08/08/2013 - Meeds Ward News
The Labour Party offers a positive, responsible alternative to the Conservative led Town, District and County Councils and keeps you informed throughout the year
Labour – Moving Forward in Burgess Hill
Many thanks to all voters who voted Labour in the West Sussex County Council elections held in May.
Across Mid Sussex, Labour increased its share of the vote over the 2009 County Council elections by 76%, showing that voters are responding to Labour’s positive messages and the work being undertaken by Labour councillors.
Parking Problems
Residents will recall that last summer the Labour Party carried out a survey of residents regarding the problems of parking in town centre roads and that the town council set up a working party, including Labour’s Councillor Janet Smith, to consider possible solutions to help resolve the parking problems we identified.
The working party surveyed town centre businesses, and found that employees were parking in residential streets because of the cost of parking, that the car parks were under-utilised by up to a staggering 50% whilst the surrounding streets were jammed with cars.
Also, many were not aware of parking permits, while those who were thought that the annual or monthly fees were excessive.
The working party’s report was considered by Burgess Hill Town Council, who proposed to Mid Sussex District Council:
A programme to promote the parking permit scheme for town centre workers
Introduction of weekly permits
Lower cost of permits to station car park charges (or just below)
The Help Point to administer parking permits
Mid Sussex District Council’s response was a patronising put-down. Clearly a report that had all-party support, worked on by your ward councillors has been killed at district level where it was given no serious consideration.
The Labour Party councillors then proposed a 3 month trial tariff of 2 hours for £1 in MSDC Burgess Hill car parks. This was agreed by the town council, and the district council’s response is awaited.
It was Labour who first raised the concerns that residents had about car parking in residential roads, and we shall continue to campaign for Mid Sussex District Council to agree a solution.
Burgess Hill Town Issues
Combating Anti Social Driving
Your Meeds North councillor, Janet Smith, is aware of problems with speeding cars on Crescent Road, Park Road and Lower Church Road, and of course the on-going traffic problems in Chanctonbury Road.
Your county councillor has been informed of the problems that have been reported to Janet, but any resident who wishes to report problems with speeding traffic should contact Janet atcllrjanet.smith@btconnect.com
The matter has already been raised at the Burgess Hill Police Panel meeting, and the police have agreed to liaise with West Sussex County Council Highways. Janet believes that West Sussex County Council should consider a 20 mile per hour speed restriction on residential roads and will be pressing your county councillor to take this up.
Dangerous and anti-social driving should be reported to the Police Operation Crackdown scheme. Anti social driving includes speeding, using a mobile phone at the wheel, not wearing a seat belt and careless/aggressive driving.
Reports should be made to the Operation Crackdown website http://www.operationcrackdown.org or by telephone to 01243 642222 during office hours. However, emergency situations (such as obvious drink-driving) should be reported via the 999 emergency number.
Town Centre Partnership
Burgess Hill Town Council have entered into a partnership with New RiverDevelopments to plan the redevelopment of the town centre, which involves local businesses.
Labour’s Janet Smith, the town councillor for the town centre, is constantly frustrated about the difficulty of finding out how the partnership is progressing. As an example, no details have been made available about a parking survey New River were to commission to form a parking strategy for the town.
Burgess Hill Labour Party will be involving the community to put pressure on Mid Sussex District Council and New River for action on this long-overdue issue.
Planning
Labour’s Janet Smith is the councillor representing Meeds on the town council Planning Committee, which meets regularly to consider planning applications, but the town council can only make recommendations to Mid Sussex District Council.
6 out of 10 planning applications recommended for refusal by your town council have been overturned by the district council.
Developers Funding
According to the latest figures provided by West Sussex County Council and Mid Sussex District Council, there is £1.4 million income from developments in Burgess Hill (called Section 106 funds) available to be spent in the town—half of which is not committed for projects.
Janet Smith and her Labour town council colleague David Andrews (St Andrews Ward) have put a motion to the town council proposing a more ‘hands-on’ role in:
The section 106 agreements that are made with developers in the planning Process
Drawing up a comprehensive list of possible improvements to the town which would be suitable for Section 106 funding
Prioritising the areas for spending within the guidelines
Overseeing the progress of projects for which funds have been committed
The motion also suggested ways of implementing the proposals without any cost to the town council, but councillors of the ruling Conservative Party group did not support your Labour councillors and the motion was rejected.
Labour will continue to press for a fair use of the development funding for our town, and would be Interested to hear from residents as to what use the money should be put.
District Council
Whether our Labour town councillors are discussing car parking, planning applications, use of developer funding or a whole host of other issues, it is very often the dead hand of Mid Sussex District Council that blocks any progress.
Burgess Hill Labour Party wonders quite why three tiers of local councils are required to govern Burgess Hill, a town of 30,000 people, given the huge expense of the district council operation.
We believe that it would be far better to have just two—West Sussex County Council providing county-wide services and Burgess Hill Town Council providing all local services—which is the current system in counties such as Wiltshire.
Neighbourhood Police Panel: Residents Meeting on 17 September
There will be a meeting of the Neighbourhood Police Panel for Meeds South, Meeds North and Franklands residents on Tuesday 17 September at 6.00pm at the Police Station at The Brow.
Local beat PCSO Anika Clough wants to work with residents to solve problems with illegal parking, speeding traffic and anti-social behaviour in the town and would be really pleased if residents join the panel. Your Labour councillor Janet Smith will also be at the meeting.
For more details of Neighbourhood Police Panels visit http://www.sussex.police.uk/yourneighbourhood/your-district/mid-sussex/local-team/WM2NH1
Credit Union
West Sussex Credit Union has opened a weekly drop-in contact point at St John’s Church Hall. The contact point is open from 09.30 to 12.00 hours every Wednesday morning. The contact point will initially be run by a Credit Union staff member and volunteers are being sought to run it in the longer term.
Further information is available from Burgess Hill Town Council.
Support the Credit Union and avoid the high interest money lenders!
Janet Smith’s Ward Surgeries
Janet will hold surgeries for Meeds North residents who wish to raise matters with her by appointment
To make an appointment, or raise an issue with Janet, please phone Janet on 232647, email her on cllrjanet.smith@btconnect.com, or write to her at 15 Junction Road, Burgess Hill, RH15 0HR