Campaigns

Campaigns led and supported by Spencer in the Sheffield, South Yorkshire and across our region:

NO2AV - a great success!

So very pleased our campaign to stop AV was such a resounding success! It was a long and hard campaign and my role as regional NO campaign co-ordinator required regular media and press activity.

Paces School

I am hugely honoured to the Deputy Chairman of the Trustees of Paces Charitable Trust in High Green. In particular to be actively involved in the progress of Paces school, which helps young people with cerebral palsy and has such a fantastic record of achievement in this regard.

Maintain our Roads - the Coalition is delivering on its promise to fund our roads

The roads in some parts of Sheffield are so bad that the crust has actually come away. Shocking statistics found through using the Freedom of Information act showed that for every £100 spent on roads and pavements in Sheffield in 2007/08, only 17p was spent in East Ecclesfield in the north of the City.

It is much the same picture in Barnsley, where some roads are so bad in the Dodworth ward that the rear axles of cars have actually been broken!

I am pleased to see the Coalition Government has backed much increased spending plans on South Yorkshire roads, and will continue to lobby hard for this much needed investement in South Yorkshire Infrastructure.

Fight Back on Crime

Local people in some parts of South Yorkshire are badly affected by anti-social behaviour. In 2009 I launched a massive questionnaire that was delivered to over 24,000 residents in north Sheffield. I was also able to meet with the Chief Constable of South Yorkshire, Meredydd Hughes, to discuss the issues that residents raised with me. The then Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Grayling MP, visited Sheffield and I showed him some of the local hot spots of anti-social behaviour.

Sitting regularly as a Sheffield Magistrate I know only to well how crime blights the lives of local people. I continue to campaign for better levels of policing, with a focus on getting more Officer hours out on our streets, and less time completing needless bureacracy.

Supporting our Small Shops

After visiting businesses and shops across the City and listening to the concerns that local traders have on this current recession, I launched a Shop Local Campaign. Small family run businesses are the backbone of our local community, providing jobs and supporting many local initiatives and I wanted to remind people of this.

At a meeting of local traders in Stocksbridge, business owners aired their views on positively promoting the range of small, privately owned shops that Stocksbridge has as well as discussing the possible impact the newly agreed Town Centre retail development might have on existing trade.

This meeting of Stocksbridge traders, which was organised by Tracey Martin from The Works Lunch Box, was attended by a representative of Federation of Small Businesses.

Road Safety Improvements on the A61

A local campaign group started up after yet another tragic death on the A61. I lent my support to the group, providing them with the statistical evidence they needed, met with Highways officials and raised the campaign when the then Shadow Home Secretary, Chris Grayling MP, visited the area.

I was very pleased when road safety improvements began on 24 August 2009. These safety works have no doubt made a real difference to this important north Sheffield road link.

Keeping Our Local Post Offices Open

On 5th August 2008, 5 Post Offices within the new constituency of Penistone & Stocksbridge were threatened with closure. I met with ex-Post Lady Mrs Lindley from Deepcar who was very upset that her local Post Office was being threatened.

A petition was launched and the Conservative team and I collected signatures across the entire area. This petition, and a hand written letter from a local resident, were delivered to Gordon Brown at No. 10 Downing Street.

Protecting Our Playgrounds

Many playgrounds in north Sheffield have been neglected for decades. It is a disgrace that parents with young children are having to get in the car and travel to neighbouring Authorities. I launched a petition with Councillor Marsh-Smith, which was handed over to Sheffield City Council’s north Area Panel. Our pressure has worked and the Council has started to upgrade some playgrounds in the area.