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) 2010 East of England Regional Assembly Group 2010-03-10T10:21+00:00 United Kingdom http://eeralibdems.org.uk/news/000111/liberal_democrats__elderly_shoulder_burden_of_56_million_tory_cuts.html The number of day care sessions being accessed by elderly people has halved since the Conservative administration at Suffolk County Council brought in charges for day care in 2007 it has been revealed. The service, which had previously been free of charge, now costs £15 per day. 2009-02-27T00:00+00:00 http://eeralibdems.org.uk/news/000110/lib_dems_gain_assembly_supoprt_for_small_business_rate_relief.html Liberal Democrats at the East of England Regional Assembly today gained cross party support to lobby national Government in support of the automatic payment of rate relief to small businesses. Group Leader Kathy Pollard said "It is vital we do all we can to help small businesses at this time. Although measures were put in place in 2005 which entitle small businesses in England to claim up to 50% rate relief, less than half of them have applied. In 2006 the Local Government Association estimated that £400 million was left unclaimed - around £40 million for Essex alone. In Wales the payment is automatic and we are lobbying the Government to make the payment automatic in England as well." 2009-02-05T11:16+00:00 http://eeralibdems.org.uk/news/000109/more_recycling_means_no_incinerators.html Recent figures release by the government, show a dramatic increase in recycling that makes the need for big waste disposal plants in Essex redundant. This undermines the county's plans for big waste disposal plants in Essex. Almost every council in the country has met or exceeded its recycling target including those in Essex. 2008-11-11T00:00+00:00 http://eeralibdems.org.uk/news/000108/he_says_yes_she_says_no__tories_cant_agree.html There was confusion about what relief Essex residents will get from Essex County Council, after two leading members of the Conservative ruling party gave opposite views on the subject at the same meeting. At a meeting of the full council (21 October) the leader of the council agreed with a Liberal Democrats proposal to use council tax money held in reserves to help people through the current economic slowdown. However, the cabinet member for finance said that she thought the proposals were irresponsible and that reserves should remain high. 2008-10-21T00:00+01:00 http://eeralibdems.org.uk/news/000107/give_taxpayers_their_money_back.html Now that more people are struggling to keep up with food and fuel bills in the current economic climate, it is time for taxpayers to have some of their money back. That is the view of Liberal Democrats at Essex County Council, who will be asking the council to release some of their large reserves back into local people's pockets, at a meeting of the full council next week. 2008-10-14T00:00+01:00 http://eeralibdems.org.uk/news/000106/tory_leaders_vote_of_no_confidence_in_his_cabinet.html Lord Hanningfield, leader of Essex County Council, has by-passed his fellow cabinet members and given himself responsibility for education, in a reshuffle of responsibility for children's issues. In what has become a troubled portfolio, Lord Hanningfield is the fourth education cabinet member at the county council in as many years. The council's education performance was so severely criticised last year by Ofsted inspectors, that its overall star rating was downgraded from 4 to 3. 2008-10-09T00:00+01:00 http://eeralibdems.org.uk/news/000105/what_are_our_streets_for.html The national 'In Town, Without My Car' day passed this week (22 September) without being even acknowledged by the ruling Conservative party at Essex County Council, denying local communities any chance to participate. This annual campaign is run to remind all highway users, that our streets are shared by road and pavement users and that there are other people using the same space. 2008-09-24T00:00+01:00 http://eeralibdems.org.uk/news/000104/reopen_our_post_office_branches.html Dear Lord Hanningfield 2008-09-22T00:00+01:00 http://eeralibdems.org.uk/news/000103/tories_cant_fool_all_of_the_people_all_of_the_time.html Despite spending millions of pounds on road maintenance, less than half of local residents are not satisfied with the speed in which potholes are fixed or with the quality of the repairs. These are the findings of a review of the council's highways maintenance initiative from the Conservative led administration. 2008-09-12T00:00+01:00 http://eeralibdems.org.uk/news/000101/tories_forced_to_stop_rubbishing_school_children.html Work on this year's SATS tests in schools should be turn up and thrown away, according to Conservatives at Essex County Council. The Conservatives presented a motion to annul the results, at the meeting of the full council today, but were embarrassed into withdrawing the offending words after criticism by the Liberal Democrat group. 2008-09-09T00:00+01:00 http://eeralibdems.org.uk/news/000102/tories_cry_wolf_over_financial_crisis.html Liberal Democrats at Essex County Council have questioned Conservative claims that the budget for services for the elderly is in crisis - a claim that is not shown on the council's balance sheets. 2008-09-08T00:00+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/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/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