STRETTON & LOCAL NEWS
7th May 2011 - Brian Buxton would like to thank the 500 local residents who voted for him in the East Staffs Council election.
Unfortunately most locals went tribal and voted either for the local Tories (who are reportedly very rude, make cakes for council meetings, sell crematoriums and follow what their party tells them to do) or Labour (who do nothing locally, represent the last appalling government and again are subject to party whip voting). Unfortunately these are not descriptions we can reasonably include in our elections leaflets, but perhaps next time we will, along with other revelations that the Stretton residents really should know about !!
Considering that Brian could have offered a much more independent voice and a floating vote in the direction of local residents wishes, we are rather disappointed that many local voters were not more thoughtful in their choice of candidate. Brian will continue to work as a Parish Councillor and is always happy to politely discuss any local issues and make a nuisance of himself on your behalf to try and get things done for Stretton.
BRETBY CREMATORIUM
Popular Alliance councillors questioned East Staffs Borough over their part in the joint council sale of Bretby Crematorium. Here we have the South Derbyshire Council leader's promise that the Co-Operative will not be making wild plans with costs, timings and access - we'll see !!
Bob Wheeler, leader of South Derbyshire District Council, which jointly owns the Geary Lane site with East Staffordshire Borough Council, said: “The sale will result in a capital receipt of more than £3 million for South Derbyshire — money which can and will be invested in new facilities for the benefit of all of our communities.
“Since the proposal by the borough council, South Derbyshire’s Conservative councillors have made it clear that they could only support a sale if legally-binding safeguards were secured on the future of the crematorium, including public access, investment in facilities, pricing and staff job security. These have been secured.”
The local Popular Alliance view is not to sell assets where a personal service or contact will come to rates payers. Churchyards are filling up and plenty are now closed to new burials, so crematoriums are being used more and more.
Co-Operative (the buyer) owns several local funeral directors that trade under previous independent names, so a monopoly is forming here and the public's will access, timings and costs be affected by future business decisions.
If indeed a council is so hard up and has to sell-off property, then it never makes good business sense to fully sell a profit making commodity. Just look at the profits being made by telephone, energy and delivery companies in the UK, many of which are foreign owned. It makes damn good business sense for any such sale to take a slightly lower sale fee and retain 20% ownership. This way, the Council/Government can still have an influence over how it is run, over future sell-offs (what's to stop the Co-Op selling some creamtorium land to a building developer ?).
If a foreign buyer comes in, then by retaining 20%, some profits can still be held in this country, rather than stuffing overseas bank accounts, draining our economy further.
But then, what do career politicians know about running a profitable busines ?
LOCAL COUNCILLORS
Brian Buxton is standing to represent Stretton on East Staffordshire Borough Council this May. During his 4 year term as a Parish Councillor, he has been a major mover in the installation of a pedestrian crossing, the provision of a War Memorial and a major campaigner to remove dangerously positioned parking bays in the village, whilst working hard to ensure that the Parish Council spent more time listening to local opinions. His pledges are :-
* Continue to fight on the behalf of Stretton residents for a safer village and the removal of the above mentioned parking bays - much to the obstructive County Councillor's disdain.
* Consult with local residents and be an independent voice, not led by party whip, with the tenacity to get things done.
* Campain for a more open and transparent Council, where decisions are made in the open, not in secret.
* Unlike the 3 local Tories, do his utmost to prevent the sale os Bretby Crematorium to the Co-Operative monopoly - sadly too late as the sale has been pushed through before the elections allow any more opposers into the discussions - this really isn't the Tories finest moment.
Work to establish a village youth club / drop-in centre.
Brian also has a personal endorsement from the much appreciated retiring stalwart Councillor Frank Bather, who advises that Brian will serve Stretton with diligence.
The bus service that previously passed along Athlestan Way in Stretton has been suspended due to a lack of use. The temporary practice of parking buses to make up time at Stretton cross roads and also along Bitham Lane has now been stopped. Stretton-bound buses shall now make up time at the specific bus lane outside the Beacon pub on Tutbury Road.
Brian Buxton has retained his place on Stretton Parish Council and is also standing for East Staffs Borough Council, whilst Craig Chapman has chosen to not continue his Stretton Parish Council position, due to taking over as Popular Alliance party leader and his family, work & music committments.
The final Stretton Parish Council meeting of the 4 year term turned into a free-for-all as the below mentioned Chairman failed to show up to face the music and several Councillors aired further examples of their rude and discourteous manners and attitudes.
Brian Buxton tore into Tory Mayor-elect Len Milner who had suggested that the sale of nearby Bretby Crematorium "has nothing to do with Stretton residents," followed by "are there any more stupid questions." Charming !! The Council voted 8-1 that it would like to voice it's disapproval of the sale.
Craig & Brian thank Burton Mail reporter Katie Burroughs for her mature approach to exposing the devious and appalling attitudes demonstrated by County Cllr Staples, Borough Councillors Foulkes & Milner and the Parish Chairman Campion, since Cllr Staples tried to take control of matters 8-9 months ago. Some people quickly forget that they represent the local residents before themselves.
Brian Buxton will stand for the Borough Council with the promise that he will always work for the residents who vote for him and ask him to address their concerns. He will also be on the lookout for further behavouir as described above and below and not hesitate to expose such party-whip-motivated antics.
Brian and Craig hope that they have stuck consistently to the Popular Alliance party beliefs through their open, honest and determined approach during their first 4 years as Councillors.
LOCAL BUS WAITING
The Arriva buses that have previously waited to make up time on the Bridge Street approach to the busy cross roads in the middle of Stretton were temporarly instructed to relocate to 2 bus stops earlier along Bitham Lane, outside nos 120-124 Bitham Lane. The reason is that they cause traffic approaching the cross roads to filter past on the wrong side of the road, blind to oncoming traffic (sounds familar elsewhere actually, considering the same County Councillor is involved).
This location has proved not ideal either as it blocks nearby driveways and a clear view along the road outside the handicapped school (at a busy crossing point for DeFerrers pupils) but we have to ask, where is suitable ? Should the buses simply drive slower or dordle at each bus stop to complete their route on time.
It has now been agreed that the buses are to use the specific bus lane outside of the Beacon Pub on Tutbury Road, which means that Stretton-bound passengers will reach their destination a few minutes later.
Perhaps (as many have suggested to us) a specific bus stop/waiting area be designated along The Green in Stretton ?
Your suggestions would be appreciated.
STRETTON CHURCH WALL
We are sure everyone who has passed the repaired Stretton church wall recently, thinks it resembles the various histroric rock strata layers noted along the Dorset coast. (even more so from the Church side view).
We are advised that the original bricks had crumbled and couldn't be re-used, however brick companies can do wonders these days with colouring of new bricks and by re-using old brick dust to glaze new brick edges. The new smooth-edged, orange-red bricks clash with the old pitted-edged brown-red bricks and it has to be said that the wall even looks a mess in the dark.
Since being hit be a car, the rebuild job has been done solidly, but with no sympathy for the central village position and historic nature of the wall. PA Councillors and a fellow Parish Councillor asked why a restoration job was not undertaken but were knocked back by the Vicar and by other uninterested members of the Parish Council.
Given the efforts and campaign to restore a Victorian pump house outside the village next to a sewage farm a few years back, we would expect a little more interest in restoring the Chuch wall to its former glory.
PARKING BAYS & RUDENESS
Latest update - The subject will be discussed at a County Council meeting on 13th April and we are informed the removal of the parking bays is the proposal under discussion following the eventual acceptance that this is what the majority of Stretton residents and professional driving bodies who use the area, wish for.
PA Party Leader and Stretton Parish Councillor Craig Chapman gained a whole page in Burton Mail on 8th March to blast certain local Councillors in East Staffordshire for their ulterior motives and appalling attitude towards local residents. Their responding pack of lies (we counted 4 deliberately misleading statements), spun to the newspaper to try and clean up the trail of deceit will really drop them in the proverbial, although it is doubted that the newspaper will run a follow up which could easily drag into a war of words.
Tory County Cllr Staples and Stretton Parish Council Chairman Campion have been attempting to run a Tory whip closed shop on the Parish Council where PA Councillors Craig Chapman & Brian Buxton sit.
A main issue of contest has been a set of parking bays positioned adjacent to a blind corner in Stretton village. Given that the village has almost 100 parking places for just 11 daytime shops, the need for such a dangerous hazard is unexplainable.
Craig and Brian included in their manifestos, that they would represent issues brought forward by Stretton residents and not be swayed by other Party whips. Having taken the time to consult many local residents, over 200 have almost pleaded to remove the dangerous parking bays that require a driver to approach a blind S bend on the wrong side of the road. A local ambulance driver and the local Trent Barton bus company have also put their support behind the removal of the parking bays as they fear for the safety of their passengers and drivers.
Cllr Staples got the rot in motion with her statement in late 2010 that any consultation on the issue would only take place between the County Council and the shop owner. The removal of the parking bays would not be on her list of options to make the area safer - she conveniently forgot this aspect when answering the newspaper article.
Craig then countered this with a request to have the following item put on the next monthly meeting's agenda - a vote of no confidence in Cllr Staples as she displayed no interest in listening to the Stretton residents.
Voila !! The next Parish Council meeting saw a complete U turn by the unpredictable County Cllr. A public consultation and the removal would now be included as an option.
Seeing as the Parish Council tried its utmost to sulkily NOT promote the Public Consultation on their own turf, Brian & Craig placed voluntary survey sheets in several shops for passers by to mark their preferences - a resounding 90%+ win for removal of parking bays, from local residents taking their own time to have a say.
Of the official consultation results, the removals received a vote of 50.1%, with the nearest rival being "Do Nothing" on a distant 20% with other options trailing.
Cllr Staples didn't represent the results like this though, she called it close with 50.5% vs 49.5%. By any stretch of a politician's calculator, this was an embarrassing review. The fact that the option of a raised platform at a nearby junction was counted as 12% of the "keep the parking bays" vote also forgets the Good Practice Guide for physical traffic calming measures that recommends parking on the approach arms is a no-no. (62.5% vs 37.5% Mrs Staples ???)
Meanwhile she has declared war on traffic priority gates in local villages, suggesting that they cause confusion, making drivers drive on the wrong side of the road !!! Are you having a laugh Cllr Staples, or are so full of your own pomposity that you can't see what prat your desperate statements make you look ? (other recent outbursts have included mini-roundabouts without consulting the good practice guide & car tyres bursting at 60mph after a driver straddles speed bumps).
Councillor Staples' retort to the Burton Mail contained a calculated lie. Her reply to Craig's broadside read well as a stand alone piece, however she omited the speech regarding the consultation being between the County and the shop (see above in RED) and suggested Craig had a political motive. Pots and kettles eh ?????
She also stated that Craig had questioned her integrity in not believing the figures she read out (this was another Councillor) and also left out the minor detail of the consultation paper - that she had the final say.
Meanwhile Cllr Campion did his level best to confirm Craig's accusation of his rudeness and a poor attitude towards the Stretton residents by saying they had not asked him worthwhile question in 12 months - obviously not recalling the ambulance driver who has asked 6 times for the removal dangerous parking bays that result in him risking the lives of his handicapped passengers. Most discourteous.
He twittered on that the Parish Council has not acted as a team for the last 6 months - Craig agrees with him 100%. The Council has become the Liz Staples show and all shall kowtow before her, with certain members sworn to silence on matters they used to speak freely about, with fingers a-wagging and tables a-fisted !!
He too suggested that the 2 Popular Alliance Councillors have been too political, yet the only person to mention the words Popular Alliance in Parish meetings is Cllr Campion, so we therefore thank him for all the promotional assistance. We have simply reacted to his hypocritical manner - he's allowed to be politically motivated with ulterior motives, and he obvious doesn't like a bit of his own medicine. He has been given several opportunties to apologise, but met them with an icy stare - well Mr Campion, as a farmer you might consider the term, "you reap what you sow."
His rudeness towards the Stretton public is such a repetitive occurance that it should almost be on the meeting's agenda, yet he whinges that the public are rude to him and ask silly questions. Well Cllr Campion, if its all so boring, why not resign, or will that threaten your grass cutting income and the provision of a daily free local newspaper ? Residents come to the meetings with concerns about their homes and safety, only for him jump down their throats. No attending member of the public has been initially rude, only in repsonse to his attitude.
Its all a storm in a tea cup, but the principals are far reaching. The Council has achieved some good things in the last 4 years, but the sour end, courtesy of the political ulterior motives of our County, 2 Borough and some Parish Councillors has had little to do with acting on behalf of the Stretton residents and rates payers. Yes, the Popular Alliance guys and 2 other like-minded Parish Councillors have put their foot down and refused to let this Tory whip clique have its way.
And before they start their accusations of political point scoring - Craig voted Conservative at the last elections and has gone on record praising some of Prime Minister Cameron's actions and viewpoints. He describes himself as Quite Conservative, but not a fan of the political whip from above. He also thinks David Cameron would frown heavily upon the behavoir of his minnions. Perhaps the Popular Alliance Councillors have been working the Big Society approach throughout their term ??? Its essence has been our policy for several years now, so thanks Davey Boy for borrowing it.
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