Angela Lawrence

The Coalition Government announced that a Pupil Premium, funded from outside the schools budget, will be introduced next September. It will mean that from next year, schools taking disadvantaged children will get the additional money they need to provide them with the extra support they deserve, no matter where they are in the country. This could mean more individual tuition or catch-up classes. It will be for the school to decide.This is a real Liberal Democrat achievement. It was the centrepiece of our education policy during the election campaign, and it is now being implemented in Government.While the Conservatives had a similar policy, it was the Liberal Democrats who pushed for it to be funded from outside the schools budget, and for it to feature specifically in thecoalition agreement. And it’s no secret that it was one of the sticking points of thenegotiations with Labour – they simply refused to agree to it – a policy designed to support the most vulnerable in our society and give them the chances that other children have – rejected by the Labour Party. Liberal Democrats are committed to the Pupil Premium because we understand thateducation can be a key driver of social mobility. But it is shameful that we still have aneducation system which too often perpetuates inequality rather than tackles it. The Pupil Premium will help in tackling Labour’s failure to break the link between social background and performance at school, opening up opportunities for children regardless of where they are born.The Coalition Government is now consulting on the way in which the premium should beimplemented. The consultation includes options for how deprivation should be calculated– in relation to children on Free School Meals– in relation to tax credits– by using marketing classifications like MOSAIC or ACORNAnd it includes questions about other groups who might benefit, such as children in care or children of those serving in the armed forces, and raises the issue of how it could be extended to cover children in the early years.

We are determined that it has the best possible impact and I urge you to get involved in the consultation and to give the Department for Education your views.

At the end of 2009/10 there was a 16.3% reduction in all crime across the Vale. This equates to an impressive 988 fewer offences during the year.The reduction included some specific crime categorise that are targets within the Community Safety Partnership (CSP) Plan.

Acquisitive crime (Burglary, robbery, theft of and from vehicle)
Within this category there was a 16.2 % reduction (108 actual offences).  This includes a significant reduction in vehicle crime of 20% (89 actual offences). 
In addition, there was a decrease in burglary of 8% (17 actual offences). 

A new waste collection service is being introduced in the Vale this autumn.The District Council is providing the new service which will help residents to recycle more and produce less waste.The service, which starts on October 4, will involve a new weekly collection of food waste, and fortnightly collections of rubbish and recycling from wheeled bins. A leaflet which explains how the new service will work is currently being delivered to all houses in the Vale. If you have signed up not to receive junk mail you may not receive this leaflet so please call the waste team on 01235 540528 and they will send you a copy. For more information about the new service please see the Vale’s website www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk, email admin.vale@verdant-group.co.uk or call 03000 610610.

Abingdon Town Council has confirmed its commitment to the opening up of the Lodge Hill full interchange. 

It has always been a top priority for us and we are keeping up the pressure on the County Council to re-instate it as one of their top priorities for Abingdon.

There has been a need for a full interchange ever since the A34 was originally built and labelled as the Abingdon By-Pass. The growth in the town’s population, seen in the many estates built in the last 40 years around the old town centre and the continuing growth in the use of cars year on year, only increases the need. The emergency services would also welcome a full interchange at Lodge Hill.

The latest report, commissioned by the County Council, clearly shows that there would be a considerable reduction in the traffic using the ring road with knock on reductions and other benefits elsewhere in our town.

Do you want the Lodge Hill access to the A34 to be a full interchange?  Do let me know.

There has been some misleading press coverage on the length  of time people  on the Vale District Council’s housing list  have to wait.  I would like to put the record straight.

The council’s housing register contained  just over 4,000 applicants in December. This high number is because the council runs an open register and anyone can apply. However many applicants don’t actually need the council’s help. Just over 30% of the total number of applicants have a housing need. 

The council lists all applicants in order, as required by law, with those in the greatest need at the top of the list. The severity of their need, and not the length of time they have been on the list, will decide in what order they are placed, and in what band.

On average a person in the highest need bands, if they are prepared to be flexible about where in the district they will live, will wait for only 2-3 months before achieving the home they want, through our very successful Choice-Based Lettings Scheme.

Undeniably there is real housing need in the district and the provision of affordable housing is a high priority for the council. We have achieved 1,931 affordable homes in the district since 1995 for local people. This year we expect to deliver more in spite of the effects of the recession.

Homelessness prevention is another key priority of the council. Many families threatened with homelessness have been helped through the work of our pro-active housing advice team. This year we expect to help 300 such households.

Did you know that at least 30 per cent of household rubbish can be composted? This is not only an excellent way of recycling waste, but can also provide you with natural compost for your garden.To help encourage people to compost more of their waste the Recycle Now campaign is offering compost bins at specially discounted prices. The composters cost much less than the suggested retail price and will be delivered to your house.The prices for standard composters are now:§  220 litre compost converter: £18.50§  330 litre compost converter: £21.50 To order a composter please phone 0845 130 60 90 or go to http://www.occ.getcomposting.com/  More information is available from the Oxfordshire Waste Partnership’s Composting Page or  the Recycle now website.

Oh dear, how quickly time passes and postings get out of date. I have been out of the loop for a few weeks -  delightful new grand-daughter, holiday,  and a Standards Board annual meeting in Birmingham have all been distractions. Now its back to the chamber and to mountains of post. I will update you on local issues as soon as I have completely caught up.

New Owners, New Shops, New Names 

I promised that there would be good news soon about the shopping precinct and here it is. Scottish Widows Investment Partnership (SWIP), new owners of the former  Bury Street shopping precinct has now announced details of their major investment in the centre. There will be a new name – Abbey Shopping Centre – and new stores to enhance shopping in the town. W.H.Smith have confirmed that they will open a large store  by mid-November. Toys UK has also agreed to come to Abingdon, and work is on schedule to meet their opening timescale of late September.These new stores are as a result of a concerted effort by SWIP to attract new shops to Abingdon. Since Scottish Widows Investment Partnership took over the management of the centre earlier this year, substantial progress has been made in reducing the number of vacant stores.  SWIP are also talking to the Council about bringing forward a comprehensive refurbishment and redevelopment programme to transform the Shopping Centre. The name Abbey Shopping Centre was inspired by Abingdon Abbey and this firmly places the centre at the heart of Abingdon.” Scottish Widows are currently working on a marketing campaign to bring the brand to life. They hope to have new signage in place very soon.

Many of us - councillors, community groups, trades-people and individuals work hard to emphasise and enhance Abingdon’s many good points and  it is very pleasing when we get outside recognition.  Our lovely Abbey Gardens, transformed by the Vale Council to the way it looked in its Victorian heyday,  has been rated as one of the best parks in the country and has  been given Green Flag status. This is a national standard awarded to the best green spaces in the country.

Green Flag status is only awarded to green spaces that are open to the public and free to use. They must meet strict criteria . Judges, who visited the gardens in May, said the gardens were well kept and beautifully designed. 

 What is your favourite Abingdon feature?

There is still work to be done in the town, as the press never stops telling us. This work is in hand and I hope we will be able to make some announcements soon. Meanwhile, for a change, lets focus on Abingdon’s many unique and beautiful selling points.

 what is YOUR favourite Abingdon beauty spot?

Home owners aged over 60 or over can now apply for a low interest loan to keep their homes safe and warm. 

This is a really good deal that will benefit residents who want to stay in their home but need to repair or adapt it to suit their needs as they get older.The Council Flexible Home Improvement Loan offers an interest rate lower than any available on the open market and it can be paid back at any time.The loans scheme has been introduced to help people stay in their own homes and is supported by Government funding. At the moment the interest rate charged is 3.5 per cent – lower than any commercial loan  – and this is fixed for the period of the loan. The loan is also truly flexible as you do not have to make any repayments during your lifetime, or you can opt to pay it back monthly, or occasionally if you prefer. The only condition is that if you sell your home or no longer live there that the loan is paid back along with any interest accrued.

Loans are available for improvements ranging from essential care and maintenance, central heating, new windows and doors, replacement bathroom suites, security or adaptations like stairlifts. If it improves the warmth, safety or comfort of the home it is eligible.

Contact the Vale council - 01235 520202 if you would like to know more.