The most unbelievable claim is that the Tories are “opposing Lib Dem housing development plans” on the green fields around Cheltenham.

The vast majority of residents will understand that there are no such Lib Dem plans. Indeed, we have a record of fighting to preserve the character of our town and the green spaces in and around it which goes back many years.

Below you will find the text of an article written by Lib Dem Councillor Klara Sudbury. You can find the full version, including images, on her blog at www.klara1967.blogspot.co.uk. You can also follow her on Twitter @klarachelt.

Please don’t be taken in by these claims. They are as untrue as they are astonishing – and are presumably being made in a desperate attempt to grab your vote.

I hope I am not the only Cheltenham resident who is slightly perplexed by the Conservative’s election wheeze of turning a strategic planning document being prepared on behalf of 3 councils into a “Lib Dem development plan” that they have pledged to fight tooth and nail.Using Leckhampton fields as a cheap trick in an election campaign is at a stretch understandable but given the immense hard work put in over such a long period of time by so many people, personally I find it unforgivable. Leckhampton needs councillors who will walk the walk and not just talk the talk. 

One of these Village Green applications relates to the extremely vulnerable SD2 site, West of Farm Lane in Tewkesbury Borough. The Conservatives should be telling their County colleagues that they have made protecting Leckhampton a key manifesto pledge and they need their help them fulfill this.

The plan the Tories must be referring to is the Gloucestershire Joint Core Strategy (JCS). The JCS has its own website.

On the website it says “The Joint Core Strategy (JCS) is a partnership between Gloucester City Council, Cheltenham Borough Council, Tewkesbury Borough Council, supported by Gloucestershire County Council”.

Three out of four of those councils are controlled by Conservatives. Only in Cheltenham is the Council controlled by the Lib Dems. But Cheltenham is a very compact town and our administrative boundaries are at (or close to) the edge of Tewkesbury Borough Council’s. This is very important!

Much of the land around the edge of the town which helps give Cheltenham its green setting is outside the political control of whoever is in power in Cheltenham. Tewkesbury Conservatives have demonstrated that they don’t want to protect our boundaries as they allocated a site adjacent to the boundary with Leckhampton (Land West of Farm Lane, also known as SD2) in it’s current Local Plan for 360 houses.

This allocation was dependent on the wider development of land at Leckhampton at part of the now defunct RSS – Leckhampton land does fall within Cheltenham’s boundaries and is protected for its landscape value in the current Cheltenham Borough Local Plan.

The draft JCS proposed development at Leckhampton of 1,300 houses plus another 350 at site SD2. This was a massive disappointment and I know many Leckhampton people feel betrayed by this inclusion. However the draft JCS was not put together by the Lib Dem group on Cheltenham Borough Council.

It was prepared by Officers on behalf of Tewkesbury, Cheltenham and Gloucester Councils. I along with other Lib Dem councillors, LEGLAG and the local MP Martin Horwood wrote to object to the JCS during the recent consultation period.

 

There is a “Members Steering Group” which a very small group of senior councillors who are the group leaders on the 3 councils sit on to oversee the JCS process. The Cheltenham Conservatives are represented on this important group by their leader Cllr Duncan Smith who is also a County Councillor for Leckhampton so he was well placed to stand up for our area at these meetings.

There has been some misinformation put out that I, in my role as Cabinet Member for Housing and Safety at Cheltenham Borough Council, have it within my power to stop the development in Leckhampton. How wonderful it would be if this was true.

The ‘Housing’ part of my Cabinet portfolio refers to Cheltenham Borough Homes, the Councils Arms Length Management Organisation who look after our stock of council housing on. It also covers Housing Options and Housing Enabling. It does not cover Strategic Planning and the Joint Core Strategy which affect Leckhampton fields.

As a County Councillor for Leckhampton and as a LEGLAG member for the last 7 years I have worked tirelessly try and protect the fields in this area from development, writing letters of objection, attending public meetings and Planning Inquires and I even drafted the wording of the LEGLAG petition to protect land in our area as a Country Park.

The truth is that ALL politicians of ALL parties need to be able to influence their colleagues from elsewhere about the value of this wonderful area. It is simply not true for the Tories to suggest that simply getting the Lib Dems out of office in Cheltenham will protect Leckhampton fields.

 

Without planning policies do the Tories seriously believe the developers will not submit a planning application? Without planning policies it would be a total free for all on sites all around the town and the County.

The Conservatives need to work WITH the Lib Dems, WITH LEGLAG to shout about what is great about this area at every opportunity. To point out the ecological and wildlife value of the area and the importance of retaining local agricultural land which could be also be ideal in providing the much needed allotments for South Cheltenham.

Local Leckhampton, Shurdington, Up Hatherley, Warden Hill, College and Park Councillors need to tell ALL of the politicians in the Joint Core Strategy Area that allowing 1,650 houses to be built in Leckhampton and at Farm Lane will ruin the setting of Cheltenham, cripple the local road networks, increase pollution and make it impossible for many existing Leckhampton families to get their children into local schools, particularly Bournside.

A planning application is expected to be submitted for 1,300 houses in Leckhampton/Farm Lane site after the election.

I have asked the County Council to nominate land it owns in Leckhampton for the Queen Elizabeth II Field challenge. This is the Fields in Trust’s flagship programme, headed by its Patron The Duke of Cambridge, aiming to protect 2012 outdoor recreational spaces in communities all across the country as a permanent living legacy of the landmark occasions of the Queens Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympics. Unfortunately the Conservative controlled County Council have so far turned down this request.

If the Tories are serious about protecting Leckhampton why don’t they use the power they have to persuade their County Colleagues to change their mind.

Springfield Park has been given a fantastic makeover in recent years and many local people enjoy spending time there. I have been made aware though that some residents living in properties neighbouring the park felt that their boundaries were vulnerable. I therefore asked the Council to carry out some additional planting which I hope will increase the security of local properties.

I have spoken to the Police who advise that the best way to make your home and property safe is to ensure that all doors and windows are locked. The Police have reported that a large number of burglaries in our town are due to doors and windows being left unlocked, and that the same goes for thefts from cars and sheds.

Please do make sure that all of your doors at windows are safely locked and secured.

We also know that some burglaries occur when criminals jump over fences and into gardens. You can improve the security of your property by ‘defensive planting’ around the borders of your property which will make it more difficult for intruders. For advice on this, please telephone Gloucestershire Crimestoppers on 01452 752161 or call me for a Police approved advice leaflet on defensive planting.

The Police have advised me that residents should report all incidents of crime and antisocial behaviour to them as soon as they occur, and they will respond as soon as possible.  Anti-social behaviour can include door to door traders who are aggressive or upset you for any reason. You can call the Police on 999 in an emergency or on 101 if it is not an emergency.

As well as keeping safe at this time of year, it is also important to stay warm. But we know that many people are finding the rising cost of gas and electricity very hard. As the customer, you shouldn’t be scared about looking for a better price. You should approach your energy supplier or look for a better deal price comparison website.

As your local Councillors, Peter, Suzanne and I are always available to help with any problems. Our contact details are on the back of this letter with a selection of other numbers that you may find useful. Please do get in touch if we can help in any way.

This year the government will again cut on-going support to the council by a further £534k which cumulatively equates to a 23.23% cut over the last two years. As a result the council has had to make savings and will continue to save to meet this funding gap.

Cabinet members are putting forward a number of proposals for next year’s budget which, if approved at council in February 2012, will save £1.115m. The proposals include:

• Frontline services protected wherever possible
• No budget for any pay inflation
• No growth in levels of service, except for Taxi Marshall’s, Tree Maintenance
• Increased income budgets based on an average of 2.5%
• A council tax freeze in line with the Government’s request – funded by one off grant
• Continued development of longer term plans for efficiencies over the period of the
• Medium Term Financial strategies, including increasing emphasis on shared services e.g. ‘GO’ and audit partnership.
• Creation of a local authority company to provide waste services for Cotswold and Cheltenham councils
• Savings from commissioning of services
• Actively managing vacancies and staffing levels to minimise impact of service reviews resulting in a proposed 4.9 fte (full time equivalents) reduction
• Process reviews (systems thinking) to improve efficiency and customer service
• Contract re-tendering (Single Advice)
• Increased use of e-learning
• Amendment to allowances (Car User Allowance)
• Reduction in grant funding (Everyman, Performing Arts Society)
• Review of allotment service
• Renegotiation of Regent Arcade lease
• Use of income from New Homes Bonus to protect services
• Investing in the towns’ infrastructure supporting GCC in repaving of the promenade and funding works to St Mary’s churchyard and Grosvenor Terrace car park.

Mark Sheldon, director of resources said:

“Sharing services has so far proven to be hugely successful, creating cost savings and offering more resilient services to Cheltenham residents. The council has worked incredibly hard to save £1.115m next year with minimal impact on frontline services.’’

Councillor John Webster, cabinet member for finance said:

“We have managed to balance the budget again this year without significant cuts and with a zero council tax increase. We are continuing our work with young people and allocating more funds that community groups and businesses can bid for to improve the environment and promote the town. However, there has to be serious concern for the future.”

Local people can once again have their say by taking part in the draft budget consultation. Visit www.cheltenham.gov.uk for details, or call in to the Municipal Offices.

The mayor, Cllr Barbara Driver, will honour the silence at the war memorial, with the beginning and end signalled by the firing of maroons from the Boys’ College.

On Sunday 13 November, the war memorial in Cheltenham’s Long Gardens will once again be the centrepiece for the town’s service of remembrance and civic parade. The service begins at 10.55am, and is opened by the Mayor’s chaplain, Reverend Tim Mayfield.

A lone trumpeter will play ‘The last post’ before two minutes silence at 11am. After the Reveille, the service continues with prayers, hymns and the national anthem, played by Gloucestershire Police Band.

The mayor will lay the first wreath at the war memorial followed by other civic dignitaries, including borough and county councillors, and representatives from local organisations. After the wreaths have been laid, the civic party will watch from the steps of the Municipal Offices as Cheltenham Silver Band leads the march past.

Taking part will be the Cheltenham branch of the Royal British Legion; Cheltenham Royal Naval Association; Cheltenham old Comrades Association; Joint Services Support Unit; RAF Brize Norton and St John Ambulance Brigade. Also attending will be detachments from the naval, army and RAF cadets, and patrols from local scouts and guides groups, as well as a pupil from Balcarras School who will be reading a poem during the service.

In the evening, the mayor will attend the Festival of Remembrance, which is organised by the Royal British Legion and held at the town hall.

Cllr Barbara Driver said that as first citizen she counted it a privilege to be able to lead the town in this act of remembrance.

Make sure that you are free to come along on Saturday 10^th December between 11am and 2:30pm.

Last year’s event was a wonderful success and I’m sure that this year’s will be no different.

We would like to invite people from across Gloucestershire to take part in this spectacular community event; an unmissable opportunity to celebrate the arrival of the Olympic flame and to share in the excitement leading up to London 2012.

Cabinet member Andy McKinlay said “We are delighted to confirm Cheltenham Racecourse as the venue for this once in a lifetime celebration event. The facilities at the racecourse are second to none, and provide the opportunity for many thousands of local people to come along and witness a moment in history as the Olympic flame lights up Cheltenham.”

The evening will revolve around a free stage show featuring an exciting mix of music, dance and digital media presented by the London 2012 Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) together with presenting partners: Coca-Cola, Lloyds TSB/Bank of Scotland and Samsung. There will also be entertainment showcasing talent from the local community which we will be organising over the coming months. Watch this space for further details. The highlight of the evening will be the arrival of the Olympic flame and the symbolic lighting of the Olympic cauldron.

Sebastian Coe, Chair of LOCOG, said: ‘We have no doubt that Cheltenham will help to stage an evening celebration event that captures the excitement, passion and spirit of the Olympic Torch Relay as it comes to rest at the racecourse.  The event will provide the perfect opportunity to invite the local community to welcome the Olympic flame and shine a light on the culture and heritage of the area.’

The Olympic flame will arrive in the UK from Greece on Friday 18 May 2012 and the 70 day torch relay will start at Land’s End in Cornwall on the morning of the 19 May 2012.  The flame is expected to travel an estimated 8,000 miles across the UK, giving thousands of communities and individuals their moment to shine as the Olympics comes to their doorstep. The flame will arrive in Gloucestershire on 23 May when it will visit Cirencester, Stroud, Painswick, Brockworth and Shurdington on its way to Cheltenham. The flame will arrive at the Olympic Stadium on 27 July 2012 for the lighting of the cauldron at the opening ceremony, signifying the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Details about the timing of the event, how many people will be able to attend, who will be performing and how people can attend are currently being finalised.  More information will be available on the London 2012 website  and in local press nearer to the start of the Olympic Torch Relay next year.

On Tuesday 25 October councillors agreed to move forward with the proposed improvements to the gardens.

A total of £145,000 has been allocated for the project, which is due to be completed by April 2012.

The increase in size and popularity of the Cheltenham Festivals has meant essential improvements are needed to accommodate more marquees and people in Imperial Gardens.

Work has started this week with the planting of a new pattern of flower beds and the installation of a decorative seating area to the front of the garden bar.

Further works will include:

• adding more trees in the centre of the gardens to define the garden bar drinking area and create shade for users of the park, as well creating a tree-lined avenue through the upper tier of the gardens
• restore and open up the Skillicorne gardens as a paved garden with a central pond adjacent to the  garden bar.
• two new benches places around the Gustav Holst statue and an existing bench will be moved to overlook the new bedding areas
• easier access for delivery vehicles to enter the park and speed up construction time for the festival

The Friends of Imperial Square and Gardens are also fund-raising to reinstate railings which were removed in the 1940s, to rejuvenate the gardens’ historic past.

Councillor Roger Whyborn Cabinet Member for Sustainability said “This is an exciting stage in the development of both Imperial Gardens, and of Cheltenham’s position as a Festival town. Our aim is to create a Festival in a Garden atmosphere during the festival periods, and to enhance the gardens all year round – gardens which have been described as the jewel in Cheltenham’s crown.”