If anyone asks what does a councillor's day consist of perhaps today was a good example. Start with sorting out papers for a series of meetings before setting off to the first one. A lengthy session on the targets for everything which the council is meant to achieve, including some completely beyond the council's control, and whether or not we are reaching them made me grateful again to the coalition government that it is removing some of them! As one councillor remarked today, we don't need a target to reduce road accidents - we know we want to reduce them! And what a waste of time to have a whole lot of councillors sitting round scrutinising the work that lots of officers have done in working out how near to all the targets we are, when most people agree that the targets can't ever tell the whole story or anywhere near it about how good or bad life is in the borough.
Half an hour of catching up on emails and messages before the Fairtrade Partnership meeting. Plans are just about completed for the Tristar Fun Day in Preston Park on 12th August - if you're in the area pop into the park and see what's going on. The Fairtrade stall will have information, sales and samples as well as a prize quiz to try. The next big event will be the Wine Tasting in October and after that we started discussing Fairtrade Fortnight for next year - and so the year goes round!!
The afternoon's meeting was related to the closure last year of Elementis Chromium in Eaglescliffe. The remaining staff wanted to update the Ward and Parish Councillors on progress. We hear so much about companies not caring for their surroundings, their neighbours or their employees that it's refreshing to have a company which is taking such care over the clean up of such an old site. Its still very sad to have lost so many good jobs but it was somewhat comforting to hear of the high percentage of people who've moved on to other employment, and a great relief to know that the clean up is in such good hands.
A couple of personal visits and then home to a series of phone messages and emails about everything from street name signs to party policy. And after that it's time to start cooking a meal! Such is a councillor's day, or at least on this occasion.