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Bull ****t

Today i received an email from one of our local MEPs, Richard Ashworth

i feel it is pertinent to highlight this emnail as it shows the abuses of the CAP that some people go to

 

"Two items have caught my eye this week that may not necessarily hit the headlines, but I thought you might find interesting.

 

Bullfighting

 

The first is a members' written declaration - the Brussels equivalent of an Early Day Motion - calling for the abolition of bull fighting. I certainly have received a huge mail bag from animal lovers in the UK and beyond all urging me to sign this petition.

 

My initial intention was to decline to put my name to the declaration. Its not that I support bull fighting; far from it. I just wonder how I would feel if the Spanish people started dictating to the British that we must give up some of our traditional habits.

 

I must confess that I have never been to a bull fight, nor have I ever felt the urge to do so. Having spent much of my life as a farmer I have huge respect and admiration for cattle and I find the whole idea of fighting bulls abhorrent.

However, while I neither approve of what the Spaniards or Portuguese do, nor do I wish to join them, I do defend their right to make up their own minds on the subject.

So it may come as some surprise to hear that I have now signed the declaration. I did so because, in the course of my researches, I discovered that the farmers who raise the bulls have done so with the support of the Common Agricultural Policy. To my mind that is an abuse of the CAP, and for that reason I have given my name to the declaration"

Richard Ashworth MEP

i am glad we have people like Richard representing us

 

bullfight is the semi obscured word

Scams

today i received an email form a local prominent business organisation about a scam doing the rounds down here.

i will copy it in full

 Dear Member   Much as we would like to suggest that the entire operation of HM Revenue & Customs is a scam, we are not actually doing that.  The reason for this email is to notify you of a current scam, via email, going about under the name of HM Revenue & Customs.   Here at the Chamber we have been targeted by an email which looks extremely official and comes from admin@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk.  This email informs us that we are eligible to receive a tax refund of £170.  In order to obtain this we have to click on a form with which to apply for the refund.  This we did and the form, of course, requires us to provide our credit card number, the address for a refund to be made, our name, our pin number, expiration date, etc. etc.   Fortunately, we are not completely daft here and we have spoken to HM Revenue and Customs without of course returning the form.  Suffice it to say that they are aware of this situation and it is indeed a new scam.   Therefore, should you receive a similar communication from HM Revenue & Customs be very careful and as always do not forward your bank, credit card or any other details unless you are absolutely certain of whom you are dealing with.    HM Revenue & Customs are taking this up and endeavouring to hunt down the perpetrators of this scam in order to bring them to book.   Regards

XXXX - left out their name to protect the innocent

anyway be warned

 

 

 

Lent Course

Our cluster of churches is running a lent course focussed on creation and environmental issues.

There was some feelings of helplessness as some perceive that the causes of gloabl warming are too large for individuals to change.

i was pleased with the direction that the district council is taking on thses issues as i feel that we are working to produce more sustainable communities..

I feel we recognize the need to become more proactive on environmental issues but there are still debates to be had on conflicting matters such as locally produced foods and goods versus "fairtrade" products versus organically produced foods.

 

Cabinet Meeting

This morning i attended a cabinet meeting.

We were discussing the reccommendations from scrutiny on the budget and corporate plan

Overall the scrutiny committee seemed to endorse the corporate plan and budget.

The managememt team has been thorough in preparing these in line with the policies of cabinet and reflect a sound financial position. 

Happy Birthday

Happy birthday to a well known local political figure

i wont say who

nor whether he /she has applied for a bus concession ticket!

North Deal Community Partnership

Cherry Lane continued

toaday i received a copy of a letter to the chief execitive at the council, mr nadeem aziz, complaining about the situtaion in cherry lane regarding the recycling.

i was able to go and see this resident to explain what i had been doing as well as passing his views to my colleague cllr nick kenton.

I am still hoping for a favourable resolution to this situation in the near future - actually next week as after then we will be in the bird nesting season so then will have to wait until the spring time.

These residents deserve a better deal and i will keep campaigning for their benefit!

Multimedia message Budget Scrutiny

Multimedia message Full council meeting

buses

today i was contacted by a resident about buses

the bus service to the villages has improved recently but problems still remain

this resident was asking about provision for shopping  trolleys on the buses as at at the moment, shoppers do not have anywhere to sotre their trolleys whilst travelling on the buses so some have to travel by bus to the shops then get a taxi home.

 

i will refer this on to one of my cabinet colleagues for his attention 

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coalfields communities campaign

today i received an email from another memebr about her inability to attend a recent meeting as she was planning to attend another meeting.

i am afraid that that is the constraints under which we function as we must all make choices about which meetings we attend.

occasionally councillors are berated from attending too many meetings however there are many meetings which we all have to miss due to prior commitments.

the Kent ccc has meetings which are planned in accordance with the availability of the appointed members so to also have to consider the needs of observers may be somewhat unrealistic.

I am sure the upcoming election campaign is purely coincidence in relation to this letter.

cherry lane recycling

residnets continue to ask about this service which is encouraging.

i still wait for news from Kent Highways about their intentions to ensure the obstructions are removed.

Cherry Lane Recycling

Officers continue to work on this problem and are enlisting the helps of their colleagues at kent Highways to see if this serice can be maintained.

It would be very disappointing if the serice has to be curtailed due to external influences 

We Remember Roger Madge

To day i attended his funeral.

There were representaties from all parts of the political spectrum as well as ciivc representatives from many parts of East kent.

He was truly an inspirational man and his loss will be felt by many

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recycling in cherry lane

officers from the council have written again to kent Highways to see what assistance they can bring to this situation.

i believe that there is a willingness to reolve this situation but there are a number of constraints which need to be worked through.

A number of residents have contacted me today and i have relayed them my understanding of the situation

Multimedia message Snowdon forum

Cherry Lane Recycling

This morning while at the council  offices i took the time to see the recycling officers with my colleague Cllr Nick Kenton. We are very keen to ensure that the recycling service remains for this road however we are being hampered by some trees. we are in communication with the highways department to see if we can get them to rectify the problem.

We are most concerned that the residents are missing out due to inactivity from Kent Highways so i have emailed senior memebrs at KCC to get the help.

We want to provide the service and residents are keen to use the service but the obstruction remains

 

Sunday Musings

Today i have been to church to deliver a presentation on the state of the church's finances.

As a church i believe that we have a moral responsibility to ensure that the church is run on a sound finacial footing as as well as a firm spiritual foundation.

this afternoon i have been maintaining the Great Mongeham parish council website , I have been asked to put material about the upcoming elctions in the hope of stimulating more interest in the council.

and to prove how really multi skilled i am i do all this while cooking the sunday roast which this week is lamb with a port wine glaze.

Current mood: Cool


Saturday

today i have been doing domestic duties such as shopping, washing and preparing a sermon/ finance presentation for church tomorrow.

with the current weather it is not really weather for being outside

Current mood: Happy


busy morning

Thismorning has been busy

i started by a few brief discussionson a range of topics at thecouncil offices. I amstill trying to get the best outcome for recycling for theresidents in cherry lane in Great Mongeham.

i then attended the weekly drop-in at Eastry.

after that i dropped in on another resident who during the conversation mentioned that he was looking for business advice so i was able to mention a couple of likely places for support such as the East Kent Enterprise Gateway 

support for local business is not just a cliche but is a vital part of efforts to regenerate the local economy.

Current mood: Cool


A Busy Evening

This evening i had a couple of meetings to attend.

I started with the Great Mongeham Village design group. This group is developing the planning policies that will influence planning decisions in the village. tonight i was able to show a copy of the draft Sutton Village design statement although the planning policies which are at the centre of the document have not been developed yet. i believe that it was at this stage that the walmer design group found the greatest challenge.

the Sutton group is having an open day on February 17th to show the public where they are up to.

In the meantime the Great Mongeham group is finalising their character area assessment.

 

while at thsi meeting I was also able to chat to some Cherry Lane residents about recycling proposals in the lane.

 

I then proceeded to Northbourne for their Parish Council Meeting.

I was able to inform them about district council activities as well as take on board their concerns on a number of issues such as planning and recycling.

 

 

Current mood: Happy

Multimedia message Great Mongeham

great mongeham drop in was held this morning

despite the weather conditions some residents battled their way in.

The group tends to separte with the males on one table while the ladies congregate on the other table.

today there was discussion about recycling in cherry lane and hedges.

This tyoe of weekly event is useful for residents to ask questions as well make their views known on day to day life within the villages

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Current mood: Happy


Not party Politics

Today i went to a meeting of the general purposes committee

this was to consider conditions of employment this time considering the redundancy provision, as well as new age discrimination laws, there was cross party representation at this meeting and there much consensus about the proposals.

meeting like this held out of the public gaze perhaps may seem boring to some but they are vital to the good administration of the council.

Current mood: Cool


Sad Loss Roger Madge

Today it was announced that Roger Madge

A Director of Dover District Council who retired from the council last year passed away yesterday.

 

i want to use this site to pay a personal tribute to  roger for his work on many of the major projects which only now are coming to fruition.

i believe that it was due to his guidance that we enjoy the strong position we hold on these projects.

he was a man of many talents and much insight and the council will feel his loss most keenly.

 

We are all the better from having known him and his professionalism

 

i pray that his family may find comfort in having known him most closely.

 

Farewell Roger

Current mood: Sad

Multimedia message Sutton parish Council

sutton parish council met tonight

there was discussion on a number of issues and there was support from both countty and district councillors

The village design project is nearing completion and we see this as an important step in self governance for the parish

The upcoming elections are looming and new memebrs are sought by the council

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Current mood: Happy

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the roads through the villagers are narrow and need careful driving to avoid minor incidents
w and need careful driving to avoid minor incidents

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eastry parish council started with a report from the police

The meeting started with a briefing from the NHS about some proposals they have for the village.

there was also a report from myslef and my colleague on district council matters as well as the normal agenda items for the village which are available on their website. see the links part of this blog

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Current mood: Cool

Cabinet Meeting

This morning i am in the cabinet meeting for the council.

There are a number of items on the agenda which reflect the opportunities facing the council and our growing relationships with development bodies such as SEEDA and Communities England (Formerly known as English Partnerships).

 

Current mood: Cool


thoughtlessness

this morning

while driving roud the village

ithe road was blocked by some thoughtless people

loading up their car

their blocking theroad caused quite a queue of traffic  going both ways

yet they seemed unconcerned

about the delay they were causing

so i hope

that we do not cause others such

inconvenience

Current mood: Angry


Multimedia message Environmental incident

On friday i was contacted by a local resident

about a situation in one of the villages

where a fuel leak  contaminated the soil.

i passed on the information to the council.

I was later contacted by the local press

so i relayed them my knowledge

and sent them this picture

hole where contaminated soil was removed

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Current mood: Sad


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eastry drop in with my colleague Cllr Nick Kenton

We feel it is important to be both visible and accessible in the local community so we try to attend this excellent event as often as possible.

Not only do they serve delightful cakes and homemade apple pie but there is often discussion about issues in the village as well as residents have a chance to get their personal  queries investigated.

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Current mood: Happy

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cesspool covers still needing repair
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Multimedia message Great Mongeham parish Council

great mongeham parish council

this evening i attended great Mongeham parish Council as both a memeber and district councillor

There are some who feel such dual hatted representation is undemocratic  howeevr i feel it is vital for the district council to have parish members  represented at full council.

I also enjoy being able to contribute as well as listen to my fellow parish councillors as they are striving to do the best job for the local community.

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Current mood: Happy

Multimedia message National Non Domestic rates

members of dover town centre management meet to discuss business rates
there have been some letters in the local press recently on this topic and one of the local business organisations aked me to adress its memebrs to discuss this business tax.

there is widespread unease regarding perceived inequalities regarding this tax.

We had a useful discussion and i am taking their concerns forward to see if we can get any adjustment in the rates levied in dover.

I feel it is important to work with the local business leaders to see how we can best support them to provide a robust economy.

i also feel that is important to demonstarte that we as councillors take their concerns seriously and will work to help them get the appropite support from all levels of government

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Current mood: Cool