PACT meeting - Wednesday 5th March 2008

Around 20 local residents and owners of business from Moorland Road attended the recent Partners and Communities Together (PACT) meeting on the 5th March 2008.

These residents and local business leaders spoke about their concerns and issues in Oldfield Park.

The panel members of your local councillors, the local Police team, a representative of Somer Community Housing and an officer from the Council listen to the comments and suggestions for the priorities that should be taken up.

Cllr Shaun McGall had also emailed all Cllr Sandry's and his local residents contacts to ask them for them priorities. Over 20 residents used this opportunity to voice their priorities, which were added to those who were able to attend.

The resulting priorities were:

1) Tackling general misuse of the Shaftesbury Road Memorial Gardens;

2) Reviewing parking and driveways on the Moorfields Estate; and

3) Providing facilities, such as youth clubs for children and teenagers in the area.

The previous public priorities were:

1) Levels of car crime - criminal damage to vehicles in Monksdale Road;

2) Litter - increase road sweeping;

3) Speeding in Third Avenue, Monksdale Road and Hillside Road.

All the partners are now working on how these issues can be tackled and resolved.

Currently no date has been set for the next meeting but it will take place again at 7:00 p.m. at St Alphages Church, Oldfield LaneOldfield Park, Bath.

All members of the public are welcome to attend the next meeting.

7.56% is real tax increase in Council budget

7.56% is the real tax increase residents are facing this year. Directly, residents are going to be charged a 3.95% Council tax increase. However, with all of the hikes in other fees and charges and the introduction of new fees planned by the Conservative Cabinet, the real figure is 7.56%.

New and increased charges in this budget include: the introduction of charges for on-street parking for disabled drivers; increases in charges for services for older people; an increase of 56% for residents’ parking permits; increases in park and ride fares; extensions to other car park charges; and a 10% increase in garden and bulky waste charges.

This Conservative budget appears to have a low Council tax rise, but when all the other charges and fees are taken into account, the real burden on residents is much higher.

The budget will hit vulnerable people with high charges; it will punish drivers, without improving traffic flows; it will delay, put off or abandon important environmental measures, such as same-day collection and extending recycling; and it will exacerbate problems through cuts to the Council’s youth and other services.

The Liberal Democrats believe this Tory budget of service cuts and increased charges is fundamentally flawed. We have fought hard for improvements, and will be proposing an amendment which is intended to reduce the burden on older people and the vulnerable, to help protect services for young people and to put environmental protection high on the agenda.

By trying to claim a low Council tax increase on the one hand and introducing new fees and increased charges on the other, the Tory Cabinet is driving our authority into the sand, putting its head in after it and blaming everyone else.