When are they going to listen to local views? (From Worcester News)

It does seem a not in my back yard objection from some councillors. The football stadium business had been going on for years please at least let it go through this time. It appears if you are the Warriors RC and have a chairman with loads of money you can get away with much more than the poor little football club, it seems money does talk in this instance.

TimP,
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You clearly have little knowledge of recent football club history, particularly with reference to the Nunnery Way proposal. See www.nunneryway.com and the online WCFC fans' forum.
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Councillor Lucy Hodgson is in a complete shambles over development in her ward... Is she is for or against development of the M5 Protection Corridor and the Green Network? Nothing I have read or heard from her indicates she has a position or even an opinion (her address to the planning committee on 5 January 2012 on the Nunnery Way proposal was embarrassingly non-committal). Next time her name appears on a ballot I hope there is the name of someone else alongside hers who is standing to actually represent the interests of those that will be voting!
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Good for you Ray Morris for raising this again. The SWDP looks like just another imposition from on high.

Councils claim they involve communities and listen to them through consultations, but the fact of the matter is that the public are ignored after bing lured in to fall pretences that their views are genuinely being taken on board, when this is not the case. If people really were listened to, so many developments that have been approved would not have gone ahead. Localism is a scam, because the public do not have the final say or have any real influence with policy, because consultation is no more than a PR exercise to enable councils to tick boxes. If localism existed, the public would have the final say or have a great deal more influence in decisions, which are currently made by councillors and council staff.

The SWDP approved development of Gwillams Farm affecting Bevere Green was instigated, publicly lobbied within WN pages and planned by the then Chairman of Worcester Planning Committee. That Councillor further, in full council, pushed for the voting through of those plans for development despite the opposition of both the local County and District Councillors and the overwhelming local opposition expressed in the SWDP consultation returns. Motives are not made public but it should be noted that the landowner has been a prominent Conservative Party donor and member. "Private Eye Rotten Boroughs" springs to mind.

Yes. When property development and local politics mix the smell will make some of us retch.
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How did the St George's Lane housing development avoid the statutory requirement to include a quota of affordable housing?
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Also, if the Planning Inspector reported in 2004 that "...it is not the purpose of the planning system to prop up an ailing business by freeing the Football Club from its accumulated debt and granting it a significant endowment in circumstances where, by definition, enabling development would be contrary to planning policy." why do we still have an SWDP allocation of land for mixed use "enabling development" on Nunnery Way?
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Answers on a heavily perfumed letter to: Editor, WN...

The Tories, Labour, the LibDems and the Greens are all equally guilty on this. They are all committed to flooding the country with immigrants, massively boosting the population, which then has to be housed.

The Tories made a big deal about 'localism', but are clearly intent on paving over the countryside. It is clear that this comes from the top down, with Cameron leading the charge.

The Tories can't escape the blame. They deserve to take the consequences. Did our local Tory MPs know that this was going to happen?Because if so, they certainly didn't mention it when they were looking for votes.


But Labour made the mistakes on immigration, that led to the population boom in the first place, so they're to blame too. One reason to vote Labour out was precisely the mass green belt incursion they had planned.

As for the LibDems and the Greens - both claim to be for the environment, but both are rabidly pro-immigration.

The local LibDems don't seem to have any policy on any issue, so we can only assume they welcome immigrants, so long as they don't have to be housed on fields by Claines.

No wonder the electorate seems to hold the established parties in such contempt.

Why does the discussion degenerates into blaming immigrants for everything whenever you participate?

pronstar wrote:
Why does the discussion degenerates into blaming immigrants for everything whenever you participate?

+1

Seems some would like to see all people not born in the UK deported.

Seems some people have trouble seeing the obvious causal link between immigration, population growth and damage to the environment.

Or maybe they can see it but have trouble admitting it.

Immigration is not necessary but iS massively harmful. It needs stopping.

Worcester Rugby Club has been where it is for many years and has prospered without opposition via Cecil Duckworth`s wealth because Sixways has been developed as a stand-alone sports venue and not hamstrung by a retail/business park combined planning application as is the case with WCFC.
I suspect that due to the forthcoming relaxation in the planning laws St Modwen will get their Nunnery Way project through, with the added bonus of losing the stadium from the plan as the football club will be left with no funds to build it.
To those who object to the immigration question being raised - like it or not provision of housing, schools, medical sevices, roads and other public services is a numbers and cost excercise and expanding the population by whatever means and for whatever reasons has a logistics consequence and a substantial cost implication.

Even Eric pickles has admitted that immigration has an effect on housing. Rare moment of relative sanity from the politicians.

Won't stop them paving over the countryside though. It's what the conservatives, labour and the lib dems want.

Public opinion barely gets a look in.

The useful naivety of our fruitless opinion...
(somos inocentes uteis; pt-bra)

voce pode ser eu nao sou.

It may be a strange concept to you Sunshine but in this country our comment is democratic and is called "free speech".

laidback wrote:
voce pode ser eu nao sou.

It may be a strange concept to you Sunshine but in this country our comment is democratic and is called "free speech".

My name is very clearly stated.
Free speech, as you quoted, it`s exactly what I did.
Uma boa semana para voce.

Obrigado, voce tambem.

laidback wrote:
Obrigado, voce tambem.

:-)

mauro balbino wrote:
The useful naivety of our fruitless opinion...
(somos inocentes uteis; pt-bra)

Why are you writing Portuguese on an English-language website dealing with a region in the middle of England?

I'm all for cultural openness, but using languages that aren't widely spoken here looks a little bit prétentieux at best, and can end up being downright verwirrend.

And has this got anything to do with the themes of the thread, greenbelt encroachment and broken Tory promises on localism?

Alle de lokalpolitikere er de samme. Det er bare en enkelt Lib-Lab-Con politisk parti. Når deres lepper beveger seg, vet du at de lyver.

Not to be outdone, I have made my contribution in Norwegian! I will translate for those few not familiar with the language of our Viking ancestors:

All local politicians are the same. There is just a single Lib-Lab-Con political party. When their lips move, then you know they are lying.

Big round of applause for getting right up more tea vicars nose......smiley face. Can I just add that as a white British born female I do NOT share the same opinion as mtv on immigration. Thanks for reading.

That might have made a bit of sense if you indicated who or what you were referring to and if anything had 'hot up my nose'.

Apart from that, truly wonderful contribution. Well done.

Lew Smoralz wrote:
Alle de lokalpolitikere er de samme. Det er bare en enkelt Lib-Lab-Con politisk parti. Når deres lepper beveger seg, vet du at de lyver.

Not to be outdone, I have made my contribution in Norwegian! I will translate for those few not familiar with the language of our Viking ancestors:

All local politicians are the same. There is just a single Lib-Lab-Con political party. When their lips move, then you know they are lying.

Ja, genau.

And I think you've touched on an important point. There is little discernible difference between the Lib/Lab/Con parties in reality.

They all seem to be committed to paving over the countryside, to the benefit of planners and developers, whatever common sense and local or general opinion thinks.

All to provide Lebensraum for immigrants and incomers...lovely.

Nice to get a bit of German thrown in as well, shows that we Woofers have nothing personal against Europe, other than their politics and lack of Democracy!

In January next year we can expect an influx of immigrants that will make what went before look like child's play!

There are 25 million of the poorest people in Europe being given free access to our welfare state. It doesn't take much imagination to work out what will happen.

Once again official circles are talking about an anticipated 20,000 immigrants, or so! Do they think we are idiots?

This situation will bring in migrants by the million, and I don't blame them for a second. If I earned £1/hour (Bulgarian average wage) I would migrate like a shot as well.

The unrestricted access should only be for states of comparable prosperity, and raise the others over time.

Why should we have our own civilisation destroyed to satisfy some academic principle that the Brussels unelected,demi-gods think is important?

From now on I will be voting for UKIP, as Mr Slippery is only going to be trying another trick tomorrow to avoid giving us a referendum.

Well said Lew.

Does seem that a lot of us EU phobes are culturally more open than the philes.

They know common sense and experience show mass immigration to be a disaster for the environment and the economy but they can neither argue a case nor admit they're wrong.

On Thursday 2 May 2013, not too far away, we have local elections.

Milliband and the Liebore party are backing the current EU arrangements without wanting any changes... why?

There are now millions of EU migrants living in the UK. Guess who's vote they want to attract?

The Liebore party is prepared to ignore the plight of the British people in the current hard times to score an election victory. This is as low as any political party has sunk in my time, and they claim to represent the working people of the UK!

I hope that the Worcestershire voters will remember which party is devoted to looking after their interests at the time of the election, and does not vote on historical allegiances, which are now obsolete.

I will be voting for UKIP in the local elections, as, regardless of their ethnic origins, only they represent the interests of the long-suffering peoples of the UK.

Lew Smoralz wrote:
On Thursday 2 May 2013, not too far away, we have local elections.

Milliband and the Liebore party are backing the current EU arrangements without wanting any changes... why?

There are now millions of EU migrants living in the UK. Guess who's vote they want to attract?

The Liebore party is prepared to ignore the plight of the British people in the current hard times to score an election victory. This is as low as any political party has sunk in my time, and they claim to represent the working people of the UK!

I hope that the Worcestershire voters will remember which party is devoted to looking after their interests at the time of the election, and does not vote on historical allegiances, which are now obsolete.

I will be voting for UKIP in the local elections, as, regardless of their ethnic origins, only they represent the interests of the long-suffering peoples of the UK.

I know you're talking about local elections but ultimately do you really want Farage as Prime Minister leading a single-issue government? He was totally owned last night on Question Time. He clearly doesn't know his facts; did you see him furiously writing things down so he could check them later?

If you vote UKIP you will split the Tory vote and hand power back to Labour, which I guess is the lesser of two evils so go right ahead.

pronstar wrote:

Lew Smoralz wrote:
On Thursday 2 May 2013, not too far away, we have local elections.

Milliband and the Liebore party are backing the current EU arrangements without wanting any changes... why?

There are now millions of EU migrants living in the UK. Guess who's vote they want to attract?

The Liebore party is prepared to ignore the plight of the British people in the current hard times to score an election victory. This is as low as any political party has sunk in my time, and they claim to represent the working people of the UK!

I hope that the Worcestershire voters will remember which party is devoted to looking after their interests at the time of the election, and does not vote on historical allegiances, which are now obsolete.

I will be voting for UKIP in the local elections, as, regardless of their ethnic origins, only they represent the interests of the long-suffering peoples of the UK.

I know you're talking about local elections but ultimately do you really want Farage as Prime Minister leading a single-issue government? He was totally owned last night on Question Time. He clearly doesn't know his facts; did you see him furiously writing things down so he could check them later?

If you vote UKIP you will split the Tory vote and hand power back to Labour, which I guess is the lesser of two evils so go right ahead.

At least Farage is pretty clear about what he wants. Can you say that of the main parties or the LibDems.

You're probably not that happy with Cameron, and can you seriously imagine Milliband as PM? I mean, seriously? He's never sounded even vaguely like anything but a school prefect who graduated on to being a party apparatchik.

And Clegg? I think not. That Green woman? I know not.

Labour and the Tories have been equally crap in government.
The LibDems only prospered in opposition by being all things to all men (and women).

And you are clearly sadly misinformed. UKIP is anything but a single issue party. You might not like their other policies, but there are plenty, on a wide range of issues.

More Tea Vicar wrote:

pronstar wrote:

Lew Smoralz wrote:
On Thursday 2 May 2013, not too far away, we have local elections.

Milliband and the Liebore party are backing the current EU arrangements without wanting any changes... why?

There are now millions of EU migrants living in the UK. Guess who's vote they want to attract?

The Liebore party is prepared to ignore the plight of the British people in the current hard times to score an election victory. This is as low as any political party has sunk in my time, and they claim to represent the working people of the UK!

I hope that the Worcestershire voters will remember which party is devoted to looking after their interests at the time of the election, and does not vote on historical allegiances, which are now obsolete.

I will be voting for UKIP in the local elections, as, regardless of their ethnic origins, only they represent the interests of the long-suffering peoples of the UK.

I know you're talking about local elections but ultimately do you really want Farage as Prime Minister leading a single-issue government? He was totally owned last night on Question Time. He clearly doesn't know his facts; did you see him furiously writing things down so he could check them later?

If you vote UKIP you will split the Tory vote and hand power back to Labour, which I guess is the lesser of two evils so go right ahead.

At least Farage is pretty clear about what he wants. Can you say that of the main parties or the LibDems.

You're probably not that happy with Cameron, and can you seriously imagine Milliband as PM? I mean, seriously? He's never sounded even vaguely like anything but a school prefect who graduated on to being a party apparatchik.

And Clegg? I think not. That Green woman? I know not.

Labour and the Tories have been equally crap in government.
The LibDems only prospered in opposition by being all things to all men (and women).

And you are clearly sadly misinformed. UKIP is anything but a single issue party. You might not like their other policies, but there are plenty, on a wide range of issues.

Thanks for admitting Farage doesn't know his facts.

Yes, UKIP have a few other policies, mainly based around immigrants' entitlement to welfare benefits, such as making them wait ten years before they can claim any (that gem of wisdom can be found in section 3.7 of their social security policy).

The rest of their policies are just concocted around tabloid headlines from the Sun, Mirror, Mail, Express & even the Metro gets a look in.

I agree that there is little if any credible choice among the mainstream parties but to me Farage is a horrible, contemptible man who is just plain nasty and anyone would have to possess a similar character to give the man their vote.

The only saving grace is that all UKIP voters know that their vote will merely hand power back to Labour and that must get to them big time.

A vote for UKIP is a vote for labour. What say you More Tea Vicar?

pronstar wrote:

More Tea Vicar wrote:

pronstar wrote:

Lew Smoralz wrote:
On Thursday 2 May 2013, not too far away, we have local elections.

Milliband and the Liebore party are backing the current EU arrangements without wanting any changes... why?

There are now millions of EU migrants living in the UK. Guess who's vote they want to attract?

The Liebore party is prepared to ignore the plight of the British people in the current hard times to score an election victory. This is as low as any political party has sunk in my time, and they claim to represent the working people of the UK!

I hope that the Worcestershire voters will remember which party is devoted to looking after their interests at the time of the election, and does not vote on historical allegiances, which are now obsolete.

I will be voting for UKIP in the local elections, as, regardless of their ethnic origins, only they represent the interests of the long-suffering peoples of the UK.

I know you're talking about local elections but ultimately do you really want Farage as Prime Minister leading a single-issue government? He was totally owned last night on Question Time. He clearly doesn't know his facts; did you see him furiously writing things down so he could check them later?

If you vote UKIP you will split the Tory vote and hand power back to Labour, which I guess is the lesser of two evils so go right ahead.

At least Farage is pretty clear about what he wants. Can you say that of the main parties or the LibDems.

You're probably not that happy with Cameron, and can you seriously imagine Milliband as PM? I mean, seriously? He's never sounded even vaguely like anything but a school prefect who graduated on to being a party apparatchik.

And Clegg? I think not. That Green woman? I know not.

Labour and the Tories have been equally crap in government.
The LibDems only prospered in opposition by being all things to all men (and women).

And you are clearly sadly misinformed. UKIP is anything but a single issue party. You might not like their other policies, but there are plenty, on a wide range of issues.

Thanks for admitting Farage doesn't know his facts.

Yes, UKIP have a few other policies, mainly based around immigrants' entitlement to welfare benefits, such as making them wait ten years before they can claim any (that gem of wisdom can be found in section 3.7 of their social security policy).

The rest of their policies are just concocted around tabloid headlines from the Sun, Mirror, Mail, Express & even the Metro gets a look in.

I agree that there is little if any credible choice among the mainstream parties but to me Farage is a horrible, contemptible man who is just plain nasty and anyone would have to possess a similar character to give the man their vote.

The only saving grace is that all UKIP voters know that their vote will merely hand power back to Labour and that must get to them big time.

A vote for UKIP is a vote for labour. What say you More Tea Vicar?

Thanks for what? Do you actually speak English? You stated wrongly that UKIP is a single issue party. You've just admitted they're not.

Whether you like them or not is up to you.

More Tea Vicar wrote:

pronstar wrote:

More Tea Vicar wrote:

pronstar wrote:

Lew Smoralz wrote:
On Thursday 2 May 2013, not too far away, we have local elections.

Milliband and the Liebore party are backing the current EU arrangements without wanting any changes... why?

There are now millions of EU migrants living in the UK. Guess who's vote they want to attract?

The Liebore party is prepared to ignore the plight of the British people in the current hard times to score an election victory. This is as low as any political party has sunk in my time, and they claim to represent the working people of the UK!

I hope that the Worcestershire voters will remember which party is devoted to looking after their interests at the time of the election, and does not vote on historical allegiances, which are now obsolete.

I will be voting for UKIP in the local elections, as, regardless of their ethnic origins, only they represent the interests of the long-suffering peoples of the UK.

I know you're talking about local elections but ultimately do you really want Farage as Prime Minister leading a single-issue government? He was totally owned last night on Question Time. He clearly doesn't know his facts; did you see him furiously writing things down so he could check them later?

If you vote UKIP you will split the Tory vote and hand power back to Labour, which I guess is the lesser of two evils so go right ahead.

At least Farage is pretty clear about what he wants. Can you say that of the main parties or the LibDems.

You're probably not that happy with Cameron, and can you seriously imagine Milliband as PM? I mean, seriously? He's never sounded even vaguely like anything but a school prefect who graduated on to being a party apparatchik.

And Clegg? I think not. That Green woman? I know not.

Labour and the Tories have been equally crap in government.
The LibDems only prospered in opposition by being all things to all men (and women).

And you are clearly sadly misinformed. UKIP is anything but a single issue party. You might not like their other policies, but there are plenty, on a wide range of issues.

Thanks for admitting Farage doesn't know his facts.

Yes, UKIP have a few other policies, mainly based around immigrants' entitlement to welfare benefits, such as making them wait ten years before they can claim any (that gem of wisdom can be found in section 3.7 of their social security policy).

The rest of their policies are just concocted around tabloid headlines from the Sun, Mirror, Mail, Express & even the Metro gets a look in.

I agree that there is little if any credible choice among the mainstream parties but to me Farage is a horrible, contemptible man who is just plain nasty and anyone would have to possess a similar character to give the man their vote.

The only saving grace is that all UKIP voters know that their vote will merely hand power back to Labour and that must get to them big time.

A vote for UKIP is a vote for labour. What say you More Tea Vicar?

Thanks for what? Do you actually speak English? You stated wrongly that UKIP is a single issue party. You've just admitted they're not.

Whether you like them or not is up to you.

They may go through the motions of policy making but they campaign on a single issue and that makes them a single issue party, or in other words, a joke.

People won't be voting UKIP because of their policy on inheritance tax. It will be their anti-immigration stance which they share with the BNP & EDL.

pronstar wrote:

More Tea Vicar wrote:

pronstar wrote:

More Tea Vicar wrote:

pronstar wrote:

Lew Smoralz wrote:
On Thursday 2 May 2013, not too far away, we have local elections.

Milliband and the Liebore party are backing the current EU arrangements without wanting any changes... why?

There are now millions of EU migrants living in the UK. Guess who's vote they want to attract?

The Liebore party is prepared to ignore the plight of the British people in the current hard times to score an election victory. This is as low as any political party has sunk in my time, and they claim to represent the working people of the UK!

I hope that the Worcestershire voters will remember which party is devoted to looking after their interests at the time of the election, and does not vote on historical allegiances, which are now obsolete.

I will be voting for UKIP in the local elections, as, regardless of their ethnic origins, only they represent the interests of the long-suffering peoples of the UK.

I know you're talking about local elections but ultimately do you really want Farage as Prime Minister leading a single-issue government? He was totally owned last night on Question Time. He clearly doesn't know his facts; did you see him furiously writing things down so he could check them later?

If you vote UKIP you will split the Tory vote and hand power back to Labour, which I guess is the lesser of two evils so go right ahead.

At least Farage is pretty clear about what he wants. Can you say that of the main parties or the LibDems.

You're probably not that happy with Cameron, and can you seriously imagine Milliband as PM? I mean, seriously? He's never sounded even vaguely like anything but a school prefect who graduated on to being a party apparatchik.

And Clegg? I think not. That Green woman? I know not.

Labour and the Tories have been equally crap in government.
The LibDems only prospered in opposition by being all things to all men (and women).

And you are clearly sadly misinformed. UKIP is anything but a single issue party. You might not like their other policies, but there are plenty, on a wide range of issues.

Thanks for admitting Farage doesn't know his facts.

Yes, UKIP have a few other policies, mainly based around immigrants' entitlement to welfare benefits, such as making them wait ten years before they can claim any (that gem of wisdom can be found in section 3.7 of their social security policy).

The rest of their policies are just concocted around tabloid headlines from the Sun, Mirror, Mail, Express & even the Metro gets a look in.

I agree that there is little if any credible choice among the mainstream parties but to me Farage is a horrible, contemptible man who is just plain nasty and anyone would have to possess a similar character to give the man their vote.

The only saving grace is that all UKIP voters know that their vote will merely hand power back to Labour and that must get to them big time.

A vote for UKIP is a vote for labour. What say you More Tea Vicar?

Thanks for what? Do you actually speak English? You stated wrongly that UKIP is a single issue party. You've just admitted they're not.

Whether you like them or not is up to you.

They may go through the motions of policy making but they campaign on a single issue and that makes them a single issue party, or in other words, a joke.

People won't be voting UKIP because of their policy on inheritance tax. It will be their anti-immigration stance which they share with the BNP & EDL.

//(UKIP) may go through the motions of policy making but they campaign on a single issue and that makes them a single issue party, or in other words, a joke. People won't be voting UKIP because of their policy on inheritance tax. It will be their anti-immigration stance which they share with the BNP & EDL.///

...and the vast majority of the population, in fairness. So your point would be?

And either way you've gone from saying UKIP is a single-issue party, to admitting that it isn't, to saying that they're not about the EU at all, but just immigration.

Not that being anti-immigration is anything to be embarrassed about. Quite the contrary. It's those who support it that have the questions to answer. They've been proven wrong time after time, with thee left having manoeuvred itself into a position of supporting mass immigration, which big business loves, despite the effects on wages, employment and the environment. The left have been played for fools, useful idiots for the business community they claim to despise.

And among UKIP's commitments, relevant to this debate, is commitment to localism.