Monday 26 January 2009

Swingers Club

It seems a long time since the Swingers Club was generating a lot of angst among residents of Over. I had an e-mail at the end of last week to say that the appeal against the refusal of planning permission for the club had been turned down. There are very few routes left for the owners to appeal further - and no grounds - so hopefully that will be the end of the club in Over. The adjudicator who considered the appeal made reference to the suitability of a rural site for such a club and the traffic impact - which were also the basis of my concerns. I am very glad that the views of residents were heard.

Tuesday 20 January 2009

Service 15

I have been told that there are changes to the evening service 15. They are only minor, but will affect you if you are planning an evening out in St Ives.

The current 21:05 will terminate at Swavesey and the 21:40 from St Ives will now start from Swavesey at 22:06. I hope this won't totally disrupt your social life as a result!

Friday 16 January 2009

Children's Tax Credit

I was sent the following information last night - I bet many people are like me and had no idea of this - so if you are eligible, do claim and do pass it on to friends and family with children:

Unclaimed Children’s Tax Allowance for 2002/3 - Information for Parents
The year before Tax Credits were introduced there was a different non-means tested allowance available which was never advertised by the Inland Revenue. It is called the Children’s Tax Allowance for the Year 2002/3. You can still claim this allowance before the 31 January 2009 deadline. You need to phone HMRC on 0845 302 1409 and ask them to check whether you have already received this allowance and, if not, enquire as to what action you need to take. You are eligible to claim £520.00 allowance if: · You have a child born between 6 April 1986 and 5 April 2003 · The child lived with you for all or part of 2002/2003 · You worked and paid tax for all or part of 2002/2003 · You or your partner earned £6,000 plus in the year 2002/2003 tax year You are eligible for the £1,040 allowance if: · If you can answer yes to the four questions above, and · One of your children was born between 6 April 2002 and 5 April 2003 Notes:- · Making a claim does not affect your current or future entitlement to Working of Child Tax credits · Your Marital status is irrelevant · You cannot claim the allowance twice and if your final tax code on your April 2003 P60 ended in a H or a T, you have already had the allowance · This is an easy claim for you to make so do not get duped into paying someone to do it for you because they are likely to charge a large percentage for their services

Tuesday 6 January 2009

School Governors

First a Happy New Year to you all.

One of the tasks of a county councillor is, with the local school, to identify suitable people to become school governors. I have four schools in my patch - Willingham, Over and Longstanton primary schools and Swavesey Village College. It is not often that one or other is without a vacancy for a local authority governor. This is currently the case in Longstanton, as the governing body has increased in size. You do not need to be a parent in order to be a governor, in fact I encourage people who aren't parents, but you do have to be interested in the well being of young people in your area and, of course, be prepared to commit to regular meetings at the school. It is not paid, but it is a rewarding role.
If you are interested in becoming a school governor, please let me know, via the usual contact details