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Election 2015
T he Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt, visited
Princess
Alexandra Hospital (PAH) this month after being invited by
Harlow MP, Robert Halfon. The Minister began his visit at PAH by
meeting some of the hospitals management team, before sitting down
with local doctors, nurses and staff. For a portion of the visit,
he was also able to serve as a hospital porter, helping to move
patients between wards. Hardworking PAH staff have been working
overtime recently, due to the significant pressure on the Emergency
Department due to a surge in out of area visits over the winter
months. PAH is one of the busiest in the country, with
significantly more patients per bed than much bigger hospitals.
Robert Halfon has been fighting for more support for PAH in
Parliament. In response, Jeremy Hunt confirmed that an additional 4
million of funding would be provided to NHS Trusts in West Essex.
This announcement came on top of other significant investments in
Harlows NHS since 2010,
such as a 5.7 million grant last year. There was also a 1
million upgrade to the eye clinic, a new kidney dialysis unit, a
brand new Short Stay Assessment centre at its Accident &
Emergency and a 427,000 boost for St Clare Hospice. Robert said, Im
really pleased the Secretary of State came to Harlow, and I will
continue to fight for a strong Harlow NHS, such as campaigning
against unfair hospital parking charges.
Robert Halfons campaign to cut or scrap hospital parking fees
has successfully convinced the Government to issue new guidelines
to NHS Trusts in England. The new rules make it clear that charges
should be fair and that frequent visitors, the disabled and NHS
staff should get discounted on-site parking. Robert said he would
continue his efforts, for as long as he is an MP.
Harlow MP, Robert Halfon visiting Princess Alexandra
Hospital with Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt
Robert and Communities
Minister, Eric Pickles, at the
new Enterprise Zone
Page 4
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T he Government Minister for Communities, Eric Pickles, came to
Harlow
last month to see the construction of the new Enterprise Zone
(EZ). The Minister was joined by local MP Robert Halfon, who helped
secure Government funding for the 50 million investment project,
which is expected to create up to 2,500 new jobs in the town. The
visit came as Harlow unemployment continued to fall, down 53% since
Labours recession. Youth unemployment has also fallen by 56% and
apprenticeships are up by an impressive 106%. This brought the
local jobless rate below the national average, despite it being
significantly higher in 2010.
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Page 3
ELECTION SPECIAL
Sun
Thank you Robert for continuing to stick up for
causes that affect ordinary people, like hospital parking
charges - T. Swinfen, local resident
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2 | Harlow Sun
Community News
O ld Harlow Councillor, Sue Livings, is working hard to protect
local roadsides and green verges from dangerous parking. The verges
in St Johns Avenue for example are in a poor state due to constant
parking. It churns up the ground and gouges out deep ruts, Sue
explained.
This is unsightly and dangerous. Residents should do their bit
to maintain the appearance of their area but the council needs to
set an example and encourage safe and proper parking.
Cllr Livings is currently working with both Harlow and Essex
councils to find a solution that would prevent further damage. I
have sought funding for something called a grass mesh which will
cover each verge and help protect them from parking. It will also
help enhance the street scene. Sue was also quick to act when
equipment was removed from the playground behind Elmbridge,
ensuring that it was replaced as quickly as possible, and made sure
that new trees were planted along Priory Avenue following the loss
of the previous ones.
C hurch Langley Councillors and Harlow MP, Robert Halfon, joined
dozens of angry parents last month for a protest against the
planting of trees in a popular play area for children. The trees
were planted by Harlow Council next to the play park at Henry Moore
school, in an open green space popular with local children. It is
frequently used for playing football and other sports. After
voicing their disbelief about the situation on social media,
residents gathered by the park and asked everyone to sign a
petition, asking the council to move them to another location -
after an agreement with the residents. Not long afterwards, the
Council agreed to move the trees to a more suitable and less
obstructive location. Church Langley Councillor and
Leader of Harlow Conservatives, Andrew Johnson said, I am
delighted the Council has listened to the residents. When we
consulted local people on this matter over a year ago, there was a
clear response that the trees were not wanted there. We told this
to the Council and then all of a sudden, they appear. The
Labour-run Council just doesnt listen.
A campaign by Clive Souter, the Conservative local election
candidate in Sumners & Kingsmoor, to improve one of the areas
most damaged roads has been successful. The surface of Hull Grove
road was in urgent need of repair and Clive said that it was a
major issue for local residents, one that was often raised with him
on the doorstep. By working with my Conservative colleagues on
Essex County Council, I was able to persuade them that
individual
pothole repairs were just not good enough, said Clive. So, on
behalf of the residents, I was delighted when they said they would
resurface the whole road. Im very proud of this achievement and I
hope residents in Sumners and Kingsmoor will elect me to represent
them on Harlow Council in May. That way, I can continue campaigning
on important local issues.
Conservative Councillor,
Andrew Johnson, signing a
petition calling for the trees
to be moved.
C ontinued pressure from Conservative Councillors has revealed
that the taxpayers bill for illegal encampments in Harlow has risen
again, and stood at 70,000 at the end of last year. Great Parndon
Councillor,
David Carter said, That is the
same as a 1% increase in Council Tax.
Is it any wonder why the Labour-run Council keep
pushing up tax when they have
bills like that to pay?
Earlier in the year, the Harlow
Conservatives proposed an alternate 2015 budget, that
would have cut Council Tax by
0.5% and found extra money to tackle illegal encampments.
It was defeated by Labour
Councillors.
David continued, I welcome the interim town-wide High
Court injunction (read more
on Page 4) but we were pushing the Council for over a
year to use every legal action
at their disposal.
It will still be a challenge to
secure a permanent injunction, and this must be the Councils
top priority.
Old Harlow Cllrs Sue Livings & Joel Charles at the
Elmbridge playground (left) and in Priory Avenue (right).
Clive Souter in Hull Grove when the resurfacing
began (left), and how the road looks now (right).
David Carter with one of the
many High Court injunction
notices in Great Parndon.
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Harlow Sun | 3 ..
S ince the last election, the Conservative-led Government has
been working hard to control immigration into the UK and crack down
on those living here illegally. Immigration routes have been
tightened and arrivals from outside the EU are down to their lowest
levels in a decade. Public services are also being protected with
new rules governing social housing and welfare benefits. New
proposals to curb EU migration, announced by David Cameron, include
preventing migrants from claiming key benefits for the first four
years and deporting those who do not have a job within six months
of arriving in the UK. Already in Harlow, you can only
join the social housing list if youve been a resident for five
years or more. This follows successful efforts since 2010 to reform
the family visa route, crack down on bogus colleges and ensure that
no-one can come to this country and expect to get benefits
immediately. Harlow MP Robert Halfon has said, We are clamping down
on abuses of the system and ensuring that we have an immigration
system that is fair to taxpayers. The Government is also striving
to make it easier to deport foreign criminals, with David Cameron
promising to scrap Labours controversial Human Rights Act, if
re-elected with a full majority this year. Robert Halfon has said
it should be replaced with a British Bill of Rights.
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S ince he was elected in 2010, the MP for Harlow, Robert Halfon,
has been fighting a tireless campaign to cut the cost of fuel and
support hardworking motorists. With thousands of people around the
country backing his efforts, Robert was able to secure a four-year
freeze in fuel duty. This is the longest freeze in petrol tax for
over 20 years and in 2011, he even convinced the Government to cut
it. On his campaign, Robert said, The Conservative-led Coalition
has done everything possible to make life easier for motorists, By
scrapping all of the fuel duty hikes that were planned by the
last Labour Government, the average motorist is now saving 11
every time they visit the pumps. In recognition of his work on this
issue, The Telegraph listed Robert as one of their 2012 Britons of
the Year and The Sun newspaper have named him Hero of the Week more
times than any other MP since 2010. Robert has also stood up
against the oil giants, for keeping petrol and diesel prices high,
even when the international cost of oil is falling. Robert has said
this issue will continue to be a priority for him in Parliament, if
he is re-elected as Harlows MP in May.
R obert Halfon, the MP for Harlow, is backing Government
policies to help hardworking families, including the introduction
of tax-free childcare from Autumn this year. The new Tax-Free
Childcare scheme will provide 20% support on childcare costs up to
10,000 per year, for each child. This means support of up to 2,000
per child. In an effort to also help stay-at-home parents, the
Government has increased the free childcare entitlement for 3-4
year olds and disadvantaged 2 year olds, from 12.5 to 15 hours per
week.
Plus, from 2015-16, when both parents are in work and neither
are higher/additional rate taxpayers, married couples and civil
partners will be able to transfer up to 1,050 of their income tax
personal allowance between them. This will help parents on
lower
salaries, or those who choose to work part-time in order to
look
after their children.
Robert Halfon added that all parents would also benefit from
increases in
the personal allowance, which is set to rise again from April
this year, to 10,600.
A s hundreds of Harlow residents are given new opportunities to
own their own home, the Government has said it is committed to
restoring fairness to the housing system.
For decades, there havent been enough homes to meet the needs of
Britains growing and ageing population. However, after five years
of
Conservative-led Government, housing supply is now at its
highest level since 2008. The availability of affordable homes has
been made the priority, and 23.3 billion was set aside to fund
affordable housing projects alone. This comes alongside the
Governments Help to Buy scheme, which has already helped over
73,000 people purchase their own home, 83% of whom were first time
buyers. Local MP Robert Halfon, who has spoken out strongly in
support of affordable housing for Harlow residents, has also
launched www.RightToBuyHarlow.com. The website provides information
to people looking to purchase their council house/flat and achieve
the dream of home ownership.
Robert Halfon campaigning with FairFuelUK
Congratulations and thanks again for all your hard work in
getting the fuel duty increase scrapped - D.Gradley, local
resident
Thanks again Rob for supporting the campaign for PACT for Autism
families - S. Fancett, local resident
Robert Halfon supporting local
housing developments
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4 | Harlow Sun
T he Prime Minister, David Cameron has said he will continue to
protect the state pension and universal pension benefits if the
Conservatives win the upcoming General Election.
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The state pension has increased by 800-a-year since 2010, after
the Government ensured that it would rise each year in line with
either wages, prices or 2.5%. Universal pension benefits, such as
bus passes and the free TV licence, have also been safeguarded.
From April this year, millions of people on Defined Contribution
pension schemes will no longer have to buy an annuity if they don't
want to. There will also be no punitive 55% tax rate if people want
to draw down more than their tax-free lump sum. That way, retired
residents who have saved all of their lives will now be able to
pass their hard-earned pension
pot onto their families tax-free. Retired Harlow residents could
also benefit from the extension of a government-backed pensioner
savings bond. More than 1bn of the bonds, which offer competitive
interest rates of up to 4%, were sold in the first two days of the
scheme and so their availability has been extended for another
three months.
L ocal MP Robert Halfon, has welcomed a decision by the High
Court to grant an interim town-wide injunction against illegal
encampments in Harlow.
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Since October 2013, caravans have been unlawfully parked on
green verges, roundabouts, cycle tracks and school grounds across
the town. Robert, who worked hard for over a year to try and
resolve the matter, said the injunction was a major step forward.
The illegal encampments were a serious local concern for people and
I did everything I could to help resolve the situation. I asked
multiple questions in Parliament, secured a debate on the matter
and arranged meetings with Government Ministers and representatives
from Essex Police. Although I think this is something that should
have been done a long
time ago, I am grateful for all of the fantastic work of the
Harlow Community Safety Team, who have worked hard alongside Essex
County Council to secure this injunction. The situation seems to
have improved greatly and I am hopeful that in the time before we
get the full injunction, our town can move forward and get back to
a sense of normality. We must ensure that Harlow never again is
seen as a soft touch for unauthorised or illegal encampments. Over
450 pieces of land around Harlow are covered by the ruling, which
bans the setting up of unlawful sites. This includes 320 vulnerable
areas, previously occupied sites, highway verges and schools.
Anyone found parking on the sites will face contempt of court
charges.
Thank you Robert for all of your hard work to get the matter of
illegal encampments taken care of properly, unlike some politicians
out there who are just full of sound bites - P Simpson, local
resident
Robert Halfon meeting
retired Harlow residents