Aug 31 2007
Press
15 August 2007NEW BOUNDARY SIGN FOR KEXBY – THANKS TO JULIAN STURDY
It’s now official - the village of Kexby is in the City of York. Although it was always obvious to villagers, it took council officials several years to acknowledge this by moving the boundary sign.
Julian Sturdy, parliamentary candidate for York Outer, pledged his support after learning of the bureaucratic difficulties faced by villagers following the formation of York as a unitary authority. Although they have being paying their council tax to the City of York for the last 10 years, the council boundary sign has always indicated that the village lay outside the city boundaries.
Mr Sturdy said “I am delighted that the council have finally listened to the local residents of Kexby and moved the boundary sign to its correct location. It is all too easy for communities on the edge of local authority boundaries to be forgotten about and ignored, leading to frustration amongst the local community. I was pleased to be able to work with Kexby Parish Council to achieve a successful outcome for the village.”
Jill Edwards, Chairman of Kexby Parish Council said: “The position of the boundary sign has caused problems in the past as local residents’ bus passes have been refused, with drivers thinking that Kexby was not in the City of York. We are pleased that the council has finally taken up our request and moved the signs. Now that we are finally recognised as part of the City of York, the Parish Council with help from Cllr Jenny Brooks and Julian Sturdy is pushing the highways department to look at introducing a speed limit through the village to try and cut the speed of traffic which races through our village on the A1079.”
Julian added “Other villages along the A1079 outside our council boundary have had speed limits introduced, so I would urge the council’s transport department to look closely at the case for introducing speed limits for Kexby, and also the part of Dunnington village that lies along this busy stretch of the A1079.”
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25 July 2007
JULIAN STURDY CALLS FOR URGENT MEETING WITH YORKSHIRE MINISTER TO DISCUSS RAIL FUNDING
Julian Sturdy has written to the newly appointed Minister for Yorkshire Caroline Flint urging her to plead their case to Government for future funding for the region’s railways after it was ignored in the latest cash handouts.
In a white paper announced on Tuesday the 24th of July the Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly promised future investment in our railways yet very little of the money will find its way out of London and into our region.
Mr Sturdy, Parliamentary Candidate for York Outer, said he was appalled that the region had faired so badly in the Governments latest initiatives to try and improve rail infrastructure.
He hopes Ms Flint will meet him in York, along with representatives from rail users, to outline the need for long term investment in our transport infrastructure.
He said:
“I am appalled by the latest news that our region has been snubbed by the Government in its review of future rail funding. While ministers have acknowledged that overcrowding on trains in Yorkshire is among the worst in the country, this has been totally ignored, with the vast majority of funding being spent in London and the South East.
“Investment in our transport infrastructure for both road and rail is crucial for the future economic prosperity of York and the region, yet this Government continues to ignore the very real need for this vital investment.
“Under this Government we continually seem to be the poor relations compared to the South East and London in terms of transport funding. I have written to Caroline Flint, the new Minster for Yorkshire, asking her to explain why York and our region has received such a raw deal from her Government and asked her to lobby on behalf of the County for a fairer deal.”
18th July 2007
FARMLAND SWAMPED BY CONTAMINATED FLOOD WATER
Hundreds of acres of farm land at Acaster Malbis and Acaster Selby have been devastated by contaminated flood water following the torrential rain over the last month.
Julian Sturdy Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for York Outer and Nigel Adams Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Selby and Ainsty went out to see first hand the problems facing local farmers in the affected area. They visited Acaster Selby farmer David Dean and his family whose land has suffered the worst.
Julian Sturdy said “Valuable summer grazing by the side of the river Ouse has been completely lost due to the contamination leaving a number of farmers without access to sufficient forage and grassland for their livestock. This is putting real pressure on any farmer who doesn’t have any alternative grazing to fallback on.”
Nigel Adams said ” The residue that has been left by the floods is like nothing I’ve seen before. We have to pinpoint the cause of this problem and stop such a disaster happening again, whilst at the same time working with the affected farmers to find a solution to the serious problems they are facing today.”
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13 July 2007
JULIAN STURDY WELCOMES CONSERVATIVE PLANS TO FIX OUR BROKEN SOCIETY
Julian Sturdy has welcomed the recommendations of a report entitled Breakthrough Britain which makes more than 190 recommendations to help improve our broken society.
The report, published this week by The Conservative’s Social Justice Policy Group chaired by Iain Duncan Smith, makes it financially fairer for couples to marry and proposes the following:
· Helping parents look after their children in the crucial early years of life with a Child Benefit cash boost for mothers of young children.
· Ending the bias against marriage in the tax system, by giving married couples a transferable tax allowance.
The report also focuses on tackling drugs and alcohol abuse which wrecks family life, the problems caused by debt and educational failures.
Mr Sturdy, prospective Conservative candidate for York Outer, said:
“I greatly welcome this report brought forward by Iain Duncan Smith which sets out a substantial and radical way forward in tackling social breakdown. There is no way we will tackle the symptoms of social breakdown, like crime and anti-social behaviour, unless we focus on the underlying causes, and the main cause of social breakdown is family breakdown.
“We currently have one of the highest rates of family breakdown in Europe which I believe is a worrying statistic. I welcome Iain Duncan Smith’s emphasis on strengthening families and look forward to his recommendations being debated across the country.”
9 July 2007
JULIAN STURDY LAUNCHES YORK RING ROAD PETITION ON 10 DOWNING STREET WEBSITE
Julian Sturdy has launched a petition on the 10 Downing Street website urging the Prime Minister to make funding available to dual the A1237 York Northern ring road.
The Conservative parliamentary spokesman believes it is time for action – not just empty words – and he is hoping the government will sit up and respond to the strong local feeling that he believes this petition will generate from the local communities and business’s that use this road on a daily basis.
The petition can be found at http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/DualYorkringroad/
It states:
We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to make fundingavailable to dual the A1237 York Northern ring road.
Julian Said “The Northern ring road is a vital part of York’s transport network but at peak times it is starting to resemble a parking lot. The only long term solution to this growing problem is to dual the road. This petition to the Prime Minister is another part of my on going campaign to get the dualling of the Northern ring road put back onto the political agenda.”
“The petition will run for a year and it is crucial that as many people as possible sign it, whatever political party they support, as this is something which will benefit the entire community.”
“There has to be continued investment in our infrastructure or we will simply grind to a halt. The congestion level at the moment is starting to have a real impact on the local economy and our quality of life and this will only increase. The local authority and the Government should be working together to plan for the long term future of our City and that plan has to include the upgrade of the ring road to a dual carriage way.”
Julian has urged as many people as possible to sign the petition.
3rd July 2007
JULIAN STURDY URGES GORDON BROWN TO CONSIDER CONCERNS OF YORK OUTER RESIDENTS
Julian Sturdy has written to Gordon Brown highlighting the major concerns of constituents in York Outer.
Julian, Conservative parliamentary candidate for York Outer, emphasised the feedback he has received from residents on the doorstep when out campaigning.
Julian said “At this moment in time we don’t know when the next General Election will be and as Gordon Brown is our new Prime Minister I want to make him aware of some of the issues we are faced with in York and the surrounding villages, with the hope that he might take action to rectify the problems.”
His letter states:
I am writing to you in your capacity as Prime Minister to bring to your attention some of the issues we are faced with in the City of York and its surrounding villages which affects the lives of constituents in York Outer:
· The Post Office Network – I am sure you are aware that local post offices provide a vital service to our communities, and this is particularly so in the villages surrounding York. By reducing the services they provide, the government is making it incredibly hard for postmasters to make a living, putting vital community services under threat and ripping the heart out of village and local community life. I urge you to reconsider the current proposal to cut 2,500 post offices across the country which will see closures across North Yorkshire.
· Crime, anti social behaviour and the fear of crime – These are all a continuing problem in York and its surrounding villages, yet the Government continues to tie our hard working police officers to a desk filling in forms. We need to cut back on the bureaucracy and paper work that is put upon these officers and get them out of police stations and into their communities where the public want to see them and also where the officers want to be.
JULIAN STURDY ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION FROM HARRORGATE BOROUGH COUNCIL
Julian Sturdy has announced his resignation as a Councillor on Harrogate Borough Council to prepare for his parliamentary campaign. He is the Conservative Parliamentary candidate for York Outer and will contest the seat at the next General Election.
Julian said it had been a great privilege to represent his constituents as a Councillor and hoped to build on those valuable experiences, continuing to work on their behalf.
He said: “It has been a great honour to represent Marston Moor Ward over the last five years. We are one of the furthest outposts of Harrogate district with communities like Tockwith and Long Marston looking towards the City of York as their main centre. There for it is essential to have a strong voice to stand up for the communities lying on the edge of such a big district and I have enjoyed being that voice.”
“It has been a great experience working with such a successful Conservative run Council in Harrogate. We took control of the Council in 2003 and as I leave in 2007 we have made huge strides forward benefiting the whole district including Marston Moor ward.”
“Once I was selected as the Conservative Parliamentary candidate for York Outer for the next General Election, I always felt that I should stand down from my role as a local councillor at the appropriate time, allowing me to focus completely on the issues affecting the communities of York Outer.”
“I will still be campaigning on many of the same issues that effect my ward and York Outer, particularly the cash crisis at York Hospital, the proposed Post Office closures and the dualling of the Northern ring road, however this will be as a Parliamentary Candidate instead of a local Councillor.”
Tim Abbey, Long Marston Parish Council Chairman commended Julian’s hard work and said:
“It is with great sadness that we are losing Julian as our local Councillor, he has worked extremely hard for the local community over the years. I wish him the best for the future and know he will make an excellent MP for York Outer, providing a strong voice for the local communities as he has been for Marston Moor.”
John Savage who is currently the County Councillor for the area will be standing for the Conservatives at the bye election in Julian’s place.
Julian said “I have worked with John over the last five years and I am delighted he is standing in my place he will work hard for our community and he has my full support.”
12 March 2007
JULIAN STURDY VISITS LOCAL RECYCLING CENTRE
Julian Sturdy has paid a fact finding visit to a local recycling centre to learn more about how our household waste is disposed. And although impressed with recycling rates, he believes more needs to be done.
Mr Sturdy, Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman for York Outer, found his visit to Yorwaste materials recycling facility at Hessay and their Harewood Whin waste site at Rufforth an eye-opening experience.
He said “I wanted to see first hand what happens to our waste after it has been collected. It is all too easy to throw our rubbish away with out considering where it is going to end up.”
“After visiting the Harwood Whin landfill site near Rufforth where all our general waste goes, it confirmed my beliefs that we have to do more to recycle and reduce our waste. Recycling facilities have improved across North Yorkshire through the success of Yorwaste and the recycling facilities at Hessay are testament to that. We need to build on this success and reduce further the amount of waste that is sent to landfill.”
“On visiting the site at Hessay I was impressed by the amount of different wastes that can now be recycled giving us more scope to direct waste away from landfill making a greener safer environment for generations to come.”
28th February 2007
JULIAN STURDY TAKES ACTION TO OPPOSE POST OFFICE CLOSURES IN YORKSHIRE
Julian Sturdy has pledged to vigorously campaign and save post offices in York Outer from any threat of closure after learning first hand about their vital role in the community.
Julian, Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman for York Outer, has been visiting post offices in the constituency and talking to sub postmasters and customers about their concerns following the government’s announcement to axe 2,500 throughout the country.
Julian will write to the Department of Trade and Industry opposing closures in the constituency in response to their consultation about the future funding and structure of the post office network across the country. They are proposing to introduce a new access criteria for the national post office network which will see closures across North Yorkshire.
Julian said “There has sadly been a gradual erosion of the sub-post office network and the government is ignoring the vital social role they play in our local communities. We need to protect and support our local post offices as they provide a vital service to our communities, especially in the villages surrounding York. Four million people signed the petition supporting their local post offices, including my wife and I, yet the government ignores this and is consulting on plans to axe 2,500 post offices branches. Is there any chance that they will listen?”
Julian has visited post offices in Upper Poppleton, Strensall, Stockton on the Forrest, Naburn and Wheldrake and intends to visit more this week before writing back to the government with his findings before the close of consultation on 8th March.
Julian added: “The issues that the postmasters brought up were the reduction in public services that they could deliver due to Government departments choosing to take them away, the withdrawal of TV licences being the latest example. Concern was also raised at how York City Council charges £2.20 for any council transaction put through the local Post Offices when residents living in Selby or Ryedale district do not have to pay any thing for the same services.
“Our local post offices are vital part of our communities. By reducing the services they provide, the government is making it incredibly hard for postmasters to make a living, putting vital community services under threat and ripping the heart out of village life. We most fight to keep them because once they have gone it will be virtually impossible to get them back.”
12 February 2007
JULIAN STURDY JOINS YORK POLICE FOR A FRIDAY NIGHT ON THE TOWN
Julian Sturdy spent one of the coldest nights of the year out on patrol with York Central Police Team at the weekend. He wanted to observe first hand what a typical Friday night on duty entails for our boys in blue.
Mr Sturdy, Conservative parliamentary spokesman for York Outer, said the main issues that repeatedly cropped up were crime and anti-social behaviour, which was no surprise to him.
“I wanted to see first hand what the police were up against on a daily basis because they are on the front line in the battle against crime. Crime and anti-social behaviour come up time and time again when I am out campaigning, and these were the main problems I encountered on my night patrol.”
Julian was out on accompanied patrol with the local police teams from 9pm until 3am in the morning as they patrolled anti-social behaviour hot spots, followed up incidents in the villages of Haxby and Strennsall, checked curfew orders were being adhered to by known offenders and attended a number of violent incidents in the City Centre where arrests were made.
Julian said “I have always had great admiration for the work our police officers do on the front line in the fight against crime and disorder and that has only been enhanced by what I have seen tonight. The dedication and pride the officers have in their work and our City is fantastic to see, and as politicians I believe we have a duty to back that up by making it easier for them to carry out their jobs not tying them up in red tape and bureaucracy.
“During my visit it was spelt out to me loud and clear by officers that far too much of their time is spent behind a desk filling in forms writing reports and less time out on patrol tackling crime which is not what they joined the force for.
“We need to cut back on the bureaucracy and paper work that is put upon our police officers whilst at the same time look at recruiting more civilian staff to administrative jobs which would release sworn officers for frontline duties. We have got to get officers out of police stations and into their communities where the public want to see them and the officers want to be.”
25 January 2007
JULIAN STURDY SUPPORTS COUNCIL MOTION TO WRITE OFF PCT DEFICIT
The City of York Council tonight will be considering a motion calling on the Secretary of State for Health to write-off the huge deficit that the North Yorkshire and York PCT is facing.
Julian Sturdy Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman for York Outer said “There is considerable concern about the implications of these health cuts proposed by the PCT, brought about by the huge deficit in their finances.”
“Other PCT’s have introduced cuts in health care to reduce deficits, but not to the extent we are seeing here in York. I fear if action is not taken quickly by the Government, we are heading towards a health service in Yorkshire that is based on a postcode lottery system with York residents at the bottom of the list. Local people are entitled to the best health care available and doctors and nurses need our support to help deliver that.”
“This is why I support the Councils Motion calling on the Secretary of State for Health to write of this deficit and I congratulate them for bringing it forward.”
“The state of the NHS and the standard of care we receive is causing great concern to the residents of York, this is evident through the response I received to my health petition launched last year. The main reason I invited Conservative Shadow Health Minister Andrew Lansley to visit local GPs in York last week was to hear first hand the concerns they have as a result of these radical health cuts imposed by the PCT.”
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23 January 2007
JULIAN STURDY SUPPORTS CONSRVATIVE NORTH CAMPAIGN
Julian Sturdy is delighted with the recently announced Conservative North Campaign which aims to reconnect his Party with northern England.
The initiative was launched in Leeds last Friday, 19th January, when Mr Cameron announced plans to set up a Northern Board of Directors, headed by Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague.
Mr Sturdy, parliamentary spokesman for York Outer, said this would be a great boost for his campaign.
“I very much agree that we need to focus strongly in the North to demonstrate that we are committed to the Northern Counties of the Country like Yorkshire. If we are serious about winning the next general election, we need to win back the trust and support of voters in the North, we need to represent all our communities,” he said
“As some one who has been born and bred in Yorkshire I am delighted to see we will be getting this extra support. York Outer is a pivotal seat which we need to win at the next election if we are to form the next government.
“I am very confident that we will be able to regain some of our lost seats. In 1970 we won 62 seats in the North, yet today we hold only 19. This is going to be a great challenge, but I believe voters are ready to give us another chance.”
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18 January 2007
GPS OUTLINE CONCERNS ABOUT HEATH CUTS IN YORK TO SHADOW HEALTH MINISTER
General practitioners covering the York area were able to express their fears about the impact of radical health cuts when they met Shadow Health Minister Andrew Lansley last night.
Mr Lansley visited York at the invitation of Julian Sturdy, Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman for York Outer. He discussed with local GPs the problems they are facing in light of the North Yorkshire and York PCT decision to introduce drastic health cuts to try and reduce its mounting budget deficit.
Mr Sturdy said: “I invited Andrew up to York because I wanted him to hear first hand the difficulties and concerns that our local GPs are faced with as a result of these radical health cuts imposed by the PCT. There were grave concern raised from the doctors about the impact these will have on patient care and their quality of life and the lack of consultation they have had with the PCT before they implemented these cuts.
“Other PCT’s have introduced cuts in health care to reduce deficits, but not to the extent we are seeing here in York. I fear if action is not taken quickly by the Government, we are heading towards a health services in Yorkshire that is based on a postcode lottery system with York residents at the bottom of the list. Local people are entitled to the best health care available and doctors and nurses need our support to deliver that.”
Other concerns raised were problems regarding the Governments Choose and Book IT programme, the amount of money that has been wasted on this system that could have been better spent on patient care. The increasing burden of form filling was also discussed.
The GPs Mr Lansley met have surgeries covering the City of York and surrounding villages from Strensall in the north to as far as Tadcsater in the south.
Mr Lansley said: “I was very pleased to come to York and meet with local GPs from the area and listen to their very real concerns which are shared by many others throughout the country.”
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I urge the government to dual the York outer ring road to encourage traffic to tavel ROUND the city iknstead of through it.