The Liberal Democrat Focus Team thanks all those who supported them at the elections on Thursday. Four out of five councillors representing Towcester on the district council are now Liberal Democrats.

Commenting Martin Johns says: “Liberal Democrat councillors will continue to keep in touch, listen and work hard on behalf of everyone in Towcester, no matter who people voted for.”

Chris Lofts comments: “The local election resulted in a massive turnout in Towcester, 85% in Mill Ward and 79% in Brook Ward. The Liberal Democrats expect that South Northamptonshire Council responds by respecting the clear democratic will of Towcester people to have their opinions listened to.”

Those Liberal Democrats elected on Thursday were:

Lisa Samiotis

Catharine Tarbun

Chris Lofts

Martin Johns

Liberal Democrats have succeeded in having an application to fell trees on Towcester Water Meadows withdrawn. Tory controlled South Northamptonshire Council (SNC) had submitted plans to cut down trees on the water meadows, and reduce others by 40%. Trees on the water meadows are subject to preservation orders and are in a protected area. Although the trees are on land owned by SNC the application to fell them were made by a contractor and not the council. The application was however authorised by the council.

Commenting, Councillor Martin Johns says: “Liberal Democrats supported retaining all these trees, it would have been a another act of vandalism to cut them down. It’s a scandal that the Tories want to fell trees simply to get more light into their massive building that now dominates Moat Lane.”

Councillor Chris Lofts says: “At first I couldn’t believe that the Conservatives would have approved making this application. I should have known better of them and that these lovely trees would be next on their list for removal.”

Councillor Lisa Samiotis comments: “Not only is the council pretending it’s not responsible for making the application, it’s having to pay twice for advice from tree consultants. The council has to support its application with advice from consultants. As a planning authority it is then paying Aylesbury Vale Council to provide advice to SNC’s planners.”

If you wish to see the application do so by following this link:

http://snc.planning-register.co.uk/plandisp.aspx?recno=74837

Northamptonshire County Council is reviewing the Service 8 bus route between Northampton, Towcester, Brackley and Bicester.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Chris Lofts says: “These are key links between Towcester and both Northampton and Brackley. Many people without access to a car rely on this bus service. Liberal Democrats are keen to improve the service and welcome the county council’s announcement of a review.”

Councillor Davis Tarbun comments: “Towcester’s Liberal Democrat Focus Team will be pleased to hear the views of users of the Service 8 and in particular views of how it could be improved. We will forward to NCC any suggested revisions to the current timetable and comments on the operation of the current service.”

The current contract for the section of bus Service 8 between Silverstone and Bicester is due to end on Saturday 29^th August (the section between Silverstone and Northampton is operated by Stagecoach without subsidy). Northamptonshire County Council is now designing the bus timetable for the replacement contract, in conjunction with Oxfordshire County Council, who subsidise the section between the county boundary and Bicester.

Liberal Democrat Schools Minister David Laws MP has today announced that Sponne School will receive a share of a £370 million school buildings fund. Good school buildings are vital to making sure that more children and young people in Towcester receive a first class education. Sponne will receive money to refurbish sports facilities, and fund an electrical distribution and lighting upgrade.

The announcement follows representations made by Towcester’s Liberal Democrat Focus Team who has consistently fought for funding to improve schools in Towcester.

The Conservative Party’s plans would mean dramatic cuts to school maintenance and improvement in the future. The Conservatives have set out proposals to divert up to £5 billion from school capital budgets – cuts that would leave many more children in Towcester stuck in unsuitable school buildings.

Liberal Democrat Schools Minister David Laws MP said: “I am delighted to be announcing this funding for Sponne School in Towcester, fought for and delivered by Liberal Democrats in government. Your County Councillor Chris Lofts has been an outstanding campaigner for Sponne School making a very clear case as to why this project should be funded. Liberal Democrats want to carry on investing in our school buildings to give every child the best possible start in life.

Conservative plans would mean huge cuts for schools – ripping apart the coalition’s efforts to improve school buildings and condemning children in Towcester to crumbling classrooms and out dated facilities.”

Councillor Lisa Samiotis comments: “This money is absolutely fantastic news for children, parents and teachers in Towcester, and I am delighted that Liberal Democrat ministers have listened to our case. It is much harder for teachers to teach and for children to learn when they are stuck in school buildings that aren’t up to scratch.”

Councillor David Tarbun says: “Investing in Sponne will give more of our local young people the opportunity to get the first class education they deserve. I will fight very hard against unfair Tory plans to starve our local schools of investment in the future.”

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.