John Penrose
Campaigns - Rural Issues
Outside the town of Weston-super-Mare, the parliamentary constituency encompasses a large rural area. Each village and hamlet has its own unique set of issues and problems which constituents raise with John.
John is currently campaigning on the forgotten problems of rural crime, the need for better facilities for young people and the loss of community services.
Updates
Project is positive step, PenroseA stepSevern barrage plan attacked on green credentialsFight for Post OfficeMast campaignRailway relocate mastMast moved awayNetwork rail promises mast consultationMP opens wood recycle siteResort MP backs new timber recycling schemeEnergy paper gives barrage plans a boostThe dirty dozenBeach-ban threat if seawater doesn't measure upNew EU rules will demand a cleaner beachWorry over back garden housingMP's bid for right to blast the mastsTranquilityMP backs the battle to keep peace and quietEvery 62-acre square in England is given its own tranquility score.
Maintaining tranquility levelsThe curse of the carMP fighting to protect tranquilityLooking after our peace and quietPlan for HGV restrictionsWeight restriction plan to solve road problem'Keep Cheddar off junk food list'MP joins junk Cheddar rowMP fury at 'junk' cheesesProgress in airport talksPlay AreaPlay Area Should Be Built, says MPUnited To Fight Further Airport ExpansionMPs Join Forces To List BIA Expansion WorriesAirport Plans “In Hands of Local Councils”Airport's expansion crash lands with MPsThank YouVillage Will Not Get A By-PassMP Takes Up Farmer's Cash RowMP in Farm Cash DemandsFarmers Left Fuming Over Pay DelayGovernment Promises Action Over Farm CashFarm Funds Case HeardBeckett Court Case DroppedFarmer Aims To Put Minister In The DockFarmers Action Against BeckettFarmer Takes Government To CourtFarmer Paul Sues Minister For Lost £2,000Beckett Is Sued Over Cash FiascoMP Offers Support For Severn BarrageCar Park PromiseWelcome to our suburban hellCut Lorries On Beauty Spot RouteMP Calls For Truck BanMP Calls For Ban On LorriesStop The Spread Of Roads And Homes Or Lose West Greenbelt
Project is positive step, Penrose
4 October 2007 Weston & Worle News
The Government's feasibility study on a barrage across the River Severn is a positive step forward, says Weston MP John Penrose.
However, he has voiced concerns about the way it has been set up, and claims that the Government wants it to fail at the first hurdle.
He said: "I'm delighted the Government is looking into the feasibility of the Severn Barrage.
"But this study won't analyse any alternative methods of harnessing the power of the Severn, such as tidal lagoons or tidal flow technologies.
"So if the experts decide a barrage isn't the right answer, we'll be left with no properly costed alternative to take its place.
"They've set it up as an 'all or nothing' option, rather than taking a properly balanced approach to find the best technology for Britain's future green energy needs.
"That isn't a responsible approach to dealing with climate change, and could delay any eventual solution for years.
"It looks as though the Government has set it up to fail. The study could fall at the first hurdle.
"The Government has correctly said that the environmental impact of a barrage on local wildlife must be assessed, and that the barrage mustn't destroy important natural habitats.
"But just a month ago the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs earmarked the Severn Estuary as a Special Area of Conservation because of its unique and important ecology.
"If DEFRA thinks the estuary is so special, doesn't that mean the barrage study is doomed before it even gets underway?
"I'm worried the Government is only paying lip service to green energy here, and I'm going to write to John Hutton MP, Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform to ask him to explain these contradictions."
A step
26 September 2007 Bristol Evening Post
A £15 BILLION plan to harness the power of the River Severn using a massive tidal barrage has moved a step closer to reality after the Government ordered a feasibility study.
Business and Enterprise Secretary John Hutton announced the detailed look at the viability of the scheme yesterday at the Labour Party's annual conference in Bournemouth.
If it goes ahead, the barrage would provide enough renewable energy - five per cent of the UK's electricity needs - to power the whole of the South West.
It would be the biggest civil engineering project the country has ever seen, creating thousands of new jobs, and would dwarf the world's only other tidal barrage in France.
The plan has received support from MPs of all parties in the region but has split environmentalists, with some welcoming the harnessing of the world's second largest tidal range as an alternative to power from fossil fuels or nuclear energy, while others fear the scheme could have a disastrous effect on estuary birds and fish.
The Severn Barrage would most likely run from Brean Down, a spur of land south of Weston- super-Mare, 10 miles across the Bristol Channel to Lavernock Point in South Wales.
Seaside towns including Clevedon, Portishead and Weston- super-Mare would all be inside the barrier, while the island of Steep Holm would be just outside.
The Severn Tidal Power Group (STPG), a consortium of engineering and construction companies which was formed in 1981, is behind the proposal and could fund the project privately, at an estimated cost of £15 billion.
The barrage could create 35,000 jobs at peak construction time, over a six or seven-year period.
A road or railway across the barrage would provide a new link between the West and Wales.
In his speech Mr Hutton said the Severn Barrage could form part of a new "green collar" sector of environmentally friendly employment.
Mr Hutton said the barrage scheme was "a truly visionary project, unparalleled anywhere in the world in scale, that alone could generate five per cent of the UK's electricity from renewable sources by 2020."
The feasibility study will examine the social and economic aspects of the scheme as well as its effects on the environment.
Before it is published a series of debates and inquiries will need to take place, starting with a report from the Sustainable Development Commission, which is due on Monday.
Roger Hull, spokesman for the STPG, said: "Oil prices have gone shooting up recently and with interest rates going down a lot of things have moved in the direction of harnessing the tides. The time has come and the Government is now very keen to work out exactly what the best thing to do is and get on with it as soon as possible."
South West Regional Development Agency director of planning, transport and the environment Claire Gibson said: "The South West, and in particular the Severn estuary, has unique tidal resources and tidal power may have a key role to play in the development of a sustainable economy in the region."
Veteran left-winger and former Bristol MP Tony Benn, who had the project under consideration while Energy Secretary some 30 years ago, said he was "delighted" progress was finally being made.
He told the Evening Post: "It would be a fantastic facility that will generate power cleanly.
"I think environmental impact of a barrage would be far less than the impact of any nuclear facility."
Weston-super-Mare MP John Penrose (Con) said: "Britain has to harness the power of the Severn estuary. It's the single biggest source of green renewable energy in Britain and a vital part of reducing dependence on foreign gas and oil.
"The barrage would transform towns like Weston, although the impact on local wildlife needs to be carefully addressed."
Northavon MP Steve Webb, who made a speech in support of the Severn Barrage at the Liberal Democrat party conference last week, said: "We have been pressing for a serious study so that an informed decision can be made.
"It needs to cover all of the options; the barrage, lagoon, underwater turbines and it will also have to look at the potential environmental impact."
Kingswood Labour MP Roger Berry, who called for the Government to act on the proposals at a conference fringe event earlier this week, said: "Tidal power is predictable. There are not many things in life that are certain but the tide coming in and going out is one of them. The Severn estuary has the second largest tidal range in the world. If we cannot capitalise on that then we have to look at how seriously we are taking climate change."
All environmentalists agree that the River Severn's extreme tidal flow is a crucial way of increasing the UK's reliance on low-carbon energy sources.
But they say other methods would have much less adverse impact on the wildlife in the area.
One of the main alternatives to the Severn Barrage would be a series of large tidal lagoons - manmade lakes which would fill up at high tide and power turbines.
Friends of the Earth say these could provide more energy - seven per cent of the national requirement - at a cheaper rate with much less natural habitat affected.
But they would cost far more to build.
Neil Crumpton, energy campaigner for Friends of the Earth, said: "The Severn Barrage project would prevent better tidal energy schemes being built in the Severn estuary.
"We think that large offshore tidal lagoons, possibly in combination with the smaller 'Shoots barrage' near the Second Severn Crossing, would be a far less ecologically damaging and potentially a significantly more powerful energy solution."
A spokesman from the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, which runs the Slimbridge sanctuary upstream of the barrage site, said: "The construction of a huge dam across the estuary could have a massive environmental impact on this delicate ecosystem and the wildlife that depends upon it.
"There are alternative methods of harnessing that tidal power and WWT is calling for fair and balanced assessment of all the options and implications for the estuary's international conservation importance so the best deal can be struck for people and for wildlife."
RSPB spokeswoman Sophie Atherton said: "If the Severn Barrage were to be built, it will put thousands of birds, spawning salmon and other fish at risk.
"A barrage would cut the Severn's tidal range by half, reducing the amount of land and food for wildlife. Many birds could starve and the condition of birds attempting to breed would be too poor for them to be successful."
But North Somerset councillor Chanel Stevens, a member of socialist environmental campaign group Sera, defended the barrage.
He said: "There's a lot of myths going around about the Severn Barrage. It's not going to become a big stagnant lake like some people think. In fact the silt which is churned up every day by the tide would settle and make the water behind the barrage a clear lake.
"It wouldn't be exactly the same ecology but it would be a much healthier and more bountiful one.
"With sea levels rising we run hugely increased risks of flooding and the barrage would protect 160 miles of coastline from that.
"The barrage is not only sound in environmental effect, it's also green, clean energy which is entirely predictable. It would also be equipped with shipping channels sufficient to take the largest suspected increase that Bristol's docks will have to deal with."
Bristol Green Party spokesman Peter Goodwin said: "You can't help thinking that this is not really driven by the need for renewable energy - it's more about land development and the profit opportunities they'll bring. No wonder they let the Business Minister make the announcement instead of an energy minister."
Severn barrage plan attacked on green credentials
28 September 2007 Western Daily Press
A study due to be launched into the possibility of creating a Severn Barrage has been fiercely criticised by conservationists who believe the Government is ignoring alternative ways of harnessing energy from the estuary.
Experts believe a barrage, likely to cost in the region of £15 billion, would generate five per cent of Britain's electricity from renewable sources by the year 2020 and create thousands of jobs with attractive economic benefits.
But news that the Government has embarked on a feasibility study into building the huge structure has been met with dismay by campaigners who believe it could destroy the habitats of wildlife who thrive on the mudflats and rocks in the estuary.
Pressure groups such as Friends of the Earth are urgently calling for the study to include investigation into other projects, particularly the possibility of a tidal lagoon.
They believe a lagoon could generate more energy while preserving the area's delicate ecosystems.
It is likely to involve creating a series of pools, which would fill and drain through turbines.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has also called for a proper analysis of the lagoon proposal, as it believes a barrage could wreck crucial habitats of several protected species of bird.
Society spokesman Sophie Atherton said yesterday: "A barrage would have a massively negative effect on the Severn estuary as around 65,000 birds come there in winter every year.
"But who knows what other birds and wildlife depend on the mudflats which would disappear if the barrage were built?
"We think there could be better ways of harnessing the power of the tide and other methods, including a lagoon, need to be looked at.
"We are great believers in renewable energy, but at the end of the day, one of the key goals of reversing climate change is to benefit the environment, and we shouldn't be harming it in the process."
Logically the barrage would be constructed between Lavernock Point in Wales and the Somerset seaside resort of Weston-super-Mare, where the town's Tory MP John Penrose also has grave concerns about the feasibility study.
Although he has welcomed the study's announcement by John Hutton at the Labour Party conference this week, he warned yesterday it could be "set up to fail".
He said: "This study won't analyse any alternative methods of harnessing the power of the Severn, such as tidal lagoons or tidal flow technologies.
"So if the experts decide a barrage isn't the right answer, we'll be left with no properly costed alternative to take its place.
"They've set it up as an 'all or nothing' option, rather than taking a properly balanced approach to find the best technology for Britain's future green energy.
"The other problem is it looks as though the Government has set it up to fail. The Government has correctly said that the environmental impact of a barrage on local wildlife must be assessed, and that the barrage mustn't destroy important natural habitats.
"But just a month ago it earmarked the Severn Estuary as a Special Area of Conservation because of its unique and important ecology.
"If it thinks the estuary is so special, doesn't that mean the barrage study is doomed before it even gets under way?"
Mr Hutton promised the feasibility study would examine the social and economic aspects of the scheme as well as its effects on the environment. It will also consider other sites in the UK where the power of the tides could be harnessed, including the Mersey estuary.
Meanwhile, some of Britain's most distinguished scientists have suggested a radical method of fighting global warming using the sea.
Experts, including West-based climate change commentator Professor James Lovelock, say pipes hanging in the ocean could help the sea absorb more carbon dioxide.
In a letter to the journal Nature, the scientists suggest the ocean could take up much more carbon by fertilising plankton in its top layer.
Fight for Post Office
6 September 2007 The Weston Mercury
RESIDENTS and parish councillors in Hutton are uping their fight to keep their post office open after owners were told it could be on a list of those to close.
The council has started a petition which received 210 signatures at The Taste of Somerset festival last week, but now wants to take the fight all the way to Whitehall.
Speaking at a parish council meeting on Monday, Councillor John Coote said the petition alone does not really achieve much and they need to make more noise to achieve what they want. They plan to write to all residents in the village and ask them to sign a letter in support of keeping the post open. The pile of letters and the petition will then be taken up to parliament by MP John Penrose.
Hope are high this will make the Government reconsider putting Hutton in the controlled closing programme.
Mike Bell, who owns the post office in Main Road, received a letter stating the post office is in the closing programme, but has stressed no decisions have been made yet over its future.
Before this happens a public consultation for the Somerset and Bristol area will take place in February 2008 when local groups and customers will be able to put forward their views and concerns.
Mast campaign
26 July 2007 Weston & Worle News
I would personally like to thank Weston MP John Penrose, Cllr Dawn Payne and the Weston & Worle News for a successful campaign which led to Network Rail moving its proposed mast in Wyvern Close.
I would also like to thank all the residents who supported this campaign.
This was a victory for all residents, regardless of whether they supported our campaign or not. There is still so much to learn about the long-term effects of radiation from GSM masts that it is better to be safe than sorry.
The proposed site for the mast has been moved to a non-residential area approximately 400m from Wyvern Close.
Of course there will still be an increased amount of microwave radiation trackside but nothing like the amount if it was installed in one of the neighbours' backyards
Railway relocate mast
19 July 2007 Clevedon Mercury
Network Rail has changed the location of one of its proposed communication masts in North Somerset.
The railway operator has moved a mast, which was supposed to be built in Wyvern Close, Weston,away from neighbouring properties, and has reduced its height.
The change of heart came after a campaign was launched by nearby residents, supported by Weston MP John Penrose and North Somerset councillor Dawn Payne.
Network Rail wrote to Cllr Payne saying: "We have moved the site in line with concerns about proximity to properties.
"We have also been able to reduce the height of the mast from 94ft to 65ft.
"We apologise for any inconvenience you have been caused."
In June, the Clevedon Mercury exclusively revealed that Network Rail was to build five masts between across North Somerset.
The other masts are to be constructed at Weston railway station; Kenn Moor Gate, in Yatton; Cambridge Batch, in Long Ashton; and West Mendip Way, in Bleadon Hill.
The company says the masts, which are being installed across the country, are part of a programme to improve safety and communication for trains
Mast moved away
19 July 2007 Weston & Worle News
Network Rail has changed the location of a proposed communication mast in Weston. The train operator has moved a mast, which was supposed to be built in Wyvern Close, away from neighbouring properties, and has reduced its height.
The change of heart came after a campaign was launched by nearby residents, supported by Weston MP John Penrose and North Somerset councillor Dawn Payne.
Network Rail wrote in a letter to Cllr Payne saying: 'We have moved the site in line with concerns about proximity to neighbouring properties.
'We have also been able to reduce the height of the mast from 29 metres to 20 metres.
'We apologise for any inconvenience you have been caused'.
In June, we exclusively revealed that Network Rail was to build five masts between 20 and 50 metres in height across North Somerset.
The other masts are to be constructed at Weston railway station; Kenn Moor Gate, in Yatton; Cambridge Batch, in Long Ashton; and West Mendip Way, in Bleadon Hill.
The company says the masts, which are being installed across the country, are part of a programme to improve safety and communication for trains
Network rail promises mast consultation
5 July 2007 Weston & Worle News
Network Rail has told Weston MP John Penrose that it will consult North Somerset Council over plans for railway masts in the district.
In June, the Weston & Worle News exclusively revealed train operator Network Rail is to build masts between 20 and 50 metres in height at five locations in North Somerset.
The masts, up to twice the height of Bristol Cathedral, are to be constructed at Weston railway station; Kenn Moor Gate, in Yatton; Camb ridge Batch, in Long Ashton; West Mendip Way, in Bleadon Hill and Wyvern Close, Weston.
The company says the masts, which are being installed across the country, are part of a programme to improve safety and communication for trains.
They do not require planning permission because they are classified as railway infrastructure.
However, residents living nearby are furious at the plans.
Mr Penrose also asked government minister for housing and planning, Yvette Cooper if she would take steps to ensure that Network rail had to go through the same process as mobile phone operators do for their masts.
In response, she said there were no plans to change the rights for railway firms to build the masts.
Mr Penrose said: "I am disappointed. I believe Network Rail should have the same requirements to get planning permission for GSM-R phone masts as commercial mobile phone operators.
"I understand why local people are worried. Why should Network Rail be allowed to bypass the planning system?
"I've raised the issue directly with Network Rail chiefs and I'm encouraged by their response.
"They agreed to listen to planning comments from North Somerset Council and are also considering a new consultation process for new masts, to make sure that local people's concerns aren't simply ignored in future.
"Of course, words count for very little unless they are backed up by concrete action, so I will be pressing Network Rail to ensure they follow up on their commitments and listen to the local communities they are affecting."
What are your views on the masts? Write to us or e-mail newsdesk@clevedon.co.uk
MP opens wood recycle site
7 May 2007 Bristol Evening Post
Weston-super-mare MP John Penrose will officially open a new wood recycling scheme this week.
The Somerset Wood Recycling project is a not-for-profit social enterprise and is one of only a handful of wood recycling projects in the UK.
It involves volunteers offering a waste wood collection service to builders and other local organisations for less than it costs to use skips. Collected wood is then sorted and sold through the wood shop on Oldmixon Crescent.
A variety of products are also made from the "waste" wood. Volunteers develop new skills, gain work experience and help to conserve and re-use valuable resources.
Two Weston residents set up the project, Elisabeth Roberts and Tristan Tudor, both 29.
Ms Roberts said: "We make a variety of products from potato bins and compost boxes to chairs and tables - all made from wood which would otherwise have gone to waste. We also have lots of wood suitable for DIY."
Somerset Wood Recycling will be opened Mr Penrose on Friday at 10am. Call it on 01934 642 294.
Resort MP backs new timber recycling scheme
15 May 2007 Bristol Evening Post
Weston Mp John Penrose has officially opened a new wood recycling scheme in Weston-super-Mare.
The Somerset Wood Recycling project is a not-for-profit social enterprise and is one of only a handful of wood recycling projects in the UK.
It involves volunteers offering a waste wood collection service to builders and other local organisations for less than it costs to use skips.
Wood is then sorted and sold through the wood shop on Oldmixon Crescent. A variety of products are also made from the "waste" wood.
Volunteers develop new skills, gain work experience and help to conserve and re-use valuable resources.
Two Weston residents - Elisabeth Roberts and Tristan Tudor, both 29 - set up the project, . Elisabeth said: "We make a variety of products from potato bins and compost boxes to chairs and tables - all made from wood which would otherwise have gone to waste. We also have lots of wood suitable for DIY. A number of local builders and businesses are already using us to collect their waste wood and we hope that more will work with us to ensure as much wood is reused as possible."
For more information, call Somerset Wood Recycling on 01934 64 22 94.
Energy paper gives barrage plans a boost
24 May 2007 Weston & Worle News
The government is another step closer to agreeing to the world's biggest tidal barrage across the River Severn.
An energy White Paper published on Wednesday said the country had to look for alternatives to fossil fuels in an effort to drive down prices and combat the threat of global warming.
Tidal power is seen as one of the best ways to do this, and the paper says the UK should make the most of its greatest 'untapped energy resource'.
If given the go-ahead, the 10-mile barrage, stretching from just south of Weston to Cardiff, would create thousands of jobs, re-invigorate local tourism and provide about five per cent of the country's electricity needs.
It would also reduce the UK's carbon output by three per cent, greatly improve links between London and south Wales through the possibility of placing a high speed train track on top, and help prevent flooding in Gloucestershire, Somerset and south Wales.
Several schemes exist for the project, first proposed by a Cardiff University professor in 1849.
Which of them is favoured by the Government has not yet been revealed, but supporters of the 158-year-old idea will get more of an indication of how things stand in September.
This is when the Sustainable Development Commission makes its recommendations to the Government on tidal power in the UK.
The proposal, although supported by political heavyweights environment secretary David Miliband, Welsh secretary Peter Hain and trade and industry secretary Alistair Darling, has not been welcomed by everyone.
Green groups say it would devastate the surrounding environment and do more to cause flooding than prevent it.
Weston MP John Penrose said: "The Severn estuary is potentially a great source of renewable energy in this country.
"The Severn barrage would be a great way of harvesting that power, but we should not ignore alternative technologies such as tidal lagoons which might be cheaper and kinder to the Severn's ecology."
What do you think? Do you think it will boost the economy or would the money be better spent elsewhere? E-mail newsdesk@clevedon.co.uk.
The dirty dozen
12 June 2007 Western Daily Press
Adozen beaches in the West will have to start cleaning up their act or they will fail future pollution targets.
ADOZEN beaches in the West will have to start cleaning up their act or they will fail future pollution targets.
Somerset's coastline will not be up to scratch, giving the county a tag of having waters that are a public health hazard if the situation does not improve. Beaches in Dorset and Devon have also had their cards marked by the Government.
It could have a devastating impact on tourism in towns such as Weston-super-Mare and Burnham as people face the prospect of swimming in chemical filled waters.
The Government could also face millions of pounds in fines if the beaches fail to reach the minimum standard.
British beaches will soon have to meet tougher EU standards after the Government gave the go-ahead to a revised Bathing Water Directive in March last year.
The Environment Agency has predicted that 34 out of 486 bathing waters in England and Wales will fail the stringent testing, which will come into effect in less than eight years. More than a third of these are in the South West.
Coastal pollution officer Thomas Bell, from the Marine Conservation Society, said: "There are no absolutely clean beaches in the UK as we live on an island inhabited by 55 million people, all producing sewage which goes into the sea.
"But our beaches have eight years to make things better. This sounds like a long time but to make a change something must be done now. The new standards will be 20 times better than the old standards so there is much to do."
Mr Bell said that the Government faces huge fines if beaches fail the EU standards but that failing beaches are unlikely to be closed down.
He added: "There has been huge investment by water companies such as South West Water to help reduce sewage pollution. But there are other things to be done. A good place to start would be to reduce the amount of run off from livestock farming. Animal waste is washed into the sea when it rains which reduces water quality.
"The Government needs to make sure this doesn't happen and that there's enough investment for the beaches predicted to fail to improve things. If not there will be huge problems.
"Climate change could also have an effect on levels of water quality in the future as hotter temperatures and sudden downpours will lead to flash floods carrying pollution overland and into the sea."
The South West has 1,000 kilometres of coastline and 191 designated bathing waters, which are vital to the region's economy in terms of their contribution to the tourism and leisure industry.
Seaside resorts such as Weston-super-Mare depend on the reputation of its beaches to pull in the punters. But it's bathing waters will be failed if things do not change.
Conservative MP John Penrose said: "Weston already has a beautiful, clean beach and keeping it that way is essential for the town's continuing success as a sea side resort.
"Local residents and visitors love to see wide expanses of clean beach but we can't stand still. Everybody will expect standards to rise steadily in the future and we must meet this challenge."
In the future standards for bathing water quality will be even tighter following the adoption of a revised Bathing Water Directive last year.
The new Directive updates the way in which water quality is measured, focusing on fewer microbiological indicators, with water quality classifications carried out over three or four years.
There are four new classification categories: poor (fail), sufficient, good and excellent. The Directive will also require specific information to be provided to the public, both on signs at beaches and online.
IT is likely that monitoring under the new system will begin in 2012 and all bathing waters will be required to achieve at least 'sufficient' standards by 2015, which is much more stringent than the current mandatory standard.
The cleanliness of bathing water is measured by taking water samples throughout the summer season from every beach.
These are then tested for fecal coliforms, organisms that live in sewage and can cause stomach, eye, ear and nose infections.
South West Tourism's deputy chief executive Robin Barker is confident beaches will rise to the challenge.
He said: "I'm sure any beach failing these standards will be pulling out all the stops to sort things out. We need to keep investment up and standards high. The South West's beaches are Britain's playground and are used all year round so they are very important. Bathing waters are cleaner than ever but there's always room to improve."
Despite the gloomy Government predictions the South West has the highest number of beaches with "excellent" bathing water quality in Britain, according to a recent report.
A total of 156 out of 195 beaches were awarded the top rating, compared to 494 beaches out of 787 tested across Britain.
The Marine Conservation Society reported that the number of its recommended beaches has almost quadrupled in the past 10 years - up from 125 in 1997.
The South West is the top-performing region in its Good Beach Guide, hitting a new record for recommended beaches.
The region was helped through investment from companies like South West Water who provided £1 billion for a coastal sewage treatment improvement programme.
Beach-ban threat if seawater doesn't measure up
13 June 2007 Bristol Evening Post
Beaches in North Somerset will have to clean up their act if they are going to meet new stricter guidelines.
The Government gave the go-ahead to a revised Bathing Water Directive in March last year, which will come into effect in less than eight years.
It will mean beaches like Weston-super-Mare, Sand Bay, Brean and Burnham-on-Sea will have to come up to scratch or face the consequences.
If they fail, their waters will be labelled a public health hazard and this could prevent tourists from flocking to the area.
The Environment Agency has predicted that 34 out of 486 bathing waters in England and Wales will fail the stringent testing.
Coastal pollution officer Thomas Bell, from the Marine Conservation Society, said: "
Our beaches have eight years to make things better.
"This sounds like a long time but, to make a change, something must be done now. The new standards will be 20 times better than the old standards so there is much to do."
Mr Bell said that the Government faces huge fines if beaches fail the EU standards but that failing beaches are unlikely to be closed down.
Weston MP John Penrose agrees the issue is serious. He said: "Weston already has a beautiful, clean beach and keeping it that way is essential for the town's continu- ing success as a seaside resort.
"Everybody will expect standards to rise steadily in the future and we must meet this challenge."
New EU rules will demand a cleaner beach
14 June 2007 Weston & Worle News
Weston beach will have to clean up its act or it will fail to meet future European Union pollution targets.
British beaches will soon have to meet tougher EU standards after the Government gave the go-ahead to a revised Bathing Water Directive in March 2006
And if the beaches fail to reach the minimum standard when the new rules come in to force in 2014, the area could be given a tag of having waters that are a public health hazard and the Government could face millions of pounds in fines.
The consequences of not having a clean beach could also have a devastating impact on tourism in Weston as people face the prospect of swimming in chemical-filled waters.
The Marine Conservation Society's coastal pollution officer Thomas Bell said: "There are no absolutely clean beaches in the UK as we live on an island inhabited by 55 million people, all producing sewage which goes into the sea.
"But our beaches have eight years to make things better. This sounds like a long time but to make a change something must be done now. The new standards will be 20 times better than the old standards so there is much to do.
"There has been huge investment by water companies such as South West Water to help reduce sewage pollution.
"But there are other things to be done, such as reducing the amount of run-off from livestock farming, because animal waste is washed into the sea when it rains which reduces water quality."
Weston's Tory MP John Penrose echoed the warning.
He said: "Weston already has a beautiful, clean beach and keeping it that way is essential for the town's continuing success as a seaside resort.
"Local residents and visitors love to see wide expanses of clean beach but we can't stand still. Everybody will expect standards to rise steadily in the future and we must meet this challenge."
The new directive updates the way in which water quality is measured, focusing on fewer microbiological indicators, with water quality classifications carried out over three or four years.
Worry over back garden housing
21 June 2007 Cheddar Valley Gazette
One in six new homes built in North Somerset in 2005 was built on a former back garden.
Local MP John Penrose revealed the figures as the Conservative Party attempted to launch a Bill to close a planning loophole that defines gardens as brownfield sites.
Under present planning rules gardens are classed as brownfield sites, just like a derelict factory or railway siding. This means they are subject to a presumption in favour of development. The loophole has led to mature family homes being demolished and replaced by apartment blocks and car parks.
Mr Penrose explained: "This new Bill would close a loophole in the planning system that is giving rise to great concern across the country.
"The problem is that front and back gardens are classified in planning terms as the equivalent of brownfield sites.
"In other words, they are treated the same as an old gasworks or a disused railway site. Because the Government encourages housing development on brownfield sites it is next to impossible for local councils throughout the country to refuse development."
MP's bid for right to blast the masts
26 June 2007 Weston & Somerset Mercury
A DEMAND has been issued to Government ministers to give Weston residents a chance to fight plans to build a series of masts in the town.
Four masts, up to 30m high will be put up in the area by Network Rail to help construct a communications network for the railway authority.
The organisation does not need planning permission for the masts but Weston MP John Penrose says people should have a chance to fight the proposals and not be 'muzzled'.
He plans to meet Network Rail bosses and has questioned ministers in the House of Commons on why planning laws forbid local people to challenge the proposals.
The company says the masts are essential for safety reasons but residents are concerned they will emit dangerous microwave energy and hit property values.
Network Rail plans to put up the masts near Weston Railway Station, Worle Railway Junction - where the track branches into two in Locking Castle - near a path known as West Mendip Way in Bleadon and at Kenn Moor Gate in Yatton.
They are part of the company's plans to replace old radio systems across the country with a new system designed to help signallers and train drivers communicate, which it says is an essential part of a national safety scheme.
The authority's bosses say they try not to put them up in residential areas and insist they do not broadcast a signal in all directions like mobile telephone masts, but direct the signals along the railway line, and promise emissions levels away from the track will be significantly lower.
Tranquility
9 March 2007 Weston Mercury
Weston MP John Penrose has launched a campaign to measure tranquility in the countryside.
The MP is seeking to add the measure to current planning laws in order for Tranquility to be taken into account for plans such as the proposed expansion of Bristol International Airport and the former RAF Locking site.
Mr Penrose said: “Unless we act now, it will be too late. We must protect our existing havens and guarantee that tranquility does not become an obscure footnote in history.”
His campaign is being supported by the Campaign to protect Rural England, which encourages the sustainable use of land in the countryside. It has recently published a tranquility map of UK counties based on three years of research."
MP backs the battle to keep peace and quiet
8 March 2007 Weston & Worle News
Everyone deserves a bit of peace and quiet, says Weston MP John Penrose.
And that is why he is urging the Government to back a Bill which would measure tranquility and secure it for future generations.
Mr Penrose has made the move, which is backed by all political parties, at the same time as the Campaign to Protect Rural England has published maps which reveal England's tranquil regions in unprecedented local detail.
Mr Penrose's 10-minute Rule Bill was due to be presented to Parliament on Wednesday.
The Bill comes as the CPRE launches 46 new county versions of its national tranquility map, the result of research over the past three years.
Every 62-acre square in England is given its own tranquility score.
Maintaining tranquility levels
8 March 2007 Cheddar Valley Gazette
Mp John Penrose is proposing to amend planning policy to ensure that existing levels of 'tranquility' including the impact of visual, noise, air and light pollution are recognised and protected.
On Wednesday, immediately after Prime Minister's Question Time, Mr Penrose, who lives in Winscombe, will use a Ten Minute Rule Bill to propose a new Tranquility Act. The Act will systematically measure and secure 'tranquility' for the future. It has already received cross party support.
Mr Penrose said: "How many of us can still stand outside our front doors and enjoy a moment's peace and quiet? Will our children and grandchildren even remember the true meaning of tranquility?
"The existing planning legislation pays lip service to the principle of protecting tranquility. Yet our remaining pockets of peace are being eaten away by the threat from development, urban sprawl and increasing road or air traffic. It's not just our countryside, it's our green belt, our Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Even our parks and urban gardens.
"The Government has often used the term 'tranquility'. Yet it has done nothing to identify or protect it. Existing planning law refers to its importance. However, no measurement of tranquility has ever been produced and planning authorities seem unable to take it into account when determining planning applications.
Shaun Spiers, chief executive of the council for the protection of rural England, said: "Real protection for tranquility is vital. We urgently need the policies to protect it permanently, and, where we can, to improve on what we have.
The curse of the car
7 March 2007 Western Daily Press
Order of the Golden Earplugs goes this week to Weston-super-Mare MP John Penrose, hitherto one of the Tory party's quiet men but now calling for the protection of rural tranquillity through the device of a Private Member's Bill.
His crusade is being supported by the RAC and the Campaign to Protect Rural England, both of which point to research showing that quieter road surfaces can almost halve the noise from traffic.
Hardly new, this: some years ago a section of road between Cribbs Causeway and Westbury-on-Trym was relaid using shredded tyres in the mix, with an immediate improvement in the quality of life for families living alongside it.
And with old tyres now emerging as one of the problem materials caught up in the new EU waste regulations, what better way of using up a mountain of black rubber that is threatening to engulf the countryside?
Road noise is becoming the bane of country living, the problem exacerbated by more traffic travelling on more miles of worn-out surface and satnav systems directing drivers along previously little-used lanes. And it will only increase as motorists search for the shortest route between two points once road- pricing kicks in.
However, quieter roads, whatever technology is employed, will arrive only when new ones are constructed or the current ones are rebuilt. So for people living in the fair county of Somerset, the outlook is hardly thrilling.
The Liberal Democrats, who have made such a pig's ear of running the place, are dyed-in-the-wool anti-road Luddites, which is partly why no new ones have been built for two decades. The other reason is that they have repeatedly siphoned cash away from the transport budget to pour into education and social services.
Where they have acted, it has been out of desperation and to prevent looming gridlock, such as in the case of the recent huge scheme at Taunton, where years of neglect and underspending have now had to be put right by means of a project so costly that it has ensured there won't be a penny piece spare to spend elsewhere in the county, possibly for years. None of which, of course, leads to any commensurate downsizing of the workforce behind the door marked "roads and transport" at County Hall.
The Lib Dems are inordinately fond of the cycle as a means of transport. Here's an ideal opportunity to persuade people who spend their days pointlessly planning for and discussing bypasses and relief roads that are never going to be built before they retire to get on their bikes and cycle home from County Hall. And stay there.
MP fighting to protect tranquility
7 March 2007 Bristol Evening Post
Future housing developments, road schemes and airport expansions should be forced to pass a "tranquility" test before winning planning permission, says Weston-super-Mare MP John Penrose.
The MP is introducing new legislation to specifically protect the peace-and-quiet of the countryside. His so-called "Tranquility Bill" will force all major schemes to protect local communities from noise, air and light pollution.
One of Mr Penrose's reasons for introducing the bill is concern at the impact of the expansion of Bristol International Airport.
Mr Penrose said: "How many of us can still stand outside our front doors and enjoy a moment's peace and quiet?"
Mr Penrose's Bill has cross-party support and the backing of the Campaign to Protect rural England but unless it wins the backing of the Government, it will stand little chance of becoming law.
Looking after our peace and quiet
5 March 2007 Western Daily Press
The Government is being urged to back a Bill which would measure tranquility and secure it for future generations.
The move by Conservative MP John Penrose, members for Weston-super-mare, comes as the campaign to protect Rural England (CPRE) published maps which reveal England’s tranquil regions in unprecedented local detail.
Mr Penrose, whose Bill has all-party backing said: “How many of us can still stand outside our front doors and enjoy a moment’s peace and quiet? Will our children and grandchildren even remember the true meaning of tranquillity?
“Existing planning legislation pays lip service to the principle of protecting tranquillity. Yet our remaining pockets of peace are being eaten away by the threat from development, urban sprawl and increasing road or air traffic.
“It’s not just our countryside, it’s our green belt, our Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Even our parks and urban gardens.
“Unless we act now, it will be too late. We must protect our existing havens and guarantee that tranquillity doesn’t become an obscure footnote in history.”
His 10-Minute Rule Bill will be presented to parliament on Wednesday.
The Bill comes as CPRE launches 46 new county versions of its national tranquillity map, the result of research over the past three years.
Every 500-metre by 500-metre square in England is given its own tranquillity score.
Seeking out quiet areas and experiencing its benefits matters deeply to people, according to CPRE.
Plan for HGV restrictions
25 January 2007 Weston & Worle News
Heavy goods vehicles could be banned from a stretch of the A368 near Banwell if proposals by a leading district councillor are accepted by his counterpart from Bath and North East Somerset Council.
In a letter to Cllr Sir Elgar Jenkins, BANES executive member for strategic planning and transport, Cllr John Crockford-Hawley invites him to agree to the implementation of an experimental weight restriction order on a cross-boundary section of the road between Churchill Cross Road and West Harptree.
The proposals, aimed at stopping HGV vehicles using the route as a shortcut, would offer suitable places at either end of the restricted stretch of road for heavy vehicles to take designated detours.
Cllr Crockford-Hawley said: "We all agree that many of the roads are inadequate for the passage of heavy goods vehicles and that to a certain extent the officially designated routes help keep most heavy vehicles on particular roads.
"However, the problem arises because all vehicles which are deemed 'local' retain the right to travel on roads with weight restrictions.
"Our surveys recognise that more than 80 per cent of the lorries would retain the right to travel on these roads despite the imposition of any weight restriction order, thereby rendering the whole exercise questionable.
"Also, the police have said they would consider enforcement of the restrictions to be a very low priority.
"Such a move as proposed in my letter would cover a sufficiently long stretch of road to allow genuine local businesses the right to continue using the roads.
"I am not going to raise public expectation of a solution just because we are approaching election time, but if we are able to reach a compromise with BANES, then we might have found a way forward.
"In the meantime I will be asking the council's strategic planning and economic development scrutiny panel to scrutinise the work we have done so far and to advise me of any other workable options.
"I will also continue holding regular meetings with the freight industry in order to encourage best practice."
Weston MP John Penrose has backed the proposals, which he believes would relieve some of the traffic pressure on Banwell, Sandford and Churchill and on Stock Lane through Congresbury and Langford.
He said: "I have been campaigning for an HGV ban through the villages for several years.
"These traffic problems have been getting steadily worse for a long time.
"Residents have been waiting long enough. Unless we take action locally, there's little immediate prospect of improving the lives of people living in these villages.
"A weight restriction isn't a complete solution to the traffic problems in these villages, but it's a sensible and positive first step."
Weight restriction plan to solve road problem
25 January 2007 Cheddar Valley Gazette
A ban is being proposed on long distance lorries using the A368 from Churchill to West Harptree.
An experimental weight restriction order has been proposed for the road, which has been the source of complaint for years from residents.
North Somerset Council is in discussions with Bath and North East Somerset District Council (BANES) over the proposals which could see more trucks using the A371 through the Axbridge, Cheddar and Draycott.
North Somerset Executive member for strategic planning and transport, John Crockford-Hawley, is to invite his opposite number in neighbouring BANES, Cllr Sir Elgar Jenkins, to agree to the implementation of a joint experimental weight restriction order on a cross-boundary section of the A368 between Churchill crossroads and West Harptree.
Cllr Crockford-Hawley said: "To a certain extent the officially designated HGV routes help keep most heavy vehicles on particular roads, even though many of these are themselves inadequate, such as the main A371 through Cheddar.
"Other roads which are not so designated are also open to HGV traffic unless weight restrictions have been put in place. Currently the A368 Churchill - Blagdon - eastwards and the B3134 Burrington Combe and across the Mendip Hills have no weight restrictions.
"The main road through Banwell, the A368, is part of the Primary Route Network deemed suitable, though probably not seen as ideal by the Department for Transport as a legitimate route for heavy vehicles."
Trucks operating locally would still be able to use the A368.
Cllr Crockford-Hawley said that official surveys had established that more than 80 per cent of the lorries would retain the right to travel on these roads despite the imposition of any weight limit.
The police have said they would consider enforcement to be a very low priority.
Weston-super-Mare MP John Penrose said: "These traffic problems have been getting steadily worse for years. Unless we take action locally, there's little immediate prospect of improving the lives of people living in these rural villages. A weight restriction isn't a complete solution, but it's a sensible and positive first step."
'Keep Cheddar off junk food list'
18 January 2007 Cheddar Valley Gazette
Mid-somerset MP John Penrose is backing a bid to stop traditional Cheddar being classified as junk food.
The Weston-super-Mare MP, whose constituency covers Winscombe, Sandford and Churchill, is sponsoring a motion in Parliament calling for the Government to change a system which has led to high quality cheeses made by local cheesemakers, such as Times Past Cheese Dairy, based in Draycott and Bleadon, and Yeo Valley Organic of Blagdon, being described as "junk food".
Commercials promoting it will be banned during children's TV programmes and those with a large proportion of young viewers.
The motion, which has cross-party support, calls on the Government to revise the formula being used by the Food Standards Agency which assesses the fat, sugar and salt content in a 100g or 100ml serving of food or drink.
It has advised the advertising watchdog Ofcom that cheese should be included in a banned list of junk foods along with the likes of chocolate, cola and Jaffa Cakes. The British Cheese Board points out that a typical portion of cheese is 30 to 40g - not the 100g used in the agency's model.
Mr Penrose said: "I simply couldn't believe it when I heard that high quality Cheddar cheese was going to be reclassified as a junk food under new advertising rules for children's television."
Mr Penrose explained: "I fully support the campaign to encourage a healthier diet for our children, what sane parent doesn't? The rules, which come into force this month, are part of a drive to reduce children's exposure to fat, salt and sugar.
"But high quality Cheddar cheese is a delicious and healthy food. Of course you shouldn't eat too much of it, like anything else, but it's ludicrous to lump it in with crisps, sugary cereals and fast food burgers. In fact, under the criteria used by the Food Standards Agency, if human breast milk was measured under this formula, it would be banned as well.
"Our local cheeses are the envy of the world. Genuine local Cheddar is a 'must have' on any quality cheeseboard.
" To hear it described as a junk food simply beggars belief.
" I welcome what the Government is trying to do promoting healthier foods for our children, but this is in danger of making the whole campaign a laughing stock. I just hope that they will see sense and act quickly to put things right."
MP joins junk Cheddar row
11 January 2007 Weston & Worle News
Western MP John Penrose is helping to raise a stink in Parliament over the Government's decision to label the humble Cheddar cheese as a junk food.
A formula used by the Food Standards Agency has lumped cheese into an unhealthy eating list which includes pizza, burgers and chicken nuggets.
Adverts containing items on the list will, from next month, be banned during children's TV programmes.
Conservative Mr Penrose said he supported the encouragement of a healthier diet among children.
But he added: "I simply couldn't believe it when I heard that high-quality Cheddar cheese was going to be reclassified as a junk food.
"It is a delicious and healthy food.
"Of course, you shouldn't eat too much of it, like anything else, but it's ludicrous to lump it in with crisps, sugary cereals and fast food burgers.
"In fact, under the criteria used by the Food Standards Agency, breast milk would be banned if it was measured under this formula."
The MP has now sponsored a motion in Parliament calling for the Government to change the way it calculates what is junk food and what is not.
Mr Penrose says that local cheeses, such as those made by the Time Past cheese dairy in Bleadon and Yeo Valley organic foods in Blagdon, are 'the envy of the world'.
He added: "Genuine Cheddar is a must-have on any quality cheeseboard and to hear it described as a junk food simply beggars belief.
"This is in danger of making the whole campaign a laughing stock.
"I just hope they will see sense and put things right."
MP fury at 'junk' cheeses
9 January 2007 Western Daily Press
A West MP is to mount a challenge in Parliament against a regulation that labels cheese as junk food.
John Penrose, MP for Weston-super-Mare, is sponsoring a motion in the Commons calling for the Government to change a system which could damage high quality cheeses made by local manufacturers.
Commercials promoting them will be banned during children's TV programmes and those with a large proportion of young viewers.
The motion which has cross-party support, calls on the Government to revise the formula being used by the Food Standards Agency.
Mr Penrose said: "High quality Cheddar cheese is a delicious and healthy food. Of course you shouldn't eat too much of it, like anything else, but it's ludicrous to lump it in with crisps, sugary cereals and fast food burgers.'
PROGRESS IN AIRPORT TALKS
Weston & Worle News 9th November 2006
An mp who recently criticised Bristol International Airport has described meeting its managing director as 'positive and productive.'
Weston MP John Penrose, whose constituency covers Congresbury and other areas under the flight-path of jets using BIA, last month expressed concerns about plans for the aiport's growth in an open letter with Woodspring MP Dr Liam Fox.
But Mr Penrose said he was pleased with how the meeting with Andrew Skipp went.
Mr Penrose said: "I'm still worried about rising aircraft noise and the effect of increased traffic on local villages, so Andrew Skipp and I are never going to see eye to eye on all these issues.
"But I'm pleased we had a professional and constructive dialogue about our differences, and we made genuine progress on at least one of the problems.
"BIA have now agreed to build a new decked car park with a green organic roof.
"This will save more green fields from being concreted over than if they'd simply stuck with ground level parking.
"I first asked them to consider this approach more than a year ago, soon after I first became an MP, and they deserve credit for trying to accommodate local views."
Mr Penrose added: "I will keep working with Mr Skipp and BIA to make sure local concerns are heard.
"We may have to agree to disagree on their expansion plans, but I hope we can make progress on issues like the car parks."
PLAY AREA
Weston Mercury 3rd November 2006
Weston’s MP has supported plans to build a children’s area on the Congresbury Millennium Green.
John Penrose contacted Natural England, formerly the Countryside Agency, English Nature and part of the Rural Development Service, to back the scheme but there are still conditions before work can go ahead.
Only a limited amountnof hard surfacing and structures are allowed on the green because it is a natural recreation area. There are also concerns that if it is made into a children’s play area it will only be used by a small number of people.
A Lottery grant for funding may have to be the next step.
PLAY AREA SHOULD BE BUILT, SAYS MP
Cheddar Valley Gazette 2nd November 2006
A play area should be built on Congresbury's Millennium Green, according to the village's MP.
John Penrose, pictured, has contacted Natural England to support proposals to develop a children's play area on the green.
Natural England is the quango which has replaced the Countryside Agency, English Nature and part of the Rural Development Service.
Mr Penrose said: "I think there is a strong argument for the play area.
"I was encouraged that Natural England 'has no problem with the concept of creating a play area on the green'.
"However, there are a number of hoops which the Congresbury team will have to jump through before permission can finally be granted."
The Mercury reported in May that legal difficulties were holding up plans to build a play area.
Mr Penrose explained: "The funding for the Congresbury Millennium Green scheme was provided by the Millennium Commission to the Millennium Green Trust.
"There are a number of the conditions that must be met before Natural England will agree to any alterations."
He said Natural England had told him that the green is only allowed a limited amount of hard standing to keep it available for all of the community to use.
He added that if the maximum area was exceeded then approval would be needed from the Big Lottery Fund and the Millennium Commission.
The Charity Commission would then have to amend the trust deed.
Mr Penrose said: "This feels like rather a cumbersome approach.
"The good news is, providing we can persuade the Big Lottery Fund and Millennium Commission to agree, it means the play area can go ahead."
UNITED TO FIGHT FURTHER AIRPORT EXPANSION
Weston Mercury 27th October 2006
MPs in North Somerset have joined forces against plans to expand Bristol International Airport (BIA).
Weston Mp John Penrose and Dr Liam Fox, who represents Woodspring constituency, are concerned that plans for the airport to grow may cause more congestion and limited rail and road access.
They say extra passengers would cause more problems to already badly congested roads in the area and there is no Government money available for improvements. Increased airport noise was also raised as a concern.
Mr Penrose said: “We feel that the three critical points, economic and environmental impact, infrastructure and noise are not being properly addressed by BIA and the case for expansion cannot be successfully made.”
A BIA spokesman said: “We are finalising our proposed masterplan, which will map out plans for the airport over the next decade.
“This will contain a full and thorough review of the economic benefits, environmental impact and infrastructure implications associated with the airport’s plans.”
MPS JOIN FORCES TO LIST BIA EXPANSION WORRIES
Weston & Worle News 26th October 2006
North Somerset's MPs have joined forces to criticise plans to expand Bristol International Airport.Woodspring MP Dr Liam Fox and Weston MP John Penrose have issued a joint open letter voicing their concerns.
Dr Fox's register of interests shows 12 overseas flights last year, to destinations such as Washington, India and South Africa, as part of his job as Shadow Foreign Secretary and Shadow Defence Secretary.
But all of those flights were from London airports.
The MPs highlight the poor road access and lack of rail links to Bristol Airport and the impact it has on surrounding villages. They also question the economic benefit of the airport.
"We appreciate that there is a national debate taking place about the environmental impact of plane travel, which should frame Britain's overall approach to airport expansion in all areas of the country, not just North Somerset," says the letter.
"The question of how to travel sustainably without banning people from moving anywhere, ever, for business or pleasure, is extremely important, but it needs to be debated as part of a national policy framework rather than for Bristol alone.
"More locally, however, we think that there are several major issues which have not been addressed in the case of Bristol International Airport.
"Firstly, there is a bold assertion in the Govern ment's White Paper that the expansion of regional airports is good for regional economies.
"When we investigated this area further in Parliament, it transpired that there had not been a single study done into any particular regional airport to assess what might happen to the regional economy. Instead, an extrapolation was made from national figures.
"The second concern is the local infrastructure and the ability to deal with increased passenger numbers.
"BIA has very poor road access and no major rail access. There is already considerable congestion through villages like Barrow Gurney, Cleeve, Claverham, Yatton, Congresbury, Banwell and Backwell.
"While central government seems keen that areas such as our own should bear the brunt of increased congestion, there is no government money made available to alleviate the problems produced.
"Our third concern is aircraft noise.
"We appreciate that Bristol International Airport is making great efforts to reduce noise levels by improving aircraft flight paths and charging airlines more for using older, noisier planes.
"But Government noise regulations are based on measuring average levels over a period of weeks, rather than capping maximum allowable levels when a plane is directly overhead.
"Due to these reservations, we do not believe that BIA has made a good enough case for expansion."
AIRPORT PLANS “IN HANDS OF LOCAL COUNCILS”
Bristol Evening Post 25th October 2006
The people of North Somerset will have to decide whether the environmental impact of an expanded regional airport is worth the economic gain, a transport minister told the Evening Post.
Stephen Ladyman said it was not up to Whitehall-based ministers to intervene in the arguments over whether Bristol International Airport should be expanded.
He made his comments after North Somerset’s two Tory MPs Liam Fox and john penrose warned expansion will clog North Somerset roads already unable to cope with increased traffic.
In a hard-hitting letter, Mr Penrose (Weston-super-Mare) and Mr Fox (Woodspring) said noise levels for villages under the BIA flightpath are already understated and that the expansion will only make the problem worse.
In 2003, ministers published the Future of Air Transport white paper, which stated that the Government sees Bristol remaining as the South west’s largest airport.
It said it believed BIA would grow from the 4.5million passengers it carried in 2004 to between 10 million and 12 million passengers by 2030.
But Mr Ladyman said the local councils still have to decide whether such rapid expansion is in the region’s interests.
He said: “Local people have to make a decision as to whether they are prepared to put up with the environmental downside in return for the regeneration upside, and what measures have to be put in place to mitigate the environmental downside.
“It’s not for central government to interfere in that.
“I am not saying that central government won’t have a role because clearly, when you identify a regional airport that is going to expand, that has highway consequences.
“People will make bids through the regional funding exercise to improve the transport infrastructure around those roads.
“But the principle of whether a regional airport is going to expand ot not is a matter for local people to decide.”
But he added that it is important for regional airports to expand to take the pressure off London’s Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted – and that the country can support more airports.
Airport chiefs last year unveiled their £80 million “master plan” for the future of the BIA site.
It included doubling the size of the existing terminal, increasing the number of aircraft stands by 12 and building a multi-storey car park and an on-site hotel.
AIRPORT'S EXPANSION CRASH LANDS WITH MPS
Bristol Evening Post 23rd October 2006
Two MPs have launched an attack on £80 million plans to expand Bristol International Airport.
Woodspring MP Liam Fox and Weston-super-Mare MP John Penrose claim airport bosses have not made a good enough case for the ambitious development plans.The Tory MPs say airport bosses have failed to properly assess the impact on the regional economy and they warn expansion will clog North Somerset roads already struggling to cope with increased traffic.
They say noise levels for villages under the airport's flightpath are already understated and that the expansion will only make the problem worse.
A letter of criticisms sent by the MPs to the airport's chiefs comes after the unveiling of the £80 million "master plan" for the future, which include doubling the size of the existing terminal, increasing the number of aircraft stands by 12 and building a multi-storey car park and an on-site hotel.
It means Bristol International could be handling nine million passengers a year by 2015, as opposed to its current 4.6 million.
Dr Fox and Mr Penrose want Bristol International to carry out a "proper and thorough audit" into how the proposals will affect the regional economy and the environmental costs of the development.
Their letter said: "We should have sufficient information at our fingertips to conduct a proper and thorough audit.
"We are concerned that this detailed information has not been made available in the case of Bristol International."
The letter warns that North Somerset's creaking infrastructure will be unable to cope with an expanded airport on its doorstep.
"Bristol International has very poor road access and no major rail access," it said.
"There is already considerable congestion through villages like Barrow Gurney, Cleeve, Claverham, Yatton, Congresbury, Banwell and Backwell. While central Government seems keen that areas such as our own should bear the brunt of increased congestion, there is no Government money made available to alleviate the problems that increased passenger traffic would inevitably produce."
Noise pollution would also become more of a blight on residents' lives, they warned.
"Existing Government noise regulations are based on measuring average levels over a period of weeks, rather than capping maximum allowable levels when a plane is directly overhead.
"This means that much of the impact on residents in villages such as Congresbury and Yatton is understated, and we are concerned that the problem will only get worse as the number of large planes flying from Bristol increases."
The letter concludes: "We do not believe that Bristol International has made a good enough case for expansion."
Mr Penrose is due to voice his concerns at a meeting with Andrew Skipp, the chief executive of Bristol International.
Both MPs also plan to meet representatives from Bristol Friends of the Earth and the Stop Bristol Airport Expansion campaign.
In a statement, airport bosses said: "We will be publishing our detailed master plan soon.
"Allowing Bristol International to continue to grow - in a balanced way and within the planning regulatory framework - will be of considerable economic and social benefit to communities locally and across our region. The alternative would be stagnation and decline.
"We have commissioned our own economic and other studies which examine these benefits, and the limited potential impacts, in detail. We look forward to sharing these with all local politicians, and the public at large, in the near future and in the proper way."
THANK YOU
Weston and Worle News 16th September 2006
The Don't Sound The Last Post campaign has passed the 10,000 milestone for signatures of support thanks to you... our fantastic readers. Over the past few weeks our offices have been flooded with petitions signed by people sticking up for their local branches. But as we reach a landmark in our fight to save a great British institution, we're calling for more support.
Thousands of people, including customers, postmasters, celebrities and politicians, have backed our call to secure a future for sub-post offices under threat from the Government - and we want you to help add more names to the list.
General secretary of the National Federation of Sub Postmasters, Colin Baker, said: "I would like to congratulate the Western Daily Press on reaching the amazing number of 10,000 signatures in such a short space of time.
"I wish the Daily Press continued success and thank the newspaper for its support for the network of sub-post offices and its millions of customers.
"I hope readers of the Western Daily Press will continue to get behind the Don't Sound The Last Post campaign."
Postmaster Graham Kennedy, who runs branches in Watchet and Alcombe, in Somerset, said: "It's very impressive the Daily Press has received so many signatures so far. But in our society it's a case of 'he who shouts loudest gets heard' so we need to get as many signatures as possible.
"There's no leadership from the Government on this issue and as we sit in limbo it's damaging to the post offices.
"Neglecting them puts old and vulnerable people in a very difficult position. We need to throw everything we have behind this campaign."
Weston-super-Mare Tory MP John Penrose said: "Local post offices are often the heart of a village or neighbourhood. They can be the difference between a dormitory and a community. For the good of the community, we need them to stay in business and, if necessary, to find new services they can offer to replace those that are going."
Bureaucrats are slowly stripping the post office network of its lucrative services and funding. The future looks bleak, with up to 10,000 out of 14,000 sub-post offices across the country in the firing line.
Matters were made worse when the Government recently decided to scrap the Post Office Card Account system - an electronic way of collecting pensions from post offices - that was worth £1billion for branches.
To help save the network we need as much support as possible, so keep sending in the petitions and we can stop the Government wrecking a cornerstone of British life.
VILLAGE WILL NOT GET A BY-PASS
29th June 2006
After two years of consultations the final report of the Greater Bristol Strategic Transport Study (GBSTS) was released on Tuesday.
Short-term projects include linking the A370 with the A38 near Barrow Gurney to form part of a South Bristol Ring Road, which traffic campaigners are hoping might alleviate congestion in Banwell because HGVs would use it as an alternative route to driving through their village.
The report also looks at the merits of two roads linking South Bristol with the M5, one running from the Clevedon junction, which would bypass Nailsea and Wraxall, and one going from Weston, via Bristol International Airport.
No detailed route is revealed at this stage.
The consultants say that although the Weston option is more expensive, £129 million compared to £98 million, it would bring more economic benefit.