Birth Unit at Kidderminster Hospital

I  welcome the suggestion that Kidderminster Hospital could get its Birth Unit returned after closing in 2003.
I am running a Petition on this issue  and I want to see more services returned to Kidderminster Hospital and the Birth Unit would be an excellent addition. The Worcestershire Primary Care Trust at last realises that Kidderminster Hospital needs to play an even bigger role in health care delivery. We have ground space at Kidderminster, whereas others do not.  The PCT could fulfil a long standing need for expectant mothers to have their babies at Kidderminster. The present situation in which they have to travel to Worcester or Redditch is not acceptable in 2008. Labour supports the intention to offer another choice and Kidderminster has to be the decision.
We will be outside Bewdley Town Hall this Saturday (26th July) at 11am  collecting  signatures .

Stolen Metal Dealing

At yesterdays meeting at County Hall for Opposition Spokespersons, I asked the Director of Scientific Services to check out the legal position of dealers buying,selling and holding metals, lead, copper etc. There have been serious thefts of metals in Wyre Forest recently, and in our adjoining local government areas. Church buildings have suffered from metal theft, as have local businesses and private individuals.

What is the legal position on metal trading? Does it have to take place at registered sites? Surely, all transactions have to be recorded, not least of all for tax purposes?

When I get my answer, I hope that Worcestershire County Council can offer further help to the public and police in the effort to stop metal theft and illegal trading. Publicity of the legal situation would at least spell out the penalties for illegal trading, which can lead to prosecutions and prison and raise public awareness of the issue.

It was a Happy Birthday for the NHS - 60 years old on 5th July 2008!

We celebrated in Kidderminster under the Town Hall clock - Jamie, Jenny, Gren, Christine, Barry, Tristan, Neena Gill MEP, and myself - balloons, the stall, leaflets and Petitions.

We collected 105 signatures in just under an hour for a Palliative Care Bed Unit for Kidderminster Hospital! The total now stands at 2,163. The rain held off, but it was very, very, windy! I am grateful to all our helpers, and those members of the public who signed up for more services at Kidderminster Hospital. I presented the first part of this Petition to the Chief Executive of Worcestershire PCT a few weeks ago. Local people want more services at Kidderminster Hospital - a Palliative Care Unit and a Radiotherapy Unit (6,000 signatures collected for that).

Earlier in the day we attended a Regional European Forum held at a venue above the Severn Valley Railway Museum in Kidderminster. It was led by Neena Gill MEP and Michael Cashman MEP. Mike Kelly was there and party members from accross the West MIdlands. Dan and Jo Watson had organised the event and our co - hosts were the Community Union. The issues for the European Election in June 2009 were given air time against the background of the now annual World War 2 dressing up festival whereby hundreds of civilians dress in British and other army uniforms, accompanied by their ladies in 40’s attire, just like Corporal Jones from “Dads Army” with his partner Mrs Fox!

The steam trains were brilliant and the festivities took place against a backdrop of 1940’s songs (Live Band and recorded), all of which were drowned out occasionally by the very realistic air-raid sirens, dive bombers and spitfire recordings over the tannoy!

Michael and Neena could still be heard to get their message accross!! All in all, it was a very positive day,with many ideas and views exchanged.

Wolverley Post Office

I fully support the keeping open of Wolverley Post Office, and I have written to the Parish Clerk offering to help in any way that I can.
Given that the Postmaster has been ill this year and the Post Office was closed on a temporary basis, it is imperative that it opens again as soon as is possible.

I have used that Post Office myself, particularly when visiting my late friend and former Councillor John Gretton. For a village like Wolverley, a Post Office, a Pub and a Church are prerequisites for the economic, social and spiritual  well being of local people.

The Post Office was always well supported and used by many people, particularly pensioners and school children. Any review undertaken by the Post Office, as is now the case, must take full account of the social situation in Wolverley.

Everything possible needs to be done to ensure Wolverley Post Office remains open for the future.

 

Speed Management Review

I would like to highlight my intention to take a proactive role in the County’s Speed Management Review, and to ask for public participation within Wyre Forest. I have indeed received many phone calls and letters about speeding on local roads.
At the moment, the consensus is that respondents agree with my campaign to achieve 20mph Speed Zones outside every school. There is also concern about vehicle drivers regularly exceeding speed limits, particularly in urban areas. I have to admit, though I don’t like the conclusion, that some respondents suggest increasing the speed limits from 30mph to 40 mph on some of our A roads. Others suggest where 30mph to 40mph and back to 30mph limits exist on some stretches of road, this should be rationalised into all 30mph or all 40mph.

One other serious point is that respondents are concerned, as I am, that policing of speed limits must be carried out on a 7 day week basis.

This can be achieved by a combination of measures such as improved pedestrian crossing facilities, speed cameras, better road markings and signage, vehicle activated signs (example – slow down 30mph), rumble strips, and speed bumps.

Contributors like the idea of driver education, particularly for young people.

Finally, any measures to catch and prosecute drink drivers is welcomed, as are efforts to catch and fine motorists for using mobile phones when driving.

Would the people of Wyre Forest therefore please continue sending me their ideas and comments about how we can develop and maximise safety policies for driving on our roads and slowing traffic down where it is necessary for the benefit of motorists and pedestrians, particularly our children.

David Davis Wastes Your Public Money on a Futile Gesture

Bt trigerring a by-election David Davis will waste tens of thousands of pounds of public money. Parliament has made a democratic decision to extend custody for those detained for terrorist offences and this expensive stunt shows Davids’ and the Tories’ contempt for Parliament.

If David Davis was highly principled then he could have presented the Tory Party’s proposals on 42 day detention and civil liberties, and these could have been judged at the next general election. Instead he chose to waste a lot of public money.

42 days is a very necessary period for the detention of terrorist suspects, especially when evidence and intelligence has to be gathered from abroad. there are tremendous safeguards and an Independent Commissioner on terrorist detention.

Does David Davis want to risk another July 7th tragedy or is he more interested in expensive publicity stunts that drain money from council services for the elderly?

Perhaps he fell out with his leader Daivd Cameron because he refused to make a policy statement on the issue, as with almost every other issue.

Yet Another Tory’s Fingers in the Till ….

Hardly a week goes by without some Tory MP or MEP who has been caught misappropriating YOUR money as “expenses” to fund their lavish lifestyles. David Cameron now has to manage three expense scandals in his lap. This is probaly why he doesn’t have time to formulate or announce any tangible policies.

 Is this just the tip of the iceberg of taxpayers’ money, which should be used for the NHS and social services being misappropriated and squandered by Tory MPs & MEPs?

We eagerly await the resignation of the Tory Party Chairman.    We do hope this matter can be cleared up, of course!  Surely a misunderstanding, shome mishtake shomewhere.

School Re-building programme in Wyre Forest

The programme is well underway with many schools already gaining planning permission for building improvements and others working with WCC to ensure new schools will be environmentally friendly and assets to our community.
As Vice-Chairman of WCC Planning Committee, I have visited several schools which have subsequently been approved for their new building programmes.

Let us be quite clear about how and why this £100 million programme has come about. Yes, it is in line with the change from 3 to 2 tier entry, but it is also a result of NEW GOVERNMENT MONEY - nothing to do with Cameron or The Tories who seem to be suggesting, Daily Telegraph Saturday 31st May 2008 that schools could be given to Private Companies if the Tories were to win the next General Election.

I want the very best comprehensive - county controlled education for the children and young people of Wyre Forest and Worcestershire.

Obviously the Tories believe only the private sector will do it for them!

Lea Castle Action Group - Up-date

Our Group meets regularly at The Tulip Tree Centre, with the permission of Age Concern. Apart from Jenny and myself we are a group of parents with children either living at Lea Castle or using the Outpatient Department facilities.

Given the decision taken by the Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust to close Lea Castle, the work of ensuring patients have new relevant and suitable accomodation to meet their needs seems to have been taken on by staff at Worcestershire County Council. They are doing a good job in very difficult circumstances.

At the moment, some 15 patients remain on the Lea Castle site. There are several problems relating to their situation.

1. One or two of them have no family, so are very dependant on our statutory services.

2. Many of the Lea Castle staff have necessarily had to move on to take up other positions. Some staff would like to continue working with patients they already know and are trusted by them.

3. There is a serious problem of the Lea Castle site being left in a state of abandonment, with buildings boarded up and security guards on site. This is very distressing for patients.

4. It seems as if the situation of “rehousing” patients could continue until next year, with all of the above problems continuing.

Lea Castle Action Group will continue to exist as long as parents wish it to. Our next meeting will take place at the Tulip Tree Centre on 24th June at 3pm. This is the day after Worcestershre County Council’s Health and Overview Scrutiny Committee reconsider the issue of the Lea Castle site and its patients.

John Wardle MBE

The passing of John Wardle at the age of 86 on 29th May signifies the end of an era in the politics of Worcestershire and Wyre Forest. John had been Chairman of Hereford and Worcester County Council from 1991until 1995, Chairman of Wyre  Forest District Council, and Wolverley and Cookley Parish Councils and Kidderminster Rural Council.

He was made Deputy Lieutenant of Worcestershire in 1994 and was a former Chairman of Kidderminster Magistrates from 1981 to 1986. John also stood for Parliament as Labour Candidate for Kidderminster, achieving a high vote though he was not successful. He was a former member of West Mercia Police Authority and made Honorary Alderman of Wyre Forest District Council in 2005.

John was an engine driver throughout World War Two and retired as Deputy Station Master at New Street, Birmingham. He had been an active Trade Unionist and served on Kidderminster Trades Council. Last year I was very pleased to have been able to present John with a commendation from the National Labour Party for sixty years continuous membership.

John was a very effective politician and took the issue of elections extremely seriously. He will be sadly missed by the Labour Party and many local people for whom he gave over six decades of public service. We wish to extend our condolances to Margaret and her family at this sad time.