November 28: Animals may boycott new wildlife area
How lovely to see students at Thomas Becket Roman Catholic School are planting 30 tiny trees to create a new wildlife area in the school grounds.
These will be to replace the beautiful mature trees they are intending to fell to make way for their proposed commercial five-a-side soccer development.
Sadly, if this centre does get through the planning processes, they may be wasting their time . . . the wildlife which is currently abundant in this area will have been scared off by the lights, noise, traffic and other disruption.
Pat Percival,
Glenville, Northampton.
Still waiting for festival budget
Councillor Malcolm Mildren, the portfolio holder for finance on the beleaguered Liberal Democrat Northampton Borough Council, is wrong to criticise opposition councillors and myself over our comments on the Liberal Democrats own estimated 7.2m black hole in their finances.
He also has a real cheek to question our concern and the accuracy of our statements.
He is correct that the 7.2m hole is their own prediction for the shortfall for 2009-10.
He is also correct that he reported only a projected 2.8m deficit only a few months ago (worrying in itself). He is also right that, in their first year in office 2007-08, they only managed to overspend by around 100,000.
But where he loses the argument over the current and future finances of the council is that next year's 7.2m predicted shortfall is based on admitted losses of income and increased costs during the current financial year.
For instance, we are told they are 1.5m short this year on car parking income alone, and the council leader had been quick to tell us in these very letter pages (November 4) that the council has been "credit crunched", with 0.5m more having to be spent on rising fuel and energy costs, and that the council has also this year paid out 1m more than forecast on concessionary fares and will lose 0.5m on income "associated to the housing market".
So there's a 3m shortfall for this year alone, unless the leader of the council wants to challenge his own figures?
The reason that myself, the Conservative opposition and the Labour Party are all so critical is that the Liberal Democrat administration has, to date, failed to deliver any concrete evidence to councillors as to the true state of the budget.
So severe is their negligence and complicity that, despite me asking them three times in the council chamber since August, they have still not been able to provide me with a copy of even their proposed budget for this year's (2008) Balloon Festival, let alone the out-turn budget showing how much they lost.
So, my message to Councillor Mildren and his colleagues within the administration is that, if you want to be believed and if you want the support of council, then you have a duty to tell all councillors of all parties the truth about your mismanagement of funds for this year, as well as accurate figures on any predicted shortfall for next.
After all, isn't an economist only an expert who will know tomorrow why the things he predicted yesterday didn't happen today?
Councillor Tony Clarke,
Independent, Castle Ward, Northampton Borough Council.
Great friend will be sadly missed
I want to pay tribute to Liz Tavener, who was a great friend and mentor to me and who has sadly died.
Liz and I were good friends and worked closely together as the Conservative Party agents at the last set of borough elections.
This was a role she took on alongside her many duties as a councillor on Duston Parish Council, Northampton Borough Council and Northamptonshire County Council, as well as being cabinet member for community safety.
The only duty which took precedence was her role as a grandmother and she was totally devoted to Rick and her children and grandchildren.
Liz took a keen interest in everything going on in Northampton and was an active player in all parts of the town's life.
In characteristic fashion, Liz phoned me only days before her death to discuss the politics of Northampton, give her opinion and to pull the strings as she always did.
Liz was someone who worked tirelessly for Duston and the people of Northampton but was also a great friend with a wonderful sense of humour.
She will be sadly missed by all who knew her.
David Mackintosh,
President, Northampton North Conservatives.
Council is right over mill works
I am writing in response to the article about Nether Heyford Mill.
I live in Nether Heyford and I feel that the council has a right to give the developer an enforcement notice and he should not be allowed to occupy the building.
The mill is mentioned in the Domesday Book and has a deep-rooted history within the area, as it once played an integral part of villagers' lives for many years.
The new mill looks like cloned urban development and has lost all of its original charm and character.
It is obvious that the developer has totally ignored the planning rules and the 27 conditions that were applied to the terms of the permission, especially when you see the destruction caused to the natural habitat lining the river.
Why should this developer get away with flouting the rules and be allowed to keep and occupy this building, when it is obvious that he has no respect for its historical value or the fragile local biodiversity that surrounds it?
Is it really one rule for one and another for everyone else?
Tiffany Irons,
The Green, Nether Heyford.
Guilty but safe
About cycling on the pavements, there are decent people who do it and then there are idiots.
My son got stopped.
Yes, he was wrong, but he always rode gently, plus the fact is, he has been run off the road a number of times by the idiots who drive too close.
(Mrs) B De-Marchis,
Dunster Street, Northampton.
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Weather for Northampton
Saturday 26 May 2012
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