Full Council meeting last night

Full Council last night - see it on webcast if you dare - while there were some interesting and important questions and issues raised there was also a lot of less than interesting stuff - one of the problems is that many of us if will have been to Scrutiny and Cabinet meetings and read the Council papers so for us we will be hearing it for the third time and already read it in the papers.

Photo: 6.00pm Snack in pre-Council meeting: all the political parties have their own meetings before full Council: a chance to discuss the agenda -many councillors come straight from work so sandwiches are provided.

Anyhow below is the agenda with a few quick comments - the full reports are available on the Council website...

1. Apologies (00:03:11)
2. Declarations of Interest (00:03:34)
3. Minutes - 17 May 2007 (00:04:51) - a contentious point arose as a large part of a discussion was not included
4. Announcements (00:11:35) - none!
5. Public Question Time (00:11:45) - 3 questions on Aston Down and why enforcement procedures on the businesses there is not happening quicker.
6. Annual Report of the Standards Committee (00:15:22) - a two page statement read out
7. Appointments to Committees for 2007/08 (00:23:27) - I nominated Cllr Martin Whiteside for the vacant post of Vice-Chair of one of the Scrutiny committees - it was accepted so Greens now hold both Vice-Chairs of those committees.
8. Cabinet Recommendations to Council (from 31 May 2007 meeting) (00:25:18) - there was a collection of these incl the Best Value Performance Plan (indicators on how well the Council is doing), Webcasting, meetings and whether that should continue (I think it was unanimous to continue), a Conservation Statement re Bisley, the Play Strategy and proposals to enforce cleaner neighbourhoods.
9. Statement of Accounts (01:22:56) - lots of questions and a comment from one councillor that was verging on the unreasonable re a question asked - it is always tricky to see where it is humour and where it is just plain wrong.
10. District Ward Boundary Review (01:58:08) - this is the proposal for Crystal Fountain to become part of Nailsworth ward - a dogs dinner has been made of this - the Electoral Commission took 20 or 22 months to respond to the Councils 2004 request then a consultation found both Parishes in favour of moving to Nailsworth but 36 signatures representing 29 properties (ie virtually all) wanted to remain in Woodchester Parish - I say why do a consultation if you are going to ignore the results - anyhow the Council then voted for no action - in the meantime apparently many of those properties now want to be in Nailsworth. Anyhow to cut this short the Council voted to move the boundary so they are in Nailsworth.
11. Gambling Act 2005 - Fee Setting (02:17:21)
12. Civic Timetable 2008-09 (02:20:26)
13. Matters for Information (02:29:50)
14. Members' Questions (02:30:09) - none
15. Local Government Act 2000 - Exclusion of the Public (02:30:12)

Also on the webcast if you do go and look is the Council’s May Cabinet meeting with the World-renowned American ecology journalist Professor Richard Heinberg. See Professor Heinberg’s presentation on Peak Oil theory by going here and clicking on the meeting at 7pm on Thursday, 31 May 2007. Now that makes for interesting listening if you haven't listened to him before when he came to Stroud or elsewhere on the web.

Randwick School celebrates 150 years!!

At Randwick School there is a wonderful exhibition that celebrates the 150 years of the school - it closes tomorrow Friday but I think it should be around much longer as it makes fascinating reading. The head teacher Mrs Montacute was responsible for putting it together and deserves enormous credit.

Photos: above: balloons released on Tuesday (sadly I missed the event and BBQ which was excellent by all accounts, next photo: exhibition room

I spent over 25 mins looking at the exhibition today and there was more to see - a wonderful collection of old photos, log books and more - these photos do not do credit to the exhibition!!

Photos: the log book started in 1862 - see also the arm-istice entry showing the school assembled to hear an address from the head




Photos: the front of an old geography text book then schoolchildren c1900 and other photo of children plus George Harmer son of the headmaster born 1751

Questions to author of this blog

The local community newspaper, the Randwick Runner, is kind enough to report on various local activities in which I'm engaged so I put the following together re this blogsite.

Photos: taken in Ruscombe Valley last week

Part One: Questions to local District councillor Philip Booth regarding his 'Ruscombe Green' blog that has been listed amongst the top Green blogs in the country.

What is it?
It is a collection on a website of comments and reports of meetings and events about very local issues as well as broader issues around my role as a local District councillor: the entries are written in chronological order but displayed in reverse chronological order. Ruscombe Green has been going for just over a year and has around 600 entries on a vast range of topics with new entries being added most days - plus many photos including local views. The entries are not crafted works of literature but often quick comments or write-ups of meetings or events or perhaps topical issues - often with links to other web pages. Comments, anonymous or otherwise, are welcomed on each blog item and displayed for others to also read.

Why do a blog?
The Randwick Runner is a wonderful community newspaper but it doesn't reach all the people in the ward or Whiteshill and Ruscombe Parish which I also cover. A blog similarly also can't reach everyone but it is another forum where people can engage and debate on local issues. Local politics is in many ways not so accessible as it could be: this is one way to share what a District councillor gets up to and hopefully encourage more local participation. Of course I am also very happy to talk on the phone or talk with more local groups about my role on the Council.

Who looks at this blog?
The blog statistics can analyse in detail who visits: over 1000 people are visiting the site every month (more than visit the Councils' webcast which averages 536 viewers per month!). About 75% of those visiting are new visitors, some 370 people are returning to view the site regularly. The vast majority are from the UK but many visit from abroad: last month the site has seen visitors from a huge number of countries including Latvia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Guyana, Ukraine, Thailand and even 9 visitors from the Ivory Coast. The stats can even tell you which town so I know for example 19 came from Melbourne, 11 from Los Angeles, 1 from Reykjavik and 17 from Watford! About 10% of people come direct to the site while some 30% come from other websites: for example 29 this month from Randwicks' website, 2 from the New Statesman, 160 from other bloggers. The remaining 60% come via search engines.

What do they look at?
This varies considerably: some spend time perusing through various local items while others just visit one specific item then leave. Popular this month has been items on the Open Studios, Mobile phone masts, a comment about the research on country walks reducing depression, a meeting I organised on Sustainable Urban Drainage and Richard Heinberg's talk to Stroud District Council's Cabinet regarding Peak Oil - this 'peak' is the point at which oil production rises to its highest point before declining and it is fast approaching with huge implications for all of us.

How do people find items on the blog?
There is a search facility: put in key words like 'art' or '20 mph' to find items or use the 'Archives' section in the right-hand column. There are also links to other local sites.

Is there life beyond the blog?
I do wonder sometimes about the time spent in this online world: the blog does take time to do but many of the items I will have adapted from other uses. A letter or report for example can quickly be turned into a blog item. There is also clearly lots that doesn't make the blog like meetings that perhaps aren't worth reporting or events that I just didn't get around to writing about. I would welcome comments and suggestions on how to improve within the limited time resources I have!

Next time in the Runner a report on some of the contents of Ruscombe Green

Visit Ruscombe Green at:
http://ruscombegreen.blogspot.com
Or telephone: 755451

Part Two: Questions to local District councillor Philip Booth regarding his 'Ruscombe Green' blog.

Last week we looked at what was this Ruscombe Green blog, who reads it and what is it for, this week we look a bit at what Philip Booth writes about:

What are some of the local issues you've written about?
The Wap, local attempts to slow traffic, the National Trust woods, the local bus service and attempts to improve it, proposed footpath changes, street lighting and whether it should be switched off at night, Parish meetings, homelessness in Whiteshill, vandalised grit bins, reports on local events and future events, local artists, the Ruscombe brook and more. There are also stories like a Peregrine falcon seen in Ruscombe valley and even a local sleuths attempt to identify the house in a 1832 painting of Paganhill Cottage found in Canada.

What about some of the issues re the District Council?
The various Council meetings and policy panels get mentions and comments - and of course the many consultations and various reports. I air some frustrations like climate change not being tackled with the urgency it is needed - but there is also a huge welcome where things work well like the Councils consultation on the Environment Strategy paper and how they listened to opposition councillors and made changes. The Council have also made much welcomed changes to their submission on the Draft Climate Change Bill and regional planning documents following comments made. I also mention some key planning decisions like the loss of Cashes Green Vicarage: in fact I followed that up with the Diocese who kindly invited me to make a presentation to them last month in Gloucester. I understand this has led to questions being asked at Synod to see if new Vicarages can all be carbon neutral rather than what we will see in Cashes Green.

And County issues?
Numerous issues including Post Office closures, furniture recycling, affordable housing and trying to see more 20 mph zones in our residential areas. One key issue has been opposition to the proposed expansion at Staverton airport: it is astonishing that Councils who have signed up to cutting CO2 emissions should be seeking to see the airport increase its emissions, when every other business in Gloucestershire is being told to cut theirs significantly. The science is clear: we cannot countenance any further expansion of aviation. I've written to many other councillors and the press on this. Another big issue is the 39 year old Oldbury nuclear power station (16 miles from Stroud): whatever your views on new nukes, to me, it is quite clear this power station should close: it now has the most heavily corroded reactor core of it's type in the world and independent scientists have warned of the serious risks being taken, even internal reports released under the Freedom of Information Act show that is unsafe to operate through to its planned closure date of December next year.

Any other issues?
The blog covers a huge range of other wider topics like the Government's push for more GM crops, concerns about biofuels, the national breastfeeding manifesto, David Drews' very welcomed sponsoring of the important Sustainable Communities Bill, correspondence with Ministers, ID cards - and more - like this month another submission to the Panel looking at Weavers Croft arguing this service must not close. There are also blog entries about the exciting Transition Stroud and their projects to find local solutions to the twin threats of climate change and the forecast dwindling oil supplies. This is a hugely positive movement that only started last September and has taken off across the country: here in Stroud there is a hugely industrious, enthusiastic group of people looking at community renewable energy solutions, local food and even have a license to grow hemp for clothing. One of the key notions being that it isn't sustainable if it isn't fun.

Can you leave comments on the blog site?
Yes - on some issues there are many comments left and emails sent direct to me: some debate the issues or add extra information, some disagree, some are supportive, some are anonymous, some are not. One guy in Seattle has offered his particularly good photos for use on the site, another phoned from Australia with additional information to an item I'd written about Bee Colony Collapse Disorder, another was the author of the book whose ideas I was promoting, others have debated local issues like whether the campsite should reopen in Randwick woods. Another comment led to renewed pushes to encourage Tesco to put up a bus shelter outside their main store. While an item on Painswick library's threatened closure led to the editor of an International Library magazine visiting me in Painswick with another District councillor: he now plans a series of articles on the campaign to retain a library in Painswick. I welcome comment and feedback on how to improve the blog.

Visit Ruscombe Green at:
http://ruscombegreen.blogspot.com
Or telephone: 755451

Over 1000 people visited this blog last month

It was only a couple of months ago that I managed to grasp how to add the blog "Analytics" tool to this blog - basically it can analyse in detail who visits. It makes some surprising reading....

Photo: A drink last night with Gloucestershire Green party members after a meeting in the New Inn in Gloucester

Over 1000 people are visiting the site every month - more I might add than visit Stroud District Councils' webcast (which averages 536 viewers per month!). About 75% of those visiting are new visitors, some 370 people are returning to view the site regularly.

The vast majority are visitors to the site are understandably from the UK but many visit from abroad: last month the site has seen visitors from a huge number of countries including Latvia, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Guyana, Ukraine, Thailand and even 9 visitors from the Ivory Coast. The stats can even tell you which town so I know for example 19 came from Melbourne, 11 from Los Angeles, 1 from Reykjavik and 17 from Watford!

About 10% of people come direct to the site while some 30% come from other websites: for example 29 this month from Randwicks' website, 2 from the New Statesman, 160 from other bloggers. The remaining 60% come via search engines.

Having just worked all this out yesterday I was at a Gloucestershire Green party meeting in Gloucester last night - it is a good a chance to meet up with other Green party representatives in the County and share ideas, thoughts and more about the way forward - anyhow I declared proudly that there was even a visitor from Latvia to my blog only to find that a new Gloucester Green party member whose family come from Latvia was that very visitor - his computors' network is based in Latvia although he lives here! Ah well am sure those foreign visitors can't all be Gloucestershire folk with networks overseas!

Why are councils even considering supporting irresponsible businesses?

I have to say I am a little horrified by the on-going support by councillors for the airport expansion at Staverton - the Citizen paper also repeatedly carries articles on the airport that fail to mention the expansion leading to an increased carbon footprint. Not always do they print a letter from people in response to those articles but they have been pretty good.

Photo: Citizen covers demo last year

Last week there was a substantial article which covered an aviation enthusiasts hopes for the runway extension to go ahead - again no mention of CO2 - heres my response yesterday:

Aviation enthusiast Roger Daniels claims the extension of runway will benefit Gloucester and Cheltenham and Staverton airport chiefs claim increasing flights to EU destinations will mean more efficient business jets (23/06/07).

Growth in flights cannot be sustainable however you look at it. Aircraft are amongst the most CO2 intensive methods of travel and CO2 emitted at altitude increases global warming by up to a factor of four. If aviation is allowed to grow at current projections it will account for all permitted greenhouse gas emissions - across all sectors - by 2045.

The article claims this expansion will benefit our local businesses and economy yet responsible businesses are looking to reduce their flying by video conferencing and other methods. Why are local councils even considering supporting irresponsible businesses? They are signed up to cut emissions - it is time they took that seriously. Already the people who are being hit hardest by climate change are among the poorest on earth: to make the situation worse is unjust in the extreme.

As I've asked repeatedly, why should this airport be allowed to increase its CO2 emissions, when every other business in Gloucestershire is being told to cut theirs significantly? The science is clear. We cannot countenance any further expansion of aviation.

Cllr. Philip Booth, Stroud District Green Party.

In terms of aviation the local papers are understandably covering the run up to the world's largest Air Show at Fairford - again this has support from many local councillors - it is clearly a huge CO2 consumer but more worrying is the glorification of war and war machines - such Shows lend credibility and acceptance to these killing machines - in response I've helped put out a news release saying more on that - see it here.

But going back to Staverton - today I got a copy of letter sent by another local campaigner who runs his own blog and I thought it would be worth enclosing here as well:

It is easy for an aircraft enthusiast such as Roger Daniels to say that he is in favour of the airport expansion when he is 68 and enjoys reminiscing about the past. I have children who look to the future with foreboding and worry.

We need to think differently about the future and not simply be trying to recreate the past as he suggests. In the last few days we have seen much of this country flooded as a consequence of extreme weather, and extreme weather is becoming the norm for much of the planet.

Almost every country on the planet is currently being either baked or flooded. Warning bells are already sounding with world food reserves falling to their lowest levels as climate change bites into the productivity of our land.

The IPCC report and Stern reports are unanimous in their calls for CO2 cuts of 90%. Put simply this means we are entering into a new paradigm and that old assumptions of continued economic growth are no longer valid. This airport expansion will be a major emitter of CO2 and can not be allowed. Initial analysis of the business plan suggests that 1.5 million trees will be needed to offset the CO2.

Kevin Lister, Nailsworth

Meanwhile re Bristol airports plans to expand we are now waiting for them to submit their planning application to North Somerset Council. We anticipate this will happen some time over the summer and will be followed by 3 or 4 weeks public consultation, then 13 weeks of deliberation by the Council.

Transition Towns going viral

I just picked up news from Rob Hopkins blog site that some 90 towns are now interested in being part of the process - see list of all the communities who have been in touch and who are ‘mulling over’ becoming a Transition Initiative (see also Google map here - zoom in to see locations in UK) Plus 17 including Stroud who are now already officially Transition Initiatives. And this from there only being two (Totnes and Kinsale) last September.

As Rob Hopkins says: "The momentum is growing and feels really quite unstoppable." Transition Drinks tonight in Nine Bar from 8 - come and find out more about it - sadly I have another meeting so will miss the wonderful local beer!

Transport emissions are not most expensive to tackle

Items in this blog largely come from the excellent campaigning group, Roadblock.

Photos: Local bus and train

First in the first quarter of 2007 road traffic went up by 1.2% compared to last year. We are just not getting to grips with it - part of the problem is the Government sees it as the most expensive area to cut emissions - new research throws that into doubts - see below. There is also a reluctance to embrace sustainable choices...for example....

As Roadblock report the three year results are out for the three Sustainable Travel Towns and they show that "Smarter Choices" measures have had an enormous impact on reducing car trips, and encouraging public transport use and cycling and walking. The three projects at Darlington, Peterborough and Worcester mainly involved nothing more than simply telling people about public transport options, starting car share schemes and encouraging people to walk and cycle more. The first three year results show that:

* Darlington - public transport trips up 14%, walking up 29%, cycling up 79%. Car trips were down 11%

* Peterborough - public transport up 13%, walking up 21%, cycling up 25%. Car trips were down 13%

* Worcester - public transport up 22%, walking up 17%, cycling up 36%. Car trips were down 12%

This is better than any road scheme could do to cut congestion, and cuts CO2 and is healthier too! And it is a fraction of the price. Now why is all that money being poured into roadbuilding...?

Transport is not most expensive sector to tackle emissions

Another piece of interesting research is by MTRU for Transport 2000 - it has challenged the findings of the Stern report that carbon emissions from transport are more expensive to tackle than other sectors. The Government has been using this claim as an excuse for allowing transport carbon emissions to rise - including through creating traffic growth through road building. It shows that we have to tackle transport CO2 as we cannot rely on other sectors of the economy to make those cuts when they already have ambitious targets. It also reveals that to change travel behaviour will be more equitable also, and has other benefits such as improving air quality. The research and a summary are available on the Transport 2000 website.

Take action

Anyhow heres an action people can take: tell the European Commission to get tough on the car industry - deadline 30 June!

Over a quarter of Europe’s carbon emissions come from transport, the majority of these from cars. Car makers have failed to deliver on their own targets on emissions and now the European Commission is proposing legally binding targets. The car industry is fighting hard to avoid these mandatory targets but these targets must be tough enough if they are going to have an impact on climate change. The commission is asking for your opinion so tell them that you want tough mandatory and long-term targets that will significantly reduce the impact of the car on our climate. Take action before 30th June here.

Weavers Croft: the final stage of consultation

Yesterday one of the Council meetings I attended was on the "Consultation on the 'Later life' public service agreement". I caught the end of a session with staff and then joined representatives of various older peoples groups like from Sheltered Accommodation - all councillors had been invited but I was the only one to attend - it is very difficult especially if councillors are working - the number of meetings we get invited to could sometimes fill a weeks diary several times over.....

Photo: Last years march to prevent health cuts

....anyhow it was very good to hear the voices of older people clearly saying they want more done on pensioner poverty and their voice heard properly. Having been involved not so long ago in interviewing people re Cainscross Parish Plan I was able to chip in and reinforce several issues that were raised - particularly fuel poverty - better insulation/energy efficiency etc not only helps prevent hypothermia, it also reduces bills and tackles climate change - win, win, win! I also raised the issue about the importance of local services....but I wont use this blog on all that I really wanted to talk about Weavers Croft.

Background

Controversial plans to move mental health beds out of Stroud, Gloucester and Cinderford are now under review by an independent group of medical experts who will then advise Health Minister Patricia Hewitt on their findings. The Secretary of State has asked the Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) to provide advice about existing plans to centralise facilities for older people's mental health to just one site at Charlton Lane in Cheltenham. This would mean inpatient beds at Weavers Croft in Stroud, Colliers Court in Cinderford and Holly House in Gloucester would all close.

The Panel are seeking new evidence about the services or information from those who feel that their voice has not been heard through the original consultation process - I've enclosed my submission below.

Previous blog entries on this topic include: Most recent update on health cuts: 30th April 2007, A Social enterprise for local health services: 15th November 2006, Previous consultations: 10th and 19th August 2006 and Previous Weavers Croft submission: 14th July 2006 and 23rd May 2006.

How to make your thoughts know?

The panel is asking anybody who has new evidence about the services or who feel that their voice has not been heard should not hesitate to get contact them. Anyone who would like to contact the panel and share their views before 9th July can call 01823 344 430 or e-mail <irp@southwest.nhs.uk>. Also write to IRP, Strategic Development, NHS Southwest, Wellsprings Road, Taunton, TA2 7PQ. Their final report with all its recommendations will be published on July 27 so comments need to reach them by mid-July at the latest. The final decision on changes to the services in Gloucestershire will be made by the Health Minister.

My submission to IRP

Re: the Independent Reconfiguration Panel consideration of plans to centralise facilities for older people's mental health in Cheltenham.

We understand that the Panel is particularly seeking new evidence about the services or information from those who feel that their voice has not been heard through the original consultation process. However the very fact that this proposal to close Weavers Croft was not thrown out originally is a strong indication that voices of our community have not been heard.

Last year there was uproar in these valleys at the proposed health cuts. You will be aware there were over 9,000 objections and an astonishing 3000 people marched in Stroud. Many more were appalled by the proposed cuts. We welcome news that Stroud Maternity Hospital is safe at the moment but are deeply concerned by the on-going threat to Weavers Croft. Closure of this service would be a serious mistake.

One of the most fundamental needs of an older person with a mental illness is the need to be in contact with familiar people, situations and places to reduce anxiety and increase the sense of wellbeing. To transfer the care of these older people away from their communities would be fundamentally wrong.

We know only too well that the proposed site is impossible to visit without a car from some places in the District and even from Stroud it requires three bus journeys. A lot of elderly people don’t like to drive out of their immediate vicinity or don't have access to a car. There appears to be only very poor consideration of those alternatives and what costs they might entail to individuals and the environment. The impact on climate change and the forecast considerable oil price rises in coming years appear to not have been given serious consideration at all: both these factors mean we should be developing local not centralised services.

Older or disabled carers will be far less able to visit: some maybe unable to manage the journey at all let alone on a regular basis. Fewer visits will impact detrimentally on the elderly person receiving services. For example carers sometimes help feed or just be with the patients: such benefits to the patient of a caring known person cannot be underestimated.

Information on financial savings is also poor with little or no assessment of the impact of these proposals on other bodies or service users. Costs do not for example seem to have been calculated for withdrawing services like day care, the additional transport, restructuring and more. There also does not seem to have been a proper analysis of costs longer term: for the over 65 year old age group for Stroud District is expected to increase over the next 20 years from the estimate for this year of 20,000 to 29,000 in 2026. This will lead to a significant increase in the number of people with problems like dementia.

The services at Weavers Croft are recognised locally as being excellent and are adjacent to other health services where additional support can be gained if needed. The proposed centralising of these services in Cheltenham goes against Government policy outlined in the White Paper "Our Health, Our Care, Our Say" published in January 2006, which has the clear vision of locating services within local communities and engaging with the people of those communities to ascertain their needs and wishes.

In short the case for closing Weavers Croft has not been made. I strongly urge that it remains open for both inpatient and day care services.

Yours sincerely,

Cllr Philip Booth on behalf of Stroud District Green party

The case of the old painting of Paganhill in Canada

This is a story of an investigation by local sleuth Susan Freck who was sent this letter below. Susan has kindly allowed me to print some of the results here and a copy of her full dossier will now be with the Ruscombe Brook Action Group history file.

This letter was a plea from Canada for info about the house in the painting that was bought in 1832 or earlier - the plea came from someone who was intrigued that a family would carry with them such a painting to Canada, keep it in their family and then sell it - to take such a painting in those days would indicate that it held some special value to those that carried it all that way when they moved.

Photo: Painting labeled 'Cottage at Paganhill. This picture was brought by my Great Grandparents, Thomas and Margaret Armstrong Gillesby in 1832 when they came to Canada. My Grandmother Mary Gillesby gave it to me.'


Susan Freck did much research of the area and looked into the old mills - some of which produced the felted red and green cloth for which Stroud became famous - red for the soldiers, green for billiards.

Old maps like those shown here eventually helped Susan get closer to where the cottage was sited.


You'll see from this first map in 1824 the brook was known in this section as Ozel Brook - it is also known as Cuckhold's brook and Woosley's brook.


The second map shows in pink the Mill House and in purple Little Mill - the shaded blue areas are the Mill ponds and in brown are the footpaths as they still are today.


The old photo below from 1976 was where Susan first thought the cottage in the painting must be. However a more careful look at contours shows it is far more likely to be in the field behind Mill Pond Farm in the last photo.


Apparently the woman in Canada was delighted with this info and making connection with this part of the world. It is also good to hear that the painting is in safe hands!

Update October 2007: see comment - I've had several emails from this contact and been able to put them in touch.

Celebrate Clarence Willcock tomorrow!

In December 1950, PC Harold Muckle stopped a dry cleaner in Finchley named Clarence Willcock and asked him to produce his World War II identity card. Mr Willcock refused, saying "I am against that sort of thing."

On Tuesday exactly 56 years ago in Clarence Willcock's High Court appeal, the Lord Chief Justice said that "...to use Acts of Parliament, passed for particular purposes during war, in times when the war is past, tends to turn law-abiding subjects into lawbreakers, which is a most undesirable state of affairs." As a result of the Willcock case and Lord Goddard's attack on their abuse, identity cards were abolished by Winston Churchill in 1952 as part of his 'bonfire of controls'".

Indeed - it is a great pity that this Government including our local MP David Drew is supportive of ID cards.

Ten years ago Tony Blair passionately told Labour conference: "Instead of wasting hundreds of millions of pounds on compulsory ID cards as the Tory Right demand, let that money provide thousands more police officers on the beat in our local communities."

British subjects will now, for the first time ever, be made to turn up to be scanned, fingerprinted and registered on the largest biometric database in the world. Yet the technology is untested, biometrics don't work for everyone and the record of new IT projects by this government is extremely poor. The scheme will cost billions (and rising all the time) and wont tackle identity fraud, crime or any of the high-profile problems the Government has claimed they will address. This is an obscene waste of money.

Tony Blair was right ten years ago: the money could indeed be better spent on "thousands more police officers on the beat in our local communities." I am sure there will be many more Clarence Willcocks when we get these cards.

Click on 'Passport' Label below for info on our local campaign to resist compulsory registration re passports and Data Protection Day - but best resources for all of this can be found at No2ID and especially their arguments about why we should not have these cards here.

Puckshole closed - Ruscombe brook at its highest

Ebley Mill carpark today was half closed due to flooding - and several roads in the District were closed - forecasts are saying that an astonishing average of 50mm of rainfall could fall within 24 hours. See useful article here re weather worldwide.

Photos: Ebley Mill carpark today, then the mini-landslip that blocked Puckshole and below further down 2 photos of the Ruscombe brook at Mill Pond Farm

In Cheltenham the fire service has apparently been inundated with reports of flood water entering cellars in shops and homes, and in Gloucester fire crews were reported on the BBC to have rescued 50 dogs and 20 cats stranded in kennels.

While many local roads are opening Puckshole is still closed to traffic - the Ruscombe brook was the highest we've seen it - Puckshole completely flooded this morning, about 2ft of water in Cooke’s builders’ yard.

One email to me today noted a "massive discharge of a brown smelly water like content into the brook, going across our drive and taking with it substantial mud and plants from the bank. Further up - embankment from Folly Farm – landslide making Parkend impassable by car (yes indeed it could have been the new footpath!). We have taken photos and been busy for a good 1 ½ hour protecting properties. I have reported this to SDC and EA (the later was not too keen but no one knows what is stored at the builders yard possible chemicals or asbestos??!)."

The email continued: "The water has taken substantial surface covering from my driveway and the bank to the brook is ruined – many hours of work trying to improve it are gone!"

In another email a brook member further down the brook notes: "Water was torrenting out from our drive culvert and flooding the low areas all along the brook. Photos attached, you notice the boat was out!"

It is too early to say how much the river is overflowing and how much it is the sewers - if at all? Although I'd be surprised if they managed to cope with this level of rainfall without overflowing.....

Bike Week ends

Sadly the bike polo event planned for Stroud last week was called off for fear of it being underwater polo - however by all accounts the Bike film night put on by Transition Stroud went well. I haven't copied articles here in the past but came across this one that is a great way to encourage cycling...

Photo: By kind permission of Charles Roffey


"Free wheeling" from The Guardian - Emily Thornberry busts 10 persistent myths about this easy, green and healthy way to get on the move:

'You cycle to work? You must be mad," used to be the reaction when I told people about my commute. Today, especially in London, cycling to work is at last becoming "normal": it is no longer the reserve of Lycra-clad men. Joining the swarm of cyclists travelling south towards central London from Islington in the morning, I feel like I could be in Amsterdam or Copenhagen - where cycling accounts for a third of all trips. But in the UK, we still have a long way to go. Just 3% of commuters here cycle, with around 4 million people still driving less than three miles to work - a 20-minute bike ride each way. If all of these people swapped their cars for bikes it would save around 1m tonnes of CO2 a year. As a member of parliament, my four-mile round commute to Westminster takes under half an hour (with the trip back, uphill after the 10 o'clock vote, taking a bit longer). It is by far the quickest way to get to the House of Commons. In fact, most traffic in London moves at the same speed it did a century ago - barely 10mph. On a bike you can easily keep up with or beat that speed. If it's so easy and so quick - why aren't more of us commuting by bike? Here are some of the common myths that people claim prevent them. 1. "But won't I be killed?" The Department for Transport's own statistics show that, over the last three years, cycling is - per mile travelled - safer than walking. Indeed, the more people who cycle, the safer it becomes, because drivers get used to seeing cyclists on the road. As more people have taken to their bikes in London, so there has been a 50% drop in cycling casualties per mile ridden since the mid 1990s. We all need regular exercise and the truth is that most people do not get enough. Cycling is much more convenient than joining a gym or going swimming, and is a regular exercise that can be slotted fairly easily into most of our lives. I discovered in February that I have the cardiovascular fitness of someone almost 20 years younger. 2. "Don't I need lots of gear?" All you need is a bike, a lock and some lights. With a few outstanding exceptions, Lycra really doesn't do justice to the figures of most people over 30. If you feel most comfortable wearing a suit, then wear one and cycle slowly. You are going to work, not climbing Mont Ventoux. Helmets aren't compulsory and their benefit isn't proven outright. Indeed, recent evidence suggests that wearing a helmet may encourage drivers to overtake more closely - putting you at greater risk. 3. "Won't my bike get stolen?" A good lock and a secure area to park your bike will help. More enlightened employers will often provide the latter. Forming a bicycle user group in your workplace can improve your chances of obtaining decent facilities. Most police forces have started offering people bike registration schemes. They'll be able to enter details of your bike onto a database - this will help to recover it if it's stolen. 4. "I haven't done it for years" The government recently launched Bikeability, a series of three levels of cycle competency, which teaches children the skills and confidence to ride on the road. Local authorities - especially those in London - now offer a free or heavily subsidised adult version of Bikeability. Even if you think you are a good cyclist, professional cycle training will greatly help boost your confidence and can provide tips and skills to staying safe. I've had cycle training myself and, even though I felt very confident beforehand, I'm certainly a better cyclist because of it. 5. "The weather in Britain is too bad" In many cities in northern Europe, up to 30% of all journeys are taken by bike - often in places with wetter, colder weather than the UK. Some cities in this country have similar levels of bike-friendliness; a quarter of commuters in parts of York, Cambridge, Oxford and Hull cycle to work. In my city, Transport for London claims that the average cycle commuter will only be caught in the rain 12 times in the average year. This is, as any cyclist will tell you, quite obviously a lie - but you'd be surprised how infrequently it actually does rain. My policy is - if it rains, the bike stays at home. No one wants their MP turning up looking like a drowned rat. 6. "I live in a hilly area" You can't tackle hills without gears. The worse the hill, the more serious the gears needed. But, frankly, no one is going to blame you if you get off and push. And then you've got a free-wheel downhill. 7. "There's too much pollution" Pollution levels for cyclists are lower than you might think - on hot days when pollution levels are highest, cyclists are exposed to less pollution than commuters sitting in their cars. 8. "Bikes are expensive" There's now a tax incentive, which means that you could buy a bike for a substantial discount through your employer. Find out about the scheme here: tinyurl.com/zob7l 9. "I can't carry anything on a bike" Some people have moved house by bike, and transported furniture - even pianos - by bike. Modern panniers are adapted for files and laptops. You can buy huge panniers and removable baskets that can carry shopping - and even David Cameron's shoes! 10. "There are other reasons" No there aren't. Get on a bike and give it a week. Chances are you'll soon join the ranks of converted cycle commuters: green, healthy and just a bit smug.

An evening on water

Last night the Green party-sponsored Coffee House Discussion at Star Anise Cafe in Stroud asked is there a water crisis? It was a good evening - reminding us again how we need to move from our 'flush and forget' attitude to treating water as the wonderful resource it is.

Photo: Mayor John Marjoram looks at a drainpipe water filter

As we've said before it is unacceptable to allow sewage discharges into our brooks, it is crazy to develop expensive energy-intensive sewage treatments when solutions like reed beds can be cheaper, more effective and more sustainable and it is madness to continue to build homes without water saving measures and in flood plains, yet we know climate change will bring many challenges in terms of drought and floods.....

The informative evening started with Martin Whiteside, Parliamentary candidate for the Green party and an International Aid and development worker, who set the scene with a look internationally at the problems: during the 2 hours of the Coffee House Discussion he noted that some 300 people died around the world from poor water. He also shared experiences of his work in other countries like during a trip to Afghanistan where a village had been burnt to the ground by a neighbouring village over a dispute about water.

Photo: Martin Whiteside, Elinor Croxall (Chair) and Julian Jones show plans for reed beds in Stroud

Julian Jones, from Water 21 shared some of his projects with sustainable solutions to managing out water and sewage including examples locally and a project in Sudan based on work done in Stroud. He also shared his work with Cranfield University looking at health implications of sewage in our water - many millions of litres of sewage escapes into our waterways and he talked about the serious health implications of this.

Photos: Julian Jones and Roger Budgeon with toilet and Paul Munns demonstrating a water filter

Paul Munns and Roger Budgeon from the Green Shop in Bisley then gave a presentation about what could be done in homes to use water better - particularly roof water. A toilet that only uses a fraction of the water use of others was brought into the cafe as part of their demonstration.

Last up was me a look at sustainable solutions along the Ruscombe Brook. I talked briefly on how the group had learnt over the last two years about the many issues relating to water quality, the numerous meetings, a conference, 2 local seminars, talks to schools and local groups, clean-ups and a local school doing water sampling. Plus noting much has improved by working with organisations and that there have been none of the major incidents of sewage getting into the brook in recent months. I also noted there is currently a £3000 grant to look at the next stage to improve water quality and biodiversity and a MSc student from Gloucestershire University has just embarked on a project to help with this - but regular Ruscombe Green blog readers should know all this - click on 'RBAG' label below for past correspondence and meetings and reports and more - click here for article on brook.

The talk was then followed by lots of questions and comments, while all enjoyed cakes and coffee from the Star Anise café. Next Discussion will be Friday 28th September as we take a break over the summer - the topic will be: 'Is Capitalism Sustainable?' and Green Economist Molly Scott Cato will be one of the speakers. 7.30 to 9.30pm at Star Anise Arts Cafe at the Painswick Inn, Gloucester Street, Stroud. For more info on the Cafe Discussions click here.

Draft Climate Change Bill - Council's submission welcomed

The Government's Draft Climate Change Bill has been out for consultation (see blog entries on 10th May and 25th May) - I helped put together the local Green party's response but also submitted comments to the District Council.

Photo: Side of the road, Bread Street

The consultation closed on 12th June and while I have seen draft's of the Council's response and been able to make further comments by email it was only yesterday that councillors got a copy of the final report. I have to say it is to be hugely welcomed and again the Council seems to have taken on all the key points Greens have made - the comments also reflect many of the comments from a whole host of organisations. I enclose the Councils summary below - but first a few particular comments re the submission....

Key points:

1. It was particularly good to see that the Council noted international flights and shipping should not be excluded from targets.

2. The Council also made clear it wanted an early review of CO2 targets. Stroud District Council adopted the national Friends of the Earth target of 3% per annum earlier this year - and deserve credit for being one of the first Councils to do so. However FoE now acknowledge that their original suggestion of a 3% annual target is now insufficient - they've commissioned a report from the Tyndall Centre which shows 9% is more valid (i) - which incidentally is Green party policy. The point I made in one of my emails was:

It is critical to point to the urgent need for the target to be reviewed, particularly in light of the last couple of weeks which have seen a number of key reports that make grim reading:

- IPCC notes that we must act to tackle climate change within 8 years: global emissions must peak by 2015 for the world to have any chance of limiting the expected temperature rise to 2C, which would still leave billions of people short of water by 2050. See more here.
- International scientists report last week that worldwide CO2 emissions rose at a faster rate in 2000-2004 than the worst-case scenario imagined in this year's UN reports on climate . The rise over the first four years of this century is also greater than in the 1990s - 3.1% a year between 2000-2004, up from an average of 1.1% a year during the 1990s.
- International researchers found that the oceans are losing the capacity to soak up rising man-made carbon emissions: this could be increasing the rate of global warming by up to 30 per cent.

I would like to see in the Councils' Climate Change Bill response a clear and urgent call for the Government to review their targets.

3. Another key point I considered very important was that the issue of equity was not included in the list of factors for the Committee on Climate Change to consider. As we know very deep cuts in CO2 emissions and the restoration of natural sinks are needed globally, quickly and organised in a globally rational and equitable mechanism. It has been widely recognised that the emissions reduction mechanism that can be best deployed fairly is Contraction and Convergence as devised by the Global Commons Institute. This has been endorsed by the European Parliament and advocated by the UK Royal Commission on the Environment (2000), many businesses, environmental groups and the All-Party Climate Change Group who note that "Contraction and Convergence is the only credible global framework within which we can organise to do enough soon enough to avert the worst of global changes already underway.” (see my correspondence with Ministers on this issue: blog entries 20th April, 10th May and 22nd May).

I was therefore delighted to see Contraction and Convergence get a mention in the Councils response: some other Councils have not been so willing to specifically push this measure which in my view is the only measure that I've seen that offers a just and sustainable solution. Here's the Councils response on that issue:

Issues of international equity are not included on the list of factors and needs to be. In particular, deep cuts in carbon dioxide emissions and the restoration of natural sinks are needed globally, quickly and organised in a globally rational and equitable mechanism (see Question 7 and the call for sustainability appraisal). Similarly the Committee could maintain a view on the applicability of developing approaches which potentially provide more transparent, accountable and equitable ways of trading emissions, including for example 'Contraction and Convergence' as devised by the Global Commons Institute. An approach endorsed by the European Parliament and advocated by the UK Royal Commission on the Environment (2000), many businesses, environmental groups and the All-Party Climate Change Group.

I could write more but more importantly we want to see the government now adopt these points. Anyhow here is the Councils final comments at the end of their submission:

We welcome this draft bill, and think it is a very positive step forward. The UK's approach in this area could be incredibly influential, and this is a good opportunity for us to have a significant and lasting global impact. We are potentially the stewards of the route map that the rest of the world will need to follow. But only if central and local government is willing to accept the leadership position and responsibility that goes with it.

The principles and concepts behind the Bill are sound. The accompanying regulatory impact assessment is also strong and thorough, covering all the different areas comprehensively. However, we do believe that long-term certainty is crucial if all sectors are to be enabled to respond effectively.

We would like to see five main issues addressed. The first is the need to incorporate all greenhouse gases in due course, not just carbon dioxide. The second is that aviation and shipping emissions should not be excluded from the scope of the bill.

Thirdly, we believe it will be important for the developments set out in the Bill to be kept focused on the real scale of the problem we face over time. As such we would encourage the Government not to unduly delay undertaking an early review of the 60% target, particularly given recent evidence emerging from the IPCC. Any review should fully undertstand the implications of the diminishing availability of carbon based fuel resources (as production plateaus and goes into decline - so called 'Peak Oil') as well as the impacts of climate change. The combination of these things provides this generation of decision makers with an unprecedented risk management challenge. National and local Government will need to work together at international, national, regional and local levels if our communities are to be led into a low carbon future.

Fourthly, we would like to see the powers and duties of the Committee on Climate Change broadened to enable them to advise on a wider vision for a low carbon society and scrutinise integration between key policy areas, such as transport, energy, waste and finance (including bringing emissions budget setting into line with the Comprehensive Spending Review cycle).

Fifth and finally, we would also like to sound a cautionary note. The improvement of international and national emissions trading mechanisms is clearly important but the UK needs to be seen to abide by the 'word' and the 'spirit' of any rules. It must take all reasonable steps to ensure that trading by the UK does not result in either a reduction in the UKs potential response (i.e. we end up doing less than we might) or perhaps more importantly perverse outcomes, such as the loss of carbon sinks, which will further undermine the global communities climate change response. As such we would like to see a robust sustainability appraisal of any credits, which are purchased by the UK.

Notes:

(i) Research by the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change note the Government's current targets are not sufficient to limit global average temperatures to no more than 2 °C above pre-industrial levels: even with the Climate Change Bill’s current neglect of aviation and shipping, the emission pathway it describes correlates approximately with an 80% and 60% chance of exceeding 2°C and 3°C warming respectively. Friends of the Earth and others are calling for a cut of at least 80% by 2050. To put it into perspective at 3% per annum, it would take 30 years to achieve a 60% cut in total emissions, where as at a 9% rate of reduction it would take only 9.7 years. Also achieving the target in 9.7 years would result in a 70% reduction in total emissions due to the quicker time taken to achieve the end result.

Walking the Land collective art exhibition

Another exhibition that I managed to get to today was by the Walking the Land collective - Gloucestershire artists inspired by the close relationship that walking engenders - 25 artists with paintings, poetry and more.

Photos: exhibition - the great picture to the right is a painting by Stroud artist Carolyn White while below was an interesting exhibit that hopefully produces some thoughtful reflection! It is time for a land tax!

See more about this group here including photos and videos - The exhibition runs until 30th June at The Space Lansdown, Stroud 10.30 am to 4pm Mon - Sat.

Stroud College art exhibition finished today

The new Stroud College had it's first exhibition of art work from adults on HND, HNC and Access courses plus younger students doing foundation coureses or work towards BTec national Certificates in art and design.


Photo: Liked these photos and more of airport runway and road markings

I've enclosed in this blog various photos of art that took my interest for a variety of reasons - some for humour, some for the message they had about our world and some just because I liked them.....huge apologies but I lost my bit of paper with most of the artists names on...


Photos: 'The Deconstruction of the Process of Making Tea' was by Luke Nairn - the next photo had a message about our society and recycling and more - and the photo after that was this cyclist peddling hard with a film behind of bushes and trees and a message about the need for us all to cycle more - that was by Isabel Lyster. The rest I'm afraid I lost the names.

Environment strategy and Randwick Parish meetings

This evening two meetings - the first looking at the District's Environment Strategy at Ebley Mill - a presentation by the Strategic Director - sadly only 12 out of 51 councillors present - mind that is good compared to some meetings! Lots of good stuff talked about re Stroud - and better than many Councils but oh dear oh dear how little it all adds up to - but having said that it is a start - and there are opportunities to make some serious changes - I came away with a list of things to follow up - no doubt more of that in future posts...

The meeting finished earlier enough for me to catch the last hour of Randwick Parish Councils meeting - was able to update on recent meetings with Highways and various other bits like the Ruscombe Brook memo of cooperation (see blog 6th June) which was passed unanimously by the Parish.

I was also able to catch up on progress around a number of items - the Randwick Runner will have a report soon - but they may not cover the fact that the post of Snow Warden for the Parish remains vacant at the moment! They are hoping to decide the post next month! There was also news that Highways will not be tackling Sandpits Lane - the plan now is to see if the Care Home staff and residents might be able to help....anyhow I would write more but I've got a glass of wine left over from the weekend to drink....