Richard Burt

Welcome to the Richard Burt website which incorporates the previous website and the Richard Burt News blog.

"Local Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, Richard Burt joined Pershore District Councillor, Charles Tucker, local residents and volunteer groups to help plant a new 4.5 hectare wetland at Avon Meadows, Pershore last Wednesday.
The reed planting began on Saturday 20th June and lasted for more than a week, with some 200 people taking part. Over 50,000 reeds were planted to increase biodiversity, reduce the risk of flooding, help treat storm water pollution from the town and to provide an enhanced amenity for visitors.

Richard Burt said:

“It was great to see so many volunteers bending their backs to help with the planting. This is a terrific project for Pershore and a credit to all the councils and environmental groups that helped to make it a reality.”

Caption: Councillor Charles Tucker (right) planting with Richard Burt

ENDS

Local Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, Richard Burt and County Councillor Steve Brown have challenged Network Rail to move a train stopping point after residents complained their lives are being disrupted every day through noise and vibrations created by London trains that stop and reverse within yards of their homes.

First Great Western trains on the 125 service from London, introduced last year, are stopped just outside Great Malvern at the bottom of gardens in Fruitlands, Malvern Wells. Residents say that since the stopping point was installed, they suffer from trains squealing to a halt, doors banging as the driver changes cabs, and then trains pulling away from 5am in the morning to late at night.

“We asked Network Rail to move the stopping point a few hundred metres so that the noise from the trains reversing does not disrupt retired residents living nearby,” said Councillor Brown.

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Local Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate, Richard Burt and newly elected Malvern Trinity County Councillor, Beverley Nielsen will join walkers on a 25 mile challenge walk, supporting NSPCC projects and Childline, next Saturday.

The NSPCC Midlands ‘Can you Hack it?’ event starts from Welland and follows a circular route taking in the entire ridge of the Malvern Hills.

Members of Malvern and 3 Counties Friends of Childline will help other volunteers providing drinks and refreshments throughout the event.

“I heard about the challenge at a Malvern Childline fundraiser in March, and decided to give it a go,” said Richard

“The Malvern Hills provides the perfect setting for this year’s annual Midlands event. I hope that hundreds of walkers will enjoy a perfect day and raise thousands to help protect vulnerable children.”

ENDS

Local Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate, Richard Burt has written to the Chairman of the Three Counties Cancer Network (3CCN) calling for the retention of head and neck cancer surgery in Worcestershire.

The call follows a knife-edge review board decision to run one operating site in Gloucester rather than the two sites currently operating in both counties.

The West Midlands parliamentary spokesman for health claimed there was no evidence to suggest that a one site solution would provide better care for head and neck cancer patients in Worcestershire or Gloucestershire.

“If surgical services for head and neck cancer are moved to one resection centre, patients from Worcestershire will have to travel on average an extra 25 miles to receive their care. Many more from the north of the county will opt to travel to Birmingham for surgery, making it very difficult for Worcestershire to retain specialist consultants, surgeons and nursing staff.

“Within five years, the expertise built up in Worcestershire over more than a decade would be lost for ever, and so would the commitment to local cancer care within the county.

“I have written to the Chairman of 3CCN to point out what I consider to be serious irregularities in the decision making process and questioning the evidence for any claims that centralisation would provide improvement in patient care.

“The current two centre model provides an excellent service delivered locally, supporting patients through all stages of their care pathway to discharge, often as long as five years. It makes no sense to break up an excellent cancer service serving the whole of Worcestershire.”

ENDS

Parish and town councils will be encouraged to help raise a petition calling on the new Housing Minister, John Healey MP to scrap plans for mass housing development in South Worcestershire under the Regional Spatial Strategy.

The move follows South Worcestershire Housing Action Group’s decision to seek a meeting with the Minister. They want to present their alternative vision for sustainable housing development in South Worcestershire instead of current plans for 24,500 extra houses.
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Local Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, Richard Burt said the Housing Action Group would meet at The Bell in Broadheath, 7.30pm on Tuesday 23rd June to finalise plans

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Local Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, Richard Burt joined newly elected Malvern Chase County Councillor, Steve Brown on a visit to Home-Start Malvern Hills at their Barnard’s Green headquarters last week.

They met staff and helpers at the charity and heard about their work to provide free advice and support to parents needing help with children under five.

Mr Burt signed up as a ‘Friend of Home-Start’ and praised their work across Malvern Hills district.

“As parents, we all remember how difficult it can sometimes be to adjust to life with a young family. Home-Start’s trained volunteers are parents themselves, and usually make a weekly visit to provide that extra bit of advice and support that can make such a difference to mums and dads bringing up young children,” said Mr Burt.
“Home-Start supported 72 local families last year and 13 new volunteers completed the Preparation Course and began visiting a family.”

“Home-Start do invaluable work supporting young families locally and they are always on the lookout for extra help,” said Councillor Brown, “So if anyone has got spare time to offer, why not give them a call.”

Parents don’t have to pay for help, and it’s confidential. Just ring 01684 893125 and ask.

Caption: Richard Burt and Councillor Steve Brown with Ann Oldfield, Chair of Home-Start Malvern Hills and Senior Organiser Jess Holden (right). 

ENDS

West Worcestershire’s Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate, Richard Burt has received a response from the Prime Minister’s Office to his petition on the No 10 website calling for the suspension of Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) plans for housing development in South Worcestershire.

Mr Burt’s petition was signed by over 850 people and closed on 3rd April.

The No 10 response, copied to all petitioners, rejected the call, saying:

“The Government does not agree with the proposition that regional housing targets determined through the RSS should be suspended.

”The Government is committed to regional planning and allocation of housing numbers to the district level through the existing RSS system.”

Mr Burt said he was “disappointed, but not surprised by the result.”

“Gordon Brown said he would be a listening Prime Minister. Well he clearly isn’t listening when it comes to mass housing plans that would amount to environmental vandalism in South Worcestershire.

The Lib Dem candidate will chair the next meeting of the recently formed South Worcestershire Housing Action. Group on this Thursday 11th June, starting 7.30pm at the The Bell, Broadheath.

“The fight to reject these ridiculous, unsustainable housing plans goes on.

“We will be presenting in draft form an alternative vision for sustainable housing development based on employment prospects and local need.

“Anyone concerned with these housing developments is welcome to attend.”

ENDS

Local Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, Richard Burt has today hailed the local County Council election results as a "great success" for the Liberal Democrats, as the party won more votes and more seats than the Conservatives in West Worcestershire.

Within the constituency, the Liberal Democrats defended six seats against the Conservatives’ four, and made huge inroads into the Conservative majorities in Tenbury and Hallow against high profile Conservative candidates.
Commenting after the election count, Richard said:

"These election results are a great success for the Liberal Democrats, and for people in West Worcestershire.

"I congratulate all our candidates and their teams on a magnificent result. They are passionate about supporting people in their area.

"At a time when people have every reason to be cynical about politicians, it is encouraging to see that so many people in West Worcestershire have put their trust in the Liberal Democrats.

"Moreover, with Labour now at an all time low, I hope that all those who believe in a better, progressive future Britain, will now lend us their future vote as the Liberal Democrats go from strength to strength here in West Worcestershire."

ENDS

Dear Mr Speaker,

As Parliament continues to be dragged down by the allowance system, and its rules, the role of those in public service across the country is being undermined. We are Liberal Democrat candidates seeking to be elected to Parliament and yet we find ourselves disappointed, and frustrated, at the way in which this matter is being handled.

Every day our residents are telling us loudly that this must stop and this must stop now. Three things stand out:
• The resistance to the releasing of these documents and the attempt to exclude Parliament from the Freedom of Information requirements
• The way in which Norman Baker and Kate Hoey were treated when they sought to raise legitimate concerns
• The fact that, through you, parliament could now release the information into the public domain and cut short this parade of drip-fed news and empower MPs and citizens through a new transparent relationship.

It is vital that Parliament must become transparent and accountable now. We call on you, as Speaker of the House, to do everything within your power to force the full publication of all expenses immediately.

We also call on you to accept the independent review of MPs expenses and salaries chaired by Sir Christopher Kelly. If you are unable to do this we then ask you to consider your position.

Time is running out for politicians of all parties to repair the damage to our democracy.

Yours sincerely

56 Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidates:

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