Labour gets tough with fly tippers

 

Labour Secretary of State Steve Reed has called on councils to get tough with fly tippers who blight our communities by illegally dumping rubbish like this, spotted recently in Upper Northam Drive, Hedge End.

This example was cleared up promptly by Eastleigh Borough Council, but all councils need to do more to prevent fly tipping. This will include:

• Working with the police to identify the criminal fly tippers
• Using drones and mobile cameras to identify the vehicles used
• Seizing and crushing the vehicles used
• New penalties of up to 5 years in prison

The Labour government will reduce red tape to make it easier and less costly for councils to seize vehicles used for fly tipping.

Secretary of State Steve Reed said:

"Waste criminals and fly-tippers who blight our towns and villages have gone unpunished for too long.
That ends today. The Government is calling time on fly-tipping. I will not stand by while this avalanche of rubbish buries our communities.
Under the Plan for Change, this Government will seize and crush fly-tippers vans’ to clean up Britain’s streets."

These measures will help deliver the Labour Government's key mission of Safer Streets for the public, restoring people's faith in efforts to combat anti-social behaviour. 

Labour: Helping in Hamble Valley

Councils need to do better to protect Hedge End Centre

 

Yet another example of how the various Lib Dem and Conservative councils in southern Hampshire fail to protect the amenity of Hedge End centre.

There are huge mega building sites all round Hedge End. Traffic - including HGVs - is directed through Hedge End. 

This has a huge impact on the air quality, noise pollution and safety of Hedge End for pedestrians and cyclists. Our village centre should be for people not the convenience of big business hauliers. 

Traffic from the M27 to Whiteley Meadows, Boorley Gardens and Oaklands should be directed via Charles Watts Way and the A334. But the signage at Junction 7 "Hedge End Interchange" is not fit for purpose.

One of the problems in getting anything done about this is that planning decisions taken in Winchester, Fareham and elsewhere in Eastleigh do not take into account the impact of developments on Hedge End's infrastructure.

What's the solution? An elected mayor with strategic planning responsibilities for all of Hampshire (and the Isle of Wight). And a larger, sustainable unitary local authority to stop Lib Dems and Conservatives passing the buck backwards and forwards when things go wrong.

Hedge End Labour Party (re)launches consultation on old Budgens Car Park site

Labour's campaign team has just finished delivering our leaflet for the Hedge End South by election.

In response we have received email comments from voters. I thought my reply to one in particular might be of interest to a wider audience:

"Old Budgens site

The temporary car park on the old Budgens site is clearly well used and popular. However, it is a temporary arrangement, and the ruling Lib Dems want to do “something” on the site. Although they are keeping their plans secret at the moment, I understand they have told existing businesses on the site they should be ready to move in the next year or so.

My choice would be to retain the old supermarket car park with some additional planting on the boundaries to screen neighbouring properties and Greta Park. The old supermarket building footprint could then be used for a small mall with retail units on the ground floor and offices on the first floor to provide affordable space for small local businesses, start-ups and charities.

Consultation

However, I am serious about consulting with local people about what they want. In fact the local Labour Party already has an email – ConsultHedgeEnd@gmail.com – ready to receive people’s views on a variety of local issues.

HGVs going through Hedge End

The preferred route for HGVs going from Botley to the M27 is already via the A334 Grange Road and there is a brown sign on the Maypole Roundabout to this effect which is currently ignored. We are requesting improved signage at both ends of Lower / Upper Northam Road and some kind of enforcement as requests for voluntary compliance have fallen on deaf ears."

Looking back, it is six years since the ruling Lib Dems demolished the old supermarket building, and four years since they bought the properties on the edge of the supermarket site.

It does make it look like Hedge End is not a priority for the Lib Dems. Even though the Budgens site is in the top five "worst performing assets" on the council's books:

Eastleigh News - Council Asset Deficit Audit Warning

It is also four years since we kicked off a consultation about what voters want to see done in the centre of Hedge End. Perhaps the publicity around the current by election will encourage even more people to respond to ConsultHedgeEnd@gmail.com

My blog from 2021