Blog Posts

  • State pension – have you paid enough National Insurance to get it?

    Those of us of a certain age are paying more attention to our pensions than usual. As I approach the state pension age I thought I had better check to see how much I might get. Historically, the state pension has depended on a complex set of rules that relied upon things like number of Read more

  • Highpoint prison expansion – ground breaking ceremony

    Highpoint prison expansion – ground breaking ceremony

    After over a year of prep work Highpoint has started on the planned prison expansion. Roads have been widened and extended to provide access for the construction traffic. There has been considerable consultation between the community and the Ministry of Justice which has led to much less impact on the community than it would have Read more

  • Yet another solar farm- Cavendish

    Yet another solar farm- Cavendish

    Solar farms are all the rage it seems. In the right location they are great. They are not permanent fixtures, sometimes provide a community benefit fund, generate clean energy and the land can still be used for grazing. In the wrong location they are a blight. They can be an eyesore, use productive land and Read more

  • Pavement Licence and Street Trading licence – Bad for local communities – Update.

    My recent blog highlighted a new tax on business, the street traders licence. £409 a year per van to fund someone to police traders. We don’t have a problem in Clare, or surrounding villages, with street traders in vans that needs policing. There is also another new tax, the pavement licence. A small cafe wanting Read more

  • West Suffolk Council charging £409 to operate a mobile food van in Clare!

    West Suffolk Council is a Labour led coalition and along with the Labour led government is anti business. They have introduced a street traders license across the whole of West Suffolk. This is an additional tax of £409. We don’t have a litter problem in Clare or do we have rogue vans. We do have Read more

  • Cavendish – public meeting last night

    A planning application Dc/24/1711/FUL has been submitted. It seeks to change the use of a dwelling from residential to children’s care home. I was asked to chair a public meeting which was held last night to hear the views of everyone. There were a good number of people there including lots of local people, members Read more