The Government expects Council rents to reach the same level as in the private sector within ten years. However this year they have extended the timescale to 2015/16 enabling Mid Suffolk District Council if it wished to restrict the increase to 5.3%. However, at today’s Executive Committee, the Conservative led Executive without Liberal Democrat support have voted to push ahead with a 6.4% increase which they estimate will give the Council some £100,000 to spend on housing repairs. Garage rents are to increase by 5.0%.

The hot news is the decision by the Suffolk County Council Conservative Administration to put its controversial incinerator in Great Blakenham. No other options for sites have been released and the Council now intends to consult with the public. Given the Conservatives record on consultations in the last few years they are very unlikely to listen to what local people actually think about this. The decision to build an incinerator also co-incides with Council’s decision to delay its ‘aspirational’ target of a 60% recycling and composting rate for Suffolk to 2015 set under the Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy (JMWMS) of the Suffolk Waste Partnership. This was originally to be achieved by 2010. The Conservatives are now focusing their attention on a tired technology at a time when the national mood is changing towards more green, innovative technologies for waste disposal and increased recycling. The disadvantages of building an incinerator include pollution of the environment and increased threats to the health of people living in Suffolk. Such a facility will also act as a dis-incentive to investing in recycling and will cost an estimated £500 million. Campaigners in Hull, Norfolk and many others parts of the country have successfully fought against incinerators. Watch this space.

I was extremely pleased that my choice for the new leader of the Liberal Democrats, Nick Clegg was elected, albeit by a small majority. Today Nick has revealed his Shadow Cabinet team to carry the party’s message throughout the country. The reshuffle sees promotions for many of the party’s talented younger MPs and a focus on issues that matter to people, such as delivering high quality public services, inequality, families and taking power back from Whitehall.

The Shadow Cabinet has also been grouped into teams such as Economy and Business; Home Affairs; and Public Services with an MP taking the lead in each area. Key appointments include Chris Huhne as Shadow Home Secretary and Ed Davey as Shadow Foreign Secretary. Nick said he was hugely excited by the new team because it demonstrates the vast talent in the Liberal Democrat party.

We are particularly anxious to improve the Council’s engagement with young people which is currently lacking in motivation and imagination. We have proposed that the Council sets up a Youth Council and introduces a series of Dragons Den style events in each of the District’s High Schools. This will give young people the opportunity to bid for funds and to become involved in rewarding community projects. Penny Otton also said that the Council must work more closely with local communities. “We are in favour of setting up area forums that will give people the opportunity to say what they want. We would also like  to introduce locality budgets that Councillors will be able to spend in their wards in consultation with the people they represent.”  

The Liberal Democrats are also calling on Council officers to showcase energy saving technologies and promote available advice and grants. It is time that the Council led the way on issues relating to climate change. We are proposing that the council runs a number of ‘Green Day’ events throughout the District.  

Penny Otton also said that the Council should be taking more action on minimising packaging waste, recycling and car sharing schemes. “Liberal Democrats want the Council to work together with local retailers to remove plastic bags from the District and are proposing that reusable shopping bags, sponsored by local businesses, should be made available to the public”.  

We also proposed a campaign to remove chewing gum from the streets of Stowmarket and are promoting  the idea of Green Gyms that are already running elsewhere in the country. These are designed to inspire people to improve their health and the environment through practical conservation projects. Green Gyms  will provide the public with a healthy alternative to the Leisure Centre and will give vulnerable people opportunities for social contact and to develop new skills.

A unitary is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area. Typically unitary authorities cover towns or cities but may also be counties or parts of counties considered large enough to function independently. The Government has confirmed the go ahead for unitary authorities based on Cornwall, Durham, Northumberland, Shropshire and Wiltshire.

Attended Mid Suffolk District Council ‘Budget Training’. This is designed to ensure that Councillors understand how the Council spends its money, where the money comes from, key issues affecting the Council’s finances and the Councillors role in budget matters. It is hoped that it will better equip Coucillors to participate in budget discussions and decisions which will take place through December to February when the budget is presented to Full Council on 28 February for approval. Members of the public can find out more information about this year’s budget and the medium term (2007-2011) financial strategy of the Council . If you have any queries please contact me.

Attended Mid Suffolk District Council’s Planning Control Committee meeting at Needham Market. Councillors approved a development in Palgrave that will provide 10 affordable houses for local people. The scheme dates back to 2005 when a Local Housing Needs Survey identified a lack of affordable housing in the area. The provider, Wherry Housing Association have received a Housing Corporation Grant of £680,000 for the scheme which will include eight rented units and two shared-ownership units.

For more information on Extended Schools

Have now returned my ballot form for the Liberal Democrat leadership election. Fortunately we have two excellent candidates so it has been a diffficult decision. However, I have decided to back Nick Clegg. Having watched him on Question Time I believe he has the charisma and ability to connect with the voters.  He appears to have the support of most of the Liberal Democrat MPs and has been well received by the membership too. He should also appeal to the wider population. We, Liberal Democrats, need a renewed vision and I believe that Nick is well-placed to both inspire and articulate this so that we can win many more seats across the country. He clearly has the charisma and ability to be able to present the Liberal Democrat case to a wide range of people who are increasingly turned off by the other two old parties. I now look forward to the result due to be announced in the week before Christmas.