Linda Jack visit to South Suffolk.

Yesterday was an eventful and intersting time meeting with Linda Jack , one of our Lib Dem candidates for the European elections and visiting Brantham, East Bergholt, Assington and Copella at Boxford/Stoke by Nayland.

It was a great opportunity to show Linda the Brantham industrial site in much need of regeneration and receiving EU money via the Haven Gateway for studies into dryport and other uses as well as successful local businesses at the Assington Farm shop/PO with their plans to expand and a tour around the Copella factory which produces excellent pressed apple drinks and both so inextricably linked to the rural economy yet both have faced planning issues.

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Six to Fix for Suffolk

Lib Dems have launched their campaign for Suffolk County Council and the Six to Fix for Suffolk is an excellent theme.

There is a real anger in some communities over the Middle school closure programme, many feel the consultation was disingenuous. At the same time, there is little support for schools from the Conservatives and we have seen other counties in the East overtake our GCSE performance.

The Conservative run Council has also disappointed people with the big increases in care charges for the elderly and stopping free day care.

The Conservatives also appointed a Chief Executive on £218,000. That is £30,000 more than the Prime minister! Suffolk needs a better run and more in touch council.

Finally, the environment needs to be much higher up the agenda. I still find many older Conservative councillors are climate change deniers, there is noo sense of urgency from them. The Liberal Democrats want the environment at the centre of policy. Declarations are no good unless acted upon and we will act.

Back gardens lost ??

The Government allowed back gardens to be classed as brownfield land so potentially allowing housing development within them if other planning considerations were acceptable so it is no surprise that the unpopular application to build a small estate of housing in the back gardens of a number of properties on Waldingfield Road, Sudbury has got permission at Appeal.

The developer did the usual thing, got refused permission so came back with a modified plan and then another till eventhough councillors rejected it against planning officers recommendations, the changes were enough to win at the independent planning inspecorate.

The test will now be whether the owners of the gardens sell up to the developer. Without land this development cannot happen. Yet the precedent was already set in a number of other places in the town but this decision well and truely sets the potential for more applications like this.

There are some other important questions. Shouldn't property owners have the freedom to sell part of their gardens for housing? Or should there be a ban? Would a ban mean more countryside is lost if gardens cannot be built on? Aren't gardens and green space important for quality of life and design of an estate? Aren't gardens important as wildlife refuges in an urban world and don't they help deal with water runoff? Can the existing rules stop development in gardens which is unsuitable?

There are no easy answers here, as little new housing means unaffordable house prices for our young people. Some of the people opposing garden use would also oppose building on the fields around the town edge.

What would we do if a developer approached us to sell a piece of our garden? Individually we might think thats ok till we turn around and find all the other individuals think the same and then collectively we might just think what have we done?

It seems to me that some back gardens might be suitable. BUT it seems to me that the designation of brownfield land needs removing as it makes it easier for the developer. Building in gardens should be the exception not the rule.

Let us hope Waldingfield Road residents have not signed up to sell.

At the expense of democracy

Today's paper has another politician this time Labour peer Baroness Uddin being accused of an expenses distortion. This is over a flat in Maidstone bought as a main residence but neighbours claim she never lives there.
When will these politicians realise that they damage the very fabric of our democracy when they make people believe they are on the take or in it for themselves. When the defence is "but it is within the rules" as some MP's have claimed yet the rules are allowing obvious misuse of public money, it is about time many had a long hard look in the mirror.
Hazel Blears in her veiled attack on Gordon Brown claims the public do not believe the government on their policy announcements, is it surprising when you see Labour ministers claiming second home allowances that do not stand up to honest scrutiny.
The sooner reform occurs the better but reform that will last the test of time and is not knee jerk and restores some faith in our democracy.