Mione Goldspink's article for the Flyer, September 2016

September 2016

Local Matters with Mione Goldspink

After all the political turmoil in the aftermath of the EU Referendum, many organisations are settling down now to accept the result, and to make plans for the future. It has been reported that Ryanair will cut capacity and frequency on some routes. It will also focus its new developments in other EU countries, and not the UK. Holidays in these countries are already more expensive because of the fall in the value of the £.

Happier news is that the Government has awarded the contract for the improvement to our Rail Services to Abellio East Anglia. The contract is worth £1.4 Billion and will run from Oct 2016 to 2025. Items to be delivered within this contract are more new trains to be built by British Bombardier in Derby, and two more fast trains per hour from Bishop's Stortford to Liverpool Street. There will be 32,000 more seats on the rush hour trains by2021. This is very welcome news.

Other welcome news comes from the District Council with the announcement that the system for payment in Bishop's Stortford car parks will change in October. The new system will be "Pay on Exit", operated by using Credit or Debit cards. This system has been requested by many people for many years, so it is gratifying that the District Council has responded at last.

I wish that the County Council could be better at responding to residents' requests. There is a blocked drain at the bottom of Warwick Road/ Crescent Road which has been completely silted up for several years, and despite repeated requests for it to be cleared, nothing has been done. This blocked drain causes any heavy fall of rain to rush on downwards to the London Road, and form a large pool of water on the pedestrian crossing. This is most inconvenient for all pedestrians. A second County Council matter which continues to cause aggravation, is the timing of the traffic lights at Tanners Wharf on London Road. I have lost count of the number of times I have been stopped there when the lights are red, and yet not a single car has emerged from Tanners Wharf. However, there are brilliant allotments to view beside the road coming north, and this pleasurable sight gives a little compensation to queuing motorists.

So, some groups in our society have been collecting their thoughts and planning for the future, in spite of the turmoil of the Referendum. Other groups and Councils have more work to do. One group which has failed spectacularly to collect its thoughts and to make any plans is the Labour Party. This Party seems bent on its own destruction, instead of providing a coherent opposition to the Tory Government. I watch in continuing amazement.

It was with regret that I said goodbye to the Editor and Chief News Reporter of the Herts and Essex Observer. Paul Winspear and Sinead Holland had served the newspaper and the people of Bishop's Stortford very well over many years. They championed many good causes, and they also gave fair publicity to all political groups. They allowed the airing of different political views and ideas - these are vital ingredients in an open, democratic society. I would like to thank them both for all that they did for Bishop's Stortford, and to wish them well for the future,

Mione Goldspink. (Chairman Bishop's Stortford Liberal Democrats).

email: mionegoldspink@hotmail.com