Oh dear!

My reply to residents email in Swaythling resident over the transit site has now been used by that resident to justify the site being at the permanent site in the city. I have replied to that resident in no uncertain terms that the expansion of the current permanent site was not viable in size or was it suitable for temporary traveller accommodation.

The site needs to happen in the city to ensure that there are no more local incursions on to city, residents property or into the tax payer's tax, with the clearing up of litter/ damage to sites not designed for camping on, causes.

I think that there is liberal dose of Not In My Back Yard with this issue. Played for all its worth by bleeding heart Conservative councillors who have never been famous for taking strategic views on the authority e.g. the supporting by the conservative councillors on £250,000 tax payers on a strategic partner process which resulted in a main bidder pulling out and that funding being wasted.

On a different note.

Last week was interesting one for me, I took time off work to attend conferences run by the Local Government Association and Improvement & development agency, on Local Authorities and education. The time was enlightening to find out how much Southampton needs to move forward and provide local strategic leadership to schools/education sector.

Though schools have become more independent in recent years with some (Academies) being allowed to operate out of the local authority's influence. The local authority is still required to provide the leadership, monitoring and holistic approach to learning

We (local politicians and communities) need realise that improving education attainment as well as better educated children (which is not just about qualifications), is about;

quality housing
targeted youth services
effective social services
open learning campuses that acknowledge learning does not stop at 16 and a community that is responsible to its schools.

There is so much to do in creating services in the authority that meet the needs of all our learners. Which is not being done by the current cabinet! Impossible you might think to create focused and joined up local learning services, but I believe differently, if you put children and education at the heart of a community/learning agenda across all directoriates in an authortiy then I think the cry of "Education, Education, Education" will finally ring true.