Thursday 18 December 2008

Wellow Lane Development - yet more houses for Peasedown!

I am saddened by the news that, despite public opposition, B&NES Council’s Development Control Committee has given approval for 95 dwellings to be built in Wellow Lane, Peasedown St John.

At present, our village does not have the infrastructure or amenities to cater for such a development and the potential extra 350-400 people that would live there.

Already, Peasedown St John is the largest village in B&NES with over 1,000 houses being built in the last 20 years. It is great shame that despite this huge amount of growth planners and developers still want to ‘squeeze a few more in’.

The Labour Government’s ill-thought out proposals to build an extra 21,000 houses in the authority by 2026 will see many communities turned upside down with no consideration to existing infrastructure problems or residents’ concerns.

I would like to thank the residents of Wellow Lane and the surrounding streets for their hard fought campaign – which has certainly shown that community spirit is alive and well in Peasedown. I would also like to thank my party colleagues for not supporting this unpopular application at the committee meeting.

Tuesday 9 December 2008

60th Anniversary


Today (10th December) is the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

A lot can be said about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is the foundation of international human rights law, the first universal statement on the basic principles of human rights, and a common standard for all people and nations to follow.

It is because of this declaration, and the commitment of national governments to stick to it, that we enjoy many of our freedoms today.

When I think of human rights and our personal freedoms I think of the sacrifice that many of our war heros made in both the 1st and 2nd World Wars so that future generations could live in a society where everyone is born equal and everyone has the same basic rights to education, health care and welfare support.

Today Bath and North East Somerset Council will be planting three trees (one in Keynsham, one in Midsomer Norton and one in Bath) to commemorate this day and remember its importance.

Each of the events will be led by the Council's Human Rights Champion (and my co-Councillor) Sarah Bevan who has worked for many years raising awarness of human rights within the area.#

For a full list of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights visit: http://www.unhchr.ch/udhr/lang/eng.htm