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Meeting over car clamping
AN UPDATE for the many dozens of residents and visitors to Billingshurst who have got in touch with me about the car clamping situation at Jengers Mead – I've finally fixed a meeting with the owner of the land concerned.
The meeting will take place next week and I'm going to use all the correspondence I've received to formulate the agenda and ask the questions that so many people want answered.
I'll make it clear that this situation has, at best, left people frustrated and inconvenienced and at worst, traumatised by their experience. Local traders have already felt the knock-on effects and it's clear that something has to be done.
I'll update everyone who has been in touch but watch out for news of the meeting in future issues of the County Times.
The next few days will be busy. Today, Friday, I'm visiting Horsham's Springboard Project with my colleague, Tim Loughton – the Shadow Minister for Children. We'll show him what a fantastic service their staff and volunteers provide for disabled youngsters in our area. We'll also discuss issues that affect charities like them – locally and nationally.
On Saturday I'll be presenting the trophy to the winners of the Boar's Head 'v' Queen's Head rugby match at Horsham Rugby Club. It's going to be an absolutely huge event with much more than rugby going on and cash raised will go to 'Help for Heroes'. Check out horshamrufc.com.
Sunday sees an awareness and fundraising picnic at Knepp Castle, West Grinstead, for the group campaigning against plans for a landfill at Laybrook Brickworks.
Although proposed for just outside the boundaries of my constituency, the facility would affect people living, working and travelling through communities surrounding it. I'm working alongside my colleague, South Downs MP Nick Herbert, to fight it every step of the way.
Back to MPs' expenses. I've faced lots of criticism, and am really grateful to the many people who've listened to my explanation and accepted it.
But much of the criticism has been for having a second home in London at all, when so many Horsham people commute daily to London. I don't think this is fair.
Most of the time I've been MP for Horsham I've held senior Shadow Cabinet positions, which mean very long days from Monday to Thursday, and frequent trips away from London.
I simply couldn't have managed without a London base. And even after the rules have been tightened there are many constituencies closer to London than Horsham where the MP can claim for a second home.
So I'll take criticism where I think it's fair. But I don't think this is.
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Weather for Horsham
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Thunderstorm
Temperature: 14 C to 26 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: East
