Bishop urging a re-think on fire station closures

THE BISHOP of Warwick has waded into the debate over proposed fire station closures, saying officials need to “seriously rethink” the idea.

The Rt Rev John Stroyan claims the consultation process is biased, and that lives could be put at risk.

He spoke out after a series of heated meetings between residents and senior fire officers came to an end.

“The people of Warwick and Warwickshire are hugely concerned about these proposals,” said the bishop.

“The questions in the consultation document are highly skewed to get the answers they want.

“If there is to be a genuine consultation, given the almost universal public concern about the proposals, there will need to be some serious rethinking, taking into account the legitimate concerns that are being raised.

“After all, surely we are all after the same thing: increased public safety?”

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue service wants to close Brinklow, Kenilworth, Bedworth, Warwick, Studley, Fenny Compton and Bidford stations, and cut the number of retained firefighters by 100, although there would be 20 new full-time firefighters.

The proposals have angered thousands of residents across Warwickshire who have started campaigns and petitions to keep their local fire stations open, despite assurances that response times would be unaffected

A march through Warwick town centre will also take place on
Sunday December 6, from Shire Hall.

Consultation on the proposals closes on Tuesday December 8.

The outcomes will then be presented in a report to cabinet on January 28, which will be made public, before a final decision is made by Warwickshire County Council on February 9.

n To have your say visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/fireandrescue or email fireandrescue@warwickshire.gov.uk.

Crackdown targets driving ‘fatal four’

A CHRISTMAS crackdown on drink and drug drivers has been launched by Warwickshire Police who are warning people to think of the consequences before they get behind the wheel.

And as part of this year’s festive warning, officers have vowed to breathalyse more motorists than ever before.

Police will be carrying out roadside breath tests on drivers they suspect are over the limit. And an advertising crusade, which includes a series of posters and leaflets warning of the dangers of drink-driving, are also part of the plans.

Chief Inspector Chris Lewis, who heads the Operations Task Force, said: “Last year in Warwickshire we breathalysed more people than ever before in December but there is no room for complacency.

“Christmas time is party season and we want to tell people, if you’re going to a party, plan ahead. Think about what you’ll be doing the next day. Alcohol will still be in the system. If you’ve only had four or five hours sleep and you get up and think you’re all right, you won’t be.”

This year’s leaflets warning people not to drink and drive have been printed in a number of different languages, including Portuguese, Polish and Farsi.

Chief Inspector Lewis added: “These are the most requested translations across the county and are an indicator of the communities there are. For example, there are distinct Polish communities in Leamington.

“I feel quite excited about this added dimension as it will help to make sure Warwickshire’s roads are safer.

“In future we will look at other languages but this is a good starting point to spread the road safety message.”

During last year’s Christmas campaign 2,055 drivers were stopped in Warwickshire and were given roadside breath tests, of which 65 proved positive – a fall of 0.8 per cent from 2007.

In December 2007 police arrested 62 drivers, four per cent of the 1,549 stopped and tested, over the festive period, which was down on the same period in 2006, when 92 drivers were arrested and seven per cent of 1,325 motorists breathalysed.

Chief Inspector Mike Slemensek, the force’s diversity manager, has welcomed the move to get the message about the dangers of drink driving to more people.

He said: “Warwickshire Police takes every opportunity to reach all members of the community to protect them from harm and by providing this information in their own language we can make sure that they fully understand the rules of the road and the dangers of ignoring them.”

This year’s campaign has also widened the warning to include three other key causes of death and serious injury on the road – speed, lack of seat belts and distraction.

Chief Inspector Lewis said: “We call these three, along with impairment because of drink or drugs, the fatal four. They are behind most deaths on roads and we are sending out the message that we don’t want people to do these things.

“We want people to enjoy themselves and we’re not against parties. People can have a drink and relax but just make sure you plan what you’re doing.”

n What do you think? Write to us or email timesletters@mrn.co.uk

Death rates in Warwick Hospital higher than the national average

DEATH rates in Warwick Hospital are higher than the national average in six categories, according to a damning new report.

Independent health watchdog Dr Foster has named South Warwickshire General Hospitals NHS Trust, which manages the hospital, as one of the worst performing in the country for patient safety.

Its report reveals there were more deaths than expected for patients who had suffered a stroke, a heart attack, a broken hip and for those who had been admitted for a low-risk operation like a tonsillectomy, compared to the national average.

Significantly, deaths from emergency admissions and the overall death rate are also above the national average for the trust, which also runs the outpatients part of Stratford Hospital.

For these latter two mortality rates, when 100 people were expected to die given the circumstances, there were actually 116 deaths.

The Dr Foster report says that because this figure is so much higher “chance is an unlikely explanation.”

It has placed the trust’s patient safety score 121st out of the 146 trusts in England – giving it a patient safety summary score of just 17.81 out of a possible 100.

But a spokesman for the trust said they are “frustrated” with the Dr Foster analysis, as the trust has been making progress with patient safety, according to a national campaign. And the hospital’s mortality levels have been falling over the last three years.

She said: “The trust has not received any mortality alerts during the year from quality regulators which are the formal channels to flag any concerns.”

But mortality alerts occur when the odds of dying following a diagnosis or procedure are doubled for a number of groups.

The trust has also questioned the way Dr Foster calculates its Hospital Standardised Mortality Ratio (HSMR), which is used as a benchmark for expected deaths.

The trust’s medical director Steve Mather said: “The Dr Foster HSMR calculation takes its data from that which each hospital provides to the Department of Health.

“That data may not be completely accurate which then calls into question the validity of the calculation.

“A further complicating matter is the secrecy surrounding the methodology used by Dr Foster which does not allow individual trusts to scrutinise their own results.”

But research director and co-founder of Dr Foster, Roger Taylor, said: “We make every effort to check with the hospital trusts the data they supply to us, and to accommodate changes where they have made a mistake.

“Dr Foster has been analysing and publishing mortality data for almost a decade and the methodology has been extensively peer reviewed in academic journals.

“HSMRs are published by the government on the NHS Choices website and used by many leading healthcare organisations around the world.”

But Mr Mather said: “The index does make the trust aware of a potential problem, which is why the hospital has established a mortality group to look at all deaths occurring within the hospital, examining the causes and making recommendations to individual departments.”

Other areas of Warwick Hospital showed good progress according to its own records. No patients have contracted MRSA while in hospital since April 2009, and in the same period there have been 33 cases of C. difficile when its target was 63 or less.

Paul Jennings, chief executive of NHS Warwickshire, said: “South Warwickshire is a good trust and patients can be confident of high quality NHS care when they go there.”

Initiative a success as crime falls

ANTI-SOCIAL behaviour has been slashed by 46 per cent in a year following the launch of Warwickshire’s Safer Schools initiative.

New figures for the last quarterly report show falls in crime across the board in areas where Safer Schools are in place.

Measured against last year’s figures, the report revealed criminal damage has dropped by 31 per cent and reports of violence are down 24 per cent.

Safer Schools is a partnership initiative between Warwickshire Police, Warwickshire County Council and selected Warwickshire schools, which sees a police community support officer (PCSO) based on the school sites to offer support to pupils and teachers and the local community.

PCSOs are also involved in promoting positive activities to support PSHE (Personal Social and Health Education) and citizenship studies, offering advice about personal safety and providing early intervention for students at risk.

David Whitehouse, head of community protection at Warwickshire Police, said: “One year on and we are seeing real benefits to the environment both within schools and the surrounding area.

“There have been some excellent partnership examples proving the success of this innovative scheme, with real impact for our young people in particular”

Safer Schools was launched as a pilot in six Warwickshire schools in September 2008.

Campion School in Leamington was one of six schools chosen to take part.

The schools were chosen based on criteria including location of the school in relation to the community and the need for local support.

The long term goal is to extend the programme to all of the county’s secondary schools.

More schools will become involved this year and then a county-wide roll-out will see school clusters forming with groups of schools working with a full-time PCSO in each area of the county.

This cluster model has already proved to be successful in the delivery of extended services and it is hoped that the two initiatives will continue to be developed side by side.

Warwickshire County Councillor, Izzi Seccombe, portfolio holder for children, young people and families, said: “We have seen the positive effect Safer Schools has made in Warwickshire and I’m
really excited that the programme has been rolled out to more schools in the area.”

Spa Centre future looks brighter

THE future of Leamington’s Spa Centre looks brighter after councillors agreed to look at ways to transform the venue.

Warwick District Council’s executive committee met last week to discuss recommendations put forward, which look at the future of the 37-year-old entertainment venue in Newbold Terrace.

Members voted to support the Task and Finish group’s recommendations, which means a detailed business plan will be developed for the venue that looks to find ways to reduce the subsidy currently required.

Last year the Spa Centre had to be subsidised £557,508 by Warwick District Council.

And figures show the centre can lose up to £2,000 each time it hosts a show.

Council officers will also complete a detailed market- testing exercise to consider alternatives for the venue.

Investigations will take place to look at alternative venues which could be used by community groups in the future.

Cllr Susan Gallagher, portfolio holder for culture, said: “Every effort will be made to transform the venue into a more cost-effective operation. This will hopefully be achieved through the introduction of a revised programme of acts and artists and more effective marketing of the venue.”

These actions will be top priority for the Spa Centre’s newly appointed general manager, Antony Flint, who will take the lead in January 2010 after leaving his current post at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry.

Cllr Gallagher added: “We are aware of the wide range of community groups currently using the venue and want to assure them that we will retain close communication to understand their needs.

“This information will be vital to enable us to protect the valuable contribution these groups offer the local community.”

The Spa Centre opened in 1972 and includes an 800-seat theatre and a 200-seat cinema.

It hosts productions by local amateur dramatics companies including Leamington and Warwick Musical Society, the Spa Theatre Company and Spa Opera Group.

The National Blood Service also holds drop-in donation sessions.

Kenilworth take-away's late night licence revoked

RESIDENTS plagued by rowdy behaviour near a Kenilworth take-away have welcomed a decision to revoke its late night licence.

Warwick District Council has ordered Kenilworth Kebab House, on the corner of Warwick Road and Queens Road, to close early to stop drunks disturbing people nearby.

Councillors made the decision last week after a review of the take-away was called by police following a string of complaints reporting noise, nuisance and anti-social behaviour.

It means the shop must now close at 11pm each night instead of 1.30am.

Complaints were also made about customers being served hot food out of hours. Under its original licence no food was to be consumed off premises after midnight.

Jacob Johnson, aged 56, who lives nearby, said: “It’s about time. There have been problems for over a year. I blame the people going out, getting drunk and making a nuisance of themselves because they have nothing better to do.

“Half the time I don’t think they even want any food. Shutting early hopefully means people will go elsewhere and stop disturbing us.

“I understand when people go out and get drunk, they get loud. I can tolerate that sometimes but it’s happened too often here and a lot of the time it’s not just them being noisy, they can be aggressive too.”

Vanessa Little, 34, who also lives nearby, added: “If the take-away has been serving food later than it should have been, they’ve only got themselves to blame.

“The place just seems to attract trouble. Probably because I think it’s one of the only places that does open so late, it means people automatically go there after a night out.

“I’m glad something’s been done because it can be quite intimidating around there. I wouldn’t like to go there, especially at a weekend.”

A third resident, who asked not to be named, said: “I sometimes wish the take-away wasn’t there at all. I use it occasionally but never late at night. It can be like running a gauntlet to even get there, you could easily get caught up in something.

“I imagine closing early won’t be good for business but if it makes this area a nicer place to live and makes it safer and stops all of this, then I’m glad.”

A council report to last week’s licence review hearing stated: “Warwick District Council has captured CCTV images of persons entering and exiting the premises after midnight on numerous occasions.

“The footage clearly shows on one occasion males leaving the premises with packages after midnight and discarding paper wrappers from the takeaway food onto the pavement.”

David Davies, licensing services manager at Warwick District Council, said: “Three councillors from the licensing committee made the decision.

“The decision was taken mainly because the take-away broke the conditions of their licence on several occasions by serving food later than they should have been.

“They can’t serve food after midnight, but clearly were even after being interviewed by police about it.

“Police asked for a review and presented CCTV evidence showing this and revocation was the decision taken.

“I would think the police will be very pleased with this as they asked for the review and the revocation and that’s what they’ve got.

“The take-away has 21 days to appeal the decision. If they appeal, it will be heard by the magistrates’ court who can decide to uphold the decision made by the council, reject it, add conditions to it, or ask the council to rehear it.”

No-one from Kenilworth Kebab House was available for comment as the Times went to press.

‘Evening all’ a term of the past

POLICE officers in Warwickshire are being urged not to use greetings such as “evening” and “afternoon” in case it confuses people from different cultures.

The advice was revealed in the results of a Freedom of Information request to police forces and fire services about the guidance they give their staff on their use of language.

It found that in Warwickshire Police’s handbook Policing Our Communities, issued to every member of its staff, advice is given on communicating with people from different ethnic groups.

Under a section entitled “Communication, Some Do’s & Don’ts” it advises officers on communicating with people from different ethnic groups.

It states: “Don’t assume those words for the time of day, such as afternoon or evening have the same meaning.”

A spokesman said: “Terms such as ‘afternoon’ and ‘evening’ are somewhat subjective in meaning and can vary according to a person’s culture or nationality. In many cultures the term evening is linked to the time of day when people have their main meal.

“In some countries including the UK, the evening meal time is traditionally thought of as being around 5-7pm but this might be different say for a family say from America who might have their main meal earlier and thus for them ‘evening’ may be an earlier time.

“The point is there is an element of subjectivity leading to a variation between cultures that we need to be aware of – taking steps as far as possible to ensure our communication is effective in serving the public.”

Officers are also advised not to use phrases that include black in a negative context, such as ‘black mark’ or ‘black day’.

And they are advised: “Do take care to be patient and reassuring when accent or language hinders communication. Remember, a translator could be useful.”

But critics have said the guidelines lack common sense.

Marie Claire, of the Plain English Campaign, said: “There comes a point when common sense must prevail.

“I have never heard of anyone being confused as to what part of the day it is. When the police need absolute accuracy over when something happened, then I am sure they use the exact time."

Pipe-laying monster is a cut above

A HUGE machine has been brought in to try and speed up the pipe-laying operation on the A425 near Leamington.

National Grid hired the cutting machine to chop through the surface of the road after Warwickshire County Council stressed that, as the busiest road in Warwickshire, it cannot remain closed into December and will have to re-open – even if the works have not been completed.

Highways engineers at the county council have also informed National Grid not to go across the Chesford Bridge – instead they are going through the fields to the north of the bridge.

National Grid is also looking at ‘no dig’ techniques for the works on the approach to Kenilworth.

Councillor Alan Cockburn, Warwickshire County Council’s portfolio holder for the environment, said: “We have worked closely over the last 12 months bringing sections forward and encouraging them to use no dig techniques to keep disruption to a minimum.

“This is an example of true partnership working. They need to complete the work and we need the disruption kept to a minimum.”

Warwickshire County Council has also been told that National Grid intends to use one of these machines at the other end of the road close to Southam, to reduce traffic disruption there as well.

National Grid project manager, Stan Best, said: “This work is part of a major project to replace a large 18-inch diameter metal main with new, hard-wearing plastic pipe.

“Unfortunately, because of the size of the pipe and its position in the road we cannot work safely while keeping the traffic flowing. Therefore we will have to close this stretch of road while the work is being done.

“Unfortunately roadworks are disruptive, but we are working closely with Warwickshire County Council to keep that disruption to a minimum.

“I would ask motorists to bear with us while we carry out this essential work.”

The work is being carried out by the West Midlands Gas Alliance, a partnership between National Grid and leading utilities company Morgan Est.

The project is part of National Grid’s 30-year programme to improve the safety and reliability of the gas supply network by replacing all metal gas pipes that lie within 30m of property.

Fire protests

HUNDREDS of protestors are expected to march through Warwick next month as anger over plans to close the town’s fire station continues to grow.

The march has been organised by independent Warwick district councillor Karen Scarrott who is backing the bid to keep the fire station open following the death of her 14-year-old daughter, Jade, who was killed in a road accident in 2004.

Mrs Scarrott said: “This is the last opportunity for residents to come together and stand united against the proposals.

“There are so many reasons why we need to keep Warwick fire station open. There is the increase in housing development and it goes without saying there is a hospital here.

“I also have a personal interest in this because my daughter, Jade, was killed five years ago in a collision in Leamington. Firefighters were there within minutes.

“From that I know firemen work from the heart, that’s the type of people they are.”

Protestors are set to meet on December 6 at 11.30am at the town’s Racecourse by Hill Close Gardens.

The march to Shire Hall will start at noon, before heading to the fire station in Albert Street.

It is hoped people from all over the country will attend.

Mrs Scarrott added: “I’ve had very positive feedback from Warwickshire, and people from further afield have also said they’ll come along and support us.

“Firefighters do so much for the community. There is also the risk of increased flooding, which firefighters are vital for.

“My house flooded in 1998 which you never would have expected because Warwick is on a hill.

“I’m all for moving with the times, but you shouldn’t fix what isn’t broken.

“Firefighters can’t be in two places at once and they shouldn’t be forced to choose between incidents.

“I’m a Warwick girl born and bred. Five generations of my family are Warwickians. The fire station has been in Warwick for years and it is still very much needed.”

MP James Plaskitt is also backing the march.

Last week he met with the chief fire officer, Graeme Smith, to discuss the planned closures.

He said: “I’m concerned by the closures across Warwickshire and I’m keeping in touch with similar campaigns in other areas. But I’m concentrating my efforts on Warwick as it’s within the constituency that I was elected to represent.

“The county councillors need to listen to the concerns of people all over Warwickshire and re-think their plans.

“They seem to be more concerned with saving money than saving lives. I met with the chief fire officer and put some of the many points people have raised with me directly to him. Once again, I did not receive any reassuring answers.”

A final decision on the proposals, which would also see Kenilworth fire station close, is expected to be made by county councillors after the public consultation ends in December.

The month sees the last eight of 19 public meetings take place.

Chief fire officer, Graeme Smith, said: “I hope that I have made it clear to all residents that despite what has been reported, this is a true consultation, which needs the views of Warwickshire residents.”

All responses to the consultation need to be in by the closing date on December 8 in order to be con-
sidered.

Blaze won’t stop the celebrations

LEAMINGTON’S Bath Place is celebrating its 150th anniversary next month, despite fire almost destroying the building in September.

A drop-in session is being held at South Lodge, Jephson Gardens, opposite the Pump Rooms on November 3 to commemorate the opening of Bath Place National Schools in 1859.

Many children in early Victorian England never went to school and more than half never learned to read or write.

Churches eventually started to run Sunday Schools, followed by day schools, and by the end of Queen Victoria’s reign, all children under 12 had to go to school.

In 1822, a school was founded in Church Lane, Leamington, and later transferred to Kenilworth Street in 1829.

Ten years later, half of the pupils were moved to the old workhouse in Court Street and in 1846 the Kenilworth Street site closed.

In 1851, the Court Street site was also closed and the school moved to temporary accommodation in Clemens Street.

Finally, in 1859 the National Schools opened in Bath Place as Leamington Priors All Saints Church of England Junior and Infants School.

The year after the school closed in 1973, Bath Street Community Venture was established in Bath Place, with the aim of helping local people access support, information and education they could not get elsewhere.

The Venture remained in Bath Place until September this year when fire destroyed much of the historical building.

A week of celebrations had been planned to take place in October but had to be postponed.

But at the drop-in session on November 3, visitors will be able to sign a memory book, add their name to a petition to restore services after the fire and visit the Victorian schoolroom at the lodge.

There will also be the chance to contribute to the Bath Place com-munity archive project, Moving Times.

The event runs from 9.30am to 7pm, with
refreshments provided by the award-winning Veggie Table Cafe.

New chief refuting claims on cut plans

WARWICKSHIRE’S fire chief has hit out at accusations that the Fire and Rescue Service Improvement Plan is just about saving money.

If the Improvement Plan goes ahead, seven fire stations across the county will close and up to 100 firefighters could lose their jobs.

Concerns have been raised about the DNV report, an independent risk assessment, including the costs which would be saved by the Improvement Plan proposals.

But chief fire officer, Graeme Smith, said that if the savings aren’t made, money cannot be reinvested into things such as more training to carry out community fire safety activities including carrying out safety checks on smoke alarms.

He added: “I know that residents have concerns about the proposals and I do understand why they are focusing on what is happening to their local station. However, I would urge people to think carefully about the whole plan and understand that we have to invest in our firefighters, community fire safety activities and new equipment, in order to make our communities safer.

“Many of our current ways of working were shaped over 50 years ago when Warwickshire was a different place. Threats and hazards have changed since then; which means that we also need to change if we are to properly protect the county’s residents.

“The proposed closure of any
station is obviously a huge step and at this stage, that is what they are – proposals. I want to assure com-
munities that their voice will be
listened to, but equally I would like them to look at the impact on the Fire and Rescue Service if we don’t make the changes towards becoming a fitter, stronger, Fire and Rescue Service.”

Portfolio Holder for Community
Protection, Councillor Richard Hobbs, added: “We understand and acknowledge these proposals will present
difficult decisions and there are local fears about what is going to happen in the area they live. I would like to reassure residents their views are being listened to and will be considered as part of the consultation process.

“However, as portfolio holder for community protection, it is my aim to protect our firefighters and the people of Warwickshire. This cannot be achieved if we do not modernise the service to tackle the incidents our communities now face.”

Around 5000 have already signed a petition to save Warwick Fire Station, with another 2000 joining the Facebook group.

There is still plenty of time to have your say about the Improvement Plan proposals. Consultation meetings are being held around the county including at the town hall, on The Parade in Leamington at 7pm on November 3 and in the Graham Adams Centre, St James Road, Southam on November 12 at 7pm.

Leamington's Spa Centre could close

LEAMINGTON’S loss-making Spa Centre will close its doors for good unless residents start visiting it, a district councillor has warned.

The 37-year-old venue in Newbold Terrace had to be subsidised £557,508 by Warwick District Council last year.

It can lose up to £2,000 every time it hosts a show.

And now the district council, which owns the building, is considering shutting the centre to help it make planned savings of £1.6million by 2013.

Councillor Susan Gallagher, the district councillor responsible for culture, said: “The decision is nowhere near definite but it is an option that’s been looked at.

“Everybody is trying to save money – life is tough; it’s no different for councils.

“A group of councillors looked at the costs and expenses of a lot of things and how taxpayer’s money is being used.

“It’s true the theatre is making a loss but most community theatres do.

“I personally will be fighting like crazy to keep it open. Leamington needs a theatre. But people must go and use the venue.

“To the people complaining that it might shut, I would ask them, ‘When is the last time you went?’ I want people to go to the theatre and see the tremendous work it does.”

The Spa Centre opened in 1972 and includes an 800-seat theatre and a 200-seat cinema.

It hosts productions by local amateur dramatics companies including Leamington and Warwick Musical Society, the Spa Theatre Company and Spa Opera Group.

The National Blood Service also holds drop-in donation sessions.

Cllr Gallagher added: “We have a great programme of events coming up; for example the Ice Show is stunning. But we need people to go.

“Cultural things may be something people don’t have to go to, but it is very nice to go out and it’s not too expensive. I will do all I can to save the Spa Centre. I’m a local person, I use the centre and a great variety of shows go on there featuring highly talented people.

“The people working at the centre do a great job, they don’t want to see it closed.

“We desperately need the Spa Centre in Leamington. If we lose it, we’ll never get it back.”

But the group of councillors identified a number of problems with the centre, including the design of the building and an overall lack of a defined role the venue should play.

A list of possible options for the centre’s future has been drawn up, including closing the centre and
redeveloping the area into a hotel and conference centre, transferring the centre to a trust or closing the centre, selling the land and rebuilding on another site.

The committee also emphasised the need to consult widely with the public before any decisions are made.

A spokesperson for Warwick District Council said: “A report has been presented to the Executive outlining different options. Closing the centre isn’t the only option, although if the centre doesn’t bring in money it will have to be considered.

“A group of councillors put the report together and at the minute, we’re just asking for councillors to comment on them.

“No decision has been made and won’t be for a while.”

Plaskitt ordered to pay back £112

LEAMINGTON and Warwick MP James Plaskitt has been ordered to pay back £112 – following an independent review of MPs’ expenses claims.

An inquiry was carried out by Sir Thomas Legg, appointed by the House of Commons to review all expenses made by MPs over the last five years.

As well as looking at second home allowances, Mr Legg said all expenses claims should only be made for the performance of Parliamentary duties, should not be excessive and should be “value for money.”

The £112 Mr Plaskitt has been asked to pay back is for a payment the fees office inadvertently made twice in 2004.

He has also been asked to supply mortgage statements to Sir Thomas, so the auditor can double check claims for mortgage interest.

Mr Plaskitt said: “I welcome this process, which should help close the debate on our old discredited allowances system. I will fully comply with the auditor’s requests.

“The double payment of one amount in 2004 was, in the auditor’s view, an error by the Common’s administration, not me. But I will, of course, repay it anyway, without question.

“I already knew my mortgage claim was wrong in 2004/05. It was corrected at the time, and I repaid £900. I will let the auditor have the documents he is requesting as quickly as I can. If there was any more over-claim, then, of course, I will repay the amount without question.”

All of his other expenses claims have been cleared.

Jeremy Wright, Rugby and Kenilworth MP, has not revealed Sir Thomas Legg’s recommendations, but said: “I am happy to co-operate with Sir Thomas Legg’s review.

“It is clear that his provisional conclusions have been reached without sight of some significant information, which I will supply to him as soon as I can.

“My constituents have been able to see what I have claimed and they can see that I have done nothing extravagant or dishonest.”

Fire station closures will increase risk

A RISK assessment of the proposed closure of seven Warwickshire fire stations has finally been made public – and it reveals that average response times will increase if the plans are approved.

The risk analysis report by consultants Det Norske Veritas was presented to Warwickshire County Council’s cabinet in July.

Up until now, the document has not been made available to members of the public because it was believed to be too complex.

But it has now been posted on Warwickshire County Council’s website for the public to access.

The aim of the risk review is to provide an independent assessment of the risks of the nine improvement objectives put forward by Warwickshire Fire and Rescue, including flooding response, small fires unit, duty systems and resources and false alarm attendance policy.

And it revealed that there will be an impact on the average response time, if the proposals are given the go-ahead.

While the review says the service will continue to meet emergency response standards of 10 minutes for urban call-outs and 20 minutes for rural call-outs, it said there will be an 18 second increase in average response times, which will increase fire and road accident risks.

The report said that this would require “careful management of change.”

It concluded: “Objective one increases risk, but this is outweighed by the significant cost saving.”

It also said there would be a large reduction in call-outs for false alarms, reducing wear and tear, fuel consumption and road accident risk because, under the proposals, there will be no attendance at automatic fire alarms without human confirmation of a fire.

However, the fire brigade will still respond to automatic fire alarms at defined premises that are slow to evacuate, such as hospitals and care homes.

But the risk analysis said there would be a “slower response to fires detected automatically and a consequent increase in fire damage risk”.

The study concluded that the overall package of improvements would be beneficial.

But it said there were some uncertainties in the proposals because it had been completed over a short timescale and makes use of national calculations of the effects of response times, instead of local models.

The proposals are also based on fire statistics from 2006/07 and fire damage costs from 2004, instead of using more recent data which the analysis said would “have a small impact because fire frequencies have reduced but costs have increased.”

Warwick and Leamington MP James Plaskitt, who is continuing his campaign to stop the fire station closures, said: “The secret internal report shows this is a hurried cost-cutting exercise which carries significant risk to the community.

“It’s shocking that the council has been trying to hide this evidence throughout the consultation, and instead set out a deliberately misleading prospectus.”

Mr Plaskitt also arranged a meeting with the Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Warwick firefighter Ben Cleminson to raise concerns about the proposals.

He added: “I continue to be inundated with support for my campaign to save Warwick Fire Station. The petition is now at 6,000 and still growing.

“Now we can add the occupant at 10 Downing Street to the list. Having listened to what Ben had to say, the Prime Minister has asked me to keep him briefed on the progress of my campaign.”

Post strike hits Warwickshire

USINESS and educations leaders in Wawickshire have condemned the national post strike for the devastating impact it will cause.

The strike, which will cripple Christmas deliveries and could cost the economy £1.5billion, looked set to go ahead despite last-ditch talks.

Local business leaders say it must be stopped and education bosses are warning it could cost children a place at their preferred secondary school.

Bosses from the Communication Workers Union announced plans for the national strike last week.

As the Times went to press, mail centre staff and drivers were planning to walk out for 24 hours tomorrow.

Delivery and collection staff were also planning to stage a 24 hour strike on Friday as part of a bitter dispute over pay, conditions and modernisation.

A series of strikes have already been held in Leamington, with distribution workers at Priory Terrace walking out and postal workers in Warwick refusing to work overtime.

But business leaders are warning a national strike will have a devastating effect.

Bruce Undy, chairman of the Warwickshire and Coventry branch of the Federation of Small Businesses, said: “At a time when small businesses are cutting costs and doing all they can to keep afloat during the recession, the postal strikes can have a disastrous impact on their cash flow.

“FSB research shows that small businesses find it difficult to find an alternative carrier to Royal Mail because of their smaller mailing volumes.”

A spokesman for the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce added: “The previous postal delays have already hurt small businesses as well as major companies. Many are already finding it a struggle. Striking will solve nothing, it will just hurt them even more, especially in the run up to Christmas which is a vital time for them.

“The union and Royal Mail need to continue talks until they work something out which will avoid a national strike.”

A national strike could also mean children in Warwickshire fail to get a place at their preferred secondary school.

Forms listing favoured schools need to be posted to Warwickshire County Council by the end of the month.

But the Local Government Association has warned a national post strike will “throw the system into disarray” and mean parents could have to courier letters to the council or drop them off themselves.

To try and ease the problem, Warwickshire County Council has extended its deadline from October 23 to October 30, but parents will have to prove they posted their form before October 23.

There could also be delays for people across the county who receive benefits and pensions by post.

A spokesman for the Department for Working Pensions said: “Only two per cent of people nationwide receive theirs by post so the vast majority of people won’t be affected.

“But for those who are, we have contingency plans in place. Couriers will take cheques to local post offices for people to pick them up from.”

South Warwickshire General Hospitals NHS Trust has also put plans in place in case of a strike.

Mark Rowlands, hotel services manager, said: “If the postal strikes were to take place, the Trust has
arrangements with Royal Mail to ensure that there is limited disruption to the service.

“If the strikes were to continue for longer periods of time and Royal Mail couldn’t continue with the contingency arrangements then we would seek alternative suppliers.”

Royal Mail has condemned the national strike as “appalling and unjustified”.

But union leaders say they have tried to stop the strike and said they were concerned about Royal Mail’s plans to bring in 300,000 temps to keep mailing moving during the strikes.

A spokesman for CWU said: “We’re disappointed that Royal Mail appears to be more interested in sidelining the views and concerns of its staff than reaching an agreement to bring this dispute to an end.

“CWU remains available for talks to avoid a strike.”

New home found for blaze-hit centre

NEW home has been found for Bath Place Community Venture after it was virtually destroyed by fire last month.

Venture bosses received confir-mation yesterday that the Leamington project will be able to move into Warwickshire College’s old library building – for the next six months.

The old library building, in York Road, used to be the girl’s school and arts college, but has been
unused for months, and is in need of a face-lift.

The Venture estimates it will take four to six weeks to bring the building back to life, before they can open from it, and start running their services as normal.

Claire Glasbey, marketing and events manager, said: “We are very excited about our move to the library as this allows a beautiful building to return to community use, and provides us with some fantastic space for new and exciting opportunities.

“But while this work is in progress, we will be unable to provide public access to the building until this is complete.”

A new home has also been found for Bath Place nursery, which is currently being run from Shrubland Street Primary School.

And plans to run a mobile catering unit to allow the Veggie Cafe to continue are also being investigated.

Fire swept through the Bath Place building on September 24 when work was being carried out on the roof. Around 50 people had to be evacuated. More than 30 groups used to be run from the Venture, which regularly saw up to 900 people a week come through the door.

No work has been carried out on the building since the fire, and it is not yet known whether or not it will be rebuilt.

The Venture is also asking for donations of any unwanted furniture, such as meeting room
furniture, that they could use in their new home. Call 01926 338 421 if you have something to
donate.

A Facebook group has also been set up for people to keep up to date with progress – just log in and search for Bath Place Community Venture.

Theatre forced to stop using children

A LEAMINGTON theatre company has been forced to stop using children in its productions because of new child protection measures put forward by the government.

The trustees of the Loft Theatre Company, in Victoria Colonnade, have decided not to use under-18s in future plays because of the recently proposed vetting and barring scheme.

And current legislation has also forced the theatre to stop using under-16s.

Michael Rayns, chairman of the Loft Theatre Company, said: “We took two decisions. The first was dealing with existing law that relates to people up to the age of 16.

“We took the decision not to use under-16s because of the bureaucracy we are currently faced with. At the minute, under-16s have to be accompanied everywhere by a chaperone.

“The chaperones also have to have CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) checks. That’s even if they already
have had a check and are, for example, teachers.

“This is just crazy, mad and stupid and we don’t want to play those games.

“The second is to do with the new vetting and barring system that relates to children under-18. No-one can tell us what the rules are.

“I tried to ask the Independent Safeguarding Agency but they said they don’t know yet.

“When the regulations come out, they will come from three different government organisations and I’m just not interested. To be involved with all three would be a nightmare. It would be madness.”

From next year, employees who have regular contact with children must register with the Independent Safeguarding Authority – a new vetting agency that will check the backgrounds of an estimated 11.3million people in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Detailed guidance has not yet been published but the theatre company said it feared everyone, from its stage carpenter and barman, would have to be screened before they were allowed to work alongside youngsters.

Mr Rayns added: “We don’t use vast numbers of children in our productions but some productions do call for a child. We couldn’t stage Macbeth and we can’t do a Winter’s Tale without a child.

“It actually does have quite an impact. It’s insane. I don’t think the new rules were intended to stop children in the theatre but it will have that effect.

“If people are prepared to go along with the new rules, it’s up to them. We’re not.”

A review of the proposals is currently taking place after concerns were raised that parents who take children to sports matches would be included in the measures.

A Home Office spokesman said: “The new Vetting and Barring Scheme will mean everyone working or volunteering in a supervisory role with children will have to be checked to ensure they do not pose a risk. We believe this is a common sense approach and what parents would expect.

“In recognition of the fantastic contribution that volunteers make to our community, this check will be free for those undertaking unpaid work.”

Plans to replace Leamington’s Loft Theatre with restaurants and offices were approved by Warwick District Council last week.

The theatre company plans to move from its current home in Victoria Colonnade to the former United
Reformed Church in Spencer Street next year.

The church, a grade II listed building, will be able to host productions with other companies, as well as classical music, opera, dance and film events.

Violence drops by one third

REPORTS of domestic violence in Warwickshire have dropped by one third, new figures show.

Between April and August 2009, 269 fewer people (31 per cent) reported a physical domestic assault to police.

Police say the drop is due partly to more protection being available to victims.

Detective Chief Inspector James Essex, who heads up Warwickshire’s Domestic Abuse Unit, said: “Domestic related violence – a major cause of harm – has been massively reduced as a result of effective police and partnership action and greater protection for victims is now being delivered.”

DCI Essex said the contribution that domestic abuse makes to Warwickshire’s overall violence figures has fallen from 30 per cent to 26 per cent.

DCI Essex added: “Domestic abuse whether physical, emotional, financial or sexual is totally unacceptable.

“We are taking positive action in every case and arresting abusers wherever possible.

“All incidents are managed by the duty inspector. The incident cannot be closed until that officer is satisfied with the service provided.

“Significant improvements have been made by police and partners to increase protection to
victims from harm in Warwickshire. This includes increased staffing in the Domestic Abuse Unit, improved officer and staff training, vigorous incident monitoring and review processes, investigative improvements, and an expanded referrals desk.

“We now monitor and review all domestic abuse incidents reported daily at a tasking meeting bringing together senior officers from all areas of the force.

“This allows us to intervene more quickly and more effectively where needed, thereby reducing the number of incidents as a whole, including possible repeat offences against the same individual.”

An ongoing campaign is taking place in Warwickshire to try and combat domestic violence across the county.

Sue Ingram, domestic abuse manager at Warwickshire County Council, said: “There is a huge amount of positive work being done in the county to encourage people who are being abused to come forward and seek help and to deter abusers encouraging them to take responsibility for their behaviour.

“To be abused by someone you love or care about can have a devastating effect on people who do not know who to talk to about what is happening to them. That is why Warwickshire Police is working alongside 30 other public services and voluntary agencies including Warwickshire County Council as Warwickshire Against Domestic Abuse to encourage victims of domestic abuse to talk to someone.

“We hope this campaign has encouraged more people to seek help and change their situation.”

For more details about domestic abuse services in Warwickshire visit www.talk2someone.org.uk or call 0800 408 1552.

Police are heading towards crime cut

ATTEMPTS to cut crime in Warwickshire have been given a boost with the launch of headcams to catch offenders in action.

Following an initial pilot, 32 headcams have been bought by Warwickshire Police to help officers gather evidence of crimes taking place.

Last year, the force trialled the new technology in Leamington, Warwick, Kenilworth, Nuneaton and Bedworth.

Officers used the cameras to accumulate evidence to support prosecutions for incidents such as domestic abuse, anti-social behaviour and public disorder.

The pilot scheme proved successful in increasing protection to communities and the 32 new headcams will now be distributed across the force for use.

The Body Worn Video equipment records images and sound that can then be replayed.

The evidence recorded on the equipment is submissible in court and magistrates can see an individual’s behaviour in real time. The headcams self adjust for light and officers cannot edit anything on the recorder.

Chief Inspector Martin McNevin, who headed up the pilot scheme, said: “This is excellent news for the people of Warwickshire.

“The implementation and use of Body Worn Video equipment is seen as a positive step in securing evidence and information, to increase the level of protection that we afford our communities from harm.

“This technology is evolving rapidly and although we already have had some experience using headcams where they have proved valuable, we now have good technology to gather information throughout the county.

“We are hoping that the overt use of recording equipment will be a real deterrent to any potential offenders who we expect will modify their behaviour as soon as they see the cameras.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to increase the level of protection to our communities in Warwickshire and we will be encouraging officers to use the headcams as often as possible.”

Post office battle continues

ATTEMPTS to reopen a post office branch in Leamington are continuing despite initial proposals being rejected.

The Milverton branch was shut last year as part of a raft of post offices closures which also saw the West Street branch in Warwick shut.

Warwick District Council had launched a bid to try and incorporate a new post office counter into a revamp of its Riverside House building.

But Post Office Ltd has told the council it will not agree to the plans, saying the re-introduction of post office services in Milverton would be to the “detriment” of the remaining post offices in the area.

The new development at Riverside House will see a Citizens Advice Bureau, police, Credit Union, Warwickshire County Council and the District Council all under one roof.

And after significant work by council officers and Cllr Les Caborn, portfolio holder for customer and information services, the council had ensured that space for a post office facility was also part of the plans.

Cllr Caborn said: “This is obviously very disappointing news especially as the council was prepared to help with the funding to bring back this valuable community amenity. However, I’m determined that the pressure will continue on Post Offices Ltd and will ensure that should the Post Office see sense, space will be available at Riverside House.”

The campaign to reopen the Milverton post office branch has been backed by MP James Plaskitt who said he wasn’t convinced of the case for closing the branch.

In March, he sent out a survey to all Milverton residents asking how they had been affected by the closure of their branch and launched an online petition to save the post office.

But Mr Plaskitt said the council should be doing more to try and ensure the Milverton post office is eventually reopened.

He added: “Leaving an empty space and waiting for something to happen isn’t going to solve the problem.

“The Riverside House location was a good option but it sounds like the council has now given up.”

Fire bosses accused of covering up real number of Warwick incidents

FIRE bosses were accused of failing to reveal the real number of incidents attended by Warwick fire station during a heated public meeting to discuss fire service cuts.

About 100 concerned residents
attended Myton School on Monday to protest over plans put forward by Warwickshire Fire and Rescue
Service to axe jobs and close seven stations, including Warwick.

Among the protestors was MP James Plaskitt whose petition to save Warwick fire station has already been signed by more than 5,000 people.

He said: “That so many people have signed the petition shows the strength of feeling there is.”

But the Warwick and Leamington MP also accused the fire service of putting the wrong information in the consultation documents.

Mr Plaskitt, who lives in Warwick, said: “There is a section in the consultation document showing statistics of activity levels at the station, and in
respect of Warwick, it says that over the last five years there were 1,231 incidents But I’ve been in to the fire station and gone through the log books and counted 2,026 incidents. Warwick
fire station is the busiest retained fire station in the south of the county. Can you explain that?”

Glen Ranger, the county’s deputy chief fire officer, defended the figures and said the fire service wasn’t trying to hide anything. He added: “I should imagine the figures were the number of incidents on Warwick ground, not the number they attended altogether.

“We’ll look into it, it won’t change the plans but it’s not something we’re trying to keep a secret.”

Residents also raised concerns about the pressure that would be put on Leamington fire station if Warwick fire station was to close.

Tim Griffiths, of Myton Road, said the towns were only linked by two bridges, which were heavily con-
gested at peak times. And other residents said the area would need more fire cover in the coming years, not less, as thousands of new homes are due to be built.

But Mr Ranger insisted there was “no issue” with the number of
incidents Leamington would have to attend.

“It is an easily manageable number,” he said. “We will still be able to attend fires in Warwick from Leamington in the same time as we do now from Warwick –
that’s 10 minutes for urban areas and
20 minutes for non-urban areas.

“We don’t see an increase in call-outs from Leamington because we intend to respond to a third less calls, which are hoax calls. At the minute, 35 per cent of calls are false alarms which is a massive drain.

“We are professional firefighters and are not going to make proposals that would put lives at risk.”

The new chief fire office for Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service was also called on to have his say.

Graeme Smith, who took over the top job from Paul Fuller on Monday, said: “It’s important to understand that there are some good things in the
proposals. But there is an impact, there’s no getting away from that.

“Fires are very difficult things, they are horrendous.

“We’re proposing to shift money from response to prevention – it’s
difficult to do everything all at once.

“It is a dilemma – we’re looking at things globally and trying to do the best we can.

“But it’s right for residents to look at things from a Warwick point of view. We’ll look at them together and see what we can do.”

Another public consultation is taking place on October 14 at Kenilworth School and Sports College starting at 6.30pm.

Plans to change pub into Tesco given go ahead

PLANS to convert a pub in Lillington into a Tesco store have been given the go-ahead despite strong opposition from residents.

Warwick District Council met last week and agreed to allow a 40 square metre extension to the Walnut Tree pub, in Crown Way, which will turn the boarded up building into a Tesco Express store.

Because of planning laws, changing the use of a pub into a shop the size of a Tesco Express store does not require planning permission.

But consent was required for the retailer to make changes or extensions to the building and install equipment.

Tesco said the new store will boost local business as it will encourage more people to come to the area.

A spokesman added: “The store will be an efficient use of urban land.

“It will provide a valuable and high quality service to local residents and will be a major visual improvement to the site.

“It will also provide 30 jobs for local people.”

But hundreds of people have spent months campaigning against the proposals.

Since Tesco bought the store in May, more than 3,000 people signed a petition against the plans and a Facebook group supporting the Save the Walnut Tree campaign gathered the support of more than 250 people.

Campaign leader Gary Timlin said the decision will rip the heart out of the community.

He said: “It was our community centre and an important place to meet up and there’s now nowhere for people to go.

“A lot of councillors were saying they opposed it but when it came to a show of hands there was only a few who had the nerve to stand up to the bullies.’’

Leamington Town Council had objected to the
application but Warwick District Council planners had recommended it be passed.

Councillors approved the application but stipulated delivery times for lorries accessing the site must avoid the school run.

Battle to save fire stations continues

A SERIES of public meetings are being held as the fight continues against plans to axe seven fire stations in Warwickshire.

Dozens of firefighters face losing their jobs
under radical proposals put forward by Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service.

If the plans are given the go-ahead, Warwick and Kenilworth stations would close and up to 100 retained firefighters across the county would lose their jobs.

More than 1,500 people have already signed
petitions to save the fire stations, led by Warwick and Leamington MP James Plaskitt, and now a
series of meetings are planned at individual fire
stations in October and November.

Mr Plaskitt said he first became aware of a plan to cut back on fire stations in 2007 and again in July 2008 but was assured there was no threat to Warwick station.

But he added: “Finally, we have been told the truth. The county council have proposed closing Warwick fire station, leaving just one station to cover Warwick, Leamington and Kenilworth.

“With only two bridges linking Leamington and Warwick, both of which can get quite congested at peak times, this strikes me as an incredibly dangerous plan.”

Mr Plaskitt joined firefighters outside Warwick’s Sainsbury’s supermarket last weekend to collect more names on his petition.

Eva Haskins, who has lived in Warwick for 85 years, was angry at the plans to shut the town’s fire station.

She said: “We’ve always known the fire
station was there if we needed it.

“It would take much longer for fire engines to reach us from Leamington.

“And what about all those firemen who’ve
given years of service? Are they just going to throw them on the scrapheap?”

Mr Plaskitt has set up a Facebook group called Save Warwick Fire Station which currently has more than 1,000 members.

One member labelled the plans as “madness” and another said: “What’s the point of even thinking about closing the fire station? At the end of the day they save lives and help the community. If we get rid of the fire station there is more of a chance there would be nothing left of people’s homes, there could even be deaths because it will take twice as long for the fire services to get to the emergency.”

Rugby and Kenilworth MP Jeremy Wright is fighting plans to close Kenilworth fire station.

He said: “Kenilworth is a town of sufficient size to merit its own fire station and the reasons for keeping it are psychological as well as operational.

“People in the town feel safer with their own fire station.”

It costs about £205,000 a year to fund Warwick and Kenilworth stations but fire bosses and council representatives insist the plans are not a bid to cut costs in the fire service’s £25million-a-year budget.

A 12-week consultation questionnaire about the plans has been issued to the public.

The public meetings take place at Warwick fire station on October 5 at 6.30pm and Leamington fire station on November 3 from 6.30pm.