PaulRogan

My understanding of this phrase, after hearing what was said in the Brighouse Public Inquiry as far a Marks and Spencer's interest in taking a unit in the Council's retail sheds scheme for Sugdens Mill is this.

A developer who offers a prospective ‘big name' tenant a sum of money (Half a million quid) to agree to rent a unit from them (as yet un-built) so they can seek to increase the rents from other prospective tenants who may occupy other retail shed units on the same site.

I believe I further heard it said that this practice is ‘not unusual' and in this instance ‘certainly possible'.

I wonder if there are any other definitions of the phrase ‘reverse premium' which spring to mind?

Does the front-page leader in Monday's Yorkshire Post have yet another example of Tory Sex Scandals in Calder Valley? I will post a link as soon as I can.

But, this is not a question whether this old chestnut about a person's sexual orientation is the subject of gossip and speculation. There are bigger questions here.

Local Tories are seriously dysfunctional and continually demonstrate this. As they are unable to unite sufficiently amongst themselves how can they be trusted to responsibly represent us at Westminster, which is the power they seek?

The candidate in question cannot seem to decide who he wants to represent and where? Does he want to represent local Rastrick people in Calderdale or Calder Valley people in Westminster? You cannot do both yet he is seeking to ride both horses at the same time. This lack of clarity does nothing to recommend him to either set of voters. A cynic might think, he is only seeking to represent Rastrick as a Councillor in order to better his chances of getting selected for Westminster. If not, why did he not wish to continue to represent local Brighouse people as their Councillor previously?

There is nothing new in politics about people having a go at politicians. It seems quite acceptable to delve into past lives and try to make more about what ever could be made a bit scandalous. I am not endorsing this, just accepting that it is quite common. It does however seem to me to be a ‘bit over the top knee-jerk reaction' to involve the hard-pressed Police Force in investigating what could quite easily be dismissed as a load of rubbish. Does the Country want knee-jerking reactionaries in Parliament? Well, lets wait and see what the ‘open public' (PC- politically Cameron) selection meeting decides.

Tesco wants to increase the percentage of the floor space used to sell comparison goods within its Brighouse store. Comparison goods include clothing, home wares and entertainment goods. Items which many other town centre traders rely upon for their livelihoods. Tesco's appeal is calling for the limit of 15% comparison goods space, imposed by The Secretary of State, to be increased. Originally they wanted an increase to 25% and now they want it up to 31%.

Tesco's agents feel the new UDP which, wrongly in my view, included this store in Brighouse Town centre, gives them the grounds for their appeal. Councillor Yates and myself continually pointed out the error of this enlargement and voted against the adoption of the UDP for this reason. We cannot understand how it was proposed to include this store within the town centre when it is clearly outside the dual carriageway, which circles the northern side of the town.

There is a muddle in all of this. Tesco's agents have always claimed that shoppers include town centre excursions from their free car park to visit the town centre. They call it 'linkage'. In this respect they believe their presence benefits the town centre. However, when they are able to offer even more types of goods, what is then their purpose as a ‘service' to the town? In my view it will be detrimental to it, taking the advantages of free parking, easier access than the town centre enjoys and will turn Brighouse into a ghost town. I have no doubt it will increase sales and profits for Tesco, but is this in the overall best interests of our Town? Now is the chance for the public to enter into this debate. If anyone wants to object to Tesco's proposals and, in my view, halt their domination and destruction of Brighouse, they can write to Shelia Parkin. 3/18A Temple Quay House, 2 The square. Temple Quay, Bristol. BS1 6PN.

Quote reference APP/A4710/A/06/2017313/NWF. Objectors must write in triplicate to be recieved by 19th April

A copy of my letter with comments on this appeal follows as a comment on this blog.

The Council's Officer report giving a history and details of the application, which was refused by local Councillors, is here:-

http://portal.calderdale.gov.uk/WAM133/doc/Officer%20Notes-156821.pdf?extension=.pdf&id=156821&location=VOLUME3&contentType=application/pdf&pageCount=12

The Council cannot afford a new pool from their own resources. This is what I am sure I heard said in the closing submissions for the Council at the Public Inquiry on  16^th March.

The Council owns Daisy St car park, the existing pool, the land it is on, the two adjacent car parks and more besides. Isn't this Council resources? What about the extra money set aside by Calderdale for the pool? Has that now gone? What about the money Brighouse Borough had set aside for a new pool? Spent by Calderdale on other things?

Not content with allowing the old pool to run down and close before a new one was provided; now we hear there's no money for the new one anyway. This is certainly no way to run a Council. And the Conservatives tell us they are good at looking after money? Not re-distributing any back into the Brighouse area might be a claim closer to the mark.

I am informed that the Mayor told a prominent Brighouse pool campaigner at a recent social function that the Council has £2.5 million for a new pool. Where has that gone?

All in all a great many questions. Who will be able to provide the answers? Well, perhaps even Elected Members will not get the chance to ask questions anymore! The Standards Committee has been asked to 'review' how this right can be altered. That's another way of not having to give an answer.

But it is still not our fault asserts the Council in their closing submissions at the Public Inquiry in Brighouse. (I think this refers to why there is no new swimming pool.)

The Council accepts there have been delays (been going on for 15 years) but these are not our fault.

That the delays are not the Council's fault seems audacious to me as the Council has no agreed plans, no proper flood defences and no money as at March 2007. Especially when I hear that the CPO does not cover all the land needed for the scheme, a little inefficient to say the least, anyway...

It's all Younger Homes fault, claims the Council, and the Secretary of State should decide in our favour to avoid any further delays.

No thought perhaps that there might be appeals and time needed to tidy-up the ransom strip of land not covered in the CPO? No time taken into account for minor details like these?

The Council's scheme might seem well on paper and in theory to some. Trouble is, once again, what looks nice on a flip-chart in Northgate House does little to address the reality on the streets of Brighouse. The highly qualified architect calling the Council's scheme banal, wrong and inappropriate actually has his office in Brighouse. The Council's man, who criticises this Brighouse architect for exaggerating Brighouse's historical importance and heritage, has his office in Northgate House. But the Halifax man of course is right and our Brighouse man is wrong.

Well, more precisely Calderdale Council's shares in Leeds Bradford Airport.

An Extraordinary meeting of the Council has been called by the Tory Cabinet to consider the issue and "express a view for consideration by the Cabinet" Meeting is 4th April for all those who want to come! Some might think, goodness at last, the Tory Cabinet wants to listen to Member's views and take them on board for such imprtant decisions. The cynics might say, aren't there elections soon and recently members of the Labour group expressed views against selling. Well, if the full Council votes to sell (thats what the Tory Cabinet wants to do, sell) then who can blame the Tories in May?

Tory policy Nationally is sure to be the death of regional airports like Leeds with the introduction of taxes which will put the budget airlines which use them, out of business. So what will a dead duck airport be worth unless they sell it quickly? The Lib-Dems will support the calls to sell, they don't think air travel is 'green' enough... Get the train to Spain or go to Brighton? Former Tory Leader said he had been trying to get the other share-holder Counties of West Yorks to sell for years. So why, now that they seem to have got the others on board, dont the Cabinet with the authority to do it, just do it?

The Public Inquiry hearing the case for the proposed closure of Mill Royd St. and the Compulsory Purchase Orders required by the Council for its scheme with Marshall's to develop the site as well as the alternatives offered by Younger Homes has closed this week.

Over the first two days we heard what imaginative proposals Younger Homes has put forward, which could include both a new swimming pool and new road bridge.

During final submissions for the objectors:-

Much was made of the 'missing' half a million quid, which the Council's scheme must pay to British Waterways for air space.

Much was the subject of speculation as to why James Marshall of CDP had refused to appear before the Inquiry.

Much was criticised about the evidence given by the Council's Regeneration Officer, Adrian Rose.

Much was learnt for the first time. I certainly discovered the definition of the term ' reverse premium'.

Prominent Brighouse and Tory Councillor Nick Yates announced he would resign the Conservative Caucus Whip on Calderdale Council after the local Elections.

Yorkshire Post article is here. http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?SectionID=1084&ArticleID=2122305

There was a fuller and front page leader article in last weeks Brighouse Echo but there does not seem to be mention of it on their webpages. If it turns up I will post it as a comment.

With the Tories riding high in the National polls it does demonstrate to me what a mess they are in locally in Calderdale.

It's not a tarnished seat, asserts leading local Conservative contender for the job of prospective MP.

Time will tell and the Yorkshire Post article is here for any who would like to read it and perhaps leave a comment on this blog.

http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?SectionID=1084&ArticleID=2123696

COMMONS REGIONAL ASSEMBLIES REPORT

The Labour dominated Commons Select Committee on "Communities and Local Government" released today a report entitled "Is there a future for Regional Government?".

This report is the usual New Labour mish mash of half-baked platitudes and entirely fails to examine "Regional" government for England in its wider context both of National government for Scotland and Wales, and of Regional dismemberment for England.

 The report also fails to absorb the entire lack of democratic legitimacy for the Regionalisation of England so clearly expressed by the 79% who voted to reject it in the North East Regional Assembly referendum of 2005

Robin Tilbrook, the Chairman of the English Democrats, said:-  "to recycle the statement of Tony Blair's, unelected, school chum, Lord Charlie Falconer, I say that the answer to the Committee's question ‘Is there a future for Regional Government (in England)?' is:- ‘not today, not tomorrow, not in any kind of future we can see now!' or in plain, old fashioned English "No!"."

Robin Tilbrook, Chairman, English Democrats, Quires Green, Willingale, Ongar, Essex, CM5 0QP, Tel: 01277 896000, Fax: 012778 96050, Mobile : 07778 553395

It seems there are many ways to feed other blog sites, for example from newspapers and blog search engines into sites like this one. Will use this thread to start the proces. Anybody wanting to find out about such stuff, please leave a comment or response.

<a href="http://technorati.com/claim/83e2p8weh2" rel="me">Technorati

Profile</a>

http://www.shaymenonline.org/sol2/news.php?id=964

Our democracy in England is strengthened by initiatives like this one and, I hope that a clear outcome to the matter of the Shay will also be a result. Shaymen, you have my admiration and you deserve a proper outcome!

Brighouse outdoor market is situated between the edge of the canal tow path and the town centre. A number of years ago groups of local school children put great effort into painting large posters which were then placed on the wall of the market building so they could be clearly visible from the canal tow path. Sadly age and vandalism has taken it's toll on those pictures and they now what i consider an eyesore, in fact while i was down on the tow path earlier today i asked a few people who were walking past what they thought, they all but one agreed with my view, the other said he wasn't interested.

I think the time has come for the school children to once again be asked to do some paintings to take the place of the dilapidated ones that we have now.

Prepared by Richard Langford, see photos on Richards own site

The Daily Mail reports that the Government is planning to sell access to our personal data once the unpopular ID cards scheme has been introduced.

You can read the story at http://snipurl.com/1crsl

Nick Clegg MP, Lib-Dem Shadow Home Sec says, "The story confirms what our research here in Parliament has indicated - that if ID cards are introduced, we will be expected to produce them in banks, shops, libraries, post offices and more. The Government will then charge those organisations to check we are who we say we are." He has a petition at http://www.libdems.org.uk/noidcards and a new website: http://www.homeofficewatch.com./

The Lib-Dems claim their  ministers in the Scottish Executive have blocked the use of Labour's planned mandatory ID cards for access to devolved services in Scotland. It would be nice if we had a Parliament in England which could do the same.

In a bid to out-green all the main political parties, the Tory-Blair's are proposing new taxes on air travel. (Weren't the Tory's against stealth taxes?)

In today's international world, where any one country does not control ‘the air', such a unilateral proposal is bad news for England and our capital city. London still remains one of the world's main air hubs, financial centres and tourist destinations.

Already our countries industrial strength has been destroyed with taxation and legislation. I'd have hoped the Tories might have had a bit more English common sense than to propose anything, which will destroy what we have got left. Good job there is now the English Democrats Party!

So saith Jack Straw this morning on TV. Some more of his comments were:-

We need to tie the 2nd Chamber down. It cannot be a callenge to The Commons. To be wholly appointed is not sustainable.

The plan which seems most favoured by Nu-Labour is to have a House of Peers half elected, half appointed. That still leaves plenty of room (the cynic might say) for the MP to appoint Party Paymasters to a body which will revise Government legislation. My question is, if wholly appointed is unsustainable (Isnt that what it was when the Monarch appointed its members?) why not make it wholly elected? The answer of course lies with Senior Judges and Bishops, the former more so than the latter. I got mail this week from 'Unlock Democracy' asking me write to my MP to urge her to use her free vote on 7th March for 80% and 100% elected options for reform. The camapign, www.ElectTheLords.org.uk goes on to say, Half Appointed is Half Baked.

My own view is that the present House of Commons should become the Parliament for England, dealing with English Home matters. The House of Peers should be a wholly elected Parliament, presided over by the UK's Prime Minister and dealing with appropriate UK matters such as British Foreign Policy and deployment of the British Army. Which MP could I write to who supports this concept?