Member of Staffordshire County Council representing Lichfield Rural East – Cabinet Member for Adults and Wellbeing

The Canwell Show is an event which keeps rural traditions alive and offers broader attractions to all…

We actually went to the show earlier this month and travelled straight from it to catch a ferry to Mont St Michel in France, hence my only now writing about it.

As the West Midland’s largest agricultural event you’d expect it to enjoy great interest from diverse and enthusiastic visitors. And this year was no exception.

Thousands enjoyed everything from horse jumping, traditional farm animal competitions and old tractor displays to more general things such as food halls, market stalls, new car sales and giant bouncy castles. Really a mixed bag of interests set amongst the beatiful Canwell countryside, warm sunshine and the odd heavy shower.

It’s important to maintain the rural way of life and also good to offer the opportunity for those who don’t live in farming areas to experience more of our rural economy and life.

The Canwell Show does both those things and that’s why I was very happy to support it by going, and also with some money from my County Member’s Local Community Fund.

And, I can also highly recommend a visit to the beautiful Mont St Michel area of Normandy!

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The factually based mock up below shows just how staggeringly big these proposals are…

Time is running out to make views known on the wind farm planned by German company ProWind at a site on the outskirts of Haunton near to Thorpe Constantine, Clifton Campville and Harlaston.

 The small community living in homes at Dunnimere would be closest

Even though time is up to submit online you can send written views direct to Lichfield District Council at any time before the application is determined, probably in October, by Lichfield’s Planning Committee.

I talked with planners from Lichfield District Council, the decision makers on this application, and they say they have been inundated with letters from local people.

Agree with the principles and practicalities of onshore wind energy or not, this particular site would mean a major change to the look of the countryside around Lichfield and Tamworth for miles around.

And one small community particularly would have their lives changed forever under the shadow of these massive turbines.

In an appropriate place, away from people, I’m broadly ambivalent to wind turbines… I’m not convinced they are practical or cost effective onshore but clearly many who are far better qualified than I am to say, do.

But here, at Hoggs Hill, in one of the flattest and most picturesque areas in our county and so close to people and an historic church which would be dwarfed is not the right place. In fact, looking again at the picture, War of the Worlds springs to mind.

Read more about this HERE and see what local people think HERE.

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It’s not only the route but the principal I have concerns over for the foreseeable future and perhaps ever…

We lost a number of Virgin fast services from Lichfield Trent Valley last year because of subsidy cutbacks meaning it’s not nearly as practical or convenient to use there as it was.

Now there are likely to be more reductions in train services in general nationally because of the crisis in funding left by the last government.

Economic benefit to Staffordshire or a new convenient commuter belt?

And HS2, the last and current government’s proposal for a high speed train link from London northwards to Manchester and possibly beyond, is thirty odd billion I just cannot see the justification for in anything like the short or even medium term.

In fact, apart from tearing a swathe through some of the most rural and pituresque landscape in the central counties of England, including around Lichfield and Tamworth in my patch, I’m unconvinced of its suggested positive economic impact on the Midlands and certainly question that in Staffordshire.

Instead of businesses in London deciding to expand into Staffordshire, as suggested, I worry it is far more likely that businesses based here and in other parts of the Midlands, with a forty minute journey, will see an opportunity to use Staffordshire as a new commuter belt.

That would mean moving their trading and business to the London metropolis but living here in a beautiful part of the country and draining resources for less economic benefit to the county.

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A good example of business, the voluntary sector and state working collaboratively…

Safe motorcycling is the focus and Jonathon King from Tamworth Yamaha is more than happy to use the popularity of his large motorbike business to help promote safer riding.

Yamaha Tamworth and motorcycle police officers encouraging safe riding

I went along to see the County’s Road Safety people, Staffordshire Police and the newly formed Lichfield Advanced Motorcycle Group, as well as Jonathon, at his large showroom on the outskirts of Fazeley.

Like bees to a honeypot motorcycle fans come from miles around to the showroom which is a great opportunity to persuade them to take an advanced motorcycle session for free courtesy of advanced police riders.

Impressed with the volunteers from Lichfield Advanced Motorcycle Group

And I was hugely impressed by a new voluntary motorcycle training group who also meet the first Sunday each month at Fradley Village Hall near to Lichfield.

For a very reasonable charge they provide hours of training in Roadcraft. They are clearly passionate about safer biking and their events calendar is hugely impressive and growing all the time.

The police trainers had certainly been busy with handfuls of forms containing details from people who had or wanted to undertake some training whilst the advanced bikers from Lichfield were happy to take that to a further stage.

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