Re-opening (yes RE-OPENING!) of the Eastrington Shop and Post Office

Great news for Eastrington residents – this morning saw the RE-OPENING (yes re-opening!) of the Eastrington Shop and Post Office. This is the first Post Office to re-open in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

(pictured with Sub-Post Master John Shepherd and David Davis MP who performed the re-opening honours)

This would not have happened without the drive and determination of Gilberdyke Sub-Post Master John Shepherd who has taken on the Eastrington office in addition to Gilberdyke.

When the post office and shop closed residents feared for the worst as a valuable asset to the community was lost, a number of people voiced their concerns to both John Shepherd and I, with many not realising just how important the shop was until it closed.

Ironically the Post Office closed but the post box didn’t, therefore Eastrington people could post a letter in the village but not buy a stamp.

I really think this is a real win for Eastrington and seriously good news, and I’m sure this valuable village resource will go from strength to strength.

Interestingly the ‘Post Office Local’ concept means that it’s open after hours and seven days per week - not just as a shop - but a Post Office too.

Spaldington windfarm applications thrown out by ERYC Planning Committee

Pictured with David Davis MP and Spaldington Residents

This week we saw a victory for local democracy as the East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s Planning Committee supported 98% of Spaldington residents and threw out the two windfarm applications – one at each side of the village.

We had the Parish Councils of Spaldington, HOSM, Bubwith, Foggathorpe, Gilberdyke, Eastrington, Wressle, and Howden Town Council - representing some 13,755 local residents all objecting to the applications, we also had local MP David Davis and MEP Godfrey Bloom speaking out against the applications.

The East Riding is already carrying more than its fair share of the country’s EU and National renewable energy targets in those that have been approved. The capacity of the East Riding to accept more wind farms is perhaps open to question – BUT what is clear is that this particular area - within a 12 ½ mile radius of Spaldington, that forms the gateway to the East Riding, will be saturated by the 90 wind turbines that are either constructed, or are already approved and waiting to be are built. What we will see is effect a windfarm landscape without adding more.

As a member of the Planning Committee, I can’t recall considering any like the two applications facing the village. It was not just about the proximity of 2 windfarms – it was about Spaldington being at the centre of a large windfarm, with residents living in the middle of 12 of the biggest on-shore wind turbines in the UK. We had never seen applications were so many properties would have been within 1000m – 56 houses, and unbelievably 24 of which would have been within 775m.

For me Spaldington residents have suffered enough, and continue to suffer from the foulest smells as a result of agricultural composting, but now at least they will not be faced with being at the centre of a large-scale windfarm – I hope the decision we made will give a little respite to the community by not compounding their suffering with a noisy windfarm.

I spoke at length and moved refusal for both applications for the following reasons

1. Cumulative impact of both the applications and the other 90 wind turbines that are either operational or approved within a 12 ½ mile radius of the site.

2. Overbearing and detrimental impact on the lives of residents living in the properties falling within 1,000m of the proposed site.

Fortunately the majority of the planning Committee agreed.

The applicants can of course appeal the decision, as we have seen with many windfarm applications in the East Riding, so it may be that residents have been victorious in this battle but the war is still to be won.

If it is the case that the applicants do decide to appeal the decisions, it is clear they will have one hell of a battle - with a formidable residents group to lead the fight. I will no longer be shackled by the Councillors ‘Code of Conduct’ (as I have prior to the planning committee meeting) - therefore please be assured that if the decisions are appealed I will do my utmost to ensure that ultimate victory will be with Spaldington residents, and those living in the neighbouring communities.

(Please see images below produced by Robert Hare showing showing sections of the views from each end of the village now and also with the proposed wind turbines superimposed as per the industry standards)

David Davis re-elected with 11,602 majority

Now the dust has settled from election night (but not necessarily from the morning after)… the last month has been a little hectic to say the least, but when you look at the numbers from the election night - our constituency of Haltemprice and Howden achieved the highest voter turnout in the area, with some 69.2% of the electorate voting, and David Davis being returned as our local MP with 50.2% of the votes cast.

To see such a large proportion of the electorate turning out to vote, whoever they voted for, is excellent and shows a healthy interest in democracy. Many thanks for all those who voted.


David Davis, Conservative
24,486
50.2%

Jonathan Neal, Liberal Democrat
12,884
26.4%

Daniel Marten, Labour
7,630
15.7%

James Cornell, British National Party
1,583
3.3%
Joanne Robinson, English Democrats
1,485
3.1%

Shan Oakes, Green Party
669
1.4%
Candidate

Conservative majority: 11,602

David Davis MP questioned by HOSM residents

Yesterday I spent a very interesting morning with David Davis MP meeting Holme on Spalding Moor residents at a drop in coffee morning. Over two dozen people called by to talk to David on issues, ranging from MP’s expenses, Europe, taxation and the economy, to parental access to children after separation, and life as a member of Parliament. A number of local issues were also raised.

It was good to see David challenged over expenses, as well as other important issues, and to hear his honest answers and thoughts for the future that we have seldom seen in the media over the past three weeks.

I was not allowed to escape from the questioning - particularly regarding local issues, with some very interesting points raised regarding composting, dog fouling, parking and speeding.

I spoke to residents as they left who all said they were now better informed, particularly about MP's expenses and the work life balance of a Member of Parliament.

Many thanks to Paul and Kathryn Whitworth for hosting the event

He doesn't sleep, he waits

I found this on http://www.torybear.com/ which seems very apt today.........

Over the last few days there has been one backbencher who has excelled even his Shadow Cabinet seniors in articulating the outrage felt in the Conservatives, the Commons and the wider world at the shameful arrest and detention of a Member of Parliament.

This man had dominated the television news coverage all weekend, expressing his support for his successor. The going is getting tough now for the Tories. Not only are they fighting a political party, but now they are fighting the entire might of a corrupt regime. A regime that uses the police to stamp out opposition.

When the going gets tough there is only one man who the Conservatives need back at the centre of their team.

He's a man that could strangle you with a cordless phone...

A man who doesn't read books, merely staring at them until he gets all the information he needs...

A man who can slam a revolving door...

A man who doesn't wear a watch because he decides what time it is...

The reason Wally is hiding...

The person the bogey man checks under his bed for...


It's time to bring him back..........

....... David Davis

Action to support local pubs

I fully support my local MP David Davis in demanding action to protect local pubs, which are presently closing at a rate of 36 per week across the country. My own local (yes I do have one!) has been hit with the double whammy of the smoking ban and the unfair competition from supermarkets, garages and shops selling cheap beer as a loss leader.

David Davis has signed an Early Day Motion in Parliament which calls for an end to supermarkets selling beer at a price even cheaper than bottled water..

David Davis MP said:

“Everybody likes a bargain, but I believe that the supermarkets are behaving irresponsibly in selling beer cheaper than water. By engaging in these sorts of practices, the supermarkets are hastening the rate of closure of our local pubs. We presently have 36 pubs per week closing across the country, much higher than in previous years. The current rate of closure means that more and more villages in the coming months and years face a pub-less future.

Pubs are often the backbone of our local communities, particularly in villages where, thanks to Labour’s Post Office closures, residents have precious few facilities or services left to enjoy. Government rises in beer duty have compounded this problem further and that is why I have signed this Early Day Motion in Parliament demanding that the Government looks at the pricing policy of beer in supermarkets as more needs to be done to support our local pubs.”

The Early Day Motion is as follows

That this House notes with concern that Asda supermarkets are selling Skol lager at a price of £0.90 pence for 4x440ml cans which is the equivalent of 5.11 pence per 100ml; further notes that Asda supermarkets are selling Evian still water at 5.55 pence per 100ml; is appalled that any supermarket is selling beer cheaper than water; questions whether this is an example of loss leading sales; encourages all supermarkets to cease this practice immediately; recognises the negative effect that this has on the brewing and pub industries, with 36 pub closures a week; and calls on the Government to look at the pricing policy of beers in supermarkets as opposed to public houses.

Concerns Raised Over Changes to Dispensing Doctors

A number of Gilberdyke Health Centre patients have raised the issue of the Centre despensary's future.

It is very frustrating when yet again this Labour Government, with its majority of Urban MPs, tries to walk all over rural communities. On the back of it's savage post office closure programme we now see dispensaries as the next target.

Haltemprice and Howden MP David Davis has expressed concerns over proposals by the Government to change the way in which doctors can dispense medicines to their patients. Presently, any patient living more than 1 mile away from their doctor’s practice is able to have their medicines dispensed by the doctor, in future it would be the distance from the surgery to the nearest community pharmacy. This could result in the loss of many dispensing practices that provide a vital service in rural communities.

David Davis said:

“This is yet another example of the Government not understanding the needs of our rural communities. In 2006 the 1,170 dispensing practices administered just 7% of prescriptions in England. Many of these doctors used the profit generated from this activity to re-invest in services, for example providing additional healthcare services in remote or under-doctored areas. These changes could put many of those additional services offered by dispensing doctors at risk.

Our dispensing doctors do a great job in rural communities and their services help to strengthen the doctor-patient relationship and also ensure a continuity of care. If dispensing doctors are prohibited from dispensing if a pharmacy is close by, there is a risk that many patients from rural villages could lose access to the most convenient service for them, including arrangements in villages for local collection of prescriptions.

Whilst I welcome Government proposals to remove the anomaly that some medicines could be bought at newsagents but were not available from the GP surgery, I cannot support their proposals to change the distance rules governing dispensing doctors.

I have no problem with an extended community role for local pharmacists but this must not come at the expense of our dispensing doctors. Patients in rural areas need a choice, at the moment anyone receiving a prescription from a dispensing doctor can choose to either have it dispensed at the practice or at a nearby pharmacy. I want to see that choice continue for my constituents.”

David Davis' Principled Stand On Civil Liberties

Many people have asked about my thoughts on David Davis’ resignation from the Shadow Cabinet and the calling of the by-election here in Haltemprice and Howden.

I am not in favour of the proposed detention of 'terrorist suspects' for 42 days or even 28 days for that matter, but I am in favour of detaining 'terrorists' for 42 days, 42 years or even 142 years. The issue being someone suspected of being a terrorist without charge is very much different to someone being convicted of terrorism.

To put a man in jail for 6 weeks without him knowing why he is being held or what he’s been accused of is difficult to comprehend. Then he is released without charge (exactly what has happened to half of those who have been held for 28 days) imagine what would have happened to his reputation, his job and his family. I would not want this to happen to me - or anyone I know because of say ‘mistaken identity’.

Many associate terrorism with Islam and Muslim communities, strange then that a retired non-Muslim was accused of an act of terrorism when heckling the Prime Minister at a Labour Party conference.

A good friend working within the Prison Service put this into perspective recently when he said,

“Consider a young Muslim man accused of a terrorist act and in jail without charge for six weeks, whose only crime was to have the same name as another suspect. For six weeks he is held alongside convicted terrorists, he is subjected constantly to the rantings of these extremists, his family on the outside are ‘looked after’ by sympathisers. You can imagine this man may not have been a terrorist when first incarcerated but there is a likelihood he may well be on his release”.

I am also uncomfortable with the snooping society in which we live, not the CCTV camera’s that have been proven to reduce and help solve crime and anti-social behaviour – but all those cameras that are used to monitor our privacy and store information about us as we go about our daily lives. It’s not the cameras; it’s the people who have access to the information that worries me. I don’t really want this ‘Big Brother’ Government or Local Authorities to know everything I do, whom I meet, and where I go.

This also goes for ID cards; I carry photo identification most of the time anyway so the card is not the issue, it’s the information behind the card the Government is planning to hold that is the problem. I don’t want the Government to hold all my medical records, my travel records, my phone records, my email address (so they can snoop on any website I visit or email I send or receive) or my tax and spending records. Also would anyone want to put all this information in the trust of the Government for safekeeping? With its recent record in this area - I wouldn’t!

I have known David Davis for many years and respect him as a man of conviction and principle. I can fully support his actions in raising these issues by resigning from the Shadow Cabinet and precipitating this by-election. This is about halting the erosion of our civil liberties precipitated by Governments over the years, but particularly so with this present Government, who after much dithering, don’t even have the courage to put up a Labour candidate in order to present their case.

For more information please click the link below

http://www.daviddavisforfreedom.com/

Councillors Paul Robinson and Caroline Fox Resign from Fire Service Review Panel

With David Davis MP outside Goole Fire Station

Cllrs Paul Robinson and Caroline Fox have resigned from the ERYC’s Review Panel, which is presently considering the Humberside Fire Brigade’s proposals to re-structure the Brigade locally, in order that they can publicly campaign against the cuts. The proposal is for Goole to replace one of the full-time pumps at Goole with a retained pump.

Paul, said, “After taking evidence on the first day of the panel hearings last Friday, it became apparent that Caroline and I could better represent our local residents by resigning from the panel so that we could publicly oppose the cuts”.

“We believe that members of the Humberside Fire Authority will be playing fast and loose with the safety of our local communities if they vote through the cuts as proposed. Goole Fire Station provides much of the cover for Howdenshire and I now want to campaign publicly with our local MP David Davis, Prospective Goole MP Andrew Percy, the Fire Brigades Union, and local councillors from ALL parties who are also working very hard to fight these cuts”.

Due to the distances involved in getting to rural communities such as Gilberdyke, Rawcliffe and Holme-on-Spalding Moor, our rural communities are even more at risk as a result of these proposals. The response time of the second pump would increase meaning that it could take much longer for that pump to respond.”

Caroline adds, “The evidence we heard on the first day of the panel was so convincingly against the cuts that I personally felt that as my own ward would be deeply affected by the proposals, it would be better if I removed myself from the panel to help assist the campaign to save the two pumps at Goole.

I find it bizarre in the extreme that in just a couple of years the Humberside Fire Brigade has gone from designating parts of rural East Yorkshire according to different risks to designating practically all of our rural communities as low risk. Given the new housing and development that is taking place in our communities I would have thought that the Fire Authority would be looking at improving the fire cover locally, not reducing it.”

Paul and Caroline add, “We feel so strongly about these proposals that we’ve decided we need to speak out on behalf of our local communities. We will now join with Councillors of ALL parties who have opposed these cuts and we hope that our opposition will act as a warning to Councillors on the Fire Authority that our communities will not take proposals to cut our local services lightly. We must all continue to work together to ensure that the Fire Authority sees sense and listen to the massive opposition to these cuts.”

David Davis MP added, "I welcome Paul and Caroline's principles in resigning from the panel, they will now have more time to oppose the ill thought out cuts that are a potential for disaster. These cuts will directly impact on Howden and Howdenshire in my constituency which rely on cover from Goole Fire Station. That is why I am happy to join the campaign against these proposals. I would urge as many local people as possible to make their voices heard on this important issue."

Funding for new Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs)

With Shadow Home Secretary and local MP David Davis

outside Howden Local Policing Team Station

Funding for new PCSOs

Today (Tuesday), Humberside Police Authority decided to fund the 33% short fall in funding by Central Government to enable the planned increase in Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) to go ahead in the East Riding of Yorkshire, as part of the neighbourhood-policing programme.

“As Chairman of Gilberdyke Parish Council and member of the Howden Neighbourhood Policing Panel - I recognise that one of the issues we face is crime, with many people unhappy with the service provided by the police, and fearful of crime. It is quite clear the police need to be seen, and to regain people’s trust. The role of the PCSO is very much community based and probably the nearest thing we’re going to get to a ‘Local Bobby’ on our streets”.

“This funding is very good news, and may well go a long way in allowing people to feel comfortable calling and dealing with the police. I look forward to seeing this type of high visibility, Police presence in Gilberdyke, and our neighbouring villages as a minimum requirement, to reduce the fear of crime as well as crime itself”.

Local Policing

Paul Robinson and David Davis MP outside Howden Local Policing Team Station in Howden

Local Policing

I recognise that one of the issues we face is crime, and many of you are unhappy with the service provided by the police. It is quite clear the police need to be seen, and to regain people’s trust. People need to feel comfortable calling the police, knowing that the telephone call will be dealt with immediately rather than being put on hold, knowing that action will be taken rather than just giving out a crime number, and to know that if crime is reported it can be done with the confidence that the individual reporting the incident does not necessarily have to become involved. Due to Government cuts in funding, there are to be a reduced number of Police Community Support Officers (PCSO’s) employed by Humberside Police in The East Riding of Yorkshire. I will be fighting to make sure Howdenshire does not lose out from this, and to make sure we have this type of Police presence on the streets of Newport and Gilberdyke, Holme on Spalding Moor, and other Howdenshire villages particularly on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings.

"We do not want to see local post offices closed"

MASSIVE SUPPORT FOR POST OFFICE CAMPAIGN

David Davis MP reports, “I would like to thank all the residents of HOSM who have signed my recent petition calling for Government action to protect local post offices. I would also like to thank those residents who have organised their own petitions.

The response from people in Holme on Spalding Moor was huge and I will continue to push in Parliament to save our local post offices. The Conservatives have produced an action plan to help post offices.”

Paul Robinson and Charlie Bayram continue, “Post offices are a vital local service for many and we will do all we can to protect them. Unfortunately Mr Blair and his Government, made up of many urban MP’s, do not seem to share our passion for preserving the vital services in rural communities which are offered by our post offices.”


Paul Robinson & Charlie Bayram (above) say “We do not want to see local post offices closed”