Gary's views

Gary's weekly views

Each week an article by Gary has appeared in the Plympton Plymstock and Ivybridge News in South West Devon. The articles are published here

ASYLUM REALITY CHECK

I am sure that, like me, there are many days in which you think the world has gone stark raving mad. And then something happens to confirm it.

Like the letter I received a week or two ago from a group of well-meaning charities in Devon and Cornwall asking for my help to lobby for extra resources for asylum seekers who have been ultimately refused leave to remain. I pondered this for a moment. It could only have referred to people who have come here, claimed asylum and gone through all of the various channels of appeal and still had their applications turned down. Which presumably meant they were not genuine asylum seekers at all, but were trying to access this country under false pretences.

And I was being asked to help secure more funding from the government (i.e. taxpayer) to support them!

One of the biggest challenges facing us is the constant pressure from people who wish to live in the United Kingdom. We all agree that we should be big-hearted enough to offer a home to those who are genuinely fleeing persecution. I have never met anyone who does not think that. But even a cursory examination of the figures over the last five years tells us that the vast majority of asylum claimants do not fall into that category, but simply wish to come and live here because it is better than where they come from. Many of them hand over their meagre life savings to human traffickers to get them to our shores in search of a better life.
I don’t blame them, but the answer must be a firm no. You cannot come in. Why? Because this small island is already pretty full; because we dare not upset the delicate balance between indigenous dwellers and migrants; because if we do not have a robust system the numbers applying will soar.

There is a need to attract skilled people here who want to work and contribute to our economy as, say, nurses and teachers. That is a completely separate matter and should not get mixed up with asylum seekers. Even then we should be much more robust in requiring integration, but that is the subject for another day.
So back to my letter. No, I wrote back very swiftly and firmly. If, after a proper and fair assessment, any claimant has been refused leave to remain, he must return home.

posted by Nigel on Friday, October 15, 2004

Gary's weekly views

Each week an article by Gary has appeared in the Plympton Plymstock and Ivybridge News in South West Devon. The articles are published here

LOCAL DECISION MAKING

I am sorry to bash on again about the new town but it is just about the biggest thing happening in these parts and likely – if it ever happens- to impact many of our lives, one way or another. I start with a reminder that none of us wants it, but it is being imposed upon the reluctant South Hams council by the top-down planning process and they have no choice but to smack a new settlement of roughly 3,500 dwellings into their revised local plan, roughly on the edge of Plymouth.

Next week the second phase of a process called “Enquiry by Design” begins in which invited participants gather to try and agree where is the best place for the proposed new settlement (within the context of the Sherford Valley). The idea is to try and see if a consensus can emerge that we can all live with.

There probably is a consensus that could emerge from next week’s deliberations, namely if we have to have this thing at all, it should be clustered as closely as possible around the area south of the deep lane junction of the A38, should contain an eastern green boundary that would prevent further sprawl and should specifically not impact Elburton and Brixton nor push further traffic onto the A379 or through residential areas of Plympton.

At a packed public meeting recently at Coombe Dean school local people voted unanimously against any development on the edges of their communities. All of the councillors for those communities are against any such development. Almost certainly the South Hams council – if they go for the deep lane option – would oppose it. So that should be it then shouldn’t it? The settled will of the local community.

Unfortunately not. There is a commercial landowner on the scene pushing like mad for these southern parcels to be included. They talk about “finishing off Elburton” as though they are doing the locals a favour. They must be firmly resisted. But even if their self-serving proposals are thrown out, they could launch an appeal and an external planning official would make the final decision.

The system should be changed. If a clear consensus emerges from within a community that delivers government targets for new housing in a way that meets local need – it should not be capable of being set aside from outside under pressure from those with the deepest pockets. What do you think?

posted by Nigel on Tuesday, October 05, 2004