RICHARD BURT - NEWS

BURT WELCOMES PROVISIONAL £3.6 MILLION FUNDING FOR UPTON FLOOD DEFENCES

West Worcestershire’s Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate, Richard Burt today welcomed the Environment Agency announcement of a provisional government grant of £3.6 million for flood defences in Upton that could result in a scheme being built within the next two years.

Funding is subject to government acceptance of a detailed business plan that must draw up within the next six months. More site investigations are necessary to determine likely construction costs for the scheme, which will cover the Waterfront and New Street areas of the town.

BURT SLAMS MHDC LEADERSHIP OVER JOINT SERVICES FIASCO

West Worcestershire’s Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate, Richard Burt condemned the leadership of Malvern Hills District Council as “dithering” and “indecisive” as they pulled the plug on plans for shared service delivery with Worcester City Council.

BURT TAKES UP CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S CHALLENGE TO TRAIN AS COMMUNITY FIRST RESPONDER

West Worcestershire’s Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate, Richard Burt has accepted a challenge by West Midlands Ambulance Trust’s Chief Executive, Anthony Marsh and will train to become a Community First Responder.

Mr Marsh laid down the challenge after Mr Burt wrote to him calling on the Trust to help train more volunteer Community First Responders to help save lives in the remote rural areas of Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

The Chief Executive said the Ambulance Trust would continue its efforts to recruit and train more volunteers, but extended the invitation to recruit and train Mr Burt in order to demonstrate “real local leadership in your own community.”

LEIGH SINTON RESIDENTS STEP UP CAMPAIGN AGAINST ‘INAPPROPRIATE’ PLANS FOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENT

Over 200 residents have signed a letter of protest over expected plans by West Mercia Housing Group to build up to 13 homes on green space between Kiln Lane and Chapel Close in Leigh Sinton.

Michele Palmer contacted Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, Richard Burt and County Councillor Clive Smith for help when she heard about the plans and they have pledged their support.

Now Les Williams, George Pribojac and Michele together with invited neighbours intend to present their protest letter with over 200 supporting signatures to the next meeting of the Parish Council, on 22nd July, seeking their backing.

CLEGG TACKLES KEY CONCERNS AT PUBLIC MEETING

Liberal Democrat Leader, Nick Clegg took centre stage for an open question and answer session at the Forum Theatre in Malvern last Thursday.

Local parliamentary candidate, Richard Burt said he was delighted that so many people took an active part in the event.

“In an age when most people get their politics from the television, it was heartening to see around 300 people engaged in a lively debate on a wide range of topics important to local people.

“This was a genuinely open event, with no hand picked audience, no planted questions and no spin.”
Questions ranged from the need for respite care and better mental health services, which he said were chronically under-funded, to the treatment of asylum seekers, who he said were “desperate human beings”, protected under international law, and should be dealt with “efficiently and fairly” by an independent body instead of “inefficiently and cruelly” by government agencies.

COUNCIL SNUBS LIBDEM LEADER’S VISIT TO PERSHORE CARE CENTRE

Parents have reacted angrily to a county council refusal to allow Liberal Democrat Leader, Nick Clegg to visit their sons at Pershore Care Centre this Thursday, calling the decision “extremely petty” and “childish”.

Mr Clegg was due to visit the town and speak to parents and carers at the closure threatened day centre, but a request to the county council was turned down by Tory bosses, who claimed it was “not in the public or Council’s interest to allow such a meeting on the Council’s premises.”

BURT CALLS FOR MORE COMMUNITY FIRST RESPONDERS

Local Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate, Richard Burt has called on West Midlands Ambulance Service bosses to recruit more Community First Responders following their decision to close the county’s Ambulance Emergency Control at Bransford.

Mr Burt said there were still public concerns over the closure of Bransford, likely to take place early next year when 999 calls will be transferred to Brierley Hill in the Black Country.

LIB DEM MPS TO OPEN UP EXPENSES FOR PUBLIC SCRUTINY

Local Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate, Richard Burt has welcomed party leader Nick Clegg’s commitment to public scrutiny of MPs expenses. The pledge came after Labour and Conservative MPs voted down a number of proposals to open up MPs expenses to independent audit and public scrutiny.

BURTCALLS FOR ACTION ON ZIMBABWE REGIME

Local Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, Richard Burt is calling on Worcestershire residents to support an international petition aimed at getting the United Nations Security Council and the Southern African Development Comunity to take action over Robert Mugabe's regime in Zimbabwe
He is asking readers to visit www.thepetitionsite.com to sign the Care2 petition and to ecourage as many friends as possible to do the same.

Speaking today, Richard said he had added his name to the petition because he was horrified to hear reports of the violence, rape and torture being carried out in Robert Mugabe's name and felt powereless to do anything about it.

"We cannot remain silent while the political violence gripping Zimbabwe continues to claim thousands of innocent victims. We urge the UN and African nations to do everything in their power to help put an end to the horrific bloodshed and to restore peace and the rule of law.

‘SHEFFIELD HOUSE CONSULTATION A SHAM’ - BURT

Local Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, Richard Burt has condemned County Council Health Scrutiny investigations into the proposed closure of Sheffield House as a sham, saying the views of service users were not heard.

Mr Burt said a summary report of the service users' consultation was not even presented to health scrutiny committee members when they met to discuss the closure last week, but instead was posted out to councillors days later with an instruction to return any individual comments to the chairman.

"I have spoken to service users and they are understandably very upset about this. They feel that they have been treated in a shabby way and that their opinions have not been properly taken into account.

"What is the point of commissioning a survey of the opinions of service users if the meeting goes ahead without a copy of the report in front of councillors?

"It's all very well saying that individual comments can be forwarded and taken into consideration, but there has been no opportunity for committee members to discuss the report's findings together to help them reach an informed view.

"How can they gain peoples' respect when they treat them like this? It just seems as though their opinions have been devalued and not properly taken into account."
ENDS