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March 2, 2017 · 12:55 pm

LORD TEBBIT AND “FOREIGNERS”

7 Votes

I was sad to read the comments in Pride’s Purge and would like to reply.

I don’t know how familiar Tom Pride is with the circumstances of Lord and Lady
Tebbit. Needless to say the 24/7 care provided by three carers is necessary for
her, and given that board and lodging is included, the minimum wage does
not seem to be an inappropriate level of pay. That these carers may be from
Eastern Europe must come as no surprise, given the reluctance of Brits to join
the caring and catering professions.

In his opening remarks yesterday, Lord Tebbit made clear that he has close
relatives living abroad and non-UK in-laws living in the UK. His use of the word
‘foreigners’ was surely to emphasise the bias of the debate in favour of non-UK
workers here over the needs of UK workers abroad. He may also have been
pandering to news editors with a tongue-in-cheek taunt, but I see no “hypocrisy”
here.

The testimony of Marketa sounds like that of a rather bitter and aggrieved
employee. Obviously I do not know her exact circumstances, but I cannot see
anything wrong in her food being bought from Tesco, not being allowed alcohol
when dining with the Tebbits, or having to address them as Lord & Lady. What
employee is allowed alcohol when at work, and what hotel employee would address
anyone by his/her first name?

With two exceptions, the comments beneath Pride’s Purge generally show
anti-Conservative (or anti-Thatcher) feelings, and little sympathy with what it
is like to be paralysed since 1984, to forego a career in front-line politics in
order to take responsibility for one’s spouse in those circumstances, and to
continue to do so well into one’s 80s. I note the absence of criticism of the
IRA.

Incidentally, my OED defines foreigner as one who comes from a foreign country.
Anyone would think he had said “aliens”!

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Filed under Bury St Edmunds

September 27, 2016 · 3:10 pm

PLAYING THE PIANO WITH PARKINSON’S

8 Votes

I have played the piano for the past 60 years, but was probably at my best when
I was 15 and passed the ABRSM grade VII exam with merit. I then switched to the
organ, and although I achieved grade VIII merit playing both the organ and
French horn, I did not apply myself sufficiently to progress any further with
the piano.

One of the Grade VI set pieces for 2015/16 is the first movement of Mozart’s
Piano Sonata in C, K545, which I learned when I was 13 or 14 – possibly for my
own Grade VI exam. It is well known as one of Mozart’s easier compositions, at
least from the perspective of technique. For some reason or other I was
persuaded (or wanted) to perform the sonata at one of my school concerts. I
remember with some pain the hash I made of it, largely through ‘nerves’, which
have dogged my public performances ever since.

I was diagnosed with PD in 2007, but it wasn’t for some years that I realised my
piano playing was worse during ‘off time’, alongside my other symptoms. Until
2014 I regularly played the piano for charity, in the form of ‘Pianathons’
lasting an hour – with medication carefully timed for the performance to
coincide with my ‘on time’. Since then a combination of nerves and the
progression of my condition have prevented my continuing to perform in public,
although I do try to play regularly at home now I am retired and can time my
medication accordingly.

It is interesting (and perhaps encouraging for other musicians newly diagnosed
with PD) to find myself just about able to play that same Mozart sonata, as the
following recording of bars 1-28 show. The performance is spoilt by being
created simply on a digital voice recorder – and of course my several mistakes!
To hear it click on http://chirb.it/831OrC and press the top right button to
start. I apologise for any adverts, from which I do not benefit!

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Filed under Me, Others, Uncategorized

February 20, 2016 · 5:00 pm

STILL BROWNED OFF…AND NOW A DOUBLE-WHAMMY!

8 Votes

So it’s happening: brown bins will no longer automatically be emptied nor
compostable waste collected by St Edmundsbury borough council. Instead a new
service will be available at an annual charge of £40, with provision for future
increases up to £50. (It will be interesting to see how the new scheme will be
policed – watch out for bin men/ladies with lists?)

I found it fairly simple to sign up to this service, although some will baulk at
the 70p admin charge for credit card payment – perhaps already dropped, as it
was not taken in my case. It’s harder completely to withdraw from it, as brown
bins currently being used will not be collected by the council. (This led one
wag to seek £40 compensation for looking after what is, after all, council
property.)

My own complaint is about the substantial reduction in the way brown bins may
now be used. It will no longer be permissible to include kitchen waste,
food, plate scrapings, tea bags, coffee grounds, cardboard, newspaper or
shredded paper. For most people this will surely be a serious drawback to the
service.

In reply to my tweets, the council claims that ‘changes to legislation over how
food waste is treated’ prevent kitchen waste being included, even ‘fruit
peelings’. It also says that what has previously been acceptable waste is not
suitable for the ‘wind row’ type of composting that will process the contents of
our brown bins in future. No doubt there is a good reason for this, but it does
seem unfortunate that a contractor who would accept the existing brown bin waste
could not again be engaged, especially now that the service is no longer ‘free’.

I can understand that animal waste and real kitchen waste might be treated
differently from garden waste; indeed the former has only been accepted in
recent years. But I find it hard to believe that whilst fruit and vegetables
‘from your garden’ can be put in the bin, those bits of it that are peeled
before consumption (e.g. from apples, bananas, oranges) are apparently banned.

I tweeted that I paid my £40 ‘with a heavy heart’. It would have been a lot
lighter if I were paying for the full existing service rather than a
markedly inferior one. Something of a double-whammy.

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Filed under Bury St Edmunds, General interest, Others

September 4, 2015 · 5:32 pm

BROWNED OFF?

11 Votes

I am taking the unusual step of adding to this rarely used site, since Twitter’s
140 characters have defeated me. It’s the first time I have put ink to paper (so
to speak) since ceasing to be a St Edmundsbury (SEBC) borough councillor, and so
I do so with some caution.

It was via a Bury Free Press tweet that I learned of the council’s plans to
consider an annual charge for emptying brown bins. My immediate reaction was
mild outrage: after about 12 years of fortnightly collections, the notion of
paying £35-50 per year just seemed a retrograde step. (NB It’s only the lower
limit that has been widely quoted, since SEBC’s own release said “around £35” –
getting worried?). I am lucky that I can afford to pay this, so the issue for me
becomes one of principle. However, some would find the cost a burden, and those
same people might well not have access to their local waste recycling centre.

I have read the council’s cabinet paper, explaining why the service will cost
the two West Suffolk councils £500,000 a year, because of various changes in
funding and other factors. To be honest, as a non-waste expert I found it
somewhat esoteric, but its conclusions were clear: maintain a free service but
find the cost elsewhere; scrap the service; or make a charge. It recommends the
latter, along with a ban on the inclusion of non-meat food waste in brown bins.

I don’t think this ‘decision’ necessarily makes sense given some of the report’s
own findings. It warns that there is a “high risk”, both of organic waste being
put in black bins (which would add to costs) and of the charge being considered
“inequitable” and branded a “stealth tax”. Furthermore, it accepts that a free
service “maximises” composting and minimises disposal of garden waste.

But there are other arguments or concerns. How exactly will the service be
organised and administered when collections are no longer universal – won’t this
be very complex? What if only a minority take up the charged service; and how
many households have to subscribe for it to remain at the estimated level?
Surely if only a small minority pay, then it could cost the council even more,
which would have to be absorbed in an increased charge, further savings or
complete disbandment of the service.

Since tweeting about this issue it has been pointed out to me that charging may
encourage back garden bonfires, with all the pollution that these can cause. An
increase in fly-tipping has also been cited as a possible consequence of this
policy.

The report mentions ways in which the charge can be mitigated, notably by
composting. That may be viable in a large garden, but not in a modest one like
mine – which nevertheless produces enough for the brown bin to be emptied on
almost every collection. Sharing a bin with neighbours has also been suggested.
I like my neighbours and am lucky to have them, but I want to keep it that way
please!

I have on Twitter suggested that the ward locality budget for each SEBC
councillor would in total meet nearly half of SEBC’s share of the estimated
cost. (That scheme only started last year, and in my opinion does not always
amount to money well spent nor aimed at a wide enough section of the borough’s
population.) This is only one example of possible funding. Both West Suffolk
councils have made very effective savings year on year, but do not seem keen on
absorbing this particular amount. Certainly there are no savings options
outlined in the report.

Does any of this matter? I think it does, if only because most voters will not
digest nor accept the reasons why the councils face this situation, and
may therefore perceive a charge for, or withdrawal of, brown bins wholly
negatively. It is possible that this resentment may even surface at the 2019
elections, after the council tax bill that arrives in April includes an
extra £50. Charging could also be seen as a green light for introducing charges
for other services that have previously been subsidised – blue bins next?

I am not in principle against charging for what only some residents use (far
from it), but the use of the brown bin service must rank among the most used of
all council services other than the black and blue ones. It is part of the
household waste collection service, something that all council tax payers
benefit from – some would say it’s the only thing!

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Filed under Bury St Edmunds, General interest, Others

Tagged as brown bins, waste

February 26, 2015 · 12:25 pm

ADDENBROOKE’S HOSPITAL

9 Votes

Yesterday My wife had an out-patient appointment for 11.45. She was seen two
hours later. During our wait in a crowded room, with children getting
distressed, we pondered on the reason for the delay. Perhaps one of the doctors
had yet to arrive, or another was off sick at short notice?

Only when we went in to see the consultant (who was equally frustrated by the
situation) did we find out from her that the reason for the problem was the new
IT system. It involves the consultant having to input quite sophisticated notes
at the end of the appointment – instead of e.g. using a voice recorder for a few
minutes and that being typed up by a secretary later.

This new ‘paperless’ treatment of information may in itself create a better
record, but it doubles the time of a consultation. Yet patients are still being
given appointments as if the former time-scale applied. Hence a growing backlog,
frayed tempers and lunch for the long-suffering staff at about tea-time!

This can’t go on…

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Filed under General interest, Others

Tagged as hospital, out-patient, wait

January 24, 2015 · 4:18 pm

SO YOU WANT TO BE A LOCAL COUNCILLOR?

9 Votes

Introduction and health warning

There should be one reason for putting yourself up for election: you want to
serve and improve your community. There may be incidental reasons (a little
glamour, kudos and power) but none of these should be a substitute for service.
If it is, then you will be sorely disappointed! By service, I mean a whole range
of actions and contact with other councillors and those residents you represent,
from speaking at important public meetings to more mundane dealings with
wheelie-bins, litter or dog poo.

The following is written by a councillor of twelve years’ standing, who has
served on all three levels of local councils. The information and views
contained are offered on a personal and informal basis: they have not been
approved by any council; nor are they a substitute for relevant election law,
which all prospective candidates should make themselves familiar with. Please
note that I take no responsibility whatsoever for any reader who gets into any
personal, legal or electoral difficulties as a result of what is written below.
You have been warned!

How do I get elected?

Councillors (also known as ‘members’ of a council) are linked to a ‘ward’
(parish, town and district councils) or a ‘division’ (county councils). This is
simply a specified area containing the residents whom the councillor represents.
A councillor sometimes shares these ‘electors’, as they are called, with one or
even two others. It follows that a council’s area is divided up into a number of
wards/divisions.

Councillors are often linked to a political party, but many are independent. How
you become a councillor will be depend on whether or not you want to have a
party affiliation.

If you support a particular party, and want to be linked to it, then you need to
contact its local office and say that you want to stand as a councillor. The
local branch will need to select you, and if you are successful it will then
process your nomination and support you in your campaign to get elected.

As an independent candidate you are free to nominate yourself. District councils
administer elections on behalf of all councils. Get in touch with the district
council’s elections officer well before an election, so that you can acquire the
election timetable, together with the necessary forms to process before the
various deadlines. You will need up to ten signatures of those on the electoral
register living in the ward or division you wish to represent. You will also
need to live or work in the council’s area.

For further information google the Electoral Commission’s website, from which
you can access all the relevant information. In particular you will need to
familiarise yourself with basic election law, which for example requires you to
provide details of your election expenses – which are strictly limited.

Elections are held on the first Thursday in May, each year in some council areas
or every four years in others. By-elections are held occasionally, because a
councillor resigns or dies ‘mid-term’.

Election day

How you conduct your election campaign will be up to you and your party, if you
are not an independent candidate, and information about that is the subject for
a separate guide.

However, when on election day you think you have done everything you can to
persuade your voters to get out and vote for you before the polls close at 10
pm, you go along to the same-day count (make sure you applied for a ticket)
where more work awaits you. (It is possible for the count to be held on the
following day, allowing you to retire to bed early on election night!)

Your job at the count is actively to scrutinise the counting of your (and
others’) votes. All humans err, including some at the count, and as you are able
to watch them counting you may be able to point out any slip that occurs.
Moreover, you may be needed to help adjudicate on any doubtful votes, such as
crosses not fully contained in the candidate’s box, ticks instead of crosses,
slogans and downright obscenities!

Unless yours is a by-election, the whole process can take a long time, so bring
some refreshment. And if the result is very close, you have the right to ask for
a re-count. Don’t be afraid to: I have personally witnessed temporarily mislaid
votes that have turned up during the second count!

Just before the result is announced, all the candidates or agents may be told
the provisional result by the returning officer, to check that this is
acceptable, and then if there is no re-count it will be announced. Depending on
the result, that is when your work as a councillor begins or ends.

What does a councillor do – within the council?

There are three levels of councils: county, district (which includes ‘borough’)
and parish (larger parishes can be called ‘town’ councils). Each has different
responsibilities which can be discovered by looking at their websites. For
example, all counties organise social care and education; districts planning and
licensing; and parishes allotments, land and buildings and salt/grit bins. There
are also some ‘unitary councils’, which are responsible for all of the functions
in their area.

Officers of the council, led by a chief executive or parish/town clerk,
administer its the day to day operation, based on the policies and actions
decided by its members. These decisions may be made by the council meeting in
full (all parish/town decisions are made in this way), by committees (e.g.
planning and licensing) or by cabinet members, one of whom will be the ‘leader’.
A small number of councils are led by an elected mayor. The old system, whereby
all executive decisions were made by politically balanced committees, is still
used by some councils.

So where does the newly elected member fit into all this? In the first place you
would immediately be a full and equal member of the council: there is no
probationary period! The council’s first decisions will be made at the annual
meeting of the council held shortly after the election. The agenda includes the
election of the leader and mayor/chairman (non-executive and largely ceremonial)
and chairmen of scrutiny committees. A parish council will just elect its
chairman (or mayor for some town councils) who does not lead the council but
chairs its meetings. If you are politically affiliated, your parties ‘group’
will decide whom it wants to support for leader.

Sometime after your election you will have the opportunity to say what your
local government interests are, and this will help your leader decide what
committees to put you on. This decision will be constrained by the requirements
for political balance, and fitting all the round pegs into the right round holes
can be difficult. Inevitably you may not get your first choice of committee.

The council and your committees will meet perhaps a few times a year each, and
you may feel that not a great deal of time needs to be devoted to your new
occupation. If you are keen, you can always ask to do more.

To some, the way councils and committees conduct their business may seem
strange, with such terms as ‘standing orders’, ‘points of order’, ‘amendments’
and so on. The council’s standing orders are actually a helpful way of telling
everyone how business will be transacted, and should be studied before you take
part in a formal meeting.

What does a councillor do – outside the council?

As a councillor your first duty is to represent the best interests of your
electors (not just the ones that voted for you) but you also have a
responsibility to promote the interests of the whole council and all its
residents.

Whilst long-serving councillors may become busy chairmen of committees or
cabinet members, a back-bencher is always in demand. You might have got a taste
for this in your election campaign, when members of the public may have
contacted you to complain about this or that action done or not done by “the
council”. Complaints can range from too much litter on the pavement to objecting
to a major planning application. Each will have to be dealt with, either by
contacting an officer who can intervene, or by personally meeting the resident
or even representing him/her at a planning meeting.

It is therefore extremely important to try and find your way around the various
council officers’ responsibilities and know their internal telephone and email
details. So much of the day-to-day work of a council member is finding the right
officer who can help. Good personal relationships and mutual trust are obviously
helpful in getting the desired solution to residents’ issues.

Sometimes the problem brought to you falls within the realm of a different level
of council. In such cases you need to know who your opposite numbers are on the
other tiers of organisation. So, a district councillor should know the member
who represents the division that covers his ward. In this way highways’ matters
(e.g. pot holes) can be referred to the responsible authority.

There will however be times when the issue that has arisen cannot be dealt with
by any council. For example parking offences, which falls within the local
police’s remit, domestic land disputes or neighbour conflicts. You should tread
carefully with the latter two, for fear of getting too involved without being
able to solve the problem. Referring to a mediation agency is one way of dealing
with warring neighbours.

Dealing with electors

Out of all your electors, a tiny minority will take up a disproportionate amount
of your time, either because they find much to complain about (some or all of
which may not be connected with the council) or perhaps they just enjoy making
contact. I have had a variety of strange requests for advice, including
complaints about TV reception (happily no longer, since the proliferation of
satellite dishes) and a woman who wanted a permanent man in her life –
fortunately for both of us, not me!

Some of the hardest matters to deal with are those brought by people who have
become involved in long-running disputes, not always involving the council, who
think that because of your newly elevated status you will be able to help them.
Maybe you can, but you may want to seek advice before committing yourself,
especially if the council is the other party. Contact your council’s chief
officer, or if necessary a third party. All the main political parties have an
association for their members, and the Local Government Association have an
Independent group.

Many people have a false view of a local councillor’s power to get things done.
Whilst there may be occasions when the title ‘Cllr’ opens a door for you to help
someone, in many cases you are a go-between for passing on complaints or
requests.

The vast majority of your electors will never contact you. That doesn’t mean
that you shouldn’t contact them, either with periodic newsletters which tell
them what you are doing and that remind them that you are there to help, or
through local campaigns. Social media can bring you to a wider audience, but
should only be used as additions to and not a substitutes for conventional means
of communication.

When delivering leaflets or canvassing in general, respect the occasional ‘No
Publicity’ notice as you will simply annoy the occupants, but don’t be afraid to
include apparently empty properties when leafleting: you never know whether the
next occupier might become one of your supporters.

Learn where the dogs and cats live – yes, I have had blood drawn from a cat’s
paw through the letterbox. You need to develop a technique which both ensures
the material lands on the mat (foes may later retrieve the half-posted leaflet!)
yet keeps your fingers on the outside of the letterbox.

Be prepared for a scantily clad person, dutifully answering their door on
exiting their shower; and in all cases be aware of your own safety and
reputation – perhaps by thinking carefully before accepting an invitation into
the home. Door-knocking in pairs is the safer option, and a much more enjoyable
one.

All councillors have information about them available through their council, and
you need to be aware that your declaration of interests is a public document.
Look for an example on any council’s website to see what this entails.

Similarly, your address and telephone number are public information, and you
should decide how ‘available’ to the public you are prepared to be. You may be
quite happy to be available on your mobile 24/7 or on the other hand employ an
answering facility outside ‘office hours’.

Waste, planning & licensing

These are three major functions of a district/borough council.

The one aspect of a council’s work that touches everyone is domestic waste
collection – or the bin lorry. Whilst the system might work perfectly for 51
weeks every year, there are all manner of reasons why it may occasionally fail:
weather, vehicles blocking access and lorry malfunction are all possible. The
important thing for the relevant councillor to do is find out in advance the key
person/s to contact in such an event. Don’t wait for the worst to happen!

Planning applications can be controversial in the town or the countryside, and
will often attract objections. Smaller applications (e.g. an extension or new
garage) will be decided by a planning officer unless for some unforeseen reason
the local councillor needs and is able to bring it to the relevant committee.
Major applications will usually be decided by the planning committee.

The roll of the local councillor can be either to support or object to the
application. Whilst an applicant may seek the member’s support, this is more
likely to be sought by a number of objectors – simply because there will be more
of them. There are times when there are as many people in favour of the
objection, though this is unusual in my experience.

Councillors have to decide where they stand on the basis of a careful scrutiny
of the application, knowledge of the immediate area and of relevant planning
policy, and the nature and extent of representations received by local people.
It is a fascinating area of work which can be rewarding, as when a small
neighbourhood is denied an ugly intrusive building through your active
involvement in the planning process.

Similarly, the licensing of public houses and clubs can involve several local
residents who may be affected by an increase in drinking hours or a change in
the nature of an establishment, and council members can be involved in
supporting residents at hearings held to decide on such applications. Licensing
law is different from planning law and is enshrined in The Licensing Act 2003
and its guidance.

Much of the above may at first seem daunting. Your council is however likely to
have a scheme of training for members in all the basic areas with which you
would need to familiarise yourself. Once trained, you may even be able to become
a member of the planning or licensing committee, doing the deciding rather than
the representing.

In addition to the three functions above, district/borough councils are
responsible for:

collection of council tax and non-domestic rates;

environmental health;

housing;

leisure centres;

local plans;

public conveniences.

Remuneration

Depending on the type of council, an allowance may be paid to members. The
amount, which also depends on whether the councillor holds a post of
responsibility, will be modest compared with any normal employment. For examples
of exact amounts go to councils’ websites.

Expenses are usually payable for transport to official council meetings, for
childcare or subsidence. All other travel and expenses incurred as a result of
working with electors is not payable, but a tax allowance for use of the home as
an office may be negotiated with your tax office.

It is prudent to check whether your house and car insurance cover you for
‘official’ use. It should also be noted that allowances and expenses (and
attendance at meetings) is a matter of public record.

Conclusion

Being a local councillor can be a most rewarding occupation, which can usually
be carried out alongside a part-time job. Not surprisingly it can be hard work,
and inevitably the greater the effort put into it, then the more likely you are
to be asked to help even more people. The maxim ‘if you want a job done well,
ask a busy person’ certainly applies here!

If having read all the above you are not deterred from becoming a local
councillor, then why not have a go?

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Filed under General interest

December 22, 2014 · 1:18 pm

SKINNER STREET, BURY ST EDMUNDS

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Skinner Street is used as a service road for the town’s central shops, just as
Upper Baxter Street and St Andrews Street South are. The alternative is waste
being left and collected from the front of the Traverse and Buttermarket
premises.

The Borough Council is not the only provider of waste services in the town, and
so there are different waste bins used. This makes co-ordinating either their
appearance or collection day difficult. In any case businesses may not wish (or
have room) to keep the bins inside on non-collection days.

A bin ‘compound’ has been suggested, but even if different providers could be
expected to use this, where would it be located in the street without being an
eyesore? – after all, people don’t just want to look at each end of Skinner St,
but to walk through it.

Plastic bags have also been suggested instead of bins. Again, this would not
necessarily suit private collectors nor the businesses themselves. There could
also be a hygiene risk, something The Bury Society are already worried about.

What could be done is for traders to keep their bins neatly against the rear
wall of the premises and ensure they do not overflow. They could also keep their
rear exterior walls well decorated, if they are prepared to meet the cost of
this. Suffolk County Council could certainly improve the lighting.

If you have any other ideas, please let me know, via @CllrPaulFarmer.

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February 7, 2014 · 4:59 pm

MY “PIANATHON”…THE RESULT!

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A big thank you to all who helped me raise the total of 5p over £100 for St
Nicholas’ Hospice and Parkinson’s UK on 15th March.

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August 24, 2013 · 5:34 am

WELCOME TO MY WEB PAGES!

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You have reached Paul Farmer’s webpages. I have created them in order to have a
more up-to-date and generalised web presence than my former mainly
council-orientated web site. I’m using a different website provider: WordPress,
and gradually learning my way around it; so please forgive any mistakes.

All views expressed are my own, and do not necessarily reflect those of the
organisations I am a member of. Please feel free to comment or correct.

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