Winchester Liberal Democrats

Come and join Shirley Williams at our Annual Dinner

Martin Tod — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 16:32:10 +0000

Shirley Williams will be our guest of honour at our dinner on March 23rd at the Holiday Inn on Morn Hill, just outside Winchester next to Intech.

Tickets cost £30 for members and £35 for non-members. Lifts to the Holiday Inn can be arranged and subject to requests we may be able to arrange group taxis back home.

If you’re like to come along, please email Jackie Porter on downhouse.porter@btinternet.com for details.

Thank you to the Lib Dems backing our NHS campaign

Martin Tod — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 11:18:11 +0000

Thank you to the more than 1,152 Lib Dems who have backed our campaign to get the party’s leadership to withdraw support for Andrew Lansley’s NHS Bill.

If you are a Liberal Democrat member and would like to support the campaign, please sign up at http://www.winld.org.uk/nhs-petition/

If you are not a Liberal Democrat member, but would also like to see the bill withdrawn, please back the online petition at http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/22670

Town Forum to Support more Night Buses

Anne Weir — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 07:52:53 +0000

At the Winchester Town Forum on Wednesday evening, councillors made a significant move towards bringing back a night bus service to Winchester. They have set aside £10,000 to subsidise an evening bus service in Winchester for Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

Bus services for the Winchester area are currently being put out to tender by Hampshire County Council. Members of the Town Forum had previously asked the County Council to put a requirement for night buses in the tender. Following advice from County Officers on the likely cost of the service, the Town Forum decided to reserve the necessary funding to provide an evening/night service in Winchester.

Liberal Democrat Cllr Brian Collin, Chair of the Town Forum, commented,
“I’m hoping that this relatively small amount of funding promised from Winchester Town will bring in other people with funds available who are interested in supporting the improved bus service. We are hoping that the night bus will take over when the normal services stop around 9pm and will continue to provide a skeleton service around the City until early in the morning.”

Winchester Town Forum Steps Into Funding Breach

Anne Weir — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:48:46 +0000

With the Conservative City Council and County Council cabinets both planning to cut back on grants this year it is likely to be another difficult one for the voluntary sector in Winchester. At the Winchester Town Forum meeting on 25th January, members discussed the grants given from Town funds and are recommending an increase. In total, £30,000 of funding formerly given by the City Council as a whole could be taken over by the Town.

Liberal Democrat, Brian Collin, Chair of the Town Forum, said, “I’m really pleased we were in a position to help out by offering to plug the gaps in so many organisations’ finances. The Town Forum has been careful with our funds over the years and that has paid back in this year so that we have enough to fund extra grants. I am however determined to ensure that the Conservative Cabinet doesn’t treat the Town fund as something that can be milked to make up for cuts. Everything we do has to directly benefit those living in Winchester itself.”

Members of the Town Forum have agreed to review their grants procedures so that residents of the Town area can more easily see the services that are provided from their element of the Council Tax.

Pitt Manor decision a blow to ‘Localism’

Anne Weir — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 21:48:57 +0000

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.”

New Worthys Councillors website launched

Jackie Porter — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 15:03:15 +0000

www.worthys.mycouncillor.org.uk City Councillors Robert Johnston, Cllr Jane Rutter and County Councillor Jackie Porter have started a new website to cover the Worthys. We are happy to place articles on it for your interest, to advertise (suitable !) local events as well as our local news.

Jane Rutter and Robert Johnston are your Winchester City councillors

Of course, you are welcome to attend our surgeries on the last Saturday of the month, between 10 and 12noon at Harwood Place- call Robert Johnston on 01962 620610 to arrange an appointment- or you can telephone or email us if you prefer: Robert Johnston rjohnston@winchester.gov.uk (01962 620610) Jane Rutter jrutter@winchester.gov.uk (01962 884981 Jackie Porter jackie.porter@hants.gov.uk (01962 791054)

Liberal Drinks, Hyde, Winchester (Thursday, November 3rd, 2011)

Winchester Lib Dems — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 08:30:55 +0000

Social event on Thursday, November 3rd, 2011 at 8.00 pm. Liberally minded people of all parties and none meeting up and having a chat in a pub with first class real ale.All are very welcome.The Hyde has an enlightened policy towards ordering in food, ...

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The weather’s getting colder….

Jackie Porter — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 05:31:28 +0000

: if you drive a 4×4 can you help people in the snow this winter?

Yes, I know it’s not that cold yet!

But can you help this winter if it snows again?

Hampshire County Council and the Emergency services are working as partners to develop better help for people in the snow.

They are getting together a list of drivers who could help others out in the snowy weather

Perhaps you can help drive a care worker out to see a client, or an essential fireman or nurse to work?

If you drive a 4×4 and would be happy to be called in cases of snowy emergency, please email hq.volunteers@hampshire.pnn.police .uk

Winchester Better Bus Campaign

Anne Weir — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 11:55:21 +0000

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.

67 bus service- the up to date news

Jackie Porter — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 20:45:48 +0000

Despite my pleas to Stagecoach and the County Council, the current plan is still to amalgamate the 64 and 67 to make one service,the 67, from Winchester to Petersfield, via Alresford.

Students protest with 67 in the background

It will make the journey from Winchester to Petersfield five times a day, and from Alresford to Petersfield twice a day, there will be four buses each way on Saturday, and no buses will travel along the route on Sundays. The bus will not be routed through Old Alresford at all. Old Alresford are on a new local route, the 240, operating just three times a week. The first bus to leave Itchen Abbas eastbound leaves at 0918, arriving Alresford at 0929-this is far too late to be used as the school bus. About eight children travel to school by bus from Martyr Worthy to Itchen Stoke. Adults employed in Alresford use it too. The first bus westbound leaves Petersfield at 7am, Alresford at 0744, then Itchen Abbas at 0755, arriving Winchester at 0811 The 64 was a commercial service, the 67 was not. Combining the two has allowed Hampshire to support the service a little- but it just isn’t enough. The viability of a service is lost if it runs too infrequently With a proposed gap of three hours in the afternoon, and no school bus services, this cannot work. The timetabling hasn’t allowed people to link to Alresford and Winchester to travel to catch the express X64. I am asking all passengers to meet in Alresford on Friday 16th September at 5pm for a photocall to send to the local and national press about this. Please come if you can- we will meet in the ‘Perin’s’ car park (entrance in Jacklyn’s Lane near the crossroads)- and bring a camera too if you like!