Archive for January, 2013

Conservative Controlled Council Helping Businesses to Cut Energy Costs

Wednesday, January 9th, 2013

Conservative Party Controlled Lichfield District Council is working to help businesses to cut their energy costs.

Lichfield District Council is working in partnership with Marches Energy Agency on a Business Energy Smart initiative.

The scheme aims to help local businesses to reduce the amount of fuel they waste, so they can cut their energy bills and increase their profitability.

Small and medium sized businesses across Lichfield District are being offered a range of services for free. These include:

A telephone support line for businesses with energy awareness tips, advice on reducing consumption, negotiation of business tariffs and more
A bespoke report for local businesses setting out potential actions and savings (following telephone support)
A Business Energy Smart roadshow to visit local business parks, offering energy experts, advice and resources
An LED bulk-buy special offer for Lichfield District businesses
Energy awareness pitches at local business gatherings

Five local businesses will also be selected to receive a visit from an energy expert who will offer a free energy audit to assess where money can be saved.

Cllr Ian Pritchard, Lichfield District Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, Health and Environmental Protection, said, “We know that many local businesses are struggling with the pressure of rising energy prices, which is why we are working in partnership with Marches Energy Agency to offer them help in how they can make their premises more energy efficient.

“By calling our Warmer Homes, Greener District energy advice line, businesses can access expert help and advice that should help to cut their costs while helping the environment.”

If you and your business would like to start saving on your energy bills this winter, call the telephone support line on 0800 677 1543.

Alternatively, email oliver@mea.org.uk for more information.

Dinner with Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Sunday, January 6th, 2013

Special Annual Dinner - 2013 02 08

Christopher Pincher Welcomes New Immigration Controls

Thursday, January 3rd, 2013

Tamworth’s Member of Parliament, Christopher Pincher, has welcomed new policies announced by the Home Secretary to combat immigration abuses and to cut net migration still further.

At the end of last year Theresa May set out new plans to extend the use of interviews in visa applications instead of relying on paper applications alone.

The new measures come shortly after the latest migration statistics showed that the government’s reforms of all the routes of immigration have cut net immigration by a quarter, with the total number of visas issued is at its lowest since 2005.

Mr Pincher said, “Thanks to Conservative reforms we have already seen net migration cut by a quarter compared to last year and the total number of visas issued is now at it’s lowest since 2005.

“Under Labour immigration was out of control. It accounted for more than half the growth of the English and Welsh population between 2001 and 2011 – with total net immigration of 2.2 million.

“We have a proud history of helping those that are truly persecuted. But this new approach will help us to root out the abuse of British visas, improve the integrity of our immigration system and bring immigration under firm control so that only people who deserve to be in Britain enter Britain.

“I have spoken in two immigration debates in the last two years and will continue to encourage the government to take firm action to ensure we secure our borders and are able more easily to deport those people that should not be in Britain. It is an issue my constituents regularly raise with me.”

The new plans will extend radically the Border Agency’s interviewing programme. Starting with the highest-risk countries, and focusing on the route to Britain that is widely abused, student visas, the number of interviews will be increased considerably to more than 100,000, starting next financial year. From there the interviewing programme will be extended further across all routes to Britain.

Official statistics published on 29 November 2012 showed that net migration fell to 183,000 in the year to March 2012; down from 242,000 in the year to March 2011 (ONS, Migration Statistics Quarterly Report, 29 November 2012).

New Police & Crime Commissioner Takes Action

Thursday, January 3rd, 2013

Matthew Ellis, Staffordshire’s new Police & Crime Commissioner, has done more in his first few weeks in office than the previous Police Authority did in the last three years.

Since taking office in late November, he has announced plans to end the 3 year freeze on recruitment of new police officers and scrapped the policy that forces police, some as young as 48, to retire after 30 years service. Matthew has also pledged to take urgent action to sell the 16 acre former Police HQ estate in Stafford which has been derelict at a cost to Staffordshire taxpayers of over a million pounds each year.

Matthew said, “The previous Police Authority policies mean Staffordshire Police has been operationally squeezed at both ends for some time with no new blood joining the force because of the recruitment freeze and a wealth of valuable experience being lost because of the ‘A19’ forced retirement.”

“My decision to scrap those policies wasn’t easy because of the financial pressures all public sector bodies face. But my priority is the effective policing of Staffordshire in the future and for that reason it is absolutely the right thing to do so that crime in our county continues to fall.”

“I’m confident that the financial savings still needed can be achieved through buying better, smart collaboration on back office services across public sector bodies in Staffordshire and utilising police buildings and assets better than ever before. It will be a challenge but one I’m certain we can meet by doing things in a more businesslike way”.

And whilst Matthew has put the brakes on further amalgamations with West Midlands Police, the new year will see progress on a five point plan to increase police visibility in Staffordshire’s communities, a multi million pound investment in mobile technology meaning officers can be fully ‘data equipped on the move’ and the establishment of a new Young Police Cadets Service funded through a new business sponsored Staffordshire Corporate Social Responsibility Fund.

Matthew concluded, “Yes, there are big challenges ahead but my first few weeks in office lead me to believe that my ambitions for Staffordshire to have the most visible, technologically advanced and cost effective police service in the country are entirely achievable over the next few years.”

Local Lichfield councillor Sue Arnold joins Matthew in a part time role as Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for Staffordshire from 1st January.

Archive for January, 2013

Conservative Controlled Council Helping Businesses to Cut Energy Costs

Dinner with Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

Christopher Pincher Welcomes New Immigration Controls

New Police & Crime Commissioner Takes Action

Local MP Thanks All Who Have Helped Knit Hats for Our Troops

Cutting Taxes for 34,224 in Tamworth Will Help Strivers

Memorial Service for Former Mayor of Tamworth

Message from Staffordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner

Happy New Year from Tamworth Conservative Association

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