Workshop participant Janey Hunt having fun during the discussions (courtesy of Freya Mittler)

Two drop-in events will give people a chance to influence the design of the proposed Baltic Wharf development.

The special events are to being held in United Reform Church in Fore Street, Totnes on Friday, February 17 and Saturday, February 18, and will allow local people the chance to give their views on Phase one of the project.

This is the latest stage in a consultation process which has aimed to involve local people and community groups as much as possible.

In a change from normal, the developers are asking for views from the community before they come up with a design.

Organisers hope the workshops will highlight the key issues local people want the Baltic Wharf team to consider before going to the drawing board.

The public is being asked to give its thoughts on a number of issues including: the look of the development; how traffic impact can be reduced in and out of the site; how large public open spaces the development provides will be used and what ways Baltic Wharf could be made sustainable.

The drop-in events are open to all. Anyone can write down their feelings about the development, read and comment on other people’s responses and talk to representatives of the owners, developers and the architects.

The drop in event on Friday will start at 11am and finish at 7pm, and start at 10am and finish at 6pm on Saturday February 18.

A special workshop brought together invited members of the community for a focused workshop which was broadcast live over the internet.

The 13-acre brownfield site on the banks of the river Dart is considered among the most sustainable development sites in Totnes.

It has outline planning permission for up to 190 homes, space for 350 new jobs, a new marine and business centre and modernized boat yard, a retirement village and public riverside plaza and open space.

Phase one includes the co-housing scheme and other homes and a Landscape and Wildlife Design Plan for the entire site.

Steve Mittler, TQ9 Partnership, said: “We feel local involvement from the outset is hugely important to the scheme’s future success. It is crucial that we welcome and consider all ideas if we are to create the best possible scheme for Totnes.”

“We have been extremely encouraged by the quality of the ideas already coming forward from the community and we would expect many of these to be found in the final scheme”

Independent facilitator Jeff Bishop said: “This is the big chance local people have to get involved, give their views and help shape the look and feel of the development. If you have any feelings about the Baltic Wharf project come down and be a part of making it the best it can be.”

“The workshop on February 9 generated an extraordinary range of issues which the group themselves brought together into a widely agreed ‘brief’ for the project. This will now be taken forward to the drop in days.”

Judy Westacott as a member of the South Hams District councillor, Totnes town councillor and Totnes mayor said: “I would encourage everyone who is interested in the future development of Totnes to attend the drops ins being held by TQ9 concerning the Baltic Wharf development. I attended the friendly informal session on Thursday and found it both inclusive and informative.”

(from  a press release)

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Scottish Dance Theatre's Pathways to the Profession Symposium in Dundee

I am in my hotel room in Dundee, I have been here since Wednesday and I am so relaxed. I have had the best time ever. With so many crips here I can relax and be myself, because I am not the only spac, no one looks at you as if you’re strange… and even better than that we are all artists trying to succeed and, dare I say it, change the world!

So much has happened that I am clambering over my letters as I try to get all the ‘golden nuggets’ out in haste, but I will try to make it as clear and unrambling (a word?) as possible.

Now where did I leave you before? I was going to Manchester….

Right, I’m going to write down bullet points, and elaborate on them at a later point (bite sized chunks), and so I remember when I pass out from exhaustion!

The Frog and Bucket, Manchester
Jon and Madeleine, Leeds
The Drive to Bonny Scotland
My hotel room
The Spaccy Symposium (Pathways to Profession, Day 1)
An Evening of Disability Arts
The Spaccy Symposium (Pathways to Profession, Day 2)
Abso-bloomin-lutely knackered.… and it is only Friday!

The Frog and Bucket, Manchester

I managed to find the pub, Smithfield Hotel and Bar, but that is a somewhat of a misnomer, as it was quite old, small, and rickety, but I liked it. It had the basics, it was £20 a night and, as I soon discovered was a minute away from The Frog and Bucket, Comedy Club which was my next stop. I was tired but this was to good an opportunity to miss, I had no idea what to expect but I knew that, if I had the chance I’d be up there making a tit out of myself.

I had been told it was ‘just on the corner’, so I crossed the road and walked but couldn’t see it. I asked some young lads if they could ‘possibly point me in the direction of the Frog and Barrel?’ “ Y’ mean The Frog and Bucket? The Comedy Club? It’s reet over’t thur love! pointing to the illuminated building right across the road. ‘Cheers.’ I chirped. I was quite excited.

I walked in and discovered that the dealio was this, it’s an amateur night. There were 11 comedians (prebooked, unfortunately) who have about five minutes to wow the audience. There are three cards given to three audience members. If these three cards are held a loft during their set they are off, stripped of their dignity, but if they last the alloted time they come back at the end and the audience votes by clapping, stomping, cheering etc (not wholly reliable sometimes). It was a really good experience, I spoke to some of the comedians, asked for advice, got to watch some funny guys and also some bloody awful acts. The greatest thing is that I know some of my comedy is going to work. I talk about USP (Unique Selling Point) and how we all need to fit into boxes so we ‘belong’, ‘the nerd’, ‘the spac’ , ‘the muso’, ‘the hippy’, ‘the raver’…

We put a negative spin on ‘boxes’ but when we are no longer in them, we need another way to make us stand out from the crowd, so we jump in another box to find like minded individuals or straddle a number of boxes, why not, be a greedy box hogger.

“Stop putting me in a box!”
“Why don’t you stop moaning, put your slippers on, and make yourself at home in the box.”

The point. Know your self. Simple. (I wish!)

The guys at the comedy club were rolling in USP’s. A dwarf, a ginger, an Indian, gay, black and a transexual, to name but a few. Some of them were painful to watch and I sure as hell didn’t take a card, that’s a lot of pressure and I may meet them again one day!

But some where very good, when I saw Mark Restuccia, I found myself making notes and we talked through some of the jokes briefly at the end (when I apologised for being disabled basically, I shouldn’t do that really.) I felt like I knew what I was talking about, when did that happen?

I went back to the place I call home feeling satisfied and like I was on the correct path and now I have done another reccy. I’m feeling all warm and centred, I have a crafty one and a cuppa and go to bed.

Interval: Home is a strange concept, especially when you are on the road. I am a home bird. I love my flat. I miss my flat, my cats, my bed. I need comfort. So on this trip I am calling everywhere I stay ‘home’. My temporary home. This way it’s not that scary. BUT I am prepared for sleeping in my car if needs must. I have a sleeping bag, my quilt, a big burgandy pillow (there’s a colour you don’t here often) and a big fluffy coat but I dont think I’ll need to stay in Guinevere (that my car, she’s a Skoda Roomster, she is also burgundy and, like my mind, a complete mess!) I know it sounds strange but my mind is my home, my security, my favourite company, in fact I’d say I would rather be with myself than anyone else…which is quite handy considering this road trip, we’ve been writing a song today, my brain and I, we have a verse but the rest isn’t up to scratch.)

(First published on Ems’ Facebook Page)

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Ems on a bidet: "I have never been so excited about a bathroom installation in my life."

I feel a little strange saying this, but it was difficult to go, I saw little Maddy at the door as Jon helped me take my huge wheelie bag (which many have said is like an old lady bag. It is a well known fact that as soon as you have a stroke you revert to a 60 year old, I am a prime example of this. Anyway, it’s not an ‘old lady bag’, it is green and, I think, quite trendy) and she was waving at the door. It surprised me. It’s not them per say, but the situation. Another example of age creeping up. Tick, tick, tick.

The drive was very relaxing. It was longest one I’d done at five hours thirty ish. The great thing about these drives is I see some amazing sunsets, cloud formations, landscapes and stars, especially as I was driving through Cumbria, at the edge of the lake distirct, there are some photos that I took, but they were only taken on my phone so they’re not grand and don’t represent the true splendor of the moment.

I listened to Just A Minute for a good portion of this journey, I love it. The relationships between the panellists and how they try to squirm out of it so Nicholas gives them ‘the benefit of the doubt’. I can talk for England most of the time, very little of it making any sense, but I’m not sure if I could do it without hesitating, repetition or deviation. I think the key is not to think about it, it’s the other pannelists problem. Oh and (life rule ahoy) dont worry about looking like a nincompoop!

As I reached the end of the straight, about Carlisle, I stopped at a service station and popped in to their outside loo and I saw my first and last bit of anti English graffiti telling us to go back to our own country, aaahh how racist? You get ‘em everywhere.

After reaching my destination, as the lady on the sat nav says daily, I got out of my car. It was cold, unsuprisingly, its been quite chilly all the way up north but I have been using a method to stave off the cold. Another of my little philosophies (?) ‘ feel the warmth’ and your body will find the warmth in the cold… yes, odd I know, but try it, say ‘feel the warmth’ to yourself (FYI, I don’t recommend saying this aloud as you may get some funny looks), relax and bingo, you’re warmer! (The same works with ‘find the light’ in darkness!)

I entered the The Queens Hotel, Dundee, it was quite small on the outside but Tardis like inside. It’s plush décor, gold in colour, made me feel quite regal, I love it!

A man helped me take all my luggage up to my room, as I shut the door behind him, I looked around, ‘nice’ I thought. Then I opened the door to my bathroom, oh my giddy aunt, I had a bidet, yes, a BIDET… I have never been so excited about a bathroom installation in my life, to the pont that I have taken pictures, a video and told a lot of people, most of whom I do not know, about my bidet.

I ordered some food (fishy goujons, chips and a salad) and had a well deserved shower… oo room sevice, a bidet (which I spelt ‘bedet’ but was corrected by my friend, Mat Martin), I could get used to this.

I was quite tired and uber excited about tomorrow, I didn’t know what to expect but I couldn’t wait!

INTERVAL. My Bidet. Yep, im dedicating the whole interval to my bidet. I had never experienced a bidet before, sure I had seen them in pictures, tv and films, but not in person. To say I was thrilled does not cut it. I couldn’t even bring myself to use it. To be honest I wasn’t really sure how. I heard that it was for washing your bum, a replacment for toilet paper, saves getting toilet paper stuck in your crevices, but surely it would be a hinderance. As you can see from the picture the taps are at the back, so if you are washing your posterior, you would have to do it from behind your back surely, how awkward, and I dont think it would be sturdy enough to sit on, so you would have to squat, how uncomfortable. You see, as excited as I am about bidets, I can see the downfall and I love the toilet. The toilet is the place where I can, literally, let go, relax, read, plan and be left alone. All unwanted substances can be expelled without worry. No one can enter ‘the toilet zone’, it is my space. It has been like this for years. When I was growing up, even before I shared a room with meine schwester, I used to frequent the toilet to get away from people, she (my sister zoe) loves to recount the story of how she swung open the bathroom door to find me sat on the toilet playing the keyboard. Later in life when we did share a room, I found that the toilet was the place I would inhabit when she was sleeping and I wanted to write poems or diary entries, here is a little ditty I wrote on the toilet, about her

Some people like to ride horses

Some people like to ride ponies

Some people breath through their mouths when they sleep

And some people breath through their noses

Some people snore very quietly

Although it’s not often it’s true

But Zoe just snores like a tractor

Or something escaped from a Zoo

You can replace ‘Zoe’ with any name, that’s the beauty of it. So, don’t underestimate the tranquility of the toilet, is my motto, another life rule… ooo I’m so profound…oh yeah, and if you have any bidet rules then feel free to message me or write on my face book, always willing to learn!

(First published on Ems’ Facebook Page)

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Food of the gods… Ems' favourites – Chicken Nuggets

The journey to Leeds was a doddle, very uneventful and a lot quicker than expected (NB do not take the estimated time on the sat nav as the time you reach your destination, it’s not correct) and as a result I arrived uber early and interrupted Jon’s routine. Luckily Madeleine was having her nap so we had time to talk and catch up on all that had happened in the many years since uni and, by gosh, a lot has happened.

I met Jon just before uni, on Paddy’s night at The Cooperage (The Cooperage pops up a lot in my life, hence the reason that I would like it to be mine – the accessable media hub that I have treasured in my brain and heart for years) I think it was 2001.

Unsuprisingly he was with Samual Pavey, he and Sam were inseperable and are still great mates now. I can’t remember much about the evening except the I remember seeing him while I was on the stairs (yes, the stairs have always been there, I was wrong, and they shall stay when the Cooperage is mine) in his big Paddy’s night hat and we shared a kiss. Nowt else happened between us during the time I knew him although he says that he turned me down a number of times, I cannot recall these times, I reckon he just wishes that I did, he was smitten from the first moment! We both went to Dartington College of Arts, I actually did a course he, as I discovered, didn’t. Totnes has a way of sticking you to it, like velcro on a big warm fluffy jumper, until you find a purpose and then it releases you to the world. It has been called The Transient Town and I think that is perfect, I love it there, it is my spiritual home and one day i’ll be back.

Myself, Jon, Sam, Helen, Neal and a good portion of Stacey hung out for the majority of the first year up at the Rat and Emu and in my flat, it was a great time (maybe we could of got it together but I was more interested in the lazy, alcholic, Irish cutie Neal). I don’t even know if he was doing a course and he was not interested in me at all, except for having a bed to crash in and yet I thought he was the bee’s knees and wasted all my efforts on him. Jon didn’t get a look in. (Another reasons why I don’t think I came on to you Jonathon Westwick!).

He (Jon) was a typical lad, stupid, funny, thoughtless, always made me feel comfortable about my disability and took the piss out of it (still does now, if we lose a lighter he looks in my spaccy hand first). We got on well although we drifted apart quite quickly, but that is the dealio at university.

He is now a chef in a restaurant called The Peppered Pig, after a 10-year career he has truly found his niche but like a good few people I encountered have that book, that screenplay or, in this case, that series, to get out. My advice, do it but in bitesize chunks, there’s no hurry…

He is a great dad, a single one. He and Maddy have a beautiful relationship (I warn you know that I may over use the word beautiful but it was the word du jour) she is very obedient but also has her own personality plus Jon is a hoot, he always has been, so this has rubbed off on her. She has the best facial expressions that I’ve ever seen, think Curly Sue in the film Curly Sue (a weepy comedy with Jim Belushi) with wispy black hair, absolutely beautiful and I cant get her out of my head. The relationship between them is so amazing I just wanted to bask in their ‘family’ happiness some more.

I have been a little trepidatious writing this as it has stirred up some feelings and issues that I have kept subdued for some time.

I’m quite fearful of the whole baby issue, we are talking everything past conception (I’m sure that that would be fun although if it wasn’t I’d feel awfully disappointed!).

For a start it’s very unnerving that a baby grows inside you, like a Russian doll effect, it’s like a parasite, it feeds of you, growing from a little fish thing into a little human, inside you, kicking and hitting to get out. You see it. As an outsider you look at a pregnant woman’s stomach and you can see little fists as the, yet unknown human, pounds it ‘oh look she’s saying hello’. No she’s not, she’s shouting ‘What the hell is this place? You wait til I get out, I will make your life hell for 18 years!’

Meanwhile, you are getting fatter and fatter as this human grows inside you (my friend Caroline Kemp is having twins, even scarier and fatter, no offence Caroline, x), and I know that there is a possibility that as I get fatter my, already poor mobility, will get worse and I may be in a wheelchair for a lot of it. And then there is the ‘exit-ing’ of the thing, the pain, the turmoil which we obviously must forget or else no one would have one!

The crux was a relatively recent event and was one of the many reasons I knew that Dan and I would not last. We were at a barbecue at a friend of Dan’s and there were some kids running around. As I went to the toilet a little girl followed, she wanted to go to the toilet after me but she couldn’t get on to the seat, so she wanted help.

Now, before we go on I should explain that I have limited use of my right arm, but when it doesn’t feel that it’s getting enough attention it plays up, it has a mind of it’s own, so I tend not to provoke it or someone, usually me, will get hurt. I tend to keep it by my side or behind my back if it’s moving a lot.

So picture the scene, a young child, pants round ankles and me, calmly asking her to put her arms around my neck so that I can hoist her up (I cannot risk inadvertantly hitting someone else’s child and I cannot afford a court case … ooooo melodramatic!). She takes one look at my dodgy eye, ( I am constantly looking over my shoulder with my left eye) then preceeds to cry and shout, and I have to go and find her mum. I felt like a failure. I told Dan and he told me to stop whining and not to embarrass him (he was doing a wonderful job of that himself, unsupportive git!)

This has scared me.

I understand that this will not be an issue with my kids, that they will learn, like I will learn. Madeleine stared at me for a long time when she noticed my eye, children do, and I’m used to that. Noone, adults included, know if I am talking to them cos they don’t know which eye is telling the truth. I tend to tell them not to take any notice of my left eye because it has a mind of it’s own and, once she realised that I wasn’t scary, she was comfortable again. Not only this but she was not used to seeing women in the house.

I very rarely feel broody but this little girl made my ovaries ache. Jon is lovely too, although I find that he is very much like Dan, a wounded bunny with an amazingly naughty sense of humour, I do think that he has great potential, but he tried to convince me of the greatness of Coldplay, so I have lost all respect for him. (Don’t tell anyone but I keep having repetative Coldplay songs stuck in head, I refuse to get sucked in tho!)

Pizza and Chicken Nuggets* for tea while listening to some groovy tunes (MGMT, Benjamin Francis Leftwich, The Klaxons, Jamie T, Plan B (the latter two are quite similar), Live Polics (Sam Pavey’s band, we love you Sam), Foster the People)

I also met Mr TQ, a friend of Jon’s and a nice chap, I started a picture in the evening, it isn’t finished but it was quite relaxing to start, it had a star fish in it!

My time in Leeds was chilled and thought provoking, I had a splendid time and, Jon, you are lovely, your daughter is the most beautiful little girl I have ever met, she literally made me weep thinking about her… you are very lucky and doing a wonderous job… and that series is a possibilty but you need to get something down on paper, even if it is just the characters…. BITESIZE CHUNKS, MY DEAR, BITESIZE CHUNKS!!

INTERVAL. Chicken nuggets. I love them. Talk about bitesize chucks, although goujons are two bites. I am very picky about them, but give me some chicken nuggets and im sated, I even like the ones from Iceland (mum’s gone to, rather than geezers and the like) and I’m very snobby about that. Did you know that they have chicken that you can defrost and eat straight away? I think that’s wrong, don’t you? The chicken nuggets tonight were deep fried, unhealthy, but really tasty, Jon kept thieving them. I will have none of this. They are mine. I bought him a pizza with spicyness on it, is that not enough? I will not have people stealing my chicken nuggets or the froth of my cappucino. Do so at your own risk. I reserve the right to hit you with my walking stick!)

(First published on Ems’ Facebook Page)

(image: chicken nuggets Some rights reserved by yoppy)

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Ems Coombes: on a road trip from Plymouth to Dundee

The plan is to get to Dundee for a Spac Symposium or Crip conference (my words). I was planning to visit Gini Churchill and Colin Hambrook but Gini was feeling poorly and it was a bit short notice to see Col, so I shall stay over in Brighton on the way back and stop in on Gini. On my journey I shall be continuing with the ‘Artist Treasure Hunt’ which, I am hoping, will be quite fruitful as there will be a plethera of Disabled Artists up in Dundee and I shall catch them all… well maybe not all, but some.

As my plans had changed, I came straight to London to see Sushila, Lindsay, Steve and Indie. Well, I say ‘straight’, I missed the junction at Exeter to get to the A303 and it was trying to get me off the M5 all the way to Taunton where, eventually, I succumb and travelled miles and miles through the whole of Somerset, needing a wee for the majority of it and shouting obscenities at my satnav, til I reached the A303.

I have an unsettling, untrusting relationship with my sat nav, my first experience was when I borrowed my ex-boyfriend’s box to navigate around Bristol. I had gone wrong, somehow, probably from disobeying ‘her that should be obeyed’ and it was constantly telling me to turn around but I was not having that, I knew best, as always. Well I got further and further into the bad lands of Bristol and thought, maybe just maybe I should listen to the one in the know, let go.

I find it very difficult to rely on other people, especially if they are actually a robotic voice (I had to change the voice of the sat nav as she just sounded so patronising, I didn’t want to believe her!) This is why I undertook this road trip, I have little idea where I shall be from one day to the next, I have a few stops planned but I sort it out on the day… exciting, scary but I have let go… well I’m letting go.

ADVICE
Slow down
Breathe
Stay in the moment
Think of the journey as CHUNKS not as a whole entity… too scary otherwise
Feel the fear but do it anyway

Driving through London was uber scary, I passed Madam Tussauds, there were HUGE buildings with HUGE billboards – it looked like they were out of ‘Sharktale’ or some sci-fi film like Fifth Element or such like. London was big and scary (says the country bumpkin!), there was loads of traffic and everyone merging with everyone else but I am trying to control my roadrage and get over my scaredness! Ineed to push myself out of my comfort zone and I feel that I am totally doing that with this trip.

Before I left I sent an application to the BBC because they are looking for Disabled Presenters again. I told my ‘friend’ and she said ‘I don’t think you are disabled enough to be a presenter.’ I was furious about this comment and gave her a good rollicking about her attitude saying that this is the kind of attitude that I/we are trying to dispel. But the more I thought about it, the more I thought that she may be right, perhaps they are looking for visibly disabled people – that’s one of the reasons that I take my walking stick with me (obviously I need it too but I find you get a different kind of ‘service’ if you are visdis (visually disabled))

Unfortunately, it’s the way it is – but it does it have to be? Well short of a backward tatoo on your forehead or a T-Shirt with ‘I’ve had brain injury, bare with me’ written in capital letters, I don’t see how we can change the attitude.

Is this the attitude that we have come to expect from ‘norms’ – actually I think the disableds are just as bad… me included, I have been known to be a little discriminatory at times, I have an issue with dwarves (people of small stature not Snow Whites buddies, although now I think about it…), I moan about everything, I jump down peoples throats before they finish their comments and I’m uber arsey but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s just not on.

Another thing, I saw it at a service station this eve, there were two consecutive entrances, the first was automatic, the second was manual – WHY? Wheelchair users etc will be able to use one but not the other.

THINK PEOPLE… actually there was a Travelodge two secs from the main entrance, am not surprised that it’s an accessable hinderance

TO COME : Tonight only, Manchester, comedy club, open mic spots… pooing my pants … stay tuned!!!!

(First published on Ems’ Facebook Page)

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The Torbay budgetary process will hit The Bay's most vulnerable

Torbay Labour Party has hit out at the mayor and his ruling Conservative group after what they have described as a shambolic budget process which will lead to increased pressures on the most vulnerable in The Bay.

The party’s chairman, Councillor Darren Cowell, said: “When the mayor was elected he wanted an open and inclusive council and said he would be a listening mayor, regrettably the budget process has blown that out of the water.

“The budget papers made available to opposition councillors, and in some cases even to Tory councillors, have been unclear, lacked detail and clarity and have been the worst example of a smoke and mirrors exercise.

“I am appalled that opposition councillors have had to really scratch deep in to the flesh of the budget to identify some of the true impacts on services and my fear is that the harsh reality is still yet to emerge.”

Cllr Cowell has also hit out at the standard of debate during the five-hour budget meeting. He said: “There were 15 amendments and objections on the agenda tabled by Labour, Non-coalition and the Lib Dems, not one was passed as the Tory majority voted consistently en-bloc.

“We are told there is no whip, but it is incredibly coincidental that the Tory group tended to vote as one. The one notable and creditworthy exception was Cllr James who supported us on three occasions and spoke up for the youth of Torbay.

“What was even more alarming was that it seems many of the Tory councillors had taken a vow of silence. For many of them the only time they used their voice was to say ‘against’ when voting on the amendments.

“The amendments were about serious issues and provided the only opportunity for a meaningful debate about the thinking behind the mayor’s plans. It is very hard to have a proper debate when one side has decided not to participate.

“Supporters of the libraries told me afterwards that they were truly shocked at the poor standard of debate and disregard they witnessed. I was horrified when I heard Cllr Tyerman shout out, ‘makes you want to go further next year’ as library supporters stormed out after the vote.

Cllr Cowell concluded, “I don’t know why I am surprised at the cavalier attitude of this Tory mayor and council, he has not listened to any of the feedback during the farcical consultation process, or indeed the Overview and Scrutiny Board recommendations.

“Why would anyone be surprised when a Tory council votes against measures to protect the most vulnerable in our community; our young, our old, our unemployed, our residents with learning disabilities and instead continue to write a cheque for the conference centre without them having to make any savings.”

(from a press release)

(Torbay view from Torquay: This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.)

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NHS - apparently it's not for sale, only it increasingly looks like it is

The reform privatisation of the NHS is set to continue with backing by the Lib Dems and rubbish opposition from Labour (politicians eh, not worth the paper they’re printed on).

The top-down reform of the NHS has lost the support of pretty much all health professionals. (It was with a certain amount of South West pride that Totnes MP Dr Sarah Wollaston was the first to condemn the reforms – a situation which quickly changed once the reality of a life in politics kicked in.)

Surely reform of the NHS is important? But at a time of economic stress, unless the savings are significant, such a big issue seems a distraction. And the reforms aren’t about saving money. (Then again neither are weekly bin collections.)

So why think of these reforms as privatisation? The bill will lift the cap of private work carried out in NHS hospitals from 2% to 49%.

Here’s some more evidence. And here’s a story of a pensioner launching a high court appeal against the privatisation of the NHS.

Of course, all this was started under Labour.

And while you’re considering the attack on a fundamental issue of Britishness, here’s a story on Nick Clegg and David Cameron’s belligerence for ‘reform’…

(image: Some rights reserved by secretlondon123)

This article titled “No alternative to NHS reforms, say coalition” was written by Patrick Wintour and Juliette Jowit, for The Guardian on Thursday 9th February 2012 01.43 UTC

David Cameron and Nick Clegg have agreed they have no alternative but to push ahead with the planned reforms to the NHS, even though they admit they are in “a rubbish place politically” and it could take three years until the general election to persuade voters that fears about the reforms are unfounded.

Cameron endured a mauling over the issue at prime minister’s questions , and afterwards one senior minister involved in deciding how to proceed with the bill admitted: “This is a politically rubbish place to be. We can either go back, sideways or forward.” Ministers have argued there was no alternative but to plough on.

Liberal Democrats, including Baroness Williams, are in no mood to abandon the bill, even though many health professionals – at one time reconciled to the bill – have now defected.

On the day that health visitors and the Faculty of Public Health joined the long list of those deserting the bill, Labour leader Labour leader Ed Miliband accused Cameron of presiding over a “complete disaster” with the bill.

He said the prime minister had broken a pre-election promise not to have any “top-down re-organisation of the NHS” and told him: “Every day he fights for this bill, every day trust in him on the NHS ebbs away, every day it becomes clearer the NHS is not safe in his hands.”

But Cameron said Labour had previously supported NHS reform – and would not match government commitments on NHS spending: “They are not in favour of the money. They are not in favour of the reform. They are just a bunch of opportunists.”

He criticised Labour’s record on the NHS in Wales – where the party controls the Welsh Assembly – and said the coalition was cutting bureaucracy and ploughing money back into patient care.

He said of Miliband: “This is not a campaign to save the NHS. This is a campaign to try and save his leadership. I make this prediction, the NHS will go on getting better and his prospects will go on getting worse.”

Cameron also backed his health secretary Andrew Lansley, saying he would survive a lot longer in office than Miliband.

It is understood that Lansley put in angry performance at cabinet this week defending his reforms, saying they were in line with government public services reform. He has been infuriated by leaks form Downing Street blaming him for mis-selling the reforms.

Although a Downing Street source has suggested Alan Milburn, the former Labour health secretary could be drafted into Lansley’s role, Milburn himself dismissed the suggestion.

He criticised Lansley’s handling saying: “This bill has ended up as a – to be frank – a patchwork quilt of complexity and compromise and confusion. They will get the measure through in my view, they will probably win the day in parliament, but at a terrible cost. The NHS will not have either the clarity or the direction that is necessary in a period of considerable challenge where it is being asked to make unprecedented efficiency savings.”

In a sign that the government will face a tough month as the bill enters the Lords report stage, peers inflicted an early defeat over the issue of social care. By a margin of four votes, peers demanded mental health be made a higher priority. The amendment creates a duty for the health secretary to promote a health service that deals with “mental and physical illness”, rather then the original draft of just “illness”. The government described issue as largely symbolic.

All but three Lib Dem peers voted with the government, suggesting that on most issues Labour will rely on cross bench support to further amend the bill that has already been heavily altered by government to take on concerns of health professionals.

Meanwhile there was a fresh embarrassment to the reforms after part of a major risk assessment into the bill was published on the internet, suggesting that changes could lead to the financial “failure” of some NHS organisations, worse care for patients, and threats to maternity services, children’s safety and public health.

Most worryingly for the coalition the “risk register” for the London NHS suggested that problems with implementing the new system could delay improvements to patients’ health – even after a host of proposed “mitigation” measures to ensure a smooth transition.

The document, dated October 2011, was published by NHS London on their website, according to the Labour-supporting blogger Dr Eoin Clarke, who has waged a campaign to get the full national risk register published. At least nine Lib Dem MPs have also signed an early day motion organised by Labour MP and health select committee member Grahame Morris calling on the health secretary to publish the document.

Health officials have pointed out that such a risk assessment would be carried out for any major changes, but added that during the transition there was “more of a risk because of the uncertainty”.

In a statement to the Guardian, an NHS London spokesperson said: “It is our job to identify and manage potential risks to deliver safe services for patients. We are duty bound to publish this information quarterly on our website and have done since our formation.” These risks cover a wide range of services and issues, including how we manage the transition to 2013 appropriately. The more we plan for and pre-empt issues, the less of a risk they become.”

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010

Published via the Guardian News Feed plugin for WordPress.

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Chaz Singh – a Sikh in Britain in the book the Sikh's in Britain

Chaz Singh has a nice face – and that’s official! But don’t take our word for it, Chaz – Plymouth’s first Sikh councillor – is featured in the book The Sikhs in Britain, and it’s all down to his dashing good looks.

The picture of Chaz – which we reckon has reached iconic status – is by Peter McMullin, and here the pair of them talk about how the image came about.

The book The Sikhs in Britain is a lavishly illustrated portrayal of the social history of the Sikhs in Britain and their contribution to British society. Peter and Chaz were at a signing in Plymouth’s Waterstones.

This cracking short film has been produced by Bill Sheikh

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Newton Abbot hosted a build your own home housing workshop

Planners, housing officers and policy makers from across the south west have got together in Newton Abbot to find out how they can help people build their own homes, at the country’s first Self-Build Housing Workshop.

The event was arranged by the National Self-Build Association (NaSBA) with help from the Department for Communities and Local Government and Teignbridge District Council.

Held at the Courtenay Centre in Newton Abbot, it saw national experts including Government officials explain how local authorities can take account of new national policies to give more people the opportunity to build their own home.

Topics raised included the Government’s Housing Strategy and the Custom Build Homes programme, presented by Mario Wolf, a senior policy advisor at the Department for Communities and Local Government. Discussions focused on the implication of the National Planning Policy Framework, the Government’s emerging national planning guidelines.

It came at a good time for the authorities involved, many of which are preparing their own comprehensive long-term plans for housing, employment and other development in their areas.

Among the authorities represented were Teignbridge District Council, Cornwall Council, Dartmoor National Park, East Devon District Council, Mid Devon District Council, Plymouth City Council, Sedgemoor District Council, South Gloucestershire Council, South Hams District Council, Torbay Council and West Somerset Council. Also represented were the Homes and Communities Agency, Cornwall Community Land Trust, Cornwall Rural Housing Association, The Land Society and South Devon College.

(from a press release)

(image: Some rights reserved by marc falardeau)

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Teignbridge collections don't look likely to change

The current economic crisis seems to be bandied around quite a bit, but it’s not been mentioned on the issue of weekly bin collection. Instead, that has been cited as a ‘basic right’ by the bombastically hyperbolic Communities Secretary Eric Pickles.

But do people want weekly bin collections? The £250 million sweetener from Eric’s office is just the tip of the spending iceberg for councils’ weekly collections, and even that could be better spent – the much debated and damaging benefit reform offers a saving of £270 million.

In Teignbridge – one of the consistently top recycling districts in the country – there’s an alternating bin collection of household waste one week and recycling waste the next.

We asked South Devon’s green supremo Cllr Gordon Hook what his view is on the issue.

Gordon said: “We [the Lib Dems] are nearing the end of a Teignbridge wide survey on this very issue. By a large margin (more than three to one) residents who have responded have come out clearly in favour of the status quo, ie no change required, the current system is working very well. A change to a weekly collection has been budgeted at approximately £1.7m, I have to say, most unlikely even if wanted in the current climate.

“My view is that the scheme works well by and large and if it ain’t bust, don’t fix it.

“Individual problems do arise with certain residents from time to time, particularly in the summer months, but officers are available to help and give advice and in that way most if not all problems are addressed.”

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What a load of rubbish: weekly bin collection versus benefit cuts to the most vulnerable – ones a basic right…

At last weekly bin collection – a ‘basic right’ for every household – is nearly here. And the £250 million sweetener is a price worth paying to help force councils’ hands in getting it done (a figure needed to save communities secretary Eric Pickles’ face, according to Labour’s Caroline Flint… [insert your own punchline here…]. And while we’re at it let’s celebrate the fact that the £270 million saving from the proposed benefits cap has enough left over the pay for getting it done.

But we’re not going to talk about the stream of inaccurate utterances of Eric Pickles (who some would say talks with a forked tongue), or that he paid his finance chief £580,0000 for 16 months work while frothing at the mouth over councils’ supposed ‘culture of spending’.

What we’re going to highlight is the divisive culture of hate that the current pursuit of policies have created.

So while you’re thinking it’s quite right that you get your weekly collection back, take a moment to consider whether you’ve been infected by the poison that’s being injected into society.

To help, here’s a report from the Guardian about how benefit cuts are fuelling abuse of disabled people

(image: Small town rubbish – Some rights reserved by dogbomb)

This article titled “Benefit cuts are fuelling abuse of disabled people, say charities” was written by Peter Walker, for The Guardian on Sunday 5th February 2012 18.16 UTC

The government’s focus on alleged fraud and overclaiming to justify cuts in disability benefits has caused an increase in resentment and abuse directed at disabled people, as they find themselves being labelled as scroungers, six of the country’s biggest disability groups have warned.

Some of the charities say they are now regularly contacted by people who have been taunted on the street about supposedly faking their disability and are concerned the climate of suspicion could spill over into violence or other hate crimes.

While the charities speaking out – Scope, Mencap, Leonard Cheshire Disability, the National Autistic Society, Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB), and Disability Alliance – say inflammatory media coverage has played a role in this, they primarily blame ministers and civil servants for repeatedly highlighting the supposed mass abuse of the disability benefits system, much of which is unfounded.

At the same time, they say, the focus on “fairness for taxpayers” has fostered the notion that disabled people are a separate group who don’t contribute.

Scope’s regular polling of people with disabilities shows that in September two-thirds said they had experienced recent hostility or taunts, up from 41% four months before. In the last poll almost half said attitudes towards them had deteriorated in the past year.

Tom Madders, head of campaigns at the National Autistic Society, said: “The Department for Work and Pensions is certainly guilty of helping to drive this media narrative around benefits, portraying those who receive benefits as workshy scroungers or abusing a system that’s really easy to cheat.”

He added that ministers such as the work and pensions secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, were being “deeply irresponsible” in conflating Disability Living Allowance (DLA), which helps disabled people hold down jobs, and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), a payment for those unable to work. This “scrounger rhetoric” was already having an impact on people’s lives, Madders said, citing a woman who rang the charity to say a neighbour who formerly gave lifts to her autistic child had stopped doing so following press articles about disabled people receiving free cars under a government scheme.

Some disabled people say the climate is so hostile they avoid going out, or avoid using facilities such as designated parking bays if they “don’t look disabled”.

The government has committed to making significant cuts to disability benefits, including a 20% reduction in the DLA bill by 2015/16. Much of its public focus has been on alleged fraudulent claims or cutting benefits to those whose conditions have improved.

Charities point to a series of ministerial statements arguing that the “vast majority” of new ESA claimants are able to work, while the disabilities minister, Maria Miller, said last month that £600m of DLA was overpaid each year, not mentioning that a greater sum is saved by others not receiving what they are due.

This is “playing directly into a media narrative about the need to weed out scroungers,” said Richard Hawkes, chief executive of Scope. “Our polling shows that this narrative has coincided with attitudes towards disabled people getting worse.

“Disabled people tell us that increasingly people don’t believe that they are disabled and suddenly feel empowered to question their entitlement to support.”

David Congdon, head of policy at Mencap, said the charity feared where this could lead. “We are concerned that this narrative of benefit scroungers or fakers connected to the welfare reform bill does risk stigmatising all people with a disability,” he said. “The worry would be that this could lead to an increase in resentment against disabled people, and even an increase in hate crimes.”

There was “an incredibly strong focus on benefit fraud within the DWP”, said Guy Parckar, policy manager for Leonard Cheshire. “It is mentioned at all possible opportunities. Of course, whenever there is fraud you want that to be tackled, but there should be some serious thought given to the long-term impact that this has. There is the impact of potential hate crime, and issues around that.”

Neil Coyle, head of policy for Disability Alliance, said his organisation was being told of increasing levels of verbal abuse, and worried this could lead to attacks.

“There’s a lot of concern that the level of abuse and harassment goes unrecorded because it’s seen almost as a norm. It seems to be growing as a result of a mis-perception of much more widespread abuse of benefits than actually exists. That’s being fed by the DWP in their attempts to justify massive reductions in welfare expenditure.”

A DWP spokeswoman said the department was committed to supporting disabled people but needed to “do more to change negative attitudes”, and had begun a cross-government consultation on tackling discrimination.

She said: “Our welfare reforms are designed to restore integrity into the benefits system and to ensure that everyone who needs help and support receives it.”

David Gillon from Chatham in Kent, said: “I think we’ve lost all the progress we made in the last 30 years in terms of acceptance.” Gillon, whose chronic back condition forced him to give up a job with British Aerospace, recounts walking on crutches past a pub in the middle of the day and receiving shouts of: “We’re going to report you to the DWP.” He said: “When there’s a bad article in the press, the next day you think, ‘Do I really need to go out of the house?’ We’re being forced back into the attic, locked away from society.”

Fazilet Hadi, head of inclusion for the RNIB, said she also felt the tone was set by ministers: “I think they should be more careful. At the moment it feels like the government is not on the side of disabled people. Most people don’t have that much exposure to disabled people. They don’t see us in the lifestyle pages, they don’t see us in the fashion pages. The only reference they see is in these stories. And that’s why the language is so important.”

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010

Published via the Guardian News Feed plugin for WordPress.

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Shaping East Devon's future, runs counter to some of East Devon's strategy, says the East Devon Greens

In December East Devon District Council published its consultation draft of the Local Plan, and has now followed up with its Shaping the Future leaflet, outlining its overall strategy. Yet the decisions of the council seem destined to destroy its own policies, say the East Devon Greens.

The coordinator of the East Devon Green Party, Sharon Pavey, who lives in Honiton, says:  “The council says that its number one priority is to deliver more Affordable Housing. Yet in the previous year it has seen the delivery of only 108 Affordable Houses, against a low target of 250 houses.

“There is a more general problem with the council’s affordable housing strategy: they are determined to continue encouraging inward migration into East Devon. The council continues to plan to provide employment land for jobs which are frequently low-paid, aggravating inward migration which is driving up house prices and rents, and making houses unaffordable for anyone in receipt of an ‘average’ wage in East Devon.”

Henry Gent, press officer for the East Devon Green Party said: “Councillor Diviani’s preface to the Local Plan says that the council is creating a ‘major strategic world-class development’ in the west end, near Exeter. Yet the council has destroyed the hope of a strategic regional rail freight terminal by letting half the site be occupied by a supermarket warehouse with no commitment to pay for the railway siding.

“There was a developer which was prepared to build the railway siding, but the council preferred the option of giving planning permission for a lorry depot, so the possibility of this strategic asset for the region is now much more remote. The warehouse and depot will employ hundreds of HGV drivers and forklift truck drivers on 24-hour shift work. These vacancies, many at just above minimum wage, will not help East Devon residents who are unable to afford local properties.

“The council is embarrassed, and this massive site is inconsistently excluded from the calculations of how much employment land has been allocated.”

The East Devon Greens believe that the plan includes too much unsuitable provision of employment land in the immediate area including more land at the Exeter Airport Business Park, which is remote from housing and badly accessed according to the council’s own sustainability appraisal.

The Greens believe that the council ignores its own advice when it comes to climate change.  The council has decided to encourage airport expansion, as well as lorry movements, causing air pollution. Together these are adding to carbon emissions, the very opposite of the council’s often stated objective to ‘incorporate measures to reduce carbon emissions’.

The Draft Local Plan also states that ‘all development proposals must be planned over the lifetime of the development to ensure that the maximum potential for… minimising the risks posed by climate change are achieved’. However, in reality the plan has nothing whatsoever to say about the implications of sea level rise for vulnerable areas like the low lying parts of Exmouth or the effects of climate change on local food production.

In his preface to the draft local plan Tory councillor Paul Diviani says: “We all know and love the outstanding environment of East Devon and this is one of the reasons so many of us choose to live here.”  Yet the Greens says the council seems determined to pollute the air and pave over the land, largely to facilitate  inward migration and cater for growth in Exeter.

Emily McIvor, policy officer for the East Devon Green Party, who lives at Seaton, said:  “There is a need for creation of employment opportunities in East Devon, but studies have shown that these are coming through small and micro-businesses rather than grand schemes that spoil the countryside, increase greenhouse gas emissions and have the potential to remain undeveloped even when planning permission is granted.

“Let’s support what we know works: the transition of self-employed individuals to employers, and let’s fill East Devon’s unused industrial units before we cause irreversible damage to our countryside and agricultural base.’

(from a press release)

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