Castlereagh Tabloid Jan 2005

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Tap tax is money down the drain! A

N Alliance Party motion at Castlereagh Borough Council opposing the Government's proposals to introduce additional water charges in Northern Ireland has been passed unanimously. Alliance Councillor and South Belfast Spokesperson Geraldine Rice believes that the response to the motion shows the depth of local opposition to the proposed charges. Cllr Rice, who proposed the motion in Council, said: "In its support for the Alliance motion, the Council has sent a clear message that this 'tap tax' is totally unacceptable. "These proposals are yet another assault on ratepayers and they will particularly affect those with young families and those on low incomes, who will find it difficult to pay the charges. They are also bad news for the elderly and others who live on their own, who will be charged at the same rate as a house with many occupants."

Reductions East Belfast Assembly member Naomi Long added: "The Government is peddling the myth that we don't already pay for water. Clearly a portion of the regional rate currently goes to fund water and sewerage services and so we have asked that the Council write to the Minister John Spellar to ask what reduction ratepayers would be entitled to as a result of direct charging. "Despite what the Minister says, the European directive on water requires any charging mechanism to encourage a reduction in water consumption - something that the Government's property-value linked water charge utterly fails to do." Strangford Assembly member Kieran McCarthy added that Ards Council had unanimously backed his call to oppose

YOUR ALLIANCE TEAM: Alliance’s line-up of prospective candidates for the elections are, from left: Cllr Naomi Long MLA, who is contending for the East Belfast Westminster seat and the Victoria seat in Belfast Council; Judith Cochrane (Castlereagh East); Cllr Michael Long (Castlereagh Central); Cllr Sara Duncan (Castlereagh West); and Cllr Geraldine Rice who is standing for the South Belfast seat and Castlereagh South council seat.

unfair water charges. Alderman McCarthy said: "Unlike other parties, Alliance has been opposed to unfair water charges since day one. We will not

allow the public to be taken for granted, nor will we stand by and watch these barely-concealed plans by the Government to privatise the water service go ahead."

New footpath no reason for bus withdrawal ALLIANCE Councillor Sara Duncan (Castlereagh West) has said that a new footpath officially launched in November leading to Lagan College must not be used to justify taking pupils' bus passes off them. Cash-strapped education boards have argued that the Manse Road is no longer dangerous for children to use because of the new footpath,

and have used this reason to remove transport assistance to children living less than three miles from the school. After the official opening of the footpath by Minister John Spellar, Cllr Duncan stated: "This road is still not completely safe, although I welcome this new footpath as a step in the right direction. When Alliance contacted the PSNI recently, they told me

that there were 10 road traffic collisions from April to September 2004 on the section of Manse Road between Lagan College and the Ballygowan Road alone.

Safety "Yet this wasn't even considered by the Board. I was also disappointed to learn that a traffic survey was carried out in the middle of the summer holidays at one of

the least busy times of the day. "This survey did not abide by the Board's own guidelines, and should have been binned. "There are children who started Lagan College on the premise that they would receive transport assistance. Now their bus passes are being taken away, leading to unforeseen costs for parents,

who may be on a low income.

Survey "I welcome the new footpath as the first step towards greater safety for Lagan College pupils, but for the local education boards to say the road is now safe enough to remove bus passes based on the results of a flawed survey is ridiculous."

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South Belfast

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A coalition of the willing means greater stability

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HE proposals from the Alliance Party for a voluntary coalition government deserve very serious consideration. Over the years, the Alliance Party has played a major role in local politics, and has put forward a number of very positive and workable ideas. In the most recent talks, the constructive role played by the Alliance Party to create space for political compromise stood in stark contrast to the negative, sniping role played by both the UUP and the SDLP. Those talks may have failed over the issue of IRA decommissioning, but the Northern Bank robbery would have sunk them in any event. Yet such analysis masks some much deeper problems. One was the failure to nail down all parties, but in particular Republicans, on agreed standards of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Another was the absence of any real effort to tackle the deep divisions within Northern Ireland - the sectarianism, racism and segregation. So far, the so-called moderates in the UUP and SDLP have failed to deliver when they had the chance. They allowed themselves to be outflanked on the extremes, and now they themselves are moving to the extremes. Next, came the efforts over the past year to proceed through a carve-up between the parties on the two extremes. Building the centre The lessons of international history are that it is extremely difficult to create and sustain a political process on such a basis. Both the DUP and Sinn Fein have built their electoral success on representing segregated constituencies, and have interests in preserving their power bases. While many have tried the help along the process of finding a degree of shared understandings between them, much less attention has been paid to the question of whether they could actually govern together successfully. At a bare minimum, enhanced measures for accountability and ensuring collective responsibility as suggested by Alliance would be required for such a government to have even a chance. But it is always better to build starting in the political centre, rather than trying to bypass it. Therefore, the current ideas from Alliance are very relevant. No-one else has provided any workable solution. Indeed, a voluntary coalition might just bring a little more stability and normality to local politics, and shift the focus back onto the political centre. It is particularly disappointing to see the SDLP Leader Mark Durkan blocking this idea. The SDLP seem to have toughened up its language against Sinn Féin, but it seems to be empty rhetoric - all talk, no action.

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Castlereagh times

Tesco traffic concerns SARA Duncan, Alliance Councillor for Castlereagh West, has expressed her concerns about the potential for traffic congestion at a proposed Tesco's supermarket at the former Tenneco-Walker site on Newtownbreda Road. Councillor Duncan has seen the plans and, if approved, the construction would result in a huge roundabout at the entrance of the supermarket, with traffic lights on the Belvoir carriageway. "This supermarket seems likely to generate a major increase in traffic in a quiet residential area," she said. Tesco has set aside some money for traffic calming, but a simpler solution is to downsize the original plans. Cllr Duncan is the only councillor on the committee with Newtownbreda residents that met with Roads Service to discuss the upheaval. She has also asked Roads Service to measure the volume of traffic in the area

now, so congestion can be measured more accurately after development. Cllr Duncan said: "This new store will lead to thousands more cars in Newtownbreda daily, and will cause massive inconvenience to those who live in the area. They will not be able to drive straight along the Newtownbreda Road, but will be forced to go around a roundabout at the proposed Tesco store. "It is not unusual for government departments and agencies to bend over backwards to accommodate out of town superstores that often have a negative effect on the local area and residents' quality of life. "It is important that Tesco does not trample over the wishes of residents in the area, or cause them future inconvenience. This store and the associated roads and traffic should not go ahead at the expense of the quality of life of local people."

Metro service - Translink need to listen to public

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N Alliance Party delegation has met Translink bosses to discuss the new Metro service in Belfast, which launched at the start of February. Alliance Assembly member for East Belfast, Councillor Naomi Long, and Cllr Michael Long (Castlereagh) met with Translink's central area manager Billy Gilpin. Cllr Naomi Long, who is Alliance's Regional Development Spokesperson, said: "I have received an unprecedented number of complaints from people in every part of East Belfast about the new Metro service. Never before have so many people called my office with the same concerns. "Bus users are telling me about reduced services, with-

drawals of services and their uncertainty about using the new timetable - assuming you can get your hands on one, which isn't as easy as you might think. Many staff also seemed mystified by the changes." Councillor Michael Long continued: "Suddenly, we have schools and individuals cut off in some areas and public confusion, showing just how effective the Translink 'consultation' was. If there is to be public confidence in the new system, Translink has a lot of work to do to resolve matters.

"Residents in the Wynchurch area, which has been badly affected by the new system, have already signed a petition criticising the changes, which seem to be based on the notion that everyone in Belfast only wants to travel to the city centre. Alliance Councillor Sara Duncan added: "While commuters can expect teething problems, there seem to be potential ongoing issues with particular routes. The Castlereagh area appears to be badly affected. "Translink need to take the public's views on board. Many elderly people, young mothers with children and other people with mobility problems are now having to walk further and further to get to a bus stop."

Bus turning circle needed ALLIANCE'S prospective Westminster candidate, Councillor Geraldine Rice, has said that a bus turning circle would greatly benefit people with mobility problems at Mount Ober, Ballymaconaghy Road. The Castlereagh councillor has been lobbying for a turning circle for buses that service residents of Laurel Grove like Charlie Lundy (pictured). Cllr Rice said: "At the moment, public transport users are forced to walk to the Four Winds terminus to catch a bus. This is a half a mile walk, and for elderly people or mothers with children, two groups that would use the bus frequently, it is a struggle. "They are put off using the bus because of the hill walk on the way back, but a turning circle would enable the bus to leave them much closer to home. "The Department for Regional Development and Translink have agreed that a turning circle will be put in place as soon as the legal matters surrounding the land are completed. It cannot come soon enough."

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‘Coalition of the willing would break deadlock’ T HE Alliance Party has called for the formation of a voluntary coalition in order to break through the current impasse in the political process and to restore devolved government. In the aftermath of the collapse of the 2004 Talks over photos of decommissioning, and the Northern Bank raid which dealt a fatal blow to trust and confidence between parties, the Alliance Party believes that people have every right to be disappointed and angry. Local Alliance Parliamentary Spokesperson, Councillor Geraldine Rice has explained that a coalition of the willing could provide a stable form of government that could survive future crises. "Alliance has advocated a system of cross-community power-sharing consistently for thirty years. The concept of a voluntary coalition was central to our proposals for the Review of the Agreement, entitled Agenda for Democracy. "The creation of a voluntary coalition of the willing would allow those parties that wish to move ahead and restore

munity government. But no party would have an automatic right to be in the Executive. "It should be possible for parties that can work together across the community to move forward together.

Effective

democratic and accountable power-sharing government to do so. "They would not be held hostage by any party blocking progress, whether it be through political intransigence or association with continued paramilitary and criminal activity. "Our proposals were developed not to exclude Sinn Fein but to provide for more coherent and effective cross-com-

"But it would be entirely possible for Sinn Fein to be part of such arrangements in the future, provided that it can meet the same standards of democracy, human rights and the rule of law as other parties." "It should be possible for parties to negotiate a balanced executive, with an agreed programme for government, based on collective responsibility. This would need to be supported by a weighted-majority vote in the Assembly in order to ensure that there is a sufficient level of support for it across the community. "This approach to Executive formation would provide more efficient, effective and cohesive government. It would encourage parties to work towards the common good rather than simply narrow constituencies."

A new face standing for Castlereagh

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HINGS have come full circle for East Belfast woman Judith Cochrane, who will be standing for the Alliance Party in the May council election. East Belfast born and bred, Judith lived away from home for a few years. But now she is back to stay, and is already campaigning for the area. Judith (29) said: "After finishing school, I studied for a nutrition degree in Aberdeen for four years, then moved to London where I worked in food safety. In 2000 I came back to do an MBA at Queen's, and after finding a job here, I decided to settle back where I started off." Another reason influencing that decision was the birth of a baby daughter, Emma, four months ago. "Children definitely change your outlook on everything. When I lived in GB, you tended to get a one-sided view of Northern Ireland in the media, because of the focus on what was going wrong here. I know it's not like that, although there's a lot that needs to improve if Northern Ireland is to become a stable, prosperous society," she said. "Now that I'm working part time, I felt it was the best time for me to do something positive, to contribute to that vision of a shared future for everyone, no matter what religion, race or political persuasion you are." A former Girl Guide, Judith is now a leader in the organisation alongside serving East Belfast Assembly member, Naomi Long. Before Judith had her daughter, she was a hockey player with Harlequins.

"I am a pretty active person and I enjoy working with the Guides. Having been one myself, I know how important it is for young people to learn to take responsibility and be self-reliant. Education is something else I am interested in, and Alliance's support for integrated education is well known. "I want my daughter to grow up in a society that isn't torn apart by sectarianism and violence. While the situation now is much better than it was when I was growing up, the legacy of the Troubles is one of a divided society. What appealed to me about Alliance is the vision it has of building a united community." Among the issues Judith is looking forward to getting her teeth into are planning and development. "Now that we've had a chance to see the Belfast Metropolitan Area Plan, planning is going to be an even bigger issue than it currently is. Alliance will be lobbying for third party appeals to be permitted, so that the planning process is no longer biased in favour of developers. "I'm not into 'tribal' politics. They don't work. Politics should not be about who can shout the loudest. People are more concerned about issues that they care about and affect their lives, and Alliance's commonsense approach to getting things done appeals to me. "This is my first time standing for election, and I'm looking forward to the challenge. If real issues matter as much to others as they do to me, I will be honoured to represent the people of Castlereagh East after the election."

Rosetta crossing delayed MICHAEL Long has expressed his frustration at the delay to starting work on the new pedestrian crossing proposed for the junction of Rosetta Road and Bannagh Corner. However, he has received assurances that the crossing will go ahead and work on the project should commence soon. Cllr Long (right) said: "I am very unhappy at the delay in providing this crossing. It should have been installed by September but has been put off until queries about its exact location can be overcome. "I have been in frequent contact with Roads Service about the matter and have stressed the urgent need for this facility on such a busy road, which is used by many children on their way to and from school and by residents using shops. "I have been assured that the crossing will go ahead in the coming weeks and hopefully be completed by the early part of the New Year." Meanwhile, Cllr Long has expressed his disappointment that his request for an additional crossing at Cregagh Road has been turned down by Roads Service. If you would like to be updated on progress on the crossing, please contact us.

Call for adequate infrastructure before Dundonald housing is built THE Chair of Castlereagh Alliance has said that proposals for 200 new houses in the Dundonald area should not go ahead until the area's infrastructure can deal with it. "It seems ridiculous that hundreds of homes are being provided in Dundonald at a time when the traffic situation has already reached crisis point and when local schools are being stretched to capacity," said Judith Cochrane. "The Planning Service appears happy to approve intensive development with virtually no restrictions - at the very least approval should be conditional on improvements in infrastructure." Strangford Assembly member Kieran McCarthy added: "My colleagues in Castlereagh have opposed the provisional permission from Planning Service for two major developments at Quarry Corner and Millmount. "They have now been deferred, but there still needs to be an improvement in infrastructure, such as local schools and roads."

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Castlereagh times

Anti-social behaviour orders welcomed by Alliance’s McCarthy

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HE Alliance Party has welcomed the formal introduction of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders into Northern Ireland. This is an issue that the party had been campaigning on over the past year. ASBOs are civil orders that exist to protect the public from behaviour that causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress. They impose restrictions on subject individuals, usually from entering a specific geographical area. This could be as small as a particular street or as big as a town centre. However, a breach of an Order is a criminal offence with criminal procedures and penalties applying. The maximum penalty is five years imprison-

ment. In Northern Ireland, District Councils, the Housing Executive and Police can each apply for such orders. Local Alliance Party representative Alderman Kieran McCarthy said: "The formal introduction of ASBOs now raises the prospect of alleviating some of the stress that many of our citizens suffer from regular anti-social behaviour.

Complaints "I am inundated with complaints from residents, particularly the elderly and other vulnerable people, about persistent anti-social behaviour. Problems can include: youths hanging around and being loutish, vandalism and criminal damage, drunken behaviour and under-

age drinking, harassment of residents or passers-by. "At times, it is not each individual incident that causes the problem, but the rapid accumulation of a number of similar incidents. "Of course, ASBOs must only be one part of a wider strategy to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour, addressing the underlying causes as to why people engage in such activities. "However, we must recognise that there are far too many people have their human rights and their ability to live in peace and quiet disrupted by unruly youths and indeed adults who do need immediate relief from these problems."

Go green, shops urged

Rice opposes policing cuts SOUTH Belfast Alliance representative, Geraldine Rice, has expressed her alarm at the potential impact of the proposed 50 percent cut in the strength of the Full Time Reserve. Councillor Rice, who serves on the local District Policing Partnership, pointed out that this will inevitably mean fewer police officers on the ground in South Belfast. At present, the FT Reserve constitutes over 40 percent of the complement of officers in this area. "At a time when crime is one of the most pressing issues for Northern Ireland, it is unfortunate that we are losing so many experienced officers," said Cllr Rice. "No right-thinking society would choose to get rid of officers who are qualified and already doing the job at a time when fear of crime is such a major issue. In Britain, politicians are falling over themselves to get more police on the beat. "Those reservists who are left behind only have a temporary stay of execution, and it seems incredible that measures are not being considered to better facilitate transfers from the FTR into the new policing structures. This would be the best way of resolving matters surrounding the

Reserve. Cllr Rice said there are fears that Carryduff Police station could be closed before a suitable alternative site is identified. Cllr Rice said: "The station is old, but many would prefer a new, small modern unit in the Carryduff area."

ALLIANCE Councillor Sara Duncan has urged retailers to follow B&Q's example and introduce a plastic bag charge. Cllr Duncan (pictured) welcomed news that B&Q is to begin charging customers 5p per plastic carrier bag. It is introducing the levy in its 33 branches in Scotland in a pilot scheme, and proceeds will go to the Keep Scotland Beautiful campaign to reduce litter. If successful, it will roll out the scheme to the rest of its UK stores. Cllr Duncan said: "As a member of the Castlereagh Council Waste Management Committee, I would encourage B&Q to introduce this welcome scheme to its Northern Ireland stores as soon as possible. "I would also exhort Sainsbury's, M&S, Tesco, Supervalue and others to do likewise. Sainsbury's used to give a penny back for each

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re-used plastic bag, but has discontinued this practise, depriving the charity box in their stores of much needed pennies. This does not encourage the re-use of plastic bags, and I would encourage stores to look at ways of reducing disposable carrier bag use. "Plastic bags which cannot be recycled are dumped as landfill, which costs the ratepayer dearly. They litter both the city and countryside, making scenic areas ugly and urban areas an eyesore. Big supermarkets must encourage the re-use of plastic bags." Name:

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