Festive letter to the papers

Dear Editor

At this special time of year I would like to wish all the people of Rugby a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I especially want to thank those who will be working during the festive season.

I always find this time of year enjoyable and I particularly relish seeing our Villages beautifully decorated, and meeting neighbours at the Church and community events.

I hope that 2012 will be a successful and healthy year for everybody. 

Yours faithfully,

Cllr. Howard Roberts

My seasonal leaflet - with useful contact details

Road Safety Message

Below is my letter to the local papers on the speeding and road safety on rural roads, especially at Christmas:

Dear Editor,

Over the last decade the roads in Warwickshire have seen a welcome reduction in fatalities and injuries. We should all be thankful for this trend, but guard against complacency because a single fatality on our roads is one too many. Unfortunately there is always a spike in accidents at Christmas time and this is especially marked on rural roads.

Within the Dunchurch and Knightlow ward that I represent, like other rural wards in the County, we have many bendy, narrow and unpredictable roads.  The cold weather often makes these routes especially treacherous and I would like to ask that people exercise additional caution over the festive period.

We live in a time when the inexorable improvements in car safety features have reduced the mortality rate on our roads, but we must remain vigilant against careless and often just plain dangerous driving.

I wish all the people of Rugby safe journeys this Christmas.

Cllr. Howard Roberts

Dunchurch and Knightlow Ward

Crackdown on planning rule breakers is welcome

Below is a recent letter to the press on two proposals contained within the Localism Act.

Dear Editor,

It is an inarguable fact that no legislative programme is ever perfect. Laudable aims from successive Conservative, Labour and now Coalition Governments in my lifetime have always had negative consequences presenting at certain points in time.

The Coalition's localism agenda is no exception to this phenomenon of realpolitik. I have been publicly critical of the new planning proposals that will probably lead to unwanted development, especially in the rural areas.

My criticism of the that plank of the legislation remains but there are sizable elements of the agenda that I wholeheartedly support. Contained within localism agenda are plans that would see Councils receive powers to punish individuals who deliberately conceal unauthorised developments. There are also proposals for stronger powers to tackle abuses of retrospective planning permission.

From my time on the planning committee of Rugby Borough Council I have continually seen flagrant breaches of the spirit of enforcement and retrospective planning permission. Planning laws are designed to ensure settles and prosperous communities however there are an arrogant minority who assume the rules do not apply to their developments.

The new legislation still has some way to go in achieving a more equitable arrangement on planning but I believe this crackdown on the more distasteful elements of the system deserves to be applauded.

Yours faithfully,
Cllr. Howard Roberts,
Dunchurch and Knightlow Ward

Call for votes on candidates too

Below is the text of the Rugby Observer article printed on the 27th October (page 11). It reports on my call for open primaries to be used when choosing party candidates for next years local elections.

GIVING voters the power to choose their borough council election candidates is being proposed in a bid to shake-up local politics in Rugby.
 
Tory councillor Howard Roberts wants to see open primary elections held, whereby the electorate vote for the people they wish to be their candidates in council elections.
 
Under the present system a small group of party members - sometimes just a handful - select their candidates behind closed doors.
 
Coun Roberts, Dunchurch and Knightlow representative, has proposed the changes ahead of next May's elections when all seats on Rugby Borough Council will be contested.
 

WCAVA Awards

As you may have seen from previous blog posts and the local press I made a call in the summer for a new awards scheme to honour the unsung heroes of the Borough. After discussions with Council colleagues and officers, it has been possible to enhance an already running scheme that delivers the kind of award I envisaged. Obviously I am delighted.

My idea, which was tabled as a motion to Full Council, called for a new award system to honour those who are often overlooked but deserving anyway. As the Council explored options to facilitate my idea it became clear that the most rapid and effective method would be to enhance the current WCAVA (Warwickshire Community and Voluntary Action) awards scheme while advertising the scheme more vividly.

What I am keen to achieve is recognition for the silent minority who engage in remarkable displays of selfless endeavour. I see these people in my role as Councillor for Dunchurch and Knightlow and I will be looking to nominate several people.

Details can be found on this news item of the Rugby Borough Council website: http://www.rugby.gov.uk/site/scripts/news_article.php?newsID=856  

Response to the National Planning Policy Framework

Below is my response to the consultation document on planning that has been published by the Department of Local Government and Communities. As will be evident I have some serious concerns, especially about the future of villages in my ward.

Dear Sir/Madam

I am aware that the preferred method of response to the National Planning Policy Framework is in the form of a questionnaire. While I appreciate this makes opinions easier to collate, I am responding in prose so that my thoughts on this important document are fully articulated.  

I do believe there are very many aspects of the National Planning Policy Framework that are laudable and would enhance the planning process: certainly the idea of using direct democracy in order for local communities to encourage needed development is a worthy thought. However, in order to avoid a response that is bland and unhelpful, I have focussed my comments on areas where I believe the National Planning Policy Framework needs more consideration.