Care of the elderly

August is a good time to release bad news - either people aren't paying attention or with rioting and financial melt down no one is paying any attention.  Anyway Central Bedfordshire Council has announced  plans to charge for vital Telecare services, £4 a week or over £200 a year.  Telecare installs state of the art devices which can detect falls, movement or drops in the temperature and are more effective than the standard alarm pendant. 




The council says it wants to ask people their opinion about this. I wonder what people will say? A 12-week consultation period finishes on  Friday 4th November 2011. You can take part in the consultation by filling in the form online or down loading it from www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/consultations 

Well done

A parishioner contacted me last year about an unpleasant encounter a family member had with a shotgun toting man who claimed there was no public footpath in a field near the village.  There is one, without doubt, but the markers had long since disappeared. Since then Graham (not his real name)  has been working with Central Beds to get the marker posts installed and conspicuous.  He reported to me this week that after chasing, action is now being take  to instal them.

Public rights of way need to be defended, entrenched and argued about all the time. Landowners of course hope that we will just forget about them eventually. Persistence is the answer so well done Graham for keeping at it. 

Calendar girls (not)

Julie Walters and Helen Mirren were nowhere in sight but the Cranfield WI were a lively lot and they gave fellow parish councillor Jill Brocklebank and myself a warm welcome last night. They must get fed up with the Calendar Girls film (now endlessly touring as  a slightly nude stage production). On the parish council we get fed up with Dibley of course. We all have our crosses to bear.

We explained the eccentricities, powerlessness and history of the parish council and collectively grieved over delays in getting traffic calming and the insensitivities of large property developers (who could that be?). We finished with a cup of tea and some very nice sandwiches. Then it was back home to watch  Manchester City toss Swansea aside in the premier league. Disappointing but the rest of the evening was first rate.

Coverage of Home Farm delays

Beds on Sunday Home farm coverage


I was asked by Beds on Sunday to comment as an individual parish councillor on reported delays on progressing the Home Farm site (see story below). I believe the village population have been pragmatic and realistic about the arrival of new housing development. They also want to plan round the facilities and resources promised with it.

But the hold-up over the last couple of months, arising because Persimmon haven't sorted land access is frustrating and wearisome. It is vital that they show the same common sense as the village and the parish council in making the best of  a difficult situation.

BoS 14 August 2011

Developers' dispute leaves land in limbo

BY ADAM THOMPSON

A major housing development site could be left as an ‘eyesore’ after talks between landowners broke down.

Persimmon Homes, which is building 400 properties at Home Farm, Cranfield, is in dispute with Denison Investment Limited over a proposed development of the land there.

Under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act developers have to provide a certain amount of facilities for the local community.

Persimmon Homes intended to build such facilities including a community hall on adjacent land owned by Denison but Bedfordshire on Sunday understands that there has been no agreement between the two parties and that talks broke down in February.

In May we reported how Central Bedfordshire Council had instructed Persimmon to stop work until it adhered to planning conditions involving trucks going through the village.

It is believed that foundations have been constructed and there are fears that the site will not be completed.

Jeff Streule from Denison has said that the two companies are in dispute and in a document submitted by the company to its stakeholders it says that ‘there is no dialogue or agreement whatsoever between the two companies.’

Steven Hird, managing director for Persimmon Homes Midlands, said: “We and Denison are both contractually obliged to provide the section 106 package for the benefit of the local community.

“We are therefore in discussion with the local authority on how best to deliver these elements of the build programme.” Cranfield Parish councillor Laurence Pollock, said: “I’m calling on Persimmon to resolve its dispute with landowners so that the development can be completed as soon as possible.

“Local people want the site built and promised vital facilities such as the community hall ready for use. At present it is just an eyesore.

“These land access issues should have been settled a long time ago.” A spokeswoman for Central Beds Council: “We are aware that both Persimmon Homes and Denison Investments have land interests in the development approved on Lodge Road, Cranfield.

“We further understand that a proportion of the community benefits secured through the section 106 legal agreement are due to be included on land owned by Denison.”

Bus cuts hit hard

MPs warn that the most vulnerable are being hit by cuts in bus services. We know that in Cranfield. The report comes out in the middle of the recess  (albeit the MPs are back for one day due to the riots) and sadly will soon be forgotten. The social background of train users is such that there is a fearsome row when service is poor but bus  users have almost no clout.







Radio 4 Today programme


BBC

Cuts to bus services in England are a threat to the most vulnerable people in society, a report by MPs says.

It says elderly and disabled people are being stopped from working, taking part in education or accessing healthcare. The government called the funding situation "challenging" but said it was closely monitoring the situation. Local authority budget cuts have affected subsidised services - such as rural routes - and pushed up fares, says the Transport Select Committee.


From the Independent 

Cuts in bus services will affect rural areas

By Peter Woodman, PA

Thursday, 11 August 2011

• • LARGE
  • EXTRA LARGE

The English bus industry is facing its greatest financial challenge for a generation, a report by MPs said today.

Funding changes by the Government have had an adverse impact on local bus services and the level of bus fares, the report by the House of Commons Transport Committee said.

The Government must not "wash its hands" of all responsibility for local bus services, the committee added.

The committee's report covered bus services in England, excluding London, in the light of the Government's 2010 spending review.

The report said the review had included three funding decisions which had "created the greatest financial challenge for the English bus industry for a generation".

The committee called on the Department for Transport to monitor the extent of bus service cutbacks and review service provision

Women's Institute

Meanwhile back to the parish pump or should it be on the parish stump? Parish Councillor Jill Brocklebank and I are doing a presentation to Cranfield WI next Monday evening about the work we do.  The WI once threw off its fusty image with Calendar girls. I don't think Jill and I can equal that but we might come up with a few humorous moments as we explain why parish councils do make a difference to your life.

No surprises

I heard back from Stagecoach as follows:


On 9 Aug 2011, at 15:35, Philip Norwell wrote:

Dear Mr Pollock
Thank you for your email. I can appreciate your concern in respect of those students wishing to stay on at school later, however the change in timetable is actually designed to benefit potential customers from Cranfield who wish to travel into Kempston and Bedford. The overall journey time for these customers, who are the majority, is significantly reduced - whilst the facility to Kempston Saxon Centre is maintained.

It is still possible to travel back from Wooton following after school activities, by travelling on new route 53 to Kempston Saxon Centre and then changing onto the new number 52 back to Cranfield. Buses leave Wooton at 10 and 40 minutes past each hour, arriving at Kempston 8 minutes later. Bus 52 leaves Kempston Saxon Centre at 40 minutes past each hour arriving at Cranfield Village at 08 minutes past the hour. Therefore a student, for example, leaving Wooton at 1710 will arrive back in Cranfield at 1808, having changed at Kempston (including allowing 22 minutes for the change). I fully understand that this is not as good as the direct bus home, but those making the journey are in fact very few.

This route is entirely commercial, in that it does not receive any funding from the local authority, Central Bedfordshire; our focus is therefore to offer the majority of potential customers a more attractive service. I believe this has been achieved and would suggest you talk to the local authority about this facility if you believe it is a social need that is not being met by commercial bus operators, such as ourselves. It is they who have the responsibility to decide whether this is the case and the mechanism to address this.



In reply I stated:
Dear Mr Norwell we have recently had presentations about changes to local services from the police and education managers. In the past health providers have done the same.
Stagecoach has not had the decency even to inform local residents in Cranfield about the impending changes, let alone seek their views. We only discovered the planned changes indirectly. I am fully aware of the deregulated, profit driven nature of modern public transport and Central Beds' indifference to supporting evening and Sunday services is a matter of record.
Users might be more confident about your  change-at-Kempston solution if they could rely on Stagecoach buses turning up on time, not leaving early, or arriving at all.





You can contact Laurence Pollock on 07801 665961 or broadgreen68@btinternet.com

Comment on Times and Citizen story

Budge Wells is completely missing the point in his comments in the Times and Citizen. It is true that Central Beds Council is washing its hands of supporting evening and weekend public transport. 

A senior councillor I spoke to from Cranfield didnt even know these changes were happening. 

But the council's lead for education and young people, Mark Versallion, should be getting involved. Does he even know? Or care?

Stagecoach has redesigned a commercial service into two different routes indifferent to the impact on an important group in the local community. We need public representatives to be calling on them to change. These changes should be put on ice and looked at again - this time listening to the community.

Stop the bus madness now

Stagecoach should pull back from introducing new timetables that cut bus links from Wootton to Cranfield. I have written to Stagecoach today stating:

You will be aware that the new 52 and 53 timetables, which we have had not had any warning about are set to have a major impact on the travelling public in Cranfield. I have received many emails. particularly from concerned parents of young people who regularly use service buses to travel back forth to Wootton Upper School. This is a  major disruption to their education and opportunities for  extra curricular activities outside school hours.

To repeat we have not had any indication that this was in store and we would have made our oppostion very clear.

I am now calling publicly for Stagecoach to suspend the implementation of these timetables to allow for further discussion. The Parish Council and Cranfield University have worked fruitfully with Milton Keynes regarding solutions to the needs of evening bus users. I believe we should have the same opportunity with regard to Bedford buses without being presented with a fait accompli.

Central Beds also needs to reassess its unwillingness to support Sunday services. This was a  policy change that was never consulted on and was not included in budget cuts announced publicly in December. 

Look East tomorrow

Rina Persaud and I should be appearing on BBC Look East tomorrow morning and evening protesting about bus services between Wootton and Cranfield being  axed without warning or even the barest information.

I will be alerting Wootton Upper school about the issue and contacting both Stagecoach, our Central Beds councillors and the CBC executive leads for both transport and education about the changes. I have had many emails from parents and family members alarmed at the impact these changes will have on young people in the village.

Contact Laurence Pollock on 07801 665961 broadgreen68@btinternet.com

BBC Look East

Look East coming this afternoon to interview Mrs Persaud and myself about the buses. 

Bus row escalates

From today's Times and Citizen

http://www.bedfordtoday.co.uk/news/local/bedford/students_face_bus_nightmare_1_2929630

Students face bus nightmare

PUPILS travelling from Cranfield to school in Wootton by public transport will soon be forced to make two bus journeys after Stagecoach announced plans to axe the V1 service.

The Cranfield to Bedford service is set to be withdrawn from August 21, and concerns have been expressed that anyone travelling from Cranfield to Wootton by public transport will be forced to get two buses.

The V1 route will be split into the 52 service going from Cranfield to Marston to Bedford, and the route 53 Wootton to Bedford service.

Parent Rina Persaud has criticised the decision, saying her son who attends Wootton Upper School will now have make nearly a two-hour journey to get into school.

Mrs Persaud, who lives in Cranfield, said: “I can’t believe that they are going to be cutting this service.

“A lot of pupils at Wootton live in Cranfield and I think it’s awful that an already long bus journey is going to be split into two different services.

“Wootton prides itself on extra-curricular activities and it often holds revision classes after school, which means pupils miss the school bus and have to get public transport.

“My son is in sixth form and he studies drama, which means he sometimes has to stay later. And some days he only has one period, so has to get the public bus service.”

The changes to the service mean that anyone travelling from Cranfield to Wootton will need to get a bus to Bedford and then change and get another bus from Bedford to Wootton – a journey that could take up to two hours.

Mrs Persaud added: “I have been trying to fight this, and I thought Central Beds Council may offer some help – but when I spoke to them it seemed that they weren’t that bothered.”

Deputy executive member for sustainable communities services at Central Beds, Councillor Budge Wells, said: “All children from Cranfield and Marston Moretaine areas will still be able to travel to and from Wootton Upper School by means of the school bus services that Central Bedfordshire Council provides, during normal school hours.

“The council is concerned that this service change will impact on residents wishing to travel from Cranfield to Wootton, though recognises Stagecoach’s right to make changes to its commercial bus services, which the council does not subsidise.

“While the council would like to continue to support a commercial service under threat with a subsidy, in the current financial climate we are unable to do so.”

Stagecoach was unavailable to comment at the time of going to press.

Traffic calming

How many times has this story been round the block? We have new puffs of smoke from Amey about the traffic calming. This email is to a parishioner:

I am sorry that we have not been able to proceed with this in as timely a manner as we would have wished. There are a number of reasons for this not least the difficulties of the confirmation of the funding that are now fully resolved. Additionally whilst the Cranfield scheme was on ‘on hold’ design staff have been employed on other tasks and were not able to take this up immediately the funding was resolved.

We are now however at the point where the statutory consultation is shortly to be issued. This will mean that all the elements of the scheme that require statutory consultation such as speed tables etc. will be advertised for comments and also sent to the Councils statutory consultees i.e. the bus companies, transport groups, blue light authorities etc. as well as to local Councillors.

Despite a general desire for the works locally I am expecting that this process will generate some local objections and that will require me to write and present a report to Councillor Spurr at a future Traffic Management Committee meeting where any such objections will be overruled or upheld after due consideration.

It is still my intention that this scheme be delivered in its entirety, subject to any changes required following the consultation, this financial year.

Kind Regards

Nick Chapman

Transportation Manager l Bedfordshire Highways 


So I would like to think these consultation plans will be available in September  but who knows? If it drags on and then runs into 2012-13 the banked Section 106 money will have handily sat in someone's account for another year. Next we'll find that its five years since it became available and we have missed our chance to spend it. Ho hum. 


You can contact Laurence Pollock on 07801 665961 or broadgreen68@btinternet.com

What would you do...eh?

It used to be called civil defence and its what you did if a two megaton airburst was detonated at 5000 ft over Cranfield after a threat to West Berlin was mishandled by NATO. Duck and cover.


Today its known as 'local resilence' which sounds like measures to stop bored youths toppling a wonky wall in the middle of the village. But its civil defence by another name.

There's no doubt that flooding in particular is rising menace. One of the best ways of stopping it is not to build on flood plains. But that will go on I  understand (thanks to my inside source at the Lodden Valley Residents Association). As for the other threats such as flu pandemic or hurricanes

mentioned by the Bedfordshire and Luton Local Resilience Forum in a recent mailing - well resourced and accountable emergency services might not be a bad idea. But thats off the agenda I too I believe, thanks to my inside source in government called All News Media. 

You might bump into a BLLRF stall at some pleasant summer fete. Here's what they want you to do: 

The Bedford and Luton Local Resilience Forum has created the What Would You Do If...? events stall to take to local fetes, family fun days and community events to prepare the residents of Bedfordshire and Luton for emergencies.

Visitors to the stall can receive advice about planning for an emergency, pick up literature with useful advice on how to start planning for an emergency in the home, complete emergency postcard, learn how to prepare an emergency kit and fill in survey about emergency planning and a chance to win an iPad 2. There is even a kid’s colouring corner, where children can complete worksheets and win a Peppa Pig fire engine.

After the events, visitors are encouraged to take photos and videos of them putting their newly acquired emergency planning advice into practice and uploading them on to http://www.facebook.com/whatwouldyoudoif

Sounds like a riot. I presume there are preparations in hand for that too. 

Sharing our thoughts

Central Bedfordshire Together is...

made up of senior representatives from Central Bedfordshire Council, Police, Fire, Health, Business, Education, Town and Parish Councils and the Voluntary and Community Sector. Sometimes talking is a waste of time and sometimes it makes a lot of sense.


Check out CBT's latest e zine ( electronic magazine by the way - sorry if this is basic to you) available at http://www.centraltogether.org.uk/ezines/edition-4

Blind and partially sighted

Sight Concern (SCB), the blind and partially sighted organisation for
Bedfordshire and Luton have a mobile facility which will visit towns
and villages offering checks for eye health and provide help and information
on all aspects of sight problems. 


They are seeking a suitable parking place for a visit to Cranfield.  Pcllr Jill Brocklebank is seeking ideas on their behalf  email jill@tottie.demon.co.uk