Monday, 30 October 2006

Mail Delivery Scam

The Trading Standards Office are making people aware of the following scam:-A card is posted through your door from a company called PDS (Parcel Delivery Service) suggesting that they were unable to deliver a parcel and that you need to contact them on 0306 6611911 (a premium rate number). DO NOT call this number, as this is a mail scam originating from Belize.If you call the number and you start to hear a recorded message you will already have been billed £15 for the phone call. If you do receive a card with these details then please contact Royal Mail Fraud on 02072396655 or ICSTIS (the premium rate service regulator) at:-www.icstis.org.uk <http://www.icstis.org.uk/> or your local trading standards office. This is a genuine scam and is under investigation by ICSTIS.

Saturday, 28 October 2006

Poetry

Here are two poor attempts at poetry. I am very fond of poetry, and love the way sentiments can often be expressed more powerfully in verse. One is an attempt at humour about a really nice girl I met many years ago that kept saying "gosh". The other is more serious and reflects the anguish of losing someone suddenly without warning.

Gosh
I once knew a girl who loved to say "gosh"
She was awfully pretty and frightfully posh.
Daddy worked in the City and made lots of dosh.
Mummy lived in the country and ate fancy nosh.


Never got to say goodbye.

Never got to say goodbye
Never understood quite why
Never wanted you to fly
To a place I could not spy
I must live and get on by
Talk to you without reply
Look, but never catch your eye
Only holding close a sigh
Never think my eyes will dry
Never will stop asking why
I never got to say goodbye








Wednesday, 25 October 2006

Farnborough Town Masterplan




Urban Practitioners have been hired to put together a Masterplan for the Town Centre. I attended their workshop which was well supported (see my ealier post14th July 2006) and produced some innovative ideas.



The consultants have now set up a new web site http://www.farnboroughtowncentrestudy.co.uk where you can see what they are up to and the progress they are making. If you care about our town, visit the site and tell them you want to be consulted and involved in what happens. You can then make comments and contributions to the people helping us put the plan together.

Sunday, 22 October 2006

A veiled threat?

I feel very strongly that people should be able to worship freely according to the dictates of their conscience, so long as it does not impair others of the same privilege. I also believe in the rights of men and women to be able to wear what they want when they are in their "own time", and not at work.
We should not be looking to any western European Country for an answer, least of all France, who has always acted a little odd, and who's President would be behind bars, were it not for his office. (I love France having said this - but love does not = agreeing with).
No, we should look no further than our closest Muslim State. A place where women are banned from wearing not just the veil, but also the headscarf in state controlled institutions like universities and government offices. And they successfully defended this policy to stop women wearing veils and headscarves in the European Court of Human Rights in 1998. The court was supportive of the nations constitution based on secularism and equality. And what sensible forward thinking country was this?....

TURKEY.

... and last time I visited I did not feel they were anti - Islamic!!!

Thursday, 19 October 2006

A walk in the Park

Parks are the jewel in any communities crown. Safe clean parks are also a good indicator of how well a Council are doing (much like checking the toilets in a resturant - I always feel better about a resturant if their toilets are clean and well maintained). So I am very keen to see the Parks in the Borough and especially in Empress where we have 3 large parks plus a number of "play areas" well maintained and a pleasant place for families to visit, feel safe, enjoy, relax in peace or have fun at play.


So on one of my regular Park visits in the ward I took a parks specialist with me pictured below and made some observations and put in recommendations to be actioned immediatley. I would also like to thank some residents that also wrote into me. Together we are making a difference in our Parks for the benefit of everyone.

Oli my official Parks advisor

The first Park we have taken action on is Rectory Road Park. Here I have requested the rusty redundant light columns to be removed by the end of this month. I got the awful graffitti removed from the play equipment and had an assurance that if it re appears it will be removed immediately (I think graffitti attracts more graffitti) I have also asked for the mobile CCTV camera's to be placed there to catch any anti social behaviour. I am also having a broken bin replaced.



Wednesday, 18 October 2006

Alcohol ban in 9 Borough Area's


By popular consent Rushmoor has agreed new powers to crack down on anti social behaviour. These will come into force on 6th November 2006

Police and the new Community Patrol Officers (CPO's) will have power to ask someone to stop drinking alcohol and/or confiscate and dispose of any alcohol in that persons possession. If they do not stop, they can be arrested and fined up to £500.

The Council have agreed to nine areas to be designated non drink zones.Three of them are in Empress:

1. Queensmead.
2. North Camp and Farnborough Park.
3. Cove Green

The other 6 are:
1. Aldershot Town Centre.
2. Manor Park, Aldershot.
3. Mayfield/Totland.
4. Southwood Village Centre.
5. Southwood Playing Fields.
6. Pinewood Park & Irvine drive.

If you see breaches of this order call the new non emergency police number to report it 101








Goodbye Home of the British Army


Had a very nice presentation tonight by Aspire who have a 35 year contract to improve the buildings in the Garrison and maintain and look after the running of it. The best part about the presentation was that unlike the 35 year contract, it was short and sweet.


There was lots of talk about providing local jobs and contracts with local suppliers, and becoming part of our community. So look out for a sponsored event by Aspire coming to town soon.


Many are very happy to see a huge portion of the Garrison's land being sold off and developed. But I am not one of them. Aldershot will no longer be "Aldershot home of the British Army" after all the land south of the Basingstoke Canal is sold it will be "North Camp bedsit of the British Army" albeit a very posh and trendy bedsit.


See http://www.aspiredefence.co.uk/ for more details.




Tuesday, 17 October 2006

Hampshire's Consults on Bus services


Today I wasted 2 hours of my life in a meeting organised by the County Council. Take a look at it. This is called consultation before you axe Bus services. I do not wish to defend or justify reduction or abolition of any Bus route, but this has to be one of the most useless meetings I have ever attended. Like many a resident waiting for a bus themselves I sat waiting for something useful to happen, or even get discussed, only to be as many residents must feel - disappointed.
After the initial introduction by County Council officers refering to "facing some tough decisions", "no more money from central Government" and "need to work closer with community transport" it was obvious the knife was out to cut services. However, it was dressed very neatly in democracy, we were told "there will be consultation and a review over the winter and early months of 2007" before the decision in April 2007. Great I thought - perfect timing - just before the elections.
Shame I thought to myself that we spent so much money on those awful Bus Lanes, they should have saved that waste of tax payers money and put it towards avoiding a cut in the services we have.
The only way to improve mass transportation is for central Government to plough huge amounts of money into it - it has to be cheap and frequent. People do not want to pay or wait. The car has spoilt us and it is no good trying to put the genie back in the bottle. I personally think we should be putting our resources into home working and flexitime so we simply reduce the rush hour conjestion which is where all the trouble is. Outside rush hour it is usually very pleasant driving outside the capital.
They are going to have another democratic "consultation" on the 30th November - why dont you go along when they get around to agreeing the venue and see if I am just getting cynical.

Monday, 16 October 2006

Crime Statistics for Rushmoor

(1) Violence against person (2) Robbery (3) Burglary
Apr 05 - Mar 06 (1) 2,159 (2) 45 (3) 377
Apr 04 - Mar 05 (1) 2,460 (2) 39 (3) 241
Apr 03 - Mar 04 (1) 2,225 (2) 40 (3) 301
Apr 02 - Mar 03 (1) 1,272 (2) 45 (3) 194
The Borough has seen an increase in assault by 70% over the last 3 years
Robbery has shown no change and burglary has increased by 94%

(4) Theft of a vehicle (5) Theft from a Vehicle
April 05 - Mar 06 (4) 195 (5) 530
April 04 - Mar 05 (4) 325 (5) 514
April 03 - Mar 04 (4) 302 (5) 448
April 02 - Mar 03 (4) 306 (5) 411
Car crime has shown a decrease in vehicle theft of 36% but an increase in theft from vehicles of 29%

Taken from: http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk

Thursday, 5 October 2006

This weeks planning applications in Empress

Case Number: 06/00629/FUL
Erection of a single storey front and rear extensions
68 Prospect Road Farnborough Hampshire GU14 0EE
Mr And Mrs Hogg
c/o DJ Green And Associates
25 Worsley Road, Frimley, Camberley, Surrey. GU16 9AS
Phone: 01276 505969
Rushmoor Case Officer: Evan Keating

Case Number: 06/00632/FUL
Extension of existing porch with pitched roof and installation of dormer windows in front, side and rear roof elevation to facilitate loft conversion
15 Salisbury Road Farnborough Hampshire GU14 7AN
Mr And Mrs R Ward
c/o KF Design
85 Alexandra Road, Farnborough, Hants. GU14 6BN
Phone: 01252 370399 TONY LITCHFIELD
Rushmoor Case Officer: Nick Cobbold

Case Number: 06/00634/TPO
Felling and removing one Scots Pine tree in front garden
49 Prospect Avenue Farnborough Hampshire GU14 8JT
Mr R Mogge
Rushmoor Case Officer: Ian May



Case Number: 06/00642/FUL
Erection of a first floor extension over existing garage
48 Pierrefondes Avenue Farnborough Hampshire GU14 8NH

Mr And Mrs Cullum
c/o Mr P Morley
6 Chesilton Crescent, Church Crookham, Fleet. GU52 6NZ
Phone: 01252 622535
Rushmoor Case Officer: Sarita Jones


Tuesday, 3 October 2006

Conservative Group Meeting 2 Oct 06

Welcome behind the closed doors of the Conservative Group Meeting. We always have this meeting the Monday before full Council to discuss the topics to be agreed or debated. It is also a chance for the Leader (far right above) to discuss issues with all Conservative Councillors in an informal setting. It is chaired by Cllr Masterson (2nd right) who is chairman of the Group and a post that cannot be held by a member of the Cabinet.

In this meeting we can have an open and frank discussion about any Council or political issue - all in total confidence. So it is an important meeting for Cabinet members and backbenchers like myself. Cabinet members can test ideas, and backbenchers can express concerns and opposition to a variety of issues.

So in this meeting I can and do raise issues that concern you, that I think the whole Group should hear rather than just a discussion with another councillor. So in this particular meeting I raised amongst other issues alternate week bin collection ... again!!

I am bound to keep confidence about Group discussions so I will not report what was said. Which is right. We need times when we can talk frankly and without the constraint of public scrutiny - and all the political Groups enjoy this.

Suffice to say, that the Council leaders are very aware of the strong feeling over this issue.