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Save Our Post Offices 16 February 2008
In October last year, 2,000 sub-postmasters marched on parliament protesting at
Post Office closures and presented a 4 million signature petition to Tony Blair;
the largest ever UK petition.
And Labour still isn't listening. Post offices are the lifeblood of any community. They are vital local institutions, just like a local school or pub.
Post Offices are essential for people who rely on them to collect benefits and pensions. Local business rely on Post Offices, neighbouring small businesses often suffer a drop in trade.
When a local Post Office closes, often the last shop in the community closes too. A van for a couple of hours a week is no replacement for a full time Post Office. Labour's Post Office cuts will hit the vulnerable the hardest.
Please sign the petition to keep our Post Offices open
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Tesco Express on North Road? 12 June 2007
Tesco submitted plans to Darlington Borough Council earlier this year to build a "Tesco Express" store, on North Road, on the site previously occupied by a Shell petrol station.
The proposed store would occupy 330sqm (3,552sqft) with a 243sqm (2,615sqft) sales area and includes parking for 15 motor vehicles including and 2 disabled bays which are situated on the corner of the site on Bensham Road/North Road.
The building, which would also include a 24hr free cash dispensing machine, would be constructed in red and brown bricks to match adjacent building with soldier coursing above windows and doors, eternite composite slate tiles and white UPVC self finished fascia.
UPDATE: After a fierce campaign mounted by local traders and residents, the Tesco planning application was unanimously rejected at a recent Planning Committee meeting.
We are still keen to hear the views of local people (both for and against) the Tesco plan, please contact us or send us a message.
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Stop Brown's Cuts! 
David Cameron's Conservatives are backing a new, national campaign to underline our support for the staff of our NHS and the patients they serve. The NHS ended the last financial year with deficits amounting to £1.3 billion. Gordon Brown has now ordered drastic and short-sighted NHS cuts.
We want everyone to show their support for the NHS and those who work in it by signing our petition calling on Gordon Brown to end his financial mismanagement of the NHS – and Stop Brown's NHS Cuts.
Job losses: The Royal College of Nursing estimated in August that 18,000 jobs have been cut from NHS hospitals in recent months. However, Conservative Party analysis to update these figures now suggests that the total number of job losses is approaching 20,000.
Community hospitals: Despite Labour's much-vaunted claim that its primary care White Paper, Our Health, Our Care, Our Say, published on 30 January, would spell a reprieve for community hospitals, 81 are still threatened by of cutbacks or closure, according to the Community Hospitals Association.
Bed losses: 2,036 bed losses have already occurred since April, suggesting that up to 4,000 beds may be lost from the NHS over the whole financial year. This is on top of the 2,500 beds which were lost from NHS hospitals in 2004-05 and the 6,000 beds cut from NHS hospitals in 2005-06. In just three years, therefore, the NHS is set to lose 12,500 beds – a cut in capacity of 7 per cent.
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Conservatives Launch Darlington Manifesto
Michael Fallon MP has launched the Conservatives’ local election manifesto for Darlington, called “Darlington: Cleaner, Cheaper and Safer”, at a special dinner for Party supporters at the Darlington Arena.
Mr Fallon, who represented Darlington for 9 years and is now a member of the influential House of Commons Treasury Select Committee, hailed the document as “delivering the ABC of local politics – A Better Council”.
To read the Manifesto, click here
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Don't stop the Dementia Drugs Campaign
The
Northern Echo is launching a campaign against a decision to deny certain
drugs which can improve the quality of life for many Alzheimer's and
dementia sufferers. They have joined forces with the Alzheimer's Society
and are calling on the Department of Health to set aside guidance from NHS
drugs watchdog the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence
(Nice) and ensure that the relevant treatments are made available for
doctors to prescribe to all patients where they feel they will be of
clinical benefit.
As a
District nurse I regularly come into contact people and their families who
are suffering with dementia and these drugs are vital to them be able to
stay at home to be looked after by their families and very importantly
provide them with quality of life. Should they be denied this at the
cost of £2.50 per day?
You
can make your voice heard by clicking on the link below and filling out
the form
http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/dementiadrugs/
Gill Cartwright 30/10/06
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Labour's garden plot
Harrowgate Hill has already suffered as a result of planning rules drawn
up by John Prescott but it seems now that not even our gardens are
safe......
Britain's gardens are under increasing
threat of being grabbed and covered in concrete. In neighbourhoods across
the country, planning rules drawn up by John Prescott are forcing the
demolition of homes with gardens, to be replaced with ugly blocks of flats
or 'high-density' buildings. Gardens are not protected as 'green space',
but are treated as 'brownfield land' – just like an old industrial site.
Local residents and their local councils are increasingly powerless to
prevent the over-development of their neighbourhoods, and infill of green
spaces, with local roads being unable to cope from the extra traffic and
parking. But worse could be to come:
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New planning rules being drawn up by
Whitehall bureaucrats will impose more intensive 'density targets' on
new developments, cramming more building into local communities.
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Taxpayers' money is being used to bankroll
studies into how to increase garden grabbing, with plans for gardens
over 30 metres (100 feet) to be seized. Laws passed under John Prescott
make it easier for the state to purchase land compulsorily for 'social'
purposes.
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A new 'land use' database is being
developed of every garden in the country, by making extensive use of
aerial and satellite photography. Taxpayers are footing the bill for
these 'spies in the sky', which will help town hall or Whitehall
bureaucrats pick out the gardens to grab.
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Government council tax inspectors are
eyeing up attractive gardens or home improvements in order to levy
higher council tax bills in the forthcoming council tax revaluation.
These inspectors have powers to fine householders £500 if they are
refused entry into people's homes and gardens. Northern Ireland is being
used as the testing ground for these new taxes from 2007.
Article from www.conservatives.com
For more information or to sign the petition, please click here |
