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Last updated Monday August 25, 2008

Campaigns Ivan is involved in

Keep Tax Down

Ivan is committed to lowering tax where ever possible and practical to do so.  The Conservative Controlled Borough Council have kept the increases in tax for its section down to the headline rate of inflation since they came into power in May 2003.  In comparison to this the Labour Controlled Staffordshire County Council have continually returned much higher increases in their part of the council tax.  We say enough is enough and with tax under the labour group more than doubling over the last 11 years it is time for a change.  The 2008 County Council elections are time for you to make that change a reality.  Conservatives have put forward a shadow budget where this year (2008) the county council increase would have been kept down as low as 2.5% (as reported in the Stafford Express and Star Friday 15th February 2008). On the deciding vote the result was 30-23, with the Liberal Democrat Party as always sitting on the fence and abstaining. Lets make lower tax a reality for us all - Vote Conservative.

Say "No" to back garden developments

The planning appeal of 21 Green Lane has run over the period of 2007 and 2008 with initial plans submitted for the site years before.  Ivan and local residents who fear the flood risk this will impose on them and also have other issues of concern such as access and related Highways issues have launched a campaign to stop this development.  Click here for petition form.  This Planning Appeal was lost by the developer but the principle will continue for other proposals.

A positive LDF (Local Development Framework) for Eccleshall

I am encouraging as many residents and businesses in the Eccleshall Ward area to look at this and make comments on what they would like to see development in the ward consist of over the next twenty years.  Eccleshall Parish Council have put together a first draft report and a report putting forward their views for their parish area, as have the other parish councils within the ward.  I am also suggesting whenever possible to other groups and also individuals that they take this opportunity to have their say also.  There may be anything upto 1000 houses allocated for development within the ward and locations for larger sites is to be determined now.  Anyone wishing to make their voice heard should follow the relevant links on the Stafford Borough website.  The three main options I would suggest are 1) Altering the RDB (Residential Development Boundary) for Eccleshall and other larger settlements such as Croxton and allow further development there. 2) Selecting specific satellite zones for new developments, just outside the current town area, but within a few minutes drive and on relevant bus routes. 3) Scattergun development throughout the ward - though this option is only a theoretical one as government policy is strongly against it and so is very unlikely to be taken-up within the LDF.

Campaign For Sensible Speed Restrictions

The A519 is the main campaign I have been involved in and contributed to under this umbrella campaign. I have been involved in the campaign by local residents at Slindon, where together we managed to obtain a 50mph speed limit in my first term of office.  Now in my second term I have taken on supporting the residents of Cotes Heath and Standon Parish Council who now have the same objective.  This new initiative has been, as with Slindon, a rough ride with decisions changed. Throughout February I have had a number of meetings with the Highways Department to this end.  At this meeting we also discussed other areas such as Walk Mill, who thanks to Eccleshall Parish Councillor Jeremy Pert and a strong campaign by local residents are to get a 30mph limit for the village.

Campaign Against M6 Widening

I am completely apposed to the Labour Governments plans to widen the M6 through Stafford.  There are a number of reasons why this should be opposed.  On the environmental grounds it would only go to increase traffic flow.  On practical grounds, there currently isn't a need for this to occur.  I often travel on the M6 to Birmingham and elsewhere.  It is the section of M6 by Birmingham that is notorious for cues and hold-ups.  In general by the time you get anywhere near junctions 13, 14 and 15 (which are the ones in or directly effect our borough) these same problems do not occur on a frequent basis.

The Campaign for extra Leisure provision in the Eccleshall Ward area

Since being initially elected in 2003 one of my main aims for the ward is to increase its leisure provision.  In my first term of office I delivered a number of improvements and new facilities across the whole of the ward including a brand new play area at Cotes Heath, improvements to the open space at Norton Bridge, money for a new open space at Cotes Heath, money towards the new play area at Croxton provided by Eccleshall Parish Council and money for extra free buses to allow the kids and teenagers is Standon to take part in activities such as "Chillout".  It is my intention to continue with this providing a wide spectrum of facilities and activities as funds, especially s106 monies, allow.

In my second term of office (2007-2011) it is my intention to continue this with the provision wherever possible of similar facilities throughout the ward and also to establish a larger facility, such as a teenager cafe where other activities can be provided for youth upto the age of 18 by the voluntary sector, using the "honey pot" approach to leisure provision.  Since I first studied Leisure right through to my BSc degree in Leisure Resource Management this approach to leisure provision has been my preferred approach.  We now have an excellent new facility in Stafford, with outside commentators recommending that it is of such a high quality and provision from it will be so good that it is in competition on the private facility level and other authorities will be suggested to visit it as an example of best practice in the country.  I was involved in this facility from the first planning applications, where on the Development Control Committee I proposed and strongly supported the scheme upto the Leisure Scrutiny Committee meeting where the congratulatory report on the finished facility was given.  For photo's of the centre please click here.

Eccleshall (competing slightly with Gnosall) is the third town of the Borough, after Stafford and Stone.  It therefore makes sense that with the facilities in Stone, along with the improvements that are planned, and the new facility in Stafford in place, the next logical step is to look at extended provision within Eccleshall.

Campaign to Save our Post Office

The post office system has been an integral part of our communities since it was started.  I believe that it should be saved wherever possible helping stop the demise of village and rural communities, however click here to see how your local MP voted on the issue.  Stone and Eccleshall CF organised a petition to save post offices within their area.  Click here for a copy of their form.  Please send completed forms to Ivan at the Borough Council. Click here for action days news.

Police on Our Streets

This is another campaign that I have been involved in since 2003.  We now have an extra PCSO in the team from when the numbers below were first put together, however the levels of policing (but not quality delivered by individual officers who we support thoroughly) is still something that we will continue to keep an eye on.

Current Eccleshall Police Numbers

Ivan with Diane Eccleshall's first Community Support Officer

Click here for further information on this campaign

Save our Service - Staffordshire Ambulance Service Campaign

please click here for further information

Raising Breast Cancer Awareness

See Imogen's Charities for further information, and how friends and family got together in 2006 to raise money. Charity is the Orchid Cancer Appeal – http://www.orchid-cancer.org.uk/

The Woodland Trust

I strongly support the creation of new woodland within our country and also the rural areas of the Eccleshall Ward.  It is also equally important in my opinion therefore to safeguard and protect the woodland we currently have.

An expansion of this to an international scale is my support for the campaign to protect the rainforests.  This is a vital resource for medicine with the majority of today's medicines coming from things discovered there.  What is we destroy the rainforests and indirectly destroy the cure for one of the human races most destroying diseases.  I believe that it is in the interests of us all to preserve and eventually expand this great natural resource and all of the wonders that it holds.

Campaigning to Protect Rural England

This is an issue that is very dear to me.  I have supported this campaign for several years now and having grown up in "rural England" will continue to do in the future.  In 2002 I joined the tens of thousands of people who marched through London on the Liberty and Livelihood Campaign and in High School debated (and won the debate) for the protection of fox hunting (by horse and hound) as the best way to keep the rural fox population culled, as opposed to any other form of population management currently in use.  In 2005 I supported the local hunt by attending that years first hunt (as a none participant supporter) at Sandon Hall, along with several hundred others.