Category: More News

CONSERVATIVE election candidate, John Howell, has attacked the Government for its handling of renewable energy, questioning its ability to hit its target for the UK of 15% by 2020. So far the Government has achieved a cut of half the target, 6.6%.

Brushing aside Government assurances that the target would be met, John Howell pointed to industry warnings that not enough was being done by way of encouraging technology and skills in this field.

In a statement released yesterday (18/04/10), he said: “Ministers refused to be honest about by how much they will miss the 15% target. That is a shame since the UK gets more of its energy from fossil fuels now than it did in 1997.

?I have set out in our policy document ? Open Source Planning ? how we can develop broad public support for renewable energy by making local communities active participants in as well as beneficiaries of renewable energy. We have to go with the local grain in this and not stick to Labour?s central targets and regulation. On-shore wind farms, for example, are not going to be appropriate in all settings.

?Ultimately we are not going to be successful in getting more energy from renewable sources unless we develop broad public support. That?s why it is important to look at the possibility of community ownership of renewable sources, to allow local communities that host renewable projects to keep the additional business rates which arise for six years and to see whether local residents can benefit from discounted energy prices as a result.

?Here in the constituency we have excellent examples of imaginative projects such as the hydro-electric power project at Goring a concept to which the River and Rowing Museum in Henley was able to devote a seminar recently. I am a longstanding supporter of this and was pleased to be invited to be a patron of the Goring and Streatley Sustainability Group.?

NOTE: The parliamentary exchange can be found in Hansard at 8 Apr 2010: Column 1173

ED. It is VERY hard to find on the Hansard website so here is the exchange as printed in Hansard:

12. John Howell (Henley) (Con): What his most
recent estimate is of the proportion of electricity
generated from renewable sources. [325619]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy
and Climate Change (Mr. David Kidney): Provisional
2009 data on electricity generation were published in
the March 2010 edition of Energy Trends. This showed
that, after excluding an estimate for non-bio degradable waste use, 6.6 per cent. of electricity was generated from renewable sources in 2009. In 1997, the equivalent figure was 2 per cent.

John Howell: From the answers earlier on renewables,
it seems that the Government do not share the pessimism
of a number of independent commentators who have
said that not enough has been done byway of technology,
and particularly by way of developing skills, to achieve the 2020 target. Will the Minister say by how much he estimates we will miss the 2020 target?

Mr. Kidney: I certainly will not, because we will not
miss the target for 2020. The hon. Gentleman should
watch and learn as all the new renewable capacity,
including the immense amounts of offshore wind generation that are already planned in this country, takes effect. On skills, I had the great pleasure last week of launching, on behalf of the Government, a consultation on the subject of skills for a low carbon economy, with the opportunity there to transform the economy of this country and create millions of new jobs in a clean, green and prosperous UK.

FOLLOWING Tuesday’s Annual Town Meeting and a very entertaining presentation by a group of young adults in Thame needing support, their Volunteer Co-ordinator, Michelle,is spreading the word about an event at the Kassam Stadium in Oxford.

The event is called My Home, Our Communtiy, and is being organised by the national charity, United Response and other organisations in the area, to share with others the work they do in the community.

Help and information will be on hand about housing, support, advocacy, assistive technology and even how to vote!

For more information call Tina Ellis on 07989 479 234 or email: tina.ellis@unitedresponse.org.uk

PLANNING applications to be considered by Thame Town Council?s Planning Committee on Tuesday, April 20, 2010

8717
P10/E0338 LAND TO THE REAR OF 9 HAZELTON CLOSE
Demolish existing garage and shed and construct a two storey detached sustainable dwelling.

8718
P10/E0311 5 STRAFFORD WAY
Extension to rear of building, adjacent existing conservatory.

8719
P10/E0205/LB 15A HIGH STREET
Repair and redecoration of listed building ? internal repair, re-pointing of gable ends, insulation of basement ceiling and the alteration and repair of windows.

8720
P10/E0336 15 MONTROSE WAY
Single storey front and side extension. Proposed pitched roof
over existing garage. Garage conversion to habitable rooms.

8721
P10/E0384 3 HAWTHORN AVENUE
Single storey rear extension and side extension and alteration to
front of garage to form pergola.

8722
P09/E1420/LB 104 HIGH STREET
Installation of air conditioning.

8723
P09/E1419 104 HIGH STREET
Installation of air conditioning

8724
P10/E0424/AG PARK GRANGE FARM, THAME PARK ROAD
Erection of grain store.

8725
P10/E0389 32 EAST STREET
Two storey rear extension.

8726
P10/E0357/RET LAND TO THE REAR OF 88-93 PARK STREET
Change of use of a 10 metre strip of land to the rear (south) of 88-93 (including the former Baptist Chapel), Park Street from private parkland to separate private gardens.

8727
P10/E0386 3 HAZEL AVENUE
Single storey side extension and garage conversion.

8728
R3.0056/10 LORD WILLIAMS?S UPPER SCHOOL, OXFORD ROAD
Erection of a single storey extension to existing nursery school
building and associated internal alterations.

8729
P10/E0382 75 SEVEN ACRES
Two storey front extension.

THE Conservative candidate for the Henley Constituency, John Howell, has replied to accusations from local Liberal Democrats that he declined an invitation to answer questions from Henley residents during the election campaign.

In a statement today, John Howell’s office said: “Thame?s invitation was made after the election had been called. The organisers acknowledged that it might not be possible to find a suitable date at that late notice. The date chosen clashed with other meetings already fixed in John?s diary.

“The Henley invitation too came late in the day when election period engagements had already been arranged. The date proposed of April 30 clashed with an engagement in Henley which had already been booked with John for some time.”

The statement continued:

“Although the Dorchester arrangements had been made earlier, the necessity to double-check the new election laws over such events introduced unavoidable delays and it was not possible to keep the date open.”

In a personal statement, John Howell said: “As those who tuned in to Radio Oxford and Radio Berkshire on April 14 will know, I was happy to participate in the live radio hustings which took place with the other main candidates. However, in what is a short campaign there are many calls on a candidate?s time particularly where the candidate has been the sitting MP and still needs to look after constituents who have approached him for help.

“The Liberal-Democrat candidate of course does not have these problems, having been parachuted into this constituency at the last minute from elsewhere in Oxfordshire.

?Each of us has to build a relationship with the electorate in our own way and that is what I have done over the past two years. It is a bit rich for the Liberal-Democrats to criticise me now for not being able to change my diary for an event which suits them when for the past two years they have made no effort to engage with the public in this constituency.”

THE Conservative party’s election candidate, John Howell, has announced a programme of constituency meetings during the run-up to the General election and beyond.

In a statement yesterday, John Howell’s office said: “The meetings will take place in intimate settings such as pubs and in people?s homes across the constituency. They will allow constituents to have access to John in a way not afforded by public meetings and hustings.”

John Howell himself said: “It is clear that people no longer want to find out about a candidate?s policies through the staged spectacles of the past where candidates tried to score points off each other in public. They want a more serious one-to-one discussion and to look you in the eye close up to see how serious and committed you are.

?But this is an opportunity for more than that. We have in our manifesto set out an opportunity for people to join us in governing Britain in a very direct way. These meetings are the first step along that path and allow local people to begin to help shape the delivery of our policies.?

To find out more about these meetings, call 07815 742429.

THE Prospective Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate for the Henley constituency, Andy Crick, has expressed his disappointment that the Conservative candidate has declined an invitation to answer questions from Henley residents during the election campaign.

A meeting proposed by Churches Together in Henley has been called off after the Tory candidate, John Howell, apparently pulled out.

Andy said: “It is a shame the residents of Henley won’t have an opportunity to quiz all the candidates on their policies in advance of polling day. The election is often the only chance people have to really understand what the different parties offer.

“This failure to be heard by voters may tell them more about the Conservatives than any number of election leaflets and broadcasts would. I hope this decision can be reconsidered. I am ready and willing to stand up for my beliefs – why aren’t the Tories??

PHOTO: Andy Crick

SOUTH Oxfordshire District Council has set aside

STAFF, parents and pupils at Tetsworth primary school near Thame are celebrating after receiving a promising report from Ofsted inspectors.

The school was given a Notice to Improve by inspectors in January 2009 and in a bid to raise standards, Oxfordshire County Council worked with the school to identify areas needing improvement and worked with governors to bring about a federation with John Hampden Primary School and John Hampden Nursery School in September 2009.

RAISING STANDARDS

In its latest inspection, published this week, inspectors judged Tetsworth to be a satisfactory school with many good features and with good capacity to improve even further. The inspector commented: “Tetsworth is an improving school and has made significant positive changes since the last inspection and since becoming part of a federation with John Hampden Primary and Nursery Schools.”

The Early Years Foundation Stage, which had previously been judged as inadequate, moved from inadequate to good in the space of a year. The report stated: “The provision for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage is now good and sometimes outstanding.”

WHAT IS A FOUNDATION?

A federation is an arrangement of two schools with one governing body, allowing parents and staff from both schools to become governors and make strategic decisions that influence and help both schools. This is only the second federated school in Oxfordshire. The other is the Banbury Dashwood Schools Federation – a federation between Banbury School and Dashwood Community Primary School in Banbury.

Peter Callow, Oxfordshire County Council?s School Improvement Leader said: “This is a very promising report for Tetsworth primary and shows how federations can play a positive part in raising standards. Tetsworth is a relatively small community primary school and the additional support and leadership have undoubtedly helped to bring about school improvement.

“Oxfordshire County Council is committed to offering a high standard of education in schools throughout the county and we will continue to work with Tetsworth and its partner schools to further improve standards.”

Alison Charlton, Head of Teaching and Learning at Tetsworth Primary School said: “This is excellent news and I would like to thank all those involved for their hard work and commitment to bringing improvements to our school. Since entering into federation with John Hampden School, we have been able to offer so many more opportunities for the children. We will continue to work hard to offer the very best for Tetsworth’s pupils.?

ALMOST 20,000 people in the Henley constituency will be better off as a result of his party’s National Insurance pledge, claims Thame’s Member of Parliament.

In a recent statement, John Howell MP said: “Under those pledges the cost of Labour?s tax rise on employers will be reduced by more than half and anyone earning between

MARK Stevenson, the Green candidate for the Henley constituency, has stated that his email inbox has been swamped with requests to support parliamentary reform.

Mark said: “In the last two days I?ve had over thirty emails on this issue from voters. I am delighted that people are putting it high on their agenda. In this election the main Parties have already ignored people?s anger and dissatisfaction with the system and are back to business-as-usual.

“Proportional voting, an elected second chamber and a written constitution have long been part of Green Party policy for democratic reform. Concern for democratic reform was one of the reasons I joined the Greens thirteen years ago.

“Scrapping ID cards and rolling back the database state is not only about preserving civil liberties, but is one way of making cuts in projected Government spending that will actually benefit us.

“Labour?s plan for calling a referendum on changing the voting system from first-past-the?post to the Alternative Vote system is likely to be a casualty of calling the election for May 6th. There is unlikely to be time to establish it as a requirement for the next Government before parliament is dissolved,” he added.

Concluding, Mark Stevenson commented: “Labour announced this idea so close to the election that it was never likely to get the cross party agreement needed to push it through. But even if it were agreed to hold a referendum, the Alternative Vote system is not proportional. It?s just a way of allowing people who voted for one of the least popular candidates to have their second preference counted.”