It's been a long time since I blogged anything but that's not because nothing's happened. On the contrary it's because I haven't had time to blog. The possibility that a school might be built on Preston Park has galvanised the people of Eaglescliffe like nothing I've known in my years on the council. Over 200 on line signatures and over 2000 on paper in the space of 4 weeks from all over the area, collected not by us canvassing for them but by concerned residents going round their friends and colleagues & taking them to work, by local small shops and businesses having them on their premises and of course by us publicising it.
We have had phone calls and emails galore, and not a lot of time to think in between them. The local press is interested and has reported the issues more or less fairly.
I want to say again here, loudly and clearly, that the objection is not to Egglescliffe School having a new building but to it being on Preston Park. There have been many untruths and half truths spoken and one day I'll have time to go through them all and sort them but one thing stands out - Preston Park is known and loved far beyond the boundaries of Eaglescliffe and Ingleby Barwick and more than 2000 people are willing to put their names into the public arena to say that. Well done and thank you to all concerned.
Meantime I'm surprised and delighted to see that there's now a Facebook group on the subject, run not by us but by people who would on most other topics be our political rivals. It just shows that co-operation is possible between political groups when the cause is just.
The petition itself will be presented to Stockton Council on Wednesday at 7pm so if you live locally and you've still got a sheet of signatures hidden away somewhere now's the time to return it please.