Archive for April, 2016
Tuesday, April 26th, 2016
Tamworth’s MP, Christopher Pincher, last week dropped in to St Ives Close residential care home, The Leys, to meet residents and see for himself the work undertaken by Mencap and volunteers who run the home for people with some profound learning challenges.
Up to eight residents live in St Ives Close, which is closely integrated into the local community.
Mr Pincher said, “I met some of the people living in St Ives Close, family members who visit them and the staff and volunteers who do a wonderful job in supporting the residents to live their lives. I will be contacting the County Council and Housing Association to see what further support they can offer.
“The staff have a plan to turn one of the bathrooms into a wet room, which will make life much easier for everyone there – so I will see what I can do to help them with that. Tamworth has a tremendous community spirit and it is a tribute to that spirit, and the great work that Mencap and its team do, that the residential home is at the heart of the community. Families of residents say it is important to them.”
Garry Perrott, Area Operational Manager for Mencap, said, “It was great for Mr Pincher to accept Mencap’s invitation to visit St Ives residential care home today and take time to see the great work that takes place, as well as listen to the concerns we face in the social care sector. It was really encouraging that Mr Pincher understood the challenges ahead and took time to listen to the concerns we raised to him during his visit.
“Mr Pincher showed a real interest in the service and was keen to meet the people with a learning disability who live at the St Ives, as well as take time to speak with staff and family members. I would like to thank Mr Pincher for reacting so swiftly to my invitation as we all felt it was a really positive visit.”
Tuesday, April 26th, 2016
Tamworth’s Conservatives are saddened to announce former Mayor of Tamworth and Conservative councillor John Wells passed away today aged 78.
John was a member of the Conservative for many many years and he served as a Borough and County councillor in Tamworth, representing both Amington and Bolehall on Tamworth Borough Council and Watling North on Staffordshire County. John was also Mayor of Tamworth in 2005/06 and Tamworth Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Corporate Governance in 2004/05.
Cllr Danny Cook, Leader of Tamworth Borough Council, said, “John was a long serving well respected Councillor, always open and honest with a warm smile for everyone he would meet. His passion for Amington and all of Tamworth, as well his long commitment to Hodge lane Nature Reserve were well known.
“We have lost a colleague and friend and Tamworth has lost a true servant.”
Former Leader of the Council Cllr Jeremy Oates said, “I worked with John on both Tamworth Borough Council and Staffordshire County Council where he performed as a good traditional councillor representing his community. John knew people everywhere he went and with the support of Diane Wells, they performed wonders on local community groups.
“John also had an eye for details and making the little differences. I remember we had a photo shoot for the first” cutting the sod” of a new development and John turned up with a highly polished chrome spade especially for the picture.
“John also knew how to look after people, representing individuals or communities or just extending support and advice. During our first week on the County Council in 2009, John called me to one side in Stafford and said “that place on the end there, they do great food and it’s really really cheap so when you’re up here all day that’s where you want to go”.
“There are many like John Wells in the world and I’m sorry to see him leave us.”
John’s work in the community was highlighted in 2012 when a rogue trader, which he reported to Trading Standards for ripping off an old lady, was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison.
No details of when his funeral will take place have been released and our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Diane and the rest of his family.
Tuesday, April 26th, 2016
Anthea McIntyre MEP
A West Midlands MEP’s drive to protect gardens, farmland and the UK countryside from deadly plant diseases took a big step forward today.
Anthea McIntyre has negotiated a wide-ranging package of measures to tackle plant pests by stopping them entering the country. Approval by the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee today means the McIntyre report will now go to the full parliament for final approval with a recommendation to adopt it as EU law.
The report on Plant Health was originally proposed by the EU Commission and, as lead MEP on the legislation, Miss McIntyre has been responsible for steering it through the parliament.
In key negotiations with the EU Council and Commission officials ahead of the committee vote, Miss McIntyre strove to balance steps to counter diseases such as Ash dieback with a regulatory regime that would not needlessly shackle growers or the horticulture trade.
Once it becomes law, the package will set out new basic standards to ensure EU countries work together to address plant pests and diseases. These include mandatory surveillance for high-risk pests and better use of the plant passport system.
Miss McIntyre, a Conservative MEP and herself a small-scale grower, said, “As an example of how serious this issue is, Xylella fastidiosa is just one of the nasty bacterium that causes a range of diseases destroying trees and shrubs. There are many others that will wreak havoc with our plant life and plant products if we let them.
“The UK already has robust controls in place but approaches vary widely from country to country. As a continent we are only as strong as the weakest link.
“Plants pests and diseases do not respect borders and we need to protect our biodiversity by laying down basic procedures for all 28 Members States to adopt. At the same time we must be careful not to stifle trade in plants and plant products by introducing unnecessary layers of bureaucracy.
“This law will strike the right balance, protecting trade while allowing us to respond to threats in a co-ordinated way across the EU.”
Yesterday in the House of Commons Tamworth’s MP, Christopher Pincher, asked the Minister for Schools what can be done to maintain the quality of dyslexia and dyspraxia provision in schools both in Tamworth and across the whole of England.
