This proposal will have a permanent detrimental effect on the biodiversity and historic environment. One of the last unspoilt areas of county Durham is under threat of irreversible destruction for executive housing and sheltered accommodation. The area is home to the bats, badgers, otters and many more protected species. The spa grounds is a conservation area & county wildlife site and a greenfield site. Ancient woodland will be felled to make way for an access road. This application contravenes all of the National Planning Policy Framework guidelines and the local plan for the area.

For 46 years Stonebridge playground has served the community. It has supported 3 generations of children and young people with special events, camping trips, and opportunities for fun and learning. It’s well-used and well loved. The playground has been crucial in the integration of many different ethnic and cultural groups including children with special needs. The playground has a lot of support not just from the community. Former Olympic gold medalist, Audley Harrison MBE, who attended when he was a boy, has championed our cause. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83x9Z61Edkk&feature=youtu.be And the local paper the Brent & Kilburn Times is behind the campaign: http://www.kilburntimes.co.uk/news/environment/stonebridge_adventure_playground_campaigners_reach_their_1_000_signature_petition_target_1_3826047 But we are a small charity fighting a large organisation, Brent Council. They want more homes and more school places for children. We say what happens after school, at weekends and in school holidays? Not just for the children of one school, but for many in this area; when there is nothing for them, nowhere to meet their friends, We need to save this sanctuary in the midst of a concrete jungle for children and young people!

Of all the houses on the Esplanade front in Greenock it's boldest, brightest and most fun. And this shouldn't change. 'Inverclyde's head of regeneration and planning Stuart Jamieson stated: "The bright yellow and gold tones of the dwelling are not colours which would traditionally have been used on a house of this period style or have been found within this part of the Greenock West End Conservation Area. The colours form an intrusive feature within the streetscape and are therefore not appropriate.' Reference - Inverclyde Now 04/11/2014 - http://www.inverclydenow.com/photostream/13257-yellow-house-is-too-bright-for-planners This is micromanagement from the council on a ridiculous level. The result of being adverse to change and using redundant policies as a reason. Judging by the response on Inverclyde Now's facebook post of this issue it appears that a majority of people wish the council to reverse this decision and are quite happy with the colour of the house. Such reasons as: "its their house, brightens [the] place up something different !" "Shocking! It's their house and should be able to paint it any colour they like. This town is miserable and dreary and our council are trying their hardest to finish it off any way they can" and "I love the yellow house as do my children it's their house let them do what they want with it !" These are just a few of the hundreds of replies. Can you imagine an Esplanade in which all the houses followed suit? Resulting in a warm, vibrant and fun coastal scene. Welcoming the many cruise ships that dock in Greenock. I'm sure tourists to the area would love to see such a sight yet Inverclyde council appear to be stuck in their old, dreary ways by requesting the owners to repaint the house a more 'acceptable' colour. Are the council representing the views of local people on this? Because that's what they're supposed to do. Let them know what you think.

We should have a choice of buying music without swearing in for our children. They will sell more when we have the option to download the radio version.

1. Rural areas are liable to decline if their infrastructure and services – public transport, education, GP practices, cottage hospitals, street lighting, etc – are not effectively funded and supported. Unless these are of a good standard and accessibility, businesses will not be established in rural areas, those already there will be unable to attract workers, and this will run counter to the government’s own policy (see Truss, E., 2014, “Stimulating Economic Growth in Rural Areas”, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs). 2. Those who live in rural areas are entitled to a reasonable standard of services and national infrastructure. The cuts in grant to local authorities have made it impossible for rural counties to maintain services and infrastructure at a level anywhere near comparable to that provided in metropolitan areas. 3. Some government policies have been implemented without consideration for the impact on rural areas – e.g. the raising of the school/training leaving age to 18, requiring all young people to reach centres of population on a daily basis, while councils are forced to remove subsidy for buses that could get them there and no government provision has been made for this. Thanks to LM and AB

so people can walk home safely and be seen

People in the affected areas are suffering from increased crime and fear of crime, such as damage to cars and property. Taxis, the fire brigade and police can't see house numbers in the dark, delaying responses, which could threaten people's safety - the police apparently oppose KCC's action. People are worried if they have to go out in the dark streets because they could trip on uneven pavements and tree roots. This affects many people who return from work late at night or have to leave very early to get to work. I live in Thanet, and there have been many complaints about KCC's policy of turning off lights on social media such as Streetlife, and this affects most people except those who live on main roads.

We believe this ban is unnecessary and heavy handed. Laws regarding damage to public property already exist (this is the basis of the councils plan to ban skateboarding around the war memorial area) and we believe singling out skateboarders for special treatment is an extremely negative way to approach a diverse group of mostly respectful, active and creative individuals. We also believe that skateboarding is an activity that should be encouraged by the city council as a positive, healthy, sociable and green way for people, from a wide range of social backgrounds and age groups, to enjoy themselves and interact with the world around them. We are in agreement that the war memorial should NOT be used by skateboarders (or BMX, Inline, scooter etc) and should be left as a place of respect and contemplation for those it represents (the ban covers a much larger area than the memorial gardens and monument), however we believe that a simple sign or even CCTV camera would suffice to discourage anyone who tries to misuse this area. We believe the ban would also be difficult to enforce, waste police time and criminalise youths who are just trying to enjoy themselves.

Voters are apathetic, as they perceive the establishment parties as not giving them enough choice. We need plurality in politics, not just the Establishment parties plus UKIP.

Abandoning British Summer Time in October is one of the most depressing events of the year. The early evening gloom that descends during the winter months benefits no one in England and Wales and lowers our spirits. There is apparently much support for this change in these two countries and there is also evidence that it would help the economy, save lives, improve people's health and reduce energy bills. It would have the effect of introducing a time zone at the border with Scotland during the winter months, assuming it chooses not to follow suit, but we would then be coordinated with Central European Time.

In June this year I visited the Lebanon. Whilst there I saw destitute refugee women and children begging on the streets, and I met young Syrians fleeing from their country. When I asked a teenager whose leg was bandaged whether he was studying, he shook his head. By way of explanation he told me he was from Syria. He raised his hands to his chest and gestured a broken heart as he said this. The UNHCR has confirmed that there are now over 3.2 million refugees from Syria. Over half are children. Most are in situations that are not sustainable in the long term. 80,000 refugees alone live in Zaatari, one of the world's largest refugee camps in the desert of Jordan. These are people who have lost loved ones, experienced violence and are unable to return to the places where they grew up and the lives that they had before. They are seeking safety. In her recent TED talk, the UNHCR's Melissa Fleming said that the average time a refugee spends in exile is 17 years. When we could be offering some thousands the chance of safety and education and a future in the UK, 'to thrive not just survive' as Melissa Fleming puts it, we are choosing not to do so. In January this year, the UK announced a commitment to resettling the most vulnerable Syrian refugees but since then we have resettled just 50. (4000 Syrians in total since the war began according to Home Office figures). By contrast Germany and Sweden sheltered 42,000 refugees last year. The UK's commitment to resettlement is not enough if we are not prepared to help people get here. I am calling on the leaders of the main political parties to show compassion and commit the UK government to giving resources to transport Syrian refugees here and fund their resettlement in the UK. Each person sheltered can be a life changed for the better. Let us lead the way and work with European countries to care for some of the victims of this devastating conflict. (Picture is of 3 year old Aisha Nour from Azaz, Syria, outside the container in which she and her family live at the 'Container City' refugee camp in Oncupinar, Turkey. Photograph by Sam Tarling.) More information: Refugee Council news 'UK resettles just 50 refugees from Syria' http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/latest/news/4144_uk_resettles_just_50_refugees_from_syria You can see UNHCR's Melissa Fleming's TED talk here http://www.ted.com/talks/melissa_fleming_let_s_help_refugees_thrive_not_just_survive?language=en

The Lake District is a National Park, renowned for its outstanding beauty worldwide. It would be a travesty & contravention to many LDNP operatives, set back in 2007, in a document named LAKE DISTRICT NATIONAL PARK LANDSCAPE CHARACTER ASSESSMENT AND GUIDELINES, between the LDNPA, National Trust, Friends of the Lake District & Natural England, all of who are responsible for looking after the English Lake District. There might well be room for a new Zip Wire Development in the Lake District, but beautiful Lakeland Valleys should not be part of this plan. There are already 3 or more zip wire developments in the Lakes, which are based in new woodland, planted for growth, where noise generated is muffled by the surrounding environment. Should such an idea be considered, then surely this type of location is more suitable than a quiet & tranquil valley such as Greenside above Glenridding. The National Park themselves have already stated in their planning advice statement issued to the company concerned in April 2014 that they have significant concerns, including • The impact of development upon the landscape and character of the area • Access, traffic, travel and safeguarding the rights of way network • The impact of development upon the Scheduled Ancient Monument • The impact of development upon contaminated land • The impact of development upon ground stability and conditions • The impact of development upon the residential amenity of nearby dwellings (e.g. as a result of noise) • Ecological impacts (particularly impacts upon the SAC and the SSSI) Given that the land on which the starting point of the Zip Wire is proposed is owned by the Lake District National Park authority it is surely sensible for them to stop this idea now before it develops any further. Glenridding is supported in its entirety by the tourist trade - walkers, climbers, runners, mountain bikers, day trippers, and wedding parties - this list is not exhaustive. All of these people come to this area of the Lakes due to its peace, tranquillity and beauty. To introduce a THRILL seeking ride would change drastically the appeal of this area of the Lakes. Undoubtedly it can be argued that some new visitors would arrive in the valley & village, but many other existing visitors would be turned away. However it is not the perceived economic downfalls or benefits that should be the controlling factor here, it should more so be the reality that Glenridding & the English Lake District is one of the most beautiful mountainous areas in the world. People travel from all over the world to come & see it for its natural beauty, peacefulness, manicured farmland & raw nature that is & has been preserved by organisations such as the National Trust, LDNPA, FOLD etc, funded many years ago by people, such as Beatrix Potter & others, to keep this beauty & way of living for all to enjoy. Add this to the fact that many of the local people do not want such a development & there are also houses at the bottom of the valley who would be greatly affected. There are a house & hostels at the top of the valley who would also be directly affected (4 zip wires running directly over or within 25m's of their properties at a frequency of every 5 to 10 minutes as quoted by Mike Turner of Tree Top Treks). It is also worth mentioning the charity organisation who brings under privileged children from city environments to teach them about respecting nature and which may well face eviction from its current home to make way for the Zip Wire. Then there are all the other walkers, climbers & other valley & mountain users who will be affected. There is also the obvious issue of the massive amount of extra traffic to be generated on a stated bridleway (not road) - at least one large mini-bus/land-train every 20 to 30 minutes – this on a bridlepath the National park themselves have been looking to reduce traffic on with local residents in the last few years. Then there is the massive noise disruption and pollution to the valley, the people who live in it & use it, and the bird & animal populations. The list of practical and tangible issues and objections is endless. Overall though the fundamental point remains - such a proposed development is certainly not in keeping with any of the surrounding environment & it is on these grounds & these grounds alone that ANY zip proposal, let alone a Mile long set of 4 parallel Zip Wires should never be considered for Glenridding, or any other such Lakeland Valley or area.