Market Harborough Liberal Democrats

Campaigners across Harborough are celebrating the saving of Market Harborough ambulance station. Against all odds, the East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) announced that the unit that serves the town and surrounding villages is to be saved.

The Liberal Democrat leader on Harborough District Council Phil Knowles who, along with Cllr Sarah Hill refused to accept the closure was a done deal and continued to campaign to save the unit, has labelled the announcement "a victory for common sense".

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has closed the Liberal Democrat Spring Conference in Brighton by calling on members to spread the message of the Party's commitment in Government to deliver a stronger economy and a fairer society.

In his keynote Leader's speech, Nick paid tribute to the work of the Party in winning the Eastleigh by-election, beating the Conservatives into third place and squeezing Labour while campaigning on the Lib Dem record of delivering in Government.

With speculation about reorganisations in Kettering's Hospital Group mounting, Harborough councillors Phil Knowles and Sarah Hill have expressed concernsabout the potential impact on Harborough residents who use the facilities there rather than those in Leicester.

In an effort to clarify the situation, Phil Knowles has written to NHS/Consortium Bosses here in Leicestershire saying:

"I would very much appreciate your comments and assurances on developments regarding Kettering Hospital. Speculation has been mounting regarding the long term facilities at Kettering Hospital, I have been contacted by constituents worried about what the future holds. Mergers with Northampton, zoning of services to other Hospitals within the same 'group' as Kettering, including Milton Keynes and Bedford etc..

"This has raised considerable concerns in and around Harborough, an area which sees Kettering as the recipient for numerous referrals, A&E access and inpatient care for residents for this area.

"There are many questions but for me the start point has to be, are those responsible for front line medical care in Harborough, such as your consortium, being engaged in the consultation on the mergers and changes? If there are major changes on the services provided at Kettering what will that mean here in the Harborough area? More use of St Lukes 'new hospital'? Inpatient care concentrated in Leicester with Kettering option being removed or restricted by service or number of beds? Is there any indication that the A&E provision at Kettering could close?

I would appreciate your assistance in clarifying this situation."

Speaking today Phil Knowles told us: "We feel it important that people know what is happening for the future and that we have assurances that those involved in making the decisions are doing so with all of the implications for the Harborough residents on the table."

The last twelve months have been lit up by moments that will stay with us forever. When Mo Farah approached the final stretch of the 10,000m final, who wasn't up on their feet, screaming at the TV?

When Nicola Adams beamed at the crowd after winning the first ever women's Olympic boxing, who didn't smile back? I was lucky enough to be there, and that's one I'll never forget.

The leader of the Liberal Democrat group on Harborough District Council, Councillor Phil Knowles, has urged the wider community to makes it voice heard over the future of the region's ambulence service "before it is too late".

Following a public meeting in Market Harborough tonight, Phil said: "There is no evidence that the closure of the existing 66 ambulance stations will see any money released to pay for more ambulances or crews.

"In the new draft proposals 13 purpose-built hubs plus approximately 118 standby points and community ambulance sites are proposed to offer support and service to almost 5 million people over thousands of square miles.

"Some of these proposed support points to the hubs would be shared facilities with the police or the fire service. Others would be little more than cabins. In extreme cases ambulances could be sitting on the roadside!

"We are told the draft proposals will benefit the public and the crews. The public seem yet to be convinced and the crews who have spoken to me have expressed real and deep concern about travel time, clean down of vehicles and much more. Are the Hhubs in the best positions? How well are these public meetings being attended? How widely are the meetings being advertised?

"Do people know about the public meetings and what the possible changes could mean? The deadline of 17 December for the closure of the consultation is rapidly approaching. People need to get involved to have their voices heard and to ensure that, if there are to be changes, they provide clear benefits to the community.''

Phil continued:

Lib Dem Councillor Phil Knowles, who for over 20 years has been at the forefront of Harborough's hospital campaign, has welcomed the submission of the plans for the second phase on the St Luke's site with some slight reservations.

He says:

"The plans show what looks to be a quality, spacious and accessible building. The second and important part is to know what services will be provided at this flagship development. Will they reflect the aspirations of the community? Will they provide more? We wait to see."

Phil also reflected on the closure of the endoscopy unit at St Luke's and the wait for answers:

The anger and dismay of Thursday night's decision to dump 1800 homes on to the Airfield Farm site outside Market Harborough is intensifying. Residents' concerns about impact the decision of the Conservative-controlled authority will have on their daily lives are deepening. More traffic? More congestion? Damage to the natural enviroment?

Liberal Democrat councillors forced the Conservatives to bring the plans for Airfield Farm to the council's scrutiny panel, but the Conservative-controlled panel refused to back our call for a rethink. Now it seems the residents are considering calling a public meeting to underline their dismay at the decision.

Cllr Phil Knowles, the leader of the Lib Dem group on the council, addressed the gathering of around 100 protesters on the street outside the council offices before the meeting. He promised that he and his fellow Lib Dem councillors would ensure that the public concerns were put before the panel and that Lib Dems would try to force a rethink. Sadly, all calls for the rethink fell by the wayside as the Lib Dem proposal to drop the 1800 homes plan was defeated.

A spokesman for the Lib Dem group told us: "People are justifiably frustrated. Many feel they have been ignored. Residents have also raised concerns about the consultation process. Phil had the opportunity to talk with many of the protesters outside the Council offices and to address the gathering. If the public meeting does go ahead, we will do everything possible to ensure we are there to help residents."

The decision of Harborough District Council's Conservative-controlled scrutiny panel to support a decision to allow the buildng of 1800 homes on the Airfield Farm site outside Market Harborough has been described by Cllr Phil Knowles, leader of the council's Liberal Democrat group Leader, as the day the public were ignored and localism died in Harborough.

Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has used his keynote speech to the Lib Dem Party conference in Brighton to announce extra money for 110,000 children struggling with maths and English.

The Deputy Prime Minister said secondary schools in England will receive an extra £55 million to help pupils arriving in year seven who have slipped behind in English and maths at primary school. The money will come in from next January, with schools deciding how to spend it to help pupils with weaker results in maths and English.

News that the Executive of Conservative-run Harborough District Council has backed plans for 1800 homes on the Airfield Farm site in Market Harborough has seen Lib Dem councillors, Sarah Hill, Barbara Johnson and Phil Knowles launch an emergency ePetition'

Phil Knowles says: "The meeting yesterday decided to send the Executive's decision to full council for ratification. The meeting also highlighted the low level of input received on this subject from the community, so we decided to take this 11th hour and 5th9 minute opportunity to encourage the residents to react to the proposal.

"It is important that every aspect of the impact of an additional 1800 homes, school etc. will have on the infrastructure along with traffic flows etc is highlighted. People need to know how it will impact on their daily lives and that of the whole community."

You can find the petition here.