North Somerset Lib Dem News
page [ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 ] - 88 articles selected
posted Monday 20th August 2007
July 2007
...link
posted Wednesday 27th June 2007
Local families have been dealt a hammer blow by the new Conservative administration on North Somerset Council following news that more than £4.5 million is to be slashed from the authority’s affordable housing budget. ...read more
posted Tuesday 26th June 2007
Points made by Deborah Yamanaka, Lib Dem Group Leader at the Council meeting 25/06/07
I rise to oppose the recommendations, some of which are smoke & mirrors & window dressing, & some of which, in the cuts to affordable housing, will cause considerable hardship to our more vulnerable residents. ...read more
posted Tuesday 22nd May 2007
Lib Dem Deborah Yamanaka confronted North Somerset Tory Leader Nigel Ashton with the accusation that Tories had telephoned residents with the untruthful claim that Lib Dems were planning fortnightly rubbish collections. Nigel Ashton denied that these phone calls ever happened, at the May Council meeting. ...read more
posted Tuesday 22nd May 2007
At the May North Somerset Council meeting, Lib Dem Deborah Yamanaka, previous Executive member for the Environment, asked about recycling plans under a Tory-led North Somerset Council. She was concerned when the Tories replied that they might not carry on with plans to collect garden waste and rubbish on the same day of the week. They are collected on the same day now in some places but not everywhere in North Somerset. ...read more
posted Saturday 31st March 2007
This latest edition of our Focus is now available to download.
...link
posted Friday 30th March 2007
Press Release from the North Somerset Liberal Democrats
Portishead Library to be Bigger and Better
The new Portishead Library will be nearly a third bigger than previously planned, if a report to North Somerset’s Executive committee is accepted today (29th March).
...read more
posted Friday 23rd March 2007
A summary of the LibDem position on Cabstand, Portishead.
Background North Somerset Council realised that the substantial increase in housing on the old power station site and Ashlands would put pressure on the Cabstand/High St. junctions, which would further increase the accident rate. Under $106 agreement the developers agreed to pay for changes to make the junctions safer, particularly for pedestrians crossing from Station Garage to the High Street. A re-aligned carriageway would also release highway land for the planned new library.The final design was voted for by all the Conservatives when it came to Planning and then authorised by Peter Burden (Conservative) at a cost of £800,000 to the developers, (who then added £600 to the cost of 1000 new homes on Port Marine). Last year a scrutiny panel, chaired by Conservative Ap Rees, looked at the scheme and supported the project.
Implementation Various faults were discovered after initial completion, particularly over the use of filters, and these took far too long to be corrected. Since then the electronic advance loop near Combe Road has been damaged by a utility company and has yet to be repaired. The latest adjustment was made about two months ago to give an extended green light to Cabstand-Wyndham Way traffic. With four sets of lights, only one of which can be green, the probability is that you will see a red light as you approach a junction. At most times of the day you will then move when your lights change to green.
Current position The problem is not the programming of the lights, it is the capacity of the junctions to handle the sheer volume of traffic. The number of vehicles passing through the Cabstand/High St junctions has substantially increased over the years. Latest figures (May 2006) for the period 7.30-10.30 am show that 2,600 vehicles went through Cabstand/Station Road and an amazing 3,600 through the High St/Wyndham Way/Station Road junction. The evening peak, 4.30 – 6.30 pm is almost as busy. It isn’t just the 1000’s of new houses, another 10 sold every week, but the closure of the Post Offices at Redcliffe Bay and West Hill has meant many more people coming down to the High St. Despite all this increased traffic this North Somerset say there have been no injury traffic accidents since the right filter was removed.
Support for change Independent observers at both ends of the High Street noted about 500 people on the recent march, not the thousands who were previously involved. People may not like the lights, but that does not mean they want them to be removed or switched off without a thorough investigation. Nobody has made out a case to date, let alone found the money to pay for changes.
Suggestions Any major changes would have to be funded by you, the taxpayer. Tories want to increase OUR tax to pay for THEIR mistake The system of two roundabouts has been examined and found to reduce pedestrian safety and to be unworkable without using traffic lights. They would not reduce queuing – go to Northern Way in Clevedon. Lib Dems are as frustrated as anybody when there are delays, but no political party has come up with any alternative that has the support of professional staff.
Funding Any changes to the system would have to be paid for by North Somerset council taxpayers. In setting this year’s budget no councillor of any party suggested an increase to pay for a new junction or to pay for an outside consultant’s opinion. There is no pot of money available for a redesign.
The future There is no doubt that any major changes in one place, for example a left filter into Wyndham Way will have a knock-on effect elsewhere. The Lib Dem Executive member is keeping the situation under review, asking officers to monitor and report problems. He will be seeking professional advice about the filter option. Any future redesign would also have to cope with the further increases due to the rest of the Ashlands being developed. Local Lib Dem councillor Mike Johnston has suggested that HGVs should have “Access only” through the High St/Wyndham Way junction. The designated route to the new developments should be along Quays Avenue and Harbour Road.
The political story A couple of Conservatives councillors are campaigning against their own party, without any support from their colleagues. Elected on the promise of change, councillor Jolley has now discovered that a radical redesign would cost his constituents, and all the rest of us, a substantial increase in council tax.
...link
page [ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 ] - 88 articles selected
published by: North Somerset Liberal Democrats, 12 Henley Lodge, Yatton, Bristol, BS49 4JQ
printed / hosted by horus web engineering ltd
