The Voice of the Suburbs has been heard…..

Posted on 12:27pm Wednesday 7th May 2008

Boris Johnson’s significant lead on 1st preferences and the clear win after the 2nd preferences were allocated has been widely attributed to the suburbs coming out to vote on the Mayoralty like never before. Notwithstanding the excruciating counting process imposed by the quango London Elects and the seemingly errors inflicted by them on us locally, the result was clear, the suburbs felt Mayor Livingstone did not represent their views.

What price ecology?

Posted on 10:51am Wednesday 26th March 2008

This week I visited an eco-village to look at some of the latest designs in eco-homes. The latest design by Barratt Homes meets what is called Code 6 standard i.e. a zero carbon footprint home. The home will require any eventual owners to change their living habits. Rooms are highly insulated with small windows (not to everyone’s taste) which do open, but keeping them closed is encouraged. Apparently the house is designed to retain heat or alternatively take cool air and convert it to warm air (the opposite of what a fridge does). Small windows also mean less heat coming into the house through direct sunlight, which would upset the electronically balanced heat/cool flow within the home. The house is also designed to have a nil fuel bill, photo-sensitive panels and wind turbines generated power which is stored or if not used, sold back to the National Grid – over the year the use of power and selling of surplus power should net off. Whilst the external appearance was not the most attractive, some of the earlier prototypes were striking, modern and may well attract buyers. There’s the rub. At present because so few eco-homes are built the add on cost of the panels, turbines etc adds about £15,000 to a home costing about £250,000 and apparently home-buyers, when asked by Barratts, said they would pay that much extra.

Balls Up For It?

Posted on 2:17pm Sunday 16th March 2008

Is it time to reverse the Greenwich decision? What’s that you ask? In 1989 there was a court case which basically said that it was illegal for Councils to give preference to pupils living in their own Borough. I have no problem with other councils wanting to send their children to be educated in one of Barnet’s schools. Let’s face it our schools are on the whole better than those in neighbouring Boroughs. That’s why we ‘import’ more pupils than we ‘export’ – no that’s not child trafficking – but simply that more children come into our schools than we send out to neighbouring Councils’ schools.

City Hall to Tammany Hall?

Posted on 5:41pm Sunday 9th March 2008

City Hall to Tammany Hall? The current shenanigans at City Hall from Dear Ken do no one in elected office any good. Mr Jasper is accused of funnelling monies to organisations he has an interest in – either directly because he knows the directors or is a director; or indirectly because he is sexually infatuated with a senior manager at one of the organisations. Ken of course denies Mr Jasper has done anything wrong as does Mr Jasper. Eventually the truth comes out and Mr Jasper departs – only for Ken to say he will take him back (if Ken is re-elected and that’s a big if). My heart sinks to think that if Ken is re-elected we are going to get more of the same.

It's all Greek to me

Posted on 11:46am Sunday 2nd March 2008

Four Stars - so what!?

Posted on 10:16am Monday 11th February 2008

The awarding of four stars is excellent and welcome news. Not only does it recognise the major turnaround in key front line services, but it also recognises that the Council is well placed to continue to improve. Does it mean everything is perfect – no!