A Day In The Life

Last week I took Wednesday morning off from normal duties and life to shadow our Gateway service in the Civic Centre as part of National Customer Services week (NCS). The council has a whole range of services and it is important for councillors to see what happens with the services our taxpayers’ fund.

Gateway is at the front line, dealing with council tax, housing, benefits, parking, fine and a whole variety of issues.

Having worked in retail years ago I remember what it is like dealing with the public face to face. I was so impressed with how the staff dealt with customer queries, especially when the computer network went down. I felt like a bad luck charm and helped with photocopying to help out.

After spending the morning at Gateway, I then went to the AGM of Southampton Voluntary Services (SVS). I am one of the council representatives on the management board. SVS act as an umbrella organisation for charities and volunteering groups within our city. They also provide direct services to the public including drug rehab and projects to support the family. I was simply amazed by the variety of groups and the passion and dedicated of everyone involved.

I then went to see No Limits. No Limits is a youth support service which has a base in Sholing (Portsmouth Road). I have a regular youth surgery there so it was good to catch up and speak to young people in the area. Young people have the same aims and desires as adults. They want jobs, they want to feel safe and live in an area they feel good about.

All in all a productive day.

Gainsborough Close & Purvis

Following concerns raised by residents, I have been made aware of issues in Gainsborough Close due to gas works taking place. I'm concerned that the situation has meant that our area is not looking its best. I understand that the compound was full of litter containing a great deal of packaging material from the gas equipment and various items had been scattered over the surrounding area as the compound is not secure.

Council staff have met with a few residents and immediately carried out a litter pick. The council has also spoken with the works manager who has promised to act on the following recommendations:

Keeping the site clear of packaging/litter.
Secure the compound with herris fencing instead of plastic barriers to prevent local youth from entering and using the materials as missiles to damage cars etc as well as preventing illegal fly tipping.
Occasionally using their mechanical sweeper to clean up the surrounding area of soil etc.

As the works will be continuing for at least a further month the manager has been asked to look into moving the compound nearer to the works as to calm the situation which he has promised to do.

Council staff will keep an eye out and report back any issues. If you have any concerns or further problems please contact me.

Letter To Echo

Dear Sir,

Another day, another Labour moan in your printed letters pages. Labour councillors and candidates are engaging in yet more Mandleson-esq spin.

After their local election defeat, the Labour party said that they needed to rethink and check polices. It would seem that instead of offering the electorate something new, they offer the same old tired negativity.

It is the Conservatives offering a positive agenda of change in this city and the country. All Labour seem capable of is to sit on the sidelines, carp and moan and offer nothing but a constant raft of letters. I suggest that they stop venting their spleens and get on with the job of pushing their discredited government to stop breaking their promises. Our city deserves better.


Yours Faithfully,

Councillor Neil Fitzgerald
Conservative Councillor for Sholing Ward www.neilfitzgerald.blogspot.com

Middle Road Resurfacing & Street Sparkle

Southampton City Council has resurfaced part of Middle Road. Middle Road was closed from its junction with Heath Road to its junction with South East Road.

This year under the Conservatives, the council will spend more than 18 million on roads and pavement works – the highest amount ever committed by the council in one financial year. We have allocated an extra £300,000 to tackle 4,000 potholes in the city. This is despite a crippling recession and Labour government underfunding.

Our Parliamentary Candidate Royston Smith has been made aware of concerns regarding litter in the area, primarily due to the college and schools in Middle Road. Southampton prides itself on being a clean and green city. We were recently cited as an example of best practise by the BBC and Keep Britain Tidy.

In order to ensure the area looks the best it can, Royston has worked with us to arrange a ‘Street Sparkle’. A ‘Street Sparkle’ is basically a deep cleaning system we use occasionally on heavily parked residential roads (cars parked head to tail most days) where normal street cleansing to our desired high standard is very difficult to achieve. Middle Road has had a thorough clean, with mechanical sweepers and compact sweepers to clean the road channels and footways, drainage gullies emptied, and hand cleaning signs (street name plates / road signs), removing graffiti and fly posting where required leaving the street sparkling. Later in the week the system is repeated for the other side of the street on the very busy roads.

Letter To The Echo

Recently Labour seem to have been saying that they would look after pensioners better in Southampton. I think most pensioners remember that Labour increased their pensions by 75p a week. Locally Labour don't agree with a pensioner council tax discount. We heard from pensioners across the city asking for help with one of their biggest bills. In a recession it is vital to help those struggling. Unfortunately Labour think anyone not on benefits is automatically rich. Below is a letter I sent to the Echo.

I READ with interest that Cllr Don Thomas is now a friend of the pensioners. I have to point out that the Labour party, if elected in Southampton would raise pensioners council taxes by over 10 per cent.

For the avoidance of doubt Labour does not think pensioners should get 10 per cent off the council tax bills. Labour thinks that any pensioner who doesn’t have benefits is automatically rich. This shows how out of touch they are with the needs of pensioners.

It was Labour, not the Conservatives who insulted pensioners with a 75p a week rise in their pensions. It was Labour, not the Conservatives who raided pension funds in 1997, causing so much misery.

It was Labour, not the Conservatives who have overseen a 100 per cent increase in council tax.

Councillor Neil Fitzgerald, Conservative Councillor for Sholing Ward.

Letter To The Echo - Art Collection

One of easiest things as a local councillor is to oppose a scheme and to try and whip up opposition. The council announced a plan to sell 2 pieces of artwork, one of which has been on loan to a gallery in Essex for years. My colleague Councillor Royston Smith was interviewed by a number of media organisatiosn over the plan. We would sell these pieces in order to expand the art gallery space and to help pay for a Heritage Centre, something residents tell me they want.

It would seem though that the opposition in Southampton would rather carp and complain. Below is a letter I sent to the Echo on the topic.

RECENTLY Cllr John Slade has been making comments as a “former mayor” to various media outlets.

Firstly, Cllr Slade calls our hard working parking attendants and city patrol officers “storm troopers”, a term which is derogatory and inflammatory.

He then appears on television to criticise the council for looking at selling two pieces of art work and says it is like “cash in the attic”. Apart from the over uses of clichés, I would point out to him that the Liberal Democrats set up city patrol in the first place and never insured our art collection.

It would seem that the Liberal Democrats are as contradictory as ever!

Councillor Neil Fitzgerald, Conservative Councillor for Sholing Ward.

St Monica's Improvements

You may have recently noticed workmen in the area erecting 20 MPH signage around St Monica School.

The council takes the safety of our children very seriously. I am pleased to confirm that Bay Road now has a legally enforceable twenty mile per hour speed limit.

In St Monica Road there has been “twenty is plenty” signs installed to remind drivers of the need to slow down near schools.

I can also confirm that two new classrooms will be built at St Monica Junior School. This represents a significant investment in the school. I would ask for your patience will the work takes place and hope that you are not too inconvenienced by it.

North East Road Resurfaced

Southampton City Council has recently resurfaced half of North East Road. The resurfacing work radically improved the road, providing a good, smooth durable road for motorists and cyclists. Part of the road was resurfaced last year, however due to developments and utilities work it made sense to wait until all work was completed at the bottom end of the road before proceeding.

In addition to North East Road, we have arranged for Franklyn Avenue, Wingate Drive, Portsmouth Road and part of Middle Road to be resurfaced since taking being elected last May. This is despite a crippling recession and Labour government underfunding.

This year under the Conservatives, the council will spend more than 18 million on roads and pavement works – the highest amount ever committed by the council in one financial year. We have allocated an extra £300,000 to tackle 4,000 potholes in the city.

Gladstone & Drove Road Update

Following recent visits to your road by Conservative councillors and from feedback from local residents, we are writing to you today to give you an update on what we are doing in your area.

New signs have been installed in Gladstone Road to remind visitors that parking is for residents only. We have been made aware of parking problems by the sheltered housing accommodation and by the private road section.

Dog Fouling has also been an issue in both Gladstone Road and Drove Road. The council is organising a “poopa scooper week” commencing 22nd June at which they will target these problem areas using enforcement officers and the dog warden. Should the situation remain out of control, further action may be taken including signage for the area. It is felt though that enforcement and education are the ways forward.

Southampton faces a backlog of £500 million in road and pavement repairs. Since elected we have more than doubled the repair budget and have undertaken some key road works. This is despite a crippling recession and Labour government underfunding.

This year under the Conservatives, the council will spend more than 18 million on roads and pavement works – the highest amount ever committed by the council in one financial year. We have allocated an extra £300,000 to tackle 4,000 potholes in the city. A total of 6 pothole repairs at the junction of Drove Road and Gladstone Road have been raised and will be completed shortly.