Liberal Democrats - Winning in Bognor Regis

The Liberal Democrat team in Bognor Regis are always interested in what you have to say, you can e-mail us at br.team@brl-tonlibdems.org.uk or join us and have your say.

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Bognor Regis school

Liberal Democrat county councillor Francis Oppler is delighted that Bognor Regis community college has been chosen as the Pathfinder school. The news that the college had been successful was particularly significant to Cllr. Oppler as he had been a pupil of the school in Westloats lane.

This level of investment in education for Bognor Regis has been long overdue, the new school will help pupils compete with children from all over the county with the provision of these new facilities. Much of the present school is over fifty years old and is not really "fit for purpose".

The most important result is that the biggest winners are the children of Bognor Regis, and the new development will help provide the children with the skills and confidence they need to succeed in the world.

In view of this success for the town, it was paricularly disappointing that the local Labour party have attempted to turn this into party politics. The accusation that the LibDem councillors had not been fighting for Bognor Regis is completely false and is fuelled by political envy and bitterness.

Labour locally are developing a consistent pattern in falsely portraying themselves as local champions, it is a desparate attempt th distance themselves from THEIR Labour government.

However we have little doubt that the people of Bognor Regis will see right thruogh their game.

We urge re-think on LEC site

Liberal Democrats in Bognor have called for a re-think over the future use of the LEC site after the announcement that LEC is to close for good at the end of April 2007.

The proposals to use the site for waste facilities go out to public consultation in January 2007 for six weeks. The current proposal is for a mixed use of this site. The consultation period offers local people the chance to formally register their views about future uses of this site. Simon McDougall local Lib-Dem campaigner and leader of Bognor Regis Town Council said "The opportunity must be taken by West Sussex County Council and Arun District Council to review the future use of the site. This is an important gateway to Bognor Regis and a key site for regeneration of the town. Whatever happens on this site must be sympathetic to this long term process. The opportunity should not be missed as part of the Local Development Framework to put policies in place that guide the future direction and use of this site".

Residents hear facts on LEC waste site proposal

Nearly 50 concerned residents attended a meeting recently to hear at first hand about plans that might see a waste recycling plant located on part of the old LEC site in Shripney Road.

Local Liberal Democrat ward councillors Francis Oppler, Paul Wells, Jeanette Warr, Rob & Jenny Gillibrand had organised the get-together following the revelation that thekey site on an important entrance to the town might be used to site one of sixteen new facilities around the county, to help WSCC meet ever-demanding government targets to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.

At the meeting, after hearing from experts and leaders at the county council, local residents were still convinced that the prominent site was not the right place such a plant, citing the inadequate road network not just in the Shripney area but in and out of Bognor as being totally inadequate for existing traffic let alone the huge lorries would be needed to serve the site, WSCC confirming that the site would not be rail-connected.

The existing Household Waste site was already too close to houses and they feared that however high-tech the new facility might be, it would mean additional noise and smells invading their homes.

The planned regeneration of Bognor was the other factor that concerned all those present. It was stated over and again that such a facility at this prominent site would not only sent out the wrong signals about the future of the town to potential investors, but that this prime site on the road from London should be used more imaginatively so as to enhance the economic profile of the town, hopefully resulting in more better paid jobs to reduce the 70% of local people that have to commute out of the town each day to work.

Cllr. Paul wells said " We were pleased that residents were able to get factual information on this matter direct from those trying to deal with the county's waste problem. As responsible councillors, we recognise that our waste has to go somewhere, but we remain to be convinced that the LEC site is suitable to house any waste facility, no matter how nice the building might look. This site needs to be used to help the genuine economic regeneration of the town, i.e. bringing in visitors or jobs; at the moment it seems that this scheme will just bring in more heavy lorries"

Labour's NHS crisis threatens services at St Richard's

The local strategic health authority is in serious financial difficulties with a debt estimated at over £100 million. As part of the drive to shape the future provision of service they have launched a consultation document called 'fit for the future'. One of the options under serious consideration is the downsizing of the accident and emergency service at St Richard's hospital. This will mean that all residents will have to travel further to acute medical services to areas as far afield as Portsmouth, Worthing and Brighton. Bognor Regis would be severely disadvantaged if A&E facilities at St Richard's were reduced in scope or opening hours or in the worst case scenario subject to closure. St Richard's is well placed for road access from the A27, and emergency vehicles can deliver acutely unwell or injured patientsfrom here in very efficient time spans. To take patients to other locations such as Worthing or Portsmouth would cause delays that are unaccepable in urgent cases and could potentially cost human lives. One life in this situation is one too many, given that travel time could either save or cost lives. In our daily lives, many of us suffer from the consequences of an inadequate road infrastructure which results in heavily congested and poor quality road links from Bognor Regis to Worthing via the A259 or A29/A27 and have difficulty in accessing Portsmouth to th west, for similar reasons. It can easily take over 45 minutes to travel to either of these locations, even when traffic is light during off-peak hours. This is clearly hazardous in an emergency.

The Liberal Democrats will fight to keep full A&E services at St Richard's and work with all sections of the community to acheive this outcome.

Bognor is blooming!

Town wins silver gilt award and are overall winners in the category of south-east in bloom 2005!

This award has been the culmination of many years hard work from council staff and residents alike. The judges were impressed with the many floral displays around the town. The Liberal Democrat controlled council has put environmental improvements for the town as one of their top priorities, and we are delighted the south-east in bloom judges have recognised everyone's hard work.

Lib-Dem town council saves Birdman rally

The town council has a proud record of supporting the Birdman rally over many years. In 2005 Tory controlled Arun District council pulled out from running the event. A trust was formed by a group of local people to continue Birdman. The town council had already increased its support to the event, but with only a few weeks to go before last year's rally, the group got into difficulty.

After negotiations, the town council put forward a rescue package. As a result the event was one of the most successful in many years, and was featured on the BBC's Blue Peter programme.

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