MP’s and Rich Media Content: How to Oggle HTML5 and write to Your MP

Which I know is a bit of a gobful of a post-title.

But I think it sums up what I’m trying to say …

Possibly …

At any rate, one thing I know I managed to find in my letter box, today, was a very polite letter — about wheel-clamping — from Brentwood and Ongar MP, Eric Pickles.

At last …

But just to keep you abreast, I’d written to him, recently: mostly to ask him his stance on the Freedom Bill, due before the House of Commons.

I got a reply from him.

And I think we can say he’ll be voting for the Bill.

Double click on the scan of the letter, that SHOULD show you what I mean …

At any rate, I’ve fired off …

A reply … !

You’d guessed, hadn’t you … ?

Here’s what I asked him …

Dear Mr Pickles,

Firstly, let me thank you for answering my email with your letter of the 26th August of this year, in regards to wheel-clamping.

However, I also believe I have not had my questions answered to my personal satisfaction.

I’ll happily agree that there are some companies in the wheel-clamping industry that are as unscrupulous as you say.

However, I live in Rollason Way, near Brentwood Station.

And the wheel clamping company that my landlords — South Anglia — use have been, bar the usual teething problems one expects with type of scheme, fine.

In fact, they have been so successful in keeping commuters and non-residents out of our street, that residents had recently voted to retain the scheme.

So the government announcement about the Freedom Bill … ?

Caused a lot of heated discussion at the subsequent residents meeting, as I’m sure your colleague, Councillor Joan Holmes — the one Conservative councillor for Brentwood West — will be able to tell you. She was there, as was Councillor Karen Chilvers of the Brentwood and Ongar Liberal Democrats.

So I would like to reiterate my initial question, and — if possible — add another to the list.

Firstly, I would like to know if the government had — or is — considering making the current voluntary code of practise. As I stated in a recent letter to the Brentwood Gazette, I feel that better regulation, rather than an outright ban, would be a preferable course of action.

Secondly, I’d like to reiterate that I’d like to know which you — personally — intend to vote on the Freedom Bill, when it comes before the House in November. I believe that I — and many of my neighbours — would be comforted knowing our MP is voting against this bill: one that makes our lives more complicated, and one I think that goes against David Cameron’s much-talked-about ‘Big Society’.

Yours,

There’s hoping I get a reply to that: I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed, but let’s wait and see, shall we … ?

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The other part of the title … ?

Refers to the fact I found a rather nice website, earlier tonight, that’s all done in HTML5.

Which was rather fun, something I’d not knowingly come across, and was amazing — to me, at least — to experience.

Go have a look at it: I think you’ll be impressed!

Why, then, tonight … !

Phew, what a night … !

I’ve just literally got back from this quarters’ Residents Meeting.

And I think — think — it was a bit of a hot one.

No, don’t ask, it’s a bit of a long story.

Too long to go into, here, I think … !

Let’s just say it got heated, and leave it there, shall we … ?

Yes, lets!!!!!!

But, suffice to say, that at tonight’s residents meeting got … heated …

Yes, that’s the word for it.

Heated, and definitely — to an extent — going ’round in minor circles.

After all, the fact that a majority of us recently voted for Rollason Way’s clamping scheme, has meant the government’s recent announcement of their up coming Freedom bill, along with it’s clauses banning wheel clamping on private land.

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You know, it’s just occurred to me that’s you’re probably wondering what the hell I’m talking about, aren’t you … ?

I really wouldn’t be surprised.

Let me give you a quick summary, then.

I live on Rollason Way, just in case you hadn’t guessed.

Which is a fairly recently built street, forming part of an estate in my home town of Brentwood, near Brentwood Station.

Rollason Way, itself, is a mixture of socially rented flats — owned and managed by South Anglia — and part-buy flats: jointly owned by South Anglia and their occupants.

And originally developed by Crest Nicholson, who also built the privately owned part of the estate, ’round the corner from Rollason Way, in Wharf Road.

Keeping up … ?

Jolly Good!

And every three months or so, we have a Resident’s meeting, so that Sara Bartleman — who’s South Anglia’s Housing Officer for those of us who are renting — and Stuart Clarke — who’s the South Anglia body who handle’s the part-buy folk — can let us know what’s happening at their end. And to get feedback from us about the estate, and hear any of our complaints.

LORDY but they hard their jobs cut out for them, tonight!

Because, understandably, we’ve — between the bunch of us — managed to get something — however minimal — done about the parking, in the area.

Or, at least, managed to get the clamping schemes introduced for the Rollason residents car-parks.

And then ALL got collectively hacked off by the fact that central government’s mentioned it’ll be banning wheel clamping schemes on private land.

That got a lot of talk generated.

Didn’t it just … ?

But I think we can safely say that people were upset — understanding, but upset — that Sara was able to tell us that South Anglia was investigating options for alternatives, as and when the need arises.

Although I’m not convinced she was too happy that some sort of barrier scheme seemed to be the preferred optioned.

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Actually, that’s one thing I do know: we were joined at tonight’s meeting by two of Brentwood’s finest, tonight: Councillor Joan Holmes, who helped book up the King’s Chase Bowls club for the evening, and by the ever bubbly Councillor Chilvers, who was able to help out by providing details of the exact relationships between Brentwood Council and Brentwood Police: and managed to emphasise to everyone, tonight, the exact ways that we, as residents, should go about documenting anti-social behaviour in the area.

Which is something of a major thing: from what I could gather, tonight, some of my neighbours have had trouble from badly behaved kids, seemingly from Railway Square, just ’round the corner.

We also got joined by James Moody, the MD from none other than Crest Nicholson: the developer’s who originally built the estate!

Who — in-between exploding neighbours, councillors and housing officers — had a hard time trying to explain why his company hadn’t put barriers on all of the estates car-parks*.

To be fair, though, he did manage to confirm something I’d originally been told by Councillor Dudley Payne, Brentwood’s former mayor: that the fact the amount of parking spaces — ¾ of a space per flat — was policy under the previous Labour government, to try and encourage more public transport.

And also confirmed that Crest Nicholson were putting in extra parking spaces in the block of flats at the other end of Rollason Way: mostly in an effort, as he put it, to “address the historical parking issues in the street”.

Take up the slack, in other words.

Phew!!

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Or, strictly speaking ‘GAAAAAAAHH’

It’s getting rather late, and my eyeballs are starting to feel like they’re melting.

Which is a bit of a side issue, but there you go … !

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At ANY rate, that’s where things started to go in a different direction.

Because the next item on the agenda … ?

Was the ground maintenance.

Which I don’t think’s pleased ANYONE … !!

I do know I’ve seen at least two of my fellow neighbours have commenting on the state of the weeding and plants — generally ok, although popular opinion held that whoever was doing it could maybe do with an extra pair of hands or two.

Oh, and Sara’s idea for a Litter-picking day, next Tuesday … ?

Wasn’t exactly enthusiastically received, but did at least get people saying we should help out.

But what really seemed to get people’s goat was simply the state of the common areas of each of the flats.

I know I’ve certainly said to Sara that the communal areas of the flats are capable of looking good …

If cleaned well.

And for the past few weeks … ?

It’s not seemingly been done as good as it’s been done in the past.

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At any rate, that’s where I think I’m going to leave things.

It is, after all, getting a touch late, after all.

But one thing I do know … ?

Is I feel quite happy to have had the chance to mention to Sara Bartleman the little problem many of us are having with a certain Hideous Horrible THING … In the Kitchens … !!!!

Good night, all …

Sweet Dreams … !

* Broadly speaking, the private parts of the estate have them, whilst we in the socially housed parts, don’t. Which I think is like putting a huge sign over the car parks concerned saying “Jack My Tires”, but that’s just me. (Boris Johnson, tactful … ? Naaaahhh … )

Mr P’s At It Again …

Hmm …

Well …

I seem to have got a response, there …

Remember, a few days ago, I told you about the whole wheeling clamping situation, here in Rollason Way … ?

Now, granted it’s gone quiet about it, in the media.

But at least I can tell you that, after emailing Eric Pickles, the MP for Brentwood and Ongar, has sent a response.

Or rather, I should say his Parliamentary Assistant has: the former Brentwood Borough Councillor, Karen Sheehan.

Hmmm …

Who I’ve got to admit never impressed me, when she was in post. (Councillor Holmes and Chilvers, on the other hand, did. Well, Councillor Chilvers did and does: Councillor Holmes is also one of Brentwood’s Conservatives: but, much like Councillor Chilvers, at least got herself in the papers, occasionally, and tried to at least look like she was making an effort on behalf of her constituents.)

Let’s get moving on, shall we … ?

My point is that — so far — I’ve had a response from someone.

It does leave me with a question I think I’d like an answer to.

May be a couple …

Firstly, I’d like to ask you, if you’re one of my neighbours, to email or write to Eric Pickles, yourself: here’s the link to do that.

I think the more of us who write to him to complain about this bill — or, at least, this provision of this bill —, the better.

Secondly … ?

I think I’d like to ask both Councillor Chilvers and Councillor Kendall — who’s the Lib-Dem leader for the area — to comment on this post: I think I’d like to hear their views and have them publicly available.

Yes, I know both their and Councillor Clarke’s* view on this: after all, many have said that the Lib Dem’s and Conservatives aren’tin a coalition locally.

But I think we should hear what they have to say.

* Councillor Clarke is the other Lib-Dem councillor for the Brentwood West ward. So you know!

I THINK I’m going to Whinge …

What … ?

WHAT … !!

I think I’d like to register a complaint … !

Because I’ve just bought this week’s Gazette, and they’ve printed neither of the letters I sent in, this week.

Honestly, you’d think 65p would count for something, wouldn’t you … ?

Geeerrrr … !

At any rate, I do know that I’ve sent them another email.

And one that ties in directly to the parking, here on Rollason Way.

As you know, we’ve probably all had our forms from South Anglia: the ones that let us vote on which scheme to have to control the parking in Rollason Way’s car-parks.

The trouble is, is that the scheme we have in now — and the one I voted to keep — is a wheel clamping scheme.

And, as Movie Night Adrian pointed out to me, last night, the fact that Central government is planning legislation to ban wheel-clamping on private land does put that into doubt.

Bless him, Adrian’s got a nasty habit of bringing these things up.

But the clamping scheme was and is one I think is possible the only viable option for the car-parks.

And the Gazette happened to carry a report about disgruntled members of the congregation at St. Thomas Church getting clamped, when they parked, there.

Here’s what I told the Gazette.

Dear Sir,

I read your article in this week’s Gazette about disgruntled — and wheel-clamped — worshippers at St. Thomas Cathedral, and have to admit to a certain amount of …

Well …

Mixed feelings, certainly.

Now, while I can sympathise with those drivers who feel hard done by, I do know that the clamping scheme that operates in the car-parks on the street where I live seems to be working well; it allows residents to park near their homes.

Rather than commuters with no connection to my street and that I or my neighbours have ever seen before.

Now, granted, there’s rogue operators in the industry; bad apples that spoil the bunch for others. And granted, the scheme on our street has had hiccups.

But the same is true for any industry.

My thought here is a simple one.

That instead of central government’s proposed ban, there should quite simply be better regulation.

After all, I’d like to see I and my neighbours be able to park near where we live. Rather than get crowded out of our (metaphorical) driveways by commuters.

The clamping scheme in place in the area is the only that’s worked. I’d rather not see it go.

Now I know that Councillor Chilvers is thinking of writing a follow-up letter: I also know she’s planning to talk Sara Bartleman, the South Anglia Housing Officer for the area, first.

But I do know that she’s had a bit of a result just ’round the corner in St. James Road.

Remember that Taylor-Wimpey, the developers who want to put up MORE flats, along with completely inadequate parking on the patch of greenery round there … ?

Well, they put in for an extension to the planning application for the offices they originally put in for the land.

And had it refused … !

Councillor, would you mind me doing my happy dance, now, or should I save it ’til later … ?

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Phew … !

Now, before I sign off, there’s one final thought.

You know that, over the past few years, I’ve always suggested going for open-source software and alternative proprietary computer software … ?

You’ve probably already worked out I’m a sucker for Macs and Mac OS X, haven’t you … ?

Pay attention at the back, there … !

At any rate, suffice to say, I believe that not only should we — as consumers, where-ever we are — have a choice of hardware, but also a choice of software.

And operating system software.

Proprietary or otherwise.

Now I’ll happily grant that Apple aren’t perfect: despite the fact that, given the choice, their combination of hardware and software is the one I go for, every time.

But I managed to come across this piece on Wikipedia, today.

And can’t help but think that, all joking aside, that’s a good example.

Of seriously dodgy practise.

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