belt record which is something which is completely and utterly unjustified (Tory councillors, led by Cllr Tee and the Warley members, once voted for an extension to something in Warley Rural because the applicant was slightly famous). For the record, I have championed the rights of disabled people for a long, long time and I have stood up for the green belt time and time again, but the decision needs to be the right one on this, made with all the facts at hand.

Sometimes, you just can’t find the right solution.  This was the case with proposed parking restrictions in Kavanaghs Road last night.

Some time ago, I asked for parking restrictions to be looked at here - possibly residents parking.  Officers came up with two options and a “do nothing” approach.  Unfortunately, we could find no consensus with 10 going for Option 1, 12 going for Option 2 and 8 saying “do nothing”.

So, this one had to go on the back burner for now, it’s back to the drawing board but please feel free to email Nigel Clarke or me if you have a view. 

For years now, we’ve had promises about removing the charges in our country parks for Brentwood residents.  So far, the Conservatives have not delivered on this promise.  I remember very clearly that they started this campaign when I was standing for council…..perhaps to take the Thorndon Park credit away from me?

Anyway, a number of ideas are being put forward to the Joint Committee (which is supposed to be one of the jewels in the crown of the county partnership) and Cllr Kendall suggested that we add another option which would halve the cost for a year to see if footfall would increase and cover the costs.  This could, he suggested, be part of the “County Partnership”. 

Remember, this is going forward just for discussion at this stage.  Three times he was asked to withdraw the motion.  Why?  It would send a message about what we actually wanted and bring that discussion into the open.

In the end, they moved an amendment that seemed to make them slightly happier and this went through.  Not before a MASSIVE and unpleasant debate however.

Just reporting back from a very lengthy Full Council meeting!

The main debate, lasting nearly two hours, was about a planning application in Beads Hall Lane.  It resulted in a temporary application for two years against the wishes of ward members and hundreds of residents who have turned out time and time again to show how they feel.

This site was under an enforcement notice that hadn’t been dealt with.  I was informed, earlier this year, that there were 700+ outstanding enforcement notices and I tried to ask a question about it.

Despite the mayor stating that, on this matter, members could only speak once on the matter and for three minutes for about, oh, the twentieth time the Leader of the Council, Cllr Louise McKinlay, leapt to her feet once again and shouted me down.

This would never happen under the previous leader of the council (whatever your view of Brandon Lewis he would let the opposition speak) so I politely asked the Mayor to intervene.  Which he did.  Then she leapt to her feet again for another statement!!!!! 

What really amused me is that I got a round of applause for my request to the mayor, so it can’t have just been me who was getting fed up with it!  On a serious note, it’s just not on - you elected me to speak up for you and hold the administration to account so I shouldn’t be shouted down for doing just that because the points I raise don’t suit them

I never got an answer, but I have since written to the officers to ask for the information I sought.  It makes good viewing if you have a chance to watch (webcast on www.brentwood.gov.uk at 1hr 30 mins).

I also asked five questions:

1. When will the Information Centre be open on Saturdays permanently?  Hopefully this isn’t far off.

2. Where are the terms of reference for the “Champions” and when will the Diversity Champion call a meeting of the group?  Soon, apparently (although it is now three months since the announcement was made to the press, even though there were no set objectives for the group or terms of reference set then!)

3. What processes are in place for those businesses who wish to claim compensation due to the High Street improvement works?  Contact Lisa Stroulger but it is not a decision for the borough council.

4. When is the bus stop in Vaughan Williams Way being removed? The officer will revert back to me when he knows (this was first raised three months ago).

5. A resident is appealing against parking restrictions in Clements Park and has now been to see Eric Pickles MP.  Mr Pickles said he would write to the council over a month ago.  Has the letter been received and what action is being taken? No letter has been received by the chair from Mr Pickles.***

Finally, I tabled a motion on planning to improve the notice that is being given to residents around an application.  I am pleased to say, that in the spirit of cross-party working and a desire to improve this issue, Cllr William Lloyd seconded the motion, albeit he is moving two slight amendments to it which are accepted by me.

It was a lively meeting for sure!

*** Update from Mr Pickles office - I’ve now been informed that a letter was written to the Chief Executive on 30th September.  However, what has happened to it in the three weeks since I don’t know, the Panel Chair certainly had no knowledge of the letter.  As our Chief Executive didn’t attend full council last night, she wasn’t able to update the meeting but I will be chasing it up. 

It’s been a busy week for casework, but that’s fine by me.  I’ve been to Rollason Way tonight to talk through the parking issue with a lovely couple who recently moved in there.  I explained the whole “two many properties” saga in The Base which has led to some terrible parking problems in the area (just as a reminder, the Tories voted in far too many properties there resulting in 0.8 spaces per property).  They were a bit surprised, but glad that I’d taken the time to meet with them.

I also popped in to another couple who have found that a bin store from a block of flats has been relocated to within an arm’s length of their kitchen door.  I’m dealing with the problem for them and, although they had explained it to me, I really wasn’t prepared for how bad the situation was.

I also gave some further information to a resident in Clements Park who is at the end of his tether over the Conservatives’ refusal to advertise a parking restriction that would make his life easier after they made it difficult when they put in double yellow lines all over the estate.

 Busy - yes - but I am happy to help.

We hear, on the grapevine rather than a notification to members, that the Conservative administration has finally listened to us and decided to make Saturday car parking free until the end of the year.

Yes, good news (and well done to the Brentwood Gazette [who took some flack from the Tories on their campaign], residents and retailers who joined our campaign), but with only 10 weeks or so of the improvement works left, it is a case of “too little too late”.  It’s welcome, but it should have been introduced much earlier, at the start perhaps, rather than towards the end.

Full story here - pictured above are Nigel, David and me campaigning against increased car parking charges about six months ago…..

Nigel and I have spoken at length about the problems facing Brentwood’s independent traders, so we’ve decided to put our shopping money where our mouths are.

It’s simple, if we don’t use them, we’ll lose them. 

So, we’ve committed to doing 75% of our shopping at Brentwood’s Independent Traders during the High Street improvement works.  Why not 100%?  Well, we have to practical…I work in London and there are some specialised things that are only available in certain non-independent shops (like specific printer cartridges and special-diet cat food), but even these will be bought in Brentwood branches where we can.

The economic downturn has affected a lot of people but, for local traders in Brentwood, this is coupled with this Tory administration’s over-priced parking fees and the effects of the High Street improvements and the signage warning people away from Brentwood it’s becoming a real battle for some just to keep their businesses going.

Nigel Clarke, local campaigner, has also taken up the challange.  A local independent trader himself, every day he’s talking to fellow local businesses who are not sure if they will survive the High Street improvements and this Christmas, let alone the recession.

You’ll have seen Nigel’s campaign against the signs on the outskirts of Brentwood literally telling people to avoid Brentwood.

And we both feel that Tory-controlled Brentwood Council are doing too little too late to help local traders.

So, we’ve gone for a commitment of doing 75% of our shopping with Brentwood’s independent traders during the High Street improvements, that includes our Christmas shopping.

We’ll keep you updated here.

So, following my visit to the pretty wonderful Brentwood Museum today, you’ll see that I’ve posted a picture of an old photo taken in Brentwood c. 1950?  Recognise the Oak Tree? Yes, it’s Crown Street and it is the view from the corner of Coptfold Road towards the High Street.  Click on the photo for a larger view!

The reason for me posting this is to illustrate a point, look at the little car park on the right of the picture and think about what stands there now.  Coptfold Road multi-storey car park.  Does this put you in mind of another soon-to-be multi-storey car park?

And, just a reminder, the Lib Dems are not, and never have been, AGAINST a cinema, but we were firmly against the proposed development.

I hope that everyone remembers this current administration when they are looking back just as whistfully at the Multi-Storey Car Park/Shopping Centre/Cinema in 10, 20, 30, 40 years time and wishes that they had taken just a little bit more time to find the right development for this town.

On a lighter note, the museum is certainly worth a visit - it’s next open on 6th September fom 2.30pm until 4.30pm.