Delighted my bus shelter plan has come to fruition

It’s Liberal Democrat Rob Colwell’s turn to write the Friday Politics column…I am delighted that another of my plans to help the local community has just been implemented. The brand-new bus shelter outside of the Gayton Road Health Centre was finally installed at the end of January following conversations with Norfolk County Council and paid for from my Local Member Fund.I had noted the number of elderly, infirm and poorly residents waiting outside the GP centre for a bus, left to face the elements. I hope that the new bus shelter helps not only those who had been seeking medical attention, with a covered seat whilst they wait, but also those attending St Faith’s church and church rooms, or the Gaywood shops.

The news of yet further delays to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital rebuild has been a hammer blow to West Norfolk. After five years of failed promises, many had high hopes that Labour would get the urgent rebuild over the line in time to meet the independent review deadline of 2030 as they promised.Within days of Labour winning power, I wrote to the health secretary Wes Streeting expressing the urgency for our hospital rebuild, which falls within my county division. With the prospect now of a 2032/3 rebuild I have written again expressing the absolute necessity for continuity of hospital provision in West Norfolk, as well as asking him to come and see the most propped-up hospital in the country and the thousands of struts with his own eyes.I think it is important he meets the patients and staff, to hear the impact the situation is having on everyone. The community action group are dusting off their banners and planning the next stage of protest, and I am proud to still be part of the group that made the difference before.

Well done to Gaywood and Lynn residents who narrowly missed out on taking over the Carnegie Library building with their ideas to turn Lynn into a life writing centre, that brings communities together and helps us tell our stories. The Margery Kemp Trust has not been knocked back however and is determined to make its ideas come to fruition. I hope both the county and borough councils will work with them to develop their concepts and I will endeavour to help them too. I have tried to help them explore other avenues already.Finally, at the time of my writing, we have still not heard whether May elections have been delayed by the Labour government as part of devolution and a move towards unitary authorities. The Liberal Democrats and others have clearly stated that any delays were entirely unnecessary and would set a dangerous precedent.

I spoke out at the recent Full Council meetings at both Borough and County, that to deny the people of West Norfolk their voice for the convenience of administrative restructuring was wrong, and we must not lose sight of the core principles that underpin our democracy. The Liberal Democrats and I promise to use any additional time to continue to work hard for the residents of Gaywood, Lynn and West Norfolk.