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WIN A CAMERA!
5/12/03: Do you read local magazine Rapscallion? The magazine's editor is trying to get feedback about the magazine in order to know how best to develop it in the new year. He has a few questions he'd like to e-mail to people and everyone who replies will be entered into a draw to win this pocket-sized digital camera. To help out please send an e-mail with 'camera' in the subject bar to Any help will be very much appreciated.

RAISING THE ALARM
5/12/03: Dave Sharp, co-founder and guitarist of top British rock band The Alarm, launches a new band -- The Soul Company -- in Lancaster next weekend (Friday 12 December) with a what he calls a "low key" gig at the Bobbin.
The band has been rehearsing in the Lancaster area at local rock venue The Yorkshire House for the past month.
Although they never signed directly to a major label, The Alarm can lay claim to a series of 14 Top 50 singles, seven successful albums and over five million sales worldwide where The Alarm's pioneering use of acoustic guitars brought the band into direct contact with the likes of Bob Dylan, Neil Young and U2, who have all appeared and sung on stage with The Alarm.
Dave Sharp left the UK music scene in 1991 and following the trail of American songwriting legend Woody Guthrie he headed to the US in order to grow as a writer and performer. Teaming up with maverick record producer, Bob Johnston, he spent the next few years touring and recording with artists he had long respected and admired, such as Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Larry Crane and Dave Grissolm (The John Cougar Mellencamp band), George Porter (The Neville Brothers), Chris Solberg (Santana).
With two excellently received solo albums and an extensive touring itinerary under his belt, he began to look once again to the British music scene for inspiration.
"I saw fewer and fewer UK rock bands able to make a lasting impact on US audiences," Sharp says. "There has got to be a serious British rock band capable of taking on the United States. British rock has lost much credibility Stateside."
"The future of rock and roll is at stake here," he told Virtual-Lancaster, citing corporate mergers and marketing-driven new badns as just part of the problem the British rock scene now faces.
Following his return to the UK in early 2002, Sharp immediately began touring solo in order to reintroduce himself to British audiences, headlining venues up and down the country. Aiming to broaden his audience base, he took on opening slots with artists such as Nick Harper, Jake Burns (3 Men & Black) Bob Geldof and Lonnie Donnegan. During this time he began searching out musicians for his new band with just one criterion: "These cats have got to be seriously tested rock players who can deliver."
Things came rapidly into focus after a chance meeting in Lancaster with one of the UK's finest bass players, Keith Ashcroft (Chris Farlowe, Hamish Stewart). After Sharp laid out his plans, Ashcroft knew exactly what was required and immediately brought in long time associate and master drummer Paul Burgess (10cc, Jethro Tull) to solidify the rhythm section. Both Ashcroft and Burgess, who are well known on the north-west music scene for their work with Lancaster band Free Parking, recommended Carnforth guitarist Moe Witham, who's career has included spells with Micky Jupp and Dr. Feelgood, to Sharp and on Nov 5th 2003, The Soul Company was formed!!
The band will be performing new material at the Bobbin, from a forthcoming EP to be released in the New Year along with material from Sharp's first two solo albums, The Summer Of Love 2002 Parts 1 & 2.

FInews RETURNS!
5/12/03: FINews -- the irreverent attempt at blending satire with serious news returns to the virtual stage of life next Friday. Dubbed as "Real News from the Real World - Local and Global News you don't get from the mainstream media" The Free Inforamation and News Night (FINews) promises to be open to a spin-free reality with the kind of news you probably haven't heard anywhere else.
This time, FINews will be tackling the tricky subject Surveillance in the age of terrorist-paranoia, with news on ID cards (and chips!), CCTV, as well as a round up of relevant local news (nice new skyscraper at Kingsway anyone? or how about what's happening to the Priory's plans for a car park in the graveyard?)
FINews is at 7pm on Fri 12th Dec, Green Room at the Gregson. Stick around after FINews for a talk on the worldwide Food Not Bombs movement by co-counder Keith McHenry.

GM FOOD ACTIONS PLANNED
5/12/03: Green Action and LaRC are organising several actions in the next couple of months to try to stop GM maize and rape being grown in the UK. A meet last week on university campus revealed that this is a crucial time to keep up and indeed increase the pressure on both government and GM companies to stop GM crops.
To get involved in organising and come along to the actions, the campaign groups meet on Tuesdays 6-7pm upstairs in the Chaplaincy Centre on campus and Wednesdays 4-7pm in Lancaster Resource Centre in the basement underneath Single Step and the Whale Tail.
All the varieties set to become Britain's first commercial GM crops are owned by Bayer CropScience. Local activists will be supporting the national Stop Bayer GM campaign on Monday 8 December to get Bayer CropScience to pull out of GM.
• For more info see www.stopbayergm.org

POULTON WINS PRIZE
5/12/03: Morecambe's Poulton Neighbourhood Management Scheme was one of just two North West organistions to win a national awards for its pioneering work to improve the way services are delivered to local communities.
Poulton Neighbourhood Management topped the Innovation Award category at the first national Neighbourhood Management Awards and Conference in Stratford-upon-Avon. Liverpool's Include Environmental Services won the Mainstreaming Award.
Three others from the region were runners up - Chester City Council as Best Supporting Organisation, Emma Sharples of Poulton Neighbourhood Management for Community Cohesion and 18-year-old Laura Pimblett, from Liverpool, in the Youth Award category.
Among the work the North West winners have done is developing an anti-bullying game for 8-11 years-olds in Poulton and setting up a squad of urban environmental rangers in Liverpool to clean up graffiti and grot spots as part of a long-term drive to deal with residents concerns.
"The awards show the great projects local communities come up with when given the chance to make their own decisions and tackle local problems," commented Yvette Cooper Minister from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister," Neighbourhood management programmes are involving local residents with agencies like the police and local councils, with neighbourhood managers in place, to get things done."

MIDLAND HOTEL PLANS REVEALED
5/12/03: Developers Urban Splash have kindly sent us images of how they plan the art deco Midland Hotel to look once it has been developed.
Planning permissions for their designs are currently being sought. An open day at the Hotel in November attracted hundreds of locals keen to view the company's ideas, with representatives from the company and its architects, Liverpool based Union North, on hand to answer any queries.
"We acquired the hotel at the beginning of this year and as promised we have developed some exciting proposals, " said Tom Bloxham MBE, chairman, Urban Splash.
"We have also been talking with hotel operators, however, before we can deliver this project there is still much work to be done. Urban Splash needs the support of Lancaster City Council, English Heritage and the North West Development Agency. We also need to appoint an operator and a contractor.
"The restoration of the Midland Hotel is still by no means certain but the submission of the planning application is an important first step and we hope that people like our proposals."
Urban Splash intends to restore the Midland as a hotel, retaining many of the original features, including returning the Eric Gill relief to its original location, restoring the façade and the famous Sea Horses. The new plans also include the provision of a roof terrace positioned so as not to interfere with the natural line of the hotel and a new sculptured out door bath linked to the hotel.
Urban Splash has established itself as a pioneer of regeneration and an advocate of modern design. The company has received 104 awards to date for business success, architecture and its contribution to regeneration. Its award-winning projects include Timber Wharf, Box Works, Britannia Mills and Smithfield Buildings at Manchester and the Collegiate, Match Works, Tea Factory and Concert Square at Liverpool. Urban Splash is developing further schemes at Castlefield, Manchester and an exciting scheme at Altrincham designed by Sir Norman Foster, as well as schemes at Plymouth, Birmingham and Bradford.

REAL PLANNING RESULTS TO FORM A 'MASTERPLAN'
4/12/03: Local group 'Real Planning for Lancaster' have released the results of their survey of hundreds of residents that took place during the summer. Most respondents (83%) did not want to see the land on Lancaster's Canal Corridor to be used for a supermarket - which was the main part of the Chelverton/Carillion proposals last year. Instead 92% of the respondents wanted to see land in the city available for use by small local businesses. There was strong support (83%) for a music, dance, performance venue and the development of affordable family housing (77%) too.
When asked what people liked about Lancaster most respondents named the historic appearance of the existing buildings in the city centre and that they liked being able to walk into town easily. The most commonly stated dislike about living in, or visiting Lancaster, was the level of traffic congestion and people expressed a fear of violence or vandalism, particularly at night.
Volunteers from the group undertook a door-to-door consultation with residents who live in Lancaster's canal corridor and held stalls on Saturdays in Lancaster's Market Square to ask other people who know the area or live elsewhere in Lancaster. There was strong support for the idea that the area should become the city's 'cultural quarter', which is how this land is described in the local plan. These results received a warm reception from councillors at November's Regeneration Review Board meeting when Real Planning for Lancaster made a presentation of their survey findings.
The group will now be working with the council's planning department to organise a 'Masterplanning' competition which will encourage interest for the site from a range of developers to turn the results from the survey into a real plan for the Lancaster Canal Corridor. Copies of the results are available from the Real Planning for Lancaster website or reports can be ordered from Real Planning for Lancaster, PO Box 685, Lancaster LA1 3WX.
Spokesperson Joanne Wood said "Most of the people that we spoke to were really keen to offer their opinions about the future of the Lancaster Canal Corridor and wanted to be kept informed of any progress. Residents hoped that there could be increased provision for young people and that amenities like the nearby Dukes, Grand Theatre and Musician's co-op could be extended into a cultural quarter to be enjoyed by all."

NEW GAY BAR OPENS
2/12/03: A new gay bar is to open in Lancaster on Friday. Formerly the Castle Hotel on China Street, the licensees of the new Kampus hostelry are clearly keen to make it a popular venue, and will be putting on live entertainment as well as aiming to create a friendly atmosphere.
Saturday's entertainment features "Mr Vicky La Plume, comedy female impersonator, Blackpool's no 1 super star".
The pub opens Friday 5 December 2003 at 8.00pm. Accommodation will also be available in due course, and licensees John Parkinson (from Blackpool) and Karen Smalley will be applying for late licences.

AIDS DAY APATHY?
2/12/03, updated 5/12/03: Michael P. Nunn is appalled that very little attention appears to have been paid to yesterday's World AIDS Day in the local area. Other places where he has lived have marked the day with candlelit vigils, awareness stalls in public libraries, a massive visible promotion and wearing of red ribbons, discos, raffles, concerts and other entertainment and events organised by groups and individuals. Read his article...
Lancaster MP Hilton Dawson is also worried by the lack of AIDS day action. "I take your point and thanks for highlighting World Aids Day in Lancaster. Perhaps we have grown very complacent in the UK," he feels, "even in the face of alarming statistics about the huge growth in sexually transmitted disease.
"Unfortunately people in Africa cannot avoid the devastation which is wiping out whole generations across the continent. "The work I've done on AIDS this year has been as part of a delegation to Angola back in May, where we met with Non Government Officers and with Ministers to talk about the strategy that the Government is adopting to deal with a massive threat to a country which has been closed by war for decades but which is now opening up. 60 per cent of the population is under 18. Since we've returned I've discussed the situation with Hilary Benn who is very supportive of the Department for International Development taking a much more active role in the supply of anti retro virals as well as prevention."

KINGSWAY DEVELOPMENT CONCERNS
2/12/03: The local Green Party has revealed its has serious concerns about the development plans submitted by Liberty Properties for the old bus station and swimming baths site at Kingsway, Lancaster.
The plans now under consideration by the city council involve a new 10-storey tower block of flats, destroying fine views of Lancaster. Hundreds of car parking places are also part of the current proposal on a site that could provide much needed green space, play space and space for young people.
There's also concern that a new retail centre will take business away from existing shops in the city centre, just as plans Chelverton previously mooted for Bulk Road, which included a new supermarket, would have done,
"These plans do nothing for local residents," feels John Whitelegg, Bulk Ward Green Party councillor, "and bring extra noise, pollution and traffic into an area that is already a poor quality environment and will damage city centre shops and businesses by taking trade away from them.
"The Green Party wants to see this site redeveloped in a way that helps to reduce traffic, reduce local air pollution, reduce noise, strengthen the existing city centre and bring benefits to the residents of Bulk. We want to see a clear gain for local residents especially in the Ridge and Newton areas."
"I'm really worried that these plans have taken nothing on board from the extensive community consultation carried out by Real Planning for Lancaster," says Sue Paylor, a resident on the Ridge. "Local people have a clear vision about what should happen in this key gateway area and these views should be the starting point for any new development."
Bulk ward Green Party has organised a public meeting on Thursday 11 December 2003 at 8.00pm in the Gregson Community Centre, Moor Lane, Lancaster to discuss the plans submitted by Liberty Properties and to identify positive and community led alternatives to what is currently on offer.
City Council planners and Liberty Properties have been invited to this meeting.
• Kingsway Development Plans - Read More

WHAT DID THE ROMANS DO FOR US?
2/12/03: Residents and visitors to the District are set to benefit from a plaque recording the fact that Church Street marks the site of a Roman street.
The idea came from Rev. Bidder of Nether Kellet who challenged the people of the District to pay for a plaque. He sought recognition of the fact that Church Street marks the site of a Roman street and that two metres below the present buildings there are remains of Roman shops and houses.
Mr Rodney Banks-Lyon rose to the challenge and has generously paid for a plaque, which is now over his jeweller's premises in Church Street.
The plaque belongs to a series, begun some 12 years ago by Lancaster City Council, to mark buildings and sites of interest. The District has now some 30 plaques on show. Private donors have funded all the recent examples, which have been overseen by the City Council's Tourism and Museums services.

IT'S NO PICNIC
2/12/03: Michael Howard sent us the image below, commenting wryly: "Here's a picture I took on my last visit to lancaster/heysham - I think you'll agree that it shows just how hard the much maligned city council are trying to improve the fair city."


DENTISTS DELAY
1/12/03, updated 5/12/03): It will now take you up to 18 months to get on a NHS dentist's list in Lancaster, one Virtual-Lancaster contributor has discovered. We've published details of local dentists in our free Lancaster Business Directory.
Reader Sue Holden has toold us of her own experience of local dentists:
1) Corner of tooth falls off
2) Call own dentist for an appointment - get a surprise when they say they've gone private
3) Call some health number which is supposed to inform you of where you can get NHS treatment - they advise "try phoning all the dentists in the phone book".
4) Try above. Get cross. Time consuming and pointless.
5) Try Victoria emergency treatment centre. "Am I in pain?" Not yet, can have an appointment when pain sets in (presumably when the tooth will be rotten and more expensive to treat). However, the woman there is very helpful and gives me an appointment for three months hence!
6) Find that there is a surgery in Kendal which would take me on, but I couldn't see anyone for six or more months. ditto one in Barrow!
7) Hear a rumour that the Mayo Clinic in Lancaster is taking on NHS patients. Call them - they are!! Race down there and sign on. They occasionally open their books for a few days and the lucky few get to be taken on - waiting list seems to be ignored. (A friend got taken on there after writing to Tony Blair to complain!!)
8) Result: am now getting good treatment on the NHS, but what a ridiculous situation. And if I had not got signed on, neither would my kids.
Local MP Hilton Dawson told Virtual-Lancaster he was "very sorry" to hear about Sue's problems. "I'm sorry to hear about your latest news on dentists. Unfortunately, the local NHS was dealt a massive blow with Bay Dental practice going private and it will take a lot to recover," he commented. "The new dentist's contract is piloted nationally from April 2004 and goes into action from April 2005 and that may help. Otherwise the PCT are just doing their best to recruit young dentists who will hopefully stay."
The Labour government has recognised the problems and is making money available to improve access to NHS dentistry. An additional £65.2 million of additional funding was announced to tackle the problem and recently a further £15 million was also announced.
Further information is always welcome. The BBC has published a feature on why there is a shortage of dentists: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3109915.stm

PROTESTOR FACES CROWN COURT TRIAL
1/12/03: Following his protest against a nuclear transport at Barrow Docks, a campaigner is due to appear before the Crown Court at Preston on Tuesday 2 December. 63 year-old Martin Forwood, Campaign Co-ordinator of local anti-nuclear group CORE [Cumbrians Opposed to a Radioactive Environment] has pleaded not guilty to two charges under the Malicious Damage Act 1861. Under Sections 35 and 36 of the Act, which relate to the obstruction of railway engines and wagons, both charges carry imprisonment as a maximum penalty. The trial is expected to last 3-4 days.
On 15 April, Martin Forwood locked himself onto a railway line inside Barrow docks as a protest against the arrival of a consignment of Italian nuclear waste destined for reprocessing at Sellafield's THORP plant. Carried in two transport containers aboard the BNFL ship European Shearwater, the shipment consisted of 4 tonnes of Italian spent fuel waste and was the first of 13 shipments planned over the next 2 years. Further shipments arrived in June and September and the fourth shipment arrived in Barrow this week.
Although this particular shipment was by sea, highly radioactive nuclear waste from UK nuclear stations passes through Lancaster by train en route to Sellafield on an almost weekly basis.
The controversial shipments have already been targeted by activists in Italy, with attempts by local groups to halt the first shipment in April, and an action by Italian Greenpeace activists in September which resulted in the arrest of 27 protestors. This summer, a petition calling for a ban on any further transport and reprocessing of Italian fuel was presented to the European Parliament by political groups in the region where the waste has been stored.
Italy's nuclear power stations were permanently shut down by 1990 following a 'post-Chernobyl' public referendum held by the Government in 1987 in which 87% of the Italian

public voted against nuclear power. Like the UK, Italy has been searching for a permanent waste dump in which to bury its nuclear wastes including 350 tonnes of spent fuel that was never contracted for reprocessing. A recent Italian government decree sanctioning the construction of a national underground dump at Scanzano Jonico in southern Italy has now been withdrawn for modification following widespread public protest and opposition from the region.
Describing CORE's protest as a way of publicly highlighting Europes's nuclear waste trade, campaigner Janine Allis-Smith said:
"Reprocessing is supposed to be about recycling whereby BNFL's customers take back and re-use as new fuel all the plutonium and uranium recovered by reprocessing. For Italy, with no nuclear power, this is clearly not going to happen. These materials, along with a majority of the nuclear waste produced, will simply be added to Sellafield's existing and unwanted stockpiles".
The fuel waste currently being imported into the UK, 53 tonnes in total, originated in the Garigliano power station and was contracted in 1980 for reprocessing at Sellafield. Garigliano had already been closed down in 1982 and the waste stored with other nuclear materials for the past 20 years in the Fiat Avogadro store near Vercelli, between Turin and Milan. If reprocessed, the 53 tonnes of Garigliano spent fuel at THORP will yield approximately half a tonne of plutonium, 50 tonnes of uranium, 400 cubic metres of Low and Intermediate Level Wastes and 5.3 cubic metres of vitrified High Level Waste.
"These imports should be stopped," added Janine Allis-Smith. "They represent a one-sided deal whereby BNFL's customers conveniently rid themselves of a waste management problem they can't deal with, and West Cumbria and the UK gets to keep all the foreign nuclear rubbish."
Although Italy decided to phase out nuclear power in 1987, the British Labour Party's 'Big Conversation', launched last Friday, is asking if we should bring them back...

HEYSHAM POOL CELEBRATES SILVER JUBILEE
1/12/03: As Heysham Pool celebrates its 25th year of operation, staff there are now offering many different sessions including Childrens' lessons, Adult lessons, Aquafit, Parent and Child, Family Swims, Adults only, Ladies only, occasionally lifesaving courses and many general public swimming sessions.
Mangaer Judy Cubbage has been associated with the pool right from the beginning, starting work as a part time lifeguard in 1982. She taught both of her children, now adults, to swim at the Sunday morning public sessions at the pool.
"Heysham pool was first opened in 1978 which makes this its 25th year in operation," says Judy. "These days, pool staff work closely with the City Council's Sports Development Department arranging childrens' activities for school holidays and open for the public when Salt Ayre Sports Centre closes for special competitions."
All the community swimming pools including Heysham, Carnforth and Hornby were taken over by Lancaster City Council in April 2000.

UNITARY PLANS UNVEILED
1/12/03 (updated 5/12/03): The Boundary Committee for England has been directed by the Government to carry out a review of local government in two-tier areas of the North West as a precursor to a referendum on an elected Regional Assembly. Most local parties seem to welcome the Committee's plans and have outlined their views on the choices on offer.

The Boundary Committee for England has now published their proposals for patterns of all-purpose or 'unitary' local government in six counties in northern England should a Regional Assembly be formed as result of the referendum.
Draft recommendations for local government reorganisation in Lancashire, Cheshire, County Durham, Cumbria, Northumberland and North Yorkshire are now set out for public consultation, with the deadline for comments being 23 February 2004.
The Boundary Committee must submit its final recommendations to the Secretary of State by 25 May 2004, and they must include at least two options for unitary government in each county area.
Councils made proposals for unitary local government in their area earlier this Autumn.
The Boundary Committee of England has considered and commented on those submissions and made draft recommendations, which is what is now being consulted on.
Lancaster City Council's first preference was to bring together the existing areas covered by Barrow, South Lakeland and Lancaster City Councils. This was also the first preference of Barrow Borough Council.
The Boundary Committee of England draft recommendation for this area are:

Option 1: A unitary authority based broadly on the Lancashire County boundaries

Option 2: A unitary authority based on Barrow, South Lakeland and Lancaster

"We're really pleased to see Lancaster City Council's preferred option being included in both recommended solutions for Cumbria and Lancashire," commented Leader of the Council, Coun Ian Barker. "The Boundary Committee have said that 25 of their respondents specifically supported this option and we would now encourage local people and local organisations to throw their weight behind option two, which would give South Cumbria and Lancaster a single unitary Council consisting of the areas currently covered by Barrow-in-Furness, Lancaster and South Lakeland Councils."
There are concerns at the proposed size of the unitary auhtority being proposed under Option Two. A unitary Lancashire authority would be 40% bigger than any other authority in the Country.

"I hope that the Boundary Committee will be persuaded that voters should be given the option of a new Council based on the existing boundaries of Lancaster City," commneted Green County Councillor Jonathan Sear. "Having one Council responsible for all services would be a step forward, but I can't see a Lancashire super-Council, or Lancaster and Morecambe sharing a Council with Barrow, being very popular with local residents."
Councillor James Airey, Conservative Group Leader on the City Council and Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Morecambe and Lunesdale welcomed the inclusion of Option 2 in the draft recommendations from the Committee.
"Any change in local government towards Option 1, a unitary authority based broadly on the Lancashire County boundaries would be the nearest thing to no change at all!" he commented. "It would create too large a forum for many local issues, and it would mirror the existing County system. Option 2, on the other hand is the local option which already has the support of the City Council.

"In my experience, people in the North of Lancashire tend to identify more with areas to the North than with areas to theSouth, and I encourage everyone to give their support to Option 2 in the draft recommendations."
The Liberal Democrat Group say they're very pleased that the Boundary Committee have supported the Lancaster proposal of Lancaster, Barrow and South Lakeland as a strong and viable option to put forward for consultation. "This option appears to meet many of the requirements that were emphasised by the Commission at Monday's launch," feels Pat Quinton, Leader Liberal Democrat Group. "It could provide community leadership and local representation: It has a good pattern of community identity and it would be large enough to provide delivery of all local government services.
"The important thing is to keep representation as local as possible and with a larger unitary council it will be necessary to give Parish and Town Councils a stronger role. Liberal Democrats have always supported their work and would be pleased to see the setting up of more Parish Councils.
"To have a Unitary Authority, that delivers all local services, education, social services, housing, planning, waste collection and management of waste, to name some, makes sense. Residents know who to go to with a problem. Lancaster works well with voluntary organisation, the Health Service and the Police to give a good quality of life to residents. This needs to be done locally across all services.
"We hope support will be given for this option throughout the District."
The Committee will consult on the draft options for a period of 12 weeks from today. All views received by 23 February will be taken into account when the Committee reaches conclusion on the final recommendations to the Government.
The Committee will submit the final recommendations to Government by 25 May 2004. At a later date people will then be asked to decide in a referendum if they want an elected regional assembly. Those living in the two tier areas will be asked to make a further decision on which option for unitary local government they would prefer if a regional assembly is established.


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