We and our politicians are out of touch!

Almost daily politicians are making decisions that would not be ours.

An Academy for Barrow, no Post Office in Greenodd, no interest (by the politicians) in Skate Boarding in Ulverston, housing for the rich, very little for those on everyday incomes. Cars and obstructions on our pavements making walking difficult especially with a pram or invalid chair. Bobbies on the beat a rare occurrence.

House prices go soaring up and up. Government sits back and grunts. House prices going down – banks in turmoil - shock horror.

Roaming gangs, broken park benches, parents, teachers and politicians unable to cope and out of touch.

I tried to get some interest in some of these issues by going to the Town Council and the Neighbourhood Forum run by the County Council. Both give the impression that they welcome the participation of the public but in fact this is a charade.

I have challenged the Neighbourhood Forum to put housing on the agenda in Ulverston. They refuse and think that a meeting on a winter’s evening in Swarthmoor Hall was good enough.

Issues are evaded, politicians avoid getting involved. They attempt to reply with hollow statements of mock interest but look for excuses for inaction.

We lose interest and face the consequences.

It is great to find that some of us won’t put up with this behaviour.

What it does mean is that we have to spend time and effort to get what we want!

Some of us are learning that we need to get involved in what happens around us and stand up and be counted. The Our Schools Are Not For Sale campaign is a good example. Our children’s upbringing is extremely important and is served by people not things.

A major problem is finding the will power to take on yet another problem.

My solution is live simply and not get satisfaction from things: cars, gadgets, clothes and food but rather in what I do.

Our government has got its priorities wrong. Improve quality not ‘our standard of living’, control profiteers, enable us to be able to make quality choices even if it may appear a harder life.

Another superb concert

Manchester Camerata in Ulverston - Thursday April 3rd 2008

They've done it again!

They've come up with a superb program with inspiring performances conducted and presented by Nicholas Kraemer.

This time very high marks to everyone, we all thoroughly enjoyed it. Even the first violins hiding behind the curtain. This time everyone gave it their all (previous times I've spotted just one or two showing rather bored expressions).

The interweaving of the various parts of the program made me pay full attention (partly because i didn't know what was going on) It felt good to be kept on one's toes.

Jennifer Pike was outstanding and for the first time in my life I have really listened to the Four Seasons. I noticed so much that has just past me by in the past. Thank you.

This was largely because it was a live performance and the musicians and conductor performed with passion.

I have every sympathy with them as they travel home after that. Thank you for traveling all the way to entertain us.

So what's next?

Meanwhile I've started making chords on my piano and practicing my fingerwork with a view to composing my own music - very exciting - we can all benefit from the encouragement of live performances, - you never know . . . what could happen!

Low Furness and Ulverston Neighbourhood Forum

Affordable Housing
Is this organisation doing its job?

Dianne,

The reason I raised the matter of Affordable Housing was that I got the impression from recent circulars that the Neighbourhood Forum had changed its view on including this topic on a future agenda.

I gather this is not the case.

Earlier last year Councillor Halfpenny agreed at a meeting of the Forum to put Affordable Housing on the next agenda for the Ulverston Meeting.

I arranged for Judith Derbyshire from Penrith to attend this meeting.

Very close to the meeting date the venue was switched to Swarthmore Hall two miles outside Ulverston which cannot be reached easily without a car.

This cannot be regarded as Ulverston and resulted in a low attendance with at the most five members of the public present. The majority were present in connection with the other issues on the agenda or officers of SLDC - some were Quakers, there because of their association with the Hall. Not even the local Councillor Colin Hodgson (who normally attends regularly) attended.

Two of the public expressed their dismay to me afterwards that Affordable Housing had not been discussed in Ulverston itself. I have spoken to a lot of people in Ulverston that are deeply concerned about this issue. Many have children aged 20 - 30 still living with them because they cannot find suitable accommodation.

The following is clear:

Affordable Housing has not been discussed at the Neighbourhood Forum in Ulverston as agreed.

If the Neighbourhood refuse to do so they are not fulfilling their obligation under the remit set forward by the Cumbria County Council.

Taken from the County Council web site:

What are Neighbourhood Forums for?

Neighbourhood Forums help local councillors to voice your needs and wishes

Neighbourhood Forums provide opportunities for people to work together and get things done locally

Neighbourhood Forums are informal meetings where we can exchange information and discuss matters in person

Neighbourhood Forums provide an opportunity for small grants to be fairly distributed to community groups

Neighbourhood Forums help your County Council to target services more effectively

I believe only the issue of small grants is being handled well.

I understand that in the early days when the Forum was first set up that there were large attendances at the Forum from the public, however people lost interest when they found it was being manipulated by the County Councillors.

Now the meetings are poorly advertised and poorly attended in Ulverston - I found out about them through a church notice board in the village of Finsthwaite - I have never seen a poster for the Forum in Ulverston in contrast to the activities of the Ulverston Artists Assoc. which are everywhere.

In our view the Forum meetings should not be chaired by County Councillors but by members from the Community who are 'non-politicians'. The former should be there to convey the views of the Public to the County Council not to control proceedings.

We believe that what is needed is a bottom up organisation where the public is in charge of the Forum and the Councillors are in their to 'serve the public interest'.

If there is a rethink of the way the Forum is run I am sure there would be less apathy to politics and the Forum in particular.

I would like an answer from the Councillors that run the Forum.

Do they refuse to have a meeting at the Coronation Hall Ulverston to discuss Affordable Housing?

Will they reconsider the way the Forum is run?

I am including copies of this email to Councillor Hodgson and the local M.P. Tim Farron who i know to be particularly interested in this issue.

Sincerely

Geoff Dellow

On 31 Mar 2008, at 11:11, Whitehead, Dianne wrote:

Dear Geoff

Your e-mail asking for confirmation that affordable housing will be on the agenda for the next forum meeting has been passed to me.

Affordable Housing was on the agenda of the meeting at Swarthmoor which was attended by both Brenda Gray, the SLDC Cabinet member with responsibility for Housing and Judith Derbyshire from Cumbria Rural Housing Trust. I am aware that at the end of that meeting you asked for it to go on the agenda again, , but I can only repeat the response that you were given then. We had just had a meeting with the relevant people there and we would not repeat it again until there was some change in the situation.

We all accept that affordable housing is an important issue, but I am not clear what you are trying to achieve by requesting it again at the neighbourhood forum meeting. If you can explain that to me, I may be able to advise you on the most appropriate route, but I honestly don’t believe that having the issue on the agenda again is going to help

Dianne.

Dianne Whitehead

Area Support Manager, Cumbria County Council, County Offices

Kendal, LA9 4RQ

01539 773157, 07970 043229, dianne.whitehead@cumbriacc.gov.uk