Today’s ‘Coventry Evening Telegraph’ reports on the tragic death of David Thompson, aged 71, who has sadly passed away after spending more than a month in hospital after being hit by a bus at  one of the new ‘Shared Space’ junctions in Coventry City Centre.

Coventry Socialist Party Councillor Dave Nellist has been an outspoken critic of the Labour controlled Councils proposals from the start. After 2 accidents in 24 hours, in January Dave called for new warning signs to go up immediately, and an emergency review of the entire scheme, which the Council’s Labour leaders call their “unique” flagship policy. Today Dave had this to say;

 “I’m so dreadfully sorry to hear that he has passed away. My thoughts are, of course, with his family and those who knew him. There should be emergency action taken with signs and controlled crossings replacing the shared spaces. Once that has happened there should be a proper debate on these areas. Shared spaces in Canada have big signs as you approach saying pedestrians have right of way. In other places the road is painted black and white.

Over 400 have already signed a petition started by Cllr Nellist that highlights the dangerous scheme and calls for  emergency measures and a review of the policy. Make sure you get your name down on the petition by following this link.

 http://epetitions.coventry.gov.uk/2012/01/end-the-shared-spaces-experiment/

full article from ‘Coventry Evening Telegraph’ -  http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/2012/02/14/family-of-holbrooks-oap-killed-in-shared-space-accident-calls-for-junctions-to-be-axed-92746-30325682/3/#ixzz1mMB0A0SM

Coventry City Council has agreed to review the running of a parking scheme after complaints from residents.
The Starley Road parking scheme was introduced in December 2007 for the residents of the street, which is surrounded by a busy business sector of the city.
Trouble arose when the Council suddenly increased the cost for visitors tickets in August last year from £10 a book to £20. Residents complained to local councillor Dave Nellist (Socialist Party, St Michaels) who presented a petition on their behalf to the full Council on October 18, 2011.
Last week, the Cabinet Member for City Services, Lindsley Harvard, considered the petition and after a presentation by Cllr Nellist and residents' representative, Mr Lee Brock, agreed to:

• reduce the visitors' tickets back to £10 a book for at least the next six months;
  
• refund the additional £10 to any resident who had paid the higher price;
  
• review the operation of the scheme, including the hours of enforcement.

Councillor Nellist said:
"I'm grateful that the Council has changed the original decision, which had been brought in without proper consultation. I also think it is welcome that there appears to be there some recognition of the problems people living in the road face, particularly at night time.
People who live in Starley Road are entitled to be protected from being used as a free car park for customers of businesses across the road. And, in my view, they shouldn't have to pay anything for that protection.
The Council raises a lot of revenue from parking enforcement, and the businesses make a lot of profit from their location; between them, they should pay, not the residents."

Coventry Socialist Party Councillor Dave Nellist was today interviewed twice by local radio stations.

 On ‘BBC Coventry & Warwickshire’ Dave spoke on Coventry City Council’s ‘Shared Spaces’ junction experiment

 Go to 00:10:00 to hear Dave.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/p00mwp5d

 And on ‘BBC West Midlands’ Dave spoke about  events at  Saltley Gate 40 years ago this year, when 30000 Birmingham engineers struck to support the Miners Strike and its relevance with today’s pensions dispute.

 Go to 00:50:00 to hear the discussion and Dave interviewed -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/p00n3n1s

35,000 children in Coventry and Warwickshire living in poverty - 'It's time we put the millions before the millionaires'

A shocking piece in today's ‘Coventry Evening Telegraph’ highlights the devastating poverty tens of thousands of children across Coventry and Warwickshire currently face. In the St Michaels area of Coventry, which Coventry Socialist Party Councillor Dave Nellist represents,  four out of every nine children are growing up below the poverty line

An angry Cllr Nellist said today:

"This report paints a disturbing picture of family life, and children's poverty, in Coventry in general and in St Michael's in particular, where children start their lives with all the odds stacked against them.

But this hasn't just happened overnight - successive governments have failed children, and put business interests before ordinary people. They have failed during the 'good times' to invest in jobs and homes, and now they wring their hands saying we can't keep as many children centres, youth workers, or public services because 'we've all got to make sacrifices'.

Children are the victims. They haven't caused the banking crisis. These shocking figures are an indictment of all politicians who want merely to manage or 'better manage' the crisis back to 'business as usual'!
Our country has become much more unequal with directors of the top 100 companies last year getting a 49% rise, whilst ordinary wages and benefits are cut. That's a country being run for the 1%, not the 99%.

I agree with the Director of Public Health, the key to lifting people out of poverty is more income and full employment.
But that won't happen without a radical change in policy. Instead of spending billions to bail out the banking system, we should be creating jobs and homes for all; putting the millions before the millionaires. The trouble is all three major parties tolerate poverty such as this, because to really change it would mean challenging the big business interests in whose favour the country is run."
 
Cllr Dave Nellist (Socialist Party, St Michaels)

see the full article here http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/2012/01/23/35-000-children-in-coventry-and-warwickshire-living-in-poverty-92746-30177344/#ixzz1kI9k0NxV

Join the Socialist Party -  email coventrysocialists@googlemail.com or call 07530 429441