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30 Most Recent News Stories

County Council fails to meet Equality Standards

Wed 13th Aug 2008

Northamptonshire County Council's Cabinet will this week be discussing a report on the Council's Equality Standard which states that the Council does not currently meet the requirements of Level 1 of the new frameworks for Equality Standard of Local Government.

No Free School Transport for Sixth Formers say the Conservatives

Fri 11th Jul 2008

There is to be no free "home to school transport" for the County's Sixth Form Students according to a response given by Cllr. Joan Kirkbride, Conservative Councillor for Education on Northamptonshire County Council to a question put by Cllr. John Yates, Liberal Democrat Education Spokesman on Northamptonshire County Council.

Bus shelter without bus stop sign

Protect green spaces in development plans - Lib Dems

Wed 2nd Jul 2008

Kettering Borough Council should take action to protect green space near the Ise Lodge and Barton Seagrave as a way of protecting community identity, campaigners have urged.

Chris Nelson at a field proposed for development off Poplars Farm Road (photography: Chris Nelson)

"Publish our town centre's report" - Kettering Lib Dems

Tue 1st Jul 2008

Liberal Democrat campaigners have reacted with dismay after Kettering Borough Council failed to publish in full a consultant's report on redeveloping Kettering town centre.

Jehad Soliman and Chris McGlynn (photography: Chris Nelson)

Key Weekley and Warkton Bypass Unlikely To Go Ahead - County Council

Mon 30th Jun 2008

A key bypass for the villages of Weekley and Warkton - which many people deem to be an essential part of plans to build 5,500 homes in East Kettering - is unlikely to receive government funding, Northamptonshire County Council have revealed.

Cllr Jane Hollis

Lib Dems call for "home grown" teachers

Mon 23rd Jun 2008

Cllr. John Yates, Education Spokesman for the Liberal Democrat Group on Northamptonshire County Council is calling for the council to plan ahead to provide sufficiently qualified teachers for all the new schools that are being planned to be built in Northamptonshire over the next twenty years.

Cllr John Yates

Town Centre development plans show "an urgent need for joined-up thinking" - Lib Dems

Wed 11th Jun 2008

Proposals to redevelop Kettering town centre show "an urgent need for joined-up thinking", Liberal Democrats have warned.

Empty shops in Kettering town centre (photography: Chris Nelson)

Local people "deserve to have their say", campaigners urge

Tue 10th Jun 2008

Local residents have been urged to have their say on problems affecting their area, after Liberal Democrat campaigners began delivering a residents' survey to over 10,000 homes in and around Kettering.

Chris McGlynn, Chris Nelson & Jehad Soliman (photography: Chris Nelson)

East Kettering development plans lack sufficient affordable housing

Fri 23rd May 2008

A planning application to build up to 5,500 homes to the east of Kettering has insufficient affordable homes, it has been revealed.

Lib Dems call for 'all-party' decisions on the running of new schools

Thu 22nd May 2008

Lib Dem Leader Councillor Brian Hoare is calling on Northamptonshire County Council to set up an all-party panel to decide as to who should be running the new schools that will be built in the county.

Cllr. Brian Hoare

Northamptonshire needs "a balanced mix of schools", warn Lib Dems in education policy proposals

Thu 22nd May 2008

Liberal Democrats have put forward proposals for Northamptonshire County Council to publish a new policy on secondary education for Northamptonshire, to achieve a balanced mix of different types of schools that provide a proper choice for parents.

School sign (photography: Season Prater)

1.1 million low-paid still losing out after Labour's by-election budget

Wed 14th May 2008

Local Liberal Democrats have accused the Government of panic over plans to tackle the effect of the "10p tax rate" fiasco on the low paid by rushing in measures to raise the personal tax allowance by £600 - despite the fact that 1.1 million of the lowest paid workers will remain worse off.

The 10p tax abolition will hit local people hard

Reject Government "fudge" on 10p tax rate cut, local Labour politicians urged

Thu 24th Apr 2008

Local Labour politicians have been urged speak out to help thousands of people on low incomes hit by the abolition of the 10p rate of income tax, as Liberal Democrat campaigners in Kettering slammed last-ditch Government concessions on the change as "an unworkable fudge".

Gordon Brown [Image: Rex Features]

Lib Dem campaigners hail strong performance in Rothwell by-election

Sat 29th Mar 2008

Local Liberal Democrat campaigners have hailed an "encouraging" performance in the Trinity by-election, after the party increased its share of the vote by more than two-thirds, amid falling support for both Labour and the Conservatives.

Daniel Garside (photography: Chris Nelson)

Parents and children "have a right to know" details of schools' breaches of admissions code

Thu 13th Mar 2008

Liberal Democrat campaigner Chris Nelson has called for Northamptonshire County Council to release the details of alleged breaches of a national admissions code for secondary schools, after the Kettering resident made a formal request for the information under the Freedom of Information Act.

Teacher in school.

Daniel Garside to fight for Lib Dems in surprise Rothwell by-election

Mon 3rd Mar 2008

Local businessman Daniel Garside has been selected as the Liberal Democrat candidate in a surprise by-election to be held on 27th March, when voters in Trinity Ward in Rothwell will go to the polls to fill a seat left vacant by the unexpected resignation of a Conservative town councillor.

Daniel Garside (photography: Chris Nelson)

"Town centre will suffer" warn Lib Dems as Conservatives reject plan to end car parking charge hikes

Fri 29th Feb 2008

The competitiveness of Kettering town centre has been undermined, Liberal Democrats have warned, after Conservative councillors rejected a proposal to scrap rises in car parking charges contained in an "alternative budget" presented by the party at a meeting of Kettering Borough Council.

Empty shops in Kettering town centre (photography: Chris Nelson)

Scrap plans for car parking charge rises, urge Liberal Democrats in alternative council budget

Tue 26th Feb 2008

Local Liberal Democrat campaigners have put scrapping planned rises in car parking charges and tackling waste at the core of the party's "alternative budget" for Kettering Borough Council.

Finance Convener criticises SNP opposition over budget

A "two star" council not showing signs of improvement (and at the bottom end of the league table!)

Wed 20th Feb 2008

The Audit Commission has issued its verdict on the Tory run County Council and it is disappointing to learn that the County Council has not improved on its 2 Star rating and more concerning the Audit Commission only assesses the rate of improvement as adequate.

Cllr. Brian Hoare

Crematorium users "must not pay the price for Conservative mismanagement", warn Liberal Democrats

Wed 16th Jan 2008

Users of Kettering Crematorium are to bear the brunt of filling a £100,000 'black hole' in the budget of Kettering Borough Council, Liberal Democrats have warned, as Conservative councillors prepare to consider draft budget proposals at an Executive Committee meeting on Wednesday evening.

Chris Nelson (photography: Chris Nelson)

County Council admit they are failing residents on social care

Mon 7th Jan 2008

Budget papers being considered by the County Council's Cabinet this coming Wednesday (9th. January 2008) show that the county saved almost £1million in November by reducing services provided by Community Services to older people, those with mental, physical health and learning difficulties.

Cllr. Brian Hoare

Kettering-Corby rail link must continue northbound service, say Lib Dems, in call to prevent cuts to rail services

Wed 12th Dec 2007

Plans to extend train services to Corby must not reduce the number of northbound trains, Liberal Democrats will say at a meeting of Kettering Borough Council.

A 'meridian' train in East Midlands Trains livery

Lib Dems call on County Council to support threatened Post Offices

Fri 7th Dec 2007

At a County Council meeting on Thursday 13th December, Liberal Democrat county councillors will propose that the County Council responds to the public consultation on the closure of twenty six post offices throughout Northamptonshire by supporting local communities in their fight to retain local post offices. Branches earmarked for closure include post offices at Grafton Underwood, Stoke Albany, Weekly and at Hawthorn Road, Kettering.

Post Box

Lib Dems Condemn County Council's 'One Star Failure' On Adult Care Services

Thu 29th Nov 2007

Adult Care Services Inspectors have marked Conservative policies on adult care as a 'one-star failure', said Lib Dem community services spokesperson Cllr. David Garlick. In response to the findings, the Liberal Democrats have called for the Cabinet Member responsible to resign.

lonely elderly woman

Lib Dems welcome move towards volunteer town crier, but warn against excessive cost

Wed 14th Nov 2007

Local Liberal Democrats have welcomed moves towards a volunteer town crier, but have warned against the prospect of spending excessive amounts of taxpayers money on the position in the future, after Lib Dem campaigner Chris Nelson spoke against employing someone to perform the role at a meeting of Kettering Borough Council.

Cartoon image of a town crier

Salaried town crier an "unnecessary extravagance", warn Liberal Democrats

Mon 12th Nov 2007

Employing someone to work as a town crier in Kettering would be an extravagance, Liberal Democrats have warned, as the Conservative-run Kettering Borough Council prepares to consider the proposal at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday evening. Lib Dems have called for the post to be filled by volunteers.

Cartoon image of a town crier

Tories under pressure as £6m 'black hole' emerges in high-risk budget

Sat 27th Oct 2007

Halfway through the financial year the Conservative County Council are admitting their high-risk budget passed in February is way off course - and that planned savings of £6m cannot be achieved.

lonely elderly woman

County's 'Older Peoples' Services' Going Backwards, Says Watchdog

Thu 25th Oct 2007

A report by the Commission for Social Care Inspection shows that the services for older people provided by the County Council are "going backwards, not forwards", according to Councillor Brian Hoare, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Northamptonshire County Council.

Cllr. Brian Hoare

Lib Dems warn Labour and Tories: "Stop Stealing Our Schools' Money"

Wed 24th Oct 2007

At the end of September, the Labour Government put out to consultation a proposal to take away 5% of the surplus cash left in every school's budget and redistribute it to local authorities. Now the Conservative-run Northamptonshire County Council has topped it - by taking 8% from the unspent money of the county's nursery, primary and secondary schools!

Nursery school teacher and child.

Local people urged to have their say in Lib Dem leadership election

Sun 21st Oct 2007

Liberal Democrat supporters in Northamptonshire have until the end of October to make sure they can have their say in the vote to replace Menzies Campbell, local Lib Dem campaigners have announced.

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