Cllrs Michael Wyatt, Julie Roberts & Dominic McGill

Your Liberal Democrat Cllrs are pleased to be able to inform you that at last action is being taken against the owners of the Cocked Hat. At a hearing of the courts, which was implimented by the District Council after pressure from your local cllrs, the owners were given until the 23rd August to either demolish the building and clear the site or put the building into a safe and secure state.

Cllr Michael Wyatt said, “At last we are seeing action being taken. The owners cannot be allowed to get away with leaving this building in such a dangerous state. The whole site needs clearing and making safe and secure. Hopefully by the end of the summer we will finally see this eye sore gone once and for all.”

Cllr Dominic McGill has today asked the council to have the water ditch at the back of Stamford Drive and Castle Rock Drive to be cleared of rubbish due the potential risk of flooding, and the fact the rubbish is being illegally dumped.

Cllr Dominic McGill said, “The ditch is used by a very small group of individual’s who dump their waste, which in turn creates problems for many residents on Stamford and Castle Rock Drive who could suffer from flooding if the water ditch is not clear to flow away. We have asked the council to clear the rubbish and keep a regular check on the ditch so we can prevent future dumping and any risk of water entering peoples gardens and even their homes.”

Local Lib Dem Councillors have finally got the Council to take action against the owners of the Cocked Hat site on Cropston Drive Greenhill, after many residents approached their local councillors to have the site cleaned up.

Cllr Julie Roberts said, “We have demanded action is taken against the owners of the former Cocked Hat Public House, the site is nothing but a blight on the Estate. We are working very hard with local residents to keep the Estate clean after decades of neglect by Labour. We are continuing to press the Officers on the District Council for the site to be cleared, and demand the owners put forward their plans for the site as soon as possible so we can get rid of this eye sore, which is having a detrimental affect of our area.”

 Your Lib Dem Councillors will continue to press for action. They will also keep you updated with any future developments or planning applications for this site, if any are submitted. 

Yet again the Tory Bosses on the District Council have said NO to reviewing the current concessionary travel on offer to the over 60’s in North West Leicestershire.

The Liberal Democrats contacted the Tory Deputy leader Matthew Blain after many pensioners asked us for help. Cllr Blain replied to Cllr Wyatt’s request and said, “As you are aware we have reviewed the situation fully as part of the budget process at the start of the year and decided to retain the existing scheme.”

Many local residents who have concessionary travel cards are outraged that the Tory Bosses will not stump up the £17,000 to allow them to travel before 9.30am. The Tories have a massive £250,000 flush fund, which they intend to spend on pet projects. The Liberal Democrats only want them to spend a small fraction of this money on providing a decent, non discriminative service for our over 60’s.

Cllr Michael Wyatt, leader of the Lib Dem Group on the District Council said, “Im not surprise the Tory Bosses have once again refused to look at the pre-9.30am concessionary travel. They clearly do not care enough about our pensioners who have paid so much into the system. £17,000 is a very small price to pay to give our pensioners their right to a decent, good quality service.”

The Liberal Democrats will continue to push for the pre-9.30am concessionary travel to be funded.

The Conservatives have recently been making a great deal of noise about the need to compensate people who lose out as a result of Labour’s decision to double the 10p income tax starter rate. But they refused to support a compensation package when one was proposed last year. In June 2007, in the House of Commons, after the tax rise was first announced, the Liberal Democrats and a small group of Labour backbenchers proposed an amendment to the Government’s Finance Bill which would have made the Government compensate those people on low incomes who would end up paying more under Labour’s tax grab plans. 

Where were the Conservatives? “We cannot support it,” said Conservative spokesperson Theresa Villiers MP during the parliamentary debate. Only one Conservative MP voted for compensation, and he has since resigned from the party!

The Conservatives only woke up to this issue and started making a fuss this year, after the changes came in, when they saw the press were interested in it. More than a year after the Liberal Democrats first raised the issue.

At the District council meeting on the 13th May the new Chairman of the Council announced there is to be a review of the free booze for Councillors. Cllr Michael Wyatt has been leading the campaign for many years to have free booze for Councillors scrapped.

The Liberal Democrats were the only ones calling for this waste of Council taxpayers money to be stopped, they even put forward a motion at the budget meeting in March urging the Tory Bosses to scrap the free booze, which Labour, Tory and BNP members voted against.

The Cabinet will be making a final decision on charging Councillors for refreshments at their next meeting on the 17th June.

Cllr Michael Wyatt said, “It’s great news that the Tories are finally going to support and implement our policy of scrapping the free booze for Councillors.  Allowing Councillors to drink alcoholic drinks free of charge is nothing but a complete waste of council taxpayers money, especially when they continue to raise our council tax and make excuses to why they have increased charges.” 

The Liberal Democrats have constantly pushed for this freebie to be abolished since 2003. Now it’s 2008, it’s only taken them 5 years to finally realise that free booze is wrong, and is no longer acceptable in this day and age.

More and more local residents are complaining about the poor grass cutting service the area is getting, after the Tory bosses at the County Council handed over the cutting of our grass verges to a private contractor instead of the District Council Parks Division who have provided this service for many years.

The County Council has received many complaints after their contractors failed to provide a good service. In some cases many grass verges have been left uncut, which is making the area look untidy.

Cllr Dominic McGill Said, “Yet again the Tories are trying to cut corners and it’s backed fired. There was nothing wrong with the past District Council Parks Division doing the job other than cost. They should of realised that doing the job on the cheap will lead to a shoddy service”.

Your Liberal Democrat Councillors have already passed on many complaints directly to the Tory County Council. If anyone wishes to make a complaint you should contact the County Customer Service Centre on 0116 3050001. 

Hundreds of local residents are backing a campaign by local Liberal Democrat Councillors to have CCTV installed at the shops on Cropston Drive Greenhill. The idea was put forward by Councillor Michael Wyatt after local Lib Dem Councillors were asked by many local residents to help tackle the anti social behaviour and intimidation they have been receiving from a small group of youths outside the local shops. Many residents feel they cannot go to the shops in the evenings, when there are groups of youths hanging around. Many local residents have reported being on the receiving end of obscene and offensive remarks.

Cllr Michael Wyatt, leading the campaign for CCTV said, “It’s sad when we have to go to these lengths to make people feel safe in their own neighbourhood but hopefully by having CCTV at the local shops this will help to give residents the confidence that action is being taken. I only hope the Tory Controlled Council and the local Police will back this campaign, which many residents are backing”.

If you have not already signed the petition and would like too, then contact us today and we will make sure your name and address is attached to the petition.

The BNP’s shocking voting record so far on North West Leics District Council.

 Voted to increase Rents for Council Tenants by more than inflation

Voted to keep the free booze for Councillors after Council meetings

Voted to keep free parking for Councillors in Coalville

Voted against pre-9.30am Concessionary bus fares for our pensioners

Voted against Lib Dem proposals to keep our Council Tax rise below 2%

In just 12 months, the BNP have clocked up a record of shame in North West Leicestershire. They claimed to be in touch with the public but have ignored the views of residents on so many of the issues which matter to YOU.

Your Local Lib Dem Councillors have today launched a Garden Competition for the Greenhill Estate. Cllr Julie Roberts said, “We are determined to help clean up our area.  Many local residents and tenants take great pride in their gardens and by having a gardening competition we are hoping we can encourage more people to do their bit to improve the area in which we all live”.

Cllr Dominic McGill said “We have decided to launch a Garden Competition so tenants and residents of the Greenhill Estate can show off their hard work and hopefully win a prize for their efforts. The council decided last year not to have one, so this year we have decided to have our own”.

 The Competition will be open to all residents and tenants of the Estate. Anyone interested in taking part can obtain a form by clicking here :  Competition form or send an e-mail to northwestleicslibdems.com  Entry forms will also be available in the Community Shop from Monday 5th May.

Judging will take place at the end of July.