Tidal energy is a potential source of limitless power for the future. A former Parliamentary colleague of mine, Charles Hendry, was appointed by the Government to examine the pros and cons of the idea and make recommendations. His report is just out and it makes interesting reading. Much of the …
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Taunton Deane Council is planning to squander £7.5million to do up Deane House, where most of the staff serving Taunton and West Somerset are based. But was West Somerset consulted first about the plan? Not a bit of it. Taunton Deane did what its leader often prefers to do - namely, his own thing. …
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The Emperor Napoleon used to wear one like this. Perhaps the leader of Taunton Deane Council should consider donning one too. Yesterday I gave the House of Commons my views about Taunton's plan to submerge West Somerset council. I did not mince my words. My complaint is that the whole plan is …
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There is a slideshow of three photographs on the home page of the brash new blatently biased council website - named "Your New Council". What a sick and costly joke it is. One picture shows a bustling Fore Street in Taunton with happy customers of Daisy May's Tearoom tucking in at the pavement …
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My phone rang last night. On the line was a polite young man who knew my ex-directory number but not my name. He was part of the big national polling organisation Populus. He said he was working on behalf of "the local councils". He wanted to know what I thought of plans to merge the two. I told …
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Rudolf may need to eat a lot of carrots next year. Taunton Deane council may cut its annual grant for Christmas street lights in Wiveliscombe and Wellington. The locals are very peeved indeed. Taunton Deane would save £10,000. It seems they need to plug a gaping hole in their budget of £403,000. I …
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Meningitis is a hideous and invasive medical enemy - for all of us. It can strike suddenly and cause appalling problems, sometimes even death. The hazards should never be underestimated. That is why I am keen to support the campaign launched by Meningitis Now to make a real improvement in the …
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It is only natural to be worried when it rains like it has rained in the past few days. Storm Angus saw our river levels rising fast and put some of the renewed emergency pumps on the Somerset Levels under considerable strain. Fortunately the warnings are back down to "amber" today, but there is no …
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A great British Prime Minister, Benjamin Disraeli, is responsible for the quotation that introduces this item. It is especially relevant today as Taunton Deane and West Somerset Councils tread down the dangerous path of a merger. They boast that it will provide extraordinary savings. But much of the …
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It may not be the most fashionable headgear, but if you are at the controls of DJ Miles elaborate machines in their splendid plant at Minehead you have to dress the part. Miles is celebrating twenty successful years with an attractive array of new packaging. They asked me to pop in and meet the team …
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