What the Shoemaker Pub site doesn't need right now ... is a mobile phone mast

More on this story on South Norwich News and the Norwich Conservatives site, but it strikes me as mad that after all the work that the community and Conservative councillors did getting the site to be ready for house building, a 50ft phone mast is considered to be suitable right outside their windows.

I genuinely hope that Labour, who last time there was a controversial mast application in Bowthorpe abstained on the final vote (much to anger of the community), come off the fence and get involved in our campaign this time.

The Budget View from Earlham

As a political activist, the Budget is one of the great parliamentary set-pieces of the year. I could have gathered my A Level students around to watch it live and then spend the way bouncing from media outlet to blogs watching the reaction unfold.

However, given the utterly dull performance given by the Chancellor, Mr Darling, I am rather glad that didn't and I instead spent the evening with a team of campaigners in West Earlham. Amazingly, not a single person mentioned the budget on the doorsteps at all; but then, there wasn't much to mention.

So, the government got is figures wrong (again), booze and fags are to be taxed more and Darling cops out of any real reform at all. I suppose he was boxed in by the previous Chancellor - one, Gordon Brown - but still he could have done better than this, in terms of presentation if not actually policy changes. He was humiliated by David Cameron's strong, assured and detailed analysis and a few parliamentary speakers could learn something from Cameron about how to deliver a speech!

So given the budget was such a dud, I am pleased to have spent time on doorsteps rather than glued to the TV. We had a fantastic reception tonight, in roads that have traditionally not been good for us. What was marked is the number of people that said they would consider voting Conservative. I canvassed for the party in the mid-1990s; back then, barely more than a third of the country could ever see themselves as voting for us. From tonight, things are now very different. I'm sure Labour won't believe me, and because of their arrogance they wouldn't do anything even if they did, but they ought to be very worried indeed about the polling results in this community. Earlham believes Labour has failed them, and is actively looking for an alternative; it is now up to the Conservatives to step into the role of champion for the community.

HELM SNAP

That is, of course, the Lower Hellesdon, Earlham, Larkamand and Marlpit Safer Neighbourhoods Action Panel and its where I've been tonight. It is a collection of key agencies, including housing officers, the police, the council and the NELM development trust for residents to meet with and then a panel of members select the priorities for the area. They can be to do with crime, the environment or even planning and transportation. It was a fantastic event in which local peopel had their say on what was going on - and the powers-that-be having to sit, listen and then take action. I was slightly disappointed in the number of particularly City Council issues that were "still being actioned" but clearly a lot of work had taken place. Local MP Charles Clarke sat in to hear the debate and I hope he heard the message loud and clear - people are sick of the mess and fly tipping on the streets. They don't want rude kids making lives a misery by, for example, throwing things as their houses and hurlign abuse on the streets. They want to feel safe on the streets.

For what its worth I spoke up on the issues of clamping down on illegal mini motor bikes on the streets and pathways and also for a cleanup in West Earlham. I hope someone takes note and we aren't sitting here in 3 months wondering if somebody else might action it.

West Earlham Traffic Calming: Your Views?

At a residents meeting tonight, in Bowthorpe, there was loud criticism of the new road traffic calming in West Earlham. I was told that it damaged cars, didn't slow down traffic and disturbed the journey for disabled people.

During the recent campaign, the people I spoke to were very pleased with the result of the traffic calming and the only complaints were that certain streets were not included (like Enfield Road).

Let me say this clearly - I am not necessarily in favour of road humps as a method of traffic calming. They are often bad for the environment and can often be bad for people who are disabled or have back problems. I am usually more keen on changing road shapes and layout as a method of traffic calming. However if local people want something and there is clearly a majority in favour then it should go ahead.

So, has this traffic calming worked or is it a failure?

I'd love to hear your views.

Fury of Earlham

In the last two days a big team of us have been out and about canvassing in North Earlham and West Earlham. Clearly these people have been ignored for a number of years because we got the full on wrath of some very irrate residents - on the plus side, if you want evidence that politics is alive and well, please do knock on some doors in the area!

The main gripe goes back to Labour - they've relied heavily on this area for generations and used to capture a big majority of the votes. Now a lot of Labour voters are too irrate to vote and a larger number are looking elsewhere - some at the LibDems, a surprising number at the Greens but mostly at the Conservatives.

Labour are arrogant, out of touch and take these people for granted - and that is just what the residents told me! Streets that aren't clean, dangerous pavements, the Shoemaker in terminal decline, grafitti everywhere and a council that doesn't seem to know where Earlham even is.

There is also a lot of geographical anger - that all the investment heads into Mile Cross or Lakenham rather than into Earlham.

These people have been let down, year after year. Many - in fact, the vast majority - won't bother to vote at all. And what have politicans done to address this? Nothing.

We need to show the people of Earlham that we can listen and we can act - and that includes Charles Clarke as well. He should spend a little less time plotting against Mr Brown and a bit more time looking at how his core voters are living.

Because at this moment in time, they aren't his core voters - they are non-voters or wavering towards the Conservatives. If we can convince them that we are serious about sorting out their problems, Earlham is a must gain seat for the Tories.