Two separate issues in two different services have arisen in the last few weeks and months with one single common cause of the problem – private companies running vital public services. Runwood Homes, a company who made £14 million profit out of care provision last year run six ex-council care homes across the borough, after the council gave them the contract two years ago. The period of pay protection is due to end and Runwood are looking to tear up existing contracts and re-engage workers on inferior terms and conditions, including cuts of up to £900 a month in pay and cuts to holiday and sickness provision. We believe this could ultimately lead to inferior care to our elderly residents which is unacceptable. Sita Suez have run the waste and recycling services contract for Doncaster Council for a number of years and have a history of poor industrial relations at the Doncaster depot which has led to a number of disputes, meaning bins left unemptied across the borough. Doncaster Council have recently completed the tendering process for this service and has been won again by Sita Suez for 8 further years. Two weeks into this contract, Sita Suez have announces 112 redundancies in the service along with sweeping changes in how the service is to be delivered going forward including; • Bin collections dropping from 5 days a week to 4 days a week • An aging workforce having to work 10 hours a day • Potentially dangerous practices with HGV drivers having to operate in residential streets for longer, when our kids and grandkids might be out playing after school. There is no economic or social rationale for private companies to run public services. In other local authorities services are being brought back in house for the very reason private companies generally provide a poorer more costly service, for the simple reason that private companies have to make profit to appease shareholders. Doncaster Trades Council say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. The last straw should have been the disastrous decision to allow private equity owned Care UK to run services to care for our adult population who require care for severe learning disabilities. We cannot take this any longer. Sign the petition to the elected Mayor, Councillors and MPs and Chief Executive of Doncaster Council to demand that the council cancel contracts with both Runwood Homes and Sita Suez to protect, local services, jobs and terms and conditions of workers in both services

I am extremely disappointed to see that The General Estates Company (http://www.general-estates.co.uk) who own and operate the Bathampton Toll Bridge feels there is justification in increasing the charges from 70p to 80p each way – a 12.5% increase, way above the current rate of inflation at 2.6% and certainly higher than the increase many have received in salary over the last 4 years, since last it increased. Firstly, I have requested from several sources what possible justification there could be for increasing this cost? The Bathampton Mill bridge has for a long time been more expensive, per distance travelled than The Seven Bridge, The Clifton Suspension Bridge and even The Dartford Crossing bridge on the M25. During this time of austerity and nationwide uncertainty, when the cost of living in has never been higher in recent history, how can anyone justify this unfair price hike? The toll bridge takes £1000's of every day from people just trying to get to work, taking their kids to school, operate their business... basically just trying to get on with their busy lives. It is an unjust Tax on honest, local people, when the alternative routes through Bath, Bradford or Limpley Stoke are by no means acceptable alternatives. Yet again we are penalised for simply trying to get to work!! I am sure that many local people chose to cycle or walk when it is viable, but since public transport does not offer an alternative option, the toll bridge is often the only route, unless you have time to drive into Bath or Bradford instead. I have had enough!!! As well as starting this petition, calling on a halt to this increase, I will also pursue a complete stop at best, a reduction at least to the charges to residence of the 3 boughs of Bathford, Batheaston and Bathampton. I will also be making formal complaints to MP's as well as Bath, Bathampton and Batheaston Councils to stop this unjustifiable increase and yet another increased tax on local people. Please support this cause and stop this frustrating and expensive toll.

Jake Berry MP (Tory minister for the so-called Northern "Powerhouse") has advised cash strapped Wirral Council to use its own resources and reserves to help victims of the huge explosion that tore through the centre of New Ferry, Wirral earlier this year. 33 people were injured 2 seriously, many businesses were destroyed, a further dozen shops and services put out of action and 30 families displaced from their homes. With so much of the town centre destroyed, shoppers have stopped going to New Ferry and the surviving businesses are suffering from loss of trade and facing financial ruin. Insurance companies have been very slow to act and indeed reluctant to pay out (with nobody having yet been found guilty of causing the explosion), leaving residents and businesses without sufficient financial support with which to rebuild their lives. Many people are not only suffering financially, but also emotionally with depression and the equivalent of post-traumatic stress disorder. The government has shockingly refused to call the explosion a NATIONAL INCIDENT, what on earth does constitute a "national incident" then ? Despite pleas for funding assistance from local MPs, businesses and residents, the government has turned its back on this devastated community, citing rules and regulations for not offering any disaster relief funding to help those affected. New Ferry, Wirral - a deprived community in a Labour controlled authority - is being treated entirely differently to other communities in the UK that have faced similar, and seemingly less significant, disasters. Jake Berry's refusal of assistance is an absolute disgrace and makes a mockery of the title Northern Powerhouse. New Ferry should be treated the same as other communities that have recently suffered (as should every community in the country should a similar disaster befall them), and the rebuilding of its centre should be funded by the British government A.S.A.P If you agree that New Ferry (and every other community in the country affected by such an economically damaging disaster) should be treated fairly and given government support, please, please sign this petition, thank you

On the 6th April 2017 a petition with over 5000 signatures was presented to Brighton and Hove Council. Over 3000 signatures were signed on the streets of Brighton and 2200 online. The petition was against the implementation of PSPO’s. PSPO’s give Council workers and the Police the power to give Homeless people and Travellers an on the spot £100 fine for occupying a tent, vehicle or caravan in 12 locations across the city. Failure to pay the fine can lead to prosecution and a further £1000 fine. People breaching the order must provide a name address and date of birth. Failure to positively identify someone can lead to arrest. So effectively you can be fined, arrested and prosecuted for being homeless and having no money to pay for the ‘crime’ of being homeless. Brighton and Hove council voted for the petition to be noted but not to be forwarded to the Policy and Resources committee for further debate. Usually any petition with over 1250 signatures is debated at committee. Despite opposition to this legislation from Liberty, Equality and Human Rights Commission, local charities, specialist lawyers and the local community, Councillors blocked due democratic process by voting against the legislation being debated by the Committee that decided to implement it. It appears that Brighton and Hove Council want to sweep away homeless people and Travellers from our city through criminalisation and attempting to block any debate or opposition to the legislation. This will not work, it cannot work and we are standing against it. PSPO’s should only be used to target specific behaviours and not specific groups. This statement has been echoed by Sussex Police as well as human rights lawyers. This legislation is a direct assault on the homeless community and Gypsies and Travellers. PSPO’s have been misused in this context as living in a tent, caravan or vehicle are not anti-social activities in themselves. Article 8, of the Human rights act the right to a private and family life, is being infringed by this use of PSPO’s. Under the European convention on Human Rights, all public bodies owe a duty to facilitate the Gypsy way of life. This legislation is an attack on the Gypsy way of life and therefore in breach of Equality Duty and The European Framework Convention for the protection of Minorities. This policy is unlawful and need to be brought back to committee to be looked at again as it stands Brighton and Hove Council have blocked any further debate.

We call upon the transport secretary to: 1) Pledge his immediate backing for the Northern Powerhouse Rail programme including a new state-of-the-art 30-minute rail link between Manchester and Leeds – a ‘Crossrail North’; 2) Make an immediate commitment to at least £59 billion ‘catch-up cash’ over the coming decade to support the transport priorities being developed by Transport for the North; 3) Give Transport for the North the same powers as those enjoyed by Transport for London so that it can also raise private finance towards its own transport priorities. The government has announced its backing for the £31bn Crossrail 2 rail scheme in London just days after it has cancelled plans to electrify key rail routes, and rowed back on its long-standing commitment to electrify the trans-pennine link between Manchester and Leeds. Crossrail 2 was NOT in the Conservative Party Manifesto - whereas Northern Powerhouse Rail was! New analysis by IPPR North shows that over the past decade public spending on transport in London has been more than double that in the North – the North would have received £59bn more in investment over the last decade if it had received the same per person for transport as London. This is set to get worse, with planned public and public/private expenditure set at nearly £2000 per head, compared with £400 per head in the North BEFORE Crossrail 2 is taken into account. This is not just a matter of fairness. This is not special pleading. Transport investment needn’t be either/or. But lack of government spending on Northern transport is holding the whole economy back. Northern prosperity is national prosperity.

The Department for Work and Pensions has brought forward the proposed closure of Farnworth Jobcentre without any meaningful consultation with the local community. The Government claims that it is closing this Jobcentre as part of its "continued drive to deliver public services in more innovative and cost effective ways” without seeming to consider the impact on the local community. Farnworth is a deprived area, and residents rely on the support provided by their local Jobcentre, not only for help in finding employment, but also for benefit advice, access to computers and telephones. Farnworth Jobcentre is extremely busy and is valued by local residents, and to remove yet another service from Farnworth town centre means that unemployed and disabled residents will be further disadvantaged and could be pushed even further into poverty. Farnworth Councillors and I have been contacted by numerous constituents who are very concerned at the impact that this will have on them: Many unemployed or disabled residents of Farnworth, Kearsley and Little Lever simply cannot afford to travel into Bolton town centre. Even if some residents can afford the up-front cost of travel, the cost of reimbursement would be prohibitive as there is a high number of people who sign weekly, and some who sign daily. The closure of Farnworth Jobcentre would not result in savings to the public purse. In addition to the travel cost, it will also take residents considerably longer to travel into Bolton, increasing the likelihood of late attendance or missed appointments, which could lead to benefit sanctions. It would also cause greater inconvenience, including less time to spend searching for employment. People who have caring responsibilities are concerned that they will not be able to get to work on time, because of the extra travel time to get to Bolton Jobcentre. Residents with mobility problems will find it more difficult to attend Bolton Jobcentre, particularly those who are not able to use public transport and do not have access to private transport. The Government is currently consulting on health and disability issues, yet is at the same time making access to services more difficult. Bolton has two Jobcentres only a few hundred yards apart, yet Farnworth will be left with none. This simply makes no sense. Surely it would be better to close one of the Bolton Jobcentres and keep the one in Farnworth open? The Government requires claimants to attend more frequent face-to-face interviews than ever before, so it is vital that this service is retained in Farnworth We call upon the Department for Work and Pensions not to close Farnworth Jobcentre and ensure that its services are retained in Farnworth town centre.

The Samaritans have a long standing partnership with the railways, working together on suicide prevention techniques, and are entirely run on donations. Any suicide has a devastating effect on the families of the person involved, and also on the train crew and emergency services who deal with everything after the event. I feel that having the Samaritans as an extra option on the refund form would maybe make people think a little, and help the Samaritans prevent future incidents. I know of several people who donate their refunds to the Samaritans (bravo!) however at present they have to claim, wait till they receive it, then make a donation a week or three down the line.. Some people whilst good intentioned may forget to donate or just not think about why they got the refund at that point... I believe that donating directly from the refund form would hugely increase the donations to the Samaritans and could help reduce the number of suicides in the future. This would be of comfort to the families of those with troubles, and also benefit the railway, of which the Samaritans have a long standing partnership with.

Repeated excessive pay rises have proved that people in local and national government positions are incapable of doing this fairly. Their pay must be in line with the sorts of pay rises (or lack of rises) that their constituents endure.

I had to pay car park £11 for one afternoon to visit my Father in hospital. A nurse told me she came in for a half day training and had to pay £17 to park her car. A friend had his baby son in hospital for open heart surgery and besides the distress that caused, he was having to pay enormous amounts for car parking and getting fined if didn't make it back to car in time. The private car parking companies cannot be allowed to charge these unacceptable prices at hospitals.

Southways Nursery School plays a vital role within the local community.The nursery offers an excellent level of care and attention for children aged 2yrs to 5yrs of age. Without this nursery children will have to face the upheaval of being moved to a new nursery and these nurseries adding more pressure to both the nurseries and the parents as they have to travel further to get their child to nursery each morning. This is an excellent nursery with lots of history and ample space to support children during their early years. A closure of this nursery would have a devestating effect on the community around it and the children and parents that use it. Please sign the petition and lets stop this closure and save our chidren, parents and other nurseries undue anxiety and stress.

Environmental hazard, pest control, smell and diseases.

The Council are planning to demolishing this Historic community building. [1] Right now, the building is being used by various youth groups including Scouts and providing a vibrant local community hub. This historic building has been a school, a community centre, and seen generations of children use it and learn in it. CADW, the Welsh government body that conserve the heritage of Wales, are considering making the 122-year old Bodlondeb school a listed building. Over the years, numerous architects have been cautious to preserve the building as much as possible. An archeological report warns: “The impact of development would result in the loss of a heritage asset of at least local significance.” [2] We believe it would be a shame if the Council were to just demolish it. We, the undersigned, want to see future generations be given the same opportunities to use Bodlondeb school for community activities for all ages, from spinning classes to knitting. NOTES: [1] £2.5m Conwy cultural centre could be 'huge draw' for tourists: Daily Post: http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/25m-conwy-cultural-centre-could-12560789 [2] Archaeological survey by Wardell Armstrong: http://edm.conwy.gov.uk/Planning/StreamDocPage/obj.pdf?DocNo=2651700&PDF=true&content=obj.pdf