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New Nick Herbert launches the Conservatives Campaign for Rural Action
Support our agenda to empower communities, protect services and revive the economy in Rural England.
Rural England has suffered a decade of disrespect under Labour. Local services have been withdrawn and power has been taken away by a remote and arrogant government.
- 200 fewer rural schools than when Labour came to power
- 1,400 rural post offices have been lost since 2000
- 384 police stations closed in the shires in Labour’s first two terms
- Dramatically widened funding gap between urban and rural areas
We need a Conservative agenda for Rural Action that will:
RESPECT RURAL PEOPLE
- Give rural communities a voice to decide their own future
- Respect the rural way of life
- Only regulate where self-regulation fails
- Ensure Ministers understand rural concerns through new rural advisory groups
- Fairer rural funding
EMPOWER RURAL COMMUNITIES
- Return real power to individuals and communities
- Give villages the right to build their own affordable homes
- Scrap top-down housing targets
- Allow councils to oppose development planned for green belt land
PROTECT RURAL SERVICES
- Realise the social value of vital rural services like post offices
- Give parents the power to stop rural schools closing and open new ones
- Allow rural public services to diversify
- Pilot new rural transport solutions
REVIVE THE RURAL ECONOMY
- Cut tax rates for small businesses to encourage growth and protect jobs
- Allow councils to offer rural business rate discounts
- Simplify the planning system to improve accountability
- Reduce the burden of regulation to give businesses more freedom
Fit for the Future campaign News
A&E DEPARTMENTS
Are to remain at all three hospitals, in Chichester, Haywards Heath & Worthing.
HAYWARDS HEATH CONSULTANT-LED MATERNITY UNIT HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR CLOSURE
There is still time to save the PRH Maternity Unit. The Campaign continues to promote the PRH as the “local hospital for Central Sussex” and encourage mothers-to-be from Central Sussex to book into the PRH Maternity Unit.
LOCATION OF THE MAJOR GENERAL HOSPITAL
The West sussex Primary care Trust will announce the decision on the location of the "Major General Hospital" (either Chichester or Worthing) at the Board meeting to be held at the Copthorne Hotel Effingham Gatwick, in Copthorne, at 2pm on Wednesday 4th June.
Support the Princess Royal Hospital Campaign
Accident & Emergency unit saved
The campaign welcomes news that the A&E unit at the Princess Royal Hospital has been saved after almost two years of uncertainty. The move is being seen as a victory for the 72,000 local people who signed a cross-party petition against the downgrading of the service.
Although, the Primary Care Trust has confirmed plans to close the Consultant-led Maternity Unit at the PRH, despite local opposition and the concerns of health professionals, it has undertaken to review this decision, if births at the PRH increase to 4,000 per annum. The Campaign continues to promote the PRH as the “local hospital for Central Sussex” and encourages mothers in central Sussex to book into the PRH Maternity Unit.
Keep Worthing & Southlands Hospitals Campaign
We are asking campaigners to dust off their Nurse Sunshine posters and t-shirts and turn out in support. There will be a coach leaving from the South end of Grand Avenue at 12 noon - if you would like to travel with KWASH then please contact Tel:01903 285 275 or email KWASH@hotmail.co.uk
Support St Richard’s
We have organised a Westrings Coach. It will leave East Wittering Post Office at 11am and then the layby in Oaklands Way, Chichester at 11.20am. If you would like to book a seat on the coach please email: info@supportstrichards.co.uk, .or Phone01243 788122
Update 28th May 2008
Worthing will become the location for centralised services along the south coast of West Sussex if the recommendation on location is approved by West Sussex Primary Care Trust next Wednesday (04 June 2008).
Two stand alone midwife led units will be provided as part of the new model of care (approved in May 2008). A recommendation is being made to site the co-located midwife led unit in Worthing. A further recommendation is being made to locate the stand alone midwife led unit for the south of the county at St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester.
A decision on the location of the stand alone midwife led unit in the north of the county will be taken following further public engagement, and a decision is expected to take place in the autumn.
Update 26th May 2008
 
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