• Bantham 2017: stop the proposed development of Bantham village and beach.
    When Nicholas Johnston bought the Bantham estate, much against the wishes of most locals, he promised that he would leave it untouched. Now he is proposing to develop both the village and the beach, even going so far as to say that he will not be making the new housing affordable for local people (which, in a part of the country that has some of the most unaffordable housing available, should be a priority for any development, rather than lining the pockets of a man who has already proven he has no love for the people born and bred here). This is completely unacceptable to those of us who have enjoyed Bantham in its current form for so many decades, but more importantly to the people who live in the village. The infrastructure around Bantham village struggles as it is, this development would make a bad situation worse, in particular for the existing village residents, especially during the summer months. This Old Etonian, multi-millionaire friend of David Cameron, who has more than enough to survive on already, should not be allowed to profit from developing an unspoilt gem in our coastal countryside, especially when his proposals offer absolutely nothing for local people. You can read about his plans here... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4216762/Millionaire-bought-village-plans-transform-it.html Please note that I have no legal training, I have started this petition in the hope of showing the authorities that there is a depth of feeling against such inappropriate plans for a much loved local beauty spot. Please share this petition with as many people as possible, especially with people from the Bantham area and wider South Hams. Thank you for your support.
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    Created by Chris Jones Picture
  • Government: Fund Alzheimer's Care Costs as promised
    There is currently an estimated £6 billion deficit each year in providing the necessary funding - this means that over 100,000 families are facing financial ruin, adding to the acute misery of seeing their relatives slowly decline. This problem was recognised some 10 years ago, and the Dilnot Commission reported in 2011 with recommendations that were accepted by the Coalition Government in 2013. The Conservative Party, in their 2015 election manifesto, pledged to implement starting in 2016, only for the present Government to renege on its promise within 3 months of taking office. The key points in this commitment were: · A cap on the patient's financial liability for care costs set at £72,000 · The level of assets, below which patients are no longer liable to pay, raised from £23,250 to £118,000 · By 2024, up to 100,000 more to receive financial help with their care costs The BBC Today programme ran a number of features during the week of February 6th, illustrating how the current policy is having drastic effects on families, tearing them apart with heartless bureaucracy. I took part in one of these programmes, describing how I had to pay nearly £400,000 for my late wife's care costs over 8 years, repeatedly refused help by NHS Continuing Healthcare over 5 years. I was only one of tens of thousands trapped in the 'No Man's Land' between the NHS and Social Care funding.
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    Created by Peter McManus
  • What a load of rubbish - Call for Camden Council to change its decision
    From the residents who are signatories to the petition who live in the following wards and who are affected by the rubbish decision of Camden Council which starts in April 2017: Frognal and Fitzjohns, Swiss Cottage, West Hampstead, Belsize, Gospel Oak, Hampstead Town, Highgate and Kilburn Background Camden Council under the guidance of Cllr Merik Apak has decided, in its wisdom, to remove weekly bin collections for most of residents of the wards listed above. Not all roads in those wards are affected but most are. See the Ham and High’s article confirming those affected wards. http://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/environment/revealed_the_camden_streets_to_receive_fortnightly_rubbish_collections_1_4842664 If you are not sure if you are affected, you can check your postcode at the link below to see whether you have weekly or bi-weekly collections: Post code checker http://www.veolia.co.uk/london/services/services/north-london/camden/service-change-checker This decision raises a peculiar situation where residents in the same ward with roads which adjoin each other have different rubbish collection dates. The rationale for the decision has been to boost recycling. Camden states that it will still collect recycling and food waste every week. In a letter in the Camden New Journal, Cllr Apak states “for those homes that have been independently assessed to have enough space to store rubbish for two weeks, we will collect their non-recyclable rubbish fortnightly, from April 1 onwards”. Space outside homes have, therefore, been allocated as storage sites for Camden’s waste. If you have the space to store such rubbish, you are chosen. See para 1.4 at the link below: http://www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/environment/recycling--rubbish-and-reuse/our-new-environment-services-contract/ This decision has nothing to do with the suggestion that residents who do not currently recycle are encouraged to do so. If you live in one of the lucky wards still to receive weekly collections, there is no incentive to recycle – you will still have weekly collections. If you live in one of the unlucky wards, and already recycle - there is no pat on the back – it matters not because you have been selected anyway for 2 weekly collections. Unless you opt out, Camden will now distribute a 240 litre capacity black wheelie bin which you must keep within the boundary of your property. If you already have a large Camden green recycling bin, you now need to add a black one of the same size to your garden. You can opt out of receiving the wheelie bin by 18 Feb. And, the sting in the tail is that if your household rubbish exceeds the size of the new wheelie bin or, if you don’t want one, the 4 Camden orange bags they will give you to put your rubbish in for collection, they won’t take it. Once your orange bags are emptied, you have to put any extra rubbish in them and store for another two weeks or take independently to Camden’s local recycling sites – see para 2.3 of the link above. So Camden is not just moving to 2 weekly collections, they are limiting the amount of rubbish they will take away. So, if you recycle but are a large generator of rubbish – too bad – you have to store it for longer or take it to the dump yourself. What are we paying our Council taxes for?? As part of the same plan, garden waste will now be collected every Saturday as a paid-for, opt-in service. Residents who subscribe to the service will pay £60 for 9 months or £75 for a year – but there is also the option of heading to centres at Hornsey Street or Regis Road to drop off garden waste for free.
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    Created by Jessica Learmond-Criqui
  • Keeping a village social club open
    Men, women, kids (families) of all ages use this social club. There are a lot of family events such as bingo, karaoke, football, bands/music etc. It is a socialising place for people to meet.
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    Created by Amanda Leggett
  • benefit cap
    As more and more family struggle to pay for food and clothing the benefit cap will only make thing even harder for family they will be more homeless people because of the benefit cap. family will have to choose between rent or food.
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    Created by Francis Belhomme
  • Stop the funding cuts to our schools in Shropshire
    Our schools are already at breaking point and the long term impact would be huge. Not just on education but on the job market, welfare and crime. Let's not give up on our kids
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    Created by Lissie Walton
  • Harlescott Level Crossing
    A 14 year old boy was killed because the barriers didn't come down when a train was due and died as a result.
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    Created by Louise Coupland
  • Dog Fouling Prestwick
    The seafront at Prestwick and the roads leading down to it are constantly fouled. This impacts on the whole community and gives a bad name to the majority of dog owners who take responsibility for their animals.
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    Created by Elissa Wilson
  • Save Our Public Nurseries in Tower Hamlets
    The nurseries are outstanding and a fabric of the local community. Some have been running for over 30 years, with dedicated well trained staff teams. They provide affordable childcare to children with different type of needs i.e special educational needs, deaf children, parents on low -medium income, lone parents, students, residents that may require support. Cutting funding for these nursery's will affect parent’s ability to work and will affect the children's well-being, especially children who are disabled or have other specialised needs. If privatised the cost of these nurseries will go up, meaning that many parents will not be able to afford to send their children. As parents we are concerned that cuts are the driving force of the Tower Hamlets proposals. Value needs to be given to quality of care provision, service user’s experience, rather than who can do it cheaper. Tower Hamlets Council is depriving the vulnerable children the services vital to their development, putting additional stress on parents of Tower Hamlets and communities, destroying long lasting community hubs. Our Tower Hamlets, Our Voice, Our Nurseries.
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    Created by Alicja Topij
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    Created by Tracy Hill
  • Affordable CAFCAS fees
    This will enable parents and grandparents to have access to children when parental relationships breakdown. This will reduce the emotional harm done to children when they are prevented from seeing their family members. They will not feel abandoned. It will reduce the conflict between adults who need support to understand the affect their behaviour has on a child. This will make conciliation affordable to all.
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    Created by Jackie Whitwood
  • Save Netherwood Day Centre
    Camden Council is planning to close Netherwood which is a specialist dementia day centre - the only one of its kind - in Camden. This will be the third time Camden has tried to close it since 2011. Each time we campaigned and won. We need to win again. Situated in NW6 between West Hampstead and Kilburn, Netherwood is regularly visited by people the world over, so impressive is its design and the care received by the people who attend it. If Camden Council closes this centre and sells off the land, as is the general feeling, then it will be lost forever. The council will never be able to afford such a site again. If the closure goes ahead, those attending their beloved Netherwood will be "decanted" to another nearby centre which is not a specialist day centre and is not purpose-built. The council says it will have money to make alterations to the building to make it "dementia friendly". We argue: why spend money on partially reconfiguring another centre when you have one right there that is purpose built? We appreciate local governments are having to make huge budget cuts, but we believe losing such a jewel of a resource will be a travesty and will adversely impact generations to come. Please help us save this incredible community resource a third time! Dementia is recognised as a growing concern in today's society. Not only is it important that there is excellent care for the person with dementia, it is also crucial that family carers are given time to themselves to recharge from what can often be a hugely challenging and exhausting situation. Places like Netherwood enable families to STAY together. They also keep people from being hospitalised and we know how important that is in the current climate. If we have brilliant services in the community the ultimate saving to society, both financially and in terms of general well-being, is enormous. Cutting such lifelines will ultimately cost more in the long run with some families perhaps deciding that residential care is the only solution. The cost of this to the council would be enormous. If we are to have a truly dementia-friendly society then places like Netherwood should never be threatened with closure but should be protected in perpetuity.
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    Created by Jane Clinton