Park Ward Liberal Democrat Focus Team has started to deliver their September Focus across the Ward. The main stories are: Claire Darke says "There's too much packaging", Bottled water insanity, New litter bins for the West Park.
Kent Highways have announced they are planning to improve the existing pedestrian facilities in Horn Street, Cheriton at the junction of Queens Avenue (private MOD road). The aim of the scheme is to improve the existing footways, enabling pedestrians and pupils from St Martins Primary School to cross Horn Street at a safer location.
The Liberal Democrats have launched a campaign to bring a doctor's surgery back to Lemington.
The Liberal Democrats have gained the vacant seat of Broomfield and The Walthams on Chelmsford council on a massive 29% swing. The result strengthens the position of the Lib Dems on Chelmsford council, which now has 25 Lib Dems, 32 Conservatives and no other Councillors.
The British army's commander in Iraq has said British troops should have withdrawn from Basra Palace five months ago, but the pull-out was delayed because of 'high politics' following a request from the US. Brigadier James Bashall, commander of 1 Mechanised Brigade, said American pressure caused them to stay in the exposed outpost, since when 11 soldiers have been killed and 62 wounded in months of intense fighting. British forces were finally pulled out of the palace and back to Basra airport a week ago.
Ruling Conservatives at Essex County Council have today (11 September) voted not to use the county's current relationship with Chinese authorities to influence a relaxation of China's oppressive media regulations for domestic and foreign journalists. The Conservatives chose to strike out part of a Liberal Democrat sponsored motion, asking for the administration to use its long standing links with Jiangsu Province in China, to lobby for expanded and permanent media freedom and the release of imprisoned writers and journalists.
