DECIMALISATION? WE THINK NOT JOHN PAUL!

Wyre Forest Tory Cabinet Member Cllr. John Paul Campion has obviously had an extremely good Christmas! On his "blog" he is apparently...

"Looking forward to 2007 – Decimalisation of parking in the district."

Could he possibly actually mean "decriminalisation" of parking in the District - that is powers for parking controls to switch from Police to Council.

Happy New Year Cllr. Campion. We look forward to more 'interesting' concepts for local services across the District!

Meanwhile, also on that Tory 'blog'...

TORY 'HUM BUG' ON BUSES DENOUNCED BY LOCAL LIBERAL COUNCILLOR...

Local Liberal Councillors have denounced as "total humbug" local Wyre Forest Tory claims on their website 'blog' that they are concerned by "continued decline in bus services in Wyre Forest".

Kidderminster Liberal District and County Councillor Fran Oborski said today "It is the Conservative run County Council who have CUT local bus subsidies. It is very largely the Tories who are directly responsible for that decline in local bus services about they now moaning!".

"Instead of moaning they need to put the cash back where it belongs - stimulating and developing our desperately inadequate local bus services!"

"It is also the Tories who have got rid of the local 'Bus Quality Partnership' making it far harder for local people to voice their views on the future of local bus services!"

WITH EVERY BEST WISH FOR A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!

: Cllr Graham Ballinger : Cllr Paul Harrison :

: Cllr Siri Hayward : Cllr Rachel Lewis :

: Cllr Fran Oborski : Cllr Mike Oborski :

: Cllr Rob Wheway :

: The Local Liberal Team :

: Mike Price (Constituency Chairman) :

: Tim Ingham (Constituency Agent) :

Wyre Forest Liberal & Radical Association

Liberal Group Wyre Forest District Council

Liberal Group Worcestershire County Council

LATEST GREENHILL FOCUS...

...online HERE in pdf format now!-

IN THIS LATEST EDITION...

St Ambrose - Safe Route to Schools : Horrific Railway Incident Disgrace : Tories To Slash County Services : Comberton Hill - More Chaos Looms : State Of The Roads! Why Did They Bother To Ask? : Highways Cash For Local County Councillors : Primary Places : Congratulations Community Housing : Worcestershire Hub : Horsefair / Broadwaters / Greenhill Priority Area : Mayor's Charity : Light Bulbs : Congratulations Nick : Christmas Tree Madness : ASBOs : Hoo Road Bus Shelters : Dog Fouling : Real Cost Of The Town Hall Glass Barriers : Sat Nav Madness : We're Here To Help! :

TOTALLY OFF TOPIC!

Mike had his first ever letter published in "The Times" yesterday...

Recently I presented English language certificates to Polish bus drivers in Coventry. The courses at the local college had been organised and paid for by the bus company and designed to meet the specific needs of the drivers. The atmosphere was great. The strong rapport between company and drivers and the enthusiam of the drivers were clearly visible.

The lesson is simple. Good employers invest in their staff and get good results. Others do not.

MIKE OBORSKI
Honorary Polish Consul for the West Midlands
Kidderminster, Worcs

FANCY SOME REALLY GOOD THOUGHT PROVOKING READING?

There are some really good articles in The Guardian today...

Try the Archbishop of York, the excellent John Sentamu, on "Face to faith - Ethics must shape our global economy". Catch up on it here!

Or Martin Kettle's interesting "We can't just blame our lack of trust on Tony Blair's 'lies'". Catch up on it here!

Kettle's "End of the Ming dynasty? - Today's poll reveals a decline in support for the Lib Dems, and poses a question most of them would prefer not to ask: is it their leader's fault?" of a few days back is also worth a read. Catch up on it here!

You can find his "Get real. And count me out of this facile consensus - It's smug and dishonest to expect politicians to inhabit a different moral universe to the imperfect one the rest of us live in!" Catch up here!

You can also pick up on his early December "A revolt against broken forms of government - A crucial lesson from the Iraq war reveals hubris in the White House and the failure of centralisation in Downing Street". Catch up on it here!

Or if you are looking for a really stimulating book full of ideas head for:-

"The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream" by Barack Obama

- the rising young star of the U.S. Democratic Party. Amazon .co.uk have it hardbound for £12.58. Find it here!

MY two children go to Offmore First School in Kidderminster and are being allowed - nae, encouraged - to enjoy the festive season to its maximum.

The younger children are putting on a traditional nativity play, and all are encouraged to send Christmas cards and are even offered the opportunity through the PTA to write to Santa and possibly get letters back!

I have read with alarm in the national press of the recent "Politically Correct Brigade" who have such idiotic ideas of banning festive decorations in the workplace and encouraging high street shops not to stock Christmas cards depicting the nativity scene for fear of offending.

My children are learning at the school not only about our traditional celebrations such as Christmas and Easter but that of other cultures within our community such as Eid and Diwali.

I feel so strongly that the school is doing the best for its children that I wanted to encourage them to continue to do so for many years.

I have written to the headteacher who, together with the school staff, have established a wonderful and stimulating school for local children to learn about the world.

MRS L POTTER

Kidderminster

Full address supplied

WHERE DID THE FUEL STATIONS GO?

Really outstanding piece of journalism in Thursday's Express & Star...

WHERE DID THE FUEL STATIONS GO?

Motorists using one 20-mile route in the heart of the Midlands used to be spoilt for choice, writes Motoring Editor Peter Carroll.

Travelling from Wolverhampton to the tourist town of Stourport, near Kidderminster, there were five garages on one street alone, the Penn Road.

There were further petrol options on the A449 at Wombourne and Wall Heath; and several more filling stations in Kidderminster before the short hop across to Stourport.

Now, however, the picture is very different.

So-called forecourt rationalisation has led to the closure of all the Penn Road petrol stations and more than half a dozen outlets have folded in Kidderminster alone in recent years.

These days, from Wolverhampton ring road to Stourport via Comberton Hill in Kidderminster only one remains open for business.

Nationally the picture is equally bleak. In 1974 there were more than 70,000 petrol stations across the UK. By 1990 the figure stood at nearly 20,000. Now, however, there are barely 9,700 - meaning there are now fewer outlets in the country than there were in 1914.

So why are petrol stations going the same way as the corner shop, the post office and the school playing field?

Simon Wallis, who has run the Wall Heath Service Station in Wall Heath for the last decade, suggests the main reason is increased competition from supermarkets.

His is the only garage where you can fill up on the A449 between Kidderminster and Wolverhampton but most motorists tend to make detours to supermarkets in Kingswinford where cheaper fuel is on offer.

Motorists may want cheap fuel, but independent petrol retailers cannot match the buying power of big supermarket chains like Tesco and Asda. Nor can they offer discount vouchers as additional incentives to drivers who shop in their store.

“There’s very little money in fuel,” says Mr Wallis. “We cannot compete with supermarkets who can dictate the price.”

He has had to diversify in order to preserve his livelihood. His Kidderminster Road site houses an off-licence business specialising in discount alcohol and there’s a used car business next door.

“We’ve had to do this in order to survive,” said Mr Wallis. “There’s no way we could make a living just selling fuel. It’s a small part of the business here and there’s no future in it. We do it mainly as a service to customers.”

Profit margins are low in the fuel business. Drivers may spend a lot of money at forecourts but nearly three quarters goes into the pocket of the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the form of excise duty or VAT.

Drivers are also making fewer visits to garages because modern cars are more economical and diesel is becoming increasing popular. Then there are the extra costs to retailers of meeting stricter environmental legislation aimed at reducing the effects of petrol fumes on the atmosphere.

All of which means the worth of a fuel retailing business now tends to be outweighed by the value of the site it occupies - explaining why so many sites, particularly in urban areas, are being sold off for development. In Kidderminster the sale of petrol forecourts has sparked a mini-construction boom in the town.

There are 13 flats and five shops going up at Comberton Heights on the site of a former garage near the town’s railway station; on Chester Road North Kendrick Homes are building a mews development of three-bedroom homes on another former fuel site; while the former Jet Garage opposite the Land Oak now houses a substantial development of flats.

While fuel is cheaper at supermarkets - at least for now - there are increasingly fewer outlets to fill up.

There is less choice for the motorist, less competition among retailers, and, as more garages close, drivers will have to spend more time queueing on forecourts during peak times.

And it’s not just the opportunity to refuel which is being lost. Most petrol stations have shops attached where you can pick up a pint of milk, a paper or a loaf of bread.

Customer toilets can prove a Godsend for mothers with small children, while some outlets feature car servicing businesses where you can seek advice on motor maintenance from a mechanic.

"The minority Conservative administration on Wyre Forest District is too arrogant, grossly self satisfied, blindly self confident and increasingly drifting out of touch  both with Council realities and public opinion" - says Liberal Group Leader Cllr. Mike Oborski!

“The minority Conservative administration on Wyre Forest District is too arrogant, grossly self satisfied, blindly self confident and increasingly drifting out of touch  both with Council realities and public opinion” Liberal Group Leader Cllr Mike Oborski claimed today.

With only 18 seats out of 42 on the Council they are 3 seats short of a majority at the best of times. In the most recent crucial vote in Council they could only command 12 votes while 4 Conservatives revolted and voted with the opposition while, we gather the 2 others were ordered to stay away because if the risk of them rebelling as well!”

“The Conservative Group need to remember that they do NOT have an overall majority – they are only a minority administration - and that they need to listen to other Parties representing a wider view of public opinion and to take on board new ideas and initiatives.”

Cllr Oborski said he believed that “now would be the right time for opposition Group Leaders to meet to review Tory failures and inaction and to see if there was room for co-operation to put forward common demands for action and reform”.

Cllr Oborski said he would be writing to other Opposition Group Leaders accordingly”.

With very best wishes for Christmas & the New Year!

GOOD NEWS FOR ASHDENE CLOSE...

...where residents will be happy to hear that the County Council is backing our plan for parking restrictions on the junction with Tennyson Way!

Read our letter to local residents here in pdf format.

NOT SO GOOD NEWS FOR SILVER BIRCH DRIVE...

...where quite a few residents will be unhappy that on appeal developers a Government Planning Inspector has given the go-ahead for an extra 3 bedroom detached house next to number 8.

With best wishes for Christmas & the New Year!

DON'T THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING?

The Shuttle report the following appalling story! Don't the idiot yobs responsible have the slightest idea just how potentially dangerous their cowardly, stupidity and disregard for others really is...

TRANSPORT police believe yobs are to blame after a 22kg block of masonry smashed through a train window in Kidderminster - leaving the driver with multiple serious injuries.

The man, in his 50s, was rushed to Worcestershire Royal Hospital, where his condition was originally described as "critical" after the incident, which happened at about 10.20pm on Sunday night.

He suffered severe cuts to his head and body along with fractured bone in his face following the suspected attack. His condition has now been upgraded to "stable".

The freight train, which was travelling between Llanwern and Brierley Hill, was hit by the block while moving at a speed of almost 50mph.

A resident alerted emergency services to the situation after hearing the driver sound the horn after it came to a stop near to Lyndholm Road.

It had earlier passed under three bridges - Chester Road North, Offmore Lane and Comberton Hill.

British Transport Police officers have been searching the area and conducting house-to-house inquiries in a bid to piece together information.

The Black Box recorder is also to be examined to try and find out exactly when and where the train was hit. The driver, who has not been named, has not been able to clearly recall the ordeal.

Chief Inspector Allan Gregory appealed for residents, especially those currently having building work carried out on their homes in the Offmore Lane area, with information to come forward.

He added: "In the 14 years I have worked here this is by far the most serious route crime I have ever known. The driver could easily have been killed.

"At first his condition was described as critical, then serious and now, miraculously after this horrendous and shocking incident, he could soon be discharged."

He added because of the size and weight of the block it was possible more than one person could have been involved.

Anyone with information should contact British Transport Police on 0800 405040 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

OPEN THE CHAMPAGNE! RING THE BELLS! IT'S TME TO CELEBRATE!

County Council signs have appeared on Tennyson Way - near to the junctions with Wordsworth Crescent - warning that road works there will start on 2nd January 2007 and last for about nine weeks!

Glory, hallelujah! At long last after all the delays and all our fighting to get the scheme actually included in the County Council's safe routes to schools initiative we are at last going to get the crossing and all the associated road works!

Open the champagne! I'm happy at last!

HEALTH, SAFETY & CHRISTMAS TREES..

Early yesterday morning on BBC Radio 4 a senior officer from the Health and Safety Executive was busy explaing that most of the follies blamed on "Health & Safety" are actually nothing to do with them!

Either over zealous officials elsewhere get things out of proportion or "health & safety" simply becomes an excuse for taking an easy way out instead of actually tackling an issue.

Last night I read in the Express & Star that there wil lbe NOL huge Christmas Tree (no small tree for that matter) in Kidderminster Town Hall because of, yes you've guessed it, "health and safety"!

There has been a massive Christmas Tree in the Town Hall every year since probably well back into Victorian times!

So how many fires, deaths, casualties, plagues, epidemics, natural catastrophes etc., etc., have there been ín Kidderminster over the years because of the annual appearance of a huge, malevolent and potentially lethal massive Christmas Tree at the Town Hall. Well, precisely and exactly none!

It strikes me that there are two sorts of organisations in this World:-

(a) Those who when faced with a little difficulty or problem simply use their initiative and solve it.

(b) Those who roll over, give up, look for the easiest way out and hide behind some pathetic excuse.

I think we now know where Wyre Forest District Council stands!

Meanwhile you can find out...

HOW THE CHILD PROTECTION INDUSTRY STOLE CHRISTMAS...

PDF File Online here!

MINI MOTO MADNESS!

Fran was driving back up Shaw Avenue tonight at about 7.30pm. Conditions could best be described as dark, damp and foggy.

As she approached the Osborne Close junction a teenager on a mini-moto with no lights shot out in front of her turning up Shaw Avenue towards Shakespeare Drive at high speed.

Fran only just missed the idiot!

This is absolute insanity - taking a by definition unlicensed, uninsured, illegal on the highway, mini-moto with no lights at speed onto a dark, damp and foggy public highway!

Let's get it absolutely straight! Mini-Motos can only be used on private land and then ONLY WITH THE OWNERS CONSENT.

They CANNOT be driven on public highways, public footpaths, parks, recreation areas or indeed any other public or private land.

Fran has reported the incident to the Police as this youngster was not only creating danger for other motorists and pedestrians but also putting his own life at risk!

EVEN OVER THOSE LITTLE THINGS IN THE CHRISTMAS RUSH - BUYER BEWARE!

Just the other day we bought four cheap bright red matallic 'chargers' (the sort that go under dinner plates instead of table mats) at The Range on Crossley Park. A perfect match for our all red Christmas design we thought. Loose off the shelf (avoid the chipped ones) they were only £1.99 each and so £7.96 for all four.

Tonight we were in B & Q and, lo and behold, they had the exactly identical item with four chargers packed in a very nice box but along with eight extras - four matching serviette rings and four matching drink mats. The price of the boxed set of four with all the extras in B & Q was £4.94. Yes, we bought that as well!

In other words in B & Q on this particular item you pay £3.02 LESS (that is 37% less) and get a lot MORE!

No, we are NOT getting at The Range. I'm sure from experience that they are cheaper and better value on other items.

No, it's just that the lesson is clear. Even though it takes time shop around during that last minute Christmas shopping blitz in Kidderminster shops. There are plenty of bargains and lots of good value for money - but, as ever - prices can vary  dramatically - and always remember "buyer beware"!

Hereford & Worcester Fire Service advise...

DO YOU KNOW THE 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS...

1. Make sure your festive lights conform to British Standards.

2. Be careful with candles and never leave them unattended.

3. Make sure your family and guests have an escape plan.

4. Keep decorations away from lights and heat.

5. Never overload electrical sockets.

6. Remember, drinking excess alcohol and cooking doesn't mix.

7. Never leave the cooking unattended.

8. Follow the Firework Code when storing or using fireworks.

9. Extinguish all cigarettes before going to bed.

10. Check your smoke alarms every week.

11. Keep lighters and matches away from children.

12. Make sure vulnerable relatives and neighbours are also safe - and encourage them to find out about our FREE Home Fire Safey Check Scheme.

Call Freephone 0800 032 1155

www.hwfire.or.uk

MERRY CHRISTMAS

& A SAFE NEW YEAR

ARE YOU BEING WELL AND TRULY SERVICED?

The Leader of the Council's Christmas Message conludes as follows but shouldn't it be "serving" rather than "servicing"?

THANKS! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH THIS KINDNESS MEANS TO ME!

I would like to thank everyone who has phoned, e-mailed or simply stopped me in the street to chat - including complete strangers - since Sarah Cousins's interview with me about my Cancer appeared in "The Shuttle" on Thursday. People have been extremely kind. I am deeply touched and extremely moved by this kindness.

- Cllr Mike Oborski 

THOSE TOWN HALL GLASS BARRIERS AGAIN! GETTING THE COST STRAIGHT!

Cllr. Fran Oborski has just written to The Kidderminster Shuttle to set the record straight..

Dear Sir,

Wyre Forest Conservative District Council Leader Cllr Stephen Clee is quite wrong to say (Shuttle 14th December) that "£22,425 was the total cost of the new ramped entrance and not just the hand rails".

Senior Council Officers have subsequently confirmed to us that we are quite right and that the £22,425 covers ONLY the cost of the glass panels, the associated hand rails. three benches and nothing more.

That sum does NOT include the cost of the actual ramp and the steps. 

We have asked to be told the cost of the ramp and the steps but so far they have NOT been forthcoming as the Officers say that these costings are "buried" in the wider contract costs of the overall work on the Town Hall and are "difficult" to extract! We await those figures, if they are ever unburied, with interest.

Yours sincerely,

Cllr Fran Oborski (Liberal Planning Spokesman, Wyre Forest District Council)

COUNCIL LAUNCHES SCRUTINY EXERCISE INTO STOURPORT CONSEVATION AREA...

Wyre Forest District Concil's Prosperity Scrutiny Panel, Chaired by Liberal Councillor Fran Oborski is launching a full scale scrutiny exercise into Stourport-on-Severn's Conservation area Number 1.

The aim is to ensure that the development is appropriate to the area and that local landmarks are preserved and we get the best possible deal for the area.

As well as consulting with all the usual interested organisations there will be plenty of opportunity for members of the public to expess their opinions. Details will be publicised in The Shuttle, by the Council and on this web site.

BY FAR THE STRANGEST COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING EVER...

Today's Special Meeting of the Worcestershire County Council must go down as the strangest ever!

Conservative Council Leader George Lord, having announced on the front page of the Local Government Chronicle that Worcestershire would campaign to go Unitary - doing away with all the District Councils - and calling today's Special Council Meeting to rubber stamp his decision then discovered that his own Conservative Group would not support him. His plan was dead in the water!

Cllr Lord was then stuck with what to do with a Special Council Meeting which he no longer needed but which couldn't be cancelled.

In order to give it some semblence of purpose we were faced this afternoon with an Officer "presentation" on the Government's intention to cut local government spending though another dose of ill thought out local government reorganisation. As County Councillors know all of this already it was basically a total waste of time but sit through it we had to!

There then followed a protracted "debate" in which Cllr Lord proposed firstly that the County Council does NOT go for Unitary status! In other words he proposed exactly the opposite of what he actually wanted in the first place.

He also proposed that the County co-operate with the Districts in order to find ways of introducing co-operation and joint working in order to save cash. This was tightened up slightly by a Labour amendment along similar lines.

The first part of Cllr Lord's  Motion was carried by 40 votes to 9 while the second part was carried by 45 to 1 with 5 abstentions!

In other words effectively 40 Councillors, from every party on the Council voted AGAINST Cllr Lord's original idea thast the Council should go Unitary - including Cllr Lord himself! Only 9 members of the Council (I think mostly Labour) stuck with his original proposal!

If this wasn't total farce then I don't know what is! Cllr Lord should really clear his desk as Leader of the Council it really cannot go on like this! 

Ominously, in her speech Tory Cabinet Member Liz Eyre talked repeatedly of the need for strong leadership. It will be interesting to discover what, if anything she thinks she is planning!

LOCAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE EXACTLY THAT - LOCAL - ARGUED LIBERAL GROUP LEADER MIKE OBORSKI...

Liberal Leader Cllr Mike Oborski told the Council that he could understand why the earlier Officer presentation and most speakers in the debate were concentrating on money issues because Government "reform" proposals were solely about cutting spending and nothing else.

However, Mike wanted to emphasise that quality of life was also important. The County Treasurer had given the game away by speculating that a Unitary Authority would impose the Council Tax of the lowest charging of the then disbanding District Councils. This would mean big cuts in services in every other District. A  standard Council Tax would mean "one size fits all" services across the County regardless of the particular needs of local communities in different areas of the County.

But, argued Cllr Oborski, one of the County's attractions and realities is its divergence. Malvern Hills is very different from Wyre Forest and so it is only natural that both Councils have different priorities based upon what LOCAL people in each area want and need.

He emphasised that Wyre Forest had little reason to believe that a Worcester based Unitary Council would understand Wyre Forest. The County did not back us on Hospital cuts or on the incinerator battle. The Wyre Forest Schools review ignored Wyre Forest opinion and is beginning to unravel and adult care services in Wyre Forest are tottering on the brink of disaster thanks to County Hall.

He argued that County and Districts should work together to look for new ways to run services and get better value for money but that did not meaning doing away with Districts. Rather it meant building on existing strengths and local knowledge.

Mike emphasised that LOCAL Government should be exactly that - LOCAL - with LOCAL people electing LOCAL representatives from the LOCAL community, answerable to LOCAL people!

Row over 'eyesore' hand rails continues...

The Kidderminster Shuttle reports...

Row over 'eyesore' hand rails continues

HISTORIC buildings watchdog, English Heritage, did "encourage" Wyre Forest District Council to use modern glass and chrome for the hand rails leading to Kidderminster Town Hall's new entrance, it has been revealed.

The modern structure has come under fire from almost 1,000 residents, who have signed a petition calling for its removal, and a leading Liberal councillor, who condemned it as a "monstrous eyesore".

English Heritage previously indicated that the modern design had been solely down to the council's designers but, putting the record straight, the organisation's historic buildings inspector, Alan Taylor, said the design had been drawn up jointly.

"That was not possible, so we encouraged the council to bring a step out at the front with a ramp and to include the modern design with the transparent panels so the building could still be seen.

"It made an architectural statement that does not compete with the building."

Petitioner, Ron Hawkesford, of Brecknell Rise, Kidderminster, said he was "terribly surprised" to learn that English Heritage had been involved in drawing up the design.

"I still think it's a dreadful shame the town hall has been ruined to make way for offices," he said, adding: "The materials used on the frontage do not suit the building and a lot of people agree with me."

District councillor, Mike Oborski, said he and his Liberal colleagues were "totally astounded and appalled" at the cost of the glass and chrome hand rails which, he claimed, amounted to £22,425.

"The money could have been better spent on vital council services," he added, "Much more modest cast iron railings, in keeping with the Victorian style of the building, would have been perfectly practical and acceptable. Instead, the council has paid a small fortune for a monstrous eyesore."

The council's Leader, Conservative, Stephen Clee, defended the modern structure and said the £22,425 was the total cost of the new ramped entrance and not just the hand rails.

"I think the cost was quite cheap for what we had done, " said Mr Clee and he urged people not to pass judgement until the work was properly finished.

He said there was stone work to complete, which had to be specially ordered from the North of England to ensure it was in keeping with that used in the Grade II listed town hall.

The ramp was built as the entrance to the council's new one-stop customer services point - the Worcestershire Hub - and alternate glass panels are to be etched with the hub logo.

Initial plans by the council to make a separate hub entrance at the side of the town hall, leading from the new shopping precinct, were rejected by English Heritage, which insisted the public should use the traditional "grand ceremonial" front entrance.

AND THAT £22,425? WHAT EXACTLY WAS IT FOR?

Hang on the District Council Officers insisted to us that the £22,425 was JUST for the panels and bannister NOT the ramp! We'll check on that one!

"GREEN" AS IN CONSERVATION OR "GREEN" AS IN NAIVE?

So through our letter box tonight drops something headed...

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE News

For a start I'm totally turned off by newsletters with silly supposedly "trendy" and supposedly "clever" titles. What exactly does "MISSION IMPOSSIBLE" mean in this strange two tone context? I have no idea!

Secondly, the leaflet is an A3 sheet folded in half to make a four page A4 booklet. This is really heavy quality top of the range paper carrying full colour printing.

Presumably this leaflet is falling through every reasonably accessible letter box in the County. In which case there are rather a lot of them!

The purpose of the leaflet is to encourage us to reduce household waste so that we all end up "making MISSION IMPOSSIBLE possible!" - which is a strange and meaningless abuse of the English language. If the "mission" is "impossible" then by definition it cannot also be "possible"!

The front page explains "Why do we need to reduce our waste". Page two is on the joys of composting. Page three extolls the virtues of Food Waste Disposers (why do I have a vague memory of rows over the energy costs of running one?). Page four tells you about Stuart from Worcester furnished his first flat "for virtually nothing" through various recycling organisations and reminds us that "real nappies can save you money"!

Now all of this is good stuff but I do have two basic questions:-

1 How much does this leaflet cost in terms of cash, energy and delivery etc?

2. What hard evidence is there that people actually take up these ideas - specifically as a result of reading this newsletter (4 times a year) - in sufficiently high numbers to justify its existance in the first place!

By the way you can find them online at, yes,  www.wastemissionimpossible.org.uk of course!

"I IS NOT NEARLY AS DEAD AS WOT THE WORCESTER NEWS SAYS I IS!"

Last Friday the happy bunch of supposed "journalists" at the Worcester News printed a rather wild looking archive photo of me (I was probably getting steamed up over pot holes or road surfaces or something similar) with a photo caption which started with the word "DYING". What a nice sensitive bunch of souls they are!

As it happens my 89 year old Mum, who has all her own marbles and then plus some, lives down in Camberley in Surrey. Of course the Worcester News don't know that. For all they know she could be living here in Kidderminster. My Mum knows the full score on my health! Indeed, she absolutely insists on being kept "in the loop". 89 she may be but she's still very much the boss! I can only wonder what she would have felt  - even knowing the score - if she'd lived here, opened the local paper, seen a deranged photo of her son with the caption "DYING"! Of course that sort of thing is of no interest to the Worcester News!

Meanwhile BBC Hereford & Worcester did a good feature on me but concentrated almost entirely on my fury that I (on medical insurance) get "Avastin" pumped into me while NHS patients are not even offered the drug! That is the point I want to get across so I am very grateful to them.

Sol at The Express & Star wrote a really excellent article again targetting the Avastin issue more than my personal plight. I am really grateful to him for that. It really hit the bulls eye!

I did an interview with Sarah from The Shuttle on Friday and knowing her, and Kidderminster Shuttle Editor Clive Joyce, I know that whatever they write they can be trusted to deliver a first rate professional job!

Meanwhile, I am gearing up for the forthcoming Special Worcestershire County Council Meeting.

I have posters and badges declaring "I is not nearly as dead as wot the Worcester News says I is!". Fran will have the "Mike is not nearly as dead as wot the Worcester News says he is!" version!

In reality I am still perfectly functional both as a Wyre Forest District Councillor, Worcestershire County Councillor, Consul of The Republic of Poland for the West Midlands and apparently "blog" editor!

On top of that I am in a pretty dangerous - not to say murderous - mood if anyone mentions the Worcester News!

THAT BEWDLEY MUSEUM WEB SITE...

Having only just stumbled across the site I have just sent the folowing in an e-mail to Wyre Forest District Council Chief Executive Walter Delin...

Walter,

http://bewdleymuseum.tripod.com

1. How much council money was spent on establishing this site?

2. How many officer hours were consumed building the site?

3. Why are we reduced to using a Tripod site?

4. If we have use a Tripod site why haven't we even paid the tiny amount needed to remove external advertising?

5. Why do none of the "links" actually go anywhere?

6. Is the "What's on 2004" really the latest thing we have to tell the public about? Although actually we can't even do that as the "link" to that information doesn't work!

7. Would you agree that what is online is a worthless, pointless mess?

8. Can you contrive to get this total waste of space closed down straight away?

9. Can you get your staff to look as a matter of some priority at providing a proper professional web site for Bewdley Museum which deserves far better support than this?

Regards,

Mike

HUGE, VIRTUALLY UN-NOTICED DISASTER FOR THE EASTERN SIDE OF KIDDERMINSTER...

It passed virtually un-noticed - a huge and irreversable disaster for the East of Kidderminster.

For 35 years we have campaigned for a KIDDERMINSTER EASTERN BY-PASS. Why? Because it would get through traffic and the vast majority of heavy lorries OFF Birmingham Road and OFF Chester Road and it would stop surrounding local residential roads (for example Borrington Road - Tennyson Way - Husum Way) being used as unofficial 'rat runs' and eastern by-passes.

At various times over the years we have been PROMISED an Eastern By-pass only to betrayed within weeks or days.

in 1975 there was even a huge full scale Public Inquiry at Kidderminster Town Hall for which we produced two massive reporst mashalling both technical arguments and residents views in support of a By-Pass. Fran did a really fantastic job aguing the case. I remember complaining because the initial pubic consultation maps did not include the "new" Offmore Fam Estate. The Planning Inspector seemed enormously sympathetic and we were convinced we had victory within our grasp.

Alas, Central Government suddenly announced that there would be no more by-passes anywhere. As a result the Planning Inspector's Report on a Kidderminster Eastern By-pass never saw the light of day - it was never issued or published!

The one saving grace was that the "line" of the By-Pass was protected. In other words nobody could build anywhere on the proposed line for a By-Pass in case at some future date it was actually decided to buid the By-pass in which case of course the land would be needed!

Well, tha protection has now gone. The Government's Highways Agaency has decided,  in the face of County Council opposition, that the'line' of the By-Pass is no longer protected. No doubt at some stage people will now build over it at vaious points.

Effectively the opportunity to build a Kidderminster Eastern By-Pass is lost forever.

So there you have it. Heavy vehicles and other through traffic will continue to thunder in no doubt increasing numbers along Chester Road and Birmingham Road.  Local residential roads will continue to be used as "rat runs" and unofficial easern by-passes.  It is a very, very sad day for everyone living on the Eastern side of Kidderminste.

COMBERTON HILL & SEVERN TRENT...

Yes, everyone knows that from time to time there is a need for serious road works that are very disruptive and simply cannot be avoide. Pipes leak, pipes and cables wear out and need replacing. That's life!

What is driving everyone mad is the sheer slowness, lack of communications and total inability to plan and get on with the job of Severn Trent and their Contractors on Comberton Hill. To date it has been a total shambles. No wonder Severn Valley bosses and local shop keepers look forward in horror and terror at yet more Severn Trent "works" on the Hill!

They have our total sympathy and support!

Sue Smith writes this in The Express & Star...

RAIL BOSSES' WORK FURY

WYRE FOREST CHRISTMAS REFUSE & RECYCLING COLLECTIONS...

MONDAY 25th DECEMBER - NO REFUSE OR RECYLING COLLECTIONS (Collections will be : REFUSE: Friday 22nd December, RECYCLING: Saturday 30th December).

TUESDAY 26th DECEMBER - NO REFUSE OR RECYLING COLLECTIONS (Collections will be : REFUSE: Saturday 23rd December, RECYCLING: Tuesday 2nd January).

MONDAY 1st JANUARY - NO REFUSE OR RECYLING COLLECTIONS (Collections will be : REFUSE: Saturday 30th December, RECYCLING: Monday 8th January).

PLEASE NOTE: Collections will start EARLY between 22nd December and 5th January only. Please ensure that your bins / boxes are left at the kerbside by 6.00 am.

SCHOOL LEAGUE TABLES TIME AGAIN!

I find School League tables both puzzling and highly dubious! There are so many aspects of school life which they do NOT take into account nor do they make sufficient allowances for the very different intakes - in terms of social skills, relative wealth and poverty, and home educational support - facing our various local schools.

Well, for anyone who thinks they can make anything out of it here are today's "ratings" for our local schools. The first figure after every school is the "average point score" and the second figure represents "school value added measure":-

Bewdley St Annes Middle 29.7 / 101.1 : Blakedown CE 28.7 / 98.8 : Kidderminster Birchen Coppice Middle 25.4 / 98.4 : Kidderminster Comberton Middle 29.2 / 100.5 : Kidderminster Franche Middle 26.7 / 99.5 : Kidderminster St Johns CE Middle 27.7 / 99.5 : Kidderminster Sion Hill Middle 26.8 / 98.8 : The Sladen CE Middle 26.9 / 99.1 : Stourport-on-Severn Burlish Middle 27.3 / 98.3 : Stourport-on-Severn Lickhill Middle 26.9 / 98.3 : Stourport-on-Severn St Wulstan's RC 29.6 / 100.5 : Wribbenhall Middle 27.9 / 99.4 : St Ambose RC 27.0 / 100.7 :

To be honest a "value added" rating that is not over 100% is worring. Schools should be adding to the life chances of their pupils. If the "value added" figure is less than 100% it implies that a school is letting that slide. Having said that the ratings are so fragile and subject to error that it is extremely dangerous to rely on them!

A SERIOUS COMMENT...

Among all the comment about the League Tables The Express & Star makes an interesting point which should be taken to heart noting "Birchen Coppice in Kidderminster finishing in 100th place - among (the) worst of the 109 in the County". It also notes that St. Wulstan's RC scored well coming 5th in the County.  The paper then notes that apart from St Wulstans "only one other primary school ranked in the the top 50 (within the County) with Combertn Middle ranked in 42nd place". It then notes that Sion HIll came 87th and Sladen 90th in the County.

Now, many will argue - like County Council Cabinet Member Liz Eyre - that everything is fine because Worcestershire is above the all-England average for our combined points score.

That leaves two important questions unanswered:-

Firstly, why is Wyre Forest not performing as well well as other parts of the Council?

Secondly, of course Worcestershire should be performing "above national average"! The intake going into our schools is better supported at home, better socialised, better fed, less poor, and from, yes, better areas than children in many areas of our country - just look at the problems facing schools in the poorest inner city areas of the country. Our performance should not be "above average" it should be "well above average"! The real question is why isn't our County doing better?

Worringly for us many schools in VERY deprived parts of Birmingham achieve far highe scores than many far more "comfortble" Worcestershire schools. Of course Birmingham gets more cash per pupil from the government which must count for something and Birmingham looks worse than Worcestershire because it starts with far more challenges and far less cream!

How come that some Birmingham Schools that face appallingly difficult challenges becaus of the social conditions surrounding them can do so well? How, indeed, were these superb results achieved - many of them with large numbers of children who come from homes where English is the second language:-

Nelson Mandela in Aston 30.6 / 101.1 : Heath Mount in Balsall Heath 28.9 / 104.4 : Nelson JI 28.6 / 101.8 : Lozells JI 27.8 / 101.6 : Anglesey 27.3 / 103.3 : Adderley 25.3 / 101.3 : Regents Community (by the Blues Ground) 28.5 / 101.7 :

I have enormous respect for teachers in Wyre Forest Schools. They do an excellent job. There can be absolutely no argument about that! We know that they are underfunded but are they really getting the support they need from the local authority? The whole question  needs serious consideration and fast!

By the way I have never forgotten the very first words that the previous County Education Officer said to me - "Mike you can have reorganisation OR you can have raised standards BUT you CANNOT have both at the same time"!

CONTROVERSIAL plans to radically change the make-up of Wyre Forest politics have been shelved after an outcry of opposition.

Last week, Conservative Worcestershire County Council leader, George Lord, suggested a bid to become a unitary authority was on the horizon. The change from a two to one-tier model would have resulted in the axe falling on Wyre Forest District Council.

Liberal councillor, Mike Oborski, described the proposals as a "monstrous attack on local democracy" and has called for Mr Lord to be replaced as Leader. He added: "The Tory proposals would make everything more remote and less responsive."

District council Leader and county councillor, Stephen Clee, however, dismissed the suggestion that a unitary authority was being planned as "rubbish", adding a declaration had been signed by Wyre Forest leaders against such a move.

NOW LET'S GET IT STRAIGHT!

Whatever Councillor Clee says now it is perfectly clear that the Leader of the County Council and Leader of the Conservative Group at County Hall - Cllr George Lord - was Hell bent on doing away with the District Councils and running everything from a single unitary County Council based in Worcester. That would have been a disaster - remote, costly and out of touch with Wyre Forest - and the whole County - run from Worcester, by Worcester, for Worcester!

UPDATE - FRIDAY 8th DECEMBER

Worcester News reports it like this...

BACKBENCH REVOLT OVER PLAN TO SCRAP DISTRICTS...

A BACKBENCH revolt by Worcestershire County Council Conservatives has left their leader with egg on his face and the whole county in turmoil.

George Lord, county council leader, has long been in favour of pressing towards a unitary county - a single council responsible for all services - and scrapping the present district and city councils. His view is that this is a way forward and could save money.

He was supported in this by the Worcestershire Labour councillors, who saw some merit in the plans.

However, it has all come unstuck as, in what one insider described as a backbench revolt, his own Conservative colleagues voted the plan down.

Coun Lord is now left defending a plan without the majority support from his own party. One insider described the plans as dead in the water'.

It is thought that much of the opposition came from the north of the county and rural wards in Wychavon.

The Government has been asking all local authorities to look at working closer together and to enhance' their co-operation in a bid to be more efficient and to get more out of their money.

Ministers have suggested either going unitary or building stronger partnerships as two options.

Shropshire has recently opted to look seriously at going down the unitary road.

Coun Lord was strongly in favour of the unitary option and has been busy sounding out colleages in both county and district councils.

It is thought that a unitary Worcestershire, without any district or city councils, could save' up to £15m. This could be diverted to support front line services.

However, in a move that has incensed some political leaders in the county, Coun Lord went public with his plans and this led to a front page feature in the Local Government Chronicle.

As one district insider said: "Communication on this with us has been, at best poor and, at worst non-existent.

The latest rebuff came when a Conservative group meeting was called to push the scheme forward.

It was at this meeting where some councillors either failed to turn up or voted against the proposals.

It is understood that three cabinet members did not attend. The resulting lost vote is now seen as a slap in the face for the leader.

There seems little chance of the unitary option being pursued for some time and county officers, who had worked long and hard to put the plans together, are demoralised.

The £15m that could have been used to shore up the county's finances is probably now lost; there is a loss of credibility when dealing with Government Ministers and a massive loss of credibility with the district councils, with whom the county is meant to be developing partnerships.

The Government has asked for responses to the plans to be submitted by January 25, 2007.

It seems unlikely that Worcestershire will be able now to meet this deadline.

When contacted by the Worcester News, Coun Lord said he would not comment until the full county council had debated the issue at a special meeting next week.

John Buckley, the leader of the labour opposition on the county, and chairman of the review and scrutiny committee, said: "We have the chance for the people of Worcestershire to make a radical change to local government.

"We can get rid of the unnecessary mechanisms and put millions into front line services. If we do not go for a unitary authority, let's go for another radical step".

Worcester MP Mike Foster said: "The status quo is not acceptable. There is huge duplication of services.

"There are seven chief executives and six of them are at the districts.

"Each district has legal departments, finance departments and revenue collection departments.

"We could make efficiency savings by combining those services. £15 million could potentially come off the council tax bills or it could go to schools or social services. Personally, I would favour a unitary authority and the creation of parish councils in Worcester to strengthen very local government."

The Guardian reports today...

Situation is grave, deteriorating and threatens wider war, says Baker report...

The Iraq Study Group offers a detailed series of proposals aimed at getting the US out of an Iraq conflict that its reports says is costing America dear in terms of "blood and treasure" and is threatening to become much worse, possibly leading to a regional conflagration.

The 96-page report makes 79 recommendations to George Bush. These include a new diplomatic push in the Middle East that would encompass his declared enemies Syria and Iran, putting pressure on the Iraqi government to implement reforms and setting a timetable for the withdrawal of US combat troops.

As of this month, nearly 2,900 Americans have lost their lives serving in Iraq with another 21,000 wounded. The US has spent about $400bn (£203bn) on the war and costs are running at about $8bn per month. Estimates for the final cost to the US run as high as $2 trillion.

In an accompanying letter, Mr Baker and his co-chair, Lee Hamilton, say: "There is no magic formula to solve the problems of Iraq ... If current trends continue, the potential consequences are severe."

Scale of the crisis

The first part of the report, drawn up by politicians from Republican and Democratic parties, assesses the US's conduct and the scale of the crisis. "There is no guarantee for success. The situation in Baghdad and several provinces is dire ... Pessimism is pervasive."

The Iraqi army is judged to be "making fitful progress toward becoming a reliable and disciplined fighting force loyal to the national government". Units lack leadership and equipment, elements have refused to serve other than in specific areas, and missions have been refused. "The state of the Iraqi police is substantially worse than that of the Iraq army." The government is hobbled by sectarianism and insecurity, and economic recovery has been patchy.

The report warns of severe consequences for Iraq, the US, the region and the world if the situation continues to deteriorate. "Other countries fear significant violence crossing their borders", with the possibility of Shia insurrection in neighbouring states, fomented by Iran. "Such a broader sectarian conflict could open a Pandora's box of problems - including radicalisation of populations, mass movements of populations, and regime changes - that might take decades to play out."

The group rules out three options that are regularly floated: a quick US withdrawal because it would almost certainly lead to greater sectarian violence; staying in Iraq indefinitely because of the costs in terms of lives and money; and devolving Iraq into three semi-autonomous regions because it would be destabilising.

The report says: "Despite a massive effort, stability in Iraq remains elusive and the situation in deteriorating. The Iraqi government cannot now govern, sustain and defend itself without the support of the United States ... The ability of the US to shape outcomes is diminishing. Time is running out."

New diplomatic offensive

The first recommendation is for the US to "build a new international consensus for stability in Iraq and the region", including Syria and Iran, in spite of hostility to them. The report says this new diplomatic offensive, which should be launched before the end of the year, could be embraced by Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Iraq's other neighbours because "they all share an interest in avoiding the horrific consequences that would flow from a chaotic Iraq, particularly a humanitarian catastrophe and regional destabilisation".

The group proposes the establishment of an Iraq International Support Group, which would include all neighbouring countries. "Dealing with Iran and Syria is controversial. Nevertheless, it is our view that in diplomacy, a nation can and should engage its adversaries and enemies to try to resolve conflicts and differences consistent with its own interests. Accordingly, the support group should actively engage Iran and Syria in its diplomatic dialogue, without preconditions."

It suggests various incentives for Iran and Syria, including accession to organisations such as the World Trade Organisation, enhanced diplomatic relations with the US, in which Washington switches from an emphasis to political and economic reforms rather than a calling for regime change. "Engaging Iran is problematic, especially given the state of the US-Iranian relationship. Yet the US and Iran cooperated in Afghanistan, and both sides should explore whether this model can be replicated in the case of Iraq." The stand-off between Iran and the west should be put to one side, left with the United Nations security council.

The group suggests that the Iraq International Support Group could seek to persuade Iran to stem the flow of equipment, technology and training to any groups resorting to violence in Iraq and use its influence over the Shias to encourage national reconciliation.

Israel-Palestine

President Bush has appeared reluctant to broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal, insisting first that the late Yasser Arafat was not a reliable partner for peace and, over the last year, that no deal could be made until Hamas renounced its goal of the destruction of Israel.

But the report, in line with calls by Tony Blair, particularly since 9/11, says: "The US will not be able to achieve its goals in the Middle East unless the US deals directly with the Arab-Israeli conflict."

It adds: "The US does its ally Israel no favours in avoiding direct involvement to solve the Arab-Israeli conflict. For several reasons, we should act boldly."

The group recommends a settlement that would include not only Israel and the Palestinians but also Lebanon and Syria. Mr Baker revives a proposal he made when he was secretary of state for a deal in which Israel would return the Golan Heights, captured from Syria in 1967, in return for a US security guarantee to Israel that "could include an international force on the border, including US troops if requested by both parties".

Unlike Mr Bush, who has rejected any dealings with a Palestinian national unity government if it includes Hamas, the group recommends "support for a Palestinian national unity government".

Internal Iraqi politics

The group proposes the establishment of specific objectives on national reconciliation, security and governance. If the Iraqi government fails to reach or at least move towards these, "the US should reduce its political, military, or economic support for the Iraqi government". It sets out a timetable for the Iraqi government to implement various measures by the end of this year and throughout 2007.

Among the measures proposed is, contrary to the US policy of sacking members of Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath party, that reconciliation "requires reintegration of Baathists and Arab nationals into national life, with the leading figures of Saddam Hussein's regime excluded". It recommends any amnesty "must not be undercut by Washington by either the executive or the legislative branch".

Again, in contrast with the Bush administration, the group proposes opening talks with radical and violent groups within Iraq, principally Moqtada al-Sadr, head of the Mahdi army militia group.

US military withdrawal

The group proposes "the US should significantly increase the number of military personnel, including combat troops, embedded in and supporting Iraqi army units ... Such a mission could involve 10,000 to 20,000 American troops instead of the 3,000 to 4,000 now in this role."

In tandem with this development, the US would be looking at significantly withdrawing combat units. "By the first quarter of 2008, subject to unexpected developments in the security situation on the ground, all combat brigades not necessary for force protection could be out of Iraq."

The group envisage that even after this withdrawal, there would be a significant US military presence in the region, not only in Iraq but in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Afghanistan. These could "provide political reassurance to the Iraqi government in order to avoid its collapse and the disintegration of the country".

The group looked at increasing the number of US troops in Iraq by a further 100,000 to 200,000 but "rejected this course because we do not believe that the needed levels are available for a sustained development. Further, adding more troops could conceivably worsen those aspects of the security problem that are fed by the view that the US presence is intended to be a long-term 'occupation'." But the group could envisage a short-term redeployment to stabilise Baghdad or speed up training. It suggests there is little evidence that long-term deployment "has led or will lead to fundamental improvements in the security situation".

The report says US forces are stretched almost to breaking point by the repeated deployments in Iraq, the defence budget is in disarray and the ability to send more troops to other countries, such as Afghanistan, is constrained.

Other proposals

The report recommends a patchwork of other plans, from reform of the police and justice system to technical assistance to stabilise the oil sector. Among these are improved intelligence, with the CIA increasing its personnel in Iraq to train Iraqi intelligence personnel.

Conclusion

The group says its recommendations "should not be separated or carried out in isolation. The dynamics of the region are as important to Iraq as events within Iraq. The challenges are daunting. But by pursuing this new way forward, Iraq, the region, and the US can emerge stronger."

The Guardian carry the following article about the views of our very own local Broadwaters Liberal Councillor and national play expert Councillor Rob Wheway...

You can find the original story here at Guardian Online...

Reclaiming the streets

One man is hoping that radical ideas will persuade parents and councils that children must be encouraged to play outside...

Chris Arnot
Wednesday December 6, 2006
The Guardian

Rob Wheway, 57, is a national expert on outside play. Local authorities and housing trusts commission him to write reports on their facilities - or lack of them. Weightier works have emerged from surveys he has carried out for the National Playing Fields Association and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Leaked paper reveals Labour fears on NHS...

Get the full story from The Guardian here!

With best wishes for Christmas and the New Year

From

Cllr Graham Ballinger, Cllr Paul Harrison,

Cllr Siri Hayward, Cllr Rachel Lewis,

Cllr Fran Oborski, Cllr Mike Oborski

Cllr Rob Wheway

The local Liberal Team!

My Cousin's oldest son - Marcin Konarski - would like to invite you to Poland!

Rather good written English for a 13 year old don't you think? He is of course even more fluent in English orally! Now, how many British youngsters are as fluent at his age at writing in any foreign language?!

World AIDS Day

Here on line!

TORY ADMINISTRATION AT COUNTY HALL NOW IN TOTAL CHAOS AS 'U TURN' CRISIS AND PARTY REVOLT FATALLY UNDERMINES COUNTY "LEADER"!

Having announced on the front page of the 30th November's edition of the Local Government Chronicle that Worcester County County Council wanted to go 'unitary' - doing away with all the District Councils and running everything from Worcester - and calling a Special County Council Meeting to rubber stamp his proposals County Council Leader George Lord now finds himself right up to his kneck and beyond in trouble.

We may be wrong but from what we can gather he did NOT consult his own Conservative Group at County Hall, let alone anyone else, before going public in the 'Local Government Chronicle' and calling the Special County Council Meeting!

From what we can gather the outcome was a furious Group Meeting of Conservative County County Councillors on Friday morning which thre out George's proposals lock, stock and barrel!

Desperately embarrassed Conservative County Councillors are apparently busy looking for a legal way to cancel the Special County Council meeting called by their very own Leader.

Whatever happens next and whether he stays or goes Cllr Lords credibility in Council is now totally holed below the waterline and the whole Conservative Group is left looking incredibly stupid. If they don't repace Cllr Lord as Leader then the crisis will just drag on.

For the good of the Council and for the good of people and public services in Worcestershire Cllr Lord should go and he should go now!

Liberals are bitterly opposed to the "unitary" authority proposal which would simply boil down to the remote and out of touch running of services with growing chaos and rocketting bills as we end up with a Wyre Forest run by Worcester, from Worcester and for Worcester!

Let's hope the Tory rebellion and the collapse of George Lord means that the proposal  dies the death as quickly as possible!

IT WAS HEADING OFF TO AUSTRALIA AT A FAIR OLD RATE OF KNOTS...

...but that small round but incredibly deep pot hole in George Street - right by the junction with St.George's Terrace - has now been filled in. Even pot hole hardened County Council Officers admitted that this one was really heading for some sort of depth record! It could have been really seriously dangerous if hit by a cyclist or at speed at night by a motorist!

TORIES WANT WYRE FOREST TO BE RUN FROM WORCESTER, BY WORCESTER & FOR WORCESTER!

Plans by Tory Leaders at County Hall for a Unitary Worcestershire Council which would see the end of all District Councils and everything run from Worcester have been denounced as "a monstorous attack on local democracy" by local Liberal Leaders.

County Council and District Council Liberal Leader Cllr Mike Oborski said "the Tory proposals would make everything more remote, more out ot of touch and less responsive with everything run by faceless officers at Worcester who hardly know where Wyre Forest is let alone what Wyre Forest people want!"

"This proposal simply means rule of Wyre Forest from Worcester, by Worcester and for Worcester!"

"We believe that local government is best run by local people elected by local people and responsible to local people and that is why we need to keep our local District Council!"

Cllr Oborski said "Worcester based services and management would inevitably be far more expensive for local Council Tax payers.

Tory County Council Leader George Lord has called a special County Council Meeting to "rubber stamp" his parties plans to get rid of District Councils and take all power to Worcester - if the Government is prepared to accept the proposal. Cllr Oborski said today "I  think he will face more of a fight than he is expecting!"

Meanwhile Health Concern and Liberal Leaders have made it clear that they want a special meeting of Wyre Forest District Council as soon as possible with a view to mobilising opposition to the proposal.