tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77722703527109542342012-01-11T11:18:01.971ZThoughts from St Albans' first, and so far only, Green CouncillorSimon Groverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03281860427374889846noreply@blogger.comBlogger143125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772270352710954234.post-723537514735123162012-01-11T11:08:00.003Z2012-01-11T11:18:01.983Z2012-01-11T11:18:01.983Z

This graphic is from Transport for London's current campaign to ask vehicle drivers to avoid idling their engines. They say that if you're stopping for a minute or more, you're better off switching off. The full version of this graphic, with more facts and figures, is here.I've always thought it would be good if drivers at the Peahen junction, and the Watsons Walk junction further down London

Simon Groverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03281860427374889846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772270352710954234.post-22221914086147552372011-11-11T14:00:00.004Z2011-11-11T14:07:35.964Z2011-11-11T14:07:35.964Z

Inside this mysterious white box at Westminster Lodge is a small display about the new leisure centre.The display includes a model of the new centre:And there are several boards showing artist impressions of the outside and inside, along with samples of the materials that will be used:As one of the main ways that the contractor created money in the budget to pay for the extension to 10 lanes was

Simon Groverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03281860427374889846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772270352710954234.post-77744224692958758352011-10-24T20:27:00.004+01:002011-10-24T21:47:39.992+01:002011-10-24T21:47:39.992+01:00

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Simon Groverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03281860427374889846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772270352710954234.post-10517280125079253082011-09-18T23:27:00.005+01:002011-09-18T23:35:03.990+01:002011-09-18T23:35:03.990+01:00

The Boundary Commission is changing the shape of hundreds of English constituencies, following the Government's decision to reduce the overall number of MPs.For St Albans, the suggestion is that we take on two wards from Harpenden&Hitchin constituency - Sandridge and Redbourn. As you can see from the map above, the additional area is huge, but of course the Redbourn ward in particular is very

Simon Groverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03281860427374889846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772270352710954234.post-76301187352077349032011-09-03T16:52:00.005+01:002011-09-03T17:06:23.811+01:002011-09-03T17:06:23.811+01:00

This is a before and after impression submitted by Premier Inn, of the hotel they'd like to build in St Peters Street. Apparently the ground floor to the street would be restaurants, nicely tidying up the empty units that are there at the moment. Then there's a gym behind that, and then three floors of rooms - 125 rooms in total. It's the kind of hotel the city needs, but I'm concerned at

Simon Groverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03281860427374889846noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772270352710954234.post-13556003986469192892011-08-07T14:51:00.003+01:002011-08-07T14:53:54.958+01:002011-08-07T14:53:54.958+01:00

After a decade of decay and delay on the old Eversheds site between London Road and Alma Road, things are finally starting to happen.In 2008, after a vigorous local campaign, St Albans Council refused Tesco permission to put a supermarket on the site. In 2010, Tesco announced it was moving and expanding its city centre store instead. The company then handed the site over to its wholly-owned

Simon Groverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03281860427374889846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772270352710954234.post-90286770516425346382011-07-15T11:27:00.005+01:002011-07-15T11:30:41.656+01:002011-07-15T11:30:41.656+01:00

Unbelievably, the County Council is considering closing our popular recycling depot.This would inevitably lead to flytipping, and a lot more waste going to landfill.Please sign the petition!

Simon Groverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03281860427374889846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772270352710954234.post-7200700684486459312011-06-21T17:34:00.000+01:002011-06-21T17:35:05.917+01:002011-06-21T17:35:05.917+01:00

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Simon Groverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03281860427374889846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772270352710954234.post-67841513743344840262011-06-02T20:13:00.003+01:002011-06-02T20:19:52.265+01:002011-06-02T20:19:52.265+01:00

Less than a month after being elected, I'm already getting busy with council work. Here's some of the things that have been happening:COUNCIL WORKI have been appointed to the St Albans City Forum - a consultative body that discusses and makes recommendations about issues affecting central St Albans. This will help me to keep up to date with what's happening, and to meet local activists. I've

Simon Groverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03281860427374889846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772270352710954234.post-28219093872820961072011-05-07T09:12:00.004+01:002011-05-07T19:41:06.928+01:002011-05-07T19:41:06.928+01:00

It's the morning after.It's not often you wake up having just been elected the first ever Green Party councillor in your city. But I just did. It's a feeling I can heartily recommend.After six years of growing activity in St Albans District, we've gone from zero to a stonking 751 votes in St Peters ward, and our very own councillor. The last six weeks in particular have been hard work, but it's

Simon Groverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03281860427374889846noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772270352710954234.post-1531346521781310272011-05-04T17:19:00.002+01:002011-05-04T17:25:12.183+01:002011-05-04T17:25:12.183+01:00

Simon Groverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03281860427374889846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772270352710954234.post-75444508123975757302011-04-15T15:19:00.001+01:002011-04-15T15:20:29.635+01:002011-04-15T15:20:29.635+01:00

Simon Groverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03281860427374889846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772270352710954234.post-9392065091837004982011-03-20T18:46:00.001Z2011-03-20T18:49:33.502Z2011-03-20T18:49:33.502Z

Have a look at my 2-minute election broadcast for May 5th 2011.

Simon Groverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03281860427374889846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772270352710954234.post-37774958715388473262011-03-10T22:41:00.001Z2011-03-10T22:43:45.548Z2011-03-10T22:43:45.548Z

Remember duck houses and second homes? Two years ago the country was up in arms about corruption in parliament. MPs seemed to have no respect for the system or the voters that put them there. Today, after half-hearted apologies, fines and even some MPs in prison, people are looking for ways to make our MPs behave better.One idea is to change the way we vote for our MPs. The current system creates

Simon Groverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03281860427374889846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772270352710954234.post-9182022054432456962011-02-17T16:54:00.003Z2011-02-17T17:06:55.711Z2011-02-17T17:06:55.711Z

Councils have come under fire today for their complex kerbside recycling systems. In particular, Newcastle under Lyme apparently provides up to nine bags and bins for each resident.Not everyone thinks this is terrible. In fact, that Council has been nominated for a best practice award in waste management. Their household recycling rate reached 55% last year, which is not bad.St Albans isn't quite

Simon Groverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03281860427374889846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772270352710954234.post-20358340552980115862011-02-01T11:21:00.004Z2011-02-01T11:25:03.619Z2011-02-01T11:25:03.619Z

Simon Groverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03281860427374889846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772270352710954234.post-50393895577257094492011-01-04T13:07:00.002Z2011-01-04T13:12:35.353Z2011-01-04T13:12:35.353Z

VAT goes up today. Whilst the government must increase its revenue, this doesn't seem like a very sensible way to do it.The parties that are bringing in this VAT increase are the same ones that condemned the idea less than a year ago, as being unfair. If you're going to raise taxes, do it fairly. Green ideas include: clamp down on tax avoidance and evasion, end the public subsidy for airlines,

Simon Groverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03281860427374889846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772270352710954234.post-17416275836105900912010-12-10T16:22:00.002Z2010-12-10T16:25:28.836Z2010-12-10T16:25:28.836Z

St Albans voters might not have been surprised to see Anne Main in the ‘Aye’ lobby at the tuition fees vote, trashing the hopes of her less well-off young constituents that they might go to university. But I wonder if she was surprised to see so many Lib Dems in the lobby with her, breaking their solemn promise to students.The vote was close, with just 21 more ‘Ayes’ than ‘Noes’. 27 Lib Dems

Simon Groverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03281860427374889846noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772270352710954234.post-59619929363735690072010-12-01T21:52:00.003Z2010-12-01T21:57:57.365Z2010-12-01T21:57:57.365Z

Is it me, or do our local Lib Dem and Conservative Councils appear to have joined together in a coalition of cock-ups?The latest, as reported in The Review this week, is the £100,000 fine the Tory-run County Council has scooped for faxing "extremely personal" information to the wrong number. Twice. Before that, the same council lost a fortune in the Icelandic bank collapse, despite being advised

Simon Groverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03281860427374889846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772270352710954234.post-72167575205842351312010-11-24T09:35:00.003Z2010-11-26T10:06:30.663Z2010-11-26T10:06:30.663Z

The County Council recognises that we need alternatives to landfill. It put this problem out to tender and received proposals that take advantage of private finance initiative (PFI) money to build a massive incinerator.It's perfectly understandable that the would-be contractors would suggest this route, as it is hugely profitable. PFI payments are guaranteed by the government, which currently

Simon Groverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03281860427374889846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772270352710954234.post-80332985255751720322010-11-12T19:22:00.003Z2010-11-12T19:31:46.884Z2010-11-12T19:31:46.884Z

Every six months, when our clocks go forward or back, there are debates in various places about the point of the process. Should we get in line with the rest of Western Europe, should we abandon BST, or GMT, or let Scotland have their own time... and so on.But Lighter Later have a better idea. Put our clocks forward by one hour compared to where they are now. In other words, BST becomes BST+1 and

Simon Groverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03281860427374889846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772270352710954234.post-43898191191301981322010-10-20T23:36:00.002+01:002010-10-20T23:40:46.136+01:002010-10-20T23:40:46.136+01:00

Judging by local paper reports, Hertfordshire Lib Dems and Conservatives seem to be relishing the chance to make "efficiency savings".The language of the local party coalition partners is extraordinary. It makes the whole thing sound like good news. They tell us there will be a "transformation" in the council's business, a curb on "costly residential placements" for the elderly, "more effective"

Simon Groverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03281860427374889846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772270352710954234.post-38063586167031612752010-10-17T10:36:00.003+01:002010-10-17T10:39:59.202+01:002010-10-17T10:39:59.202+01:00

An ex-MP has pronounced that St Albans would have elected a Lib Dem MP a the last election, if it had been under the Alternative Vote system.This is possibly true, and possibly not true. One can have no idea what was in the heads of local voters under first-past-the-post, especially in a constituency like St Albans where such a huge number of people voted tactically for the Lib Dems (ironically,

Simon Groverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03281860427374889846noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772270352710954234.post-24843703252623396582010-09-17T11:37:00.001+01:002010-09-17T11:40:17.858+01:002010-09-17T11:40:17.858+01:00

Depressingly, at Wednesday's Full Council meeting Lib Dem after Lib Dem stood up to deny that there was any problem at all with empty shops at the North end of St Peters Street.Cllr White said "St Albans is doing very well". Those who suggested it might be a good idea to look into the cause of and possible solutions to the problem were accused of "talking St Albans down".A motion to set up a

Simon Groverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03281860427374889846noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7772270352710954234.post-29642659646629968622010-08-25T10:23:00.003+01:002010-08-25T10:31:17.779+01:002010-08-25T10:31:17.779+01:00

Trying to be green? However much we reduce our own direct personal impact, we're part of a society that continues to consume on our behalf. And that consumption is often wasteful. We have organised ourselves into a system where other people take decisions for us. We generally give those people authority by electing them. They are then able to legitimately tax us and spend our money on

Simon Groverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03281860427374889846noreply@blogger.com0