Reduce, Re-use, Recycle

Today was the first evidence-gathering meeting of the Environment Select Committee review of Waste Management in the Borough. We had Dr Andrew Craig, a local expert who's been involved in formulating strategy at Tees Valley level and in the North East as well as having some input into national thinking on the subject. I think that everyone in the room learned something from the session and we had lots of our questions answered.
One question to which the answer was less than satisfactory was whether there are plans to make it easy for people to find out which products contain recycled material and which don't so that we can make informed choices when shopping. Toilet rolls are easy - clearly labelled so that we can make our choice. In fact, it seems to me that the paper industry is ahead of everyone on that - we can buy all sorts of paper products that are clearly labelled. But what about that jar of jam? Is the jar 100% recycled glass or 50% or zero? There's nothing on the label to tell us. Apparently there are no plans to make this common practice, and no plans on the part of government to help us at all. We have to do our own research and that is jolly difficult.
On the other side of the Atlantic, however, in California there's a whole website devoted to the subject of reducing waste, reusing it and recycling it including buying recycled products. There are links to companies producing jewellery from circuit boards, clothing from all manner of recycled materials, toys, furniture, building materials and many more. If a state of the USA can make that kind of effort can someone explain why the British government can't? (Rhetorical question - it's too near Christmas for philosophical essays)
We also approved the consultation programme for the review so watch out for questionnaires and opportunities to comment in the New Year.
In the New Year a small group will take on the job of looking into Vermin control in the Borough because we're suffering from a much increased rat population compared to 10 years ago and need to find ways to deal with it. This committee gets all the interesting jobs!
Nationally, I was pleased to see that the new party leader was getting generally positive comment in the press. Long may it continue.

Leadership Result

Nick Clegg is our new party leader. It was a close contest, and over 40,000 members voted in it, showing that we really are a party that's committed to democracy.
Nick represents a constituency in Sheffield so knows something of the challenges facing the North of England. He's made a good start by saying he'll include both Vince Cable and Chris Huhne in his top team. I look forward to seeing real progress now on the policies that need pushing home. We know we've got some really good policies, on the environment and devolution from Westminster particularly, but we need to get them embedded into the British way of life.
Go for it Nick - whichever candidate people voted for we're all behind you now in readiness for the next election.

The text of his speech given after the result was announced follows:

My election as leader of this party marks a new beginning.
Today is about two things: ambition, and change.
Renewed ambition for the Liberal Democrats.
Renewed ambition to reach out to the millions of people who share our values, but have not yet voted for us.
It’s about renewed ambition for Britain.
Because we want to change politics, and change Britain.
I would like to thank Chris for the energetic and committed way he has campaigned in this leadership election.
We have been rivals in this contest. From today, we are colleagues again. I look forward to working closely with him for the good of liberalism in Britain.
I would also like to thank Vince Cable for the magnificent way he has led the party in these past two months.
There are few men who have excelled as an economist, a comedian and a ballroom dancer.
Finally, I would like to give my warmest thanks, on behalf of the whole party, to Ming Campbell. He took over the Liberal Democrats at a difficult time, and provided enormous stability and professionalism to the party. Without his work, building on the extraordinary achievements of Charles Kennedy and Paddy Ashdown before him, the party would not have the bright future which it now does.

I am a Liberal by temperament, by instinct and by upbringing.
My own family was marked, scattered and reunited by the tragic conflicts of the last century.

I was taught from an early age that Britain was a place of tolerance and pluralism, with a history steeped in democracy and the rule of law.
I believe that liberalism is the thread that holds together everything this country stands for. Pull out that thread and the fabric of the nation unravels.

We are a people with a strong sense of fair play and social justice. An instinct to protect the environment for future generations. We are suspicious of arbitrary power, wary of government interference. We want to play an active, enlightened role in the affairs of the world.
And we have always put our faith in the power of ordinary men and women to change things for the better.
So why is Britain still not the liberal nation we want it to be?
Look around us:

Our civil liberties casually cast aside.

Gigantic, faceless and incompetent Government bureaucracies.

Security and opportunity in short supply, particularly in the poorest communities.

Families struggling to meet each month’s bills. Struggling to balance the demands of work, and the time for a real family life.

Above all, our politics is broken.

Out of step with people.

Out of step with the modern world.

That is why I have one sole ambition: to change Britain to make it the liberal country the British people want it to be.

I want a new politics: a people’s politics.

I want to live in a country where rights, freedoms and privacy are not the playthings of politicians, but safeguarded for everyone.

Where political life is not a Westminster village freak show, but open, accessible, and helpful in people’s everyday lives.

Where parents, pupils and patients are in charge of our schools and hospitals.

Where fine words on the environment are translated into real action.

Where social mobility becomes a reality once again, so that no-one is condemned by the circumstances of their birth.

Why have we stopped imagining a better society?

Look at what we’ve got.

The Conservatives and New Labour have governed in the same way. Top-down and centralising. I refuse to believe that the only alternative to a clapped out Labour Government is a Conservative party which has no answers to the big issues - environmentalism without substance, social justice without money, internationalism without Europe.

The challenge for my party is clear and simple: to define a liberal alternative to the discredited politics of Big Government.

I want to open up my party, open up Westminster, and open up politics for good.

To lead well, a leader needs to listen.

That’s why I will hold regular and public Town Hall Meetings.

That’s why I want to open up the Liberal Democrats to give people who support us, but aren’t members, a say on the big issues.

That’s why I will spend at least one day every week listening and campaigning outside Westminster.

That’s why I will set up a network of real families, who have nothing to do with party politics, in every region of this country to advise me on what they think should be my priorities.

If you once voted Lib Dem but think we’ve spent too much time focusing on ourselves.

If you once voted Conservative but don’t know what they stand for any more.

If you once voted Labour but feel let down after ten years of disappointment.

If you’ve given up voting altogether, but still care about the world we live in:

Then a newly united, energetic, optimistic Liberal Democrat party is there for you.

This is an unprecedented time of opportunity for liberalism in Britain.

If we are to grab this opportunity, my party will need to change.

We must start acting like the growing national political movement that we are. More professional. More united. More ambitious.

Liberalism is the creed of our times.

The old left-right politics has broken down. Labour and the Conservatives are mutating into each other, united in defence of a system which has let the people down.

Instead, we must start where people are, not where we think they should be.

In short, I want the Liberal Democrats to be the future of politics.

Because Liberal Democrats have the courage to imagine a better society.

To break the stifling grip of the two-party system for good.

To bring in a new politics.

Of politicians who listen to people, not themselves.

No more business as usual. No more government-knows-best.

I want today to mark the beginning of real change in Britain.

The beginning of Britain’s liberal future.

The Rookery - again

Well, now it's official. There's an application to demolish the Rookery and build from new, apparently to the same design as the conversion that was approved. The story is that the foundations aren't up to standard. One wonders why that wasn't realised earlier! Residents who've known the building longer than I have tell me that there's been a problem with the foundations for years and it should have been underpinned. I've no idea of the whole story of course, but just on Christmas is not a time when people want to start thinking about fighting another planning application.
I spent some time this morning being briefed on the impact of the Government funding formula changes for Fire Authorities. In an effort to spread the funding more fairly round the country the government has changed the formula so that Cleveland, along with 2 other areas, loses out. Cleveland loses a much larger percentage than either of the others in spite of having more risky chemical and hazardous sites closer to people's houses than anywhere else in the country. In Eaglescliffe we're very conscious of having Elementis on our doorstep, but in parts of Billingham South they've got even more hazardous sites literally over the garden fence. They've produced a draft plan for consultation on how they can continue to do their work with serious reductions in funds, and I urge people to read it and comment.

90 Not Out

This was the title of a show given last night at Stockton Photo-Colour Society by a resident of our ward, Ray Wallace Thompson. Ray has been taking photographs since 1936, and as a professional architect his eye for design was honed over the years. Now almost 91, he was given the opportunity by the Photo club to have an evening showing some of his pictures and telling some of his life story. He'd invited his ward councillors and the Mayor of Stockton as well as other guests and we were all made very welcome. Many of his photographs are available to see on line and are well worth looking at. I particularly enjoyed the ones of the Lake District but then I'm biased - I love that area too.

Heritage and Local List

Over recent weeks a number of people have asked about the local list which was supposedly going to be part of the SBC Conservation & Historic Buildings Folder in the local development framework. Last year a number of people spent many hours sending information through about buildings in this ward and neighbouring Yarm in particular, and then everything went quiet. We only discovered that nothing at all had been done with the information when we needed it to help preserve Wainstones. I've been making a fuss since then, along with a colleague from Yarm, and we've finally been told that acknowledgement letters will be sent out soon! Shortage of staff meant it wasn't prioritised. What that means is that we may well lose Wainstones if an appeal goes with the applicant. Local activists are fuming and I agree with them - we've been badly let down.

On top of that, the vandalised tree on Carnoustie Drive has now been completely removed. The excuse given by NWL is that the water main had collapsed, cutting off supplies from 20+ houses. I can't help but wonder if more should have been done when it leaked last year, and if that might have avoided this problem, but I shall never know and not being an expert means that I can't even make an educated guess. Now I'm in the position of having to chase for a replacement tree.

Water leaks and vandalism

Readers of Focus will remember last winter's saga of the water leak on Carnoustie Drive which took weeks to be sorted out and repaired. Some residents are only too aware that a month ago the problem started again. This time Northumbrian Water engineers came out very quickly to look at the situation. Over the last 4 weeks more and more water has poured down the drain instead of being available to come out of our taps. On Friday a big hole was dug and the flow rate increased dramatically. Today an even bigger hole was dug but still the water flowed.
Sadly, it seems that NWL employ someone who can only be described as a vandal. A protected rowan tree, minding its own business, was in the way of the digging equipment so was attacked with a saw. My neighbour was at home at the time and saw what was happening so rushed out to remonstrate. When he realised that he was getting nowhere he went in and phoned Stockton Council and was told that someone would come out as soon as possible. I have no idea whether anyone came out, but I'll be asking questions tomorrow about permissions in this sort of situation and trying to ensure that a replacement is planted. I believe at the moment that NWL should be prosecuted but I bet I find out tomorrow that there's a good reason why they can't be.
This was all the more ironic, considering I'd just spent 2 hours at a meeting of the Tees Valley Environmental Protection Group - councillors and officers concerned with making sure that residents of the Tees Valley have the best environment we can possibly ensure. We'd discussed air quality and noise pollution and contaminated land - very interesting and important. For once, some strategies that really do seem to make a difference in the lives of ordinary people, even if most of us didn't know they existed.

Inspection time

Probably my last encounter with inspectors today - an hour long interview as Chair of Environment Select committee, Leader of the Liberal Democrats and Chair of the Western Area Partnership Board. Quite an experience, but I think I managed to be fair to other councillors and senior officers while being honest about my experiences. Fortunately for Stockton Council's star rating he concentrated on the work of the Environment Select Committee and skated over other things quite lightly. It'll be very interesting to see the result of this 2 weeks of inspection - the regime is much more demanding than in previous years so all officers who understand the process are saying that we expect to slip off the top perch but obviously people are really hoping not to.
The afternoon was scheduled for Focus delivery but our phone wasn't working properly so I spent the afternoon trying to sort out that problem. Before I knew where I was it was time for ward surgery. This particular ward surgery was a real "warm glow " one - a couple who'd been helped by John taking up cudgels on their behalf came to thank him in person. As this ward surgery was at the venue furthest from where they live of the 3 venues we use, it was a particularly kind gesture on their part.
After ward surgery I'd arranged to meet Denis at our local vegetarian restaurant instead of cooking at home. A most enjoyable evening, and I was able to tell them that the CPA inspectors who'd dined there yesterday evening had been very impressed.

Back in the Land of the Living

After several days of a really rotten cold I feel almost human today. I took advantage of a dry spell between the showers to deliver a round of Focus leaflets. Although I don't always look forward to that job, especially in wet weather, I do find it useful to walk round streets which I wouldn't go along otherwise. Checking up on the state of the pavements and generally keeping an eye on the ward is one part of the job which is important but easily lost in the rush of other activities. Today's weather seemed to have driven everyone indoors and I didn't meet anyone wanting to have a chat about anything. A wave and a smile from residents sitting in their warm rooms kept me going though.
Christmas decorations are starting to appear inside and outside houses. I hope people are making sure that they're using the correct plugs and wiring for them all. We don't want fire to ruin Christmas for anyone. I must confess that this time of year is when I find myself in two opposing camps, environmentally. Part of me loves to see all the lights, to send cards and receive them, to give presents and receive them but the other part of me hates the waste of resources - the electricity being spent on extra lights, the beautiful cards and wrapping paper being thrown away after one use, the thought that however much time I've spent on choosing something that a person will really enjoy, actually I haven't got it right and the gift will languish on a shelf somewhere until it finds its way into the next charity bag.
That's why I love gifts that are given, not to me, but on my behalf to someone in need. If you follow all those links you'll get the idea. Two years ago my daughters "gave" me a well in a developing country. I was so thrilled I burst into tears. This year one of them has just sent me some "reverse book tokens" - a wonderful idea. I remember how much the library meant to us when we were in India for a time, and we were people who could afford to buy books. How much more it meant to those who couldn't own their own. It's a gift I'm proud to have received.

Extremes

Not extremes of views but of ages today. I spent most of the daylight hours helping an elderly relative do some Christmas shopping - not very important you might think but to someone who only gets out of the house if someone takes her, it's very important. Sometimes we forget that losing the ability to do everyday things is one of the most upsetting parts of losing mobility. Not being able to carry a shopping bag nor to walk from one shop to another makes choosing surprise gifts for family and friends almost impossible. So, not something that's uniquely relevant to being a councillor, but definitely important.
A plea here, if any retailers should happen to read this: Designing a shop with wide aisles for easy access is brilliant, but filling those aisles with free-standing displays of easily damaged items is definitely not. We had to ignore 2 shops completely because we couldn't navigate the obstacle course.
In the evening there was a meeting of the full Council. Sometimes this is a fairly routine rubber-stamping exercise of receiving lots of minutes from Cabinet and committees which don't need any comment because it's all been said earlier in the process. Tonight's was different. Two questions from members of the public about issues dear to their hearts (Harold Macmillan and Tees Valley Metro) were followed by a number of questions on various matters from members of council. My colleague, John Fletcher, asked about the recent Tory leaflet which circulated in Eaglescliffe and worried a number of residents by claiming that the Council (and therefore us through Council Tax) would have to pay the costs incurred by the developer in the appeal over The Grange. The cabinet member responsible for planning matters reassured us that this is not the case - the appeal was a written appeal for which the council incurs no costs. We have enough problems without someone inventing phantom ones.
Then there were lots of issues raised about things in Cabinet minutes, followed by an emergency motion to be debated. The result of that is that Stockton Council has added its voice to the growing number objecting to the proposed transfer of 999 calls to Tyneside for the ambulance service. I was pleased that the meeting was a lively one, because one of the Youth reps on the Western Area Board accompanied me to the meeting as part of her time shadowing me as chair. Though I don't think it encouraged her to think in terms of being a councillor in the future, that wasn't the point. Few if any people are elected because they want to go to meetings - we're elected to do all the other things to make a difference and meetings are a necessary part of that.

Connect2 roadshow

People in Eaglescliffe and the surrounding area can see more of what the bid is about at a roadshow - Tesco, Eaglescliffe on Monday Dec 3rd, form 3 till 7. It's repeated outside Yarm Town Hall from 11-2 on Wednesday 5th. Do go along and see the details. You can read a little more online.
Whichever way you find out about it, do please vote. £600000 could come this way and it will be a big help in getting the bridges and footways that are hoped for.

Butts Lane Success!

Great news - Red tape has been cut and Stockton Council is planning to adopt the bit of land between the Churchyard and the Cemetery for maintenance and repair. Some of the ward Environmental Improvement budget will be spent on the initial improvements and then it's over to the Care for Your Area Team. Persistence has paid off and I hope that the work will be done soon before the winter weather really closes in.
Now there's just Railway Terrace .......

Lib Dem AGM

Stockton Liberal Democrats held their Annual meeting at lunch time - an innovation which brought in a decent number of people. We enjoyed lunch while listening to Fiona Hall MEP talking about her work as a Member of the European Parliament. Whilst some may think that the European Parliament is a distant body Fiona pointed out several things in which she's been involved related directly to life here in the North East. Her most recent interest has been in the Northern Rock debacle, when she realised that because the bank has a branch in Eire in the Euro currency zone it could apply for a loan from the European bank. Taxpayers in the UK would not have to risk billions of pounds and there'd be no suggestion of unfair state aid. Fiona has written to the bank and to the Chancellor but had no action from either.
She also explained some of the complexities of the Economic Partnership Agreements being proposed between Europe and the African & Carribean nations. They've been very controversial but I confess to not having fully understood them. Fiona explained that for the very poorest nations the protection which is built in makes them helpful but for the less poor nations they do have problems and the countries concerned are understandably concerned. As a result they're refusing to sign at present. Fiona did say that people from Eaglescliffe and Yarm had been very active in lobbying her about the undesirable effects of the EPAs, so well done those people. You are making sure that our MEP thinks carefully about the issues.
All AGMs have a business section of course, electing officers and receiving reports, but we were fortunate to have a second speaker - our president, Jeremy Atkinson. Some Eaglescliffe residents will remember Jeremy as a councillor before I was elected. He was a hard act to follow as the saying goes. He delivered a thought provoking talk on modern life and how we behave towards the disadvantaged in our society, including refugees. I can't possibly say it as well as he so I reproduce the relevant part below:

I see the British economy today as a cruise ship.

A lot of us are able to enjoy the luxury of cruising – which is good news.

Some of those with us have borrowed the fare, which they can’t really afford, and others, who could easily afford the fare, hold their bank accounts in the Cayman Islands, and decide not to pay anyway. This is bad news.

Also, many disadvantaged are left behind, refugees among them.

They haven’t got the training, or are not allowed legally to join the crew, or they are still in the backs of container lorries, even in unseaworthy boats, trying to catch up.

Because of climate change there are a lot more icebergs about, and potentially a lot more refugees.

It seems to me that the Tories are happy to enjoy the cruise, but are inclined to niggle about the bar prices and the safety drills.

They don’t like intrusive government but are happy enough to welcome the life boat when the ship is holed by a northern rock

Labour know something is wrong, but can’t think what to do about it, except put the ship’s maintenance and communications out to tender and order the crew to use less fuel, and certainly never to waste money on registered post.

While I was enjoying thought provoking speakers my hard-working husband was busy at home putting on wall-paper - there really isn't any justice is there. He did stop in time to go to Billingham and use the concert tickets which were a birthday present.

Slice of Life

The Slice of Life event at Newtown Community Resource centre was designed to suggest changes people might want to make to their lifestyle. Most displays were about personal health and fitness but there were other stalls and one was the Fairtrade Borough stall - we had information about what Fairtrade is and talked to people about why it's important. It was really impressive just how many people recognised the Fairtrade mark and knew a little about what it represents. We also had items on sale so that people could sample or stock up - an interesting and useful day. The photo shows the stall setting up almost complete.

Cemetery Policy moves nearer

There was some tough questioning at last night's cabinet, especially on the recommendation to employ a member of staff to enforce some of the other recommendations. Understandably there was some unease about the budget implications at a time when belt-tightening is going to be the order of the day. In the end the report was accepted in full and, unless the decision is called in for some procedural reason, things can move ahead. It will be up to officers now to come up with a workable action plan, and I don't envy them that task.
One cabinet member did acknowledge that this review had been a poisoned chalice which the committee had handled very well. I feel that it's not as poisoned as the one we now have to deal with - the Council's waste management strategy.
One small snippet which almost slipped through un-noticed was that there is to be a consultation with young people in this area on what they see as the priorities for the area. Previous events in Billingham and Thornaby have led to the plans for the Youth Cafes so it will be very interesting to see what results from our area one. I've asked for the date of it because I think it's important that ward councillors know what's happening. Also, at last night's Parish Council meeting, we racked our brains about how to engage with the young people in the parish and find out what they want in our play areas. It would be helpful if the Borough Council's consultation could include some questions on that theme.

Inspectors!!

Just catching up on some work before going out this morning when the phone rings. A call from a council officer to let me know that an inspector will be sitting in on the Cabinet meeting tonight at which I "will be centre stage presenting your report. Don't worry about it, I'll be there so if you want anything just say. Do you need a briefing note?" Honestly, if I can't present a report to Cabinet (the 3rd I've presented!) without someone holding my hand I shouldn't be a chair of a committee in my opinion.
Rant over - I shall go and get on with my jobs!

Trees, Housing and other things

The morning started with my first meeting of The Tees Community Forest board which only meets 4 times a year so isn't a very onerous undertaking. I soon realised that there is a budget implication in this as in so many other things which just seem to happen. The Tees Valley councils put in money each year to allow for workers to look after the forest, explore new possibilities and undertake some education work. However, the money is not enough to keep the forest going and budget pressures on council tax mean that it could be cut next year.
The nearest pieces of community forest to us in Eaglescliffe are Coatham and Preston Park (Quarry Wood). Anyone feeling adventurous and prepared to try a serious bit of sponsored activity can go on a sponsored adventure and raise funds for the forests at the same time. The website has the details.
It was a bit of a rush to get from that to the planning committee meeting, stopping en route to buy some fruit for lunch because I'd forgotten to bring some out of the house with me this morning. The only decision on the agenda was on the house which we'd visited yesterday, not built in accordance with the approved plans. When I arrived it was to find that since then even more questions had been raised and so it was agreed to defer the decision until plans have been submitted showing what has actually been built. The site visit had shown some deviations even from the amended plans! After that the agenda was all about the annual monitoring report, which gave the committee the opportunity to ask questions before it goes to Cabinet tomorrow. It paints a reasonably positive picture of performance, but changes in how planning will be funded by central government give rise to real concerns. The whole system is swinging in favour of the SE of England and not taking account of regional spatial strategy decisions which were taken just last year. I see some conflicts arising between different bits of legislation and guidance in the future.
Then we had a seminar on affordable housing - an issue very dear to the hearts of many people in this ward. How do our children afford a house in Eaglescliffe to be near to parents when they set out on adult life? An "entry level" house in Stockton costs over £82,000 but there aren't many, if any, available in Eaglescliffe at that price! The council is trying very hard to get developers to put 15% of new housing in that category but it's an uphill battle. Affordable rented housing is just as difficult to provide here, but we keep trying. It's important not just for those families with young people wanting to "fly the nest" but for all of us - Eaglescliffe needs young people as much as it needs old people in order to be the kind of strong, mixed community which thrives and supports everyone in it.

Mud, glorious mud

This morning started with a very rushed update meeting on how the annual canvass for the electoral roll is going - well but not complete yet. Just under 92% of forms have been returned which means that up to 8% of people in the Borough wouldn't have a vote if an election were called next year. If you're one of them, or if you want to check and make sure that you are on the register contact the Electoral Registration team at Stockton.
Then it was time to brief and be interviewed by the reporter from our regional newspaper about the Cemeteries review. The report goes to Cabinet on Thursday so there should be some coverage in the papers. We're hoping for positive reports, showing the benefits of what is being proposed but of course can't tell with the press until it's actually in print. The next session was with BBC Tees, including an interview in the rain at one of the cemeteries - getting wet and cold on this subject is becoming a habit!
The Fairtrade steering group met at lunchtime to plan some future events - watch out for a wine-tasting evening in late January or early February once we've got the venue finalised. There's a great range of Fairtrade wines out there and we're going to sample some of them. I had to race away at the end of the meeting to get to a site visit in preparation for tomorrow's planning committee. Unfortunately, it really was a building site so my shoes ended up caked in mud and needed serious work on the grass verge in the rain before I could get into the car and go back into the town to clean my shoes a bit more thoroughly and prepare for tomorrow's meetings before going to a briefing session about the Stockton-Darlington Partnership.
Then it was back to Eaglescliffe for a ward surgery, with a very difficult problem to try to start and resolve. The last meeting of the day was the finance committee of the Parish Council, and then home by 10pm to have a belated evening meal. The joys of being a councillor!

Resource or Rubbish?

This afternoon I chaired the first meeting of the Environment Committee on the Review of Waste Management. An hour and a half wasn't bad for such a broad topic, and at the end of it we'd agreed the scope and the project plan. We aim to have carried out a comprehensive review of Stockton's handling of waste from households by the end of March next year, so lots of hard work between now and then. We want to know what's collected, where it goes and how much it costs as well as what residents would like to happen and what theat might cost. As a borough we don't have a problem with landfill targets because we have the Energy from Waste plant at Haverton Hill but we do have a problem with recycling targets and the amount of rubbish generated. Of course, because the rubbish goes to the EfW plant it's also a resource! It's going to be a huge challenge to meet the targets set by central government for recycling and reduction of waste, especially as we have an increasing population in the borough and the targets are set on 2002 figures. There'll be a lot of public consultation so do watch out for it and join in if you live in the borough.
This evening's meeting was of Western Area Partnership board and included a lengthy discussion on play areas in the borough and in this area in particular. Again there's going to be a public consultation to determine what people want in the area so watch out for that and make sure your voice is heard.
I reported on the Connect2 bid for cycle and footways to link Ingleby Barwick, Eaglescliffe, Yarm and Thornaby. The voting for the winning bid for the lottery funding starts next week, 26th Nov online and on December 7th by phone after the TV programmes start (11pm for 4 evenings on ITV1). Please do vote for the Sustrans bid - it's a massive £50m bid for 79 communities across the country whereas its rivals are much more local bids. Our share would be about £600,000 to go towards improving our links with more paths and bridges over the Tees and Leven. If successful it will mean that people from Eaglescliffe can very easily get to Ingleby Barwick and enjoy the new park being developed there, as well as safely get to work there or in Thornaby for example without using a car.

Time Flies ....

Almost a fortnight since my last post - tut! I do have an excuse though, or at least a series of them!
First of all, we celebrated a very special birthday for my mother early in November and that took some time to plan and organise. All worth it when she saw my cousins from Ireland and from Wearside whom she hasn't seen for far too long. We followed the big celebration with a day out for her at the Herriot Centre, well worth a visit if you're interested in either veterinary matters or the TV shows.
Then a very busy couple of days, finalising the report of the Environment Select committee on Memorials in Stockton's cemeteries and starting the work on the new review into Waste Management as well as catching up on some ward work and having a frustrating time trying to get a new phone line into the house. Before too long, though, it was time to go off on holiday for a short break in Brussels via Eurostar. What a super train - sadly we went just before the departure point moved to St Pancras but we hope to try it again with an even easier and shorter journey.
The only downside of the break was a fall on the way home, resulting in a sprained wrist and a consequent inability to do much typing. That's my final excuse - it's getting better and I hope to be back to normal soon.

Environmental Improvements?

The small environmental improvement budget continues to cause headaches. Just when we think that something is sorted out a problem arises. First of all, we get no answers to the, admittedly difficult, questions around Railway Terrace and the "Butts Lane Triangle". No-one wants to take responsibility for the decisions we want taking so we're no further forward with trying to improve the surface of either of them.
Then on Thursday at a Parish Council meeting we were told that the bulb planting had been way below standard, with not enough soil over them so that the turf is lifting away and the bulbs being exposed in parts. What a criminal waste of money and time planting like that. I'm still waiting to hear what is going to be offered as a remedy for that.
Today we had the proposed plans for the streetlight on the footpath from Finchfield to Birchfield Close, showing a proposal for not one but two lights. It struck us as a bit of overkill so it's back to the drawing board on that one. At a time of trying to save on energy it seemed perverse to suggest two on such a short stretch of path so watch this space!
Let's just hope that the dog waste bins go in smoothly.
Today we've requested some soft planting over the ugly retaining wall over the BT access point opposite the Cleveland Bay. Surely there can't be anything too complicated to go wrong on that?
In the middle of everything I had a really lovely weekend celebrating my mother's birthday - a surprise party which included some relatives who haven't been to Teeside for years. A wonderful family celebration.