New Stone MP getting stuck in on local issues

Whilst Parliament was on its summer recess, Sir Gavin Williamson has been busy across the constituency, meeting local groups and organisations.

If you’re not sure what a recess is, Parliament.uk states:
“A recess is a break during the parliamentary session (year) in which neither the House of Commons or the House of Lords meets to conduct business.

There are usually several recesses throughout a session and usually include Christmas, Easter and Summer.”

Here’s a round-up some of the press releases that we’ve received from Sir Gavin’s team during the summer break:

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Gavin meets with Stone Traders Group to discuss boosting the High Street

Sir Gavin Williamson joined the Stone Traders Group, a collective of local vendors and businesses, to discuss his campaign to bring life back to the High Street.

Sir Gavin met with representatives from the group as well as owners of businesses on the High Street. The Stone Traders Group is made up of local stores and restaurants in Stone. Its focus is to restore the health of small businesses and promote more activity in Stone Town Centre. 

They discussed ways to revitalise the High Street, including an initiative that Sir Gavin has previously suggested to Stafford Borough Council, introducing 2 hours of free parking in Stone town centre. The Stone Traders were enthusiastic about Sir Gavin’s plans to launch a petition which will be presented to the Council. 

Several owners were also concerned about anti-social behaviour and retail crime affecting their businesses, an issue that Sir Gavin has previously taken up with the former Home Secretary. Sir Gavin has confirmed that he will be working with Staffordshire Police to tackle retail crime and support local business owners. 

Sir Gavin said:

‘It was great to meet with business owners on the High Street and hear ideas from the Stone Traders Group about how we can increase footfall in the town centre.

I’m looking into a range of measures to boost activity along the High Street, including two hours of free parking which I have previously mentioned to Stafford Borough Council.

I will be leading a campaign for this in the coming weeks to push the Council further and see this become a reality.’

Jamie Richards, Chairman of Stone Traders Group, said;

“The introduction of 2 hours of free parking would be a tremendous boost for our high street traders. In an era where high streets are facing increasing competition from online shopping and out-of-town retail parks, making it easier and more convenient for people to visit our town centre is essential.

Free parking would encourage more footfall, allowing customers to spend more time exploring our unique shops, cafes, and services. This initiative could make a real difference in revitalising our high street and supporting the local economy.”

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Sir Gavin Williamson has called for firmer action to be taken against water companies releasing sewage into rivers. 

Sir Gavin has led discussions with Severn Trent regarding the levels of raw sewage released into the River Trent. The issue has concerned a local resident, who noted the existence of two sewer overflows in the centre of Stone, one on the Scotch Brook near the town’s Morrisons, and another in Westbridge Park. 

Severn Trent was ordered to pay a fine of £2 million earlier this year for allowing huge amounts of raw sewage to discharge into the River Trent from a treatment works near Stoke-on-Trent. The company assured Sir Gavin that they were working on plans to reduce discharges into the river. However, thus far nothing has been done to correct the sewer overflows in Stone. 

Sir Gavin has called for Ofwat to take a firmer approach with the water companies responsible.  Sir Gavin said: ‘I’m deeply concerned by the levels of sewage entering the River Trent. Ofwat must take firmer action to stop water companies from polluting our rivers with discharge and I sincerely hope that the new Government commits to its promises to do this. In Parliament, I’ll be following this issue closely and making sure that Ministers take appropriate action.’

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Sir Gavin Williamson met with the Chief Executive Officer of Citizens Advice Staffordshire South West, Claire Davis, to discuss how they can work together to support local residents. 

Sir Gavin visited the Citizens Advice Centre in Stone to learn about the services that the organisation has been providing in the local area. Citizens Advice has been helping 681 people with the cost of living in Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge, where over 18% of people are in a negative budget, meaning their income doesn’t cover essential spending. 

Sir Gavin raised his concerns that those needing support might not know how to access it. Claire and the team agreed that people should seek assistance as soon as a problem emerges. 

In particular, Citizens Advice Staffordshire South West has been helping residents access support with rent arrears. Often, those needing support contact the team when they are facing eviction, rather than doing so earlier when the team are more able to help.

Sir Gavin said:

‘It was great to meet with Claire and the team at Citizens Advice, a fantastic organisation that provides one-on-one support to over 2 million people each year.

I agree that there should be greater awareness of when and how people can access their free advice and I will do what I can to raise awareness throughout Staffordshire.’

Claire Davis, Chief Executive Officer of Citizens Advice Staffordshire South West, said:

‘It was great to meet with Sir Gavin to discuss the issues that are affecting our clients and to discuss how we can work together to help local people.‘

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Sir Gavin Williamson has met with Stone First Responders to learn about the important work they do to support local people.

Sir Gavin joined the Stone First Responders, a charity organisation, to discuss their important work as first responders in Stone and surrounding areas. The group typically works within a 5-mile radius of Stone, but they take jobs further away if necessary. 

The charity is currently fundraising to replace their responder car that they’ve used for over a decade. 

This team includes highly trained individuals, with Staffordshire locality CFR’s ranking the highest trained in the UK. The organisation was founded to help combat the approximately 600 people dying each year to cardiac arrest, especially those living in rural areas that face a slower response from the Emergency services. 

Donations towards the improvement of medical equipment and training will ensure this charities First Responders remain the highest trained and continue to support those in need. 

Sir Gavin said:

“It was wonderful to join Stone First Responders again to support the incredible work they do for the communities in Stone and surrounding areas and to hear about how their organisation is growing.

To continue providing emergency medical care, the group are currently fundraising for a new responder car and I would encourage anyone who can contribute to do so for this fantastic cause.”