http://eeralibdems.org.uk/newsarchive.php Recent News Stories from East of England Regional Assembly Group en-GB East of England Regional Assembly Group http://eeralibdems.org.uk/ Prater Raines Ltd http://www.praterraines.co.uk/ (c) 2008 East of England Regional Assembly Group 2008-09-08T12:57+01:00 United Kingdom http://eeralibdems.org.uk/news/000100/lib_dems_vote_against_tory_plans_fro_massive_waste_plants_in_essex.html Liberal Democrats at Essex County Council have voted against Tory plans to build large waste treatment plants in Essex. The vote was taken after a debate on waste at county hall today. 2008-07-15T00:00+01:00 http://eeralibdems.org.uk/news/000099/tory_leader_doesnt_want_the_public_to_speak_at_council_meetings.html Lord Hanningfield, Conservative leader of Essex County Council has today slammed a proposal by the Liberal Democrats to allow the public to speak directly to councillors at council meetings and to ask questions about the work of the council. The Leader made his comments at a debate on public participation at a meeting of the full council today (15 July). 2008-07-15T00:00+01:00 http://eeralibdems.org.uk/news/000098/let_the_public_speak_at_council_meetings.html Liberal Democrats at Essex County Council have put forward plans for members of the public to take part in open council meetings at county hall. A motion submitted by the group, proposes a 'public questions' spot at meetings of the full council, where any member of the public can put a question directly to the administration. 2008-07-07T00:00+01:00 http://eeralibdems.org.uk/news/000097/liberal_democrats_seek_role_of_recruitment_agency_in_chief_executive_salary.html Liberal Democrats have written to the District Auditor in an attempt to reveal the role of the recruitment agency hired for £50,000 to advise the County Council in selecting a new Chief Executive. 2008-06-24T10:26+01:00 http://eeralibdems.org.uk/news/000096/liberal_democrats_concerned_about_the_new_park__ride_contract_for_ipswich.html Liberal Democrats have called into question the timing of the new Park & Ride contract for Ipswich. The contract, which sees First Eastern Buses take over from the locally run Ipswich Buses, comes at a time when the future of the County Council is still to be decided. 2008-06-20T17:28+01:00 http://eeralibdems.org.uk/news/000095/suffolk_liberal_democrats_boycott_recruitment_of_the_new_head_of_communications.html Liberal Democrats have today called for Suffolk County Council to review its decision to appoint a new Head of Communications at a salary of around £81,000. 2008-06-20T17:00+01:00 http://eeralibdems.org.uk/news/000094/are_tories_banking_an_election_fund_with_your_money.html Conservatives at Essex County Council are underspending on services and banking up millions of pounds in reserve funds, according to a new report. The report, on the council's finances for 2007/08, was discussed and approved at a meeting of the council's cabinet at county hall. 2008-06-18T00:00+01:00 http://eeralibdems.org.uk/news/000093/bike_week_masks_sham_on_cycling_in_essex.html Another National Bike Week comes and goes and still Essex languishes with poor provision for cyclists. In Essex not a single recognisable network of routes exists anywhere in the county. There is no annual programme for cycleway network development and cycling and walking have low priority in Essex. 2008-06-11T00:00+01:00 http://eeralibdems.org.uk/news/000092/tory_leaders_apprentice_pr_stunt_insult.html Commenting on Essex County Council leader, Lord Hanningfield's plans to offer a council job to whichever candidate is runner up of the BBC's 'The Apprentice', Tom Smith-Hughes, Leader of the council's Liberal Democrats' group, said: 2008-06-10T00:00+01:00 http://eeralibdems.org.uk/news/000091/liberal_democrats_react_to_delusional_interpretation_of_damning_report_by_district_auditor.html Liberal Democrats today responded to the examination of the damning report by the District Auditor over the recruitment process for the chief executive post at the county council, branding the Conservative Administration's claim that it only contained "a few minor procedural matters" as bordering on delusional. 2008-05-20T16:11+01:00 http://eeralibdems.org.uk/news/000090/liberal_democrats_react_to_damning_report_by_district_auditor.html Liberal Democrats today respond to a damning report by the District Auditor over the recruitment process for the chief executive post at the county council. 2008-05-13T12:55+01:00 http://eeralibdems.org.uk/news/000089/lib_dem_action_plan_for_a12_and_essex.html As Essex County Council holds an inquiry into the A12, Liberal Democrats are looking for an improvement in interim safety & capacity measures. However, paramount is the need for a revised Local Transport Planning Strategy to provide and encourage the use of viable alternative modes of transport. 2008-04-22T00:00+01:00 http://eeralibdems.org.uk/news/000088/tories_insist_bigger_potholes_are_good.html Conservatives at Essex County Council insist it is good practice to allow potholes to get more than double their present depth before they will be fixed. The Tories rejected a claim by the Liberal Democrat group on the council, that roads are likely to deteriorate under the new strategy. The Lib Dems pushed for a formal meeting to discuss the issue, but the group was eventually voted down by the Conservative members. 2008-03-25T00:00+00:00 http://eeralibdems.org.uk/news/000087/tories_back_bigger_potholes_policy.html The Conservative cabinet at Essex County Council has today (19 February) approved a new highways maintenance policy that will see potholes twice as deep and preventative work including drainage, neglected. And if you get an injury by tripping on a footpath or road, you are less likely to be awarded compensation from the council. 2008-02-19T00:00+00:00 http://eeralibdems.org.uk/news/000086/incompetent_tories_stripped_of_coveted_4_stars.html The Conservative administration at Essex County Council has been stripped of its four star council rating a year after being given the status, but has still hiked up council tax. At a meeting of the full council today (12 February) to debate the council's budget, Conservatives voted to raise council tax by 4.2%, which is considerably above the average pay rise achieved by taxpayers. 2008-02-12T00:00+00:00