Change of date for Ward Surgery

My Ward surgery, due to take place on Tuesday 3rd July, has been postponed and will now take place on Tuesday 10th July at Westmorland Road Day Centre, Westmorland Road, Redcar from 6pm to 7pm.

Labour Controlled Redcar and Cleveland Council in top 20 for Council Tax increases

Official reports have confirmed that no Liberal Democrat-run council in England has increased council tax for their residents. This is unlike both other major parties, many of which are increasing council tax by up to 3.5% this year.

Commenting on Labour and Conservative councils’ record on Council Tax, Liberal Democrat Party President, Tim Farron said:

“While Labour and the Tories fight over how many of their councils raised Council Tax, it’s clear that with the Liberal Democrats your money is safest: no Liberal Democrat-run council in England has raised Council Tax."

At every level of government, the Liberal Democrats are cutting taxes for low- and middle-earners and better targeting help to those that need it the most. It is a record of financial responsibility of which we can be proud.

Labour ruled Redcar and Cleveland Council, who once imposed the second highest Council Tax in the land on it's long suffering residents, are, as most would guess, one of those Council's in the top twenty for Council Tax increases this year.

Top 20 Council Tax Increases Council Control Increase Barrow Labour 3.50% Babergh No Overall Control 3.50% Darlington Labour 3.50% Dover Conservative 3.50% East Northamptonshire Conservative 3.50% Gravesham Labour 3.50% Huntingdonshire Conservative 3.50% Leicester Labour 3.50% Preston Labour 3.50% Redcar & Cleveland Labour 3.50% Stockton-on-Tees Labour 3.50% Stoke-on-Trent Labour 3.50% Gedling Labour 3.40% Lichfield Conservative 3.40% Luton Labour 3.40% Middlesborough Labour 3.40% Nottingham Labour 3.40% Tunbridge Wells Conservative 3.30% Cambridgeshire Conservative 3.00% Richmondshire No Overall Control 3.00% Source: Local Government Chronicle

Redcar Labour Council’s Town Hall mismanagement costs taxpayers dearly

Liberal Democrats in the Borough of Redcar & Cleveland have hit out at Labour Council bosses who have needlessly cost the taxpayer hundreds of thousands by their mismanagement of the old Town Hall at Eston.

Five years ago it was clear that the Town Hall and neighbouring James Finegan Hall, both on Fabian Road, had had their day. The Lib Dem led coalition which then led the Council was realistic about what needed to happen and proposed demolition. The site needed £4 million spending on back-log maintenance.

But opportunistic Labour Councillors vowed to fight to keep the buildings saying: “Our position is that when we get back control in 2007 we will keep open the James Finegan Hall and refurbish it" (Labour leader George Dunning, Evening Gazette, 8 Sept 2006).

Now Labour has done a complete u-turn and is getting rid of them. This means that for five years the Council has been paying £120,000 a year for scaffolding on James Finegan Hall. Meanwhile, in 2007 Labour also spent £125,000 on refurbishing the Town Hall when it had no long-term future. They have recently wasted £36,000 on alterations to the City Learning Centre including an unnecessary walkway.

Liberal Democrat Group Leader Glyn Nightingale commented:

“The Lib Dems realised that the Council had more space than it needed and that the Town Hall and James Finegan Hall were becoming a financial liability.

“Now Labour has been forced into an embarrassing u-turn after finally realising we were right. In the meantime local taxpayers have had to pay out hundreds of thousands of pounds with nothing to show for it.

"It’s a welcome u-turn, but it’s come too late and been too costly."

Newcomen Ward Neighbourhood Action Partnership

Newcomen Ward Neighbourhood Action Partnership

Inaugural Meeting

6pm Tuesday 17 July

Newcomen Methodist Church

Mersey Road

Open to all who live and work in Newcomen ward

Have your say about issues that matter to you

Work together with councillors and agencies on a

Neighbourhood Action Plan setting priorities and

ideas for improvements in Newcomen ward

All will be welcomed: you can be as involved as little

or as much as you like

We look forward to meeting you

Further information:

Julian Feakes on 0774 8933 946

or email julian.feakes@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk

Emma McLoughlin on 0758 4480 408

or email emma.mcloughlin@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk

Neighbourhood team, Roseberry Library Roseberry Shopping Centre

Redcar's MP, Ian Swales, launches schools manufacturing competition

Ian Swales MP joins UK manufacturers to encourage kids to get excited about manufacturing careers.

Ian is proud to be launching the "We Made It!" competition here in the Redcar Constituency, working with local schools and industry to help young people understand how exciting and rewarding a career in manufacturing could be.

The competition will invite young people aged 13-16 to submit designs and ideas for a gadget, gizmo, toy or tool they'd like to see made. Any invention, no matter how creative, is welcome and as long as it's realistic enough to be made there's a chance it could be!

The entries will be judged by Ian Swales and the winner will be entered into a nation-wide competition judged by a group of organisations involved in manufacturing, including Boeing, The Manufacturing Institute, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Finmeccanica, Renewable UK, the Confederation of Paper Industries and Lloyds Banking Group. The organisations are all partners in the Dods Manufacturing Dialogue, which is working to increase interest in manufacturing skills in schools.

The best entries nationwide will be invited to a Fab Lab, the outstanding facilities provided by MIT and the Manufacturing Institute, where their designs will be manufactured and brought to life.

Later this autumn, Ian will bring the winner of our local competition to a reception and awards ceremony in parliament and they'll have the opportunity to meet the heads of the manufacturing organisations involved in the project and learn how to take their career in manufacturing further.

Ian Swales MP said: “I’m very proud to be supporting this great project to help young people turn their ideas into reality. Britain desperately needs more young people aspiring to high-level manufacturing jobs and gaining a better understanding of how the industry and businesses involved in it actually works.”

To find out more and to enter the competition, pupils can visit the competition's website.

Road safety campaign success - Zebra crossings to be raised at Marske.

Following a campaign by Redcar MP Ian Swales, Councillor Madge Moses (pictured right), Parish Councillor Margaret Wilson (pictured left) and local residents, the zebra crossings in Marske are to be raised, acting as a traffic-calming measure and improving pedestrian safety.

 

Following a series of accidents in the area around Marske High Street, the MP received a number of cases from residents concerned about pedestrian safety. He raised the issue with the Council who have confirmed that a consultation will be undertaken, with work planned for the next financial year, pending the consultation’s outcome. The crossing on Redcar Road and the two on the High Street are all expected to be raised.

 

Ian Swales MP said:

 

“This is very good news for the people of Marske. The new, raised crossings will make drivers slow down and improve pedestrian safety in the village. It is a very busy thoroughfare and I’m glad the Council agree that improvements should be made.”

Coast Road speeding campaign gets underway in Redcar.

Cllr Josh Mason (left) and Cllr Ron Harrison (right)  with Emma Boyes and her daughter Leila, along with Spike the road safety mascot.

A speed awareness event was held yesterday on Redcar’s Stray as part of a campaign, sponsored by Redcar and Cleveland Council to reduce irresponsible driving on the Coast Road.

It included appearances by Spike the Hedgehog as well as driving simulation equipment to test drivers’ reflexes.

The event follows a campaign by local resident Emma Boyes to tackle speeding on the Coast Road. “Coast Road Action Group” (CRAG) has been established to garner support for the initiative and liaise with the Council on what can be done to improve the problem.

Emma Boyes said:

“It was a great day! Thank you to every one for their support and to the Council for organising the day. I really appreciate everyone getting involved and supporting the campaign. I won’t give up until the issue is resolved!” 

Local Councillors Josh Mason and Ron Harrison strongly support the campaign.

Josh Mason said:

“There is a perennial problem of anti-social driving on this stretch of road. Providing safe crossing points is a key priority as, at present, there is only one zebra crossing to service the whole stretch of road. I am glad the Council are supporting CRAG’s campaign and I look forward to future improvements.”

Redcar MP, Ian Swales, supports Bill to help disabled blue badge holders

Ian Swales, Member of Parliament for Redcar , has given his support to a Private Members’ Bill to amend the Blue Badge legislation.

The “Disabled Persons’ Parking Badges Bill”, which was presented in the chamber of the House of Commons and has already attracted cross party support.

The aim of the Bill is to protect people who genuinely need a blue badge by clamping down on the misuse of badges by those individuals abusing the current scheme. The National Fraud Authority estimates it to be costing local authorities up to £46 million per annum. The Bill would introduce a number of measures to tackle this problem.

Commenting, Ian Swales MP said:

“I know that many disabled people in Redcar are frustrated when they cannot park because someone is misusing a badge. This Bill will clamp down on those individuals who abuse the system and deprive legitimate badge holders from parking.  Pretending to be disabled for financial gain is outrageous and deeply offensive to people with genuine disabilities.

“The changes contained within the Bill will improve the credibility of the scheme and result in the greater availability of parking spaces, protecting the scheme for genuine badge holders who have the most need.

“I am pleased to be supporting this Bill, which will benefit genuine blue badge holders up and down the country.”

Come on England!

The Olympic torch enters Rydal Avenue, Redcar, Yorkshire.

 Carried by Daniel Abbott aged 8

Carried by Jessica Seaman aged 5

Redcar Lib Dems attack Labour Council’s failure

Figures uncovered by Liberal Democrats show that Redcar & Cleveland Council only managed to meet half of its targets last year.

At the full Council meeting this month, Lib Dem members asked the Labour Leader of the Council whether these figures amounted to a failure of the council’s “Our Plan” strategy.

Figures also show that 86% of “milestones” were completed by the council in its work. These are the mechanisms by which the measures are achieved.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Josh Mason (pictured) commented:

“Labour are achieving their milestones but not their targets. This suggests that there is something radically wrong with the way they are tackling things. 

“Cllr Dunning was unable to provide any justification for why this was the case and instead gave a long list of what he considered key ‘achievements’ of the last year.

“I am deeply concerned that the Labour Group continues to prioritise their extravagant building programme to the detriment of other targets: job creation; business support; educational attainment and health inequalities.”

The Olympic torch comes through Newcomen Ward at Redcar in pictures

My daughter Kelly Seaman in the queue for the free refreshments provided by Dave Stones on behalf of Newcomen Ward Community Forum, whilst she waits for the Olympic torch to pass through Corporation Road, Redcar.

Here it comes!

The Mascot.

The Sponsors.

Coca Cola.

Lloyds TSB.

The Police Escort.

Here it is!

Get set for Redcar Game Park

Budding artists are being given a sporting chance to contribute to a masterpiece - as the Borough of Redcar and Cleveland gears up for the Olympic Torch passing through the Borough.

A sculpture and game park will be created on Redcar High Street on Saturday and Sunday, June 16 and 17, from 11am to 4pm, with experts on hand to create a unique piece of art celebrating the historic occasion.

And local residents are invited to bring along any old sports equipment to help form the striking sculpture. Free workshops with professional artists will take place over the weekend, giving everybody that comes along the opportunity to contribute to the sculpture and add their own creative flair.

In addition to the creation of the sculpture there will be street theatre, fun games and sporting activities, with local sports clubs offering free sessions.

For anyone who doesn't fancy taking part but is keen to see the finished sculpture, the Sculpture Park will be open on June 18, between 9am and 4pm.

The Olympic Torch relay starts in Redcar at 6.59am on Monday and will go on to pass through Marske, Saltburn, Brotton, Carlin How and Loftus. For further information please click here, or contact 01642 496425.

Evening Gazette reveals Labour Council chiefs accepted unpopularity of Redcar's "Vertical Pier"

Shocking that this report was hidden even from Councillors and members of the Cabinet were always denying there was any opposition. 

Yorkshire flag at Buckingham Palace

Whatever the event you can always rely on a Yorkshire flag being waved.