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LETTERS
Our letters page is finally up - so if you've incisive comment, steam to let off, news to share or just want to prattle on, address your emails to The editor reserves all the usual rights with respect to publication. The page will be updated weekly - usually on Mondays. Deadline for Monday is 12 noon Sunday.
• Check out the letters page

CHRISTMAS IS OVER...
12/12/03: Well, not yet, but Lancaster City Council has already set its recycling plans in motion so you can get rid of unwanted trees. Full details of how to watch your tree being turned into matchsticks have been posted here.
Commenting, Cabinet member with responsibility for recycling Coun John Barry said: "I hope that residents will recycle as much as they can over Christmas to reduce the extra amount of waste created over the festive season.
"I would urge everyone to help the environment by planting their tree, composting it at home or taking it to White Lund Depot for chipping."

LITFEST WOES
12/12/03: Literature fans have written to Virtual-Lancaster bemoaning the state of the local LitFest.
" We are saddened to see the slow and painful demise of the popularity of the Lancaster LitFest," say the letter writers, "which has been in previous years, challenging, thought-provoking, and dare I say it, downright entertaining; celebrating work that manages to be literary and accessible at the same time. Previous audiences have been known, on occasion, to queue along Moor Lane, filling the Dukes main theatre."
They now feel that energy has gone missing and wonder if others do too.
• Read the whole letter on our new letters page

LANCASTER DOWNGRADED!
12/12/03: Local MPs Hilton Dawson and Geraldine Smith met with have met with the Strategic Rail Authority this week amid fears about Lancaster Railway Station.
The SRA have already sought to classify Lancaster as an 'intermediate station' whereas Preston, Wigan and Warrington are regarded as 'important junctions'. Last Friday the MPs heard concerns from Lancaster Rail User Group that the entire line between Preston and Carlisle could be closed while major works to improve the West Coast Main Line go ahead. Although that development has again been delayed for 18 months, the closure possibility when work finally begins after years of dawdling on the upgrade remains.
"Lancaster is a much more significant place than either Preston, Wigan or Warrington," feels Hilton. "It's the boom town at the heart of the North West and it's essential that we have a first class rail service. While there will obviously be some serious disruption while major work to improve the line goes ahead I'm looking for some reassurances that this will be kept to the absolute minimum possible."

REDUCED SHAKESPEARE AT THE DUKES
12/12/03: The Reduced Shakespeare Company are bringing their hilarious brand new show to the Dukes in January.
All The Great Books (abridged) is direct from the USA for its first national tour after a completely sold out run at the Edinburgh Festival. Offering 90 books in 90 minutes the show claims to give you a the chance to know more about everything you should have read, but couldn't be bothered to)
Charge through Chaucer! Dash through Dickens! From Jane Austen to Jeffrey Archer the RSC will rifle through your bookshelves and ask questions such as: Why was Oliver so much better at the Twist than the Jive? Why does Homer wear such big pants? How much does a Greek urn? And who was afraid of Virginia Woolf?
The show is a condensed version of all the greatest works of literature, so in an hour and a half of hysterical mayhem, the Reduced Shakespeare Company will save you a lifetime of reading.
The Reduced Shakespeare Company is London's longest running comedy hit with three shows, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), The Complete History of America (abridged) and The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged), all running in repertory at London's Criterion Theatre.
• Performances of All The Great Books (abridged) will take place on Friday 9th and Saturday 10 January at 8.00pm. To book call the Dukes on 01524 598500.

SLOGGI AD DRAWS COMPLAINTS
12/12/03: If anyone else is incensed by the 'pick your own Sloggi' adverts from underwear company Sloggi on the side of the cinema on Spring Garden Street (depicting distorted, airbrushed, naked women in highly sexual poses and which parody the Garden of Eden) and would like to complain, the address to do so at the Advertising Standards Authority is . Sloggi has a contact form on its flash-based web site.
The ASA already have a file on this advert -- but the more complaints the better in order to get it removed across the country. You must include your address on the e-mail. They say they will keep you up to date with progress. (Thanks to Gina for this item).

ART SHOP OPENS
12/12/03: A new shop selling the art work of Carol Weir has just opened in Morecambe. Studio Crafts in Alexandra Road will also be selling other items and owner Tom Weir, Carol's husband, told Virtual-Lancaster he hopes to sell other locally produced art and crafts.
"We hope to be able to include in the shop work by local artists and craftsmen," says Tom, who is originally from Blackpool. " We would like to offer space for them to display their work. this would be done for a small rent and commission, we are looking at about £10 a month(depending on the amount of space) and 10% commission."
• For further information call 01524 427410. or e-mail:

FINGERPRINT CHECKS?
12/12/03: "Should applicants for Disclosures be required to submit their fingerprints with their application?" is the controversial subject of a Home Office/Criminal Records Bureau consultation with a deadline of 16 January 2004. The magazine Third Sector reports concern by various charities on this 'leaked' proposal which would impact on volunteers working with children and vulnerable adults, although there has been some support.
Visitthe Criminal Recors Bureau for links to the consultation document and response form, or read the Third Sector article by clicking here: Third Sector
News item sourced via Lancaster CVS

PENSIONER KILLED CROSSING ROAD
11/12/03: A 78-year-old man has died after being hit by a car in Lancaster on Wednesday.
Wilfred Moorhouse was crossing Bulk Road at around 5.00pm when he was hit by a silver Peugeot car. He was taken to the Royal Lancaster Infirmary but died later.
Police in Lancaster are appealing for witnesses.

DAWSON CONCERN ON TOP UP FEES
11/12/03: Local MP Hiltn Dawson has outlined his concerns over government plans to charge "top up fees" to help pay for students' education. He will be meeting Secretary of State for Education Charles Clarke next week to discuss the Government's views on flat rate fees.
"Work done by Labour backbenchers suggests that a flat rate system would produce more money for Higher Education than differential fees, and be less likely to deter bright young people from working class backgrounds from going to the top universities.
"The Government will have to do a great deal more to provide good bursaries for poor students before I'll be supporting the PM's pet proposal."

GREAVES, TREES AND CHEESE
12/12/03: As councillors and residents quarrel over the rights and wrongs of tree-planting in Greaves Park, they may soon find that they have no park left to fight over.
Swiss businessman Mr Konneman, who owns Parkfield House in the Park, has apparently come up with a creative solution - fencing off the public land for private use.
Local residents have complained that Mr Konneman has appropriated a large area of the park for a private patio next to his house - and as if to make his point, he's flying the Swiss flag over it!
Lancaster City Council has already taken action to recover the land after much negotiation with Mr Konneman, who has since threatened to close down his Parkfield House-based business in response.
Tree-planters had better beware - Mr Konneman is said to guard his new territory jealously. Meanwhile, we're waiting for other locals to annex the pavement outside their house in a similar fashion and start patrolling that for 'intruders'...

TWO SAVED FROM MORECAMBE FIRE
12/12/03: Two Fire Engines from Morecambe attended a fire in a block of flats on Chatsworth Road. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus dealt with the fire on the first floor stairway of the flats. Two occupants of the second floor flat were taken to hospital suffering the effects of smoke inhalation.
The fire is believed to have been started deliberately and is being investigated by both the Fire Service and the Police.

CABLE COMPANY BEGINS REPAIRS
12/12/03: After its move out of Administration earlier this year Lancaster and Morecambe's new Broadband, Telephone and Cable TV Company, WightCable North Ltd, has announced its agreement with Lancaster City Council to carry out remedial work to the roads and pavements of Lancaster and Morecambe. The remedial work is necessary due to defects in the construction work, originally carried out by Omne Communications that halted when the company went into Administration.
Damage to local pavements drew a storm of protest while Omne carried out the work and the company's financial troubles meant many local complaints were not dealt with, leaving some areas in a bad condition. Omne had made a big thing its commitment to the environment during its local push to sell its services.
"We have been in detailed negotiations with Lancaster City Council and I am delighted that we have reached an agreement which will result in WightCable investing significant sums of money to carry out this work," said WightCable Head of Construction & Activation, Malcolm Anley. " Our first objective is to complete all remedial defects caused by the previous company over the next six months to restore the environment of the local community to its prior standards".
"As part of our ongoing development WightCable has made a huge commitment to invest both in its network and this construction work," added WightCable Lancashire Sales & Marketing Director, Stephen Geary. "This commitment to rectify construction defects complements our investment in establishing an excellent and stable platform enabling us to bring exciting new services to the residents of Lancaster and Morecambe.
"The first new service was launched last month, our 256kbps Broadband service. With others planned for early release, it is a good time for local residents who now have a choice of provider in broadband, telephone and cable TV services from a company that invests in services and in the environment".
WightCable Lancashire currently has cable services available to 6,900 homes covering the Lancaster and Morecombe areas that can access the cable network. The company already has over 1,300 customers and has seen a huge demand for its broadband services. WightCable is focusing on value for money broadband, telephony and local community TV to support its growth.
• For further information contact: WightCable Ltd., Unit 9, Middlegate, White Lund Industrial Estate, Morecambe LA3 3BN. Tel: 01294 230000 Fax: 01294 231292

INDYMEDIA MEET
12/12/03: Lancaster IndyMedia is running a workshop offering a basic introduction to Indymedia - how it works and how to work it! The event wuill take place between 2.00 - 6.00pm on Sunday 16 December in The Basement , 78a Penny St. (below Single Step and The Whaletail Cafe)
Indymedia attempts to provide a global alternative media network. Lancaster IMC wants to be a local node in that network, which integrates in the existing community structures.
"Do come along and participate in the global Indymedia experiment," urges one of the organisers. "You are Indymedia!"

ABOVE INFLATION GRANT INCREASES FOR ALL COUNCILS
11/11/03: Every local authority will receive at least an above inflation increase in Government grant for the second year running, with many getting substantially more, Local Government Minister Nick Raynsford announced today.
Lancaster City Council, which will receive a 3% rise, is facing something of a financial crisis because of what the current administration puts down to bad planning by the last council, and has undertaken a "Star Chamber" exercise to try and find ways of saving money from next year's budget, to avoid a huge council tax rise. The council also faces several increased costs, especially a huge rise in costs for recycling which had been underestimated.
Mr Raynsford was publishing the proposed allocation to English local authorities of the extra £340 million of Revenue Support Grant for 2004/05 announced by the Chancellor in the Pre-Budget Report yesterday. This money comes in addition to the £54.1bn announced in the provisional Local Government Finance settlement last month.
The increase in formula grant will now be 5.5% compared to 2003/04, on a like for like basis. Overall grants will increase by 7.1%. This additional money is not ring fenced, giving councils the freedom to make their own spending decisions.
"This is a substantial investment which will further help councils to improve public services without imposing unreasonable demands on their taxpayers," claimed Mr Raynsford. "And there is scope for councils to improve their efficiency savings. Put together, this means local authorities must aim to deliver council tax increases in low single figures next year.
Mr Raynsford has again warned councils that large councuil tax rises will not be welcomed by government.
"Unreasonably large council tax increases will neither be justified nor acceptable. So the Government is prepared to use targeted capping powers next year. But we hope that will not be necessary."
The consultation period on the provisional Local Government Settlement will be extended, given the scale of this change, and will now end on 9 January 2004.
• View all North West 2004/05 Grant Increases

UNIVERSITY MEETS STUDENT TARGETS
12/12/03: Figures published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England this week reveal Lancaster University is one of only a handful of universities that meets or does better in targets for retention rates and attracting students from all backgrounds.

Lancaster's retention rates are 94 per cent overall, with a 4 per cent drop out rate -- better than the benchmark target of 6 per cent.
"Lancaster University is consistently in the top positions widening participation and for retention rates," commented University Secretary Fiona Aiken. "This is an unusual achievement to not only attract students from different backgrounds, but also to keep them.
"We put it down to our overall excellent quality in teaching and research as shown by national reviews of subjects, our good support systems for students such as the college system and our friendly, safe campus environment."

SHOEBOX APPEALS
11/12/03: At this time of the year lots of people are filling shoeboxes with toys to donate to children in deprived countries as gifts. However in many cases for children to receive these gifts is conditional on them taking a bit of bible-bashing too.
If you'd like to send your packed shoeboxes without strings attached, International Aid (23a Albert Rd West End, Morecambe) collect shoeboxes all year round for a camp in the Ukraine that gives kids from all over the ex-Soviet Union a rest and medical attention. When they leave they get to take a box with them. They can take long life, packaged foodstuffs as well as all the usual things.
• Lancaster University Students Union are collecting shoeboxes for Preston Womens Refuge - you'll see the boxes in porter's lodges or in the students' union building on the university campus.

STREET WARDENS CASH BOOST
9/12/03: Lancaster City Council's bid towards funding a further year of the Street Warden Scheme in Poulton and the West End of Morecambe has been successful.
The news follows Government Office for the North West's announcement last week that it will provide 50 per cent funding for an additional financial year. This grant depends upon the remaining 50 per cent being available from the Poulton Neighbourhood Management Committee and the West End Partnership.
This now provides breathing space, enabling the Poulton Neighbourhood Management Committee and the West End Partnerships to consider funding a wardens scheme for a longer period.
"I'm delighted that the Government has recognised the success of this scheme operating in Morecambe by continuing to help fund it for another year," said Coun Eileen Blamire, Cabinet member with responsibility for Community Safety.
The Street Warden Scheme began in July 2002. There are eight wardens and the warden manager and the scheme has contributed to cleaner streets and reduced crimes rates in Poulton and West End areas of Morecambe. The wardens hav ealso identified 63 groups ranging from church to voluntary organisations within their patrol areas and they make contact with these groups and actively work with them.

LICENSED TAXIS WARNING
9/12/03: Lancaster City Council is reminding residents to consider their personal safety when using taxis as the festive season approaches,
As the Local Licensing Authority for taxis, the Council is asking people to make sure that taxis are properly licensed before getting inside.
The Council issues licences for both Hackney Carriage and Private Hire vehicles and there are different regulations for both.
Hackney Carriages are authorised to ply for hire on the streets or pick up passengers from designated taxi ranks. Passengers are advised to check for the following before getting into a Hackney Carriage Vehicle:
- A blue and white licence plate is affixed to the rear of the vehicle showing the make, model, registration and seating capacity in black characters. - Roof sign
- Council door signs with the wording "City of Lancaster" in white characters, together with the plate number and a Meter fitted inside the taxi.
Private Hire Vehicles are not authorised to pick up passengers unless a prior booking has been made with the company operating the vehicle. Passengers are advised to check for the following before getting into a Private Hire Vehicle:
- A yellow Private Hire licence plate is affixed to the rear of the vehicle showing the make, model, registration and seating capacity in black characters - Door signs in yellow with the wording "Private Hire Pre-Booked Journeys only". It will also show the plate number. Additional company signage is optional.
The majority of Private Hire vehicles have a taximeter fitted. However, it is not compulsory for a private hire vehicle to have a taximeter fitted, and where a meter is not fitted, passengers may agree to set a fare for a journey at the time when a booking is made with the operator.
All licensed drivers should display an identity badge issued by Lancaster City Council. The badge will show a photograph of the driver, together with the holder? name, licence number and expiry date.
"Throughout the Christmas and New Year period the taxi-travelling public are reminded that in order to guarantee their personal safety they should only use vehicles that are properly licensed by the Council," explained Lancaster City Council's Senior Licensing Assistant, Katherine Parry. "We would advise people to take a couple of seconds before getting into a taxi to check if it is a licensed Hackney Carriage or Private Hire vehicle. An unlicensed vehicle would not have the necessary safety checks carried out."
• Any complaints about a vehicle or driver should be made to Lancaster City Council's Licensing Office, Legal Services, Dalton Square, Lancaster LA1 1PJ or by telephoning on 01524 582033 or emailing

GREENS MOVE TO ASSIST PENSIONERS
8/12/03: In a move designed specifically to help thousands of local pensioners green councillors are asking full Council on Wednesday 17 December to back a proposal that will bring much needed financial help to this hard pressed group.
At full Council green councillors will propose that Lancaster City Council investigate the legalities, practicalities and costs of capping any Council tax increases at the same rate that state pensions have gone up. "We've listened to local pensioners and they are very worried indeed that they have to live on a fixed pension and at the same time struggle to pay Council tax increases of well over 10%," says Councillor John Whitelegg, the proposer of the motion. "This hits this group of people very hard and we want to make sure they are protected."
The Green proposal to full Council goes further than this and asks that a special task force be set up to make sure that all pensioners are receiving the full amount of benefits that they are entitled to including pension credits and council tax credits.
"We're aware that many pensioners do not claim the full amount of benefits that they are entitled to," added Speaking today Councillor Anne Chapman, the seconder of the motion. "We want to make sure that every pensioner gets the full amount and we are proposing new working arrangements between the Council, the pension credit agency, Citizens Advice Bureau and pensioner groups to make sure that we get the right measures to get the take up rate as near to 100% as we can."

PARK AND RIDE OBSTACLES CAN BE OVERCOME
8/12/03: The cost of setting up a Park and Ride service for Lancaster would not be as much as the County Council may fear, according to County Councillor Jonathan Sear, who represents Lancaster City.
Park and Ride hit the headlines last month after the closure of the Acordis factory on Caton Road. This brought with it the rare opportunity of a sufficiently large brownfield site near the M6.
County Council officers have expressed concern that sites such as the former Acordis premises would be expensive because they are prime office/industrial sites close to Junction 34 of the motorway. As an alternative, the County Council proposes a Park and Ride car park in the Freeman's Wood area as part of the Heysham M6 Link. This site would be very controversial because of its impact on a popular area of countryside and could not be built in the forseeable future because it would depend on the new road for access.
Planning policies mean that Councils should use derelict urban land for park and ride rather than greenfield sites. They also require city centre sites to be considered for new offices before out of town office developments are allowed.
"If Park and Ride is going to work in Lancaster it has to be close to the M6," feels County Councillor Sear. "Land on Caton Road might be expensive, but it's not as valuable as the land in the City Centre currently used for car parking which a Park and Ride facility would free-up for new uses."
"Park and Ride, if combined with demand management measures, could take a lot of traffic out of Lancaster City Centre, as well as allowing the regeneration of the 'Canal corridor' area. But the Council must take advantage of the right site or it could end up destroying acres of countryside and undermine existing bus services."
The County Council is currently investigating the potential of the Acordis site.

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