“Crazy” to change catchment boundaries

After months of scaring parents of children who would like to go to Maiden Erlegh School, today everything changed. The school became an academy and is now independant of Wokingham Borough Council.

Rather than admit that the new admissions policy was crazy, or that academy schools were crazy, the council saif the new academy would be crazy to change what they had decided to do.

Councillor Rob Stanton, executive member for children’s services, told members: “From tomorrow Maiden Erlegh will be an academy and academies can set their own admissions. We have no indication they will do that and they would be crazy to do that after what we have just gone through. What we do need to do with academies is to find ways of working with them and we are well on the way to that.”

As an academy Maiden Erlegh will receive its funding directly from the Government although it could buy back services from the council.

The school has said it will not be making any changes to the school’s name or uniform.
ways.

The Greens believe changes such as these are likely to be of great concern to many parents and the community at large. “We are concerned about a number of issues,” Green spokesperson Tom Harris said, “principally that these schools would then be free to change their admission policies so that they no longer give first preference to local children. We also question whether governors, who act in a voluntary capacity, are able to fulfil all the responsibilities of employers and can carry out their duties without any support from the local authority."

Are we just creating private schools but the public paying for them?

Oops I U-turned Again; Forest Sell Off, This Time We Really Mean It

The Government has made another U-turn, this time however, its a U-turn on a U-turn. Do they know what they are doing anymore?

Defra recently announced that the plan to sell off 15% of England's public forest - started under the last government, and which was never subject to consultation but merely postponed - is to go ahead within the span of the spending review.

This means that 40,000 hectares will be sold within the next four years, with no genuine guarantee on the future of England's remaining 218,000 hectares.

The coalition's apparent u-turn on the forestry sale was heralded as a victory of people power, with Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman apologising in the House of Commons, saying "I am sorry, we got this one wrong - but we have listened to people's concerns".

While campaigners were rightly proud that the government seemed to have listened to them, the fight is far from over.

This recent announcement, quietly slipped out, unmasks the 'u-turn' as a mere stunt. The future of our forest is far from secure. People value and enjoy English woodland, which is an important part of our heritage. They want forests to be sustainably managed in the interests of biodiversity and climate protection, and they do not want their right of access to be removed or obstructed.

The Green Party believes that our forests should remain in public ownership. We want to work with the Forestry Commission to improve environmental stewardship of natural spaces, striking the right balance between public education, enjoyment, and preserving forests as a haven for wildlife.

38 degree petition here 537,059 signed so far.

RIP Elizabeth Sladen

www.doctorwhonews.net/2011/04/dwn190411204508-elisabeth-sladen-1948.html

Elisabeth Sladen died in the morning of 19th April, having been battling with cancer for some time.

What Is A Green Job

Green jobs are about a reduced impact on the environment, good working conditions and being able to earn a decent income. This film by Jean Lambert, London's Green MEP since 1999, looks at Acorn House, Arcola Theatre, and Calverts as examples of what a green job can be.

Oh No Its Another Another U-turn by the Government

Despite saying how much they hated PFI, the government is to press ahead with 61 PFI (private finance initiatives). The Chancellor when in opposition he denounced them as poor value for money.

The 61 projects worth a staggering £6.9 billion have been taken forward since the general election by the coalition Government.

The Labour Party loved throwing our money towards private companies, comitting future generations to many years of waste.

Darren Johnson, Trade and Industry spokesperson for the Green Party said today, “In opposition both Osborne and Vince Cable said that PFI was poor value for the taxpayer. The Chancellor described it as ‘a discredited model’ whilst the Business Secretary called it “a dishonest system of accounting, designed to hide taxpayers’ liabilities.” Now they are in Government, they intend to press ahead.”

The Green Party has likened PFI to a giant scheme of outdoor relief for private contractors, equivalent to buying your house on a credit card. Darren Johnson concluded, “We would end it.”

Confused Newsletters

Last week I wrote about counfused websites. Some local politicians have tried to present themselves just before an election as campaigning for an issue, when actually they may not have in the past. Today I am looking at newsletters. I am a candidate in the local elections in Bulmersh and Whitegates, but this year I have not done my own, just this blog.

Starting with the LD, they offer a choice; they are 'working for you' while the Tories will 'cut services and increase charges'. Which will be a surprise to people who have seen LD support Tory cuts elsewhere, not to mention the fact that there are two other choices in this election (including me) that are not mentioned. If you read the fine print that admit they are comparing LD Town Council with Conservative borough council policies. Hmmm. They also claim the LD are cleaner greener and safer, I'm yet to be convinced that the party is greener than the Tories, though some individuals are. If people think thats all the choice there is no wonder they feel disenfranchised.

Next, yet another LD leaflet. It has a bar chart, and guess what, the Greens are not mentioned, clealry scared of us. So much for the claim to be 'community news'. I look forward to seeing who is giving them all this money to shower us in leaflets. They highlight the money lost to Iceland, not mentioning the LD councils that lost money to Iceland apparently like West Lindsey District Council and Somerset and Grimsby. Oops.

The Woodley COnservatives has a leaflet here, that says they are investing millions into Woodley, no mention of cuts at all. They have a go at the LD town council as making a loss though.

Labour have two leaflets, heavily featuring their candidate Kyriakos Flakkas. The local Woodley and Whitegates Banner has the headline dont let them break the NHS. Perhaps Labour see it as their job to privatise it.

The Woodley Baner headline is 'standing up to the Tories', it contains a short biography of Kyriakos Flakkas. It tells us he lived in Manchester, Bristol and London, which won't be of much interest to local people.

Few of these leaflets have anything positive to say, mostly focused on being mean to the Tories! I would like to know what alternative they have to offer,

Baby And Todler Market Toddler In Woodley 2 till 4

Theres a market this afternoon just up the road from me. Sounds good for baby clothes and some of the others tons of stuff they seem to need.

website:
://www.babyandchildrensmarket.co.uk
www.stallfinder.com/baby-childrens-market-woodley-i21301.html

Venue: Bulmershe Leisure Centre Address: Woodlands Avenue
Woodley County: Berkshire Postcode: RG5 3EU