debrastorr.org
A national disgrace, scoundrel and extremist*: Local Planning? Let's not bother.
http://www.debrastorr.org/2015/01/local-planning-lets-not-bother.html
A national disgrace, scoundrel and extremist*. At least that's what Donald Trump said of me when I opposed his resort at Menie. Planning documents used to be weight tomes - an inch or more thick A4 document - and then more documents with details of conservation areas etc. It is remarkable how very slim local plans have become. While concise policy is helpful to everyone, this Local Development Plan departs from the national polices on only two issues:. That's great forward planning for flooding and might...
debrastorr.org
A national disgrace, scoundrel and extremist*: March 2015
http://www.debrastorr.org/2015_03_01_archive.html
A national disgrace, scoundrel and extremist*. At least that's what Donald Trump said of me when I opposed his resort at Menie. Scare stories re voter registration. I’m going to start this post with a few very definitive statements for the benefit of people who won’t read further. Letter from my local ERO. Confirming that my partner. And I are both registered. If you were on the electoral register for the IndyRef, you will NOT be removed from the register until December 2015. This is very helpful of them.
debrastorr.org
A national disgrace, scoundrel and extremist*: Smith Commission
http://www.debrastorr.org/2014/10/smith-commission.html
A national disgrace, scoundrel and extremist*. At least that's what Donald Trump said of me when I opposed his resort at Menie. Last Friday was the deadline for submission by the five political parties to the Smith Commission, charged with trying to make a silk purse out of the sow's ear that is the aftermath of the Independence Referendum. I have made an attempt to summarise the five submissions as a Google Doc. Submission to Smith Commission. Constitutional Convention concepts are useful and may be hel...
debrastorr.org
A national disgrace, scoundrel and extremist*: Menie Estate Access blocked
http://www.debrastorr.org/2009/03/menie-estate-access-blocked.html
A national disgrace, scoundrel and extremist*. At least that's what Donald Trump said of me when I opposed his resort at Menie. Menie Estate Access blocked. I received a complaint yesterday that access through the Menie estate to the sand dunes and beach had been blocked. and immediately investigated. I found that gates into the estate were closed and locked at all the main accesses. Many local residents were worried that they would no longer be allowed access to the estate and beach. This increases fear...
debrastorr.org
A national disgrace, scoundrel and extremist*: Cycling needs infrastructure built for cycling.
http://www.debrastorr.org/2015/02/cycling-needs-infrastructure-built-for.html
A national disgrace, scoundrel and extremist*. At least that's what Donald Trump said of me when I opposed his resort at Menie. Cycling needs infrastructure built for cycling. As I have posted before, we have a government promising significant modal shift to walking to cycling for doing almost nothing to make it happen. Even when spending hundreds of millions on major roads. Cycling needs infrastructure built for cycling. Not infrastructure designed for motor vehicles. But for cyclists: 8 to 80 cyclists.
debrastorr.org
A national disgrace, scoundrel and extremist*: Menie open again (briefly)
http://www.debrastorr.org/2009/03/menie-open-again.html
A national disgrace, scoundrel and extremist*. At least that's what Donald Trump said of me when I opposed his resort at Menie. Menie open again (briefly). Thanks to Aberdeenshire Council's Access Officer! I checked at lunchtime today and all the locked accesses I'd identified bar one were open. I'll nudge about the remaining locked gate and hope that the Estate now properly understands their duties under the "Right to Roam" legislation. M (Scotland) Act 2003. Scottish Outdoor Access Code. Labour MPs bac...
debrastorr.org
A national disgrace, scoundrel and extremist*: What can you do to ensure elections are properly conducted?
http://www.debrastorr.org/2015/04/what-can-you-do-to-ensure-elections-are.html
A national disgrace, scoundrel and extremist*. At least that's what Donald Trump said of me when I opposed his resort at Menie. What can you do to ensure elections are properly conducted? I got really hacked off with the daft vote rigging stories that circulated after the IndyRef and wrote one calm post and one less calm as people shifted ground. Explains the basis process. I've given references to the main source documents at the end for those who want to read more details. So that it can be seen withou...
debrastorr.org
A national disgrace, scoundrel and extremist*: May 2015
http://www.debrastorr.org/2015_05_01_archive.html
A national disgrace, scoundrel and extremist*. At least that's what Donald Trump said of me when I opposed his resort at Menie. Holyrood: How does the Additional Member system work. Members of the Scottish Parliament are elected by a proportional system know as AMS (Additional Member System). The official explanation is here. But I'm going to try to explain with a minimum of maths and in as simple a way as I can. But we currently have one party, the SNP running at about 50% for the constituency vote....
debrastorr.org
A national disgrace, scoundrel and extremist*: Many nations - a challenge for federalists
http://www.debrastorr.org/2015/05/many-nations-challenge-for-federalists.html
A national disgrace, scoundrel and extremist*. At least that's what Donald Trump said of me when I opposed his resort at Menie. Many nations - a challenge for federalists. OK It's clear that Scotland and England are different but it's a wee bit more complicated than that as the above graph shows. Would federal solutions help better reflect the aspiration of the different nations and regions? Possibly but I'm not sure Tories would like to see their natural power base eroded to the southern counties. I twe...
