Winchester Councillors and local campaigners are leading calls for improved bus services across the City and out to local villages. They recognise changes are necessary and want to find out more about what residents need and improvements that would attract more people to use our buses.
Please take a few minutes to give us your views on local bus services by filling in the survey here and we’ll keep you posted on Campaign activities and successes.
Liberal Democrat Councillors are disappointed with the Planning Inspector’s decision to allow the development of two hundred new homes at Pitt Manor, off Romsey Road.
Lynda Banister, Liberal Democrat City Councillor for Oliver’s Battery, the neighbouring ward, commented; “This decision flies in the face of considerable local opposition to this development. The Inspector seems to have brushed aside significant local concerns about the impact of such an increase in traffic on local roads which are already too congested. He has also ignored the impact on local schools, which are significantly over-subscribed and having to make emergency arrangements for this September’s intake of children.”
Councillor Lucille Thompson, whose City Council ward covers the area to be developed, added, “Whilst we welcome the contribution this development will make to the supply of affordable housing in the City, we are disappointed that the Conservatives’ much-vaunted cry of ‘localism’ seems to have had no influence in this planning decision. We will keep a close eye on the details of the plans as they go on to the Planning Committee, which now has to agree the finer details of the development. We will continue to push for more ways to encourage walking and cycling from the site, and ensure that maximum contributions are wrung out of the developers towards local facilities and essential road and footpath improvements.”
Jane Rutter and Robert Johnston are your Winchester City councillors
Students protest with 67 in the background
Winchester’s Liberal Democrats have condemned the cuts to the District’s bus service proposed by the Conservative-led County Council.
City Council group leader Kelsie Learney commented,
“With the last bus out of Winchester at 9.30pm and most services finishing much earlier it will be difficult for many of our residents and particularly the young and old to go out to a concert, a church service, see a film or just have a meal with friends in the evening. If we are to reduce the need for people to use cars we have to provide an alternative.
“The Conservative County Council have said they are protecting trips to work, but a Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 work pattern is no longer the norm. Young people in particular lose out if they cannot be flexible and work Sundays and evenings and it is those outside the City who will suffer the most.
“The County Council is imposing unnecessarily deep cuts on services while it builds up its financial reserves. The bus companies are making big profits and should be doing more to provide a comprehensive service even if some individual journeys are unprofitable.”
Excellent discussion between Nick Clegg MP and Julian Huppert MP on the subject of phone-hacking and the media.
Thanks to continuing Liberal Democrat pressure, Conservative Health Minister Andrew Lansley’s much criticised NHS reform bill is being delayed for substantial changes to be made. Winchester Lib Dems led the calls for major changes to the health reforms at the Liberal Democrat Spring conference and have been supported by professional health organisations such as the British Medical Association.
Veteran Liberal Democrat politician Shirley Williams also cautioned against changes which could allow private providers to cherry pick easy wins, threaten training and research, and lead to a US style ‘haves and have nots’ health service.
Surprisingly local Conservative Steve Brine spoke and voted again and again in favour of Andrew Lansley’s original plans. He used his position on the Health Bill Committee to give total support to the Bill even though it could have damaged local NHS services.
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