Richard Burt

Welcome to the Richard Burt website which incorporates the previous website and the Richard Burt News blog.

This graph shows the Lib Dem % of votes across the West Worcestershire constituency at the June 4th 2009 council elections.

Shop owners on Pershore High Street are facing an average 80% to 90% increase in site valuations for business rates that will come into effect from 1st April.

They were informed of the large increases as part of a rolling review since the last valuation in 2005.

Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, Richard Burt as condemned the rise and said it could force some traders in the town out of business.

Richard Burt said:

"The last thing traders want is a thumping increase in their business rates just as as the economy starts to creep out of recession.

On top of this, many traders will also lose out on small business rate relief because the increase in their rateable value reduces their entitlement or takes them over the threshold for relief altogether.

"This is a double whammy that many businesses in the town will struggle to survive. If owners have to take much more off the bottom line, I fear that some will decide it is no longer worth opening the front door for business.

Mr Burt said he would write to ministers on behalf of local traders.

"Government is responsible for the business rate and ministers should be doing all they can to keep town centres like Pershore vibrant. Instead, they seem set on a tax grab that could result in more empty shops and less overall revenue."

Editor’s note:

Valuation  Officer, Alan Thawley 01902 438300

Helen Saunders, Proprietor, Capers Fine Foods, 10 High Street, Pershore, 01386 556342
Helen’s site valuation has increased from £8,000 to £14,000

Dear Editor,

Unlike those disgraced by the expenses scandal, one MP who I will be sorry to see leaving Parliament after 27 years is Clare Short. She now sits as an Independent member and is renowned for her straight talking and honesty.

She says a hung parliament is the only way now to wrestle back power from a presidential style of government. If this happens at the next general election, "power will flow back to the Commons and flow back to the cabinet." To that I would add ‘power back to the British people’ and ‘amen’.

After all those years of Blair and Brown, do we really want the new Batman and Robin of British politics, Cameron and Osborne to replace them?

Yours sincerely,
Richard Burt
Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate
West Worcestershire

Local Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, Richard Burt  today slammed Worcestershire County Council for publishing alternative routes for the City’s Northwest Link Road on their website half way through their consultation process  and naming houses close to the route that would suffer from noise pollution and other disturbances.

Mr Burt, who has already heavily criticised local councils over mass housing plans, said that naming properties along the two outline routes could blight  homes even though there was no prospect of the road being built.

"This is just one more example of the shambolic consultation process being conducted by local councils on mass housing and transportation," said Mr Burt.

"The scoping report on the Northwest Link Road was commissioned by the County Council and published in April last year, but has only recently been put on the County Council website.

"The Northwest Link Road comes with an estimated £250million price tag and no prospect of being built in the foreseeable future.

Why on earth then, publish details about individual houses and businesses when there is no prospect of either route being built, leaving local residents with the real prospect of planning blight.

"Surely residents in Broadheath and Hallow should expect a bit more sensitivity from the County Council about the effects of what they are doing than this?"

Read the rest of this entry »

Local Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, Richard Burt has today contacted the Strategic Health Authority following reports that regional NHS bosses have instructed Worcestershire’s Primary Care Trust to slash the orthopaedics budget for the county.

"This could result in the loss of orthopaedic surgeons, specialist nurses and longer waiting lists," said Mr Burt.

"My concern is that this is being done secretly, without and public consultation."
Mr Burt said that as pressures built on tightening NHS budgets following years of growth, it is vital that "every decision relating to changes in service should be open to the public."

"This could represent the thin end of the wedge, and we must be constantly vigilant to protect vital NHS services," he added. 

Local Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, Richard Burt today slammed the Conservatives over their handling of mass housing and transport plans, saying they were "in complete disarray" and had made "monumental blunders that could adversely affect our local communities for generations to come".

Reacting to the latest round of consultations on transportation organised by the Tory led County Council, Mr Burt said:

"The Conservatives are now in complete disarray, with their parliamentary candidate attacking her own Conservative led County Council, saying their plans are ‘pie-in-the-sky’ and a waste of money, blighting homes for no good reason.

"I think we both agree these plans are a road to nowhere that are never likely to leave the drawing board because there is no money to pay for them."

"The whole process has been a sorry tale of blunders and incompetence, at a very high cost to those whose village life is under threat.

"Local Conservative councillors inexplicably promoted Worcester City for expansion, resulting in 10,500 extra houses being allocated, with 7,500 spilling into Malvern Hills and Wychavon.

"Conservative controlled Malvern Hills District Council chose and voted for the total 24,500 extra houses we are now saddled with, whipping through the vote by a majority of just one against united Liberal Democrat, Green and and Independent opposition.

"Any amount of bleating now will not make up for the sorry mess they have sleep-walked us into.

"Only Nick Clegg and the Liberal Democrats have promised to scrap regional and national housing targets and given a genuine commitment to local determination on future housing need."

Malvern’s Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, Richard Burt visited staff locked in at the Foley Arms Hotel yesterday and vowed to help them in their fight to get their wages, redundancy money and holiday pay from the employers who summarily closed the Hotel without notice last Monday.

Mr Burt said the owners were using “bully-boy tactics by offering to pay wages in return for  handing over the keys to the hotel.”

He said the owners had driven a “coach and horses” through statutory legislation on redundancy.

“I have spoken to CAB in Malvern and they are available immediately to advise staff individually on their statutory rights in relation to wages, holiday pay and redundancy payment.”

“I have also spoken this morning to the General Manager, Nigel Thomas and emailed information on statutory rights to the staff. I just hope that the owners will now come to their senses and behave responsibly and within the law towards their loyal employees.”

Caption: Richard Burt talks to General Manager, Nigel Thomas, Trainee Manager, Andrew Wheeler and Housekeeper, Nadia Urbano locked in at the Foley Arms Hotel yesterday.

Malvern’s Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, Richard Burtwill visit staff at the Foley Arms in Malvern tomorrow, following news that the one of town’s best known hotels has ceased trading.

Mr Burt said he was "shocked" to hear news of the sudden closure, which was relayed to staff by email after men arrived to board up the windows.

"The Foley Arms is an iconic building and part of the heritage of the town," said Richard.

"The conduct of the owners in summarily closing the business without notice to staff or guests is extremely shoddy.

"I have been contacted by staff and agreed to meet them to talk through what happens from here.

"Despite being told to leave the premises, staff have done all they can to arrange for guests and visitors to be accommodated elsewhere, including one party that had booked a reception following a funeral.

"I will be contacting the owners to seek assurances that all 25 full and part-time employees will be treated fairly over pay and redundancy. People will also worry about what they intend to do with this iconic Georgian building that has been a landmark in Malvern for nearly 200 years."

Representatives of Bloor Homes were left in no doubt as to the opposition of Broadheath residents who flocked in their hundreds to Broadheath Village Hall last Saturday to see their plans for a New Town the size of Pershore on their doorstep.

Richard Burt, who attended the exhibition, spoke to many residents who said they were angry about the prospect of losing their village to become part of a greater Worcester City.

But West Worcestershire’s Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate also
blamed local councils for the Bloor homes bid, saying they were ‘collectively responsible’.

Richard Burt said:

"Bloor Homes’  application to build up to 3,950 houses here would destroy the village of Broadheath and turn the entire area into a city suburb.

"This application is the inevitable consequence of decisions on our Conservative controlled councils to promote Worcester City as a sub-regional focus for growth within the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy.

"Because they chose to promote Worcester for expansion in return for vague promises of inward investment, Worcester City was allocated 10,500 extra houses, of which 7,500 will now have to be built in Malvern Hills and Wychavon districts.

"These extra houses could have gone anywhere in the West Midlands, but despite all the obvious drawbacks with the river, transport links and lack of space, they still opted to promote Worcester City for expansion.

"This lack of foresight amounts to a dereliction of duty by senior Conservative councillors. 

"Without the rush for growth, there would be no Bloor Homes application today because there would be no need for overspill development.

"Liberal Democrat Leader, Nick Clegg has promised to scrap regional and national housing targets and given  a genuine commitment to local determination on future housing need."
NDS

     
Local Democrat parliamentary candidate, Richard Burt will question Worcestershire NHS bosses on the future of Head and Neck cancer surgery at Worcester Royal. The questions will be put at a meeting of the NHS Worcestershire Board due to take place Wychavon Civic Centre in Pershore tomorrow.~

Mr Burt will raise concerns about the service as part of discussions on the PCT’s new draft cancer strategy.

"I welcome any plan to keep existing cancer surgery within Worcestershire, but worry that the draft strategy leaves the door open for more complex head and neck surgery to be transferred to Gloucester," said Mr Burt. "I will be seeking assurances that the wishes of the public, patients and consultants to retain complex cancer surgery at the Royal will not be over-ridden by this strategy."

Mr Burt will put the following questions to board members:

What reassurances can you give the public in Worcestershire if 3CCN recommend the transfer of complex Head and Neck cancer surgery to Gloucester against the wishes of  the proposed NHS Worcestershire Cancer Strategy?

What level of commitment can NHS Worcestershire give to including the retention of complex Head and Neck surgery for Worcestershire patients at Worcester Royal as part of a future NHS Worcestershire Cancer Strategy?

What role will the PCTs as commissioners play in the final decision on the future of complex Head and Neck cancer surgery at Worcester Royal?

If there is disagreement about this issue between Trusts, Health Authorities, Patient Groups and Consultants, who has the final say, and is there any appeal process?

Local Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, Richard Burt today submitted alternative proposals to mass housing development in South Worcestershire to an enquiry set up by the West Midlands Parliamentary Select Committee, scrutinising progress on the Regional Spatial Strategy.

The Select Committee, comprising West Midlands Labour MPs and Dr Richard Taylor from Wyre Forest, is investigating the effect of current plans and their impact on local planning authorities.

Mr Burt said:

"This investigation clearly will not change the outcome of the Regional Spatial Strategy, but it is important to make sure that local people’s voices are heard loud and clear.

"I have forwarded South Worcestershire Housing Action Group’s alternative vision for housing development, calling for the suspension of the Regional Spatial Strategy and its replacement with five year rolling development plans, anticipating a local need of just under 11,000 new houses, rather than local council proposals for 24,500 by 2026.

"If the current mass housing plans ever pass into law, they will herald a free-for all for developers who want to build on green land to maximise profits.

"Everyone knows we need more affordable housing, but opening up huge swathes of countryside between our towns and villages is not the answer."

The Select Committee is asking for written submissions by noon on Monday 25 January 2010 and expects to hold its first evidence session in early February.
NDS
Editor’s note: See attached document: ‘A New Vision for Housing Development in South Worcestershire’