Another incident of fly tipping at Redcar

I have today reported, for investigation and removal as soon as possible, yet another incident of fly tipping at the rear of Easson Road and Westfield Avenue.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council Publication Local Plan Consultation

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has begun to undertake consultation on its Publication Local Plan. The consultation period began on Tuesday 6^th December 2016 and will finish at 5pm on Tuesday 31^st January 2017.

The Local Plan includes a vision for how the Borough should be in 2032 and sets out a strategy for growth, identifying appropriate areas and sites for development, as well as the necessary infrastructure to support this growth. The Local Plan will also be used to make decisions on future planning applications and, once adopted, will replace the Council’s existing planning framework set out in the Local Development Framework Core Strategy Development Plan Document (DPD) and Development Policies DPD, 2007, as well as a number of ‘saved’ Local Plan Policies, originally adopted in 1999.

The Publication Local Plan is the version of the Plan which the Council wishes to adopt. The Council has previously consulted on the Draft Local Plan (from 27 June to 8 August 2016) and representations received on that consultation have been taken into account, alongside other considerations, during the preparation of the Publication Local Plan.

Following this consultation, the Publication Version Local Plan will be submitted, together with the representations received in this publication consultation, to the Secretary of State for Examination in Public.

Alongside the Publication Local Plan, the Council is also publishing the proposed Policies Map for consultation. This sets out, on an Ordnance Survey base map, where the site and locationally specific planning policies will apply.

The Council is also publishing the Publication Local Plan 2016 Sustainability Appraisal and Appropriate Assessment reports for consultation.

The Publication Local Plan, and all of the associated documents, can be viewed online.

Copies of the Publication Local Plan can also be found at all of the borough’s libraries, and at the Council’s offices at: Redcar and Cleveland House, Kirkleatham Street, Redcar; and Belmont House, Rectory Lane, Guisborough.  The Sustainability Appraisal and Appropriate Assessment reports can also be viewed for comment online and at Redcar and Cleveland House and Belmont House. 

Have your say on Redcar and Cleveland Council's budget plans

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has launched its budget consultation exercise, following a cabinet meeting on Tuesday 6 December.

As part of setting its financial plans for the next three to five years, the council would like to gather the views of the borough’s residents on various capital investment proposals, plus their thoughts on council tax levels, adult social care precept and changes to its council tax support discount scheme. 

Residents can get involved by downloading the questionnaire or by completing it online on the council’s consultation webpage.

The council will also be hosting four face to face consultation events in Guisborough, Eston and Redcar. More information on these can be found below:

·              Guisborough – Thursday 5 January, Sunnyfield House, at 5.30pm;

·              Eston – Tuesday 10 January, Inspire2Learn @ Eston Civic and Learning Centre, at 5.30pm;

·              Redcar – Tuesday 10 January, Redcar & Cleveland Leisure and Community Heart, at 12pm;

·              Redcar – Wednesday 11 January, Redcar & Cleveland Leisure and Community Heart, at 5.30pm.

Residents interested in attending the consultation events can register their interest on the council’s webpage.

The council will also be consulting with partners and seeking the views of local businesses.

The consultation will end on Wednesday 11 January, and the results will be fed in to the cabinet meeting on Tuesday 24 January 2017. 

Christmas Tree Switch on Roseberry Shopping Centre, Redcar

Christmas Tree

Switch on

Roseberry Shopping Centre, Redcar

Thursday 8th December 2016

at 5pm .

Supported by Scrumptious,

Sainsbury’s, Cleveland Police and Redcar and

Cleveland Borough Council

Christmas Carols

Free hot chocolate and mince pies

Come along and join in the fun

TIME TO RAISE THE ROOF ABOUT THE LACK OF POLITICAL BALANCE IN LOCAL NEWSPAPERS

I have just been out to find a copy of Issue 75 of Coastal View as I have started to advertise for electrical work in it again. It is not distributed where I live but is available from a few reasonably local outlets.

I could not believe my eyes when I looked through it. 17 of its editorial pages had items about the two Labour MPs and various Labour Councillors and that included FIVE full pages and THREE that were at least half pages full of Labour propaganda.

The Lib Dems had ONE item about the possible closure of Laburnum Library sent in by Josh Mason. I accept my item about the proposal to move the books out of Roseberry Library may have been after the deadline for this issue but I understand we sent out a few items that didn't get in.

There are a handful of items concerning Independent Councillors in the popular local paper and a couple of letters from UKIP. Nothing from the Conservatives.

We don't all have the staff paid out of the public purse that MP's have to spend all day writing articles for them but we are involved in quite a lot of things that are just as newsworthy but are ignored by the local media.

Our answer is as always we do the hard work of keeping in touch with our electors ourselves. There are quite a few newsworthy items which go out regularly in my ward newsletter Focus, on this Facebook page, and my blog. They are about local campaigning, holding the Labour Council to account and making proposals for actions that seek to make a difference for local people.

Surely it should not be down to who can afford to pay staff to feed newspapers but it clearly is you know. We no longer have an MP so we expect to have less coverage but what is happening with Labour coverage is not fair at all. Nobody else, as far as I know, is asked to comment on the claims in these Labour biased items.

We do send out press statements as well but very little gets in these days. It seems to me that newspapers no longer even try to provide balanced coverage.

The Gazette, which is Trinity Mirror owned, gave up on balance years ago. They only balance articles critical of Labour but they no longer ask opposition members to quote on items put out by the local Labour Councils.

I am sure it will turn out to be our fault as it always is but I ask myself what would Labour say if one of the other political groups got 17 pages of coverage in one local newspaper? They would raise the roof and never stop going on about it.

What the Liberal Democrats believe

Thank you to Mark Pack for this useful document. Click on it for an expanded view

Redcar Lib Dems fight for Roseberry Library

Labour-run Redcar and Cleveland Council appears to want to split Roseberry Library up with the books going into the 25K Community Centre, the IT section staying where it is and Adult Education taking over the purpose built Library building, as part of the Council’s cost cutting Shaping Our Future 3 programme.

But the possible partial closure of the library is unacceptable. My Newcomen Ward  Lib Dem Community Campaigners Laura Benson (pictured centre) and my daughter Kelly Seaman (left) have joined the campaign and hope to encourage more people to sign our online petition.

The Council should leave Roseberry Library intact as it currently is. More should be made of its potential as a meeting place. Roseberry Library is in the best possible position for the area it has served for around 50 years.

It had been the hub of the former Roseberry Square Shopping Centre and is now an important feature of the modern Roseberry Shopping Centre.

Losing the Library will also have a negative effect on the businesses that operate in the Shopping Centre.

Please sign my petition to keep Roseberry Library in Roseberry Shopping Centre

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's 'Shaping our Future 3' strategy proposes moving the books out of Roseberry Library in Roseberry Shopping Centre, Roseberry Road, Redcar. 

It proposes moving them into the 25K Centre, whilst leaving the IT equipment in Roseberry Library and moving Adult Education into the building. 

The Council should leave Roseberry Library intact as it currently is. More should be made of its potential as a meeting place. Roseberry Library is in the best possible position for the area it has served for around 50 years. 

It had been the hub of the former Roseberry Square Shopping Centre and is now an important feature of the modern Roseberry Shopping Centre. Losing the Library will also have a negative effect on the businesses that operate in the Shopping Centre.

Please sign the petition by clicking here:

Newcomen Ward Neighbourhood Action Partnership meetings

NEWCOMEN WARD

NEIGHBOURHOOD ACTION PARTNERSHIP

Monday 21^st November 2016 at 6pm

Roseberry Square Library, Roseberry Road

Redcar

AGENDA

1. Welcome.
2. Introductions
3. Apologies for absence
4. Minutes of last meeting
5. Matters arising
6. Coast and Country Housing
7. Update on community clean up
8. AOB.

Future meeting dates:

9^th January

20^th February

3^rd April

1^st May

26^th June

CONTACT:

Emma McLoughlin (Community Development officer)

Mobile: 07584480408

Email: emma.mcloughlin@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk

Redcar Lib Dems demand rights for renters

Liberal Democrat Councillors in Redcar are demanding greater rights for private sector tenants.

Councillor Lisa Harding, who represents West Dyke ward, has put forward a motion to Redcar and Cleveland Council requesting support for the Renters’ Rights Bill.

The bill is currently in the House of Lords. The bill is the work of Lib Dem Baroness Olly Grender. If passed, it would:

1. Ban letting fees for renters, a practice already outlawed in Scotland which is allowing letting agents to charge both the landlord and the tenant for services.

2. Give renters access to an open register of rogue landlords and letting agents.

3. Bring in compulsory electrical safety checks in rented homes.

4. Prevent rogue landlords from obtaining an HMO licence.

Councillor Lisa Harding said:

“The private rented sector has an important role in helping to address housing need in our area.

“Whilst the majority of private landlords act fairly and take their responsibilities seriously, there is a persistent problem of rogue landlords who have little concern for the welfare of tenants and often fail to meet their legal obligations. This not only affects tenants, but has impacts on the wider community as a whole, as poorly maintained properties blight residential areas, leading in some cases to vermin and other anti-social issues. “It is therefore vital that proper protections are put in place for tenants, ensuring that they have a home which is safe, clean and warm.”

Assurance given that Redcar and Cleveland Council will not charge for emptying green waste bins

As regards the proposal to charge for emptying green waste bins the question was asked at this afternoon’s Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council meeting by my Lib Dem colleague Councillor Glyn Nightingale.

Cabinet Member Councillor Alex Brown accepted that a number of local authorities have started to do this but he gave an assurance that the current administration would not be introducing a charge. This reply will be on the record in the Council minutes and also recorded in the video of the meeting which will appear on the Council’s website very soon.

FESTIVAL OF CHRISTMAS MUSIC

REDCAR AND CLEVELAND OLDER PEOPLES PARTNERSHIP

           

FESTIVAL OF CHRISTMAS MUSIC

With the Wilton Male Voice Choir

At Tuned In Centre, Majuba Road, Redcar

Friday 2nd December 2016 1:00pm to 4:00pm

Prize Draw, Refreshments, 

                       Tickets: £3                                    

From: Steering group members or available at the door

Remembrance Day Parade at Redcar

Councillor Josh Mason Leader of the Lib Dem Group on Redcar and Cleveland Council lays a reef at the Remembrance Day Service at Redcar. Councillor Karen King also lays a reef on behalf of the Humanists.

Add caption

Christmas Lunch

British Legion Poppy Appeal launch at Redcar

This morning as Deputy Mayor of Redcar and Cleveland I launched the Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal in Redcar.

Daniel in action on Litter Picking Day in The Meadows

Pictured is my Grandson Daniel Abbott part of the litter picking team in The Meadows area the other day and pictured on a previous litter picking day when he was very young.

The Meadows area, Redcar Week of Action highlights

Day 1 of the Week of Action in The Meadows area of Redcar (formally known as the Closes) was bin audit day. An attempt to find out who requires bins after many have been stolen.

Day 2 was skip day. Fellow Ward Councillor Billy Wells and I provided three skips out of the Councillors Neighbourhood Action Partnership funding for residents to dispose of unwanted items. residents were asked to contribute £3 if they wanted to use the skips and around 25 took up the offer.

It is hoped that a residents' group will shortly be formed to help deal with the problems on the estate and help people work together to keep the area clean and tidy.

The skips were available between 10 am and 1.30 pm. The day was organised by Redcar and Cleveland Council's local Community Development Officer, Emma McLoughlan with Billy Wells and myself on hand to assist.

Day 3 was healthy living day. Community Development Officer Emma McLoughlan, supported by myself and Councillor Billy Wells, provided a 'smoothie bike' and the ingredients for local youngsters to make their own by pedalling the bike. A health information boards were also on display.

Day 4 was litter pick day. I was joined by granddaughters Charlotte and Jessica Seaman and Grandson Daniel Abbott, and we formed one team working in The Meadows, Devon Close and Brathay Walk. Two local residents, Neil Johnson of Coast and Country Housing plus Community Development Officer Emma McLoughlan, supported by myself and Councillor Billy Wells were also involved.

Day 5 was patch walk day. Cleveland Fire Service, Coast and Country Housing, Redcar and Cleveland Council's Community Development Officer, Councillor Billy Wells, my daughter Kelly Seaman and myself, looked at problem alley way areas, where youths have been hanging about and setting fires. We also noted a considerable amount of dumped rubbish at 9 Field Head (pictured) which has been reported as a fire hazard.

Week of Action targets Redcar estate

The area around The Meadows (formally the Closes) area

Redcar will get the opportunity to learn new skills and get their voices heard as a week of activities take place as part of the ‘Redcar and Cleveland Love It’ campaign.

Coming as the result of work done in Neighbourhood Action Partnership meetings chaired by ward councillors Chris Abbott and Billy Wells, residents on The Meadows estate will lead on tackling issues affecting the estate including anti-social behaviour and general cleanliness. They will also be forming their own residents’ group to continue this week of action in the future.

Starting on Monday 24 October, members of the ‘Love It’ team will show residents on The Meadows estate how to use their recycling, green waste and general waste bins as well as implementing some anti-theft measures including spray painting house numbers and street names on bins and offering tips on how to secure bins.

There will be a skip day, dates to be confirmed, so people can get rid of bulkier rubbish for £3 each and the money raised will go towards funding new activities and initiatives around the area.

One of those activities is a community litterpick on Thursday 27 October at 10.00am where council staff, residents and volunteers will come together to clean the estate.

It isn’t just waste and recycling that will be part of the week of action as a healthy lifestyles workshop takes place at Rye Hills School from 9.00am – 11.00am on Tuesday 25 October with a healthy eating workshop on the afternoon.

There will also be a microwave cooking taster session at Roseberry Library on Thursday between 1.30pm and 3.30pm.

Also passing on their knowledge is Cleveland Police who will be running a session on crime prevention and Cleveland Fire Brigade will be doing patch walks, both on Thursday.

Cllr Billy Wells, Independent ward councillor for Newcomen, said: “Hopefully if this week of action is a success it will encourage residents in other parts of Newcomen ward to create their own group and have their own week of action and as ward councillors I will work with Cllr Abbott to continue to support this.”

Cllr Chris Abbott, Deputy Mayor of Redcar and Cleveland and Lib Dem councillor for Newcomen, said: “The area needed a new management plan and it is great to see that residents are prepared to work alongside the two ward councillors the community development team and all the other local agencies to help deal with the anti-social behaviour problems, rubbish dumping and get to work on improving the appearance of the area.”

To find out more about ‘Love It’ go to: www.redcar-clevelandloveit.co.uk

Nice lunch in Redcar Library cafe.

Having had a full day of meetings at the Redcar Community Heart today I found myself in the Redcar Library cafe with twenty minutes to spare before my next meeting but with only £3.00 cash on me after I paid out £4.50 to park.

However, they were serving homemade chicken casserole for only £2.50 and it was delicious. What a change it made from my usual unhealthy diet. I miss proper home cooked meals. I do them myself occasionally but no where near as often as I would like. I will be visiting the Library cafe again very soon.

Newcomen Ward Neighbourhood Action Partnership

The next Newcomen Ward Neighbourhood Action Partnership is Monday 3rd October 6pm at Roseberry Square Library, Roseberry Road, Redcar.

Barry Coppinger The Police and Crime Commissioner will be attending the next meeting.

Barry will give an overview of what is happening in the Police and will answer any your queries about Anti-Social Behaviour and Crime.