News this past week:

1. Bland Demands Action On Energy Switching Schemes

2. Eric Pickles Slams Council Reserves Again

This is a classic example of the silent majority and their wishes not being heard. Those against a popular move are not so silent and use every opportunity to make sure they are heard. This brings us to Wednesday’s debate at the Worthing County Local Committee (CLC) where the funds pencilled in for the introduction of 20 mph zones in Worthing residential streets are in danger of being grabbed to repave Montague Street. There have been lots of anti 20 mph zone comments on the social media and in letters to the local press – yet when we asked the question on Worthing’s doorsteps those in favour of 20 mph in their street overwhelmingly outweighed those against.

Were the residents just being polite when we simply asked the question “Would you like your street to have a 20 mph limit?” We don’t think so as they often came up with anecdotes of boy racers and near misses of children. In fact their views were reflected by both Worthing Borough Council and West Sussex County Council (with substantial Tory majorities) voting in favour of a trial of Twenty’s Plenty in Worthing. The motion approved by West Sussex County Council in July 2011 included the clause that the council “Resolves that, given the potential safety, health, congestion relief, noise reduction and quality of life benefits, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport be requested to work with the County Local Committee and local stakeholders to promote 20 mph speed restrictions, where there is a majority of public support, in nonmajor routes in residential areas throughout Worthing as a pilot for West Sussex.”

Although we were confident of majority public support, this time we were not suckered into believing “job done” and antis were rubbing their hands as rumours circulated there was no money available to implement Twenty’s Plenty. So we identified that money was available from developers’ S.106 contributions for highways use in Worthing. Around eighteen months later Worthing Borough Council’s Tory Cabinet like a thief in the night “stole” the money to repave Montague Street with a specially convened Council meeting in the run up to the County Council election. But the decision on the use of this money is not in their hands but those of the nine members of the County Local Committee which votes on Wednesday – followed by confirmation by the Cabinet Member for Highways & Transport.

We trust the Worthing CLC members will remember the motion already passed by their own Full Council and prioritise 20 mph zones over repaving of Montague Street. After all there was no West Sussex Full Council approval of the Montague Street scheme ever sought. We also hope one of the new Tory County Councillors John Rogers remembers he was instrumental in promoting Twenty’s Plenty at Worthing Borough Council way back in 2010 and reminds his fellow members.

Just in case the CLC members do need further reminding we ask all our readers to make sure those members know your views before the meeting – by letter, e-mail or phone. And if you possibly can at the meeting itself at Heene Community Centre at 7.00 pm.

Make yourself heard.

Thursday 29th August – Local councils should give more publicity to an energy switching scheme that could save Worthing and Adur households as much as £230 a year on their electricity and gas bills. Jemima Bland, Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Worthing East & Shoreham, has written to Worthing Borough Council and Adur District Council asking them to promote the scheme more widely before the winter sets in. Her demand follows news that the Adur District has the fifth largest drop in energy consumption in the UK, according the most recent figures from the Department of Energy and Climate Change.
Between 2005 and 2011 average household energy consumption in Adur fell 30.8% from 34.5 mWh to 23.9 mWh a year.The scheme is based on DECC guidance on collective switching. It encourages residents to use their joint buying power to negotiate cheaper rates from energy companies. Worthing and Adur councils arrange the negotiations with the energy firms through a specialist broker. In other parts of the country where the scheme has been adopted, it has saved households sums from £100 to £230 a year. Ms Bland is suggesting that more prominence be given to the scheme on the councils’ website. She also wants information about the scheme included on a leaflet sent with next year’s council tax demands.

Friday 30th August – Eric Pickles, Communities Secretary, has slammed Councils again over their reserves. In the past Mr Pickles has said Councils have no need to hold any more than 5% of their annual spend in reserves. In the last figures we have seen Worthing Borough Council had over 25% in reserves – five times as much. Each budget they add more and in February the Tory Cabinet rejected our amendment to release funds to enable building much needed homes in Worthing. Instead they salted away more. West Sussex isn’t so guilty of hoarding with 6% cover but again in the last administration they rejected budget Lib Dem amendments to maintain services for the vulnerable and to stop slashing bus services. Mr Pickles accused councils of hypocrisy for complaining about funding cuts at the same time as they increased the amount of money they hold in reserves. Official figures released yesterday showed councils increased reserves by £2.6 bln in 2012-13, almost 20% in one year, bringing the total amount in the bank to £19 bln.

Worthing Lib Dem Group Leader Alan Rice said: “If the cap fits wear it. This is indeed the case of Mr Yallop who continually complains of no money available and is looking to raise Council Tax next year. Yet he has five times Eric Pickles’ recommended amount in reserves. That could pay for a few seafront flowers and more importantly enable much needed homes to be built.”

 

 

Saturday 7th September – Lib Dem Castle Ward Surgery – St Richards Church, Maybridge 10.00 am to 10.30 am

Saturday 7th September – Lib Dem Castle Ward Surgery – The Strand Parade shops 10.00 am to 11.00 am

Saturday 7th September – Lib Dem Gaisford/Tarring Wards Surgery – West Worthing Baptist Church 10.30 am to noon

Monday 9th September – WSCC Governance Committee – County Hall, Chichester at 2.15 pm

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Published and promoted by Worthing Liberal Democrats, 18 Woodlea Road, Worthing, West Sussex BN13 1BN