Saturday 23 February 2013

An Historic night - Redcar Athletic's first floodlit match at Green Lane

Finally, after a years painstaking work littered with setbacks, Redcar Athletic FC are set to embark on an historic night for the town of Redcar with the first floodlit football game to take place in the town.

Redcar Athletic will take on current Wearside League Leaders Stockton Town on Tuesday 26th February 2013 in what will be an enthralling passionate derby game between the two sides.

Kick off is 7.30pm at Green Lane, Redcar, Yorkshire, TS10 4NF.

Athletic have switched the game from its usual Wednesday night slot to avoid a clash with the big FA Cup game Boro v Chelsea in in the hope that this will draw a big crowd for the game.

The club would like to publically thank several people for the hard work and long hours they put in to ensure that the floodlights were ready they include Paul Wilson, John Neesam, Ian Best ,Chris Dryden, Vince Peel, Wayne Burkill and Manager Nicky Ward.

Entry for the game on Tuesday is £2 adults £1 concessions a programme will be available at £1 and snacks and hot/cold drinks will be available.

The club will now try and embark on attempting to provide covered standing and seating accomodation at the ground. This would ensure that the set up meets Northern League approval. However, funds are now strictly limited and the club is appealing to anybody out there individuals, sponsors, companies to come forward and offer their support.

We can offer several packages so anybody with football in Redcar in their hearts please get in touch we would be delighted to hear from you. The last 12 months have been very difficult and frustrating for the club. But with financial support a keen and enthusiastic bunch of volunteers, plus an ambitious committee, we can eventually put football in Redcar on the map.

The club are hoping Redcar residents will turn out on Tuesday night to enjoy the football and support our local team

Thursday 21 February 2013

Redcar and Cleveland Liberal Democrat Councillors call for a Council Tax freeze

Redcar and Cleveland Liberal Democrat Councillors are calling for a Council Tax freeze in response to the Labour controlled Council threatening to impose a 1.99% increase in what council taxpayers are being asked to pay.

Last year Labour raised Council Tax by 3.5%, the highest in the country.

This came despite the Government’s offer of £1.4 million to the Council if it had frozen its council tax in 2012-13.

This is the third time Labour bosses have refused the Government money to help keep Council Tax frozen. Since then, instead of spending all of this additional money on services, Labour has continued to waste taxpayers’ money on things like new furniture for the Mayor’s Parlour and alterations to the City Learning Centre.

The Council has also underspent in some areas. This proves they didn’t have to make local people pay such a massive increase last year, and as a result they should freeze the Council Tax this year.

The Government has offered councils the equivalent of a 1% Council Tax increase if they freeze Council Tax. Liberal Democrats say Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council should accept this offer which amounts to £585,000.

The Labour leadership can’t continually complain that the Council gets an unfair deal from government, then turn down Government money while hitting the pockets of local residents.

Councillor Glyn Nightingale, Lib Dem Group Leader, said:

"Labour in Redcar and Cleveland have shown that they are happy to waste Council Taxpayers money, whether it’s £1.5 million on a Vertical Pier that nobody wants, £37,600 on bird monitoring, and £125,000 doing up the Town Hall just before it was demolished.

"I am appalled at Labour's cynicism of keeping the Council Tax rise below 2% to avoid a public referendum.

"It is high time the Council’s Labour bosses started thinking about local residents."

Redcar Lib Dems demand more democracy on health

Liberal Democrats in the Borough of Redcar and Cleveland are urging the Labour controlled Council to make an influential new committee more democratic. 

The Labour Cabinet is proposing to give only three places out of 17 on the new Health and Wellbeing Board to elected members. All of these will be Labour Cabinet Members. The rest would go to senior officials from health organisations in the area. 

However, at a recent Council Scrutiny Board meeting, Lib Dem Group Leader Glyn Nightingale proposed that a majority of members be councillors, selected in proportion to their parties’ strengths on the Council. This received support from Conservative, Independent and Labour Councillors. 

Lib Dem Councillor Glyn Nightingale said: 

“Transfering the powers of unelected Primary Care Trusts to the Counci by the Coalition Government was major step in improving local democracy But now the Labour hierarchy l seems to want to replace one unelected body with another.

“This is a very important committee. It will be responsible for making sure the health of the public in our area is protected and improved. The quality of life for thousands of local people will depend on it doing its job well. That is why it is so important that the committee is democratic and accountable. 

“I am pleased that the Scrutiny Board has challenged the Labour Cabinet on this. I hope they will think again.”

Monday 18 February 2013

Another Marske Labour Councillor resigns from Redcar and Cleveland Council's Labour Group

Losing one Councillor from St Germains Ward might be considered unlucky but losing two is just careless of the not listening Redcar and Cleveland Council Labour Group:

The following email was sent today to all Councillors from Councillor Sean Pryce:

Dear George and Labour Group members,

I have a duty to do what is right for the residents I represent. I stood as a councillor so that I can represent the views and wishes of residents. The Labour leadership of this council and certain cabinet members are repeatedly and consistently refusing to listen to the views of residents. This could not have been more clearly proven by the response to more than 99% of residents opposing a parking scheme. The council has no mandate to introduce such a parking scheme, and to propose and support spending a further £20,000, just so the council can justify raising revenue by parking charges, is possibly illegal, and if not is certainly immoral.

Residents are also tired of the annual rounds of council tax rises, when other councils that already have lower council tax rates are again freezing theirs.

From a personal point of view, as an ex serving police officer I had enjoyed my roles involving Cleveland Police, but the group saw fit to remove my involvement in favour of yourself and Councillor Goddard, when neither of you have a fraction of the knowledge of policing or policing issues. The fact that this was a paid role was not my concern.

Hence, I think that I can better represent the interests of residents by continuing my councillor duties in opposition to the Labour group and so resign from the Labour Group and from Labour Party membership herewith.

I hope that you can turn round what many interpret as an arrogant and “we know what's best for you” attitude from the leadership and some of the cabinet for the benefit of the council and our residents. No problems with anyone personally, just the unwillingness of some to listen to the residents they are supposed to represent.

Cllr Sean Pryce

Sean Pryce
Labour & Cooperative Councillor
St Germains Ward
Marske by the Sea

Lib Dem Group Leader Glyn Nightingale commented:

"Sean Pryce's resignation from the Labour Party is hardly surprising. This is yet another in a series of Labour defections and resignations since 2011. To lose three Cabinet members is serious. But to see its majority whittled away by defections is calamitous for Labour.

“The only two gains Labour made in Redcar in Council elections in 2011 have now been lost to defections.

“Labour continue to take their local dominance and power for granted.

They shamelessly ignore common sense, waste taxpayers' money and disregard what local people want.

They have rejected the Government's money to freeze Council Tax; squandered money on a vertical pier and £20,000 on a consultation that ignores a popular petition protesting against parking charges in Saltburn. It’s typical of their incompetence in running a multi-million pound organisation. Clearly, Cllr Pryce shares our view on these key issues.

“No wonder sensible people are still turning their backs on Labour, just as they did in 2010 when they turfed them out of government and elected the first Liberal Democrat MP, Ian Swales, in the Borough. Now, it seems they can’t even keep support within their own party."

Friday 15 February 2013

ROAD WORKS WARNING FOR REDCAR

Motorists are being advised of potential disruption when a carriageway improvement scheme gets under way.

A six week programme of work on the A1085 Corporation Road / Locke Road / Mersey Road Junction begins on Monday 25th February. 

These planned changes were highlighted as part of the Tees Valley Bus Network improvement scheme which looks at ways of easing traffic congestion in the area. 

Works will include widening the junction to facilitate right turn movements for vehicles travelling from Corporation Road towards both Mersey Road and Locke Road.

The scheme also includes upgrading the existing traffic signals which will help to reduce delays for all road users and maximise capacity at the junction. Improved crossing facilities will be provided to assist both pedestrians and cyclists.

To ensure the safety of the public and workforce, Locke Road will be closed for the duration of the scheme and a diversion route will be clearly signposted. 

Lane closures at both Corporation Road and Mersey Road will also be in operation utilising three way temporary traffic signals.