Update from Michael Wills MP
Posted by Michael Wills, MP for North Swindon, at 13:18, Tue 29 May 2007:
I am writing to update you on my work in Westminster and Swindon over the past few weeks.
In Westminster, among other things, I have spoken in a debate on Cultural Diplomacy and in debates on United States Climate Change Policy, Tax Credits, and Local Government. The full Hansard Reports of these debates are available on my website at: http://www.michaeldwills.co.uk/speeches . I hope you find them of interest.
I have started a video blog on my website to give constituents an episodic view of some of the work I do day to day in Westminster, including updates on local and national issues. All of the videos are available at: http://www.michaeldwills.co.uk/videos . I hope you will find them of interest and I’d welcome your views on their format and content.
In Swindon recently, among other things, I’ve visited DrugLink, which provides free and confidential services to anyone living in Swindon whose life has been affected by drug misuse, about how the Government and I can better support their work.
I have also been visiting many of Swindon’s primary schools as part of a project to discover what the next generation want from life. Children today will have far more choices than our parents ever had but it’s the job of politicians to help them realise those choices and meet the challenges that might prevent them doing so. We won’t be able to do that job properly unless we have a clear view of what young people want from life. So the goal of the project is to find out what today’s youth think makes a good life. For instance, how important they think it is to own a nice house or receive a good education. So far I’ve found the discussions with students engaging and interesting and I am looking forward to more visits over the coming weeks.
I have had a large number of complaints from constituents over the last few weeks about the Council’s plans to move to a fortnightly waste collection and I have launched a survey to assess the state of opinion of residents. Any benefits from moving to fortnightly collections would be removed if there are not adequate recycling facilities in place and if residents do not sign up to the changes, so I have called on the Council to more adequately consult with residents about these proposals and to improve recycling – something I have been asking them to do for years while they persistently ignored my pleas. I hope that residents will sign my petition for more adequate consultation about these proposals to drive the Council to be more proactive.
After my long campaign on behalf of the residents of St Andrew’s Ridge, I am pleased that Tesco has now leased their convenience store in the village centre to a new tenant, who has opened for trading. Local residents are pleased to have a local shop back in the area, bringing life back to the village centre. I continue to campaign on their behalf to resolve problems with the regular maintenance of the area and I will not cease until these problems are resolved.
Regrettably, there have once again been problems with a lack of school places for those starting nursery and infant school in Priory Vale, despite my campaign in 2005 in North Swindon and the lessons I had hoped the council had learnt. I have been contacted by several distressed parents whose children have not obtained a place in any of the local schools and my investigations have revealed that Swindon Borough Council has underestimated the number of places that would be needed this academic year. As well as taking up each case individually for constituents, I have been pressing the council to take action to provide more places in the local schools both in the short and longer term.
After sustained pressure from me for several years I am delighted that the Highways Agency has started to build the first section of sound barriers along the A419. The first section is for Lower Stratton (excluding Watermead), and barriers for Covingham are planned for the next financial year and Upper Stratton after that. I will continue to do all I can to ensure these are built at the earliest possible opportunity, as they will make a huge difference to residents whose live are being blighted by noise from the A419.
Unfortunately, Swindon Borough Council are refusing to build barriers for Watermead, and I will continue to press the council to take responsibility for their failure to enforce the building of barriers when the estate was built by developers. I am currently waiting for a response to my latest letter to the Leader of the Council on behalf of local residents.
While most of the North Swindon Constituency is urban, there are some farmers in Swindon and I recently assisted one in his battle to get his payments from the Rural Payment Agency increased to better reflect the circumstances on his farm. With my help he was successful, significantly increasing the income to his farm.
This has been a summary of some of the work I have been doing for North Swindon. More details can be found on my new website, www.michaeldwills.co.uk and I hope you will not hesitate to contact me if you would like to discuss any of this further.
With best wishes
Michael
Comments
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Posted by David Whitley, 11:30, Mon 4 June 2007: (Is this post abusive?) #
I should like to add my voice to those arguing against fortnightly rubbish collections. Yet another decrease in function by local councils - a copout of the social contract implicit in council tax payments. To load the responsiblity onto residents and recycling centres makes for greater transport emissions - private v public transport issue again.