Democracy is of the upmost importance. We trust councillors that we elect to serve our interests. In this instance nearly 4,000 letters of objection to the company’s plans were received at the County Council, set against only 32 letters in favour. Councillors are required to adhere to the standard of good conduct as set out in the Local Government Act 1989 which requires that they effectively represent the interests of their Ward and of individual constituents. In addition councillors must maintain the highest standards of conduct and ethics, serve the public interest and take decisions having regard to the interests of the whole local community. We feel that our interests have been disregarded in favour of fiscal and political reasons.

High speed broad band is not a luxury. People in small towns and villages need internet just as much as people in big towns and cities. Decent broadband connection is essential for everything from paying bills to running businesses. But for some places in the UK, the internet speed is either painfully slow or non-existent. It's time the government stepped up and fulfilled it's promise of decent broadband for everyone. The government has changed the way it interacts with citizens. The government assumes that the public can access the internet and down load all the information and documents required. But without high speed broad band the download can fail. The government expects the public to use the internet but has not ensured that there is an adequate infrastructure available to everyone. Even where fiber optic cables are available the final section to the property is often elderly cooper cable which can severely limit data transfer speeds. The longer the length of cooper cable the greater the drop off speed. When I was having trouble with my broad band I was able to use the computers at the library, for an hour a day (Not Sundays) provided there was a computer free. A little inconvenient but at least I have a library that I can get to easily. This is not something that is available to everybody in the constituency. The prosperity of the region can only be enhanced when high speed broad band is available throughout the region.

This is important because I am a counsellor specialising in working with young offenders. I have found that 75% of my clients are either diagnosed ADHD but not medicated or completely undiagnosed but showing strong traits of ADHD. When I have recommended people to seek professional assessment every single one has been diagnosed ADHD. This is shocking.

Over the last 30-odd years, 101 has helped so many children, in an area where playgroups (as opposed to private nurseries) are rare. The fees are affordable and the atmosphere calm and caring. 101 helps children learn valuable social skills, making for a smooth transition to school. If 101 cannot continue, there are very few alternatives in the Crouch End area for parents who want a playgroup and not full-time child care.

This important building is rotting, its building use restrictions are being flouted, and many local people are keen to see a cinema open in Deal once more. The building was purposefully sold at a low price with the proviso it would be made into a cinema - not flats or a restaurant as per the current plans (not yet officially submitted).

The MoD Guard Service is responsible for the protection of military establishments and its personnel. We need to ensure our military bases are safe and secure, not given to the lowest bidder. Defence Business Services which delivers corporate HR, payrole, finance and vetting services across the MoD and is responsible for processes most of the vetting applications not just for the MoD. After deciding not to extend the current Defence Business Services (DBS) management contract with Serco and Accenture, because extending it did not offer value for money, The MoD now wants to bring in a contractor making them responsible for the running of DBS taking it out of the Civil Service and government control. Don't let anymore of your taxes be wasted! I worked in Vetting services for 15 years and saw first hand the impact private companies have, they only care about profit not service. DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN AGAIN. Staff are not sat drinking tea or have gold plated pensions but trying to provide service and guarding our military bases help them to continue to do this. Please say No!, add your name. Thank you Jan

At the present time all personal independence payment assessments are done with a representative from Atos and Capita and the claimant. The claimant can take someone to be an advocate for them but many people report that the assessor has lied on the form that they send to the DWP. E.g the claimant made adequate eye contact or did not appear anxious, when it was clearly evident that that was not the case. People can record the assessments but only if they have a device that can record two tapes at the same time so both parties can have a recording. These devices are difficult to get hold of and the claimant is not allowed to use any smartphones, Video recorders, go pro camera or a digital recorder. This is unfair. There should be an accurate video recording of each assessment.

I learnt yesterday coming from London to Bristol that it is now 'mandatory' to make bike reservations in advance for all travel on GWR trains, a policy I was told (by a guard) came into effect on 16th May, and is largely because of new high speed trains. Are GWR reducing storage on their trains? Probably, and down to 2 or 3 on some 'high speed' trains, instead of increasing to meet demand. This will obviously discourage bike use with great implications, particularly on rural routes, and turning up to catch a train anywhere will be really difficult. What about workers cycling several miles to and from stations to get to work? Isn't it government policy to encourage less car use, supporting more sustainable, less damaging, and healthier modes of transport? Particularly on main routes like Bristol to London, a journey that is already a silly £56 at its cheapest (around 40% more expensive than a similar journey in Europe) for a 'flexible' OFF-PEAK return. Those who need to be flexible will no longer be able to be 'flexible' - and not everyone can afford a Brompton, or the additional charges of London public transport on top. UK rail travel seems to be increasingly inaccessible for most people. I took a trip to Sheffield to cycle in the Peak District recently, and on a Bristol to Sheffield train (£93.80 for an OFF-PEAK advance) there were only 3 bike slots. It cost a friend who was driving £40 in fuel, he carried 3 people, 3 bikes and spent a good amount of time in traffic jams.... https://www.gwr.com/your-journey/journey-information/on-board/cycles https://www.gwr.com/making-a-complaint

It is important because it gives students confidence about what is going to happen after school. These lessons will help students in emergency situations. Also it will improve their communication skills and boost their confidence.

The building was designed in the early 1960s by local architect James Roberts and is considered by experts to be among the best of mid-Twentieth Century urban design in Birmingham: "Its curvature, rhythm of vertical fins, together with its characteristic projecting concrete uplighters, make it still the most impressive piece of modern streetscape in the city, even 54 years after its completion.” Architect and urban planner, Joe Holyoak Roberts is responsible for Birmingham's most famous building, the iconic Rotunda, which has been both listed and sensitively redeveloped in recent years. But at present there are no such intentions for Smallbrook Queensway, despite it being of similar cultural value to the city. Instead the owner, Commercial Estates Group, wants to replace the concrete panels with cladding and glass, add two extra floors on top and replace the section over Hurst Street with a 22-storey office block. The proposed redevelopment would result in the loss of yet another fine example of Birmingham’s postwar heritage, which, we are warned, would be: “...especially crass at a time when the singular merits of 1960s architecture are at last being widely acknowledged.” Author and film-maker, Jonathan Meades Furthermore, the site does not fall within the Council’s tall building zone, meaning a high-rise block should, in theory, be discouraged. We therefore call upon the City Council to reject CEG's current proposals and urge the developer to draw up an alternative plan that respects and enhances the original features of the building. Here's a link to the article by Joe Holyoak, which features a CGI image of the new proposal: http://goo.gl/d1QNzZ Thank you for your support! Please follow BRUTIFUL’s campaign to save the best of Birmingham’s threatened C20 heritage on Facebook and Twitter: https://www.facebook.com/Brutiful-Birmingham-139223999758814/?fref=ts https://twitter.com/brutifulbrum Photo credit: 'photo by D.J. Norton'. More great archive pictures at: http://www.photobydjnorton.com/NewBham/NewBham5.html

There is huge pressure on Britain to create new homes/ infrastructure for it's people. Affordable homes for ordinary people have never been so hard to acquire. When these homes are (and must be) built- consideration must also be given to the displaced wildlife/ plant life. Green belt - which supports much wildlife in pressurised areas is greatly at risk of development, but wherever intensive developments are, humans are not the only creatures requiring accommodation! Many people would be less antagonistic to new builds if they thought these issues were integral to the building industry machine. We need only think about bees to see how compromising the existence of seemingly minor creatures can jeopardise the balance of the whole. An imaginative approach is needed; green corridors, non sealed gardens to allow wildlife traffic, eaves that are able to be utilised for nesting/ swift and bat bricks, hedging etc. Older large housing estates like the one I used to live in in S Gloucestershire allowed breathing space and a pleasant environment for walking/ cycling with plenty of open green areas with hedges and trees supporting many birds. Despite relatively high density population the dawn chorus was stunning! More recent schemes (particularly in the lower socioeconomic areas - of course appear devoid of these essential components of harmonious existence - for man and beast. Please sign this petition to galvanise the minister responsible to 'encourage' the building/ housing industry to boldly have the courage to do things differently. Perhaps they would be pleasantly surprised that the public were not so hostile towards their schemes!

West Sussex County Council can help address climate change by divesting £100m of its pension funds out of fossil fuels (1). Fracking, shale gas, arctic sea oil exploration – all of these, plus the systematic drilling for coal, oil and gas on land and in the sea, are financed in part through pension funds. Dangerous climate change is the risk if we don’t all act. Divesting these funds now is morally and ethically correct. What’s more ethical and sustainable investment funds outperformed non-ethical investment funds in 2012/13 (2). Climate change is leading to extremes in our weather. Globally, the State of the Climate report shows a “toppling of several symbolic milestones” in temperature, sea levels and carbon dioxide (3). For Sussex, we are to expect increases in extreme heat – a real danger for young and old members of our community - and flooding. Professor Virginia Murray from Public Health England said, "Data has shown real risk of increased deaths when temperature goes above 26C"(4). Already in our local area, flooding events are increasing and the risk of damage to people and property growing (5). “Divestment represents a tangible action that individuals and organisations can take to combat climate change. I’m scared for my children’s future and take every opportunity I can to pressure action on climate change for them and all of us” - M, Worthing 1 Freedom of Information request dated 02/03/16 2 BlueGreenTomorrow.com: http://blueandgreentomorrow.com/2013/08/15/financial-returns- from-ethical-investment-funds- better-than- mainstream-in- last-12- months/ 3 https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/aug/02/environment-climate-change-records-broken-international-report 4 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/weather/10187140/Heatwave-deaths-760-lives-claimed-by-hot-weather-as-high-temperatures-continue.html 5 Climate UK: http://climateuk.net/resource/climate-change- risks-south- east-england