Friday, May 19, 2006

Just an ordinary Friday!

Apart from the fact that it 's cold and wet, so May isn't looking very spring-like at the moment. Leaving that aside Friday's often a day for catching up on things around the ward. So this morning saw the 3 ward councillors together in one room, discussing what to do about some of the issues facing the ward. One result is that a letter will soon be winging its way to the new minister in charge of local government (including planning), Ruth Kelly, asking when she's going to start to sort out the mess left by PPG3.
Much more positively we decided to join with IBIS and some of the local groups and residents to work for the River Tees Heritage Park. Coupled with the feasibility study to be done on safe non-car routes between Ingleby Barwick & Thornaby on one bank and Eaglescliffe & Yarm on the other, this is a really positive step.
Now it's time to go and make some phone calls about other issues and see what else can be achieved.

Thursday, May 18, 2006

A month later - whoops!

And so another month flies past. I really must get the blog habit. Our mayor is putting me to shame. She dutifully files her copy every day - what a star!
To be fair, in the last month I've had other things on my mind. Brief visit of daughter and son-in-law from Oz means that we now have some of our loft back and a bit more space around the nooks and crannies of the house. 9 big crates of stuff (including nearly 200 paperback books) are now en route to Melbourne, courtesy of Pickfords NE and Beca.
While they were in the country we had a service of blessing and dedication for Emma at St Mary Magdalene in Yarm, so the whole family was together for a short time. Denis and I felt very priveleged.
Meanwhile of course the ward and the borough go on - planning applications and issues of provision for young people in the ward are still major concerns. This week brought some partial good news - the appeal against the Council's refusal of the planning application at the Grange on Urlay Nook Rd was refused. Sadly, only on the grounds of design and mass of the building and not on the sustainability element of the refusal which doesn't bode well for SPG4 in the future.

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Regeneration

A day spent with Andrea and Emma on Saturday was just the antidote to all the politics of the week. John Paul had to go to work but the three of us managed the shopping, a little bit of housework and a lot of playing. Being a grandmother is a wonderful thing. Denis' work commitments mean he's not getting the benefit of being a grandfather to the same extent unfortunately.
A meeting of the Local Strategic Partnership on Tuesday included one of the more interesting debates of recent times in response to the White paper on Worklessness strategies. It's a really important matter in Stockton and the North East in general so everyone was keen to see it working well. There was also a really interesting presentation on the work so far that's been carried out on the Saltholme Nature Reserve. If the European funding is forthcoming that's going to be somewhere well worth shouting about from the roof tops - huge, interesting and on our doorstep. The design of the building is futuristic and just about as sustainable as you can get. What's more, after a Europe wide competition to find architects the winners are a Newcastle partnership.

Friday, April 07, 2006

ASB and other things

So, with the Annual Meeting behind us what have I done? Caught up on some case work for the ward and read lots of comments from frustrated residents on the one hand and frustrated planning officers on the other about applications in the ward. Some things never change. The Mayor now has her blog working, with photos of events she's attended. Because it's part of the local authority website it has to be done according to policies and codes of practice, but it's still a real innovation.
Tonight's ward surgery brought some unwelcome news. It all started well enough with a representative of the church in whose premises we meet coming to do a risk assessment and discuss the petition they're organising for a pedestrian refuge in the road outside. That's something we can very happily support. But then came a visit from our neighbourhood police officer to talk about the anti-social behaviour problems in the ward. It seems that we now feature as the second worst ward in the South and West area. Gangs of young people are gathering, drinking alcohol and causing noise and damage as they disperse. If the police disperse them from one area they move on to another. In the end we decided to try to arrange a round table discussion with the young people, the police, the youth service, the parish council, ASB team and other interested parties to look for a way out.
Watch this space - miracles are notoriously difficult so I hope we aren't raising false expectations.

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Mayor Suzanne, Part 2

Home again, in a blissful state of blessed relief. Everything went smoothly - 100% attendance by councillors meant that Allison was duly elected as chair of the Housing & Community Safety committee and Andy as Vice Chair of Corporate Policy Review. No hiccups, Suzanne looked radiant, John was proud as could be and their grandchildren were wonderful. The African drummers played up a storm and were applauded enthusiastically. The Fairtrade wine gave me a chance to explain Fairtrade to the representative of the Hindu community on Teesside. All in all a good day!
Now I need to get my act together and be more dedicated to this diary, as our new mayor is planning to have a blog during her year as mayor. I'll definitely have to look to my laurels.

Mayor Suzanne

Well, the day has finally arrived - at approximately 10.45 BST today Suzanne Fletcher will become Mayor of Stockton-on-Tees. It's been a long time coming. Thanks to the selfishness of the biggest party on the council she's been a councillor for 25 years before becoming Mayor whereas some of the recent holders of the post have served less than 10. Still, today's not a day for recriminations but celebration. It's going to be a very different mayoral year from the norm!
For a start the Mayor and civic guests won't enter the reception to a slow handclap but to the sound of African drums provided by a group of refugees from that continent. Drumz use Fairtrade drums imported from Africa. Which will lead nicely to the Fairtrade wine served with the meal! All part of Stockton's effort to become a Fairtrade Borough, something Suzanne has wanted for years now.
Meanwhile I need to go and add the Lord Lieutenant into my speech introduction!

Sunday, April 02, 2006

Imaginary Readings

How time flies when you're enjoying yourself (or busy or just forget about the blog!)
It seems that we celebrated too soon the granting of a second reading for the TMR bill on building in gardens. Although apparently granted such a reading in fact it won't get it, because there won't be time made for it. Such is the way of Parliament - Ten Minute Rule bills get imaginary second readings.
Meanwhile we have another two or three applications in for just this kind of building, and no sign of the flood abating. EPAG are getting more and more demanding in their desires to reform the planning system as a whole and Stockton's planning department in particular.

Thursday, February 02, 2006

Gardens or Brownfields?

Yesterday afternoon, as Stockton's planning committee debated one application after another for housing to be built in large gardens, Parliament was hearing about exactly the same problem. The MP for Tunbridge Wells sought to introduce a bill removing gardens from PPG3 under the Ten Minute Rule. Normally such bills go nowhere, but lobbying by residents and local councillors from Stockton to Somerset meant that this one has been granted a second reading. It might just be the incentive the ODPM needs to change PPG3.
When introducing it Mr Clark (Greg, not Charles) said he'd had messages of support from Liberal Democrats and Labour so the flurry of e-mails and phone calls from here may have done some good.

This morning is my first meeting with the Chief Exec as Group Leader - oh joy!

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Catch up time

I've just realised what a long time it is since I wrote anything in this diary. An eventful six weeks really, in which I passed the significant age of 60, became a grandmother and became Council group leader in that order. No wonder I hadn't time for blogging!
My birthday bash was a really enjoyable Ceilidh at Yarm Fellowship Hall to music by The Cleveland Bays. Friends came from far and wide and the whole family was there. It's a long time since I've enjoyed an evening so much. We also had some of Kirsty's long-standing friends (most of whom had been in Guides or at school with her) so that they could have an evening together before she and Pete jetted off to Australia.
On the actual date of my birthday they flew on the first leg of their journey as far as Dubai where their plane was delayed so they started their wedding anniversary in the transit lounge of the airport - Kirsty curled up asleep and Pete on his laptop with a wireless connection e-mailing photographs of the journey so far to friends and family around the world. Since then things have gone rather more smoothly for them and they are now touring that huge country before she starts work in March.
Between Christmas & New Year Denis and I went to Keswick for a short break to walk in breathtakingly crisp cold scenery. We arrived home to find that all was not running smoothly with Andrea's pregancy and she had spent a night in hospital for tests. The next 3 weeks were punctuated by regular checks with parents anxiously waiting for the results, and the early arrival of Emma Jane on January 18th. She is of course beautiful but small. Their first shopping expedition was to buy some tiny baby clothes - the many first size ones they'd received in advance will have to wait a few weeks to be useful. The proud parents are tired but enjoying her to the full, and proud grandparents couldn't wait to go down and see her.

On the Council there was a lull over Christmas, as usual, but immediately afterwards I presented the last scrutiny report of the Education, Leisure & Cultural Services Select committee first to members of the Youth Assembly and of the youth service and then to cabinet. In both cases it was well received and the department is now looking at ways of implementing the recommendations in it.

Suzanne decided that she needed to step down as group leader very soon in order to give her successor chance to do the necessary negotiations on budget and positions of responsibility before the Annual Meeting when she'll become Mayor. At the group meeting it was decided that I would take over from February 1st, so here I am! A bit like birthdays - it doesn't actually feel any different to yesterday.

The FairTrade Borough campaign rolls on, albeit slowly. Last night was an amazing night, though, with 100 people squeezed into the Newtown Resource centre to hear Bruce Crowther speak about how we could move forward, Simeon Greene talk about the difference FairTrade made to his home island in the Windward Islands and John Lyons talk about the impact on the global awareness in his primary school. We hope now that all those people will go away and promote it even more actively.

Monday, December 12, 2005

A Vote too far?

Certain people within the council have come up with quite the daftest idea yet for increasing voter interest in local elections - they want us to have a directly elected executive. Seven people to be directly elected from across the whole Borough (that's two parliamentary constituencies) to replace the present cabinet elected by the council from its members. Somehow these seven people are going to be able to come together the day after the election, understand how the system works and start sharing out portfolios and buckling down to work. This despite the fact that they might be from a mix of political parties or none, elected on completely different manifestos. Is the world completely mad I ask myself.

For some strange reason the Tories agree that it's a good idea.

One of the suggestions made is that it provides a defined career structure for elected members - what a load of rubbish. Elected members are exactly that - elected. If you decide not to elect us next time that's it - we're out. There's no career structure at all. Some might hope that if they make a good showing at local level they'll get a chance to stand for Parliament in a seat where they have a hope of winning but most people go into local politics to make a difference in their own area.

What it does mean is that ward councillors will be further away from influencing the decision making - Executive members can claim that they were elected on a particular policy platform and they needn't take any notice of other councillors. Do we really want this?

Apparently the Labour Government at Westminster has indicated that more powers could come to local councils if they go along this route. BUT the very powers people want - those over planning, licensing and policing their areas, are being more and more centralised to a regional or national level. Where's the honesty in that?

Saturday, December 03, 2005

December Already?

Where did November go? Amongst other things I spent time with my family which was good, had numerous meetings about changes in Children's Services and chased our local water provider about a leak.
The leak in question was not just any old leak - we are talking hundreds of litres a day here. But "it's not a water main - it hasn't any chlorine in it". My simple mind didn't expect it to have chlorine in it when it had bubbled its way up through several feet of clay.
Then: "It's been mended" - this when I am standing watching it flowing freely.
Then: "Its a land drain" - on the highest bit of land around???
Then: "It's a sewer - but not one of ours!"
Finally, when the Borough Engineers started talking about mending it and charging them, behold it was a water main, and it was mended.
Unfortunately they then decided to dig another 2 holes to create a triangle round the road junction.
Watch this space!!

Friday, October 21, 2005

Democracy Week

All sorts of things have been going on in Stockton for Local Democracy Week, but today's the day I make a fool of myself for a good cause. At 5pm the Education, Leisure & Cultural Services Select Committee team take on the Youth Assembly team at Hollywood Bowl. Now I haven't been bowling since my teens and that's more years ago than some of these young people's parents have been around! I do not expect that we will cover ourselves in glory, but I do expect to know the members of the youth assembly a little better at the end of it.

Meanwhile, I shall spend the day trying (in no particular order) to catch up on housework, casework and finding a replacement leader for the Guide unit from which I retire at Christmas.

Saturday, October 01, 2005

Listening to Young People

Today was a much more cheerful day. We had an event in ARC for young people from across the borough to respond to the ideas in the Youth Matters Green Paper and for Councillors, Youth Workers and Childrens Services officers to listen to them. Although it started as an idea from an officer it grew into something organised by members of the Youth Assembly who took to the leadership role with relish. We played ice-breaker games, expressed our opinions on a number of topics and then had really good discussion groups on themes from the Green Paper. At the end the common complaint was that we hadn't had long enough! Now given that this was from youngsters on a Saturday morning I think it says a lot about how much they want to contribute to life in the Borough.
So - what did we as elected members get out of it? Loads of challenges, that's for sure. We were challenged to really listen, to do some of the things that young people wanted, to let them have more input into how money is spent and where - they really do want to be involved. Now it's down to us to make sure they are, and that the democratic processes really work for them.

I met a young man, 16 at present, who's winning medals at national level in athletics and expecting to compete in Europe next year - an Olympic hopeful from our town for 2012! We didn't know about him - we didn't know anything about his achievements - what sort of a system have we when we know every last detail about GCSE results but don't know we've got a national champion in our midst?

It's not often I enjoy giving a Saturday morning to Council business but this morning was quite exceptional - those young people were an inspiration. I just hope we don't completely let them down.

Friday, September 30, 2005

End of an era

On Tuesday morning we heard the sad news that Cllr Stephen Smailes, leader of the Conservatives on Stockton Council until recently, had died. He'd suffered for a long time and no doubt for him it was a release but for family and friends it's a huge loss.
I didn't know Stephen well, but he'd been on Stockton Council for 38 years and his name was known to hundreds who never met him. I expect the church to be full today for the funeral service. Much as I disagree with Tory policies I admired the way he always knew how to appeal to the electorate. His calls to preserve the architectural heritage of the "jewels in the crown of Stockton" will be missed. His will be a hard act to follow.
Rest in Peace Stephen. You will not be forgotten.

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Grrr!

Way back in the Spring, Egglescliffe Parish Council decided to invest some of the Council Tax in new play equipment for two of the play areas we manage. The recreation committtee duly studied catalogues, relived our own childhood (through rose coloured glass of course!) and chose some wooden adventure equipment which didn't need to have safety surface under it and would appeal to a wide age range.
Last week was installation time - while I was away at Conference. Certain young people declared that we were spoiling their football pitch and they would take the equipment out. Now I admit that the positioning was partly designed to stop them kicking their ball against the fences and walls of adjoining houses, but the grass was never, never designed for football games. It's too small an area for that. Sure enough, some of them had a good try and Stockton Council's Play Area inspection team had to be contacted to go out and make the area safe!
On Sunday evening I had an e-mail from a resident to say that said youths were trying to demolish part of the equipment. Yesterday morning I had a phone call to say that she thought they'd succeeded! The Parish Council Clerk and I paid a hasty visit and concluded that the installation was probably sub-standard. However, we're not experts so we await a written report from those who are.
Meanwhile the area has had to be fenced off so the children who were enjoying the new equipment are now deprived by the selfish revenge action of the few.

Friday, September 23, 2005

What a Week!

Back from conference with a mass of useful ideas and information - thoughts on improving recycling rates; better policies for children and young people; ideas for working towards being a Fair Trade Town; lots of questions to ask about all kinds of things. That's the beauty of Conference - the fringe meetings and the casual chat throw up all manner of ideas that make me want to come back and get on with changing the world!
The debates weren't bad either, not that you'd know it from some of the press coverage. There were some powerful arguments for and against motions, some intense listening and some thoughtful voting. The Urgent Issues debates were particularly good - no arguments over wording to distract attention from the issues under consideration but some really deep thoughtful arguments. Excellent stuff.

Thursday, September 22, 2005

Blackpool

My second visit to Blackpool, but my first stay there and my first conference there. First impressions weren't particularly good, arriving after a difficult weekend and driving through some pretty run down areas to reach the hotel.
Subsequent impressions were mixed - the Promenade is beautifully laid out and litter-free, some of the shopping areas new and shiny bright, some super hotels and guest houses, but also lots of flaking paint, shops selling souvenirs that were popular in the fifties, restaurants that close before 9pm.
The Illuminations certainly brightened the night scenery, even though some of the designs were distinctly tacky. I was sorry the trams stopped running when they did, as I'd have liked to have taken a tram ride along the full length of them. Maybe if there's another conference there I'll forgo one of the fringe events and enjoy the Illuminations in all their glory.
I must say how much I appreciated the shuttle bus between the Winter Gardens and the Imperial Hotel which made getting to the majority of the Fringe Venues very easy.

Tuesday, March 22, 2005

Good News

Amazing U-turn on the part of the Transport Minister means that yesterday it was announced that after all the Grade-separated junction on the A66 at Long Newton will go ahead next April (2006). All the campaigning was worth it.
The announcement was made during the opening of the South Stockton Link Road, so now Ingleby Barwick is linked directly to the centre of Stockton and we in Eaglescliffe have a choice of routes into the town. Unfortunately we have to wait at least another year before the funding is available to do the necessary work on the Surtees Bridge to link the road with Middlesbrough. I haven't tried the new road yet , but I will later today.

Monday, March 21, 2005

Updates (overdue!)

Where does the time go? More than a month since my last post (mental note - must do better).
So what's been happening? Well, the budget is set for better or worse. Thanks to a fairly generous settlement from central government (nothing to do with it being an election year of course) we've got the lowest Council Tax rise in the Tees Valley. We Lib Dems wanted to put an extra £50 000 into youth work but the ruling Labour Group thought it was more important to spend it on the working of reception areas.
Even before we set the Tax level the Local Government Association was warning that rises could be 7.5% next year unless we get another big injection of cash from central government. There's got to be a better way of financing local expenditure than this.
Meanwhile all departments of the Council are looking for more and more efficiency savings so that they can give a good service for less money.
As parish councillors John and I listened to a presentation by developers wanting to demolish The Grange and replace it with 19 flats. A lot of members of the public came, and made their views very clear. As a result John and I as ward councillors were invited to meet the developers and look at their revised plans. They've reduced the number of flats and the mass of the building, but it's still going to be very intrusive into Valley Gardens.
The retrospective application for the motocross circuit has produced more interest than many housing developments. Such a lot of people have been suffering from the noise but not knowing that they could do anything. Dozens of letters have gone in opposing the development. Meanwhile the owner claims that the application is only for what he's been doing for the last 10 years according to a local journalist! We now await the recommendation of the planning officer on that one.

Friday, February 18, 2005

A sad day

Today a number of colleagues and councillors gathered to say farewell to Stockton's Head of Democratic Services. Not a job title that grabs the public imagination, but one of the most important jobs in the whole council system (in my opinion anyway). This is the person who has organised elections, guided newly elected councillors through training and advice, supported Select Committees in their scrutiny role, and much much more besides. She will be sorely missed and whoever tries to fill her shoes will find it a difficult and frustrating job at times.
Good luck Fran in whatever you decide to do next.