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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.
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RECYCLING CHRISTMAS IN POULTON
21/12/03: Once the festivities are finished and the decorations come down on twelfth night, how do you get rid of that, by now, seedy looking Christmas tree?
Poulton Neighbourhood Management, together with the Street Wardens' Service and City Contracts Services have come up with a scheme which will stop old trees appearing all over our streets and alleys as well as providing a major recycling initiative.
Householders in Poulton are asked to put out their old trees on the afternoon/evening of 9 January in the same place where they would normally leave their domestic refuse. Then on the 10 January the trees will be collected, taken to a central point, shredded and then recycled.
Leaflets will be put out during the next few days to remind Poulton residents of this service.

CRASH MAN DIES
21/12/03: BBC News reports a 20-year-old man died in hospital yesterday, five days after his car hit a wall near Lancaster.
Gary Jones, of School Lane, Forton, had an accident in the early hours of Monday on the A588, close to its junction with the Ashton garden centre.

MAYOR'S CAR LEASE EXTENDED
21/12/03: A year ago, the Mayor, received a pleasant Christmas present as she picked up her new Mayoral Car from David Ian Skoda.
The company offered the Mayor free use of a top of the range car for a 12 month period. Now as this period has come to an end the Council has considered what it should do regarding the future funding of the mayoral car. As everyone has been very pleased with the car and leasing it in the future will result in savings to the Council, Cabinet member with responsibility for Mayoral issues, Coun Alex Stone, has decided that the same car will be leased for a further four years.
All the old jokes about the poor build of Skodas is well and truly in the past as far as the council is concerned. "Everyone has been pleased with the car's appearance, comfort, performance and in particular its fuel economy," explained Coun Alex Stone said. "Leasing the existing car provides the best opportunity for the Council to make immediate financial savings, which will help keep our council tax down. This arrangement is an excellent example of how our local community can benefit from partnership with local businesses".

CARAVAN BLAZE
19/12/03: The Fire Service attended a caravan fire at Mellishaw Caravan Park on Friday (19th). The occupants of the caravan were awoken by the smell of burning. A mother and four children left the caravan and raised the alarm. Nearby residents came to their assistance helping to extinguish the fire, which had started in a heater. The fire service arrived and continued with fire fighting operations. One of the children had suffered slight smoke inhalation and required oxygen, which was administered by fire service personnel at the scene.

LABOUR, GREENS SPAR OVER PENSIONS PROPOSAL 18/12/03: Lancaster City Council yesterday rejected a Green Party motion to help pensioners in financial difficulties. The attack on the proposal was led by Councillor Ian Barker, Leader of the Council and Leader of the Labour Group. The motion was also attacked by leading Conservative and Lib Dem councillors as councillors lined up to reject the idea.
"I was shocked that so many councillors rejected this motion," said Councillor John Whitelegg, who proposed the motion. "My proposal to full Council simply asked Council to investigate the practicalities of reducing the predicted Council tax increases for pensioners. The fact that councillors would not even allow this idea to be investigated is a kick in the teeth for all pensioners struggling on a fixed income and worrying about the Council tax."
The motion went on to ask that the Council work closely with the County Council Welfare Rights services and the Citizens Advice Bureau to make sure that the take up rate of pensioner Council Tax benefit went up to 100 per cent. This was also rejected by Labour, Conservative and Lib Dem councillors.
Council Leader Ian Barker hit back at Councillor John Whitelegg' criticisms. "Councillor Whitelegg has ignored the evidence that his proposals would benefit the well-off pensioners the most and provide almost nothing for those on low incomes," he said. "Other people on low incomes would pay the price. He has ignored the fact that Kent County Council has obtained very expensive legal advice that such a scheme might very well be unlawful. By asking Lancaster City Council to investigate it again all he would do is provide a Christmas bonus for fat cat lawyers."
"Councillor Whitelegg asked that the City Council works with Welfare Rights and the Citizens Advice Bureaux to help pensioners in a take up campaign. In fact the City Council already does this and has expanded its staff this year to do even more. Councillor Whitelegg knows this but he ignores the evidence to make a cheap rhetorical point. As usual he is long on rhetoric and short on substance."

LABOUR CHALLENGE TO GREEN KINGSWAY FEARS
18/12/03: Bulk Ward Labour Party has expressed surprise at recent Green Party requests for further community consultation over Liberty's plans for the Kingsway site. Labour says it was the job of the previous Cabinet, where the Greens were leading members, to impose the consultation conditions.
"Two years ago Liberty Properties put forward proposals that were deemed less environmentally friendly than the current plans," says James Groves, a Bulk Ward Labour Party member. "On that occasion Bulk Labour councillors Ian Barker, Abbott Bryning and Jean Yates led the opposition to the plans and the Green Party, in Cabinet, supported them." james claims that when those plans fell it was in the Green Party's hands to set out the consultation process and specify the type of facilities they would like to see in the new plans. They failed to do it adequately."
"Now they are seeking a deferral whilst knowing full well that the January deadline is only the beginning of the planning process. In fact the council is duty bound to respond to a planning submission within this set time frame. With the Greens having a member on the Planning Committee you would have thought they might have known this."
Meanwhile Labour's consultation exercise with individuals and local community groups is continuing. Their response will be presented in the New Year. Interested parties wishing to make comments can contact Councillor Ian Barker at the Town Hall or by writing to Bulk Ward Labour Party, c/o 99 Ullswater Road, Lancaster LA1 3PX.

SOLDIER JAILED FOR MURDER
18/12/03: BBC News reports a soldier has been jailed for life for kicking to death a man he claimed had made sexual advances towards him.
Gareth William Downham, 21, pleaded guilty to the murder on St Valentine's Day of Kevin Pedder, whose body was found in an alleyway in Carnforth, Lancashire.
Downham was on the run from the army when he murdered 49-year-old Mr Pedder.
• Read the full story on the BBC web site: Go

LABOUR OPPOSES GREEN PENSION PLAN
17/12/03: Labour has opposed the Green Party's resolution at today's full Council Meeting on Council Tax discounts for pensioners, stating that the proposal was ineffective, unfair and impossible to implement.
The Green proposal to full Council proposed discounts on Council Tax and 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 (see last week's story).
"This measure will not help the poorest pensioners," says Leader of the Labour Group and Council Leader Ian Barker. "In fact, the biggest winners will be wealthy pensioners at the expense of people on low incomes. While the proposal doesn't tell us how these discounts will be funded we know it will be through increases for all, particularly those who are just above the threshold for Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit -- people like single mothers with part time jobs. Their Council Tax would go up to pay for this measure.
"Kent County Council has already proposed a similar measure and have been stopped on legal advice," he added. "They were told that they would have to show that pensioners were a uniquely disadvantaged group. They also received some opposition from pensioners themselves who felt it was unfair to other Council Tax payers."
In fact, say labour, the Green Party themselves state in their resolution that their proposal cannot be implemented -- but what is needed are effective and fair proposals that can.
"Lancaster City Council is already doing a lot to encourage take up of benefits by pensioners," says Ian. "We work with Lancashire County Council's Welfare Rights Service. We identify pensioners who will be entitled to Pension Credit (formerly Income Support) and encourage them to claim it. We do an annual targeted mail shot. We work with the new Pensions Service to offer advice to pensioners.
"In the current year the benefits section has been expanded by 19.5 full time posts. Not only will this make it possible to assess Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit speedily and accurately, it is also intended to encourage take up campaigns. This is the best way the City Council can assist all people with low incomes. The measures proposed by the Greens will detract from that."

POWER STATION WOES CONTINUE -- BUT COMPANY PROFITS UP
17/12/03: British Energy said announced yesterday that the shut down of Heysham 1 will "continue into the first quarter of 2004". The station had been due to re-start anytime now, according to statements three weeks ago.
One likely consequence of this is that BE will have to borrow even more money from national government to cover its losses. The company has just announced its half-year results which show that, despite the extended closure of the Heysham 1 plant, the nuclear parasite is doing rather better than the same time last year (BBC News story here). Instead of losing one million quid every one and a half days, it now takes it a full two days to lose this amount. Well done, boys!
At the end of November, the Government increased BE's credit line by £75 million to £275 milion. This short-term loan should not be confused with the long term grants it has received down the years.

GREENS CALL FOR DELAY TO KINGSWAY PLANS APPROVAL
17/12/03: Bulk Green party members are calling for the planning decision on the former Kingsway Baths site to be deferred from late January in order to allow for effective public consultation on the plans.
The call comes after a successful meeting at the Gregson Centre about the proposals for the old swimming baths and bus depot on the Kingsway site. Bulk Ward Green Party, who organised the meeting, was very pleased that Paul Norman of Liberty properties was so enthusiastic to talk openly about their plans for the site.
Three very different presentations were made about the plans. Ward councillor John Whitelegg set the scene by welcoming Liberty Properties to talk directly with the public. He emphasised the importance of a good quality development on this gateway site to the city. Paul Norman of Liberty Properties explained that extensive planning over the last two years have produced proposals which conserve the historical frontages along Parliament Street, and include a PC World store, car parking and a 10-storey residential block along with office space.
"This is a wonderful opportunity to make a lasting difference to this tired site," feels John Whitelegg. "We all know that developments have to pay for themselves, however we see that much value could be added to Liberty's plans by the incorporation of community facilities. This will be achieved through the dialogue which now exists with Liberty".
Liberty's plans would be improved by a reduction in car parking spaces through a low-car residential development, says John, and the addition of green amenity space. He also emphasised that getting to grips with the traffic problems that currently plague the area is essential to reduce the traffic noise and pollution which are above legally acceptable levels for a residential site. "The scale of Lancaster means that people enjoy being able to walk and cycle to get around, and we are concerned that the current plans do not acknowledge this".
A vision for the area which takes into account its unique location was outlined by Alan James, a landscape architect and transport consultant who was integrally involved with the development of the Lancaster Local Plan. "This is a very special site which is currently severed from beautiful and under utilised river frontage. Just think what could be done here if we got to grips with traffic in this part of town". He dared the audience to think radically about re-ordering Lancaster's road layout, and how this would not only provide massive environmental benefits, but would also enhance the economic viability of the Liberty plans.
"It was clear from Paul Norman's presentation that Liberty have been developing ideas for more than two years," said Sue Paylor, Bulk Ward Green Party member and resident of the Ridge Estate. "This was more that enough time for Lancaster city Council to fulfil its obligations regarding inclusive community consultation about this key development in our city. It is not much to ask for a month's deferral to allow the public opportunity to comment on the plans".
• The public can view the plans at Palatine Hall in Dalton Square.

BARKER WARNS: CUTS AHEAD
16/12/03: Council Leader Ian Barker has warned of "difficult and painful decisions ahead" after completion of the first phase of the council's Star Chamber exercise, on the eve of a Full Council meeting tomorrow (17 December).
The detailed assessment of spending aims to generate budget savings to keep the city council share of the Council Tax down to an acceptable level. Coun Barker says there is still "much more to do", but the study leaves the council with some painful choices in the months ahead.
"The extra Government support announced in the Chancellor's pre-budget statement has brought the total increase in Government funding to 3.1%," says Ian, "broadly in line with what was anticipated."
But the council still has to deal with the overspend in 2002/3 in the City Contact Services budget which seemed likely to continue into future years; the underestimate, by approximately £300,000, of the costs of the new waste collection and recycling rounds; and the inherited 21.1% forecast increase in Council Tax for 2004/5 built into the 2003/4 budget.
"The savings we have already definitely identified in the Star Chamber process will deal with the first two problems," feels Ian, and he feels confident that further measures will make substantial inroads into the principal problem - the 21.1% forecast tax rise. But the savings will involve real reductions in service or increases in charges.
"They are not easy options," Ian acknowledges. "However, we still face a double-digit rise [in council tax]; we have some way to go if we are to bring this down to an acceptable level. There are further difficult and painful decisions ahead.
"We cannot afford any unbudgeted expenditure in the current financial year," the council leader admits. "We must exert the strictest financial discipline and we must also try to generate additional savings this year. I have asked the Chief Executive to strengthen our controls on recruitment. Vacant posts will only be filled if there is a clear need, sanctioned by Cabinet and Management Team, to do so.
"It's also clear we can't afford the current capital programme," he adds. "The financing costs of our existing debt are near the upper limit of what is prudent and should not be increased. We will therefore look at the General Fund capital programme with a view to reducing our commitments."
The problems the council faces do not end with this financial year. "We've generated substantial one-off savings in the Star Chamber process, but it would be unwise to use them all to keep next year's Council Tax down," says Ian. "We'd just be repeating the same budgetary problems in fixing the 2005/6 Council Tax. Instead I intend to adopt a prudent medium term financial strategy and use one-off revenue savings over a period of three years."
While basic services local people rely on and the interests of our existing staff will be protected from budget savings the council's aim now will be to focus on the priorities the council have identified -- regeneration, transport and traffic, housing, benefits, environmental improvement and community safety -- and deliver them well.
"None of this is easy or pleasant," says Ian. "It is however necessary if we are to build a sound financial base for the authority in the future."
• The public can attend any council meeting but will be asked to leave for "exempt" items. Tomorrow's council meeting takes place at 2.00pm at Morecambe Town Hall.

LANCASTRIANS IN GM ACTION
16/12/03: Lancastrians took part in a protest at the Bayer Cropscience pesticide manufacturing site in Widnes last Thursday, to protest against the company's involvement in Genetically Modified crops.
Some of the protestors entered the building while others help up banners, made lots of noise and leafleted the staff car park.
Work was disrupted for two and a half hours, as staff locked themselves into their offices and site security barricaded the gates against the protestors. The campaigners who got inside the building eventually got to discuss Bayer's GM involvement with the site manager and demanded that Bayer pull out of GM research.
Bayer Cropscience own all the varieties set to become Britain's first commercial GM crops. It is the primary company set to profit from the wide-scale introduction of GM crops into our environment and our food-chain. Stop Bayer GM Crops is a nation-wide campaign with the aim to force bayer to pull out of GM. As part of this over 30 actions against Bayer have already taken place in the last three months all over the country.
"Bayer is certainly feeling the pressure," said a spokesperson for the protest. "In September they announced that they would not run any further field trials of GM crops in the UK -- because 'they always get vandalised'.
"However, they are still set on forcing GM down our throats."
• For more information on the campaign visit:
www.stopbayergm.org

BREAKING TABOOS AT THE FOLLY
12/12/03: Folly's first exhibition of the New Year, The Myth of Sexual Loss opens on Saturday 31 January in Lancaster.
The taboo-breaking show is a sensitive photographic exploration of the ageing sexual body. Whilst aiming to develop an aesthetic style which does not sensationalise, Karen Brett's large colour images explore and challenge the ideology surrounding sexuality and our fear of the ageing body.
The artist advertised for couples and single volunteers aged between 60 and 90 to take part in her project. Her approach incorporated a rigorous and often intimate engagement with the subject, frequently spending a long period of time developing the trust and confidence of the people who she photographed. The resulting works are subtle, sensitive and warm
Originally trained as a nurse, Karen Brett is concerned primarily about raising an awareness of topical social issues through photography. She has previously made work about mental health and domestic violence.
The Myth of Sexual Loss is a Ffotogallery, Cardiff touring exhibition and continues until 12 March.

FIRE STATION PLANS DASHED
16/12/03: Morecambe's award-wining Management team have lost out in their bid to buy the old Clark Street fire station.
Poulton Neighbourhood Management made an offer for the property with a view to developing the Clark Street site for community use after the building and its surrounding area were put up for sale on the open market by Lancashire's Fire and Rescue Service. Unfortunately PNM was outbid.
In a statement PNM said "We have to be very careful in accounting for public money and our offer was therefore based on a valuation which related to our intended use of the site. A substantially higher offer was accepted by the Fire and Rescue Service and we therefore have no choice but to wish the new owners every success in developing this facility.
"Although we have not succeeded in purchasing the fire station, we will do all we can to ensure that any development of the site is carried out sympathetically with local people's wishes."

COUNCIL DROPS WHINNEY CARR
16/12/03: The Council has dropped its support for the controversial Whinney Carr housing development, which has already been rejected by government.
Last week the Council published a Further Proposed Modification to the Lancaster District Local Plan, which removed the proposal for a new neighbourhood on greenfield land at Whinney Carr, including Lawson's Bridge, on the south side of Lancaster. This follows the Secretary of State's decision to refuse planning permission for the development of the site earlier in the year.
Objections and representations to its removal can still be made until 16 January 2004, which will be considered by the City Council in early 2004. If a further Local Plan Inquiry is not necessary then the Council can proceed with the adoption of the Local Plan, which could be formally adopted as early as April 2004. When adopted the Local Plan will have great weight in the determination of Planning Applications throughout the District.
• The Further Proposed Modification is on formal deposit at the Planning and Building Control Service, Palatine Hall, Dalton Square, Lancaster and at Morecambe Town Hall. Copies of the Further Proposed Modification and a form for making objections or representations are available to collect at these deposit locations. It's also available for inspection at public libraries in Lancaster District, and Kirby Lonsdale library, libraries at Lancaster University, St Martin's College, Lancaster and Morecambe College, at Lancaster and Morecambe Tourist Information Centres and on the Forward Planning Page of the City Council's Wesbite at www.lancaster.gov.uk

EXHIBITION OPPORTUNITIES AT THE FOLLY
15/12/03: A new opportunity for people to exhibit work will be taking place at Folly in March. The open members exhibition will give Full members the chance to have their work displayed as part of the main programme for 2004.
Anyone can become a member and enter work, whether you've exhibited at the Tate or are a first timer. Membership costs £25 per year and other advantages include discounts on equipment and facilities hire, free events and free internet access.
Entries should include photographic and new media work, including film and video. There is no geographical restriction on membership or on participation in the 2004 Folly Members Exhibition.
You can submit up to three images (12" x 16") or other relevant work on slide, disc, email or print to: Members Exhibition, Folly, 26 Castle Park, Lancaster LA1 1YQ or email Kate Connolly on .
The closing date for submission is Wednesday 7 January. Please send a SAE if you would like work returning.



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