Councillor Martin Johns outside                  Towcester Ambulance Station

Liberal Democrats have been responding to local people’s concerns over the continuing threat to close Towcester Ambulance Station. The Liberal Democrat Focus team continue to lobby East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EMAS) to keep the Towcester ambulance station open. An announcement from EMAS is expected this week.

Commenting, Councillor Martin Johns says: “Our town’s ambulance station is valued by residents. With Towcester expanding it’s seems common sense that we need to continue to have an ambulance station in our town. EMAS had previously planned to close Towcester’s ambulance station but pulled back to take another look. Local crews are expressing concern that after the general election, Towcester’s ambulance station will be closed. In the longer term, Towcester’s Liberal Democrat Focus team would like to see a state of the art combined facility for both Fire and Rescue and Ambulance Service. This could be located within Towcester’s new development and have good access to the road network, but until then we must keep what we have.”

Councillor Martin Johns adds: “I know from experience how excellent our local ambulance service paramedics are. Five years ago, when unexpectedly, my heart valve decided it was about to pack up an ambulance was with me in just a few minutes. I realise there are other approaches to keeping paramedics on standby but they themselves tell people our ambulance station is needed. If other people wish to add their voice to the concerns they can contact me direct via my website.”

Liberal Democrat town councillor David Tarbun comments: “Towcester is already supported by Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service’s paramedics. Their crews are also highly trained but getting a Fire Tender quickly and safely down Towcester’s estate roads is often very difficult.”

The  Moat Lane building, monstrous yet still too small to accommodate all SNC’s staff.

The Conservatives are keen to highlight their list of ‘FACTS’ to try and justify what local people know have been their disastrous plans for Towcester. Liberal Democrat, Councillor Martin Johns examines some of the Tories fairy tales.

• Towcester’s two Conservative councillors have written that: “Any further work to provide Towcester with additional car parking is on hold until the results of the District Car Parking Review are known.” This is just a fairy tale.

The review was in fact given the go ahead by SNC on 12th January and the second stage of the review is expected in July 2015. There has been absolutely nothing put on hold in respect of their flood plain car park on the Shires. Had further work on the car park been put on hold we can be certain SNC would have put out a press release. Since January, work has already taken place on site to clear trees and hedges, its only the Environment Agency’s objections that have held things up.

• The Tories say their car park will be: “people friendly, car friendly, eco friendly and water meadows friendly.” In truth it’s none of these things. Tory councillors even claim: “it will help property values for Shires residents!” Really?

The council’s own civil engineering consultant has concluded: “…there may be a potential danger to users, particularly vulnerable persons such as children, the elderly and the infirm.” The Environment Agency say: “We are concerned that mitigation measures proposed would be insufficient to prevent floating vehicles leaving the site. Such an event could pose a risk to life and property as well as posing an additional risk of flooding elsewhere.” People friendly, car friendly, eco friendly and water meadows friendly car park? That’s still the boast of our two Conservative councillors.

• Conservatives still claim that significant ‘savings’ will be made by the their decision to move from the modern council offices in Springfields.

This is highly debatable. No clear evidence has ever been provided to back up the Conservatives speculative claim of £200,000 per year savings in running costs. Looking at what data has been made available, the Lib Dems estimate it’s very unlikely that anything approaching this amount could be saved. What everyone does know for sure is of the great damage done by their monstrous Moat Lane building to the conservation area and our historic town. That’s to say nothing about their bungled car parking plans.

• Conservative-led Northamptonshire County Council are to blame for the road closures say Towcester’s Tories.

SNC’s bungled road changes that caused so much chaos were carried out in response to a NCC planning condition. This condition was to enable the roads to cope with extra traffic generated by SNC’s 170 space flood plain car park. Without the Conservatives’ car park there would have been no road closures.

• The Tories claim the Moat Lane council building will hold all the staff from Springfields.

Despite the building’s massive bulk, the Moat Lane offices cannot accommodate all the council’s staff that have previously been based at Springfields. Leisure and Arts, Licencing, and Pest Control are among departments moved to Tove Depot near Tesco. Most staff will hot desk in large open plan offices and spend two days a week working at home. There is room however for the Conservative leader of the council to have a corner office overlooking the water meadows.

The Shires public open space

Liberal Democrats are highlighting that yet more doubt has been raised as to whether SNC’s Tory-led plans for a floodplain car park can go ahead. The Liberal Democrats are opposed to the plan, whilst the town’s two local Conservative councillors remain very publically outspoken in favour.

Councillor Martin Johns says: “Liberal Democrats are calling on the Tories to drop their disastrous plans now. Clinging to the fig leaf of a three-month parking review until just after local elections isn’t going to fool anyone. The Environment Agency remains very concerned and continues to share Lib Dem doubts about building a car park in the floodplain. The proposed car park would be too close to a residential area, destroy valuable public open space, and would put users in danger at times of flooding. This final point has been underlined by SNC’s own consultant.”

The council’s revised Flood Risk Assessment states: ‘It is accepted that the proposed car park may flood in extreme rainfall events and there may be a potential danger to users, particularly vulnerable persons such as children, the elderly and the infirm.’

Yesterday the Environment Agency wrote again to SNC stating: ‘Long-term car parking is unlikely to be acceptable in areas which regularly flood to a significant depth, due to the risk of car owners being away from the area and being unable to move their cars when a flood occurs. We are concerned that the site would neither remain operational or safe for users in times of flood. We are also concerned that the mitigation measures proposed (i.e. a timber post and rail fence) would be insufficient to prevent floating vehicles leaving the site.’

Councillor Chris Lofts comments: “Putting off the floodplain car park until after the local elections as now being claimed by the Tories had been anticipated. The Conservatives only appear to listen at local election time. They are waking up only to realise local people will soon be having their say on this fiasco and the whole Moat Lane project.”

Springfields last autumn. The council offices and every tree on site will be removed.

Liberal Democrats have voted in support of an independent panel’s recommendation that SNC removes a £705 a year allowance for councillors who are members of the Development Control Committee. The allowance paid is in addition to councillor’s annual allowance. Conservatives proposed an amendment and voted in favour to keep their allowance. Removing it would have saved the council £8,460 a year.

The debate was held on Wednesday 25th February at the last full council meeting to be held at the 32 year-old Springfields offices before it’s knocked down.

Councillor Martin Johns a member of the DC committee says: “Members of the Development Control Committee work extremely hard making difficult judgements about planning applications. Their meetings are often very long and there’s much material to read and absorb in advance. You don’t win any friends either being involved with planning decisions.

However, planning is a fascinating and vitally important function of local government. It’s one of the few aspects of being a councillor where you can make a real difference with just your vote. It’s a privilege to be a member of the committee. Attendance allowances were dropped years ago and councillors now get a generous annual allowance of £5,007. The council’s leader, deputy leader, cabinet members, committee chairs and vice chairs proportionally get a lot more.”

Councillor Chris Lofts says: “It seems foolish for the Conservatives to appoint an independent panel of people only to reject their carefully considered findings. No other council it appears pays such an allowance. Liberal Democrats voted in favour of the panel’s recommendation to remove it.”

Site of the proposed Shires car park

The Liberal Democrats have pointed out that local Tories have got themselves in ‘hot water’ over their unpopular plan for a car park in Towcester’s floodplain.

Despite incorrect claims made by SNC’s Conservatives, Towcester Liberal Democrats can confirm that South Northants Council did not grant planning permission yesterday for a car park.

The Development Control Committee (Planning Committee) merely resolved to delegate the matter to the Head of Development Management to grant planning permission, but only on the strict basis that the Environment Agency unambiguously withdraw their objection (which is not a foregone conclusion in itself given the complexity of flood risk issues). If the flood risk issue is not resolved to the satisfaction of the Environment Agency, Planning Officers would have no alternative but to take the matter back to Committee with a recommendation to refuse.

Towcester’s Liberal Democrat member of the Development Control Committee voted against the council’s plans for a car park within the Shires floodplain. Commenting, Liberal Democrat Councillor Martin Johns said: “After much consideration, taking into account all relevant issues, I spoke and voted against the proposal. My view is shared by the Environment Agency, that also objects to the Tories plan for a soggy car park next to a residential area.”

Conservatives all voted in favour of the application. Towcester’s Conservative councillor (who isn’t a member of the committee) attended and spoke at length in favour of the floodplain car park. Implausibly, he strongly denied that the car park was mainly intended for staff to be based at their new council offices in Moat Lane. Dismissing the views of local residents, the Tory councillor commented: “Well, someone’s got to live next to a car park.”

The bungled and hazardous road closures that have blighted travel around Towcester are directly linked to the proposed car park. Without the ‘improvements’ SNC couldn’t go ahead with its scheme for the out of town 170 space car park that could flood several times a year.

Cllr Lisa Samiotis, Cllr Martin Johns & Cllr Chris Lofts at Northampton Road

Towcester’s Liberal Democrat Focus Team’s campaign to limit South Northants Council’s road closures to between the hours of 9 am and 4 pm has had some success. Residents living on the Shires have just been informed that work will now stop at 5 pm each day.  The Liberal Democrats have been supporting residents concerned about the Northampton Road closures being imposed next week by Tory run South Northants Council. Before the Lib Dem intervention the road closures were planned to continue into the evening.

Town Councillor David Tarbun a resident of the Shires, comments: “We have repeatedly asked, if we must have these road closures, they should be restricted to office hours. This would permit residents, should they wish to do so, to leave for work during the morning via the A5 and return via the A5 after work. Lib Dems have strongly urged SNC to apply common sense and limit the closures to between 9 am and 4 pm.”

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Councillor Martin Johns says: “Residents of the Shires estate are of course understandably worried about having to exit and enter Towcester via the dangerous A43 crossing. Local Lib Dems voiced concerns on behalf of residents weeks ago and Northamptonshire Highways have agreed with us. Unfortunately South Northants Council, presumably to save costs, will not agree to delaying starting work until 9 am.” Towcester and Roade Liberal Democrat County Councillor Chris Lofts comments: “The Conservatives have largely dismissed residents’ concerns. Their approach of ignoring local people’s views typifies the Tories attitude to their expensive Moat Lane council offices move.

Liberal Democrat Minister for Business Vince Cable made time in his visit to Northamptonshire to meet the Towcester Focus team and give support to Chris Lofts and Lisa Samiotis – Lib Dem candidates for the by-elections in Towcester on 9 February.

“One of the things I’ve always been proud of as a Liberal Democrat, is how effective our Councillors are. The Enterprise Zone I visited is here because of foundations laid by Liberal Democrats – foundations, I am told, the Conservatives on Northamptonshire County Council opposed. Up to 17,000 jobs could be created because Liberal Democrats didn’t back down.”

He continued, “Speaking to Chris about the work he and the FOCUS team have been doing in Towcester I see the same thing; hard work and genuine concern for the town. I know Chris will make a fantastic county councillor for Towcester – it sounds like it’s time they had a truly local, hard working representative.”

Chris Lofts took the opportunity to promote Towcester’s interests and the importance of bringing high skilled jobs to the area.

It’s a strange but uplifting experience being a town’s mayor. Well, that’s been my experience anyway as the Mayor of Towcester. The strange part is seeing so much of what’s positive in my town and across Northamptonshire. I exaggerate of course but we are though constantly bombarded with news that’s bleak. It’s so uplifting and refreshing therefore to see the reality of what’s so positive and good in our community.

Some of that good news is seeing the work of the voluntary sector and of their volunteers. Charities and voluntary groups play such a critical role, particularly in providing services to the vulnerable. And who are the vulnerable? When I worked for an organisation that provided emergency accommodation for the homeless, people would ask me what sort of people became homeless. My reply was and is, ‘people like you and me’. It doesn’t take much in life to plunge us into personal difficulty, to become vulnerable. Whether it’s our health, financial position, family or personal relationships. When things go wrong, it’s often voluntary organisations that can make the difference to our lives.

Most politicians in my experience, do recognise the contribution voluntary organisations make. Unfortunately, far too many politicians view voluntary organisations as a cheap or cheaper alternative to public services. It never fails to amaze me that some local politicians continue to believe that if an organisation is voluntary, then it follows that it doesn’t need any public money to support its work. With the voluntary and community sector playing an increasing role, funding from local government is required more than ever.

In his influential book The Gift Relationship, Richard Titmuss described the blood donor service as an example of the value of altruism in social and health policy and practice. Volunteers in our community have this gift relationship with others. Giving themselves to the service of others. It’s my hope that our county, borough and district councils will fully recognise the value of the voluntary sector as they now start to plan their budgets for next year. With council tax being frozen and grants to councils being cut, it will be vital for councillors to keep faith with voluntary organisations. Some voluntary organisations need public money to enable them to use volunteers. Without such core funding the gift relationship that many volunteers offer will be lost to us all.

South Northamptonshire Liberal Democrats have been recognised with an award at the Liberal Democrats national conference. The award was for their outstanding campaigning material. In May Towcester elected myself and Councillor Chris Lofts to South Northants Council.

It was good to have the work of local activists recognised. However it’s the all year round work of local Lib Dems that was key to winning council seats, not just the election campaign. My fellow councillor Chris lofts said: “Winning awards is great but we are now focusing on keeping our election pledges, in particular making sure the council’s policies and actions are scrutinised.”

Scott Collins, Parliamentary Spokesperson for the South Northants Liberal Democrats, was pleased with the result saying: “Its always good to have local campaigns and campaigners recognised. Martin and Chris were excellent at understanding and expressing views that reflected those of many people in Towcester who feel the Conservatives have not been listening to them.”

The highly commended award for quality design and content of was presented at the Liberal Democrats Autumn Conference by Party President Tim Farron MP. The award was given for the high quality design and content of election literature.