Nursery Schools in Tower Hamlets and across the country are under threat of closure due to government plans for the future funding of childcare. State nursery schools have very good outcomes with regard to closing the achievement gap and supporting children with special needs. State nursery schools are legally required to employ highly-qualified teaching staff, who are proven to give young children the best opportunities for academic achievement and enabling social mobility.

Public toilets are closing down or becoming expensive. It is an essential service

The building of a three-story GP surgery is being proposed to replace three of the four surgeries in Salisbury, with the favoured location situated south of Lime Kiln Way to the west of Odstock Road, grid reference SU145282. Just three years ago the proposed site was designated a County Wildlife Site, and it supports a large population of wildflowers, insects, and birds. This site is of great importance not just because of its beauty and the luxury of having a patch of natural meadow on Salisbury’s doorstep, but also due to the sad fact that in the last 70 years Britain has lost 97% of its wildflower population[1]. Even if you do not have a particularly strong feeling towards wildflowers, you must appreciate the sheer importance of having a site like this to support insects and the birds that depend on them. Other options for the site’s location include the now-empty Friends Provident buildings in Castle Street, and the agricultural field directly opposite the proposed site, to the east of Odstock road. In total there are 17 proposed sites, with Lime Kiln Way being preferred presumably because it is cheaper to build on as it is owned by the Council. This proposed site will inevitably lead to increased traffic at the already highly-congested Harnham interchange, which would in turn lead to difficulties getting ambulances to and from Salisbury District Hospital as residents would need to get buses or taxis to get there. Though we all understand the need for a new surgery in Salisbury, our argument is that the currently-favoured site is not suitable. As a local resident I have seen many oil beetles there (three of the UK’s native oil beetles are extinct, and the remaining five species are on the decline[2]), among the numerous species of wildflowers, and the Red Bartsia Bee is also a resident to the site. The land surrounding the site supports breeding birds such as the curlew, lapwing, snipe, redshank, and turtle doves. This is a small, precious refuge of natural green space that is incredibly rare to find in a city – especially one undergoing concentrated housing development like Salisbury. On behalf of my fellow residents in Harvard Heights and East Harnham (both areas share boundaries to the Lime Kiln Way site), I implore Salisbury City Council and local MP John Glen to look more closely into more suitable, alternative locations, and preserve the rare habitat that we can still enjoy in Salisbury. The Lime Kiln Way site offers a sanctuary for flora and fauna to thrive in an area left largely undisturbed by human activity, and future generations will be thankful for us having protected it. Thank you for taking the time to consider this petition. Gregory Nicholson References: [1] http://www.bbc.co.uk/earth/story/20150702-why-meadows-are-worth-saving also, http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife/habitats/lowland-meadows [2] https://www.buglife.org.uk/campaigns-and-our-work/oil-beetles

Because access to books matters. Reading changes lives!

The County Council has a legal duty to provide waste disposal free of charge for waste created in the household and through this delegated decision the Conservative leadership is ignoring its legal responsibility to the communities of Staffordshire. The Council should use its discretion to charge directed to business traders and identify these specifically to charge for waste generated from their commercial activities. These new charges have been hidden in County Council paperwork from two years ago and did not receive any meaningful public scrutiny. Further the Council took felt sufficiently concerned about their legal position that they obtained specific advice and concluded that “consultation….is not necessary.” The County Council has a duty to consider the impact of any decisions a cabinet member takes and of particular note is that they acknowledge that the charges will have a detrimental effect on the most vulnerable in our community stating clearly the “…greatest impact on low income households.” They have pressed ahead regardless with this discriminatory practice. Secondly, the Council acknowledge that there could be “a small increase” in fly-tipping. We think they have underestimated the increase in fly-tipping which is costly to clean up for the District Council. The Council think that people won’t be tempted to put soil, hardcore and plasterboard in their own bins. We think residents are likely to try and avoid these charges and this will mean less recycling. The Council do not care that they anticipate “some complaints” in the short term because they believe the issue will blow over and we, the residents of Staffordshire, will continue to accept their ill-considered and flawed decision making to the detriment of communities. All quotes from http://moderngov.staffordshire.gov.uk/documents/s87805/Review%20of%20Household%20Waste%20Recycling%20Centre%20non-household%20waste.pdf

This is a very dangerous practice for blind pavement users, parents with prams and disabled persons. It also hampers drivers backing out from driveways as their vision is restricted.

Better Patient treatment & a fair deal instead of a RIP OFF-£5 for 12 Hrs and only 4 Free-view Channels is not good enough.

Ability Bow is the only place in inner London that provides long term rehabilitation to help people who have a disability, an injury or a long-term health condition. For many it is be a life-changing experience. There are thousands of people that Ability Bow has helped over the last 10 years. Margaret is a stroke survivor who regained near full use of her body after doctors wrote her off. Albert had a spine broken in two places and learned to walk again. There are hundreds of stories like these here. We are asking for the assistance of a government partner to safeguard the future of this vital service. I do not know where I would be without this place. I started this campaign to raise awareness and make sure that people get the help they need to improve their lives.

82 year old Margaret McEwan has, since being discharged from Lennox Castle Hospital 20years ago, lived within a family setting supported by a team of carers. Glasgow City Council (GCC) Social Work Department have decided that Margaret's needs would be better met in a care home. Margaret has complex learning disabilities and is non verbal but she is familiar with her current care team and her daily routine within a loving family setting. She enjoys regular outings and holidays abroad. Margaret's needs can, and are, being met in her current care setting and, indeed, are no greater than many people being supported at home throughout Glasgow and Scotland as a whole. GCC's decision to move Margaret to a care home is purely financial and could be considered inhumane. She is 82 years old and in failing health. GCC should reverse the decision to place Margaret in a care home, away from all that is familiar to her. She should be allowed to live out her remaining time in the only home she has ever known, as part of the family who have taken her to their hearts.

The Crown Post Office on Circus Road serving St John’s Wood is set to shut down or be taken over by a private company. It has been identified as 1 of 42 loss-making main Crown branches in the UK. It is currently on the market as a franchise meaning a private company could take it over and run it. The Communication Workers Union (CWU) said the changes are not necessary as the Post Office is due to break even this year. It added that the move is being forced through in a bid to make a £10 million turnover by the end of 2018. CWU rep Huw Davis said: “It’s early days but it’s an outrage where we’ll see many job losses. They want to make £10m by ridding those they say are losing profits, looking at staffing costs and buildings. Somehow the St John Wood’s Post Office has become part of that. The services, whether you get them in WH Smith or in a shop is not as good as what you get from dedicated staff who have worked there for many years. I hope the public will fight against this privatisation.”

This is important because I have had my pension delayed until I am 66. I now find being English I have to wait yet again until I am 66...

The last thing people need to worry about when attending a hospital emergency or appointment is if they can pay for parking! Due to the current charges, parking in nearby streets is causing a danger to other road users and residents.