Stourport Relief Road

Jamie Shaw working hard for Stourport and Areley Kings.

I note the carefully-worded letter about Stourport Relief Road from Conservative Prospective Parliamentary Candidate Mark Garnier in last week’s Shuttle. Its omissions suggest to us that his remarks were made purely to try to score political points, not to inform debate. For example, he did not reveal that his “Conservative transport team”, allegedly poised to construct the road, had the Conservatives won the 2005 general election, could not have included his Conservative colleagues at County Hall. The county council is the authority which would have to promote the construction of any major road to government. Alas, the Conservative-controlled county council downgraded the priority given to the relief road in 2003 : no policy or plan emanating from County Hall since then has re-instated it.

Also absent from the letter is any mention of the intentions of the Conservative-controlled district council. Its industrial land strategy, based to a significant extent on the British Sugar site, will require a major new road, linking the A451 to the A449, in order to access the entire site. This too would be a scheme which the county council would have to promote. No firm costing is yet available, but it would be a major project. A rival road construction project in Wyre Forest is surely worth a mention, if a serious debate about the relief road was intended.

We believe the purpose of Mr Garnier’s letter is to distance himself from the undeliverable claims he has made in the past, conveniently citing the economic recession which he can blame on someone else. It will be up to others, such as his Labour opponent, Nigel Knowles, to provide a constructive way forward.

Concessionary Fares : We’re All Winners

We have already declared our intention to see the re-instatement of a full Concessionary Fares scheme, because it benefits the over-60s directly. But, actually, everyone’s a winner! It increases bus use and takes cars off the road, therefore reducing congestion. Reduction in car fumes increases air quality. In doing so, public health improves and greenhouse gas emissions are lowered. No wonder it’s an election priority!

A New Wilden Primary School

Cedric Smith and Jenny Knowles are both Labour Candidates for Worcestershire County Council Elections for Stourport.

County council officers have announced their long-term intention to build a new primary school at Wilden, on a bigger site. Any new development at Wilden will be in the Green Belt, which “washes over” all land there not currently built upon. The new site identified is just across the road from the current school, next to the industrial estate.

We do not believe this is the best site. Wilden Lane is a dangerous road, even with a 20mph restriction in place for the school. Surely it would be better to lose a strip of Green Belt land on Wilden Top, next to Wivelden Avenue and Watchtower Road. A much safer access could be built from Watchtower Road.

As your county councillors, we would pursue the location of a new Wilden Primary School as a priority

Labour Green Agenda

Cedric Smith and Jenny Knowles are both Labour Candidates for Worcestershire County Council Elections for Stourport.

As we move to a lower carbon future, one statutory requirement housebuilders and local authorities have to address is the on-site generation of 10% of energy from new housing developments. We believe there are a range of practical options which should provide a solution for most sites. One of the most promising is geothermal heating. This technology uses warmth from the soil to heat homes and we know it works! It is already widely used in Germany and Scandinavia.

We believe that this is one of the major options councils should be promoting. As councillors for Stourport, it would be part of our Green Agenda.

More on 20’s Plenty

Cedric Smith and Jenny Knowles are both Labour Candidates for Worcestershire County Council Elections for Stourport.

Hit by a car travelling at 30mph, one pedestrian in five dies : hit at 20mph, the death toll is one in forty. That’s compelling evidence for our 20mph-limit-outside-schools campaign.

Today, we are delighted to hear that our colleagues in government are proposing 20mph limits outside schools countrywide. Also, they’re proposing the same limit for some residential streets. These are life-saving measures.

Furthermore, our colleagues include a proposal to reduce the speed limit on certain two-lane roads from 60 to 50 mph. We welcome it. We give as an example the “switchback” to Bewdley. How many lives might have been saved there if vehicles had been travelling more slowly?

The national proposals may take some time to implement. Meanwhile, our “20’s Plenty” campaign will continue.

Stourport Primary School

Cedric Smith and Jenny Knowles are both Labour Candidates for Worcestershire County Council Elections for Stourport.

The county council has stated that the Pupil Admission Number, (PAN), for the reception class at Stourport Primary School will be raised to 45 in 2010. Currently, it is 30. There are two logical assumptions that follow from this announcement. Firstly the PAN in subsequent years will remain at 45; secondly, since the PAN was reduced to 30 because of the physical constraints of the Tan Lane site, there should now be a definite timetable for the construction of the new school on the old Lickhill Middle School site. However, there has been no explicit reference to timescale. We will ask County Hall for clarification.

Pass on your Suspicions

Jamie Shaw working hard for Stourport and Areley Kings.

Accusations of trading in illegal drugs have been made to me about two locations in Areley Kings. One is residential, the other near a business property. Of course, I have forwarded the information to the police. If you have information you think could be of potential value to the police, phone your Local Policing Team on 01562 828291. You may do so anonymously if you wish. Also, you can email areleyandlickhill.lpt@westmercia.pnn.police.uk

Help with heating bills.

Cedric Smith and Jenny Knowles are both Labour Candidates for Worcestershire County Council Elections for Stourport.

Many people are worried about their heating bills! Your Labour Government recognises this and has introduced Social Tariffs. Under this scheme, Energy Companies must offer special help to consumers who

are of pensionable age
have a disability
are chronically sick
are visually impaired.

If you think you qualify, contact your energy supplier and request a “Social Tariff Form”.

Free, impartial advice about reducing energy bills is also available from the charity Act On Energy – Freephone 0800 988 2881.

PACT Success against irresponsible Bikers

Jamie Shaw working hard for Stourport and Areley Kings.

I have written recently of the problems caused by always-inconsiderate and sometimes-dangerours bikers on the open land called the Snipes. The issue was identified as a priority by local residents who attended a recent PACT meeting. A report-back was made to the most recent PACT meeting on March 23rd. The good news is that there has been one confiscation of a motor-bike, two official warnings served and one prosecution for a Highway Code violation.

The Snipes are now much quieter and safer, though no one would be optimistic enough to claim that the problem has gone forever.

Stourport’s Traffic : Towards “Gridlock”

Cedric Smith and Jenny Knowles are both Labour Candidates for Worcestershire County Council Elections for Stourport.

In 2002/3, detailed proposals were made to ease Stourport’s traffic problems. Based on price, eight scenarios were presented. They ranged from a £48m project, Stourport Relief Road, to a modest set of measures costing around £200,000. These included,

• Reduce Gilgal and Mitton Street to one lane
• Traffic calming in High Street
• Reduce Vale Road to two lanes
• Signalise Vale Road/Lion Hill/Mitton Street
• Worcester Road roundabout replaced by lights
• Partial Relief Road
• Signalise Vale Road/Minster Road/Gilgal junctions

There were also more local proposals, eg, traffic calming in Windemere Way and a traffic-reduction scheme in Moorhall Lane.
Readers will have their own views about the usefulness of these proposals, as we do. Unfortunately, nothing has been done in the intervening years. Nor is there a commitment from the Tories at County Hall to do anything in the future. The Tories are willing to risk “gridlock”, the word their own traffic consultants used to describe the future for Stourport, if nothing was done.
Further information
The priority given to Stourport Relief Road was downgraded by the Tories at County Hall in 2003.
In 2005, County Highways officers said Stourport’s traffic problems were scheduled to be addressed in 2008. They said they wished to consult local people and a list of volunteers was drawn up under the auspices Stourport Forward.
Stourport Forward was a funding agency concerned with economic regeneration. It recognised that Stourport’s economic prospects were seriously hampered by its traffic problems.

In fact, local opinion was never sought. The county council did make one bid for capital monies, of around £3m, under a “Market Towns” initiative, which failed. It then did nothing more.

In September 2008, the Tory Portfolio Holder for Highways, Cllr Derek Prodger, said he could not give a date at which Stourport’s traffic problems would be addressed. Labour concludes that Stourport is not a priority for Worcestershire Tories.

This article appears in the March/April editions of the Stourport and Areley Kings Rose.